4 Children's Book Reviews

4 Recent Children's Book Reviews

I received all of the following books in exchange for an honest review from netgalley.com and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Title: Too Many Carrots
Author: Katy Hudson
Publisher: Capstone
Publication Date: Feb 1, 2016

Description:

Rabbit loves carrots. Maybe a little too much. In fact, his carrots are crowding him out of his cozy burrow. When his friends offer to help — that’s just asking for trouble. TOO much trouble! This charming and lovingly illustrated picture book shows how friendships get us over the rough spots in life, even if the going gets a little bumpy!
For ages 3-5. 
*Beautiful picture book showcasing the value of friendship over material items *Adorable animal characters with tons of appeal including a rabbit, tortoise, bird, squirrel, and beaver *Perfect for Easter and Spring promotions

Review:

This was such a fun children's book. It is suggested for kids between the ages of 3-5 and I think that is perfect. This would be a perfect precursor for spring and maybe even the perfect inclusion in an Easter basket.

That age is when children really start to meet friends outside of their family and this is an excellent way to talk to them about the importance of friendships.

The illustrations are awesome and it has a great flow and it will definitely win over the hearts of children in the 3-5 age range. Definitely a great new release.


My Star Rating:

5 out of 5




Title: Squirrel Me Timbers
Author: Louise Pigott
Publisher: Capstone
Publication Date: April 1, 2016

Description:

Ahoy mateys! A young squirrel has always dreamed of sailing the seas as a pirate. So when he finds a treasure map, he can’t believe his luck! X marks the spot of ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND NUTS! Set sail for adventure with vibrant illustrations and imaginative rhyming text to discover how exciting a pirate’s life can be!
For ages 3-6. 
*A spirited picture book full of adventure, mishaps, narrow escapes and a humorous plot twist *Pirates and squirrels are popular and on trend *Rhyming text is fun for read aloud, encouraging participation and engagement *Story teaches children the importance of not giving up hope.

Review:

I loved this selection. Children's books have really been great this year and seem to be headed in an awesome direction in 2016! I love the squirrels and the pirates and all the mishaps and adventures that took place.

It was fun and I could see this being read in a kindergarten classroom and kids participating and enjoying the rhyming rhythm of  the text. So awesome.

Overall, this is a story of a lot of obstacles trying to keep you from completing your goals but keeping hope and faith and completing them despite the difficulties. What a strong image to send young children. I loved it.

The illustrations we also a ton of fun and I think little boys especially will gravitate toward this book.

My Star Rating:

4 out of 5



Title: Why Horses Are...
Author: Tana Thompson
Publisher: Carpenter's Son Publishing
Publication Date: Oct 13, 2015

Description:

It’s not easy to give up something you love, but if you do, for the benefit of a complete stranger, it just might change your life as well. The child in this story has a painful choice to make, and in the process, learns how helping someone else can be more important than keeping the thing you love. In sharing, she receives the gift of joy—and witnesses miracles and magic in others. The story speaks to horse lovers of all ages. Why Horses Are is the second book in the award-winning “Love Unleashed” series. The first book, Why Dogs Are, won the 2014 Silver Medal from Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards (Category: Spirituality), as well as being designated a Finalist in Spirituality for the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. “Love Unleashed” is a project of Kendall Neff Publishing, which donates 100% of net proceeds from the sale of these books to charities that reflect the focus of each book. The series aims to raise awareness of the roles animals play in our lives that enhance and improve our physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. Proceeds from sales of Why Horses Are will benefit charities that support rescue horses and horse-therapy programs. One such program is the Marianna Greene Henry Special Equestrians (MGHSE), a non-profit program of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. MGHSE’s program is a Premier Accredited Center of PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship).

Review:

This was a children's book about giving up something you love for the benefit of others. It was very spiritual and emotional and I think it spread a great message to kids about miracles and faith and if you have a child in your life or you yourself have a great love of horses then I think you would enjoy this.

The illustrations aren't my favorite but I think it had a great message which often times in what you are looking for in children's books. Great lessons about people and morals to help guide them as they grow up. This definitely has that but I couldn't relate to the horse aspect of it. Overall, a pretty decent children's story.

My Star Rating:

3 out of 5


Title: Peanut's Mistake
Author: Karen Kilpatrick
Publisher: Nina Charles Publishing
Publication Date: Oct 6, 2015

Description:

Go, go, go! Peanut’s not slow! But Peanut breaks the rules by running in the house. What will happen when Carmin discovers his big mess? Join Carmin and Peanut in this heartwarming story about learning from mistakes. Part of the national award-winning Pumpkinheads series. Includes learning fun with “The Pumpkinheads Answer.”

Review:

I love Peanut. As a huge dog person I complete relate to dogs needed to grow and learn discipline and I think this is an excellent illustration for children to learn about rule breaking and pet ownership.

Absolutely adorable illustrations and the writing was fantastic. I couldn't suggest this more for young kids whose parents are teaching them about rule breaking, responsibility, or pet ownership.

Such a great read.

My Star Rating:

4 out of 5

Ava and Pip Series Review by Carol Weston

I received both Ava and Taco Cat and Ava XOX from netgalley.com and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.



Title: Ava and Pip
Author: Carol Weston
Publisher: Sourcebooks: Jabberwocky
Publication Date: March 4, 2014

Description:

Outgoing Ava loves her older sister, Pip, but can't understand why Pip is so reserved and never seems to make friends with others. When Ava uses her writing talents to help her sister overcome her shyness, both girls learn the impact their words and stories can have on the world around them.



