Because A Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! (Rosetta Stone) Dr. Seuss. Illustrated by Michael Frith. 1975. Random House. 64 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: You may not believe it, but here's how it happened. One fine summer morning...a little bug sneezed. Because of that sneeze, a little seed dropped. Because that seed dropped, a worm got hit.

Premise/plot: You never know what may happen with one little sneeze! Cause and effect have never been so much fun as in Seuss's Because A Little Bug Went Ka-Choo!

My thoughts: I love, love, love, LOVE this one. I do. It's always been one of my most favorites. It's just so funny. And I think it's one that just begs to be read again and again and again. Do you have a favorite scene?

Have you read Because A Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! Did you like it? love it? hate it? I'd love to know what you thought of it!

If you'd like to join me in reading or rereading Dr. Seuss (chronologically) I'd love to have you join me! The next book I'll be reviewing is Hooper Humperdink...? Not Him!


© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Jon Scieszka. Illustrated by Lane Smith. 1989. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Everybody knows the story of The Three Little Pigs. Or at least they think they do. But I'll let you in on a little secret. Nobody knows the real story, because nobody has ever heard my side of the story.

Premise/plot. A. Wolf (the narrator) wants readers (like you and me) to know the TRUTH. He is not a BIG BAD WOLF. He's not. Here's why: he was simply going to his neighbors' to ask for a cup of sugar. Why? Well, it was all for the best of causes: his dear granny's birthday cake. True, his neighbors all happened to be PIGS. But his intention was for SUGAR, AND SUGAR ALONE. It's not his fault that he had a cold and that his POWERFUL SNEEZES took out the first two pigs' houses. And it's not his fault that the pigs he found within the collapsed houses were DEAD. Perhaps it wasn't neighborly to EAT them after he found them dead. But it was the natural thing to do--he is a wolf, and pigs are tasty. He asks readers to trust his side of the story. Do you?!

My thoughts: This one is fun, fun, super-fun, just a true delight to read and reread. I've read it plenty of times since it was first published in 1989, but, this is the first time I've reviewed it. If you haven't read it yet, you should! You're never too old to pick this one up.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Winston the Book Wolf. Marni McGee. Illustrated by Ian Beck. 2006. Walker. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

I definitely enjoyed reading Marni McGee's Winston the Book Wolf. If you enjoy fairy tale twists OR books about books, then this is one to seek out. Winston the Wolf LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to eat words, all sorts of words. He is literally eating the words, thus one of perhaps many reasons why he is banned from the library. But someone has pity on Winston, a girl with a red hood, and shows Winston that there is a BETTER way to devour words: that way, of course, is by READING them. After Winston learns to read, he NEEDS the library; he needs more books, more stories, more words. But sadly, he is banned. Can he and his new friend find a way to sneak him into the library?!

This one is definitely worth reading and sharing.

The illustrations were a bit odd, I admit, but they mostly worked for me. Mainly because they definitely add to the story. Readers can spot, for example, three little pigs on nearly every spread. One thing I didn't quite get, however, was WHY the tables and chairs and such had to have faces.

First sentence: Winston the Wolf swished his tail as he ran past the burger stand. He did slow down to sniff, but he did not drool. Meaty treats were not what Winston had in mind. Winston wanted books, and he knew where to find them.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Going To Sleep? Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson. Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. 2011. Two Lions. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]

"Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, the day is almost done."
"Not yet, Mother, I still can see the sun."

And so the book begins. The oh-so-familiar sometimes-tense "struggle" to put a child--in this case a kitten--to bed. The mom (a cat, of course) gently reminds the kitty cat that it is almost bedtime, that it is time to take a bath, etc. The Kitty Cat isn't eager by any stretch of the imagination, but isn't defiant either. There are hundreds if not thousands of bedtime books out there--picture books about the nightly routine of getting ready for bed, of getting sleepy, etc. This one happens to star two cats. So if you like cats, or, if you love, love, love cats and happen to need a bedtime book, this one satisfies.

