Don't Trust Cats:Life Lessons from Chip the Dog by Dev Petty & Mike Bolt

Don't Trust Cats: Life Lessons from Chip the Dog 

by Dev Petty & Mike Bolt

Published January, 2024

Double Day Books for Young Readers

Hardcover

Picture Book

32 Pages

Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Goodreads Summary

Chip the dog from Don't Eat Bees is back, with more "wisdom" to share, including some hard-won life lessons about cats. From the favorite picture book comic duo of Dev Petty and Mike Boldt.Chip has been described as very smart and also a dog. And because he's a very good boy, he's going to share his tips on how to live your best life, Don't trust cats. Not even the little, fluffy ones with big eyes. Nohow, no meow.Trust the squirrel you always chase, trust grandpa (sure, he cheats at cards but he always has treats), and trust that skunk (he seems nice. What could possibly go wrong?). Do NOT trust cats, especially not Mittens.In this fabulously funny pet story, dog AND cat lovers will enjoy seeing their own fur-friends in Chip's earnest yet ridiculous guide to life. Also Don't Eat Bees (Life Lessons from Chip the Dog)

My Thoughts

Super FUN! Kids will love this book. Chip is an endearing character who gets into mischief and shares a unique dog's view of the world. The illustrations and text style work well to depict the playful nature of the book. Children will enjoy discussing how Chip interprets situations versus what is really happening. 

      Image from Amazon.com 

I will definitely be adding this book to my K-5 school library. 

School Library Journal Review

Cowhide-and-Seek by Sheri Dillard and Jess Pauwels

Cowhide-and-Seek
by Sheri Dillard
Illustrated by Jess Pauwels
Published May, 2019
Running Press kids
Picture Book
Hardcover
Fiction
32 Pages
Review copy provided by publisher


Goodreads Summary
A fun and humorous picture book, perfect for fans of Click, Clack, Moo.
Where, oh where, could Bessie be? When Bessie hears the farmer counting his cows, she thinks he's starting a game of hide-and-seek. She hurries off to hide, determined to be the winner- but she's the only one playing! When her "hiding spot" walks away, she follows it . . . right off the farm! Ready or not, here comes the farmer! Will Bessie find the perfect place to hide?

My Thoughts

Kids love a good game of hide and seek. Imagine how they will enjoy watching Bessie and she tries to hide in plain sight. It reminds me of how toddlers play hide and seek as they crouch behind a small object and think that they can't be seen. This book is silly and fun. The illustrations are well done with mostly stark white backgrounds with colorful diverse characters. 

Kids from toddlers to age 5 will enjoy this book. 

Image from Amazon.com

See what others have to say about this book:

Kirkus

The Baby Bookworm Blog
Visit Sheri Dillard's website
Visit Jess Pauwels website

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? April 22, 2019

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

I have not posted an IMWAYR post in ages. 

Here are some books I have read recently. 

Currently Reading

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? November 26, 2018

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here is my reading from the past few weeks. Click on the book covers to learn more about the books.

What are you reading friends? 

Eraser by Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant

Eraser 
by Anna Kang 
Illustrated by Christopher Weyant
Published Sept. 1, 2018 
Two Lions
Hardcover Picture Book
Fiction

Goodreads Summary
Eraser is always cleaning up everyone else’s mistakes. Except for Ruler and Pencil Sharpener, none of the other school supplies seem to appreciate her. They all love how sharp Pencil is and how Tape and Glue help everyone stick together. Eraser wants to create so that she can shine like the others. She decides to give it a try, but it’s not until the rubber meets the road that Eraser begins to understand a whole lot about herself.

Inspired by a school essay their daughter Kate wrote in the third grade, the author and illustrator behind Theodor Seuss Geisel Award–winner You Are (Not) Small have created a desktop drama about figuring out who you are, finding happiness, and the importance of second, third, and maybe even fourth chances.

