Reminiscent of Bill Martin, Jr.’s Brown Bear, Brown Bear with its question and answer format, the answers in this book do not always trip off of the tongue in English, as they might have in their original French. BUT the two color optic artwork and how it amazingly alines to show through the cutout page is FABULOUS! The animals include: cow, chick, snail, sheep, ladybug, trout, fox, and rooster.

“Mooing cow,

for whom do you wait?

This maid stepping with

a very quick gait.”

I am truly glad someone chose to show how different the sizes of dogs can be between / among breeds: golden retriever, chihuahua, and Great Dane.

Photos of real animals ( superimposed on drawn backgrounds)  show comparison and size perception in realistic scale for : big & small, tall & short, long & short, wide & narrow, and the same size.  The reader is asked questions and answers in rhyme.

Twins, Zoe and Ben help their uncle  “undertake top-secret missions for a covert environmental organization called WILD.” This mission takes them to Adilah Reservation for the protection of orangutans in exotic Borneo.  Using their keen observational skills, playing off of each others carefully chosen words, and spy gadgets – BUGs (Brilliant Undercover Gizmos) and EEL ( Electronic Escape Lines) –  they discover who is sabotaging the reservation’s wooden walkways high up in the forest canopy, scaring away the orangutan, and warning the authorities of the potential forest fire.

Thirteen fast paced, action packed chapters.

Includes: glossary, Discussion Questions, Writing Prompts, and www.facthound.com code.

Proofreaders missed two mistakes: page 34 – ‘returened’ should be ‘returned’ and line 6 on page 48 the word ‘like’ was omitted (“It looks they have horns on their beaks.”)

This is a book that keeps you curious to the end.  There are many words that invoke visual as well as other senses.  Some of the words would be a challenge for young readers, but the story, if read to them would hold their attention.  I liked the colors of the illustrations.  The book describes a farm experience, something many children never have.  A pleasant  read.

This is a very informative book on the giant squid.  I learned so much from reading is book.  The pictures are wonderful in adding to the learning.  This book answers so may questions about the giant squid.  There is a table of contents in the front, with a glossary and index, and additional information in the back.

This is an amazing picture book! The drawings are each filled with the story of our history during the civil war.  They pull you into the events, and make you think about the part each character plays.  They speak of love for others, and courage to help those in need.  Good for all ages.

Barack Obama and George Washington are on the cover,  and if you’re curious about their lives or  the lives of any president in between the two, the information is inside The Handy Presidents Answer Book .

No matter how obscure, each resident of the White House gets about four pages, but it’s far more entertaining reading than mere birth, death, and politics.   Did you know, for instance, that Andrew Johnson was criticized for buying Alaska from Russia for a bit over $7 million dollars?  The Sally Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson relationship is discussed and debated,  and you can learn that U.S. Grant’s well known initials were the result of a congressman’s mistake with Grant’s name.

Pictures of each president include a young and handsome George W. Bush in training as a F-102 pilot, Bill Clinton playing his saxophone,  a very heavy William Howard Taft in his judicial robe after leaving the presidency, and many more.

This book, which even includes a “Presidential Trivia” section, would be a nice addition to libraries and classrooms.  Pick it up and browse through and you’ll find it hard to put down.

Curtis Jackson III, aka 50 cent, surprises music fans and readers alike with Playground, a one-of-a-kind story about fitting in and the paths people take.  In 13 year old “Butterball’s” world, every day is a new battle: dodging the glares of his classmates, eating lunch alone in the bathroom stall, wishing his weight would stop increasing, longing for the bustling streets of the city where his dad lives, wishing he didn’t have to talk to his therapist Liz, and most of all, wanting to forget what really happened that day on the playground. Butterball retells the events that landed him talking to a shrink, and by the end, tears will be shed, painful words spoken, and more than just Butterball will come away ready to start anew.  Topped off with detailed sketches, Playground is an inspirational book which many will enjoy.  Incorporating events from his own childhood, 50 Cent tells the mostly true story of how Butterball became a bully.

Award winning author of biographies, Barbara Kerley teamed with her outstanding illustrator Edwin Fotheringham, to bring us an outstanding introduction to two important Founding Fathers of American history…John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.  Comparing and contrasting their differences… background, temperament, physical traits, and their two things in common…distaste for the tyrant British King George and a deep desire to create a United States of America, Kerley has presented a meticulously researched text, full of wit and wonder.  Here is accessible history at its best!  Back Matter includes a “must read” Author’s Note, Declaration of Independence, and the sources of the quotes included in the text and author’s note.

This is a wonderful illustration of how our moods and feelings can rub off on others, and how we can help others by having a positive attitude.  It is full of beautiful verbal images.  It would be a fun read for a wide age group.  I liked the story.