I like the rhymes for the most part. And I like the repetitiveness of it.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Little Shaq. Shaquille O'Neal. Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III. 2015. Bloomsbury. 80 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Little Shaq is the first in a new series of early chapter books by Shaquille O'Neal. In this first book, readers meet Little Shaq and his cousin Barry. An argument over basketball leads to a frustrating video game experience for the two. Instead of being a way to make peace, the video game increases the tension between these two close friends. The game ends up getting broken, and, the two brainstorm a way to earn money to replace the game. Since they are both at fault, they both need to make it right. Working together in a new watering-and-gardening business, can they get the job done?

I liked this one. I did. I don't love sports now, and I didn't love sports as a kid. But a good book is a good book no matter the subject.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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A Great Big Cuddle. Michael Rosen. Illustrated by Chris Riddell. 2015. Candlewick. 80 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Love poetry? Want to introduce your little ones to poetry? Michael Rosen's A Great Big Cuddle is a lovely collection of poems for the 'very young.' The poems are, for the most part, silly and fun and packed with rhythm.

Poems include:

• Tippy-Tappy
• Party Time
• Music
• Wiggly Wiggly
• Reading Lesson
• Mr. Hobson-Jobson Says
• I Am Angry
• Gruff and Dave
• Let Me Do It
• Hello Good-bye

There is a lot of variety in the poems. Some short and simple. Others a good deal longer. Some tell stories. Others are more a collection of really fun sounds to string together.

Overall, this one is easy to recommend. 

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans. Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder. 2015. Random House. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]

A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans is just good fun. It is. It is probably more for younger readers than older readers--think elementary school instead of high school. But I think this charming book could prove delightful to readers of all ages. Especially if used for a family read-aloud where a book needs to be both family friendly and entertaining--packed with interesting characters and/or action-packed.

The narrator is a dragon, Miss Drake, and she's a dragon in mourning. She's lost her pet, "Fluffy" (aka Great-Aunt Amelia). Fluffy's niece (great-niece actually) shows up to "claim" Miss Drake as HER pet saying that her aunt "left" her to her in her will. She's NOT happy about this turn of events. She's not quite ready for another pet, training a new human could prove quite trying and tedious, and more than the work itself, is she ready emotionally for a new human in her life? One human just can't replace another, right? But Winnie, the niece, seems quite persistent and strong-willed. Perhaps as strong-willed as Miss Drake herself.

Winnie and Miss Drake have quite an ADVENTURE together. And the book is very satisfying. I really enjoyed it very much.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The folks at 5 Minutes For Books host What’s On Your Nightstand? the fourth Tuesday of each month in which we can share about the books we have been reading and/or plan to read.
After reading Newton on the Christian Life, I was inspired to pick up MESSIAH: FIFTY EXPOSITORY DISCOURSES PREACHED IN THE YEARS 1784 AND 1785 by John Newton. I am LOVING this one.

I'm also reading--or rereading--Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton.

I've got some books I'm excited to be reviewing in the next week or two:

• The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein
• Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko
• Jump Back, Paul: The Life and Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar by Sally Derby

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Notting Hill Mystery. Charles Warren Adams. 1862/2015. Poisoned Pen Press. 284 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Dare I say that I enjoyed The Notting Hill Mystery at least as much as Wilkie Collin's A Woman in White? What if I say I liked it even more?! Granted, it has been a few years since I've read A Woman in White. But Notting Hill was such a surprisingly wonderfully old-fashioned mystery, and, with good reason, I suppose, since it was published in the 1860s!

If you enjoy sensational Victorian novels, this one proves a satisfying treat. The "hero" of the novel has collected all the evidence he can about a certain case. He's not positively sure it's a murder case, because if it is murder, it's far from straight-forward. The less you know, the better the novel will read, in my opinion. But it involves TWINS and mesmerism and poison.

At first, I thought this one would be a slow read, since the evidence consists of letters, diaries, interviews, etc. But I found it an entertaining and satisfying read.

