Title: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Author: Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

Illustrator: Lois Ehlert

Age Group: 2-5 years old

The plot, in three sentences or less: The lowercase alphabet heads up a coconut tree, but things get a little crazy and everyone falls out! The uppercase alphabet comes to the rescue of their ‘little dears’. The story ends with lowercase ‘a’ daring everyone to join him in the coconut tree again.

The Good:

* A lot of ABC books leave much to be desired. This one is a winner.

* The rhythm of the poetry is so catchy. I always feel like I’m at open mike night at a beat cafe when I’m reading this to The Grumpkin.

* The illustrations are simple but striking and colorful. Totally lovely to look at.

The Bad:

* As a Canadian, it drives me kinda nuts that I have to say “zee” instead of “zed” when reading the story to make it rhyme properly. I know, I know. It’s a little thing. But still. I’m going to stick by my Canadian-ness and complain. And then promptly apologize.

* My mom had trouble reading this one. She didn’t get the whole ‘read it like beat poetry’ thing and tried reading it straight. The Grumpkin gave her a withering look and closed the book. My mother said, “I hate this book. It’s terrible.” I then showed her how to read it properly and she admitted “Wow, that’s really good when you read it right.” So read it right, parents/grandparents. Just get into it! You’re centre stage! Tap into your inner beatnik!

My Overall Opinion:

The Grumpkin (age 15 months) already recognizes the letter V (the first letter of her actual name). That’s a pretty ringing endorsement, right there. She also LOVES the alphabet at the end of the story, and enjoys waving along with the alphabet song (she’s not quite ready to sing it yet). So get your own copy and get reading, jive turkey.

Wait, that’s not right. Well, you get the idea.

Title: Goodnight, Gorilla

Author: Peggy Rathmann

Age Group: 1-3 years old

The plot, in three sentences or less: The zookeeper is saying goodnight to all the animals, but he’s being trailed by a sneaky gorilla who happens to have his key ring! All the animals follow the zookeeper right into his bedroom, and have to be escorted back to the zoo by the zookeeper’s wife. The gorilla, however, sneaks back into bed with them in the end.

The Good:

* This book has so few words, yet is so amazingly captivating. The Grumpkin has loved this one for about six months now.

* The art is colorful and adorable. I love the giraffe!

* The story is peaceful. It’s naturally conducive to going to bed.

* It’s a quick read. Trust me, after the eightieth time (in one night), this is appreciated.

* For the observant ones in the crowd, check out the journey the balloon takes (in the background of each page) while the story progresses. Nice touch!

The Bad:

* Truthfully, I’ve got nothing. This is a great book for the little ‘uns.

My Overall Opinion:

Definitely a super one for bedtime. The Grumpkin will, however, request this book at any point in the day. Her favourite page (by far) is the one where the wife realizes the animals are in the room with her. It’s the surprised expression that gets my gal giggling.

So pick it up. What are you waiting for? 🙂

Title: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Author: Mo Willems

Age Group: 2-5 years old

The plot, in three sentences or less: The pigeon REALLY wants to drive the bus, but the bus driver specifically asked you NOT to let him. So, you know, even if he asks a LOT (and he will), don’t let the pigeon drive the bus.

The Good:

* Everything Mo Willems does is brilliant. There, I said it. I am a HUGE fan, and I admit: I had this book years before I had The Grumpkin.
* This book is perfect because it allows a toddler to finally take the role of the person who gets to say ‘no’ all the time. The toddler is usually in the pigeon’s shoes, so this is a nice change.
* I love the art. I especially LOVE the “LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!” page. I still giggle at it. And I’ve read the book well over 100 times. So either I’m easily amused, or it’s awesome. Or maybe both.
* The Grumpkin thinks the whole story is just gosh-darn hilarious.

The Bad:

* Nothing to say here. I love the pigeon.

Extend it:
* The best thing about this book is the pigeon’s mercurial moods. We discuss the way he feels and how he has his ‘great big pigeon tantrum’ to get his way. The Grumpkin enjoys the tantrum immensely.

A little anecdote:
I was with The Grumpkin saying goodbye to my BFF at the bus station. As we were parting ways, a pigeon walked through. I pointed it out to The Grumpkin and said, “Look, that pigeon wants to drive that bus!” And I swear, she was delighted. She wouldn’t stop staring at the pigeon until we left. I guess she was either waiting to say no, or waiting for a great big pigeon tantrum.

