Category: Childrens - MADDERLY REVIEW

Duck on a Disco Ball (A Duck in the Fridge Book) by Jeff Mack

11/8/2018

Genre: Children's Book

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One of the biggest mysteries of childhood is what our parents get to do after we are put to bed. My own children pictured us dancing, laughing, partying and never going to sleep. Jeff Mack does a wonderful job of bringing children’s fantasies to life in Duck on a Disco Ball (A Duck in the Fridge Book).

Mack’s small hero fights going to sleep because he fears that he is missing something. Then one morning he finds a disco ball in his kitchen with his toy duck draped over it. His imagination goes for a wild jaunt and takes us along for the ride. He narrates his story as he shows us his parents doing all of the wild things that he would love to do. The illustrations are bright and each page is packed with points of interest that will keep children fascinated as they turn the pages.

Although it is primarily a children’s book, the puns and double entendres make it a joy for grown ups as well. With the holiday season around the corner, this is a perfect gift for the young ones in your house.

-Beverly

Publisher - Two Lions
Date of Publication - November 1, 2018

What If Everybody Said That? by Ellen Javernick (author) and Colleen Madden (illustrator)

10/4/2018

Genre: Children's Book

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Kindness seems to be in short supply now, and as always we must look to the children to bring us a future filled with kindness. Every few months I review a children’s book for the mommys and daddys who join me at madderlyreview.com, and What If Everybody Said That? by Ellen Javernick (author) Colleen Madden (illustrator) was too apropos of the time to pass.

In this book we see children doing and saying what children quite often do and say, but the author shows the reader exactly how much his/her words can hurt another person. If we lie, make fun of others or don’t allow them to join our group of friends, we are inflicting unnecessary pain. The main theme of Javernick’s book is to think before we speak, realize the power of our words, and use them wisely.

I found the story-line simple and important, and it seemed to capture many moments that children face. The illustrations were colorful and appropriate to the theme, but I found the expressions on many faces harsh and perhaps a bit unsettling for younger children.

All in all Javernick gives us a book on the importance of kindness at a time we most definitely need it.

- Beverly

Publisher - Two Lions
Date of Publication - August 1, 2018

The 17th Suspect (The Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

5/10/2018

Genre: Thriller

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Although I don’t review many of James Patterson’s books, I never miss his Women’s Murder Club series co-authored with Maxine Paeto. The four friends in the series, Prosecutor Yuki, Reporter Cindy, and Medical Examiner Claire, much like the women of "Sex in the City", make you want to be part of their group. All bright and successful, these women work together to make San Francisco a better place.

The seventeen books in this series take the reader through the personal lives of these women, even as it has us anxiously trying to solve the mysteries along with them. The authors always give us a minimum of two major events occurring and intertwines each woman's professional duties with the outcomes. In this latest novel, The 17th Suspect, prosecuting attorney Yuki is dealing with workplace rape. In this case, however, it is a man coming to her with a taped recording that shows him being raped at gunpoint by his female boss/lover.

Detective Sergeant Lindsay Boxer, meanwhile, is approached by Millie, a homeless woman who fears for her life. Homeless people are being gunned down on the streets of San Francisco, and the police don’t seem to be interested in finding the culprit. Lindsay and her partner go against police politics as they try to save Millie and find themselves being turned away from the case.

The authors do a wonderful job of interspersing the stories and bringing the main characters together. This book focused on Lindsay and Yuki however, and I would have liked to see a bit more involvement with Cindy and Claire. All of the women have interesting men in their lives who help to round out these quick reading novels.

Patterson/Paetro’s mixture of first and third person writing is a difficult style to get right, and they seem to have perfected it. Lindsay’s chapters are always in first person, while the rest of the book is written in third person. This seems to make Lindsay stand out, but she never overshadows the other three.

These books are never really original, yet they always capture the reader's attention and keep us wondering throughout. The 17th Suspect is a definite must for all James Patterson fans.

- Beverly

Publisher - Little, Brown & Company
Date of Publication - April 30, 2018

Horsefly and Honeybee by Randy Cecil

7/20/2017

Genre: Children's Book

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It is rare to find a children's book that is authored and illustrated by the same person, but Randy Cecil was able to produce the perfect pictures to make his words come alive in Horsefly and Honeybee.  I felt I had to review this book because it fits in perfectly with my blog this week.

When the horsefly and the honeybee land on the same flower, neither wants to share.  They both end up running away, get in serious trouble, and find that only cooperating with each other will save them.

This simple story, aimed at pre-schoolers, is so beautifully illustrated that adults can enjoy reading it to their wee ones.  With few words on each page, there is no time for boredom, and children easily learn the importance of cooperation.  Hmmm...maybe we should send copies to the House and Senate!

- Beverly

Publisher - Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1 edition
Date of Publication - March 27, 2012

I'm Just a Little Someone by Sharon S. Peters (author) and Amanda Alter (illustrator)

5/31/2017

Genre: Children's Book

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Sharen Peters captured my attention with the theme of loneliness.  We all experience that feeling at times, and it is important to believe that loneliness is temporary and will soon be a distant memory.  I'm Just a Little Someone is a beautifully illustrated story whose pictures and theme will bring a smile to the face of any toddler. When a lonely little girl doll notices a lonely little boy doll, she invites him over.

The dolls reside in a toy store that is teeming with toys, yet they were lonely until they found each other.  This book is perfect to read to young children who might be experiencing emotions that they don't understand.  The author began writing at an early age to combat her own unhappy moments, and she does a good job bringing her characters to life.

