Review - So Much Snow

So Much Snow
by Kristen Schroeder
illustrated by Sarah Jacoby
Date: 2022
Publisher: Random House Studio
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

A beautifully illustrated, rollicking read-aloud about forest animals who are caught--literally up to their ears and antlers--in a snowstorm.

On Monday, it starts to snow.
Silent swirling.
How high will it go?

Follow seven forest creatures, from a tiny mouse to a giant moose, as they hunker down in a snowstorm. As the week progresses, the snow piles up and up--even past Moose's antlers!

On Sunday, the sun starts to melt the snow, and it seems that, as the next week passes and it grows sunnier, spring has finally sprung. But wait...is that more snow?! This cumulative picture book is at once beautiful and lyrical and playful and joyful, with charming illustrations by a highly acclaimed illustrator.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a cute picture book that shows the progression through a snowfall and the subsequent melt, featuring cute animals interacting with the snow. After seven days of snow covering the landscape, the snowfall melts and the animals are revealed in reverse order. Everything looks green again, but then... there's a surprise.

The illustrations are cute, and the text, while spare, works as a nice accompaniment.

Definitely a winner for those looking for books about the seasons and/or cute animals.

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Review - The Flamingo

The Flamingo: A Graphic Novel Chapter Book
by Guojing
Date: 2022
Publisher: Random House Studio
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 144
Format: e-book
Source: library

From a highly acclaimed illustrator comes a stunning graphic novel filled with adventure and wonder about an imaginative girl and her obsession with flamingoes.

A little girl arrives, excited for a beachy vacation with her Lao Lao. The girl and her grandmother search for shells, chase crabs, and play in the sea, but when the girl finds an exquisite flamingo feather in her grandmother's living room, her vacation turns into something fantastical.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I'm not sure why the subtitle of this one is "a graphic novel chapter book". It's more like a really long, (mostly) wordless picture book with two parts. There are no real "chapters" to speak of. In fact, there are only a few sentences of text, so the book could be suitable for pre-reading kids as well.

Actually, readers of all ages will probably find something to delight them in this story about a young girl who goes to visit her grandmother by herself. When she finds a pink feather in her grandmother's house, the old woman tells her a story about a little girl who finds a mysterious egg on the beach.

The art is charming. Done in two different colour schemes (a muted, pinkish palette for the real world and a brighter, full-colour palette for the fantasy scenes), the artwork is a showcase of whimsy, imagination, and very cute characters.

I previously read Stormy by the same author/illustrator, and was eager to read more of her books. I wasn't disappointed with this one.

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

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 ladybugs

Review - The Mermaid Moon

The Mermaid Moon
by Briony May Smith
Date: 2022
Publisher: Anne Schwartz Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

In this magical picture book perfect for all young mermaid lovers, two best friends--one who lives on land, the other in the water--share an exciting adventure on the night of the Mermaid Moon: the one time each year mermaids can leave the sea.

Once, there were two best friends. One was from the sea, a mermaid named Merrin, and one was from the land, a human named Molly. Of course Merrin has never been to Molly's house; how can she visit when she must stay underwater? But then comes the night of the Mermaid Moon, when sea creatures can fly through the air! And this year, Merrin is finally old enough to join in. Together she and Molly visit the Mermaid Moon festival, eat ice cream, and ride on a swing in Molly's backyard. But when it is time for Merrin to leave--the moon is sinking toward the sea--she is unable to get down from a tree the girls have climbed. And if she doesn't get back home before the moon sets, the Mermaid Moon magic will disappear from the earth forever.

Here is a delightful and dramatic picture book that makes every girl's dream of being friends with a mermaid come true!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I read Margaret's Unicorn a couple of years ago and thought it was absolutely charming. Briony May Smith is back with another magical tale, this time about two little girls—one human and one mermaid—who share a magical evening together on a very special night of the year.

