Remy the Rhino Learns Patience by Andy McGuire

Remy the Rhino Learns Patience by Andy McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

It's cute, it's catchy, and it's oh so appropriate for young children. *ahem* And maybe for Mom and Dad, too!

The story is short and oh so sweet with lovable characters and charming rhymes. The concept of patience is simply explained in a way that one to five-year-olds can easily grasp, but also that some older children will enjoy, too. And the whole story lends itself easily to dramatizing it with your voice as Remy goes through many emotions.

The illustrations are adorable and it's quite fun to look at the expressions on the animals faces through out the book. The whole story makes a wonderful read with your children that is more than just entertaining.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with younger kids, but especially to those with toddler age and/or pre-school age.

BOOK OVERVIEW:

Andy McGuire, artist and author of the popular Rainy Day Games, presents enchanting art and rhymes to share the story of Remy, the impatient Rhino. When the other animals annoy him, he snorts and charges right for them.

One day, an aardvark decides not to run, and Remy’s horn gets stuck in a tree! The forgiving aardvark gathers termites to slowly eat away the wood and free Remy—not only of his situation but of his impatient ways.

So as Remy experienced strange new sensations
He took a crash course in the virtue of patience.
He waited through rain and he waited through thunder
He waited through birds climbing over and under…
He waited through elephant balancing acts
Until little by little, he learned to relax.

This hilarious story shows children ages 1 to 5 how to get unstuck from their impatience and enjoy peace and the people around them.

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This review copy was provided by Harvest House Publishers but the opinions expressed are my own.

Bombus The Bumblebee Books & Creativity Book by Elsie Larson

Bombus the Bumblebee by Elsie Larson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

These two story books for children are about Bombus the Bumblebee and how God made him unique. Each book teaches children about creation from a biblical viewpoint while also teaching children a lesson about life - such as friendship, being kind, etc. The stories are well written and fun to read for both children and parents.

I appreciated the quality of the story and the downright adorable illustrations. It was also fun to learn facts about animals as we read the story. These facts didn't stand out, but were woven into the story. Another nice addition to this book was the extra sections in the back that contained fun facts, a "how to use this book" guide, and creative activity ideas.

You can also get an activity book to go with the two story books. It is full of games, puzzles, coloring pages, additional short stories, recipes, and mazes. It's a great way to stretch the learning out as the kids not only read, but "do" to learn, too!

All three books are targeted for 4-8 year olds but the story books are great for younger ages as well.

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These review copies were provided courtesy of New Leaf Press.

The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle

The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

Another cute animal story by Eric Carle with delightful pictures to enjoy. This story about a little cricket is fun to read and better to own than borrow. The little ones will be wanting to read it again and again. Especially with the little noise chip that works in new ones...but not library loans!

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Related books:

• The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle (readornotread.blogspot.com)
• Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle (readornotread.blogspot.com)
• 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle (readornotread.blogspot.com)
• Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle (readornotread.blogspot.com)
• How Do You Tuck In a Superhero? by Rachel Balducci (readornotread.blogspot.com)
• See How They Grow Books By DK (readornotread.blogspot.com)

The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle

The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle

MY REVIEW:

This is a cute little story and a great introduction to a neat insect. The storyline is simple, silly, fun, and entertaining. The pictures are bright and catchy as usual. The only "caution" is that if you borrow this book from the library, see if they have one with the working sound affects. It would probably make the story even more fun!

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Related articles:

• Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle (readornotread.blogspot.com)
• The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle (readornotread.blogspot.com)
• 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle (readornotread.blogspot.com)
• Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle (readornotread.blogspot.com)

Hello Red Fox by Eric Carle

Hello Red Fox by Eric Carle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

We did not finish this book. It was a silly story, which in of it's self is not the point. But to read this story and enjoy it you had to stare at a dot for 10 seconds and then look at another dot and supposedly you would see the same picture in a different color. It did not work for us and without that the story did not make sense. Maybe if you have perfect vision this might work for you! I say it's pretty hard for younger children to understand let alone "see".

Animals Animals by Eric Carle

Animals Animals by Eric Carle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

Eric Carle is known for his unique illustrations and this book continues on with the bright colors and sometimes silly pictures. Animals Animals is full of just what you would expect - animals! Ocean-living animals, dessert-living animals, jungle-living animals, zoo-living animals, barn-living animals and more are all found in the 88 pages of this book. However, rather than have a traditional storyline to it, each page holds one more poems.

Now, if you are a poetry-loving person you will enjoy this book, but if not, you can easily just talk about the pictures and/or make up your own words as you go. While my kids enjoyed the fun illustrations, they poetry was too long for their attention span and some of it was rather hard for them "to get".

It's a cute book, but not one of Carle's best.

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MORE BOOKS BY ERIC CARLE:

• 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle 
• Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle 
• The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
• Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle

Tail, Toes, Eyes, Ears, Nose by Marilee Robin Burton

Tail, toes, eyes, ears, nose by Marilee Robin Burton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

It would be easy to look at this book and pass it up, but it's a treasure. The story line is simple - tail, toes, eyes, ears, and nose. Each page shows all of those things and when you turn the page it shows what it is. The fun of this book is watching you child guess what the animal is before you turn the page. It looks like a book made for young children - toddlers - but my 4-year-old loved this book and had so much fun with it. I recommend this book for it's fun, it's interaction, and the thinking skills that it makes kids use.

Dawdle Duckling by Toni Buzzeo

Dawdle Duckling by Toni Buzzeo

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

While this sports the adorable illustrations of Margaret Spengler, the story line leaves much to be desired. It may be cute, but there is an ugly side to this book when the little Dawdle Duckling tells his Mommy "no" over and over again. I used this book to point out how naughty Dawdle was being, but really, this book could be left unread and you could enjoy other ones instead. I would suggest another book by this author and illustrator titled Little Loon and Papa.

Little Loon and Papa by Toni Buzzeo

Little Loon and Papa by Toni Buzzeo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

What drew me to this book is the illustrations! Margaret Spengler is an amazing illustrator! The story is cute, too, as Little Loon learns to dive. This book provides a cute story, lots of lovable animals, and adorable pictures to make a simple and quick read for young children and toddlers.

Can You Cuddle Like A Koala? by John Butler

Can You Cuddle Like a Koala? by John Butler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

Can You Cuddle Like a Koala? is an adorable bedtime story that will help get the wiggles out and encourage the cuddles before you tuck in your kids for the night. I enjoy the simple story with the simple interactions and the sweet ending. The parents will enjoy this fun book just as much as the children!

Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle

Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

Have you seen my cat? is a simple picture book with a short story of a boy asking "have you seen my cat?" Each page takes you to another country with another breed of cat before ending with "my cat". The pictures are unique and bright in typical Eric Carle fashion. While this book does not stand out in anyway, it's also not a bad book either.