A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

picturebook

Because You’re Mine

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The love of a parent for a child is profoundly evident in Nancy Tillman’s “Because you’re mine”.   Every page extols the love of a parent for the child placed in their life.  Come, let me tell you all about it. 🙂 

Because you're mine

The Basics of Because You’re Mine

A picture book published by Feiwel and Friends (which is a division of Macmillan Children’s publishing group).   32 pages written for children 4-8 years old.  Nancy Tillman is both author and illustrator fitting words to images as she celebrates the bond between parent and child.  I received an ARC copy, it ships as a hardcover.   This review is done on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

The Beauty Contained Within

Ms. Tillman’s goal as an author is to help parents express what they feel for their children.   She does so through word and illustration.   Most of the illustrations contain some type of wildlife in them, those that don’t host a landscape theme. 

The font is very simple text font, black on white, a nice size to read with a child sitting next to you, or with practice with a group of children    The words are lyrical and flow, for the most part, easily from the lips.  When I read it out loud I only stumbled three times, with practice that wouldn’t happen at all. 

Most of the pages follow a similar style.  Dark font on a white background with an illustration on the page next.   Occasional pages were full colour with text. 

Should You Get it?

Honestly, I have mixed emotions about this storybook.   I love the sentiment behind it, of a parent expressing their love for their child.  THIS I love.  It a wonderful thing.

I am somewhat more hesitant about the repeated “because you are mine” refrain.  The thing is… I’m not sure why. 

Since for children to know they are loved irregardless of what they do or where they go.. it’s priceless to know that depth of love.  It’s much like the love God holds for us.  

As I think about it, I think it’s the possessiveness implied.  Like the child is a possession more than a dearly loved child. Yet the love continually expressed belies that.  This book can be read with either viewpoint I suppose, and maybe still show that great sentiment… the coveted love of a parent for their child.  

I further love that the children depicted are of all different ages.  Doesn’t state if children are fostered, adopted, or naturally born to the parent.  Just the ever-abounding love of a parent for their child. It would be so easy to use Because You’re Mine for any child in your care. 

 

Little Red Sleigh

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Can a little red sleigh attain her dreams?  This is an adorable book that will make you smile at the end, and hopefully have a child say “Again, read it again!”.   Friendship, dreams, and help along the way, Little Red Sleigh a delightful holiday tale.  I am so happy to tell you all about it!

Little Red Sleigh

The Details of Little Red Sleigh

Together with Sourcebooks, Erin Guendelsberger has produced a lovely, sweet book filled with the holiday spirit.  Little Red Sleigh is wonderfully illustrated by Elizaveta Tretyakova.  This is a very sweet book which I adored.  A young sled with big dreams who went out after them, not letting naysayers stop her.  I loved watching the grit she showed.  

Amazon links will be used in this review.   I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing Little Red Sleigh for Raincoast Books.

Little Red Sleigh, cover information

Believe in the magic of Christmas with this heartwarming Christmas picture book about the little red sleigh that could, perfect for fans of The Polar Express!

The Little Red Sleigh has one big dream-to one day become Santa’s big red sleigh! But all her life, she’s been told she’s too small, she’s too young, she can’t fly, and she certainly can’t meet Santa. Well, this Christmas, with the help of some friends, she’s determined to do the impossible.

Artist Elizaveta Tretyakova

Tretyakova has done a tremendous job of illustrating this heart-warming story.  You’ll see brilliant red, bright snow, dark trains, and a lovely yellow truck.  Seeing the fierceness of a winter storm and rejoicing in the fun of children playing. 

Don’t you love the brightness of the colours?  

The story moves along well, not only through text, but also through the well-done images.  Her story simply flows through image and text from one page to the next.  Well-written with great characters.

I found the text a bit small for reading with a group of children (unless you prep well ahead of time).  The words flow easily as you read, whether aloud or silently. It would be so much fun to read this with a child in your lap.

The story lends itself well to reading comprehension questions.  What do you think might happen next?  What did Little Red Sleigh see on her journey?  Did black train tell her anything important?  Did yellow truck tell her to give up?  I love books that help me to ask good questions of children. 

This particular book I received a ARC copy of, it will come as a hardcover and is geared to children 4-8 years of age.   Erin Guendelsberger engages her readers well throughout the story. 

Should you Get it?

Little Red Sleigh is an adorable book.  You and your children will love the determination of this young sleigh.  She knows what she wants and won’t let anyone tell her no… including the weather!  You’ll have to read through to see if she meets her goal, or if it changes along the way. I would love to tell you, but I don’t do spoilers, you’ll want to sit back and just enjoy this heart-warming story.

Superhero vs School

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First time school jitters are real!  Facing the fears of first day school blues, Superhero vs School, will help children see the potential of school instead of the alternatives. Building upon the idea of heros, villains, first day fears, and new friends. 

Superhero vs school

Learning about Superhero vs School

Ethan Long with Bloomsbury Children’s books, uses humour to help children adjust to the new reality of school. Bright images with a bit of a comic book feel fill the pages of this 32-page picture book.  Geared to young children in preschool through grade one. The imagination of a young child runs rampant throughout. 

