Work Gets In The Way

Hey gang, sorry for the delay in reviewing.  Things have been crazy in non-family life.  Not bad crazy, just crazy.

I'll be back later this week.  Thanks for your continued readership!!!

Amazing ABC

Did you know that Lego is based in Billund, Denmark?  Ironic, since you can't spell Billund without build... 

THREE PROS

*There's a reason Lego has been so successful for so long with this age group... so why not extend its magic to another educational sector  

*The images of Sean Kenney's creations are a million times more fun to marvel at than your typical ABC book
*The cake and the piano are just awesome

THREE CONS 

*It might be a little unfair, but I have a problem with author/builder re-using his models across the Lego board book line (as evidenced by the back cover) 
*I'm surprised at how imperfect the US map is (especially in the normally rectangular Four Corners region) given that it's a 2-D design 

*I say "go fly a kite" to the page dedicated to the letter K and also question the type of Legos used to make the yoyo

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Learning the alphabet is one of the primary building blocks of toddler education.  After reading this book to my son and daughter, I am more than happy to recommend it to parents looking for a quality ABC title that maybe has flown under the radar.  My only non-trivial gripe with it that is non-mentioned above would be that I would have liked to have seen Kenney use Duplos, since they are designed for children who would be reading this.  That said, I know there's no way the pictures could be even half as intricate if this was the case.  Just some constructive criticism for the future:)    


BUY / Borrow / Donate / Destroy

The Loopy Coop Hens

These birds are makin' me angry! 

THREE PROS

*If you go to Janet Morgan Stoeke's website, you'll see it has a whole page dedicated to her illustration -- makes sense since this is her strong suit   

*On those days where you just want to hand a book to your kid instead of reading, this one wouldn't be a bad choice
*Stoeke is from the DC area, so she obviously has made some good choices in her life

THREE CONS 

*Wait, let me get this straight: the hens catch the rooster in a lie and, instead of him getting his comeuppance (or at the very least learning something), the ladies fawn all over his physical characteristics 
*Tries to break the story into chapters/sections, but it's just weird (mainly because the focus of section two is all over section one) 

*Have no idea why the hens say "ow" on a page where none of them are moving, let alone getting injured

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Only a birdbrain would consider this to be an egg worth cracking.  Okay, so that might be a little harsh; but, it is closer to something you'd line a pen with than something that would win the 4-H Chicken Showmanship Award.  If you're cooped up inside for a day, maybe you could get by with it.  But as a long-term option, it isn't worth a handful of feed. 

Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy

Hot, Hot Roti For Dada-ji

C'mon now, give it a chance... 

THREE PROS

*Surprisingly few children's books come off the way you would recount a fascinating personal tale to your child, but this one nails it  

*A perfect recipe composed of the following ingredients: culture, characters, mysticism, rarely seen topics, cool illustrations (by first-timer Ken Min), and pro #1
*If eating good roti can give me tiger powers, I've been doing it all wrong for the last three to four decades

THREE CONS 

*I'm afraid that title will scare a large percentage of American parents away from what is an amazing work 
*Author F. Zia's decision to have the kid make the bread himself took nothing away from the story, but part of me wanted him to watch his grandmother do it instead 

*Slight chance my son might try to wrestle with poisonous snakes next time we decide to order Indian food

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Simply scrumptious!  It honestly would be a Best of the Best Buy if there was some way I could see myself reading it multiple times each week to my two babas.  Unfortunately, it's a tad too complex and specific for that.  Otherwise, it is a flawless effort.  Get it while it's hot, hot!    

BUY / Borrow / Donate / Destroy

Dancing Fruit Put On A Show!

After reading this, you won't need another serving from one particular food group for at least a week. 

THREE PROS

*Author Ruth Wilkes (with an assist from illustrator James Cross) jams an orchard full of info in here: from gardening facts, to jokes, to recipes, and more   

*I almost always enjoy a book with a positive message related to kids trying something they're feeling timid about
*A banana splitting his pants - never not funny

THREE CONS 

*Pro #1 is also con #1 - the whole effort can be a tad overwhelming if you're dealing with a child who expects you to read cover to cover 
*Further evidence of the point above: my son asked why the book had two pages on critters (snails and butterflies) -- sure, these things can be found in fruit-growing areas, but that doesn't mean they have to be included here 

*I found it slightly curious that the tractor page was not given any sort of accompanying text when everything else was

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Who wouldn't want to tango with a mango?  Foxtrot with a kumquat?  Jig with a fig?  [Surprised at least one of these didn't make the final cut, but, then again, I am super corny.]  Dancing and produce are not an obvious match, but they go together like peanut butter and bananas.  So, Wilkes was assured of something resembling a bumper crop from the jump.  Upon closer examination, I found a few too many bruises on this fruit to put it in my Buy basket.  Overall, it's still a delicious treat that is worth tasting (and, you know what, if you don't like certain spots, you don't have to consume them). 

Buy / BORROW / Donate / Destroy

A Day With Wilbur Robinson

Danger Will Robinson! 

