Review: The Easter Bunny is Coming to My Town by Eric James

Goodreads Blurb

What happens when the Easter Bunny is done delivering eggs? She joins in the fun, of course! Hopping through places you know and love, the Easter Bunny helps children enjoy the day, and wiggle and giggle their worries away!

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

A bunny that brings happiness to children at a time they need it the most. She comes with her hops and laughs to bring some joy when children need it the most. She is with her chicky friends who help her spread happiness, encouragement, and joy. Perfect for children during Easter to start the springtime and Easter season. The illustrations are super adorable and screams Easter time.

Review: Agne’s Place by Marit Larsen

Goodreads Blurb

Agnes knows she is at home before she even opens her eyes in the morning. The sounds and smells and people swirl around her—she always knows what everyone is up to in the tight-knit apartment building where she lives. But she also knows what it is like to be the only child in a place full of adults who never have time.

So when a little girl moves in to the building, Agnes is excited and sends her a subtle message. But the girl doesn’t respond. Then things start to change around Agnes’s place—and Agnes knows exactly who is to blame. It seems like the girl is interested in everyone except for Agnes!

Will Agnes and the new girl ever meet? And what secrets does the new girl hold? First published in Norway.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

An adorable book about a new neighbor and the magical friendship they will have. Agnes was the only kid in the building she lived in and knew what all the adults did each day. A new girl arrives, and she leaves her a picture to come join her by the swings, and the girl never comes. Agnes is hoping the girl will come be her friend, but she thinks she doesn’t want to. The girls finally meet, and the magic begins of a strong bond of friendship, and magical adventures begin.

Goodreads Author Biography

Marit Larsen is a Norwegian songwriter and musician. Agnes’s Place, her debut picture book, was first published in Norway and will also be published in Denmark and Italy. She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Review: Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket by Sue Fliess

Goodreads Blurb

Sadie Sprocket is a girl with a big dream—to go to Mars! No one has been to Mars (yet!), so of course that’s where Sadie sets her sights. She learns everything she can about the planet and space, then assembles her crew of trusty stuffed animals. Together they build a rocket and prepare for the historic journey. And then finally—blastoff!

Sadie and her team make it to Mars, but what will they encounter when they leave the ship? And will they travel home safely as the world watches?

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Space girl Sadie is working on building her ship to travel to Mars. Girls can travel to space, too. This adorable book with colorful illustrations will bring space adventures to the children. The book has rhythmic words that go perfect with the story. At the end of the book, it goes over details on Mars and the different women who have contributed to space travels and were pioneers.

Goodreads Author Biography

Sue Fliess (“fleece”) is the bestselling author of Robots, Robots Everywhere!, I’m a Ballerina! and How to Trap a Leprechaun, and more than 35 other children’s books including Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket, Mrs. Claus Takes the Reins, Mary Had a Little Lab, Beatrice Bly’s Rules for Spies, and many Little Golden Books. Her books have sold over 850,000 copies worldwide. Her background is in copywriting and PR/marketing, and her essays have appeared in O Magazine, HuffPo, Writer’s Digest, and more. Fliess has also written for Walt Disney.

Her books have received honors from the SCBWI, have been used in school curricula, museum educational programs, and have even been translated into multiple languages. The Bug Book was chosen for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library three years in a row and The Hug Book was selected to the Imagination Library Australia.

She’s a member of SCBWI, Children’s Book Guild of DC, and the Author’s Guild. She does book signings, school visits, and speaking engagements.

When she’s not writing, she is walking her two silly English Labradors or busy with her two teen boys. She really misses traveling. Sue lives in Northern VA with her famil

Review: The Snow Dancer by Addie Boswell

Goodreads Blurb

Young dancer Sofia wakes up to a quiet, white world—it’s a snow day! She makes her way outside to the neighborhood park, where a field awaits her, white and shining and open. It isn’t long before the rest of the neighborhood wakes its sleepy head—and the other kids make their way to the park, scattering all of Sofia’s beautiful silence. But with the help of a new young friend, Sofia is ready to show everyone what a snow dancer can do on a perfect day like this. With lyrical language and gorgeous art, this book sparkles with all the joy and beauty of a snow day.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A snow day turns to a peaceful place to enjoy a dance. This book brings those beautiful moments when there is fresh snow that no one has stepped on yet. Can you hear the crunch of snow on your shoes? A girl finds it so peaceful and quiet that she starts dancing around the snow, enjoying the peace, until all the children from the town arrive. They start playing and enjoying the snow, but the girl finds a little girl who loved her dancing. They both dance around the other children until a game of snowball fight begins. I loved this beautiful book that brings us to those beautiful days that snow magically makes the world peaceful and beautiful.

