Book Review: Ninja Cowboy Bear

The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear

Author: David Bruins

Illustrator: Hilary Leung

Interest Level: Ages 4-8

A Note from the Publisher: The ninja, the cowboy and the bear do everything together — they paint pictures, compare cloud shapes in the sky, fly kites and much more. Though each friend is very different from one another, they enjoy each other's company. Until one day when they begin quarreling and compete to see which one is the best. The bear can pile up rocks the highest. The cowboy can collect the most raspberries. The ninja can catch the most rabbits. When each contest leads to more resentment, it seems the friends will never stop disagreeing. Only when they learn to be considerate of their differences do they finally realize how much they appreciate each other.

The cute, yet stylized artwork combined with a fun story about friendship and celebrating differences make this legend an unforgettable one. This playfully illustrated picture book also includes instructions for the Ninja-Cowboy-Bear game, which is similar to Rock Paper Scissors except that kids use their whole body.
 

The Way of the Ninja

Author: David Bruins

Illustrator: Hilary Leung

Interest Level: Ages 4-8

A Note From the Publisher: The creators of The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear return with a high-energy story about friendship. This time, the daring ninja learns that the greatest thrills and the best adventures are the ones we share.

The ninja's playtime games are too rough-and-tumble for his friends the cowboy and the bear. The ninja isn't interested in his friends' games — and playing all by himself isn't much fun. Can the rambunctious ninja ever meet his friends halfway? Children will easily relate to the lesson about mutual respect embedded in a story about three different but nonetheless close friends.



Why They Are On My Bookshelf: These both were a hit. Especially with the boys when they heard their favorite word in the world....NINJA! I also got lots of giggles when I read the title. Ahhh...perfect opportunity to talk about how all three characters are SO different yet are total buddies. The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear is all about navigating through the hard parts of friendship. Ninja, Cowboy, and Bear get themselves into an argument over bragging rights about who is the best. I think we all know how that will turn out. Lots of arguing and hurt feelings! All three go their separate ways to do some thinking and calming down. Really appreciated the teaching moment those pages provided to students. When we are upset, it's okay to walk away for awhile until you can come back with the intention to heal the problem. And that they do!

Author David Bruins other book, The Way of the Ninja, has another great teachable moment in it. What the kids and I got out of it is if you are going to have the "it's my way or the highway" attitude with your friends...don't be surprised to find yourself alone. Which can be boring and lonely! I did a lot of role playing centered around this. Discussion: What can we do when other kids don't want to play the game we have chosen? What can you do if kids are playing a game you don't want to play? Friendship takes compromise. Also, I actually have a ninja puppet I used for our role playing! Yes, cool points for the school counselor.

Check out the Ninja, Cowboy, Bear website to download the Ninja Cowboy Bear paper dolls to create your own role plays with kids. LOVE IT! Plus, they have all other kinds of cool stuff to check out. Love me a book website!


These are seriously rad.

By the way, these both have a lot of great vocabulary words for kids to learn like merrymaking, buffoonery, hilarity, agility, precision......very cool.
 

A Link to These Books and Others You Might Find Helpful: 

Sunday Book Club: Little Girls Can Be Mean - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Going Along With The Gang

Love love love this chapter. As an educator, take a look at your classroom - have you ever broken down the social hierarchy of the groups? Sort of fascinating.....until one of the groups becomes unhealthy and downright mean. Fascinating just got replaced with NEMESIS! I'll never forget a second grade girl trying to "get in" to a group. But it was a mean girls group. They would treat her horribly (put-downs, mean looks, exclusion) at recess. YET, every recess she would still go back for more. Trying so badly to fit in with these girls. I couldn't understand it. This girl needed the four steps! I'm also curious as to how many educators would have called home in this situation and let the parent know not only is she being bullied - but she needs MAJOR support in finding a good-fit group or friend. And I think the authors would dig even deeper and say, "What's really going on here?" They also remind us in this chapter that all groups will go through social struggles at some point - so be prepared.

Page 126: Crazy Sock Day

This story was really empowering. The authors lay out what happens when you are not tuned into the four steps and the missed opportunities to build a confident daughter. If your child is obsessing about something - major flag. It's also okay to admit you might not know how to deal with it. So thankful for this book! Also like the note to educators at the bottom of page 131. We have to be careful to not to set kids up for social failure.

