Category: Picture Book Reviews

REVIEW: Spellbound by Jess Townes

REVIEW: Spellbound by Jess Townes

Posted on by Jaymie

[The book originally scheduled for review today was NOT a good fit for me, so instead I’m going to share a brief review of a picture book I read in the bookstore earlier this summer.]

Summary and Review

A little girl starts to suspect her new baby brother is a wizard because he enchants everyone he meets, interrupting her own magical little world.

This was OUTSTANDING! I was, of course, immediately drawn in by the purple cover with the darling illustration. But the set up of the magical story, where a charming little girl “enchants” her entire family only to be overthrown when a new baby joins the family, is an absolute delight! It’s clever and sweet.

This would make a lovely gift for a family expecting a second child, or for a story time with children who can identify with how a new baby changes family dynamics. Pair this with The New Small Person, which is another new sibling picture book I loved.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Off-Limits by Helen Yoon

REVIEW: Off-Limits by Helen Yoon

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

Dad takes a work break and his daughter slips in to his office to explore.

This is one of the most delightful picture books I have read in awhile!

First there’s the joy of office supplies. That alone caused me to buy the book after reading only the first few pages. Then there’s the art – the portrayal of the child’s glee and the way she plays with everything from tape to binder clips to post-its is fantastic!

And then there’s the surprise ending. Absolutely outstanding! Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

SABBATICAL: Five Star Reviews for Kids

SABBATICAL: Five Star Reviews for Kids

Posted on by Jaymie

This week my sabbatical posts will be links to the books that earned a five star review from me. Today my focus will be on books for kids. This list will include picture books as well as middle grade and older middle grade books that I adored. Some of the reviews you will find in the full list include outstanding books that didn’t make it into a Year in Review post like these:

Madeline Finn and the Library Dog
Solving for M
Wedgie and Gizmo
Mabel Opal Pear and the Rules for Spying
Sidetracked
Framed

Here’s the full list: Five Star Reviews for Kids

SABBATICAL: We go back to where it all began.

SABBATICAL: We go back to where it all began.

Posted on by Jaymie

Here is the first review I ever posted here at The Neverending TBR.

It had been a few years since I blogged, and I was eager to find a place where I could talk about books since I wasn’t going to be in the classroom talking about them with students. Check it out!

REVIEW: Ada Twist, Scientist

BONUS REVIEW: Arnold the Super-ish Hero by Heather Tekavec

BONUS REVIEW: Arnold the Super-ish Hero by Heather Tekavec

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Arnold’s superhero family keeps waiting for him to get a super power of his own. In the mean time, he answers the phone at headquarters and takes down messages in his very neat penmanship.

When an emergency call comes in and all of the heroes are busy, Arnold dons a mask and cape to see if he can save the day. Arnold’s hero-ing may not look like what his family expects, but to the people he helps, he’s a super-ish hero!

Review

DARLING! This is a such a fun story! This would be a great read-aloud. It has a fantastic message about heroic acts of everyday kindness and helpfulness. The illustrations are excellent. This is the sort of book kids will enjoy hearing, but will insist on exploring up close time and time again.

I think this would be perfect for classroom, story time, and bedtime reading. If your little reader(s) love(s) hero stories and/or you are looking to launch a discussion about kindness, helpfulness, or everyday heroes, be sure to give Arnold a try!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥=Outstanding!

REVIEW: Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite by Ashley Spires

REVIEW: Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite by Ashley Spires

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Burt the june beetle learns all about the special skills of different bugs. And he starts to wonder what is special about june beetles like him.

What if the answer is… nothing?

Review

ADORABLE! Another delightful book by the spectacular Ashley Spires! (I included her in a list of my favorite illustrators a few years back. You can read that post here. ) This is funny, and full of awesome bug facts as well as a fantastic story starring an endearing character. It take something special to make a BUG an endearing character!

Spires writes such fantastic stories, but her illustrations are really what make her books memorable for me. This is the sort of book that kids – and adults – are going to want to read up close so they can really enjoy the pictures and the humorous little side comments. Even the end papers are not to be missed!

If you aren’t familiar with the author’s work, some of my favorites are: The Most Magnificent Thing (♥♥♥♥♥), Binky the Space Cat (♥♥♥♥♥) and the whole Binky graphic novel series. Do not miss her work, especially this delightful book starring Burt.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥=Outstanding!

BONUS REVIEW: Princesses Versus Dinosaurs by Linda Bailey

BONUS REVIEW: Princesses Versus Dinosaurs by Linda Bailey

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Tundra Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

As a group of princesses celebrates being in a book about all tiaras, gowns, and glass slippers, they encounter a rival group of dinosaurs who believe the book is all about them.

This is darling! I enjoyed the split pages where each group convenes about the dilemma. Then they bring in the heavy hitters, which is my favorite part.

Things get silly for a moment, but in the end, the princesses and dinosaurs come to a delightful compromise.

This will be a fun read-aloud with a good message – that this is a book for everyone. But kids are definitely going to want a close up look at the fun illustrations, too, so be prepared for plenty of lap reading and read-to-self time.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½= Good+

REVIEW: Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog by Lisa Papp

REVIEW: Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog by Lisa Papp

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Peachtree Publishing Company in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Madeline Finn’s puppy, Star, is finishing his training to be a therapy dog by visiting a retirement village. Star does well on his tests, and Madeline makes sure he practices. And the residents of Walker Oaks love him. But one resident doesn’t respond to Star or Madeline’s efforts to connect.

Review

Another winner of a book by Lisa Papp starring Madeline Finn! I don’t think I personally could use this one for a read aloud, though, because I think I choked up on every single page. This is precious!

Madeline is sweet and earnest. Star is adorable. The soft illustrations in this series feel like warm hugs. And once again, books and reading play as big a role as the sweet, cuddly dogs.

Do not miss ANY of the books in this series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: It's My Tree by Olivier Tallec

BONUS REVIEW: It’s My Tree by Olivier Tallec

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

A squirrel declares his love for trees in general and one tree in particular. He’s so attached to his tree – and its pine cones – that he starts to worry that someone will try to take it from him. What could he do to protect his tree?

Review

The illustrations here are exceptional. I love this little squirrel! This plays out like an old cartoon – I could see it in my mind like I was watching Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry. There’s one frame in particular – after a white page of text, there’s a full picture without text – that’s my absolute favorite spot in the whole book. It’s a highlight in a collection of great pages.

I found it interesting that the squirrel struggles with some grass-is-always-greener/fear-of-missing-out sorts of thoughts just when he gets his tree protected. I’m not sure the intended audience will think much about it, but adults reading along and older kids who read this themselves or who have teachers who use it in the classroom might have some fascinating discussions about what they notice and what they think is going on in the story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Hug? by Charlene Chua

BONUS REVIEW: Hug? by Charlene Chua

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When a girl’s cat gets sick, she offers a hug to help it feel better. Then, a dog asks her for a hug next. Then a family of ducks. And a skunk. The girl continues to say yes, even when she’s uncertain, until things go too far.

Review

This is a cute story with excellent illustrations. I read it twice so I could really take in the changes in the girl’s hair and the condition of her clothes as the story goes on. On the surface, this is a story about the power of hugs, but it seems to have other layers when you take in the illustrations.

A case could be made that this is a book about boundaries. The girl gets to a point where she says no – first when someone goes too far and then again when the requests become overwhelming. There’s no clear discussion of this in the text of the book, but these things could be discussed with kids as the book is read. I could see this fitting perfectly into conversations about kids having the right to say no to requests for hugs, about boundaries with their bodies, and about boundaries in general.

This was great!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