Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Pages: 48
Format: Hardcover
Age Range: 4- 8 years old
Grade Level: Preschool – 3

Synopsis
In this gorgeous companion to the acclaimed Over and Under the Snow and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal bring to life a secret underwater world. In this book, readers will discover the plants and animals that make up the rich, interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond. Over the pond, the water is a mirror, reflecting the sky. But under the pond is a hidden world of minnows darting, beavers diving, tadpoles growing. These and many other secrets are waiting to be discovered…over and under the pond.

Reflection
I think Kate Messner’s series of non-fiction picture books are wonderful.  Each one is chock full of interesting tidbits of factual information.  This latest book in the series features a little brown boy and his mother exploring the pond together in a canoe.  Together the boy and his mother narrate the story as they learn about some animals that call the pond their home. There are herbivores like: fish, beavers and moose. You’ll also find carnivores like: otters and raccoons.

Under the pond is a whole hidden world of minnows and crayfish, turtles and bullfrogs.  Over the pond, we skim past tall rushes.  Whirligig beetles loop and twirl – skaters on a warm summer surface.

I love the whole “over and under” concept as it gives little readers a glimpse of what happens both above and below the surface.  Above the pond you see various birds, plants and trees and below you see animals that live in the pond. We even discovered a few new animals like: whirligig beetles, caddisfly larvae and pileated woodpeckers.  The back matter includes a paragraph of information about each featured animal, an author’s note and a list for further reading.  Most of the information you’ll learn from reading the paragraphs in the back of the book.  The rest of the book reads more like a story.  The author’s note explains this story was inspired by a canoe trip on Barnum Pond at the Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center in the Adirondack Mountains.

Overall, I think this is a beautifully illustrated and informative book that illustrates by working together all animals and organisms play an equal role in keeping their pond clean and healthy.

About the Author
Kate Messner is the award-winning author of Over and Under the Snow, Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt and more than a dozen other books for young readers.  She lives on Lake Champlain with her family.

About the Illustrator
Christopher Silas Neal is an award-winning illustrator whose work is published regularly in the New York Times and shown in galleries.  He teaches illustration at Pratt Institute and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Steppin’ Out: Jaunty Rhymes for Playful Times by Lin Oliver, illustrated by Tomie DePaola

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Pages: 32
Format: Hardcover
Age Range: 3 – 5 years
Grade Level: Preschool – Kindergarten

Synopsis
Being a preschooler means days full of discovery every time you step out of your door. It’s a time filled with wonder, at all the sights and sounds of the outdoors and at the huge variety of people there are to meet. This collection of nineteen original poems features little ones eager to explore, whether it’s splashing in puddles, riding in an elevator or through a car wash, or visiting the library. They go full-steam ahead to the park, the beach, and dance class, somewhat begrudgingly learn to share and get their first haircut, and enjoy lots of time with their families. Full of contagious rhythm and rhyme, this inviting picture book introduces young children to the sounds of poetry through familiar childhood activities.

Reflection
This poetry book is great for preschool and kindergarten little readers!  It starts off with a poem called “Steppin’ Out” which invites children to step outside and explore the world around them.  From leafy trees to buzzing bees there’s so much to see and learn every day.  The introductory poem also includes a clever gatefold page which opens up and makes it seem as though the children are really stepping out into the book.

Some of my kids’ favorite poems are: “The Library”, “My First Haircut”, “The Elevator” and “Super Market”.  I find all 19 of the poems in this book to be relatable to little readers as the characters are seen doing everyday things that will likely be familiar to most toddlers and kindergartners – going to to the library or grocery store, splashing in puddles, getting their first hair cut, riding on the elevator, playing in the sandbox, spending the day at day care/school, and going to the beach.

The cast of characters featured is very diverse.  The playful illustrations are colorful and include lots of everyday objects that can be pointed out to children for further discussion.  For example, you could ask them what each of the objects is, what color they are, how many of a particular item they see – i.e. “How many blocks do you see?”  “What color is the book?”  “What are they doing?”

Overall, I think this is a playful and inviting book good for introducing young readers to poetry, rhythm, rhyming and the world around them.