Review: How to Catch a Yeti by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton

Goodreads Blurb

When our brilliant Catch Club Kids hear about the legendary Yeti, they head to the mountains to catch a glimpse and prove it really exists! Full of hilarious high jinks, bright illustrations, and clever STEM traps, this funny picture book for kids is a fun-filled ride you won’t want to miss! Will our Catch Club Kids prove the Yeti exists, or will he remain a mystery to the world? We’ve all heard unexplained tales of the Yeti, Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and more… do YOU have what it takes to catch one? Find out in this action-packed story for children, the perfect read aloud all winter, as a Christmas gift for kids, for classroom activities, and beyond!

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Adventures await all the children who want to catch a Yeti. This book has some fun moments when a group of friends decide to go hunt for a Yeti. They come up with some fun ideas in hopes of catching a Yeti, but those Yeti are just way too fast and smart. Children are really going to love joining in this adventure and having a blast with all the tricks the group of friends have to capture the Yeti. The illustrations are so colorful and eye-catching. Very detailed illustrations. Everyone will enjoy this fun book. I think all of us would be super thrilled if we were able to see a real life Yeti.

Goodreads Author Biography

Adam Wallace is a New York Times, USA Today and Amazon Bestselling author of the How to Catch series!
Adam’s passion is to bring excitement and energy and humour and joy to children (of all ages!) through his books and videos.
He spends his non-writing time thinking about writing and going to as many live music shows as he can. He’s also teaching himself piano, and plays golf too.

Review: How The Grinch Stole Christmas! By Dr. Seuss

Goodreads Blurb

For 53 years, the Grinch has lived in a cave on the side of a mountain, looming above the Whos in Whoville. The noisy holiday preparations and infernal singing of the happy little citizens below annoy him to no end. The Grinch decides this frivolous merriment must stop. His “wonderful, awful” idea is to don a Santa outfit, strap heavy antlers on his poor, quivering dog Max, construct a makeshift sleigh, head down to Whoville, and strip the chafingly cheerful Whos of their Yuletide glee once and for all.

Looking quite out of place and very disturbing in his makeshift Santa get-up, the Grinch slithers down chimneys with empty bags and stealing the Whos’ presents, their food, even the logs from their humble Who-fires. He takes the ramshackle sleigh to Mt. Crumpit to dump it and waits to hear the sobs of the Whos when they wake up and discover the trappings of Christmas have disappeared. Imagine the Whos’ dismay when they discover the evil-doings of Grinch in his anti-Santa guise. But what is that sound? It’s not sobbing, but singing! Children simultaneously adore and fear this triumphant, twisted Seussian testimonial to the undaunted cheerfulness of the Whos, the transcendent nature of joy, and of course, the growth potential of a heart that’s two sizes too small.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorite stories by Dr. Seuss. The reader learns that Christmas isn’t about presents, but it’s about family, friends, and unity. The Grinch didn’t understand what the spirit of Christmas was. He thought that by taking all their Christmas items, he could take their joy and spirit away. It’s a wonderful book about reality, forgiveness, joy, acceptance, and love.

Goodreads Author Biography

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both cartoons and humorous articles for them. Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he’d made reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice, and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted 17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase “Quick, Henry, the Flit!”

Review: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Goodreads Blurb

“Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy.”

So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.

Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk…and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.

This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another’s capacity to love in return.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

It is such a captivating story that is still relevant today. Mother Nature gives, and we take and forget to give back. Our greed has got the best of us. We are destroying our environment with pollution and destroying our eco system. We will eventually be like the tree, nothing left to take and survive. This story is a classical childrens literature that will have us think how we can give back and preserve earth.

