Five New Board Books

My Lucky Little Dragon. Joyce Wan. 2014. Scholastic. 14 pages. [Source: Review copy]

You are my lucky little dragon
my clever little snake
my happy little horsey
my snuggly little sheep
my silly little monkey
my chatty little rooster...

You Are My Cupcake by Joyce Wan remains my favorite, favorite, favorite board book. It lends itself so well to singing, and as a song it is practically perfect in every way. I can't say that My Lucky Little Dragon works as a song; it may be possible with effort and imagination, but, as a read aloud, I think it works well enough. Everything about this one is super sweet. And it would probably make a great companion book for those families who loved Wan's previous board books.

My favorite pages? My silly little monkey; my trusty little puppy; my playful little pig.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

Giraffes Can't Dance Number Rumba Counting Book. Giles Andreae. Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. 2014. Scholastic. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]

One wobbly Gerald tries to find his feet.
Two leaping leopards, skipping to the beat. 
Three high-kicking hyenas, springing through the air.

A fun counting-to-ten concept board book starring oh-so-playful animals with easy-to-turn pages. I liked the eight bold baboons getting in the groove. And I loved the nine cheerful chimps who waltz and jive and prance. The illustrations are just fun!

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

A Big Hug for Little Cub. Lorie Ann Grover. Rosalinda Kightley. 2014. Scholastic. 18 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Morning dawn, I stretch and yawn.
Momma's near, purrs in my ear.
Come, let's play this bright, hot day.
We run free. So much to see. 
Grasses sway. I lead the way.

I liked this sweet and gentle board book starring a lion and cub. It follows parent and child from morning to night. I liked the writing. My favorite bit:

Hear a sound, so we duck down. Momma, now, will show me how. Stalk and pounce. Tumble and trounce. 

It is a pleasant, very pleasant book for sharing with a little one.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

Tickety Toc Count Our Friends! 2014. Scholastic. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I'm sharing another counting book with you today. This counting book only goes through five. It stars the characters from Tickety Toc: Tommy and Tallulah, Hopparoo, McCoggins, Madame Au Lait, Pufferty, and Chikidee. The writing, as you might expect, is not the best. The rhyming is serviceable at best. This board book exists solely because of the TV show.

The pages are easy to turn. And for little ones who do love the TV show, this is a perfectly fine book to put in their hands. But it's not a wonderful read!

Text: 2 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 5 out of 10

How Does Baby Feel? Karen Katz. 2013. Simon & Schuster. 14 pages. [Source: Library]

Baby wants milk and crackers. 
How does baby feel?
Hungry.
Baby gets a tummy tickle?
How does baby feel?
Happy.
Baby is yawning.
How does baby feel?
...

 If you and your little one loved What Does the Baby Say? there's a very good chance you'll both love How Does Baby Feel? Like What Does The Baby Say? (and so many other Karen Katz titles) this one is a lift-the-flap book. Readers are given clues about the text, the answers are revealed under the flaps. It is a simple book to be shared one-on-one at story time. It's a lovely board book.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10


© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Lego Phonics (2014)

Lego Super Heroes Phonics. Quinlan B. Lee. 2014. Scholastic. Includes 10 Books and 2 Workbooks. [Source: Review copy]

The Lego Super Heroes Phonics pack includes ten books: five books focusing on short vowel sounds, five books focusing on long vowel sounds. The books are all set in the DC Universe.

The writing. I won't lie. It's a phonics book. Even though the characters are super heroes, it feels like a phonics book. But. I suppose they have a purpose!

Book #1 Meet Batman (short a)

What is that in the sky?
It is a flash!
It is a bat!
We need the man in the mask.
We need Batman!
Batman jumps in the Batmobile. He needs a plan. He needs to get to his lab. Fast!

 Book #2 Get That Cat! (short e)

"Help!" a man yells. Catwoman has a gem. Quick! Get help!
"Meow! Come here, my pet," she says. Catwoman is set to get away.

