MAKING FRIENDS (alphabetical by title)
Mom: Thumbs up Nicholas: Thumbs Middle Julia: Thumbs Middle
TITLE: Big Red Lollipop
AUTHOR: Rukhsana Khan
YEAR: 2010
The kids thought this one was just OK, but I nearly cried when the big sister, forced to bring her middle sister to a friend's birthday party because her foreign mom does not yet understand American kids' customs, selflessly helps spare her middle sister the same fate. Instead of opting for easy revenge, this quiet heroine chooses compassion. I love it!
TITLE: Big Red Lollipop
AUTHOR: Rukhsana Khan
YEAR: 2010
The kids thought this one was just OK, but I nearly cried when the big sister, forced to bring her middle sister to a friend's birthday party because her foreign mom does not yet understand American kids' customs, selflessly helps spare her middle sister the same fate. Instead of opting for easy revenge, this quiet heroine chooses compassion. I love it!
Mom: Thumbs Up Nicholas: Thumbs Up Julia: Thumbs Up
TITLE: Clever Jack Takes the Cake
AUTHOR: Candace Fleming
YEAR: 2010
This is a great book about a poor boy who gets invited to a princess' birthday party but cannot afford a gift. He sells everything he has to buy ingredients for a cake. He has many adventures on his way to the party that result in his arrival without the cake but with a great tale to tell (which turns out to be a much better gift than the cake). Highly recommended!
TITLE: Clever Jack Takes the Cake
AUTHOR: Candace Fleming
YEAR: 2010
This is a great book about a poor boy who gets invited to a princess' birthday party but cannot afford a gift. He sells everything he has to buy ingredients for a cake. He has many adventures on his way to the party that result in his arrival without the cake but with a great tale to tell (which turns out to be a much better gift than the cake). Highly recommended!
Mom: Thumbs Down Nicholas: Thumbs Down Julia: Thumbs Middle
TITLE: Chicken Thief
AUTHOR: Beatrice Rodriguez
YEAR: 2010
In this wordless book, the pictures tell the story of a fox that kidnaps a chicken. The chicken's friends give chase, and when they finally catch up, it turns out that the chicken wants to stay with the fox. The publisher touts it as a "twist" or "surprise ending," but it seems to me more like a bizarre paean to Stockholm syndrome.
TITLE: Chicken Thief
AUTHOR: Beatrice Rodriguez
YEAR: 2010
In this wordless book, the pictures tell the story of a fox that kidnaps a chicken. The chicken's friends give chase, and when they finally catch up, it turns out that the chicken wants to stay with the fox. The publisher touts it as a "twist" or "surprise ending," but it seems to me more like a bizarre paean to Stockholm syndrome.
Mom: Thumbs Middle Nicholas: Thumbs Middle Julia: Thumbs Middle
TITLE: Duck
AUTHOR: Randy Cecil
YEAR: 2008
This is a book about a carousel duck that wants nothing more than to be able to fly. One has to wonder why the wooden creature can walk and talk and interact with a little duck it meets (who ultimately grows up and takes it for a ride), yet cannot fly. But this will be neither the first nor the last picture book to sacrifice logical consistency for the sake of a cute story.
TITLE: Duck
AUTHOR: Randy Cecil
YEAR: 2008
This is a book about a carousel duck that wants nothing more than to be able to fly. One has to wonder why the wooden creature can walk and talk and interact with a little duck it meets (who ultimately grows up and takes it for a ride), yet cannot fly. But this will be neither the first nor the last picture book to sacrifice logical consistency for the sake of a cute story.
Mom: Thumbs up Nicholas: Thumbs Up Julia: Thumbs Up
TITLE: Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct
AUTHOR: Mo Willems
YEAR: 2006
Mo Willems is one of our very favorite children's book authors. We even went to see him read in person at the Eric Carle Museum (See the Photo Gallery for pics). And Edwina is among the best of his books. Poor Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie tries to convince everyone that dinosaurs, including Edwina, are extinct, but no one will listen to him... except Edwina.
TITLE: Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct
AUTHOR: Mo Willems
YEAR: 2006
Mo Willems is one of our very favorite children's book authors. We even went to see him read in person at the Eric Carle Museum (See the Photo Gallery for pics). And Edwina is among the best of his books. Poor Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie tries to convince everyone that dinosaurs, including Edwina, are extinct, but no one will listen to him... except Edwina.
