A Man Called Horse by Glennette Tilley Turner

This is a piece of history not everyone knows.  The Indians lived in white man's territory for a while.  The slaves integrated with them and soon you had black Seminoles...

Abrams Young Readers sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The Indians moved where the white men wanted them but the promises made never happened.  The didn't get the land and the food.  They didn't retaliate though.  They just found their own place to live and hunted for food.

The Indians were not treated well and that's sad.  This book features the leaders in the tribe and what they accomplished.

Even today, the Indians don't always get treated well.  Everyone is a human being and all should be treated equally.  Hasn't happened yet.

This is a piece of history that is fascinating.

A Kitten in Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant, Arthur Howard (Illustrated by)

This was a fun read.  There is a dog, a hermit crab and some bats all working together to get the kitten back to its mom.

Beach Lane Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

It's been raining a lot and that had to do with what happened to the kitten.  It fell in a gully and got swept down to Gooseberry Park.  

They start out trying to find his mom and look for transportation to get him there.  The snow geese agree to find his mom.  They find a rest stop on the mountain that should reunite the kitten and mom.

The kitten and a bat sneak into a truck and off they go.

There's a secret about the kitten:  It's a Bobcat!

It has a happy ending.

Happy Cats by Catherine Amari and Anouk Han

If you like cats, this book is for you!  It shows you cats in all their moods. 

Abrams Appleseed sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

It is illustrated by Emi Lenox and the cats come in all sizes and forms.

They are all different and there is even a hairless one included.  It's a fun book filled with happy cats.

The New Friend by Charlotte Zolotow

He has a friend he plays with each day.  Then one day as he calls for her, she doesn't come.  She's made another new friend.

Milkyway Picture Books sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

He cries because he's all alone now, but when he goes to bed, he dreams about a new friend for him.  He doesn't give up hope, he just starts looking for another friend...

Pura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpre Reshaped Libraries With Her Stories by Annette Bay Pimentel

Pura grew up in Puerto Rico and her grandmother told her stories.  Then her family moved to Harlem and she finds a library.  She wants to work there when she grow up.

Abrams Young Readers sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She does get hired by the library and she gets to do storytelling, but they tell her she has to read them library books.  But what about all those wonderful tales she heard at home?

Will she find a way to share them?

Child of the Flower-Song People by Gloria Amescua

This picture book is fiction based on real events.  Luz Jimenez, daughter of the Nahua, grows up wanting to be a teacher.

Abrams Young Readers sent me a copy of this book to read and review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

You follow Luz along as she learns the way of her parents and grandparents.  She can do crafts, tell the heritage of her family, and do work, too.  But when she sees a teacher, she wants to go to school.  They won't let her go because she's Mexican.

As time goes on, she finds a way to make her dream come true.

There's a timeline and glossary at the back of the book with a list of books you could read to learn more about her.  She never gave up.

We Have a Play Date by Frank W. Dormer

This is about animals that like to play together.  They are different sizes and aren't always successful in making it work, but they have fun!

Amulet Books sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The three small fellows go to play on the slide but there is a bear cub sitting on it.  He's scared to go down it.  You will be amazed when you see how they get him to try it.

The see saw is dangerous, too.  Ralph (the bear) wants to play with them, but he's too big.

Somehow they make everything work and have a good time.

What's Up, Construction Truck?

This is a cool book.  It has interactive lift-the-flap pages and it's fun to read.

Abams Appleseed sent me a copy of this book to read and review.  You can purchase a copy now.

The real treat is that it folds into a 3-D truck!  Here is a video from You Tube to show you how:  What's Up, Construction Truck? Step-by-Step Instructional Video - YouTube

What fun little ones can have with this book.  

If they are small, you might want to help them create the truck so the inserts don't get broken.  

This is something that will get played for a long time.

The Little Book of Joy by Joannne Ruelos Diaz

This book is a treasure.  It has 365 ways to celebrate every day.  There are a lot of good ideas and activities to pursue.

Abram's Young Readers sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

It's a good way to keep your child enthused and it has suggestions for things to do.  You might even want to join them in some activities.

This is a good way to keep them from being bored and having fun as they go along.

