I have not posted reviews of children’s books for a long time because I have not seen my grandchildren to read them to. I like to include their comments or reactions to them in my reviews. Well, we finally had some time together, so I will be posted mini-reviews of the books we read over the last couple of weeks. All the books were provided by the publishers upon my request. The ratings, ideas and opinions shared are ours alone.

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A Big Change For Daisy by Keri T. Collins, Cynthia Baker-Gusman (Illustrator)

Published April 21st 2020 by Purple Butterfly Press

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I read this book to my granddaughter and she enjoyed it. First, she loved the cover. She thought a dog wearing a “ballet dress” was awesome. This story is about accepting change in your life told through the eyes of Daisy, the English Bulldog. When Lilly Rosa arrives in their home, Daisy is not sure about it. She was used to being the Queen, so what was going to happen when this little sister arrives. We thought Lilly Rosa was pretty funny looking. Lilly was pretty energetic and Daisy learned to adjust to having a Princess in the home. We loved the illustrations. They were cute and well done. The end of the book gave some ideas and hints for coping with change. This was one that she wanted to hear again later in the day, so it is a winner in our eyes.

52444064. sx318 sy475 If I Couldn’t Be Anne (Anne Picture Book) by Kallie George, Geneviève Godbout (Illustrations)

Published May 12th 2020 by Tundra Books (NY)

3 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐

I think I liked this book more than either of my grandchildren. It uses ideas from the Anne of Green Gables books to showcase all the things that Anne loves about Green Gables and the community. It was a whimsical story with absolutely gorgeous illustrations. It is a good introduction to the Anne stories. Having said all that, neither of my grandchildren were impressed with the book and it was one that they did not ask for again, in fact, they didn’t even want me to finish it. Perhaps they are too young for it.

53036989. sx318 sy475 It Happened on Sweet Street by Caroline Adderson, Stéphane Jorisch

Published July 7th 2020 by Tundra Books (NY)

3.5 Stars: 

This was a fun little book about choosing what kind of sweet you want to eat. This was a strange little story about a small town that has three bakers. One bakes cakes, one bakes cookies and one bakes pies. Each one tries to outdo the other and the residents line up outside their shops. When there is a disaster and all the sweets get jumbled together, a little girl finds the solution to the problem. My grandson thought it was a great story, but he likes quirky things. My granddaughter liked the idea of all those desserts, but was not overly impressed. The illustrations were very quirky and odd looking, but I liked them. Overall, this is a book we are glad we read, but one that I would probably borrow from the library as opposed to buying a personal copy.

50570479. sx318 The Very Last Leaf by Stef Wade, Jennifer Davison (Illustrations)

Expected publication: August 1st 2020 by Capstone Editions

5 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a cute book for several reasons. The illustrations were wonderful, and we enjoyed them. I liked that Lance Cottonwood was successful at pretty much everything he did. He was often at the top of his class. There were also some science facts shared about leaves and trees that were pretty easy for young children to understand. Then the time comes when Lance is afraid. He is afraid to fall and becomes very anxious. My grandson is very much like Lance, so we talked about what he should do. He agreed that he should talk to other people and get some ideas. He really liked this book and said it would be a good book for the teacher to read to their class when they go back to school next year. He talked about how the other kids all have something they are afraid of, but he didn’t say he had anything he was afraid of. This is one, I am going to get for my kids to keep at home. A great story that I recommend for kids that are anxious or afraid of something.

50225750. sx318 sy475 Fussy Flamingo by Shelly Vaughan James, Matthew Rivera (Illustrations)

Published July 1st 2020 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

4.5 Stars:  

This is a fun, entertaining book with a great message. Lola is a flamingo that is not pink like her parents or others. Flamingos get their colour from eating shrimp, but Lola will not eat them, she won’t even try them. She sneaks off and eats all kinds of fruit. I like that the fruit is not all ones that everyone knows about. The problem is that the fruit changes her color to the fruit colors, instead of pink. I loved the colorful illustrations and the kids loved all the different colors she turned. The illustrations showed emotion and feeling to fit the story. Of course at the end, she finally tries shrimp and decides it is not too bad. A great story about picky eaters, trying new things and listening to your parents. The repetitive text makes it a perfect read aloud for younger children to join in. There is some great information in the back of the book with flamingo facts and actual pictures of flamingos. There are also some websites to check out. The final test for me is if they want me to read it again and this one was a hit. In fact, after the third reading, they were reciting it with me. A great addition to a family library.