Up, Up, Up! It's Apple Picking Time by Jody Fickes Shapiro

A family with a little boy and girl drive to an apple-orchard where their grandparents live. They grow, pick, and sell all kinds of apples. It reminds me of when I was a kid and how excited I would get to help my grandma in the kitchen. I felt so special and these kids are so happy to be a part of this and help their grandparents in the orchard.

It brings back the warm memories of tradition. Grandma and Grandpa pass down some excellent recipes to make with apples. I like how they call the smell of apples in an orchard “apple-orchard perfume.” It makes my smelling senses kick in and imagine what it would really smell like.

It’s a great lesson in learning several different types of apples. The pictures almost look like paintings because the colors look like brush strokes. The beautiful illustrations make it appear to be a very sensory rich environment. It is a wonderful family story.

I Love The Rain by Margaret Park Bridges

This is about two girls who are waiting for the bus for school. It is pouring rain outside and one girl cannot stand the rain. The other girl is absolutely in love with the rain and starts sharing with the other girl some of the joy she receives when it rains.

There were great metaphors in this book. When the girls were on the bus they said there were people tap dancing on the roof. I like the fact that there is an actual picture of a bunch of feet dancing on the roof. Other than that illustration, I didn’t care for much of the imagery in this book. The colors were too smudged together. Of course, I guess that’s what you get when it’s raining. So, if that is what they were going for then I guess it makes sense. However, I think it was exaggerated a bit too much for my liking.

Then again, I loved the mood change in one of the girls. She went from being bummed out because of the rain to falling in love with it! I think that tells readers to make the most out of the situation you have been given. I am also very fond that it encourages making believing the rain drops turn into imaginative objects. It leaves a lot open to interpretation which can draw a child’s curiosity and make learning fun.

Moongame by Frank Asch

Moongame is a story about Little Bird who teaches Bear how to play hide and seek. Bear, thinking the moon is alive, took what he learned from Little Bird and played hide and seek with the moon. It just so happens that when it is the moon’s turn to hide, a cloud hides the moon. Then, when Bear can’t find the moon he asks his animal friends to help him. Bear finally gives up and says, “You win!” Soon after, the big cloud slowly moves, uncovering the moon.

I adore this book. It gets your imagination going when they involve the moon in the games as if it were a real live thing. The warm colors against the moon really make the moon stand out. Also, the simple, fluffy drawings make the story look like a cartoon. I like the clarity in the illustrations because it is attractive for young readers.

It is also an easy-going, slow moving, yet, exciting adventure. I’m glad the story showed Bear asking for help after he was worried his friend, Moon, was lost. The fact that he wasn’t afraid to ask for help when he needed it most tells me a lot about his character. He is a caring and kind bear. Moreover, he had good friends as well because they were there for Bear when he needed them. I always like the books when animals can talk because I think it gets kids’ creative minds spinning and puts no limits on their imagination.

Mrs. Pig's Night Out by Ros Asquith and Selina Young

Mrs. Pig's Night Out describes a mother pig who leaves her children with their dad for the night so she can enjoy an evening with her friends. However, once she leaves, Mr. Pig falls asleep and the kids make the house a mess. The illustrations were phenomenal and truly captured the image that I would want to see while I was reading the words on a particular page. It kind of reminded me of Goldilocks and the Three Bears because they had a Big Piggy, Middle Piggy, and Little Piggy.

I quickly noticed that when Big Piggy wanted to watch Pig Parade on TV he used a persuasive technique that I find common in children. He said “mom always lets me watch it.” How can you say no to that? What if they are telling the truth? What do you do if it’s past their bedtime and the show’s on? What if they are lying? If you are the dad, you would most often want to be consistent with your parenting between the two of you. If mom does usually let Big Piggy watch Pig Parade then you would probably say yes. On the other hand, if the child is lying, you wouldn’t know that so you probably would take a chance and let them watch it, just in case. More time than not, the child wins and has officially manipulated you to staying up later than their bedtime or watching a show mom never said they could watch.

It was a very relatable story to real life families. I was engaged in the book from the beginning to the end. It was cute and quite funny. I actually found myself laughing out loud when Mrs. Pig came home. Mr. Pig tried to hide all the craziness that went on while she was gone. You could tell when Mrs. Pig got home she knew what had happened but acted as if she was oblivious to everything. There were pictures the children drew of Mr. Pig sleeping, the kids didn’t brush their teeth, they never changed out of their clothes, and Little Piggy wasn’t tucked in. In the end, I was left with the message that moms have eyes everywhere and they always know.