The book ends with a list of questions that the relative or friend who is reading the book can ask the child. These questions help the child become involved in the story.  The two dolls finding each other, and even finding a lonely toy dog to join them, makes for a wonderful introduction to the world that children inhabit.  That theme, along with the colorful pictures, will cheer up any toddler's day.

- Beverly

Publisher - LifeLong Friends Publishers, LLC
Date of Publication - March 13, 2017

The Barely Visible Bear by Ted Pollock

5/25/2017

Genre: Children's Book

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There is nothing quite as active as a child's imagination, so when ten year old Julia tells her family that she is communicating with a bear who visits with her, it is not surprising that they are skeptical.  In fact, Julia was somewhat skeptical herself when Mischa's head first "barely" appeared, but as Micha the bear explained himself, she began to believe. In fact, she asked if she could see more of him, and all six feet of him "barely" appeared.  He was there to watch over her, he explained, and had been for quite some time.

Since only Julia can actually see Mischa, things get a bit awkward when he appears.  She has to make up stories, and life gets complicated. The Barely Visible Bear is just the kind of story, complications and all, that young children can relate to, and Julia's relationship with Mischa is fun for us to follow. There is a little boating adventure to add spice to the story, and author Pollock ends it on a happily ever after note that will leave young readers smiling.

The author makes us want to be friends with Julia and her entire family as they try to understand what is going on with Mischa, the barely visible bear.  Although the book has a definite ending, it does leave room for a sequel where this furry lifesaver can explain more about his background as he continues to watch over Julia.

- Beverly

Publisher - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition
Date of Publication - March 26, 2017

What Not to Give Your Mom on Mother's Day by Martha Simpson (author) and Jana Christy (illustrator)

5/12/2017

Genre: Children's Book

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This is a sweetly illustrated book narrated by a young boy who explains What Not to Give Your Mom on Mother's Day. For example, he says "do not give her a bucket of big, fat worms," but qualifies that on the next page by explaining, "unless she is a bird."

I loved how the message clearly explains that what is not good for one might be perfect for another. The book is perfect for toddlers who can laugh at absurdities while learning life lessons.

- Beverly

Publisher - Two Lions
Date of Publication - April 2, 2013

Hero Mom by Melinda Hardin (author) and Bryan Langdo (illustrator)

5/12/2017

Genre: Children's Book

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With Mother's Day several days away, I thought it fitting to mention two children's books that celebrate moms. Hero Mom is a short book that features military moms in action. It is difficult for small children to watch their parents go off to "serve their country." That is a nebulous term that often translates into "leaving their families." This book shows military moms in a heroic light as women of all ethnicities work in all fields to protect us every day. It gives children something to be proud of while their mothers are serving.

- Beverly

Publisher - Two Lions
Date of Publication - April 2, 2013

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh

3/23/2017

Genre: Non-Fiction/Children's

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The topic of Affirmative Action always brings up debate, and sometimes it is difficult for us to understand the need for it.  I believe that it is important for everyone to understand the background of integration, and the best place to start is in the home.  Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation is a wonderfully written and illustrated book about a young girl who fought to integrate schools years before the famous Brown vs the Board of Education decision.

When her family moved to Westminster, California in the 1940's, Sylvia and her brother were told that they had to attend the Mexican School.  The dilapidated school was next to a cow field, with no playground and teachers who seemed unmotivated.  This children's book takes its readers through this family's fight to integrate schools.  With the help of other families and the NAACP, the Mendez family won battles and broke the ground for battles to follow.

The story is concisely told, well translated when needed and beautifully illustrated.  Even the cover tells a story that children can relate to, and I think that this is a great addition to every youngster's library.

-Beverly

Publisher - Abrams Books for Young Readers
Date of Publication - May 6, 2014

I am Jim Henson (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer - author and Christopher Eliopoulos - illustrator

1/19/2017

Genre: Children's Book

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Brad Meltzer is a top author whose thriller books have mesmerized many people (myself included) through the years.  His gift to the world, however, is his wonderful "I am..." series.  Years ago, I chose the teaching profession, because I realized that when you influence the children, you change the world.  Meltzer has been having the same results with these beautifully written and illustrated books.

I have read several of these books and enjoyed how he gave children of all color, religion and even disabilities heroes to look up to who mirrored them.  Martin Luther King Jr, Albert Einstein, Helen Keller have been written about time and again, but Meltzer writes in a way that small children can relate to, and he shows them what it takes to be a hero.

Jim Henson has always been one of my heroes.  He showed us the world through muppet colored glasses, and young and old responded with wonder.  His muppets were silly and somewhat flawed, but they always believed.  Whether they dreamed of scientific discoveries or chocolate chip cookies, these wonderful characters believed their dreams were attainable.

Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos in I am Jim Henson (Ordinary People Change the World) do a marvelous job introducing young people to this man who died before they were born, but whose work entertains and reaches them every day.  Henson's childhood shows where he might have picked up his sense of humor.  The picture of his mom pouring milk all over the table because young Jim said "that's enough" instead of "when" as she was pouring milk into his morning cereal shows the reader the sillier side to growing up in the Henson household.

Eliopoulos' illustrations are recognizable and funny, as he portrays people and muppets to go along with Meltzer's descriptions of a life well spent.  I imagine Henson would have loved the portrayal of a young Jim with a thick Henson-like beard.  Meltzer's facts always seem to be on point, and young people will quickly understand that Henson was a dreamer who wanted to share his dreams with them.

- Beverly

Publisher - Dial Books
Date of Publication - January 10, 2017