That's Good, That's Bad by Joan M. Lexau & Aliki (Children's Picture Book Review)

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

That's Good, That's Bad

Written by Joan M. Lexau
Illustrated by Aliki
Published by Prestel Junior
on March 24, 2020
(First published in 1963)

Genre: Children's, Picture Books
Length: 40 pages
Ages: 3 - 7 years

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Synopsis:
This vintage children's classic about the power of storytelling is filled with eye-catching new reproductions of Aliki's iconic illustrations. 

A boy is sitting on a rock in the jungle when a tiger approaches him. "Run!" says the tiger, "or I will eat you!" But the boy is too tired to run and in order to avoid being eaten, he tells the tiger a story. What follows is a thrilling tale that will captivate young readers just as thoroughly as it captivated the hungry tiger. Kids will enjoy waiting breathlessly for every flip of the page as the boy tells his story involving a rhinoceros and a crocodile. Originally published in 1963 and out of print for many years, this book by award-winning illustrator and author Aliki features fabulous vintage-style illustrations. This new edition preserves the vivid colors of the original book while introducing a new generation of young readers to a skillfully told story-within-a-story with a surprising and satisfying end.


Our Thoughts:

When Boy is approached by a grinning tiger that asks him why he doesn't run, Boy tells him a long and fascinating story about an angry rhino that he had just escaped. With each spin of the tale, the tiger listens raptly and declares, "That's good," and "That's bad!" Tiger discovers just how bad it is when the boy has finished his tale and the angry rhino appears!

This classic children's story, originally published in 1963, has recently been reprinted for young generations to discover and enjoy. It features the original artwork by Aliki in bright and vivid colors with lots of textured background fauna.

Young readers will love the danger of telling a hungry tiger a fascinating story and the tiger's changing facial expressions throughout. The overall lesson of the story within a story will have kids thinking outside the box and ready to use their own quick wit! This children's book shares the true power of stories in a fun and interesting way! 

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All Around Bustletown: Spring by Rotraut Susanne Berner (Children's Picture Book Review)

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

All Around Bustletown: Spring
by Rotraut Susanne Berner
Published by Prestel Junior

on November 12, 2019
(first published 2004)

Genre: Children's, Picture Book 
Length: 14 pages 
Ages: 2 - 5 years

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Synopsis:
It's springtime in this charming, busy town and there is a lot going on! A house gets a top-to-bottom spring cleaning and farm fields are being prepared for planting. People are shopping, commuting to work, constructing buildings, and meeting friends. If you look closer, you'll recognize the same characters appear on every page, each with their own story. There's Wilfred the jogger slipping on a banana peel and his friend Erica who comes to help him. Three cheerful nuns shop, chat, and share a snack at the cafe. A stork surveys all the activity from the sky while a mischievous fox scampers through the streets. In the tradition of Richard Scarry and Where's Waldo, this book encourages kids to return again and again to each spread, following along with the characters and inventing their own stories. They'll recognize parts of their own world, while also learning about the endless ways we live, work, and play in the spring.

Our Thoughts:

Spring has come to Bustletown and all of its inhabitants are eager to be outside! It's no wonder with all the beauty of blooming trees and fields of flowers. Some stroll, some run, some have a destination, and others enjoy the day and wander. From rural farmlands to the bustling town center, you can follow the many characters through the pages of this book and see all that is going on in Bustletown!

The All Around Bustletown quartet is a unique look-and-tell board book series that spans from season to season in one bustling little fictional town. These illustrated books are wordless but the back of the book prompts you to meet some of the people within the book and tells you what they are doing so you can follow their story throughout Bustletown! 

These books are quite unique, being a mixture of a look-and-find and a chance to create your own story kind of book depending on who you choose to focus on and follow throughout the pages. Both human and animal characters can be found with their own stories, sometimes crossing paths with the other characters. There's no end to the fun you can have with these books!

The illustration style is tons of fun with plenty of detail on each page to get lost in even if you aren't searching for or following the characters. There are cutaway buildings that give us a peek into all the inner workings of the homes and businesses, which reminds me of the old Richard Scarry books so much. There's also a lot of depth to each page, with plenty of characters and buildings in the forefront but if you look beyond, you will see a whole world progressing around this quaint little town!

This cute and original series will keep you and your children busy for hours. They are the kind of books that you can come back to time and time again and still find new little details to amaze and interest. This is a great introduction to the world around us, how it works, and the types of people in it as well! Even better, you can learn about the people of Bustletown throughout the four different seasons! 

