THE STORY OF HARMELODIA

Wojewoda, M. P. & Rheostatics (Producers). (1999). Rheostatics: the story of harmelodia. Halifax, NS: Rerimeter Records.

Plot Summary
This is the story of Dog and Bug, two children from Harmelodia who go for a stroll in their neighbourhood park, and fall into a hole in the ground and end up in the land of Popopolis.  
In Popopolis, they discover many curious and amazing instrument. While trhing to find their way home, they discover many magical and beautiful instrument.  By playing these instruments, they learn that magical things can occur, including reaching their father far away in Harmelodia. 


 Review
This is a fabulous book/musical compilation that is suitable for adults and children alike. Readers are able to follow along with the text in the storybook, and then pause to listen to the songs that the Rhoestatics composed for the album. The illustrations captivate the magical mood of the story, and encourage the listener to embark on the journey with Dot and Bug. 
This is not a typical audio book, as the songs are complex, and may not engage a young child listener. However, a young teen could find this book of interest, and appreciate the sounds and music in the album.
 


Age Range - 11-adult

Rating





****

RAMONA'S WORLD

Cleary, B. (1999). Ramona's world. New York, NY: Morrow Junior Books.

Plot Summary
 Ramona Quimby is starting the fourth grade, "the best year of her life, so far". However, she soon discovers the many challenges of being a big sister, as she is expected to act as a strong role-model to her baby sister.  She also finds it very frustrating to live up to her older sister's responsible nature. Ramona must work hard to improve her spelling and she is expected to spend more time with Susan, a "friend" whom she does not like.


Review
This is a great book for children. The challenges that Ramona faces are typical of her age, and the drama that she faces is hilarious. The text is supported with funny images that depict Ramona's world. The book is broken into chapters, which allows the reader to experience a sense of accomplishment with every chapter.
I would highly recommend this book to any reader - reluctant or not. 

Age Range - 8-12


 Rating


****

GO, DOG. GO!

Eastman, P.D. (1961). Go, dog. go! New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

Plot Summary
A rhyming story about several colourful dogs; a blue dog, a green dog, a white dog, a yellow dog and a pink dog. The book follows the dogs as they explore a maze, sit on tree-tops, drive cars, ride on a roller-coaster, ski, and much more. 



Review
This storybook introduces many basic learning concepts to young readers. It features many repetitive words and phrases, to foster and encourage comprehension. In addition, the book introduces important concepts, such as " It is hot here in the sun", and  "Stop, dogs. Stop! The [street] light is red now."
The rhyming scheme does not flow as well as other Dr. Seuss books, such as, The Cat in the Hat, and, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, however, I think that the dogs are funny, and they certainly get into some funny trouble that is sure to entertain toddlers.


Age Range-1-4


Rating 

***

FOR THE KIDS

Gates, T. & Jowett, M. (Producers).(2006). For the kids. Vancouver, BC: Nettwerk

Summary
This album is a collection of 16 kids songs; the songs range from classic children's songs, such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Sing to fabulous new originals that are sung by some of today's finest rock artists.

Review
Listening to this album made me smile. It is warm, welcoming and fun to listen to. Sarah McLachlan imitates Kermit the Frog when singing the classic muppet show song, Rainbow Connection, Tom Waits sings a crooning blues tune, and Billy Bragg and Wilco get creative with  My Flying Saucer. 


The quality of the musicians and the sound recording make this an especially special children's musical album. I would highly recommend this album for anyone wanting to introduce their children to great modern musicians, new songs, and of course, adaptations of old favorites.

Age Range - 0-adult

Rating

****

QUID PRO QUO

·      Grant, V. (2005). Quid pro quo. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers.

    Plot Synopsis
      Cyril MacIntyre is the teenage son of quirky, passionate, and hilarious single mother, Andy, who has dragged her son to her law school classes from the very beginning of her studies. Cyril’s understanding of law is better than any other average teenage boy, which comes in handy when his mother disappears and he is left to solve her missing case.

    

    Review
    This book is cleverly written and very engaging. Cyril is a smart and inquisitive kid who has normal kid concerns, however,  he is left to deal with more mature maters when his mother disappears. The story is set in Halifax, NS, and would therefore appeal to a local readership. I enjoyed reading about familiar locations in the city, and found it fun to image the story taking place in some of our landmark locations.
I would recommend this book to any young reader who is interested in reality with a twist of mystery.

