Moira Butterfield

Speedy the Swift takes the reader on a learning experience of what makes birds who they are through the brilliantly colored illustrations of illustrator Vivian Mineker Chen. I don't know if it was the author or illustrator who came up with the creative format that appealed to this grandma, son, and a fifth grader, but it's a real winner! The text is appropriate for reading WITH another, by a reader, and even ESL. Excellent for gifting and to donate to the local public library! Loved it!
I show more requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Quarto Publishing Group/Frances Lincoln Children's Books/Happy Yak via NetGalley. Thank you! show less

Despite being scared of bees, I grabbed this book! Bees are so helpful and interesting to learn about, why not learn a bit more about them from a delightful picture book?

This colourful, beautifully illustrated book is a real hidden gem! A must read, if I might add. Not only is it an educational book, but it packs in some fun too! The first page opens up to a little "Where's Waldo" section where you're helping the bee find his mouse friend!

The entire book is told in a more story format - it show more feels like fiction but is definitely non-fiction. I really enjoyed that aspect because learning can be such a bore! Having the story so engaging and colourful is just what some young readers need. I think this is a great book for those picky readers that despite non-fiction!

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, words & pictures and Quarto Publishing Group for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. show less

E I E I O

Join the excitement of a farm. There are great illustrations of the animals, land, and interesting things. At every turn, there are items to look for, along with information about what is seen.

A child will have the experience of a farm tour through the pages of this over-sized picture book. Interactive questions and statements keep the fun going, while the creative cut-out on the cover will draw readers in.

City kids and country kids alike will enjoy this five-star book, and show more kindergarteners through eight-year-olds will like this. Get your copy today because great times lies ahead!

Thank you, Candlewick Books, for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own. show less

Treehouses, apartment buildings with rooftop beehives, tents, houseboats: All are homes.

Starting with a scene that pictures many houses found throughout the book and ending with the same scene, now filled with people from many places, this volume will help kids think about similarities and differences in living arrangements. Each double-page spread features a different topic. First there are spreads on homes in urban places versus country living; roofs (steep ones for snowy countries, green show more roofs, flat roofs); doors, like the special orange wooden doors of Mongolian gers and the absence of them in North African or Bedouin tents; and the issue of walls or no walls. Then, there is a focus on the various different spaces in- or outside homes. Each spread features amusingly detailed paintings with different layouts, some complete scenes: The dining-space spread features a Western-style table and diners from different countries and eras adjacent to a Vietnamese family eating on a bamboo mat. Another spread contrasts four gardens: Bangladeshi floating gardens, the White House lawn, a Japanese garden path, and the “Vertical Forest,” in Milan. The people are diverse, cartoonish in style but with individual personalities. The book does not discuss homelessness, and everyone looks happy with their own situation. There are neither sources nor bibliography.

Children will find many answers to the question: “So what makes a home a wonderful place?” (Informational picture book. 6-9)

-Kirkus Review show less