Page 133: Scale The Worry Down To Size

This is brilliant. Show them a new perspective around the difference between the small and big stuff. This can bring a lot of calm to the situation and will start decreasing the obsessing. Help them understand the difference between a real fear and a worry.

Page 136: Become a team: "But we are a team, and you and I will figure this out together."

Parents, your kids want to hear these words from you when the going gets rough.

Page 138: Carley's Story

When I first read her story I thought - now how in the heck is the mom going to solve this one!!?? The authors point out how important it is to help your children see the possibility of more than one interpretation of an event. This is CRITICAL advice, folks. Don't breeze past this story. I did a lot of highlighting on these pages. Love the activity at the bottom of page 144 called Visual Rumors. I plan on doing this activity with students.

Page 150: Playing Dare

It's pretty dang cool when kids stand up for themselves and make good decisions.

Page 157: Dialogue about power imbalances and bullying

Girls don't think friendship meanness is a big deal - and I sometimes worry we don't either. The authors give some encouraging advice and language to use to help our daughters understand it is something to pay attention to. Sometimes when I have this sort of talk with girls they get this SHOCKED look on their face like - my friends are not bullies!

Page 158: Giver her some personal power

The power of positive affirmations is HUGE. Start this before they hit pre-school. Saying it out loud is huge.

Page 162: Letting go of a friendship circle

The authors call this a group freeze out. So perfectly put. Leaving someone out on purpose is just as painfully equal to all other kinds of bullying behavior. The steps will help your daughter to decide - is it time to move on from this group and how to be okay with it.

Page 167: Cliques vs. Groups

Great awareness for educators. I actually teach the difference between these two things to the students. Hey, shouldn't they know too? Like I tell the kids, "I can't do it without you."

Page 173-174: Reflections on talking badly about your friend

Whoa! Huge wake up call for me as a counselor. When we get angry with one another it all of a sudden gets easy to start putting the other person down. We sort of feel justified. But this really just fuels a problem. This is not a conversation I've had with girls and am now encouraged to do so. I'm going to figure out how to turn this tip into a lesson/discussion/role play. I think I've been a bit too reactive to this type of behavior. Page 176-177 uses the word composure. How can we help our girls to keep their composure? Oh wow, loved all the advice in this chapter.

Review: 'First 100' books

First 100 Words and First 100 Machines

Written by Roger Priddy

Publication date: 2005 (Words), 2006 (Machines)
Publisher: Priddy Books
ISBN: 978-0312495411 (Words), 978-0312498061 (Machines)


Summary/Back cover:

First 100 Words:
Help your child take their first steps on the language learning ladder with over 100 essential first words and pictures


First 100 Machines:
Help your child take their first steps on the language learning ladder with over 100 words and pictures of amazing machinery.


Both these books are such a bargain. Only $16 for a big hardback book with fabulous pictures. Really sturdy - I can see them lasting right through to school for our little ones. 


Review written by Anna

Review: It's Mine!

It's Mine!

Written and Illustrated by Rod Campbell

Publication date: 1999
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
ISBN: 978-0333762783


Summary/Back cover:
Who does the green tail belong to? Who does the long nose belong to? Turn the pages to find out and meet lots of jungle animals. But watch out - there's a really big pop-up surprise at the end!


A sweet little book discovering the hidden animals. Great to introduce your little ones into search and find books.
Has a big pop up surprise at the end 


Review written by Anna

Review: Dig Dig Digging

Dig Dig Digging

Written by Margaret Mayo

Illustrated by Alex Ayliffe

Publication date: 2002
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
ISBN: 978-0805068405


Summary/Back cover:
Diggers are good at dig, dig, digging.  They can work all day!


Such a fantastic book for any little fans of diggers, fire engines, dump trucks and many more busy movers.
Really fun to read with lots of rhymes and great pictures.


Review written by Anna

Review: Time for Bed, Little Kiwi

Time for Bed, Little Kiwi

Written and Illustrated by Bob Darroch

Publication date: 2010
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0-14350-430-6  


Summary/Back cover:
It's time for Little Kiwi to go to bed but where is he? Join his mum on a search through the New Zealand bush as she tries to track him down. A new adventure in our popular Little Kiwi series of storybooks.


Review
A great little Kiwiana book. It's time for Little Kiwi to go to bed but he is nowhere to bee seen. Follow his mum as she searches for him through the NZ bush. Discover great Kiwi characters such as Weta, Morepork & Kakapo.


