Rooster and the Nightmouse

Written by Carla Barr Warren

Illustrated by Bradley Tyler Wilson

As a retired educator who bemoans the fact that our schools no longer teach critical thinking to young children, I applaud the author for taking on the challenge of teaching primary grade children that their first impression is not always correct.

A young mouse named Tiny hears his family tell stories about enemies like the rooster. One day Tiny meets Dell, a rooster, and fears terror until he bravely stops to look into Dell’s eyes. He is surprised to find out you cannot believe everything you hear. Many misunderstandings can be prevented when rational thinking replaces false judgments.

The illustrations are an interesting collage of shapes and colors which force the reader to take the time to think about each page of the tale carefully.

I highly recommend the book to parents and teachers who will hopefully integrate the message of critical and creative thinking skills within the lives of themselves and their children.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and voluntarily chose to read and review it with my honest opinions for no compensation.

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Bakon is a great character who has multiple lessons for his fans.

In this picture book, Bakon is excited to be participating in the Tootsville Sock Hop. He and the Pork Choppers dancers really want to win. They will be competing against The Oink Angels and The Kickin’ Chickens.

Once the competition gets underway, something amazing happens. The primary grade reading audience learn lessons about friendship, competition, and good sportsmanship.

A fun bedtime story or read aloud with a winning message.

Ninjas Go to a Party: A Rhyming Children’s Book About Parties and Practicing Inclusion

Written by Mary Nhin

Those fun-loving ninjas work hard all week, but they do love to take a break occasionally to party. When they do let their hair down, Inclusive Ninja makes sure that everyone has an enjoyable time. He welcomes all to eat, share activities, and work as a team.

This book is part of a series that employs lovable characters to teach life lessons and values like friendship, empathy, compassion, and inclusiveness.

The entire series is available in boxed sets, individual books, and collections arranged by theme.

A fun book to read aloud, for a bedtime story, or for classroom discussion.

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The Tooth Fairy’s Tummy Ache

Written by Lori Orlinsky

Illustrated by Vanessa Alexandre

A very cute, rhyming picture book selection for preschool and kindergarten readers. A little girl is eating lunch in school when she loses her first tooth. She is dismayed because she swallowed it! How will she be able to put the tooth under her pillow for the tooth fairy?

The protagonist decides on deception. She places a look-alike under her pillow. The tooth fairy takes the bait but later becomes suspicious and calls her friends to check it out. They decide to teach the little girl a valuable lesson.

Young readers will both empathize with the girl and delight in its humorous lesson. A perfect gift choice for children about to lose their first tooth.

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You Got This: A Tale of Courage

Written by Wanda Carter Roush

Illustrated by Nataly Simmons

A little girl enjoys visiting the garden where her guardian angel stands behind her giving her the courage to share adventures and later to face challenges in school. As the girl grows older, she faces new challenges but the angel is always there to support and encourage her.

When the girl becomes an adult and moves away the angel is sad. Life has become difficult for both of them. Will the woman find the strength to move forward? Can the guardian angel find happiness once more?

The picture book contains beautiful illustrations and valuable life lessons. An uplifting story for any age.

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Millie’s Magic (Feel Loved Tales

Written by Hilary Hawkes

Illustrated by Andrea Petrlik

Millie the Mouse decides she wants to get a birthday gift for her grandfather. When she asks her grandmother what to get for him, Grandma suggests something magic.

Millie takes her grandma’s suggestion and searches everywhere for magic. She enlists the aid of a badger, a chicken, and a frog who try to direct Millie. At the end of the day, Millie is tired and exhausted.

Will Grandfather be disappointed that Millie does not have a birthday gift? What special message does he have for her that she will remember for the rest of her life?

Cute illustrations with easy to read text make this book a good choice for a bedtime or read-aloud tale for preschoolers and early readers.

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Her Name Was Flower

Written by Imani Cortez

Illustrated by Alexandra Ignateva

This book is a series of short stories to encourage empathy and acceptance of differences among members of the human race. The protagonist is named Flower. She is the daughter of the Sun and Moon.

Flower struggles to find her identity. She has trouble and sometimes disrespects her parents who try to teach her. When Flower becomes a bit older, she goes off to search why others do not accept her. Along her journey, Flower discovers that the most beautiful part of our Earth is the ability to respect and accept our uniqueness.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful. Cortes’ sends her readers many worthwhile lessons. However, young children may be confused and need guidance as to how to interpret them.

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The Selfish Bear

Written and Illustrated by Bassel Elkadi

A little bear is selfish and does not like to share. One day he comes across his friends on the swings. He reflects on how he has treated each of them recently and figures out they will now not want to share with him.
The bear decides to build his own swing. He gathers material and makes a large swing. Bear did not plan well. One of the ropes breaks. Can you guess what might happen? Will Bear realize why it is important to share and be kind to your friends?

This is a rather short book. The illustrations are appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers. I was puzzled about the fact the Bear was not given a name to help personalize the character. Recommended especially for children ages three to six.

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Short or Tall Doesn’t Matter at All

Written by Asaf Rozanes

Mia is very short. This distresses her because her classmates often make fun of her and exclude her from activities.

Mia reveals her problem to her father. He tells her a fairytale about the sun and moon and how they became friends. One day a situation unfolds at school that proves to the other children there is value in being small. The other children learn an important lesson from Mia. They now understand she also has many special talents. Size does not matter.

This picture book is written in rhyme. It works, for the most part, but the story would have been just as effective if written in prose. Recommended especially for students in the six to ten age group but an important lesson for middle-school students as well.

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The Dog Gang Collection

Written by Yael Rosman

This book is a collection of stories focusing on the adventures of three dog friends, Bowie, Cheo, and Zaza. They are different in breed, looks, and personality, but they have one thing in common, they meet to romp and play at the same park with their owners Morin, Benny, and Shila Each of these tales was originally published as a separate story.

Roseman personifies her canine characters. In each of the tales, one of the dogs becomes a lead character. By the time the story ends, children learn life lessons based on the behavior of these canine friends. Readers learn why it is important not to show off, to work as a team, to care about each other’s feelings, and how each of us is special and unique.

The illustrations are colorful and well-executed, but sometimes the text and illustrations don’t line up properly. Readers may be confused because illustrations from the first story are repeated in the third story. This collection runs more than two hundred pages, which is way too long for the age of the targeted bedtime story audience. I would recommend this book as better suited to readers in the six to eight-year-old range.

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