First problem:  it’s a lift-the-flap book, and is not particularly sturdy in its construction, which makes it a poor choice for libraries.  Second problem, it’s definitely targeting the very youngest readers, which leaves it a limited audience in a school library.  The biggest problem is that it makes declarations that aren’t necessarily true: the first page says, “come with me to find out all the emotions we can feel!” but the range of human emotions is much more broad/complex than is going to be captured by a simple picture book; the page that describes anger states that if you take a breath and smell flowers then the next day you will feel really glad, but this presumes that all children’s issues are short-lived, which may not be true for some readers.  Yes, it’s a good idea to teach small children about emotions, and yes, the colors in this book are bright and eye-catching, but there are much better choices available:  This one is over-simplified and clunky.

It’s okay I guess.  The text is simple, as it is targeting young readers, and some of the information is so basic that kids don’t need to read it to know it (such as the fact that some jobs are inside and some jobs are outside).  It covers such ideas as needs/wants, the value of money, the differences between jobs that must be done by adults and jobs that kids can do, and mentions giving to charities as well.  It is illustrated with color photos and offers ideas of how some kids might earn money and what they might choose to do with it.  My gripe with this book is that it’s got a decidedly middle-class and up bias:  children who are living in poverty are not going to be paid by their parents to fold the laundry or wash the dog or rake leaves — they’re just going to be expected to help out around the family because it’s needed.  The last sentence of the book states, ” By earning money, kids can buy what they need, save for what they want, and still have money to share with others.” But really the rest of the book is operating under the assumption that kids are being provided with their needs.

A solid informational resource for students/families coping with asthma.  The information is detailed, well-organized and understandable.  It includes chapters that define asthma, discuss causes, diagnosis, treatments and prevention.  Illustrated with color diagrams, photos, microscopic enlargements, and drawings, the layout aids in making the information accessible.  I learned a lot.  Knowing how many children are affected by asthma, this book, or one like it, would be an important addition to any school library.

An informative book about animal behavior that provides various levels of accessibility:  for the youngest students, a rhyming couplet (in large font), supported by illustrations, provides the basic information on each type of tool-using animals; for interested audiences, a paragraph in smaller print goes into more depth to describe the tools mentioned in the couplet; for particularly curious students, the end-pages at the back of the book provide even more details.  On the opening page, as well as in the end notes, it does say that there is no agreed-upon definition within the scientific community as to what constitutes tools and tool usage, and states that for purposes of this book the author was including any object an animal uses to accomplish a goal.  This is a pretty broad definition, which allows the inclusion of several animal behaviors that would be open to debate as to whether or not they really count as tools, but I think it’s good to engage children in the debates of the wider academic community, so that they know science is not completely cut and dried.

It’s cute.  Small children will relate to Tiny Rabbit’s wish to grow as big and powerful as all the things around him.  But as time passes he only grows a little bit, but he does grow two powerful ears, which he comes to appreciate (along with his small size) when they help him hear the approach of the huge hungry lion and escape down his tiny hidden den.  A good tool for opening a discussion about learning to appreciate ourselves just as we are.

With the text limited to a few words per page in voice bubbles, the story is mostly told through the illustrations:  three small children meet a hat-wearing elephant named Phil at the bus-stop and invite him to come home with them.  When they realize that their parents are not likely to approve, they try to hide Phil, but to no avail.  As soon as mom & dad see Phil, Dad insists they need to take Phil back where they found him, but  when they get to the bus stop Mom whispers to Dad, and then Dad announces Phil can stay.  It’s kinda sweet, and the pictures are cute, but there’s not much to it.  I guess it would be good for pre-readers and early emergent readers, but I’m not sure I would invest limited funds on it

A beautiful picture book, sharing the history behind the origins of ragtime music and the Charleston dance moves, this book also shares wider themes of turning bad into good and doing for others where you are able.  It tells of a pastor in the south at the end of the 19th century, who took in young boys and began an orphanage.  To drown out the noises from the nearby prison, he taught the boys music, and in order to earn money to support the orphanage (with dreams of someday buying a farm where the orphans could learn to support themselves), he took his band traveling.  They were so popular they were invited to England to play for King George V.  When WWI broke out, the Reverend Jenkins spent the band’s London earnings to help stranded Americans come home.  End notes in the back offer more detailed information about famous musicians who had connections to the Jenkins Orphanage Band, and how its influence spread.

I really love the illustrations, but the story leaves me a little flat.  It tells of a chicken who lives in a quiet yard on a quiet street, but is picked up on a strong wind one day and dropped into the big city.  After a day of exploring she takes a train and follows some pigeons back to her own yard, where she continues her normal life, with occasional trips on the train.  It’s fine, but it’s just kinda bland.

The illustrations are gorgeous! The story tells of a family reunion in Tanzania, with relatives visiting from America.  In celebration of the grandmother’s 85th birthday, the family goes on a safari together, ending at Bugamoyo, the remains of an old slave-trading post, where the father explains to the children the experiences of their ancestors.  The book ends as the American relatives prepare to return, but the family counts their blessings because they enjoy the freedom to travel back and forth, and Grandma reminds them all that even when they are apart, they are always under the same sun.  While sharing a common family theme of separation and coming together, the illustrations do a wonderful job of providing an authentic look at a distant land that would be foreign to most American students.

An inspiring tale, describing the author’s own experiences growing up as a stutterer.  He shares what it was like being misunderstood by well-meaning adults, his coping strategies, and his comfort being able to speak freely to animals.  All the extra time he spent with animals because of his stuttering led him to discover his passion, and a promise to be a voice for them some day, which eventually led to world travel as a zoologist and conservationist who convinced the prime minister of Belize to open the first jaguar preserve.