It’s got a lot of good information for young readers, describing different types of farms found throughout the colonies, and what daily life was like for those who lived on them.  The text is simple, and supported by colorful illustrations.  Vocabulary words are highlighted in red and defined right on the page where they are used.  The information is accessible without being watered down.

Since all the Christmas books in a library are in demand at the same time, you’ve got to have plenty on hand to offer, and if your collection is low, this is one more that could help round things out.  When the reins to Santa’s sleigh break, and the reindeer fly off, he’s got to make new arrangements with the barn animals whose barn he crashes near.  It’s cute, and it’s got the customary bright and cheerful illustrations, but the plot is a little too weak to really make it an actual recommendation.

A very simple, very sweet little story accompanied by very simple, very sweet illustrations tells the story of a little rabbit who has a hard time being little, and is rather lonely, until he makes a friend. Most small children will be able to relate to Squish’s problems.

Vivienne is a cute little pig who is messy and proud of it, no matter how much it bothers those around her.  But when she loses her favorite necklace she must tackle the task of cleaning her room in order to find it, and (surprise, surprise) she finds it right where it’s supposed to be, in her jewelry box.  After that she’s still a messy eater and a messy painter, but she keeps her room clean.  It’s got cute illustrations, the text flows well, and of course it’s got a nice little message, but speaking as someone with lots of experience with messy rooms, come on… it’s completely unrealistic.  And every kid who reads it is gonna know it’s completely unrealistic.

I know it’s intended as an early-reader version of the fairy tale, but the language is stilted and the re-telling is a strange one: the princess breaks the witch’s spell by throwing the frog agains the wall, and she never once exhibits any kind of redeeming qualities, but then after the spell is broken they get married and live happily ever after? Why on earth would the prince want to marry her?  I know it’s good to have several different versions of folk tales, but I wouldn’t waste money on this one, even if it does have a pretty, shiny cover.

A basic easy-reader science book for emergent readers, this book describes the nests of several different animals, from eagles and flamingoes to termites and crocodiles.  With a two-page spread dedicated to a full-color photo of a different animal’s nest, the text is broken into two boxes for each: for early emergent readers the first box contains a single sentence in a large font that follows a predictable pattern (either “______ build nests,” or “_______ live in nests.”); for slightly more advanced readers the second box contains 2-3 additional sentences with more information.  These books certainly serve a purpose, but I have a hard time investing very many of my library dollars in books that are so light on information.  Perhaps they are best suited to classroom curriculum materials.

Australia really is such a unique land, full of animals and geographical/cultural features so different from anywhere else.  This book follows the same format as other books in this series to do a pretty thorough job of exploring this exotic land for its readers: from A for Aboriginal people, to K for koalas, kangaroos, and Kookaburras, to V for Vegemite, and all the rest, short rhyming text for each letter of the alphabet give readers a broad and brief overview of the land down under; for readers who want more information, each letter’s page also includes a sidebar with several paragraphs of more in-depth text to further explain that topic.  The cartoon-like illustrations serve to both capture reader interest as well as support the text to describe ideas that may be unfamiliar to many young readers.

This is a great book, perfect for primary science units.  It’s a photo journal chronicling every step along the way as a couple of blue jays find a spot to build a nest (right outside the author’s window), find things to build it with, lay their eggs, and feed the hungry newborns, right through to the first explorations beyond the nest, and setting out to see the world.  The text is very clear and kid-friendly, and full of the author’s own excitement and wonder as he watched the story unfold before him.  A few of the photos are less than clearly focused, but that just speaks to the serendipitous nature of how the book came about.  The reader feels lucky to have gotten to share in this experience of urban wildlife, of which few of us would get to see such a close-up view on our own.

A collection of silly poems with no real specific unifying theme.  Charming illustrations.  Lots of rhyme and alliteration and fun playing with the sounds of words.  Some of the poems have better rhythm than others, but the over-all effect is great tool to draw children into enjoying the delight of poetry and language.

It seems like most of the books I’ve reviewed by this publisher have been odd little stories, and here’s another one.  The illustrations are cute.  That’s the best thing I can say.  It’s a story told in sing-song rhyme about a chicken who spends a day with her chicks in a land of mirrors, which each reflect back different parts of her character.  There are loose references it Alice in Wonderland.