Top Ten Tuesday: Covers

 This week's topic is a cover freebie - so I'm picking books that make me want to start decorating for Christmas already.

Don't these covers make you want to curl up with a cozy sweater with a mug of hot chocolate in front of a lighted tree and a fire? That's my cozy moment. 

What other books should I add to the list? 

Picture Book Review: Kwanzaa Books

Just a few Kwanzaa books:

This is a very informative board book - explaining the details of Kwanzaa - from the decorations to the celebrations of each night. This is a lovely introduction to the holiday.

* board book sent for review

A story sharing the details of Kwanzaa with fantastic illustrations and characters of all colors.

This picture book shares the history of the holiday. I didn't know much about the history of Kwanzaa, so I was happy to learn more. There's a timeline in the back of the book as well as a Kwanzaa Connection written by the author.

These books all share the history of the holiday; each is just a little more in depth than the last. 

Picture Book Review: Hanukkah

Here are a couple Hanukkah picture books:

Eva's moved and she's unsure. Luckily she has an imaginary Dragon friend. She meets the boy next door and talks to him about Hanukkah and Spark.

This is a cute story about the start of friendship, shared imagination, and Hanukkah. I love how everyone comes together. There is an author's note about Hanukkah.

This is a story in poems - each poem shares one night of Hanukkah.

This was a charming book that shared a lot of about the holiday but also a lot about everyday life. I love how they improvised as necessary. There's a thought for each of the eight nights that shares more about the traditions of Hanukkah. There's a letter from the author at the end of the book.

Booklist: Juneteenth Books

Here's a booklist for Juneteenth:

 

Board Book: You're My Little Cutie Pie

I love this series of books - they're the perfect combination of sweet and punny. I love the textured illustrations - they are so cozy and adorable. I love the love between the parent and child. This book is fantastic for fall and thanksgiving time. 

 

Christmas Book Review: The Girl Who Ruined Christmas

A picture taken at the wrong time has catastrophic results which leaves Brady stuck in a small holiday loving town to pay off her debt - where of course everyone hates her for ruining Christmas.

My Thoughts: This novella was super cute and I loved it. Of course I wanted it to be longer because I didn't want to let go of the characters or the setting. I loved how this took place in a holiday town (something you'd see in a Hallmark movie). I loved the Christmas Tree Farm setting. I enjoyed watching Brady try to fix her mistake and understand the town people's feelings. I admired her persistence. I enjoyed watching her try to mend fences with the three people her age.  Of course I loved reading about the holiday traditions in this one. So much fun. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: ARC sent for review  

Library Recommendation: A fantastic holiday read for your middle grade section - highly recommended.

Thanksgiving Picture Book Round Up

Here are some Thanksgiving reads - some for review and some for updating our collection. We don't have a lot of Thanksgiving picture books and the ones we have are a little bit older.

 I'm on the hunt for more, so if you have a favorite, please, leave me a comment!

Five Little Thank-Yous

A sweet board book about 5 things that make us Thankful for - perfect for sharing with little ones.

You can count your happy thoughts on one hand.

The artwork is charming.

Gobble Up Snoopy

Snoopy is thankful for - his food dish being filled up. So he pens a thank you note to his food dish. It's funny and sweet and all about food and friendship. 

Turkey for Thanksgiving

This one is a much older story, which my boss urged me to read, about a group of friends getting together to share Thanksgiving dinner. But the hostess desperately wants a turkey for the table and her husband promises to track one down - which he does with a little help from his friends. 

While the premise seems a bit scary, this is a lovely book about friendship, food, and being together. 

How to Catch a Turkey

When a turkey hears about a show, he get stage fright. He leads the entire school on a chase - from the coach to the principle. He goes from science class to the library to the recess yard - all before he mistakenly makes he way back to the stage where he'll have to face his fear. 

A cute story about facing your fears with fun illustrations.

Fangsgiving

The members of the Fright Club are back and gathering for their Thanksgiving feast. They have their own way of doing things, but when Vladimir's family shows up, they take over the meal preparation. And it goes badly. Thanksgiving is ruined. 

A great story about expectations, family, and working together to make a memorable day.

Duck and Hippo Give Thanks

Duck and Hippo decide to host an old fashioned Thanksgiving Feast. Hippo can't wait to have all the trimmings! He works hard baking, but his friends are late. When they show up, they all have a dish to add to the table. But it's not the dishes at a typical Thanksgiving Feast...

A sweet story about friendship, being different, and sharing. 

Picture Book Review: Halloween Books (2)

I needed to update our library Halloween collection, so I purchased several popular characters books. Here are some that I've purchased for the library and some sent for review.

I reviewed a bunch last week, check out that post here.

Clever Little Witch:

What happens when you wish to get rid of your little brother but the spell backfires?

You might find out he's not so terrible after all.

Happy Halloween Little Critter:

A lift the flap book shows off Little Critter's friends at a Halloween Party.

Creepiest Sleepover Ever:

I enjoyed this sleepover about friendship, Ghoul Guides, and secrets. What might be scary to you isn't always scary to someone else.

At the Old Haunted House:

A Counting book where three children head into an old house, with monsters getting ready for a party. A really fun book with great illustrations.

Halloween or Bust:

What happens when your cute costume becomes a disaster?

Fancy Nancy finds a way to make it all work. Fans of this series will enjoy this Halloween party story.

Most Terrible Monster of All:

This book goes from bad to worse with a new addition to the monster clan, bad behavior, and a coemption to see who can be the worst monster. A sweet funny story. It isn't directly about Halloween, but it fits with the monster theme.

Trick or Pete:

A lift the flap book revealing things that could be spooky, but are not. Fans of Pete will enjoy this one.

Micky's Halloween Treat:

Mickey and his friends are invited to a party, but they have to follow the clues to get there before the moon is full. A lift the flap book helps reveal the answers. A fun interactive story.

There's a Monster in Your Book:

Not a Halloween story, but it works because of the monster. A really fun interactive story about trying to get the monster Out of the book...mostly. 

Picture Book Review: Halloween Books

I needed to update our library Halloween collection, so I purchased several popular characters books. Here are some that I've purchased for the library.

Trick Arrr Treat: 

A Pirate's trick or treating experience. Great for the pirate language and the fun illustrations.

The Night Before Halloween:

A cute fun story with a familiar rhyme 

Peppa's Halloween Party:

Just another Halloween party - fans of Peppa Pig will enjoy this one.

Fancy Nancy's Ghostly Halloween:

Trick or Treating takes a turn when imagination takes over.

Luke and Lottie: It's Halloween

The twins get ready for Halloween and a night of trick or treating.

Happy Haunting:

Not everyone enjoys scary times, but friendship shines through in this book.

Where's My Mummy:

A gentle read about a small mummy who has lost his/her/their parent. This book talks about fear and what might you be afraid of...

Also makes a cute bedtime read.

Pink or Treat:

This one had fun problem solving, superhero costume and mentality, a librarian moment (gotta love that!), and strong community ties. I really enjoyed this one.

Splat the Cat: What Was That?

Lift the Flap story that reveals spooky items because the friends are in a dark scary house, but their imagination gets the better of them and most of the objects are every day objects. It was cute. 

Stay Tuned next week for another edition of Halloween Books.