Review written by Anna

Review: Aliens Love Underpants

Aliens Love Underpants
Written by Claire Freedman

Illustrated by Ben Cort

ISBN: 9781847383600

Summary/Back cover: When aliens fly down to Earth,
They don't come to meet YOU...
They simply want your underpants
I'll bet you never knew!
This zany, hilarious story is simply out of this world, you'll laugh your pants off!

My Monkey loves this book. It has aliens, underpants, space ships and rhymes. There isn't much more a little boy could ask for... We have it on CD too and he listens to it in the car and can recite the whole thing word for word. 

The illustrations are bright and captivating. The story is good without being sickly sweet and if you don't assign the underpants on the first page to family members you are missing out on a good giggle.

Rating 5/5

By the same author and worth looking for:

Aliens in Underpants Save the World
Dinosaurs Love Underpants
Panta Clause

Review written by LatteJunkie

Review: The Gruffalo

The Gruffalo
Written by Julia Donaldson

Illustrated by Axel Scheffler

ISBN: 978-0142403877

Summary/Back cover:

"A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.
A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good." 
Walk further into the deep dark wood and discover what happens when the quick-thinking mouse comes face to face with an owl, a snake and a hungry gruffalo.

The Gruffalo is my personal favourite book to read to Monkey. It is also our go-to CD, interactive sound book and will (after his birthday) be our go to DVD. 

It has everything a great story needs, a funny, likeable main character; challenges, scary(ish) baddies, a bit of smart thinking and the smallest "person" wins in the end. It rhymes beautifully, the language is not childish but is easily memorised. If you have the CD where it is also sung, like we do, you WILL find yourself singing the book. It is the one book we have four versions of and if I could validate it I would buy a boardbook too 

Another fun part is that there is a Gruffalo website http://www.gruffalo.com/ which has some great activities and colouring in sheets that have come in useful on a rainy day.

Rating: 5/5

Other books to look out for by the same author (that we've actually read and enjoyed)

A Squash and a Squeeze
Room on the Broom
What the Ladybird Heard
A Snail and a Whale
Tyrannosaurus Drip

Review written by LatteJunkie

Review: Clumsy Crab

Clumsy Crab 

Written and Illustrated by Ruth Galloway

Publication date: 2005
Publisher: Koala Books
ISBN: 0-86461-515-9

Summary/Back cover:

Nipper hates his huge clumsy claws.  They're no use at all - they just get in the way.  He'd much rather have tickly tentacles like Octopus and Jellyfish or flippety fins like Turtle and the fish.  But one day when he's playing with his friends, Nipper finds his claws are very useful after all.

A gorgeous, bright book that tells the story of Nipper the crab who hates his claws but when he and his claws are the only ones that can help save one of his friends, he comes to appreciate his claws. 

The lovely moral of  'everyone has a special something', woven into this story, makes it a great story-time book for older children and the brightly coloured illustrations and flowing narrative along with the punches of onomatopoeia keep the little ones interested too.

Rating: 4/5

Review written by QTCass

Review: The Nickle Nackle Tree

The Nickle Nackle Tree 

Written and Illustrated by Lynley Dodd

Publication date: 1996
Publisher: Mallinson Rendel

ISBN: 0-908783-19-1

Summary/Back cover:

In the Manglemunching Forest there's a Nickle Nackle tree,

Growing Nickle Nackle berries that are red as red can be.

I went to look last Monday; I was too surprised for words

- On every twisty branch there was a jumbly jam of birds

And from here, this counting book works its way up from one Ballyhoo bird to fourteen pink fandango birds.  Wildly imaginative with all manner of crazy bird types and beautifully illustrated, this funny book is not proving too popular with our newest family addition but was loved by our eldest.

As a rule, I like to give books as birthday presents especially to children, and where I can I try to make them books by NZ authors.  Lynley Dodd is a most beloved kiwi author and I know that any one of her many books will be greatly appreciated.  This book has the added benefit of being a counting book as well as being wonderfully creative.  I like to use this and her other book, The Other Ark, as a basis to try and come up with our own crazy creatures with my sons, nieces and nephew.

Some of the birds are a little off-putting, which I think is what is making my little fella a bit wary.  So on this basis I give this book a 3.5/5.

Review written by QTCass

Review: Diggers

Diggers

Written by Amanda Askew

Publication date: 2010
Publisher: QED Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-84835-464-7

Summary/Back cover:
A bright, fun book about diggers for young readers.  Includes diggers in demolitions, diggers sucking up waste and diggers in mines!