When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner, illustrated by David Catrow

Publisher: WaterBrook
Page: 48
Format: Hardcover
Age Range: 3 – 7 years and up
Grade Level: Preschool – 2 and up
Available for Sale: February 28, 2017

Synopsis
From early on, children are looking to discover their place in the world and longing to understand how their personalities, traits, and talents fit in. The assurance that they are deeply loved and a unique creation in our big universe is certain to help them spread their wings and fly.

Through playful, charming rhyme and vivid, fantastical illustrations, When God Made You inspires young readers to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into God’s divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin to create for themselves.

Reflection
Our family believes in the Christian faith so this book couldn’t be any more perfect for us…it’s so, so sweet! Told in rhyming and playful text with beautiful illustrations, When God Made You inspires young readers to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into God’s divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin to create for themselves.

Written by Matthew Paul Turner, husband of author Jessica Turner who wrote The Fringe Hours and illustrated by David Catrow, this is a book you’ll definitely want to add to your bedtime story lineup. It’s great for reading at the start of each day or just before bed to remind children just how special, unique, and loved they are.

An exclusive design, one God refined, you’re a perfectly crafted one of a kind. ‘Cause when God made you, somehow God knew that the world needed someone exactly like you.

Isn’t that a great message to send to children (and adults)? Because let’s be honest, sometimes we all need a reminder like this.  Am I right?

I think children will love listening to the rhyming text and the way the words flow together.  I like that this book uses a variety of advanced vocabulary words and phrases for the preschool crowd like: exclusive, debut, self displaying, portraying, conceived and peacemaker.  These words may force some curious children (like my daughter) to probe and ask what they mean, which is a good thing.

The vivid illustrations throughout this book add a bit more to this book.  Little readers will see the adorable brown-skinned protagonist, a pet cat and dog sitting in an over sized green and white polka dotted chair reading a book. The protagonist’s baby sister is off to the side on the floor playing with her toys.  The older girl and her dog then go on a mini adventure after leaving her baby sister and their cat behind at home.  She ends up in a local park after going for a bike ride.  There she encounters a distressed artist who is mourning the loss of a dead flower.

The girl picks up the artist’s paintbrush and starts to paint an elaborate picture of colorful flowers and birds on the ground and in the air.  Next thing you know, the girl, her dog and the artist are flying in the sky on one of the birds the girl drew.  In the end, you see the girl back at home with her baby sister and their dog sitting in the same chair reading a book. Although this time the chair is different.  It’s decorated with the same beautiful paintings the girl drew on the ground in the park with the artist.  This leads you to believe perhaps the girl started daydreaming while she was reading.  Was it just her imagination?  Was it part of the story she was reading to her sister?  Or did it really happen? I love when the ending of a book leads to further discussion and lets you ponder or create your own interpretation.

I appreciate the author chose to write this book that celebrates each person’s own special and unique gifts and talents.  The fact that there is a religious component to it referencing God is an added bonus for me as it’s not something you normally come across in mainstream children’s picture books.

I can honestly say When God Made You fills my heart with so much gratitude and joy.  It even makes me a bit teary eyed, but it doesn’t make me feel sad.  I get a bit emotional because it’s so beautifully written.  The words pierce my heart and make me immediately think about how grateful I am for my children and our perfectly imperfect little family.

This book also makes me reflect on how grateful I am for where God has brought me throughout my life thus far.  It challenges me to want to continue to use my talents, passions and gifts and share them with others.  It makes me want to think up even more new ideas and put them into action.  It makes me want to show kindness, dream, discover, explore, have faith and love more.  Did I mention how much I love this book?  If this book has that type of effect on an adult, imagine how powerful it would be for children to receive these messages from an early age.

With overall themes of: God, love, individuality, self-love, empathy, kindness, creativity and imagination you really can’t go wrong with this book.  I think it would make a great addition to an Easter basket or makes a great gift for a christening or baby shower.

About the Author
MATTHEW PAUL TURNER is the author of sixteen books. He lives with his wife Jessica (TheMomCreative.com, The Fringe Hours) and their three children in Nashville, TN.

About the Illustrator
DAVID CATROW is an editorial cartoonist whose vibrant illustrations have appeared in more than seventy children’s books, including several New York Times bestsellers, such as I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More and I Like Myself. He makes his home in Ohio with his wife, Deborah.

