Week 3

Ribbit!  VS  The Day the Crayons Quit

Ribbit!:

Age range: Probably around 3-6 yrs old.

Summary:

A group of frogs are living happily in a peaceful pond, until they discover a surprise visitor: a little pink pig. Sitting contentedly on a rock in the middle of their pond, the pig opens his mouth and says: RIBBIT! The frogs are bewildered at first, and then a bit annoyed—"What did that little pig just say?", "Does he think he's a frog?", "Is he making fun of us?"

Soon the pig draws the attention of all the nearby animals; everyone is curious to know what he wants! After much guessing (and shouting) and a visit to the wise old beetle, the animals realize that perhaps the pig was not there to mock them after all—maybe he just wanted to make new friends!  But is it too late?  This is a warm, funny, and beautifully illustrated story of friendship, with boisterous RIBBIT!s throughout—perfect for reading aloud.

Review:

Now this is a good book indeed. The illustrations are great. The story is intriguing. And the lesson/moral of the story is a good one too. It’s an easy read, and the silliness will definitely give you an opportunity to make your kids giggle. I’d recommend this book for sure.

The Day the Crayons Quit:

Age range: Probably around 5-8 yrs old.

Summary:

Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: We quit!

Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown. Blue needs a break from coloring all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking to each other.

What is Duncan to do? Debut author Drew Daywalt and New York Times bestseller Oliver Jeffers create a colorful solution in this playful, imaginative story that will have children laughing and playing with their crayons in a whole new way.

Review:

I have to admit, the story for this book was very smart. The cover title, though, made me like it more than the actual book, because I love the story possibilities with a title like that. For the book itself I enjoyed it. It’s a very different delivery than most children’s books, but it’s interesting none the less. It’s quite funny (especially for the grown-ups), and the illustrations don’t fall short. I’m not a big fan of mixing illustrations with photography, but in this case I was ok with it by the end of the book. This isn’t a book I see parents reading their kids over and over, but it was definitely fun for a one time read.

The Winner:

Congratulations to Ribbit!! 

We will see you in November!