Reviewed by Joelene Pynnonen

Science meets whimsy in this enchanting, adventurous children’s picture book.

Maddy loves science. Clouds, planets, stars. More than anything, she loves the moon. She knows all of its phases. How it waxes and wanes, rises with the night and falls with the day. The fingernail moon catches her imagination most of all. A mere sliver of a moon, hanging in the night-time sky, seeming close enough to ride on.

Maddy knows that it isn’t. She knows that it is thousands of miles away. Unreachable. Until one day, the fingernail moon appears outside her window, larger than life and close enough to touch. It has heard all the things Maddy has said about it, and it wants to meet the little girl who loves it so much. Even better, the fingernail moon wants to go on an adventure!

The FingerNail Moon is a picture book with in-depth, whimsical ideas that would suit children three and older with more developed attention spans. It’s a wonderful introduction for children into the magic of science. Curious kids will love to learn about the phases of the moon, the different types of clouds, and the planets in our solar system as they explore with Maddy. This is the perfect book to encourage aspiring little scientists to explore and question the world around them in a fun, engaging way.

As with all picture books, the writing only makes up a fraction of the whole. The illustrations are something that the tale hangs on. Luckily, in The FingerNail Moon they fit perfectly with the story. At the start, the writing holds its own space, but as the book progresses, the illustrations begin washing over the writing as though, like Maddy, the book itself cannot contain its enchantment with the Universe, stars, galaxies, and planets. The Universe is rendered in watercolor-like pastels, less stark and solid than the characters in the story. It’s a lovely way to show the deep contrast between the magic of the galaxy and the solidity of Maddy and her friends.

Rather than treating science as a clinical, abstract subject, this book leans into the irresistible charm of seeing the world through the eyes of someone with boundless curiosity and excitement. Making science an adventure rather than a chore. For the kids who have outgrown the Baby University series, this is a great book to move on to.

Thank you for reading Joelene Pynnonen’s book review of The FingerNail Moon by Darrell Spencer and Greg McKenzie! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A meaningful story about the equilibrium of our planet

Harry the High’s got the good stuff. He brings the sunshine and warm weather. He’s responsible for the kind of perfect summer days that every kid dreams about—the ones filled with swimming pools, popsicles, and playing outside.

Larry the Low, meanwhile, brings the bad weather. The rain, the harsh wind, the destructive storms. He may as well be the inspiration for the song, “Rain rain go away, come again another day.”

But Harry the High thinks the Larry the Low should never come back again. He even tells Larry that nobody likes him and that he should leave forever, so that’s just what Larry the Low does.

Without Larry, Harry learns that he’s capable of bringing his own destruction. Things get too hot on Earth. Crops and vegetation dry out and die, and people are in danger. It’s Mother Nature who must step in and assure these weather heroes that they’re both needed. Playing the role as the sensical judge, Mother Nature explains that the world is an equilibrium of highs and lows, of ebbs and flows, of rain and shine.

The book imparts an important, relevant message for all kids. It’s easy to see gray, rainy days as wasted hours stuck inside, but this bookillustrates just how much we need both to keep a healthy ecosystem. We need rain like we need sun. Parents will be glad to have this book to discuss why gray days happen and why they don’t have to be seen as purely disappointing.

But the book’s art stands in the way of making best use of this story. Characters’ bodies get warped, sometimes to the point of being unrecognizable, and scenes appear as nonsensical, like random shapes in the background or sweat dripping down a t-shirt. The art styles change from page to page, too. More observant kids will notice issues like Mother Nature’s incomplete spectacles, Harry’s smudging face, and background characters without clearly defined faces.

Harry the High is also pretty darn cruel. He tells Larry that he sucks and that he should disappear forever. While meanness like this is real, it could also be introducing younger kids to the language they could use to really hurt another person’s feelings.

In the end, Harry the High Versus Larry the Low comes with a strong message. This book could be a good choice for parents looking to pair nonfiction topics of weather and science with a useful story about the delicate balance of rain and shine.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Harry the High Versus Larry the Low by Alan Champlin! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

The sweetly rhyming story of one lovable pug and a madness of marmots

Anybody who’s ever seen a pug knows: that grumpy-looking ball of fur loves cuddles and belly rubs and getting spoiled. So when Paula, a comfortable pug with a cushy life in a palace, gets sent into the mountains, she’s hoping for more of the same.

But what she finds there isn’t cushiness and cuddles; it’s a grumpy-looking man and a bunch townspeople who don’t think pugs belong up here. 

“Where were the comforts she’d come to expect? 

The absence of cuddles did not seem correct.”

