Author: Carol

Penny and Rio: The Mysterious Backyard Meetingby Jennifer Swanson, illustrated by Rosita Shandy and Neal Wooten Description: Penny and Rio are two dogs who are complete opposites. Penny is curious and always on the go, while Rio prefers a good nap. At their new house, Penny discovers that their backyard is the meeting place for several different animals. Penny doesn't know why a cat, a groundhog, a squirrel, and an owl could possibly be meeting, but she knows she has to find out. She comes up with an ingenious plan for spying on them and discovers their plot. She has to stop them - but can she get her sister dog, Rio, to help her or will Rio decide that sleep is more important? Follow along as these two pet detectives solve the first of many cases. My thoughts: Amber loves dogs and books about them, so she was looking forward to reading this. It's a cute story that was easily read in one sitting....

Since it is Children's Book Week, I wanted to spotlight at least a couple of children's books that I've read with Amber over the years. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Tale by Verna Aardema, pictures by Leo and Diane Dillon A mosquito sets off a chain reaction ending, ultimately, in the sun no longer rising. The pictures are wonderful, colorful and bright, but unusual, as the cover shows, almost mosaic in style. For me, though, the highlight of the book is the onomatopoeic (if that's a word) text. It's just truly fun to read aloud, making the different animal noises, and the repetive phrases give a rhythm to the story. My one warning is that an owlet dies, but it never seemed to bother Amber, who is an animal lover if there ever was one. When she was going through her books, choosing which ones she wanted to put out for the garage sale, she decided to keep this one.   The Magic...