Be sure to check out the entire series!

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All Around Bustletown: Winter by Rotraut Susanne Berner (Picture Book Review)

We received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

All Around Bustletown: Winter
by Rotraut Susanne Berner
Published by Prestel Junior
on September 3, 2019
Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Board Book
Length: 14 pages
Ages: 2 - 5 years

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BookDepository

Synopsis:
Welcome to Bustletown! There's so much to see. So many places to go to. Explore the market square. Stop by the train station. Skate on the pond. Even in winter, people and animals go about their busy lives: Anne misses the bus again, Lena's parrot goes on a little trip, and someone lost their red wallet...

Our Thoughts:

Just one in a seasonal quartet, All Around Bustletown: Winter takes us on a journey throughout a cozy little town in winter, showing us a snowy day that turns the town white and all the people bustling about on their daily errands! 

All around Bustletown is a unique extra-large board book without words (except on signs around town) that can be both a story you create yourself with endless possibilities or a look-and-find! Or both! 

The very back of the book shows several characters that are featured in the illustrated pages (as shown in this photo), stating their names and what they are doing, which helps prompt you to search for and follow them throughout the pages. You can easily make up and/or continue stories for the many characters shown throughout the book.

There is no end to the detail in these illustrated pages! You can spend a great amount of time absorbed in each page looking at everything there is to see or you can move quickly through the book following the characters! 

One thing I love about these kinds of books is that you can 'read' it over and over and almost always find something new. There is so much to notice that you might have previously overlooked!

It's also a great interactive book for those kiddos that want to be part of the story rather than just listen to it! My daughter and I always have a fun time with these kinds of books and I've found that they keep her interest for much longer than a typical storybook so that's a big win from me!

More like this:

Bucketloads of Friends: A Look and Find Book by Mia Cassany & Miguel Bustos

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20 Recipes Kids Should Know by Esme Washburn & Calista Washburn (Children's Cookbook Review)

We received a free physical copy of this children's cookbook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

20 Recipes Kids Should Know

Recipes + text by Esme Washburn

Photography by Calista Washburn
Published by Prestel Junior

on April 2, 2019
Length: 48 pages
Ages: 10-14 years

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Synopsis:

The perfect book for children, this fun and engaging cookbook is written and photographed by a pair of young sisters for budding chefs. 

Whether they're helping stir cake batter or producing their own YouTube cooking channel, kids of all ages are getting increasingly busy in the kitchen. This cookbook features twenty classic recipes that are fun, healthy, adaptable, and easy to prepare. From banana bread and the perfect grilled cheese to breaded chicken and apple pie, each recipe is written in a clear, accessible style that young cooks of every level will be able to follow. The author is a young chef whose love of cooking developed from her own family's food traditions like baking popovers with her grandmother and Sunday-night pizza making. By teaching kids basic recipes that can be adapted in endless ways, this book is the perfect launching pad to finding their way around the kitchen--or launching their own cooking careers. 

Our Thoughts:

A cookbook for kids by kids! 

Esme Washburn first learned to cook from her grandmother when she was very little. She read cookbooks like they were chapter books but noticed a trend with children's cookbooks that included more sweets and simple desserts than actual cooking for kids, so she decided to create one herself! 

She has put together twenty easy but delicious recipes that kids will love to cook and eat, paired with amazingly bright and colorful images photographed by Esme's older sister, Calista Washburn. 

Learn to make pancakes (two ways!), banana bread (yum!), the quintessential grilled cheese sandwich (my favorite!), pizza (from scratch!), and even how to make bread!
There's even a couple of super helpful tips for what to do before and after cooking, safety tips, important measurements, and a glossary of words and cooking techniques just in case you're not sure how to 'puree' or 'saute'. 

This is fantastic! 

My daughter is still young but has always been fascinated with food prep and cooking and always helps as much as possible in the kitchen so she was super excited to have a cookbook just for her! There were a few recipes that she was already familiar with but she's excited to help whip a few of these up to try (and I have my eye on that 'Tasty Black Bean Soup')!

This would be a quintessential addition to any child's library, whether they already love to cook or not!

