Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Big Bear’s Big Boat by Eve Bunting is a sequel to Little Bear’s Little Boat.  Big Bear is growing up and wants to build himself a bigger boat so he can share his little boat with Little Bear. As Big Bear works on his boat, his friends come by and give him many suggestions to make his boat better.  Big Bear follows their advice but when he rows around Huckleberry Lake he feels like something is wrong.  What will he do to fix the boat?   Kids will enjoy reading this story about being a good friend and following your dreams.  

Sam McBratney’s There, There is an affectionate and comforting story about caring for other people. Hansie’s Dad always takes care of him when he gets hurt.  He says, “There, there, Hansie Bear.  You’ll be better soon.”  So what happens when Dad steps on a thorn?  Find out by reading this heart-warming book that teaches kids that even parents need help feeling better sometimes.

Haley's Children's Book Reviews

Do you like to collect things?  Well Professor Wormbog collects beasties.   In fact, he has all the beasties starting with the letters A to Y.  The only one he is missing starts with the letter Z.   Read Professor Wormbog In Search For The Zipperump-A-Zoo by Mercer Mayer and join the professor on his grand adventure as he searches for the Zipperump-A-Zoo.

Lulu and her dog, Bingo, are excited when they look outside and see the yard is covered in snow.  Lulu bundles up in all her warm clothes followed by her Ladybug costume.  Now she is Ladybug Girl and Ladybug Girl can do anything!   Ladybug Girl And The Big Snow written by David Soman and Jacky Davis will get kids excited for winter and the first day they look outside and see their yard covered in snow.

Bang by Leo Timmers is the perfect book for kids who like to use their imagination and make up their own story.  The fun colorful pictures help inspire the imagination!

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Kids will enjoy using their imaginations along with Joe Kulka in Vacation’s Over! Return Of The Dinosaurs.   Imagine what it would be like if dinosaurs weren’t extinct but had just been on an extended vacation to outer space.   As kids read this book it will help them think about some of the changes dinosaurs would find if they came back from vacation today and would the world as we know it be able to handle the return of dinosaurs?

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

The sheriff and his deputy are on an important mission to bring a box of donuts home safely without any of them disappearing.  Can they do it?  Read The Case Of The Missing Donut by Allison McGhee and see why everyone in town seems to think that possibly there might be a donut missing.  Are they right or were the sheriff and his deputy successful on their mission?

First Jamie feels really good, a purple kind of mood.  When his brothers treat him bad, his mood turns gray.  Then Jamie eases into a gentle kind of green mood.  Throughout the day Jamie goes through lots of different kinds of moods. My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood by Tameka Fryer Brown teaches kids about different kinds of moods and how to describe how they feel in a whole new way.

Papa has invented many things but never once has anything Papa invented worked perfectly.  All he needs is a fantastic idea.  Then one day while fishing on Lake Michigan Papa’s daughter, Virena, asks him if he has ever wondered what it’s like to be a fish.  Now Papa has his fantastic idea!  Papa gets to work and builds a kind of mechanical fish he calls the Whitefish.  Read Papa’s Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming and find out if Papa finally has the perfect invention.  (This story is loosely based on the life of Lodner Phillips, the creator of one of the first modern day submarines.)

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Have you ever felt left out by a friend?  If you have, Olive’s Perfect World A Friendship Story by Jennifer Plecas is the perfect book for you to read.  In this story, Olive and Emily are best friends and do everything together.  However, Olive starts to feel left out when Emily begins to spend a lot more time with Eva another girl in school.  Eva and Emily seem to have so much in common with each other and Olive is different in so many ways.  Olive misses her best friend.  Will she ever get her back?  Kids will enjoy reading this story that proves you can have more than one best friend.

Whenever trouble comes around, Ol’ Mama Squirrel shows her babies she knows how to protect them.  She stops dogs, cats and other animals from coming near her tree with her loud holler.  Read Ol’ Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein to find out what happens when the biggest threat of all comes to town and see if Ol’ Mama Squirrel ever backs down.  

