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Bulldozer Helps Out works its magic on ages 7 and younger

Every kid needs a good construction book just like every woman needs a black dress. If you’ve got a child who is between two and six you know that they loved big machines. Bulldozer Helps Out is the second book in the Bulldozer series by Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann. Heavy equipment can’t really be described as anthropomorphic. However, in Bulldozer Helps Out we see a group of construction vehicles being as human as possible and in the end doing something that will appeal to every small human.

The first thing adults will notice about Bulldozer Helps Out is its heart and soul. The illustrations by Eric Rohmann make the book feel like something they’ve been friends with for a while. Digger, Scraper, Grader and the others have enough detail to let readers immediately know who they are and the big building work that they do. However, the characters are not presented in a babyish manner; rather, it’s more of a classic appeal to the machines.

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Win an autographed copy of Brown Bear to celebrate its 50th anniversary

Has it really been 50 years since Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle was released? It’s a children’s classic book whose simple rhymes, distinctive art and perfect length make it one of the first books that children will have read to them. We’re giving away an autographed copy of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See, as well as a handful of other Brown Bear swag to celebrate its landmark 50^th anniversary.

This special edition of the book is different for some because it’s the proper, full size release, instead of the board book version that some of us are accustomed to. That was our jam for three straight years. When we had a three and one year old in the house it was one that the younger could laugh at the older one could point to the words. From there we went to Panda Bear and Polar Bear, all of which we’ve also saved for the future library, should our children need it in 25 years.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group has a giveaway for a copy of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See, autographed by illustrator Eric Carle, as well as a bag of Brown Bear swag. This is a giveaway that you’ll keep forever. The new 50^th anniversary copy of Brown Bear features the complete story of the book on CD that is read by Gwyneth Paltrow.

Win an autographed copy of Brown Bear to celebrate its 50th anniversary

Wordplay, a toon book is new reader creativity and fun

From the moment you look at Wordplay you know that it’s different. Its landscape format makes the book stand out because it doesn’t look like many books you see. Then you open up Wordplay by Ivan Brunetti and its graphics inside stand out also. It’s trippy and fun, think of a brand new reader’s book for compound words, but presented with a twist of Alice in Wonderland and you get a feel for Wordplay.

Kindergarten through first graders might not be studying what a compound word is in a grammatical sense. However, they do know several compound words, two separate words that combine to form something new and fantastic. From a tool or DIY perspective, they’re the hammer drill of the English language.

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Quest For The Golden Arrow, big scale middle Earth style fun for middle school

Time Stoppers, Quest For The Golden Arrow is the second book in the series by Carrie Jones. The first book in the series was one of our favorite releases of 2016. It was brisk, lively, fun and zipped along with parallel-world adventures about trolls, growing up and mystery. The sequel, Quest For The Golden Arrow is cut from a similar cloth and is a very good book, just more serious.

That’s not a bad thing, but the first book had such a sense of levity that reader who already enjoy the series might be taken off guard. Quest For The Golden Arrow starts out with a kidnapping bang and Mss. Cornelia, the elder time stopper has been taken prisoner by Raiff. Annie, the formerly nobody girl is practicing her abilities to stop time and this kidnapping put her and her friends at risk.

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50 Wacky Things Animals Do makes kids want to learn about critters

The other week I took 50 Wacky Things Animals Do to our first graders class when I was the mystery reader. Parents, be sure to take advantage of being the mystery reader at your child’s school as often as you can. It’s one of those feelings in the whole parenting thing that really makes you realize that you’re awesome. We ask the kids to pick a number between 1 and 50; then we turn to that animal’s designation in the book.

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Noodleheads See The Future, folk tales with a Fly Guy twist

Chimichanga. We called our youngest son that once when he did something silly. The name stuck and we still call him chimichanga when he’s being silly or makes a basic mistake. Noodleheads See The Future is an early reader chapter book that uses noodles as the main characters. There’s Mac and Mac who are the main characters, they are actually noodles in body and myth.

It turns out that ‘noodles’ or ‘noodleheads’ have been slang for people who don’t think for generations. It makes sense and I’ve heard the term before, but didn’t realize that it was a worldwide thing. However, in Italy, Turkey, England and beyond people have been referring to fools as noodleheads for a very long time.

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Hilda and The Stone Forest is timeless, top tier book/graphic novel

For us, Hilda and The Stone Forest is like meeting someone for the first time who we’ve seen at parties and seems really cool. Then, when you meet them, you realize that they are even nicer and cooler than you thought they were and you kick yourself for not meeting them earlier. I’ve read a couple of short Hilda stories that were printed on Free Comic Book Day and did like them, but simply never got around to reading one of Luke Pearson’s books. That’s worth noting because there are some existing characteristics and story elements to Hilda, but they are not necessary to know to fully enjoy The Stone Forest.

The first thing that will grab reader’s attention is the art by Luke Pearson. Once you see Hilda you will not forget her. She’s immediately memorable and Trolberg, the world where she lives is rich with detail, various sized creatures and a European landscape that makes you want to be a resident there. Each page has art that feels like a comic strip, but is laid out with various sized panels and illustrations. Some of these even overlap each other so as to give the reader momentum as the story progresses. This effect also enhances the creativity and sense of wonder that Hilda has in engaging with her adventures.

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The Secret Project, a most unlikely picture book for upper elementary

Imagine a book written about the most destructive thing that man has ever created. Now imagine a book written about a device that saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of lives and ended a world war. Depending on your perspective, both situations are correct in one of the most unlikely picture books you’ll ever read. The Secret Project is the story about the scientists that worked under deep secrecy to create their ‘gadget’, the Atomic Bomb.

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