A Hero Like Me - Children's Book Review

 

Title: A Hero Like Me

Author: Jen Reid and Angela Joy

Illustrator: Leire Salaberria

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

Length: 40 Pages

About the Author
Jen Reid grew up in the city of Bath, England. Her experiences of racism growing up were first-hand. From being the only Black child in her local primary school in the 1980s to moving to London in the 1990s and facing the daily microaggressions that black women suffer in the workplace, Jen has experienced the everyday racism that is ingrained in our society.

The Events of June 7, 2020, in Bristol, England
This children's picture book is based on the events of June 7, 2020, in Bristol, England. A statue of the seventeenth-century slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down and thrown into Bristol Harbour during a George Floyd anti-racism protest.

Jen Reid was one of the protesters that day and she spontaneously climbed on the empty statue base and raised her fist high above her head. This moment was captured on camera and shared around the world.

A statue of Jen was placed on the empty statue base and was called "A Surge of Power". It gained widespread attention for the 24 hours it was in place.

My Thoughts
This is a powerful book that deals with racism and activism. 

The book provides parents and teachers an opportunity to discuss these issues with children and answer their questions. Children of all races and nationalities could benefit from reading and discussing this book. 

The illustrations are excellent and add value to the text. The story is appropriate for children of all ages. Highly Recommended.

RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley to review.

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Children's Christmas Book Review: Presents Through the Window by Taro Gomi

A non-traditional Santa Claus is coming to town in a high-tech helicopter. How will he choose the perfect present for each boy and girl?

Title: Presents Through the Window: A Taro Gomi Christmas Book

Author/Illustrator: Taro Gomi
Publisher: Chronicle Books, LLC
Year of Publication: 2016

(Originally published in Japan in 1983 by Kaisei-Sha Publishing. Copyright 1983 by Taro Gomi.)

About the Author
Taro Gomi is an internationally renowned author and illustrator who has created more than 350 books for readers of all ages. He lives in Tokyo, Japan.

Santa Peeks In the Window and Picks a Present!
Santa has a big bag of presents to deliver but no time to go inside the house.

So, he peeks in the window and observes a child sleeping in the bed. He picks a present out of his bag and tosses it through the window.

Sometimes looks can be deceiving. Things are not always as they seem.

Will the children be happy with their presents on Christmas morning?

My Thoughts
"Presents Through the Window" is an interactive picture book that includes die-cut windows to see into a sleeping child's bedroom. 

The text is very brief but the beautiful illustrations really make this book a WINNER!

Young children will have a blast looking in the windows and guessing who is inside. Does Santa choose the correct present? 

When one child accidentally gets two presents and another gets nothing, the story illustrates the joy of sharing. 

This book is a wonderful gift to all Taro Gomi fans. Children have been enjoying his stories for over 30 years. This book is available in print and Kindle editions. Recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI - I purchased this print book for $0.79 at Goodwill. An awesome thrift shop find!

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Children's Book Review: Buddy; The Buddy Holly Story

ONE WORD BOOK REVIEW: ROCK (MUSIC)

Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly

Author: Anne Bustard

Illustrator: Kurt Cyrus

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Children

Publication Date: February 1, 2005


About The Author
Anne Bustard holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

A Texas Music Legend
This picture book provides a delightful glimpse into the life of Charles Hardin Holley, better known as Buddy Holly.

The author uses colorful "Texas-talk" to describe Buddy's family and early life. Buddy was raised in a musical family so it was only natural for him to take to the guitar when he was in the sixth grade.

Just past Buddy's seventeenth birthday, he and his friend Jack were asked to sing and play on a weekly local radio show.

"Faster than greased lightnin', louder than a thunderstorm, more powerful than a Texas twister, and plumb full of gumption. Buddy and his friends wrote and played hip-hoppin' tunes. No foolin'. That music blasted them into out-of-this-world places".

The author includes an "Afterword" that gives biographical information about Buddy Holly's life and death.

My Thoughts
I was thrilled to find this book (1st ed., signed by author) at a local thrift shop. It is not a new book, but it is perfect for the Texas history/music niche for children ages 6 - 10. I am a Buddy Holly fan and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The text is lively and the color illustrations are superb. This book is excellent for a unit in Texas history or music history in the elementary grades. I would share a Buddy Holly song with my listener and then read the book.

