Monkey Made Dream by Tom Listul and Heather Listul Hewitt

What would you do if one day you woke up and instead of your brother there was a monkey sleeping in his bed? Monkey Made Dream by Tom Listul and Heather Listul Hewitt is an imaginative tale of one girl’s big surprise and the day that follows.

This is an adorable book. A girl wakes up to find her brother isn’t in his bed. Instead, there’s a monkey. Funny thing is no one–not their mother, their teacher, or their classmates–sees anything wrong with her brother being a monkey. It’s like they don’t seem him as a monkey at all. This reminds me of Wacky Wednesday by Theo LeSieg, where one person can see things all crazy, but no one else can.

The rhymes keep the story flowing along at a nice pace, and the illustrations, while simple, add so much character to the story.

Monkey Made Dream is destined to get some laughs from young readers. They’ll enjoy this one.

Rating:  🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

• Paperback:40 pages
• Publisher:Trafford Publishing (December 8, 2010)
• ISBN-10:1426949863
• ISBN-13: 978-1426949869
• SRP:  $19.57

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this review.

Growing Up Dreams by Susan J. Berger

A journey through one girl’s imagination is waiting for your three- to seven-year-old in Growing Up Dreams by Susan J. Berger.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to grow dreams? That’s just what this little girl is doing as she imagines the endless possibilities that await her in the future.

This is the third book of Berger’s that I’ve read–two fiction and one non-fiction. I truly wonder if she’s still a child inside because she knows how to create stories that children love. She also must enjoy dreams because both of her kid’s fiction books with Guardian Angel Publishing are about dreams, which leaves tons of room for the imagination to fly.

Add dreams to the rhyming patterns of the verses and you’re sure to have a winner.

Artist Samantha Bell created the artwork for Growing Up Dreams. I had a chance to look at her black and white drawings in Burgher and the Woebegone by Kim Chatel, but this is the first time I’ve had the pleasure of seeing her color illustrations up close. From the yellow stars on the girl’s pajamas to the long tails of the monkeys, these delightful illustrations will thrill the reader and keep her turning the pages just as much as the story does.

A fun and imaginative read is what readers will enjoy in Growing Up Dreams.

Rating:  🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc

ISBN-10: 1616330295

ISBN-13: 978-1616330293

SRP:  $10.95

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Fur and Feathers by Janet Halfmann

 In this imaginative new book by Janet Halfmann, Sophia is awakened by the howling winds. Her mother suggests they count animals. Soon Sophia is fast asleep, dreaming of a howling wind that blows all the animals out of their coats. Sophia offers the animals her clothes, but they aren’t very comfortable for her new friends. Then Sophia pulls out her grandma’s sewing box to see what she can find to make the “right coat” for each animal.

Fur and Feathers is a delightful story from the award-winning team of Janet Halfmann and Laurie Allen Klein. Halfmann’s unique and engaging story is perfectly complemented by Klein’s stunning and beautiful artwork. Young readers will be captivated by this tale of a young girl who helps out her furry and feathered friends.  This book takes the idea of counting sheep to an all new and fun level.

If you visit Halfmann’s website, she will share the inspiration behind Fur and Feathers. You can view the video trailer below.

An educational section at the back of the book can be used to teach youngsters about different animals and their skin coverings.

I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more books by Janet Halfmann!

Rating:  🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Publisher:  Sylvan Dell Publishing

ISBN-10: 1607180863

ISBN-13: 978-1607180869

SRP:  $8.95

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In My Bath by Beth Bence Reinke

 Imagination and bath time come together in this delightful book by Beth Bence Reinke.

In my Bath takes the reader on a fun adventure with a boy who imagines he is jumping waves, floating on the tide, jumping from lily pad to lily pad, and so much more.

I wonder if Reinke has the heart of a child to capture the delight of pretending you’re something much different than you are in this wonderful story that could help encourage regular bath time.

I don’t know how your children are, but each of my kids went through a stage where bathing was akin to torture. Getting them into the tub was such a struggle I sometimes ended up just washing them in the sink. Where was this book then?

Ginger Nielson provided the illustrations for In My Bath. I couldn’t help but think of our vacations to the Outer Banks of North Carolina as I read the book. The colors she used, the marine wildlife depicted, and everything from water foam to the sheer enjoyment seen in the boy’s eyes, remind me of our times at the beach.

And once bath time is over, the boy’s toys get picked up, we see him in his pajamas with his toothbrush in his hand, and he’s thinking of new adventures he’ll have in his bath the next time.

In My Bath by Beth Bence Rienke would make excellent reading right before starting your nightly routine of winding the kids down and preparing them for bed. But don’t be surprised if they ask to read this one throughout the day. With this much fun and adventure, it won’t be on the shelf long.
 

Rating:   🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Publisher: 4RV Publishing LLC

ISBN-10: 0982588666

ISBN-13: 978-0982588666

SRP:  $13.99

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The Best Pet Ever by Victoria Roberts

 If you want to find a book for your child that encourages imagination, you don’t need to look further than The Best Pet Ever by Victoria Roberts.

A little girl walks by a pet shop with her mom. She really wants a pet, but all her mom says is, “We’ll see”. So the girl does exactly that. She sees a rock, a glove, a candy wrapper, and a balloon–all of which make great substitute pets for a day or two. Then one day, the little girl opens a cardboard box to find a real kitten inside, and she’s sure he is the best pet in the world.

There is so much to love about The Best Pet Ever by Victoria Roberts. From the unique storyline to the adorable illustrations; from the repetitive phrases that will stick in your child’s head to the way this book fosters imagination; all of this comes together to create a wonderful story that you’ll be reading time and again.

Honestly, as I read through this book I thought of how often I say, “We’ll see”, to my children and had to chuckle.  Other things made me chuckle too: the girl tying a string to a pet rock that she named Fluffy, her feeding  a glove she named Nibbles, and how she made a candy wrapper swim.

The illustrations for The Best Pet Ever are very different from the last two tiger tales books we reviewed. The color tones used by Deborah Allwright are soft and warm. The sky blue cover with the heart-shaped cloud is soothing. While the mother is wearing a lime green ponco as they walk by the pet shop, the lines are soft and the color not so vibrant. The extra little details on the page–the leaves fluttering in the wind, the flowers surrounding the glove in her basket, the hearts around the girl and the kitten–all add the perfect touch to these characters on the pages.

For a touching, yet humorous story, pick up a copy of The Best Pet Ever by Victoria Roberts.

Rating:  🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Publisher: Tiger Tales

ISBN-10: 1589250893

ISBN-13: 978-1589250895

SRP:  $15.95

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Now, that I am over halfway through the books I received from tiger tales, I can definitely say I will be on the lookout for more books they publish. They put together quality products at affordable prices. The stories are imaginative and unique and the artwork superb.