This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Rating: 2.5 stars

What?!  There is another book like I Want My Hat Back, where the bear eats the rabbit because the rabbit took his hat?!  Of course there is.  If the first is popular, there will definitely be a sequel.

This time a tiny fish steals a hat from a big fish.  He admits that he stole it.  He's proud of it.  He thinks he can get away with it (literally).  Nope.  The big fish wakes up from his nap and is hot on the trail of the little thief. He finds the little fish in some reeds and GULP...  He swims out of the reeds with his hat back on his own head.

WHAT?!

I see how some kids think this is funny, but...I can't help but act my age and...not laugh.

Olympig! by Victoria Jamieson

 The Triumphant Story of an Underdog: Olympig! by Victoria Jamieson

Rating: 2.5 stars

I know, I know...the Olympics are completely over.  But they'll be back.

So, let me tell you a story about Boomer the Pig.  Boomer decides that he'll be in the Olympics, and he trains a little before his Olympic debut.  He competes in a wide variety of events--running, weight lifting, wrestling, vaulting, boxing, and hurdles, to name a few.

This pig does not know the term "specialization of labor."  Or of sports.

He stinks at all of them.  I mean, he's really bad.  And after losing horribly at each sport and having a chipper attitude, he finally loses it and throws an oinker of a tantrum.  And then he quits.

On your marks, get set, GO!

Shortly after quitting, an annoying journalist interviews his mom, expecting her to go on about her embarrassment and shame of her son.  Instead, she lauds him and says how proud she is of him for trying.

So Boomer un-quits and tries again.  One.  Last.  Event.  Gymnastics floor routine!

His comically glittery outfit and horribly spell-binding routine help him earn a spot near the bottom.  But his attitude remains positive.  "I realized something very important today!" he says.  "I realized today has been terrific practice for the Winter Olympics!"

I'm disappointed in this book about the Olympics, about which there are surprisingly few books.  The drawings are the highlight, but the story just leaves me unsatisfied.  I guess Jamieson wants kids to learn that a positive attitude is most important, and to appreciate the people (or pigs) that support you.  But I don't love how clueless Boomer is, how delusional he is about how his talents (or lack thereof) measure up against the rest of the competition.  It makes me think of all those kids out there who receive so much praise that they are shocked--shocked!--when they finally get honest (in their mind, negative) reviews.

I'm a huge fan of the Olympics, mostly because they are the hard-earned reward for individuals who work hard for many years.  This light-hearted approach to the Games rubs me the wrong way, but maybe I'm too competitive a person to appreciate a funny book about a pig who is trying really hard to be just okay.

Tyrannosaurus Dad by Liz Rosenberg, illustrated by Matthew Myers

Tyrannosaurus Dad by Liz Rosenberg, illustrated by Matthew Myers

Rating: 2.5 stars

Here's the story: A normal boy has a Tyrannosaurus Rex for a father (nope, they never explain why, and yup, I wondered, too).  The Tyrannosaurus Dad is a work-a-holic; the boy wants him to participate in his school's field day so hints a million hints about his father's attendance.  His father is seemingly oblivious but, on the actual day steps in out of nowhere to break up a fight and serve as the ump for a baseball game.  Everyone is, of course, immediately on their best behavior, the boy is excited to see his father there, and his father assures him "family first, work can wait."

Okay, fine story line, though how a kid has a dinosaur for a dad is curious to me.  Oh, and...where's the mom?  Great pictures, though there are some with some really mean looking kids in them.

But there are some lines in here that I do not want my kids to repeat.  And of course my opinion of this book went a bit downhill when I heard Lorelei repeat one of those lines to me.  "The next time I see you better be never!" she exclaimed proudly to no one in particular this morning.

"I'll ump!" thundered an unexpected voice.  The kids had to
look up to see where the voice was coming from.
Way, way up.

