The main review is for Bramble and Maggie: Snow Day, yet I will plug all books of Jessie Haas still in print. Mostly these are the Bramble and Maggie series. Haas loves horses. How do I know? Most of her books feature a horse in them, even the one she did for the American Girl series. As well as almost every time she and her husband stop by the bookstore I work at, they would stop in and say “Hi” and we would talk horses. […]
The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art
When a proper Russian boy is given a box of paints from his aunt magic occurs. From a young age (and well into adulthood) Kandisnky did what was expected of him. But when colors sing out and music paints a picture, you must follow your heart and create art! This is a quick introduction into the life of an abstract painter. An afterwards gives more detail. The illustrations are powerful and capture the text and the work of Kandinsky perfectly. First: my take on the […]
Becoming Bach
For Johan Sebastian, there was always music. This amazingly colorful picture book introduces the life of a man that wanted to become a “bach” (a musician). He took the patterns he heard and saw and created music from that. These patterns that he turned into melodies and song made him one of the most important composers of all time (though it was not always that way). Bach’s story is captivating. Read the illustrations of Leonard as they are works of art by themselves. The story […]
Groundhug Day
If Groundhog sees his shadow, he will hide in his hole for six more weeks. That is normal, so what is the issue? If he sees his shadow, he will miss Moose’s Valentine’s Day party! So, to make sure Groundhog can join them, all his friends come up with plans to stop him from seeing that pesky shadow. However, while they are arguing, morning comes….and so does Groundhogs shadow! What will they do now? This latest picture book by the author of the Vampirina Ballerina series […]
Trust Me, Hansel and Gretel Are Sweet!: The Story of Hansel and Gretel as Told by the Witch
We all know the story of Hansel and Gretel… or do we? This retake on the popular story takes a softer approach to the classic tale and creates a happy ending for everyone. The bright colors of the illustrations hint at the sweet treat that is the center of the commotion. Over all this book, while a fun read, it is very predictable. The witch is good…. she likes to make food art out of her mashed potatoes and the gingerbread house is just a […]
Count Down to Yoga
When a little girl needs to do a little yoga, she counts the ways to do the poses…. literally. This yoga book for children combines animal poses that children can do and counting. Fun text combined with bright, soft colorful images has never made educational look so good! Yoga books are never my thing. Honestly, they can be a little “preachy” most of the time. Yet, this book is very straight forward. “We do a yoga pose” end of story. The counting of the animals […]