It's illustrated by Annelies Draws and the pictures are magical.

Spooky Tale by Christopher Franceschelli

This is a fun book to read.  The pages have peek throughs and gatefolds to open so you can continue the story.  Illustrations are done by Allison Black and are lovely.

Abrams Appleseed sent me a copy of this book too read and review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The trip they take is scary and when they reach their destination, there is a room of monsters.  How will the monsters greet them?

Yours in Books by Julie Falatko and Gabriel Alborozo

There is this owl who lives in the woods and wants to be left alone.  Unfortunately the children of other creatures find him interesting and want to know what he's reading.

Cameron Kids sent me a copy of this book to review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The owl keeps asking the squirrel librarian for books the library doesn't have in stock, so the squirrel sends him other books.  The children keep pestering him.  He even read them a story to calm them down.

He decides to have a tea party and everybody comes.  He still wishes for peace and quiet but he's learning too socialize too.

The Witch, The Sword, and the Cursed Knights by Alexandria Rogers

Ellie has a problem.  She's part fairy and part witch.  She has to hide the witch part.  But then she's turned down when she wants to go to fairy school.  Not to worry, she gets chosen to go to knight school.

Little Brown Books for Young Readers and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).It will be published February 8th.

The knight school takes a lot of students but only twenty-five get trained.  Anyone who does something wrong has their mind washed and is sent home.

Ellie thinks she has friends but only one is really her friend.  She almost gets sent home once but she fights back and gets to stay.

At the end she has a choice:  The fairy Godmother says she can go to school after all.  But the knight's school is also open to her.  Which one will she choose?  

Elisabeth and the Box of Colours by Katherine Woodfine

Elisabeth liked to draw like her father.  She loved his work and started coloring her own.  Then she got old enough to go to school.  It was clear across town and she stayed in a dorm there.  Everything was grey...

Barrington Stoke and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on February 3rd.

Her father sent her with a book she could draw in and crayons to use while drawing.  Her mother sent her with pretty colorful clothes.  The teacher confiscated all of that and Elizabeth was almost as grey as her surroundings.  And then her father died...

One thing the teacher didn't expect was that the other students found her things she could continue to draw with.  She made drawings of their relatives, their homes and even their pets.  She also had a habit of drawing in her textbooks.

One day she finds her crayons in her desk.  She brightens up her picture of her father and life wasn't so grey.

This is a story based on facts.  It's about a real painter and her life.  I'm just glad the teacher mellowed out somewhat and let her draw.

Dino-Easter by Lisa Wheeler, illus. Barry Gott

The dinos are ready for Easter.  They pick bouquets of flowers, have an egg painting party, pet farm animals, visit a chocolate factory, and hide eggs.

Carolrhoda Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on February 1st.

Raptor loves eggs and tries to eat them as they get them ready for Easter.  They tell him to stop, but when the Easter hunt starts, he fills his basket and then eats his eggs until he finally takes a nap.

This is a well illustrated book with dinos who are cute.  There is lots of activities to hold little ones attention.  It's a fun read.

The Donkey's Gone! Omid Arabian, Shilla Shakoori (Illustrated by)

This is a tale of man who owns nothing but his donkey.  He's travelling on it and comes to place where he can rest.  He turns the donkey over to the stable boy and teells him to take good care of it.

Triangle Square and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published in January 25th.

He goes and lays down to rest.  Soon he wakes up to see all kinds of food and some musicians.  He eats hearily and dances to the music with the others there.  He sings along about the donky being gone.  Then they go back to sleep.

But he has a surprise the next morning...

Aquicorn Cove by K. O'Neill

Lana loves the ocean.  She and her mother used to play in it but her mother died.  Now she goes to visit her aunt along with her dad.

Oni Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on January 25th.

Lana goes exploring on her own and finds a baby aquicorn in a puddle who looks hurt.  She gathers him up and goes back to Mae with him.  They willl keep him as long as it takes for him to heal.

In the meantime her aunt goes out fishing but a storm comes up and knocks her out of her boat.  That's when she meets the adult aquicorn.  The aquicorn tells her they need to stop using plastic nets.  They are gathering too much and the reef is going to die.