From the cover: 

In the darkest of nights, when all else is lost, Scotty is ready to vanquish any foe. After all, that’s what a superhero does.

But this hero is about to come face-to-face with his greatest fear, his only weakness: the first day of school!

But just when Scotty thinks all hope is lost, he realizes that school is no match for a whole team of heroes – his new friends.

My review is on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

As I read this story I was thinking two things. First, the frustration of a mom trying to get a child ready for school maybe without knowing everything going on in her little man’s mind. Second, the imagination of a child is both a wonderful and sometimes scary thing. 

Young Scotty was having quite the adventure going on in his head.  School, a scary monsterous place.  The vivid illustrations of Ethan Long bring his fears to light.  

This would be a fun book to read with a group of children BEFORE they head off to school. The font is an excellent size for reading to a group. Gather them around and read them the story, stopping mid-way through to ask if they have any concerns about starting school.  Taking the time to discuss their feelings and concerns.  Then reading on and seeing what Scotty discovered… he’s not in this alone!

Should you get Ethan Long’s book?

I wish Scotty had discovered more than just friends to help him through the day.  I wish he had discovered a fun teacher, and helpful staff along the way, and realized his parent’s concern for him well-being.  My delight in Superhero vs school, Scotty wasn’t left in his fear, but instead was able to look beyond to the people around him. 

No Reading Allowed

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I don’t know if you remember a book I reviewed last year called P is for Pterodactyl.  It is an hilarious alphabet book.  No Reading Allowed: the Worst read-aloud Book Ever is much in the same light.  I WOULD NOT call this a read-aloud book at all!  🙂 Though it would be so much fun to try!

no reading allowed review

What I am Reviewing

No Reading Allowed: the WORST read-aloud book ever!  Written by Raj Haldar and Chris Carpenter, it is hilariously illustrated by Bryce Gladfelter. Running at 48 pages, you’ll find clever word play on every page.   I received an advanced reader’s copy from Raincoast Books for this review. (You’ll find my amazon affiliate links throughout this review). Published by sourcebooks explore, this picture book is geared to children 4-8, but honestly…I think anyone could enjoy this book.  You’ll find that it’s a fun romp playing with words. 

From the Cover:

You can’t believe everything you hear! A single word can have many different meanings. And sometimes two words that sound alike can be spelled completely differently. Ptolemy the pterodactyl is back to show us all how absurd and fun language can be when homophones, homonyms, and tricky punctuation are at play!     No Reading Allowed allows children and their parents to laugh together while also learning something new.

The Details for No Reading Allowed

As you can see, the illustrations fit really well with the words and how cleverly words can be written to show different things EVEN THOUGH they sound exactly the same. 

Many of the clever sentences are full page, but variety is provided with some pages having multiple sentences on them. 

The font is large and easily held in front of a group for reading, but it’s seriously just a run read to do.   

It would be fun to read a sentence to a group of children (without showing them the images first) and then have them draw out what they think the sentence said.  Would that be hilarious to do?  Seeing all those different interpretations?  What a great way to introduce to children the variety of words we have within the English language? 

Should you get No Reading Allowed?

if you want to read a fun book with some budding authors, or some younger children, go for it.  If you are just looking for a quick and easy read that shows you different interpreations for the same sounds… YES. 

No reading allowed: The WORST read-aloud book ever is a great read, an interesting approach to showing children the fun of the English language.  Using humour to teach helps children see the fun there is in making a mistake with spelling when all they hear is a word spoken.  It helps them to learn to use context to understand what is being said.  A fantastic book, add it to your library today! 

The Word for Friend

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Some picture books speak to the heart while providing evocative images to stimulate conversation between reader and child.   The Word for Friend by Aidan Chase is one such book.  Imagine if you would, moving to a new place and not knowing the language.   What would an imaginative child do? Find a way through, with the help of another imaginative child.  🙂 

word for friend

What I am Reviewing

The Word for Friend is a 40 hardcover picture book geared for children 4-8 years old. Published by Farrar Straus Giroux, Aidan Cassie is the author and illustrator.   This review is on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

From the cover: 

Kemala the pangolin is sure she’s going to make friends at her new school in her new country. After all, Kemala loves to talk. The kids at school like talking, too – but their words are all different. ….

At first, no one understands Kemala either. This realization makes her curl into a little ball … But a classmate helps draw her out with an art project that …. Soon, Kemala is learning the most universal language of all: friendship.

The Details of The Word for Friend

I really like this book.  I do.  The bright colours, the well-done illustrations, and the fantastic story.  It’s a wonderful package. Kemala is a wonderful youngster wrapped up in her pangolin suit.  

Her struggle is real.  New community, new classmates, new language, and a new living situation.  It’s hard for a child to adjust to so many new things. 

“Let’s just go back home!” was the plea.

But…. a friend happened.   It wasn’t easy, not being able to talk well, but through puppets and effort, a lonely pangolin learns.   Until finally she sees a possibility.  Can she and Ana pull it off?