The stakes are high. (Merrin's mother tells her that if she doesn't make it home to the sea in time, all the magic will be lost. No pressure.) But of course the girls manage to figure out a way to preserve the magic.

The illustrations are really cute. Since much of the story takes place at night, lighting casts a dreamy effect over the pictures.

This is another winner from Smith. It's sure to be a hit with mermaid lovers, as well as with those looking for sweet picture-book stories about friendship.

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

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.5 out of 5

Review - Mariposa: A Tiny Seed's Big Transformation

Mariposa: A Tiny Seed's Big Transformation
by Leigh Anne Fortner
illustrated by Anastassiya Selezneva
Date: 2022
Publisher: Leigh Anne Fortner
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 24
Format: e-book
Source: Amazon

Growing Can Be Hard...Especially for a Seed!!!

In this beautifully illustrated story in rhyme, a tiny seed is just starting her life in the desert. It seems that nothing can survive in such a harsh environment, or at least that is what she is led to believe...

Can she survive the scorching desert sun?

Will she allow the negative opinions of others to shape her own thoughts?

Will the storm winds sweep her away before she discovers her true identity?

Come along and follow Mariposa's journey of transformation, and teach your kids that we are ALL created with purpose and love.

(synopsis from Amazon; see it on Goodreads)

Let me preface this by saying that I'm not the audience for this book. I don't read a lot of Christian fiction. And this book does have a religious bent to it, which isn't exactly clear from the synopsis. (Unless you look at the Amazon categories, it's not obvious.)

That said, I still want to share my thoughts on this picture book. It's a story told in rhyme about a seed in the desert who grows into a plant. Everyone around her is pretty negative, telling her she's worthless... or even telling her she's things she clearly isn't. (That part was confusing for me. Why was the coyote trying to convince the plant that she was a deadly snake? Is this a religious thing I'm not familiar with?)

The text started off just okay for me. The rhythm is fairly strong at the beginning, although it gets a little sketchy later on. The writing is less impressive. Comma splices are abundant, and though a child listening to the story won't know that, it's kind of annoying to adult readers who can see the words. Anyway, what starts off as a simple story headed in a good direction kind of goes off the rails as God starts booming down from above, solving all the main character's problems. It's literally a deus ex machina! I would've liked to see the flower come to her conclusions about herself on her own... not be told by God.

The illustrations by Anastassiya Selezneva are probably the best part of this book. The characters are cute and appealing, and the warm colour palette really evokes the scorching desert.

I would probably only recommend this to parents who are looking for Christian picture books to read aloud, and who don't mind all the protagonist's problems being solved by the literal voice of God.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.29 out of 5

Review - Summertime with Snowman Paul

Summertime with Snowman Paul (Snowman Paul)
by Yossi Lapid
illustrated by Joanna Pasek
Date: 2022
Publisher: Yosef Lapid
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 46
Format: e-book
Source: author

Can a Snowman have Fun in the Summertime?

“The story has excellent kid appeal, presenting endearing characters and a cheerful summer setting.” – Kirkus Reviews

Sure, Paul is a snowman – but should that preclude him from having fun with his best friend all year long (including the Summer)?

Snowman Paul doesn’t think so, but hot summer days do pose some obvious problems for a snowman.

Snowman Paul is ready to give up when his best friend (Dan) comes up with a brilliant idea that saves the day.

“A wonderful book meant to teach children the values of friendship and perseverance. Kids will have a blast reading the book.” Readers’ Favorite

Funny and stunningly illustrated with full-page watercolors, this tale will delight children and parents alike. It is ideal for beginner readers, and it will make bedtime fun for toddlers, preschoolers, and even older kids. It makes a great gift, and it belongs in any children's books library.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Snowman Paul is back, and this time he's braving the summer heat!

