Aya and Papaya Discover What Makes Everyone Special by MQ

Published: April, 29, 2019
Genres: Children's fiction
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Description:

Aya and Papaya are back!

The sun rises and Aya is awake. She remembers that today is a very special day so quickly jumps out of bed to put on her favorite pink boots that she always wears on special days.

Aya and her best friend, Papaya, are going to go on a plane to visit Aya’s grandparents. At the airport they see lots of different people from lots of different places from all around the world. Aya learns a very important message about what makes us all very special indeed.

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I received this in exchange for my honest review. 

I'm picturing reading this to my 4 year old before we go on a trip to the airport. I have a hard time with the story saying that Aya was thinking this hard about differences among people... "Aya thought about what Faz was trying to explain to her. She realized that because she grew up listening to her parents speak different languages, she learnt how to understand and speak those languages herself. " I would find this in depth thought process from anyone under 9 to be very unlikely and would have found this part more believable had one of the adults been telling her. 

Stories about new places like airports and hospitals are good for little ones. That way they can learn about those huge places that are scary. I like that it talks about the differences among people while there so maybe some awkward conversations can be avoided. I remember one time in a store my four year old asked me why the woman's skin was so black, I was so embarrassed. I live in small town middle of nowhere so my children just haven't had a lot of experience with different culture and people who look different. This book would be great for that!

Hide and Seek, Little Chameleon by Anita Bijsterbosch

Published: June 7, 2019
Genres: Children's Fiction
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Description:

From Kirkus Best Book of the Year author Anita Bijsterbosch!

Little Chameleon loves to play hide-and-seek. He knows a few special hiding tricks. Will you help look for Little Chameleon?

A cheerful seek-and-find book filled with colors, numbers, and animal friends. For toddlers ages 30 months and up, with a focus on the child’s language development.

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I received this in exchange for my honest review. 

Very cute little book. Toddlers of all ages are bound to have fun with this one learning colors,  counting and animal sounds. The seek and find was a little challenging even for me so would definitely keep them engaged for a while. The illustrations were very fun and engaging. 

Away Go the Boats by Margaret Hillert

Published: July 1, 2016
Genres: Children's Fiction
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Description:

A young girl makes bath time interesting by taking an imaginary ocean voyage to a tropical island. There she sees tropical animals, whales, monkeys and other boats on the water. Beautifully re-illustrated with a fresh and appealing look, these Beginning-to-Read books foster independent reading and comprehension. Using high frequency words and repetition, readers gain confidence while enjoying stories about every day life and adventures. Educator resources include reading reinforcement activities and a word list in the back. Activities focus on foundational, language and reading skills. Sections include; phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Teacher notes available on website.

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I received this in exchange for my honest review. 

This was a fun one for beginner readers. Love the tips and tricks as a mom and a daycare provider. I was a little concerned, how old is the girl in the story. The way she is talking seems young and in that case maybe shouldn't have been left in the bath by herself. If she is supposed to be older then the way she is talking is a little off.  Again, great as a "learn to read" not one for the nightstand. 

Illustrations are good. very clean and basic. Done in a great engaging way for beginners without being a distraction too. 

Feel Better, Mommy by Risa Kirschner

Published: March 19, 2019
Genres: Children's Fiction
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Description:

Abby’s mom has a boo boo, so her Nana takes her to the hospital to visit. Follow Abby’s adventures as she finds a magical bed that moves, takes her teddy on a wheelchair ride, and learns that spending time with her mom can make a hospital feel like home. Based on the real experiences of the author’s then two-year-old daughter, this sweet story teaches that hospitals are safe places for healing and that parents always love their children, even if they have to spend time away from home.

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I received this in exchange for my honest review. 

This is a sweet little story that can be read to all littles who are preparing to go visit a loved one in the hospital. Sure to help with all those little nerves and make the hospital so its not so scary. New places like hospitals and airports can be scary for littles ones but having great books like this really helps. When they start getting nervous you can reference the book and the fact that the little girl wasn't scared anymore and was zooming up and down the halls with her teddy bear brings fourth fun and makes things light. I like getting books like this to help my littles when they are off to new places. 

