Kid's Korner: Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes by Larry Peterson (Book Review)

Title: Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes
Author: Larry Peterson
Publisher: TB Press

Willie Wiggles hates his slippery feet. He just slips, slides and spins all over the place. But what he hates even more are the special shoes that have been made for him that will help him to walk just like all the other kids. Willie thinks that they are the "stupidest, ugliest shoes in the whole world."



Discover how sometimes we worry about things about ourselves when actually there is nothing to worry about in the first place.




This was such a cute book!  It would really be a great tool for helping kid's accept differences in one another (ethnicity, style of dress, hair color) - whatever kid's get picked on for these days.  The illustrations were also very cute - just look at the cover, or watch the video below.  Amazon has the reading level at 9-12, but I think it could be read to younger audiences also.

Larry Peterson was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. As a freelancer, he has written many newspaper columns for local publications. Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes is his first children’s book. Peterson has lived in Pinellas Park, Florida for the past 28 years.


Visit Larry at his Facebook page.  You can also find some discussion questions and more about Slippery Willie at http://www.slipperywillie.com.

~I received a complimentary pdf copy of this book from Tribute Books in exchange for my review.~

Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes
Publisher/Publication Date: TB Press, Jan 12, 2011
ISBN: 978-0982256572
24 pages
Ages 9-12

Kid's Korner: Building a Bridge and Demolition (Book Reviews)

Title: Building a Bridge
Author: JoAnn Early Macken
Publisher: Pebble Plus/Capstone Press

About the book: How are bridges made? Put on your hard hat and discover the people, tools, and machines that help drivers get where they need to go.





Title: Demolition
Author: JoAnn Early Macken
Publisher: Pebble Plus/Capstone Press

About the book: Kaboom! Watch as old buildings crumble before your eyes and discover the people, tools, and machines needed for demolition.



My thoughts: This is a great series of books for preschoolers - either those needing to be read to or early readers. There are not a lot of words on each page and very "in the moment" pictures of buildings blowing up - cranes working - men pouring cement, etc. Each book has a nice glossary at the end of some of the words that would be great for those beginner readers. There is also an Internet site - www.facthound.com - where you can search by grade level - either by subject or by book ISBN number. I put in the ISBN for Building a Bridge and it brought up related sights such as - how to build a paper bridge. Lots of fun for those curious little ones who stumble across something they want to know more about - this can get them started!

Kid's Korner - Never Blame the Umpire (Book Review)

Title: Never Blame the Umpire
Author: Gene Fehler
Publisher: Zondervan/ZonderKidz

My synopsis: Kate is 11 year's old and enjoying her perfect summer. She is playing baseball with her brother, tennis with her family, and is in a summer course for creative writing - where she is encouraged to write poetry. Her best friend Ginny is also taking a summer acting course, so they at least get to see each other every day.

But then her mom gets sick - and they are told that there is nothing the doctor's can do to make her better. Kate thinks that if she just prays the right prayer, believes that God will heal her mom, then surely He will.

My thoughts: I liked the way the author dealt with tragedy and explaining why sometimes we cannot understand what God's will is in a certain situation. This book hit close to home with me, as I lost my father at 17. This shook my faith and for many years - and I mean many years - I rejected the God that I had loved as a teenager. The age range for this book says 9-12 - but I think it would be good for older teens if they are dealing with a similar situation. While the writing is simplistic for a pre-teen - the message is ageless.

Read the first chapter of Never Blame the Umpire.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book for the First Wild Card Tour.

Never Blame the Umpire
Publisher/Publication Date: ZonderKidz, March 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-310-71941-0
192 pages

Kid's Korner: Dump Truck Day (Book Review)

Title: Dump Truck Day
Author: Cari Meister
Publisher: Capstone Press

Dump Truck Day is about a little boy named Jacob who gets to spend the day with his uncle in a dump truck. The neat thing about the book though is that it is a graphic novel for K-2. I have never read any kind of graphic novel before, so I do not know how this compares to adult graphic novels. It is almost like a hard covered comic book, and it was pretty cool. The pages are filled with colorful illustrations that any youngster into trucks would love.

At the end of the book some discussion questions are listed as well as some writing prompts. I like this as it makes the book more interactive for the child. One of the writing prompts is to draw a truck you like since the book is about trucks, or to draw the map of the pit mine and the surrounding area based on the story. It makes them actually think about the book and not just put it down and start on the next one.

