Edith Hope Fine

A grumpy little cricket just wants a quiet night so he can get some sleep, but it's not meant to be. What is a cricket to do? Suddenly the manger is crowded with sheep, a cow, and even a pig. There's little room left, when a donkey arrives with a couple. That's when it gets even noisier and more people arrive. Much to the cricket's displeasure, a little shepherd girl lifts him up so he can get a better look. And what does he see? A tiny baby in a halo of light. The cricket is puzzled at show more first, but then he knows just what to do. It's been a very long time since he's done anything but complain, but he's determined to give the little baby something wonderful. Will the grumpy cricket be able to change his tune? Check out this holiday gem to find out.

The Bottom Line: This sweet tale about the birth of Jesus is told from the perspective of a grouchy cricket. Filled with beautiful illustrations in mixed media, this picture book is sure to be a treasured holiday read. Enthusiastically recommended for seasonal reading and storytimes.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. show less

A classroom full of kids grow a school garden with the help of Miss Marigold. At first, they're not sure anything will grow - the ground is hard, the weeds prolific. But their grumpy neighbor has a marvelous garden and they have everything they need - "plans, plants, and people" - to follow Miss Marigold's instructions, "water, weed, and wait." With lots of hard work and help, even from grumpy Mr. Barkley, their garden is a beautiful success! There's information in the back about starting a show more school garden and some photos of a real Master Gardener and her school gardens. I would have liked a little more information about this lady - she was apparently the inspiration for the book. A fun book for schools or libraries interested in starting a communal garden for kids. show less

Armando and his family work as trash pickers in the city but Armando wants to go to school, which in his city is just a blue tarp on the ground. Because his family needs the money Armando is unable to go at first but later can. Even though the children didn't have a building or textbooks they made the best of it and learned as much as possible. This book can teach children to be grateful for school and an opportunity to learn. The language in this book is simple and the illustrations are eye show more catching so I think this book would be great for younger audiences. show less

This simple tale of human compassion helps children see two conflicting sides of a situation. One night young Rosalinda wakes up to a "Wsss--shhh--snap!" outside. She slips out of bed and discovers that a man is stuffing lemons into a cloth sack! To make matters worse, by the end of the week her lemon tree is very sick. As she wanders through the Mexican countryside seeking tree-healing advice, she sees the mysterious Night Man at the mercado--and he is selling her beautiful limones! She show more summons the help of La Anciana, a wise old woman with gentle eyes, and it is finally she who provides a creative solution that helps Rosalinda, cures her lemon tree and gives hope to the Night Man who stole Rosalinda’s lemons. show less