Posted on by Maureen

Here Comes Valentine Cat by Deborah Underwood

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My three girls have been big fans of Deborah Underwood’s “Cat” series since we first discovered Here Comes Easter Cat almost two years ago. The girls were delighted by the mischievous and sarcastic cat, who just happens to have a heart of gold under his snarky façade.

Here Comes Valentine Cat follows the format of the other books: the narrator speaks directly to Cat, who responds by holding up signboards with his responses. Because cats don’t talk, of course!

Valentine’s Day is coming, and the narrator wants to know if Cat has any plans. Cat indicates that there is a dog who lives next door, but he thinks the dog is annoying. Cat plans to make some mean valentines, and to send the dog to the moon- but is the dog really as annoying as Cat says he is? Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Big Penguin Party by Christian and Fabian Jeremies

61cljugpbul-_sx407_bo1204203200_I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited about the opportunity to read The Big Penguin Party because I knew my girls would enjoy it. This book is a “Find Me If You Can Adventure” and is a collaborative effort from twin brothers Christian and Fabian Jeremies.

Grandma Penguin is celebrating her 90th birthday. All of her friends and relations have arrived to help her celebrate. Grandma has misplaced the pieces of her rainbow outfit, and she needs help finding them before the mayor arrives with a photographer. Read more

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You Look Yummy by Tatsuya Miyanishi

61letqdqwjlI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of picture books. I still have favorites from my own childhood, and I have added some new favorites that I have discovered through my reading adventures with my daughters. I was very excited about the opportunity to read You Look Yummy with my daughters, especially after I found out that this is the first entry in an extremely popular series in Japan, China, Korea, and France. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

I Really Like Slop! by Mo Willems

My three girls are big fans of Elephant and Piggie books. We’ve been reading them since my oldest was 4, and she’s a third grader now. Over the years, we have amassed quite a collection of Elephant and Piggie books, and we are always excited when a new one comes out.

I Really Like Slop! begins with Piggie arriving with a big bowl of slop. She is very excited about her slop. She really wants Gerald to try the slop, but Gerald is hesitant because of the slop’s appearance and smell. Will Gerald try the slop? Will he like it? Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Snake Who Said Shhh by Jodi Parachini

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Snake Who Said Shhh… is a picture book written by Jodi Parachini and illustrated by Gill McLean.

This sweet picture begins with a scene reminiscent of Bambi or even perhaps The Lion King. The animals are all very excited about Seth the Snake’s birth, but when the new arrival tries to speak, he says shhh instead of ssssss of hissss. The other animals laugh at this, and then they try to agree on a gift to give the new baby. Each animal has an opinion, and as they begin to argue with each other, they create quite a racket! Can Seth tell the other animals what he really wants? Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Mr. Postmouse’s Rounds by Marianne Dubuc

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My three girls love to read, so I was very excited about the prospect of reading Mr. Postmouse’s Rounds to them. This delightful picture book was written and illustrated by Marianne Dubuc.

The premise is simple: the reader is treated to watching Mr. Postmouse make his rounds through the neighborhood, which is a delightful place, with a wide variety of habitats. Mr. Postmouse delivers to the expected forest animals, but some of his customers live in the ocean, and others live on top of a snowy mountain. Mr. Postmouse does whatever it takes to make sure that the packages are delivered.
Mr. Postmouse does not encounter any adversity along the route, although he is grateful that he doesn’t have to deliver anything to Mr. Snake! Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Poppy’s Best Paper by Susan Eaddy

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but as soon as I saw Poppy’s Best Paper, I knew that my three girls would love it. This delightful picture book was written by Susan Eaddy and illustrated by Rosilande Bonnet.

Poppy is an enthusiastic little rabbit full of joie de vivre. Some might also call her “spirited”. Poppy wants to be a writer when she grows up, so when her class receives an assignment to write about what they want to be when they grow up, Poppy doesn’t spend a lot of time on her paper, but she is sure that she is going to be the one whose paper is read aloud by the teacher. When she isn’t picked, she huffs and doesn’t congratulate her best friend, whose paper was the one read aloud. When this scenario is repeated the next day, Poppy throws a tantrum and continues to misbehave at home. Can she pull herself and write the perfect paper? Read more

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Crankee Doodle by Tom Angleberger

I don’t remember whether I saw Crankee Doodle on Goodreads or on Amazon, but as soon as I saw it, I knew that my girls would love it. One of the songs that the Kindergarten children sing at the Memorial Day concert is Yankee Doodle, and it has been a favorite around the house before and after the concert.

Crankee Doodle is a picture book written by Tom Angleberger and illustrated by Cece Bell. The premise of the book is simple: a smiling pony wants to go to town, and a cranky man in colonial garb refuses to go. He complains about not wanting new things, and that the quality of the items in town is not the same. The pony wheedles and begs, but the man doesn’t listen. The pony makes sly allusions to a feather in a hat being “macaroni” (fancy), but this only makes the man even crankier. Can the pony convince his human friend that going to town is worthwhile? Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat by Deborah Underwood

My three girls fell in love with Cat over a year ago when we borrowed Here Comes the Easter Cat from the library. This book was followed by Here Comes Santa Cat around the holiday season. These delightful picture books were written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Claudia Rueda.

Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat is the third entry in the series. At the beginning of the book, Cat has just received a coin from the tooth fairy. Cat is disappointed that he didn’t get to meet her, so he hatches a scheme to trick the tooth fairy by giving her a tooth from a comb. Everyone knows you can’t trick the Tooth Fairy, and she sends Cat a note. If Cat can help her with some deliveries, he can meet her. Cat is joined by a mouse that also tried to trick the Tooth Fairy. Cat is usually thinking of ways to benefit himself- can he work together with Mouse to make those deliveries? And will Cat ever get to meet the Tooth Fairy? Read more

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I Will Take a Nap! by Mo Willems

I have been a fan of Mo Willems for close to ten years. We are big fans of the public library, but Mo Willems is an author whose books are purchased as soon as they are released. My three girls are big fans of the Elephant and Piggie series, and were eagerly waiting for I Will Take A Nap.

As the title suggests, Gerald the persnickety elephant wants to take a nap- but he is interrupted by Piggie. Gerald explains that he needs a nap because he is cranky, and napping helps him feel better. Gerald snaps at Piggie (who was being a little obtuse), and she snips back that now SHE is cranky. Gerald and Piggie try to take a nap together, but Piggie’s snoring disrupts Gerald. Will the cranky elephant ever get his nap? Read more