I once was a substitute teacher in an elementary music classroom. The teacher had a large bin of picture books about famous musicians. Kudos to this teacher for including biography books in her lessons. This book is a perfect fit for a teacher or parent who wants to introduce students to a time when rock ruled.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI - I purchased this hardcover book with my own funds.

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Kindle Books for Kids: Jump! by Julia Dweck

Jump

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Brian Allen

Publisher: Sleepy Sheep Productions

Date: September 1, 2014

Grade Level: PK - 3


About the Author
Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

"When You Believe In Yourself, You Can Jump With Your Eyes Open."
A timid Jack-In-The-Box toy was frightened and confused when he accidently jumped out of his box. He felt disgraced outside the safety of his familiar box.

As Jack was looking for his box, he met a new friend named Barker. Jack and Barker embarked on many "jumping" adventures. They jumped a skipping rope, they jumped on a trampoline and even jumped out of an airplane!

Jack learned that you must take a leap of faith if you are going to move out of your comfort zone and discover a whole new world.

My Thoughts
"Jump" is a charming and refreshing rhyming picture book for young children. It is published for the Amazon Kindle and the formatting is excellent for young readers. The full-screen horizontal illustrations are colorful, entertaining and humorous. The illustrator did an excellent job portraying the personalities of the characters in this story.

Jack shows children how much fun it can be to get out of everyday routines and take some risks. Life is full of adventures when new faces and places are explored and investigated.

Jack and Barker exhibit a poignant bonding and connection. They bring out the best in each other and have a ton of fun on their journey.

Ms. Dweck provides some valuable teaching tools at the end of the story. There are true facts about amazing jumps, scrambled words from the story and instructions on how to write a simple story using two characters, a setting, a plot and a solution.

"Jump" will entertain, inspire and educate young readers. This book could be used for independent reading or incorporated into a language arts class. It would also be a charming read-aloud selection for pre-school children.  Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI - I borrowed a digital copy of this book with my Amazon Kindle Unlimited membership.

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Children's Book Review: Angels by Alexis York Lumbard

Angels

Author:  Alexis York Lumbard
Illustrator: Flavia Weedn

Publisher: Wisdom Tales

Date:  September 10, 2013





About The Author
Alexis York Lumbard is a storyteller and children’s book author. With a B.A. in Religious Studies from George Washington University, it is her sincere hope to bring the wisdom and beauty of the world’s religions to the eager and gifted minds of young children.

A Heavenly Picture Book For Children
This is a beautiful rhyming picture book about angels. The rhyming text is very simple and easy to read. Each page has three or four words and a beautiful full-page illustration.

Angels are everywhere and they watch over everything. They are always near and they protect us at all times. This is the message that this book shares with children.

The simple text and beautiful illustrations come together to make a book that will be treasured by children and parents alike.

My Thoughts
This book was written for young children ages two to four. I think this would be a perfect book to share with a child at bedtime. It would also be excellent to read when a child is ill or afraid. The text is so simple, a child will soon have the words memorized.

This is a non-denominational book that shows how angels are always working behind the scenes. I really like this book and plan to give a copy to my granddaughter who is 18 months old. I think her mother will enjoy reading it to her for years to come.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary print copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

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Children's Book Review: Ole! Cinco De Mayo! by Margaret McManis

 

 

Olé! Cinco de Mayo!

Author: Margaret McManis
Illustrator: David Harrington

Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company

Date: February 27, 2013











About The Author
Margaret McManis, a former children's librarian, serves as a guest lecturer at schools, museums, libraries, and bookstores. Ms. McMannis is a graduate of the Vermont MFA Writing for Children and Young Adults Program and a member of the Writers' League of Texas, Texas State Historical Association, and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Cinco De Mayo Fun!
Pablo takes his pet calf, Rodeo, to school for the Cinco De Mayo celebration. Rodeo makes a mess of Pablo's classroom, the gym, the library and every other part of the school building that he visits.

The teachers and principal are very angry because Rodeo is ruining Cinco De Mayo for the entire school. When he makes a mess of the celebration stage, it is the last straw for the frustrated principal. Finally, the music teacher finds a way to calm Rodeo and the little calf leads the festive Cinco De Mayo parade down the school hall.

Readers are encouraged to sing the words of this story to the tune of "B-I-N-G-O".  Here is the first verse of the song;

Pablo has a little calf,
Rodeo is his name-o.
R-O-D-E-O
R-O-D-E-O
R-O-D-E-O
Rodeo is his name-o.

