Cheryl B. Klein

First sentence: Hey there, babies. I hear you. Everyone thinks your lives are easy. When you're hungry, people feed you. When you're sleepy, they love to hold you. When you cry, they want to calm you--they'll do anything to make you happy! It sounds great, but you and I know the truth...

Premise/plot: The book persuasively makes the argument that it is HARD to be a baby. It is written in second person you, directly to a baby or perhaps babies. The book covers all the basics of babyhood...but show more from the perspective of a baby and NOT the perspective of a new parent.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one so much! I love all the illustrations of babies. I love the point of view. I thought the narration was great. I loved that it starts with life in the womb. I think this one would be a great gift for soon-to-be mothers or great to display at a baby shower. Or perhaps as a read aloud for children who will soon be getting a new baby brother or sister. I like the light humor. show less

"I'm Henry. That's Marvin.
We're roommates.
We've been roommates for two hundred and five days."

If this phrasing isn't enough to tip readers off about Henry's attitude toward Marvin, Henry's expression - eyebrows low and flat, glaring sideways at Marvin gleefully running on the wheel, tongue hanging out - will do the trick. And on day 206, Henry snaps, shouting at oblivious, enthusiastic, talkative Marvin to "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Marvin does, leaving Henry with the quiet he so desired all show more along...but he realizes that he owes Marvin an apology and an explanation. Henry's apology is simple and heartfelt, and the two hammer out a new agreement/compromise that works for them both, so that day 207 "feels like our Day One."

A lovely story with a light touch, showing how friends with different preferences can communicate to strengthen their relationship. show less

I’ve followed Cheryl Klein’s blog for a number of years, so some of the content of this book was familiar to me. This only made me want to read Second Sight more. Cheryl has a keen analytical mind, and her explanations of the details of story structure, using strong examples from published books, are amazing. I always come away with new knowledge and an understanding of the topic at hand.

Anyone interested in writing books for children or wanting to know more about how they are show more successfully written would find this book fascinating. It holds a lot of valuable information in a readable format. Wonderful! show less

Co-authors and long-time friends Cheryl Klein and Katy Beebe present an entertaining bedtime reassurance tale in this new picture-book, describing in their rhyming text how a nighttime storm is created by various Thunder Trucks. As the doughty vehicles create the rain and wind, lightning and thunder, a young boy remains snug in his bed. The book concludes with a goodnight wish for the Thunder Trucks, and a brief afterword about the science of storms...

Although truck books are not really a show more personal favorite of mine, there's no denying how popular they are at work, and with many young picture-book readers and listeners. Thunder Trucks is definitely a book that will please many young fans of the form, and combines something many of them love (trucks and other construction vehicles) with something many of them might fear (loud storms). The narrative is engaging and reads well, and the accompanying artwork from illustrator Mike Boldt is boldly colorful and quite appealing. All in all, a fun little book, one I would recommend to young trucks lovers, and to anyone looking for stories to reassure children who find thunderstorms frightening. show less