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Avi and Jackson, Best Friends
Written, illustrated by Rosie Russell Ages 3-7 32 pages Available in print and digital formats
The text is effectively told in rhyming couplets that are catchy and easy to remember:
They explore new wonders in a room full of books―
It won’t be long before your children are reading along with you!
Illustrations Russell's illustrations pop off their center-stage location on each page. Colorfully executed, they bring children into the story and keep their attention. Russell’s art is light and airy. It reminds me of a textured sponge technique or the layered pixels of an Impressionist painting. Her boldface, large-font text is artfully tucked into the edges of each page. Unique Features At last ― a book with a positive message about friendship between two boys as they grow up together and explore the world around them. Russell's tale conveys important messages about collaboration, and her characters model how to be a good friend. These are critical values to instill at an early age. Best of all, Avi, the older boy, has no problem accepting the younger Jackson as his equal partner, with whom he treats with respect. Recommendation I strongly recommend this tale of friendship for its colorful illustrations and important message of respect and friendship. This is a must-read tale, especially for your young boys. Disclosure I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Pandamorphosis Written, Illustrated by Anne Belov Pre-School - Grade 2 49 Pages  Imagine panda magic and mayhem Author-illustrator Anne Belov imagines a magical world in Pandamorphosis to delight children and captivate adults who share this tale with their young readers. Narrative Pandamorphosis fascinates me because of its total absence of text. Instead of words, children are immersed in beautiful illustrations that spin a whimsical tale of magic and mischief. One moonlit night, a sleeping child's cat makes a wish, and the pet is a magically transformed into a panda. The girl's beloved stuffy panda also comes to life, and the pandas have a romp around the house as the child dreams, blissfully unaware of the mayhem happening around her. Is it real? Is it a dream? Young readers must decide. Illustrations
Belov's beautiful drawings are standalone works of art in themselves. Bathed in hazy, soft colors, they paint a tale of magic and mischief. Details on each page draw young readers into the tale and engage them in its playfulness. Best of all, Belov's illustrations create a story line for children to discover and add their own unique interpretations.  Belov's illustrations draw young readers into her tale Recommendation I highly recommend this beautiful book for children who are toddlers through grade 2. Educators will weave this book into their literacy and language development curricula while Pandamorphosis will also delight children and adults with its art and enchanting story. Disclosure I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review Don’t miss a post! Click below to deliver this blog to your RSS feed or inbox. Subscribe to Cat's Connections.
Be first to know about updates and books. New subscribers receive a FREE download of Cat’s tale for the young at heart: Driving Down to Dillon: Very-Short Story of Love and New Beginnings Merry Christmas, Woozler Written and illustrated by Rhonda Paglia Grades K-2 34 Pages Published 2014 Dec by Rhonda Paglia  Merry Christmas, Woozler, by Rhonda Paglia Author, Illustrator Rhonda Paglia pens a darling Christmas-themed picture book for early readers, Merry Christmas, Woozler. Paglia’s tale follows the adventures of Sofie and her imaginary friend, Meeda, who mirrors Sofie’s in appearance and who lives, well, Meeda actually lives in a mirror. Narrative Though the book is the third in the author’s Meeda and Me Series, I had no problem jumping into this quick read. It was fun to meet Sofie and her family, along with the Woozler, a Grinch-like character who resides in the hollow of an apple tree. Sofie narrates in her first-person voice, so we see the world through her eyes. And what a lovely world it is. The Yuletide plot focuses on the usual family preparations for the holidays. However, the story goes farther by teaching a sweet lesson about gratitude and giving when Sofie and Meeda decide to help the grouchy Woozler celebrate the season.  Activity Page Drawing Illustrations Paglia’s charming drawings are colorful and simply crafted in a style that reminds me of a Grandma Moses painting. The author adds kid-pleasing details: girls have spots of rosy cheeks and dress in Christmas sweaters and funky reindeer slippers that keep me smiling. A string of Christmas lights ringing many pages brings a pleasing, consistent look. I especially like renditions of the grumpy Woozler. Paglia paints him as just enough to be eccentric without being scary to young readers. Unique Features In addition to the gentle lesson of gratitude and friendship, the author includes activity pages at the end of the book to notch up young readers’ engagement and cement their reading experience. Recommendation I highly recommend this delightful tale for children who are beginning readers. While Merry Christmas, Woozler features two girls, the titular character’s monster-tough personality will attract boys, too. Its illustrations and message of love and giving will appeal to everyone, especially during the holidays. However, you’ll enjoy the book any time of year and give it an extra read in December as you and your young readers celebrate the season with Sofie, Meeda and the Woozler. Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Don't miss a book review Click below to deliver this blog to your RSS feed or inbox. Subscribe to Cat's Connections
