Grandma Anna is so excited. Her grandson Joey is finally coming to visit. They spend the day, playing, reading, and eating. Suddenly, Anna realizes that something is missing. Joey has not given her a hug or a kiss.
They spend the rest of their time together searching everywhere for the missing hug and kiss. Are they hiding in the house, in the garden, at the beach or up in the clouds? Finally Joey realizes where they might be. Can you guess the answer?
The second part of the book is my favorite part. Joey and Grandma play a game. They present the reader with real life situations and talk about the feeling one would experience in each. For example, how does one feel when another child takes your ball and won’t return it? Hurt, of course. The author discusses a range of feelings, both positive and negative.
I recommend this book for preschoolers through primary grades. A good choice for parents, teachers and counselors as a platform to discuss emotions.
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In partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Acorn Publishing
SYNOPSIS
WHAT TO DO ABOUT YOUR MONSTERS
Created by Jessica Woo
Publisher’s Synopsis: Meet Kinzie. She has a bunch of fun-loving, slightly smelly, Monsters that live in her room. They never let her sleep at night. But that’s ok, her parents always help her out. Until one day they decide it’s time she learns to sleep on her own. What will Kinzie do about her Monsters?
What To Do About Your Monsters is a heartfelt story about a girl who has sleep issues. At its core, however, the story is not just about having problems sleeping, but about being afraid to try something new.
Jessica Woo is an author-illustrator and a mom of two wild things. Her debut children’s book, What To Do About Your Monsters, was inspired by her oldest child. Very quickly after Jessica became a mother, she found that while adults like to sleep, kids are way too busy to ever go to bed.
Other than convincing her little ones to sleep at night, Jessica’s talents include professional animation, art direction, and illustration. In Illustration, Jessica most recently worked on a concept art piece for Universal. In art direction, her recent project, Dinner Party, was accepted in the exclusive Sundance film festival. Finally, in animation, her work is featured in movies such as Kung Fu Panda, Monster vs Aliens, Shrek 4, Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special, Kung Fu Panda 2, The Croods, and Turbo.
An active member of SCBWI and 12 by 12, Jessica currently lives in Toluca Lake California with her family.
Little Kinzie experiences the same problem every night at bedtime. The monsters in her room simply refuse to let her sleep. They bang on the walls and bedpost. Kinzie puts on a sad face and tries to get her parents to let her sleep in their room or stay in her room.
Eventually, that strategy no longer works. Desperate to sleep, Kinzie decides to put on a stern face and take charge. Perhaps a glass of warm milk or a bedtime story will lull them to sleep. Then Kinzie comes up with an ingenious solution.
The protagonist teaches her preschool and primary grade readers that they should take charge of their fears. Woo’s illustrations are pleasing to the eye. My only suggestion would be to make the text a bit larger and easier to read.
I would recommend this book as a bedtime story or read-aloud discussion book.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a copy of What to Do About Your Monsters, autographed by Jessica Woo.
Two (2) winners receive:
A signed copy of What to Do About Your Monsters
Giveaway begins October 6, 2020, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends November 6, 2020, at 11:59 P.M. MT.
The Adventures of Tweet Tweet: A really awesome Penguin
Written and illustrated by Eleanor Wint and Lois Wint-Rose
This sweet little story is coauthored by a grandmother and nine-year-old granddaughter. It is based on a stuffed penguin who is personified in this tale.
Tweet-Tweet, the young penguin, brings beginning readers on a journey that explains how he broke his wing. Along the way, readers learn a bit about life in the Arctic, how penguins move and communicate, and an accident that lands Tweet-Tweet in the hospital.
Children learn about family bonds, adapting to change, and being resilient. The color illustrations add charm to the story. Readers will enjoy the dialogue format and personification of the characters. Two more books are in progress to continue Tweet-Tweet’s adventures.
Recommended especially for children ages five through eight.
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This book encourages children to be positive and enthusiastic about life and their role in it.
Hawkes uses a little acorn as a metaphor for human growth and potential. The young reader watches a little root pop out of an acorn shell and then traces its path of growth from the earth into a sapling and finally an acorn tree.
I like the use of alliteration and body movements to encourage the reader to participate in the little acorn’s growth cycle. Children are encouraged too find Snippy Snail hidden in each picture. Hawkes includes interactive activities that readers may use to relax and stay calm.
