Kizzy has wanted a horse for eleven years but she lives in the city and there are no horses there. Until the day she finds a pony in the supermarket happily gobbling up all of the donuts, that is. This is the opportunity Kizzy has been dreaming of.
She names the pony Donut and sets out to take care of her new equine friend. The only problem is that Kizzy lives on the twelfth floor of an apartment building and there’s no way her mother would let her keep him if she knew. Enlisting the help of her best friend, Pawel, Kizzy learns just how difficult it can be to hide a very hungry pony in a city.
Young readers who, like Kizzy, adore horses and dream of the day when they can adopt one of their own will delight in Donut’s adventures.
Parents of said readers will not necessarily be impressed with the lies that Kizzy tells (with very few consequences) to try to keep her new friend just a little bit longer. They may also be creeped out a little when Izzy goes to a secluded place alone with an acquaintance to see something that needs to remain a secret; this is entirely innocent but my alarm bells rang just the same.
Thankfully this is not a sad animal story. Donut spends plenty of time eating and pooping, and finds his very own happy ending.
Sarah Jennings’ illustrations are as cute as the story, with an emphasis on Donut’s rotund stomach and sometimes messy adventures.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Kizzy has always wanted a pony of her own. So when she finds a pony snacking on donuts in the grocery store, she instantly knows that she must have him – and what to name him. But there’s just one small problem: it’s not easy to hide a pony in an apartment complex!
Enlisting the help of her best friend, Pawel, Kizzy manages to keep Donut fed, ride him around the park, and even hide him in her school’s garden. But Kizzy is finding it harder and harder to keep Donut a secret. Will she be able to give him up if it means finding him a better home? A heartwarming story about following your dreams – no matter how far-fetched they seem.
It’s Halloween and almost time for Big Brown Bear, Fuzzy, Yellow, Calico and Floppy to go to the parade.
The young bears are eager to find the items they need for their costumes and in the rush Floppy is knocked over.
Only one item remains in the box when the other bears are done and it’s not enough for a costume. One by one the other bears share an item from their costumes with Floppy. Then it’s time to go to the parade.
With an emphasis on learning to share, Bears and Boos is an introduction to Halloween, minus the scares. I always find bears easy to love; the colour palette used in the illustrations made this book’s bears even more adorable. I particularly liked Calico, who’s wearing the wizard’s hat.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
The adorable bears are excited to dress up for Halloween – but are there enough costumes for everyone?
Big Brown Bear and the four little bears can’t wait to dress up for Halloween. Everyone grabs their costumes from the costume box, but – oops! – in the rush, Floppy is knocked on her furry behind, and now there are no costumes left for her! Fuzzy says she’s sorry and offers Floppy a golden gown. Then each of the other bears shares an item with Floppy, and soon she’s dressed like a queen – just in time for the parade! Shirley Parenteau and David Walker combine cheerful read-aloud rhyme and irresistibly charming art in another story for the youngest cubs and their big bears.
It’s been six and a half weeks since the first (and only) time I’ve read this book before today and throughout that time my brain has involuntarily and quite randomly been singing/chanting at me:
Bunnies on the bus! Bunnies on the bus!
No wonder there’s a fuss about the bunnies on the bus!
So, parents beware: this book comes with its own built in earworm. And I still love it!
The repetition not only helps the rhymes to flow well, but also gave me the same weirdly soothing feeling as The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round.
Besides the chaos caused by the bus roaring past the citizens of Sunny Town, there’s another adventure being told solely through the illustrations. There are plenty of details to enjoy over multiple readings.
I get the feeling this isn’t the last time I’ll be reading this book.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
A romping, riotous read-aloud from best-selling author Philip Ardagh and award-winning illustrator Ben Mantle.
Bunnies on the bus! Bunnies on the bus! No wonder there’s a fuss about the bunnies on the bus!
There are bunnies on the bus, and they’re causing mayhem in Sunny Town! Watch as they whiz past the bus stop, fly by the swings, and zoom over the crosswalk – these bunnies aren’t stopping for anyone. They finally reach the station, but where are they hopping off to now? Uh-oh … Acclaimed author Philip Ardagh’s rhyming, high-energy text and “Bunnies on the bus!” refrain is ideal for library or classroom read-alouds, and Ben Mantle’s colourful illustrations are chock-full of zany details perfect for repeat reads.
