Book Review: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun, imaginative book

Cons: Does feel a little repetitive

The Bottom Line:

Trip home with Marco

Just imagine what he sees

Fun Dr. Seuss book

That’s Quite an Imagination You’ve Got There

I’ll admit, And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street wasn’t one of my regular Dr. Seuss books from when I was a kid.  I feel like I had read it a couple of times over the years, but I wasn’t super familiar with it.  When I saw a cheap copy at my local used bookstore recently, I snagged it and decided to review it for Banned Books Week.

The story is told from the point of view of Marco, a young boy whose father is always encouraging him to observe the world around him to see what he can see.  However, his trip home from school on Mulberry Street is rather boring.  All he sees is a horse pulling a broken-down wagon.  But what if, instead, he said he saw a new cart…drawn by a zebra.  No, that’s not special enough.  Where will Marco’s wild story stop?

While this isn’t top tier Dr. Seuss, it is still quite fun.  With each page, Marco’s story gets wilder and wilder.  It’s fun to turn the page to see what he will say next.  But don’t worry.  The book doesn’t encourage lying.  It’s all Marco’s thoughts to himself about what he could say.

And yes, the book is told is classic Dr. Seuss rhyme.  That means, he has to rhyme lots of things with street and get the right rhythm for Mulberry in there as well.  Is it a surprise to any of his many fans that he does?  On the other hand, it does get a little repetitive.

The story is accompanied by classic Dr. Seuss illustrations.  They are all caricatures to be sure, but they are fun and help bring the wild imagination to life.  I found it fun that the elephant looks an awful lot like Horton.

This is one of the six books that was taken out of print because of some ethnic stereotypes.  And yes, I will say it again, if a book is no longer in print, that is much closer to being banned than a book not being in a library but still easily available for purchase.  And that’s why I am choosing to highlight the book during Banned Books Week.  Anyway, the offending page includes a young Chinese boy eating rice with chopsticks.  I’m a little surprised that no one seemed to object to the Rajah a few pages earlier.  Or maybe I just didn’t hear about it.  Both of these characters are mentioned in the narration as well as appearing in the illustrations.  Frankly, I don’t feel that either are overly stereotypical in their illustrations.  They are caricatures, but so are the rest of the characters on the page.  They are perfectly in keeping with the rest of the illustrations, and the lines about them aren’t overly stereotypical either.

This is classified as an easy reader.  I think some of the words will be a little tougher for young readers, but it doesn’t feature any of Dr. Seuss’s made-up words.  Those can be tricky even for adult readers.  This will be a bit of a challenge, so once your readers are ready for that, it’s a good one to have.

Maybe, if I had read this book more as a child, I would have nostalgia filled love for this story.  Even reading it now, I can see the charm and how the building craziness would appeal to children.  If you can track down a copy of And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, you and your child will enjoy it.

Book Review: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh! by Mo Willems

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun Christmas entry for Pigeon

Cons: Feels a little recycled, but a minor complaint overall

The Bottom Line:

Wishing to drive sleigh

Pigeon gets a Christmas book

With holiday laughs

The Pigeon Gets a Christmas Book

Since I don’t have any young kids I am buying books for right now, I’m not paying too much attention to picture books.  But I did happen to see that Mo Willems released a new Pigeon book for Christmas this year, and I had to check out Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh!

If you aren’t familiar with Pigeon and his adventures, each book in the series finds Pigeon wanting something that he really shouldn’t have or be able to do.  Each story is presented through a series of stylized drawings and dialogue directly to us.  It’s a different approach, but it works well.

Santa needs to go wrap a few presents, but he leaves us with one request.  You guessed it, don’t let the Pigeon drive the sleigh.  And as soon as Santa leaves, Pigeon shows up trying to wheedle his way into driving the sleigh.  Will he get his wish?  Or will reality be different than his dreams?

If you are familiar with the Pigeon books, you know exactly what to expect here.  In fact, that was my only real complaint as I was reading it.  This felt very familiar to other books, especially Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.  Yes, it’s got a holiday theme to his arguments, but I wished for a little more creativity.

However, that is a minor complaint over all.  I laughed at Pigeon’s antics and the illustrations within the book.  The target audience will be delighted to have a Christmas book with Pigeon, and I can see it being asked for year-round.

I also like the fact that, once again, Pigeon finds that his wish isn’t going to be as great as he thought it was.  It’s an important lesson for kids to learn and adults to remember.  But it is presented with humor so it never feels like a lecture.

If you need some holiday Pigeon in your life, you and your kids will be happy to add Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh! to your bookshelf.

Book Review: The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster! by Mo Willems

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Funny story

Cons: A few word choices; a little anticlimactic

The Bottom Line:

Pigeon goes for ride

Will it be what he expects?

Mostly fun for all

Will the Pigeon Enjoy a Roller Coaster?