    Age Range - 9-12

   Rating

   ****

DEAR DUMB DIARY: THE PROBLEM WITH HERE IS THAT IT'S WHERE I'M FROM

Benton, J. (2007). Dear dumb diary: the problem with here is where i'm from. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Plot Synopsis
When a sewage line breaks at the Wodehouse Middle Shool, all of the kids are bused to the neighbouring school, Mackerel Middle School, to attend classes. That is when Colette shows up..........and makes Jamie Kelly's life miserable.


Review
Written in diary format, Jamie Kelly tells her readership of the latest happenings in her life, specifically at school. The book is written in familliar language that pre-teen girls will especially like. The narrative is witty, and the humour is comparable to that  Louise Rennison, however, it is geared toward a younger audience.
There are creative illustrations on every page as added entertainment for the reader. I would recommend this book to reluctant readers, as the language is simple, and the humour compels the reader to continue turning the pages.


Age Range: 9-12


Rating




***

UGLY DUCKLING

Isadora, R. (2009). Ugly duckling. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Plot Synopsis
The ugly duckling does not look anything like his brothers and sisters. In fact, he is ostracized and  considered so ugly, that he  leaves his family in search of  a place where he will fit in.

He spends many months alone, and during the winter is unable to survive in the cold. One cold day, a farmer finds him and brings the duckling home to his children, where they love and care for him over the winter months.

When spring arrives, the duckling, no longer little, finds a pond to swim in. To his surprise, his is not longer ugly, he is in fact a beautiful swan who is admired by others.


Review
This is an adaptation from Anderson's classic story.  The story has been altered to more accurately suit a younger audience, as Anderson's original story tells of the ducklings harsh reality with the old lady and her children.
This version is set in the African savanna, as depicted by the vibrant mosaic-like cut out images that Isadora has created. The lesson that this story tells is important to learn, and it is never to early to introduce acceptance to children.


Age Range - 2-5

Rating




****

THE LITTLE RED HEN

Pinkney, J. (2006). The little red hen. New York, NY: Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Plot Summary
Mother hen finds some seeds one morning while hunting for worms and berries. They happen to be wheat seeds, so she decides to plant them in the garden. She offers her neighbouring animals; a dog, a pig, a rat, and a goat the opportunity to help cultivate the earth, sow the seeds, tend the crop, harvest the wheat, and bake some bread with the flour from the harvest. At every chance to help mother hen, all four animals decline.
When it is time to eat the bread, however, the animals are eager to share, but because they did not help, mother hen will not share with them, only with her little chicks.


Review
This is a lovely recounting of the classic tale of helping others out. The illustrations are beautifully depicted, with the use of bright, double-spread images that will surely thrill and engage children. The story teaches a valuable lesson that children will understand and enjoy.


Age Range - 2-6


Rating




****

THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA

Stevens, J. (1982). The princess and the pea. New York, NY: Holiday House.

Plot Summary
There once was a lion prince who wanted to find a princess to marry. His mother, the queen lion, insisted that he find a "real princess". The prince searched all over the world for this princess, but to no avail, his mother did not approve of any princess that they met.

One dark and stormy night, a sodden and messy looking princess lioness knocked on their door. The lioness needed a place to stay for the night, so the queen, skeptical as she was, placed a pea underneath a pile of mattresses. She decided that if the princess was unable to sleep comfortably, that she must be fit for the prince.


Review


The illustrations in this book are cute, they are hand drawn using coloured pencil crayons, however, they are slightly muddy.  The lion characters are quite fantastical and I do think that kids would like them, however, the story-line lacks excitement.


This adaptation of Anderson's "The Real Princess" lacks in narrative and a positive moral conclusion. The queen insists on approving of a princess for the prince. I do not like the message that this instills, I would not recommend this version of Anderson's story.


Age Range: 2-5


Rating



***

KIDSCLICK!

KidsClick! web search for kids by librarians. (2010). KidsClick! Retrieved from http://www.kidsclick.org/

About the Site:
KidsClick is a directory of kid related websites that was created by librarians.


Site Review:
I think that the librarians involved in this site's development have a clear idea of what they want the site to do, however, the site falls short of accomplishing its task. The site is very confusing. There is a lot of clutter, with many different search options, all assuming that the kids are familiar with proper search strategies. The "Search" box does not support natural language searching at all. The site offers the ability to choose different subjects of interest, as a way to limit searches, however, once in these categories, I found that the options were limited.

Age Range:


Rating:


**

YAHOO! KIDS

Yahoo! kids. (2010). Yahoo! kids. Retrieved from http://kids.yahoo.com/

About the Site
 This site is a browsable and searchable directory of Internet sites for kids. It contains games, music, movies, jokes, sports related information, homework help and more.


Site Review
 Yahooligans! is a very busy site, with many options for kids to choose from. Many of the links lead the viewer to gaming websites. Games can be fun to play, however, can also prove to be very distracting if wanting to find actual information. The site does not support natural language searches, therefore, it has not taken considered its audience.
The "Parent" link is very helpful, as it provides adults with valuable information regarding protecting the privacy of children and what sites your kids should avoid.
Overall, I would not recommend this site to children, as I believe that other sites, such as the International Chiuldren's Digital Library.

Age Range-7-11


Rating

*

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Anderson, W.(Director).(2009). Fantastic mr. fox [Motion picture]. Los Angeles, CA: Regency Enterprises.

Plot Summary:
This movie follows Mr. Fox as he attempts to put his wild days of chicken stealing, cider drinking and midnight adventuring behind him to become a responsible father. He does this by becoming a newspaper columnist, however, his instinctual, nocturnal nature is a stong force, and he decides to go on one more chicken stealing spree.
The story follows Mr. Fox as he gets himself, his family and his neighbouring community into more trouble than he had bargained for.

Review:
This movie is filmed with stop-motion animation. The characters and the sets are beautifully constructed and will appeal to any audience, young or old. Children will enjoy this story for the talking animals and their funny antics, and adults will  enjoy it for the subversive humour.
I would highly recommend this film to anybody, child or adult. It is fun, fantastical, and hilariously funny.


Age Range: 3- adult


Rating 


*****

101 DALMATIONS

Geronimi, C., Luske, H. & Reitherman, W (Directors). (1961). 101 Dalmatians [Motion Picture]. Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

Plot Summary
Pongo and Perdita, a dalmatian couple, are thrilled to be expecting their first litter of puppies. Once day, Cruella de Vil comes to their home to visit their owners, and offers to buy the unborn puppies. Upon learning that they are not for sale, Cruella hires thugs to steal the pups, as she wants to make herself a dalmatian skin coat.

The story continues with the puppies being stolen, and a mad search for the dogs ensues, by both the human population, and the neighboring dog population.

Review
This animated story features many stereotypes;  a lonely and disheveled bachelor living with his dog; man meets a beautiful woman and they instantly fall in love and wed; the dogs take on human emotions,  and fall in love and get pregnant; the evil Cruella de Vil looks entirely different than the rest of the "kind", normal folk, and because of her mischievous personality, it is acceptable that she swears and mistreats others; oh, and it all ends happily ever after......

I think that this movie, if watched on a regular basis by children, will foster an acceptance of these stereotypes, and dissuade critical thinking about different ways of living and different types of people. However, I must say that Cruella de Vil is a very engaging character, but, her use of the words "you idot(s)" made me cringe after having heard her say it about 30 times.


Age Range: 2-8


Rating




**

HEIDI

Spyri, J. (1880). Heidi. London, UK: Berryland Books Ltd.

Plot Synopsis
Heidi is the story of an orphan who is left in the care of her grumpy grandfather in the Swiss Alps.  She lives with him for three years, brining joy to him and her best friend, the goat-herd, Peter. At the age of seven, she is brought to Frankfurt where she becomes the companion of a girl in a wheelchair. At this time, Heidi's health begins to fail, and she is terribly homesick. Her only diversion to her homesickness is the fact that she is lerning to read--- she sees the potential to read stories aloud to her loved ones in the Alps.

Review
Upon reading this story, it is immediately clear that it was written in a different time. The story opens the reader to another world, where the use of the English language was used very differently. The story is antiquated, and includes religious overtones and gender stereotyping, which would not bade well in today's society, however, it does offer the reader perspective into how our society has changed over the years.
I read this book as a child and I really enjoyed it. I really related to Heidi's spunk and her spirited personality. I must say that she lived up to my memories of her.  I would recommend this book to a   child, but would certainly suggest that he/she think about the differences of that culture and compare it with today's.

Age Range - 6-12

Rating


***

THE INCREDIBLE BOOK EATING BOY

Jeffer, O. (2006). The incredible book eating boy. London, UK: Harper Collins Children's Books.

Plot Synopsis


Henry is a little boy who loves to eat books, the more books that he eats, the smarter he becomes............until one day, he begins to feel ill. Henry becomes sick from eating too many books, and all of the information that he consumes begins being jumbled in his head. Henry has got to stop eating books, one day, he opens a book and realizes that he loves reading books, and that he can become the smartest boy in the world by reading instead of eating.


Review
I love, love, love this book. It has great appeal on many levels. Esthetically, it is beautifully illustrated. Jeffers uses mixed -media, collage, and paint to illustrate the pages, which speaks to the interests of a wide audience. Children can appreciate this approach, as they could have fun identifying the different objects that are used out of context in the images, and adults can appreciate Jeffers cleverness with his approach.

The story is delightful and teaches an important lesson.......books instill knowledge, and they are fun to read. My favorite part of the book is the bite mark on the back cover. Kids will surely love this added detail, in fact, there is evidence of several attempts to bite the book on my library copy.

Age Range - 2-6

Rating




*****

WHEN YOU REACH ME

Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books.

Plot Synopsis


Myranda is a 12 year old, latchkey girl who lives in New York City. Her life is pretty ordinary.........until her best friend, Sal gets punched for no apparent reason,  and then he retreats from her life. At this time, strange things start happening, she receives several cryptic notes and things begin vanishing.


Review


This book is fantastical, it has elements of science fiction, and mystery, and that is what makes it so brilliant.
The book grabs the reader on the first page, and every page after that invites the reader to try and solve the mystery, understand time travel, and spend time with an average girl and her friends.

This book will appeal to wide audience, it is fun, it presents a challenge, but is written in a way that does not cause confusion. I would hightly recommend this book to any pre-teen or young teen. It offers the market something new, without talking down to the readership.

Age Range - 9-14

Rating


*****

DINAH'S DREAM

Hennessy, B.G. (2000). Dinah's dream. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Plot Summary


Dinah the dinosaur goes to sleep and dreams that she is different things.

Review 


This  book was labelled a levelled reader 1 book at the library. It is meant for children who are learning to read. It has 8 pages, with 5 words on each page. The font size is very large, and the illustrations clearly depict what the text says - for example - Dinah is sleeping in one image, the text reads, " Dinah Dinosaur goes to sleep". The language in the book is simple and familliar and suitable for a new reader.

Age Range - 0-2

Rating


***

A PICTURE BOOK OF ANNE FRANK

Adler. D. A. (1993). A picture book of Anne Frank. New York, NY: Holiday House

Plot Summary


This book retells the true story of Anne Frank, as first told by her through her diaries. The book follows Anne as she hides with her family in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation of World War II. It summarizes the political events of the time with words and images.


Review
This book provides a detailed visual account of Anne Frank's brave journey through very violent, and scary times. The illustrations exemplify the tremendous struggles that she went through during her two years in hiding. The muted colour pallet that Ritz uses for the illustrations help to evoke the intense emotions of Anne and her family. This book is comparable to the Mauz graphic novels, as the story is well written, and touches on family relationships and the historical climate through the eyes of one person (or a mouse in the case of the Mauz books).

I would highly recommend this book as an introduction to the Haulocaust for any child.

Age Range - 4-7

Rating


****

FAMOUS CANADIANS: HELEN CREIGHTON

Sircom, Hilary. (1993). Helen Creighton.Tantallon, NS: Four East Pulibcations Ltd.

Plot Summary


Helen Creighton is seen to be a pioneer of the folklore movement in the Maritime provinces. She was instrumental in collecting and recording songs and stories from all over the Maritime provinces.

Sircom introduces Helen Creighton as a young woman, tells the story of Helen's years during the war, talks about her passions and the singers and songs that inspired her.


