Tag: Picture Book

Quiet – Tomie dePaola

As far as I can tell this is my first Tomie dePaola read. It’s a nice book but it didn’t really grab me. A grandfather is walking in the park with his grandchildren and points out how busy all of the animals are. He encourages his grandchildren to sit on the park bench with him and appreciate being quiet and still because

“To be quiet and still is a special thing.”

The illustrations are fairly simple and sweet, with plenty of animals to look at. Although I like the message of this book I don’t know how much the target audience would actually appreciate it, especially without some further explanation from the adult reading it to them. While this author appears to be quite prolific and popular I don’t think their books are for me.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Tomie dePaola reminds us that mindfulness – being quiet, still, and present with one another – is a very special thing.

Everything is in such a hurry, busy as busy can be. The birds are flying so fast, the dragonfly is zooming over the water – even the trees are waving their leaves.

So what if we sit here, you next to me … and we can just be?

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Ducktective Quack and the Cake Crime Wave – Claire Freedman

Illustrations – Mike Byrne

Ducktective Quack is trying to find
A thief stealing cakes of every kind
With Constable Crackling joining the chase
They aim to solve this sweet criminal case

Told in rhyme as you may already have guessed
You’ll follow along with Quack on her quest
Questioning suspects and searching for clues
Among lovely pictures that will surely amuse

I invite you to read this cute children’s book
The clues are all there if you’re willing to look
I followed along and woohoo, I was right!
Now I’ll crave cakes and donuts all night!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

There’s a crime wave in town and Ducktective Quack needs your help to solve the mystery. Follow the clues in the pictures and see if you can work out who-done-it! Someone has been helping themselves to all the cakes and sweet treats and it’s up to Ducktective Quack and her sidekick, Constable Crackling, to catch the culprit. A hilarious and engaging story full of clues to spot and a delicious crime to solve.

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Under the Love Umbrella – Davina Bell

Illustrations – Allison Colpoys

Up in the sky, amongst the stars

There’s something you might not see …

But over your head and just above

There’s an umbrella of my love

To show it’s you I’m thinking of

Wherever you might be.

Warm and fuzzies abound in this gorgeous picture book. We follow four children, who are introduced in the beginning of the book as Joe, Brian, Grace and Izzy, as they navigate the world under their love umbrellas. No matter what they’re feeling or what they’re doing, they’re assured of the love of their family, which follows them wherever they go.

This is the kind of book that makes me almost wish I had a child I could read this to each bedtime. Because the love umbrella works whether you’re with your loved ones or not I can also see the value of using this book if your child has separation anxiety or if a caregiver needed to be absent from the home for a period of time for work, illness or miscellaneous. Multiple ethnicities are represented, as are different types of families, although I didn’t find any children with a visible disability in any of the illustrations.

I’m always up for a challenge so I loved the idea of trying to discover all of the umbrellas pictured in the book and if I was reading this with a child I’d be encouraging them to help me find them. My personal favourite ‘hidden’ umbrella was the moving truck number plate – BR0LLY.

The illustrations are lovely. The umbrellas in the stars and fireworks are particularly creative and there are plenty of details to appreciate, including a framed picture of a bear wearing a tutu and holding (you guessed it!) an umbrella.

I wouldn’t usually choose a book for bedtime reading with fluorescent colours but for some reason it works here, especially when there’s a dark background.

I’m probably more partial to the idea of love umbrellas because once upon a time, when a work friend and I were having a bad day or needed some emotional support we’d ask to borrow an umbrella from the other. We’d end up having a coffee and a chat, and even if the problem wasn’t solved by the end of the conversation we felt better knowing we could share it with someone who cared. We gave each other umbrella themed gifts and each had one of those umbrellas you find in fancy drinks on our desks at work.

Just looking at that flimsy little paper umbrella made me smile each time I glanced at it; it reminded me that whatever type of day I was having there was someone in the next office who cared enough about me to be there for me no matter what, and vice versa. It prevented me from ever feeling alone. Although it’s many years later I still associate umbrellas with emotional support and it makes my heart feel all gooey that the kids who are read this book are going to associate the imagery of umbrellas with love.

This book will have you thinking about who’s under your Love Umbrella. ☂️

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Whatever you fear, come close my dear

You’re tucked in safe for always here

And I will never not be near

Because of our love umbrella

From this award-winning creative duo comes a book about the wonder of ever-present love. A stunning celebration of the joy and comfort that is always with us, wherever we roam in the big, wild world.

Who’s under your Love Umbrella? 

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That’s Where I Find You – Norliah Syer

Illustrations – Matt Howorth

Matt Howorth’s Illustrations are everything in this book. They really made me feel the young girl’s grief, her determination to find a way to connect with her mother and the love they shared in the girl’s memories.

Grief is such a difficult thing for anyone to cope with, let alone a child who may not even really understand what death means, so books like this are so important. I love the sentiment that when you’re missing a loved one and they feel far away you can look inside your heart and feel closer to them by remembering the good times you shared.

While I loved the message I found some of the rhymes quite clunky. Some rhymes worked well but others didn’t work at all for me, for example, rhyming “be” with “countries”, “clouds” with “down”, and “glide” with “by”. Because of its tendency to sometimes rhyme and sometimes not I imagine it would sound awkward if I read this aloud.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

That’s Where I Find You is a heartfelt story about remembering a loved one. A beautiful reminder that no matter how much we might miss them, they’ll always be with us … in our hearts.

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Queen Celine – Matt Shanks

Celine is an ordinary girl but when she goes to the sea she becomes Queen of her kingdom. After chasing away its current rulers (a flock of seagulls) Celine decides to build a fortress to protect her subjects. She wants things to remain the same but when the tide cannot enter her kingdom it loses “its sparkle”. Now Celine needs to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.

Celine’s royal attire includes a very cool duck inflatable float ring. I loved the illustrations, all of which include plenty of detail to appreciate. All of the sea life are very expressive. My favourite background detail shows a seagull making a fish walk the plank.

This is a sweet picture book that is told quite simply but covers a lot of ground. Celine admits she was wrong, learns from her mistake and takes the steps she needs to to fix the problem. Celine’s story shows that everyone is happier and there’s more capacity for fun when everyone is included. There’s also an ecological message.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Celine Beaufort was an ordinary girl. 
She did ordinary things, 
On ordinary days, 
In ordinary ways. 
But every now and then, Celine was a Queen, Of a kingdom by the sea. 

Celine Beaufort is queen of what she is quite certain is the most beautiful rock pool in the world. It’s perfect. And to make sure nothing ever changes, she decides to build a wall around it. Unfortunately, that turns out to be a royal mistake. As self-proclaimed ruler, it’s up to Celine to right her wrong and restore her rock pool to its former glory, this time with everyone welcome.

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Princess Swashbuckle – Hollie Hughes

Illustrations – Deborah Allwright

Princess Swashbuckle’s parents are trying to find her a prince but she’s not interested. She longs to be a froggy pirate queen so she packs her belongings and boards the Stinky Fish and declares herself their new Captain.

She’s “on a mission to find NICE things to do” and under her leadership that’s exactly what they do. They help animals of the sea and land, have adventures and plenty of fun, and naturally everyone lives happily ever after.

The rhymes are lovely and flow well and the message is stellar! Princess Swashbuckle’s parents don’t understand her dreams initially, wanting her to follow tradition. However they eventually realise that she doesn’t need a prince after all and embrace her choices, allowing her the freedom to be the kind pirate queen she was destined to be.

Deborah Allwright’s illustrations are so much fun. They’re colourful and expressive, and I loved that Princess Swashbuckle’s head is shaped like a heart. There’s so many details to enjoy, particularly in the pages featuring a variety of animals.

I absolutely adore this book and need to find a kid to read it to – stat! This is the perfect book to encourage kids to follow their heart, especially if their dreams aren’t what society expects of them.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Tired of the same old princess-meets-her-prince stories? Bored of princesses in frilly pink dresses? Fed up with princes getting all the action? Yes? So is Princess Swashbuckle. She’s Swashbuckle by name, swashbuckling by nature and she’s about to show the world what a great pirate captain she can be. Charmingly breaking the mould, Princess Swashbuckle is a rollicking tale of adventure and finding your own happy.

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The Golden Acorn – Katy Hudson

When Squirrel learns that the Golden Acorn Hunt is going to be a team event this year she’s not happy. Squirrel has won the competition for the past eight years and wants to add another trophy to her collection. Beaver, Rabbit, Tortoise and Bird eagerly join her team but Squirrel doesn’t think her friends will be fast enough to win. The day of the race arrives and Squirrel finds herself in a position where she needs to decide what is more important to her: winning or her friends.

I adored Katy Hudson’s A Loud Winter’s Nap so I was keen to get my hands on this book, especially after I fell in love with its gorgeous cover.

This picture book was written with 3 to 6 year olds in mind. There are plenty of themes to discuss with children, including the importance of teamwork and the value of friendships. If I was reading this to a child I’d also be talking to them about Squirrel’s competitive nature and that, while winning can be fun, it’s not everything.

I loved the illustrations, particularly the ones showing all of the different teams scurrying around the tress in search of the elusive golden acorn. While I smiled my way through all of the images my favourite was this one, showing the friends enjoying a picnic together.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Whoosh! Squirrel takes off at full speed through the autumn leaves. But pump the breaks, because this year the Golden Nut Hunt race is a team event. Squirrel reluctantly enlists his friends and is not impressed. Will Squirrel’s competitive spirit take over or will he learn how to be a team player?

Best-selling author Katy Hudson (Too Many Carrots and A Loud Winter’s Nap) proves that winning isn’t everything in this energetic picture book about friendship, teamwork, and forgiveness – and that’s something to go nuts about!

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Sir Simon: Super Scarer – Cale Atkinson

So many pop culture references! I love this book!