It is easy for me to recommend this one. I think mystery lovers will appreciate it. And if you have a love for all things Victorian, then you may really, really LOVE it, just as I did.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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New Loot:

• How To Be Friends with a Dragon by Valeri Gorbachev
• The Wonderful Book by Leonid Gore
• Down by the Station by Will Hillenbrand
• My Book Box by Will Hillenbrand
• A Day with Miss Lina's Ballerinas by Grace Maccarone
• I Like Shoes by Candice Ransom
• Listen to My Trumpet by Mo Willems
• The Nutcracker Comes To America: How Three Ballet-Loving Brothers Created a Holiday Tradition by Chris Barton
• Onward: Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel by Russell Moore
• We Are in a Book by Mo Willems

Leftover Loot:

• Somewhere There Is Still a Sun by Michael Gruenbaum
• 26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola  
• Because  A Little Bug Went Ka-Choo by Rosetta Stone
• The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
• The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
• Would You Rather be a Bullfrog by Theo LeSieg
• Hooper Humperdink--? Not him! Theo LeSieg
• An Appetite for Violets by Martine Bailey
• The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers  
• Vango. Between Sky and Earth. Timothee de Fomb
• The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm translated by Jack Zipes  
• The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
• Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver
•  Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Ella MacNeal

         Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Betty Crocker Kids Cook. 1999/2015 (spiral-bound) Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I enjoyed skimming through Betty Crocker Kids Cook. I don't "review" cook books often, but, I do enjoy looking at ones specifically designed to appeal to children and teens. This one is written with kids of all ages in mind. It features recipes that kids can cook on their own with just a little guidance, and some more difficult recipes that may take more cooperation with an adult.

The recipes fall into five categories: breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and desserts. The book includes simple instructions and guidelines for general cooking and baking. (The end papers illustrate the tools of the trade.) The "Just the Basics" section even includes the current nutritional guidelines, MyPlate.

The recipes themselves seem straightforward and reader-friendly. As an adult, I appreciate them listing the nutritional information for each recipe. (Serving size, number of calories, number of carbohydrates, amount of fat, amount of fiber, etc. It also includes the number of carbohydrate exchanges (choices) a serving is. Most of the recipes, though certainly not all, are carbohydrate heavy I noticed. Some recipes look delicious, very delicious, but are certainly not healthy enough to be eaten all that often, in my opinion.

The recipes that looked most appealing to me include:

• Super-Tasty Sweet Potato Bacon Biscuits (p. 23)
• Surprise! Confetti Pasta Salad (p. 60)
• Impossibly Easy Mini Chicken Pot Pies (p. 98)
• Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs and Spaghetti (p. 112)
• Bottom of the Cereal Box Cookies (p. 140)

Do you have a favorite cookbook for children or teens?

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Mark of The Thief. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2015. Scholastic. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Hired Girl. Laura Amy Schlitz. 2015. Candlewick. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
Arthur, For The Very First Time. Patricia MacLachlan. Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. 1980/2002. HarperCollins. 128 pages. [Source: Library]
Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World. Elizabeth Rusch. Illustrated by Oliver Dominguez. 2013/2015. Candlewick. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Whittington. Alan Armstrong. 2005. Random House. 208 pages. [Source: Library]
Pizza Pat. Rita Golden Gelman. Illustrated by Will Terry. (A Bright & Early Book) 1999. Random House. 32 pages. [Source: Bought]
Oh, The Thinks You Can Think. Dr. Seuss. 1975. Random House. 41 pages. [Source: Library]
Criss Cross. Lynne Rae Perkins. 2005. 337 pages. [Source: Library]
The Memory Weaver. Jane Kirkpatrick. 2015. Revell. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Poetic Wonder of Isaac Watts. Douglas Bond. 2013. Reformation Trust. 163 pages. [Source: Borrowed]
Exalting Jesus in Galatians (Christ-Centered Exposition) David Platt and Tony Merida. 2014. B&H. 288 pages. [Source: Bought]

This week's recommendation(s):

I enjoyed Mark of the Thief and it's oh-so-easy to recommend. I also enjoyed The Hired Girl, but not wholeheartedly from cover to cover. So few books are absolutely perfectly perfect cover to cover though.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Oh, The Thinks You Can Think. Dr. Seuss. 1975. Random House. 41 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: You can think up some birds. That's what you can do. You can think about yellow or think about blue...

