I’m a little late posting these, but here are some of the children’s books we’ve enjoyed recently. These are early reviews for books that will be available in 2020.
I am a Capybara
by Michela Fabbri
Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world, they’re often mistaken for dogs, and they love water, but did you know that they also have an appreciation for opera and poetry? I am a Capybara teaches readers some simple facts about capybaras with a humorous tone narrated by none other than the capybara himself.
At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about the ‘fact mixed with fiction’ story, but it kept the book comical and interesting. The illustrations are somewhat simple and look to be hand-sketched which inspired my young reader to sit down with a pencil and paper and attempt to draw him.
There are little messages here about the importance of acceptance, family, community, and caring for others. The only thing I would’ve loved is the addition of a fact section at the end for those interested in learning more, because this is an animal we personally didn’t know very much about. Overall, we enjoyed it.
4****
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Little Green Donkey
by Anuska Allepuz
Little Green Donkey is a colorful, short story about a young donkey who only wants to eat green grass. One day he eats so much that his whole body turns green. Little Donkey feels so content full of grass, but he certainly doesn’t accept his new green color. When his mom influences him to try new foods, he begrudgingly attempts to eat numerous fruits and veggies. Will Little Donkey ever find anything as delicious as the juicy, green grass?
We found ourselves chuckling all the way through this book. It’s a comical story but opens up for a lot of discussion on food. Most importantly, it brings attention to the fact that ‘we are what we eat’, and it’s not only important for kids to learn at a young age that it’s okay to try new foods, but to also pay attention to moderation.
Overall this is a perfect story for young readers that’s super colorful, funny, and easy to read. This is definitely one we’ll be adding to our collection.
5*****
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The Lady with the Books: A Story Inspired by the Remarkable Work of Jella Lepman
by Kathy Stinson & Marie Lafrance (Illustrations)
“Let us set this upside-down world right again by starting with the children. They will show the grown-ups the way to go.” —Jella Lepman, 1945
The Lady with the Books is a story based on a true visionary, Jella Lepman. After World War II in Germany, Jella believed in her heart that what children needed most were books to help them relate and stay connected with one another.
In this fictionalized story we have two young children, Anneliese and her brother Peter, who have recently lost their father due to the war. Life’s difficult and there’s barely any food to eat. As they walk down the street one day in war-torn Munich, they stumble upon a large building with a long line of people going in. They’re curious, thinking there might be food involved. What they find when they enter are hundreds of children’s books. While inside they meet a woman (Jella) who inspires them to read again, which is something they’ve missed since their father isn’t here to read stories to them anymore.
I can’t believe I’d never heard of Jella Lepman before now, especially with as much as we’ve read on WWII. This turned out to be such an educational book for everyone in our home. We loved the literary references—some were even banned by Hitler. What I appreciated the most about the book is all the added information in the back for older readers like me regarding Jella and IBBY. What a remarkable woman.
This book covers a broad age group, even for younger readers who haven’t learned the detail of WWII yet. The Lady with the Books is at the top of my list for children’s educational books this year. I highly recommend this for schools, libraries, and parents.
5*****
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Pugtato Finds a Thing
by Sophie Corrigan
Brilliant and imaginative!
After digging in the mud, Pugtato discovers a shiny purple object in the ground and can’t figure out what it is. He decides to ask all of his best ‘spuddies’ Tweetroot, Tomatoad, Purrsnip, Carrat, and others just exactly what this Thing could be. Each of them have their own ideas, but Pugtato soon learns that the answer is within him if he’ll only look to his heart.
We fell in love with this book. The rhyming story combined with the charming illustrations will have children captivated. These hybrid animal/veggies are all so clever and have the cutest names too. There isn’t anything we didn’t like about it.
Pugtato Finds a Thing is a beautiful story of friendship, love, and most importantly, believing in yourself. We need more children’s books like this. I highly recommend this for parents, schools and libraries. I’ll certainly be recommending this one to our local librarian.
5*****
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Joy
by Yasmeen Ismail & Jenni Desmond (Illustrations)
Joy by Yasmeen Ismail is a cute and easy read about a joyful kitten full of energy. This is perfect to enjoy with very young children, especially those who love cats or animals in general.
We have many cats, dogs, and currently we even have kittens, so my 6-year-old especially enjoyed seeing the mom cat in the book care for her little one so lovingly. Even though she can read herself, we enjoyed this one together. The illustrations by Jenni Desmond are simple yet beautiful, and combined with the changing text (which rhymes at times) keeps the book interesting, even without much of a story.
The combination of dogs, cats, and kittens is always such a fun dynamic. Kittens truly are little bundles of joy.
4****
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I’d like to thank Netgalley for sharing these books with me in exchange for honest reviews.
Thanks for reading my reviews for these wonderful children’s books. Have you read any good children’s books lately, or do you have a recommendation? Please feel free to leave your comments below.
❤️ Mischenko
I totally enjoy the covers on these books. Soooooooooo cute! Sounds like they were fun and, at the same time, educational to read with the kids.
Nice review Jen! So glad you keep the kids interested in reading! 📚
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They’re so fun, aren’t they? Thanks! 😉
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They all sounds amazing stories to read with kids. I chuckled reading your review on green donkey. Amazing reviews!
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Thank you! ☺️
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Hurray for green donkeys!
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Yep! 😆
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ah, but a collection of cute children’s books with neat covers to catch their imagination. i was busy watching the antics of our backyard squirrel today–such funny little animals.
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They are so much fun to watch, aren’t they? Thank you for your comment. ☺️
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Awww, omg Pugtato sounds adorable and I love the illustration/random title for that book. Too cute! ❤
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It’s so cute! Thank you ❤️
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