Ten Reasons to Love a… Lion! by Catherine Barr

Catherine Barr’s Ten Reasons to Love a… Lion! is a beautiful book to teach kids all about lions as an endangered species. It gives 10 special facts about lions, from the fact that they live in prides to the fact they spend a great deal of time dozing. Each page has gorgeous artwork, with animals and land features being labelled to enhance the learning. Encourages kids to adopt a lion for a birthday or perhaps Christmas. I think this a great idea! I did a snow leopard adoption for my nephew, and a manatee for my sister wayyyy back when. Maybe I’ll do a lion for him this year for his bday! I adored the very last picture, with a content male lion in a loaf. I love kitty loafs, the bigger, the better! I read this with my cubs, and we all enjoyed it. They are also interested in adopting a lion, or other endangered species. I look forward to helping them pick out their critters. And to learning why they chose as they did. A great addition to any home or classroom library!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Francis Lincoln Children’s Books for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

Ten Reasons to Love a… Penguin! by Catherine Barr

Catherine Barr’s Ten Reasons to Love a… Penguin! is a beautiful book to teach kids all about penguins as endangered species. I had no idea there were so many species of them. Eighteen known! It gives 10 special facts about penguins, from the fact that they toboggan to move faster on land to the fact that the dad us the one who nurses the eggs. Each page has gorgeous artwork, with animals and land features being labelled to enhance the learning. Encourages kids to adopt a penguin for a birthday or perhaps Christmas. I think this a great idea! There’s a link suggestion for a site that has live feed of penguins. Pretty cool! I read this with my cubs, and we all enjoyed it. They are also interested in adopting an endangered species. Not sure if one will be a penguin, but I’m thrilled they are interested in adopting. I look forward to helping them pick out their critters. And to learning why they chose as they did. A great addition to any home or classroom library!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Francis Lincoln Children’s Books for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

Who Will Roar If I Go by Paige Jaeger

Paige Jaeger’s Who Will Roar If I Go is a beautiful children’s book about conservation and endangered species, told from the animals’ points of view. I read this with my cubs, and we all enjoyed it. I loved that not only were well known, and ‘lovable’ animals like lions and tigers included, but so were lesser known or not particularly cuddly critters like snow leopards, quetzal birds, and the Chinese giant salamander. With rhyming poetry, and gorgeous watercolour illustrations, this is a must have for any children’s’ library. It would make a great teaching tool in classrooms as well. My only qualm is that sometimes the poetry felt off, either a bit cheesy, or longer than felt necessary, and I found myself tweaking the stanzas to flow better to my ear.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and BQB Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

Joy by Corrinne Averiss

Joy by Corrinne Averiss is a heartwarming, sweet tale of a young girl’s attempts to bring joy back to her Nana’s life. Thinking about the kinds of things that bring her joy, Fern decides to make a joy-catching kit and go capture some joy for her Nana. Fern soon discovers that you can’t trip joy. It must be spontaneous and internal. And she learns that she herself is what brings joy to her Nana. This was such an adorable book! All of my cubs, young and old alike, loved it. As did the adults! A perfect book for teaching life skills, and about the emotion of joy.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

Time for Bed, Miyuki by Roxane Marie Galliez, illustrations by Seng Soun Ratanavanh

 

Time for Bed, Miyuki by Roxane Marie Galliez follows little Miyuki as she has just one more thing to do before bed. She must water the garden, gather snails, and cover the cat among other things. All the while, patient Grandfather helps Miyuki with her fanciful tasks. This little storybook is full of gorgeous Japanese style artwork. My cubs and I loved the pictures. It wasn’t a favourite of mine though, since even our young ones got exasperated with Miyuki’s delaying tactics. Dilly-dallying and disobedience aren’t something our family tolerates when it’s time for bed, and Miyuki looks of an age to know better. I think I’d only recommend this to families I knew had a compatible mindset. It’s not for everyone, since it has the potential to give young children the wrong idea about what is acceptable and not.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Princeton Architectural Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.