Week 9:

Daisy and Josephine VS
The Girl Who Wouldn’t Brush Her Hair

Daisy and Josephine:

Age range: Probably around 5-8 yrs old.

Summary:

Everyone has a favorite person, and Daddy is Daisy’s. But when the two of them are on the road for Daddy’s work, Daisy sometimes feels lonely. She is very shy and wishes she had a friend. So Daddy gets Daisy a surprise: a funny-looking puppy named Josephine. They make quite a pair—Daisy with her overbite and Josephine with her underbite. Will Daisy’s rambunctious new friend help bring her out of her shell?

Review:

This was an interesting book. I didn’t really like it, but I do have to say that it felt different in a good way because it just didn’t seem like a typical children’s book. Since Daisy’s dad was usually gone working, and he was a single parent, it made me feel for the little girl. That really tugged at my heart. Though other than that, I didn’t enjoy this book. The illustrations weren’t good to me, and the story overall just didn’t cut it.

The Girl Who Wouldn't Brush Her Hair:

Age range: Probably around 6-8 yrs old.

Summary:

Young fans of the Disney movie Tangled will especially love this hair-raising story. What happens when one little girl refuses to brush her long, beautiful hair? Well, one day a mouse comes to live in a particularly tangled lock. Soon after, more mice move in, and the girl's unruly mop is transformed into a marvelous mouse palace complete with secret passageways and a cheese cellar! She loves her new companions—they tell knock-knock jokes and are sweet to her doll, Baby—but as the girl comes to find out, living with more than a hundred mice atop your head isn't always easy. . . . Here's an fantastic tale that will have kids poring over the mice's elaborate world within the girl's wild, ever-changing hairdo.

Review:

I liked this book a lot. I could NOT stop looking at these illustrations. They are so fun, and well executed. The big pile of hair, the tons of mice... they’re just fun illustrations. Plus, they have a great soft feeling to them because of the style and color choices. If I were you I’d make sure you read this one.

The Winner:

Congratulations to 

The Girl Who Wouldn’t Brush Her Hair! 

We will see you in November!

We’ll see everyone else next week!

Week 8:

Mousetronaut VS Knuffle Bunny

Mousetronaut:

Age range: Probably around 4-8 yrs old.

Summary:

Astronaut Mark Kelly flew with “mice-tronauts” on his first spaceflight aboard space shuttle Endeavourin 2001. Mousetronaut tells the story of a small mouse that wants nothing more than to travel to outer space. The little mouse works as hard as the bigger mice to show readiness for the mission . . . and is chosen for the flight! While in space, the astronauts are busy with their mission when disaster strikes—and only the smallest member of the crew can save the day. With lively illustrations by award-winning artist C. F. Payne, Mousetronaut is a charming tale of perseverance, courage, and the importance of the small!

Review:

What child won’t find a mouse going into space fun? Most likely none! Add that with the fact that the mouse is the runt of the litter and has gigantic ears with a fearless attitude, and you’ve got a fun little story. The illustrations are actually done by a well-known illustrator who’s work I used to follow back in my days at Ringing College of Art and Design, so that was kind of a plus as well. All in all though, the book lacked something for me. I’m not sure what it was, but it didn’t have that “it” factor to really make it stand out. It was definitely a good picture book, but not one I’m dying to own.

Knuffle Bunny:

Age range: Probably around 3-6 yrs old.

Summary:

Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny was left behind Using a combination of muted black-and-white photographs and expressive illustrations, this stunning book tells a brilliantly true-to-life tale about what happens when Daddy's in charge and things go terribly, hilariously wrong.

Review:

This book was made by a legend in the children’s book world, Mo Willems. Even though I’m not a big fan of the black and white photography mixed with the illustrations, I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations truly are amusing, and the writing is brilliantly simple. Enough can’t be said about the art of effective minimal writing found in many succesful children’s books. There’s a reason this guy is a legend. If you’ve got the opportunity, take a moment and read it at your local bookstore. It’s worth it.   

The Winner:

Congratulations to Knuffle Bunny! 

We will see you in November!

We’ll see everyone else next week!

Week 7:

Good Night, Good Night Construction Site VS
Otis and The Puppy

Good Night, Good Night Construction Site:

Age range: Probably around 2-4 yrs old.