Hmm.  Anyone who knows sweet Lorelei will probably laugh, because this is something that is completely the opposite of who she really is.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around it (not that I like that saying, but...that's what came out of my fingers right now, so...there you go).  As a super competitive type myself, maybe I'd be okay if she said that while passing someone the final lap of a race?  Would it be okay if she said it while shaking her fist at some guy who thought he could outsmart her?  I admit that there's a glimpse of "yes" in my answers...  But as a 5 year old, I'm just not ready for to be sassy.  Or as sarcastic as me.  I've had three decades to warm up!

This is not the book I'd like to read this Father's Day.  I'd like to keep my kids in a not-sarcastic, not-mean bubble as long as I can.  Maybe in a few years I will appreciate it more.  And, ironically, we'll be going to a baseball game on Sunday...I wonder if the kids will expect a dinosaur to umpire??!

The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher by Molly Bang

The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher by Molly Bang

Rating: 2.5 stars

Ever look at a piece of artwork and just wonder... Huh?


That's what I think about this, a Caldecott winner from a few years back.  It's a wordless picture book (hey, I was just talking about those the other day...click here if you missed it) full of eerie, odd, spooky pictures.  It reminds me of the magical realism that Isabel Allende uses in her novels, but just doesn't seem to work here.  For us, anyway.

I just don't get it.

The Grey Lady gets strawberries from the market and walks home to share them with her grandchildren.  Along the way, a spooky, blue creature tries to steal them away, but the grey lady morphs into different objects in order to hide from the strawberry snatcher.

At least that's what I think happens.

We've read a bunch of Molly Bang books, and I expected a step out of the normal from her.  We especially appreciated her When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry with its vibrant pictures and unique spin on what to do to regain control of yourself.

But this one?  I'm sort of dumbfounded.  I'm going to return it to the library and check it out again in a few months...maybe I'll get it a little more then...?  Or, like that crazy artwork, I'll leave it to The Experts to fully get and appreciate.

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae, illustrated by Russell Ayto

Rating: 2.5 stars

Since we were on the hunt for dinosaur books for my twin nieces' upcoming birthday, and because we are fans of Giles Andreae, we couldn't not check out this book from the library.

Captain Flinn himself

Here's the plot: Flinn, a dinosaur-loving kid, goes into the supply closet at school to get more markers when he finds a sniffling Real Pirate and is magically transported to the high seas (along with some of his classmates).  The Real Pirate tells the kids that his precious pirate ship was hijacked by some pirates that were especially fearsome and tough.  The kids, now pirates themselves, help the Real Pirate find his ship and find the culprits--who aren't just any old pirates but DINOSAUR pirates!  There is a great battle, and Flinn and his buds come out on top.  They find a trap door that becomes the supply closet, so they return to school without their teacher missing them.

But, alas, it's not for us.  I can see some kids liking it more than us--I mean, the fact that it's got dinosaurs and pirates in the title will be a selling point for many.  In my opinion, I think it takes too many pages to get to the actual pirate part of the book.  I know fights are sort of part of life, but battles with swords and cannons and fierce fighting aren't my favorite for my kids right now.  I think the fact that they're dinosaurs is really random but...maybe dinosaur-obsessed kids like my nieces wouldn't care at all.  And I know that there are a few sequels to this book, so obviously some kids liked it! 

My Abuelita by Tony Johnston

My Abuelita by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Rating: 2.5 stars

Confession: I don't really like clowns.  Or dolls.  So this book definitely freaks me out. 

I'll try and explain the story first, which is pretty good, though not stellar.  This little boy lives with his abuelita, who is an odd character to put it mildly.  Colorful is probably more polite.  But he, of course, loves her and thinks she's the best thing since sliced bread.  The book is mostly the little boy just describing her routine in the morning, as she gets ready for work.  And that's the big mystery Johnston really wants us to wonder about, because he mentions it on almost every single page, making me think to myself in my most inappropriately sarcastic voice:  OK!  WE GET IT!  WE'RE CURIOUS ABOUT HER WORK!  In the end, we find out she is a storyteller, and the little boy wants to grow up to be one, too.

