Book Reviews: Know Your Emotions Series

Angry Is...
Author: Connie Colwell Miller
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

How does it feel to be angry? What does anger look like? Big, full color photos and simple, rhyming text explore the range of angry feelings. 

Sad Is...
Author: Cheyenne Nichols 
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

How does it feel to be sad? What does sadness look like? Big, full color photos and simple, rhyming text explore the range of feeling sad. 

Happy Is...
Author: Connie Colwell Miller
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

How does it feel to be happy? What does happiness look like? Big, full color photos and simple, rhyming text explore the ways that people feel happy. 

Scared Is...
Author: Cheyenne Nichols
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

How does it feel to be scared? What does fear look like? Big, full color photos and simple, rhyming text explore the range of feeling scared. 






Why They Are On My Bookshelf: Because they are a great resource on feelings! Each book does a superb job describing what the emotion feels like through concrete examples that are easily relatable. The students also appreciate the photos of real kids experiencing the feeling. The series also doesn't give a bunch of lame (yes I used that word) ways to cope with the emotion. It leaves it open ended for the kids and I to start a new dialogue and brainstorm on how to deal and react to emotions. This series is a Winner!
 

A Link To These Books:

A Must Have - I'm Here by Peter H Reynolds

I've had quite a few people mention this book to me - just haven't had time to pick it up due to my upcoming maternity leave. But it's at the top of my list.....I'm thinking your gonna want this one.....watch the trailer:

I'm Here
Author: Peter H Reynolds
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

Description:
I’m here. And you’re there.
And that’s okay.
But… maybe there will be a gentle wind that pulls us together.
And then I’ll be here and you’ll be here, too.

Pure, powerful, and deceptively simple, bestselling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds reminds us that children—and the friendships they make—can bloom in unexpected ways. This extraordinary picture book gives voice to the often silent world of a kid struggling to connect with his peers and speaks to the universal need to be loved and heard.

A Link to This Book:

Review: The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Illustrated by Jane Ray

Publication date: 2011
Publisher: Orchard books
ISBN: 978-1-40830-703-8

Summary/Back cover:
On the first day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.
This sumptuous edition of one of the most-loved and best-known traditional songs has been illustrated with exquisite style by Jane Ray.  A charming Christmas classic to be treasured for years to come.

Review:
The words in this book are simply the lyrics to The Twelve Days of Christmas, that we all love and/or hate!  The illustrations are a story in their own right though - we see the gift giver sneakily looking as his true love receives the gifts each day, and then he finally approaches her on the twelfth day.  The faces of the people in the book are a little bit odd-looking to me, but nothing that worries children at all.  They are lovely bright pictures that become increasingly cluttered as the song becomes cluttered, and then finishes on a much less cluttered note - very fitting for the song lyrics.

This book, being a Christmas song, has a limited lifespan each year in our house, but has been well received by both my 1 year old and 3 year old - my 3 year old has gone to bed singing the song to himself - usually with different lyrics though ("Five Thomas trains, four pillows, three bananas, two potties and a c-a-a-a-a-a-a-t").  However, it is a book that will be pulled out in December every year for a few weeks, and would make a lovely gift book.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of this book, you can find it here on Fishpond.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Old MacDonald's Farm

Old MacDonald's Farm

Illustrated by Donovan Bixley

Publication date: 2011
Publisher: Hachette New Zealand
ISBN: 978-1-86971-230-3

Summary/Back cover:
Old MacDonald has a beautiful New Zealand farm - and on that farm he has some very remarkable animals!  What are they up to now?

Review:
This book is simply beautiful - the words are simply the traditional "Old MacDonald had a Farm" words, but the illustrations tell a story in their own right, of the farmer being woken by a cat, having his breakfast made by a dog, the pigs pampering themselves, the sheep shearing each other (in a salon-style scene) and the cows preparing a morning snack for themselves.  There is so much iconic Kiwiana that I doubt I've seen it all yet - but there's also a picture list of Kiwiana inside the front and back covers.  Maybe this is a clue to look for these things throughout the book?