Premise/plot: The narrator encourages the reader to THINK and to imagine. My favorite: "You can think about SCHLOPP. Schlopp. Schlopp. Beautiful scholopp. Beautiful schlopp with a cherry on top."

My thoughts: I liked this one fine. Of course, it has lots of silly rhyming. And the whole book is whimsical. And for those readers who can't get enough of Dr. Seuss, this one is worthy of reading. But. Is it a favorite of mine personally? Probably not. But it is good fun all the same.

Have you read Oh, The Thinks You Can Think? Did you like it? love it? hate it? I'd love to know what you thought of it!

If you'd like to join me in reading or rereading Dr. Seuss (chronologically) I'd love to have you join me! The next book I'll be reviewing is Because A Little Bug Went Ka-choo!

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Pizza Pat. Rita Golden Gelman. Illustrated by Will Terry. (A Bright & Early Book) 1999. Random House. 32 pages. [Source: Bought]

This is Pat.
This is the tray that Pat bought.
This is the dough, all stretchy and floppy,
that lay in the tray that Pat bought.
This is the sauce, all gooey and gloppy,
that covered the dough, all stretchy and floppy,
that lay in the tray that Pat bought.

Premise: Pat's making pizza! Pat looks like he loves pizza. Loves to make it, and loves to eat it. But will Pat get to eat THIS oh-so-yummy pizza? You'll just to have to read this one to see for yourself.

My thoughts: I loved it. I'm not sure I loved, loved, loved it. But I loved it a LOT more than I ever imagined possible. Why? Well, I'm not the biggest fan of The House That Jack Built. I'm just not. But this pizza-themed story, well, it was just FUN.

This one would pair well, in my opinion, with More Spaghetti, I Say! which also happens to be by Rita Golden Gelman.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Criss Cross. Lynne Rae Perkins. 2005. 337 pages. [Source: Library]

If Criss Cross had not won a Newbery, would I have felt differently about it? I think I definitely would have had lower expectations, and lower expectations or even no expectations often work in a book's favor. High expectations can lead to disappointment and frustration.

Criss Cross didn't "wow" me. I wasn't overly impressed with the writing, the characterization, or the plot. That is I did not find the writing, the characterization, or the plot: amazing, brilliant, wonderful, spectacular, or overly memorable. There was never this WOW, WHAT A BOOK moment.

The writing was okay. It was. The characterization was just fine. The plot, well, not much happens, but not much has to happen if I'm enjoying the writing or the characters. It was an ordinary, just fine, not-extra-memorable read for me. Nothing to complain about certainly, but nothing to gush about.

Criss Cross visits the lives of a handful of teens: some boys, some girls. One of the characters is a girl named Debbie. She almost has a main-character feel to her. But just almost. There were too many character perspectives to really feel properly settled with any one of them as being the main character. There lives sometimes touch each other. (One chapter even has two perspectives side by side.) Criss Cross is definitely made up of many moments--seemingly insignificant moments--that when reflected upon later take on a bit of significance.

For those who love coming-of-age stories, this one could prove satisfying enough.

I will add that this one is historical fiction. Though the historical setting is a bit fuzzy. There are hints throughout the text that this is set in the past, but, it may not prove obvious to every reader, especially in the beginning.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Arthur, For The Very First Time. Patricia MacLachlan. Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. 1980/2002. HarperCollins. 128 pages. [Source: Library]

I enjoyed reading Patricia MacLachlan's Arthur, For the Very First Time. Readers meet a young ten-year old boy, Arthur, and journey with him to his aunt-and-uncle's farm for an eventful summer. Arthur is a somewhat troubled young boy. Troubled being VERY relative of course. He's having trouble communicating with his parents. They still haven't told him that he's to have a little brother or little sister. Though he has figured it out himself. He hasn't exactly told them he knows or how he feels about this "happy" event. Arthur definitely spends time wishing things were different but believing that they can't be different. So how does Arthur spend his time? Well, before visiting Aunt Elda and Uncle Wrisby, he spent most of his time writing in his matter-of-fact journal. He spent a lot of time OBSERVING the world around him, but, not necessarily taking part of it. During his summer vacation, however, things will change for the better. Arthur will start living a little bit more--in some cases, a LOT more.

