By Eve Bunting
A picturebook that reads like a true story, and in a sense is true, as it tells the story of a young middle eastern immigrant to North America. Join Farah as she goes with her new classmates on a field trip to an apple orchard and finds out that among all the strangeness and difficulties, laughter and friendliness are a universal language.
Picturebook
Ages 5-12
Recommended
Available from public libraries
Reviewer: Doreen
By Jim LaMarche
Based on the author’s childhood memories of turning a trickling stream into a shallow pond and all the fun that a pond brings, this slow, gentle picturebook takes readers through four seasons and the wildlife that each season brings to the little pond in the woods.
Picturebook
Ages 4-8
Recommended
Available from public libraries
Reviewer: Doreen
By Chris McNab
Intriguing to all wanna-be-explorers, this book actually teaches practical skills from building a fire to cooking and shelter-building. Each skill has a page of its own and is written in a clear, brief, interesting manner with pictures and diagrams to help out. A great companion book to “My Side of the Mountain”!
Ages 8 and up
Available from public libraries
Recommended
Ages 8 and up
Reviewer: Doreen
By Elizabeth Goudge
A fairy-tale for middle graders, this chapter book tells the story of a girl who is determined to suppress evil and restore peace to the valley of her forefathers. Goudge was high-church Anglican and brings a strong respect for the church and one’s service to God. For Protestants, there is reference to a statue of Mary and the old traditional prayer times of the monks, but these are elements that can be taken in context of the fairytale as a whole. With little to no magic, except the sea horses which come rushing through the woods one night, the heroine proceeds with courage, discovering her own weaknesses and resolving not to fall into the old family ways of pride and bitterness. A strong sense of home and family and the sanctity of marriage are conveyed throughout the book. For preteen girls who still want to read fairytales, here is one that remains wholesome.
Chapter book
Ages 10-13
Available from public libraries
Reviewer: Doreen
By Kate Messner
A wonderful little jaunt across the pond in a boat with mom leads to all kinds of discoveries, comparing what is happening above the surface of the water to what is happening below. The author keeps the text simple but is not afraid to use specific terms and even lyrical language to convey a sense of beauty. Very well-told with lovely illustrations. A glossary at the back gives another paragraph of information for each creature introduced in the story.
Picturebook
Ages 3-10
Available from public libraries
Recommended
Reviewer: Doreen
By Jim Arnosky
A great introduction to sea turtles, this story tells of a momma turtle, old and battle-scarred who is laying her eggs in the sand. It retraces her early days to how she contracted her various scrapes and scars, bringing awareness to the reader of a dangerous under-water life.
Short Picturebook
Ages 3-8
Available from public libraries
Recommended
Reviewer: Doreen
by Nicola Davies
Davies excels at taking tiny parts of our world and making them relevant and understandable to children. Neat illustrations with a retro look help make the scientific concepts relevant and interesting.
Big picturebook (not very long)
Available from public libraries
Ages 5-12
Recommended
Reviewer: Doreen
By Heidi Bee Roemer
With beautiful, well-detailed illustrations, this picturebook brings to life all kinds of creatures’ nests, not just birds. The object of the book is not to cover many nests, but rather, a wide variety of nests, which it does well. Truly this book is a tribute to our great Creator. The text on each page is simple, but more details are included on the final page for the eager learner.
Picturebook
Available from public libraries
Ages 4-10
Recommended
Reviewer: Doreen
By Aileen Fisher
When a girl doesn’t want a puppy or toy or any other traditional birthday gift, but only wants to go out for a walk in the middle of the night, the result is this poetic picture book with lovely retro illustrations. Join the girl and her dad as they discover the mystery and beauty of the night with small, fascinating, middle-of-the-night nature discoveries—the girl’s best birthday present ever.
Picturebook
Ages 3-10
Available second-hand
Recommended
Reviewer: Doreen
By Nancy Tafuri
Tired of counting books with lame art? A nicely-illustrated counting book for young readers, with a small surprise at the end and the chance to count backwards. The introduction of a thunderstorm opens the conversation to what a person sees, hears, and feels during a storm.
Picturebook
Available from public libraries
Ages 1-4
Recommended
Reviewer: Doreen
