In my world there are two good things about Halloween: candy pumpkins and this book.
Would I recommend it? Yes, even crazy people who loath candy pumpkins have been known to enjoy this sort of ghost story.
You can read a more through review on this book that I wrote three(!) years ago here: Zen Ghost by Jon J. Muth
I still hate Clifford and I still hate Halloween but three years later we all still love this book!
Our old house had a disease, the remodeling disease.
For details please refer to: The Disease Part I , II and III as well as More Roofing!
We set out to fix a stairwell wall and we did.
…and then we had to fix a lot of other walls, and wiring, and insulation, and stairs, and the roof…
The disease hadn’t even finished running it’s course when we moved out and the DOT knocked the whole thing down.
For a very sad picture please refer to: Weekly Photo Challenge: Split Second Story
With that said, no one should be surprised that this book followed us home from the library:
Would I recommend it? If you’ve ever had an old house with a touch (or a full blown case) of the remodeling disease this one’s for you!
Oh, the kids?
They liked it too!
Probably something to do with the great rhyming verse, detailed illustrations and the fact that there are labeled pictures of all the characters in the front.
My girls love any book with pictures of all the people…
…the cat however has no appreciation for a good picture book when she thinks it’s dinner time.
We are absolutely spoiled in our house.
Mike Wohnoutka is the brother-in-law of a good friend of mine and many of the books he has illustrated have shown up on our doorstep complete with cute inscriptions to the kids.
See…
…spoiled.
Moo! is funny, the pictures are, of course, adorable and it made me laugh. But when it really got good was when the kids started reading it to each other!
Would I recommend it? Yes. I know it sounds crazy but, trust me, there is nothing like listening to a kid talk “cow” to a policeman to brighten your day and and put a smile on your face!
Once again I find myself shoving a book under the nose of everyone who walks in the door.
Forcing them to look at the amazing illustrations, the literary references in picture, the mad bear eyes, the story and the last page – oh, I love the last page. Waiting expectantly for them to gush over it as well, not caring if they have kids at home to read to or not, because this book is amazing people – it’s amazing!
Probably my friends hate it when I find a new picture book I love.
Would I Recommend it? Absolutely. All five of us give it a thumbs up!
Thanks to What is ML Reading Now? for the excellent recommendation!
Say it with me now, Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie.
Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie!
Best.
Name.
Ever.
Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie
Would I recommend it? Yes, there is much in this book to love beyond Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie’s name not the least of which is the fact that Edwina reminds me of my own favorite dino, Rarasaur.
…Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie…
… makes me smile every time…
…Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie…
Why do we love this book?
Maybe it’s the funny dragons.
Maybe it’s the way the kids say “Crunch, crunch, crunch…”
Maybe it’s the taco party.
Would I recommend it? We love this book like dragons love tacos!
Ivy: “Why did the girl turn into a horse?”
Me: “Oh, it’s an old, old, story and all kinds of magic things happen in old stories.”
Ivy: “Yeah, I think that can happen at Disney World.”
Would I recommend it? Despite (or because of?) Ivy’s odd connection between Native American folk lore and Disney World (where she has never been) this has been one of her chosen library books many times. The pictures are beautiful, the story captivates the kids and it’s got a pile of awards including the Caldecott Medal. I have a vague memory of John thinking it was a boring story but all of us girls would recommend it.
And yes I realize I just wrote a whole page on mini-book reviews not having spoilers but that totally doesn’t count when talking about children’s books! Why? Because I’m the Mom and I said so. That’s why!
Louise longs for true adventure – and boy does she ever find it!
Would I recommend it? Yes.
“Xander planned a panda party…”
And even though it caused him “…great pains and perspiration” not to mention “consternation,” my kids loved Xander’s “celebration” with all it’s “conversation” “participation” and “jubilation.”
Fortunately, between the excellent vocabulary and fantastic rhyming, not to mention the ridiculously cute illustrations, their mother was happy to read it to them the 102 times it was requested.
Would I recommend it? Yes! It’s got everything I wish for in a kids book. (For some of my criteria you can check out this old post Pick A Good One, O Best Beloved. Ivy no longer stutters but I still feel the same about children’s books.)
First off I’d like to clarify that I am talking the Olivia books.
The books by Ian Falconer.
The books where the first of them has that nice shiny silver Caldecott medal on it.
THOSE Olivia books.
(I have no comment on all other shows videos and books of a pig with the same name.)
The books where the face of the Olivia’s mother is one of the best parts.
From Olivia and The Missing Toy.
Those Olivia books are my favorite picture books, and I collected most of them after I had children.
Olivia goes to Venice came out about a year ago and I liked it but not so much that I had to have it. This year when I saw the newest title was Olivia and the Fairy Princess I rolled my eyes, thought the author was losing it but that Ivy would love it and brought it home from the library.
But, then I read it and was oh so pleasantly surprised.
Olivia, she’s got a problem with all the pink princesses.
Olivia, I had no idea you could get any cooler but with the line “If everyone’s a princess, then princesses aren’t special anymore!” you became my all time favorite pig.
Ivy who has joined the hordes of girls (and pigs) who love pink princesses was unimpressed but I, I have a new favorite children’s book!
Behind the Willows 