Book Review: Buster the Little Garbage Truck – by Marcia Berneger




Book: Buster the Little Garbage Truck
Author: Marcia Berneger
Illustrator: Kevin Zimmer
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Date: April 1, 2015
Genre: Picture book; age 3-6; Preschool - 1
Pages: 32
Price: $14.99
My rating: A good story to encourage children to be 
confident and brave

Buster the Little Garbage Truck, written by Marcia Berneger, is a story young children will relate to and understand.

Buster admired his father and all the other trucks who were big and capable. He wanted so much to be just like his father. He even practiced doing big truck things like lifting and beeping when he played with his best friend, Kitty, a small kitten.

One day his father took Buster along when he went to work. Buster was excited until all his dad’s friends came over and welcomed him with their loud honks and beeps. He was so afraid of the noise that he skidded to his daddy’s side and wouldn’t leave him all day. His dad didn’t know what to do about him.

At home again Buster tried to get unafraid, but he didn’t know how to not be scared by loud noises. How could he ever be like his dad and work with other big trucks if he is afraid?

One day Kitty was in danger. Buster tried to beep a warning, but he couldn’t be heard. He had to save his friend!

Buster the Little Garbage Truck is sweetly illustrated by Kevin Zimmer. Children will love the bright friendly tone of the pictures and will also enjoy finding out how Buster’s courage comes out. This is a very well told story to encourage little children that they, too, can overcome their fears.

You can find Buster the Little Garbage Truck by Marcia Berenger on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and on Chapters.Indigo if available there.

Please encourage an author and illustrator by leaving a comment.

Thank you for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Sarah – by Jean Edwards Stacey

Book: Sarah
Author: Jean Edwards Stacey
Illustrator: Necie
Publisher: DRC Publishing
Date: October 15, 2016
Genre: Children's picture book; music
Pages: 40
Price: $12.95
My rating: a story about generations of family

Sarah by Jean Edwards Stacey is a “traditional song made famous by Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers, featuring Ray Johnson.” Ray inspired this book to be written as it was a song his father used to sing.

The story goes that a young couple married and had a son a few years later. That son grew up, married, and he and his wife had a little girl. They named their daughter Sarah, after her grandmother.

Sarah liked to ask her grandmother about how her grandparents met. The story goes on, humorously, about her grandfather trying to date her grandmother, about her great-grandmother trying to chase him off, and how funny it all was years later.

The illustrations are bright and sunny. In the back of the book is the sheet music with the words of the song.

You can find Sarah by Jean Edwards Stacey on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and on Chapters.Indigo if available there.

Your comments here for the author and illustrator are very much appreciated.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Bat Count: a Citizen Science Story – by Anna Forrester

Book: Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story
Author: Anna Forrester
Illustrator: Susan Detwiler
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Date: February 10, 2017
Genre: science picture book; age 4-8; gr K-3
Pages: 32
Price: $14.95 or $23.98 (hardcover)
My rating: An interesting, informative story with fabulous illustrations

Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story, written by Anna Forrester, is a wonderfully told story about bats that a family discovers in the barn and the risk to the survival of bats.

First of all, this hardcover book is illustrated in bold colours by Susan Detwiler and the font used is large and sharp – black on light pages, white on dark pages. I like that the family is not Caucasian and that the images are realistic and believable.

The story is told in the voice and from the perspective of the young daughter of the family. Jojo, her mom, dad, and three-year-old twin brothers, live in a large country house that has a big barn.

Before the twins were born, Jojo and her mom would go out to the barn to check on the bats hanging from the rafters. It seemed that they were using the barn as a maternity roost. Jojo’s mom would sweep up the bats droppings once a week and put them on her garden, but over the years things changed drastically and there wasn’t enough to sweep up.

Fact: Bats overwinter in caves and mine shafts, and there is a disease called white-nose syndrome that is killing them off. Bats come out at night to feed on insects, so bat scientists ask people to report to them when and where they see bats and how many. In Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story it became a family ritual for Jojo’s family. They were sad that each year there were fewer bats in their barn so fewer to count at sundown.