Kate and Jim McMullan creators of I Stink! And I’m Dirty bring you I’m Bad!  a short story about a really big, really bad and really hungry T Rex.  Read I’m Bad! and follow this creature on a journey as he searches for food.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Monday is sharing day in Miss Fry’s classroom.  The kids ask if they can bring in their pets to share.  Each Monday one of the kids in Miss Fry’s classroom brings in a pet to share with the class.  Read this heartwarming story, Teachers Pet’s, by Dayle Ann Dodds and find out what happens when the kids start bringing their pets to school.  Will Miss Fry’s classroom ever be the same again?

The little boy thinks there is a lion living in the meadow behind his house.  His mom thinks he is making up a story so she decides to play along by making up a story about a dragon.  A Lion In The Meadow by Margaret Mahy is a book full of playful fun and imagination.  Bright colorful illustrations help the reader use their imagination and join in on the fun.  

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Young children will love practicing subtraction as they count down with Pete in Pete The Cat And His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin. In this book Pete has four buttons on his favorite shirt and they keep falling off. Will Pete cry? No, instead he sings a song. Read this book and sing along.

Are The Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? by Julie Middleton is the perfect book for kids who love dinosaurs. A boy named Dave and his father go to the museum to see the dinosaurs. Dad is sure he knows all there is to know about these fabulous creatures, but does he. Kids will enjoy learning along with Dave about the different kinds of dinosaurs and what they were like when they were alive.

Do you ever feel like you are misunderstood? If so, Sam the dog knows just how you feel. Read Bad Boy, Good Boy by Kay Chorao and follow along with Sam on four short adventures. Is Sam a good boy or a bad boy? Learn the truth about Sam as you read these delightfully humorous stories.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Have you ever been afraid to try something new and then realized it is not as bad as you thought it might be? If so, then Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Melanie Watt Is the perfect book for you. In this book, Scaredy Squirrel is afraid to go out in the rugged wilderness to go camping so he plans to enjoy camping from a safe distance by watching a camping show on TV. Kids will enjoy reading about how this squirrel learns how the wilderness is meant to be enjoyed up close not seen from afar.

Rosie’s Magic Horse by Russell Hoban & Queatin Blake is a book full of imagination and dreams come true. When Rosie picks up an old ice-pop stick on her way home and puts it with her other ice-pop sticks she has no idea it is different than the other sticks. This ice-pop stick is magical and has dreams of being more than just an ice-pop stick. When Rosie goes to bed she is worried about her parents being able to pay the bills and wants to find a treasure so she can help them. Read this fun story and follow Rosie on a magical adventure.

Miss Maple lives in her cozy maple tree house. Every summer Miss Maple gathers lost seeds and takes care of them until the following spring when she sends them off to find a place to start roots of their own and grow into the plants or trees they’re destined to become. Miss Maple’s Seeds by Eliza Wheeler is a wonderful reminder of how each magnificent tree and brilliant flower starts from a tiny seed.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Have you ever felt like you just do not fit in anywhere?  That is how exclamation mark feels in the book Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.  Exclamation mark tries everything to fit in but does not seem to belong anywhere.  He always stands out and feels very lonely.  Will exclamation mark ever fit in?  Find out in this fun book that shows there is a special place for everyone.

Big Hugs, Little Hugs is a sweet book by Felicia Bond.  There are many different types of hugs, from big hugs to little hugs to day hugs to night hugs.  Young children will enjoy the bright colorful illustrations as they read how everyone in the world needs a hug. 

Becoming Babe Ruth by Matt Tavares tells the incredible story of how one of America’s all time greatest baseball players became famous.   George Herman Ruth is sent to Saint Mary’s Industrial School when he is seven.  His life is changed forever at Saint Mary’s.  Although he is expected to follow a lot of rules, he gets to play baseball every day.  Read this exciting story and learn how George grows into an amazing baseball player.  When he enters the big leagues, he never forgets about Saint Mary’s, the place he learned to play ball.  Kids will be inspired by this story about a kid from nowhere who made it all the way to the top.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Paris-Chien Adventures Of An Ex-Pat Dog by Jackie Clark Mancuso is a fun and engaging story perfect for children who have or are moving to a new place. Hudson, a Norwich Terrier, moves to Paris with his owner but he soon discovers everyone in Paris is busy and he has a hard time making new friends. To make things worse he can’t understand anyone, even the dogs, since everyone speaks French. Join Hudson on his adventure as he begins to take French lessons from a French Poodle and starts to make friends in a new place.