As my niece and nephew have gotten older and grown beyond picture books, I’ve lost track of Mo Willems’s latest releases.  But when I spotted that he had a new Pigeon book coming out this year, I knew I had to see what the Pigeon was up to now.  And I enjoyed The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!

If you aren’t familiar with these books (or Mo’s books in general), Pigeon is the star of this book.  In fact, he’s really the only character.  And the entire story is communicated to us through wonderful pictures and dialogue.  There are a few other characters we see, but it’s almost all Pigeon.  Unlike others in the series, this one works mostly as a monologue from Pigeon.  Some of the other books lead to interaction as he was trying to get us to go along with what he wants, but that’s not the case here.

And Pigeon is ready to ride a roller coaster.  He knows he will need a ticket.  He knows he will need to wait in line.  And he knows it will be scary as it twists and turns at high speed.  But he is ready.  Is he really ready for what will happen next?

I will say, I thought I knew where this book was going to go before I picked it up.  I’ve read other Pigeon books, after all.  I was actually surprised by what happened at the end of the book.  It was both a little anti-climatic and funny at the same time.  The final page, however, definitely made me laugh.  It would totally be me.  And it’s a good lesson to everyone that sometimes things you are looking forward to turn out to be a disappointment.

Normally, I would recommend these books as a good early reader since the vocabulary is typically pretty simple with just enough challenging words to help the young reader grow.  In this case, I think a few of the word choices might be a little too abstract for young minds.  Of course, once you explain it once or twice, they will grasp the concept and enjoy the book.  Still, I wonder if there couldn’t have been a few simpler words used.

As always, the illustrations are a bit on the cartoony side.  But they work perfectly for this story and allow Pigeon to express a full range of emotions for maximum comic effect.

While this isn’t the best Pigeon book, fans young and old will still enjoy The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!

Book Review: Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun with various sounds

Cons: I don’t hear any cons

The Bottom Line:

A book filled with sounds

That demands reading aloud

All ages will love

Sounds Like a Fun Book for All Ages

One reason I still enjoy picking up kids’ books is just how much fun they can be.  Dr. Seuss is a master of this, and it’s hard to think of one that is more fun than Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?

It’s a simple book.  There’s really no plot, but as we read, we find out about all the noises that Mr. Brown can imitate.  Yes, he can imitate a cow, but there’s also a cork, rain, a train, and a butterfly.  Yes, you read that right.

As you can see, this book can get a bit silly at times.  It is Dr. Seuss after all.  But that’s what makes it fun.  What also makes it fun is that all of Mr. Brown’s noises are part of the text, so when you are reading this book out loud, you get to make those noises, too.

This book is classified as an early reader.  While some of the words aren’t your typical earlier reader vocabulary, the rhythm of the book makes it fairly easy to sound them out.  It’s a good challenge.

And yes, this book is written in typical Dr. Seuss rhythm and rhyme.  The pictures are classic Seuss as well.

The most fun comes when reading this book aloud and going for all the noises.  Heck, even as I was rereading this to write my review I did that, and I was smiling the entire time.

If you have a young child in your life, they will absolutely love this book.  Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? is still fun all these years later no matter your age.

Book Review: McElligot's Pool by Dr. Seuss

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Imagination takes on the world under the sea

Cons: Banned, not one of Dr. Seuss’s best books

The Bottom Line:

Imagining fish

Creativity displayed

Rhymes could be better

You Never Know What You’ll Find in McElligot’s Pool

Growing up, we had a couple Dr. Seuss books that were free as part of a promotion.  They were paperback, but the covers were cheap.  Still, I remember loving those books.  One of them was McElligot’s Pool.

The book opens with Marco, the protagonist from To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, fishing in a pond on the McElligot’s farm.  He’s warned that there’s nothing in the pond but junk that people have thrown away.  Marco, however, takes a more fanciful outlook on the pool.  After all, maybe it’s connected to the sea but a tunnel no one knows about.  And, if that’s the case, you never know exactly what you could catch.

The heart of the book is really Marco’s imagination of what he might catch if he keeps fishing.  It’s quite imaginative, and covers a wide range of fish from the real to the almost real (I don’t think catfish look so much like cats) to the absurd.  But it’s that imagination that Dr. Seuss is best known for, and it is on full display here.  There are things that will make adults grin and entertain kids.  And it might just help spark the imagination of kids.

This is one of Dr. Seuss’s early books.  That means the rhymes aren’t quite as sharp as they would be in his classics.  The drawings are much more detailed than in some of his easy readers.  They are all pen and ink.  Some pages are just black and white while others are full color.

I wouldn’t categorize this as one of his best books.  As I said, the rhymes aren’t as sharp as they could be, and the list of fish Marco might catch seems to be a little repetitive.  Still, it is fun.  I enjoyed it as a kid, and the nostalgia factor makes me smile still as I read it.

