Caroline Jayne Church

Down at the farm, there's a gaggle geese with one lone goose who doesn't fit in with the rest. He's also the only one who's never chased by the fox, so the others beg to know his secret. It turns out that goose knows how to outsmart the fox by always staying one step ahead ...

This is a short and sweet book about how fitting in isn't always the best option when it results in dangerous paths. It shows how being intelligent and thinking ahead can make life easier and safer. With the typically show more happy ending of a children's book, the other geese come to appreciate the lone goose for this and he no longer feels lonely by the end of the book.

The illustrations in this book are sleek and simple, portraying what's noted in the text without adding much by way of little details. They are bright and engaging nonetheless, and the toddlers in my class loved looking at them and pointing out things they recognized like the full moon, the fox, and the snow. This was definitely a hit book for holding their very short attention spans. show less

First sentence: Laugh out loud or just giggle!
Feel a tickle in your middle!
Roll around and touch your toes!
Give a grin! Wiggle your nose!

Premise/plot: Let's Giggle was originally published as a board book in 2013. It was originally a board book with sound; it had a literal giggle button. It was a novelty, for sure. The giggle button is gone in this reprint. So readers are left with a sweet rhyming text and adorable illustrations. Goodreads does not have the version I have in my hands. They show more are instead promoting a bilingual edition. If Let's Giggle was indeed a bilingual board book, I think it would have more to offer. (For the record, I tried searching by isbn number, and this book just "does not exist" in their system.) LIBRARYTHING on the other hand DOES have the right edition. HOORAY for LibraryThing.

My thoughts: The illustrations are adorable and cutesy-sweet. If that's what you love, then this one might just work for you. The rhymes are of that darling variety. Which again complements the illustrations. IF that is what you are looking for in a board book to share with little ones, this one may be just right for you. I think I'd have preferred either the original giggle button OR bilingual text. Something to give this one a little extra. show less

One of our newest, favorite books at the library is Caroline Jayne Church's Ping Pong Pig. This is a silly and delightful story of a pig who dreams of flying. His attempts to fulfil his dream exasperate and cause problems for all the other farm animals, who finally come up with a solution to keep Ping Pong Pig out of their respective way and away from their work. Ping Pong is delighted...until he realizes how hard everyone else is working and that he is not contributing anything! So he show more figures out how to help out; and still keep his dreams. We've enjoyed this in several storytimes and it's popped off and on the new shelf regularly. So, I thought I'd take a look at a few other of Caroline Church's picture books.

Of all the flock of geese, one little goose just doesn't fit in. He's so...dirty! But then the other geese realize there might be a good reason for this....Church doesn't stop there, though, with what might have been a rather tired plot. Nope. Smart Goose is definitely a clever goose and although it takes him a while, he finally wins a place in the flock.

While I am quite partial to geese and Ping Pong Pig's delightful roundness makes him a favorite, I think Digby is the funniest. Digby is the new sheepdog. He knows he's good at his job and he's ready to do his best...but the sheep won't cooperate! Everything he tries, getting progressively sillier and more desperate, just makes the sheep (and the reader) laugh harder. Finally, the cows and pigs let him in on a little secret....but it doesn't work on everyone.

Verdict: Church's illustrations have a homey, not too cute but endearing style with delightfully shaped characters and enjoyable colors. Perfect for reading aloud to toddlers and preschoolers, these stories have just enough repetition to hold the younger children's interest with plenty of humor for the older listeners.

Ping Pong Pig
ISBN: 0823421767; Published September 2008 by Holiday House; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

One Smart Goose
ISBN: 978-0439687652; Published April 2005 by Orchard (out of print); Borrowed from the library

Digby Takes Charge
ISBN: 978-1416934417; Published July 2007 by Margaret K. McElderry Books; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library show less

All of the animals at Apple Tree Farm are busy doing their daily chores . . . except Ping Pong Pig. He’s busy jumping and leaping, trying to fly. And all his jumping around is creating havoc. The other animals decide that they must do something and they call a meeting. They spend a long time in the barn and when they finally come out, they’ve made something for Ping Pong Pig.

A trampoline.

This delightfully zany book will captivate young readers as they follow Ping Pong Pig and discover show more the lesson he learns.

Highly recommended. show less