Book #3 Come Quick (short i)

Superman hears Batman from far away. Batman says, "Come quick!" "Quick is what I do best!" the Flash says. "I will be there in a flash!" The Flash gets to the spot. There is just a big hill of bricks. "Why did Batman say to come quick?"

Book #4 Stop the Bot (short o)

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Lex has a big robot. The bot has got Wonder Woman.

Book #5 Up, Up, and Away (short u)

This is Superman. He can run fast! He can jump high! He can do much more than any man! The sun makes Superman strong. He can pick up a bus so it does not get crushed.

Book #6 Two-Face Chase (long a)

Batman races to the bank! There is a crane in the way. He hits the brakes! "I hate to be late!" Batman yells.

Book #7 Mr. Freeze (long e)

Batman and Robin are in the Batboat. "I feel the need! I feel the need for speed!" says Robin.

Book #8 Ride On! (long i)

"You cannot hide this time, Bane," says Batman. A bike rides by in the dark. Is it Bane? It is Catwoman! she smiles. "Are you looking for me?" she says. "I will not hide this time."

Book #9 No Joke (long o)

All of Gotham City is at home in bed. No one is out. Except one lone man...
The Joker! "This smoke will help you sleep...forever!" he yells. "And that is no joke."

Book #10 Get a Clue (long u)

Batman gets a note. It says: "I have the guy in blue. Do you want him back? You know what to do. Look for me and get my clues." 

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Seven Stories Up (2014)

Seven Stories Up. Laurel Snyder. 2014. Random House. 240 pages. [Source: Review copy]

You're supposed to cry when your grandma is dying. You're supposed to be really sad. But as Mom and I sped through the dark streets of Baltimore, I couldn't stop bouncing in my seat.  

I absolutely loved this historical fantasy novel. I loved, loved, loved it!!! Annie Jaffin, the heroine, has never met her grandmother. Her mother almost always changes the subject. Annie knows that her mother doesn't exactly get along well with her mother. But she doesn't know why exactly, she doesn't have the details. And some would probably say that she doesn't need to know the details, that she doesn't need the burden and baggage of all the family troubles. But it still makes for an awkward first meeting. To meet someone who will die within a day or two at most. To have your only impression of your grandmother be her at her physical worst. Annie's grandmother seems desperate with Annie, wanting to express a decade's worth of love all in three minutes. But Annie finds it a bit overwhelming as well.

Seven Stories Up is historical fantasy. Annie wakes up to find herself in 1937, she meets a young girl around her own age: Molly. A girl she realizes relatively quickly is her grandmother. Annie and Molly--what a pair, what a fantastic pair of friends. Molly, who has asthma, has always been kept separate from the world; she's rarely let out of her rooms; she rarely meets anyone; she definitely never gets the opportunity to act her age, to play, to go to a fair or carnival, to go shopping, to go anywhere. The whole world almost has been off limits, and her family rarely takes the time to connect with her. Her father, well, for better or worse, is absent though he's only a few stories down. He's the owner/manager of the hotel. Her mother and her sisters are vacationing this summer. Molly, before Annie's arrival, was friendless and hateful.

I absolutely loved this one. I loved how Annie and Molly are good for one another. I loved how their relationship develops. And I love, love, love the time travel aspect of it.

Will knowing Annie in the past, change Molly's life forever?!

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Four 2014 Picture Books

The Runaway Hug. Nick Bland. Illustrated by Freya Blackwood. 2013 (Dec). Random House. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

"Mommy," said Lucy. "Can I have a hug before I go to bed?"
"Oh dear," said Mommy. "I only have one left. It's my very last hug."
"Can I borrow it?" said Lucy. "I promise I'll give it back."
It was long and soft, and Lucy thought it was very nice. 
"Thank you," said Lucy. "I'll bring it back as soon as I'm finished with it."