This is one of the six books that has been banned this year.  The reason is because of one page where Marco imagines Eskimo fish making their way from the arctic to McElligot’s pool.  Yes, they are dressed in the stereotypical Eskimo way.  But here’s the thing – yes, they are caricatures, but everything in the book is based on caricature.  The picture isn’t meant to be offensive, but is perfectly in the style of the rest of the book.  To single out this page is to not look at the pages in the context of the rest of the book.  And that’s sad.  (I will also only say that if this book truly went out of print because of the lack of sales, it wouldn’t have needed a press release to announce it.)

It’s a shame that today’s kids won’t be able to enjoy the magic of imagination captures in McElligot’s Pool.  It may not be one of the best from Dr. Seuss, but it still has it’s charm.

Book Review: Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories by Dr. Seuss

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Four fun stories

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

These four Seuss stories

Combine into a fun book

For young, young at heart

Four Great Seuss Tales

I have been skeptical of the books released in recent years after Dr. Seuss’s death.  However, I couldn’t resist looking at my library’s copy of Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories.  I mean, who doesn’t love Horton?  I’m glad I did because there are four fun stories here.

Up first is the title story in which a Kwuggerbug asks the kind-hearted elephant to help him reach a Beezlenut tree.  If Horton takes the bug there, the bug promises to give him half of the nuts when they arrive.  Will it be worth the journey?

The next story involves Marco from And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street and McElligot’s Pool.  In this case, “Marco Comes Late” to school, but he has a great excuse.  You’ll have to read it to find out what it is.  The bigger question is, is it true?

We stay with Mulberry Street for “How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town.”  When Officer Pat sees a fly buzzing, he knows it means trouble.  Just how big is the trouble?  And how will he stop it?

Finally, we get a two-page story about “The Hoobub and the Grinch.”  No, not that Grinch.  In this case, the Grinch is a salesman attempting to get the Hoobub to buy a piece of green string.  Will it work?

All of these stories are told in classic Seuss rhyme with classic illustrations to go with them.  And, while short, they all have the feel of the best of Suess’s stories.  Since they are all short, it makes sense they’d be collected in one book.

The introduction gives some background to these stories and where they fit in Seuss’s career.  It also explains that all of them were originally written for magazines.  And maybe knowing that was one reason I was willing to give this book a chance.  Dr. Seuss actually did finish these and put them out in the world himself, unlike the other book published after his death that I read, which felt like a work in progress.  These feel finished.  They are short, but they are fun, and there might even be a lesson or two in there as well.

Speaking of the introduction, I definitely think adult fans will enjoy it, but parents reading to their kids will be perfectly fine skipping over it.  There’s a lot of good info here, but kids won’t care, and the lack of picture will bore them.

So if you’ve been avoiding Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories, I suggest you pick it up today.  These four stories will entertain kids of all ages.

Book Review: Who Is the Mystery Reader? by Mo Willems

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Encourages reading; good for young readers ready for something more.

Cons: Not as creative and fun as some of Mo’s other books; different parts can be disjointed

The Bottom Line:

Encouraging reading

And meet Mystery Reader

In easy reader

Reading is a Superpower!

Last year, Mo Willems started a new series for beginning readers.  Who is The Mystery Reader? is the return to the world of Unlimited Squirrels.  Unfortunately, it has confirmed that this series doesn’t have the charm for me that some of his other books do.

These books are broken up into many parts.  The main story involves Zoom Squirrel who gets some help in reading for The Mystery Reader, a costumed superhero.  But who is the masked man?  And can Zoom enter the world of masked superheroes?

As a story designed for beginning readers, it is decent.  It encourages young readers to sound out big words to grow their vocabulary.  And, with how superhero obsessed our culture seems to be right now, making reading into a superpower adds a lot of fun.

However, this story seems to lack the charm and humor of some of Mo’s other work.  As an adult, I think that is what I am looking for.

I mentioned other parts to the book.  We get a couple of terrible (and by that, I mean delightful) puns and jokes related to reading.  There’s also a section where we see the work that goes into creating a book.  As an adult and avid reader, I already knew most of this, but it is nice to see it explained to kids.  The format works for kids who are ready for something a little extra and beyond the easy picture books, but it can make it a little harder to read to a larger audience.

I am trying to look at this book as both an adult fan and as a young reader might.  I can see them completely loving this book, but as an adult, I don’t see a need to rush out and read the Unlimited Squirrel books.  While I appreciate what Mo is doing here, I think Who is The Mystery Reader? will be my last venture into this world without a child to enjoy it with me.

