Summer's coming to an end sooner than we wish, so Katie and I figured we'd better get some reading in before school starts back at the end of next month. The wonderful folks at Macmillan sent over all of the lovely children's books pictured above for us to review and below you'll find both of our thoughts on Wild Feelings; Good Night, Firefly; and Little Bird's Bad Word.
I do want to note that Katie was already reading at a 2nd grade level in the middle of first grade last year, and she was able to read all three of these books completely on her own, with no assistance from me. I think all of these books were rated for ages 7-9, and they were perfect for my little reader, who would like you to know that she's 7 1/2. =D
Title: Wild FeelingsAuthor/Illustrator: David Milgrim
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: August 4, 2015
Source: ARC from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Do you ever feel as stubborn as a mule? Or as chicken as a chicken? Of course you do. Everyone does.
In this lighthearted look at feelings, David Milgrim tenderly and humorously sketches the emotional range--from awkward to unnoticed, to really, rrrreally mad. Ultimately reassuring, this is a loving look at the normal, natural feelings we all have.
Katie: I liked this book a lot. I liked the pictures and that it talked about all the wild feelings a person can have. I liked how in the story the people looked like the animals they felt like.
Jen: Wild Feelings was a cute look at the normal feelings we all have. It's basically telling your little reader that it's okay to have all kinds of feelings…that it's completely natural because everyone feels that way at some time or another. It was a cute idea to incorporate the animals associated with some of the feelings -- "as stubborn as a mule" -- into the pictures, as well. This book would have really come in handy a year or two ago when Katie was more prone to temper tantrums. ;0)
Title: Good Night, FireflyAuthor/Illustrator: Gabriel Alborozo
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Source: ARC from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Nina is afraid of the dark. Luckily she has a nightlight, but one night the power goes out. So Nina traps a firefly to keep her company. She has a jolly time with her new friend, until she soon realizes that the firefly doesn't feel the same way, and she must let it go.
This irresistible bedtime story has stunning black-and-white illustrations accented with glowing spots of color--as magical as fireflies themselves!
Katie: I LOVE fireflies. I like to catch them. This book was pretty. The pictures had good detail. I liked that Nina had the idea to use the firefly's electricity to light up her room. This was my favorite book that we read today.
Jen: Like Katie, this was my favorite book in the bunch. I liked the color contrast in the images, between black and white and dark and light, and the pops of color that accent the images. It was definitely visually appealing, but it was also the ingenious little tale of a girl who's afraid of the dark and takes charge of her fear by calling on a new friend for help.
This was also the longest story in the bunch, but as we adore fireflies and the pictures were really pretty to look at, the book just flew by. I can see this fast becoming a favorite bedtime story in our house.
Title: Little Bird's Bad WordAuthor/Illustrator: Jacob Grant
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: July 21, 2015
Source: ARC from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Little Bird is excited to share a new word with his friends. But as he finds out, that word isn't so nice.
Little Bird learned a new word! He loves it so much that he's bursting to share it with all of his friends.
BLARK! BLARK! BLARK!
The only problem is, this isn't a very nice word. Little Bird doesn't realize it, but this word might even hurt someone's feelings. What word will Little Bird learn to make things better?
Jacob Grant is a great new talent whose words AND art have extraordinary humor. Readers will surely find the very apologetic Little Bird adorable!
Katie: The pictures were pretty and colorful. And I liked that Little Bird said he was sorry to everyone because it was nice.
Jen: Bad words are kind of a hot topic in our house these days. I cuss like a sailor and Katie's accidentally repeated a word she's heard a time or two without really understanding what she's saying or what it means. Oops! So, we totally get where Little Bird and Papa Bird are coming from.
That said, I had a hard time concentrating on the story once the bad word was out because it sorta sounds like my new favorite ship from The 100 and all I could think about was how I can't believe I have to wait until next year for new episodes. Waaaaahhhhh. :P
I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your summer and get some reading in before school, too! :D
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