The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats - 4 Stars

 “The Snowy Day” is a very simple story about a boy, Peter who ventures outside after a night of snow fall. He makes tracks in the snow, he builds a snowman, he slides down a snowy mountain, and he has many other adventures in the newly fallen snow. I can understand why toddlers love the simplicity of the story, but older children will find it dull and tedious. I would like to give this classic children's picture book a 5-star rating but honestly it is a 4-star story. 

Published In: 1962
Publisher: Puffin
Age Level: 1-5 years                                                             
AR Level: 2.5
Pages: 28
Awards: 1963 Caldecott Medal                   
Stars: 4

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback - 5 Stars

 Joseph’s overcoat is “old and worn”, so he makes a jacket out of it, then a vest and on and on it goes. By the end of the book, all he has left of his overcoat is a button, but he loses it and he has nothing. So, Joseph makes a book about the overcoat and the different forms it takes over the years. The moral of the story “you can always make something out of nothing”. My granddaughter laughed throughout the book, and she loved the bold and bright illustrations. 

Published In: 1999
Publisher: Viking
Age Level: 3-6 years                                                             
AR Level: 1.7
Pages: 33
Awards: 2000 Caldecott Medal                   
Stars: 5

Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express by Megan McDonald - 5 Stars

Stink and his friends, Webster and Sophie find three stray guinea pigs while building the Great Wall of China with cereal boxes. At a loss of what to do with them they take off to Mrs. Birdwistle’s, who owns the local pet store. When they get there, they find a lot more guinea pigs and they have all escaped from their cages. Once everything is put back in order Mrs. Birdwistle explains that she had rescued the animals from a lab testing facility for shampoo and perfume that was performing experiments on the guinea pigs. The friends decide to help Mrs. Birdwistle to find homes for all 101 animals. Can they find enough kids to adopt all of them? The story is funny and engaging. Elementary School readers will want more of Stink and friends once they have read one of these books. My grandkids are hooked on the series.

Published In: 2008
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Age Level: 6-9 years                                                             
AR Level: 3.7
Pages: 118
Series: 14 Books                                        
Stars: 5

The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths - 5 Stars

 “The 13-Story Treehouse” is so ridiculous that every chapter makes you belly-laugh. It has just the right kind of humor for 7–12-year-old boys. Andy and Terry live in the 13-story treehouse which has many cool rooms and gadgets. They are constantly experimenting or building something, flying cats, giant bananas, sea monsters or enormous gorillas. They also write funny books and are working under a deadline to get one completed. Will they get their next book written on time or will they have to save the world? All three of my grandsons enjoyed the antics of Andy and Terry. Not only is the story wacky but the illustration back up all the shenanigans.

 

Published In: 2013

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Age Level: 7-12 years                                                         

AR Level: 3.8

Pages: 239                                                 

Stars: 5

Series: 13 Books

Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures The Mount Rushmore Calamity by Sara Pennypacker - 3 Stars

I read the original Flat Stanley books with both my children and grandchildren, which we all really enjoyed. Now Flat Stanley (he’s flat because a bulletin board fell on him) goes on worldwide adventures with his family. These books do not compare with the first books in the series. They do provide the reader with historical content and geography information, but they lack depth. The plots are predictable and the characters are too goody-two-shoes. I advise sticking to the original Flat Stanley.

Published In: 2009
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc
Level: 6-8 years
AR Level: 4.4
Pages: 71                                                   
Stars: 3
Series: 15 Books

Tackylocks And The Three Bears by Helen Lester - 4 Stars

Tacky and his friends are a waddle of penguins, and they are going to put on a play for Mrs. Beakly’s school. They will be preforming Goldilocks (Tackylocks) And The Three Bears. When it’s time for the play to start the penguins are rambunctious and cannot settle down. Will Tacky’s unusual portrayal of Goldilocks keep the audience entertained. It’s a cute book but first get one of these books in the series from the library to see if it will captivate your child.       

Published In: 2002

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Age Level: 4-7 years

AR Level: 3.3

Pages: 32                                                   

Stars: 4

Series: 10 Books

The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay The Pirate by Scott Nash -3 Stars

Wish I had read the reviews about this book before purchasing. It is not my cup of tea. First, I am not a fan of animals taking on human attributes. The birds in this book are pirates, farmers, villagers, and guards. Food is running low for the sparrows (non-pirate) and they have to protect their supplies from the marauding Blue Jay pirate.  Second, I hate birds, I have had a fear of birds since childhood. This was not the book for me, I only got through 4 chapters. Maybe other readers will find the adventures of Blue Jay more entertaining.

Published In: 2012
Publisher: Candlewick Press
AR Level:5.5
Age Level: 7-11 years
Pages: 212                                            
Stars: 3
 

Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade by Stephanie Greene - 4 Stars

Posey is not ready for the first grade. Two things scare her, first she must enter the school by herself. Everybody knows there is a monster in the “Blue Hall” which is the hall all first graders have to go down to get to their classrooms and monsters frighten her. Second, her mother will not let her wear her favorite tutu. The tutu makes her feel special and she can do anything when she is wearing it. How will Posey survive the first day of school?

