Welcome!
Kiss the Book has become so big, we've decided to make a change. All of our board books, picture books, early readers, and chapter books will now be reviewed here, on Kiss the Book Jr. Also, any novels and non-fiction that we agree are specifically Pre-K - 6 related. If a book crosses over to middle school and high school, we will, of course, cross post it on Kiss the Book.
So, hopefully you will like these changes and welcome a new site dedicated to elementary books and enjoy a lighter load over at Kiss the Book for your middle school and high school desires.
--Cindy
FYI: ALL OF OUR REVIEWS PRIOR TO September 14, 2018 are at Kiss the Book. That's 535 board books, 5048 picture books, 532 early readers, 168 chapter books, and 4000 novels for Pre-K to Elementary students,
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
The Pout-Pout Fish Halloween Faces - ADVISABLE
BUYING ADVISORY: PRE K - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Pout-Pout fish is trying lots of different costumes for Halloween. They are cute and funny.
Including the googley eyes in every costume, and using the negative space in the illustration as well makes for a super delightful Halloween read that isn't scary. Pout-Pout Fish looks so great in these costumes!
Lisa Librarian
Diwali by Hannah Eliot - ADVISABLE
BUYING ADVISORY: PRE K - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
The Hindu festival of Diwali is celebrated. The 5 day festival includes preparation, lights, food and traditions including prayers, and even fireworks! This is a lovely primer about Diwali. The illustrations are busy without being too much - there's a lot to look at, so the child can spend a good amount of time with this book. A great addition to a holiday or religious collection.
Lisa Librarian
We Are Music by Brandon Stosuy - ADVISABLE
BUYING ADVISORY: PRE K - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
A board book about the history of music? Yes! Covering everything from prehistoric music (tapping, drums and clapping) through orchestras, swing, rock, heavy metal, even synthesizers and computer generated music - plus everything in between.
A child can spend a lot of time with this book. A great introduction to music genres, includes an appendix with short descriptions of the music terms. This primer is primo!
Lisa Librarian
Five Little Ninjalinos by Tina Gallo - OPTIONAL
BUYING ADVISORY: PRE K - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Night Ninja is late for Halloween. He's looking for a costume - so the Ninjalinos are waiting for him. The PJ Masks show up and decide to invite them to celebrate Halloween - a truce, just for one night. Best halloween ever!
Fans of the series will like this. Their favorite characters are here in a simple story with a happy ending. Plus - Halloween!
Lisa Librarian
See Pip Flap by David Milgrim - ESSENTIAL
See Pip Flap (The Adventures of Otto) Ready to Read Pre-Level One by David Milgrim. EARLY READER. Simon Spotlight (Simon & Schuster), 2018. $18. 9781534416369
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Tweet, a bird, and Pip, a mouse, are both trying to fly. Tweet is successful, but Pip is not. That is until Otto steps in and introduces a flying robot on which Pip can ride and thus fly.
The reading level of this book is very low and accessible to the earliest readers. This book is rewarding for a reader who will get a lot of plot out of a limited words.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
Reflection: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim - ESSENTIAL
Reflection: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim, 408 pages. Disney Press, 2018. $18.
Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
This twist on Mulan
starts on the snowy pass when the Hun soldiers are fighting against Shang,
Mulan and their friends as they are headed to attack the Imperial City. Mulan, still known as Ping, is attacked but instead
of getting hurt, Shang takes the blow.
Mulan still causes the avalanche and saves the city, but Shang is dying
from his injury. In the night, as Shang
is passing away, Mulan sees Shang’s father and learns that she can go into the
underworld and try to convince King Yama, the ruler of the underworld, to maybe
let Shang stay and defend China. Mulan
starts a journey into the underworld where she has to convince Shang to fight
to live and she has to face her own self-doubt.
I LOVE Mulan. She is my favorite
Disney character and I was concerned that this story wouldn’t stay true to
Mulan’s awesomeness, but it did. It was
fun to imagine more to the story of Mulan and Shang. Fun, fast read that I couldn’t put down.
C. Peterson.
The True Tale of a GIANTESS: The Story of Anna Swan by Anne Renaud - ESSENTIAL
The True Tale of a GIANTESS: The Story of Anna Swan by Anne Renaud, illustrated by Marie Lafrance. PICTURE BOOK/NON-FICTION. Kids Can Press, 2018, $18.
9781771383769
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Anna Swan was a real person who was as tall as her father when she was six years old, and continued to grow until she measured ½ inch shy of 8 feet. She appeared in P. T. Barnum’s Gallery of Wonders in New York City, toured the world, and married a man who was nearly as tall as she. What people remember about her is her kind heart, compassion for others, and dignity in a world where so often she just didn’t fit.
A lovely, factual book that somehow conveys compassion and appreciation for all who are different from ourselves. “Windows rattled, dishes clinked and floors groaned wherever we walked,” tells us something of her self-consciousness. The folk-art illustrations seem true to the period.
M. Kijek, Teacher Librarian
Hello, New York! by Christopher Franceschelli - ADVISABLE
Hello, New York! by Christopher Franceschelli, illustrated by Geraldine Cosneau. BOARD BOOK. Abrams Appleseed (Abrams), 2018. $13. 9781419728297
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE.
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
The very fist page of this book is a pop up map of New York that includes fourteen numbered landmarks. Then the book dedicates four pages to each of the landmarks, with one of these pages (front and back) being a page with cutout shapes. The text is very simple, with short phrases and sentences describing each space and what happens there. The final spread is of the skyline with pages that fold out and up.
This book isn’t particularly fun to read aloud, but it is very fun to look at. The main appeal of this book is looking at the illustrations of the landmarks and getting a feel for the city. I loved the last page with the full skyline and my kids looked through this book several times. They were particularly enthralled with the pop up map at the beginning, but you should be aware that it can be a little difficult to fold back in and may be damaged quickly.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
When Migo Met Smallfoot by Tina Gallo - OPTIONAL
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Migo is a yeti who loves where he lives and respects his elders that tell him the mythical smallfoot does not exist. One day Migo sees a helicopter crash and gets a glimpse of a smallfoot, setting his determination to prove that they do exist. He finds proof and brings his new small foot friend back to his village.
This is a book that will have a short lived appeal while the movie Small Foot is coming out and popular. The illustration on the cover is more appealing than, and not consistent with, the illustrations inside the book. The story has a swift plot which is always helpful for engaging new readers.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
Monday, September 17, 2018
Ducks in a Row by Lori Haskins Houran -- ADVISABLE
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL -- ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Max feels like everyone in the household has a purpose except for him. But then his three aunts arrive and ask him to do everything for them, and suddenly Max understands the appeal of not being needed.
This is a cute, humorous story with a fun twist ending. It would be good to add to a leveled library program or classroom library.
Reviewed by Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist
Zoom along at the Construction Site by Jessica Phillips - ADVISABLE
BUYING ADVISORY: PRE K - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
At the construction site, so many people are working in all sorts of different vehicles, like a bulldozer, an excavator, a crane, or a forklift. 12 different jobs in all, but you've gotta wait until the end to see what they are building.
This is really quite fun. Large, bright illustrations feature a mirror where the worker's face should be, putting the child right there driving the truck! This will be popular.
Lisa Librarian
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Welcome to Kiss the Book Jr.!
Welcome! Kiss the Book has become so big, we've decided to make a change. All of our board books, picture books, early readers, and c...