She’s lonely in this new place, but lucky for her, all she has to do is venture outside to find companionship and a kind-of yummy meal. “Life is much brighter / when you’re sharing a meal.” A madness of marmots welcomes Paula with open arms, old cheese, and a rotting sandwich, and they help her feel at home in the woods. And surprisingly, they even play a funny role in breaking down the walls of that grumpy-looking human taking care of Paula.

The Pug Who Didn’t Belong shines most in its poetry. As a parent, you’ll read plenty of rhyming books out loud, and you’ll tell quickly which ones disrupt your flow and which ones float off the tongue. This book’s rhymes don’t just float; they fly. From page one, we ride on rhythm and read about funny behavior in quick pages and with ease. You’ll zip through the lines naturally and even smile while reading the current line about the previous one’s execution. When the rhyme scheme does break, it’s often because it’s a turning point in the story. This is a poet’s book for kids.

The concept of sharing a meal is also one of my favorite themes in recent kids’ book history. We can learn a lot about life by looking at animals. Food is a shared survival need in so many, even if it looks (or smells) different for some creatures. This book promotes food sharing in kids too, and it’s a great way to build community. I’d love it if my kid recommended we feed their next playmate thanks to this book.

It’s not so much a story about a pug who doesn’t belong as it is about a plucky little pug who finds companionship in an unlikely new place. The scene where the townspeople laugh at Paula is perhaps the only one I didn’t love in the whole book. Paula is resilient and brave and sweet and just needs a little love from a madness of marmots. (Am I upset that I learned that a group of marmots is called a “madness” from this kid’s book? Not even a smidge!)

Truly one of the best rhyming kids’ books I’ve read in a long time, The Pug Who Didn’t Belong would be an excellent choice for parents with pugs and kids who are ready to learn about making a home wherever they go.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of The Pug Who Didn’t Belong by Janina Kelly and Tommy Hardman! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A valuable, community-driven story about achieving calmness and sleep for kids

Leo might be in third grade, but he’s suffering from something so many people—old and young, you and me—struggle with: a lack of sleep due to an overactive mind. There are so many things to do tomorrow. How can we possibly stop thinking and sleep?

For Leo, many of his thoughts are related to school, sports, and his new favorite club: The Kids Can Club. Gathering in his backyard treehouse, he and a few of his friends eat snacks and plan missions to help those who need it in their community. Sometimes that means helping new kids at school feel welcome, and others they’re helping an adult tend to her garden. This is the kind of club you wish your kid would get into.

When Leo starts falling asleep in class and on the goalpost on the soccer field, he knows it’s time to enlist the help of his friends. It turns out—Iris, another girl in the club, has struggled with sleep too. But her mom had an excellent strategy for helping her calm down and get some rest. Would he like to try it? 

Soon, Leo and the gang gather at Iris’s house to learn from their mom and, hopefully, make a change for the better.

This is one of those rare kids’ books that’s infused with self-help tips while it tells an interesting story of a lovable kid. Iris’s solution is what some grown-ups might call “Progressive Muscle Relaxation,” but to Iris, it’s “Scrunch Up Five—Unscrunch.” 

At Iris’s house, the kids lie down and focus on tightening muscles in their body for five seconds, breathing, and then releasing. It’s a powerful strategy that is easy to replicate and see the benefits of. That much is clear the moment Leo falls asleep right there on Iris’s floor.

The Scrunch-Up exercise is outlined in detail and is given multiple pages of enactment. By mirroring the time and breathwork required to do it, the book teaches kids to slow down and give the practice its due time just while reading the book. Parents, guardians, and teachers will be encouraged to mimic the physical activities with their little ones, the ultimate teaching moment to practice what you preach. Parents are going to be glad to have a tool like this at their disposal. 

One potential downfall to this, too, is that the action gets a little repetitive on the page. We follow through on multiple scrunch & unscrunch exercises, which means we read a lot of the same stuff. Since it’s a reading experience that’s best combined with the physical activity itself, this makes sense, but it does result in a few extra pages than is needed to tell the story.

Sleep is such an incredibly important facet to our mental and physical health, and that goes double for kids. If your child is clearly having a hard time sleeping, this could be the answer you’re looking for. And since it’s got such a community-driven message, you’ll be doubling up on its usage—teaching sleep strategies and encouraging helping others.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Leo Gets His Nighttime ZZZs by Christine Corrigan Mendez and Jen Monika McCurdy! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A touching fable with lovable characters, good advice, and the power to endure

Wally isn’t invited to play with the others at the playground. Some call him a slow-poke; they don’t pick him for the soccer team. And on the way home from his new school, he sits alone on the bus.

“I wish I were special.”