The book is definitely character-driven. I loved that. I loved meeting Arthur, his aunt and uncle, his new friend Moira. I loved meeting some of the animals as well. Like the chicken, Pauline, whom everyone speaks to in French! It was just a very satisfying read.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Hired Girl. Laura Amy Schlitz. 2015. Candlewick. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I definitely appreciated Laura Amy Schlitz's The Hired Girl. This historical novel is set around 1911, most of it takes place in Baltimore, though not all of it. The heroine, Joan Skraggs, is an interesting companion for readers. This fourteen year old is leaving school never to return. Oh, she wishes she could continue her education. Her mom dreamed big, and wanted Joan to become a teacher. But her father--don't let me get started on him!!!--has different plans for her. Plans that keep her on the farm and working day and night. Joan would never have contemplated running away from home unless provoked. Several things go wrong. Her asking for the egg money--politely and respectfully--begins the trouble perhaps. But after her father BURNS her books, her most beloved possessions, (Jane Eyre, Ivanhoe, and Dombey & Son) she sees no possibility of reconciliation. She reads in the paper that young girls can earn around $6 a week as a maid or hired girl. She thinks: if there's one thing I know it's how to do housework, I might as well get PAID to do the work. So she courageously leaves the only home she's known and sets off for the unknown, the big city....

JANET (a name change never hurts!) is fortunate that she is hired by the Rosenbachs. They have had trouble in the past hiring young girls and having them stay. Malka, who is like family, of course, isn't the easiest to get along with. And she is very particular and not always patient and kind and understanding. But Janet and Malka, after a very rough start, seem to be quite compatible. Janet soon finds herself becoming friendly with most of the family, though not all of the family! Janet becomes very friendly with the daughter and one of the sons. Also the father proves to be a kindred spirit of sorts.

The Hired Girl tackles religion straight-forwardly. Joan/Janet is a sometimes Catholic. Her mother was Catholic. Her father is--well, I already said I shouldn't talk about him--nothing. He wouldn't dream of entering a place of worship! And he doesn't really want her "wasting" her time on Sundays either. So she's never been instructed or confirmed in the church. She is hired by a Jewish family. And both through curiosity and duty she comes to learn about Judaism. (She has to learn what is kosher and what is not. There are right ways and wrong ways to do everything in the household it seems!) She is clueless in some ways about their faith and her own. But on her days off, she does seek to learn and grow in her own Catholic faith. That is until a cute boy enters the picture...

Personally, I could have done without the "romance" of this one. See conflicts happen when you're fourteen-pretending-to-be-eighteen.

There is a certain complexity to Hired Girl. It's an absorbing read. And I think it will prove a memorable one, though it is a little early to say for sure. The heroine is far from perfect. She can be at times smart and intuitive and at other times immature and clueless. But the fact that she is far from perfect isn't a problem for me. Her flaws make her seem oh-so-human.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Mark of The Thief. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2015. Scholastic. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Did I enjoy Jennifer A. Nielsen's Mark of the Thief? Yes!!! Very much. What should YOU know before picking it up? Well, it's a FANTASY novel set in Ancient Rome. Sound appealing? I think so! Here's how it starts:

In Rome, nothing mattered more than the gods, and nothing mattered less than its slaves. Only a fool of a slave would ever challenge the gods' power. I was beginning to look like that fool.

