Essentially it’s a book about being good, while acknowledging that there’s a time to let your fiercer side out.  After being good all summer, Millie’s mom tells her she can have a sleep out in the backyard.  She’s full of plans, knowing just how she wants it to go, but of course things don’t go all as she plans.  Throughout the story, Millie works to keep her fierce in until something in the dark outside her tent threatens to ruin her sleep out, so Millie unleashes her fierce to venture out to protect her friends…from what turns out to be the neighbor’s dog.  It’s fine, but is it just terribly old-fashioned of me to find it sad that watching movies on a tablet seems to be part of a modern sleep out?

This book almost got a “Not Recommended” from me, but I do think it’s a topic that a lot of crafty kids would enjoy exploring.  The photos and layout are inviting, and would encourage them to try something new, and with significant adult support, I think many could successfully do so with this book.  The reasons I don’t fully recommend it come from inconsistencies and lack of clarity in the directions offered.  It begins with four pages dedicated to, “Tools of the Trade,”  in which they include patterns which are never again mentioned throughout the instructions for any of the projects, and an unnecessary bag in which to store all your tools, but they don’t include several items which are later needed to complete the projects (though they do at least include the additional items in the list at the beginning of each project, but it would have been handier to have them included up front): bowl of unspecified size, markers, felt, cookie cutter, etc.  Most projects try to fit all the directions on one small page, with only three photos as support, and I had trouble understanding exactly what was meant; they would have benefited from breaking things into small steps, with clearer photo support along the way.  And though they do list a tape measure as one of the tools frequently needed, they repeatedly give directions calling for 1/3 of an inch, which I have never in my life ever seen on any standard tape measure.  Why confuse kids?

A good story to help children understand their own power over their own imagination, and how to channel it for the positive.  It opens with Small Blue waking in the dark of night, thinking creepy thoughts, imagining goblins in his room, and calling for help.  When Big Brown comes to the rescue and Little Blue shares his imaginings, Big Brown suggests that if it’s dark, it could just as likely be a “delightful doggies’ Saturday-night unicycle convention” that was in the room.  In search of some soothing warm milk, the two progress through the dark house, with repeated opportunities to face new dark areas, and each time cheerful alternatives are suggested when scary possibilities are proposed.  By the end Small Blue has learned to manage his own imagination when he wakes in the dark.

Part general cultural information, part cookbook, this volume makes efficient use of its 24 pages.  It begins with an overview of how food fits into Chinese culture, and common traits, as well as regional differences.  In the back four recipes are offered, that look both tasty and doable — and this coming from a picky eater and novice cook.  The information is well-illustrated with color photos, including in the step-by-step portion of the recipes.  The binding is sturdy, and all the classic non-fiction text features are included. I haven’t actually tried cooking the recipes yet, but I’m encouraged to do so.  If they don’t live up to my expectations, I’ll update my review to reflect that, but for now I highly recommend the title.

The story tells about a boy and his dog racing along a crowded seaside boardwalk when they get separated.  As the frantic young boy goes looking for his dog, he first only sees a variety of knees, but keeps climbing on progressively higher items in attempts to get a better view, seeing bellies, then hair, before he climbs to the top of a deserted life-guard stand where he gets a decent vantage point, and eventually finds his dog snagged by his leash under the boardwalk, where the two hang out to escape the storm that’s been gradually building in the background throughout the story.  The illustrations are really quite fun, drawn in a rather cartoonish style that captures a wide, exaggerated variety for each body part the boy finds himself surrounded by.  At times the text of the story has a fun rhythm and rhyme to it, but by going in and out of rhyming, rhythmic text, alternated with more prosaic text, it’s got a bit of a clunky feel to it.

The illustrations are fun and inviting, and the book would make an excellent choice for sharing with a child before a trip to Paris, or as a souvenir from such a trip, as the story describes a dash through the Louvre, and the illustrations show a lot of world-famous artworks that are at home in the famous museum.  Likewise, the scenes outside the museum do a great job of capturing a sense of Parisian sights: the Eiffel Tower, the architecture, the baguettes in a cafe, etc. But aside from that, for general audiences, I’m not sure the story has enough of a plot/climax.  It basically tells about an old woman who turns down an invitation from a friend to visit the Louvre, to which she’s never been despite living in Paris, because they won’t allow her dog; when her dog escapes and races through the museum, she and her friend follow, and when eventually stopped by a guard Madame Martine apologizes, but the guard says they can make an exception because her friend works there.  It’s fine, but a little flat.

On the plus side:  the project uses common, inexpensive items that are easy to come by; the instructions are broken into easy-to-follow sequence; photo illustrations clearly support the written instructions; and key points are clearly labeled with an “Ask for adult help” tag.  Oh, and the binding is sturdy and it’s got all those standard non-fiction text features.  On the negative side:  the child photographed with the project looks about six, which completely fits the obvious target audience for this book & project, yet experience tells me there is no way that the project photographed with the child was actually created by a six-year-old (adult-created artwork being passed off as kid artwork is a pet-peeve of mine); also the hammer and nail used to puncture holes in the plastic caps are not included in the original list of things you need; also $16 for instructions to make one craft doesn’t seem like a lot of bang for your book buck.

A poetic celebration of a blustery day, and a tool for teaching nouns and verbs, too.  The book describes all the ways different things behave on a windy day, told in two-word sentences, always coming back to the many things “we” do on such a day. (e.g. “Twigs drop. Clouds race. Seeds scatter. We chase!”)  The illustrations support the text, providing readers a chance to hunt for where each example is found, and they also extend the text, rounding out the story of who is doing what as the windy day progresses, showing a family sharing a day together, enjoying simple pleasures. Oh, and it would be good for hunting for rhyming pairs and exploring interesting verb choices as well.

The illustrations are really charming, but I wish the story was stronger.  It’s basically about five little mice who are out and about when one disappears and the others look for him, eventually finding him, and then the others disappear.  The fun in the book comes from searching on each page for the little bit of the missing mouse that is peeking out from somewhere.  It’s strictly a choice for the youngest set, PreK or kinders.

I happen to be a big fan of Ralph Waldo Emerson, so I really enjoyed this picture book partial-biography.  I like the end papers covered with quotes from him, and the way more of his quotes are sprinkled throughout the text, describing his joy in building a home of his own and filling it with friends and building his own life to suit his own interests.  I love the theme of overcoming disaster with the help of friends and community.  I wish I could give it a stronger recommendation, but I don’t think the target audience is likely to familiar enough with who Mr. Emerson is to care.  I wish they’d given even a brief introduction at the beginning to tell students about who he was.