By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review Published: April 2, 2009 Dinosaurumpus! by Tony Mitton (author) and Guy Parker Rees (illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8 Paperback: 32 pages Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (March 1, 2009) What to expect: Dinosaurs and Rhyme At first I wanted to read this book because its eye-catching artwork is done by one of my favorite illustrators, Guy Parker Rees (Giraffes Can’t Dance). After reading only the first double page spread I realized I had been missing out on a great author, Tony Mitton. His rhyming ability is wonderfully energetic, and he tells this story with great…
Author: TCBR Contributor
TCBR Contributor
The Children’s Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids, is a resource devoted to children’s literacy. We publish reviews and book lists of the best books for kids of all ages. We also produce author and illustrator interviews and share literacy based articles that help parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians to grow readers. This article was written and provided by one of TCBR's regular contributors.
Funny Farm by Mark Teague Reading level: Ages 3 – 7 Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Orchard Books (April 1, 2009) What to expect: Animals and Humor Judge this book by its cover and you won’t hesitate to pick it up. Judge this book by its text alone and you might put it back down, but you should take another look. Mark Teague’s book, Funny Farm, appears to be quite ordinary at first read, but that would only be because you didn’t look closely at the pictures. Edward, a city dog, has come to visit his aunt, uncle, and cousin, for…
A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month! What better book to release on April Fools Day than a picture book titled Funny Farm. It’s an entertaining book containing a giggle on every page by Mark Teague’s personified animals. Check out my review here. Besides a day for pranksters, what else does April have in store for the book world. If you live in the US or Canada, April 1st marks the start of National Poetry Month. Since 1996 publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools, and poets come together during National Poetry Month to celebrate poetry.…
Bird, Butterfly, Eel by James Prosek Reading level: Ages 6 – 10 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing (February 24, 2009) What to expect: Monarch Butterfly — Migration, Butterflies — Migration, Birds — Migration, Eels — Migration, Fiction Another glorious book by James Prosek. Bird, Butterfly, Eel is an inspiring story of the change of seasons and the journey animals must take as the weather changes. Between the masterful watercolor illustrations and lilting text, I floated my way from beginning to end without even realizing that I was learning some very interesting facts. James’ intentions of introducing…
Mortimer’s First Garden by Karma Wilson (Author), Dan Andreasen (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (February 24, 2009) What to expect: Gardening and Mice Don’t you just love the smell of Spring? I do. Every house I stroll pass on my morning walk for preschool drop-off is landscaped with different flowers. Almost every step and breath allows me to inhale a different and intoxicating bouquet, all of them sending me into a zen-like-state so that I almost don’t notice any snotty noses, leg clinging, or tearful goodbyes. By the time I reach home again,…
Vote Earth For Earth Hour With the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote, Vote Earth is a global call to action for every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. You can participate by turning your lights out for one hour at 8.30pm on March 28. In December 2009 world leaders meet in Copenhagen to agree on a post-Kyoto policy for tackling climate change. One billion people voting with their light switch during Earth Hour will create a…
Have you ever heard the expression: time flies when you are having fun? Sure you have. It’s an expression that certainly rings true for the Children’s Book Review. March 18 marked our first anniversary, and so I thought I would share with you some of our highlights. In fall 2008, The Children’s Book Review was selected for inclusion in the American Library Association’s Great Web Sites for Kids. Thank you to the ALSC’s GWS Committee members who voted for us. All of the author interviews were so much fun, but making my first podcast from my interview with Emily Gravett…
boo·ka·raz·zi A freelance blogger who pursues celebrities who read books, to create posts that promote children’s literature. Most little boys like books about dinosaurs. This seems to be the case with Liv Tyler’s four-year-old son, Milo. On March 17, Celebrity Baby Blog posted a picture of Milo clutching a newly purchased non-fiction book on dinosaurs, My Big Dinosaur World by Simon Mugford and John Francis. It’s full of dinosaur facts for kids aged 5 and over, very useful for homework and school projects. If you’re looking for something more light-hearted and fiction, here are some of my favorite dinosaur picture…
Nicholas in Trouble by Rene Goscinny (Author) Jean-Jacques Sempe (Illustrator), Anthea Bell (Translator) Reading Level: Ages 7 – 10 Hardcover: 132 pages Publisher: Phaidon Press Ltd (October 31, 2008) Nicholas in Trouble is the fifth book in the Nicholas series, and boy am I bummed that I didn’t start this series from the beginning — Nicholas in Trouble is a great read! The series was originally written in French during the late fifties and early to mid sixties, by Rene Goscinny (also known for his series Asterix the Gaul), and illustrated by the world famous Jean-Jacques Sempe (some of his…
Today is The Children’s Book Review’s first birthday! Mmm … good excuse for some cupcakes. Stay tuned over the next week for the highlights of our first year. Thanks for reading.