THREE PROS

*You've got to give William Joyce credit for his wild imagination   

*While his drawings weren't exactly my cup of tea, I'd be lying if I told you they weren't good
*Dropping in the Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong appearances was a classy (and educational) touch

THREE CONS 

*A perfect example of how slapping a whole bunch of zaniness across each page won't hide what is, at its core, a boring book 
*I thought the kid on the first page was going to be Wilbur -- that got things off on the wrong foot 

*Look, I've tried it 500 times now and I can confidently say that a set of false teeth won't fit into a frog's mouth

ONE DAD'S OPINION
When I saw that this story was the inspiration for the movie Meet The Robinsons, I had high hopes that my streak of positive reviews was going to continue.  When I looked at his Wikipedia page and saw all of the super successful movies he's been involved with, I was sure of it.  Boy, was I off-base.  You might as well call it A Day With Your Great-Grandparents because both are equally as drab.  I know, this is hard to grasp, given all the stuff going on in the wacky world of Wilbur, but it's undeniable.  If that's not proof enough, how about you try this one of for size?  Newsweek went out on the frailest of limbs to call Joyce "one of the top 100 people to watch in the new millennium."  If you believe their prediction came true, then you should probably Buy this and anything else he has written.  Otherwise, I think you'll be okay seeing his movies and skipping this book for the next 985 years or so... 

Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy

Where's Walrus?

If you're looking for that guy with glasses and a striped sweater, he's currently indisposed. 

THREE PROS

*Was expecting something totally different and more difficult, but soon found that there's something equally as fun about "finding" objects in plain sight   

*I don't know what it is about walruses, but they always seem to be crowd pleasers
*Really cute idea for the painting scene in (what appears to be) Central Park

THREE CONS 

*What it gains in kitsch factor is diminished slightly by those expectations I had dashed by its ease 
*I'm shocked that all five judges gave our walrus friend a perfect score despite his 45 degree entrance into the pool 

*Another in a long line of books that go with the "nobody is coming to the zoo until X happens" theme

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Even a big bull like me was softened by Stephen Savage's simple wordless tale.  There's no denying its mass appeal with younger kids -- but it has enough visual humor to make an old sea cow laugh as well.  I don't think it's worth shelling over a few clams for, but it definitely has sharp enough tusks to make an impression in your home for quite a while. 

Buy / BORROW / Donate / Destroy

Captain No Beard

We're gonna take a trip on a little pirate ship! 

THREE PROS

*What a pleasant surprise to receive a book that is so perfectly suited for a kid my son's age (almost four years old)  

*Carole P. Roman not only chose great animal characters, but also did an excellent job of weaving in key elements of pirate lore without making it too difficult for children to understand
*Neat way of incorporating treasure into the story

THREE CONS 

*I don't quite get the importance of the whole "hard work" point that is referenced repeatedly 
*Pretty sure the word "starting" uses the wrong verb tense for the sentence it is housed within (on the page where Hallie almost falls off the boat) 

*Having a boy captain and girl first mate might come off as a little sexist to the most ardent feminist -- even though the book was written by a woman

ONE DAD'S OPINION
Thar she blows!  I am so happy to have found the first finalist for the 2013 ERIK self-published book award!!  Ms. Roman's Captain No Beard is a shipshape tale that is sure to entertain those little landlubbers under your command.  [And, if you ever tire of this voyage, she's already got multiple sequels in the hold waiting for you.]  Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen, because it's time for you to Buy it before I run a shot across your bow...      

BUY / Borrow / Donate / Destroy

Round Is A Tortilla

And diamonds are a girl's best friend. 

THREE PROS

*Not only covers a bunch of shapes, but also ends most pages with probing questions geared toward getting kids to interact   

*Takes a more subtle approach to including Spanish words (by dropping them into what is primarily an English-based story); and it works nicely
*If I had a Shapes category, this would be one of the better ones listed there

THREE CONS 

*As I said earlier, it's cool how Roseanne Greenfield Thong and John Parra make your child think of things that are shaped a certain way -- however, I also wish they would have made their illustrations a photo hunt for these figures as well 
*The Scrabble page works better in theory than in practice 

*Are hard-shell tortillas technically round or clam-shaped -- depends on the mind (and mouth) of the person you ask

ONE DAD'S OPINION
I try not to penalize books too much for what they don't have if what they do have is good.  So I'm not going to ding Thong and Parra for the lack of the photo hunt triangulation.  Since my other two cons are pretty obtuse, you might guess that RIAT would be a star in my eyes.  It's about a whisker away from receiving a checkmark in the Buy box, but seems to circle around that sphere without closing the loop.  Much like the edge of a never-to-be-stuffed flour tortilla. 

Buy / BORROW / Donate / Destroy

ZooZical

And now for a little bit of theater... 

THREE PROS

*My son laughed a bunch when I sang the musical verses, confirming my hunch that these were the best part   

*Judy Sierra was able to tell a nice story in spite of her obvious primary goal of making it rhyme
*I used pages like the seals on the bus to explain what a prop was and other stage basics

THREE CONS 

*That rhyming cadence is choppy in a couple of places, to the point that I caught myself repeating a phrase to make sure I got it right 
*It would be hard to make animals look less like pandas and baboons (though the majority of Marc Brown's illustrations were nice enough) 

*Too many uses of the word "doldrums" for a children's book -- and by too many, I mean more than zero

ONE DAD'S OPINION
This was a rather tough rating decision.  The younger critic in my home has asked both of us to read it a few times, and, while he's not ready to give it rave reviews, he has demonstrated though his actions that it's got a decent run in it.  Meanwhile, the "Butcher of Kidlit" (my newly self-appointed nickname in honor of Frank Rich), was less impressed.  It's not Lincoln Center quality, but it's not an off-off Broadway event either.  Weaving this all together, I think we can go curtains up with the following: for the modest price of a library visit, you'll enjoy the show. 

Buy / BORROW / Donate / Destroy