My Thoughts
This book tackles the themes of finding ones purpose and value and puts it in the cutest book! Poor eraser thinks that she meant for more than just being on the "cleanup crew".  She is snubbed by some of the other school tools for not being creative so she decides to leave and ends up in the trash bin. There she meets several rough drafts who sing her praises and show her how valuable she really is. 
I really enjoyed this story and I think kids will too. It reminded me a lot of one of my favorites, Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal where exclamation mark feels that he is inferior to all the other forms of punctuation. This story lends itself to lots of discussion or debate with young readers. 
The illustrations are fabulous with each school tool character having a unique personality. Pencil feels superior since he is called upon to create. Glue sneezes a lot because he is all "clogged up", and scissors makes sure to always walk. 
The ending is very satisfying as the team of tools works together to create a great project. 

I would recommend this book most for grades 2-4. 

Check out the book trailer.

See what others have to say about this book:

Kirkus

Kidlit Frenzy

Reading Rumpus

Visit Anna Kang's Website.

Activity kit here. 

Am I Yours? by Alex Latimer

Am I Yours? 
by Alex Latimer
Published Sept. 1, 2018
Peachtree Publishers
Hardcover Picture Book
Fiction
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
A heartwarming story of community, family, and finding your way home
A group of friendly dinosaurs helps a lost egg search for its parents after it's been blown out of its nest. But if the little egg is to be reunited with its family, first they must discover what kind of dinosaur lies inside. What does that egg look like inside its shell? Surely, there must be a way to tell!
This fun and unique tale featuring Alex Latimer's signature bold art style will keep dinosaur lovers and fans of Are You My Mother? enthusiastically following along and guessing who is inside the shell.

My Thoughts

Poor little dinosaur egg just wants to find his parents. But time after time he is found by other kinds of dinosaurs. 
Told in rhyming verse, it makes for a fun and interesting read aloud. 
Alex Latimer exposes young readers to rich vocabulary throughout this tale. For example, they will read words like beneath, lovingly, trotting, and ambled. Each dinosaur describes themselves to the little egg. Some have crests, long necks and LOTS of teeth, but none of them look like the dinosaur inside the little egg. Kids will be on the edge of their seats to see if baby dinosaur finds his folks.
The illustrations are bright and colorful with mixed textures.The dinosaurs are not scary, but not overly cutesy. 

Image from http://peachtree-online.com/staff/seasonal/pdfs/Yours30440.pdf

I would recommend this book for grades K-2. It would make a great companion to Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman. 

See what others have to say about this book:

Kirkus

Sammy's Spooktacular Halloween by Mike Petrik

Sammy's Spooktacular Halloween 
by Mike Petrik
Published July, 2018
Two Lions
Hardcover Picture Book
Fiction
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Sammy loves Halloween: the candy, the pumpkins, the scares. So when he gets the chance to be in charge of the family’s next haunted house, he gets right to work—even though it’s only November. Suddenly Sammy’s inventions are scare-ifying his family day and night, even on Christmas and Easter! Sammy knows he’s on his way to making a spooktacular haunted house, but his family isn’t so sure they can take a full year of his tricks…


My Thoughts
Oh boy does Sammy love Halloween! He is determined to make Halloween last all year long and goes a bit overboard with some of his scary tricks. After he puts out the 4th of July barbecue with water while pretending to be Frankenstein, his family has finally had enough. His siblings decide that not all of his ideas were bad and they team up to work together to create the best haunted house by Halloween.

The cartoonish illustrations will be very appealing to young readers. The characters have big heads and eyes on thinner bodies and the pages are filled with bright color.

I would recommend Sammy's Spooktacular Halloween most for grades 1-3.

Check out the book trailer.

See what others have to say about this book:
Kirkus
Publishers Weekly

Lost in the Library by Josh Funk and Stevie Lewis

Lost in the Library 
by Josh Funk 
Illustrated by Stevie Lewis
Expected publication August 28, 2018
Henry Holt/Macmillan
Fiction 
Picture book
40 pages
Review advanced copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Holt has bought Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience and Fortitude, written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Stevie Lewis, about the two lions who faithfully guard the New York Public Library. When Patience goes missing, Fortitude realizes the secret to Patience's disappearance may be within the Library itself.
Lost in the Library is the first picture book that Macmillan plans to publish in partnership with the New York Public Library; it’s scheduled for publication in 2018.