Have you ever been sent to time out? Then meet Sophie, a typical two-year-old. Time-Out For Sophie by Rosemary Wells tells the story of Sophie who is having trouble listening. Mama, Daddy and Granny are all having trouble with Sophie. Check out this cute story and see if Sophie learns how to listen.

Otis, the tractor, loves to play with all the animals on the farm. That is, all the animals except the mean bull. Their favorite game is follow-the-leader. Anytime the animals and Otis get close to the bull’s pen he snorts and snarls at them. Once he even charges at Otis. One day the sky turns dark and stormy. When Otis sees a tornado in the sky headed straight toward the barn, Otis knows he needs to let the animals out of the barn and lead them to safety. But what about the mean bull…should Otis try to save him too? Otis And The Tornado by Loren Long is a charming story about doing what is right and the power of friendship.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Everyone’s favorite monkey is back in this new book, Curious George Dance Party.  Allie invites George and his friend, Bill, to a dance party.  George is very excited and can’t stop dancing.  On the other hand, Bill doesn’t want to go.  He thinks he will be the only kid at the party who doesn’t know how to dance.  Can Curious George help Bill learn how to dance before the party? This Level 1 Green Light Reader includes fun and educational activities that will help young readers learn about recognizing simple patterns, left and right, and rhythm.

Lily is having a birthday!  Milo can’t wait to plan a birthday party and surprise Lily.  Kids will enjoy reading along and helping Milo pick out the decorations, party hats, food and more.  Having A Party With Lily And Milo by Pauline Oud is the perfect story for kids who love to be involved in planning birthday parties.  

Everyone enjoys the perfect hug!  For some it’s a big hug and others it’s a small hug.  Still others like tickly hugs and some even prickly hugs.  Read The Perfect Hug by Joanna Walsh and Judi Abbot and see if panda bear can find the perfect hug for him.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

A little girl named Annabelle finds a box of yarn.  It appears to be an ordinary box of yarn so she decides to knit a sweater for herself.  Then she knits one for her dog.  Soon she is making sweaters and hats for her family, friends, other animals, houses, buildings, anything in town she can think of.  News spreads about Annabelle and her box of yarn that never seems to run out.  People come from all over the world to see her work.  Read Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and find out what happens when someone steals Annabelle’s not so ordinary box of yarn.

I Want My Mom! A Little Princess Story by Tony Ross is the perfect book for any little kid who loves their mom.  In this book the Little Princess is having one of those bad weeks where nothing is going her way.  There is no one who can make her feel better except her mom.  The princess eventually gets invited to a party and ends up having a good time.  Read this entertaining story and find out what happens to the Queen when the Little Princess has fun without her.

Stu loves to listen to the sounds of the animals at the zoo and visits them so often they know him by name.  He calls their sounds a symphony.  Not everyone is as crazy about the animals as Stu, especially Mr. Cooper.  He wants to tear the zoo down and build a mall.  Can Stu help the animals save their home?  Maestro Stu Saves The Zoo by Denise Brennan-Nelson is a playful story filled with idioms and imaginative illustrations.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Sick Day by David McPhail is the perfect book for young beginning readers with its simple text and beautiful colorful illustrations. A young boy is sick and his friends, dog and bird, both try to help him feel better. This is a sweet story that shows readers no matter who is feeling under the weather friends can come together to make each other feel better.

Everybody enjoys snow days! Even Mouse…he is warm inside the house having fun finding and nibbling on crumbs while the family is busy baking cookies. When Mouse accidentally gets swept outside in the snow the real adventure begins. Read Snow Day For Mouse by Judy Cox and follow Mouse on his adventure through the snow, meet his new friends and see if Cat ever catches up with him.

Its springtime and almost all the animals at the Springfield Zoo are having babies except the tree kangaroo and the pandas. Life isn’t fair! Then one day the zoo’s veterinarian arrives with an endangered egg needing someone to give it a home. Wild About You by Judy Sierra is a heartfelt story about adoption, reminding readers it takes a whole community to raise a baby.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Peppa Pig And The Lost Christmas List created by Neville Astley, Mark Baker and Phil Davies is the perfect book to help get kids in the Christmas spirit.  Join Peppa Pig and her friends as they prepare for Christmas.  After all the friends’ preparations, it turns out to be a surprising Christmas when Santa loses his Christmas list.  Will Peppa be able to help Santa save Christmas? 