 I definitely enjoyed reading Nick Bland's The Runaway Hug. Lucy, our heroine, has taken the very last hug her mother had. She shares that "last hug" with every member of her family: her father, her twin brothers, her baby sister, her dog. All but one--reluctantly or not so reluctantly--give the hug back so that Lucy can still have it to return to her mother right before bed. But the dog?! Well, let's just say that Lucy has to chase him EVERYWHERE before she catches him and gets that "last hug" back. This is a sweet, non-typical bedtime read aloud. I really liked the playfulness of it. I think the illustrations work well. (Though I am curious why Lily--the baby--is unsupervised in the kitchen and eating peanut butter while her Dad watches TV and her mom does laundry.) From the end pages on, the reader is a part of the story. (The end paper shows Lucy doing the ever-familiar before bed routine.)

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

A Book of Babies. Il Sung Na. 2014. (Jan). Random House. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy] 

When the flowers begin to bloom and the world starts turning green, animals everywhere are born...
...including the noisy ducklings. 
Some have lots of brothers and sisters. 
Some have none at all.
Some can walk right away, 
While others need a little help!

I liked A Book of Babies. The first time I read it, I wasn't sure I liked it. But. As soon as I started paying attention to the illustrations, as soon as I started noticing that one of the "noisy ducklings" could be found on every spread of this one, I began to like it more and more. It is typical in that there are plenty of other picture books out there celebrating spring and baby animals. But it's also charming. A wide variety of animals are included: fish, sea horses, polar bears, zebras, kangaroos, ducks, etc.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

Patti Cake And Her New Doll. Patricia Reilly Giff. Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. 2014. (Jan) Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

"I have my own new room," I told Bella the babysitter.
"A new bed, too. It's gigantic!" Bella jangled her bracelets. "Time for a new-room present, Patti Cake. I'll take you shopping tomorrow." I couldn't wait. That night, the room turned greatly dark. No one slept in that big bed but me. Even Tootsie slept in the hall. 

I liked quite a few things about Patti Cake and Her New Doll. Patti Cake, our heroine, has moved into a new room. (Is it a new room in her old house? Or a new room in a new house? The book doesn't say.) Her new room is "greatly dark." She's a bit scared, not absolutely terrified, but more nervous about bed than usual. Her babysitter takes her shopping. They pick out a doll. She names the doll, "On Sale." She has a very action-packed day with On Sale and Tootsie. Accidents and messes abound. Fun is had by all. By the end of the day, as she's in bed and falling asleep she realizes that her room is great.

One thing I noticed in Patti Cake and Her New Doll was the lack of adult attention and/or supervision. The parents are nowhere to be found. (Are they on vacation? Are they at the hospital because there is a new baby on the way? Is that why Patti Cake has a new room and a new bed?) The babysitter can be found on four pages. But she's definitely not "involved" enough to stop the chaos. For example: nail polish ALL over the floor. Though Patti Cake doesn't seem bothered by being so alone, so maybe I shouldn't think so much about it either.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

 Little Frog's Tadpole Trouble. Tatyana Feeney. 2014. (Jan) Random House. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Little Frog lived with his mommy and daddy. It was just the three of them. Two plus one. And Little Frog liked it that way. One day, Mommy and Daddy told Little Frog that he was going to be a big brother...to NINE baby tadpoles! Little Frog was not impressed. 

 Who wants to be a big brother? Not Little Frog. And not only is Little Frog going to have to be a big brother, he has to be a big brother to NINE little ones. Is that fair?! Not to Little Frog's way of thinking. It's decidedly unjust. This is  a very typical, very predictable book about adjusting to new family members. Little Frog will, of course, "grow" to like his bigger family by the time the last page is turned.