My Overall Opinion:
No collection of kid lit is complete without this Caldecott Honor book. Get it now! Your life will be 100% richer in pigeons.

Title: Are You a Cow?

Author: Sandra Boynton

The plot, in three sentences: The reader is asked if they are a variety of animals. The answer is, of course, always no. The perceptive penguin at the end of the story realizes that the child is themselves – and that’s just great.

The audience: 6 months-2 years

The Good:

* The pictures are adorable, as they are in all Sandra Boynton books.

* The Grumpkin is a big fan of this one, especially the ending (and especially if it involves a tummy tickle).

* The bear in sunglasses. I’m a sucker for a bear in sunglasses.
The Bad:

* The only ‘bad’ thing is the fact that the chicken appears twice. Why not use a different animal the second time?

Extend it:

* We name each animal and discuss its features (“The chicken has white feathers! The bear has brown fur and very becoming sunglasses!”).

* We talk about what noises each animal makes as we read the story.

* We also ask “Is Daddy a cow?” “Is Mama a chicken?” (Only when it comes to the dentist.)

Overall: You need this adorable board book in your collection. Your munchkin will love it.

Title: Grumpy Bird

Author: Jeremy Tankard

Age Group: 1-4 years

The Plot, in three sentences or less: Bird wakes up in a really grumpy mood – so grumpy, in fact, that he can’t even fly. As he stomps past various friends (other animals), they decide to join him on his walk. In the end, Bird has such a great time on his constitutional that he forgets all about his bad mood.

The Good:
When we first got this book, The Grumpkin wasn’t feeling it, to be honest. Recently, though, it has become her go-to book. She loves the different animals (and the fact that each one has its own silly voice, courtesy of my husband and I) and she absolutely adores the page where Bird finally looks happy. She points at his face and smiles every time. Aw.

The Bad:
There really isn’t anything bad about this book; I love the art and the rhythm of the text and the story itself. It’s a great one to read (and read and read).

Extend it:

* We always talk about what each animal says (the noise they make).

* We also talk about the moods in the book; mostly Bird’s.

* Finally, we like to poke at the worm on the last page and discuss why a raccoon, sheep, fox, beaver and rabbit might not be so enthusiastic about having it for a snack. Great life lessons all around.

My Overall Opinion:

You need this one for your collection. Your little one will love it, trust me. Here’s a little link!

Title: Are You a Cow?

Author: Sandra Boynton

Age group: 6 months – 2 years

The plot, in three sentences or less:
The reader is asked whether they happen to be any one of a number of animals. Of course, the answer is always no. The final page declares that if they’re not an animal, they must be themselves – and that’s awesome.

The good:
As in all Sandra Boynton books, the simple pictures are adorable and fun. The Grumpkin especially likes the penguin and the hippos. The rhyming is charming and cute and after having read this book at LEAST fifty times (today), I can honestly say two things: one, I have the whole thing memorized and can’t get it out of my head. Two, I still really like the book.

The bad:
The only thing that drives me nuts about this book is the repetition of the chicken. The chicken starts the book and makes another appearance later. Why? I have no idea. Why not just use a different animal instead?

Extend it:

* When we go through the book, we name the animals and point out their features. The Grumpkin enjoys this very much.

* We also do a little tummy tickle at the end when the text says “YOU!”  The Grumpkin anticipates this and giggles every time.

* We practice saying (or in my daughter’s case, shaking her head) “No” after each question.

* We have talked about what each animal ‘says’ (as in, the noise they make). I admit, I had to make something up for the hippos.

My Overall Opinion:

This is a super-fun book for the little guys. If you don’t have it, get it.

Here’s a little link to get you started: http://www.amazon.com/Are-You-Cow-Sandra-Boynton/dp/1442417331

Hi! I’m Jess and I’ll be your book reviewer. Not just any old books, either! Children’s books. Kid lit. Picture books, middle readers, novels – the works!

I have absolutely no credentials to speak of, save for the fact that I taught elementary school, worked for 8 years on a children’s website as a writer, and aspire to have my own works published one day.

OK, so I have a few credentials.

Helping me along the way will be my little daughter who (for the purposes of internet anonymity) will be called “The Grumpkin.” She is presently 13 months old, but you better believe she has an opinion about what constitutes a good story (hint: it has rhyming words and colorful pictures).

I take requests, love to hear any kind of feedback, and would be more than happy to review your novel or accept large shipments of free books. Mostly the last one.

So, without further ado, let’s get started!