Sitting under a tree outside of his house, he makes a wish that he could be special enough to be included. And special this story becomes.

There appears the Tailor, an elfish creature with a funny hat who provides the tails for all the animals on the planet. Would Wally want one? Is that the special he was looking for?

A snake, coiling down from a tree branch, wouldn’t recommend getting help from The Tailor. “Look what he did to me. I’m nothing but tail.” But with the way Wally’s life has been going, he’s at least willing to try. A monkey tail is great, fun, but the other kids will think it’s unfair. A lion’s tail is impressive, sweeping, but you can’t use your hands or your tail in soccer. Last but not least, maybe a scary alligator tail is best, so no kids pull it. 

In the end, no tail seems right. Snake knows the feeling, starting to weep about his tail-like existence. But maybe it’ll be all right for all of them. Maybe Wally has found his tail after all, a slithery little best friend to show off at school.

A Tail Tale by Christine Kessides reads like your favorite childhood fable growing up. Sure it’s about a mythical creature and a talking snake, but it’s a story about making do with what you have, being creative, sticking together, and overcoming bullying and exclusion. 

This is a story with a big heart and a big mind. It’s enjoyable on the story-level—I’d be surprised if your kid doesn’t remember the lovable elfish Tailor for a long time—but it also has Wally transforming from bullied to confident helper for the down-and-out snake, providing real life advice that he’s had to learn the hard way. 

What should you do when you’re getting bullied? This book teaches the art of looking your bullies in the eye, telling them that you don’t like it, and, if needed, getting an adult involved. I love that we flip the script on Wally without him even knowing it. He doesn’t know he’s learned from the situation until he has the snake to help and take care of. We leave proud of Wally and feeling like it’d be a blessing if our kid acted like Wally recommends in the book.

I couldn’t get out of here without talking about the fun addition of The Tailor. Welcome to the lexicon of forever-memorable fable characters like leprechauns or Rumplestiltskin, Tailor! This friendly elfish character pops up in a funny outfit and feathers peaking out of his pockets, ready to provide Wally a humorous solution that will teach him a lesson in the end. I kept waiting for The Tailor to turn out tricky in some way, but he really is here to help—even if helping doesn’t look as magical as it first appears.

A Tail Tale is a welcome addition to fable canon. Your kids are going to love it, and you are too if you’ve been looking for a good excuse to talk about bullying and inclusion on the playground.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of A Tail Tale by Christine Kessides! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Jaylynn Korrell

A tragic story turns heartwarming in this big-hearted, animal-loving kids’ book.

Helga works on a farm. She has a deep love for all animals but loves cows most of all: those big, kind creatures and their playful boxy calves. 

But loving cows on a farm can be complicated and sad too. Calves stay with their mothers for one year before they are shipped off, and the mothers wail for their missing children. In Harvey and the Lightning Herd, this isn’t the only tragedy. A lightning storm kills many calves, leaving only six on the farm where Helga works. These calves are known as the lightning herd, and they’re headlined by the adorable, injured Harvey. He’s having trouble walking in a straight line and eating on his own after being injured in the storm, but with love and Helga’s help, maybe there’s hope for him yet. And maybe there’s hope for the rest of the herd, too, beyond their wildest cow dreams.

In efforts to save the herd, Helga comes up with an idea: cowches. A soft cow-shaped pillow that children and parents can cuddle with comfortably. With Harvey as the inspiration, the cowches work well enough to create a sanctuary for the herd—along with many other animals in need—to live out the rest of their lives together.

This book is steeped in big emotion. From the first mention of calves being separated to the natural tragedy soon to strike, Harvey and the Lightning Herd is going to break some animal-loving hearts only to repair them again. It’s an unfortunate truth what happens to many cows on farms, and the clearest way to inspire kids to look out for these amazing, loving creatures is by telling them the truth. This is how to get kids involved in selfless animal care, not just displaying the fluffy side of cuddles and sweetness. This book succeeds in its endeavor to inspire and to spread the word about The Cow Sanctuary in Bridgeton, New Jersey. 

But of course, this doesn’t make it any lighter of a read. The sadness is palpable, and some kid readers are going to be dejected learning about the separation and subsequent deaths of many of the cows. This might be a better fit with older children readers rather than 3 or 4 year olds, and only those who can handle and are curious about some of the devastating truths about our world. 

Cows are incredible creatures who deserve love, affection, and family. Harvey and the Lightning Herd is a loving book that will inspire little ones to get involved and save the animals they care about. 

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s book review of Harvey and the Lightning Herd by Helga Tacreither and PETA! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A lovable dog gets a lovable assistant in this charming story for your little dog-fanatic.