This is not a story book as such, but more like a mini text-book about diggers.  It has a lot of photos of diggers, which appeals to my 2 year old son!  The book tells us about different types of diggers, and introduces such words as 'excavator' and 'bucket attachment' - it is written for little people to understand, but doesn't dumb down the words at all.  It would be a useful starting point for a young school-aged child, if they had to, for example, do a project about diggers.

It's definitely a 'boy' book - although it's not a story book, it's still become a firm favourite at bedtime in this household, but sometimes we just point out interesting things in the photos, rather than reading the text.

My rating: 3 out of 5.  Great if your child loves diggers, but otherwise I wouldn't bother.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Guess How Much I Love You

Guess How Much I Love You 

Written by Sam McBratney 

Illustrated by Anita Jeram

Publication Date: 1994
Publisher: Walker Books

ISBN: 0-7445-3224-8

Summary/Back cover:

Sometimes when you love someone very, very much, you want to find a way of describing how great your feelings are.  But, as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare discover, love is not an easy thing to measure!

Big Nutbrown Hare is putting Little Nutbrown Hare to bed when the question is asked - Guess how much I love you?  And so starts the best and only example of the honourable-outdo - who loves who more. 

I ADORE this book!  My eldest son, who is now 11,  has his own special copy as it was his favourite as a child.  He passed on a lot of his books to his cousins and when his brother was born, he gave him all the special ones he held back except for this one.

Wonderfully illustrated, it has become a firm classic in the children's book arena.  We found it to be a nice, soothing bedtime read as it leads to Little Nutbrown Hare falling asleep at the end of the book. 

Review written by QTCass

Review: Don't Put Your Finger in the Jelly, Nelly

Don't Put Your Finger in the Jelly, Nelly 

Written and Illustrated by Nick Sharrat

Publication Date: 2006
Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN: 0439950627

Summary/Back cover:

Don't put your finger in the jelly, Nelly... you might upset a Jellyphant!

Simple, rhyming book with an interactive hole on each page for your littley to put their fingers into.  Each subsequent page has a funny situation involving the finger; being held by the jellyphants trunk, wrapped around by the chocotpuses tentacles etc.

This book is funny - the jellyphant is an elephant made out of jelly, there is an alligrater and even (my favourite) a meringutan!  Combined with big, bold pictures, we have found it is enjoyed by both the reader and the listener.  It's a firm favourite in our house and is a nice quick read.

Rating - 5/5

Review written by QTCass

Review: Splish, Splash, Flappy Ducks

Splish, Splash, Flappy Ducks

Written by Ann Tobias

Illustrated by Dubravka Kolanovic

Publication Date: 2005
Publisher: The Five Mile Press
ISBN: 978-1-74124-911-8

Summary/Back cover:
The rain poured down.
"It's a beautiful day," said Mama Duck. "A perfect day for little ducklings to play outside."
But the little ducklings have other ideas about being outside in the wet and the rain... until the sun comes out!

This is a beautiful wee book, made just that little bit more special with fuzzy bits - all the pictures of ducks in the book are fuzzy to touch, which appeals to my 2 year old greatly. He'll touch the duck, then touch another part of the page and say "Fuzzy... smooth" - great sensory learning happening there!

The story follows three ducklings who are sent to play outside in the rain. The ducklings grumble for a while, and talk about why they don't like the rain (one of them sneezes, which causes a fit of fake-sneezes in our house), but finishes with the ducks happy that the sun comes out for them to play in.

This is a lovely wee book that says it is for ages 5 and up, but is very suitable to read babies and toddlers, too. It would be a great first-reader though, so I guess that's why it has those ages on it?

It gets a bit confusing talking about Fluffy, Flappy and Fancy duck with their fuzzy feathers if you read the book multiple times in a sitting, but beyond that, this is a very easy book to read aloud to small children.

My rating: 4 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Terrific Trains

Terrific Trains

Written by Tony Mitton

Illustrations by Ant Parker

Publication Date: 1998
Publisher: Kingfisher
ISBN: 978-0-7534-1524-5

Summary/Back cover:
"Big trains, small trains, old trains and new, rattling and whistling - choo, choo, choo!"
Clickety clack down the track in this picture book with playful art, animal passengers and a brilliant picture dictionary. The enclosed CD lets children follow along with the jolly rhyming text, with music and fun sound effects to accompany the reading. It's the perfect way to learn about trains - at bedtime, on car journeys, or anytime at all!

