Saturday, January 16, 2016

The Picture Book Wall (#6)

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season celebrating (or not celebrating) whatever holidays your heart desires.  I know I did.  It was my little girls first Christmas and it was a lot of fun.  We kept it pretty low key for her.  Didn't get her too much stuff, didn't wrap the presents.  Just kept it fun and light.

And, we didn't get her all toys.  We got her some books too.  Mostly some Dr. Seuss board books, but there were a few other books besides those.  She has enjoyed them immensely.

However, I will not be reviewing the books she got for the holidays in this installment.  I will be reviewing some other fabulous picture books that I received from some publishers in exchange for an honest review.

This month I have for you 3 picture books.  I hope you enjoy and find something that you and your little ones will enjoy reading for storytime!




Title: Shh! Bears Sleeping
Author: David Martin
Illustrators: Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars

Don't let the title fool you on this one.  This picture book is not a "bedtime" story.  It is not meant to lull children into sleep.  In fact, it is actually about bears and hibernation!

It teaches kids about bears and their need to hibernate during the Winter months in a fun and enjoyable way.  The story reads really well and flows very nicely.

It sadly doesn't cover much else about bears except for hibernation, but if you have a fan of bears in your life they will definitely love this one.  The illustrations are beautiful.  They aren't cartoony, they are done in more a photograph/painting type fashion - the same way as you see the cover illustration done.

What I really like about it though, is at the very end there is a bit more about bears.  It has a lot more facts than just that bears like to hibernate.  It is just that this bit isn't part of the story, it is more like an extra.  So if your little ones interest in bears is peaked by this story, you don't have to run and do a Google search.  Instead you can read a bit more about them from the very same book!

This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.





Title: A Recipe for Bedtime
Author: Peter Bently
Illustrator: Sarah Massini
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: G.P Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 19, 2016
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars

Oh my goodness!  This book is so incredibly cute!  Also, my 11 month old who would prefer to walk around the house for no reason other than that she knows how to walks, actually stayed put and listened to the whole thing!!

This book is a "bedtime" book.  It goes through the steps of getting ready for bed, but in a cute rhyming kind of way.  Then, at the end, it has a lullaby!  I loved this part of the book!  I am an absolutely horrid singer, but my bug loves to hear me sing and I have sang her to sleep with Soft Kitty from The Big Bang Theory many times over, so this is perfect for us!

I also enjoyed the illustrations.  They are bright and fun.  Always something going on in them.

If you are looking for a great read to help calm your little one and put them to sleep definitely check this one out!

This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.






Title: Nice Work, Franklin!
Author: Suzanne Tripp Jurmain
Illustrator: Larry Day
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Date: Janury 5, 2016
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars

I can't say that I have read too many non-fiction biographical picture books.  This is something I think I need to remedy.

Did you all realize that we have only ever had one disabled President of the United States?  I am sure that I was probably taught this tidbit of information and then have just forgotten it over time...  Thank you, dear picture book, for reminding me of this!

I enjoyed this story.  It was a nice, fun, and pleasant way to learn about Franklin Roosevelt.  There was a lot of information about it.  I do, however, wonder if he really was as into copying what his cousin Teddy Roosevelt as this book claims he was.  It is kind of funny if it is true, but if they exaggerated it a bit, it made it a little bit more fun.

I am not a huge fan of the artwork in this book, but we can't win with illustrations every time.  It isn't that it is bad, but sometimes the pictures are a little iffy - especially for poor Eleanor Roosevelt...

Definitely a nice fun, educational read!

This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.



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