And now, the illustrations.  I had to find out the background on these strange things, and I found this neat You Tube clip of Yuyi Morales describing how she made it.  The video is a wonderful illustration of how illustrations come to be--how painstakingly time consuming and detailed, and how much talent and time are both involved. 

It's pretty neat (and I'm not even a fan of the end result), but if you don't have 3 minutes and 42 seconds to watch it, here's the short version: She made the abuelita, the little boy, and the cat, then gathered together all the other stuff you see on the pages and took photographs of them, over a three year period.  For me, the illustrations in the book are a bit creepy, voo-doo-like and just not my thing.  That said, they are very different and it's great to show kids different styles so they can find one or more that they like.  That's what art is all about, right?

Lorelei likes this book because there is Spanish sprinkled in with the text.  And she thinks she can speak Spanish, just like my cousin did when he was a preschooler (he's now in high school--oh my!).  She'll say some jibberish and then, kindly, translate it for me.  It makes me laugh everytime. 

For me, a strange book, but...it might be someone else's favorite.

Posy by Linda Newbery

Posy by Linda Newbery, illustrated by Catherine Rayner

Rating: 2.5 stars

In an effort to not throw my own biases on my kids, I got Posy from the library last week.  I am trying to like it, to be enthusiastic when Lorelei or Ben want to read it.  But...I'm just a dog person pretending to think that cats are a good choice for a pet, too.  (Deep inside, horrible, dog-loving me is thinking: My dogs would give you a run for your money, Posy!)

Ok, I don't really want my weims to terrorize Posy.  She is cute and cuddly.  But she's just an alien creature for Ben and Lorelei.  And there is little to this story: "Posy!  She is...a whisker wiper, crayon swiper, playful wrangler, knitting tangler."  It just describes the cute things that this kitten does.  As a dog family, we need a little more convincing that we should really love this Posy creature.  Whatever your preference--cats or dogs, horses or snakes--it's hard to argue that the illustrations by Catherine Rayner are not pretty adorable.

If you're a cat person, feel free to rant in the comment section below.  (And check out this book, plus Linda Newbery's other cat-related books.)  If you're a dog person, feel free to give me a cyber-high five below.  (And click here to find all my reviews on dog books.  And note that I don't even have a special label for cat books!  My tastes and preferences are obvious...sorry, cat-loving book-readers out there...) 

A Fly Went By by Mike McClintock

A Fly Went By by Mike McClintock, illustrated by Fritz Siebel

Rating: 2.5 stars

I need to learn to preview books before reading them to my kids!  I have learned this the hard way several times.  Once, I was "reading" a wordless picture book to Lorelei and was, obviously, describing the images on the pages in a story-like way.  A little boy and his dog went fishing, they saw a turtle, the dog went into the water to chase the turtle, they wrestled in the water and...then...oh, my...  I see a picture of the turtle floating, belly up, in the water!  How to explain this one?!  Um, the turtle floats on his back, looking up at the sky, and the boy goes in to the water to get the turtle, and then (oh, I see--the turtle was just playing dead) the turtle jumps up and they all become friends.  That was a library book I hid after a single reading. 

You'd think I learned my lesson!  Of course not.

We checked out this book, one of the I Can Read It Myself Beginner Books, in a fit of nostalgic hysteria--don't you remember this book?!  I think it was a good one...right?  Lorelei and I started reading it, and it starts off innocently enough.  A boy sits watching the sky, then a fly zooms by because he is chased by a frog, which wants to eat him.  The frog hops by because he is chased by the dog, which wants to grab him.  The dog runs by because he is being chased by a pig, which wants to bite him.  The pig runs from cow, and the cow and her calf run because "someone bad has made us run! / He wants to kill my Little One!"  Oh. 

Kill?!  I mean, I know it's part of life, and poor Lorelei and Ben have been introduced to animal death a few times because our crazy weimaraners have killed a cute baby raccoon (poor guy) and chipmunk (we'll miss him) in the past year, but...  Do I really read this to them?  I didn't.  I substituted "hurt" and moved on, thinking that once the fox who wanted to kill the little cow was out of the way, I'd be in the clear.

