Leaves are falling, and the days are getting shorter and colder—Halloween is coming soon! The Dino friends are very excited for the Halloween season. They go together to select the perfect pumpkins from the pumpkin patch; some find their pumpkins right away, while others agonize over the myriad options. Then, the dinosaurs brave the haunted house, with its spooky inhabitants and hair-raising scares. As Halloween gets closer, the dinosaurs work together to assemble their perfect costumes in time for the big Halloween bash. Finally, it is the time everyone has been waiting for: trick-or-treating! Striking out together, the Dino friends traverse the neighborhood, collecting treats of all kinds throughout the evening. Emptying their bags of candy into their bellies, they somehow find themselves thinking about the next delicious holiday – Thanksgiving! Fans of the Dino holiday books will enjoy this Halloween addition. Like the others, this book is written in rhyming couplets interspersed with truncated names of the featured dinosaurs. These dinosaur names are typed in differing colors and bold text to help readers distinguish them from the other words. Preschool and young elementary school-aged readers will appreciate the sing-song rhythm of the story, despite the occasional hiccup in pacing. Richly-colored, digitally-created illustrations form the backdrop of each page, mirroring the illustrative style of the other books in this series. Viewing beloved dinosaurs in familiar human experiences makes the story accessible to young readers, especially those who love dinosaurs already. Children will want to read this book frequently, and it will no doubt inspire ideas for Halloween-themed activities as the holiday approaches. This is a fun and friendly addition to Halloween read-aloud collections for young children.
Up on Bob
By: Mary Sullivan
Reviewed by: Heather Christensen
A cat and dog must negotiate their napping spaces in this comical picture book. After Bob, a portly Dachshund, arranges a neatly made child’s bed into a not-so-neat, but much more comfortable nest, he is ready for a day of napping … until a perky kitten pounces on the bed and puts its own spin on the hard work of creating a perfect napping spot. The digitally-rendered illustrations are full of expression and whimsy. Bob’s look of satisfaction as he gazes around at the destroyed children’s room looks remarkably similar to a general overseeing a winning battlefield, and his look of weary patience as he endures the kitten climbing over him and kneading his fur is hysterical. The text is brief but perfectly paced. Sullivan tells a delightful story of friends whose actions seem at cross purposes, but in the end, seamlessly align. Fans of Sullivan’s succinct storytelling will not be disappointed by this latest tale.
Dear Professor Whale By: Megumi Iwasa
Illustrated by: Jun Takabatake
Reviewed by: David Bove
Professor Whale is the only whale left at Whale point. He has the respect of the other animals who live nearby, but all of his friends have moved on, and he feels lonely just reminiscing about the good old days and his championship outings in the Whale Olympics. Thinking that new connections will perk him up, Professor Whale sends out letters with the delivery seal in an attempt to meet new animals from different parts of the world. The only response he receives is from Wally, a young whale from Otto Island.
Professor Whale is disappointed at first since he was hoping to hear from someone more exotic, but his interest is piqued when he learns that Wally is the grandson of one of his old friends who left Whale Point long ago. Wally grew up hearing stories of the Whale Olympics, and Professor Whale is inspired to organize a new round of the games after hearing how much Wally was moved by the stories his grandfather told him. Getting everything in order for the event turns out to be just the thing to enliven Professor Whale and jolt him out of his old routines. The Whale Olympics even bring some old faces back to Whale Point, and Professor Whale is happy to have other whales around.
Iwasa’s sweet parable about the value of friends and kindness to others is sure to charm. Her story, presented here in a pitch-perfect translation by Cathy Hirano, is full of warm, likable characters who are consistently kind to one another in a way that feels heartwarming, rather than saccharine. Takabatake’s illustrations are a perfect complement, their childlike simplicity adding to the sense of coziness to the story. Dear Professor Whale builds on the characters that Iwasa introduced in Yours Sincerely, Giraffe, though this book stands on its own. Whether readers are new to the series or not, both children and adults will appreciate this cheerful story.
Cat lovers prepare yourself for 9 fun picture books featuring your favorite pet.
Cat Secrets
By: Jef Czekaj
Important secrets about how best to live a cat’s life will be revealed only to those who can prove that they are genuine cats.
Fuddles
By: Frans Vischer
When Fuddles the cat escapes from his house and goes to explore the great outdoors, his adventure is more taxing than he expected it to be.
How the Cat Swallowed Thunder
By: Lloyd Alexander
Illustrated by: Judith Byron Schachner
Warned not to get into his usual mischief, Mother Holly’s cat tries to tidy up all the mess he has made while she is away.
Miss Hazeltine’s Home for Shy and Fearful Cats
By: Alicia Potter
Illustrated by: Birgitta Sif
Miss Hazeltine opens her home to cats who need help learning how to be brave, and their new skills are put to use when she finds herself in a bind.
Mr. Pusskins: a love story
By: Sam Lloyd
Grumpy Mr. Pusskins hates doing ordinary cat things such as playing with his owner Emily but a night out on the streets in search of adventure makes him reconsider the advantages of a loving home.
If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
By: Laura Numeroff
Illustrated by: Felicia Bond
A series of increasingly far-fetched events might occur if someone were to give a cupcake to a cat.
Splat Says Thank You
By: Rob Scotton
Splat the Cat figures out how to let Seymour know that he’s thankful for their friendship, complete with humorous illustrations to prove it.
The Cat in the Hat
By: Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss’ cat invites students to use their imaginations to find ways to become self-sufficient in their use of time.
Skippyjon Jones
By: Judy Schachner
Skippyjon Jones is no ordinary kitten. Oh, no… He’s actually El Skippito, a great sword-fighting Chihuahua ready to battle banditos the world over! With a little imagination and a whole lot of fun, this frisky cat dons a mask and cape and takes on a bad bumble-beeto to save the day.
“Won’t you be my neighbor” is the familiar line from Mr. Rogers’ opening song on his popular television series. Many children live in neighborhoods and have interactions with those in their communities. This list focuses on how neighbors help each other in diverse ways to build each other up or improve their community. We’ve also thrown in a few funny neighborly titles. The books selected are ideal for primary and elementary grades.
A little boy promises his beloved friend, an elderly lady, that one day he will fix up her old house–and his words inspire the other people in the neighborhood to pitch in and get it done.
A young girl makes her way through an urban neighborhood filled with children playing, men debating, women cooking, and jazz music playing as her community gathers to celebrate “Neighbors’ Day.”
When seven-year-old Bean plays a mean trick on her sister, she finds unexpected support for her antics from Ivy, the new neighbor, who is less boring than Bean first suspected.
Cornelia, eleven-years-old and lonely, learns about language and life from an elderly new neighbor who has many stories to share about the fabulous adventures she and her sisters had while traveling around the world.
When a saxophone-playing dog moves in next door to a young girl, the girl is thrilled, but her parents, who do not like the noise or the other animals the dog attracts, feel otherwise.
Sheila comments on her neighbors’ energy-saving habits, like using a wood stove in the winter and drying clothes on a clothesline instead of in the dryer, but she likes their home-grown fruits and vegetables and enjoys making popcorn on the wood stove with them.
A series of portraits describe a narrator’s whimsically eccentric neighbors, from Mrs. McQueen and Fifi LaPointe to Johnny Deck and Lightfingers Louie.
When Mr. Happy moves next door to Miss Grimm and begins planting gardens and making friendly gestures, Miss Grimm is not pleased but soon, she feels something strange taking over her bleak little house.
A cheerful repairman fixes squeaky doors, leaky roofs, and crumbling fences for his neighbors, who return the kindness when he catches a terrible cold.
