Book Review: A Perfect Day

A PERFECT DAY by Lane Smith explores a perfect day for creatures living in Bert’s backyard.

A cat, a dog, a chickadee, and a squirrel are all having a perfect day until an unexpected visitor appears in Bert’s backyard. The unexpected ending will leave children smiling.

Librarians will find this book to be an effective read-aloud story. Use this adorable picture book to discuss the power of perspective with young children.

To learn more about the author/illustrator, go to http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/.

Published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan on February 14, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Squirrel Meets World

THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL: SQUIRREL MEETS WORLD by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale introduces young teens to a new superhero.

Doreen Green is a typical teenager who tries to make friends after moving to a new neighborhood. When she decides to use her extraordinary powers for good, she soon becomes a hit at school. However, she also draws the attention of a villain. The author’s use of familiar language, alternative narrators, and contemporary situations including texting will appeal to teens.

Librarians will find a fan base among fans of superheroes as well as humor. Middle grade students will be attracted to this new kind of quirky superhero. Adults will appreciate the diverse cast of characters. This engaging novel provides the backstory of this fun new character. Connect the book with the collection of graphic novels about the same character.

Published by Marvel, and imprint of Disney-Hyperion on February 7, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Bird & Squirrel On Ice

BIRD & SQUIRREL ON ICE by James Burks is a followup to the hilarious Bird & Squirrel on the Run. This time the duo have crash landed at the South Pole and must find a way to avoid becoming Killer Whale food.

The Bird & Squirrel series provides a great entry into graphic novels for young readers. The easy-to-follow panels and the crisp, colorful artwork will engage beginning readers. The well-developed characters and humorous story will also appeal to children.

Although Scholastic doesn’t provide a Graphix Comic Builder specifically for this series, children would enjoy building their own comics using the characters from some of the other Graphix series. Go to http://www.scholastic.com/graphix/ to learn more.

Looking for other graphic novel style books for beginning readers? Try Toon Books at http://www.toon-books.com/. This website also have activities for kids.

To read more about author James Burks, explore his website at http://jamesburks.com/.

NetGalley ARC used for review