This book may be particularly useful during the pandemic when children are feeling unsettled. Recommended for elementary school readers.
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The Night the Monsters Came: A Fun Way to Teach Kids Healthy Habits as Part of Their Bedtime Routine
Written by Junia Wonders
Illustrated by Lisa Ciccone
Siblings Jack and Joy are getting ready for bed when Jack warns his sister, the monsters are outside and hungry. He dresses as a wizard and Joy puts on her fairy dress and crown.
As the monsters barge through the door, the children are steadfast. They warn the monsters they are not appealing targets because they follow good hygiene. Why does that turn the monsters off? Read the book to find out.
The rhymes are clever with extensive use of onomatopoeia and bright colors outlining new vocabulary. Illustrations are appropriate and colorful. I highly recommend the book for toddlers and primary grade children.
The illustrations say it all. Soft colors and exquisite expressions portray the emotions set out in the rhymes. Most of the rhymes are on the mark, perhaps a couple stretch the meaning of the words.
Toddlers and preschoolers will get the message clearly by looking at the images. I think the book would have made an even greater impression if a few human examples of mother and child were included. Luckey gives specific examples of why a mother’s love is so deep and truly everlasting.
This book would be an excellent gift for a new mother. Grandmothers and caretakers will also enjoy reading it aloud or as a bedtime story.
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Publisher’s Synopsis: Buckets is a curious French Bulldog, and he’s determined to find out where snow comes from! One wintry day, Buckets runs away from his home in Brooklyn in hopes of finding its origin…but what happens when he gets lost along the way?
Buckets Goes on a Winter Adventure is a story of friendship and determination, and will encourage readers of all ages to explore the mysteries of the world around them.
This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review.I received a free copy of The Monster Twins to review. All opinions are my own.
THAT TWIN THING…
The Monster Twins
Written by Robert and Karen Hanvik HaHHhh
Illustrated by Ella Ransom
First book in a new series. Bella and Bertie are twins who have never met each other. When they were born, the rules did not allow them to live together. Why? Because they were monsters and the law said they must be adopted by separate human families.
Bella has been adopted by a couple who live in Singapore but travel all over the world. Bertie lives with a shy couple who live in London. Each have different personalities but have one thing in common. Both monsters feel that something is missing They each long for a best friend.
Will circumstances ever change? Will Bella and Bertie employ their twin skills to discover each other’s existence.
I especially liked the way the author introduces children to the fact that families can be different and that growing up in different cultures does not preclude similarities between siblings.
Publisher’s Synopsis: Bella and Bertie are twins, but they don’t know that, or each other. Separated while babies by bad law, they grew up 6000 miles apart, in Singapore and London. Follow the twins as they discover their shared past and do their best to make a better future for themselves, their families, and others like them.
Publisher’s Synopsis: Fitz the Fox can’t wait to see all that New York City has to offer — but will he get to see the penguin feeding or will a subway snafu derail his plans? A whimsical, sight-seeing jaunt that encourages wonder with rhyming text, peppered with facts and trivia along the way!
Join Fitz as he visits the Statue of Liberty with her 8-foot long index finger, the bustling crowds of Grand Central Terminal, the wondrous, book-filled spaces of the New York Public Library, and marvels at the sky-scraping height of the Empire State Building.
Continue to wander with a walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn across the Brooklyn Bridge and visit the Bronx Zoo along with more iconic landmarks while exploring this exciting city!
Ages 3-10 | Good Avenue Books | August 10, 2020 | ISBN-13: 978-1734602104
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Mina’s Ups and Downs (Written in Traditional Chinese, English and Pinyini)
Written by Katrina Liu
Illustrated by Rosalia Destarisa
This bilingual picture book written in Chinese and English walks the reader through Mina’s first visit to a carnival. She is so excited. As Mina experiences the rides, the petting zoo, and the sights and smells of the carnival, she displays a range of feelings
Mina feels happy when she flies up in the air but disappointed when she is too short for the roller coaster. She finds it difficult to choose from so many foods She feels angry when the goats cause her to drop her ice cream and sad when she first loses a carnival game. Young readers get the message that it’s okay to experience a range of emotions and that all works out for the best in the end.
This book is an excellent choice for toddlers and preschoolers. My only criticism would be that the font for English is rather small and a bit difficult to read as the Chinese characters draw the eye to it.
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November 4, 2020
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