It's the truth.  You can't trim the population and expect it to survive.  This is a good lesson for little ones and their parents.

The illustrations are beautiful and the ending is a surprise.

For Laika : The Dog Who Learned the Names of the Stars by Kai Cheng Thom, Kai Yun Ching (Illustrated by)

This is a book that tells the story of Russian dogs that were sent to space.

Arsenal Pulp Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published January 18th.

Laika is a dog with no mom and dad.  She hangs out with other dogs until she's found by a scientist.  When he offers her food and a ride in the spaceship she says yes.  She knows the stars are dogs who have gone to heaven and she wants to visit.

She goes but what happens at the end of the story was not what she was planning on.The illustrations are great and you'll fall in love Laika.  It's a bit sad but she finally got to meet the dog stars.

I Love You So... by Marianne Richmond, Fiona Lee (Illustrated by)

This is a very good book for the little ones.  The girl asks her mother and father about love.

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The parents respond with the power of love and describe many things with it to resolve her worries.  They love her even when she's bad.

There will be no worries about how much they are loved if you share this book with them...

The Daily Bark: The Puppy Problem by Laura James

Gizmo is a dachshund who lived in the city until his owner buys a place in the country.  He's not all that fond of the country until he meets Jilly, the wolfhound next door. 

Bloomsbury Choldren's Boooks and Edelweiss allowed me to read this for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Gizmo can tell that Jilly is sad and heasks her why.  The people who own her are going to give her puppies away and she won't get to see them anymore.  Gizmo says let's wander around the neighborhood and see if local people will adopt them.  No luck there.

Next Gizmo writes an ad for them and the news dog spreads it around the neighborhood.  Soon they had people coming and bonding with the puppies.  They all got adopted but Jilly was still sad.

Can you guess why?  Gizmo helps her...

Dear Reader: A Love Letter to Libraries by Tiffany Rose

This little girl goes to the library to read books.  It doesn't take her too  long to realize that there is nobody non-white in them...

Little Bee Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read and review this book (thank you).This has been published and you can get a copy now.

In my childhood, I was in love with the library.  I checked out seven books (their limit) and generally had them read in three days.  We went once a week.

The little girl is absorbed by the advenures she reads about but she wants someone like her to be in the books.  She can find none, so she decides to write her own story.  She does and you'll never guess what she does with it...

Meg and Merlin - Making Friends by Tanya Landman

Meg loves ponies and likes to ride them.  She went every week to ride.  Then her mom and dad's jobs were cut back and she only got to go once a month...

Barrington Stoke and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Poor Meg.  She feels so bad because she can't ride.  Her birthday comes around and she finds a horse in her yard.  They instantly become friends but when her mom and dad come out, they know the horse has to belong to someone.  Her dad finds the owner and they take him home.

But Meg gets a surprise when she meets the owner.  Can you guess what it is?

That Egg Is Mine! : A Silly Story about Sharing by Liz Goulet Dubois, Series: Duck and Cluck

Duck has found an egg and she says it's hers.  But it is the same color as Cluck and the chicken thinks it's her egg.

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

As they discuss where Duck found the egg and what she had to do to catch it, Cluck still thinks it''s her egg.

Then the egg begins to crack and the baby inside comes out.  It's a big surprise for both Duck and Cluck.

Can you guess what was in the egg?

My Friend Ben and the Big Race by Charles Beyl

Chip and Ben are beavers.  They love to swim and explore.  But they meet a fish that wants to race.  They ask their parents and get permission.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The fish swims faster than they do.  One of them rests, while the other waits for him.  They have a turtle swimming with them.  When the race is over, they won't race again.   It's more fun to explore!

I Wish, Wish, Wish for You by Sandra Magsamen, Melisa Fernández Nitsche

This is positive book.  The illustrations are luscious, the words help self esteem, and your child will like the message.

Sourcebooks Wonderland and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The story hinges on a wish.  The wishes go on and it can help your little one see that sadness need not last long.

I like the concept and I liked the book.  Why not give a try?

Hansel and Greta by Jeanette Winterson, Laura Barrett

Hansel and Greta live with their dad and GreedyGuts, their aunt.  Their mother had died.  Greedy Guts eats them out of house and home, and steals dad's money for more food.

