Category: Picture Book

Title: King Mouse
Author: Cary Fagan, Dena Seiferling (illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Picture Books
Publisher: Tundra Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

King Mouse finds his authority in question when his subjects find crowns of their own. A gentle and humorous modern fable about imaginative play and kindness in the tradition of classics like Little Bear and Frog and Toad.

A sweet, thoughtful tale of friendship, sharing and play, King Mouse begins when a mouse comes upon a tiny crown in the grass. The mouse puts the crown on his head, and when a bear subsequently comes upon him and asks if he’s king, the mouse responds “Yes.”

This diminutive monarch settles into his new role very comfortably . . . until a snake comes upon a crown and claims she is queen. The mouse is not amused, especially when one by one the other animals find crowns and claim they are kings too. But when the bear can’t find a crown, King Mouse make a most surprising decision.

This inspired collaboration between an award-winning author and debut picture book illustrator Dena Seiferling is quietly profound in its simplicity and has the feeling of a modern classic. 

Review:

One day, Mouse finds a crown on the ground. He puts it on and becomes King Mouse. The other animals, like a crow and a bear, bow down to him and do things for him, such as bring him food and entertain him. Then, a snake finds a crown and puts it on, becoming Queen Snake. Now, all of the animals are finding crowns, except for the bear, who is left out of being a King or Queen. King Mouse is left to decide what to do to help the bear.

This is such a great teaching story for kids. It shows how it feels to be left out, since the bear was very sad that he didn’t have a crown when everyone else did. It also shows that just because someone has something that makes them popular, doesn’t mean they deserve it. Mouse became a king just because he found the crown. The crown was important when there was only one but it became meaningless when everyone else had a crown.

The illustrations in this story were beautiful. They looked like sketches in monochromatic colours. The illustrations told the story along with the words. It would be easy for children learning to read to follow the story by the pictures without reading the words.

I loved this children’s picture book!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read King Mouse? What did you think of it?

Title: Twisted Fairy Tales: The Three Little Narwhals
Author: Stewart Ross, Chris Jevons (illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Arcturus Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 15, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this whale of a tale, the Big Bad Shark is looking for a tasty snack… when he comes across three delicious-looking narwhals! The loveable, pointy-horned creatures-show-off Spike, arty Spiral, and shy Stubby-discover a sunken pirate ship, and are using the parts to build their own homes. Now they are out of their depth, locked in a battle of wits with the munching, crunching villain.

Review:

This story is a twist on the tale of the Three Little Pigs. Instead of pigs, the characters are the three little narwhals. They decide to build houses out of the parts of a shipwreck. The first house was made of ropes and sails, the second was made of wood, and the third was made of metal. Their homes are then destroyed by the big bad shark.

Narwhals are a popular animal for kids books. They’re the unicorns of the sea. There were also dolphins in this story, which were so cute. The dolphins pointed out the problems with the narwhals’ homes before they were attacked, so they explained to the reader why the homes were flawed.

I liked the twist on the traditional big bad wolf, which is the big bad shark. He said “I’ll crunch, and I’ll munch, and I’ll have this house for lunch.” This was a great way to change the wolf into a sea creature.

I really enjoyed this retelling of the Three Little Pigs.

Thank you Arcturus Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read The Three Little Narwhals? What did you think of it?

Title: Twisted Fairy Tales: Little Rude Riding Hood
Author: Jo Franklin, Chris Jevons (illustrator)
Genre: Childrens, Picture Book
Publisher: Arcturus Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 15, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Once upon a time, a fairy tale went very wrong! This new twist on a traditional children’s story is packed with fun, humour, and energy.

Little Rude is incredibly cheeky to everyone that she meets. She doesn’t even know the meaning of “please” and “thank you!” However, that could all change when she meets a surprisingly polite wolf on her way to Grandma’s house. 

Will Little Rude’s constant insults drive even this newly reformed Big Bad Wolf over the edge? This riotously funny remix on the traditional fairy tale will delight children and adults alike. 

This hilarious tale featuring brand-new full-colour illustrations will be sure to thrill readers aged 6+.

Review:

In this book, Little Red Riding Hood is a very rude girl, so she is called Little Rude Riding Hood. Her parents send her to bring her grandmother a present for her birthday, but Little Rude doesn’t want to. Eventually they convince her to go. Along her way to her grandmother’s house, she meets kind creatures, but she is still rude to them.

