Hooray for Summer - Children's Book Review

Title: Hooray for Summer!

Author/Illustrator: Kazuo Iwamura

Publisher: NorthSouth

Publication Date: April 1, 2010

Length: 32 Pages

Grade Level: Preschool - Kindergarten

About the Author
Kazuo Iwamura was born in Tokyo. Japan. He is one of the most famous picture book artists in Japan. His work has won many awards. He lives in Tochigi, where he founded the Museum for Picture Book Illustrations.

Outdoor Summer Fun
Children love to play outdoors in the summer. Three squirrel siblings are playing outdoors when a sudden thunderstorm interrupts their fun. There is no time to run home, so they find shelter in a cave.

The squirrels discover they are not alone in the cave. A mouse brother and sister are also hiding from the storm. Soon a rabbit joins them.  

They are all very frightened of the thunder, lightning, and rain. Everyone trembles with fear. 

At last, the storm is over and the sky grows brighter. All the animals in the cave rush outside to play with their new "Summer Storm Friends". 

My Thoughts
I can personally relate to this story because I have been caught outside in several sudden Texas thunderstorms. This can be a frightening experience for people of all ages.

Little Molly Mouse was so frightened that she called out for her mother. The author did a good job illustrating the emotion of fear but he also provided safe shelter and the reassurance of the other animals.

Children will probably remember times when they were frightened just like little Molly. This story could lead to discussions on what to do when you are afraid.

The story had a happy ending when the storm passed over and the new friends went back outside to play. The illustrations are very expressive and add value to the story.

This book was first published in Japan in 1986. This is a timeless story that children of many generations will read and enjoy.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

Thank you to NetGalley for a wonderful reading experience.

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Summer Fun Greeting Card

The weather is heating up in southeast Texas. Most of the public schools will let out this week. It is time for summer fun!

I made this card for Mo's Challenge #187 - Summertime.

I chose the digital stamp "Summer Baby" from Mo's Digital Pencil Shop. I colored the image with Copic sketch markers and distressed the edges with chalk ink. I used a Spellbinders die to cut out the image.

I used an EK Success punch along the top and bottom edges of the card.

I embellished the card with blue/green dotted washi tape, a Tim Holtz ticket and some white clouds that I made with a Fiskars punch.

Thank you for taking a look at my card. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Camel Lot; A Misplaced Adventure

My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Camel Lot; A Misplaced Adventure, written and illustrated by Karen Jones, is a charming chapter book for children.  It is currently being offered as a FREE ebook on Amazon.
Three siblings created an imaginary kingdom named "Camel Lot" when they decided to spend the afternoon playing in their mother's forbidden flower garden.

About The Author
Karen Jones lives in Indiana with her husband, daughter and Chihuahua dog. Her family is a constant source of inspiration. She has written numerous poems, stories and funny lyrics. Ms. Jones wrote "Bermuda's Triangle; A Misplaced Adventure", another ebook for children.

An Imaginary Kingdom
When Artie, Lance and Gwen were instructed to go outside and play, they struggled to think of fun things to do. Five-year-old Gwen suggested that they play in their mother's garden. They were NEVER allowed to play in the garden without permission. They decided that the forbidden garden would be the perfect place to spend the afternoon.
The children decided the garden would be a magical kingdom named "Camel Lot". Artie was the king, Lance was a knight and Gwen was the princess. The children soon realized that they were not alone in the garden.  Gwen got an unexpected push as she sat on the garden swing. Gwen's brothers were determined to get to the bottom of this prank.  They were shocked when they found a lonely neighbor boy in Camel Lot.

My Thoughts
I read this book on my Kindle and took a look at the color illustrations on my Kindle for PC application. This book has six short chapters and 6 color illustrations. The illustrations feature scenes from around the garden.
This book is appropriate for children in grades 2 - 4 and could be used as a read-aloud for younger children.
I enjoyed the daring and imaginative spirits of these children. This is a wonderful example of kids having fun without expensive toys, a television or a video game. The mysterious visitor in the garden brings an element of suspense to the story. I would love to see a picture of the children in this story. The garden illustrations were good but it just seems like something is missing. A few more illustrations would make this good book a great book.
I encourage you to download this book while it is FREE and share it with a child in your life. You will be glad you did.