Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A warmhearted picture book about healing through grief together

How do you explain loss to a child? Especially big loss. The biggest. Little Bear and the Big Hole has lost his Papa Bear, and there’s a hole where Papa used to stand. A real, literal hole. He sits at the edge of the hole and cries, looking into it and hating it day after day.

Nobody seems to see it other than him either, until Squirrel comes along. She walks carefully past it, sits down beside him, and glares into it. It turns out—she’s seen it before too, back when her sister died. Little Bear and the Big Hole by Jennifer Seal is the story of how Squirrel shows up for Little Bear, how Little Bear learns to accept the hole and pour love into it in order for life—new life—to emerge.

Children experience deep, complicated sadness even when we don’t think they’re ready for it. Life comes at everyone, unfortunately, and the possibility of death will greet them in stories, movies, and life early on. So how can we show them that there is hope and love beyond this sadness and grief?

If you’re going to read a book to your child about grief, make it this one. This is a powerful story with bighearted characters and concepts that demonstrate how grief isn’t the end of the road. It does hit you with the death of Papa Bear right away, so be ready to tackle it on page one.

The whole concept of the big hole is done to perfection. There’s something missing inside, and it’s almost impossible to avoid it. And yet, we look the same on the outside; no one can even tell you’re dealing with something so big.

But at least we have each other. This book is an important reminder that, even when it feels like we’re alone, we can still lean on other people. Squirrel is a terrifically loving character who doesn’t ask anything of Little Bear. She just sits with him, plays with him, talks with him, and tells him that what he’s doing is okay. She doesn’t say it’s going to get better. She lets time heal the big hole.

They create art and write letters and sing songs to the hole, filling it with the love\nthat’s missing now that Papa Bear is gone. There are real lessons to be learned in this moving story. Death and grief are big topics that will have to be broached at some point. If you or your little one feel ready, it’s important to read the right books and stories about it. Like this one.

The illustrations are colorful, creative, and clean, and they provide context to a story that depends on a metaphor to understand it on the deepest level. Jennifer Seal and illustrator Mirjam Siim have conjured up a special kind of magic with Little Bear and the Big Hole.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Little Bear and the Big Hole by Jennifer Seal! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Jaylynn Korrell

A surprising story about friendship, an evil frog, and the last mosquito on earth

The Kingdom That Never Existed is a classic princess-on-a-mission story with an unusual twist. Supercharged with fun rhymes, this book follows two girls on a quest to save the last mosquito on Earth.

When we open this story, Julia is living her everyday whimsical life in a magical kingdom, but then her father gifts her a most precious gift—the last mosquito in the world—and everything changes. It is a gift that she doesn’t expect but gladly accepts. Not only does she cherish the mosquito, she’s also enticed by the promise her dad makes. He tells her that if she can keep this precious gift safe, he’ll know that he can trust her. And he’ll buy her anything she wants!

With a unicorn on the brain, the princess attempts to keep this little bug safe, but evil is lurking around the corner in the form of an evil mosquito-killing frog. Princess Julia and her best friend Jessi set off to save their stolen mosquito keep it safe.

Luckily, the girls are up to the challenge. These nobles aren’t just sitting around waiting on other people to solve their problems. No army is sent out to retrieve the princess’s lost pet. The two girls team up and start to investigate this mystery, climbing trees, fighting off bad guys, and doing their best.

Their friendship is a true highlight in this story, as it exemplifies the power of working together to accomplish a common goal. Jessi, who is a very smart monkey, is the best counterpart to Princess Julia. Her intellect is always moving them forward to their goal, and she continues to be a great friend.

Stonecastle’s storytelling keeps things light, even in the tensest situations. You’ll be reading this cutely rhyming book with a smile on your face, I’m sure of it. I never thought I’d feel so invested in the wellbeing of a mosquito and an evil frog.