Title: Ava and Taco Cat
Author: Carol Weston
Publisher: Sourcebooks: Jabberwocky
Publication Date: April 7, 2015

Description:

Ava desperately wants a pet for her eleventh birthday-but gets way more than she bargained for when she adopts T-A-C-O-C-A-T.

When Ava Wren hears about an injured yellow tabby with mismatched ears, she becomes obsessed and wants to rescue him. She even picks out a perfect palindromic name: T-A-C-O-C-A-T. But when Taco joins the family, he doesn't snuggle or purr-all he does is hide. Worse, Ava's best friend starts hanging out with Zara, a new girl in fifth grade. Ava feels alone and writes an acclaimed story, "The Cat Who Wouldn't Purr." What begins as exciting news turns into a disaster. How can Ava make things right? And what about sweet, scared little Taco?

The New York Times called AVA AND PIP "a love letter to language. " With this second diary, Girls' Life advice columnist Carol Weston hits another home run.



Title: Ava XOX
Author: Carol Weston
Publisher: Sourcebooks: Jabberwocky
Publication Date: Feb 1, 2016

Description:

Love is in the air—and Ava thinks she’s allergic

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and Ava couldn’t care less. That is, until a new girl, Kelli, asks out Ava’s friend Chuck…and he says yes! What?!? Ava is NOT okay with this. But since when does she think about boys? For the first time ever, words fail Ava. She isn't sure what she’s feeling (Like? Love? Friendship? Frustration?), or what “going out” even means. After all, fifth graders aren't allowed to go anywhere by themselves, are they?
To top it off, Pip’s friend Tanya is being bullied for her size. Ava wants to help—but, uh oh, it's not as easy as she imagines.

The New York Times called AVA AND PIP “a love letter to language. ” With this third diary format, Girls’ Life advice columnist Carol Weston hits another home run.

My Series Review:

I received books 2 and 3 via netgalley.com and the publisher and felt like I might miss too much from the first in the series that I decided to pick it up on my e-reader.

I am sure happy I ended up doing that, This is a great middle grade contemporary story about a girl named Ava and all of her misadventures. As soon as I read this it took me back to the days of reading about Ramona Quimby and her silly sister Beezus.

I decided to consider each book individually and then talk about the series as a whole.

Ava and Pip:

Absolutely a delightful read about two sisters who couldn't be more different. We are introduced to Ava in this book and her precocious and outgoing and her sister Pip who is a bit more shy and reserved. Ava decides to put her writing talents to use and comes up with a plan to get Pip out of her shell and help her make friends.

I loved their relationship and the impact words and story telling had on these young girls lives. So adorable and fun to read. I can see this becoming a middle school girls favorite read and might help her relate to a friend or even a sister of her own. She might even be reading it from Pip's perspective and it might help her come out of her shell. Absolutely great family dynamic and pro-education. I loved this!

Ava and Taco Cat:

Carol Weston has a way of making language and writing fun for middle grade aged kids. She does it again in Ava and Taco Cat. Ava once again shows how big her heart and mind are when she adopts a quirky cat which she names T-A-C-O-C-A-T because it makes the perfect palindrome.

What a fun way to incorporate aspects of language and writing into a story for middle grade kids. Ava wanting to adopt Taco Cat despite his dramatic past is sweet and encouraging and I think a good message for kids. Taco is shy and does nothing but hide so Ava decides to write a story about her cat that never purrs.

Ava is also dealing with other drama that a normal 5th grader would face including trouble with her best friend. She is finding out how to navigate all of these new changes in her life and I think despite a few stumbles she really comes around and inspires the reader to be better too.

Ava XOX:

This newest Ava release find Ava experiencing her first crush. She is struggling to understand her new found hormones as she navigates what it means to like boys or to "go out" with someone when you are in the 5th grade and can't even leave without a parent or guardian. Words to describe how she is feeling are hard to find for the first time in Ava's life and I think that is the perfect way to illustrate what it means to have your first crush, you just can't find a way to say what is going on in your head or with your feelings and that is so realistic.

Also, she is approached with some bullying and body shaming issues and also finds that this isn't a topic that is easy to understand or explain. She tries to help but that also isn't the easiest task she has ever undertaken.

I think this last installment is very age appropriate and topical and that any middle school aged student would gain a lot from reading it.

Series:

Overall, a phenomenal collections of middle grade stories told through the importance of writing and language and with a tenacious main character that you can't help but love.

I will say that I do see these stories appealing more to a female reader than a male reader but they are definitely age appropriate and cover a wide range of topics and introduce children to social issues such as bullying, body shaming, pet adoption, friendship, family, and so much more.

I couldn't suggest this series with any more praise. It is wonderful.

Recommended for fans of:

    

Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1445826604

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1426727477

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1439812697

http://www.amazon.com/Ava-Pip-Carol-Weston/dp/1492601837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447862605&sr=8-1&keywords=ava+and+pip

http://www.amazon.com/Ava-Taco-Cat-Pip/dp/1402288735/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447862623&sr=1-1&keywords=ava+and+taco+cat&pebp=1447862690425&perid=14GKGVFVE6NJ38GZTS9N

http://www.amazon.com/Ava-XOX-Pip-Carol-Weston/dp/1492620777/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447862706&sr=1-1&keywords=ava+XOX