Livi & Grace by Jennifer Lynch

 

Published: June 11, 2019
Genres: Children's Fiction

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Description:

Livi and Grace  are sisters who couldn't be more different. As they go through their days being their unique selves, they share the message that differences are to be celebrated and enjoyed, and that everyone is already perfect and lovable. Join their party--and enjoy yourself--whoever and however you are!

Jennifer Lynch lives with the real Livi and Grace in Austin, Texas. A former teacher, Jennifer currently volunteers as an advocate for abused and at-risk children and is the creator of the “You Are Good” clothing and stationery line. Jennifer was inspired to write Livi & Grace by the many wonderful children she has worked with over the years. She hopes they will realize that they are perfect and lovable just as they are. Visit her online at www.Jenniferlynchbooks.com.

Missi Jay is an illustrator and graphic designer whose work has been nationally recognized. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, she lives in Austin, Texas, with the creative inspiration of her life: her daughter, Ruby. You can find her online at www.gigglebox.net.

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I received this in exchange for my honest review. 

I loved this book. I have two girls that are exact opposites. This is a great story about accepting other people's differences and celebrating everyone's own uniqueness. Definitly recommend this book to any and all parents. This is a great one for entering Kindergarten before children meet all sorts of different and unique individuals. 

The Fairy in the Kettle gets Magical by Pauline Tait

Published: May 7, 2019
Genres: Children's Fiction

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Description:

The Fairy in the kettle gets Magical is the third book in this beautifully illustrated picture book series. Aimed at 4 to 8 year olds it continues the adventures of Leona and her friends...

“They could remember the warm amber glow shimmering and sparkling as it danced through the air. Twisting and turning as it went.” When Leona was woken early one morning, she knew something had to be wrong. But as she rushed to meet the elders nothing could prepare her for what she was about to hear. Life in Fairy Glen was about to change...the words fairy dust were echoing in the air! 

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I received this in exchange for my honest review. 

Great story about teamwork! The illustrations are so cute and colorful. I absolutely love the cover! This would be an amazing book for lots of little children!

The Big Five by Bella Makatini & Judi Abbot

Genres: Children's Fiction
Published: June 25, 2019

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Description:

"A sweet celebration of family and introduction to some perennially popular animals." -Kirkus Reviews

Danny is spending the week with his grandpa. Grandpa has a painting of five animals. “Those are the big five,” says Grandpa, “the most famous animals from my homeland.” Grandpa tells Danny about one animal each day.

A playful and informative story about wild animals and about the love between a child and a grandparent. For animal lovers ages 3 and up.

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I received this in exchange for my honest review. 

This is a very cute read. As a daycare provider this would be an amazing circle time book. The kiddos would get to learn different words like "grazing" and they can do the actions along with the story. There is also some sequential learning like "first, second, third". Every kiddos loves to spend time with grandpa so they would all find this relatable and engaging. 

The illustrations are adorable. The right focal points are brought forward and are very intercultural. I absolutely would get this for my child or for my daycare kiddos. 

To Catch an Elephant by Vanessa Westgate

Published: June 25, 2019
Genres: Children's Fiction

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Description:

Laugh out loud - and learn!

“If you want to catch an elephant, first you must find out where elephants live . . .”
So begins this tale of a boy and his quest for a pet elephant.
But maybe catching an elephant isn’t as simple as it sounds . . .

A delightful and compassionate story for elephant lovers ages 4 years and up.

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I received this in exchange for my honest review. 

I'm not sure if its the copy I received or if I'm just not on the same "page" as the author but there seemed to be some errors in the book like the words weren't matching up with the correct illistrations and what does " h t e p s n t o t h e" mean (loc 15 of 39). 

The book does have some potential my 4 year old wouldn't probably be interested but a 2 or 3 yo wold greatly laugh and listen to this fun story. 

As a mother, I wouldn't be buying this book for my children.