Review - The Toys' Christmas

The Toys' Christmas
by Claire Clément
illustrated by Geneviève Godbout
Date: 2012
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

This cozy, cuddly Christmas story tells how Santa makes sure he leaves the perfect gift for each child—with a little help from their favorite toys!

It is Christmas Eve and Noah’s toy elephant, Fanfan, has gone missing! Little does he know that Fanfan has crept out of the house to join other soft toys on their annual Christmas journey: to see Santa Claus!

Just in case letters don’t reach Santa, toys all around the world make this trip so they can tell Santa what their child wants most of all. (After all, who knows a child better than their best-loved toy?)

Will Fanfan return in time for Christmas morning? And will Noah get the present that he so longs for?

Perfect to curl up with at bedtime, this sweet and magical tale is illustrated by Genevieve Godbout, the artist behind Apple Cake.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

The illustrations in this book are very cute, but there almost seems to be a mismatch between pictures and text. I suspect it may be due to the translation.

This is a story about a bunch of toys that go off to see Santa to tell him what their respective children would like for Christmas. These stories always seem kind of quaint, and I often wonder how modern kids—who ask for things like brand-name gadgets and toys—see the simple gifts of dolls, books, and wooden swords that Santa is depicted as making.

The text states that this journey of the toys happens every year, but this seems to be the first year that Noah is missing his toy. You'd think that all the favourite toys disappearing on Christmas Eve every year would be noticed, but the story just kind of ignores that point.

The book was originally published in 2012 as La longue marche des doudous, and there's something about this particular translation that just doesn't cut it for me. I don't know; maybe the original French is just as bad. But I found the text to be so lifeless, especially compared to the soft, whimsical illustrations. (I've read a few books illustrated by Godbout now, and I really enjoy her style.)

Maybe, read aloud, this book would have a few more sparks of life. I don't doubt that kids will like looking at the pictures, and the overall premise is very cute. I just wish that the text had been on the same level as the illustrations.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5

Review - If I Couldn't Be Anne

If I Couldn't Be Anne
by Kallie George
illustrated by Geneviève Godbout
Date: 2020
Publisher: Tundra Books (NY)
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

A beautiful read-aloud picture book about the power of the imagination, inspired by the best-selling Anne of Green Gables.

In this whimsical and magical picture book, Anne's boundless imagination takes flight! She imagines being all the things she loves so dearly. If I Couldn't Be Anne, Anne with an e, what would I be . . . Anne wonders what it would be like to be the wind dancing round the treetops. A tightrope walker, breathless and brave. A princess in a palace made of apple blossoms. A magical frost fairy or a plain little wood elf. . . . But even as Anne's imagination soars far and wide, she comes back down to earth, recognizing that some things - like friendship! - are even better than the imagination.

With adorable illustrations, and a heartfelt message, this picture book is a perfect read-aloud introduction to L.M. Montgomery's beloved Anne and will delight her brand-new fans and lifelong readers alike.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

From the team that brought us Goodnight, Anne comes this sweet little book that perfectly captures the spirit of Anne Shirley with evocative text and dreamy pictures.

Anne muses on what she would be if she weren't herself. For those familiar with the character, it's easy to see how her ideas are in perfect sync with Montgomery's original themes. Even Anne's dislike of her red hair is mentioned (although it's emphasized that red is far better than green, a nod to an incident in Anne of Green Gables).

The illustrations by Geneviève Godbout are soft and magical, yet somehow still manage to capture Anne's somewhat (often unintentionally) mischievous spirit. They're in the same style as those in Goodnight, Anne, and they're simply lovely.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of Anne, as well as to those looking for books about imagination and self-esteem.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books (NY) for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Review - What's Up, Maloo?

What's Up, Maloo?
by Geneviève Godbout
Date: 2020
Publisher: Tundra Books (NY)
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Maloo the kangaroo has lost his hop. Can his friends help him find it again? This sweet picture book explores the idea of sadness and the importance of friendship through ups and downs.

No other kangeroo can hop like Maloo! But one day Maloo's friends find him stepping instead of hopping. What's wrong, Maloo? His pals look for ways to help Maloo regain the spring in his step. With patience, support and a little "hop" from his friends, Maloo gets his bounce back.

