s_n_arly's reviews
730 reviews

This was a disappointing read. I know she can write better, and the only reason I kept reading it was because I hoped it would improve. It didn't.

The characters were nicely (realistically) flawed. The book is very passive, from the language used to the events to the plot. The ending was unsatisfying. It was unclear how old our main characters were. The passage of time was unclear. And the "surprises" were not surprising.

This picture book is fun and engaging. It really captures the essence of dog and the essence of child. I look forward to Jeff's next title (as does my three year old).

I picked up this book on a whim. I'd never heard of it before, and I'm not sure why. This is easily as engaging and entertaining to the picture book crowd as Don't Let The Pigeon Ride the Bus, I'd Really Like to Eat A Child, and Green Eggs and Ham.

The book can be read simply as a silly tale, or it can be used to guide and direct behavior. As we see the wild boars exhibiting enormous social faux pas, young children can relate and see why you wouldn't want to be around someone behaving as they do. When my 3 year old son starts to get unruly (rude, obnoxious or mean), I ask him if he's a wild boar. This alone often corrects the behavior. No need for threats, counting or time outs. What could be better than that?

This has fun vibrant colors and my children love it.

The rhyme scheme is not terrific, but it's not as bad as some books. It's a little annoying that all the monsters are boys except the very last one, who is actually eating food rather than non-food objects. It's also a little annoying that the narrator finds vegetables disgusting. Parents have to fight plenty of negative food influences from TV commercials and other children without it coming from books written by adults.

This is a picture book theoretically aimed at kids a little older than kindergarden age. It has been a highly popular book in our house since my son was about 2. It's fun and surreal and really taps into the imagination of a child. The pictures are a little more post-modern than my usual taste, but they work for the book.

This is a great picture book placed in Terry Pratchett's disc world. It pokes fun at some of the absurdities of children's books (the inability to find one's cow, and mistaking every other kind of animal for a cow in the process) and it doesn't dumb down the language to the typical picture book level.

The pictures are vibrant and engaging (watch for a portrait of Terry Pratchett on the last page!).

We read this one again and again.

Little Llama is off to preschool for the first time. An exciting, yet upsetting event. He doesn't want to play with anyone or do anything other than go home. In time, Llama warms to his classmates and forgets all about being sad and lonely. It may be a good book to introduce a child to the idea of starting school or a new daycare. The actions of Llama's classmates also do a nice job showing empathy, something children learn by example (so all examples are welcome).

I believe this is the third book in the Llama series. We had Llama Llama Red Pajama, a reassuring tale about going to bed. Both my children enjoy finding familiar characters in new books, so we've moved into the land of sequels. Like it's predecessor, this book has engaging but not too complex pictures and a rhyming narrative that flows fairly smoothly.

The boars are back!

While not quite as engaging as the first book, nor as useful in teaching/correcting errant behavior in one's own children, this is fun in its own right. Make that hilarious.

The ravenous wild boars start off eating enormous quantities of things. Some are not food, which to preschool-aged children is THE funniest thing ever. When Doris, dear little Doris, discovers a recipe for Massive Pudding (which appears to undergo a bit of tampering), we move into the realm of the truly absurd. Every time I turned to the page with the completed Massive Pudding I laughed out loud. Not an LOL, but a real, literal laughing out loud.

We borrowed this from the library, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to own it.

This is a picture book with no words. Like all well done books of this nature, the tale can be clearly understood by looking at the pictures. It's great for kids who want to tell a story in their own words and parents who don't need a set script. If you like a set script, this is probably not your thing.

The pictures are beautiful. The story is a steampunk fantasy of the unlikely friendship between a boy and a cloud, and the impact it has on the other clouds in the sector.