This book is a basic introduction to what Earth Day is and a few ways that we can care for the Earth. There are only 1-2 sentences per page. There are many nonfiction text features including bold words, glossary, headings, index, and maps. In the back there is a page where readers can find out more in print and on the internet. The photographs are relevant to the topic on the page and directions for how to plant lettuce seeds is included.

Every year Houndini appears in Kitty City to give a show and he draws a mustache on the portrait of the town founder, Davy Crock-cat. Officer Katz wants to catch him. After Houndini’s show, Officer Katz gives him three chances to escape. If Houndini does not escape, he will leave Kitty City forever. Officer Katz chases him around the city. Eventually the two stop fighting like cats and dogs and join together.

An informational text full of nonfiction text features. Many of these features include a table of contents, photographs, bold words, headings, diagrams, maps, index, and glossary. Each page contains one – two sentences. The pages are colorful and engaging, but should not be distracting for young readers. There is a section in the back where a reader could find out more through books or the internet.

The book starts with an explanation of what mass is and how to conduct an experiment and work like a scientist. Following that are six experiments. These experiments are not only simple, they use materials that are easy to find. At the end of each experiment is also an explanation of why the experiment works. The book utilizes many text features including illustrations, photographs, bold words and a glossary.

Fans of MY LITTLE PONY will enjoy this visually graphic read about The Equestria Super Chef Competition which Pinkie Pie wants to win and how Applejack is mistakenly entered into the event.

Pinkie Pie gets stage fright once the spotlight is on her and Applejack is trying to explain she is not who they think she is.

Once Pinkie Pie and Applejack realize Toffee Truffle wants to win so she can reopen her town’s only restaurant, they try to loose, to help her out. Toffee states, ” ‘ I don’t want you to LET me win. I want to BEAT you fair and square…’ ”

Toffee wins the dessert round on her own merit just as Marine Sandwich tries to take revenge on Applejack for impersonating her.

Cute, play on words, with real emotions and feelings.

Even though I have not read books 1-4, this was a good read. It helped to have a synopsis on the title page.

Danny went to the mansion to help his deceased grandpa. Danny is now trapped inside the mansion and needs to get out. He achieves this by jumping out of a window into a cemetery , a long way down. Once outside the mansion, the ghostly captain’s curse is broken, allowing all of the other ghosts to leave the mansion. The captain now plans to pillage New Orleans. The captain wants Danny to help him find the treasure that was supposed to have been inside the mansion, but was not there.

Danny “let [his fear] drive and motivate [him] instead of control [him]” when he jumped from the window, freeing all of the other ghosts. When captain rethreatens Danny and the ghosts, the ghostly bride Constance throws a battle ax at the captain ending him.

“The mansion itself is the treasure…but he was so obsessed with being rich that the captain never saw that.”

Grandpa reintroduces Danny to his ghost grandmother, before they  leave to haunt the world. Then Danny returns home and helps his parents grieve together as a family, instead of separately.

Thanks to the synopsis on the title page this book could be enjoyed by itself, but I am now wondering what lies inside the first four books.

Book #3 finds Nate and Patrice riding their bicycles, with the peashooters and squash, being chased by zombies. They are surrounded until Uncle Dave drives up and over some of the zombies. Uncle Dave will take Nate and Patrice to the mansion to start the wind machine, which will blow away the BIG cloud from the city, and thus energize the plants.

When Nate and Patrice get to the mansion the zombies are already there. They get through the zombies to start the machine, but not without a struggle.

The plants are winning until “Zomboss” takes charge. Nate ans Patrice flee. Uncle Dave shows up in a wooden fire-breathing T. Rex sending the zombies  and Zomboss  on the run.

“Citizens of Neighborville,

Your continued antagonism against our rightful claim on your city and brains is noted. Action will be taken at another time.       Sincerely,

Dr. Edgar Zomboss”

Considering this is book 3, and a conclusion of this series, it is a little lean on plot.

This modern fairy tale, third in the series, is a whimsical story of magic and charm. It describes the origin of the character, Jack Frost. He is known as Nightlight, sworn to protect the Man in the Moon and light his way. But when the Nightmare King attacks, Nightlight brings him down with a price of losing his thoughts and his name. He awakens many years later as Jackson Frost, “an icy boy . . . whose slightest breath or touch brought spirals of frost.” Cold and lonely, he flies aimlessly until he encounters children in need and remembers his earlier oath to guide and protect, and finds renewed purpose watching over the children of Earth. The illustrations are magical with an intensity that feeds curiosity.

This is a very silly book about a donkey and a yam arguing about proper pronunciation and grammar. The donkey is oblivious to his misuse of the words, “is,” “am,” and “are.” The yam grows continually more irritated and finally gives the donkey a lecture about proper verb conjugation, only to finally be eaten by the donkey at the end of the book. Children will be amused by the comic-book style speech bubbles and highly expressive characters.

This is an artistic look into the life of a young boy and his dog who run a morning paper route. The lyrical prose set against the vivid paintings present a highly nostalgic view of what used to be many young men’s early morning routine, before the shift toward digital news. Children will find the illustrations visually stimulating, and parents may enjoy the calming tone of this lullaby-like tale.