DoJo Daycare

I chose the book DoJo Daycare as my daughter has just become completely enamored with martial arts.  She started in December and it has really helped focus her little frenetic mind and body.  When I saw a little blonde in a ninja suit on the cover of this book, I immediately thought of the girl.

Author/Illustrator: Chris Tougas

Publisher: Owlkids Books (September 9, 2014)

Prices: Hardcover - $13.56
Reading level: 3 to 7 years old
Interest level: Lower Grades
Physical Characteristics: 8.8 x 8.8 inches, 32 pages
ISBN: 1771470577
Genres:
Picture Book
Read aloud Book

Subjects:

Day care centers -- Juvenile fiction.

Stories in rhyme.

Ninja -- Juvenile fiction.

Annotation: Six young ninjas come to dojo daycare and create havoc

for the ninja master.

Summary:
On day ninja moms and dads drop off their ninjas kids at Dojo Daycare.  Once the parents leave, the ninja boys and girls make a mess, fight, don’t listen to their teacher and turn the school in to an absolute shambles. All day long the schoolmaster tries to get them to focus and listen, to no avail. The ninja’s will not obey their teachers mantra: honor, kindness, and respect — until one tiny quite ninja steps up to convince his ninja pals to clean up their mess and do the right thing.

Evaluation:
I love the illustrations.  They are digitally rendered on a completely white background and they seem to pop off the page in a manner that is completely fitting with the karate theme.  The rhyming story flows very well, and makes Dojo Daycare a great read-aloud option for kids.  It also lends itself to a first reader for kids who are a bit older, as there are short sentences and the rhyming can help with solo reading and sounding words out.  I think the beginning middle and end are strong in this book.  The lesson of behaving at school, listening to adults and having honor, kindness, and respect is a nice theme for kids just entering preschool and Kindergarten.

Similar Titles or Authors:
The Hungry Pig by Chris Tougas
The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz
Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz

Websites:
http://www.christougas.com/booksDojo.html

http://www.owlkidsbooks.com/Portals/0/docs/teachersGuides/3_Dojo_Daycare_Owlkids_Books_CCSS_Guide.pdf

Awards and Recognition:
Amazon’s best Book of the month pick

Professional Reviews:
Kirkus

New York Times

School Library Journal

All images © Chris Tougas

123 Peas

At my library they have a very cute little wooden truck that has board books in a back.  Now that my daughter is reading independently (with a little help from mom) she likes to grab a few simple board books to read all by herself.  This was one I threw in the basket, because I loved the colorful cover art!

Author/Illustrator: Keith Baker
Publisher: Little Simon (2014)
Series:  The Pea Series
Prices: Hardcover - $13.39, Board Book – $7.19 and Kindle- $12.99
Reading level: 2 to 5 years

Interest level: Lower Grades
Physical Characteristics: 5.5 x 5 inches, 36 pages
ISBN: 1442499281
Genres: Board Book 
Subjects:


Children's Fiction
Concepts

Peas -- Juvenile fiction

Counting -- Juvenile fiction

Stories in rhyme

Annotation:
A group of happy little peas go about their day to day introducing the numbers one to one hundred.

Summary: 
A bunch of peas do a variety of day to day task in groups of peas from 1 to a 100.  Each page has a huge number on it and a cute illustration of peas.  The activities range from swimming and boating to building a barn or gardening. 

Evaluation:
While this nook is not my favorite counting book I do love the illustrations.  Mr. Baker has a really cool technique that combines painting with traditional brushstrokes and patterns imprinted on the paint.  One of my favorite pages is 5.  It really makes me smile.  

For the educational value alone, I would not pick this book.  The numbers aren't really integrated in to the story and do not invite investigation, like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom does.  Instead, they are just counting the peas.  Maybe for very very early readers this would be fun, but for a 3,4 or 5 year old the 'story' is a bit boring.

Similar Titles or Authors:
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

LMNO Peas by Keith Baker
My First Numbers: Let's Get Counting! by DK Books

Websites:
http://books.simonandschuster.com/1-2-3-Peas/Keith-Baker/9781442499287

http://www.keithbakerbooks.com

Professional Reviews:
Kirkus
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/keith-baker/1-2-3-peas/

Publishers Weekly
http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4424-4551-2

 


All images (c) Keith Baker

Rainbow Magic: The Ultimate Fairy Guide

This became a check out from the Library for two reasons.  