Simple text and adorable art convey the power of friendship over a gloomy mood in Geneviève Godbout's charming debut as both author and illustrator.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

What's Up, Maloo? features a cute kangaroo and a number of other friendly critters. The illustrations are nice, but I'm a bit confused by the message. Or, rather, I'm confused about the message for this intended audience. Maloo doesn't just seem a little down. He seems like he has full-blown clinical depression. Suddenly, he can't hop (even though he was able to do it previously--and joyfully--with no problems). His friends have to come up with a way to get a kangaroo to be able to hop again.

While I'm sure some older readers will be able to relate, I'm not sure toddlers are going to be able to empathize with a clinically depressed kangaroo. Maybe this is just what I read into it, but I thought Maloo's sudden inability to hop seemed extreme, and therefore pathological. To make matters worse, he's shown "getting over" this severe depression with just a little bit of help from his friends. I think I would've preferred to see the inability to hop explained better--maybe there's an actual reason he doesn't feel like hopping, so that it doesn't come across as a random chemical imbalance--or else a more inconclusive ending that doesn't imply that you can get over severe depression with one kind gesture from your friends.

The pictures are lovely, though. I especially liked seeing Maloo's friends trying to keep up with him using their pogo sticks.

I think parents with depression are probably going to get more out of this than their kids are. I'd be hesitant to recommend it to everyone, though, because it does have the potential to minimize what can be a very serious mental illness. Parental guidance and some conversation are definitely suggested with this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books (NY) for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.67 out of 5

Review - Kindergarten Luck

Kindergarten Luck
by Louise Borden
illustrated by Geneviève Godbout
Date: 2017
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

What makes a lucky day?

One gloomy morning, Theodore found a bright, shiny penny on the way down to breakfast. There was Abraham Lincoln, face up. What luck! "Oh THANK you, Mr. Famous President!" Theodore said. And he tucked that shiny, new penny in his pocket.

Follow Theodore through a day bursting with the simple joys and endless verve of young children—a reminder of how much luck abounds in the world, and how sometimes, it's just waiting to be found.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a book about a boy and lucky penny. I don't have a problem with the premise, but I do think there's a little bit of a mismatch between it and the age of the main character. (Either that, or Theodore is in a very advanced kindergarten.)

Theodore finds a penny in his house and puts it in his pocket. For the rest of the day, he attributes anything positive to the "luck" from the penny. At the end, he generously passes the luck on to someone else.

Now, there's nothing wrong with the overall premise. Sometimes it takes something small like a lucky penny to remind us of all the wonderful things around us, things that we otherwise don't notice. But making Theodore a kindergartner is distracting, because he isn't portrayed like a five-year-old. His class writes poetry... themselves. (When I was in kindergarten, a lot of kids were still just learning their letters!) They make Matisse paintings. They can do simple addition in their heads. Is this a school for the gifted? I don't know. (It's difficult to know where this school even is. Godbout's illustrations use a calendar that I used to see in my old French immersion classes in Ontario--the week starts with Monday rather than Sunday--but the fact that Theodore finds an American penny suggests that his school is not somewhere in Canada. This could be a potential source of confusion and consternation for some parents, who might simply assume the calendar was drawn "wrong".) Also, when Theodore decides to pass on the lucky penny at the end, it struck me as a very mature thing to do. Perhaps too mature for a five-year-old, who's only gotten to experience the luck for one day. (I think most kids would try to hold on to it for a little longer than that, especially if they believed it was magical.)

I've really enjoyed Godbout's illustrations in other books, but they just don't do much for me here. I'm not sure why.

Overall, this isn't a bad book, but I found the overly precocious kindergartners kind of distracting and didn't really buy Theodore's generosity at the end. The message is good, to be sure... but I don't think the characters are all that realistic.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.17 out of 5

Review - Apple Cake: A Gratitude

Apple Cake: A Gratitude
by Dawn Casey
illustrated by Geneviève Godbout
Date: 2019
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Thank you, hedge, / Thank you, tree. / Thank you, flower, / Thank you, bee. / Thank you, rain, / Thank you, sun. / Thank you, farmers, / every one.