This story had a great twist on the original tale. Since Little Rude is so rude to her parents and everyone else, it shows kids that she is behaving badly. She behaves in the opposite way from Little Red Riding Hood, who was very kind and trusting. Another twist is that the characters who usually attack the grandmother, like the wolf and the lumberjack, are actually friends with her grandmother.

This is a fun twist on Little Red Riding Hood!

Thank you Arcturus Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Other Books in the Series:

• The Ninjabread Man
• Snow White and the Seven Robots
• The Three Little Narwhals

Have you read Little Rude Riding Hood? What did you think of it?

Title: Twisted Fairy Tales: Snow White and the Seven Robots
Author: Stewart Ross, Chris Jevons (illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Arcturus Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 15, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

When the wicked Star Queen shipwrecks her daughter, Snow White, on a remote forest planet, the plucky princess uses her engineering know-how to rebuild her ruined spacecraft into robot helpers! Can she and her mechanical friends find a way to defeat the Star Queen once and for all?

Review:

This is another great fairy tale with a twist.

This story takes place in space. Snow White has a talent for building robots. The evil queen sends her away, since she has been told by her “space book” screen that Snow White is the best. I liked these space and technology elements of the story.

There was a different twist to the story because the evil queen sends fruit robots to put Snow White to sleep, rather than giving her an apple. The fruit shoots a poison dart at her, and the only way to wake her is to remove it. This is another way a technological element replaced the magic of the original fairytale.

This was a great story!

Thank you Arcturus Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read Twisted Fairy Tales: Snow White and the Seven Robots? What did you think of it?

Title: David Attenborough (Little People, Big Dreams)
Author: Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Mikyo Noh (illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 4, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this book from the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of David Attenborough, the inspiring broadcaster and conservationist.

Little David grew up in Leicester on the campus of a university, where his father was a professor. As a child, he spent hours in the science library, collating his own specimens and creating a mini animal museum. When he was old enough to go to university, he studied science and zoology—but what he wanted most of all was to be close to the animals he was studying. So, he started working in television, visiting animals in their natural habitats, and telling the world the untold stories of these animals. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the broadcaster’s life.

Review:

Sir David Attenborough is passionate about nature. He has always loved learning about how the natural world works. He created many tv shows about animals and nature. He was also knighted by the Queen for his work on documentaries about planet Earth.

I didn’t know some of these facts about Sir David Attenborough before reading this book. For example, there are many species of plants and animals named after him, such as a frog named Pristimantis Attenboroughi. He is an inspiring man who has done a lot of work to preserve our natural planet.

This is a great story to teach children about the life of Sir David Attenborough.

Thank you Frances Lincoln for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read David Attenborough? What did you think of it?

Title: Vivienne Westwood (Little People, Big Dreams)
Author: Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Laura Callaghan (illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 3, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

New in the Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Vivienne Westwood, the flame-haired fashion designer and impresario. When Vivienne was a young woman, she wasn’t sure how a working class girl from England could make a living in the art world. But after discovering her passion for design and jewelry making, she erupted onto the fashion scene with a bang. Vivienne’s designs became iconic, and she became famous for letting her clothes speak for themselves. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back , including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the designer’s life.

Review:

This is another great book in the Little People, Big Dreams series about the fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.

I loved the vibrant colours in this book. They reflect Vivienne’s fashion designs. The images were detailed and brightly coloured, which would appeal to children.

This book had less information about the subject than other ones in this series. Her childhood was glossed over a little bit with generalized statements. The sentences were shorter than some of the other books I’ve read in the Little People, Big Dreams series, which meant that the images stood out more.

This is a great book for kids who are interested in fashion!

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read Vivienne Westwood? What did you think of it?

Title: Sleeping Bronty (Once Before Time Book 2)
Author: Christy Webster, Gladys Jose (illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 25, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sleeping Bronty is going to become queen, but the selfish fairy Rhonda puts it all in jeopardy with an evil wish! From Epic! Originals, Once Before Time is a playful board book series of fairy tales reimagined from a time long ago . . . with dinosaurs!

In this prehistoric retelling of the classic story, Sleeping Bronty discovers her own royal potential thanks to her fairy friends, the prince, and some very spicy chili.