One, my daughter would not have let me leave without it and two, I like the idea of getting her interested in chapter books!

Author/Illustrator: Daisy Meadows
Series: Rainbow Magic Series
Publisher: Orchard Books (UK) Scholastic (US) (August 26th, 2014)
Prices: Hardcover, $9.25
Reading level: 7 to 10 years
Interest level: Lower and Middle Grades
Physical Characteristics: 5.5 x 7.8 inches, 128 pages
ISBN: 0545622174
Genres: Series, Chapter Book, Handbook

Subjects:

Fairies

Magic and Supernatural

Friends and Friendship

Annotation:
A whimsical, full color handbook to all of Daisy Meadows’ Rainbow Magic fairies.

Summary:
This book is a guide to all the Rainbow Magic fairies, who have individual books about them. There are 150 fairies in this book and for each one you get an illustration, including their fairy friends, hobbies, unique magical powers, and anecdote from their fairy lives.  This guide gives an index of all the fairies in the front, and has illustrations of all the covers of the individual Rainbow Magic Fairy books.

Evaluation:
This book is sold as the “ultimate must-have for any fairy fan”.  And it really is.  We have had to check this book out three times in a row so my daughter could pour through it.  She loves the illustrations, the fairy names, their descriptions and stories relating to them.  I love the book because it is engrossing to her, and is building her love of reading.  I also love that there is a wide variety of fairies.  They are not all girly girl.  Instead there is a range from Costume Fairy, Soccer Fairy to Black Cat Fairy.  The big negative I have is that this series is a rabbit-hole of merchandising and I may be suckered in to spending tons of money on fairies if my daughter keeps this love alive.

Similar Titles or Authors:
The Fairy Bible by Teresa Moorey
Rainbow Magic Sugar & Spice Fairies Set by Daisy Meadows
Stacey the Soccer Fairy by Daisy Meadows


Websites:
http://www.rainbowmagiconline.com/uk/books/

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/bookwizard/books-by/daisy-meadows#cart/cleanup

www.rainbowmagiconline.com

Awards & Recognition:
The Rainbow Magic series is a New York Times bestselling series.  

Professional Reviews:

Bookseller

PublishersWeekly

Notes

Daisy Meadows, does not exist.  The Rainbow Magic books are written by a number of authors under the "Daisy Meadows" name.  Each title carries a dedication including a "special thanks" indicating the primary author.

All images (c) Orchard Books

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones (Book One) Audio Playaway

Author: Rick Riordan

Narrator: David Pittu

Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks

Prices: Playaway sets are free in Libraries.  Audiobook, 17.95

Reading level: Ages 8-12 years 

Interest level: Middle and Upper grades

Physical Characteristics: small playaway device with extra battery in case and a standard headphone plug.  Inclusion of strap to wear around neck.  5.25 hours, 2 ounces

Series: The 39 Clues

ISBN: 9781606400432

Genres:  Audiobooks, Juvenile Fiction

Subjects:

Interactive Adventure

Mysteries and Detective Stories

Action and Adventure

Family Secrets



Annotation:  Young Amy and Dan Cahill are orphans, after the death of their grandmother they find out that their family, the Cahills, is the most influential family in history and begin a quest to find a mystery item.  

Summary: This book begins with the death of a very wealthy woman, Grace Cahill.  As her family gathers to read the wil we meet her orphaned grandchildren Amy and Dan Cahill and the rest of their large and extended International family.  As the will is read, everyone is given a choice: you can immediately take a million dollars, or burn the money and compete to find 39 Clues. The clues will lead the searchers to a mystery that will make the finder the most powerful person in the world.  The first Clue is related to Benjamin Franklin, and takes the Cahills from Boston, to Philadelphis to Frtance.  There is peril, puzzles and humor along the way.

  

Amy Cahill, Dan Cahill, and two of their competing Cahills

Evaluation: I was engrossed by this audiobook.  I am not a huge reader or listener of much older children’s fiction or YA.  But, I loved this story and am looking forward to listening to more.  The narration was great.  Mr. Pittu was able to do subtle vocal shits that did not disctract, but instead clearly defined each of the many characters.   As for the format, I loved the neck string.  I was able to pack boxes, as I am moving, and listen to the story at the same time.  It really made moving a tad bit less mimserable!



Similar Titles or Authors:

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket



Websites:

the39clues.scholastic.com



All images (c) Scholastic