Haymarket Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Their father had lost his job cutting trees down because he liked nature and didn't want to kill more trees.  When he finds out she ate not only the food they had but stole his money he confronts her.  She just tells him to go get another job.

His old boss comes to their cabin and takes Hansel and Greta out in the woods and leaves them.  Luckily Hansel tossed things out the window so they could find their way back.

You'll meet a walking tree and a witch.  GreedyGuts is in for surprise...

Duckling by Kamila Shamsie, Laura Barrett

Mama Duck is sitting on her eggs, hatching them.  She has one egg that is bigger than the others and it takes longer to hatch...

Haymarket Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

When the egg hatches, the gosling is bigger than her others and looks dirty.  He's good at getting eels for the leader of the animals.  But as time goes on, everyone turns against him.  So he flies out of the barnyard and ends up in swampy ground.  

He sees swans there and they are beautiful but they fly away before they see him.  He eats and rests and suddenly the swans are back.  He goes to see him and they welcome him.  He doesn't realize he has changed so much.  He has a surprise coming...

Bunny Brunch by Allison Black

This is a pull the tab book.

The bunny is providing an Easter brunch.  They play games, snitch a bite here and there and have a good time with the bunny.

Little Bee Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The illustrations are great and your little one will have a good time pulling the tabs.  This is an upbeat story about Easter that everyone should enjoy!

Tiny Fox and Great Boar: Book One There by Berenika Kolomycka

The tiny fox lived by an apple tree so he had plenty to eat.  But then the Great Boar showed up and soon the apples were gone.  Tiny fox loved playing but when he does it again, the boar joins in.

Oni Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 8th.

Soon the tiny fox and the great boar are friends.  But the boar wants to cross the road and go exploring.  Will the tiny fox go with him?

Wolf Girl by Jo Loring-Fisher

Sophy was shy and lonely.   The other kids talked about her and laughed.  She had a wolf outfit she wore to school one day and it made them even worse...

Frances Lincoln's Children's Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  I has been published and you can get a copy now.

Then one night, Sophy had a lifelike dream.  She was with a wolf and her little one and practiced being a wolf with her.  She learned not to be shy and how to be brave.  

This is good story with a surprise in it.  It's perfect for little ones with an active imagination.

The Chocolate King by Michael Leventhal

This story is based on a true happening.  The Jews were run out of Spain.  They took the skills they had with them and tried to live on them.  But France had never tasted hot chocolate and they were struggling to live.

Green Bean Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The little boy in the story falls into the shelving and gets hot chocolate all over him.  He runs outside amd makes a carriage stop.  The man in the carriage thinks he's covered in mud.  He tells him it's chocolate.  The man gets out and has a taste.  

Then the most exciting thing happens.  And soon the Chocolate King is working again.

But Perhaps, Just Maybe... by Tuvia Dikman Oro

Duck and Hedgehog both had flat tires on their bikes, so they headed out to the bike shop.  As they go they see others doing weird things.

Green Bean Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The Duck finds fault with everyone who crosses their path.  The hedgehog says "But perhaps, just maybe..." and offers his take on the situation.  The Duck gets cranky and tells him to shut up.  But when they get to the bike shop, he has a surprise.

This is a cute book with a good lesson.

The Toys' Christmas by Claire Clément

This is a great book for Christmas.  The toys go on an adventure right before Christmas.

Frances Lincoln Children's Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

Every year the toys go on a long walk to Santa Claus.  There they tell him what their child wants.  Some wishes are easy to fulfill.  Others Santa picks something that related to what they want.

It's fun to see the child get what he wanted.  It's a perfect book for Christmas.

Boris the Cat - The Little Cat with Big Ideas by Erwin Moser

This was a fun book to read.  Boris has many adventures and it shows him in comic book form.

NorthSouth Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

Boris is friendly with everyone.  He got angry at the birds eating his garden seed, so he dressed up as a scarecrow and scared the birds off.  The only problem was that he scared his guest that was coming to visit, too.

There is great variety of short stories in the book and I enjoyed them all.  I bet your children will as well.