Nope.  No such luck.

Soon, the little boy yells at the fox and tells him that if he doesn't stop trying to kill the cow, the boy will whip him.  Great.  That's a word I want in Lorelei's vocabulary.  Whip.  And then, two pages later, we find out that the fox is running because a man with the gun wants to get him.  Great!  Another quality vocabulary word for my three year old: gun!  Her preschool teacher will be unduly impressed.

So, I'd steer clear of this book.  It's not that it's the worst out there, but there are so many other I Can Read It Myself books that you should be able to find another one quite easily.

The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow

The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow

Rating: 2.5 stars

Despite the fact that she would sleep soundly through the craziest of crazy thunderstorms during her first few years, Lorelei is now becoming a little afraid of storms.  I understand why--big claps of thunder still make me jump!  And when the lights go out, and there's no white noise whatsoever, the claps seem even louder.  And the lightning that much closer.

Therefore, I've been looking for a book that will explain storms to her.  We're huge Berenstein Bear readers (we've read them all--a zillion times each--and I could probably write a thesis on them...that's scary) so I appreciated The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings and the short description about what causes thunder and lightning within the story.

But when I came across The Storm Book, I got my hopes up.  Lorelei knew we had checked it out from the library, so during the last crazy storm, she said, "Hey!  Let's read The Storm Book!"  Man, I couldn't ask her to play along with my provide-me-content-for-my-blog game better if I requested it.

So we did.

But the format of the book is so NOT for children of this age that it's hard to get through it with a preschooler in your lap or in front of you.  The words are on one page, and the picture, spanning two complete pages, follows that page with the text.  So the child needs to sit through a long paragraph or two until they get something to look at.  And then you can look at the picture, which is very interesting and pretty.

It might be a good book to have on your shelf for a little later, or if you're a teacher you could easily photocopy the pages with text and read them while you hold up the image...  It is a pretty good book to use for an introduction to a lesson on storms.  But this seems like a lot of work for a parent, and for a just-ok book.  It's not bad, but...we won't be checking it out again for awhile.

Has anyone out there read any other books on storms?  I'm curious...it's easy to find books on monkeys and farm animals and trucks and princesses, but weather doesn't seem to be a popular subject!

Where's My Teddy? by Jez Alborough

Where's My Teddy? by Jez Alborough

Rating: 2.5 stars

The succinct version: Beautiful pictures, but a dud overall.

We found Where's My Teddy? early in my search for great children's books. I did some serious Googling one night when I couldn't sleep; I was looking for all the lists I could on the best children's books. I found five or six lists (of course I'm sure there are more out there...there are books published about what books you should read) and then made my own list of all these. Then I just went down the list at our local library, ordering and reading, ordering and reading.

Side note: I say "order" because we order 90% of all our library books from the comfort of our computer room, where Ben can run around and be loud. Then we zip to the library, pick up our holds, choose a few more, and check out. This process takes 5-15 minutes. The librarians always laugh at us--we deserve it!

Anyway, Where's My Teddy? is on one the lists I found...man, which one was it? I can't remember. We like Hug, another Alborough book, so I thought we'd try this one. On a positive note, the illustrations are gorgeous! We read this book at the beach, and it made me miss our backyard--the whole story takes place in woods with gorgeous, tall trees with a thick canopy of leaves overhead. It's a simple tale of a little boy losing his teddy, then finding a giant one that actually belongs to a giant bear, who is bemoaning the fact that his teddy somehow shrunk. The giant bear isn't very friendly, but he's afraid of the little boy, who is of course afraid of the big bear. They each run home to their respective beds, happy to take home their very own teddy that actually fits in their bed.

Overall, it's okay. The story and illustrations are so simple that I can't imagine reading it more than a few times. It was fun to read aloud to Ben and Lorelei, but this was not one that they requested more than once. It is one of books that gets read a few times, then pushed aside. Check it out if you're into bears, but not worth buying.