I would have liked this one a bit more if the book hadn't included the word stupid. Little Frog really really has strong feelings about those nine tadpoles. And he's not shy about calling them stupid tadpoles. Should a book for little ones--toddlers and preschoolers--model this attitude? Is it a behavior to be encouraged or discouraged? Some parents may be fine with this as a read aloud, other parents may want to know about it in advance so they can substitute another word.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 2 out of 5
Total: 5 out of 10

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Four 2014 Board Books

Small Bunny's Blue Blanket. Tatyana Feeney. 2014. Random House. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Small Bunny loved Blue Blanket. Everything he did, Small Bunny did with Blue Blanket.

I really loved this board book. I love Small Bunny. I love Small Bunny's love for Blue Blanket. I love how Blue Blanket "helps" him with many, many things. I especially love how Small Bunny needs Blue Blanket to help him read the hardest words in his books! I also love how Small Bunny oh-so-faithfully stands by and watches Blue Blanket in the washer for every single minute it takes. "It actually took 107. And Small Bunny watched Blue Blanket for every single one."

I love this sweet, predictable story of an attachment object. I thought the illustrations were just right--very simple, very sweet.

This one might pair well with Blankie by Leslie Patricelli, Owen by Kevin Henkes, Bubba and Beau Best Friends by Kathi Appelt, and Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems.

Also available: e-book, picture book

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out 5
Total: 9 out of 10

All Fall Down. Mary Brigid Barrett. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2014. Candlewick Press. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]

You might be expecting a board book telling of Ring Around the Rosie, I admit that I was based on the title, but instead All Fall Down is a book that celebrates things falling down--many, many things.

First the red block,
then the green.
Place the yellow one between.
Stack the blocks.
Build them high.
Make the tower reach the sky!
ALL FALL DOWN!

The book captures the simple every day things of life: a family playing together, eating together, just being together. I like board books that focus on ordinary, every day happenings. The moments that life are made of. The moments that you can almost forget to treasure if you're not careful. I also like the rhythm and rhyme of this one.

Spoon potatoes in a mound,
plopping green peas all around.
Plunk spoon and cup atop the plate..
Daddy reaches out--too late!
ALL FALL DOWN!

This board book is oh-so-easy to recommend!

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

Pat-a-Cake. Mary Brigid Barrett. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2014. Candlewick Press. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake
Clap, clap, clap.
Pat a pudding, wibble wobble.
Pat a puddle, splat!

This book made me laugh within a page or two. (I love the pat-a-pudding bit. The splat just makes me smile!) This is a book that demands to be read aloud. Read it to yourself silently, and perhaps it falls short. Read it aloud, and it transforms into something fun. I still don't like it as much as I like All Fall Down. But it's certainly a fun book worth reading and perhaps reading again again.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

Ten Tiny Toes. Caroline Jayne Church. 2014. Scholastic. 22 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Mouth, ears, eyes nose, arms, belly, legs, and ten tiny toes!
Touch your ears, make them wiggle.
Touch your belly, laugh and giggle.
Touch your mouth, open wide.
Touch your arms, wave side to side.

I have liked some of Caroline Jayne Church's books in the past. This one, however, I just have a hard time liking. The pictures are over-the-top adorable as usual. And for parents who love, love, love her artwork, this one may prove quite satisfying. But for me, the text just does not work as it should. The rhythm feels forced and unnatural.

Text: 2 out of 5
Illustrations 4 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Dangerous (2014)

Dangerous. Shannon Hale. 2014. Bloomsbury. 400 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Dangerous was definitely an entertaining read. Hale has given YA readers a science fiction book with a super-hero twist. I wasn't sure what to expect after reading the prologue. I didn't know what type of science fiction book to expect. Would it be like Hunger Games or The Testing? I suppose it could have gone that way based on the prologue. But what readers get is something very different: it is odd mostly in a good way, and more unique than you might at first expect.

Maisie Danger Brown is the heroine of Dangerous. She wins a contest to go to astronaut camp. The camp is where it all happens; what happens at camp, well, it changes not only Maisie's life, but her whole family's life, and her best friend's life, and that's just for starters.

Dangerous is very much one of those whole-world-in-danger-we-need-a-hero books.

I liked it mostly.

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews