James Solheim

I loved the story “Santa’s Secrets Revealed” for many reasons. First, the illustrations are incredibly colorful, in depth, and take up the entire page. Also, each page has so much going on for children to look at. Whether it’s reindeer, elves, Santa Claus, satellite videos, computers, or maps of the world, the reader is able to feel as though they are truly in the story. I also love the way this book was written. For instance, there are many speech bubbles, different colored words, show more letters and lists, and a big screen that explains the science behind Santa Claus. This amusing story is perfect for children because it answers the many questions they have about Santa Claus. I especially loved how Santa’s star reindeer was a cow, because Rudolph was home “recovering from a bad fruitcake,” which children would love. Overall, I think the main idea of this story is to believe in the magic of Christmas. show less

Adorable. Loved the previous books about Baby Brains, and this seems to be the same style but not the same baby (or perhaps older sister is Baby Brains? She's described as a "genius.") Four stars only because it's really more for the adult than for the child - direct quote: "Finally - I have it figured out. Some things are noses, some are taxicabs, some are Belgians." Silly and fun, but a room full of preschoolers may not get it.

Another new baby book! A brand new baby narrates her life from embarrassing birth (no clothes at all!) to her exploration of the world. The story is punctuated by her admiration of her big sister - she's in kindergarten and she knows EVERYTHING! and finishes with the baby's excitement about their future friendship.

It's an interesting concept - the text is divided into journal entries and the background is lined paper. The illustrations have a Quentin Blake feeling and are small insets around show more the various journal entries. The baby, despite her writing skills and sometimes adult view of the world around her is still very much a baby and talks about the delights of throwing food, playing with a mobile, and hugging a toy in a realistic and utterly funny way.

The story is very text-heavy - even preschoolers are going to have trouble sitting still long enough for this one, but I'm not sure older kids will appreciate the tongue-in-cheek humor and the baby's viewpoint. A kindergartener with a new sibling might be the best audience for this story.

Verdict: Too limited in audience. I need picturebooks that have a wider appeal and aren't so lengthy.

ISBN: 978-0399251559; Published March 2010 by Philomel; Borrowed from the library show less

Taken from the view point of a infant, this book puts the world into an enlightening, simplistic perspective. The infant is aware he doesn't know much but he knows how to write and here is his journal. The pages are filled with journal entries about the fascinations of the new world around him and most importantly the love for his sister. He admires everything his sister does but gets discouraged and hurt when his sister ignores him for a boy. Beginning to think his sister does not treasure show more him the way he does her, one day the sister comes home crying and finally confides in the infant again. She has discovered the infant's journal and laughs and laughs but once she confides in him, the two form an even stronger bond and together create the Young Authors of the World club, in which their dog, Floofy is the president. This book is written from the perspective of an infant, a perspective I have never read before. This point of view turns the complex world into that of a much simpler world where we can just find love in our family. show less