The villain, Queen Warticia Frogpee, is as evil as they come and also quite fashionably dressed. She mimics the evil queen from Snow White in some ways, while still showcasing her own unique evil abilities. The parallels to the story will feel familiar to readers, but the fun illustrations keep things light and not too scary, unlike how the evil queen can feel in Snow White. Sometimes the rhyming takes us to some unexpected, kind of random places, but we always return back to the story in the end.

The Kingdom That Never Existed is a great book for young readers who appreciate the silliness of the world as much as the power of friendship.

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s book review of The Kingdom That Never Existed by Alicia Stonecastle! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A meaningful story about the equilibrium of our planet

Harry the High’s got the good stuff. He brings the sunshine and warm weather. He’s responsible for the kind of perfect summer days that every kid dreams about—the ones filled with swimming pools, popsicles, and playing outside.

Larry the Low, meanwhile, brings the bad weather. The rain, the harsh wind, the destructive storms. He may as well be the inspiration for the song, “Rain rain go away, come again another day.”

But Harry the High thinks the Larry the Low should never come back again. He even tells Larry that nobody likes him and that he should leave forever, so that’s just what Larry the Low does.

Without Larry, Harry learns that he’s capable of bringing his own destruction. Things get too hot on Earth. Crops and vegetation dry out and die, and people are in danger. It’s Mother Nature who must step in and assure these weather heroes that they’re both needed. Playing the role as the sensical judge, Mother Nature explains that the world is an equilibrium of highs and lows, of ebbs and flows, of rain and shine.

The book imparts an important, relevant message for all kids. It’s easy to see gray, rainy days as wasted hours stuck inside, but this bookillustrates just how much we need both to keep a healthy ecosystem. We need rain like we need sun. Parents will be glad to have this book to discuss why gray days happen and why they don’t have to be seen as purely disappointing.

But the book’s art stands in the way of making best use of this story. Characters’ bodies get warped, sometimes to the point of being unrecognizable, and scenes appear as nonsensical, like random shapes in the background or sweat dripping down a t-shirt. The art styles change from page to page, too. More observant kids will notice issues like Mother Nature’s incomplete spectacles, Harry’s smudging face, and background characters without clearly defined faces.

Harry the High is also pretty darn cruel. He tells Larry that he sucks and that he should disappear forever. While meanness like this is real, it could also be introducing younger kids to the language they could use to really hurt another person’s feelings.

In the end, Harry the High Versus Larry the Low comes with a strong message. This book could be a good choice for parents looking to pair nonfiction topics of weather and science with a useful story about the delicate balance of rain and shine.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Harry the High Versus Larry the Low by Alan Champlin! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A heartfelt children’s story that sings

“‘Howdy mate and how do you do? I’m from Australia and my name’s Magpoo.”

Magpoo the magpie doesn’t quite fit in with the other magpies. Not only are they frustrated that he’s always singing at the top of his lungs, but they won’t even acknowledge his name of Magpoo. They tell him he’s got no sense and that he should quiet down. But Magpoo is loud and proud. He doesn’t care: he’ll sing as he swings, sing as he flies, and sing with his mouth full no matter what they say.

Magpoo is like the kid who doesn’t feel seen but wants to be heard. He wants to be loud and play, and it doesn’t matter how many times you tell him to be quiet, his song is begging to be sung—and he’ll sing it.

The message behind this loud, sing-song kids’ book is its best feature. Kids are not always accepted for being their true, loud selves, and they’re always the ones getting in trouble in school or by parents. But who are we to silence the impact of their voice? I have met enough loud kids in my day—and have even been one at a few points in my life—so it’s such a treasure to find an inviting, unapologetic story like this one. We don’t try to teach Magpoo a lesson. We tell him that he’s unique and special, even if everyone else can’t see it yet. It can be difficult to capture bullying in a kid’s book without introducing cruel behaviors, but this bullying doesn’t take center stage: we focus on the main character more than on the meanness of his peers, and it works.

Magpoo the Magpie is a blast to read aloud too. Not only are the rhymes always smooth and effortless, but each page comes with its own silly singing sounds. I’d have a hard time imagining a single kid who doesn’t like hearing their parents chanting as Magpoo does. It says: If your parent can be silly and loud, maybe you can be too.

