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The Princess Knight

September 29, 2016

Princesses can be knights, too.

Definitely a good message of female empowerment. I'm not sure it would resonate well with boys who read it because of that, but it's more of an answer to traditional fairy tales.

Message

Girls shouldn't be treated as property.

The Bear Detectives

September 29, 2016

Papa Bear fails at being a detective.

Wow, that's a terribly useful book. Papa Bear has a dog, for crying out loud, that he seems to be trying to get to sniff the trail. So they are literally following their noses at the beginning and that doesn't lead to the answer.

Message

None.

Art & Max

September 29, 2016

Strange book about artistic reptiles.

It seems kind of pretentious in a way, like it's supposed to be artistic and I don't really understand where it's going. There's no message. It's just baffling.

Message

None.

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street

September 29, 2016

Dated book with a confusing message.

It's a story that gets more and more complex as it goes on, but then fizzles out at the end. The dual messages are rather in conflict.

Message

Either don't tell lies, or use your imagination.

Ape

September 29, 2016

Facts about apes with nice pictures.

There's no story. It's just a bunch of facts. The pictures are kind of cool, but there's nothing to follow.

Message

Apes are awesome and deserve to be protected.

All Join In

September 29, 2016

Fun book of noisy poems.

There are a lot of different noises, and I think children would enjoy repeating the noises of the poems. The illustrations are cute. The poems are funny.

Message

None.

Jethro Byrde, Fairy Child (AKA Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child)

September 29, 2016

Dads are too busy to be good people.

I wanted to like it, but it's kind of judgmental against people who don't take time to look at the world around them.

Message

Pay attention to the world around you, because fairies are everywhere.

Animalia

September 29, 2016

Gorgeous, detailed paintings with hidden objects.

I don't think we owned this book as a child and probably checked it out from the library, but I remember spending hours with my mother and sister just trying to see what I could find in all the details, all the hidden little things that are tucked into every corner of the image.

Message

None.

How to Babysit a Grandpa

September 29, 2016

Probably more for grandpas than grandkids.

It's pretty much what I expected. A little silly, a little sappy.

Message

It's fun to play with your grandpa.

And Then It's Spring

September 29, 2016

Sometimes winter seems to last forever.

It's a simple story with a simple message, and the sparse text makes it beautiful.

Message

It's hard to grow seeds, but be patient.