Should you Get it?

The Word for Friend by Aidan Cassie is a darling book.  Just as Little Juniper Make it Big was a great picture book, so is this one.  You will enjoy reading this with your littles, and perhaps can even turn it an opening for your own theatre production!   Now wouldn’t THAT be fun?  🙂 

It’s also a great way to start introducing some Spanish into the lives of your little ones.   Learn that amiko means friend, and build bridges to new friendships as well!  🙂 

Pirate Nell’s Tale to Tell

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Who doesn’t love a good pirate story?  Four to eight year-olds will delight in the story of Nell aboard a pirate ship.  She’s a sweet, determined character whose light is not dimmed by the nay-sayers in her life.  It is my distinct pleasure to review this delightful picture book Pirate Nell’s Tale to Tell for Raincoast Books. 

Pirate Nell's Tale to tell

What I am Reviewing

Pirate Nell’s Tale to Tell is written by Helen Docherty and beautifully illustrated by Thomas Docherty.  The words and images work well in tandem.  40 pages of storybook adventure await the 4 to 8-year-old reader.   Published by sourcebooks jabberwocky, you’ll find this hardcover book a delight to read. 

From the cover:

Nell is finally a pirate!
And she has her trusty Pirate’s Almanac to help her sail the seas, even if Captain Gnash doesn’t like books on his ship. But when the journey gets rough and the captain is in trouble, it’s Nell and all her pirate knowledge that saves the day and leads them to the greatest buried treasure of all. . .

The Details for Pirate Nell

Helen Docherty who also wrote The Snatchabook has written a delightful book of rhymes.  It is so easy to read, the words will just roll off your tongue.  As I reading quietly to myself, I couldn’t help myself and started reading aloud startling my hubby.  🙂  It’s good to do those things you know? 

Nell’s love of books is evident throughout, even if her captain disagreed.   He couldn’t see the importance of books, how could they help you be a good pirate afterall?

You’ll find loads of colour filling the pages, finding Nell hard at work whether it be scrubbing the decks or saving the Captain.  The Captain seems the not so nice sort, but by the end of the book, Nell has won him over. 

It’s a good read for both adult and child, the font big enough to read with a group of children, and illustrations varied enough to provide lots of talking points with them as well.   I received the ARC version, but the hardcover style it will come with will provide great durability.  Snatch it up, and enjoy with your pirate study today!  🙂 

Should You Get It?

Aw, this is such a cute book that fosters a love of reading.  Books helps us in so many ways

YES, go get Pirate Nell’s Tale to Tell!  Read it with your children.  Delight in the antics of the pirates, frown at the short-sightedness of the captain, and sit back in wonder at lessons learned. It’s a great romp through the world of books and learning. 

You don’t have to just use for 4-8 year olds though… it would be a great addition to a “fun with books unit”, or a Pirate study, or even a history of oceanic travel book… to talk about the work you need to do abroad ship.  Even a unit on how being kind and willing to share knowledge is a great thing to do.   It’s simply a lovely book.. read it with your children!  I think I’ll have my son read it as part of his speech studies!  

Other pirate based posts

Where Is Our Library?

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Did you know that the New York Public Library is guarded by two lions?   Their names are Patience and Fortitude.  Today’s review is about those two lions and their love for children’s literature.  Where is our library? is a sequel to “Lost in the Library“.   Such a delightful picture book… it was a cute read I’d love to share with a child. 

where is our library

About Where is Our Library

Published by Henry Holt & Co., Where is our Library? features Patience and Fortitude from the New York Public Library.  In this their second book Patience and Fortitude are bewildered.  Where has their lovely children’s library disappeared to?   The Lions are LONGING to read some good stories, but they must suss out where they have been taken.  Over the course of 40 children in grades 1 and 2 will be delighted to follow the lions around New York searching for their books.   

Stevie Lewis did a marvellous job of illustrating Where is Our Library by Josh Funk.   It is part of the series “A Story of Patience and Fortitude”. 

Raincoast Books sent me an ARC copy to review.   

The Details

Lions waking up and roaming through the library!  That’s what you’ll find.  Then they move out of the library and onto the city streets.   As they move along they’ll meet characters and solve a mystery…that of lost books!

Rhyming couplets fill the pages, with a large font making it an easy to read book.  It would be so much fun to sit on the floor with a group of children around reading together.  Holding it up so the children can follow along easily.  It’s a fun read for littles (and their grown-ups too!)   🙂

Since the story happens at night, many of the illustrated pages have a dark background. The pace is fast-moving because lions themselves are fast moving and besides… they had a mystery to solve.  Would they do so before morning came?

Should you Get it?

The best picture books are ones that adults can enjoy alongside the children they read them with.   Where is our Library is easily enjoyed by adult and child alike.  I urge you to pick it, enjoy the mystery with Patience and Fortitude.  You won’t regret it.    The excellent illustrations by Lewis and the fun story by Funk make it a winner all round.Â