I’ve read it twice so far and I picked up so much more the second time around. I began to suspect something was up when I began to find random Stephen King references in the illustrations early on during my first read. I started specifically looking for them and found more of those and plenty of other beauties. I won’t tell you all of the references I found because that would take all the fun out of finding them yourself but some of the standouts for me were:

  • Pennywise
  • 237
  • Slimer
  • Stay Puft Marshmallow Man
  • Jason’s mask
  • Freddy Krueger’s shirt
  • Audrey II
  • A cat clock that looked suspiciously like it was borrowed from Doc Brown.

And my absolute favourite? The Proton Vac!

That’s nowhere near all of the ones I’ve found and I’m under no illusion that I’ve found them all – yet!

Oh, and the story’s a lot of fun as well. Sir Simon Spookington has haunted a lot of things in his career but this is his first time haunting a house. He’s excited to be haunting grandparents as old people are on top of The Pyramid of Haunting. With his free time (because, as we all know, old people sleep all the time! 😜) Sir Simon is looking forward to working on his novel, but things don’t exactly go to plan.

SO. MUCH. FUN. 👻

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A delightful, funny story of friendship, ghost chores, a spooky house and a professional haunter.

Meet Sir Simon, Super Scarer. He’s a professional ghost who has been transferred to his first house. And just in time! He was getting tired of haunting bus stops and forests and potatoes. And to top it off, this house is occupied by an old lady – they’re the easiest to haunt!

But things don’t go as planned when it turns out a KID comes with this old lady. Chester spots Simon immediately and peppers him with questions. Simon is exasperated … until he realises he can trick Chester into doing his ghost chores. Spooky sounds, footsteps in the attic, creaks on the stairs – these things don’t happen on their own, you know!

After a long night of haunting, it seems that maybe Chester isn’t cut out to be a ghost, so Simon decides to help with Chester’s human chores. Turns out Simon isn’t cut out for human chores either.

But maybe they’re both cut out to be friends …

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A Unicorn Named Sparkle #3: A Unicorn Named Sparkle’s First Christmas – Amy Young

I adored A Unicorn Named Sparkle and A New Friend for Sparkle so despite my Bah Humbug tendencies I was excited to read about Sparkle’s first Christmas. I loved the illustrations and the shiny, glittery bits on the cover. I enjoyed seeing Sparkle lapping up his hot chocolate, playing with the birds and ice skating, and I grinned every time an illustration showed the heart shaped marking on his butt.

I was really disappointed by the story though. While I love giving and receiving presents, Lucy’s obsession with presents in this book

and her tantrum made me feel really sorry for poor Sparkle, who she makes cry a puddle of rainbow tears when she declares he’s ruined Christmas. I wish the story had a greater focus on their friendship and the joy they bring to one another rather than shining a spotlight on Lucy’s bad attitude. Yes, Lucy does turn it around in the end but it felt like it was too little, too late and it didn’t undo my desire to give Sparkle a huge hug and adopt him.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

It’s Sparkle’s first Christmas and Lucy is showing him how to celebrate. Make a snowman. Check. Make a unicorn snowman. Check. Hang stockings, make cookies, and, of course – buy presents! (But don’t eat them.) Check. In pure Sparkle fashion, nothing goes as planned, but Lucy ends up learning that love – not presents – is what Christmas is all about.

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A Story of Patience & Fortitude #1: Lost in the Library – Josh Funk

Illustrations – Stevie Lewis

I first met Patience and Fortitude over thirty years ago when Venkman and Stanz passed them on their way to meet Egon and spend some quality time with the library ghost. I learned their names this week. I’ve wanted to live in the New York Public Library since my first Ghostbusters experience. Now that I’ve read this book I know that if I ever get to visit this wonderful place I will be imagining Patience and Fortitude’s adventures as well as keeping an eye out for my favourite spectral librarian.

One morning Fortitude wakes before dawn and discovers that Patience isn’t sitting on his plinth.

Concerned, Fortitude enters the library and searches for his friend. He asks for help from those he meets inside including the statue called Frolicsome Girl. Fortitude knows he needs to find Patience before dawn so they can return to their posts and greet the library’s visitors.

This is one of the best kid’s books I’ve read this year. The rhymes are lovely, the story is about friendship, the setting is a library, the illustrations are beautiful and the answer to the mystery of Patience’s location is bookish! I’ve read this book twice so far and I’ve smiled my way through it both times. My eyes may have gotten a little misty towards the end of my reread; it’s just such a beautiful story!

What I found especially interesting was the Get to Know the New York Public Library! page at the end of the book. I was able to learn about the different rooms Fortitude visited in his search for Patience, as well as the statues and paintings he spoke to. The dot points made the story really come alive for me and solidified this library’s place on my bucket list. My favourite fact was about Patience and Fortitude, which reads in part:

They have perched there since 1911 and were given their names in the 1930s by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in recognition of the qualities he felt New Yorkers would need to survive the Great Depression.

I have to buy this book and find a kid to read it to!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Steadfast Fortitude and curious Patience are waiting every morning to greet visitors of the Library.

That is until, one early morning, when Fortitude finds Patience is missing. The city is about to awake, and the lions absolutely must be in their places before the sun rises. Now, Fortitude must abandon his own post to find his best friend in the Library’s labyrinthine halls.

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