Review:

This is an adorable adaptation of Sleeping Beauty, featuring a dinosaur.

Bronty is a brontosaurus, and also a princess. When she was born, three fairies came to give her wishes. They wished that she would have a long neck, a long tail, and a long life. However, an evil fairy came and wished that Bronty would prick her tail on a thorn and fall into a deep sleep. When Bronty eventually did prick her tail, they needed the prince to bring a special dish to wake her up.

This was a great retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I think kids would like that the story was about dinosaurs, rather than a real person. It makes it universally relatable, since it doesn’t show a child who may not look like the reader. I also liked the twist on the wishes the fairies gave Bronty, which relate to how a dinosaur would grow up, rather than a person.

This is a cute children’s story!

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read Sleeping Bronty? What did you think of it?

Title: Vote for Me!
Author: Ben Clanton
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Tundra Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 4, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A hilarious political satire by the creator of the bestselling Narwhal and Jelly series.

Hey, you! Yes, you with the dazzling smile! The donkey wants your vote. So does the elephant. And each will do just about anything to win your support. Brag? Sure! Flatter? Absolutely! Exaggerate, name-call, make silly promises and generally act childish? Yes, yes, yes and yes. Soon, the tension mounts, and these two quarrelsome candidates resort to slinging mud (literally) and flinging insults. And what happens when the election results are in? Well, let’s just say the donkey and the elephant are in for a little surprise–and a certain bewhiskered, third-party candidate is in for a first term!

Review:

This is a great picture book to teach children about political elections.

In this story, Donkey and Elephant are both running for president. They want to convince the reader to vote for them. They use promises and bribes to try to convince you. Then they have a fight and call each other names. In the end, they realize they don’t want to be mean to each other. The election results were a surprising twist at the end.

This story introduces the idea of elections to children. It is based on the donkey and elephant representations of American political parties, but the same idea can be applied to any political parties. The two animals display the same behavior of name calling and bribes, so it doesn’t favour one party over the other. I especially liked the surprise ending.

I really enjoyed this children’s book.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read Vote for Me? What did you think of it?

Title: Teddy Bear of the Year
Author: Vikki VanSickle, Sydney Hanson
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Tundra Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: January 21, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The teddy bears’ picnic gets a modern twist in this warm and fuzzy picture book about a young teddy bear who learns that small acts of kindness can make a big difference.

Ollie is a regular bear with a regular job. He listens to his girl’s stories about her days, he snuggles her to sleep and he is there waiting when she gets home from school. Just your typical teddy bear stuff. So when he is whisked away to the annual teddy bears’ picnic, he feels insignificant compared to the other bears who do daring and daunting things: sleepovers, hospital stays–even a night in the lost and found!

After small talk with a regional stuffing manager, a department of cuddling official and a stitchery inspector; a stop at the snack table; and even some team building activities, it’s time for the teddy bear service awards . . . and Ollie feels even more small and unimportant. But he soon learns that it’s not just the big things that matter, it’s the little things too.

While parents will love the tongue-in-cheek office-party details, kids and parents alike will fall in love with Ollie: a sweet bear who discovers that his love for his girl makes him very special indeed.

Review:

In this story, Ollie is Amena’s teddy bear. One night, he is invited to a teddy bear picnic by the Teddy Bear Association. Various awards were handed out to the teddy bears for accomplishments they had done throughout the year.

This was an adorable story. It’s so cute to imagine all the teddy bears of the world gathering to have a picnic together. The teddy bears also have the rule of ABCs: Always Be Cuddling.

This story made me smile throughout it. It is such a sweet story. I loved it!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read Teddy Bear of the Year? What did you think of it?

Title: What’s Up, Maloo?
Author: Geneviève Godbout
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Tundra Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: January 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

Review:

Maloo is a kangaroo who loves to hop. One day, he stops hopping and only walks. His friends are concerned and figure out a way to get him to hop again.

This story shows that sometimes people don’t feel well, and don’t behave the way they usually do. Maloo’s friends came together to help him. This shows kids that it’s okay to feel bad sometimes. Everyone has bad days, even kangaroos.

The images were beautiful. They looked like pastel illustrations. I really liked them.

This is a great children’s story.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read What’s Up, Maloo? What did you think of it?