The illustrations pair well with this simple story. There are only a handful of words on each page, and there are only ever magpies in the picture. But each illustration comes with its own flair so that it doesn’t feel repetitive and always offers your little one something new to look at. The birds appear emotive and filled with personality, especially my dear old Magpoo.

Sure, Magpoo might be the obnoxious one of the bunch, but the book reminds us that this doesn’t mean he’s simple-minded or oblivious. It acknowledges that he’s smart and has a big heart, offering a reminder to the kids always getting in trouble for being themselves that it doesn’t mean they’re not smart but that they are just uniquely them.

Magpoo the Magpie is a fun book—a quick read that your child will be happy to revisit, especially if they like making fun, loud sounds like the lovable Magpoo.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Magpoo the Magpie by Soni Laugesen! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Jaylynn Korrell

A charming story about sisterhood, friendship, and two very determined dogs

Even the bravest of dogs can be scared sometimes. Just ask Sydney, a Labrador Retriever who, despite the comfort of her home and her loving human family, struggles with being left alone—especially during storms and bad weather. 

To remedy this situation, her family adopts a new puppy sister to keep Sydney company. But things go awry after her arrival, and it forces Sydney to be the bravest she’s ever been. 

In Sydney, Bean, and the Missing Gloves, Janice E. Collins delves into fear, sisterhood, and the power of friendship—a touching little story that dog-loving children are going to adore.

It feels like there are never children’s books about female dogs! Boys, boys, boys—I’m tired of it! This one isn’t just about one girl dog though—it’s about two!

A sisterhood story for my dog-loving daughters—an excellent match.

Sydney is a strong and independent dog, but she craves stable connection. Bean turns out to be just the dog for her; they balance each other exceptionally well. Bean is young and rambunctious, eager to form a sisterhood. I could have easily read a story that was just them getting to know each other in the backyard, but Collins ups the ante when their human loses an heirloom and suspects the dogs may have nabbed it. 

If I didn’t love Bean already, I fell in love with her even more after seeing how eager she is to find the missing glove. She genuinely wants to make others happy, especially her new family. Her innocence, however, makes her place her trust in an untrustworthy character’s hands and leads her on an adventure she isn’t equipped to succeed in. 

Collins uses this situation to showcase the power of friendship and the strength that comes when you team up with others and work toward a common goal. There are multiple lessons to be learned from this story, but my favorite is about being there for the people (or dogs) around you. Bean and Sydney embody this idea many times, but so do their friends.

Sydney is written with such compassion and apparent love. So many dog owners are all-too familiar with their dog’s fear of intense weather and loud noises. This story will be helpful to kids who have pets with similar issues, as it shows that dogs have feelings similar to those of humans and they deserve to be comforted. 

These heartwarming messages are paired with delightful images of Sydney, Bean, and their friends from around the neighborhood. Their expressive faces really bring the story to life and show how much they care for each other and their family. 

Sydney, Bean, and the Missing Gloves will be a favorite for dog-loving children. 

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s book review of Sydney, Bean and the Missing Gloves by Janice E. Collins! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Jaylynn Korrell

An imaginative look at what can be on the other side of grief

Bethany Gale is adjusting to some major life changes when she is faced with the opportunity to search for joy in an unsuspecting place. There, she finds a bit of what she’s been missing. 

Johnny DePalma has created a story that confronts the loss of a parent in a sensitive and uplifting way. When paired with Bao Luu’s illustrations, The Secret Life of Shadows will jump off the page and into the hearts of its readers. 

Bethany is introduced as an unhappy child, but with reasonable cause. After recently losing her mother, she and her father move in with her grandparents in a home that sits behind an impressive forest of Southern Oak trees. 

While dealing with so many changes, she begins a routine of whispering goodnight to her mother. One day, her routine is disrupted by her dog Sadie. As Sadie escapes into the forest behind their home, Bethany is forced to chase after her, and it’s there that she finds a mysterious community of lively shadow people. These strange characters reintroduce her to joy, song, and dance, while reminding her of her beloved mother. 