One day Jojo and her mom discover only one bat hanging from a rafter. They wait and hope that the bat will safely have a baby and so begin the increase of their population. What they find as the family lies on the grass one night, waiting and hoping to count the bat and her baby when they fly out to feed, is for you to find out as you read this wonderful book.

Personally, I like little brown bats. Unfortunately, their population here in Nova Scotia has been greatly affected by white-nose syndrome. It’s disappointing to not hear them clicking and see them silently flying around at night catching mosquitoes and other pesky insects. Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story by Anna Forrester is an excellent way to introduce young readers to nature’s crisis of the plight of bats.

In the back of the book is a section For Creative Minds with Bat Facts, Bat Bodies information, White-Nose Syndrome facts and how to help bats, and Citizen Science for readers who want to help with bat counts.

You can find Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story by Anna Forrester on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and on Chapters.Indigo if available there.

Your comments here for authors and illustrators are very much appreciated.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Saltwater Joys – by Wayne Chaulk


Book: Saltwater Joys
Author: Wayne Chaulk
Illustrator: Dawn Baker
Publisher: Flanker Press
Date: August 20, 2012
Genre: children's picture book; music
Pages: 25
Price: $12.95 
My rating: A popular Newfoundland song with beautiful 
illustrations

Saltwater Joys written by Wayne Chaulk is the picture book form of a well-known song also written by Wayne Chaulk. Wayne is a member of the Newfoundland music comedy group called Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers. My husband and I had the privilege of seeing the funny and very musically talented group in concert this spring.

Saltwater Joys expresses one’s love and joy of living by the ocean, especially in Newfoundland. The author tells of the quiet of mornings near the water, having the thrill of seeing icebergs in springtime, seeing amazingly beautiful sunsets over the ocean, the hard living and tight family connections.

There is no place like Newfoundland, and the author fittingly relates this sentiment in the words of the song and now the book. Although he tried other places, his heart belongs to Newfoundland; he can’t stay away.

Saltwater Joys is a sweet story, and the fabulous illustrations by Dawn Baker capture the story in realistic visuals.

At the back of the book is the sheet music for the song, and the lyrics are on the facing page.

You can find Saltwater Joys by Wayne Chaulk on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and on Chapters.Indigo if available there. (For this book I don’t recommend buying from Amazon.ca because of the price.)

Your comments here for the author and illustrator are very much appreciated.

Thank you for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Blobfish Throws a Party – by Miranda Paul

Book: Blobfish Throws a Party
Author: Miranda Paul
Illustrator: Maggie Caton
Publisher: little bee books 
Date: May 2, 2017
Genre: children's picture book; 4 - 8 yrs; Preschool - 3
Pages: 32; hardcover
Price: $16.99
My rating: a delightful story about how one life can make 
a huge difference

Blobfish Throws a Party, written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Maggie Caton, is a funny story children will love.

Blobfish lived on the bottom of the ocean where it was dark and lonely. He was tired of being alone. He wanted friends, and lights and delicious treats, but how was he going to get them?

Blobfish decided that there were only two ways to get what he wanted – one was to have a great party, the other was to save the world and be a hero. Either way he would get friends, and lights and delicious treats.

Realizing it was unlikely that he would have any reason to save the world, Blobfish knew hero status wasn’t much of a possibility. That left the party, so he shouted out, “DEEP-SEA PARTY! BRING A TREAT TO SHARE!”

Blobfish’s invitation wasn’t understood by anybody the way it was intended. For example, the mermaids heard it as “Cheap, free party! Sling on a sheet to wear!” Everybody heard it differently, so it just got more and more wacky, and wild, and noisy – all over the planet! But Blobfish was still alone.

Then something happened to change everything. There was an invasion. The rest you have to find out for yourself. 😉

Blobfish Throws a Party by Miranda Paul is a funny rhyming story that, with each page turn, is sure to inspire giggles and anticipation for what is coming next. The gorgeous illustrations by Maggie Caton depict the story perfectly. This is one of those picture books adults will enjoy reading over and over to the children in their life.