There is a Glossary of Spanish words used in the text at the end of the book. There is also an "Easy Flan Recipe" and a short explanation of the Mexican Army's 1862 victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867).

My Thoughts
When I worked as an elementary school librarian, I was always looking for books like this to share with students during story time. This book has a wide variety of learning opportunities for students. The story is entertaining and humorous. Children and adults can join together in singing the joyful song...some of my happiest memories are singing with the children in the library.

There are many Spanish words in this story that should be introduced and the meanings discussed. There is a recipe at the end of the book for a dessert that little Rodeo found very tasty when he visited the school cafeteria. Finally, the historical events that led to to a yearly Cinco De Mayo Celebration can be shared with the children.

The full-page color illustrations in this book are just delightful. My favorite picture is the angry "book boss" in the school LMC...she was not happy about Rodeo making a mess of the library.

I highly recommend this book for all elementary school students. Children in bi-lingual and ESL programs will fall in love with Rodeo. This book is perfect for read-aloud and sharing with large or small groups the year round.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ The author gave me a print copy of this book to read and review. This book will be dedicated to a library so children will have an opportunity to enjoy it as much as I did.

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Kindle Books For Kids: My Dog's Got Fleas by Julia Dweck

My Dog's Got Fleas

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Mark Aardvart

Publisher: KiteReaders

Date: January 11, 2013


About the Author
Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

Fleas With ATTITUDE!
Have you ever had a problem with fleas?

If you have a pet, your answer is probably "YES!"

A young boy takes his dog to a veterinarian and is told that his dog is covered with RARE fleas.

These are no ordinary fleas. Each of the fleas have a unique personality and occupation.

There is ArtFlea. He is an artist who likes to draw and doodle atop a purebred poodle.

There is GleeFlea. She sings inside the shower and tub and is the director of the flea glee club.

There is a super hero flea named WonderFlea. He is stronger than 1,000 fleas and wears a long red cape. 

Some fleas are not very nice. There is BreadFlea. He is a nasty flea who is always plotting evil schemes.

The vet comes up with a plan to rid the dog of these rare fleas.
Where did they all go? 
Where are they living now?
You will get a good giggle when you discover who is itching at the end of the story!

My Thoughts
I have several pet dogs so I can definitely relate to the problem in this story. Children know that fleas are pesky parasites that need to be avoided at all costs.

The fleas in this rhyming story are very different. Each flea has a talent and plays a role in the flea community. Children will relate to the different kinds of fleas and will recognize the good and bad behaviors that exist in any social  setting.

I really like the way the story ends in a humorous manner. The fleas are not killed with harsh chemicals, they just find a new, unexpected home. 

The color illustrations are awesome and add a great deal of value to the story. Mr. Aardvart took a somewhat difficult subject (fleas?) and created original and unique animated illustrations that will delight readers of all ages. The formatting is very professional with full-screen color illustrations and four lines of text on each page.

This book will appeal to children on many different levels. A dog and a group of charming fleas. What more could you ask for?
Highly recommended for children and the entire family.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI - I received a complimentary digital copy of this ebook to read and review from the author.

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Kindle Books For Kids: Human Day by A.J. Cosmo

Human Day

Author: A.J. Cosmo

Publisher: Thought Bubble Publishing

Date: October 19, 2012

11 Pages


About The Author
A.J. Cosmo taught second grade special needs children. Now he spends his days helping people find their way in the world. He loves to write and entertain.

The Day After Halloween
One day a year, the day after Halloween, monsters dress up as human beings and pretend to be people for a day. They put on smiling human masks and go about doing things like shopping, going to school and driving a car.

This book is illustrated with colorful illustrations that are delightful and hilarious.

My Thoughts
Halloween is a day for children to dress up like monsters. The day AFTER Halloween is a day for monsters to dress up like humans. Great fun!

This story is sure to stimulate the imaginations of young children as they think about all the things that the monsters might do on "Human Day".  I read this story on my Kindle Fire and loved the color illustrations that seem to bring the monsters to life. This story is a good fit for the Kindle (landscape orientation works best). Each screen view has a color illustration and one or two lines of text.

At the end of the story, the monsters are sad to see the day come to an end because they have had so much fun. They mark the date "November 1" on next year's calendar.

Children tend to feel a little sad when Halloween is over and they have to put their costumes away for another year. This story is a wonderful day-after-Halloween book that is sure to put a smile on young reader's faces.

