Good Night, Little Sea Otter: Janet Halfmann & Wish Williams

I don't think it will come as a surprise that I am a fan of children's books that star critters as the main characters. If that critter happens to be a cute, furry baby, I am in love. Needless to say, Good Night, Little Sea Otter captured my otter-lovin' heart.

It's bedtime and Little Sea Otter is putting off sleep, as so many children do, by taking time to say goodnight to every living creature he can find. Patient Mama Otter helps Little Sea Otter say goodnight to all the animals in the sea: the harbor seals and sea lions, the seagulls, the fish and crustaceans, and finally, the moon and stars.

Wish Williams illustrates this darling storybook with a combination of adorable cartoon-esque creatures, and beautiful, abstract skies and landscapes. The undersea details and colors are bright and entertaining--it's easy to imagine any kid searching the artworks for details.

I just love this book! It's so cute and so rhythmically written. What a great bedtime story!

ARC received courtesy of Star Bright Books.

Rating: $$$

A Kiss Goodbye: Audrey Penn & Barbara L. Gibson

Another volume in the Chester Raccoon series, A Kiss Goodbye illustrates the challenges of moving to a new home. Any kid who has had to leave their home, friends, and school, knows how hard it is to get comfortable with change.

Chester announces that he's not moving. He wants to stay in his tree with his friends, where he's always lived. When Chester's mother encourages him to think of it as an adventure, Chester recounts the many adventures he's had that did not go well. When Chester continues to resist, his mother points out that their home tree and many of the surrounding trees have been marked to be cut down for wood, and if Chester stays, he will be all alone because the other animals are leaving, too. When Chester begrudgingly agrees to move with his mother and Ronny, he spends some time saying goodbye to his home. At their new home, Chester meets someone new to befriend, proving that moving really can be an adventure.

I was so hopeful for this story. Penn dances around the issue of clear-cutting and the devastation that deforestation leaves behind. I know that this story is about the adventure of leaving home, and not a social criticism, but I felt like there was so much potential for this lovable forest animal to do a little more teaching.

I was also disappointed in Gibson's art this time. The illustrations felt a little more cartoonish than the other Chester books. They're still very bright and colorful, but I just wasn't in love with the art this time.

Rating: $$

ARC received courtesy of Tanglewood

The Mice of Bistrot des Sept Frères: Marie Le Tourneau with Danielle Reed Baty

I have a love of all things French, so when I had the chance to read about a family of mice who run a French Bistro, I didn't have to think twice. Besides--just look at the illustrations!

Perfectly translated, Marie Le Tourneau's storybook is about the mice of the Seven Brothers Bistro. Among bright, full-page illustrations, the story of a family of mice unravels, describing the role of each mouse. Chef Marcel is renowned for his Award-Winning cheese soup, which he makes with the assistance of his seven sons. When it comes time to make the award-winning soup for the annual competition again, Chef Marcel must run an errand to purchase the Secret Ingredient, leaving his sons in the kitchen to start cooking the cheese soup without him. When Marcel doesn't make it back in time, the youngest mouse--and only girl--Michelle, quietly walks to the stove and finishes the soup with her own ingredients. The result is a Happy Ending and the renaming of the bistro to Le Bistrot des Sept Frères et une Sœur (The Seven Brothers and One Sister Bistro).

The story of these minuscule chefs is darling, but the real joy in this book comes from the illustrations. Inspired by the French Art Nouveau, The Mice of Bistrot des Sept Frères is filled with beautifully detailed line drawings. It's also incredibly charming to come across bilingual children's books. Le Tourneau has included a glossary of French pronunciations for her young readers.

Whether your little ones can read or not, they will enjoy searching through the illustrations to find the details. This would be a great picture book for early readers.

Rating: $$$

ARC received courtesy of Tanglewood

The Kissing Hand: Audrey Penn & Ruth E. Harper & Nancy M. Leak

Having read the sequel, I was compelled to go back and read the first book in the Chester series, The Kissing Hand. This is the book that started it all...