Wait until your little dog lover gets a hold of Doddy, a big-hearted, sock-burying, easily bored Miniature Australian Shepherd who is all smiles all the time. 

Doddy’s human parents, Joseph and Josephine, are busy people, regularly volunteering in their community and spending their days at the Natural History Museum. Instead of buying unlimited socks for the lonely Doddy to bury, Joseph and Josephine turn to the Dog-sitter 3000 app to get an AI-robot assistant to watch Doddy while they’re gone. 

But can this robot dog-sitter keep up with Doddy’s quick feet and rambunctious energy? And are we totally sure that stuffed bunny lying around isn’t going to be a danger to Doddy?

JoJo the Dog-Sitter Robot is a lighthearted kids’ book about the myriad ways the future can help all of us—even our furry friends. In addition to enjoying a story about Doddy and his infectious energy, little readers are given details on what information robots can process and what they can use to contribute to our society. JoJo is capable of talking, recording, giving treats to Doddy, uploading info to Joseph and Josephine on the app, and even dreaming. 

The book also includes some dog-owning safety tips through JoJo, like always keeping an eye on them and researching what you need to know to take care of a dog. My littlest one is obsessed with dogs right now, and while she might be a little too tiny to process all of this information, she kept asking to read more about this lovable, smiley dog.

The images appear to be AI-generated, which makes sense and fits the AI-focused storyline. While it’s interesting to read about the robot information as an adult, some pages are longer reads which might require some skipping for your littlest readers. 

I’m not totally sure how to feel about the dreaming and bunny storyline that sneaks its way into the book about halfway through. For a scientific story, it seems at odds with the point of informing little readers of AI capabilities, even if it does send JoJo on a fast-paced adventure to chase down Doddy and the runaway bunny.

JoJo the Dog-Sitter Robot is a fun story about a memorable, harmlessly mischievous dog and how to care for him. If your little one is interested in humans’ favorite furry companions, they’re going to love meeting Doddy.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of JoJo the Dog-Sitter Robot by Victoria & Merritt Thompson! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

Jaw-dropping art, incredible superpowers, and the promise of action—the beginning of something epic! 

Tiki lives in a small village on a small island called TikiTown. He’s a noble kid with integrity—or so he thinks. Lately, he hasn’t felt or acted like himself.

That’s why his big sister Tari sends him into the jungle on a quest to find himself again. But the self he finds isn’t the one he thought he was. This Tiki is a superhero. 

It turns out—he’s been chosen to save TikiTown from a forthcoming, time-traveling supervillain. In the jungle, a spirit named Fetu reveals his destiny and hands over the best superpowers a kid could ask for: time travel, super strength, and super speed. 

But he doesn’t have to do it alone. Tari volunteers her own bravery and intelligence to go against King Lauia, and so do Tiki’s best friends Spookie, Tom Tom, and Phillip. Spookie is the scientific one, Tom Tom is the architect, and Phillip is the dog with some surprising math skills. 

If King Lauia escapes with a magical Toku mask, it’ll turn TikiTown into an ice village. 

“So what time is it?”

“It’s Tiki Time!”

My child has asked me to read Tiki Time every day since we got it. And I don’t blame her! The art is exciting and vibrant, and the characters might be even brighter. Your kid is going to love Tiki & his crew, a heroic group full of personality and expertise. 

If your child loves creative play in the realm of superheroes, they’re going to love adding Tiki to the mix. He might be as powerful as Superman, he’s a kid, and he’s only a time portal away from dinosaurs. 

But for me, it’s the art that steals the show! My goodness, Tiki’s super speed stretches across the page, his punches come with force, and the characters are drawn with such individuality that you’ll remember them for a long time. 

And the danger is real and palpable without being scary. How you’re able to accomplish that when fire is overcoming your town and an evil creature is threatening everything you love is beyond me. This illustrator is incredible.

I do wish we concluded a portion of the story though. We get an introduction to the world, the problem, and our new heroic best friends, but the story pulls up short in favor of enticing us to read the next book. One thing’s for sure regardless: My child and I are definitely going to be checking out the rest of the story in prehistoric times.

It’s My Turn is an explosive first book in what promises to be a vivid, magical adventure series. And lucky for us, we get to see how these lovable side characters put their skills to the test to save TikiTown.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of It’s My Turn (Tiki Time) by Creator JJ and Fates! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

Big heroes come in little packages.

Octavius the Octopus is missing. Larry and Kevin, Octavius’s friends and your favorite crustaceans, become even more worried when they realize he isn’t just hanging out with his sweetheart Farrah the Flounder.

