Jane Sutton

Chosen for the illustrator as I really wanted to see what Harris would do in another story. Plus I love wombats and other Australian & Aussie-adjacent animals (instead mice, cows, and bunnies all the time). The illustrations were even more fun (and attractive) than I'd hoped. I love the expressions on the other critters' faces, and the details of clothing, shops, and other furnishings & settings.

I was also pleasantly surprised at the story, with its wonderful anti-superstition message. show more Funny, and important, too. Highly recommended.

I would love to find more by both Harris and Sutton, too. show less

Your book can only go so far wrong when your main characters' names are Mortimer (a koala) and Sadie (an ostrich). Even though he likes cauliflower, Mortimer stubbornly believes that eating it brings him bad luck. Pragmatic Sadie thinks this is nonsense and puts a devious plan into action to help Mortimer see the error of his ways. This book addresses an unusual topic, and the text and illustrations are nice, particularly the depictions of food (YUM). And, really, why aren’t there more show more koalas and ostriches in picture books? show less

Esther buys Hanukkah gifts for all of her friends, however, she doesn't make the best choices. As she sees the disappointment from each of her friends, she comes up with an idea. She throws a party on the eighth day of Hanukkah and asks her friends to bring their gifts. They all exchange gifts so that everyone gets something that they like. I liked this book for two reasons. First, the plot is well organized. Each page shows Esther giving a present to one of her friends. For instance, on one show more page she gives her friend Zack the Zebra a red sweater. This simplifies the plot and allows the reader to focus on one new character at a time. Second, the illustrations enhance the story. As Esther gives her friends their presents, you see that the number of presents in her wheelbarrow begin to decrease one by one. This attention to detail helps the reader follow the story through the illustrations. The overall message is to make the best out of bad situations. show less

Passover starts tonight and Zayde is babysitting for Ruthie. But who exactly is babysitting whom as an afternoon of shenanigans ensue?