My Thoughts

As a book nerd, I hope to have the opportunity to visit the New York Public Library one day. After reading this book I feel like I have been able to get a bit of a peek inside of it. It is obvious that Josh Funk and illustrator Stevie Lewis know the library well. Clearly they have done their research and include illustrations and descriptions of the different and well-known rooms, statues and artwork inside.
I have read most of Josh Funk's books and one of his hallmarks is incorporating higher level vocabulary within rhyming verse. Readers will be exposed to rich vocabulary such as, impeccably, adorning, ensued, and cherished as they watch Fortitude look for his companion Patience.  Young ones will enjoy how the suspense builds with each turn of the page. Will Patience be found before people start arriving so they both can take their posts outside the library? 

The illustrations are great! The soft colors and light make it feel like the library might feel very early in the morning. 

Image from https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250155016

I would recommend Lost in the Library for ages 4-8. 

Check out this great video.

See what others have to say about this book:

Publishers Weekly

Kirkus

Check out more books by Josh Funk here. 
Visit Stevie Lewis' website.

A Round of Robins by Katie Hesterman and Sergio Ruzzier

A Round of Robins 
by Katie Hesterman 
Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier 
Published March, 2018
Nancy Paulsen Books
Hardcover
Poetry
40 pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Sixteen fresh and funny poems welcome a new batch of robins to the world!
Food Fight
Jumble, jostle, rumble, squirm;
Dad has landed with a worm.
Game of tug-of-war begins--
Biggest bossy baby wins.

Mama's a skillful architect, constructing a sturdy nest, while Dad's a champion turf defender. And those hatchlings! Such fluffs of plump perfection!
Katie Hesterman's vibrant verse celebrates this awesome circle of bird life, as we follow a pair of robin parents from nest-building and egg-laying, to raising their hungry hatchlings, and finally sending off their flying fledglings. Sergio Ruzzier's brilliant, candy-colored art pays tribute to all these stages of a robin's life cycle, reminding us that while robins may be common, they are also extraordinary!

My Thoughts
This book chronicles Mama and Papa bird's journey to raise their little brood from nest construction to becoming empty nesters.  The book is written mostly in rhyming quatrains that are fun to read aloud. They are set in a variety of formats around the pages surrounded by the excellent illustrations.  Some pages contain wide landscapes full of color from edge to edge. Others show more of a close up view of isolated illustrations. The birds are adorable and kids get to watch their development from inside the egg to their first flight. What a great way to learn about the life cycle of robins!

Image from: https://www.amazon.com/Round-Robins-Katie-Hesterman/dp/0399547789

I would highly recommend A Round of Robins for your classroom, school or public library. It would be an fabulous addition to a poetry collection, part of a life cycle or bird unit. 

Pair with other fiction and nonfiction about robins. 

  

See what others have to say about this book:
Kirkus
Publishers Weekly

Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal

Alma and How She Got Her Name 
by Juana Martinez-Neal
Published April, 2018
Candlewick Press
Picture Book
Hardcover
Fiction
32 Pages

Goodreads Summary
What's in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be.
If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.

My Thoughts

It was not until I reached adulthood that I finally began to appreciate my name. People call me Gigi because that is the nickname my grandmother gave me when I was born. She thought my parents had given me a name that was too long for a baby. My given name is Georgianna. My kindergarten name tag was really long and I had a hard time learning how to spell it. My classmates had names like Kimberly and Nichole or Julie. I was ashamed of my long name that was so different. I was named after a lovely longtime friend of the family and I can now appreciate where my name came from and I like that it is not like everyone else. However, I could totally relate to little Alma who wasn't happy with her long name. 

I love how her father described each ancestor for whom she is named and Alma's reaction as she learned more about them. The names did seem to fit after all. The author gives the reader so much to examine in the illustrations. In each ancestor illustration there is a resemblance or a mannerism that can be seen in Alma. 

This book could spark some interesting discussions about names and how they originated with children at home or with students at school.  

I would recommend it most to ages 3-7. 