Parents of picky eaters will definitely empathise with Little Donkey’s mother. All Little Donkey wants to eat is grass.
It’s green and yummy and they don’t understand the need to eat anything else.
Their mother tries and tries to get them to try a new food but they don’t want to hear it … until they go too far and turn green!
Finally their mother succeeds in getting them to attempt some other foods and Little Donkey discovers a new favourite.
This was a really cute book and I loved the ending. This story reminds me of someone I knew as a kid who ate so much of a specific food for so long that their skin finally betrayed them, tinted with the colour of the food.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Little Donkey doesn’t want to eat anything but yummy grass. Oh, dear – he has turned green! Is it time to try some other foods?
Little Donkey loves eating grass. Grass is so juicy, zingy, sweet, and tangy! Mom asks him to please have a tiny taste of something else – oranges, watermelon, broccoli? – but a life of eating grass is just fine with Little Donkey. Until one day he spies his reflection in the watering hole and sees that he has turned green. Mum resumes her persuasion with new urgency. Apples and grapes? Yuck! No thank you! But carrots – carrots are crunchy, crispy, and delicious! Little Donkey is delighted with his new carrot-only diet and happy to transform from his all-green self to – oops! Pictures full of color and movement bring to life a charming story that will resonate with choosy eaters.
Teddy was the instigator of all of this. Somehow he managed to arrange for all of the children’s stuffed animals to hitch a ride to school today.
From there they caused mayhem far and wide, from the mess that was formerly the cafeteria to their imaginative use of the finger paint.
They even managed to solve the mystery of what goes on behind the doors of the teachers’ lounge.
This story is really cute and Scott Nash’s illustrations are adorable. The pictures depicting the hijinks of Teddy and his friends are colourful and the stuffed animals are very expressive.
This would have been a five star book for me if not for one problem – the lack of consequences for bad behaviour. Yes, they’re stuffed animals and are just so cuddly, but when Teddy gets a hug and told he didn’t really mean to cause such a ruckus, it’s a bit of a worry.
If you see the faces of these stuffed toys as they’re rampaging through the school, they don’t appear to care about the consequences. They just want to do what they want, when they want to do it. Young readers may have trouble understanding why they have consequences for their bad behaviour when Teddy doesn’t.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
What do your favourite toys get up to when you’re at school? Teddy and friends bring their creative mayhem to the classroom in a gleefully vicarious comic romp.
What would happen if your teddy bear stowed away in your backpack and followed you to school? And what if your teddy convinced all your friends’ stuffed animals to come along for the party? Would you believe they might sneak into the cafeteria to play Pizza Disc, head to the band room to put bubbles in the wind instruments, make a clever glue trap for the art teacher, and roll around in finger paint as well? Luckily, the principal remembers what it was like to be young and may let the rambunctious teddy bear and crew off just this once. Author Jancee Dunn and illustrator Scott Nash bring Teddy and friends back for more mischief in a high-spirited tale of uninhibited fun.
A warning about the domino effect that occurs when you remove one part of an ecosystem, If You Take Away the Otter tells the story of what happened when otters were not protected.
Clearly explaining the cause and effect, this message can easily be applied to other ecosystems.
With the inclusion of plenty of facts about the otters and their habitat, I would have used this book to research a school project when I was a kid. I doubt I would have borrowed it from the library with my usual reading material as I’ve only become interested in non-fiction as an adult. For those who are seeking further information, there’s a bibliography and details of books and websites at the end of the book.
For me, Matthew Trueman’s illustrations were the star of this book. The otters are absolutely adorable and all of the other sea life pictured are equally realistic. Some younger children may find the pages that depict the people in boats coming to hunt the otters scary, although there is a happy ending.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
When the sea otters disappear, why does their kelp forest habitat disappear, too?
On the Pacific Coast of North America, sea otters play, dive, and hunt for sea urchins, crabs, abalone, and fish in the lush kelp forests beneath the waves. But there was a time when people hunted the otters almost to extinction. Without sea otters to eat them, an army of hungry sea urchins grew and destroyed entire kelp forests. Fish and other animals that depended on the kelp were lost, too. But when people protected the sea otters with new laws, their numbers began to recover, and so did the kelp forests.
