The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin by Stan and Jan Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin by Stan and Jan Berenstain I have to admit that even though Amber has long outgrown them, I still enjoy a visit to Bear Country occasionally. Papa Bear has grown a big pumpkin and is entering it into the annual contest during Bear Country Thanksgiving Festival. Sadly it doesn't win, but the Bear family learns a lesson about the true spirit of the holiday and about all they have to be thankful for. Papa Bear acts like a kid himself a lot of the time, this time getting so wrapped up in winning and his pumpkin that he forgets about everything else. He even trespasses on a neighbor's farm to get at peak at "The Monster," a rival pumpkin. (Can pumpkins be rivals?) So the lesson learned is for him too, not just the cubs. It's cute and just what I expected from a Berenstain Bears story. Purchase at Amazon. Purchase at an Indie Bookstore. 32 pages First published...
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Esther’s Miracle at the Manger by Mitzi Probert

Esther's Miracle at the Manger by Mitzi Probert, illustrated by Ty Schafrath (Suggested reading level: Kindergarten thru Grade 3) I have to admit that I've known Mitzi for years, but I didn't know that she had written a children's book until she did a talk at one of our Wednesday church services a few weeks ago. She talked about the journey she took from coming up with the story to actually having it published and then read the story. This is a cute Christmas story that was actual event. Esther, a young cow, is leery of being in the living nativity at a local church. When she arrives, instead of joining the other animals, she gets scared and takes off running down the highway. To escape from the noise and flashing police lights, she jumps in the river. She does make it to the other side, but she's still lost. After days of being hungry, lonely and tired, she finds her way to...
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Mr. Ginger and the Disappearing Fish by Chris Wardle

Mr. Ginger and the Disappearing Fish by Chris Wardle (Suggested Reading Level: Grades 3-6) Yet another environmental change is affecting the animals of Daphne Wood. The ocean currents have changed, causing the fish to move farther from the colony. Also, seagulls have congregated in the area to catch fish from the river, and boy are they noisy. The animals call a meeting to discuss the problem and a few worthy ideas are formed. One expedition headed out on the boat to find fish and one heads down the shore to find a new fishing spot for all the gulls. Mr. Denzel the mole and Sidney the armadillo begin setting up a pond for the colony to farm their own fish, so the problem can be avoided in the future. Mr. Ginger has to be my favorite character this time around. He's in the group looking for a new place for gulls and is thrilled to be carried by a pelican. he loves flying....
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Mrs. Cat-biscuit’s Search for the Downward Land by Chris Wardle

Mrs. Cat-biscuit's Search for the Downward Land by Chris Wardle (Suggested reading level: Grades 3-6) This fourth book in the series starts with the two cats, Mr. Ginger and Mr. Choli, waking from a nap when the car they sleep in slides downhill, stopping beside Mr. Vinegar's cottage. It's an earthquake! Thankfully, the only other damage in Daphne Wood i a collapse at the entrance to the mine, which is quickly taken care of. In an interesting turn of events, though, the land has been raised much higher than sea level. In typical colony fashion, two expeditions are formed. The first, led by an excited Mrs. Cat-biscuit sets off in the boat searching for an area where the land has gone down. After all, when something goes up, like their shore, something else must go down. What they find though, is an oil spill caused by the quake. The humans are still wreaking havoc on the environment, even after they've become extinct. The second expedition...
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Mr. Vinegar and the Frozen Sea by Chris Wardle

Mr. Vinegar and the Frozen Sea by Chris Wardle (Suggested reading level: Grades 3-6) If they didn't seem to enjoy their expeditions so much, I would be feeling sorry for the animals who live in Daphne Wood. Another crisis has arisen. It's the coldest winter in memory and  the sea is freezing and the fishing team, the Tinfishes who are penguins and Daphne the dwarf polar bear have to travel farther and father to the edge of the ice. Since the trip back and forth takes so much longer, they are unable to bring as many fish back, leaving a lot of the animals hungry, especially the fish loving cats, Mr. Choli and Mr. Ginger. Of course, they all come up with a plan, which involves building an igloo at the edge of the ice, collecting lots of fish and then bringing them back. The plan works for the most part and the party meets some new friends who help them out....
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Mr. Choli’s River Trip by Chris Wardle

Mr. Choli's River Trip by Chris Wardle (Suggested reading level: Grades 3-6) This is the second in the series, and I really do think it's a series that should be read in order. The events of the first book, The Lighthouse of Mr. Tinfish, are re-capped, but we really got to know the various animals and their personalities. The colony of animals has settled into their new home, Daphne Wood, and ridden out the winter. A new problem has arisen with the summer, though. The dry, hot winds are killing the plants and vegetables a lot of the animals eat. Looks like it's time for another expedition, this time to find new plants that will withstand the weather. Mr. Choli, the famous cat detective, leads the trip, following the shoreline and eventually heading up a river. Meanwhile, Mr. Denzel the mole, an intelligent, practical critter, stays behind and works on ways to protect the crops that are already growing. This story moves a little...
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