Book Review: The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Colorful pictures, good story, good moral…

Cons: …that may be a bit too complex for all to grasp

The Bottom Line:

Katy has her dreams

Difficult ones for caboose

Good, complex moral

Dream but Enjoy the Present

It’s been years since I originally read any of Bill Peet’s books, so I am fuzzy on many of them.  When I sat down to reread The Caboose Who Got Loose, I really didn’t remember anything about the story, but it turned out I really liked it.

This book tells the story of Katy.  Katy is not happy with her life as a caboose, however.  She wants to be in one place, not constantly being dragged from place to place.  She dreams of not constantly having to travel.  However, she gets another point of view in the train station from people who wish they could see the world like she is.  Will she see the other perspective?

I’m about to do something I rarely do, and spoil the book.  But since this is a kid’s picture book, I am assuming you won’t mind.  If you do, then please stop reading now.

You see, I can’t describe why I liked the book so much without getting into the story.  Katy actually does begin to enjoy seeing the world around her until one day the coupling holding her to her train breaks, and she finds herself traveling on her own before coming to rest between two trees.  And she is quite content with being stuck in her new location.  What I really appreciated is the moral and Katy’s attitude late in the book.  No, she never gives up on her dream, but she learns to enjoy where she is.  I’m sure I didn’t pick up on this as a kid, but it is a good lesson to remember.  We get so caught up in dreaming about the future that we don’t take the time to enjoy life as it is happening around us.  There’s nothing wrong with the dream, but we need to enjoy the present, too.  I realize this is probably too subtle for kids, but maybe I’m underestimating them.

Okay, deep breath.

Bill Peet always filled his books with colorful illustrations, and this book is no exception.  We’ve got blue sky, trees, colorful buildings, and Katy, who is red.  There is plenty here for kids to look at as the book is being read to them.

This is one of the books that Bill Peet wrote in rhyme.  It makes the story really flow and adds a fun touch.  These are definitely not early readers, but the rhymes will help readers who are ready to move on to more challenging books figure out new words.

Whether kids get the subtle message of the book or not, they will enjoy the story and the colorful pictures.  That makes The Caboose Who Got Loose a winner.

Book Review: The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Funny look at starting school

Cons: Some of Pigeon’s concerns don’t seem to be ones kids would share

The Bottom Line:

Pigeon must start school

Comedy with fun ending

Charming for young kids

Is Pigeon Ready for a New Experience?

Mo Willems has turned out many wonderful picture books over the years, but he doesn’t return to his first creation, Pigeon, as frequently as some of his others.  However, he has given Pigeon a new adventure this year with The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!

Pigeon has just learned that he has to start attending school.  Surely, he doesn’t have to do that.  After all, he already knows everything.  Will there be math?  There are too many letters!  And Pigeon is not a morning bird.  Will anything be able to change his mind?

For those unfamiliar with these particular picture books, Pigeon is the only character in the books (usually), and the story is told via dialogue as Pigeon tries to convince us to go with his way of thinking.  Of course, he eventually changes his mind, often by his own arguments.  The result is fun and clever.

I will freely admit that I am a bigger fan of Mo Willems’s Elephant and Piggie books than the Pigeon, although I can still find his adventures quite fun.  This book is no exception.  I appreciated the tie in to one of Pigeon’s earlier adventures at the end as Pigeon is changing his mind.

Obviously, the idea is the child reading the book (or being read to) will sympathize with Pigeon.  However, I felt that some of his arguments about not going to school weren’t something kids would have.  On the other hand, I did appreciate that, by the end of the book, Pigeon had realized most of his fears were unfounded and he was enthusiastic about going to school.  (Personally, I’m still with him about having to wake up early to go anywhere.)  While many kids are excited about starting school, I could easily see this book helping those who aren’t ready for this big step.

As usual the illustrations are stylized, and they provide a charm all their own.  Kids will absolutely love them and appreciate some gags hidden in them.

It’s hard to believe that school is already starting (some around me are starting tomorrow).  If your kid is starting school in the next few weeks, they’ll enjoy seeing that The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!

Book Review: More Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina with Ann Marie Mulhearn Sayer

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: More adventures with characters kids love

Cons: Not as fun and charming as the original

The Bottom Line:

Picture book sequel

With returning characters

But missing the charm

More Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Better

I have fond memories of the monkey business in Caps for Sale from when I was a kid, so when I made the discovery a couple of years back that there were some sequels, I was quite intrigued.  I didn’t actually pick up More Caps for Sale until recently, thanks to my library, and I found that it hadn’t really recaptured the magic of the original.

This book picks up right after the classic ends.  The peddler is walking home after having gotten his caps back from the monkeys.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t realize that the monkeys are following him home.  When he does discover them in his yard, what will he do?  And what will happen when he goes into town to sell his caps the next day?

The charm of the original is that it was so unexpected.  You really didn’t know what was going to happen until the end.  Here, if you’ve read the original, you can pretty much guess what is going to happen.  And here, the monkeys aren’t a comic and unexpected complication, they are following the peddler the entire time.

