Hi everyone! I bet you have been waiting impatiently for this post: 7 Books for September 2023 is full of great books and most of them, I randomly pulled off a shelf with little idea what I was bringing home. I tell you what, that is an adventure in itself. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I did.
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Hey Grandude! by Paul McCartney
Hey Grandude! by Paul McCartney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hey Grandude! by Paul McCartney, published in 2019 is an adventure waiting to happen! And the illustrations by Kathryn Durst make the fun even more fun!
Tom, Bob, Lucy and Em have come to visit their grandfather, whom they call Grandude! It’s a dark and boring day, but not with Grandude and his magic compass.
“See the compass needle spin let the magic fun begin!”
Throughout the story the children and their grandfather find themselves at the seaside, riding a school of flying fish, out riding a stampede of wild buffalo on horseback in a desert valley, and sailing on the back of a flying Swiss cow to avoid being hit by an avalanche, all before bed. What a great time we all had. I definitely recommend this book!
I got this book at the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Hey Grandude! by Paul McCarthy on Amazon.
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Peter and the Wolf by Vladamir Vagin
Peter And The Wolf by Vladimir Vagin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This version of Peter and the Wolf by Vladamir Vagin was published in 2000 and is based on the symphony by Sergei Prokofiev. I am familiar with a similar tale and this one is not what I had expected. The original story had more violence, but there is more violence in the animal world and I am not sure if teaching children an unrealistic way is as important as letting them learn why it is so important to not try to catch a wolf by yourself as a child.
This story ends as you want it to, but there are real dangers in the world and there is value in teaching children that in certain circumstances, you must only obey.
I got this book at the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Peter and the Wolf by Vladamir Vagin on Amazon.
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The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Grouchy Ladybug, produced in 1977, by Eric Carle made my day! The beautiful illustrations, with bright colors, kept me inspired as the grouchy ladybug learned to be a little more humble.
While looking for a creature good enough to answer her question: “Want to fight?” She met many kinds of animals on land and sea and in the end, she learned to share.
This is definitely a book to read again and again.
I got this book at the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle on Amazon.
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Who Loves Me? by Patricia MacLachlan
Who Loves Me? by Patricia MacLachlan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Who Loves Me? by Patricia MacLachlan reminds me of conversations I would have with children I would care for, as I tried to get them to sleep. This book is adorable. The illustrations by Amanda Shepherd are imaginative and keep you moving. As a cat lover, I can imagine this heart-to-heart very easily with my furry boy. This book was published in 2005 and geared for children aged 4 to 8 years of age, but I have to admit, I enjoyed this book a lot, myself.
I got this book at the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Who Loves Me? by Patricia MacLachlan on Amazon.
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Aesop’s Fables selected and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger
Aesop’s Fables by Lisbeth Zwerger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This version of Aesop’s Fables includes 12 Fables chosen and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. I had first thought I had never ready any of Aesop’s Fables, but I have come to the the belief that each of these short tales with a moral at the end is the basis for many children’s stories. My favorite is Town Mouse and Country Mouse – “Simple meals in safety taste better than feasts in fear.”
I did enjoy the beautiful illustrations but in the simple and original format I am not sure children today will enjoy Aesop’s Fables as they are.
I got this book at the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Aesop’s Fables selected and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger on Amazon.
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My America by Jan Spivey Gilchrest
My America by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
My America is a poem by Jan Spivey Gilchrest that has been made into a beautiful picture book with amazing illustrations by Ashley Bryan and Jan Spivey Gilchrest.
Published in 2007, both artists were honored with Coretta Scott King Awards as they told of their vision of America’s strength, beauty and diversity from it’s people, wildlife and landscapes.
I love the poem and I love the illustrations but the layout was cumbersome to me, which made readability tedious at times.
I got this book at the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of My American by Jan Spivey Gilchrest on Amazon.
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In the Neighborhood by Rocio Bonilla
In the Neighborhood by Rocío Bonilla
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
While we read In the Neighborhood by Rocio Bonilla we see a street full of individuals that keep to themselves because they think they have nothing in common with their neighbor…but in actuality all these neighbors turn out to be a community of great friends because someone’s internet went out and another person knew how to fix it. Then someone needed just one more egg for their recipe and so on, until everyone had met. What a great message to children that it is ok to reach out to meet the people around them before you decide to leave people alone.
Every character was fun and quirky and the story was absurd but fun. I also enjoyed the illustrations.
View all my reviews on GoodReads
I got this book at the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of In the Neighborhood by Rocio Bonilla on Amazon.
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I have really grown to love my time with the children’s books. Children’s books are not complicated. They give me a moment to use my imagination and forget the stress of the day. They also remind me when my Nana would read to me and even my mom, when I was really little. Reading is really a gift you can give to a child. I hope if you have a little one to read to and that you don’t take that time for granted. I remember many trips to the library with many children I have had the opportunity to love. Their curiosity is contagious and reading is just one way to keep our curiosity alive.
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information.
If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
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