Book Review: Tony Baloney Yo Ho Ho, Halloween

TONY BALONEY YO HO HO, HALLOWEEN! by Pam Munoz Ryan tells the story of a young penguin who looks forward to the Halloween parade.

Tony Baloney is so excited about his Halloween costume that he wants to show it off in the days leading up to the parade. However when Halloween arrives, Tony has a problem. The humorous story is balanced with a useful lesson.

Edwin Fotheringham’s large characters and bright colors will appeal to young readers.

Librarians know that holiday books are popular year-around. Feature all the Tony Baloney books in a display to promote this new series or include it in a Halloween display. With four, short chapters, beginning chapter book readers will enjoy the length.

Published by Scholastic on June 28, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Where's Walrus? and Penguin?

WHERE’S WALRUS? AND PENGUIN? by Stephen Savage is a follow-up to the popular Where’s Walrus (2011) picture book.

This charming, wordless story takes zoo escapees Walrus and Penguin on an adventure through the city. All goes well until a baseball game and a trip to the hospital. Despite the accident, children will cheer the happy ending.

Using simple shapes, basic colors, and interesting patterns, Savage is able to effectively hide Walrus and Penguin in plain sight. The pair use fascinating disguises to avoid detection by the zookeeper. Children will enjoy finding the animals on each two-spread.

Librarians will find a huge audience for this adorable series. It’s the perfect chance to bring out the flannel board and retell the story with other animals.

To learn about the author/illustrator, go to http://www.stephensavage.net/.

Published by Scholastic on August 25, 2015.