From there the story takes off in a sing-song direction through the woods. The shadow people are all taking a much needed break from their lives following their human counterparts, and the result is a huge party. Music fills the air as the story changes into a narration that I assume is told by Bethany’s mother, introducing her to this new world, and reminding her what it’s like to feel joy again. 

“There’s a place that I know where the Southern Oaks grow, where the lazy moss twirls in the trees…”

I enjoyed the uplifting message in The Secret Life of Shadows. DePalma’s redirection of the story from one of sorrow to the lively tale it turns out to be is captured with the help of music, rhythm, and rhyme. I can’t help but picture it taking place in somewhere musical and celebratory like a parade in Louisiana. Her mother encourages the message of changing your outlook by way of the shadow people, and it changes the way Bethany sees shadows every day. It’s a small but impactful switch that will clearly benefit her for days to come.

Writing a children’s book about grief is a difficult task, but DePalma does it gracefully. DePalma doesn’t attempt to use this exciting experience  Bethany has in the woods as the final answer to her issues. He shows that small joys won’t always replace sadness completely but that the temporary relief they give can still be a welcomed surprise. He uses her experience as a stepping stone rather than a band aid, and it makes the message stronger. 

“And with that, my sweet girl, what I leave to this world is just you and this magic you’ve found. And though we are apart, I still know in my heart that you’ll take it and spread it around.” 

With a bit of extra attention to detail, readers will see just how thoughtful the images on each page truly are. I read through this story a couple of times and found that the closer I looked, the more things jumped out at me that I didn’t notice before. I appreciated small details like the family pictures on the wall at Bethany’s grandmother’s house that capture loving moments between her and her mother. I also enjoyed the illuminating colors that are portrayed in the shadowland in the forest. As the story begins to liven up, so do the images. They pair together nicely. 

The Secret Life of Shadows does a great job of painting a realistic picture of grief and depicting how sometimes it takes a bit of imagination to get us through our darkest times.

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s book review of The Secret Life of Shadows by Johnny DePalma! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

The sweetly rhyming story of one lovable pug and a madness of marmots

Anybody who’s ever seen a pug knows: that grumpy-looking ball of fur loves cuddles and belly rubs and getting spoiled. So when Paula, a comfortable pug with a cushy life in a palace, gets sent into the mountains, she’s hoping for more of the same.

But what she finds there isn’t cushiness and cuddles; it’s a grumpy-looking man and a bunch townspeople who don’t think pugs belong up here. 

“Where were the comforts she’d come to expect? 

The absence of cuddles did not seem correct.”

She’s lonely in this new place, but lucky for her, all she has to do is venture outside to find companionship and a kind-of yummy meal. “Life is much brighter / when you’re sharing a meal.” A madness of marmots welcomes Paula with open arms, old cheese, and a rotting sandwich, and they help her feel at home in the woods. And surprisingly, they even play a funny role in breaking down the walls of that grumpy-looking human taking care of Paula.

The Pug Who Didn’t Belong shines most in its poetry. As a parent, you’ll read plenty of rhyming books out loud, and you’ll tell quickly which ones disrupt your flow and which ones float off the tongue. This book’s rhymes don’t just float; they fly. From page one, we ride on rhythm and read about funny behavior in quick pages and with ease. You’ll zip through the lines naturally and even smile while reading the current line about the previous one’s execution. When the rhyme scheme does break, it’s often because it’s a turning point in the story. This is a poet’s book for kids.

The concept of sharing a meal is also one of my favorite themes in recent kids’ book history. We can learn a lot about life by looking at animals. Food is a shared survival need in so many, even if it looks (or smells) different for some creatures. This book promotes food sharing in kids too, and it’s a great way to build community. I’d love it if my kid recommended we feed their next playmate thanks to this book.