Review
Although this book is dated, it does a great job at painting a vivid picture of tHelen Creighton. The sentences and paragraphs have been abbreviated, and the language is succinct - making it suitable for a young adult audience. This would be a great book for any child who is interested in history, and would prove to be a valuable resource for a written school assignment.

Because the book is a biography, and written in the traditional biography style - chronological - the story is not always gripping. It is rather serious and chalk full of facts and details. I do not think that many children would read this for pleasure, however, it is informative and strongly suited for school work.

Age Range -8-12

Rating


**

ROBERT AND THE GREAT PEPPERONI

Seuling, B. (2001). Robert and the great pepperoni. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Plot Summary
Robert is a little boy who  has started a pet-sitting business of his own, but dreams of owning a dog of his own. One day, on his way to a neighbours house to feed her cat, he sees a golden lab sitting in a yard all chained up. The following day, the dog escapes from its chain and finds Robert. Robert's parents allow him to keep the dog until he is trained and able to be adopted. The book follows Robert as he trains "Pepperoni", the dog, and has to give him up for adoption.

Review
This chapter book, like Robert and the Attack of the Giant Tarantula, consists primarily of text with very few drawings. The story writing in the story flows well and it deals appropriately with human emotions and finding solutions to problems. I think that many kids would enjoy these books, as they are easy to relate to and have great boy appeal. Robert is a cute character, with a very creative and charming imagination.

Age Range - 5-8

Rating


**

ROBERT AND THE ATTACK OF THE GIANT TARANTULA

Seuling, B. (2001). Robert and the attack of the giant tarantula. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Plot Summary
This is the story of Robert, a little boy who desperately wants a pet dog. However, his father does not believe that he can take adequate care of a pet, and therefore should not own one.
Andy becomes resourceful and advertises himself as a pet care-giver. Within days, Andy looks after an old lady's  two doves, his friends tarantula, and his friend's bunny rabbit - who then has 8 baby bunnies. Robert becomes especially attached to the babies, however, his mother will not allow him to keep all eight babies, and forces Robert to give them to the animal shelter, which leaves Robert feeling terrible. Can Robert find a home for these bunnies before he  has to give them up?

Review
The book is divided into ten chapters and includes one small black and white illustration on every second page. The title is not at all indicative of the story, the tarantula only plays a small role in the story. This is deceiving and may cause disappointment if the reader was anticipating reading a thriller. The  book is written with very simple sentences, and is appropriate for its intended audience, however, some of the language is out-dated and may not be understood by kids - for example, Robert talks about his VCR (an antiquated term today).
I was not overly impressed with this book, perhaps the second book in the series will be better.

Age Range - 9-12

Rating


**

ANDY SHANE AND THE VERY BOSSY DOLORES STARBUCKLE

Richard Jacobson, J. (2005). Andy Shane and the very bossy Dolores Starbuckle. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Plot Summary
Andy Shane would rather stay at home with his granny than go to school and have to spend time with his classmate, the annoying and bossy Dolores Starbuckle. This all changes when his granny makes a surprise visit to his class, plays and interacts with all of the children. This drives Dolores batty because she can't stand that granny is getting far more attention than her. When Dolores tries to boss Andy around, Andy stands up to Dolores by using his grandmothers famous tactic - the granny Webb stare. Once Dolores realizes that she can no longer bully Andy, they become friends and share the attention that they both want from other classmates, and the grow-ups.

Review
This story deals with a real life situation and acknowledges the challenges that some children face when   dealing with bossy children. This levelled reader (level 4 - reading with help) is divided into four chapters. The images on each page are rendered using pencil, and vibrantly depict the befuddled look on Dolores' face when Andy finds the gumption to stand up to her. The story certainly simplifies the inter-personal relationship that classmates can have with each other,  however, it is appropriate for the inteded audience.

Age Range - 5-8

Rating


***

HOW TO DRIVE YOUR SISTER CRAZY

Shore, D. Z. (2008). How to drive your sister crazy. New York: HarpersCollins Publishers Inc.

Plot Summary
Bradley Harris Pinkerton has an older sister name Abby. Bradley loves to drive his sister crazy and he feels that it is his duty as her little brother to do so. This book is a step-by-step guide on how to make his sister nuts. In addition, he even gives the readers a warning not to let their sister read this book.