You can find Blobfish Throws a Party by Miranda Paul on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and on Chapters.Indigo if available there.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Little Red Gliding Hood – by Tara Lazar

Book: Little Red Gliding Hood
Author: Tara Lazar
Illustrator: Troy Cummings
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Date: October 27, 2015
Genre: Children's picture book; 2 - 10 yrs;  Preschool - 4
Pages: 40; hardcover
Price: $16.99
My rating: a skating contest like no other; funny

Little Red Gliding Hood is a fractured fairy tale written by Tara Lazar. It begins with the introduction before the title page, and we’re taken immediately into the story by Troy Cummings‘ clever illustrations.

A fractured fairy tale is a mix-up of nursery rhymes and fairy tales, bringing in characters from different ones to fit in the new story. Tara has the sense of humour to pull this off easily.

Little Red Gliding Hood loved to skate and she was very good at it. She would skate to her grandmother’s every Sunday for a visit. The problem was that her old skates were in bad shape and getting to be too snug a fit. She soon wouldn’t be able to skate to Grandma’s.

Conveniently, a pairs skating competition was announced with the prize being a pair of new skates! Little Red Gliding Hood had to win! Inconveniently, she didn’t have a skating partner. Little Red’s grandmother suggested asking the Gingerbread Man. Little Red said he’s too fast and she can’t catch him. Grandma suggested Baby Bear would be a good partner, but Little Red said Goldilocks thought so first. When Little Red went to ask the Three Little Pigs, the Big Bad Wolf showed up. Little Red skated away, frightened, with Wolf skating after her.

The day of the competition Little Red showed up to skate. When the Big Bad Wolf showed up, too, he scared Little Miss Muffet away and Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. It was chaos. The illustrations by Troy Cummings are funny and enjoyable.

The end of the story of Little Red Gliding Hood is fun and very cleverly done, making it a book that’s delightful to read over and over.

You can find Little Red Gliding Hood by Tara Lazar on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and on Chapters.Indigo if available there.

Please encourage an author and illustrator by leaving a comment. Thank you.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Gertrude at the Beach – by Starr Dobson

Book: Gertrude at the Beach
Author: Starr Dobson
Illustrator: Dayle Dodwell
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing Ltd
Date: February 1, 2015
Genre: children's picture book; age: 4-8
Pages: 32
Price: $19.95; hardcover
My rating: an entertaining, beautifully illustrated story

Here is another book I purchased at the children’s book fair I enjoyed a year ago. Gertrude at the Beach is the second picture book written by Starr Dobson. The illustrator is Dayle Dodwell who also illustrated the first book.

In the first book, My Goat Gertrude (read my review of it here) – told by Starr from her perspective when she was a child, we meet Gertrude the goat who was brought into the family by Starr’s dad. Gertrude is immediately loved by the three little girls and is soon found to be a handful of mischief. In this story, Gertrude at the Beach, nothing much has changed in that regard. Gertrude still gets into trouble.

It’s summer vacation and the family packs up to go to their cottage on the beach. As it’s Gertrude’s first time to the ocean, everyone is excited to see how she will react. When they arrive the first thing Gertrude does after sniffing the salt air is to stick her head way in under an overturned rowboat that had been left there. She seems to be fascinated with boats because later they find the boat moving and discover it’s because Gertrude got herself completely under it.

Gertrude is an entertaining animal. A dried up jellyfish has to be taken away from her to stop her from trying to eat it, and Gertrude mopes when sent to her towel under the beach umbrella. Then disaster strikes. Gertrude disappears and finally Starr sees her splashing in fear in the ocean, apparently heading toward to an anchored boat. For some reason she isn’t trying to come back to shore. Somebody has to do something!

The fact that Gertrude at the Beach was written about things that actually happened in Starr Dobson‘s childhood makes it even more interesting for children to enjoy. Dayle Dodwell‘s beautiful illustrations round out the story well.

A portion of the sales of this book are being donated to the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia.

You can find My Goat Gertrude by Starr Dobson on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and sometimes Chapters.Indigo.

Please encourage an author and illustrator by leaving a comment. Thank you.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