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Who is Afraid of Little Wolf? by Yayo Kawamura (Board Book Review)

I received a free physical copy of this board book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Who's Afraid of Little Wolf?

by Yayo Kawamura
Published by Prestel Junior
on March 19, 2019
Length: 24 pages

Ages: 2-5 

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Synopsis:

This enchanting board book follows Little Wolf as he searches for someone to play with and carries a simple yet profound message about prejudice and preconceived notions. 

Little Wolf is bored, and so he asks some other animals to play. But no one wants to join him--not the squirrel, nor the bunny, nor the fox. Their parents have told them not to play with wolves. But when Little Wolf meets a bee, she is brave enough to play and the two have a great time. The other animals see there's nothing to be afraid of and decide to join in. 

Our Thoughts:

Little Wolf would like to play with the other animals, but when he asks, they tell him that they are not allowed to play with wolves. This makes Little Wolf very sad until a bee comes along and asks Little Wolf to play. The other animals notice how much fun Little Wolf and the bee are having together and ask to join in. Soon, they are all friends. 

This is a heartwarming little board book about not judging a book by its cover and looking past the prejudices we've been taught to see the good in others.

It's always sad to see a child bullied or ostracized by others, and this cute little book shows us how that can feel. Nobody wants to be left out. Sometimes, the more there are, the merrier things will be. 

More from Prestel Junior:

    

Wonders of Nature: Explorations in the World of Birds, Insects, and Fish by Florence Guiraud (Children's Nonfiction Book Review)

I received a free physical copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Wonders of Nature: Explorations in the World of Birds, Insects, and Fish

by Florence Guiraud
Published by Prestel Junior

on October 23, 2018
Genre: Children's Nonfiction 

Length: 93 pages

Ages: 5 - 9

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Synopsis:

A stunningly illustrated treasury of animals, this book will entrance and delight young children in the world of nature.

Our Thoughts:

Wonders of Nature is an absolutely gorgeous oversized nonfiction that explores and celebrates the beauty of the world of birds, insects, and fish. It covers many different bird species, showing us their diverse feathers, claws, and other features. 
The insect section has a lovely variety of butterflies! It also has a section of ocean-dwelling fauna that includes starfish, coral, and more. Each section ends in a 'random directory' that includes text information on the illustrated species. 

The cover of this book is simply stunning and would be it's own reason to own this one, but the inside illustrations are just as beautiful and who doesn't want to learn a little something about the world around us and the flora and fauna in it? 

This book has helped spur my daughter's interest in the birds and butterflies that we see daily and we are looking forward to learning more from it!

More educational books from this publisher:

    

Wilderness: Earth's Amazing Habitats by Mia Cassany & Marcos Navarro (Nonfiction Picture Book Review)

I received a free physical copy of this picture book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Wilderness: Earth's Amazing Habitats

by Mia Cassany

Illustrated by Marcos Navarro

Published by Prestel Junior

on March 19, 2019

Length: 40 pages

Ages: 6-9 years

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Synopsis:

This brilliantly illustrated book takes young readers to the planet's wild regions, including forests, jungles, tundras, and deserts to discover the animals that call it home. 

My Thoughts:

Get ready for an adventure!

Wilderness is wonderfully educational and features large full-spread illustrations of colorful flora and fauna from thirteen different habitats around the world; from safeguarded national parks in Africa that help protect endangered animals from poachers to the Qinling Mountains in the middle of China where only about 250 Qinling Pandas exist today!

The habitats include many national parks and animal/nature reserves, some of which have been declared to be UNESCO World Heritage sites, meaning they will be protected for future generations.
Each page shares the name of the park or reserve with a little information on why the reserve was created. It also includes both tree or plants and animals that are unique to that habitat and part of the world. You can get lost in the beautiful imagery of this book!

Includes a world map at the front of the book and extra information on the animals of each habitat in the back.


Many thanks to the publisher for giving us the opportunity to explore more of the world with this wonderful book! We took it on a few adventures in our own little corner of the world!

Bucketloads of Friends: A Look & Find Book by Mia Cassany and Miguel Bustos (Picture Book Review)

I received a free physical copy of this picture book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Bucketloads of Friends: A Look and Find Book

by Mia Cassany

Illustrated by Miguel Bustos

Published by Prestel

on October 23, 2018

Length: 35 pages

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Synopsis:

Lucas is looking everywhere for a best friend: the park, the circus, by the lake, and at school. He meets a lot of people along the way. But what about a best friend? This entertaining and colorful book is full of details for kids to search and find. Every spread features line drawings that are humming with activity. From an animal hospital populated with every kind of pet to an office filled with workers too busy working to give Lucas the time of day; from a restaurant that appears to serve only sandwiches and salad to a botanic garden where the visitors are just as strange as the plants. As Lucas travels around the city, he meets a lot of people, but will he find a best friend? Young readers will turn again and again to these drawings, discovering new details each time, and sparking their own ideas about how people interact in everyday situations. Many look and find questions will increase the fun and help to spot even more details. 

