Another group of books I shared with my grandchildren before Christmas. All of these ones were rated 5 Stars.

40750618Great Job, Mom! 5 Stars, Expected publication: March 26th 2019 by Tundra Books: I read this book to my granddaughter while her mom was in the room. I am not sure who liked the book more. This is a celebration of mothers and all they do for their families besides their nine to five job. My granddaughter did not understand some of the words but we talked about the wonderful illustrations and asked what is mommy doing? Each two-page spread has a gorgeous illustration and a two-line stanza that is completed on the next page. The rhyming cadence is easy to read and makes for good pacing. The author includes some information in the back on how the illustrations are created. Each one is a work of art. If you have a child who is artistic, get them this book or its companion Great Job, Dad! to show them the art and allow them to learn about the process. I definitely recommend this to families as well and primary classrooms. The publisher generously provided me a copy of this book upon my request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

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40750619Great Job, Dad! 5 Stars, Expected publication: March 26th 2019 by Tundra Books: After reading Great Job, Mom! I felt it was only fair to read Great Job, Dad! to my granddaughter. She also enjoyed this one and thought it was funny for some reason. Her dad is a stay at home dad so I know he does a lot of the things in the book with his kids. Again, she didn’t understand all the words such as chauffeur or computer engineer, but with the illustrations I was able to explain what each word meant. This is a celebration of fathers and all they do for their families besides their nine to five job. Each two-page spread has a gorgeous illustration and a two-line stanza that is completed on the next page. The rhyming cadence is easy to read and makes for good pacing. The author includes some information in the back on how the illustrations are created. Each one is a work of art. If you have a child who is artistic, get them this book or its companion Great Job, Mom! to show them the art and allow them to learn about the process. I definitely recommend this to families as well and primary classrooms. The publisher generously provided me a copy of this book upon  my request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

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40062839How to Give Your Cat a Bath: In Five Easy Steps, Expected publication: January 22nd 2019 by Tundra Books, 5 Stars: First of all let me say, I do not, nor have I ever owned a cat. I thought this was a cute cover so requested a copy from the publisher. When I read it I couldn’t stop giggling and smiling. I read it to my grandson, who has lived with two cats, and the first thing he said to me was “cats don’t like water grandmama”. Well the book backed up that statement.

This story seems pretty simple, a young girl wants to give her cat a bath based on instructions she’s being given by an off-page narrator. What seems like a few simple steps, turns out to be not so simple. Every step she tries and is not successful at, she is given more instructions. As she is counting the steps she is getting frustrated as it has taken more than five steps. The illustrations are very simple, but the range of facial expressions on both the girl and the cat tell a story of their own. My grandson thought this book was hilarious and he laughed out loud at the antics of the cat and the girl. He often predicted what he thought was going to happen next. A definite re-read for him. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon my request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

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Diana DancesDiana Dances, Expected publication: March 12th 2019, 5 Stars: This book has a special place in my heart. Being a retired teacher as well as a grandparent, I certainly want to promote individuality, positive self-esteem, various learning styles and developing ways to motivate and stimulate today’s children. When Diana is having difficulty concentrating and getting motivated in school, her mother is worried. She takes her to the family doctor and in turn he sends her to a Psychologist. It is only when they realize that Diana needs to move, has natural rhythm and is able to concentrate when she is allowed to move, that she becomes successful. This is a cute little book. Empowering kids to overcome their difficulties in school by exploring some non-traditional activities is a nice thing to see in a picture book and hopefully in real life. The illustrations, are wonderful. They look like pencil drawings and are very sweet. I loved looking for her dog in any of the pictures of her at home or outside playing. He is so cute. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised. This would be a great book to read with kids who might be struggling with paying attention, and it might give parents some ideas on new ways to help deal with the problem. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions are my own.