My 2 year old is train-mad. We live near the railway line, so he is constantly watching trains, often goes on a ride with one with his Dad in the weekends, and will point out any train that he sees while we're in the car. So it only made sense to buy this book when I saw it on the sale table down at the mall one day!

This is a rhyming book, and it's written in such a way that the rhythm of the words sounds like the wheels of a train on the tracks. Beautifully illustrated and very well written, this is a book that any young boy will enjoy, and many girls as well, I'm sure!

There are a lot of other books in this series that I'm keen to get as well:

• Amazing Aeroplanes
• Brilliant Boats
• Cool Cars
• Dazzling Diggers
• Flashing Fire Engines
• Roaring Rockets
• Super Submarines
• Tough Trucks
• Tremendous Tractors

... does that sound like a 2 year old boy's dream library or what?!

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 - the only trouble with it is that it's a short story, so I'm made to read it 3 or 4 times before a certain toddler is satisfied!

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: There's a House inside my Mummy

There's a House inside my Mummy

Written by Giles Andreae

Illustrated by Vanessa Cabban

Publication date: 2001
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 978-1-84121-068-1

Summary/Back cover:
"There's a house inside my Mummy 
Where my little brother grows,
Or maybe it's my little sister, 
No one really knows."
"Sometimes me and Mummy 
Like to cuddle on our own,
And I tell him that I love him 
Through her tummy telephone."
A funny and tender story by Giles Andreae, also known as the best-selling Purple Ronny, about a little boy's wait for his new baby.

We got this book on the recommendation of others, when I was expecting Baby #2. It's such a sweet wee book, that explains in very toddler-friendly ways that Mummy is going to have a baby, and what will happen over the pregnancy months (ie, Mummy gets tired, eats weird things, tummy gets bigger, baby will move).

We have a number of books by Giles Andreae now, and he's quickly become one of my favourite authors of children's books. This book features Gerald, the giraffe, as a soft toy, which my 2 year old was very excited about, and pointed him out on each page.

If you're having another baby, or know someone else having a baby, I thoroughly recommend this book - we have continued to read it even after the baby was born, just as a nice story, rather than as a learning tool.

My rating: 5 out of 5 - an easy to read rhyming book that helps almost-older siblings to understand what's happening to Mummy.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Michael Recycle

Michael Recycle

Written by Ellie Bethel

Illustrated by Alexandra Colombo

Publication date: 2008
Publisher: Koala Books
ISBN: 978-0-86461-811-5

Summary/Back cover:
Michael Recycle is on a mission to save the planet, but he needs your help!

This is a beautifully PC book, all about recycling, reusing and reducing. The story is about a Super Green Hero who flies into a grimy town and teaches them all about recycling. One page I particularly like is this:

So proud was the town of the green transformation
they threw a big party, a grand celebration!
They covered the town using green toilet paper
(but carefully rolled it back up to use later!)

This is an often-requested book by my 2 year old - the idea of 'super-hero' appeals to young boys, and the hero is cleverly used to teach children the importance of recycling.  As an aside, my son loves recycling and will often tell us that something can go in the recycling bin rather than the rubbish bin, so the book seems to have left an imprint on him!

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 - another lovely rhyming children's book, with a good lesson built in.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Sadie the Air Mail Pilot

Sadie the Air Mail Pilot

Written and Illustrated by Kellie Strom

Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 978-0-385-60506-9

Summary/Back cover:
Once upon a time a few brave pilots in little planes flew the Air Mail.

This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Sadie, a cat, who flies a plane to deliver the mail. She gets caught in a storm one day, but she sticks with her motto of "The winds may blow ice and snow, but still the Air Mail's got to go!"

My 2 year old boy loves this book because we get to make aeroplane noises as we read it, and he enjoys pointing out what animal the other characters in the book are.

I'm intrigued to know exactly where Air Mail HQ is in this book - one of the lines is the Chief giving orders for where everyone is to fly: "Pete, you fly the mail to Lima, Gus, you go to Santiago, and Charlie to Cordoba. Jack and Barney, you two do the route to Panama," - we're obviously in South America, but that seems to be quite a big area that these little planes cover!

All the same, this is a lovely wee book that I can definitely recommend.