Summary:As the sun sets behind the big construction site, all the hardworking trucks get ready to say goodnight. One by one, Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator finish their work and lie down to rest—so they'll be ready for another day of rough and tough construction play! With irresistible artwork by best-selling illustrator Tom Lichtenheld and sweet, rhyming text, this book will have truck lovers of all ages begging for more. 

Review:

Good Night, Good Night Construction Site is a fun little rhyming book. Honestly, there wasn’t much to this book, as are many of the books targeting toddlers, but with that in consideration, the story allows for fun illustrations and a subject that every little boy loves…, trucks. The kids want trucks. The parents want the kids to sleep. This book is a win-win.

Otis and The Puppy:

Age range: Probably around 4-8 yrs old.

Summary:

Otis and his farm friends love to play hide-and-seek. Otis especially loves to be "It," finding his friends as they hide. Yet when the newest addition to the farm—a bounding puppy who can't sit still and has a habit of licking faces—tries to hide, he finds his attention wandering and is soon lost in the forest. Night falls and Otis, knowing his new friend is afraid of the dark, sets out to find him. There's just one problem: Otis is also afraid of the dark. His friend is alone and in need, though, so Otis takes a deep breath, counts to ten, and sets off on a different game of hide-and-seek.

Review:

I really liked this book. It’s a bit wordy, so there’s a good chance that the younger kids won’t keep focused that long if you read it to them. With that in mind the story is great. It gives you the kind of drama you want in a picture book, while still being adorable from beginning to end. As for the illustrations, the greyish backgrounds create a magnificent stage for the punches of color given to the main subjects on each page. The illustrations were mesmerizing. I just kept wanting to look at them. This is a special book for sure.

The Winner:

Congratulations to Otis and The Puppy! 

We will see you in November!

We’ll see everyone else next week!

Due to Snowmaggedon 2014, 

Week 7 for The Children's Book Tournament 

will be delayed until Friday. 

See you two days!

Week 6:

This Moose Belongs to Me VS No, David

This Moose Belongs to Me:

Age range: Probably around 3-7 yrs old.

Summary:

Wilfred is a boy with rules. He lives a very orderly life. It's fortunate, then, that he has a pet who abides by rules, such as not making noise while Wilfred educates him on his record collection. There is, however, one rule that Wilfred's pet has difficulty following: Going whichever way Wilfred wants to go. Perhaps this is because Wilfred's pet doesn't quite realize that he belongs to anyone. A moose can be obstinate in such ways. Fortunately, the two manage to work out a compromise. Let's just say it involves apples.

Review:

So this is now the second book from this author I’ve had in this competition. And I have a feeling there may even be another one before the tournament is through. I liked this book. My only issue with it is the background illustrations. Don’t get me wrong, I like the illustrations of the characters, but the background illustrations change from one style to another. I’m not sure what he was thinking, but I for one DO NOT like it. Some of the styles really complement the characters, while other styles couldn't complement anything! That’s harsh, I know, but there are some weird styles going on in there. It just felt odd. Other than that I really liked the book. The story was good and interesting, and the moral of the story was good too. I know I didn’t enjoy the background, but the characters were illustrated perfectly. That moose makes me smile just thinking about him.

No, David:

Age range: Probably around 4-7 yrs old.

Summary:

When David Shannon was five years old, he wrote and illustrated his first book. On every page were these words: NO, DAVID! . . . and a picture of David doing things he was not supposed to do. Now David is all grown up. But some things never change. . . .

Review:

The illustrations for this book are superb. With a capitol S. The story is this: The boy gets in trouble for doing stuff he shouldn’t do… over… and over… and over again. Then the kid and his mom make-up after he got put in timeout. The end. Now, with a story as basic as that, you’d think it wouldn’t be very entertaining. You’d think wrong. Dead wrong. For adults, this book is great! For the kiddos, not so much.  I cringe at little kids looking and studying each and every page where this kid maniacally and joyously breaks every rule in the book, and the only words we get to read are rebukes to the child. The ending has its tender moment, but it’s kinda too late for that in our now corrupted child’s mind. It really does make me sad thinking that I won’t be reading this to my boy, because I can picture him loving every destructive second. Oh well. Some things are better left unshared.

The Winner:

Congratulations to This Moose Belongs to Me! 

We will see you in November!

We’ll see everyone else next week!