This instalment of Yossi Lapid and Joanna Pasek's cute picture-book series does require a bit more suspension of disbelief than some of the others. A snowman in winter? Makes sense. A snowman in summer? Well... I'm sure you can see the issues. For his part, Snowman Paul realizes he doesn't really fit in with summer. However, he seems to be more concerned about how other people see him than... you know... melting into a puddle of water during a heatwave.

But never mind. The story is cute, with the narrator, Dan (who also happens to be Paul's best friend), helping the snowman come up with a plan to make summers a little more bearable.

Pasek's illustrations are lovely, as usual, and really set the tone for a sweet summer read.

Maybe a snowman is just what we need to keep cool during the summer months!

Thank you to Yossi Lapid for the e-book copy of Summertime with Snowman Paul.

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.57 out of 5

Review - Mommy, Mommy, Where Is the Moon?

Mommy, Mommy, Where Is the Moon?
by Serene Chia
illustrated by Sinem Kılıç Rabito
Date: 2022
Publisher: Serene Chia
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 34
Format: e-book
Source: Amazon

A delightful bedtime story to be shared with your little ones before you tuck them in!

Kaitlyn and her mommy love to spend their nights looking for the Moon. Sometimes, they find it. Other times, the Moon plays peek-a-boo.

“Mommy, Mommy,” said Kaitlyn. “Where is the Moon?”
“It’s up there,” said Mom. “Are you looking hard enough?”
“There!” Kaitlyn pointed. “It’s hiding. Silly Moon.”

• Creates a fun bedtime ritual with your children
• Learn new fun facts about the Moon together

Come join Kaitlyn and her mommy on their search and pick up some fun and interesting Moon facts along the way!

(synopsis from Amazon; see it on Goodreads)

I'm not quite sure how to rate this one. The story is simple. The illustrations are adorable. Kids will probably like it. On the other hand, the use of too many (ugly) fonts, the inability to distinguish between dialogue tags and action beats, and a confusing remark about the moon might make adults think twice.

The book revolves around a little girl named Kaitlyn, who notices the moon (or lack thereof) in the sky and asks her mother a series of questions about it. She wants to know where it is when she can't see it. Sometimes it's hidden by clouds. Sometimes it's behind buildings. Other times, it's just in a different phase. (This is the part I felt was confusing. Kaitlyn's mother tells her she can't see the moon because "it moved in front of the Sun". I don't think that's quite the right way to phrase that; wouldn't that technically be an eclipse?)

The pictures are super cute and very colourful, with lots to look at. They're probably the strongest part of the book. Unfortunately, the integration of the text on the pages sometimes seems a bit amateurish, and it looks like an afterthought.

There are some activity pages at the back, but I don't think they're really necessary.

Overall, this is an okay picture book. I can see it having appeal at bedtime, especially given the subject matter.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5

Review - Sharing Daddy

Sharing Daddy
by Roberta Borg
illustrated by Bex Sutton
Date: 2022
Publisher: Primal Studios Publishing
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 34
Format: e-book
Source: Amazon

Roberta Borg’s debut rhythm and rhyme children’s book.

“We love your Daddy, yes, we do, but sometimes others need him too!”

“What? But who?”

Billy loves playing with his daddy, but when his dad is called to an emergency at work, he is left sad and confused by his dad’s abrupt departure from playtime. In this heartwarming story, we join Billy on a journey of emotional growth as he learns about his daddy’s caring profession. So the next time his dad gets called away, Billy’s reaction is rather different…

All proceeds go to charity.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Sharing Daddy features an interesting premise, namely children having to share their emergency service-worker parents with the general public.

The illustrations are cute, and the book is written in rhyme with a strong rhythm.

So this is a good book... but I would recommend getting yourself a print version. It was nearly impossible to read on a laptop screen, due to the formatting that kept two full spreads side by side on the screen at all times. This made the text quite small and nearly impossible to read. (I'm not sure what would happen on an e-reader, but I can't imagine it would be any easier!)

So the book itself is fine. The e-book formatting... not so much.

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5