Monday, April 17, 2017

READING FOR RESEARCH MONTH BOOK REVIEWS - Post #5

Today's topic for my reviews of books read during ReFoReMo 2017 is Friendship.


BE A FRIEND by Salina Yoon

Dennis doesn't talk. He acts everything out, like a mime. Not surprising, he doesn't fit in with the other kids. Things change one day, though, when he kicks an imaginary ball and someone returns it!

This is a great book, with delightful illustrations, about being different and about friendship.

BEST FRINTS IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE by Antoinette Portis

"Yelfred and Omak have been best frints since the were little blobbies." Thus begins this wonderful story about two alien creatures and their special friendship.

Author Antoenette Portis mixes real words and made-up ones to tell this delightful story - one any earth-child can relate to.

DRAGONS LOVE TACOS by Adam Rubin

If you want to make friends with a dragon, just feed him tacos - lots of them. But, don't give him any hot salsa. Warning: If you do, you will be sorry. You'll see.

This is a delightfully funny book about making friends.

EGG by Kevin Henkes

The story starts out with four eggs. Three of them crack and little birds are hatched. The fourth one doesn't hatch with the others. The little birds wait and wait and wait, until finally the egg hatches. But what hatches out of the egg is not a bird.

What will the birds do? Will they abandon this creature?

I love the illustrations for this book. They are so simple and yet they convey so much.

This is a great story about friendship and acceptance.

IDA, ALWAYS by Caron Lewis

Two polar bears, Ida and Gus, lived at the zoo in New York Central Park. They had a special friendship. Wherever Gus was, Ida was there, always.

Until she wasn't. Ida got sick and passed away. Then Gus had to cope with the loss of his best friend.

This is a warm, touching tale, based on the true story of Ida and Gus. The beautiful, lyrical prose is strongly complimented by the wonderful, expressive illustrations. This is a great book that touches on two important themes - friendship and death.

I LOVE CAKE! by Tammi Sauer

Moose loves cake! Moose really loves cake! Moose really, really loves cake! So when Moose goes to Rabbit's party, along with Porcupine, all Moose can think about is CAKE. And, when Moose eats the whole cake, all by himself, in one big bite, he ruins Rabbit's party.

What can Moose do to make things right?

This is a delightful book about friendship.

LEO: A GHOST STORY by Mac Barnett

Leo was a ghost. He lived alone in a big house until a family moved in. He liked having the family there. He liked it so much he made mint tea and honey toast for them. That spooked them because they couldn't see him, they could only see the tea and toast on the table. They didn't want a ghost in the house, so Leo moved out.

He went to the city where he used to live. Would he be able to find a home there?

LITTLE ELLIOT BIG CITY by Mike Curato

Elliot is a little elephant who lives by himself in a big city. He manages things by himself - mostly.

One day he meets someone smaller than him who needs help. Elliot helps out and that makes him feel very big. And, he makes a new friend, and that makes him very happy.


A ball comes bouncing into a little mouse's house, waking him up. What happens next results in a lively romp through the alphabet.

This is a different kind, and a delightful kind, of alphabet book. The text is very minimal. The story is told mostly with words starting with each of the 26 letters of the alphabet, with very little text added to that. The illustrations really tell the story, as they should in a picture book.

SCRAWNY CAT by Phyllis Root

The scrawny cat used to have an owner and a home, but now he's all alone, cold, skinny and lonely.

When he runs away from a dog, he jumps into a docked boat for cover. It storms. The boat is washed out to sea with the cat inside.

What will happen now? Will the scrawny cat be lost forever or will he find  a forever home?

STICK AND STONE by Beth Ferry

Stick and Stone forge an unlikely friendship. But they become great buddies, a real team. When Pinecone bullies Stone, Stick "sticks" up for him. But, when Stick gets into trouble, will Stone be able to help?

This is a great story told with minimal text and in rhyming. It's very difficult to write in rhyme and do it well, but author Beth Ferry does it brilliantly. The delightful illustrations by Tom Lichetenheld add to the simplicity of this wonderful picture book.



Goat thinks he's doing okay until Unicorn moves in. Everything Goat can do, Unicorn can do better.

But Unicorn discovers there are some things that Goat can do that he, Unicorn, can't do.

Can the two manage to become friends?


The brightly colored illustrations greatly enhance the text of this picture book.

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