librarydreams's reviews
489 reviews

Beach Feet by Kiyomi Konagaya

lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

An almost mindful description of a child's experience at the beach, full of descriptive sensations. It could be a great way to prep sensory sensitive children for a trip to the beach, though the noise and crowds present at most beaches are suspiciously absent. Guardians may also wish that this book's protagonist had described putting on sunscreen.

Jules vs. the Ocean by Jessie Sima

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I love Jessie Sima's work and this is no exception. A great primer on overcoming frustrating circumstances. The page filling onomatopoeia makes for great fun.

Don't Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton

adventurous challenging inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

A great book about facing your fears. Parents will recognize the familiar story of a child who doesn't want to go and then doesn't want to leave. Haughton's distinctive art shines, particularly in the expressive crabs and the colorful fish.

How to Count to ONE by Caspar Salmon

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Out of a concept that really shouldn't work, comes a book that ends up being delightfully silly. Just don't expect it to help you count any higher than 1 (unless you want to count the 100 pictures on the back endpapers).

There Was An Old Astronaut Who Swallowed the Moon! by Lucille Colandro, Jared D. Lee

funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

While the familiar "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a..." pattern holds up, the informational dialogue from the cartoon children interrupted the flow and detracted from the silliness of the form. Some of the rhymes were also a bit awkward.

Star Wars: The Secrets of the Wookiees by Marc Sumerak

informative fast-paced

3.5

A solid addition to the series.

Bad Magic by Pseudonymous Bosch

adventurous funny informative lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Bosch is back! This book (and probably the rest of the series) reads a lot like Bosch's Secret series, except this time we follow the adventures of

Max Ernest's little brother,

Clay. There's not much to say about this book that won't give things away. Bosch masterfully guides the reader through a maze of twists and turns, all leading to a very surprising conclusion. Old faces make brief appearances, which hopefully means we'll see more of them later on.

I was personally delighted to discover how much of the story revolved around Shakespeare's The Tempest. The Tempest was the first Shakespeare play I encountered (while reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle), and it led to a lifelong love of Shakespeare. Hopefully, Bosch's work will do the same for a new generation.

Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Neilson

funny informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The cutest book about bodily autonomy that gives an array of options for people who don't want a squish (though you'll have to translate those options to human forms, it's pretty clear what each is meant to be). Whether you have a kid who hugs everyone without asking, a kid who hates hugs, or a kid who's somewhere in between, this book is perfect.

Coral by Molly Idle

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Conservation conflicts with social emotional lessons in Idle's plot. The concept that coral reefs suffer when the fish, sharks, and rays who live in them leave is clear, but the friendship narrative obscures the real reason why these creatures leave, such as pollution. Reading the book purely from a social-emotional level is problematic: everyone should be able to have time and space to themselves, and, unlike in the story, even best friends need to learn to give each other space.

Idle's illustrations, however, are utterly gorgeous and make the book worth a read in and of themselves. Just be prepared to give kids some adult guidance.

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I love that this book is based on a real festival (the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, if memory serves), but I wish that Love had included some information on said festival in the backmatter. Loves illustrations are magical and the choice of brown paper is brilliant. The wordless sections make this book a bit challenging to read-aloud, but it's worth it. I especially like to show the children the differing endpapers at the beginning and end of the book before we read to get their imaginations going.