See what others have to say about this book:

Publishers Weekly-Starred review

Kirkus

Social Justice Books

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? July 23, 2018

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here is my reading from the past two weeks. Click on the book covers to learn more about the books. 

Finished

Read

Great new middle grade. Excellent for grades 4-5!

Sweet story of a special friendship. Grades 4-6. 

I have been getting many of my picture book ideas from my friend Michele Knott's blog Mrs. Knott's Book Nook. You should definitely go visit. 

A fun new interactive book for little ones. Ages 3-6.

Very sweet. Grades K-2

5 stars for this wonderful picture book. The grandmother is amazing! Ages 3-7

Another great story of acceptance. Ages 3-7

Currently Reading

And loving it!

Listening

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Pink is for Boys by Robb Pearlman and Eda Kaban

Pink is for Boys 
by Robb Pearlman and Eda Kaban
Published June 5, 2018
Running Press
Fiction
40 pages
Review copy (F&G) was provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Pink is for boys . . . and girls . . . and everyone! This timely and beautiful picture book rethinks and reframes the stereotypical blue/pink gender binary and empowers kids-and their grown-ups-to express themselves in every color of the rainbow. Featuring a diverse group of relatable characters, Pink Is for Boys invites and encourages girls and boys to enjoy what they love to do, whether it's racing cars and playing baseball, or loving unicorns and dressing up. Vibrant illustrations help children learn and identify the myriad colors that surround them every day, from the orange of a popsicle, to the green of a grassy field, all the way up to the wonder of a multicolored rainbow.

Parents and kids will delight in Robb Pearlman's sweet, simple script, as well as its powerful message: life is not color-coded.

My Thoughts

How often have we heard kids (and adults) talk about colors like pink and purple being "girl" colors or associated with femininity?
This book reinforces the concept that colors do not have a gender specificity and ALL colors are for ALL people. 
The repeating text is sparse, but effective. Children will quickly be able to learn the story and read it themselves. 
However, the illustrations by Eda Kaban really bring this book to life. Each page is depicted in the color being showcased and the last pages put all the beautiful colors together. The characters are simply adorable with many ethnicities and abilities being represented so children will find someone that looks like them. 

I would happily share this story to kids ages 2-6

See what others have to say about this book. 

Publishers Weekly

Kirkus

Unleashing Readers

Anna and Johanna by Geraldine Elschner and Florence Koenig

Anna and Johanna 
by Geraldine Elschner and Florence Koenig
Published February, 2018
Prestel Publishing
Hardcover
Picture Book
32 Pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Although one is the daughter of a wealthy Dutch family and the other a household servant, Anna and Johanna become friends. Born on the same day, they celebrate their joint birthdays by making gifts for each other. But then a letter arrives that changes their lives forever. Told against the backdrop of the 17th-century Dutch city of Delft and its thriving commercial and artistic culture, this story of an unlikely friendship echoes the themes of Vermeer's luminous depiction of domestic life. Florence Koenig's brightly colored illustrations evoke Vermeer's style through the city's multifaceted landscapes, from misty mornings by the canals to busy households preparing for a special day. Young readers will be fascinated by this uplifting story of friendship inspired by Jan Vermeer.

My Thoughts

This beautiful book was translated from the original French version. Each page looks like a painting in a museum. You can actually see the brush strokes on the page. I found this fictional story, inspired by two of Jan Vermeer's paintings, to be quite interesting. Readers will like the twist in the story and the satisfying ending. 

I really like how this book ties art with story. It would be fun to show two paintings to students and have them create a story using the images for inspiration. 

The back matter tells more about Vermeer, how works and more about the two paintings that inspired the book.

The book is not a short picture book to read and I struggled a bit with the font size and style. While it is listed for ages 4-8 I would recommend it for slightly older readers ages 6-10. 

See what others have to say about this book.

Katie Reviews Books

Kiss the Book

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? May 14, 2018

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Not a lot this week, but I am hoping to have more reading time this week. 
Click on the covers to learn more about each book. 

Yes, it is as cute as it looks. Review tomorrow. 

Currently Reading

Up Next

What are you reading friends?