Review: Dill and Bizzy - an Odd Duck and a Strange Bird, by Nora and Lisa Ericson

9780062304520

Dill is a duck. A perfectly ordinary duck. At least that’s what he thinks. Then he meets Bizzy, a strange bird. Bizzy seems to think that Dill is actually an odd duck! Together, they find that they’re even more extra-ordinary than they could have imagined.

Perfect for anyone who has ever felt a little odd or a tad strange, this delightfully offbeat picture book celebrates the joy of finding a friend who lets you march (or waddle!) to the beat of your own drum.

Yep, Dill is a perfectly ordinary duck. Who can't swim. But who can ride a unicycle and juggle peanuts. Ordinary peanuts, of course. In fact, everything Bizzy invites Dill to do, he does with an extra flair - all the while proclaiming how ordinary he is. Young readers will see what he doesn't, and hopefully internalize the message that we are all a little bit odd, and that's a great thing to be!

Review: Duck Duck Dinosaur, by Kallie George and Oriol Vidal

9780062353085

Three eggs in a nest begin to wiggle and wobble, until CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! 

It’s a duck . . . duck . . . DINOSAUR! 

Meet Feather, Flap, and Spike. They’re three unlikely siblings who each want to stand out. But together, they make the biggest splash! Perfect for families of all kinds, this playful, clever story has a dino-sized heart.

Nothing makes a librarian quite as happy as finding the perfect book to fit a request. Someone was just asking me for a book about showing off to get attention, and here came this one! These three siblings are continually trying to show they are the sweetest, the funniest, etc. - with some over-the-top results on the largest sibling's part. Fortunately, Mama Duck doesn't single anyone out, but is delighted with all her offspring. In the end they decide "They were all the best. The best family." 

Review: Goose Goes to the Zoo, by Laura Wall

I said back in June that I thought we would be seeing more of Goose and Sophie, and here they are!

9780062324412

Join Sophie and Goose in an all-new adventure! Sophie and Goose are best friends. But Sophie is worried that Goose gets lonely while she's at school. What if Sophie found Goose another friend to play with?

Add these illustrations to pictures I would love to see on a nursery wall. Are they too sweet, or what?! Sophie reminds me of my Logan, thinking about how someone else might be feeling, and willing to give something up himself to make someone else happy. Fortunately, even though Duck eventually finds some wonderful new friends, it doesn't take away from his special friendship with Sophie! Another must-have for your library!

Review: Girl an Gorilla Out and About, by Rick Walton and Joe Berger

9780062278913

Girl and Gorilla are best friends. Girl and Gorilla want to play at the park. But how will they get there? They can . . . Hopscotch! Or jump rope! Maybe they can just close their eyes and wish they were there! But when they open their eyes . . . they are not at the park. Will Girl and Gorilla ever get to play at the park?

You can never go wrong with goofiness in a children's book, and there is plenty of goofiness here. Girl would be the straight man in this comedic routine, while Gorilla is every silly toddler in the world. My mind immediately went to extensions like having kids come up with other ways (realistic and not-so-much) to get to the park. Or, to the moon - the other play option given - or any other places you can dream up. Maybe a keep-em-busy in the car or in the check-out line activity?

Then again, if your kids are like mine, they will likely just glom onto the recurring line, "You don't have a tail," and run around shrieking that instead. Either way, the goofy story and expressive pictures (by the gentleman who illustrated Dot - I thought the girl looked familiar!) will require more than one reading!

Review: Ella and the Penguin Stick Together by Megan Maynor and Rosalinde Bonnet

9780062330888

Ella has a surprise for Penguin—glow-in-the-dark stickers! But to see the stickers glow, Ella and Penguin must be in the dark. And the dark is so . . . dark! If only they could see the stickers glow in the light—but that won't work. Soon Ella and Penguin find out that if they stick together, they can face anything.

Don't you love when you open a new book, and meet someone you like instantly? In this case it is two someones! Ella and Penguin are adorable both in picture and in text, and the way they work together and encourage each other reminds me of my kids when they are at their sweetest (as opposed to when they are trying to drive each other up the wall). Any child (or adult-who-used-to-collect-stickers-and-trade-them-with-pen-pals) will immediately understand the draw of glow-in-the-dark stickers - and possibly dilemma of the scary closet as well!

Now, normally I detest gimmicky books, but how can they NOT publish this with a page of glow-in-the-dark stickers inside?! Make sure to grab some at the store before you bring this home - and possibly your very own stuffed penguin to have adventures with!

Review: Frankencrayon by Michael Hall

9780062252111

This picture book has been canceled.

Wait.

How can we be on the front flap of a canceled book?

Good question.

Okay, I have to admit, I never quite jumped on the The Day the Crayons Came Back, etc., bandwagon. I mean, they are cute stories, but just didn't grab me as being great read-alouds or anything. So, when this came in the mail, my brain put it in the same category, and it languished in my TBR pile.

Pay attention to authors, Ami!
This is Michael Hall, of It's an Orange Aardvark, one of my favorite story time go-tos, and Red: a Crayon's Story, another fun title!

Frankencrayon may be his funniest yet. A pencil narrates a cast of crayons (with three crayons together playing the title role - at points we see them sitting around in separate parts of the costume, much like every old movie with two people in an animal costume). Their story of 'what happened' will elicit plenty of giggles from young and old alike, with Frankencrayon providing the simple solution to their problem.

It is also perfectly set up to introduce your elementary school students to reader's theatre. Wouldn't this be better than some of those awful end-of-year programs? Can't you just see the kids dressed as different color crayons (easy to do with a pair of sweatpants, t-shirt, and electrical tape!) The visuals in the book themselves are sure to capture any reader's attention. 

A must-have book, and my deepest apologies to Mr. Hall for taking so long to review it! 

***This book has been nominated for the Cybils Awards, and I am a first-round panelist in this category. There are many other panelists, and many MANY other great nominees, so a good or bad review here does not necessarily predict placement on the shortlist. 

Review: I Love You Already! by Jory John and Benji Davies

9780062370952

Bear can't wait to spend a pleasant day by himself. His persistent next-door neighbor, Duck, wants to take a morning stroll . . . with Bear. He just wants Bear to like him already. . . .

I got a huge kick out of John's earlier book, Goodnight Already, so I was happy to see poor old Bear and irrepressible Duck were back again. Moms everywhere can probably identify with Bear's desire for just a LITTLE time all to himself. Duck is not a Mom.

"Take a look around, Bear! Who wants to be alone on a day like this?"

"Me."

I will be waiting for one where Bear tries to use the bathroom alone. Or eat something quietly over the sink after bedtime so Duck doesn't see him and want some, too.

You don't have to be a parent, though, to enjoy the combination of Duck's exuberance and Bear's monosyllabic responses - as well as Davies' illustrations (Bear's FACE!) A great addition to any children's collection.