It’s not so much a story about a pug who doesn’t belong as it is about a plucky little pug who finds companionship in an unlikely new place. The scene where the townspeople laugh at Paula is perhaps the only one I didn’t love in the whole book. Paula is resilient and brave and sweet and just needs a little love from a madness of marmots. (Am I upset that I learned that a group of marmots is called a “madness” from this kid’s book? Not even a smidge!)

Truly one of the best rhyming kids’ books I’ve read in a long time, The Pug Who Didn’t Belong would be an excellent choice for parents with pugs and kids who are ready to learn about making a home wherever they go.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of The Pug Who Didn’t Belong by Janina Kelly and Tommy Hardman! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A creative adventure about your favorite plucky punctuation marks

Exclamation point is fed up! Period is over it. Comma is, you guessed it, misused and under-appreciated. And how is question mark feeling? Does anyone even care?

After falling out of a book in the lighthouse library, this punctuation team decides that they need a vacation. So exclamation point places his finger on a random spot on the map—and lucky for them, it’s the Island of Fun. 

But unlucky for them, sailing comes with about as many problems as you could imagine for a small group of grammar heroes. On their paper sailboat, the team sets across the sea only to lose one of their own in a giant wave. They even get knocked around by a giant shark. But eventually, the team washes ashore. 

They’re glad to be here, but when they meet Pilcrow, an outdated punctuation mark from the time period when we needed to show a paragraph break, they learn that they’ve arrived at the Island of Chaos, a place where animal-like creatures are spouting sentences and questions without any punctuation. It’s chaotic to say the least.

They might be on vacation, but it’s time to get to work.

Punctuation to the Rescue is a wonderfully cute educational story with sparkling illustrations. Illustrator Sara Not really brings these characters to life with visible personalities, but it’s author Cheryl Olsten who capitalizes on the little things, like the way the punctuation marks always use their own punctuation in their dialogue. When Exclamation Point talks, he shouts! When Comma says something, he takes an extra pause. This small detail is among my favorites of the execution of this story.

The sailing adventure is also a blast. With the help of Sara Not’s colorful illustrations, the waves on the sea provide an eye-full of entertaining things to look at. The waves are ginormous and swirling. Even when they get to the Island of Chaos, the characters are drawn with such personality that you can’t help but love their plucky selves.

The story has a strong educational base where kids can definitely gain knowledge about the proper use of punctuation. I’m glad the punctuation marks get to put their powers to use and that the characters are rewarded with love and appreciation—it fits since the punctuation marks feel under-appreciated at the beginning of the story—but the message sometimes gets lost in the events that happen, like when Period spills overboard, when the shark attacks, and when the animals on the Island of Chaos ask for ice cream with sprinkles. 

Kids who are just starting to learn about punctuation marks will get the most out of this educational story. They’ll learn first-hand how important it is to un-jumble a series of words and use proper punctuation, and they’ll do it with some fun characters and lively illustrations by their side.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Punctuation to the Rescue by Cheryl Olsten! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A valuable, community-driven story about achieving calmness and sleep for kids

Leo might be in third grade, but he’s suffering from something so many people—old and young, you and me—struggle with: a lack of sleep due to an overactive mind. There are so many things to do tomorrow. How can we possibly stop thinking and sleep?

For Leo, many of his thoughts are related to school, sports, and his new favorite club: The Kids Can Club. Gathering in his backyard treehouse, he and a few of his friends eat snacks and plan missions to help those who need it in their community. Sometimes that means helping new kids at school feel welcome, and others they’re helping an adult tend to her garden. This is the kind of club you wish your kid would get into.

When Leo starts falling asleep in class and on the goalpost on the soccer field, he knows it’s time to enlist the help of his friends. It turns out—Iris, another girl in the club, has struggled with sleep too. But her mom had an excellent strategy for helping her calm down and get some rest. Would he like to try it? 

Soon, Leo and the gang gather at Iris’s house to learn from their mom and, hopefully, make a change for the better.

This is one of those rare kids’ books that’s infused with self-help tips while it tells an interesting story of a lovable kid. Iris’s solution is what some grown-ups might call “Progressive Muscle Relaxation,” but to Iris, it’s “Scrunch Up Five—Unscrunch.” 

