Picture Book – Carol's Notebook

Just Try One Bite by Adam Mansbach and Camila Alves McConaughey

February 20, 2025February 20, 2025 by Carol1 Comment

I made an unofficial resolution to review every book I read this year. I don't usually review kids books. They are typically ones I just happen to pick up and read without much planning. I work at a United Way and we're the local partner for Dolly Parton's Imagination library, which means books with wrong address get returned here. Just Try One Bite is one of those. It's a book about smart, healthy kids trying to convince their parents to eat better. I will say the bits about the parents not liking broccoli and trying to feed it to the dog hit a little close to home. The illustrations are cute, colorful and feature a multi-racial family, which is nice. I don't have any kids in the household and don't know how much they would enjoy it. And it did not convince me to eat my broccoli - I can just buy donut holes on my own and eat them all myself....

Hibernate with Me by Benjamin Scheuer

February 12, 2019February 12, 2019 by Carol9 Comments

Hibernate with Me is a wonderful picture book. The story features a little bear and his mom/dad. No matter how rough life can gets or how shy the little bear feels, little bear always has a safe, warm home to go to. The words have a gentle rhyming pattern, and the illustrations accompany it perfectly. They are detailed, colorful and fit the moods, seasons of the story. The story was originally a song. The melody is in the back of the book. The lullaby quality of the story makes it a perfect book for bedtime. I think I'm going to give my copy to either my brother or my mom. A couple of my brother's kids are still young enough for picture books and I really like this one. Hibernate with Me is a gentle reminder that no matter how sad, small, or scared you feel, you are always worthy of love, and that brighter days are always ahead. I have one copy to...

Scampy Doodle and the Reindeer by G. J. Barnes

December 3, 2018December 3, 2018 by CarolNo Comments

Scampy Doodle is a happy dog who has helped his best friend Jemima get ready for Christmas. They decorated and set out treats for Santa and his reindeer and they went to bed, Jemima to her room and Scampy Doodle to his bed in the kitchen. Then, Scampy Doodle gets woken up by a strange sound. This is a fun little Christmas story. It's about helping and giving and the magic of Christmas. I do wish they had left hot chocolate for Santa instead of a whiskey, but that's just me. I liked when Scampy Doodle decided to be brave and pushed the door to the living room open to peer around and see there the noise came from. It reminded me of my dog, Scrappy, who is also bigger than a snowball and smaller than a snowman. The illustrations were bright and simple and cute but there were more words than pictures. The print was odd for me. It was bold, fun...

Schmuck the Buck by EXO Books

December 1, 2018October 18, 2018 by Carol4 Comments

I'm not quite sure who the audience is for Schmuck the Buck. It seems like a children's Christmas book. We have a cute rhyming text and bright colorful illustrations. We have the underdog (or under-reindeer) who saves the day. There's even a lesson: Schmuck said, "We have our differences, that's for sure, But we're all the same at the core. Christmas isn't just about gifts, but the love underneath, So it really doesn't matter your religious belief. We give because we care, we love, and want to please, So there's room for every one of us under out Christmas trees." I'm not sure it's a good lesson. I think it probably depends on the family. I know a lot of people celebrate Christmas, even people who don't call themselves Christian. In our house, however, it's definitely a religious holiday. It's about love and giving and family too, but this is not a book I personally would buy. So, on the one hand it seems like a kids book,...

The Night the Forest Came to Town by Charles Ghigna

October 3, 2018April 13, 2018 by Carol10 Comments

I loved this little picture book. One night, nature comes to the dull, drab town. It blows in and scampers in and flies in. The illustrations are whimsical, detailed, and perfect for the story. The plants and animals are bright and colorful where the concrete and buildings are gray and boring. The rhyming text is cute and I think this would make a wonderful read aloud. I had an advanced copy, but I hope a similar image is in the final version. I love peeking in the windows and seeing people doing such a variety of thing, including painting and playing an instrument. I have slight bias, but I love books that show artists, especially adults. I think it's a good example for kids who don't necessarily see their parents or other adults they know doing those things. The joy the plants and flowers and animals bring to the city-dwellers is obvious. It's a good reminder for all of us to include...

Old Misery by James Sage

May 2, 2018May 2, 2018 by Carol6 Comments

I admit it. The drawings are what drew me to Old Misery, along with the title. The blurb above gives a good summary, but I will say I found it amusing who all managed to get stuck in her tree. The illustrations are perfect for the story, simple and amusing but grim too. But we all know that wishes can often be double-edged swords. The "surprise visitor" who really probably wasn't much of a surprise to the old woman, ends up stuck in the tree and Old Misery learns why you have to be so careful with your wished. It's a cute re-telling of the Auntie Misery folktale. It's dark and a reminder that there will always be Misery and Death in the world, but I'm pretty sure there are certain kids, some of whom may or may not be in my family, who will love it....