Children's Book Review: Hello Bella

Today's Children's Picture e-Book Review is Hello Bella, written by Nicole Foster and illustrated by Erik Skinner, for Ages 3-9.

My Ratings: 
Overall: 4.0 Stars
Cover: 4 Stars
Illustrations: 4 Stars
Story: 4 Stars

Bella is a curious dog who goes on a walk and hears greetings in different foreign languages as she tries to eat the foreign foods (she has to wait to eat until she gets home).

This is a simple book with cute cartoonish illustrations. It's a basic introduction to the word "Hello" in Spanish, Italian and French. There's no pronunciation guide, so it's helpful if you already know how to say the words "Hola," [O-la] "Ciao," [chow] and "Bonjour," [Bon Jur].

My 8 year old read it to herself and she liked the Italian Pizzeria illustration best, but she didn't know how to pronounce Ciao--a great learning opportunity.

~Valerie Harmon, The Kindle Book Review

(Disclaimer: Valerie Harmon received a free copy of the this book in exchange for a fair and honest review)

Children's Book Review: Freddie Goes Fishing With Grandpa

Today's Children's Picture e-Book Review is Freddie Goes Fishing With Grandpa written by Dagbjort Asgeirsdottir and illustrated by Karl Johann Jonsson, for Ages 3-9.

My Ratings: 
Overall: 5.0 Stars
Cover: 5 Stars
Illustrations: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

Freddie Goes Fishing With Grandpa is a book that has hit #1 Best Seller in Category on Amazon and it's about a little boy named Freddie who goes fishing in the cove with Grandpa in Iceland. When he accidentally falls in, Grandpa pulls him out and tells him a sea monster story to cheer him up.

The watercolor illustrations by Jonsson are full of color and details that reveal parts of traditional Icelandic culture as well as adding to the cozy story that makes me miss my own grandparents. I appreciate that Asgeirsdottir added a note at the beginning explaining that pet foxes are real, as is their tendency to hide things that are left out.

I highly recommend this children's picture e-book and can see it becoming a classic with my own children. I hope Asgeirsdottir adds a hardback version someday.

It's FREE today and tomorrow, you can download it here.

~Valerie Harmon, from the Kindle Book Review

(Disclaimer: Valerie Harmon received a free copy of the this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. She is not affiliated with Amazon or the author)

Children's Book Review List: Thank You Meiling

Today's Children's Picture e-Book Review is Thank You Meiling, written by Linda Talley and illustrated by Itoko Maeno, for Ages 3-9.

My Ratings: 
Overall: 5.0 Stars
Cover: 5 Stars
Illustrations: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

There was a hushed feeling as I read this book, Thank You Meiling, to three of my children, that's how cozy we all felt as we followed Meiling throughout her day. We enjoyed the delightful illustrations and the gentle way Meiling learned to say Please and Thank You, and to think of other people before herself. Some manners books hit you over the head with manners. This book revealed manners in a way that was so endearing. I HIGHLY recommend this book. 

By the way, I read this as a children's picture e-book, and the illustrations were still vivid and enjoyable. Remember to double tap on the device if you want the picture to enlarge.

~Valerie Harmon, from The Kindle Book Review

Children's Picture E-book Review: If Dogs Could Do Chores

Today's Children's Picture e-Book Review is If Dogs Could Do Chores, written by Jacquelyn Smith-Induni and illustrated by Melanie Stephens, for Ages 2-9.

My Ratings: 

Overall: 5.0 Stars

Cover: 5 Stars

Illustrations: 5 Stars

Story: 5 Stars

If Dogs Could Do Chores

If Dogs Could Do Chores is a children's picture e-book written by an EIGHT year old. And it is worth the read! 

This book's concept is funny: An 8 year old girl imagines dogs doing her chores, and the result looks hilarious. There's a poodle who's cooking dinner and a dog in a pink frilly apron sweeping the front step. My favorite is the elegant long-haired dog cleaning up her "mess." The last page shows the girl relaxing in a hammock with a dog bringing her lemonade (and winking at the reader), since she gets to relax if her chores are done by dogs. 

I do not give 5 stars lightly, but this book is a delightful read-aloud with detailed illustrations that made me and my children (age 4, 7, and 10) smile. 

~Valerie Harmon (The Kindle Book Review)

Disclaimer: I give an independent, fair and honest review of this book, which I received for free as a reviewer for The Kindle Book Review. I am not associated with the author or Amazon.