All the critters of the great big ocean sound their alarms and search high and (very) low for the octopus they need in their lives and coral garden. Steve the Swordfish is the first to find him, finally!, but he’s trapped in a strong, impenetrable cage. 

Well, impenetrable for most.

Sherri the Shrimp rides in on a seahorse, and she might as well be wearing a cape. While the swordfish has an impressive saw-like nose and the crustaceans have powerful pincers, it’s the littlest one who swims in to save the day.

How many kids feel like they’re too small to make a difference? From an early age, it’s clear to our little people that there are benefits to being big. Stepping over baby gates, reaching counters, retrieving snacks—what is it that big people can’t do? Children could always benefit from a dedicated conversation about how little people can make big differences too. They may not look like the same differences, but they can be even bigger, impacting an entire community. There are so many topics to discuss with our children, and Sherri the Shrimp Saves the Day is a fun, ocean-friendly excuse to tell them you believe in them despite their size.

In addition to being relatable to their everyday concerns, this book is a eye-catching, story-told science lesson too! It can be difficult as a little one to really grasp the size of sea animals, especially the small ones. With art like this and what Sherri does to save the day will teach your little kid that those sea creatures they see as stuffed animals and cartoons can be about as minuscule as they come. Sometimes it takes a human item, like a lock, to help them picture how small they really are.

If you’re reading this book for the first time, the images of the cage and the panic from the characters may make you nervous. It is a pretty intimidating topic to cover with little kids—that humans catch sea creatures and take them away from their communities, often for them to eat—so this is a conversation you should be aware of going in. One of the only drawbacks for me here is the illustration of Farrah, a kissy-face, big-lipped, fake eyebrow-donning romantic interest. Overall, the illustrations are strong and add great value to the story, but the Farrah character left me wanting.

Sherri the Shrimp Saves the Day will be an enjoyable read for your kid, especially if they have something to learn about feeling small and inconsequential. If there’s a better role model than this infinitesimal shrimp who saves an octopus’s life, show me.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Sherri the Shrimp Saves the Day by George J. Linsenmeyer! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

Beautiful natural illustrations accompany this bouncy, classic nursery rhyme.

The beauty of nursery rhymes run aplenty. There’s a reason these stories have been passed down for generations. Kids love songs from before they can talk, and they keep loving them as they get older. Until they become us. 

And the thing is, everybody’s versions are different. Over In the Meadow is a rhyme I recognize but with different animal characters leading the way. This rhyme has lasted for 154 years. All we have is what we were sung as children and what our parents and grandparents were sung as children. 

This is a counting rhyme first and foremost. We go from one baby turtle to two baby goldfish to three owlets and beyond. In addition to being a catchy song, it introduces young readers to what sounds the animal makes, what they often do, and where they live. There’s a lot of information on natural creatures wrapped up in an attractive, sing-song package. 

Over In the Meadow is a fun counting song with a unique, fast-paced rhythm. Kids will love the beat and find themselves singing along to the energetic baby’s responses by their second or third re-read. I know my kid was when I read this to her.

“Dig!” said the mother.

“I dig!” said the one…

“Swim!” said the mother.

“We swim!” say the two.

The illustrations in this book are about as lovely as they come. Friendly faces doing fun and incredible things, like jumping high like frogs and running fast like deer. Many of the pages are filled with bright characters on white backgrounds, which means the times when the pages are splashed in full color and the characters are silhouetted, the pages pop and are a marvel to look at. The deer running through the woods and the goldfish’s majestic wavy tails are two highlights on full color pages, while the moths and foxes are equally beautiful on white canvas.

The rhyme is bookended by a meaningful Foreword from Celestia French about the book’s messages on motherhood, childhood, and the earth and, at the end, a glossary of the very specific animals included in the book. Not only are we counting in this catchy, educational song, but we’re diving into animal science, introducing us to Eastern Screech Owls, Yellow Garden Spiders, and my favorite, the Harnessed Tiger Moth. And after the information, there’s even a free page where readers are encouraged to write and draw their own version.

This is a slightly different song from the one I know, but it’s true that I did stumble a few times over the rhyme. It may take some time to get used to for parents so they’re not stumbling too much in their all-important first few times reading it. Counting also isn’t particularly easy since the pages move by so fast and the rhythm is kind of reliant on speed to achieve it. But also, if you’re reading this book and other counting books often, the numbers climbing to ten will begin to get ingrained in their thought process.

Chandler Strange’s Over In the Meadow is a wonderful addition to this song’s folk lore. If you’re going to redo a classic, do it well. And lucky for us, Strange does just that. Your kid will love having an excuse to sing this catchy song with you again and again. 

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Over In the Meadow by
Chandler Strange! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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