Review - Aaron Loves Apples and Pumpkins

Aaron Loves Apples and Pumpkins
by P. D. Eastman
Date: 2015
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

It’s autumn in this Step 1 Step into Reading early reader by P. D. Eastman, author of Go, Dog. Go! and Are You My Mother? As Aaron the Alligator’s thoughts turn to apples, pumpkins, football, and... ghosts, his usual mishaps occur while playing outdoors with his friends. Young readers will giggle along as they tackle the simple words and sentences all on their own. Aaron the Alligator is also a star of The Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary and a long out-of-print series called Everything Happens to Aaron, the basis for this book. Look for more of Aaron’s Step into Reading escapades: Aaron Is a Good Sport, Aaron Has a Lazy Day, and Aaron Is Cool.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This book is very much like Go, Dog. Go!, except that it follows one character. It's very much a beginning-reader book; there's really no story, and it's obvious that the book is meant for kids who are just learning to read words on their own. The repeating pictures seem a bit lazy to me... but the author did manage to write a book almost 30 years after his own death, so I guess I can cut him a bit of slack.

All in all, I'm not too impressed. This is just using a character as a vehicle for a very basic early reader. There's no plot, and the situations depicted only last for a few pages each (and, like I said, some of the pictures repeat, so there's really not a lot to this book).

Skip it, unless you really love Aaron the Alligator.

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

Enjoyment: 1/5

Overall: 1.83 out of 5

Review - The Best Nest

The Best Nest
by P. D. Eastman
Date: 1968
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 64
Format: e-book
Source: library

Mr. and Mrs. Bird's search for a "better" nest leads them to some peculiar spots.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I may have read this at some point in the past, but I don't remember it; it's not as memorable as some of Eastman's other books (especially Are You My Mother?). This is a story about a bird couple who become dissatisfied with their home. Actually, Mr. Bird loves his home... but Mrs. Bird is tired of it and hates it. She wants to relocate. So they fly off in search of a new place to build their nest, eventually placing it on top of a bell in a church steeple. As expected, it's not the dream home they've always wanted.

Mrs. Bird comes off as a bit of a stereotypical demanding wife, and Mr. Bird as the gormless husband. This may just be the book showing its age. It's subtle, but if old stereotypes like that bother you, you might want to stay away from this one.

Despite its length (why are Eastman's books all so long?!) it's a quick read and is fairly entertaining.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3 out of 5

Review - Go, Dog. Go!

Go, Dog. Go!
by P. D. Eastman
Date: 1961
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 72
Format: e-book
Source: library

Reading goes to the dogs in this timeless Beginner Book edited by Dr. Seuss. From big dogs and little dogs to red, green, and blue dogs, dogs going up and dogs going fast... who knew dogs were so busy? And laughter will ensue at the repeated question “Do you like my hat?” Like P. D. Eastman’s classic Are You My Mother? Go, Dog. Go! has been a go-to favorite for over fifty years, leaving audiences of all breeds wagging their tails with delight.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Holy crap! Why are P. D. Eastman books so long?! (No wonder my mom always hated reading us Are You My Mother? Seventy-two pages make for a long picture book.)

There's no real story to Go, Dog. Go! It's basically just a book of colours, sizes, prepositions, etc. featuring a multitude of dogs. There's plenty to look at. There's a repeating element of two dogs meeting and one asking the other if they like their hat. The pictures are interesting, and clearly show what the dogs are doing.

I'm not sure if this is really a book for storytime, or if it's more of a book that kids will want to look at on their own. (It's long for storytime, in any case.) I have vague memories of reading this one as a kid, but they're not strong enough for me to remember whether I liked it or not! As an adult, I found it okay, but I would dread reading this one aloud. It's just a bit long. And if there were an actual story, I might like it even more.

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Review - Are You My Mother?

Are You My Mother?
by P. D. Eastman
Date: 1960
Publisher: Random House
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 72
Format: e-book
Source: library

A baby bird goes in search of his mother in this hilarious Beginner Book edited by Dr. Seuss. When a mother bird’s egg starts to jump, she hurries off to make sure she has something for her little one to eat. But as soon as she’s gone, out pops the baby bird. He immediately sets off to find his mother, but not knowing what she looks like makes it a challenge. The little hatchling is determined to find his mother, even after meeting a kitten, a hen, a dog, and a Snort. The timeless message of the bond between mother and child make P. D. Eastman’s Are You My Mother? a must for baby showers, beginning readers, and Mother’s Day.

Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This wasn't a book that my sister and I had in own our collection as kids, but my grandmother had a copy. We read it plenty of times while visiting her house!

It's a silly story about a naive little bird who hatches from his egg while his mother is out collecting food. When he doesn't see her there, he goes off in search of her, asking various creatures and objects along the way the titular question. It's always funny when the bird moves on from asking animals to asking inanimate objects like airplanes and steam shovels if they're related; really, though, if you think about it, how would he know any better? (It's not like there was a mirror in that nest. He probably didn't even know what he was!)

The illustrations are simple but fun. I especially like the mama bird with her little red headscarf.

I hadn't read this in years (probably decades) but it's a classic that's held up pretty well. Today's kids are sure to get a giggle out of the baby bird's encounter with all his potential mothers... including the Snort!

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5