At Iris’s house, the kids lie down and focus on tightening muscles in their body for five seconds, breathing, and then releasing. It’s a powerful strategy that is easy to replicate and see the benefits of. That much is clear the moment Leo falls asleep right there on Iris’s floor.

The Scrunch-Up exercise is outlined in detail and is given multiple pages of enactment. By mirroring the time and breathwork required to do it, the book teaches kids to slow down and give the practice its due time just while reading the book. Parents, guardians, and teachers will be encouraged to mimic the physical activities with their little ones, the ultimate teaching moment to practice what you preach. Parents are going to be glad to have a tool like this at their disposal. 

One potential downfall to this, too, is that the action gets a little repetitive on the page. We follow through on multiple scrunch & unscrunch exercises, which means we read a lot of the same stuff. Since it’s a reading experience that’s best combined with the physical activity itself, this makes sense, but it does result in a few extra pages than is needed to tell the story.

Sleep is such an incredibly important facet to our mental and physical health, and that goes double for kids. If your child is clearly having a hard time sleeping, this could be the answer you’re looking for. And since it’s got such a community-driven message, you’ll be doubling up on its usage—teaching sleep strategies and encouraging helping others.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Leo Gets His Nighttime ZZZs by Christine Corrigan Mendez and Jen Monika McCurdy! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A touching fable with lovable characters, good advice, and the power to endure

Wally isn’t invited to play with the others at the playground. Some call him a slow-poke; they don’t pick him for the soccer team. And on the way home from his new school, he sits alone on the bus.

“I wish I were special.”

Sitting under a tree outside of his house, he makes a wish that he could be special enough to be included. And special this story becomes.

There appears the Tailor, an elfish creature with a funny hat who provides the tails for all the animals on the planet. Would Wally want one? Is that the special he was looking for?

A snake, coiling down from a tree branch, wouldn’t recommend getting help from The Tailor. “Look what he did to me. I’m nothing but tail.” But with the way Wally’s life has been going, he’s at least willing to try. A monkey tail is great, fun, but the other kids will think it’s unfair. A lion’s tail is impressive, sweeping, but you can’t use your hands or your tail in soccer. Last but not least, maybe a scary alligator tail is best, so no kids pull it. 

In the end, no tail seems right. Snake knows the feeling, starting to weep about his tail-like existence. But maybe it’ll be all right for all of them. Maybe Wally has found his tail after all, a slithery little best friend to show off at school.

A Tail Tale by Christine Kessides reads like your favorite childhood fable growing up. Sure it’s about a mythical creature and a talking snake, but it’s a story about making do with what you have, being creative, sticking together, and overcoming bullying and exclusion. 

This is a story with a big heart and a big mind. It’s enjoyable on the story-level—I’d be surprised if your kid doesn’t remember the lovable elfish Tailor for a long time—but it also has Wally transforming from bullied to confident helper for the down-and-out snake, providing real life advice that he’s had to learn the hard way. 

What should you do when you’re getting bullied? This book teaches the art of looking your bullies in the eye, telling them that you don’t like it, and, if needed, getting an adult involved. I love that we flip the script on Wally without him even knowing it. He doesn’t know he’s learned from the situation until he has the snake to help and take care of. We leave proud of Wally and feeling like it’d be a blessing if our kid acted like Wally recommends in the book.

I couldn’t get out of here without talking about the fun addition of The Tailor. Welcome to the lexicon of forever-memorable fable characters like leprechauns or Rumplestiltskin, Tailor! This friendly elfish character pops up in a funny outfit and feathers peaking out of his pockets, ready to provide Wally a humorous solution that will teach him a lesson in the end. I kept waiting for The Tailor to turn out tricky in some way, but he really is here to help—even if helping doesn’t look as magical as it first appears.

A Tail Tale is a welcome addition to fable canon. Your kids are going to love it, and you are too if you’ve been looking for a good excuse to talk about bullying and inclusion on the playground.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of A Tail Tale by Christine Kessides! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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