I Lost My Kisses by Trudie Trewin and Nick Bland

This is about a young calf who loves to give kisses. One day she thinks she lost her kisses and starts looking everywhere for them. Her mom tries to tell her they will always be there when she needs them. Her daddy is flying home today and she is worried she won’t find them in time to give her daddy a kiss. She searches everywhere and when her dad arrives a big kiss comes out and that when she realizes the kisses are inside her and will always be there when she needs them.

This book is so adorable. It put me in such a good mood after I read it. I love the illustrations. They were simple yet enchanting. It was neat how the animals in the book are all black and white and the clothes they are wearing are in color. It brought a sense of liveliness into the animals. Matilda Rose just looks so innocent and fun loving. I instantly fell in love with her. This is a magnificent story about love and affection. It would be a wonderful bedtime tale.

The Babysitters Club - #76 Stacey's Lie by Ann M. Martin

The Babysitters Club is a wonderful series novel. The narrator is a young teenager, Stacey, who is part of The Babysitters Club that includes five other members. School is coming to an end and Stacey is sad because her boyfriend, Robert, has a summer job working on a Ferry that travels back and forth from New York to Davis Park which is far away from where they live in Stoneybrook. This means she’s never going to get to see Robert! However, Stacey’s father has a surprise for her. He is taking a vacation for two weeks and wants to spend it with her. The best part is Stacey gets to decide where they will travel to. She quickly makes up her mind to go to Davis Park. Her father, a bit taken back that Stacey has ever heard of Davis Park, agrees and plans are immediately made. Stacey brings her best friend, Claudia, who is also a member of The Babysitters Club. She, knowingly, does not tell anyone that Robert is going to be there. Everything first starts to unravel when Claudia finds out about Robert and soon feels like she is being ignored. Then, while walking on the beach with Robert they run into Stacey’s dad and he’s not alone! He’s with another woman, his girlfriend Samantha. Things start fuming between Stacey and everyone. Before she knows it, Robert has broken up with her, Claudia has gone home early and is not speaking to her, and her dad disregards anything she has to say while spending all of his time with Samantha. She is soon forced to realize the errors of her ways and makes every attempt to repair the damage she’s done. In the end she is given a second chance but she learns a big and important lesson never to lie.

I really enjoyed this book. She really got herself into a mess because of her lying by omission. What surprised me most was how she didn’t lose any friends in the end. I predicted that after Robert broke up with her that they wouldn’t have got back together. I was apparently wrong. I think the book would have had a better message to send if Stacey had more consequences for her actions. She was selfish and wanted the best of both worlds by splitting her time between Claudia, her father, and mostly Robert. When she was with Robert she had Claudia waiting for her. Also, she made her dad take her to Davis Park so she could primarily spend time with Robert. However, I did find it interesting how they portrayed a young girl and show how she can be swept up in love with a boy and lose herself in the process.

Stacey was so mesmerized by Robert that she pushed other people that were really important to her aside. Her lying not only caused her more stress and turmoil, it put stress on everyone around her. Stacey was afraid Claudia wouldn’t have come if Robert was going to be there. She was right. However, it wasn’t fair for Claudia not to have the option whether or not she wanted to be the third wheel. I would have been miserable the whole trip too if I was treated like that by Stacey. This is a perfect example of what can happen if you let greed take over. This book has many great qualities though because it is relatable to its audience which is mostly young girls. I think it sends the message to remain loyal to those that you are closest to because they will be the ones who will hurt the most by your lack of honesty.

Me and My Name by Mary Jane Miller

This was a great and well written novel. It was written from the mind of a girl, named Erin Mitchell, who is almost twelve years old. She lives with her mother, who is expecting twins, and her step father. Erin has not seen her real father in six years. Her step father has all of the adoption papers ready and plans to have Erin’s last name changed to be the same as the rest of the family’s.

Throughout the novel, Erin has second thoughts about changing her last name. I can’t blame her though. She was put in a tough situation for a girl her age. I definitely feel for her. Furthermore, she has trouble with girls at school and can’t decide between two boys. In the end, she stops trying to please everyone else because it is making her life miserable. Erin slowly realizes the only way she is going to be truly happy is if she develops the courage to be her authentic self.