 Mark of the Thief is narrated by a slave, Nic, who through a series of events find himself in ever-increasing danger. It starts with him refusing to obey Sal's orders to go into a newly discovered tunnel/cave within the mine. He's not the first slave Sal's ordered there. The first died. The second, well, he came back clearly insane. Nic's escape attempt doesn't quite go as planned, it's best not to overhear EVIL, SECRET plans and be seen...But Nic is lucky in many ways when he does finally venture into the depths of the earth....

I would definitely recommend this one. Nic's character was great. And Nic meets a lot of interesting characters, including one he's not quite sure about at any given time: a young woman named Aurelia.

Betrayal, Secrets, Mystery and Suspense. Magic. ACTION. Just a few reasons why you might find this one difficult to put down!

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World. Elizabeth Rusch. Illustrated by Oliver Dominguez. 2013/2015. Candlewick. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

It never failed, when I was in school, that one of the year's assignments would be to read a biography and either write a written report or give an oral report. It was a boring assignment, but, it wouldn't have had to be. What did I look for in a biography? First, that it was a SHORT book, meeting the minimum number of required pages certainly, but, not looking to go OVER either. Second, that it had PICTURES. The more illustrations, the better, in my opinion. And if they were COLOR illustrations, it was EVEN better. The subject matter didn't matter as much to me--at least then--as did these two essentials. Electrical Wizard would have been an absolute dream come true to me as a kid. I really don't remember ANY biography coming close in terms of being kid friendly and visually appealing. Children are lucky to have such lovely biographies available today. This one happens to be published by Candlewick.

So, the book is a biography of Nicola Tesla. And Rusch managed quite effortlessly to make electricity easy to understand. And Tesla was quite an interesting--fascinating--man. So this one makes for a delightfully compelling read.

Seven chapters focus on his life. Several more focus on his impact and relevance. For example, "Ahead of His Time," shows the brilliance of Tesla's inventions. And "Tesla Vs. Edison" provides context for understanding/appreciating both men. Also included scientific notes, a time line, source notes, and selected biography.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Whittington. Alan Armstrong. 2005. Random House. 208 pages. [Source: Library]

I enjoyed reading Alan Armstrong's Whittington. This book celebrates two of my favorite things: storytelling and cats. The framework of the story really worked for me. The modern day story is of a cat, Whittington, and his friends living in a barn. The book tells of his arrival at the barn, his meeting of the other animals, their hesitant acceptance of him. Soon Whittington proves his worth. One reason why may be he is great at storytelling. He tells the story of Dick Whittington and His Cat to the others. So readers are treated to TWO equally delightful stories. The book also features a few children, a brother and sister, the young boy is having trouble learning to read. The book explores the concept of the Reading Recovery program.

I liked this one very much. I liked all of the stories. I liked the characters--human and animal. It was just a satisfying way to spend an afternoon.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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New Loot:

• Because  A Little Bug Went Ka-Choo by Rosetta Stone
• The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson
• Here Comes The Big, Mean Dust Bunny by Jan Thomas
• How To Be A Cat by Nikki McClure
• Sitting in My Box by Dee Lillegard
• Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Laura Amy Schlitz
• Somewhere There Is Still a Sun by Michael Gruenbaum
• The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka
• 26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola

Leftover Loot:

• The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
• The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
• Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
• Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
• Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Oh, the thinks you can think by Dr. Seuss
• Would You Rather be a Bullfrog by Theo LeSieg
• Hooper Humperdink--? Not him! Theo LeSieg
• An Appetite for Violets by Martine Bailey
• The Well by Stephanie Landsem
• The Tomb by Stephanie Landsem
• The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers 
• The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley
• The Matchmaker: An Amish Retelling of Jane Austen's Emma by Sarah Price
• Second Chances: An Amish Retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion by Sarah Price
• Vango. Between Sky and Earth. Timothee de Fomb
• The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm translated by Jack Zipes  
• The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
• Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver
• The Little Way of Ruthie Leming by Rod Dreher
• Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Ella MacNeal 

         Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Conjured. Sarah Beth Durst. 2013. Walker. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
Case of the Phantom Cat (Maisie HItchins #3) Holly Webb. Illustrated by Marion Lindsay. 2015. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]
A Night Divided. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2015. Scholastic. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Thing about Jellyfish. Ali Benjamin. 2015. Little, Brown. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
History of Women's Fashion (Design Line). Natasha Slee. Illustrated by Sanna Mander. 2015. Candlewick. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]
A Test of Wills (Ian Rutledge #1) Charles Todd. 1994/2006. Harper Collins. 305 pages. [Source: Library]
Wacky Wednesday. Dr. Seuss (Theo LeSieg). Illustrated by George Booth. 1974. Random House. 48 pages. [Source: Library]
Momo's Kitten. Mitsu and Taro Yashima. 1961. Viking. 33 pages. [Source: Bought]
Board Book: I Love My Dinosaur. Caroline Jayne Church. 2015. Scholastic. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Praying the Bible. Donald S. Whitney. 2015. Crossway. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Mistress of Tall Acre. Laura Frantz. 2015. Revell. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Convenient Bride Collection. 2015. Barbour Books. 446 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Newton on the Christian Life. Tony Reinke. 2015. Crossway. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]

This week's recommendation(s):

Praying the Bible. Donald S. Whitney. 2015. Crossway. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Mistress of Tall Acre. Laura Frantz. 2015. Revell. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Convenient Bride Collection. 2015. Barbour Books. 446 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Newton on the Christian Life. Tony Reinke. 2015. Crossway. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Wacky Wednesday. Dr. Seuss (Theo LeSieg). Illustrated by George Booth. 1974. Random House. 48 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It all began with that shoe on the wall.

Premise/plot: A young boy wakes up to an increasingly wacky world. The text reveals how many "wacky" things are on the page. Readers can try to spot them all if they like.

My thoughts: Very weird. Can't say that I really "liked" it. But I can see it appealing to a certain kind of reader. The focus is on finding the details in the illustrations. If you rush through the text without taking the time to examine each page closely and counting them up for yourself, it's a very dull read.

Have you read Wacky Wednesday? Did you like it? love it? hate it? I'd love to know what you thought of it!

If you'd like to join me in reading or rereading Dr. Seuss (chronologically) I'd love to have you join me! The next book I'll be reviewing is Oh the Thinks You Can Think.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Momo's Kitten. Mitsu and Taro Yashima. 1961. Viking. 33 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Momo's family moved out West from New York City to Los Angeles, but Momo did not see any ranches or cowboys around her. Instead of these, on the way home from the nearby market one afternoon she found a miserable kitten under a geranium bush by the sidewalk. "If your father says it's all right, you may keep the kitty," Mother said. Momo made herself ready to cry in case Father should say it was not all right.

Premise/plot: Momo, the heroine, finds a stray kitten and gets to keep it. To her surprise, but probably not to her parents' surprise, her cat, Nyan-Nyan grows up to have kittens of her own. She's not allowed to keep the kittens, but consoles herself, in a way, by making birth certificates for each kitten as they are given away. The illustration of the certificate I found quite charming. I would say this is a good, old-fashioned first-pet story.

My thoughts: I love, love, LOVE Umbrella by Taro Yashima. I do. It's one of my favorite, favorite books. Momo's Kitten is another story starring Momo. So if you love Umbrella, you may just want to seek this out-of-print book out. Did I love it as much as Umbrella? Probably not. But I am glad I read it. I definitely enjoyed the text. Some illustrations I loved. Other illustrations not so much. I definitely found the illustrations for Umbrella to be more appealing.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Board Book: I Love My Dinosaur. Caroline Jayne Church. 2015. Scholastic. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Hi! I'm Patrick, and I love my dinosaur! 
So here's my little dino.
He's green with tiny teeth.
Scaly on his top side
And bumpy underneath.

Premise/plot: Readers meet a boy, Patrick, who loves his dinosaur. Through rhyme, he shares just why he loves his dinosaur so much.

My thoughts: Caroline Jayne Church's board books are best for young toddlers. The art is cute and precious-y. Some readers find that type of art irresistible. Others not so much. But you always know what to expect from Caroline Jayne Church.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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