Then again, maybe it’s just because I’m an adult now.  I can’t help but view the original with the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia.  I’m coming fresh to this book now, so maybe my disenchantment with it is because I am older now.  If kids are fans of the original, they could easily enjoy finding out what happens next to these characters.

The story was started by original author and artist Esphyr Slobodkina and finished by her friend Ann Marie Mulhearn Sayer.  Fans of the original won’t notice any differences in style here at all.

It’s not that More Caps for Sale is bad; it’s just not as engaging as the original.  If your kids are fans of the original, you might want to check it out, but otherwise, you can skip it.

Book Review: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Good message, classic Seuss elements

Cons: Dark for a picture book

The Bottom Line:

Save environment

Clear message of picture book

Entertaining, dark

Environmental Morality Tale for Kids

Dr. Seuss has created a lot of picture books for kids.  Some are just plain fun, but some have definite morals.  The Lorax falls into the latter category.

The book tells the story of the Once-ler.  Back in the past, he found a forest of Truffula Trees.  Through ingenuity, he found a way to make these trees into something that everyone could use.  However, the Lorax shows up to try to warn him of the dangers that might cause.  Will the Once-ler listen?

It had been years since I read this book when I picked it up again recently, and what struck me was how dark this book is.  And I’m not just talking about the pictures at the beginning and end, which take place at night.  Over the course of the book, we watch the Once-ler destroy the environment.  As the creatures slowly leave, the book feels bleak.  Oh, I got it as a kid, but it struck me harder as an adult.  Fortunately, there is a ray of hope at the end, so it is not completely bleak.

The book is certainly one sided, but this is a book for kids.  They are too young to understand nuance.  While I am a firm believer that we need to protect the environment, I also believe we can use it to make our lives better.  There needs to be a balance to it, and this book expertly shows just what happens when you don’t pay any attention to the environment.  Hopefully, as kids grow older, they will have conversations that show them that nuance.

Of course, this book isn’t just lecture.  It is filled with Dr. Seuss’s colorful illustrations and creative creatures.  Some of the illustrations are beautiful.  The book, while told in rhyme, features some of Dr. Seuss’s creative names and creatures, so it rightfully isn’t listed as an easy reader.  Still, kids ready for a bit of a challenge could probably sound out many of the words with help from adults.

While it doesn’t shy away from a very serious subject, The Lorax remains a classic picture book.  Give it a read and think about it.  It is sure to spark some conversations with your kids.

Book Review: Commander Toad and the Voyage Home by Jane Yolen, illustrations by Bruce Degen (Commander Toad #7)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Puns and a good story

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

One last hop for Toad

As he takes his mission home

Brings last laughs to us

Unexpected Voyage Home

When I rediscovered the Commander Toad books a couple years back, I didn’t quite make it to the final book in the series.  Commander Toad and the Voyage Home actually came out a decade after the rest in the series, so it is appropriate that I spent so long getting around to reading it, right?

If you aren’t familiar with these picture books, they are spoofs on science fiction.  With character names like Jake Skyjumper and a ship called Star Warts, they take some digs at Star Wars.  However, Commander Toad and his crew are on a mission to explore unknown worlds, so the books feel like they belong in the Star Trek franchise.

And this book finds the crew’s mission winding down.  After several years in space, they can now head home for some much needed rest.  So, Commander Toad puts the command into the computer.  Only, when they arrive, they don’t recognize the planet at all.  What has happened?

What I love about these books as an adult are the puns, and this book features plenty of them.  They make me laugh as I read.  And be sure to look for the added jokes that Bruce Degen puts in his illustrations.  Parents might have to explain a joke or two to young kids, but I think most of them will get the humor.

The story itself is pretty clever as well.  Don’t worry, you won’t have to explain something super complex to your kids.  Commander Toad and crew actually reach a solution to their mystery that makes perfect sense.

I mentioned Bruce’s illustrations already.  They add to the charm of the story as they perfectly capture the crew’s personalities and the story as it is unfolding.

This is classified as an easy reader, but I definitely think a few of the words are on the more challenging side.  All that means is that parents will have a chance to help their young reader figure out some new words when they are ready to tackle that challenge.

Commander Toad and the Voyage Home is a fantastic picture books that kids of all ages will love.  Long may Commander Toad hop from star to star.

Book Review: If You Ever Want to Bring a Pirate to Meet Santa, DON'T! by Elise Parsley

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Delightfully absurd and funny story

Cons: Listing cons would put me next to the pirate on the naughty list

The Bottom Line:

Pirate meets Santa

Hilarious disaster

For holiday laughs

Matey, This Picture Book Will Give Ye a Christmas Laugh

I'm so glad I stumbled on the Magnolia Says DON’T series a few years ago.  These picture books are silly fun.  As soon as I saw that there was going to be a Christmas entry this year, I knew I had to read it.  After all, how could you miss with If You Ever Want to Bring a Pirate to Meet Santa, DON’T!