Susannah Buhrman-Deever offers a beautifully written account of a trophic cascade, which happens when the removal of a single element affects an entire habitat. Asides that dig deeper are woven throughout Matthew Trueman’s dynamic illustrations, starring a raft of charismatic sea otters. Back matter includes more information about sea otters and kelp forests, including their importance and current status, the effects of the international fur trade on indigenous peoples, and a list of books and websites for readers who wish to continue to explore.
A day at the beach is anything but ordinary for this young girl. She builds a sandcastle, but this is not just any sandcastle.
This one is fit for hosting royalty – a castle with turrets and a moat guarded by a crocodile. There’s even ice cream!
But a day at the beach is not complete unless sand gets everywhere.
This is an imaginative book and the illustrations contain so many details, with the opportunity for countless untold stories to be imagined. Before the story even gets under way you’re treated to a crowded scene that includes a sand shark, sand snowman (sandman?), mummy, pirate, witches and so much more.
I also found some references in the illustrations that will likely fly straight over kids’ heads. Jack and Rose from Titanic recreate one of their scenes. Excalibur tests the worthiness of various characters.
Make sure you keep an eye out for the girl’s small friend in the blue and white striped swimmers.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Step inside a sumptuous sandcastle packed with amazing and amusing visual details for a beach day that’s fit for royalty.
A young girl loves building sandcastles. But not just any sandcastles. She builds one so big and grand and lovely that all the royals of the world come to visit. There are banquets and balls and tournaments, a greenhouse for cacti, a staircase for skateboarding, and ice cream around the clock. Everyone seems to be having fun, until they discover sand in the royal almond strudel … and the fig milk bath … and everywhere!
With a keen eye for the absurd, author-illustrator Einat Tsarfati invites readers beyond the crocodile moat to explore the intricately detailed, increasingly wild festivities that echo the arc of a day at the beach, from euphoria to gritty discomfort. The diverse cast of regal guests, from a Rapunzel-esque princess in pj’s and unicorn slippers to a pair of knights playing badminton, is just as inspired. A visual treat of a tale, Sandcastle opens the doors to a world by the sea where wit and imagination reign.
This is my first Natalie and Alphonse read. It’s the third in a series about monster siblings who live on the seventh floor of an apartment building. Although they’re good at entertaining themselves, sometimes there just isn’t enough space for them to play and some of their games are messy.
They want to go camping but they don’t have a backyard. They spend some time exploring in the local park.
Then the siblings use their imagination to come up with a way to sleep in a tent in the jungle without needing a backyard. The siblings’ creativity and adaptability allow them to come up with a solution to a problem.
I don’t think I’d be as laidback as their father was about the huge mess they made in the apartment. If they were my little monsters I’d be making sure they’d cleaned up after themselves before they got to have an adventure in the park. Although, perhaps father monster just wanted them to use up some of their excess energy …
The illustrations are colourful and cute, although I prefer children’s books with more detailed pictures. I liked the book’s message but I don’t think I’d want to read it again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Lovably rambunctious monster siblings Natalie and Alphonse are excited to go camping in the wilds of nature – without leaving their apartment.
Most of the time, Natalie and Alphonse like living in an apartment on the seventh floor. They have bunk beds to drive, a big green chair to hide behind and yell “Raaaar!”, sunflowers on the balcony to water, and almost enough hallway space for tumbling. But when they pretend to be wiggly worms crawling across the jungle … SHFLWUMP! Ow! That is not a good game for indoors! How can they explore the joys of nature in the middle of the city? In a playful ode to cooperation and imagination, award-winning picture-book creator Daisy Hirst presents a third adventure starring two relatable – and resourceful – siblings.
I read the Three Rancheros series out of order. Louisiana’s Way Home was my first Kate DiCamillo read (ever) and it remains my favourite of the series. I absolutely adored Louisiana and every Burke Allen competed to become my favourite character.
When I read Raymie’s story I was introduced to this wonderful spitfire of a young girl called Beverly. I suspected at the time that Beverly would wind up being my favourite character of the series and couldn’t wait to read more about her. A little over three months ago I read her story and was shocked to discover that it was my least favourite book of the series at the time. I didn’t want to accept that so I decided a reread was in order. I’m so glad I tried again because I absolutely fell in love with Beverly’s story this time!
Before I go any further I want to share with you what is quite possibly my favourite passage of the entire series. It’s an excerpt of the author’s letter to the reader at the beginning of this book. It’s so beautiful that I keep rereading it. It makes me want to be a better person every time I see it.
