Week 38:

Steam Train, Dream Train VS Pardon Me

Steam Train, Dream Train:

Summary:

The team behind the #1 New York Times bestseller Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site returns with another fabulous book for bedtime! The dream train pulls into the station, and one by one the train cars are loaded: polar bears pack the reefer car with ice cream, elephants fill the tanker cars with paints, tortoises stock the auto rack with race cars, bouncy kangaroos stuff the hopper car with balls. Sweet and silly dreams are guaranteed for any budding train enthusiasts!

Review:

I'm finding that I actually do enjoy rhyming books when they are done well. This book had excellent rhymes. The illustrations were perfect with a fantastic playful style. Next time your child is going to bed, I bet this would be a story they'd like to listen to.

Pardon Me:

Summary:

When a fox comes by, the bird finally loses his cool. But it just so happens that fox showed up for a reason, and the little bird’s outburst leads to a surprise ending you’ll want to read again and again.

Review:

This was a funny story. Super simple. Super fast read. Pretty good, but not much of a story to read since it's so short. It was still funny though, and that counts for a lot.

The Winner:

Congratulations to 
Steam Train, Dream Train! 


We will see you in November!

We’ll see everyone else next week!

Week 37:

A Library Book for Bear VS Small Blue and the Deep Dark Night

A Library Book for Bear:

Summary:

Bear does not want to go to the library. He is quite sure he already has all the books he will ever need. Yet the relentlessly cheery Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, thinks different. When Bear reluctantly agrees to go with his friend to the big library, neither rocket ships nor wooden canoes are enough for Bear’s picky tastes. How will Mouse ever find the perfect book for Bear? Children will giggle themselves silly as Bear’s arguments give way to his inevitable curiosity, leading up to a satisfying story hour and a humorously just-right library book.

Review:

This is a wonderful book. It's got the whole package. Fantastic illustrations and a story to make you look for a sequel. This is a keeper.

Small Blue and the Deep Dark Night:

Summary:

When Small Blue wakes up in the middle of the night, she thinks of hungry things . . . and warty things . . . and hairy things! But are they really as scary as they seem? With the help and comfort of Big Brown, Small Blue slowly begins to imagine fun things in the dark instead of scary ones. Jon Davis's whimsical text and illustrations featuring a sweet father-daughter duo ensure that neither the night nor the unknown will be scary again.

Review:

If you're child is scared of the dark, this is another great book to help them to not be scared of it, and it does it in such a delightful way! This is a wonderfully fun-worded book that keeps the dark fun.

The Winner:

Congratulations to 
A Library Book for Bear! 


We will see you in November!

We’ll see everyone else next week!

Week 36:

Quest VS Fall Leaves

Quest:

Summary:

A king emerges from a hidden door in a city park, startling two children sheltering from the rain. No sooner does he push a map and some strange objects into their hands than he is captured by hostile forces that whisk him back through the enchanted door. Just like that, the children are caught up in a quest to rescue the king and his kingdom from darkness, while illuminating the farthest reaches of their imagination. Colored markers in hand, they make their own way through the portal, under the sea, through a tropical paradise, over a perilous bridge, and high in the air with the help of a winged friend.Journey lovers will be thrilled to follow its characters on a new adventure threaded with familiar elements, while new fans will be swept into a visually captivating story that is even richer and more exhilarating than the first.

Review:

This book has no words. Not one. The whole thing is made up of illustrations telling the story. Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! It is hands down one of the best books I've reviewed all year. And that says a lot for not using a single wore to tell its story!

Fall Leaves:

Summary:

Part poem, part silent stage, this luminous picture book puts autumn on display and captures the spirit of change that stays with us long after fall leaves. Unlock the secrets of this busy and beautiful time of year as the natural world makes way for winter.

Review:

What GORGEOUS illustrations! This artist cuts these pieces out by hand and makes a little set up to photograph. They really are breathtaking. The story isn't very interesting, though its more like a lesson about the season of Fall. Its wordy to say the least. I must admit though, this book was intriguing because of its unusual lesson-like story.

The Winner:

Congratulations to Quest! 

We will see you in November!

We’ll see everyone else next week!

Week 35:

Go to Sleep Little Farm VS Ben & Zip: Two Short Friends

Go to Sleep Little Farm:

Summary:

Nighttime blankets a little farm. An owl who-hoots. A bear curls up in a log. A mother fox calls her pups home to the den. But animals aren’t the only ones preparing to rest.

In the tradition of Margaret Wise Brown, with classically styled picture book illustrations and fresh, childlike imagery, this poetic bedtime book, as peaceful as it is warm, will wrap young ones in the comforts of routine. All is well, it reminds them. Now is the time for dreams.

Review:

This was the best rhyming book I've ever read.The rhymes aren't very strong but the content and the creativity is great. So wonderful book to read to your child before they go to bed.

Ben & Zip: Two Short Friends:

Summary:

A tribute to friendship, boardwalks, and summer, this storybook tells of Ben and Zip, two best friends who will keep readers laughing, cheering, and guessing until the very end when they are reunited after a rainstorm.

Review:

This picture book wasn't that interesting. The story was okay, as were the illustrations. But nothing was extraordinary. Not much to see here folks. To the next book.

The Winner:

Congratulations to 

Go to Sleep Little Farm! 

We will see you in November!

We’ll see everyone else next week!