Toot & Puddle: I'll Be Home For Christmas Book Review

Toot and Puddle are back in a brand new adventure in I'll Be Home for Christmas by Holly Hobbie.  Toot is in Edinburgh at a family reunion.  His Great-Great Aunt Peg has just turned 100 years old!  Christmas is just days away, but he has promised Puddle that he will be home in time to share the holiday.

Back in Woodcock Pocket, Puddle eagerly prepares for Christmas and Toot's arrival.  With the assistance of his feathery friend, Tulip, the pair have pulled out all the stops to celebrate in style.  The only thing that's missing is Toot.

Suddenly, a dangerous ice storm hits Edinburgh.  All flights are delayed.  Will Toot miss spending Christmas with his best friend?

I adore this book!  Hobbie's story is full of cheer and heart.  Her classic Toot and Puddle characters truly shine in this heartwarming tale.  I absolutely love the humor that is sprinkled throughout the story.  From calling Great-Great Aunt Peg an "ancient aunt" to the gift of a "lucky nut," I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading.

Another aspect of the story that I love is how the story toggles between Toot's journey homeward and Puddle's Christmas preparations.  Starting off the book with a postcard is such a fun and unique idea.  I also like how Hobbie leaves room for the imagination.  I don't want to give anything away, but pay close attention to the ending.   

Hobbie's illustrations are gorgeous.  Toot and Puddle could not be any cuter.  She really makes the scenes come alive with the use of warm colors for Puddle's story and cool colors for Toot's story.  Hobbie also keeps things fresh by alternating between sing page illustrations, multiple vignettes, and double page spreads.

This is a fantastic, festive book for readers of all ages.

Wolf in the Snow Book Review

Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell, follows one little girl on her journey home from school.  A blizzard is suddenly upon her.  She does her best to move in the direction of her house, but is blinded by the snow.

At the same time, a young wolf pup is having difficulty keeping up with his pack.  They are much older than he is and are used to the harsh weather.  The pup struggles to keep his feet moving as the snow continues to pile up around him.

Suddenly, the girl and pup meet.  She can see that he is scared and lonely.  Picking him up, the girl attempts to send him on his way, but the snow has become too deep.  The pup simply sinks.

The girl is now faced with a difficult dilemma.  Should she help reunite the pup with his pack or continue her treacherous trek home?

This is one of my all-time favorite children's books!  Being a nearly wordless picture book, this story relies heavily on illustrations.  Cordell knocks it out of the park with stunning hand drawn images that will leave the reader speechless.

Each turn of the page conveys strong emotions.  Empathy, fear, and courage are on display in Cordell's story.  Children will delight at the detailed illustrations and will fall in love with the characters.

This is a wonderful book for readers of all ages.  I could definitely see this being used for humane education classes at local shelters and rescue groups.

The Nocturnals Early Reader #2: The Slithery Shakedown Book Review

The Nocturnal Brigade is back in an all new adventure!  In the second installment of the Nocturnals Easy Reader Series, The Slithery Shakedown, Bismark has a problem.  His friends are late for their nightly rendezvous.

When Dawn and Tobin finally arrive, they see that they are not alone.  A blue bellied snake has slithered his way into the group.  He is not interested in making friends.  Instead, he wants to have Bismark as a snack!

Will Tobin and Dawn be able to save Bismark?  Has the spunky sugar glider finally met his match?

I absolutely love The Nocturnals series!  Whether early reader or chapter book, the stories are always original and the characters are unforgettable.  Bismark's attitude makes me laugh every time.  His facial expressions are simply hilarious.

I also love that in addition to teaching a moral lesson, the stories are also packed with educational facts.  I find myself learning something new with each book that I read.

This is a wonderful story for children ages 5-7.

Harriet Gets Carried Away Book Review

Harriet loves wearing costumes.  Whether she is going to the store, the park or the dentist, Harriet has the perfect costume for every occasion.  The day of her dress-up birthday party has arrived.  Her dads ask her to get ready to go to the grocery store in preparation.

Donning her penguin costume, Harriet heads to the store.  Her dads go to the deli and Harriet waddles off in search of party hats.  On her way to the party aisle, she sees a group of penguins getting bags of ice in the frozen section!

Curious Harriet follows the penguin pack to a group of hot air balloons waiting outside.  The penguins quickly accept her as one of their own and begin to head back to the arctic.  Will Harriet be able to find her way back home?  Will she miss her own birthday party?

I absolutely love this book!  Harriet is a delightful character full of spunk and heart.  I love that Harriet expresses herself through costumes.  She doesn't appear to care what others think of her.  Harriet is unique and she owns it!

I also love that Sima embraces different family units.  Harriet has two dads, unlike your typical children's picture book.  I am reminded of a similar family dynamic in the picture book Honey and Leon.  Children definitely need to be exposed to the ever expanding family types and Sima conveys this beautifully through her illustrations and text.