Chester the raccoon is nervous. He has never been to school and he's scared. He would much rather stay home with his mother. Chester's kind, compassionate, and understanding mother gently encourages him, telling Chester that he will love school once he gets started. She gives Chester something very special to take with him so that he never forgets how much he's loved. Chester's mother gives him a kiss right in the middle of his palm, and tells him that when he puts it to his cheek, he will be able to hear her whisper "Mommy loves you." Chester is so happy to have his mother's reassurance that he is able to dance off to school.

Penn's storybooks about Chester are so sweet! Chester is such a sweet little raccoon with such human emotions that we can all relate to. Everyone has had to face something new that they may have been nervous or scared about, and children are no exception. Chester is an example of the kind of love and support that every child needs, but unfortunately, not every child receives. Something as simply magical as a kiss on the palm can instill confidence and encourage a child to face their day, knowing they are loved.

I have to say, having read the sequel, A Pocketful of Kisses first, I am sorry to report that the illustrations in The Kissing Hand are nice, but not quite as wonderful. Chester and his mother make for very tender drawings, but the forest didn't seem as vibrant as it is in Pocketful.

Rating: $$.5


ARC received courtesy of Tanglewood

Mudkin: Stephen Gammell

My love of picture books started at a very young age.  I love a story that can be told without words. The child of artists, my first books were colorful works of art, filled with illustrations worth framing. It is the very artful cover of Mudkin that drew me to it.

Mud and imagination are two of a child's more prized possessions. When there's a pause in the rain, a young girl is greeted by a cute mud creature called Mudkin. Mudkin takes the girl as his queen and introduces her to the whole mud population. When the rain returns, her new kingdom is washed away, but her mud crown will remain forever.

The story, like so many imaginative games that children play, is magical and whimsical. The total number of words in Gammell's book number less than two dozen, but the illustrations communicate volumes about playtime. Mudkin is reminiscent of childhood, not only because of the story, but also because of the beautiful watercolor pictures. I found myself staring at a couple of the pictures, awed by the detail. Stephen Gammell is one of those rare artists who is not only an illustrator, but a story-teller as well.

Rating: $$$

ARC received courtesy of Lerner Publishing Group.

Library Lion: Michelle Knudsen

My darling little friend, Miss E, got a new book for her Birthday. I spotted the exquisitely illustrated hardback as soon as I stepped into her room. Library Lion is, on top of being a wonderful story, one of the most beautifully illustrated picture books I’ve seen in awhile. Written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, it is not just a story, but a work of art.

As we all know, libraries have Rules. You know the sort—no running, no being loud, and certainly, No Roaring. However, there is no rule about lions in the library. So when a lion casually enters the library one day and wanders into the story corner to await story time, there is nothing to be done about it. Soon enough, the lion becomes an institution in the library. He assists the head librarian and the small children. He participates in story time. In short, he makes himself at home in the library. All goes well enough until an Occasion arises that requires he Run and ROAR! But it was an emergency! So, you know, sometimes there are good reasons for breaking the rules.

I am a sucker for stories about animals and I am a sucker for stories about libraries. Put them together and I’m plumb giddy. Library Lion is one of those wonderful, timeless stories that has entertaining characters, adult-themed nuances, and of course, those beautiful illustrations. If you are fortunate enough to have a child in your life, buy them this book! You will love reading it together.

Rating: $$$

Whoever You Are: Mem Fox

It has occurred to me that I have read a great number more books than I post on this blog. Why haven't I posted them? Because they are children's books. And what's wrong with children's books? Nothing! They are often delightful reads that I have the pleasure of sharing with my little friends (I have one niece and two nephews, though none of them are biologically related to me). So I will begin posting reviews of the children's books I read, as so many of them are magical reads that some brilliant author and illustrator have invested talent and time into creating.

Whoever You Are is written like a letter, addressing "Little One, whoever you are." Using beautiful illustrations by Leslie Straub, this book assures every child that they are part of a worldwide collective of other Little Ones who all feel the same pains and joys, share the same tears and laughs.


Fox tells her young readers that there are children all over the world who have different skin, different families, different clothes, different homes, but there are things that they all have in common. It’s an important lesson that I’m not sure all adults have learned yet—namely that all love and pain are felt the same in every heart in the world.

Whoever You Are is a wonderful picture book that will inspire adults and children alike to view one another as equals.

$$$