My Thoughts:

Lucas woke one morning with a feeling that something was missing from his life, so he went out in search of a friend. He visited all sorts of places around town, from the beach to the park, to a cafe. He even visited a circus and the airport but no matter where he went and how many people he talked to he could not find that very special friend he was looking for.  

This look-and-find is a ton of fun! It kept us busy for hours!

The doodle-style illustrations are iconic and entertaining. They kept us on each page for so long that we had to take several sittings to get through the entire book! We just kept coming up with new things to look for and ask the other to look for on every page. 

We loved that characters introduced in earlier scenes could be found in most scenes directly after, so it became another game to search for the dog reading the paper or the girl who came from the rock concert in each new scene. It was easy making up new stories about the characters and why they were at the park or at the vet or the airport. It was also very fun to spot the odd animal-headed person. Or was it human-bodied animals?

I like that this gave my daughter pause at how different every single person is, with different features and clothing and hobbies.  While following Lucas on his search, we contemplated what makes a good friend, how to find a friend, and where to find a friend, which I think will be especially helpful when starting school. 

I was surprised at how easy it is to 'go off on your own' and create your own entertainment with this book. I especially enjoyed this because many other 'look and find' books geared towards toddlers or young readers are too simple with maybe 5-10 pictures that don't make us want to return to them. Bucketloads of Friends, on the other hand, has kept us busy for hours and will most likely be one of our favorites for a while!

New York Day & Night by Aurelie Pollet & Vincent Bergier (Picture Book Review)

I received a free physical copy of this picture book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

New York Day & Night

by Aurelie Pollet

Illustrated by Vincent Bergier

Published by Prestel Junior

on March 19, 2019

Length: 30 pages

Ages: 3-6

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Synopsis:

Some of New York's most familiar sights look very different at night in this highly amusing introduction to the city. 

Sometimes your eyes can play tricks on you, especially in the dark. This enchanting picture book shows how New York City can look quite peculiar at night. Each brightly colored spread is overlaid with a sheet of translucent blue paper and when lifted, voila! A space ship and Martian become The Guggenheim, a giant serpent is actually the subway, King Kong's jungle turns into Central Park, and a superhero takes on the shape of a construction worker. Exhilarating and captivating, all the scenes are easily switched between day and night and will take the reader on a unique journey that lets imaginations run wild while revealing that some things at night aren't as scary as they seem. 

My Thoughts:

New York Day & Night is a fun book that tells a story that contrasts night and day in the Big Apple. 
Sandy the cat introduces herself and takes us on a journey through the city that never sleeps, showing us the odd and strange things that can be found in the dark of night, while Frankie the squirrel shows us the brighter side of the city. 

This is such a unique picture book! Each scene of New York City is overlaid with a dark blue page of plastic that shows us what can be seen at night. Lift the plastic and it's day time!  

We get a glimpse into what our imaginations can do when faced with shadows or dark objects at night and are reminded that everything looks so different during the day! 

The bold tones and minimal text make this a wonderful bedtime story for little ones who don't mind braving the night. It's a reminder that even when things seem dark and scary at night, it might just be your imagination running wild. 

Cat & Mouse by Britta Teckentrup (Picture Book Review)

I received a free physical copy of this board book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Cat & Mouse 

by Britta Teckentrup

Published by Prestel Junior

on March 19, 2019

Length: 24 pages

Ages: 1-3 

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Synopsis:

This charming book about a cat and a mouse feature cut-outs that help teach young readers about prepositions in a fresh, innovative way. 

The perfect place for a mouse is inside a cozy, warm house, but a cat lives there too, and once the cat sees the mouse, a chase ensues. As the cat and mouse scurry about--on top of a chair, inside a box, outside a window, through a hole--young readers will learn about important prepositions that help them understand where one object is in relation to another. At the end of this colorful chase, the cat and mouse curl up together and nap until they're ready to start the whole thing again. Britta Teckentrup's eye-catching, simple illustrations are cleverly enhanced with cut-outs that help reinforce the words, providing a unique and fun interactive experience that teaches young readers about basic prepositions. 