Henry and his first-grade friends love playing soccer together at recess until Sam, a second-grade bully, starts causing them problems.  After several days of bullying, Henry doesn’t know what to do.  Will Henry be able to show Sam he is not afraid of a bully?  Nancy Carlson’s, Henry And The Bully, is a great example of how kids can use their own intelligence to solve problems.     

Oh NO! frog falls into a deep, deep hole.  Soon mouse does too and then loris.  Who will rescue the animals?  Will a hungry tiger help them or hurt them?  Read Oh NO!, a rollicking romp in the forest, by Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann.  

There is nothing sweeter than the sound of a baby laughing.  One day a little baby laughed for the first time.  His family was so excited for him they decided to have a “laugh-out-loud party.”  Family and friends came from miles away to hear the little baby laugh.  Read Laugh-Out-Loud Baby by Tony Johnston and Stephen Gammell and see what happens when everyone arrives to hear the little baby laugh.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Horseplay! written by Karma Wilson is a playful romp about a farmer and his horses.  The farmer notices his horses are always too tired to work.  He eventually figures out his horses are playing all night when they are supposed to be sleeping.  Read this fun story and see what happens to the farmer when he decides to stay up all night and make sure his horses get some sleep.  

Daniel Pinkwater’s, Bear In Love, is a sweet story about a bear who starts everyday looking for something yummy to eat.  One morning he sees that someone has left him something sweet and crunchy to eat.  Over the next few days someone leaves him something to eat and bear wonders who would do something that nice for him.  This is a lovable story about the importance of sharing and friendship.

When a young boy is sent to a corner for time out he decides the corner needs some fixing up.  He thinks the walls are too white and definitely need some color.  Read Time Out For Monsters! by Jean Reidy and discover how this young boy’s imagination comes to life.

Bear wants to invite his friends for a nice big dinner but he has no food in his cupboards.  His friends start showing up with all sorts of delicious food to eat.  Bear is sad he has nothing to share but his friends help him discover he has something better to share than just food.  Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson helps kids remember all the wonderful things they have to be thankful for.

A Treasure At Sea For Dragon And Me Water Safety For Kids And Dragons is the perfect combination of adventure and water safety by Jean E. Pendziwol.   In this book spend a summer day with a girl and her friend dragon as they build sand castles, swim and play in the water, and race pirates to treasure.    Along the way, kids will learn important swimming rules they can practice in real life to help them be water smart.  The Dragon’s Water Safety Rhyme and the checklist of rules at the end of the book are perfect tools parents can use when having water safety discussions with their kids. 

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

It’s a perfect day for a picnic so Hen, Goose and Duck pick lots of apples, pears, and berries and set out to find a place to have their picnic.  When the picnic basket starts to feel lighter and lighter, they realize they are not the only ones who love apples, pears, and berries.  Read We’re Going On A Picnic! by Pat Hutchins and find out who is eating their favorite fruits. 

Pop is a tiny tugboat working really hard helping all the big boats in and out of the harbor.  One day a new boat named Toot is brought into the harbor. Toot is enormous and doesn’t think he needs help from anyone, especially a boat as small at Pop.  Sebastien Braun’s Toot and Pop! teaches young kids what real friends are for. 

Little Lost Tiger by Jonathan London is a wonderful story about a mother Siberian tiger and her cub, Amba.   As she goes in search of food in the snow-covered forest, they separate for just a few minutes.   Suddenly, there’s an extremely loud roar.  Fire! Will Amba and his mother find each other again?  Find out in this book that shows the power of love between a parent and child.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Once there was a beautiful doll with long dark curls and beautiful blue eyes.  She is passed from owner to owner but longs for someone to keep her and love her and give her a name.  Read this charming story, The Hand-Me-Down Doll by Steven Kroll and see what happens when one day the beautiful doll meets a little girl and her luck changes.

