Picture Book Review ~ Mabel and Sam at Home

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Bridging the gap between a picture book and early chapter book this tale of a brother and sister duo is sure to please.

Having moved into a new house the two were feeling a bit discombobulated amongst the movers and boxes and chaos. Nothing was as it should be and everything felt foreign and new. So they made the most of it by commandeering a box and setting sail on a grand adventure.

First Mate Sam and Captain Mabel voyage in the Handle With Care over rough seas, past pirates and sea serpents to a new land. But they’re not sure they’re ready for the dangers that may wait for them outside of the safety of their boat.  But eventually hunger wins out and Sam makes the first daring move.

Next Mabel becomes a tour guide among the artifacts that used to belong in the before house. At the New House Museum she imparts her wisdom and experience but again Sam gets to have his say.

In the final chapter the two adventurers are off to space exploring the darkness and their new surroundings. This time its mom and dad to the rescue and as they all bed down for the night they’re eager for the prospects of more exploring on the horizon.

Sweet tales of adaptation and confronting fears with heart and soul and adorable details.

Mabel and Sam at Home book review

Mabel and Sam at Home: One Brave Journey in Three Adventures

Written by: Linda Urban

Illustrated by: Hadley Hooper

Publisher: Chronicle, 2018

Number of Pages: 56

Age Range: 4-8

Rating: 4/5

Mabel and Sam at home book review2

Picture Book Review ~ Yellow Favorites

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

We’ve had more than our share of gloom this winter (though I am grateful we haven’t dealt with some of the super cold temps the rest of the country has faced.) We’ve usually had a few good snowstorms and I’ve been able to get out and use my snowshoes at least a couple of times by now but all we’ve had is a bit of rain and lots of gray skies. So I’m shifting my focus a bit. I’ve got some more winter faves to share with ya’ll but they’re going to be put on hold in favor of something a bit more cheerful.  Here are a few bright and sunny covers that caught my eye at the last trip to the library. Maybe they’ll warm up your neck of the woods just a little.

Boo Who Book ReviewBoo Who

Written and Illustrated by: Ben Clanton

Number of Pages: 32

Age Range: 3 and up

Rating: 4/5

A shy little ghost is new at school and while the other creatures are happy to include him (once they see him) it’s not as easy as they’d all like. He has no arms and things fly right through him so the typical games of catch and tag are out of the question. But eventually they all find a game that works and learn a lesson about friendship and being yourself.

You probably know by now that I love Ben Clanton’s work. He’s got a Mo Willems touch to his books and has a gift for creating simple but utterly charming characters that pack a punch in an equally deceptive story line. This book is no exception. It’s okay to be shy, it’s okay to be different, everyone has something to contribute. Those are lessons we would all do well to remember.

Around America to Win the Vote Book Review

Around America to Win The Vote

Written by: Mara Rockliff

Illustrated by: Hadley Hooper

Number of Pages: 32

Age Range: 5-10

Rating: 4/5

An unknown (to me) story of two brave, bold women who took to the roads in 1916 to raise awareness for the suffrage movement. They loaded up their yellow car with a typewriter to document their story and a kitten to keep them company and drove around the country (literally) encountering blizzards and mobs and mud and more.

Gosh, I loved this! The yellow is predominant in the illustrations as it was used as a symbol of the suffrage movement and besides being the color of their car the women were greeted with banners of yellow and dresses of yellow and entire parties of yellow. The author has included some great back matter about the vote, automobiles, the time period, and the lives of these every day heroes. Hooray for women and all they do to enact change and do good!

Around America to Win the Vote

My Little Book of Big Freedoms Book Review

My Little Book of Big Freedoms

Illustrated by: Chris Riddell

Number of Pages: 40

Age Range: 4-8

Rating: 3.5/5

The hugely abstract concepts identified as Human Rights by Amnesty International are beautifully illustrated by Chris Riddell in this small volume perfect for little hands. There’s a giant dog representing Safety, a polar bear symbolizes Togetherness, and a lion stands for Freedom. The over sized animals loom large but protective of the children sharing the pages. Children will probably still not grasp the full understanding of the concepts but they’ll feel the importance of them and there will definitely be dialogues opened. This is a gem for adults as well.

Big Book of Little Freedoms Book Review 2

I’ve got more sunshiney tales to share so tune in later this week for episode two. And until then, stay warm, my friends!