Subscribe to updates about my books and receive a FREE downloadable mini-tale I penned that’s very special to me -- just for grown ups who remain young at heart: Driving Down to Dillon: A Very-Short Tale of Love and New Beginnings Book Review Dani and the Mall Caper Book 2: Dani P Detective Series by K. Lamb 99 pages Author K. Lamb’s Dani and the Mall Caper, the second of her Dani P. Detective Series, is a magnetic early chapter book, especially appealing to primary-grade girls. It follows the escapades of two young junior detectives who take down the baddies at the local shopping center, despite mishap, mayhem, and misunderstanding.  Dani and the Mall Caper, by K. Lamb Character and Plot: Almost-eight-years-old junior detective Dani P. Spinelli has an uncanny knack for solving mysteries. This overall-wearing, baseball-cap-sporting tomboy is sworn in by Uncle Joe, sheriff of Shady Hollow, as the town’s first junior detective. She’s also a also tech-savvy, 21st-century kid, who carries a smart phone and texts adults when she’s in trouble. Dani’s friend and polar opposite, fashionista Chloe Marshall, follows Dani on undercover assignment to the Shady Hollow Mall for security surveillance. Despite their differences, the characters have an affectionate rapport and Lamb writes energetic, kid-centric dialogue, as in this exchange between the two girls at the mall: “Let’s go check out that dress I saw when we got here,” Chloe suggested. Throughout the story, Lamb adds colorful secondary characters: sneaky Pretzel Guy at Twisters Pretzel Shop; helpful Mr. Gibbons, who manages Gizmo and Gadget store. Such characters bring dimension to the plot as they help or hinder the girls in their quest to keep the mall safe. The author knows how to appeal to her young audience and keeps the action (and chuckles) moving with bursts of child-pleasing ploys that involve shoelaces, remote-control toys, and electric scooters. Format and Illustrations:  Dani and the Mall Caper True to the nature of early chapter books, Lamb keeps her chapters short, about six to seven pages each, to hold children’s attention without taxing their developing reading skills. Each chapter contains a simple graphic header and a single, full-page black-and-white image to reinforce understanding of the chapter’s main idea. There is plenty of white space between lines and paragraphs, so children won’t feel overwhelmed by too much text. Unique Features: Lamb prefaces her book with a note to parents about identifying and unraveling “challenge words” that the author sprinkles throughout the book. She ends with ten comprehension questions and one challenge question to tickle recall; answers are provided on the following page. There is also a puzzle maze. I am most impressed with Lamb’s savvy in reaching her target audience of young readers through dialogue, brisk pacing, and age-appealing plot shifts. Recommendation: I highly recommend Dani P and the Mall Caper for children in grades 1-4. Girls, especially, will fall in love with Dani P. and wish they had a friend like Chloe. Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Click on the ... below to deliver Book Reviews to your RSS feed or inbox. Subscribe to Cat's Connections
Be first to know about new books and updates. New subscribers receive a free download of Cat's tale for the young at heart: Driving Down to Dillon: a Very-Short Story of Love and New Beginnings. The Adventures of Wally and Warren: The Reluctant Penguin Written and Illustrated by Lise Chase Picture Book Ages 2 - 8   Lise Chase has written and illustrated a picture book about values for preschool and primary grades. The Adventures of Wally and Warren: The Reluctant Penguin demonstrates that having a can-do spirit and positive attitude will trump the fear of trying something new. It is third in a series of three books about polar bear Warren and penguin pal Wally. Narrative: The story flows around easy-to-understand, two-sentence verse that children will enjoy and remember. Wally and Warren were ready for bed. “I think I can read this book,” Warren said. The reader soon learns that Warren is the adventurous half of this team. Naysayer Wally lacks confidence. He doesn’t think Warren should do anything independently, like sound out new words, brush his teeth, or ride a swing. As I got into the characters, I laughed at their ‘polar’ opposite reactions. Illustrations: The book is beautifully formatted in flowing, single-page illustrations, with rhyming verse tucked into the bottom of each sheet. Chase uses color pencils and enhances them with Photoshop to make her drawings come alive. Her warm, inviting illustrations are delightful and perfectly synch with the narrative to draw young readers even more into the story. Unique Features: I am amazed at the level of detail Chase includes in her drawings. For instance, the characters’ bedroom bookshelf is detailed with eight uniquely colored and titled storybooks. There’s even a coffeemaker and fruit bowl on the kitchen counter, as a Penguin ancestor looks down from a portrait nailed to a cheery painted wall. The Reluctant Penguin goes beyond entertaining to teach a valuable lesson: by observing Warren succeed and delight in each new undertaking, Wally learns that it’s okay to take risks. Chase posits Warren as a positive role model who demonstrates that tackling new challenges is an essential part of growing up. And Warren does so with admirable enthusiasm -- even better! Recommendation: This is the third book in a series of five about Warren and Wally, and children will be eager to read them all. Being new to the set, it took me a moment to catch on to the characters. It would have been helpful if they were identified before I started reading, such as naming them as they peeked from the back cover. However, I began in the middle of the series and didn’t have the benefit of the tale’s backstory. I recommend this charming picture book for children who are in preschool through second grade. Parents and educators will appreciate its valuable lesson about being independent and unafraid. And what fun it could be to set up a role play that features the characters facing age-appropriate developmental challenges. Young artists will love drawing the protagonists while budding writers might imagine ways to place Wally and Warren in new situations to see how this yin-and-yang duo play off each other. Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Click on the ... in the box below to deliver Cat’s Book Reviews to your RSS feed or inbox. Subscribe to Cat's Connections. Be first to know about Cat's updates and books. New subscribers receive a FREE download of Cat’s tale for the young at heart: Driving Down to Dillon: Very-Short Story of Love and New Beginnings |
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