The title is true, at least for me.  I need books in my life.  However, this book makes me a little crazy.  There are just too many distractions on each page and my eyes and thoughts were jumping from one image to the next without fully taking in the information.  I found the front and the back of the book the most interesting–the endpapers.  They used these pages to show a timeline of the history of books and to tell about the development of the printed book, without any of the little illustrations–I wish more of the book had this style.  For instance, the part about the burning of books throughout history and the significance of the printed word would make a great print only section.  I also enjoyed the part of how to make paper from papyrus.  I thought it was interesting to find that Don Quixote is the number one selling book.  I guess people were hungry for a good story shortly after the invention of the printing press.  This book had a lot of good ideas, but was a bit too jumbled up for my taste.

The more I look at this book, the more I like it.  First of all, memories of childhood came flooding back after reading the first couple of pages about sibling rivalry.  Got that one right!  Even the facial expressions of the donkey characters reflect their competition as they each try to be first in everything they do.  After a family outing to the river for a picnic, the brother and sister, together, take a different way home, alone.  Not such good things happen to them, such as eating sour berries–there’s a lesson in itself, to falling into a creek bed.  No one got hurt, but without the parents around the competition stopped and was replaced with caring for one another.  This lasted all the way home and throughout the rest of the day.  Even their parents noticed, and as the saying goes….’the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,’ the parents started in on the ‘me first’ bickering.  This is a delightful book with many opportunities for lessons.  The colors are beautiful and the illustrations are reminiscent of Bill Peet’s earlier books.  Great binding.  Even the reverse title page had a phrase which I agree with and appreciate…Copyright fuels creativity …….You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.  This book is a highly recommended purchase for all elementary school libraries.

Young readers in the primary grades will enjoy seeing 12″ X 9″ color photos of  pumas ( mountain lions or cougars) in the wild. Two or three sentences of  large font text on the left are opposite the action photos on the right side of each page spread. The book is divided into four sections: Pumas, Big Cats, Hunting, and Baby Pumas. This is followed by More Facts, Glossary, Index, and Abdo Kids Code. It is interesting to find that the on-line Abdo Kids Code portion contains 5 of the 9 photos from the book, and the text condensed down from 20 sentences to 6. There are, also, 3 printable activities, a 2.5 minute video by National Geographic, and 3 “Learn More” one of which is by the San Diego Zoo.

Young readers in the primary grades will enjoy seeing 12″ X 9″ color photos of  heavy machinery digging dirt. Two or three sentences of  large font text on the left are opposite the action photos on the right side of each page spread. The book is divided into three sections: Excavators, Excavator Parts, and Different Kinds. This is followed by More Facts, Glossary, Index, and Abdo Kids Code. It is interesting to find that the on-line Abdo Kids Code portion contains 5 of the 9 photos from the book, and the text condensed down from 20 sentences to 5. There are, also, 3 printable activities, a 4 minute video, and 3 “Learn More”.

Sara is in 6th grade, rehearsing to be Wendy in the class Peter Pan play, and missing her mother who died a couple of years ago.  She is a lover of cats but not allowed to own one.  She is coming down with the flu and what she really needs is a soft, loving hug.  Her dad, still grieving, is remote.  One particularly lonely night the doorbell rings and in darts a little white kitten.  Fate?  Luck?  Serendipity.  Sara convinces her dad to let it stay until the weekend, hoping to be able to change her dad’s mind about keeping it.  With the help of their neighbor, Mrs. Whittier, Sara tries to help her dad get over his sadness, find out more about her mother, as well as explore her friendship/crush with Garrett, a boy in her class.  Roth weaves a compelling tale of loneliness, loss, and love.  Written in free verse form, each word is well chosen.  The pace is constant as the layers of the story unfold.  This is a story that will stay with you after reading the last word.

Lily finally gets a pet her mother says will be no trouble – a kitty.  She slowly warms to the cute little kitty and leaves it alone for a moment.  She is unaware a large tiger is missing from the zoo.  Illustrations show this large cat prowling around Lily’s home causing all kinds of catastrophes.  Lily blames each incident on her innocent little kitty.  Readers are aware of the tiger lurking around while Lily remains oblivious.  After cleaning the last of the messes inside, Lily takes her kitten outside.  The dog from next door scares her and she yells for help.  The tiger pokes his head over the fence and frightens the dog back to his own yard.  Lily thinks her kitty saved her!  As they go back into the house to relax, the reader sees all sorts of zoo animals in the back yard.  The end pages show a newspaper with articles of animals escaping from the zoo and being located in Lily’s neighborhood.  Future adventures in store???

When deciding to babysit young children, one must be aware of basic rules of safety, fundamentals of caring for infants and toddlers, how to care for preschool and school-age children, and parents expectations for behaviors.  This book contains many lists of what responsible babysitters should know.  Also included are quizzes (with answers), and questions to ask parents before caring for their children.  Hints for feeding, diapering, nap/bed times, and playing with children are included along with practical advice for encouraging positive behaviors.  A person who reads this book will have a good idea of the rules babysitters need to know as well as if this is a job they should consider.  Other books in the series are: “Let’s Play! Awesome Activities Every Babysitter Needs to Know”, “No Running in the House, Safety Tips Every Babysitter Needs to Know”, and “You’re Hired! Business Basics Every Babysitter Needs to Know”.  Well-written and timely.  Consider owning the set.

Countries around the world share common themes found in fairy tales.  The basic premise of Rapunzel is of a beautiful girl taken from her family by an old woman and being kept isolated in a tower or room.  She is discovered by a handsome young man, they fall in love, and devise a plan to free her from her confines.  Meister gathered Rapunzel stories from Germany, the Philippines, and Italy to include in this book.  Each are adapted to local customs and traditions.  A fairy tale is defined/explained on the first page.  Included in the back are: a glossary, three Common Core critical thinking questions, and a couple of writing prompts.  The book concludes with a bibliography for other Rapunzel stories, internet sites, and  list of other books in this series (Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White).

Spiders are not usually considered pets but this book introduces many possible choices.  Life spans and basic foods are mentioned for tarantulas, wolf spiders, trapdoor spiders, jumping spiders, fishing spiders, and grass spiders.  While some like to be handled, some do not.  Excellent, large, colorful photographs illustrate each spider showcased.  “Xtreme Fact” boxes provide additional information.  Glossary and index included.

An illustration of an actual-size footprint for different animals from around the world is located on a double-page spread.  Short rhymes give clues to the animal that left the track.  The answer is found on the next page along with additional facts about the animal.  The clues are usually enough to identify the animal although the identity of the true animal may still be a revelation.  Posada’s images are detailed and colorful.  She uses collage with watercolor to capture attention.  This is an interesting mix of poetry and nonfiction facts.  Questions to ask when trying to identify an animal track are suggested in the back with websites and a bibliography for further reading.  Recommended addition to elementary home or school libraries.