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A Baby’s Guide to Surviving Dad Series:  Baby Survival Guides Written by Benjamin Bird Illustrated by Tiago Americo Capstone Young Readers    2/01/2016 978-1-62370-610-4 24 pages    6″ X 7″    Ages 0—3 . “HELLO, BABY. “The whole life thing is pretty new to you, right? Luckily, you have a dad. Unluckily, he’s new to the …

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What’s in Your Purse?

by Abigail Samoun & Nathalie Dion

Chronicle Books     3/25/2014

978-1-4521-1701-0

Age   3+       12 pages

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“From compacts to wallets, passports to planners, cell phones to sunglasses—mommy, grandma, auntie, and sister’s pocketbooks have to carry it all. Lift-the-flaps and peek inside to find the tote-ally terrific treasures each fashionable purses holds! Featuring a snap closure and a take-it-anywhere handle, this interactive book collects five purses in one and allows young readers to lift more than 15 flaps—it’s the perfect accessory for budding fashionistas!”

Review

The first thing I want to say about today’s selection is this: please get your “Aw’s” out now. This adorable book will make your young child fall in love with books. Inside this carry-able book are five purses with the accessories one might find in mom or grandma’s purse. A snap holds the pages tightly in the shape of a purse that your child can carry. The pages are thick, the plastic snap is snug, and the pages will help your child’s imagination take off.

What’s in Your Purse? opens to that very question. Turn the page and the next question is, “Mommy, what’s in your purse?” Mommy’s yellowish-orange purse has a green zipper and a snap just like the one holding the book closed. Flip up the flap and you will see everything mommy carries in her purse, along with three questions for your child to read and answer. Don’t forget to look inside her Mylar compact—at yourself.

“Where does Mommy work?”

Mommy’s employee I. D. says she works at Fashionable Purse.

“What colors are Mommy’s eyes?

Mommy’s drivers license says her eyes are brown.

“What does Mommy have to do on Wednesday?”

 Mommy’s datebook says she is buying pink laces.

Next, let’s ask Grandma what’s in her yellow billowy purse. This purse is closed with a clasp. Turn it and look inside. She has a picture album, a wallet, and a glasses case, all of which flip up for further investigations. Just three of the fifteen total flaps. Again, there are questions to answer that require a good search through Grandma’s purse. Check out the diary in your sister’s purse—hurry, don’t let her catch you!

There is one last purse and it belongs to your child. Will the contents of her purse surprise your child? Does she have a real purse to compare to this book purse?

When I first saw this, I know my eyes got very wide with excitement. How cool is this book/purse? Little girls will love carrying this around and showing others what is in each purse. The purse is a large eight inches long and tall. A convenient handle is smooth and inviting. Girls will want this book. Buy this and try, as hard as you can, to keep it hidden until Christmas or some other important day. What’s in Your Purse will definitely put a smile on the girl who opens up its purses and flaps.

I think I could blubber on about this all day. The sturdily made purse-shaped book has a well-constructed plastic snap and the flaps that won’t tear without force. Even with these fine qualities, What’s in Your Purse is still a book, not a toy, and should be treated as such. When done reading or carrying, the book sits on a shelf like any other book. Girls will love this; parents will love giving this to their daughter. I only hope that the author designs a toolbox for boys and a lunch box for boys and girls. Until then, enjoy What’s in Your Purse? This is one more surprise from the wonderful line of books from Chronicle Books and its imprints.

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WHAT’S IN YOUR PURSE? Text and design copyright © 2014 by Abigail Samoun. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Nathalie Dion. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA.

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Want to learn more about What’s in Your Purse? Check out: THE MAKING OF WHAT’S IN YOUR PURSE?

Buy a young girl in your life What’s in Your Purse? at Amazon—B&N—BookDepository—Chronicle Books—your local bookstore.

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Meet the author, Abigail Samoun, at her agency website:   http://redfoxliterary.com/aboutus.html

Meet the illustrator, Nathalie Dion, at Behance: http://www.behance.net/madamedion4723

Find books at the publisher, Chronicle Books, website:    http://www.chroniclebooks.com/

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Also by Abigail Samoun

How Hippo Says Hello! (Little Traveler Series)

How Gator Says Good-bye! (Little Traveler Series.

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Also by Nathalie Dion

Urban Babies Wear Black

Artsy Babies Wear Paint (

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Chronicle Books Imprints

A Good Home for Max

Telephone

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I Didn’t Do My Homework Because…

by Davide Cali & Benjamin Chaud

Chronicle Books     2014

978-1-4521-2551-0

Age 8 to 12    40 pages

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Back Cover

“WHEN TO  USE THIS BOOK: Whenever you haven’t finished your homework.

“CAUTION: Each excuse may only be used once.”

Opening

“So, why didn’t you do your homework?”

“I didn’t do my homework because . . . An airplane full of monkeys landed in our yard.”