This book is one in a series that includes these books:




Visit Capstone Press for more information.

~This book was provided for review by Capstone Press.~

Kid's Korner: Tornadoes (Book Review)

Title: Tornadoes
Author: Mari Schuh
Publisher: Capstone Press

Another great non-fiction book from Capstone Press! My son loves anything that causes destruction - Destroyed in Seconds is one of his favorite shows.

Tornadoes has some amazing pictures of funnel and storm clouds and breaks them down into easy to understand bite size statements. We always have to read this book more than once!

Other titles in this series include: Avalanches, Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Tsunamis and Volcanoes.


Tornadoes
Publisher/Publication Date: Capstone Press, August 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4296-3434-2
24 pages

Kid's Korner: Z is for Zoom by Laura Purdie Salas (Book Review)

Title: Z is for Zoom! A Race Car Alphabet
Author: Laura Purdie Salas
Publisher: Capstone Press

My thoughts: What a great book for any child who loves race cars! Each letter is something you would find at a racetrack - like C for checkered flag, Q for Qualify or V for Victory lap. It is followed with a couple of sentences that explain the word or tell how the item is used. There is also a lot of fabulous pictures of race cars and their drivers.

The night that my son and I read it, he was a little restless so didn't really get into it very much. I plan on trying it again on a night when he seems a little more centered. He is really into putting any letters together and asking us what it spells. Most times it is nonsense, but every once in a while he stumbles upon a real word. It is great to have an alphabet of words of something that he is really into - so that when we read them, maybe they will "stick" more!

I was also sent two other books from this series from Capstone Press-




Y is for Yowl! A Scary Alphabet













A is for Arrr! A Pirate Alphabet






I haven't read these with my son yet, but upon looking through them am loving the big pictures and the words they have chosen for each letter. Especially the Y is for Yowl! book - this would be my favorite as I love Halloween and this book would be perfect for that time of year.

Kid's Korner: Two Book Review - Big Trucks and Big Bugs

Title: Big Bugs
Title: Big Trucks
Author: Catherine Ipcizade
Publisher: Capstone Press

My thoughts: I had a lot of fun reading these with my son. I thought that Big Trucks would be his favorite - as he is usually playing with anything with wheels - all the time! Guess what? I was wrong. He loved the Big Bugs book and asked me questions all the way through! Why did the water bug trap the frog? and Did the Goliath bird-eating spiders really eat birds? He also loved trying to guess the names of the different bugs. He did enjoy the Big Trucks book also and knew the names of all the trucks except for the logging truck. When he found out the name though, he did tell me it was because they carried logs!

These books have Big pictures - which he enjoyed, but in the bug book - eww - I didn't enjoy so much. I have a very strong fear of spiders, and the pictures of the tarantulas and the Goliath spider gave me the creeps! For early readers there are very few words with each picture and a nice glossary in the back for any words that they may not know. I have a feeling we will be reading these alot!

Other books in this series include Big Predators and Big Roller Coasters.

~I received these books from Capstone press in exchange for my honest review.~

Kid's Korner: B is for Bufflehead by Steve Hutchcraft

Title: B is for Bufflehead
Author and Photographer: Steve Hutchcraft
Publisher: Photohutch

About the book: With its menagerie of sapsuckers, loons, cuckoos, boobies, and an alphabet full of others, B is for Bufflehead makes it fun to learn about birds. Eye-catching and humorous photographs introduce over 60 unique North American bird species that have funny names, fascinating personalities, and unique behaviors.

More than a typical ABC book, B is for Bufflehead is easily adapted to a child's educational level. The photos, letters, and names are perfect for the earliest learners. The accompanying text is intended to intrigue young children with a few fun facts about each bird. For older kids (and adults), there is a section that offers detailed information on each species, including range, habitat, food, and more fun facts.

A great way for parents and grandparents to share their passion for birds with their favorite little ones, B is for Bufflehead, is an educational and entertaining book that will open a child's eyes to the wonderful world of birds. (Amazon)

My thoughts: This is a beautifully photographed book. The first 50+ pages is filled with full page pictures of birds, with their names and some information about them. Did you know there was a green jay? Or a bird that starts with the letter X? My son thought the silliest looking bird was the Spoonbill. From the pictures you get to test your knowledge with a couple of pages of smaller pictures and some facts and you get to try to figure out the bird. (All the answers are listed upside down under the pictures though, so you can check if you are right.)