This story is very short but it is sure to be a hit with the kids. The illustrations are really remarkable ~ Children will be able to re-tell the story over and over again just by looking at the pictures.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

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Children's Book Review: Dream Something Big; The Story of the Watts Towers



Dream Something Big [The Story of the Watts Towers]

Author: Dianna Hutts Aston
Illustrator: Susan L. Roth
Publisher: Dial Books For Young Readers

Date: August 18, 2011





About The Author
Dianna Hutts Aston is the author of many books for children. In addition to writing for children, Dianna has established an annual Teen Writer’s Workshop for underprivileged Mexican teens and manages her non-profit foundation, The Oz Project.

The Towers
Between 1921 and 1955, Italian immigrant Simon Rodia transformed broken glass, seashells, pottery, and a dream to "do something big" into a U.S. National Landmark. Readers watch the Watts Towers rise from his little plot of land in Watts, California, through the eyes of a fictional girl. 

The story is illustrated with beautiful collages made from cut and torn paper, cloth, fibers and other "found" things.

My Thoughts
I had never heard of The Watts Towers until I read this picture book. I am astounded and amazed that one man could accomplish this task. Simon Rodia was a pioneer in reusing and recycling discarded items to create something new and unique. He worked on this project for over thirty years! I can just imagine what his neighbors were thinking.

The towers are now a National Historic Landmark and are considered an example of non-traditional vernacular architecture and American folk art.

This book does a great job presenting American history, art and architecture in a way that children will find interesting and fun. There is a section at the end of the book that shows children how to create their own Watts Tower from pipe cleaners, assorted beads and buttons, magazine clippings and foam shapes.

This is an excellent story of possibility and perseverance for children of all ages.
Highly Recommended.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I checked-out this book from my local public library. I {{heart}} my public library!

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Children's Book Review: Kayak Girl by Monica Devine

 Title: Kayak Girl


Author: Monica Devine
Illustrator: Mindy Dwyer

Publisher: University of Alaska Press

Date: September 15, 2012

 

About The Author

Monica Devine is the author of five children's books and a former nominee of the celebrated Golden Kite Award for her book, The Iditarod: The Greatest Win Ever (Cover-To-Cover Books).

Sorrow and Healing
Jana, a young Eskimo girl, is too tired to do the things that she did in the past. Since her mother died, Jana spends most of her time in her room looking out the cabin window.

One day, her grandfather comes from a village far up the river for a visit. He brings Jana a set of carving tools but she is not interested in carving. She watches while her grandfather carves a girl sitting in a boat from a piece of wood. He calls the girl "Kayak Girl" and tells Jana to take the girl down to the river and put her in the water. Jana doesn't want to walk to the river so Kayak Girl sits in a dusty corner and is forgotten.

When Jana's grandfather is ready to go home, he takes the carving and promises to put Kayak Girl in the river near his village. He asks Jana to walk down to the river each day and watch for Kayak Girl to return to her.

Over the next weeks and months, Jana walks down to the river each day and patiently waits for Kayak Girl. She deals with her feelings of fear, loneliness and grief as she stands by the river waiting for Kayak Girl to find her way home.

Eventually,  Kayak Girl finds her way back to Jana and she thanks the small wood carving for bringing back her spirit. She puts Kayak Girl back in the river and promises that she will not forget her.

Jana realizes that her mother still loves her and her spirit will always be with her.

My Thoughts
This is a beautiful children's story that deals with a very sensitive subject. Jana is dealing with the loss of her mother and can't work through her grief. She doesn't have the desire to leave her room or do any of the things she has done in the past. She appears to be depressed and has lost her desire to live a happy, productive life.

Jana learns to accept her mother's death by caring about the Kayak Girl and recalling happy memories of her mother. She learns that her mother's spirit is with her and she doesn't need to be sad.

The color illustrations are wonderful and do a very nice job spotlighting the Alaskan landscape. This book provides an outstanding example of the Alaskan culture and traditions. The story deals with feelings in a way that children will understand. I highly recommend this book for children of all ages.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from the publisher.

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Kindle Books For Kids: The Best Time To Read

"May I read to you?", asked the young boy.
A young reader is searching for someone to listen to him read aloud. Is there anyone in his family who will take time to listen?
"The Best Time to Read", by Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom, is a rhyming picture book that will entertain and delight young readers.



About the Authors
Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom are "The Write Sisters". Before turning to writing children's books full-time, Susan was an elementary school teacher and Debbie worked in television production. They often entertain children and librarians with their interactive reading at events around the country.