Can the Kindergators and Miss Harmony find a way to help Miracle control her meltdowns in the classroom?  Read Kindergators Miracle Melts Down by Rosemary Wells and see how Miss Harmony and the Kindergators handle Miracle when things don’t go her way and she has temper tantrums.  Young readers will learn how to work together to be good friends to their classmates and create harmony in the classroom.    

“No, little Twiga.  Stay close, stay safe.”  Mama giraffe wants her little baby Twiga to stay close, stay safe from the dangers out in the big world of the African savanna.  But little Twiga is so curious.  Read Stay Close to Mama by Toni Buzzeo and follow along with little Twiga as he explores the African savanna.

Chris Gall’s Dinotrux are back in Revenge Of The Dinotrux.  The Dinotrux have spent years stuck in an old museum and are tired of being surrounded by loud screaming kids.  They are ready to break out and seek revenge.  Read this fun story and see if the Dinotrux learn how to behave out in the real world. 

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Chloe is a cute little bunny with ten older brothers and sisters and ten younger brothers and sisters.  She loves being exactly in the middle!  She especially loves using her imagination during their family fun time.  Read Chloe by Peter McCarty and find out what happens when her dad brings home a surprise that Chloe is not sure she will like?

Cheeky and Chee are two playful monkeys hiding in a tree.  Who are they hiding from?  Find out when you read Two Little Monkeys, a fun rhyming book, by Mem Fox. 

Louise wants to be a very important person but no one ever seems to notice her.  Then one day a new girl, Claire Eclaire, comes to her neighborhood straight from Paris.  She opens the Ooh-la-la Charm School and Louise is just sure she will finally be noticed.  Louise The Big Cheese And The Ooh-La-La Charm School by Elise Primavera teaches kids what it really means to be a good friend.

Has it ever occurred to you back in the mid-nineteenth century most people didn’t have any idea what a dinosaur looked like?  As a young boy, Waterhouse Hawkins loved sketching the world around him, especially animals.  Not only did he love drawing and painting them, he loved sculpting models of them.  Even though dinosaur fossils had been found most people had no idea what a dinosaur looked like.  Waterhouse followed his dream and devoted over three decades to building the first life-size models of dinosaurs.  Barbara Kerley tells his extraordinary story of passion and courage in The Dinosaurs Of Waterhouse Hawkins.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Kids will enjoy riding a rocket through the solar system as they read Zoom, Rocket, Zoom! by Margaret Mayo.   Travel along with the astronauts as they have many exciting adventures exploring new terrain, riding in moon buggies, living in space stations, flying in space shuttles and much, much more.

You can only begin to imagine what would happen if wild animals came inside a house.  Read Eric Pinder’s, If All The Animals Came Inside, and join one family’s wild adventure as animals of every shape and size take over their house and make themselves right at home.  This rhyming story comes to life with colorful collage illustrations by Marc Brown the creator of the bestselling Arthur Adventure book series.    

Zorro is a cute little pug that has a pretty good life.  Then one day, Zorro’s owner gets him an outfit.  Zorro doesn’t want to put it on.  He’s embarrassed!  When he goes out on a walk, other dogs laugh at him.  Even Slim, the cat, makes fun of him in his new super hero cape.  While he is at the park, someone new shows up.  Read Zorro Gets An Outfit by Carter Goodrich and see if Zorro changes his mind.

Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Beep beep! Bow wow!  Pug puppies load up in their green bug and take to the road headed for The Pooch Parade.  Carolyn Crimi’s, Pugs In A Bug, is a playful, rhyming read aloud book with plenty to see and count.  Kids will enjoy traveling along with the pugs through city and country as they head to the parade. 

Bat and Rat are best friends living in the big city together.  These two friends love doing everything together especially playing in a jazz band.  Bat plays the piano and Rat sings.  One night they are having trouble coming up with new song lyrics to sing at an upcoming show.  Read Bat And Rat by Patrick Jennings and find out how ice ream helps them solve their problem and teaches them what friendship is all about.       

Do you like using your imagination and creating your own story?  A Ball For Daisy is a book about a dog and her ball but the rest of the story is up to you.  Caldecott Medalist, Chris Raschka, illustrates a delightful wordless picture book, fun for kids or adults who enjoy making up their own story line.  Check this book out and let your imagination run wild!