The next section takes the birds into greater detail - telling more about their habitat and where the pictures were taken. It also tells you all the different kinds of birds - like for warblers there are 8 different ones listed.

I read this book for Net Galley online - and I still found it a beautiful book - it is definitely one that I would consider buying. You get the alphabet in big, easy to read letters. You get beautiful, colorful pictures and backgrounds and you get a wealth of information about the birds. The author wanted to use his photography to help introduce his daughter to nature, and with the help of a friend came up with the idea for an ABC book. It was definitely a winner!

B is for Bufflehead
Publisher/Publication Date: PhotoHutch, 2009
ISBN: 978-0982492505
80 pages

Kid's Korner: The red, Red Car by Manjula Naraynan (Book Review)

Title: The red Red Car
Author: Manjula Naraynan
Publisher: Author House

My synopsis: I had the opportunity to share this book with my son over the holidays. We had read The green Green Pear which he liked a lot - and since he loves cars anyway, I kind of thought this one would be a winner.

The red Red Car is having anger problems and his anger is making him break all the laws, like running red lights and driving faster than the speed limit. When he enters the Grand Prix his anger is still very much a part of him and as it grows he just gets hotter and hotter. He catches fire and loses consciousness. When he wakes up he realizes that his anger not only hurt others, but hurt himself as well and he sets out to take control of it.

My thoughts: This book came at a good time as lately my son has been acting out his anger by hitting (usually his much older sisters) or throwing his toys. He was able to see first hand how his anger could hurt others when he threw some hot pads off the table because he wanted to be the one to put them there. Not knowing he had done this, I returned to the table with a very hot bowl and my hands got very hot through the hot pads I was using while someone retrieved the ones he had thrown. We were able to tie that incident into the book very well.

This was a fun book to read with lots of bright colorful pictures and a good lesson as well!

~This book was provided for review by Bostick Communications and Manjula Naraynan.~

The red Red Car
Publisher/Publication Date: AuthorHouse, Oct 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4490-3366-8
32 pages

Kid's Korner: Robert Pattinson by Jennifer M. Besel (Book Review)

Title: Robert Pattinson
Author: Jennifer M. Besel
Publisher: Snap Books (Capstone Press)

My thoughts: If you didn't know who Robert Pattinson was before last month, with the release of New Moon, I am sure you do now.

This book details what Rob's life was like up to The Twilight Movie. It tells about what he was like in school and that he really didn't want to be an actor - he wanted to be a musician. He was pushed into acting by his father. He does still play music though - for fun with his friends, but two of their songs are featured on the Twilight soundtrack (Never Think and Let Me Sign).

If you have a tween in your life - and she is a Twilight fan, then I think you need to get her this book. Older teens may like it for the multitude of pictures that it contains. It was a fun book to read to learn facts about Robert Pattinson since I have seen some of his movies.

Robert Pattinson
Publisher/Publication Date: Snap Books (Capstone Press), Aug 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4296-3729-9
32 pages
Ages 9-12

~I received this book for review from Molly at Capstone Books.~

Kid's Korner: Look, Look Again Puzzle Books (Book Review)

Title: Sports Picture Puzzles
Author: Matt Bruning
Publisher: Capstone Press












Title: Mighty Machines Picture Puzzles
Author: Matt Bruning
Publisher: Capstone Press

About the books: These books contain pages and pages of pictures, where you need to spot the differences in a set of two. They can be very obvious or very clever, and I have found myself stumped a time or two. My five-year-old, who is right in the age range recommended loves them. It is a book he can do by himself, or we can race to see who can spot the differences first. We have found that these make great companions in the car also, as the only thing you really need to read is the number of differences that you are looking for in each picture. The pictures also range from Easy (6 differences), Medium (8 differences), Hard (10 differences) or Extreme (12 differences).


Mighty Machines Puzzle Books
Publisher/Publication Date: Capstone Press, August 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4296-3289-8
32 pages
Age level: PreK-2

Sports Picture Puzzles
Publisher/Publication Date: Capstone Press, August 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4296-3290-4
32 pages
Age level: PreK-2

*These books were provided free for my unbiased review from Capstone Books.*

Kid's Korner: Christmas Fun and Mean Machines

Title: Mean Machines: A Spot-it Challenge
Author: Jennifer L. Marks
Publisher: A+ Books/Capstone Press

Title: Christmas Fun: A Spot-it Challenge
Author: Jennifer L. Marks
Publisher: A+ Books/Capstone Press