Review
This levelled reader book is written for a level 2 reader (reading with help). The story includes big and bright images on each page to help the reader along with understanding the content. The sentences are short and the text bold and big. The images depict Bradley sneaking around corners to scare his sister every chance that he gets. I think that this book has great boy appeal as the character is one that many little brothers can relate to.
If I was a little brother, I would surely enjoy this funny and engaging story.

Age Range - 5-8

Rating


***

GOOD-BYE MARIANNE

Watts, K.E. (2008). Good-bye Marianne. Toronto: Tundra Books.

Plot Summary
This is a story about Marianne, a little Jewish girl growing up in Germany during the Holocaust. She  has to wear a yellow star on her sleeve because she is Jewish. Throughout the story, Marianne experiences many injustices. She is not allowed to attend her school, her father is taken to a concentration camp, her mother works in a orphanage for Jewish children where she tries her hardest to support the family without her husbands income, but then they are evicted from their apartment. Through all of this devastation, there is more to come; Marianne is faced with the decision to leave her family and flee as a refugee with the British Government.

Review
I can imagine that this book, reading it as a young girl, I would have been able to identify with the terror that Marianne had to face. The narrative is haunting, and continously reflects the emontions that Marianne faces. Like the graphic novels, Mauz, this story tells a realistic tale of the horrors faced during the Hollaucaust. The images are simple, they are black and white graphite drawings, that match the mood of the story. I think that this graphic book would be a good introduction to the autrocities of World War II. The book is frank, and does not try to candy-coat the horrible things that happened to innocent people.

Age Range - 8-13

Rating


****

SONG AND DANCE MAN

Ackerman, K. (1988). Song and Dance Man. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Plot Summary
Song and Dance Man is the story of a grandfather who has his three grandchildren to his house for a visit. For entertainment, he brings them to the attic, where he digs out his tickle trunk from his days as a performer on the Vaudeville stage, dresses in his dancing costume, and performs for the kids.


Evaluation
This book truly is adorable, it invites the adult reader to reminise, and tells a truly believable story that kids can relate to. The images have all been drawn with pencil first, and then coloured/shaded with traditional pencil crayons. The reflect the mood through the use of bright primary colours, lots of scribbly lines reference the act of “play”. I think that this was a large contributing factor to the book winning a Caldecotte Award.
The majority of the illustrations in the book span across a two page spread, the use of white space is phenomenal, the text generally appears on the ceiling or on the floor of the rooms where the story takes place. The illustrations tell a narrativew without having to read the text, they jump out at the viewer and invite excitement and play.

Age Range -  3-8

Rating


*****

JEREMY DRAWS A MONSTER

McCarty, P. (2009). Jeremy Draws a Monster. New York: Henry Hold and Company.

                                                     Plot Summary:

Jeremy Draw me a Monster is about a little boy, named Jeremy who never leaves his room. Instead, he watches the neighbourhood children playing from his bedroom window. For entertainment, Jeremy draws a monster who comes to life. The monster turns out to be very demanding and wants to continously be entertained. Jeremy draws items, such as a toaster for eating toast, a record player to liven up the room, and a hat so that he can go outside. The book ends with Jeremy being so fed up with the monster that he draws him a one way bus ticket away from Jeremy's house.

Review: 
This book is very visually appealing, and allows the reader to endulge in his/her imagination. It has stunning hand-drawn images, however, the story lacks the ability to draw the reader into the plot.   The dynamics between Jeremy and the monster are funny, however, the book does not adequately address the issue that Jeremy does not socialize with the real-world children, only a make-belief monster until the very end when he sends the monster away on the bus and gets invited to play ball by one of the neighbourhood children. This transition in the story left me perplexed, as there was no foreshadowing that this may occur.

Age Range - 3-5

Rating


***

how it works:THE HUMAN BODY

Barnes, K. &Weston, S. (1995). Howit works: the human body. London: Horus Editions Limited.

Plot Summary
This book uses text and illustrations to describe and explain the complexities of the human body: from cells; the blood stream; breathing; muscles; reproduction; and more. It aims to help the young reader discover how interesting our bodies are. For example, the book shows the reader how the heart pumps blood, how our eyes see, what the inside of a bone looks like.


