We’re in Big Trouble, Blackboard Bear By Martha Alexander
When things start disappearing over night, the children all point a finger at Anthony and the bear, calling them a thief. Anthony and Blackboard Bear make things right by returning the stolen things by using a creative chalkboard drawing. It’s hard to give a review on this. It was a ho-hum kind of story. The purpose was to give a engaging illustration on why we don’t take things that don’t belong to us. The children loved the fact that the bear was a chalkboard drawing throughout the whole book. He came to life but he didn’t loose his hand-drawn appeal.
Miss Nelson is Back, Miss Nelson is Missing, and Miss Nelson Has a Field Day
Miss Nelson, the nice teacher, will go away when a more strict person is needed, enter Viola Swamp. Ok, more or less that is what all the stories are about. Miss Nelson is the teacher that everyone loves. However, for some odd reason or another, when a more structured class room (or football team) is needed, the character of Voila Swamp dressed in all black, will appear. Do the children know that it is really Miss Nelson? Who knows! But Viola Swamp is hard and someone to fear and gets results. Does my review give the impression that I don’t really care for these books? I shall bite my tongue on the matter. The children love them. I have caught the older two reading them in spare moments and the younger 2 ask to read them over and over again. I as a mother would just prefer cheerful obedience from sincerity and not someone who gives the appearance of a witch, without the hat.
Mucky Moose by Jonathan Allen
In the forest, no animal smells worse than Mucky, the moose that can out-do skunks with his potency. The biggest wolf in the forest, decides that he wants the moose. Through humorous escapades of trying to eat the moose, the smell sends wolf into different ailments, preventing the destruction of moose. The illustrations are simple. The story line is geared toward silliness. For all of us, we just didn’t feel engaged.
The Two of Them – by Aliki
What a beautiful story! As soon as I finished, I had to add it to my Amazon cart. Colored pencil illustrations, a timeless story of a child’s love for her grandfather, and precious memories that gets your heart yearning for the simple pleasures of life. It start with the birth of the little girl and the craft of Grandfather. Amazon has a beautiful description of it;
“”The day she was born, her grandfather made her a ring of silver and a polished stone, because he loved her already.” Through the years, the little girl and her grandfather share so many happy times — playing by the sea, walking in the mountains, working in his store. And when he grows sick, she takes care of him with as much love as he always showed her. ”
My Grandpa by Marta Altes.
A very simple story-telling of a young bear and the relationship he has with his senile grandpa. The young bear shows respect and love he has for his grandfather that shares some amazing moments with him, but does not always remember everything. Simple illustrations. The children thought the young bear was a good example of love to his grandpa bear.
Harry’s Helicopter by Joan Anderson
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here is what my kids thought of this book:
Through photographs, a story of a young boy and his love for helicopters. For his birthday his father makes him a cardboard helicopter that one days, through a gust of wind, takes off and Harry gets to see the sites of the city. Will he get home? My innocent children thought that this was a true story because the pictures are so real. Sweet children don’t understand the meaning of Photoshop. 🙂 I have NO doubt that this one will be checked out again and again.
The Very Fairy Princess: Here comes the Flower Girl -by Julie Andrews
A young girl loves to be a fairy. She knows what fairies need and what they do and how they act. She will be a flower girl in a wedding, and as a good fairy, she does all the things that need to be done with a little flare and sparkle. My boys had no interest in it. My eldest looked over my shoulder but soon found more books to amuse herself. But my three year old played along the story, wearing her cute little leotard and ballet slippers. I think that she though that the little girl was doing ballet. I can see my daughter wanting to read this again but I don’t know if it would be something she sought out at the library.
Kids by Catherine and Laurence Anholt
Yet, another by these authors! That kind of happens at the library. This started out slow. If you remember, I didn’t really like the book that we previously read by these authors. I almost just set it aside but I continued and soon we got involved in all the activities that children do. The kids gave it a thumbs up when I asked their opinion.