Reviews of Children's Books

Amazing Baby: Five Little Ducks!

by Beth Harwood

Silver Dolphin Books
Board book
ISBN# 978-1-59223-904-7
Suggested Retail Price: $5.95 or as low as $2.57 from Amazon.com!

"Five Little Ducks" is a cute little board book for preschool children that tells the story of a family of ducks. As each day ends, the mother duck says, "Quack, quack, quack!" and one fewer duck comes back to her. Don't worry. There's a happy ending. Each page has a peephole that shows the little ducks with a number in the middle. Its a nifty nursery rhyme that teaches little ones how to count.

The Hidden World of Fairies

by Tennant Redbank

Disney Press
Hardcover
ISBN# 978-142310947-1
Suggested Retail Price: $14.99 or as low as $3.99 from Amazon.com!

This enchanting children's book tells the story of five different kinds of fairies. It's written in the voice of Wendy Darling of Peter Pan fame, and describes each kind of fairy with the charm and grace of the Disney movie and, of course, the original book by J.M. Barrie. Lavishly illustrated with delicate colors, it brings the world of Neverland to life for your children's imaginations to savor over and over.

Ugly

by Donna Jo Napoli

Hyperion Book CH
Paperback
ISBN# 978-078683754-0
Suggested Retail Price: $5.99 or as low as $2.00 from Amazon.com!

Donna Jo Napoli revisits the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale of "The Ugly Duckling" by setting it in Tasmania and embellishing the original with a host of new characters from that region. It's a charming story still, of course, told with great empathy for the poor duckling who doesn't seem to fit in. Ms. Napoli revamps the story to be told in the voice of Ugly himself, and aims it at slightly older children (ages 9-12) with details of the new animals and their Australian habitat. Nicely done.

Mogo, the Third Warthog

by Donna Jo Napoli

Hyperion Book CH
Hardcover
ISBN# 978-142310816-0
Suggested Retail Price: $15.99 or as low as $4.63 from Amazon.com!

This time, Donna Jo Napoli takes "The Three Little Pigs" and moves them to Africa where we meet Mogo the warthog and his two brothers, Mathani and Kebiro. Mogo is the runt of the litter and the dangers of the African savanna loom large as he and his brothers are forced out of their burrow to make room for their mother's next litter. Mogo's brothers are lazy and things don't look good for them. But Mogo is determined to survive. As he searches for food, he meets all kinds of animals - rhinos, ostriches, and more. While foraging, he makes a new friend - a young baboon who is also on his own.

It's a sweet story for young readers that teaches self-reliance and perseverence, while introducing them to the animals of Africa. Nicely illustrated by Lita Judge, it's easy to get enveloped in this children's story with all of the exotic sights and sounds of that fascinating part of the world.

I Love My New Toy!

by Mo Willems

Hyperion Books for Children
Hardcover
ISBN# 978-142310961-7
Suggested Retail Price: $8.99 or as low as $3.60 from Amazon.com!

Gerald the baby elephant and Piggie the young pig are good friends. As the cover notes, Gerald is careful, but Piggie is not. When Piggie gets a new toy, she can't wait to show it to Gerald. But when she gives it to Gerald to let him play with it, disaster strikes! Yes, the toy breaks. Piggie is very upset and tells Gerald she is mad. Gerald says he's sorry, over and over, but Piggie is still sad. The story has a happy ending when a baby squirrel picks up the broken toy and makes up a new way to play with it.

Mo Willems is both the author and the illustrator of this excellent children's book for new readers ages 4-8. The simple cartoon-like pictures are easy to follow, and tell the story on their own as clearly as the text.