Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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There wasn’t a thesaurus in sight!

Dinosaur Roar! by Michael Paul

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I recently heard that children who like dinosaurs could have a higher IQ. I do not know if that is true, but I do know that anyone that can pronounce Apatosaurus or Parasaurolophus has a grasp on language. However, Dinosaur Roar! by Michael Paul, does not have a pronunciation key. This made it a bit awkward to try and read if you are not paleontologist or a longtime lover of the dinosaur crew. And there is no scientific information, just basic facts to each creature. […]

If I was a pen, this review would be my canvas

If I Was the Sunshine by Julie Foglilano

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If I Was the Sunshine is one of those books where there is nothing wrong with it, yet it is also a YMMV book. The text will be relatable on a personal level. You take away what you put into it. If you think it will be a lovely story like Guess How Much I Love You (a father/child relationship) it will be a lovely story about a parent/adult and child relationship). If you think it will be a sappy-pappy piece, then it will be […]

When the days call for a story about a family of mice

Brambly Hedge The Secret Staircase by Jill Barklem

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I have recommended the Brambly Hedge series by Jill Barklem for ages. I have seen them go out of print and back into print again at least once. Yet, I have never read an actual book. I found The Secret Staircase (pun not intended) while looking through some books that were (let us say) preloved. I picked it up thinking they were standalone stories. However, I quickly realized, while they are standalones, they do connect with each other and had I read a completed chronological […]

Somehow I thought it would be cooler if animals went to school

If Animals Went to School by Ann Whitford Paul

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If Animals Went to School by Ann Whitford Paul and illustrated by David Walker is a cute story with some animals that are not always used in books (beaver) about going to school. Sadly, there is nothing new after that. Beaver is a bit reluctant to go to school, so he goes very slow. However, once there he learns that school is cool and does not want to go (this time) home. The small saving element is that some animal characteristics are used (the fox […]

As the illustrations grow crowded friendship grows too

The Song of Spring by Hendrik Jonas

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The Song of Spring sat behind Hungry Bunny in the Spring/Easter display and since I did not want to head back to work right away, I took a minute with it.   Hendrik Jonas’s book has a little interaction to it, which I thought tied it in nicely with Claudia Rueda’s book. This interaction of saying the sounds of the animals you encounter is a bit more traditional than the actual moving of the other book. But you still will be having the child listener […]

Mom, red wagon and apple pie

Hungry Bunny by Claudia Rueda

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Interactive books that are not necessarily an interactive book are hard to find. But they are the ones that work the best for me. Call it my imagination but I can usually make an interactive book out of anything. Not always, but thankfully there are books like Hungry Bunny where you do not have to “make up” the action/play. Claudia Rueda’s signature format is steady throughout most of her books by allowing you to interact with her main character, this time a Bunny, as they […]



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