When your father tells you that you are going to meet a man with a beard and a sack of treasure, he means Santa, not the pirate by the mall fountain.  And even if you befriend the pirate, it might not be a good idea to ask him to join you in line.  After all, he is on the naughty list.  His ideas of songs might not be festive.  He might want to pillage anything you are offered in line.  Will he reform before you get to the front of the line?

Yes, these books are told in second person, but really, they are Magnolia using her own experience to tell you why it might be a bad idea.  Trust me, the storytelling works perfectly here.

And the book is funny.  As you go along, the situation gets funnier until you reach the climax.  It was enough to make me laugh out loud.  And you will NEVER want to bring a pirate to meet Santa after reading this book.

The pictures add to the fun.  They are on the cartoony side, and they perfectly capture the absurdity of the situation.

Like others in the series, this book isn't labeled as an easy reader, although I suspect that beginning readers will be able to read most of this book without help.  There might be a word or two they'd need an adult to help them sound out.

If You Ever Want to Bring a Pirate to Meet Santa, DON’T! is perfect for this time of year.  And it is so much fun, I suspect it might get slipped into the reading pile the rest of the year.

Book Review: I Lost My Tooth! by Mo Willems (Unlimited Squirrels #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun story and interesting related science

Cons: It's not Elephant and Piggie!!!!

The Bottom Line:

Missing baby tooth

Starts fun looking new series

Mixes fiction, fact

Unlimited Fun and Learning with Mo Willems' New Series

Even though I have no kids, I've become a fan of Mo Willems' picture books.  They are very creative with some wonderful laughs, and I've given them as gifts to new parents and my niece and nephew.  So when I saw that Mo was starting a new series with I Lost My Tooth!, I was quite anxious to see what he was up to now.

This new series is Unlimited Squirrels, and it is a departure for Mo's picture books and picture books in general.  But it's a good departure that I think kids will enjoy.  And yes, our main characters this time around are squirrels.  Since the series is just starting, I am unsure how many of the characters we met in this book will be around for the entire series.  After all, if there are unlimited squirrels, we could see an entirely new cast each time, right?

Two thirds of the book feature the main story.  In it, Zoom Squirrel has lost one of his front teeth.  Once his friends understand what has happened, they are willing to help him look for it.  But they begin to panic when they find out it is a baby tooth.  Can they find the baby (tooth) before it gets too frightened?

Obviously, things take a wacky turn in this book, and I was all I could do not to start laughing out loud while reading it in the bookstore.  The story is once again told exclusively with dialogue and pictures, so if you are familiar with most of Mo's other books, you know exactly what to expect here, which includes the easy to read vocabulary.

But there's more.  We get three corny jokes told by a couple of squirrels.  Each joke acts as a buffer between the longer sections.

So what is a tooth?  You'll be able to learn all about that as the squirrels begin the discussion.  Then Quiz Squirrel shows up to give us a quiz on animal teeth.  These sections are fun and interesting.  I can see kids enjoying them as well, and they are learning something as they read.  We don’t often see pictures books with non-fiction and definitely rarely see any that combine the two.

I must admit that something seemed a little off to me about the book, but I think that is just me.  I think it is because I miss Elephant and Piggie and I want more of their adventures.  Kids won't be nearly as picky as I will, and I suspect my hesitation will disappear as the series progresses.

After all, what's not to love about the format?  You get a funny, creative story and then learn some related science.  It's a great idea for kids of all ages.

So, my hesitation aside, I still definitely recommend I Lost My Tooth!  I have a feeling that we will be enjoying unlimited books in the Unlimited Squirrels series for some years to come.

Book Review: Jennifer and Josephine by Bill Peet

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Cute story, wonderful illustrations

Cons: Might drag a little in the middle

The Bottom Line:

A car and a cat

Original odd couple

In charming story

The Story of a Stray Cat and Her Car

One of the things that makes Bill Peet’s books so much fun is that you never quite know what you will find when you pick one of them up.  For example, who would have ever expected a story about the friendship between a car and a cat?  But that’s what we get in Jennifer and Josephine.

Okay, so the car doesn’t really behave any differently than a car would normally behave, so we get most of the story from the point of view of Josephine.  Josephine has always been a stray cat, but when she finds Jennifer in a junk yard, she begins to think of Jennifer’s back seat as her home.  She even raises a litter of kittens there.  Jennifer is so old, Josephine assumes her days of driving are over.

So you can imagine their surprise when a traveling salesman comes along one day and buys Jennifer.  Unfortunately, he’s always in a hurry and takes huge risks with his driving.  How will this end for Jennifer and Josephine?

