Reviews-Sterling

PUB DATE: August 4th, 2009

Thanks to Wendy at Sterling for sending us this book to read and listen to.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Sing out! One of America’s most beloved singers continues to bring the joy of folk music to a new generation in this exciting new anthology of sing-along, group, and campfire songs. It’s the third and newest release in the Peter Yarrow Songbook collection, which followed in the wake of the bestselling Puff, the Magic Dragon. The beautiful book features lyrics, guitar chords, and historical notes for 12 classic songs, all illustrated with sparkling art by Terry Widener and accompanied by a CD recorded exclusively for the book by Peter Yarrow.

Together, these songs will brighten up every group event, from summer camp to car trips to rainy days at home with family and friends.

MICHAEL’S THOUGHTS
Michael loves the Puff The Magic Dragon book and cd he has. He got it last year for Christmas. So when he found out that this was the same person he was really excited to listen to the cd. We have listened to the cd alot and he said he wants to bring it with us on vacation next week. I have to admit that Michael loves listening to music and I am not sure how many 6 years old enjoy that.

The books illustrations are very well done and the illustrator is Terry Widener.

Something else that we enjoyed about the book was the orgins of the songs. Did you know that “Blue Tail Fly” was written well over a 150 years ago? No neither did we.

Michael’s favorite songs were John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, This little light of mine and She’ll be coming around the moutain. It was really nice to have the book as it was all the lyrics to the songs and I have to admit that I forgot the words to the songs over the years so it was a great refresher. Michael also enjoyed the twist on the song She’ll be Coming Around the Moutain.

This will be a book that we treasure for many years to come.

PUB DATE: February 2009

ABOUT THE BOOK:
What would it be like if time went backwards? One unlucky little boy is about to find out!

Otto has just one birthday wish: that his new baby sister Anna had never been born. And it comes true when the days suddenly start moving in reverse. But now, instead of growing up, Otto’s growing DOWN. He’s getting younger every minute and in danger of disappearing entirely. Can he turn things around before it’s too late-for Anna and himself?

MICHAEL’S THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
Its Otto’s 6th Birthday and he has a new baby sister, Anna and he is not happy about it. When he blows out the candles on his cake he wishes Anna was never born. As soon as he made his wish weird things began to happen such as the candles were lit again, the hands on his watch were going backwards, he was wrapping his presents back up and giving them back to his friends and many more funny things happened. Time was going backwards and Otto was going back in time. He relived his 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and first birthdays all over again. After each birthday he would make the wish saying he wished he was 6 again. Finally at his first birthday he realized what he had to do to set things straight.

Moral of the story is becareful what you wish for you never know what will happen.

Thanks again to Michael Sussman for sending a signed copy of Otto Grows Down for Michael. He was thrilled when he saw it was signed.

We are looking forward to Michael’s new book. Hopefully it will be out soon.

PUB DATE: March 3, 2009

Thank You to Sterling Kids for sending us Richard Scarry. Michael loves them.

Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon was previously released September 1980.

The time in history is the middle ages. The town is Busylande. The peasants of Busylande live and work the fields around the castle preparing the wheat and the grapes.

One day the King declared a holiday in Busylande. Everyone took part in the festivities from playing ball, to watching the knights jousting to dancing and singing. Everyone was having fun until suddenly there was a cry for help. There was a dragon on the way. Everyone ran to the castle. Everyone was safe except for Princess Lily. Peasant Pig offered to look for her. He looked over the fields but couldn’t see her so he shot Lowly Worm into the air. Lowly spotted her. The dragon had captured her. He told the king and the knights went off to rescue her. But sadly the horses were afraid of the dragon and stopped in their tracks throwing the knights off them. The poor knights were on their back unable to move because their armor was too heavy.

The dragon laughed at them. Cheeky dragon. (As Michael said) Wait its not a real dragon its just a band of robbers dressed up as the dragon. The tied up the knights and stole their armor. The leader of the robbers shot an arrow with a note attached to the castle. It was a ransom note demanding all the gold and jewels in exchange for the princess. Peasant comes up with a plan to trick the dragon instead of gold they use bars of soap. Peasant lands in the grape juicer turning the juice into a soap suds. Forcing all the robbers to rush for water in the moat. Thankfully they forgot to take off their armor and now are stuck in the moat. Although thanks to Big Hilda who falls into the moat the big splash released the robbers. Finding out that there was no dragon Peasant Pig had an idea. He frees the knights and they become the dragon. They scare the robbers and tie them up.

The King see’s the Princess on the back of the dragon thinking she is in danger and not realizing that its Peasant Pig breaking the Princess back puts together a bag of pepper and uses Lowly as the arrow to drop the pepper on the dragon. Once the pepper is dropped everyone sneezes and the costume comes off. The king makes Peasant Pig a knight, Lowly Worm is the jester and the robbers were sent to the dungeon to make soup.

PUB DATE: March 3, 2009

This book was orginally done in 1973 and today its still a classic for little ones learning about letters and words.

Michael loves Richard Scarry books so when he found out that he was going to get to read and review this for me he was really happy. He was even happier when I told him that it was his to keep and we wouldn’t have to return it.

If you are a fan of Richard Scarry you will recognize Sam and Dudley, they are the stars of The Great Pie Robbery. Guess what? They are on the case again! Although this time they’re searching for the alphabet. Sam and Dudley ask the readers to help them out and here’s how you can help, throughout the book, the words for a variety of objects appear next to their pictures and on every page just one letter of the alphabet is highlighted. That letter is always shown in color.

This is a great book about learning the alphabet and words. Michael loved taking part in the acitivity and he was asking through out the book what Sam and Dudley were going to do with the letters. Even though we have borrowed this book numerous times it was nice to see the element of surprise in it.

Thank You to Sterling Kids for sending us this book. We love it!

Although Richard Scarry passed away in 1994, his son has taken over for him. Richard’s writting career took off in 1949 when he had his big break with the book Two Little Miners and since then he has contributed more then 300 books to children and adults. He has sold more then two hundred million copies in thirty languages. With the distinctive style of drawings they have become the most recognizable to millions of people in the world.

PUB DATE: March 3,2009

Thank You to Sterling Kids for sending us this book to read and review. Michael loved the book. The illustrations are so cute and life like. This is the first book that Lisa has actually illustrated and written.

More than anything in the world the Quiet Bunny loves the sounds of the forest. The birds chirping and the wind whispering through the leaves. When the sun is setting its Quiet Bunny’s favorite time of all because all the bunnies gather to listen to the night song. The crickets start off first then the owl, the snake, the mosquitoes, the bull frog and the wolf all sing their song. The Quiet Bunny opens his mouth to join in but no sound comes from him. He wishes upon a star and the next day still nothing. So he decides to wander the woods copying the animals and their sounds but still nothing. As the sun is setting The Owl speaks to the Quiet bunny telling him that he was watching him all day and saying that no matter how hard you try you won’t make a sound cause he was a Quiet Bunny and that he has to find his own sound and be who you are. So the bunny begins to wonder who he is. As he is hopping around he comes upon a fallen tree as he jumps over it his paw hits it and THUMP. The bunny has discovered his sound..Thump!

Michael loved the book. I think this is perfect for his age group. Funny enough when I asked him what he thought the story meant he said that we are all different and do things differently that we have to be who we are not. For the bunny it was dancing to the beat of his own music and not the other animals.