Well, it’s a little later than it should be, . . . .but the voting is done and the winners have been chosen. Thank you to everyone who voted for the 2014 winners. It was an honor to review each of these books.
To become a Top Book, and in the running for Best Book, a book must receive a 6-star review here at Kid Lit Reviews, released within the 2013 and 2014, and have been reviewed between December 1, 2013 and November 30, 2014. Voting normally occurs in December and the results announced in January. This year the only variation was the actual voting, which took place in March. Hopefully 2015 will be a healthier year and all will go as planned.
So, without any further delay, here are the winners. Congratulations to all.
Best Picture Book
The Grudge Keeper
Author: Mara Rockliff
Illustrator: Eliza Wheeler
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (April 1, 2014)
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Best Middle Grade Novel
The Guardian Herd #1: Starfire
Author: Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
Cover Artist: David McClellan
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books (September 23, 2014)
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Best Nonfiction Book
Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker
Author: Patricia Hruby Powell
Illustrator: Christian Robinson
Publisher: Chronicle Books (January 14, 2014)
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Best Poetry Book
Rhyme Schemer
Author: K. A. Holt
Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 1, 2014)
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Best Holiday Book
Lobo’s Howliday (The Adventures of Loveable Lobo #5)
Author: C. L. Murphy
Illustrator: C. L. Murphy
Publisher: Peanut Butter Prose (December 1, 2013)
WINNERS: I can offer you the files for your “stamp,” if you are interested. Otherwise this is more bragging rights than anything. Please email (or use contact form). Once again, congratulations to all the winners!
(flags and reading cat © Laura Strickland @ My Cute Graphics)
Filed under:
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Library Donated Books,
Middle Grade,
NonFiction,
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Top 10 of 2014 Tagged:
2014 best books on KLR,
C.L. Murphy,
Christian Robinson,
Chronicle Books,
David McClellan,
Eliza Wheeler,
HarperCollins Children’s Books,
Jennifer Lynn Alvarez,
Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,
K.A. Holt,
Lobo’s Howliday (The Adventures of Loveable Lobo #5),
Mara Rockliff,
Patricia Hruby Powell,
Peachtree Publishers,
Peanut Butter Prose,
Rhyme Schemer,
The Grudge Keeper,
The Guardian Herd #1: Starfire
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The Adventures of Lovable Lobo, #5: Lobo Goes to the Galapagos
Written and illustrated by C.L. Murphy
Published by C.L. Murphy 8/22/2014
978-0-9883187-5-5
Age 4 to 8 32 pages
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“Lobo returns in this adventure, sweeter and a bit salty this time. This lil’ wolf pup finds that there’s nothing like a little sea air to bring out the best in him and his unlikely tag-alongs. Take a trip to the Galapagos with Lobo and his right-hand raven, Roxy, as they help an injured, new feathered friend return home. Lobo faces some fears and witnesses the joy that comes from helping others in this “birds of a different feather DO flock together” tale.”
Opening
“Ohh …….Rooooxxxyyyy . . . Roxy…..Roxy?”
The Story
After a stormy night, Lobo finds a bird lying upside down in the grass. It has blue feet, which worries Lobo, but it turns out the bird, named Bobby is a blue-footed booby. The storm blew Bobby all the way to Lobo’s home, hurting his wing in the process. Lobo’s friend Roxy the raven splints Bobby’s wing and then the two take Bobby home. He lives by the ocean, but none of the beaches Lobo arrives at is the correct beach. Bobby lives on Wolf Island—wolf population zero—an island of the Galapagos Islands. The islands are across the ocean rom Lobo’s forest. Lobo does not swim well and is afraid a sea creature might attack the group—or him. What does he do know? How will he get the injured Booby back home?
Review
I have loved The Adventures of Lovable Lobo ever since Lobo ventured into a barnyard full of animals trying to make friends. He was a cool wolf pup when he refused to hunt and kill in his first adventure. Lobo was wonderful with a young Bigfoot. In Lobo Goes to Galapagos, Lobo must be maturing. He takes the lead, transporting an injured boobly bird, a depressed seagull, and a lonely crab by himself. Roxy helps by flying most of the time instead of landing on Lobo’s back for a free ride. Lobo never complains. These are his friends (even the sad seagull and the blue-footed boobly both of which he just met) so he steps out.
I loved the unexpected bits of humor, such as when Sandra popping onto the beach with the perfect timing of a great comedian One f the best lines is this one,
“The water was so clear that if Lobo looked down he could see many things swimming around, so he tried not to look down.”
Poor Lobo, he endures one fear to take a new friend, injured in the storm, home. The nice thing about Lobo’s stories is the lack of a message. Lobo is a good wolf, a wolf to aspire to be, and a friend to every animal without prejudice. This is Lobo’s makeup, not his message. Still, I take friendship, honesty, loyalty, and courteousness away from Lobo’s adventures.
I was disappointed that Lobo Goes to the Galapagos was only to drop off a new friend. I thought he would go there to explore and show me creatures I did not know existed. True, I had never heard of a blue-footed boobly—and yes, it is real—but I wanted more.
The illustrations are once more fantastic. My favorite and one that Ms. Murphy will find hard to top, is her gorgeous sunset, sunrise beaches. I have been to the Caribbean many times and have seen many outstanding sunsets and rises, but none were as magnificent as the ones in Lobo Goes to the Galapagos. Ms. Murphy the magic touch. All of her illustrations are bold, bright, beautiful renditions of her stories. If the images are not hopping off the page at you, they bathe you in phenomenal patterns of color. She is a fantastic artist.
Lobo’s latest adventure, Lobo Goes to the Galapagos, will not disappoint his loyal fans. Young children new to the lovable wolf pup will enjoy the story’s soft humor and awesome tale of friendship. As of this tale, Kindle readers can finally enjoy Lovable Lobo. Once again, Lobo and his friends captivated me. I hope one day, Lobo will make a longer trip to the Galapagos Islands. He would make the perfect ambassador.
THE ADVENTURES OF LOVABLE LOBO #5: LOBO GOES TO THE GALAPAGOS. Text and illustrations copyright © 2014 by C.L. Murphy. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, C.L. Murphy.
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Purchase Lobo Goes to the Galapagos at Amazon—iTunes—Ms. Murphy’s Website.
Learn more about Lobo Goes to the Galapagos HERE
Meet the author/illustrator, C.L. Murphy, at her website: http://lovablelobo.com/
Pop in on the author at her Twitter, Facebook, or Blog.
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Also by C.L. Murphy
The Adventures of Lovable Lobo, #1: Lobo & Popo Fool the Pack
The Adventures of Lovable Lobo, #2: Lobo Visits the Barnyard
The Adventures of Lovable Lobo, #3: Lobo Finds BigfootBarnyard
The Adventures of Lovable Lobo, #4: Lobo’s Howliday
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Review of Lobo #1
Review of Lobo #2
Review of Lobo #3
Review of Lobo #4
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Copyright © 2014 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews
Filed under:
4stars,
Children's Books,
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Library Donated Books,
Picture Book,
Series Tagged:
Blue-Footed Boobly,
C.L. Murphy,
children's book series,
childrens book review,
friendship,
Galapagos Islands,
helping friends,
Lovable Lobo,
loyalty,
picture book,
wild creatures