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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Life in the Gumball Machine

Written by Maureen Bartone

An interesting chapter book targeted for readers in the seven to eleven year age range. On her tenth birthday, Daisy goes for a bike ride with her two best fourth grade friends, Patrick and Michael. Daisy is often considered a tomboy, but one thing her two friends have never persuaded her to do is to play football. When the three friends pause to investigate an old shed, they discover an abandoned gumball machine. Daisy decides that she must have one so she deposits a coin. Soon the machine rumbles and sucks all three of them inside. Little do they realize the adventure awaiting them inside.

Bartone uses lots of human and kid friendly dialogue to describe how the three humans shrink and meet the gumball people and their exciting world. Our three human friends will discover that outside appearance matters little, the real person is wrapped inside. Daisy will experience that football game and face her hidden fears. Lessons learned include how we behave and what we do are a lot more important than how we look.

Daisy is looking forward to her birthday party that afternoon, but things are looking grim that the three friends will free themselves from the gumball world and return to their normal size. The only way to escape is for another person to come along and discover that abandoned candy machine. That does not appear to be a likely possibility. Will the three friends keep their cool and figure out a way to return home? What will happen to their newly found gumball friends? How will Patrick, Michael and Daisy’s lives be changed forever?

The plot of this middle grade chapter book is simple and the text straightforward with enough excitement, surprises and humor to keep the reader entertained and the advice from becoming preachy. A surprise near the end sets the scene for a new adventure. Recommended for children in grades two through six.

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The Tree Within the Tree

Written and Illustrated by Sally Huss

Sally places her message for this story right on the cover: The Importance of Appreciation. Alexander and Charlotte have only two dollars between them. They are walking through a Christmas tree lot on Christmas Eve. The owner informs them that they only have enough money to consider a tree on a pile of rubbish in the corner. There the two children discover a scraggly tree that desperately wanted to become a Christmas tree to make a family happy. The family is poor but determined to embellish their tree. As the tree gazes at the worn furniture and scanty possessions, it is amazed by how family members gather popcorn, aluminum and personal possessions to transform the scrawny tree into the most beautiful tree inside and outside.

Illustrations are simple and classic; this book will not only place smiles on the faces of preschoolers and primary school children, but remind children and adults alike to appreciate the little things and not become embroiled in the materialistic side of Christmas. Recommended as a bedtime story or read aloud for students and families to share.

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