If you love singing Old MacDonald to your children, I definitely recommend this book - it even has the sheet music to Old MacDonald at the back of the book, so you can grab your nearest instrument (of your choice) and play along.

My three year old adores this book - last night he went off to bed last night singing away to himself, and then started saying "Oh!  What a clever doggy!" - it was at this stage that we realised he'd taken the book to bed with him and was 'reading' it to himself, not just singing a remembered song.  My one year old spent a lot of time reaching out to touch interesting things on the page - there's a lot of detail in each illustration, but they are clear and easy for young eyes to identify known objects in.

Overall, a lovely piece of Kiwiana - a great one as a gift for overseas visiting children, and definitely one for your own Kiwi bookshelf.

If you're interested in purchasing this book, you can find it here at Fishpond.

My rating: 4.8 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

by P.L. Travers

Publication date: 1934 (original)
Publisher:
ISBN:

Review:
I'll need to go back to the library and borrow this book again to get the publisher and back cover details, as I was lucky enough to discover an original copy of Mary Poppins in our local library - it's not out on the shelf, but is available from a locked-up cupboard in the children's section for those that are keen enough to ask for it.

I wasn't even aware that Mary Poppins was a book before it was a movie (how backwards am I?!), but am very pleased I read the book.  It is a much darker book than the Disney movie has portrayed (fortunately - it wouldn't have been nearly as successful a movie had it been kept as it is), and there are many chapters (scenes, if you like) that have been left out of the movie.

Mary Poppins is a lot stricter, harsher, and unpleasant in the book than in the movie, which made it hard to like her as much - but then again, I'm a big Julie Andrews fan, so maybe I'm biased towards the movie Mary Poppins a bit!

If you ever get the chance to read an original copy of Mary Poppins, I thoroughly recommend it - it's only 222 pages long (including the occasional picture), so won't take the average adult reader long to finish.  I haven't read this to my one and three year old sons, but rather read it as part of a bookclub (October's theme is "Childhood Favourites" and this was one that came up - stay posted later on in the month for The Secret Garden).

Oh, and interesting trivia - did you know P.L. Travers is a woman?  I had always assumed the author to be a man, but nope!

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 - one of those classics that everyone should read.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Ed's Egg

Ed's Egg

Written by David Bedford

Illustrated by Karen Sapp

Publication date: 2010
Publisher: QED Publshing
ISBN: 978-1-84835-750-1

Summary/Back cover:
Ed loves living in his egg because it's warm and safe.  What happens when his egg cracks?  Will he come out and play?

Beautifully illustrated, QED Storytime introduces young children to the pleasures of reading and sharing stories.  Supporting notes for parents and teachers are also included.

Review:
This book is gorgeous!  It features a young chick who really doesn't want to leave his egg, but pieces of it keep breaking away as the story continues, until all he is left with is one little piece on his head.  The chick soon comes to realise that change is inevitable, and that there's still warmth and happiness to be found outside his comfort zone.

My three year old really enjoys this book - beautiful bright illustrations, and simple words with plenty of funny sound ("Hoppity Hopping" is his favourite one).  There are three other books in this series - Daisy Dinosaur Gets Lost, How to Catch a Falling Star, and The Wishing Stone.

My rating: 4 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Incy Wincy Spider and Friends

Incy Wincy Spider and Friends

Illustrated by the Miles Kelly Artwork Bank

Publication date: 2011
Publisher: Miles Kelly Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-84810-413-6

Summary/Back cover:
This collection of best-loved nursery rhymes also includes fairytales and first poems.  Children will love reading about Incy Wincy Spider, Old Mother Hubbard and Simple Simon as they enjoy the beautiful illustrations.

Review:
This is a lovely collection of traditional nursery rhymes and fairy tales - it has been illustrated by a number of different people, so the style of pictures changes from page to page.  This is not off-putting though, as the pictures are all very bright and appealing.