My rating: 4 out of 5 - it's not a rhyming book, so may not appeal to the very young, but definitely appeals to toddlers who are into aeroplanes and making onomatopoeic sounds.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: The Ravenous Beast

The Ravenous Beast

Written and Illustrated by Niamh Sharkey

ISBN: 9781406308907

Summary/Back cover:
The Ravenous Beast is hungry
He's hungry, hungry, hungry
But is he the hungriest animal of all?

This is a fun read. It is the quintessential "I can do anything better than you" type story. The Ravenous Beast declares he is hungry and his friends try to out do him. It's a silly story which has Monkey in fits of giggles as we read it and talk about the different things they're eating. The ending is slightly scary but nothing a two plus year old couldn't handle. I would say that it is a boys' book but hope you'll try it with your girls and prove me wrong.

This is also available with a DVD of the story which takes the story to a whole new level!

Rating: 5/5

Review written by LatteJunkie

Review: We're Going on a Bear Hunt

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Written by Michael Rosen

Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

ISBN: 9781406316285

Summary/Back cover:
We're going on a bear hunt.
We're going to catch a big one.
What a beautiful day!
We're not scared.

A beautifully simple rhyming book with evocative illustrations. My nearly 3 year old loves it and I have used it in classroom situations with 8 year olds and they loved it as much. After reading it once or twice Monkey picked up on the rhythm and the repeated sounds. He has started incorporating the story in his imaginative play.

I use the illustrations as talking points and I like how you can go deeper into the story using them.

This is also available with a DVD of the story which takes the story to a whole new level!

My rating would be 4.5/5

Review written by LatteJunkie

Review: The Beginner's Bible

The Beginner's Bible

Timeless Children's Stories

By Zonderkidz

Illustrated by Kelly Pulley

Publication date: 2005
Publisher: Mission City Press
ISBN: 978-0-310-70962-6

Summary/Back cover:
Introduce children to the stories and characters of the Bible with this best-loved Bible storybook. With vibrant art and compelling text, more than 900 Bible stories come to life. Kids aged 6 and under will enjoy the fun illustrations of Noah helping the elephant onto the ark, Jonah praying inside the fish, and more as they discover The Beginner's Bible just like millions of children before.

Both of my boys have been given one of these books by our church when they were baptised, and they are just the most beautiful wee bibles you've ever seen. The stories are selected and summarised to a children's level - for example:

"On the fifth day, God made swishy fish and squiggly creatures to live in the ocean. Then God made birds to fly across the sky."

Every page has a vibrant picture on it, related to the text, and it is a very easy book to read - although it is 508 pages long, it is a very quick book to read, and wouldn't take more than about half an hour, if you were to read front to back (although, the Bible is not intended to be read like that, so I've never read the whole lot to my boys at once - I just choose a selected story or two, and then talk about it more.)

My rating: 5 out of 5 - as far as a beginner's Bible goes, this is one of the best ones I've seen. Thoroughly recommended for those that want to find a Bible for their pre-schoolers.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Perky the Pukeko

Perky the Pukeko

Written by Michelle Osment

Illustrated by Sunset

Publication Date: 2004
Publisher: Little Friends Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 978-0-476-00934-9

Summary/Back cover:
A delightful rhyming story about belonging

This book is a New Zealand written and published book, which makes it just a little bit more worthy in my eyes, being a NZ mother to two NZ children!  There are four books in the Perky series - Perky the Pukeko, Perky by the Roadside, Perky and his Chicks, and Perky and the Possum Trap - we own all of those except the last one (which is on my list of books to buy one day!).  Each of the books reads beautifully by itself, but together they follow Perky's whole life.

The theme to Perky the Pukeko is much like the Ugly Duckling - he's not like the other birds (in this case, chickens), and is seen as an outsider.  Perky eventually finds a place where he belongs though, and the story finishes on a happy note (as all children's books should!).

This is a rhyming book, which makes it very easy to read aloud to your children, and in each book there is a couple of uniquely New Zealand words in there to teach your children (in this one, Pukeko - which has become a talking point when we see them on the roadside now, and Kumara - which is a well known vegetable in our house anyway).

My rating: 4 out of 5.  A lovely wee feel-good book that's got NZ stamped all over it!

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Sharing a Shell

Sharing A Shell

Written by Julia Donaldson

Illustrated by Lydia Monks

Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Campbell Books
ISBN: 978-1-4050-9174-9


Summary/Back cover:
Look! A crab - a crab with no shell, running along by the sea ......