These books have provided hours of entertainment already for my (soon to be/tomorrow) 5 year old. If he had to pick between the two - Mean Machines would be the winner. He is a bonafide car fanatic. Each book contains 12 individual spot it challenges, having you find such things as a naughty squirrel - which leads you to this little squirrel standing on top of a tipped-over Christmas tree. Mean Machines has a challenge called School Bus Rush in which everything is yellow! These are fun pictures to just look at - and they can be challenging. But, if you do happen to find (and memorize) all the items in each picture, you only have to open to the back to find additional lists provided for each one. If this still isn't enough there is an extreme challenge at the back of each book. If this STILL isn't enough you can go on the Internet with the book's ID number and find even more games and challenges.

If you haven't figured it out - I am a big fan of these books. I also have fun trying to find the items with my son. And I know it won't be long before he is reading them and finding them all on his own!

*I received these books for review from Molly at Capstone Press*

Christmas Fun: A Spot-it Challenge
Publisher/Publication Date: A+ Books, April 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4296-2219-6
32 pages
PreK - 2

Mean Machines: A Spot-it Challenge
Publisher/Publication Date: A+ Books, April 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4296-221-9
32 pages
PreK - 2

Kid's Korner: The Belly Button Fairy (Book Review)

Title: The Belly Button Fairy
Author: Bobbie Hinman
Illustrator: Mark Wayne Adams
Publisher: Best Fairy Books


I won this book at BestFairyBooks.com. The book comes complete with an audio CD. There is only good to be said about it. It is colorful, humorous, and tells us where our Belly Buttons came from! (You didn't know that fairies gave them to you did you!) Ms. Hinman also has two more books in this line - The Knot Fairy - (the fairy responsible for tangling our children's hair at night) and The Sock Fairy (this little guy is the one that steals our socks and also gives us the occasional hole!) My son has enjoyed reading this one as well as The Knot Fairy that we received earlier this year. You should go check these books out over at www.BestFairyBooks.com! I guarantee, if you have a little munchkin - they will enjoy these little fairies!








The Belly Button Fairy
Publisher/Publication Date: Best Fairy Books, Sept 2009
ISBN: 978-0-9786791-3-2
32 pages
Reading Level:Ages 4-8

Kid's Korner: The Adventures of Snip in Oregon (Book Review)

Title: The Adventures of Snip in Oregon
Author: Betty S. Moir
Illustrator: Yumi V. Vong
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing

First sentence: Snip walked into our lives just when we needed some kind of glue to hold our family together.

This was a very cute story about a family's love for this one-of-a-kind dog - and the love he obviously had for his new 'adopted' family. The Moir's came about to be Snip's owners when the family who he had been living with relocated to Guam and could not take him along. Snip has many adventures with his new family. It contains many examples of family life, friendship and bonding that one can have with a pet.

The book is written as if Snip is really a human, which, of course, many dogs think they are. He helps John learn how to drive, he saves Jim from some icy water, and he protects the family from various varmints - including a skunk and a raccoon. We get to hear Snip's take on things and what a dog might say if he could speak. Decorating the pages are some snapshots of the family as well as very simple, but appropriate watercolor drawings.

The suggested reading level on Amazon is 9-12, but I think a younger audience could handle it if you read it to them. Even though it only has 42 pages, it is divided up into chapters, so really isn't a early readers 'read alone' book.

The Adventures of Snip in Oregon
Publisher/Publication Date: BookSurge, Dec 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4392-2020-7
42 pages



*I received this book from Bostick Communications and the author for review.

Kid's Korner: Messy Tessy by Leah Orr

Title: Messy Tessy
Author: Leah Orr
Illustrator: Josephine Lepore
Publisher: AuthorHouse

Messy Tessy is a cute story about a little girl whose babysitter (Aunt Fran) falls asleep while watching her. Tessy gets into a lot of things while Aunt Fran is sleeping - from playing salon with her dolls, to practicing her words on the wall, and even playing dress up with her mom's makeup!

But it is so much more than a cute rhyming story. It is written by Leah Orr and her 3 daughters - the youngest has Cystic Fibrosis- and illustrated by their grandma Josephine Lepore. Profits of this book, as well as her 2 prior books, Kyle's First Crush and Kyle's First Playdate, go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Between these profits and participation in local CF walks over the past 7 years, Orr has raised more than $400,000 for CF research. CF is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of nearly 70,000 children and adults worldwide and Orr's personal goal is to not only raise awareness of the disease, but also raise $1,000,000. Cystic Fibrosis has a personal place in my life, as I had two cousins who were born with this disease.

