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Popeye is ready to spend yet another day in his regular life, with his bedroom ceiling dripping rusty water and listening to his grandmother Velma recite British royalty in order of reign to prevent herself from cracking up. It's been raining for a week, and Popeye feels like he is the one who is going to crack up!

Once the rain finally stops, Popeye takes the opportunity to get out of the house. He is walking down the road, pitching stones into the ditch when he sees it – a big motor home that is “tilted precariously to the side, one of its giant wheels sunk deep down into the gloppy red mud of the road”. (p.12)

Popeye’s summer, and his life, are about to change.

The owners of the motor home are a family with a passel of rag tag kids who quickly induct Popeye into their Spit and Swear club. The eldest, named Elvis, takes an interest in Popeye and soon the two are inseparable -- having small adventures for at least as long as the motor home is stuck in the mud. They spit and swear, discover Yoo-Hoo boats filled mysterious notes and soon Popeye has dreams of hopping on the motor-home and finding adventures that are even bigger. Each day Popeye hopes that his Uncle Dooley, who is supposed to dig the motor home out, will stay true to his nature and not get it done!

On the surface, this book penned by Barbara O'Connor seems to be simply about a summertime adventure that happens to blow into town, but dig a little deeper. Popeye, who has always listened to Velma before, tries on defiance for the first time, not just for the sake of making trouble either. In the name of adventure, he is willing to risk Velma’s wrath. After Popeye and Elvis meet Starletta (a girl who lives through the woods and down the creek) readers can feel Popeye’s inhibitions and apathy peeling away. Dreams start to seed, and readers will believe that Popeye will not end up like his Uncle Dooley…he’s made of bigger stuff.

Kids (and adults) love stories that begin on the cover of the book. Starting this sequel with wordplay for "too", Knuffle Bunny Too, A Case of Mistaken Identity, by Mo Willems, finds our heroine Trixie back with her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny sidekick beginning a new adventure - SCHOOL! Unfortunately, even as her daddy kisses her goodbye and leaves her in her new classroom, Trixie is shocked to find that her Knuffle Bunny is not so one-of-a-kind after all. Sonja also has one. The situation goes downhill from there until Ms. Greengrove, their teacher, takes both bunnies away for a time out because the two girls are arguing. Now all the pieces are in place for the accidental "switch" that leads to the case of mistaken identity.

Willem's clever use of illustration and photography, his ability to capture the unspoken conversation between Trixie's parents in a couple of glances, the pain of separation between Trixie and her Knuffle Bunny, and the pure joy and importance of a middle-of-the-night rendevous make this a must read.

Not only is this title a finalist for the Cybil's picture books award, but Mo had this to say about us "wacky bloggers". The Cybils' Awards have even attracted the notice of the International Reading Associaton in particular for Knuffle Bunny Too.

Check out Mother Reader's review here.

Finalists will be announced on February 14th.

Natasha Wing and Sylvie Kantorovitz have created a terrific bedtime story that will resonate with parents and kids alike. A very unsleepy Lucy gets out her crayons one evening and crayons herself into a series of adventures with a new friend named Monster. The two of them build castles and fly airplanes and march in a parade together until Lucy is tired and ready for sleep. But, Monster isn't.

Then the recognizable list of bedtime needs and complaints begins as Lucy takes on the parental role of putting Monster to bed and getting him to sleep. This role reversal will amuse children and parents both.Part of the charm of this story is the lean elegance of the text and illustrations. They effectively convey the power of a child's imagination while demonstrating to children the universality of bedtime games and the struggles parents have in getting their children to bed and to sleep.

Congratulations to Natasha and Sylvie on becoming a Cybils’ Award Finalist.

I highly recommend this story for children ages 4-6.

Check out more blogger reviews for Go to Bed, Monster! at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, Cheryl Rainfield's Book Blog, and World of Words.

ALSO check out this interview with Natasha Wing and Syvlie Kantorovitz at Becky's Book Reviews.

Here's a peek at an illustration in Topsy Turvy Tour, a mini-topsy turvy tale written by me, Donna, and illustrated by who else but Kevin Scott Collier! We are pleased to announce the story is featured in a new Children's E-Zine called Stories for Children. You can download it either as a .pdf file OR in a program that opens it up like a magazine right on your computer!

Illustrator of Topsy Turvy Land(Hidden Pictures Publishing), Kevin Scott Collier, sent this delightful coloring page of Sully, the Singing Snake. I never thought I'd say this about a snake, but isn't he cute?*Click on the picture, then print! It will print out full size ready to be colored. If that doesn't work with your printer, right click on the picture, and then 'save picture as...' and then