It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 9/25/17

The weekly post where I recap all the KidLit books I’ve been reading. Occasionally, I’ll also review some adult fiction books as well.

Be sure to check out Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers to see what other kidlit readers are reading. Because, you know, we can never have too many books in our TBR pile.
                                         

I'm participating in the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (RIP) challenge! Click here to see the books I'll be reading.

Board Books

The Bunny Rabbit Show!

by Sandra Boynton

 We have been on a Sandra Boynton kick the last few times we've visited the library. I love her style and this board book is really fun. I love the fact that it can be read, or you can make up a silly theme song to sing the words instead. My daughter and I took turns reading and singing this to baby brother.

My Lucky Little Dragon

Joyce Wan

This is my first book by Joyce Wan that I have read and it was really fun. I love how cute and bright the illustrations are. My little boy got a kick out of the mirror at the end of the book. The cover has some great texture to it as well. We'll definitely be checking out some of Wan's other board books.

Picture Books

Gravity

by Jason Chin

I picked this one up because my daughter has been acting how gravity works and this was a great introduction. The simplicity of the text, coupled with the beautiful images were wonderful. The back matter explains gravity in more detail, but in a very accessible manner. 

Professional Crocodile

written by Giovanna Zoboli

illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio

Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard at the end of this book. The payoff is so great. There is no text in the book, but the beautiful illustrations stand on their own while moving the story along. There is so much detail that you'll want to reread it and just study all the little things in each panel.  It is such a fantastic book.

Sometimes You Barf

Nancy Carlson

This book is exactly what you would expect. It goes into how everyone--including all sorts of animals barf. It could be used to teach young children that, while it is no fun to throw up, that it can be a normal thing when you get the stomach bug and it will pass. For me, the best part of this book was the illustrations on the end pages with all sorts of animals poised to barf.

Noisy Night

written by Mac Barnett

illustrated by Brian Biggs

For whatever reason, when i picked this up I thought it was going to be about all the sounds outside in the city at night. It is not. It is about all the sounds within an apartment building (duh me--it's right on the cover). The illustrations are vibrant and I enjoyed the repetition and rhythm of the text.

The Darkest Dark

by Chris Hadfield

illustrated by The Fan Brothers

Another one where I thought it was going to be about one thing and it ended up being about another. This is the true story of astronaut Chris Hadfield when he was a boy and what helped him get over his fear of the dark. The illustrations are rich and beautiful and the story is one that any kid can relate to. This would make a good book for biography book reports as it does have more info on Chris's life in the back matter. 

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn

by Kenard Pak

Another great book with great illustrations. The text is simple in a good way and is a back and forth conversation between a boy and nature as it gets ready for the season change. The watercolor is so well done and I especially like the way the trees look in the background. I will definitely be checking out Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter when winter is a bit closer.

Cap'n Rex & His Clever Crew

written by Henry Herz 

illustrated by Benjamin Schipper

Is there much better than dinosaurs and pirates? This seems to be a theme lately as I reviewed Dinosaur Pirates by Penny Dale last well. The illustrations in Cap't Rex are what make the book for me. They're cute and comical at the same time. I also like how the abilities of each dinosaur helps it contribute to the crew in a unique way. It is a fun book.

No Room For Baby!

by Émile Jadoul
Publication Oct. 3, 2017, Kids Can Press

I received an ARC of this book to review

This is cute book for new big brothers/sisters. I really liked the illustrations. The crayon gave the pictures a nice texture. One of the things that I especially liked about this book is that it isn’t your typical “I’m the jealous older sibling” story line. The baby shouldn’t go on Daddy’s shoulders because it is simply too high—not because it is a place only reserved for Leon. Leon’s solution to where to put the baby is heartwarming and shows that he genuinely cares about his new little brother. 

Middle Grade

Hoot

by Carl Hiaasen

read by Chad Lowe

I listened to the audiobook of Hoot and enjoyed it. I knew next to nothing about the book, and was pleasantly surprised. Chad Lowe does a good job of reading the book and is not distracting. Being from Southwest Florida, I felt like the descriptions of the area were vivid and accurate. Overall, the story seemed plausible and realistic.