Raymie Nightingale is about the saving grace of friendship. Louisiana’s Way Home is about deciding who you are. And Beverly, Right Here is about acting on that knowledge of who you are. They are all stories of becoming, I think. And all three of these books are about the power of community – the grace of someone opening a door and welcoming you in, and maybe most of all, having the courage to walk through that door once it’s open.
I get a little misty eyed even thinking about it. Anyway, without further ado …
It’s August 1979 and Beverly Tapinski is now 14 years old. Buddy, the one eyed “Dog of Our Hearts”, has died and Beverly has decided to leave home.
She had run away from home plenty of times, but that was when she was just a kid. It wasn’t running away this time, she figured. It was leaving. She had left.
Grieving the loss of her dog but determined not to cry, Beverly winds up at Seahorse Court. There she meets Iola Jenkins, an elderly lady who lives in a pink trailer with His Majesty, King Nod, an overweight grey cat.
In a crooked little house by a crooked little sea.
Pretty soon Beverly, who doesn’t like fish, is working in a seafood restaurant and eating tuna melts regularly. This child who believes she belongs to no one becomes important to some new friends and despite her best efforts not to let anyone into her heart, they find a way.
With a horse that takes you on a ride to nowhere, a determined and hopeful seagull and Christmas in July in August, this story cracked my heart wide open during my reread. I wanted to adopt both rough around the edges Beverly and quirky but loveable Iola, but my favourite character was Elmer. He’s polite, smart, sensitive and willing to step outside of his comfort zone, and he’s the type of friend that you know will be there for you no matter what. I adore him and would love to read about what happens to him in the years after this book finishes. Or he can just be my friend. Whatever comes first.
While I feel more satisfied after my reread and aren’t as desperate in my search for a nonexistent epilogue, I would love to one day learn that a fourth Rancheros book is being published, one that takes place 20 or 30 years later. It would be wonderful to catch up with this trio once they’re all grown up to find out what’s become of their lives and their friendship.
I’ve already read two of the Ranchero books twice and I loved both more the second time. I get the feeling that no matter how many times I return to them in the future I’m going to enjoy them more with every reread.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Beverly put her foot down on the gas. They went faster still. This was what Beverly wanted – what she always wanted. To get away. To get away as fast as she could. To stay away.
Beverly Tapinski has run away from home plenty of times, but that was when she was just a kid. By now, she figures, it’s not running away. It’s leaving. Determined to make it on her own, Beverly finds a job and a place to live and tries to forget about her dog, Buddy, now buried underneath the orange trees back home; her friend Raymie, whom she left without a word; and her mom, Rhonda, who has never cared about anyone but herself. Beverly doesn’t want to depend on anyone, and she definitely doesn’t want anyone to depend on her. But despite her best efforts, she can’t help forming connections with the people around her – and gradually, she learns to see herself through their eyes.
“Have you ever in your life come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on you?”
Raymie is learning how to twirl a baton. If she can master that, then surely she’ll be crowned Little Miss Central Florida Tire 1975. Then her father will see her photograph in the newspaper and come back home. See, he ran off with Lee Ann, the dental hygienist, two days ago.
Louisiana also plans to win the contest. Beverly plans to sabotage it. These three unlikely friends meet during one of Ida Nee’s baton-twirling lessons and quickly become the Three Rancheros.
Raymie is sad, Louisiana is scared and Beverly is angry. Together they face fears and painful truths, supporting one another along the way. They also search for Archie, the King of the Cats, and meet a one eyed dog named Buddy, not Bunny.
I really liked the supporting characters in this book, especially Mrs Sylvester, who has the best work phone banter ever (“How may we protect you?”), and Mrs Borkowski, who asks great questions and whose catchphrase seems to be “Phhhhtttt.”
“And I wonder what will become of us. Don’t you wonder what will become of us?”
I was left needing more information about Louisiana and Beverly, so thankfully they have their own books. I would have been so disappointed if the Three Rancheros’ story ended here, when I have so many unanswered questions. Now I need to revisit Louisiana’s story (yes, I read the second book first!) before I find out more about Beverly, who I suspect may wind up being my favourite Ranchero.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie’s picture in the paper and (maybe) come home.
To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest.
But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship – and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.
Schizanthus Nerd 