But this book isn't just for little girls, after the first time I read it to my son - he immediately wanted me to read it to him again. He got a big kick out of "surprise" that didn't get put away at the end!






For more information, go to www.leahorr.com.

Messy Tessy
Publisher/Publication Date
ISBN: 978-1-4389-9398-0
36 pages

Kid's Korner: All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon (Book Review)

Title: All the World
Author: Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee
Publisher: Beach Lane Books

This is a children's book which says ages 9-12, but my 4 year old liked it's simplicity and rhymes - not to mention the beautiful and detailed illustrations that grace every page. (I just found another site which places this in the 3-7 age group which I feel is more appropriate.)

It follows a family from morning until night with various places, activities, weather - all the while reaffirming that everything that happens is part of our world - yet at the same time, a part of the bigger world - so we are all really connected. Did that make sense? That is what I got out of it at least.

LIZ GARTON SCANLON’s poetry has been published widely in literary journals, and she is an adjunct professor of creative writing at Austin Community College. Her first picture book, A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser, was selected by Junior Library Guild and Children’s Book of the Month Club, and was a finalist for the Children’s Crown Gallery award. She lives in Austin, Texas.

She blogs at http://liz-scanlon.livejournal.com/

MARLA FRAZEE has written and illustrated many critically acclaimed picture books, including Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers and Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild! by Mem Fox, as well as her own A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, Walk On! and Santa Claus the World's Number One Toy Expert. She lives in Pasadena, California.

All the World
Publisher/Publication Date: Beach Lane Books, Sept 2009
ISBN: 978-1416985808
40 pages

Kid's Korner: Two books by Gary Lamit

Title: Wally the Walking Fish Meets Madison and Cooper
Author: Gary Lamit
Publisher: BookSurge

This was a really cute story! Madison goes fishing with her dog Cooper, a golden lab. She catches a walking fish (she always catches and releases them). All the animals in this book can talk though! Cooper is always hungry and is always commenting that whatever fish or animal they are talking to would probably taste good!

Each new animal that gets introduced also gets a little blurb at the bottom of the page that tells all about the species. Fun and you learn some new stuff too! I think I am partial though as my son's middle name is Cooper and we actually have a black labradoodle (lab/poodle mix)!





Title: My Fishing Journal
Author: Louis Gary Lamit
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing

I am hoping that my son will get a chance to use this on his visits up to his grandpa's house. They live on a lake in Wisconsin and he learned how to cast this year.

This is a great journal that gives a place to record all about the fishing conditions and where and when you fished. Then you can record what kind of fish you caught and how big they were and what you did with them. You can also tell how they were cleaned/cooked. On the adjacent page is a place where you can sketch the fish that you caught and either attach a picture or write a little journal entry. (Some adults I know might like this book!)

There are pages at the beginning and at the end that tell about all the different kind of fishing equipment, bait, lures and flies. You also get little blurbs about different fish. There are 2 editions of this book - one is in black and white and contains 100 pages. The other one is in color, but it only has 48 pages.


To see more about these books visit Walking Fish Books.


Wally the Walking Fish
Publisher/Publication Date: BookSurge Publishing, May 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4392-2541-7
28 pages
Ages 4-8





My Fishing Journal
Publisher/Publication Date: BookSurge Publishing, Dec 2008
978-1-4392-1769-6
48 pages

Kid's Corner: Interview with Lisa Woomer - author of Cookie

I am interviewing Lisa Woomer today - author of the kid's book - Cookie.

This is a very fun read about a little girl (nicknamed Cookie)who will not eat anything but cookies. Her parents tell her that she is going to turn into a cookie if she doesn't eat something else - and - you guessed it - She turns into a cookie! She quickly decides it is not fun being a cookie and starts eating real food.

My son enjoys this book a lot - it is usually one of the first ones that he picks out to read.

I see that you are a former school teacher - what grade(s) did you teach and do you have a favorite subject that you taught?

I taught fourth grade, second grade and kindergarten. I loved to teach writing, not a big surprise there. I really enjoyed listening to the children's stories, they are so imaginative.

I also like to listen when my son is playing alone as his stories he makes up then are a lot of fun.

The book Cookie is designed to try to get kids to eat healthier - Could you share with us a favorite 'healthy' recipe or food?