Children's Picture E-Book Review: Ug The Little Stone Age Boy

Today's Children's Picture e-Book Review is Ug The Little Stone Age Boy, by Barry J. McDonald, for Ages 3-9.

My Ratings: 

Overall: 4.0 Stars

Cover: 5 Stars

Illustrations: 4 Stars

Story: 4 Stars

Bug is jealous and he plays a trick on Ug that gets Ug into trouble. Will he get caught? Will he say sorry?

This children's picture e-book has adorable illustrations, and I don't mind that the illustrator used the same backgrounds and just set the characters in (probably created on Adobe Illustrator, which provides that kind of flexibility). However, I do feel short-changed when he used the exact same illustrations on two pages, TWICE! That's what kept this book from a five star rating. The illustrations were excellent enough, but McDonald cheated a little. 

The plot is simple, and set to an uncomplicated verse, but when I read it aloud to my 4 and 7 year olds, we liked it the rhythm of the words and the story. My 4 year old especially loved the Mammoth and the Triceratops. 

Children's Picture E-Book Review: Lucky by Craig Inglis

Today's Children's Picture e-Book Review is Lucky, written by Craig Inglis and illustrated by Richard Kinsey, for Ages 3-9.

My Ratings: 

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Cover: 5 Stars

Illustrations: 5 Stars

Story: 4 Stars

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13263582-lucky
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/luckythebook

Lucky is about a lonely man who befriends a dog and names him Lucky. They have lots of fun together until tragedy strikes and Lucky loses a leg. Lucky has to re-learn how to walk, but the man loves him through it and they end happily ever after.

The illustrations are whimsical and adorable, Kinsey has a distinct style in his art that really adds to the story. I'd love to see more illustrations from him. I read this book to my 4, 7 and 10 year old. We enjoyed it, except we found the end a bit odd when Lucky relearned to walk on three legs and was even better than before and he felt like he was flying. I assumed it was metaphorical, but kids were confused. Did Lucky really learn to fly? Or did they feel like they were flying because of their close friendship and happiness at being together? The odd ending kept this book from a 5 star rating on the story.

I interviewed author Craig Inglis, and this is what he said:

Why did you begin writing? I began writing about 10 years ago. I was interested in the biographies of people who had overcome disabilities to lead productive lives. I had a book about FDR and one about Christopher Reeve that I was shopping around to publishers. 

Why did you write about Lucky? I was always interested in children's books, especially  picture books. I had studied Children's Literature in college and read stories to the children when I was a teacher in pre-school. So when I hit the wall with biographies, I turned to writing children's stories. "Lucky" was my first. 

I took the idea of disabilities and gave it to the character of a dog, who, in the book, overcame his disability. I engaged the help of a friend who was an artist with a whimsical side to his art and we completed "A man and His Three-Legged Dog." I shopped it around for a while with no success and then tried a few other stories with no success. Then, one day I was listening to [the song] "Lucky" by Jason Mraz. I suddenly realized that "Lucky" was the perfect title for my dog book and also re-wrote the story emphasizing love and determination.

What do you hope your readers will think about Lucky? I hope that children will come away from reading the book with the belief that they can overcome obstacles in their lives with the love of friends and with plenty of determination. When things are tough, maybe schoolwork or sports, don't give up!  Also, I hope that kids gain some respect for the disabled people that they meet.

Children's Picture e-book Review: Petal's First Winter

Today's Children's Picture e-Book Review is Petal's First Winter, by Joy Findlay, for Ages 3-6.

My Ratings: 

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Cover: 5 Stars

Illustrations: 5 Stars

Story: 4 Stars

As you can see from the iPad screenshot, this cover is CUTE! Well the illustrations throughout the entire book are just as adorable. The texture of the snowflakes and leaves and the sweet owlet--just make you want to give your child a squeeze. Five stars for Findlay's cover and illustrations.

However, the story is too short and there's a problem with the timeline, and that is why I only give it four stars. I liked it, but I want more of it. Findlay didn't add the words that gave me a sense of time. This book takes place in one day, yet Petal starts on autumn-leaved branches, ends on bare branches and enjoys her first snowfall. Findlay needed to add a sense of timing to the day, and add the snow piling over the autumn leaves on the ground to an illustration, rather than jumping to a white landscape. 

With the advent of color capable devices, children's picture e-books now have a place and I expect the genre to increase in quality and quantity. And Petal's First Winter will have a spot in that list, thanks to Findlay's outstanding illustrations.