Since Josephine, the cat, is really our hook into this story, we come to care about Jennifer because of her.  And that does make us care during some scary moments.  No, they won’t frighten your kids, but this salesman does take some unnecessary risks.

And if there is any moral to this story, it’s about taking risks.  Or maybe it’s about the value of friendship since that does come into play in the climax.  Or maybe it’s just a story to enjoy with no need for a moral at all.

Bill Peet always created wonderful illustrations in his books, and this one is no exception.  They are detailed and help tell the story.  They are also filled with bright colors.  Kids will easily enjoy looking at the pictures as the book is read to them.

Since Bill Peet was writing and illustrating starting in the 1950’s, some of the styles in the illustrations are dated.  There’s also a reference to the 1930’s that will probably go over most kid’s heads.

Ironically for a story about a car and a fast driver, I do think this story drags a little in the middle, but that may just be me.  These books certainly do represent a slower time.  The slightly larger vocabulary will be a good challenge for kids.  No, there’s nothing here that will be too difficult, but there are some words that will expand the words they know.

Ultimately, Jennifer and Josephine will charm kids, so it is well worth tracking down.

Book Review: Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun easy reader for all ages

Cons: None worth dwelling on

The Bottom Line:

Danny, Dinosaur

Join on their day together

Still fun for kids now

Delightful Day with a Dinosaur

When I was browsing in my library recently, I stumbled upon Danny and the Dinosaur.  I must admit, I hadn’t thought about Syd Hoff’s book in years, but I immediately got a smile.  I had to check it out and reread it.

The book features Danny, a young boy whose day in the museum gets much better when he meets a real Dinosaur.  The two spend the day together, heading downtown, to the zoo, and finally spending some time playing with Danny’s neighborhood friends.

And really, there is no plot to the book, just a series of events, looking at what day to day life would be if you had a giant plant eating dinosaur with you.  This is definitely a case where pictures are as important as the words on the page since sometimes the text is more a caption for the picture.  That’s not a complaint since the two combine for some very fun moments.

This book was certainly as much fun as I remembered it being.  Even though the text is limited since this is a picture book, you can still feel the bond that forms between Danny and the Dinosaur.  Or maybe it’s just because this is wish fulfillment.  Who isn’t fascinated with dinosaurs at that age?  And the idea of spending the day having fun with one is certainly appealing.  The book speaks to that desire for sure.  And there are plenty of pages sure to induce smiles if not laughs.

The one thing I did notice reading this book as an adult is the lack of transitions.  As I noted earlier, some pages are more pictures with captions.  This feels a bit abrupt, at least to this adult.  I never noticed as a kid, and I’m sure kids today won’t mind either.  And, really, I’m being extremely picky.

The pictures do scream 1950’s, from the style of the art to the style of the clothing.  However, that is something that adults will pick up on while kids won’t care.

This book is classified as an easy reader.  There are a few words that beginning readers might have trouble with, but an adult should be able to help them expand their vocabulary.  Most of the words will be no problem for them.

The book may be from the 1950’s, but the magic is still alive today.  Danny and the Dinosaur is an easy reader that will delight kids for generations to come.

Book Review: If You Ever Want to Bring a Circus to the Library, DON'T! by Elise Parsley

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Delightfully silly fun

Cons: DON’T think there are any

The Bottom Line:

Circus, library

Make for a comic mix in

This fun picture book

Three Rings of Fun!

I stumbled upon the hilarious wacky adventures of Magnolia a couple of years back, but I haven’t followed these picture books closely.  That’s why I’m just now reading If You Ever Want to Bring a Circus to the Library, DON’T!  It’s silly fun that kids of all ages will love.

Magnolia has noticed that sign at her local library proclaiming that “You can do anything at the library.”  She takes that as an invitation to put on a circus for the kids in the library.  Of course, they all need to be quiet – this is a library after all.  But really, what could possibly go wrong?

I’ll leave it to you to discover just where Magnolia’s antics get her, but this book is a lot of fun.  You do need to let the logic side of your brain go, like why the librarians didn’t kick her out early on, but just go with it because the results are worth it.  And it all leads up to the climax, which is the best part.

Elise Parsley is the author and illustrator for these books, and she does a fantastic job again here.  Not only is the story fun, but her illustrations are outstanding as well.  They really bring Magnolia’s antics to life.

The one quirk about this book is that it is told in second person.  Even though Magnolia is obviously the one causing the mayhem, she is warning what might go wrong if “you” tried to do something so we can learn from her experiences.  While books in second person are rare, it works here and seems to add to the charm.

So, if you are looking for something fun to read with your kids, I highly recommend you pick up If You Ever Want to Bring a Circus to the Library, DON’T!  The entire family will enjoy the fun in this picture book.

Book Review: Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun story and pictures

Cons: Snort!