My Thoughts:

"The cat's on the prowl. Watch out, Little Mouse!"

This fun and interactive board book has clever cut-outs throughout that make the story quite entertaining as we narrate to the mouse that the cat is on his heels and he must run through doors, hide in boxes, and up and down stairs in the house. No matter what mouse does or where he hides, Cat is close behind. This cute little story has a surprising ending that everyone is sure to love! 

Britta Teckentrup has created an entertaining book that will have young readers on the edge of their seats as they help Little Mouse hide from Cat. The illustrations are simple but I loved the bold colors used and the texture and the lovely trees in the outdoor pages. The cut-outs made this book extra interesting! 

More from this author:

Happy reading! 

The Song of Spring by Hendrik Jonas (Picture Book Review)

I received a free physical copy of this picture book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

The Song of Spring

by Hendrik Jonas

Published by Prestel Junior

on March 19, 2019

Length: 52 pages

Ages: 2-5

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Synopsis:

In this charming book children will delight in the sounds animals make, as they come together to help a young bird find a friend. 

It's spring and everywhere birds are calling out to each other. But one bird has forgotten which sound to make. He tries "Woof," and meets a dog, who encourages him to try "Oink," with the expected result.
Moo, Hee-Haw, Baa, Meow--each successive call adds another animal friend to the page. Will the young bird find another bird friend? As young readers are introduced to each type of animal and their sounds, Hendrik Jonas' clever illustrations grow increasingly crowded. The result is a beautiful celebration of friendship that will delight young children everywhere.

My Thoughts:

Every Spring the birds begin to sing their songs, but one little bird, in particular, can't seem to find his 'voice'. He tries 'bark' but it doesn't seem quite right. He tries again. "Oink." And again. "Moo."
The little bird attracts plenty of animals to help him in his quest to find his own voice but soon their sounds drown him out until they meet another little bird with a very loud--and strange--sound of her own. 

This cute little book is perfect for young readers learning animal sounds. It reminds me of P.D. Eastman's 'Are You My Mother?' but for a slightly older audience as there is a lot of text included with the onomatopoeia, which stands out big and bold in lovely script typography that matches the title. 

I really loved the illustrations with their array of fun textures and mediums. Some look like they were scrapbooked while others have colored pencil markings or splashes of watercolors mixed in. I felt like it made the book even more fun and brought a lot of character to the animals. 

It was overall an adorable read that my daughter and I loved. 

Oskar Can... by Britta Teckentrup (Picture Book Review)

I received a physical copy of this picture book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Oskar Can...

by Britta Teckentrup

Published by Prestel Junior

on October 23, 2018

Length: 32 pages

Ages: 2-5 

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Synopsis:

Oskar the raven is back, and this time the beloved young bird is finding out all the things he can do. 

Britta Teckentrup has established herself as one of the most popular children's book authors today. Her vibrant, collage-based illustrations have made her books a favorite in homes, schools, and libraries. And her character, Oskar, based on her family cat of the same name, is the perfect companion for young readers. This new book sends a simple, positive message that will empower kids to claim their own accomplishments. Tie a shoe? Brush their teeth? Wash their dishes? Bounce a ball? If Oskar can do it, they can too. Fans of Oskar's adventures will be thrilled to discover their friend is back with a new story. And readers meeting Oskar for the first time will discover a delightful, relatable character who makes them feel good about themselves and the world around them. 

My Thoughts:

Oskar is a super cute raven that can do anything he puts his mind to. He can jump as high as his friends, do yoga, and make the perfect cup of tea. He can fly and ski and ride bikes with his buddy Mo. 

This special little book points out to its' readers that anything and everything can be an accomplishment. If Oskar can do it, so can you! It's fun to see what all Oskar can do, and it sets in motion the idea that the reader can do these things too. 

I loved the simple, shape-based illustrations sitting on bold and textured backgrounds. Each page has detail but not in an overwhelming sense. Each page is rather simple so younger children can find the focal point and follow along easily. 

The quality of this book is fantastic. Every page is thick and creamy (and may I say that I love the smell as well)! The cloth stitched binding may well hold up to lots of rereading, which is a bonus for us as we cycle through many books daily. 

I also have to say that I adored the end pages in this book! The repeating Oskar pattern is too cute!