Your turn: Are you looking forward to reading this book with your little readers?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Princess and the Peas by Rachel Himes

Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing
Pages: 32
Format: Hardcover
Age Range: 5 – 8 years old and up
Grade Level: Kindergarten – 3 and up
Available for Sale: April 11, 2017 Pre-Order Now!

Synopsis
In this adaptation of The Princess and the Pea, Ma Sally cooks the best black-eyed peas in Charleston County, South Carolina. Her son, John, is a highly eligible bachelor, and three local women vie for his hand in marriage by attempting to cook as well as Ma. At the last minute, a surprise contestant named Princess arrives at the door. Princess and John are well-matched, but Princess has her own ideas. When told she has won John’s hand, she asks him to scrub the pots and pans before she’ll give him an answer. Her answer, it turns out, is that she wants to spend some time getting to know John first.

Reflection
We love this retelling of The Princess and the Pea fairy tale!  In the author’s note of this book Rachel Himes explains she was always confused by the classic fairy tale so she vowed to someday write her own version.  She always wondered why the princess needed to be sensitive enough to feel a single pea through all those mattresses.  That’s why she decided to write this story about the things she thinks are truly important – love, family, and community.

Set in the mid-1950’s in Charleston County, South Carolina this book features a vibrant African-American community with themes of love, family and of course – food and cooking. John’s mother, Ma Sally, cooks the best black-eyed peas in town. When her son John tells her he wants to get married, three women vie for his hand in marriage. The caveat? The lucky woman chosen must be able to cook black-eyed peas as well as John’s mother.  A woman named Princess ends up winning the cooking contest hands down.  Princess and John are two peas in a pod.

I adore the vintage feel to this book.  The hand drawn watercolor and acrylic illustrations are so well done and really seem to bring you back in time to the 1950’s in the South.  Women are dressed in over the knee length dresses and hats while the men are dressed in denim overalls.

I also like the mother/son bond that John and his mother Ma Sally share.  It’s clear John is a true and proud mama’s boy.  When he tells his mother he’s ready to get married she becomes troubled by the thought of her son potentially sitting down to an “ill-cooked meal”.  That’s why she comes up with the idea to have a cooking contest to find the perfect wife for John.

I also like the sense of community and how the food that Ma Sally cooks brings everyone together.  You see tables piled high with collard greens, sweet potatoes, hot rolls, ham, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and black-eyed peas. Yum!  I’ve always believed that food has the ability to break all language barriers.  It doesn’t matter where in the world I am.  If there’s good food or music, there’s a kind of connection and understanding to the others around.

I truly enjoyed this heartwarming and charming love story.  I love how the table was the common ground and seemed to served as a bridge for bringing everyone together, forging bonds and creating conversation.  Everyone brought something unique to the table – especially Princess.  I’m looking forward to trying out the tasty recipe for Princess’s black-eyed peas that’s included in the back of the book!  Check this one out when it publishes in April 2017!

Your turn: Are you looking forward to reading this book?  What other adaptations of Princess and the Pea do you and your children enjoy reading?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Things to Do by Elaine Magliaro, illustrated by Catia Chien

Disclaimer: I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 40
Age Range: 4 – 8 years old

Synopsis
With playful prose and vivid art, Things to Do brings to life the small moments and secret joys of a child’s day. There are wonders everywhere. In the sky and on the ground—blooming in a flower bed, dangling from a silken thread, buzzing through the summer air—waiting …waiting to be found.

Reflection
I love books that can spark a child’s imagination simply by using one small two-letter word, “if”.  In this book, the phrase “things to do if” is repeated several times when introducing different wonders of the world.  For example:

Things to do if you are DAWN
Shoo away night,
Wash the eastern sky with light.
Wake the sleeping sun: Rise and shine!
Rouse resting roosters.
Set songbirds singing.
Let dreams drift away.
Start a new day.

Doesn’t that describe dawn so eloquently and perfectly?  It imagines kids to think about all of the things dawn is responsible for and what happens first thing in the morning.  It then goes on to playfully introduce other things like: birds, an acorn, scissors, rain and the moon in their own lovely poems.