Does Anyone Have Time To Listen?
This picture book features a young boy who is just learning to read. He has a book in his hand and goes to each member of his family asking them to listen to him read the book aloud.

Unfortunately, it seems that everyone is busy and the boy retreats to his room to read to his stuffed animals. Wait! He hears a knock at his door and his entire family (even the dog) wants to listen to the boy read.

The book ends with a family story time on the floor of the boy's room.

My Thoughts
When I worked as an elementary school librarian, I was always looking for books that would promote reading. This rhyming picture book is a perfect example of the kind of material that I enjoyed sharing with my students.

This book was originally published in 2005 and was released as an ebook for the Kindle in February, 2011. I viewed the book on my Kindle 3 (black-and-white pictures) and the Kindle for PC application (color pictures). The color illustrations, by Michael Garland, are amazing and add depth and emotion to the text. The black-and-white illustrations are clear and bright.

Each page of the book consists of a picture and three lines of text on the Kindle. The text appears above the picture and is clear and easy to read. The pictures take up about one-third of the screen and the lower portion of the screen is blank - it would have been nice to see the pictures filling up the entire screen.

This story promotes reading and family unity. Parents are often "too busy" to spend quality time with their children. This book reminds us that the time we spend with our children is a wise investment. Highly recommended as a read-aloud selection and for independent reading.

FYI ~ I checked out this ebook from my public library. This book is priced at $9.99 on Amazon (Ouch!!!) ~ Check-out your public library for your entire family's ebook needs.

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The Gullah Alphabet

I am always pleased when I find a children's book that motivates me to do some research and learn new facts about our country's history. I recently found a copy of A Gullah Alphabet, by Margie Willis Clary, at a Friends of the Library Sale. I read the book and then started searching the Internet for more information on the Gullah culture.

I learned the Gullah are African Americans who live in the lowcountry region of South Carolina and  Georgia, which includes both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. It is said that the Gullah language originated around 1700 among the Africans who were brought to America to work. The Gullah are known for preserving more of their African linguistic and cultural heritage than any other African-American community in the U.S. They speak an English-based creole language containing many African words and significant influences from African languages in grammar and sentence structure.

Over the years, the Gullahs have attracted many historians, linguists, folklorists, and anthropologists interested in their rich cultural heritage. Many academic books on that subject have been published. The Gullah have also become a symbol of cultural pride for blacks throughout the United States and a subject of general interest in the media. This has given rise to countless newspaper and magazine articles, documentary films, and children's books on Gullah culture, and to a number of popular novels set in the Gullah region.

The book provides a Gullah word for each letter of the alphabet (except X and Z). There is a sentence in Gullah and then the translation in English. Each word is illustrated with a full-page pencil drawing. Here is an example of one page from the book;

C iz de chillun, ney Mudda fut dey play.
C is for the children, at Mama's feet they play.

The author states, "A Gullah Alphabet is written to introduce children to the beauty of the Gullah language. My hope is, it will encourage further research and study of the language and culture."

This book will be a good addition to your language, social studies, African-American, American history, cultural studies and children's book collections. Children of all ages will find this book entertaining and educational.

Free Kindle Book For Kids

 Amazon is offering I Love You This Much: A Song of God's Love by Lynn Hodges and Sue Buchanan as a free digital ebook for the Kindle.  The book is illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello and is published by Zondervan.
This is a cute picture book about a baby bear and his/her parent.  The child could be either sex and so could the parent. The parent bear is expressing love to the child in words and actions.  The text is written in a rhyming prose that flows very nicely. Children will love the repetition of the words, "I Love You This Much!"
The parent bear goes on to explain to the child that God loves him and will always be with him.  The book provides a wonderful example of parental love and the love of God.
The illustrations are very good and they complement the text.  Unfortunately, the pictures will not be in color on the Kindle.  It does not appear that any special formatting was done to prepare this book for the Kindle.  I read the book in several different font sizes to see if that would make a difference.  It did not. 
The cover of the book states "Bonus Music CD" but that is not available on the Kindle.  The sub-title of the book is "A Song of God's Love" but there is no reference to music or singing in this version.
If you have a Kindle and a young child, I think you should definitely download this book and share it with him/her.  I look forward to seeing many more picture books for the Kindle from this publisher and from others.  These free offers ususlly don't last very long so download your book TODAY!