Mom: Thumbs up Nicholas: Thumbs Up Julia: Thumbs Up
TITLE: Enemy Pie
AUTHOR: Derek Munson
YEAR: 2000
In this fun book a boy's dad plots to help him get rid of his worst enemy by making him enemy pie and inviting him to come over to eat it. The plan "backfires" and the boy's worst enemy becomes his best friend.
TITLE: Enemy Pie
AUTHOR: Derek Munson
YEAR: 2000
In this fun book a boy's dad plots to help him get rid of his worst enemy by making him enemy pie and inviting him to come over to eat it. The plan "backfires" and the boy's worst enemy becomes his best friend.
Mom: Thumbs Middle Nicholas: Thumbs Middle Julia: Thumbs Middle
TITLE: I'm Not Invited?
AUTHOR: Diana Cain Bluthenal
YEAR: 2003
This is one of the many picture books featuring children who are not invited (or believe they are not invited) to a party. In this one Minnie really isn't invited to the party she believes her friend Charles is having, but it turns out the party is for his older sister.
TITLE: I'm Not Invited?
AUTHOR: Diana Cain Bluthenal
YEAR: 2003
This is one of the many picture books featuring children who are not invited (or believe they are not invited) to a party. In this one Minnie really isn't invited to the party she believes her friend Charles is having, but it turns out the party is for his older sister.
Mom: Thumbs up Nicholas: Thumbs Up Julia: Thumbs Up
TITLE: Knuffle Bunny; Knuffle Bunny Too; Knuffle Bunny Free
AUTHOR: Mo Willems
YEAR: 2004; 2007; 2010
We all love the great Mo Willem's Knuffle Bunny trilogy. This is the second book, in which Trixie brings her "one-of-a-kind" bunny to preschool and finds that another little girl has (almost) the same one. After some initial tension and mix-ups, Trixie and the other bunny owner become great friends.
TITLE: Knuffle Bunny; Knuffle Bunny Too; Knuffle Bunny Free
AUTHOR: Mo Willems
YEAR: 2004; 2007; 2010
We all love the great Mo Willem's Knuffle Bunny trilogy. This is the second book, in which Trixie brings her "one-of-a-kind" bunny to preschool and finds that another little girl has (almost) the same one. After some initial tension and mix-ups, Trixie and the other bunny owner become great friends.
Mom: Thumbs up Nicholas: Thumbs Up Julia: Thumbs Up
TITLE: Lissy's Friends
AUTHOR: Grace Lin
YEAR: 2007
In this engaging book, the excellent children's author, Grace Lin, tells the story of Lissy, who uses her origami skills to "make" friends -- first out of paper, and then real ones.
TITLE: Lissy's Friends
AUTHOR: Grace Lin
YEAR: 2007
In this engaging book, the excellent children's author, Grace Lin, tells the story of Lissy, who uses her origami skills to "make" friends -- first out of paper, and then real ones.
Mom: Thumbs Up Nicholas: Thumbs Up Julia: Thumbs Up
TITLE: Neville
AUTHOR: Norton Juster
YEAR: 2011
This is a unanimous pick about a boy who moves to a new neighborhood and ends up making friends by walking down the street calling out his own name until every kid in town wants to know more about who this "Neville" is. Highly recommended!
TITLE: Neville
AUTHOR: Norton Juster
YEAR: 2011
This is a unanimous pick about a boy who moves to a new neighborhood and ends up making friends by walking down the street calling out his own name until every kid in town wants to know more about who this "Neville" is. Highly recommended!
Mom: Thumbs Up Nicholas: Thumbs Up Julia: Thumbs Up
TITLE: Watch Your Tongue Cecily Beasley
AUTHOR: Lane Fredrickson
YEAR: 2012
Cecily Beasley is pretty awful to people until one day, when she is sticking her tongue out at someone, some birds land on it and build a nest. She learns her lesson after enduring weeks with her tongue hanging out waiting for the birds' eggs to hatch, only to have the chicks treat her the way she has been treating others.
TITLE: Watch Your Tongue Cecily Beasley
AUTHOR: Lane Fredrickson
YEAR: 2012
Cecily Beasley is pretty awful to people until one day, when she is sticking her tongue out at someone, some birds land on it and build a nest. She learns her lesson after enduring weeks with her tongue hanging out waiting for the birds' eggs to hatch, only to have the chicks treat her the way she has been treating others.