The illustrations are so vividly beautiful – I love them so much!  The illustrator really captures each moment in detail. Each two-page spread is truly a work of art that I want to frame.  I also like the fact that the author chose to emphasize each item along with some of the more descriptive words.  For example, in the poem about rain the words “whoosh”, “patter” and “go away” are shown in italicized text and are a different color.  This helps children make the connection between the item and some of the popular words and phrases that are usually associated with it.

I love reading this book with the kids at night right before bedtime.  Something about it has this calming effect on both me and the kids.  I think it’s a combination of the beautiful poetry and stunning illustrations that help get us ready to lay down and rest our heads for the night.

Overall, I think this is an amazing book of poetry with themes of creativity, imagination and nature. Definitely one not to be missed for poetry lovers!

About the Author
Elaine Magliaro is now retired from teaching and writes poetry for children and serves as a member of the NCTE Poetry Committee.  She lives in Massachusetts.

About the Illustrator
Catia Chien was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Today, she is happily working as a children’s book artist from her art studio in New York, with a view of the East River and an old pencil factory.

The Amazing Book of Disney Princess by DK Books

Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Synopsis
The Amazing Book of Disney Princess is the perfect introduction to the magical world of Disney Princess. Young fans will love discovering more about their favorite characters in this reference book that’s perfect for young readers with fold-out paper flaps and folds. Large pictures and short, simple sentences bring the characters to life for children aged 5 plus. Favorite Disney Princess characters and their kingdoms are explored in a fun way, including Belle, Jasmine, Merida, Tiana, Mulan, Ariel, and Rapunzel. The Amazing Book of Disney Princess also comes with a giant pull-out poster.

Reflection

What a fun book for kids to learn a little more about their favorite Disney princesses!  I love the large text and images as well as the clear and simple sentences.  I also like this book has an interactive element to it with questions and flaps that can be lifted throughout.  The table of contents also clearly points out which page each princess can be found on.  In the back there is also a quiz and answer key.

While Disney has made strides over the past few years to diversity its lineup of princesses, I still think there is more work that needs to be done.  As you may know, finding a book that actually includes African princesses, African American princesses, Native American princesses, Indian princesses, Latina princesses, or Asian princesses, is next to impossible.  Perhaps one day book publishers, television producers, and movie producers will understand the beautiful variety of princesses (and princes) that the world has to offer.  Good thing there are a few children’s books available on the market to help remind little readers of all cultures and backgrounds that princesses, kings, and queens are not limited to the images they see in the mainstream media.

Although I do find this book to be a great reference to help children explore and learn more about the Disney princesses, I did notice something I wanted to point out.  When this book introduces princesses like Snow White and Aurora, Rapunzel and Belle they are described as ‘beautiful’ and ‘very kind’.  However, when other multicultural princesses like Mulan, Pocahontas, Jasmine and Tiana are introduced, there is no mention of how beautiful or kind they are. Instead, they point out lackluster details like ‘headband with sparkling jewel’, ‘sparkling gloves’, and ‘traditional dress’.  Why aren’t any of these princesses described as beautiful or kind?  I don’t know if this was intentional or not, but it’s worth pointing out as it may send mixed signals to children.

In addition to learning more about each of the princesses, there is also mention of some of the evil enemies and princes.  You also learn some of the princesses favorite things and special skills.  For example, did you know Rapunzel loves to paint?  Or that Belle loves reading and Tiana loves baking delicious beignets for her friends?  I am always fascinated to learn more about any Disney characters as it makes them more human and relatable to me.

Each book also comes with a giant pull-out poster from Beauty and the Beast, just in time for the live action movie release in March 2017!

If your daughter(s) have been hit by the princess craze, consider checking out this book.  Little readers who like the series Fancy Nancy or Pinkalicious will adore this book just as much.  Cue the sparkles, tiaras, and tutus!

About DK Books
DK is a bestselling and award-winning publisher known for informing, entertaining, and educating global audiences through beautifully designed content.

The Giveaway!
Our friends at DK Books were generous enough to offer a book giveaway!  See the entry form below to enter.  Only open to US residents age 18 and over.  Good luck!

The Amazing Book of Disney Princess

Your turn: Are you planning to go see the upcoming Beauty and the Beast movie when it comes out in March? Which Disney princess is your daughter’s favorite one?  Feel free to share in the comments.