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Friday, July 27, 2012

Picture book mini-reviews, part 12

It's Bedtime Dear Dragon
by Margaret Hillert, illustrated by David Schimmel
Norwood House Press
January 2012

What this book lacks in narrative sparkle, it makes up for in attractive formatting. Utilitarian short sentences show a strong basal reader influence. If not for the addition of the friendly green dragon, this could easily substitute for nearly any Dick and Jane adventure. Kids do flock to this series, however! Looking for something with a little more humor and pizzazz? Try the Dragon series by Dav Pilkey.

I borrowed this book from the library.

The Duckling Gets a Cookie?!
by Mo Willems
Disney Press
April 2012

Hahahahaha! This latest installment of the Pigeon saga has our hero completely indignant that SOME birds seem to get everything they want -- just by asking! Imagine everyone's surprise when Duckling reveals the real reason for his request: so that he could give the cookie (with nuts) to Pigeon. Trademark bold lines, expressive characters and a zany sense of humor will satisfy any fan of this series.
I borrowed this book from the library.

Dini Dinosaur
by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Daniel Rood
HarperCollins Children's Book
March 2012

This book was so cute! This story combines bathtime with dinosaurs to very great effect. My only quibble (and it's a minor one) is that I wasn't sure if the main character's name should be pronounced "Deeney" or "Dine-E" The story seems to scan just as well either way - just pick a pronunciation and stick with it all the way through. Dini Dinosaur gets dirty and needs to take a bath before bedtime. After jumping in the tub fully clothed, he gradually takes off one layer after another. With a repeating rhyming refrain, "Dirty Dini Dinosaur splashed in the tub. He tried to wash... with a scrub-a-dub-dub!" this is sure to be a hit at storytime. It's up to Mama Dinosaur to finally set things to rights, giving him a thorough scrubbing before settling down for bed. Rood's crisp digital illustrations are large and easy to see from a distance - another reason why this makes such a great storytime selection.

I borrowed this book from the library.

All for Me and None for All
by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
April 2012

Greedy Gruntly pig wants to hog everything for himself. During a treasure hunt with friends, his attempts to outwit and beat them to the treasure all backfire, and he thinks he's left with nothing... until his friends show him that they saved a bag of treats just for him. Munsinger's watercolor illustrations seem a little reminiscent of David McPhail. This story was just a wee bit didactic for my tastes.

I borrowed this book from the library.

2 comments:

  1. I like the sound of Dini Dinosaur. Might help with our nightly bath-time struggles :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. such a lovely blog -- following :)

    ReplyDelete

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