When the little hermit crab finds a shiny new shell he doesn't want to share it - not with a blobby purple anemone and a tickly bristleworm.

Join Crab, Blob and Brush in the rock pool for a sparkly story of sea, shells and friendship.

My 3 year old was given this book for his 2nd birthday and he still loves it now.
Its a very sweet story about friendship and sharing, both things that we like our children to think about and learn. The illustrations are bright with added glitter and detailed with lots of things that you would find at the beach and in the rock pools. Its simple enough for those toddlers with short attention spans and rhymes really well. I enjoy reading it just about as much as my toddler! Definitely a book worth getting.

My rating: 4 out of 5.

Review written by mum2riley

Review: Donkey to the Rescue

Donkey to the Rescue

Written by Tim Dowley

Illustrated by Steve Smallman

Publication date: 2005
Publisher: Candle Books
ISBN: 1-85985-511-2

Summary/Back cover:
Children will love the bright illustrations and easy-to-read fun text in this delightful series of animal board books. Read about Donkey To The Rescue in this fresh retelling of the popular parable of the Good Samaritan.

My 2 year old was given this book from our Playgroup, run by one of the local churches - it tells of the parable of the Good Samaritan from the Donkey's point of view.  It is a board book, so lovely and sturdy for little people to read by themselves, and only a few pages long.

I like how, as with any parable, there is a "moral to the story" - which for this book is "We should help anyone who needs us - not just our friends."  Even if you're not religious, I think this is a good book for children, as it is a fun book to read, as well as having a pretty sensible moral at the end - I think most of us would agree that, even if we're not religiously inclined, we want to raise our children with many of the Christian morals - like helping other people when they need it.

My rating:  3.5 out of 5.  A cute wee book that only needs a short attention span to listen to.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Green Eggs and Ham

Publication Date: 1962
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0-00-715846-1

Ratings:
amazon.com: 4.7 out of 5 (246 ratings)
goodreads.com: 4.28 out of 5 (59,031 ratings)

Summary/Back cover:
When Sam-I-am pesters a grumpy grouch to eat a plate of green eggs and ham, we soon find we can't know what we really like until we have tried it!
By combining the funniest stories, craziest creatures and zaniest pictures with his unique blend of rhyme, rhythm and repetition, Dr. Seuss helps children of all ages and abilities learn to read.

This is one of those classics that every child should read - I'm a huge Dr. Seuss fan, and am forever adding to my (ahem, I mean, my childrens') collection of Dr. Seuss books.

Green Eggs and Ham is probably one of the best known books that he wrote, and is now catering to it's 3rd or 4th generation of readers. Dr. Seuss is well known for making up words and creatures in his stories, but this books is not one of them - all the words and creatures will be familiar to children.

Dr Seuss' books are split into three groups: the blue back, the green back and the yellow back books. This is one of the green back books, which are "for children just beginning to read on their own" - other books in this group include Fox in Socks, The Cat in the Hat, and Ten Apples Up on Top (yes, all of which we have in our collection!)

I thoroughly recommend Dr. Seuss in general (I'll be reviewing more of his books in the future), and particularly recommend Green Eggs and Ham - we probably all read it as children, and our parents probably read it too. It's only fair that our own children get to know the classics of the children's book world too!

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 - one that should be bought and read until the parents have it memorised!

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Treasure in the Deep

Treasure in the Deep

Written by Sue Harris

Illustrated by Stephanie Boey

Publication Date: 2004
Publisher: The Templar Company
ISBN: 1-84011-143-7

Summary/Back cover:
When Little Fish hears an intriguing story of hidden treasure, he sets off in search of the glittering haul. Lift the flaps to discover lots of sparkling surprises and meet the new friends Little Fish makes as he discovers that treasure come in many different forms...

This book is just gorgeous - it tells the tale of a little fish searching for hidden treasure in a coral reef, who discovers that the many different coloured animals that live in the reef are the treasures themself.  This page has lift the flaps, which appeal greatly to my 2 year old at the moment - but I do have to be very careful that he doesn't rip the flaps right off!  The books is made from sturdy paper, but not sturdy enough to stop a rambunctious toddler, if he had his way.

This book is another rhyming one (I do enjoy children's books that rhyme), which makes it a pleasure to read over and over, but there are a couple of phrases to keep adult readers on their toes - "bright sea anemones" is the one that trips me up the most!