I truly applaud this girl. She was so confused having what she calls an “everyday dad” and a “once-a-year faraway dad.” For her to stand up for herself and keep her original name takes a lot of guts. She definitely proves to be a brave girl as well as a genuine person. A lot of this proves to be true when she is being picked on at school and they try to force her to betray her best friend. I admire that she refuses and stays true to herself and loyal to her friend. I believe this would be a wonderful book for young girls to read when they are trying to figure out who they are because it talks about confidence, independence, and developing high self-esteem; all of these which are very important for a young girl’s happiness and health.

Who Says That by Arnold Shapiro

This book talks about the noises animals make and then contrasts it to the different noises girls and boys make. I think this is a good book to teach children what the word of the sound animals make looks like. For example, a child who owns a dog and hears them bark can learn how the word “bark” looks and how to spell it.

The pictures of the animals are very bright and attractive which makes it more fun to look at while learning. I like that the children are playing with the animals. Everyone looks friendly and excited about the noises they can make. It is a valuable beginner book.

When Papa Comes Home Tonight by Eileen Spinelli

This book is a great story about the bond between a boy and his father. The child anxiously waits at the gate for his father to come home from work to spend time with him. They do everything together from the time the father gets home from work until they go to sleep. I really took pleasure in reading this book because I believe that it is extremely important to cherish the quality time parents spend with their children. Interestingly enough, the message this book leaves seems to be directed towards the parent who may be reading this book to their child.

When I read this book I got the sense of time being the most precious thing I own as a parent. Spending time with our children is so important. Also, being a hands-on parent, which these great illustrations demonstrate, gives the reader a strong sense that family matters. I noticed that the boy and his father didn’t do anything special like take fancy trips across the country. They, however, did make dinner together, do dishes together, put on their pajamas together, and read a bedtime story together. The point is, that I loved, is that they did everything together and the boy couldn’t have been happier. It just shows that when you make family a priority, everything else falls into place more easily. A fantastic read!

Bear Loves Colors by Susan Kantor

This book is about a bear that needs his wagon painted. Throughout each page, the wagon is painted a different color. After seeing what the wagon looks like in each color they realize that it doesn’t have to be just one color. Soon, they decide to paint each section of the wagon a different color and absolutely love it!

I like how they express that there is no wrong way or wrong color to paint the wagon. The creativeness they use at the end is really encouraging to young children to let their imagination run wild. Additionally, I like the simplicity of it all. The illustrations truly display how much fun they are having with this. It’s like they are going on an adventure!

Part-Time Dog by Jane Thayer

This is about a stray dog who visits three elderly ladies who live next to each other. The dog visits the first house for breakfast, the second house for a nap, and the third house for dinner. In the beginning, the ladies are not aware that the dog is going from house to house until the first lady walks the dog to the lady in the second house to try to find its owner. With no luck, they all walk to visit the lady in the third house to see if she is the dog’s owner.

The dog learns to trust these ladies but none of them want the responsibility of taking care of a dog. They, eventually, call the dogcatcher but later feel guilty because the dog trusted them and befriended them. They end up picking the dog up at the pound and decided that each lady will watch the dog part-time.

I think this story is adorable. The dog’s innocence and trustfulness in these ladies is really what melted their hearts. It was interesting that they didn’t even realize it until the dog was gone. Also, without each lady’s compromise with one another and working together, the dog may have never left the pound. The illustrations really demonstrate how happy everybody was with the dog around and how lonely they looked without it. I really enjoyed seeing everyone come together even if having the dog may make their lives a little more complicated.

A Big Fat Enormous Lie by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

This is a good and very imaginative story of a young boy who ate a whole jar of cookies. He then lies to his family when they asked him if it was he who ate all the cookies. The lie quickly turns into a big, fat, and runny nose imaginary monster that follows him wherever he goes. He begs the monster to stop bothering him until he cannot take it anymore. He finally runs to his parents and tells them the truth and then the monster goes away.

I love the imagination this book brings to show something, such as a lie, that is intangible, and bring it to life to teach others that even if you cannot see something, that doesn’t mean it will have no effect on your conscience. I definitely see it teaching an important lesson to always tell the truth. At this age, children are still trying to learn and grasp the consequences of doing something wrong and being honest about it over telling a lie. I really enjoyed this book because of its educational value and lesson it taught.