The Little Owl and the Big Tree: A Christmas Story by Jeanette & Jonah Winter (Children's Picture Book Review)

The Little Owl and the Big Tree
by Jonah Winter
Published by Beach Lane Books
on October 9, 2021
Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Holiday
Length: 32 pages
Ages: 3 months to 8 years

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Synopsis:
One Christmas, a tiny owl stuck in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree stole the hearts of the nation. Discover the true story in this heartwarming picture book from celebrated mother-son team Jonah and Jeannette Winter.

There once was an owl who lived in a tree. Until one day her home was uprooted and she was taken far away from what she knew. Follow Rockefeller ("Rocky") the owl as she journeys to the bustling center of New York City and she's discovered among the branches of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. With human kindness and a dash of holiday spirit, can this brave little owl find a new home?


My Thoughts:

 This is the true story of an adorable little Northern Saw-whet Owl that found it's home uprooted and shipped off to New York City where it would become the famous annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree! Dubbed Rockefeller, or "Rocky", the cute little adult owl was luckily discovered and removed to a wildlife center where she was nursed back to health and released back into the wild.  And now we have a wonderful Christmas story all about it! 

With bold and colorful illustrations, this picture book makes a great addition to any book advent or holiday story time. 
The simple text makes this a perfect 'easy read' for little readers or just a quick story to listen to during the most festive time of the year! 

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Pluto Gets the Call by Adam Rex & Laurie Keller (Children's Picture Book Review)

Pluto Gets the Call

Written by Adam Rex
Illustrated by Laurie Keller
Published by Beach Lane Books
on November 12, 2019
Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Nonfiction
Length: 48 pages
Ages: 3 - 7 years

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Synopsis:
Pluto gets a call from Earth telling him he isn't a planet anymore, so he sets out on a journey through the solar system to find out why in this funny and fact-filled romp that's perfect for fans of The Scrambled States of America.

Pluto loves being a planet. That is, until the day he gets a call from some Earth scientists telling him he isn't a planet anymore! You probably wanted to meet a real planet, huh? So, Pluto takes the reader on a hilarious and informative journey through the solar system to introduce the other planets and commiserate about his situation along the way. Younger readers will be so busy laughing over Pluto's interactions with the other planets, asteroids, moons, and even the sun, they won't even realize just how much they're learning about our solar system!

Our Thoughts:

When Pluto gets the call about no longer being an actual planet, his feelings are quite hurt and he takes us on a journey through our solar system to meet every true planet, from Jupiter to Mercury,  spreading his dreadful news. Pluto introduces us to each planet and explains their identifying features to us. Each planet has its own personality. We even get to meet the sun! 

Have you ever wondered what Pluto thinks about not being a planet anymore? This cute, fact-filled picture book gives us a look into Pluto's feelings and emotions about the matter in a humorous way. He's so downtrodden that he takes us to see 'real' planets, giving us lots of factual information about each of them. 

This heartwarming story about Pluto and the Solar System is a must for space lovers!

Each planet is personified with their own features and personality and hobbies which makes this even more fun. Some are freezing cold while others are hot-tempered and gassy.

The illustrations are bright and colorful with cluttered spacescape backgrounds that will keep you busy with all the detail. 

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Roly Poly by Mem Fox & Jane Dyer (Children's Picture Book Review)

Roly Poly

by Mem Fox
Illustrations by Jane Dyer
Published by Beach Lane Books

on November 5, 2019
Genre: Children's, Picture Books
Length: 40 pages
Ages: 3 - 6 years

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Synopsis:
Roly Poly the polar bear gets a little brother he did not ask for, in this charming story about sibling rivalry and the bonds of family from the beloved picture book creators of Time for Bed, Mem Fox and Jane Dyer.

Roly Poly the polar bear loves being an only child. His bed is only his. The fish he catches are only his. And he doesn't have to share his toy walrus tooth with anyone. But then along comes baby Monty. Roly Poly did not ask for a little brother and he certainly does not want one now! What is Roly Poly to do when Monty starts making him share his bed and fish and walrus tooth?

Our Thoughts:

Roly Poly is an only child who doesn't have to share his bed or his fish or his toys and that's just how he'd love it to stay. But then he is surprised with a baby brother, Monty, whom he must share his bed with. Roly Poly never wanted a little brother and he certainly doesn't want one that crawls all over him and steals his fish or his favorite walrus tooth toy. 

Determined to ignore his little brother, Roly Poly doesn't notice when Monty gets himself into some very big trouble. And then he just flat out ignores Monty's cries for help, reminding himself that he never wanted a brother anyway. But Roly Poly has a change of heart and eventually does the right thing, creating a lifelong bond of friendship.

Roly Poly is a cute story about a bear who finds himself with an annoying little brother that he just can't get along with. Everything his little brother does makes him angry and Roly Poly has no intention of getting along. This is a great example of sibling rivalry and would be a fun read-aloud for any siblings! 

The images in this picture book are quite unique! The polar bears pictured are handcrafted by a process called needle-felting. The felted bears are then arranged and photographed, giving us our story! I can imagine this crafting took a great deal of time so I'm extra impressed by the visuals in this story! 

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