Product Description
Out in space, on the other side of the sun, is the Planet Of The Dogs. Dogs have always lived there in peace and happiness. One day many years ago, the council of the elder dogs learned that there were problems on Earth, the Planet of the People. Many people had forgotten how to love and had become mean and greedy. The good people of Green Valley were threatened by the warrior tribes of Stone City. The council realized that they needed help. This is the story of the first time dogs came to planet earth to teach people about love and to bring peace to Green Valley.

My Review: This is a sweet book for children who are animal lovers (which includes most of them).  It is a story of how dogs came to our planet from the Planet of Dogs.  It is a book which very much praises dogs – their ability to love us unconditionally, protect us, and enjoy being around us.  It highlights dogs’ innate intelligence.  The book is intense at times, but the dogs are definitely the heroes.  Boys and girls alike would like this book because it is about a family.  The age of interest for this book I would put at 8-11 years.  It would make a great read aloud for family and/or classroom.

Watch Horrid Henry on YouTube

Synopsis

Henry is dragged to dancing class against his will; vies with Moody Margaret to make the yuckiest Glop; goes camping; and tries to be good like Perfect Peter – but not for long.

Annotation

Horrible Henry causes his brother Perfect Peter all sorts of problems when he behaves properly for a change, upstages Peter at a dance recital, plays pirates, and goes on a camping trip.

My Review: The main characters in this book series are Horrid Henry, Perfect Peter, and Moody Margaret.  This is a very fun book.  Horrid Henry is the character most boys and girls would love to be, but do not quite have the nerve.  He thrives on being naughty.  Perfect Peter on the other hand is how most children actually behave. Ah, Perfect Peter, the darling of his parents.  He never does anything wrong.  Horrid Henry can only be good for so long, then the mischief begins.  Henry’s antics on the family camping trip are unforgettable!  My second grade class loves Horrid Henry.  They laughed out loud as I read his many adventures.  This is a great book for boys, who in my opinion need more easy chapter books. Girls can relate as well. The Accelerated Reading level is 3.3 (third grade, third month) which is perfect for many of my second grade students.  I already have several who want to read this book on their own.  I am very glad to have these books as a part of my classroom library, and I recommend them for those boys who have a hard time finding something they can relate to in books.  Captain Underpants, Horrible Harry, and Junie B. Jones fans will love these books.  I recommend these books for children ages 5-9.  There are several books in the series with more to come, and I can’t wait to read them all!

GIVEAWAY!! Sourcebooks has generously allowed us to give away up to 5 Horrid Henry chapbooks (called Horrid Henry’s Dance Class! To enter, leave a comment and tell us about the worst childhood prank you’ve seen…or done yourself! To be eligible, you must leave a valid email address and have a United States or Canadian mailing address. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

The Easter Egg Haunt by Mike Thaler

Product Description
Join the Easter egg hunt with a skeptical young boy as he questions the tradition of eggs and bunnies, and finds out the true purpose of our Easter celebration. With humor and love for the church, the creators of the Black Lagoon series show readers what Easter is really all about. 

From the Back Cover
With hilarious stories and nutty pictures, the Tales from the Back Pew series offers kid’s a unique view of church. Enjoy plenty of giggles with your child—and learn fun, important truths about God, church, and the Bible.
It’s Easter. Will the Easter bunny be ten feet tall? Will it really lay eggs? I hope they’re not scrambled! 

My Review: This is a GREAT new series.  The pattern is similar to The Black Lagoon Series, so I know children will love it!  I love the fact that this author is now writing to a distinctly Christian audience.  The illustrations as always are great.  These books capture fears of children in a funny and extreme way.  As far as I know there are three other books in the series.  I have pictured those books below.

Product Description

The kiss Mama blew to her little girl goes merrily astray slipping and sliding and sashaying from cheek to cheek . . . until it finally lands just right where it belonged.

My Review:  This is a sweet book which will appeal to young children.  The main characters are a little girl and her mom.  In my second grade class, the girls gave it a thumbs up, the boys a thumbs down.  All children were very attentive while I read to them. I think the boys felt it was a girl-type book because the main characters were girls (and it was about kissing).  This is a very good book for moms to read to their preschoolers (a great “lap” book), and for children ages kindergarten through second grade to read themselves.  The illustrations by Daniel Baxter support the text well, so I would recommend this book for struggling early readers for reading practice.  The story gives lots of warm fuzzies to children and adults.

Product Description
From author of Little Pea, Little Hoot, and Little Oink comes a clever take on the age-old optical illusion: is it a duck or a rabbit? Depends on how you look at it. Readers will find more than just Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s signature sense of humor here–there is also a subtle lesson for kids who don’t know when to let go of an argument. This is a smart, simple story that will make readers of all ages eager to take a side, Duck! Rabbit! makes it easy to agree on at least one thing: reading it again!

My Review: This is a great book!  I had a hard time at first seeing anything but a rabbit.  The children in my class LOVED it!  They kept borrowing it and taking it back to their seats to read when they had free time.  Of course, they could see both the rabbit and the duck immediately.  The illustrations are simple, but bold and colorful.  A VERY fun book!  I recommend it for ages preschool through third grade.

From Inside Cover:  Alice is tall.  Not T-Rex or Empire State Building tall.  Just four inches taller than the other girls in her class, and Alice is worried.  FOUR INCHES!  That’s a lot of inches taller than everyone else.  Her mom says it’s okay to be tall, and her dad says it’s okay to be tall.  IT’S OKAY FOR THEM TO SAY THAT, THEY’RE NORMAL!  Alice wishes, really wishes, she as just like everyone else.  Then, her dream takes her to the lace where the tall girls lie, and she sees, really see, herself for the first time.

 My Review:  This is a great book for little girls who reach their full height quickly.  I was one of those little girls.  I reached my full height (5/7-1/2″) by the age of 12.  I was always the tallest girl in my class and had wonderful nicknames such as “Long Tall Sally,” the “Jolly Green Giant,” etc.  I lived where Alice lives.  The only difference was that my mother made me feel like I was special and very lucky or blessed to be tall.  Alice has a dream in which she sees all the great potential tall girls have.  Thankfully this helps her quite a bit because her parents are NOT a big help.  Alice overhears them talking with their friends about her tallness and it isn’t nice at all.  Maybe some parents are insensitive in this way and it’s realistic, but I hope not.  After Alice dreams about all the wonderful potential tall girls have, she gains self-confidence and becomes happier with her height.  This is a great book for children who might be “different.”  After reading the book, children should gain empathy for others who do not fit the mold.  The illustrator Dom Rodi does a great job with color and imagination.   I recommend this book for children (and especially girls) ages 7-10 or 11.

Product Description
Cute and lovable Baron wants a best friend: but in an effort to get his family’s attention, Baron’s lively antics take him in the wrong direction. After being whisked away to doggie school, Baron learns important lessons about behaving himself. But will he ever find the friendship his furry heart longs for?

My Review: This is a great book, not only about pets and dogs, but also about friendship.  I’m pretty sure a child could relate to doing all of the wrong things to gain friends and then finding the one thing that gains a best friend.  The book is only 24 pages, but the story is sweet.  The illustrations are colorful and engaging.  I plan to add this to my  basket of books on the theme of friendship.