I do recommend this book as one for children to read with their parents - perhaps not the young toddlers, but once they're old enough to understand that lift the flaps does not mean ripping them out.  My 2 year old has a lot of fun pointing out the shiny colours on each page, and naming the sea animals (although the seahorse is sometimes called a seesaw and sometimes an exersaucer at the moment!).

My rating: 4 out of 5.  Definitely worth a read.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Giraffes Can't Dance

Giraffes Can't Dance

Written by Giles Andreae

Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees

Publication Date: 1999
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 978-1-84121-565-5

Ratings:
amazon.com: 4.8 out of 5 (72 ratings)
goodreads.com: 4.27 out of 5 (494 ratings)

Summary/back cover:
Gerald was a tall giraffe
Whose neck was long and slim,
But his knees were awfully bandy
And his legs were rather thin.
Gerald was not a good dancer. Every year he dreaded the great Jungle Dance. but what Gerald discovers one beautiful moonlit night is that when we're different sometimes all we need is a different song to dance to...

My 2 year old was given this book at his Baptism when he was 2 months old, and it has been read many, many times since then. With a gentle rhyming text and brightly coloured pictures, this book appeals to children from a very young age - my 5 month old enjoys this book a lot now, too. The pictures are detailed, and there is the added bonus of toddlers finding a blue, red and yellow bug and a cricket on every page - this has become quite a game for us!

The author, Giles Andreae is well known for not only his children's stories, but also as the poet Purple Ronnie.

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who has children or looks after them - it will appeal to many ages - from birth right through until well into school-aged children. It has become one of those books that I love to buy for other people's children for special occasions.

My rating:  5 out of 5.  This is becoming a classic that every child should read at least once!

Review written by Bronwyn

Books Supporting No-Name Calling Week

I've blogged about A LOT of books covering the topic of bullying. I went through my list and narrowed it down to ones that have name-calling or put-downs in them. Hope these will help you kick off No Name-Calling Week. Click on the title to read my review.

If you think I should have included one that is not on this list, please tell me the title in the comments section below and I will add it. Remember, stick to ones focusing on name-calling and put downs.

Crow Boy
Chibi is picked on because he is different. He is misunderstood and judged by the other children. So much to learn from this beautiful story. It's a long time favorite of mine.

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
Molly Lou Melon is what I want every girl and boy to be. She shows us how to stand up for ourselves in the sweetest kindest way. Always believe in yourself no matter what others say!

Simon's Hook
Need strategies for name-calling? Look no further. This is a VERY popular book with my students. The metaphor is perfect. Don't take the hook!

Blue Cheese Breath and Stinky Feet
If you are being targeted by someone - you need a plan to not be their bulls eye. This has brought a lot of awareness to students about how to identify bullying. And after you identify it, how to deal with it.

My Best Friend
This one is asked to be read over and over by my K-2 students. It's about relational aggression and there is also a little name-calling going on. The message is to find a friend that treats you with kindness and respect. Don't hang around those who want to put you down.

Don't Laugh At Me
Maybe a way to combat name-calling is through empathy. This one surely builds it.

Just Kidding
A lot of kids would like to minimize put-downs by using the phrase "just kidding!" Trudy Ludwig teaches kids the problem with not taking responsibility and how to stand up for yourself assertively.

Thank You, Mr. Falker
This gets to the core of why name-calling is so destructive. Imagine struggling in school and then being taunted and teased by a classmate who calls you "dumb." But it's Mr. Falker who puts a stop to it. Reminder to my students how powerful adults are in stopping bullying.

The Hundred Dresses
At the end of this story there is regret for the teasing and name-calling. If you see someone being teased or put-down - SPEAK UP. Then you will never have regret.

One
A very creative take on bullying. Get ready to be blown away by this powerful book. It just takes ONE.

Good-Bye Bully Machine
The icky bully machine thrives off name-calling. Learn how to un-plug it with this AWESOME book. We are currently reviewing it from last year.

Edwardo the Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World
Edwardo is constantly put-down....by adults. This also explains the damage a put-down can do compared to a put-up!

Not So Tall for Six
Being picked on for your height is not cool. But Kylie Bell deals with it like a pro.

 The Blushful Hippopotamus
This hippopotamus keeps getting name-called by his sister. But it's his good friend Lombard who re-builds his self-esteem. 

The Meanest Thing To Say: A Little Bill Book for Beginning Readers, Level 3 (Oprah's Book Club)
Little Bill learns how to deal with insults.