The Bottom Line:

Join a newborn bird’s

Search for his mother in fun

Easy picture book

Fun Search for Mommy

A few books from my childhood really stand out because of a line or two my family would reference for years to come.  One of those is Are You My Mother?  Rereading it as an adult, it is still a good picture book.

A new baby bird is about to hatch.  Knowing her baby will be hungry, the mother bird goes looking for food for him, but he hatches while she is gone.  He immediately sets out to find his mother.  Will he succeed?

This is an easy reader picture book, so the plot really is that simple.  Naturally, the baby bird makes a few wrong guesses before he finds his mother and we get our happy ending.  The wrong guess my family loved the most was the Snort – a big construction vehicle.  Some of the others are just as funny.

Most of the words here shouldn’t be an issue for young readers.  A couple might need to be sounded out, but kids should be able to do it with a little help.

The illustrations certainly add to the fun.  They are staged perfectly to allow us to enjoy the baby bird’s journey to find his mother.  And the last picture will make you smile for sure.

Are You My Mother? has entertained generations of young kids and their parents, and there is a reason for it.  This is one to enjoy for a long time to come.

Book Review: Kermit the Hermit by Bill Peet

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Good moral wrapped in an entertaining story

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Kermit stops hoarding

We see generosity

Entertaining book

The Generous Hermit (Crab)

One thing I appreciate about Bill Peet is that his characters really are good.  I can only think of one character in one book that turns out to be all bad.  So even when you meet Kermit the Hermit, you know that he will have a change of heart before the book is over.

You see, Kermit is a hermit crab living in Monterey Bay.  He has a crevice in a rock that he calls home, and he has filled it full of things he finds valuable.  He spends his day looking for more treasures and trying to keep others from taking stuff from his stash.

One day, his searching takes him to the sand, where a dog gets a hold of him and starts digging a hole.  Kermit is saved for a horrible fate by a boy who is walking on the beach.  Kermit immediately searches for something he can do for the boy.  How will this change him?

Obviously, there is a moral to this story about the joys of being generous.  We actually get to see quite a transformation in Kermit, and that’s a great thing.  In fact, adults will probably pick up on how the details make this a strong parable.  But the best part is that we aren’t preached at.  Instead, this transformation because of one kind act is actually what drives the story, so we are entertained the entire time.

Bill Peet’s illustrations are always wonderful, and this book is no exception.  They are full color and contain plenty of detail.

This is one of the books that Bill Peet wrote in verse.  Since I have no ability to write poetry at all, I am in awe of those who can and make it look so effortless.  This book isn’t an easy reader, but it would be a good step in an early reader’s life since the verse might help them figure out what some unfamiliar words are.

Kermit the Hermit is another example of Bill Peet’s wonderful storytelling.  It’s a shame he isn’t as popular as he used to be.  Try this book today, and you’ll definitely treasure it.

Book Review: Commander Toad and the Space Pirates by Jane Yolen (Commander Toad #6)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Different story

Cons: Fewer puns, story could be scary, abrupt ending

The Bottom Line:

Pirates attack ship

Results is not as much fun

As earlier books

Can the Crew Defeat the Space Pirates?

It could be argued that pirates are a popular subject in the media these days, but I think that’s always been the case.  Witness Commander Toad and the Space Pirates from the late 80’s that gave us pirates in space in a children’s picture book.

It’s been a long, uneventful space voyage for the crew of the Star Warts.  You can tell by how truly bored the crew is.  They’ve read all their books, watched all their movies, and played all their games multiple times.  They are ready for any excitement they can get.

Their wish is fulfilled when the space ship of Commander Salamander comes on their radar.  He is Commander Toad’s arch nemesis, and he quickly boards the ship and takes the crew hostage.  He wants to introduce them to his favorite game – Hop the Plank.  With only Doc Peepers free, can he come up with a way to defeat the pirates and save his crew?

Unfortunately, this book isn’t one of the better books in the Commander Toad series.  The puns, one of the aspects I love, aren’t quite as plentiful, especially once the story gets started, although I think we get every possible pun on hop.  There are still some enjoyable ones, but they are further and farther between.

Meanwhile, the story just falls a little flat for me.  The twist at the end is a bit rushed and just doesn’t ring true.  But I’m probably looking at this as an adult expecting more than a kid would expect.  I have a vague recollection of this book as a kid, and I was okay with the story then.

I will put out a warning that this book is definitely scarier than many that have come before.  The pirates feel like a much more menacing villain than even a sea monster and a planet that seems to swallow the crew, things we have faced in previous books.  If your child is easily frightened, this probably isn’t the book in the series to start with.

As always for the series, the language is perfect for an easy reader, and the illustrations by Bruce Degen really help bring it to life and include a joke or two of their own.

Fans of Commander Toad will probably still enjoy this book, but Commander Toad and the Space Pirates just doesn’t hold up to the better books in the series.