The biggest gripe I have about this book is that the longer stories (The Ugly Duckling, and Little Red Riding Hood) are interspersed with the shorter rhymes - I would have preferred to have them at the end of the book, separately, as it broke the rhythm of reading through the rhymes, to suddenly have a few pages of longer story.

However, the stories are well known, and the rhymes are mostly well known - there's a couple there that I hadn't heard of before - and both my 1 and 3 year olds enjoy reading this book.  Incy Wincy is the most requested rhyme, probably because of the beautiful picture of the spider on the front cover!

My rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Five Minutes' Peace

Five Minutes Peace

Written and Illustrated by Jill Murphy

Publication date: 1986
Publisher: Walker books
ISBN: 978-1-84428-539-6

Summary/Back cover:
Mrs Large just wants a few minutes' peace.  But Lester, Laura and the baby have other ideas!

Review:
Any mother will identify with Mrs Large - she's trying to find five minutes peace from her children, where she can read a newspaper and eat a slice of toast without interruption.  She moves from room to room in the house, but is followed by her children, 'helping' her in various ways, or showing their new skills.

It's an odd little story that my 3 year old didn't particularly care for - he happily sat through it a few times, but has never requested it himself.  The characters are pleasant enough, but not overly likeable.  However, it's a sweet wee book, and it made me (as the mother of two Mummy's-boys) laugh - sometimes I'd just like five minutes' peace, too!

My rating: 3.8 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Murf Murf the Dolphin Dog

Murf Murf the Dolphin Dog

Written by Sonya Warner

Illustrated by Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson

Publication date: 2011
Publisher: Akaroa Dolphins
ISBN: 978-0-473-18270-0

Summary/Back cover:
Once upon a time, in a little town not far away from the city, was a cute little dog who had a real job!  His tail was fluffy, and his beard was scruffy... 

Murf Murf is a real-life sea dog who works on a dolphin-watching boat in the small New Zealand town of Akaroa.  Follow his adventures at sea with his playful dolphin friends!

Review:
My parents went on a dolphin-watching cruise and purchased this book for my sons while they were there - they purchased it from Akaroa Dolphins, but Sonya, the author, has kindly emailed me to let me know where else it is available - see the comments section for the list of retailers.

Written in a gentle rhyme, the story of Murf Murf appealed to my 3 year old immediately, and has been requested over and over. When Murf Murf falls off the boat, my son was quite worried the first time, but now calls out with me as I read "Don't worry Murf, we won't let you drown!"

The illustrations are beautiful - I particularly love the expressions Sarah has managed to draw into Murf Murf's face - who knew a dog had so many emotions?!

This is definitely a book worth having on your bookshelf - and even better if you can take your children to see some dolphins before or after having read the book.

My rating: 4 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Slightly Invisible

Slightly Invisible

Written and Illustrated by Lauren Child

Publication date: 2010

Publisher: Orchard Books

ISBN: 978-1-40830-792-2

Summary/Back cover:

I have this little sister Lola.  She is small and very funny.  She always want to know what I am up to and she always wants to do what I am doing.  She NEVER wants to be anywhere without me.

A completely NEW and original Charlie and Lola picture book!

Review:

I've never met Charlie and Lola before, so the characters were brand new to my children and me.  And they went down a treat!  My 3 year old enjoyed finding the 'invisible' Soren Lorensen on each page, and my 1 year old was fascinated with the characters eyes, for some reason.  

The story itself is gorgeous - written in a child-like voice, which both my boys enjoyed, but with a lot of description. The written words wend and weave around the page, which makes the story come to life even more.

For existing Charlie and Lola fans, I recommend this as a new addition to your collection.  For those that are just meeting them for the first time, this seems to be as good a starting point as any!

If you're interested in purchasing a copy of this book, you can find it here at Fishpond.

My rating: 4 out of 5

Review written by Bronwyn