In this simple rhyming story from the author of Held in Love, a child says thank you for the gifts nature provides, from hazelnuts in the hedge to apples from the tree, eggs from the hens to milk from the cow. Eventually, the family has enough ingredients to make something special…a delicious apple cake!

With captivating illustrations that brim with emotion, this sweet picture book encourages children to be grateful for the world around them—the perfect read for Thanksgiving. A recipe for apple cake at the end allows you and your child to share in the joyful gratitude.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Apple Cake is a sweet rhyming picture book in which a child expresses gratitude for all of the people and things that go into making a tasty dessert. Beautiful illustrations highlight the gentle rhyming text, which actually has very nice rhythm. But there's one thing that really bothers me about the book, and it kind of irked me enough to affect my enjoyment. And that one thing is the grammar.

The way the verse is written out in the synopsis is not the way it's written out in the book. The book's text is full of comma splices and run-on sentences. It drove me nuts, because it could have been so easily fixed. Instead of

Thank you, hedge,
thank you, tree.

Thank you, flower,
thank you, bee.

it could've read

Thank you, hedge.
Thank you, tree.

Thank you, flower.
Thank you, bee.

and if it had read that way, I probably would've enjoyed this one a lot more. Nobody's going to notice these issues when the book is read aloud, but I still hate to see messed-up grammar in children's books.

There's a recipe at the end for apple cake, complete with a convoluted method for letting kids help cut the apples (which I would recommend skipping if you want to get the cake made before midnight). I never know what to think about recipes included in children's books. Do they really turn out? I have no idea (and since this one calls for eggs, this vegan's not about to try it). Still, having a recipe might be a plus for some people.

The overall message of gratitude is lovely. Paired with the cute illustrations, it's almost enough to make this book one I would wholeheartedly recommend. This is the second rhyming picture book I've read recently that takes liberties with grammar. That's just something I can't get behind; children are still in the process of learning language, and getting artsy will only serve to confuse them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: 5/5
Writing: 2/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.43 out of 5

Review - Goodnight, Anne

Goodnight, Anne
by Kallie George
illustrated by Geneviève Godbout
Date: 2018
Publisher: Tundra Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

A beautiful bedtime picture book based on the best-selling Anne of Green Gables, introducing the irrepressible and beloved Anne to younger readers. It's time for Anne to go to bed, but not before she wishes goodnight to everyone and everything she loves!

Under the watchful eye of her adoptive mother Marilla, Anne has come to cherish life at Green Gables -- the dearest, loveliest spot in the world, and her true home. Every night before she goes to bed, she thinks of all the people and places she loves: her family, her bosom friend Diana, her splendid teacher Miss Stacy, beloved tree Snow Queen, the Lake of Shining Waters and the brilliant sky above. Anne even wishes goodnight -- or good riddance! -- to pesky classmate Gilbert and nosy neighbor Mrs. Lynde. And through it all, Anne's imagination takes flight on a whimsical journey through Avonlea.

This sweet and heartfelt picture book is a perfect read-aloud introduction to L.M. Montgomery's beloved Anne and will delight her brand-new fans and lifelong readers alike.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this one. The cover looked adorable, but I'm a bit wary of books that attempt to retell classic novels (especially when those books aren't that old to begin with). But Goodnight, Anne is less of a retelling and more of an introduction to the character, making her accessible to children who might still be a bit young for Anne of Green Gables.

In this book, Anne says goodnight to all the people, things, and places she loves (including Gilbert, though she says she can never forgive him for calling her Carrots). It's a nice introduction to all of these things that are mentioned in the novel: her bosom friend, Diana; her teacher, Miss Stacy; the Lake of Shining Waters; the tree she's named Snow Queen; and even her potted geranium, Bonny. It's sweet and simple, and a perfect reflection of the character fans of the book have cherished for decades.

The illustrations are quite pretty. They're not exactly realistic, but the clear facial expressions on the characters provide just the right amount of life to the pictures. The gentle colour palette would make it a nice book to look at while winding down before bed.

For those who are old enough to read the novel, I would recommend doing that. But for younger children--or even older readers who simply enjoy beautiful illustrations--I would recommend Goodnight, Anne.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5