Goodreads Author Biography

Shel Silverstein was the author-artist of many beloved books of prose and poetry. He was a cartoonist, playwright, poet, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter.

Shel Silverstein will perhaps always be best loved for his extraordinary books. Shel’s books are now published in more than 47 different languages. The last book that was published before his death in 1999 was Falling Up.

Review: Santa Claus: The Book of Secrets by Russell Ince

Goodreads Blurb

Fun Book for children and the family!After centuries of closely guarding ancient secrets, Santa Claus has decided that the time has come to share the magical mysteries behind Christmas. All of the miraculous happenings that contribute towards making Christmas the most remarkable time of the year are finally to be revealed to the world. Who is Santa Claus and how did he first get his job? What does he really look like? Who are the Elves and what magic do they possess? How do they keep track of which children are naughty and which are nice? All of Santa’s secretes are told in this Wonderful and fun book!

My Review: Rated 4 out 5 stars

I have to start by saying the illustrations on this book are truly remarkable. There is so much detail on each page that brings the story to life. It’s a wonderful book for children to learn how the tradition of Santa Claus came to be. The story is told by Santa Claus. So much detail is explained throughout the book. Santa Claus has become a huge tradition to every child in the world. The spirit of Christmas is still here after so many years. This book is a little longer than other childrens books.

Review: Another Christmas by Susan L. Roth

Goodreads Blurb

Dad decides that the first Christmas without Grandpa would be a good time to take the family to Puerto Rico, where the island culture offers a warm, friendly alternative to the usual celebrations.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

This was a sad book since Ben lost his grandfather, and this was the first holiday without him. His parents decided that Christmas could be different and still be Christmas. They decided to travel to a warmer place and decided on Puerto Rico. I was very happy about the location since I was born in Puerto Rico, but unfortunately, I haven’t been there during the Christmas season. Ben’s grandmother brought Christmas with them. She took with her the tree decorations, tree angel even gingerbread cookies my favorite and made the room as cold as possible to make it feel like they were home. They ended dancing to traditional Puerto Rican Christmas music and were able to enjoy themselves even though his grandfather wasn’t there to celebrate with them.

Author Biography

Susan L. Roth creates unique mixed-media collage illustrations that have appeared in numerous award-winning children’s books, many of which she also wrote. Her book, Listen to the Wind, spent a year on the New York Times best seller list. The Mangrove Tree, which was released in 2011 and addressed Dr. Gordon Sato’s mangrove tree-planting project, was the winner of Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. Roth lives in New York.

Review: SumoKitty by David Biedrzycki

Goodreads Blurb

A stray kitty gets a job in a sumo stable, chasing mice in exchange for food. But when eating like a sumo wrestler slows our feline hero down, he realizes he must train like a wrestler, too. Through hard work and perseverance–and with a little help from a big buddy–SumoKitty is born!

My Review: Rated 4 out 5 stars

A stray cat gets lucky since one of the Sumo wrestlers is scared of mices. This was his big chance to keep warm, eat, and have fun. His eating habits made him get a little big, and now he resembled a Sumo wrestler. He started to train like the Sumo wrestlers and was able to defeat the mice infestation. He got the name Sumokitty, plus they gave him a mawashi with kitty print. I loved that the book provided you with vocabulary for the different moves, outfits, and training locations. The author also provides you with pronounciation for the vocabulary. The illustrations are good. Great educative book for children.

Goodreads Author Biography

In his early years David created stories for his parents and friends. A commercial artist since 1980, his work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, book covers, billboards and even ice cream boxes. The supermarket is like a gallery of his work.

Now he has now returned to his first love of picture book storytelling. He has illustrated close to 30 books including self-authored and award winning Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective series, Me and My Dragon series and his newest series Breaking News Bear Alert, a Junior Library Guild Selection and winner of book the Illinois Monarch Picture Book Award and the Georgia State Picture Book Award. David travels the world extensively to over 100 schools a year sharing his digital book making process with aspiring young writers, illustrators and readers.