Sima's illustrations are simply stunning.  The cool color palate gives off a chilly vibe, perfect for reading about penguins.  Children will fall in love with Harriet and her tuxedo clad friends.

I greatly admire Sima's attention to detail along with hints of foreshadowing in her illustrations.  I love that Harriet's dog enjoys playing dress-up too.  If you look closely, you will see that Harriet has a poster of Kelp, the unicorn turned narwhal from Sima's first picture book, Not Quite Narwhal. See what other things you and your child can find as you read together!

I had the great honor of meeting Jessie Sima at the book release event for this book at The Novel Neighbor in Webster Groves, Missouri.  Sima is extremely down to earth and one of the friendliest people on the planet.  I cannot wait to see what she works on next.

This is a fantastic read for children ages 4-8. 

Jessie Sima Author Event

I screamed when I read my Facebook notification.  My favorite children's picture book author/illustrator, Jessie Sima, would be coming to The Novel Neighbor in Webster Groves, Missouri!  She would be celebrating the release of her second book Harriet Gets Carried Away.

My fingers could not dial the phone fast enough.  I immediately called and asked my mom to come along.  We decided to leave early on the day of the event to avoid any rush hour traffic.  What we were not expecting was the freak and sudden snow storm that we encountered the further we drove into Missouri.

We reached The Novel Neighbor and I excitedly exited the car.  I could not believe that I was about to meet Jessie Sima!  Of course, mom and I turned out to be the first ones there.  Better early than late, we always say.

Jessie was still setting up.  My heart raced as we entered the room. 

"Hi, guys!  Welcome and thank you for coming!" she greeted.

I immediately had a fan out moment.  I gushed and told her that Not Quite Narwhal is my favorite children's book of all time. 

"Aww!  Thank you so much!" Jessie said.

She stopped setting up and posed for selfies, autographed my copy of Not Quite Narwhal that I snuck in and graciously accepted the copy of Priceless Penny that I handed to her.

Selfie time with Jessie Sima!

"This is for me?" she asked.  "Thank you so much!  I love it!"

Mom then returned with two copies of Sima's newest book, Harriet Gets Carried Away.  Jessie happily autographed both books and then took the time to speak with my mother about her career as an elementary school teacher.

Love this autograph from Jessie!

I am beyond touched that Jessie liked Priceless Penny!

Jessie was beyond down to earth.  Speaking with her was like being with an old friend.  I am glad that she didn't think my fanning out was too crazy.

The event was great fun.  Jessie read Not Quite Narwhal and Harriet Gets Carried Away aloud.  She then drew a narwhal for the children in attendance to color.  Jessie also answered any questions that the children (and their parents) had.

This was truly one of the best days of my life.  I hope that Jessie will come back to Missouri for future book releases.  To learn more about this amazing author/illustrator, visit her official website at:  jessiesima.com.

Mercy Watson Princess in Disguise Book Review

In Mercy Watson Princess in Disguise by Kate DiCamillo, Mrs. Watson has a wonderful idea.  She wants Mercy to dress up and go trick-or-treating on Halloween.  Mr. Watson agrees and offers his opinions about what costume Mercy should wear.

That is when Mrs. Watson announces the Mercy will be a princess.  Mrs. Watson works tirelessly on creating the perfect princess dress.  There is just one problem.  Mercy is refusing to wear the costume.

Will Mercy's stubbornness cause her to miss out on the fun of Halloween?  Can a pig really become a princess?

I absolutely love this book!  Halloween stories are my favorite and this one definitely delivers.  DiCamillo has created a cast of humorously quirky and memorable characters.  Mercy's spunky spirit is can be seen in everything that she does.  Children will cheer Mercy on in her quest to become the first trick-or-treating pig.

Chris Van Dusen's illustrations are fantastic.  The colors are vibrant and bold, which will certainly captivate young readers.  Each scene had me chuckling while Mercy got into more and more mischief. 

This is a wonderful Halloween read for children ages 5-8.  I cannot wait to read more books in the Mercy Watson series.

Owly and Wormy Bright Lights and Starry Nights! Book Review

Owly and Wormy Bright Lights and Starry Nights! is a stunning wordless picture book by author/illustrator Andy Runton.  Owly and his friend Wormy cannot wait to use their telescope to see the stars.  No matter how hard they try, they cannot seem to find anything in the night sky.

Owly decides that in order to see stars, they should go camping.  The pair soon get stuck in a rain storm and must take cover in a spooky, dark cave.  Strange noises are coming from the back of the cave and Wormy does not want to stick around to see who or what it could be.

Racing from the cave, Owly accidentally drops his telescope in the forest.  Will he be able to recover it in time to show Wormy the stars?  Have Owly and Wormy truly escaped the cave monster?

This is a stunning book from start to finish.  Children will fall in love with Runton's adorable characters.  Instead of words, Runton makes use of speech bubbles that communicate Owly and Wormy's thoughts.  The story reads like a comic book which children will absolutely enjoy.

I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages.  I cannot wait to read more of Owly and Wormy's adventures.