Evaluation
This book is ideal for children of many different ages because the images and the text are both very engaging. The images are informative on their own and could potentially be used as a starting point to  attract the interest of a child. 
The text is sometimes technical and wordy, and could be simplified to ensure that the reader does not struggle with the language and become distracted by the challenges presented. However, by introducing new vocabulary to the reader and by using images to aid in their descriptions, there is an opportunity for the reader to enjoy this learning process.

The text is written by a medical doctor and it is apparent as many of the sentences are long and could be presented as a challenge for new readers. 
Overall, I think that this book would be a great book to have around the house for any parent because the images are strong and  have the ability to peak the interest of children of many different ages. However, the child will have to be a somewhat advanced reader to fully comprehend the text.


Age Range -3-7(enjoy the images) 
                     8-12 (full comprehension)


Rating 
]

***

OLIVIA

Falconer, I. (2000). Olivia. Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Plot Summary
This book is about a day in the life of the precious little piglet, Olivia. The reader follows her through one of her energetic days where she dresses up, dances, goes to the museum, interacting with her little brother, goes the beach and builds a sand castle, paints, and reads bed-time stories with her mom. 


Evaluation
This book is so charming. In my experience, young children love to read the Olivia books. The drawings are depicted in a playful and funny manner that encourage children to engage and interact with the story, and they captivate their audience with their simple colour scheme: red, white and black, 


The stories portrayal of Olivia's playful and precocious personality is bound to attract young children and adults alike. Her life is reflective of the everyday routines that are involved in many children's lives, and brings humour to these activities. In addition, the story positively reinforces reading as an important bonding experience between parents and children. 


Age Range - 3-5


Rating


*****



 

IMAGINE A NIGHT

Thomson, S.L. (2003). Imagine a night. New York: Byron Preiss Publications, Inc. 

Plot Summary

Based on a series of paintings by Rob Gonzalvez, Imagine a night is a rhyming bedtime book that encourages the reader to imagine a night....to the theme of the images on each page.

Evaluation

This book has beautiful, rick images, however the text that accompanies each image does not harmoniously flow. It is apparent that the text was written after the completion of the images. I think that this book is one of those children's books that is primarity meant for an adult audience. I think that a child would enjoy the images, however, when truly considered, the text and the images are slightly haunting. I would not recommend that it be read at bedtime, as the title suggests. 

Age Range- 6-9

Rating 


**

THE BREADWINNER

Ellis, D. (2004). The Breadwinner. Toronto: A Groundwood Book - Douglas & McIntyre.

Plot Summary 
The Breadwinner is the story of a little Afghan girl, named Parvana, and her family, as they struggle to exist and survive in their war torn country. After Parvana's father has been arrested, Parvana must cut her hair and wear boy's clothes so that she can roam and work freely in the male dominated market-place of her city, all of this so that she can provide food for her family.

Evaluation 
The story clearly and creatively depicts life as it was during the Taliban rule in Afganistan. Throughout the book, there is a constant tension and fear that those in the market-place will find out Parvana's real sex. Although this book is for a tween audience, I think that it portrays the challenges of maintaining expectations from family and trials and pressures involved in living in Afghanistan. This book allows for children in our modern culture to gain a glimpse of life outside of our milieu.

Age Range - 9-12

Rating 


****

SLUGS

Greenberg, D. (1983). Slugs. Toronto: Little, Brown and Company.

Summary:
A moralistically disturbing tale of revenge, this book is not suitable for children. It begins with a silly rhyming scheme about the many uses for slugs, which primarily include destructive and violent acts against them.
The slugs turn on the boy who has been conducting these cruel experiments, they swarm him and “chop [him] into pancakes, “turn [him] inside out, so [his] liver is on the outside and [his] brain is sauerkraut”.

Evaluation:
The images that accompany the story are seemingly amusing and colourful. They depict funny characters with silly facial expressions doing funny things. The images suggest that the book is intended for children. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the violence depicted in the story is not for the faint of heart, or for that matter, for children. 

 
The images would most likely make many children giggle, however, the text and images are not harmonious, in that the images do not fully depict the cruel and sadistic actions taken upon the slugs and then to the little boy at the end of the story.

The purposes of sharing this book with children may be to teach them a harsh lesson about treating people nicely and with respect. However, I can think of many other ways to convey this message without the use of violence and graphic imagery.

Age Range -  adult

RATING


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