Sherri Duskey Rinker

Sherri Duskey Rinker, author of such picture-book bestsellers as Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Steam Train, Dream Train, joins forces with illustrator A.N. Kang, the author/artist behind The Very Fluffy Kitty, Papillon and its sequel, in presenting this sing-song picture-book of affirmation. As the title suggests, it is a celebration of "you" - no doubt meant to be the picture-book reader/listener - from birth through some momentous rites of passage, in which "you" embark on a show more new voyage...

Clearly meant as a graduation gift item, Celebrate You! is a book I expected to enjoy more than I did, given the fact that I have found some of Rinker's other books engaging, and thought that Kang's picture-books about Papillon were adorable. Unfortunately, although there's really nothing wrong here, there also wasn't anything that particularly stood out to me. The artwork was cute enough, and the text had a sing-song quality, but I finished the book with the feeling that this had been done before, and better, in such titles as Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go, or Emily Winfield Martin's The Wonderful Things You Will Be. Tastes vary, so those in the market for this kind of thing might still want to give it a try. show less

What a great book on Teamwork. I especially love how Kid McGear is a girl. When I grew up I loved to play with trucks and tractors and it wasn’t normalized. That this book normalizes female trucks is just icing on top of this story's cake.

A perennial favorite since it was first published in 2011, Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site features an engaging bedtime tale in rhyme, paired with appealing oil pastel illustrations in deep and vivid hues. One by one the rough and tumble vehicles at a construction site finish their work for the day, getting ready for bed in the end. As the narrative bids each one goodnight, the theme of sleepiness is emphasized and reemphasized in such a way as to have a soporific effect on young show more listeners.

It's difficult to believe that this was author Sherri Duskey Rinker's debut, as the text is so assured, and reads so well, just tripping off the tongue! Young truck-lovers - of which there are many! - will get a kick out of this bedtime book, and will enjoy listening to the rhyming refrain as vehicle after vehicle gets ready to go to bed. The artwork by Tom Lichtenheld shifts between more wakeful colors such as yellow and orange in the daytime scenes, and more peaceful hues such as blue in the nighttime ones, giving a visual reinforcement to the theme of winding down. Recommended to anyone looking for the perfect bedtime book for the young construction and/or truck enthusiast. show less

When Santa's elves discover that his sleigh has been damaged, the industrious little helpers set out to remedy the situation. Carried away by their enthusiasm, they go further than just making repairs, however, coming up with all sorts of mechanical marvels to replace the more traditional sleigh. Will Santa choose one of their souped-up vehicles, or will he opt for something else altogether...?

Author Sherri Duskey Rinker, whose vehicular bedtime books - Goodnight, Goodnight Construction show more Site, Steam Train, Dream Train - are so popular, gives a similar treatment to this holiday tale about Santa's sleigh. Her rhyming text trips off the tongue, and is well matched by Jake Parker's colorful, cartoon-like artwork, which captures the humor and good spirits of the story. The 12 Sleighs of Christmas would make an excellent read-aloud for the holiday season, and is one I would recommend to those looking for rhyming Christmas stories, especially is they have a youngster who loves cool vehicle books. show less