Dada tries everything at his disposal to encourage Baba to go to sleep to no avail. Baba does not want his rattle, his blanky, or his stuffy, or a spin in the rocker with Dada. All he wants is a book. And, he makes that known loud and clear.
Category: Bookshelf
Browse through our most recent reviews. For an A-Z history of our reviews, click here.
Review: The Elephant
The pain of losing a loved-one weighs like a heavy presence on those that are left behind. Death, is hard on the living. Thoughts of what was, what is and what could have been loom everywhere. The proverbial elephant in the room lumbers about, its presence felt, knocking things in its path. Carnavas, in his book The Elephant, a Middle Grade novel just recently released in North America, explores what happens when a young girl starts seeing an elephant hanging around her Dad, as he deals with the death of her mother, his wife.
Review: My Dad is a Clown/Mi Papá es un Payaso
The other day at school, a classmate got angry at me and said ‘Clown!’ So begins our story and our entry into this black, white, grey and red world created by Andrés and Hernández, where a boy walks us through a few moments in his life and the impact his two dads have had on it.
Review: Made for me
Whenever I have spoken to parents about their children, and there have been quite a few of those conversations over the course of thirty years in the classroom, I am always especially touched by the look in their eyes. This is the story of that look.
Review: Because I’m Your Dad
So, this is not a book that I would normally gravitate towards if I saw it on the shelf of a bookstore, or was shopping online. For one, the artwork on the cover does not catch my eye; for another, the title Because I’m Your Dad reminds me too much of “because I said so,” which to me is a non-ender for any argument with anyone. This book was a gift to me and my child, And, I am very happy we received it, because otherwise, we would have missed out on a solid read.
Review: My Big Bear, My Little Bear and Me
In this precious story of a little girl and her two bears, Del Mazo takes readers on a simple, albeit wonderful, adventure that showcases a special relationship. The day is filled with experiences that each of her bears is instrumental in providing. Each activity is accompanied by Bonilla’s beautiful illustrations, offering us a striking visual representation of the child’s view of her bears.
Review: Ivy Bird
Imagination is an integral part of childhood; and yet, so often it is a lost art. Kids have become so dependent on electronic devices and technology, that the thought of using their imagination rarely even comes to mind as a possibility during play. Fortunately and perhaps as a response, McCartney gives us Ivy Bird, a beautiful portrayal of where your imagination can take you, if you allow it to take flight.
Review: Bon Voyage, Mister Rodriguez
Duchesne masterfully weaves a simple tale that elicits questions and provides few answers thereby creating necessary discussion. Death, after all, is a subject that is worthy of discussion and necessary to understand.
Review: My Ocean is Blue
An exuberant little girl takes readers on an ocean adventure using her senses to describe her ocean. Through her journey, we not only see what the ocean is, we also feel the sensory experience she feels. Our little girl, dependent on braces while on land, weaves a subtle but transformative narrative as she describes not only what her ocean is, but also what it represents.