Trent Harding

Most people agree, children love to be silly. They love it even more when their adults are silly, and the Hardings’ ABC of Sensationally Silly Animals invites cooperative silliness in the best possible way. From the very first letter, crossing alligator and ant, to the last … There are simple two-line rhymes, clearly drawn, brightly colored, and delightfully silly illustrations, together with wonderful “animals” which invite a child to recognize (in part), guess (in imagination), and show more maybe even spell (in the top corner of the page). Who wouldn’t fall in love with a barking and quacking Dock? Or laugh with a Unigull?

Not all the animals are so simple of course, and the final pages offer an authors’ key, with animals as potentially obscure as the narwhal and the echidna, as well as those more familiar ones. I love how so many of the pairings use the same initial letter. I love the brightly inviting illustrations. And I love the idea—a book that kids and adults will delight to share and laugh over. All the fun of “what do you get if you cross an A with a B” jokes, all perfectly accessible for kids.

Disclosure: I was told where to find it and I love it. show less

From delightful beach bear on the cover to smoothly rhyming text and pictures inside, the Hardings’ 12 Days at the Beach with Theodore is a wonderfully simple, engaging, and fun book. Each day offers a two-line rhyming story with a counting puzzle underneath – six starfish (I want to ask the child, now count the legs as well!), twelve setting suns, or just one surfboard for one surfing teddy on page one. Each two-page spread includes a bright bear illustration, telling the same tale in show more pictures for smaller children to enjoy. It’s the sort of book pre-readers will grow with, short, sweet, and nicely enticing. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: Someone knew I like kids and numbers and asked me to read it. I offer my honest review. show less

I love the concept of this book. It is a novel way to introduce ABCs to kids. What a creative way to not only teach children the alphabet but animals, too. Each letter stands for the name of an animal. But not just any everyday animal. These animals are made up by mixing to animals together, creating a new creature. Like a Toutle. It has a head of a toucan and body of a turtle. Each page also has a couple of lines describing the animals, then asking Which two animals could I be?

My kids had show more fun guessing the animals, making the sounds and just being silly. This book is delightfully illustrated, making it even more fun to read. Not only did it make learning the alphabet fun for my children but they have actually remembered their ABCs. show less

Theodore Down Under is written with attractive, easy-to-read text, reading like an excited postcard from Australia. Theodore the bear enjoys his first trip on an airplane, goes snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, visits Ayers Rock, plays the didgeridoo, and learns various tidbits of information about famous buildings, Australian slang, football, sheep and more. The facts are intriguing enough to keep an older child interested while a not-yet-reading sibling enjoys spotting creatures in the show more pictures. Theodore Down Under is the sort of book that teaches and entertains, all in the fun style of a happy teddy bear.

Disclosure: I’ve read earlier Theodore books and enjoyed them, so I knew I’d like this one. show less