My 8-year-old granddaughter is in second grade but the reading level for this chapter book is 2.9, so I decided to see if it would appeal to her. Surprise, surprise she liked it. Not a great read but enough humor and “how does Posey get out of this fix?” to keep my granddaughter interested. A 4 out of 5 stars from this grandmother.

Published In: 2010
Publisher: Putnam
Age Level: 6-8 years
AR Level: 2.9
Pages: 82
Stars: 4
Series: 12 Books

It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach - 5 Stars

 

A “poor unfortunate man” lives in a one-room hut with his family, a wife, six kids and his mother. The hut is very crowded, there is a lot of fighting, crying and noise. The poor man has had enough, he goes to the Rabbi for advice.  The Rabbi tells him to slowly bring all his farm animals into the hut. Things just get worse. Finanly when he could stand it no longer, he goes back to the Rabbi who tells him to put all the animals back outside. Then all of sudden the poor man’s life did not seem so bad. The moral, be thankful for what you have, it could always be worse. The story has a very serious message, but the silly illustrations give the book much needed humor. I liked the book more than my 8-year-old granddaughter, but I thought the point of the story so important that the book gets a 5-star review.

Published In: 1976
Publisher: Farr, Straus, Giroux
Age Level: 3-8 years
AR Level: 3.7
Pages: 26                                                   
Stars: 5
Awards: 1978 Caldecott Honor

Swimmy by Leo Lionni - 5 Stars

 

Swimmy, a fish gets separated from his school. They are eaten by a larger fish but Swimmy is faster than all his friends and he gets away. He is now on his own and he starts to travel throughout the ocean. He discovers amazing sights such as, “sea anemones, who look like pink palm tress swaying in the wind”. He eventually finds another school of fish like him, and he wants to share the fantastic sights with them. The school is too scared to leave their hiding place, can Swimmy figure out a way for them to travel without being eaten by a bigger fish?

“Swimmy” is an older book than I thought, it was first published in 1963. It’s over sixty years old. This book is one that has stood up to the test of time. Both my 4-year-old and 8-year-old granddaughters loved the book. Rarely do they both like the same book so it’s a win, win for my family.

Published In: 1963
Publisher: Knopf
Age Level: 2-8 years
AR Level: 2.9
Pages: 28
Stars: 5
Awards: 1964 Caldecott Honor

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems - 5 Stars

Wilbur is different than all the other mole rats, he does not go about his day naked like his friends. He likes to wear clothes. All kinds of clothes fancy, funny and cool. The other mole rats do not understand his love of clothes. When the Grand-pah of the mole rats makes a proclamation will it be for or against clothes?

“Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed” is a classic children’s book. It is one of those books that needs to be in every child’s home library. There will be lots of giggles when read and the book has an important message, it’s ok to be different. A favorite of the grandkids.

Published In: 2009
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Age Level: 2-9 years
AR Level: 2.8
Pages: 536
Stars: 5

Green Wilma by Tedd Arnold -4 Stars

 

When Wilma wakes up, she has turned green and wants to eat flies. She has turned into frog. Her parents don’t know what to do and before they can figure something out, she has taken off for school. At school she engages in very funny antics which all preschoolers will enjoy. When she starts munching on flies the principle chases her out the doors. Wilma ends up in a pond asleep on a log. When she woke up, she had been dreaming about being chased by a fish. Was Wilma a little girl dreaming about being a frog or a frog dreaming about being a little girl? I got mixed reviews from my grandchildren on this picture book the 7-year-old was not impressed and did not like the ending. The 4-year-old giggled throughout the story. So, in the end it gets a 4-star review.

Published In: 1993
Publisher: Dial/Delacorte
Age Level: 2-7 years
AR Level: 2.8
Pages: 28
Stars: 4

The Hallo-Weiner by Dav Pilkey - 4 Stars

Oscar is a dachshund and as you can expect all the other dogs call him “Wiener Dog”. This upsets him but not today because it’s Halloween and he is excited about the scary costume he is going to make when he gets home. When he arrives home his mother has a surprise costume already for him, a giant hot dog bun. Oh no! He can’t hurt his mother’s feelings, so he wears the costume and when he goes out to trick or treat all the other dogs laugh at him. When the dogs are returning home a “ghastly monster” comes out of the graveyard scaring all the dogs, will Oscar be able to save them? The moral of the story heroes come in all shapes and sizes. A favorite book to read to my grandchildren in October.

