Poppy Green (1)

This fantasy early chapter book was beautifully made with easy to read chapters and illustrations made from sketches and colored pencils. It shows how our prejudices and judgments of people can be wrong and we should not judge a book by its cover, especially when it could lead to a new friend! I would use this to have in my classroom for read aloud time and to reiterate that everyone can be friends and we should not judge one another before we even get to know them. I could ask the class of show more a time when they let someone play in their group and to share what happened when they met a new friend. At one point you did not know the current friends you have, you had to introduce yourself and become friends, so if you do that to everyone you meet at school, you can have so many more friends. I would also have the kids explain the beginning, middle, and end of the book as well as state their favorite character and maybe try and draw their favorite character with it's traits. I also enjoyed the fact that the chapters were easy to read and got aa deep concept across in easy words and in a way that kids can understand. show less

I originally resisted checking this out because it looked too "cute" but it turned out to be rather irresistible.

Sophie is a dreamer and loves to paint. She's excited about going back to school and seeing all her old friends. But when a new pupil shows up she gets a shock - it's a snake! Are they safe to be around? Can he play with them? The other kids think snakes are scary, is Sophie brave enough to ask him to play with them? After some wise advice from her parents and some fortunate show more meetings with new neighbors, Sophie finds the answer to all her questions and gets a new friend!

Bell's illustrations show an adorable cast of anthropomorphic small creatures with the tiny details that will definitely intrigue readers; little baskets, plentiful use of acorns, and large flowers.

There are lots of cute names, adorable food (nutmeg popovers) and a simple but sweet message about giving new/different kids a chance to be friends. The text would be great for a beginning chapter reader with the illustrations keeping it from being overwhelming and the slightly larger text is reader-friendly.

Verdict: If cute puts you off, you might still want to give this a chance. It's adorable but never quite twee and a solid addition to a beginning chapter series. Fans of Daisy Dawson, Critter Club, and some of the cuter Branches series will enjoy this cozy tale.

ISBN: 9781481428330; Published 2015 by Little Simon/Simon and Schuster; Borrowed from another library in my consortium show less

Impulse grab at the library. Recognized it wasn't book one, but surprised to find it was #14! Still, it manages to stand alone. Very short, generously illustrated, sweet, fluffy... and maybe a bit silly, because I just can't imagine whipped cream holding up to being the filling for a cookie sandwich....

A cute, short story that teaches kids about accepting new people in your life and how not to judge someone based on hearsay.

Sophie Mouse and her best friend Hattie Frog are excited about their first day of school, especially since there is a new student in class this year. However, when they find out that the new student, Owen, is a snake, the girls don't know what to think about it and don't know how to act around him. Quite possibly, though, Owen isn't nearly as scary as they may think he show more is.

This chapter book is clearly aimed at young girls, but it doesn't ready "girly" to me at all. It's really quite a charming little story, and I know I'll be recommending to my friends with children.

Recommended! show less