Book Reviews

Max Spaniel Dinosaur Hunt
By David Catrow
Join Max Spaniel as he uses his superior hunting skills to track down dinosaurs. Watch him use his ears, eyes, and nose to locate real (or at least real to Max Spaniel) dinosaur artifacts in his own backyard. Young children will love this silly story along with the humorous illustration.








A Friend Like You
By Tanja Askani
Tanja Askani's A Friend Like You is a heartwarming story about friendship that young children are sure to love. Tanja Askani has been adopting animals that that were either orphaned or injured since she was a small child. She used pictures she has collected over the years to illustrate this story. For every sentence in the book there is an adorable matching picture of an unexpected pair of animals playing together. The story portrays the message that friendship comes in all shapes and sizes. As an added bonus, the author gives a mini biography of each of the featured animals at the end of the story.



The Mitten
Retold by Jim Aylesworth
Illustrated by Barbara McClintock
Readers young and old will enjoy this retelling of the classic winter story The Mitten. After a long day of fun playing out in the snow a little boy realizes that he lost one of the mittens knit for him by his grandmother. His grandmother tells him not to worry as they will go out to find the mitten the next day. Meanwhile, a squirrel, rabbit, fox, and even a bear have been using the mitten to warm up their frozen toes. What will come of the mitten when one more visitor asks the animals to share just a little more space?



Merry Christmas, Splat
By Rob Scotton
After writing his Christmas wish list to Santa, Splat the cat wonders if he has been good enough all year to deserve the really big present he is hoping for. He is pretty sure he has been good enough...but decides to help his mother get ready for Christmas just in case. After washing the already clean dishes and decorating the already decorated tree, Splat heads to bed and listens all night for Santa. When morning comes with no sign of Santa, Splat is sure he will not be receiving his big present. Did Santa skip over Splat, or will Splat get the present of his dreams after all...



Big Frog Can't Fit In
A Pop Out Book by Mo Willems
Paper Engineering by Bruce Foster
Big Frog is sad because she cannot fit into her book! Will her friends be able to come up with a solution to help her out? Children will love the large pop out images and pull out tabs in this creatively crafted book.





My Little Polar Bear
By Claudia Rueda
A new baby polar bear has arrived in the frozen Arctic. Little polar bear follows her mother over snow and melting ice, through the freezing ocean water, and into a blowing snowstorm. Little polar bear has doubts about whether she is a real polar bear, but feels much better after listening to her mother's reassuring words. My Little Polar Bear is a beautifully illustrated story about a mother's love for her child.




How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?
By Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
Even after lots of moping, kicking, and making messes, the mothers and fathers of the little dinosaurs still love them. This humorous story will leave readers ready for some dinosaurs sized hugs. How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? is a wonderful new edition to Jane Yolen and Mark Teague's award winning How Do Dinosaurs...? children's series.




Stagecoach Sal
By Deborah Hopkinson
Pictures by Carson Ellis
Sal loved riding around with her father and singing on his stagecoach, but the one thing she wanted more than anything else was to drive herself. After an unfortunate accident Pa needed a break from driving the stagecoach, and Sal finally received her chance to drive alone. However, with the infamous stagecoach robber Poetic Pete on the loose, Sal is bound to have an interesting night. Stagecoach Sal is a fictional story based on the life of Delia Haskett Rawson. Delia was the first, and possibly the only, female stagecoach mail deliverer in California. This book offers up a healthy dose of history for children ages four to seven.



Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol
Illustrated by Brett Helquist
Witness the story of Ebenezer Scrooge breathtakingly illustrated by Brett Helquist. Watch Scrooge transform from a stingy business man to a caring and Christmas loving citizen after visits from three Christmas ghosts. Brett Helquist's intricate art paired with this classic Christmas story is sure to please the entire family.