childrens books
Review of ‘Oliver and Jumpy: 40-42’
Werner Stejskal does it again. In Oliver and Jumpy: 40-41 young readers again encounter Oliver the elegant tomcat, and his sidekick, Jumpy the kangaroo, off on more amazing adventures. Oliver and Jumpy help a family of elephants find food, and then Oliver becomes a hero as he kisses a princess and wakes her up. The final story has Sillandia being visited by an alien who wants to learn how to be silly and have fun.
Enchanting little stories with fantastic illustrations, they are perfect for reading to youngsters, or allowing young readers to enjoy all by themselves. Each story offers a subtle lesson that will not be lost on your toddlers. Great bedtime reading.
I give this book four stars.
Review of ‘Oliver and Jumpy: 37-39’
Oliver and Jumpy are back in a new series of adventures. Oliver and Jumpy: 37-39 by Werner Stejskal contains three exciting new stories of the exploits of the elegant tom cat and his kangaroo friend. From rescuing a maiden in distress in a painting to Oliver’s dislike of getting wet, to a trip down the river, more adventure awaits your young readers. Fascinating illustrations and deftly taught morals mark these stories that every child will enjoy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. I give this book four stars.
Review of ‘Oliver and Jumpy: 31-33’
Oliver and Jumpy: 31-33 by Werner Stejskal is another fascinating romp with Oliver the elegant tomcat and his friend, Jumpy the kangaroo. An excellent book to read to youngsters, this one has three new adventures. In the first, the crockery comes alive and has a fancy party for Oliver and his friends. It’s followed by a hair-raising adventure when Oliver and friends go boating and encounter a hungry shark, and finally, Oliver becomes tiny and explores the world of the garden.
Colorful illustrations and captivating stories will keep your young ones wanting to hear more.
Another five-star book from Stejskal.
Review of ‘Oliver and Jumpy – 31-33’
I have enjoyed Werner Stejskal’s Oliver and Jumpy books. They’re favorites of my grandchildren, and always contain little lessons of value for young people, in addition to being entertaining. I get free copies of these books in exchange for my unbiased reviews.
Stejskal hits another one out of the park with Oliver and Jumpy: 31-33, a series of stories featuring the elegant cat, Oliver, and his kangaroo friend, Jumpy, as they engage in adventures. In the first story; on New Year’s Eve, the crockery and cutlery comes alive and prepares a feast for all the creatures. A cute little story that’s just fun to read. In story 32, the whales come to visit, and everyone enjoys playing them, but sharks also come, and they pose a danger. Using his wits, Oliver saves his friends. In the final story, Oliver becomes very small so that he can explore the small world among the flowers of the garden.
Interesting stories and superb illustrations make these books a hit with early learners and first readers alike.
I give Stejskal five stars for this one.
Review of ‘Caterpillar Wants to be a Cow’
I don’t usually review children’s books here, but this one was just to good to pass up. it’s short – as all kids books are – so my review is short as well.
Caterpillar is upset. He doesn’t want to be a caterpillar anymore. So, he explores all the things he’d like to be, only to find out that in the end he’ll become a beautiful butterfly with unique abilities that no one else has.
Caterpillar Wants to be a Cow by Regina Puckett is a cute little tale with some fantastic illustrations and a great moral – you can only be the best that you can be.
Get this book for your kids. They’ll love you for it. I give it five stars.
Review of ‘How Far Will it Bounce?” My Blue Ball’
Ever since I became a grandfather, I’ve taken to occasionally writing—and reviewing—books for children. What I look for in a book is something that will satisfy my precocious four-year-old, but maintain the interest of an impatient two –year-old at the same time.
How Far Will it Bounce?: My Blue Ball by D.C. Swain meets both criteria. It has some neat illustrations and a catchy writing style that makes it easy for young readers to handle on their own, or fun to have read to them. A few grammatical issues—the problem of deciding between it’s and its for example—but nothing that would keep a kid from thoroughly enjoying this book.
My granddaughter, Samantha, gives it four stars.
Review of ‘Oliver and Jumpy: Stories 7 – 9’
Oliver is an elegant tomcat. His best friend is Jumpy, a kangaroo. The two of them get up to some amazing adventures that will delight young readers. In Werner Stejskal’s Oliver and Jumpy: Stories 7 – 9, our two heroes have fun in the snow among other adventures.
I received a free copy of Stejskal’s book for review, and as usual was enthralled by the simple, yet educational stories contained therein. The illustrations are first rate, and kids can learn life lessons while they enjoy having the stories read to them, or for those who can read, read themselves.
As a grandfather myself I can really identify with Stejskal’s efforts to entertain his grandkids. This is not the best of his Oliver and Jumpy series, but it still deserves four stars.
Review of ‘A Little Book About You’
A Little Book About You (A Great Way to Tell Your Child You Love Them) by Scott Gordon is a cute little book with a great message. Perfect for reading to children as young as 18 months, and a good way to introduce an older toddler to reading.
Some nice illustrations, each with an uplifting message to help children have a positive self-image—and, a great way to tell your child he or she is loved.
This is a short book, so I’m writing a short review–it wouldn’t do to have the review longer than the work being reviewed. Get this one for your child. You won’t regret it. I give Gordon five stars for this one.
Review of ‘Christmas with Uncle Nick and the Sugarplum Fairies’
Billy and Cindy get a surprise when their Uncle Nick, who they’ve never seen before, comes to visit and babysits them on Christmas Eve. Christmas with Uncle Nick and the Sugarplum Fairies by P. M. Richter, which I received free in exchange for a review, is an interesting twist on Clement Clarke Moore’s ‘The Night Before Christmas.’ It has a series of delightfully cute illustrations as the author has Uncle Nick narrating Moore’s poem, with the addition of fire-breathing dragons that turn out to be something other than the monsters we often think dragons to be.
This is a great book to read to your young ones before, during, or even after the holidays – and an outstanding book for the new young readers to learn to read and to learn about life at the same time. Find out how the sugarplum fairies saved Christmas.
This is a book that adults will also enjoy. Full of humor and good cheer. A must for anyone who enjoys a good story, and the recipe for sugarplums is an added bonus. I only wish I’d gotten a chance to read it before Christmas so that I could have posted my review on Christmas Day – what a great gift that would have been for my granddaughter Samantha who loves books as much as I do.
Five stars only because six aren’t available.
Review of ‘The Suburban Monsters’ by Bryan Higby
The Suburban Monsters, by Bryan Higby, with wonderful illustrations by Jim Webb, is a rib tickling story for young readers that will also delight older ones.
Harper is a young girl who never believed in monsters until she and her family moved to Doomsville. Then, she discovers a zombie in her closet, a vampire in the washroom, a werewolf in the pool, and a mummy in the kitchen. The problem is, she can’t get her parents to believe her, until – . Well, to discover what happens next, you really need to read the book for yourself. I was given a free review copy and found it delightful, as did my two-year-old granddaughter.
Despite being about monsters, it’s written and illustrated in a manner that makes it safe enough to read to the young set, and a humorous read for those just learning to read for themselves. As a matter of fact, you’re likely to find yourself chuckling as you read it, regardless of your age.
I give it three stars.
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