Published In: 1995
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Age Level: 3-67 years
AR Level: 3.2
Pages: 30
Stars: 4

Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang - 5 Stars

How can Jim the chimpanzee be in such a grumpy mood on such a beautiful day? He has a frown, he does not want to sing or swing, and he doesn’t want to laugh. All Jim’s friends are worried about him, but all kids know some days are just not that happy. With all Jim’s friends trying to cheer him up will it work? This classic picture book is a great way to get kids to open up about feeling sad. You do not have to feel happy all the time. This is one of my grumpy granddaughters favorite books.

Published In: 2018
Publisher: Random House
Age Level: 3-6 years
AR Level: 2.2
Pages: 32                                                   
Stars: 5

Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a Brave Dog Named Baltic by Monica Carnesi - 5 Stars

 

“Little Lost Dog” is a heartwarming story that all children will fall in love with. The book starts out with children playing in the snow by the Vistula River, when they spot something in the water. It is a dog adrift on the ice. With the help of firefighters, they try to rescue the dog, but the river is too fast. The dog continues its journey down the river and out to the Baltic Sea. The dog spotted by a ship, will the sailors be able to save him? This is a true story that will become a favorite book with your preschooler.

Published In: 2012    
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen
Age Level: 3-7 years
AR Level: 1.5
Pages: 32                                                   
Stars: 5

 

The Popcorn Book by Tomie dePaola - 4 Stars

 Many kids enjoy eating popcorn as a treat but leaning the history of popcorn is not as enjoyable. Tomie de Paola is a fantastic children’s author, but this book is not one of my favorites. Tiny and Tony, twins decide to make some popcorn, one takes on the task of making the treat. The other does some research on the history of popcorn. Tiny then presents a long list of popcorn facts. The facts might be interesting when the book is initially read but it will not be asked for again. Get this one from the library.

Published In: 1978
Publisher: Holiday House
Age Level: 4-8 years
AR Level: 4.3
Pages: 28                                                   
Stars: 4

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson - 5 Stars

 

Harold and his purple crayon leave his bedroom to go for a walk in the moonlight. Using his crayon and his imagination he visits a forest, he is frightened by a dragon, goes swimming in the ocean and has many other adventures. A great book to talk to your children about using their imagination. The book is over seventy years old, and it has aged well along with remaining relevant. A classic that belongs in every household.

Published In: 1955    
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
Age Level: 2-6 years
AR Level: 3.0
Pages: 60                                                   
Stars: 5

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin - 5 Stars

“Diary of a Worm” is a picture book full of giggles. It’s a favorite of all six of my grandkids. I can read it over and over and it will make me laugh every time. A school age worm writes in his diary and tells the reader about his everyday life, school, friends and home. Who knew that a worm’s life could be so funny. Get this book for your child’s home library.

Published In: 2003
Publisher: Joanna Cotler Books
Age Level: 3-7 years
AR Level: 2.8
Pages: 40
Stars: 5
Series: 4 Books

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon - 5 Stars

A bat called Stellaluna finds herself in a bird’s nest, with three baby birds in it after her mother is attacked by an owl. The Mama bird raises Stellaluna as one of her own, teaching her to fly, eat bugs, sleep at night and not to hang upside down. One day Stellaluna flies further than her adopted family and suddenly she is all alone. She falls asleep hanging by her thumbs when a group of bats find her, will her real mother be among the group? This is a great story of acceptance and welcoming those into your family even if they don’t look or act like you. A fantastic message for any child at any age.

Published In: 1993
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Age Level: 2-8 years
AR Level: 3.5
Pages: 48
Stars: 5
 

Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks - 5 Stars

 

Sometimes an offer can be too good to be true. Al, a janitor and his dog Eddie find that out the hard way. Al and Eddie are struggling with money and Al with his job, in their one room on the West Side. When a bird appears at the window offering to take them to place with “No worries, no cares”. They accept the offer and are carried off to a wonderful island with waterfalls, rolling hills and all the food they can eat but soon they find out that it comes with a price. The story of Al and Eddie is a great way to teach children to appreciate what they have without being preachy.

Published In: 1986    
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, Giroux
Age Level: 4-8 years
AR Level: 2.1
Pages: 32                                                   
Stars: 5
Awards: 1987 Caldecott Honor

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin - 5 Stars

 

Children’s picture books do not get any better than this story. The cows in the barn have found a way to communicate with Farmer Brown by using an old typewriter. They are cold at night and have asked Farmer Brown for electric blankets. After some negotiations they get the blankets and soon more farm animals are making requests, where will it end? A classic book that will make all preschoolers giggle.

Published In: 2000            
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc,   
Age Level: 2-6 years
AR Level: 2.3
Pages: 40                                                   
Stars: 5
Awards: 2001 Caldecott Honor

Children Make Terrible Pets By Peter Brown - 5 Stars

A very funny book about a bear the adopts a boy as a pet. What could go wrong? All six of my grandchildren have loved reading this story. The book is another Peter Brown book that belongs on all children’s bookshelves.

Published In: 2010            
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.                                  
Age Level: 3-7 years
AR Level: 1.8
Pages: 40                                                   
Stars: 5