I have a few really healthy recipes that even my pickiest eater loves. One of her favorites is a noodle stir-fry that I make.
I use whole wheat soba noodles, tofu, and veggies (usually peas, broccoli and carrots). First, get the noodles started, boil according to package directions. Next, saute some crushed garlic with a little olive oil in a large saute pan or wok. Add in tofu cubes with a little soy sauce and Bragg's liquid aminos (available at whole foods or health food stores). Cook until lightly browned and then add in veggies. Saute for a couple of minutes and then toss in drained soba noodles. My kids eat it up and ask for seconds.

That does sound good! and not to difficult to make!

Now that we have done healthy - what is your favorite cookie?

My favorite cookie...that's a tough one. If I had to choose, I would say Girl Scout Samoas. My daughter is a girl scout and we look forward to cookie sales every year just so we can have some samoas. Luckily they are available only once a year or I might turn into a cookie.

I love Girl Scout Thin Mints and the chocolate covered Peanut Butter Patties! Yum!

Did you do the illustrations for your book and how much of an impact do you think the illustrations play in a children's book?

Yes, I did the illustrations for my book. I think illustrations are so important to a children's book, they really make the story come to life. I had an idea in my head of how I thought Cookie should look while I was writing the story. I wanted the pictures to be childlike because Cookie thinks like a child. I like the fact that a child can look at the pictures and think, "I can draw that".

It is amazing that kids pick up on that also. My son usually comments on the pictures which is why I like to ask this question!

Do you have any projects in the works right now?

Yes, I have my ideas down for my next book, which will be a sequel. I get these ideas that pop into my head at all hours and I quickly jot them down in my journal. Right now they are just ideas but I can tell you that Cookie has a little brother that gets into some food trouble of his own.

Yeah! Since my boy liked Cookie so much - can't wait for this one to come out featuring a boy!

What books are on your nightstand currently?

I always have one fictional novel and one informational book on my nightstand. Right now I am reading a book that my mom loaned me a while ago that I am just getting to called The Summer I Dared, by Barbara Delinsky. The other book is a week-by-week guide to pregnancy since I am expecting my third child (I may have to write a story about that too).

I had to go look this book up to see what it was about (The Summer I Dared) and it sounds really good. I hope that you are enjoying it. I read a few pregnancy books with my third one also!

Thank you Lisa for joining me at Books and Needlepoint today! And congratulations on your soon-to-be new edition!

To buy Lisa's book - Cookie -visit this site: http://outskirtspress.com/lisawoomer

Kid's Korner: Dinosaur Roar!

Title: Dinosaur Roar
Author: Paul & Henrietta Stickland
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

My son picked this book out at the library himself - we usually take 2 books to the bus stop in the morning and sit and read while we are waiting for the bus. This one was his choice this morning.

It is a very cute book with great pictures of dinosaurs and usually only 2 words on a page. For example - Dinosaur roar, dinosaur squeak, is the first 2 pages. He enjoyed going through the book and finding his favorite dinosaur. His favorite was one that was slimy.

Dinosaur Roar!
Publisher/Publication Date: Dutton Children, Sept 1994
ISBN: 978-0758723802
32 pages

Kid's Corner - Queen Vernita Visits the Blue Ice Mountains by Dawn Menge (Book Review)

Title: Queen Vernita Visits the Blue Ice Mountains
Author: Dawn Menge
Illustrator: Bobbi Switzer
Publisher: Outskirts Press

First sentence: Queen Vernita was preparing her invitations for this year's visits with her twelve wonderful friends.

About the book: Queen Vernita invites one friend to visit her every month for a year. They visit different parts of the country and learn about everything from crabs to different flowers to the Aurora Borealis.

My thoughts: Wonderful teaching tool for months of the year, days of the week, as well as all the fun facts about the different places they went and the things they saw. It is still above my 4-year-old's head - little too wordy for him - and I see that the recommended reading age is 9-12.

About the author: Dawn Menge has a Masters Degree and Clear Credential in Special Education. She has worked with the severely handicapped population for twelve years. She is currently working towards her PH.D. in Curriculum and Instruction. She combines her experiences within her life to create Queen Vernita's characters and her kingdom. Queen Vernita's Visitors continues to be woven around her friends and family. (back cover)



Queen Vernita Visits the Blue Ice Mountains
Publisher/Publication Date: Outskirts Press, May 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4327-1169-6
32 pages