The Story

A middle grade student has not finished his homework and must give his teacher an excuse. Why did he not have his homework? As  you already know, an airplane full of monkeys landed in his yard. If that wasn’t enough,  a rebellious robot destroyed his house. He barely got out with his books intact. Oh, the actual homework, you ask? Well, that is hard to complete when you have a bedroom full of recently escaped convicts hiding there. And then, anything he did get done was eaten by his dog, and it was eaten by another dog, so he spent the rest of the day at the vet’s office.

The teacher, being like most teachers, didn’t believe a syllable that this young student said. So he kept on trying. Who would not believe that some huge birds made a nest out of his house’s roof, and then the birds must have flown off with the roof, because now it is gone? “Okay, maybe that was much,” the middle grader would say, “but my brother was kidnapped by a circus and I was forced to watch him perform.” The teacher never did believe a word this poor, homeless, now only child had to say in his own defense.

Review

In I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . . The young boy has some of the most inventive excuses I have ever heard. The true test is with teachers. How many of this young man’s excuses have been heard before, versus the number that are fresh and new? Only the latter excuses will matter to the average middle grade reader. Most excuses are only good once. There is some kind of underground network, where teachers file excuses for all other teachers to check their student’s excuse against,  similar to how Grammarly helps teachers check for plagiarism.  If your excuse is on this registry there is no chance it will work, even when it is true.

The  illustrations detail the excuses with wonderful detail that will hold the attention of your mind’s eye. The author and illustrator worked together to make sure you could easily remember these excuses. If instructions would have been included they would have said, “Read it aloud and study the picture. The more senses you can involve the better you will remember. The illustrations depict the excuse as closely as possible with more than enough intimate features and qualities to ease the process. Sometimes silly illustrations are used to help you remember that excuse.”

If your brother were kidnapped by the circus,  would you remember this better if you saw him leaning out of a huge cannon, and the ringmaster at the other end with a large match ready to shoot him into outer space? You bet it would. That picture will stay in your head—and the teacher’s—long after the she has forgotten about your missing homework.

Obviously, I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . . is a humorous book depicting outrageous excuses one would never  actual encounter. The book is cute, makes fun of the silly excuses kids can think up and teachers must hear. This is a not a real story, as one expects a story. Nor is this a handbook of excuses, because they are too outlandish to be believable, though sometimes truth is stranger  than fiction.  I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . .is tongue-in-cheek fun middle graders will laugh at, as will younger kids—even those who cannot read.  There might even be a few teachers laughing along.  The book is a novelty-type book exaggerating the ritual of excuses for laughs and smiles. I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . . easily accomplishes this goal.

If you like jokes, if you like comics, if you like silliness, or if you need more unbelievable excuses this year, I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . .  is for you. The book reminds me of the thin library jokes books or silly poetry books I’d  carry home by the arm loads. This light reading never needed to be dog eared—or cat whiskered—before closing the book unfinished. These books, and I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . .   are thin enough to find your place or start over and get to the last page read in minutes. The entire book will take no more than fifteen minutes to read cover-to-cover. Every time I read those books a smile jumped onto my face. I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . . did the same, with a few BIG laughs.

A smile can change one’s entire attitude for the better. I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . . will have kids giggling, parent’s grinning, and teachers groaning, but all will smile that magic transformative smile, the kind that instantly makes you feel good, as smiles are meant to do. If you want that smile of innocent complicity, this is the book to read. Keep it in your locker or desk drawer for quick reference or a needed smile. Most importantly, remember to check off each excuse as you use them. Beware of the teacher underground, .I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . . is not guaranteed to get you out of doing your homework.

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Learn more about  I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . .  HERE.     And on iTunes.

Get  copy of  I Didn’t Do My Homework Because . . .  at Amazon—B&N—Chronicle Books—your local neighborhood bookstore.

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Meet the author, Davide Cali:     wiki    facebook     twitter     goodreads

Meet the illustrator, Benjamin Chaud         blog     facebook     pinterest    vimeo     ficker     goodreads

Find more interesting Chronicle Books        website    blog    facebook    twitter    pinterest    instagram    G+    youtube    tumblr

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I DIDN’T DO MY HOMEWORK BECAUSE . . . . Text copyright © 2014 by Davide Cali. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Benjamin Chaud. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA.

ALSO BY BENJAMIN CHAUD.

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The Bear’s Song.

It's so fun receiving first copies of a book. Or two books! I received my first copies of Dancing Dreams and Oliver's First Christmas from Accord Publishing. I turned in the final illustrations for Dancing Dreams days before I had my baby in January, and the finals for Oliver's First Christmas were due in April. Both of these will be released within the next month.

They both use AniMotion(tm) technology, which is a fancy way of saying that there are action windows which look like animations as you turn the page. You can see the dancer in the red dress is in two different poses above. Super fun!

Kristi Valiant
www.kristivaliant.com
http://kristivaliant.blogspot.com