Carolina Rabei

All of the books in the library had a story except for Dusty. He had never been checked out before and this made him very upset. The other books in the library tried their best to help Dusty get checked out. The next day, Dusty was checked out by a little boy named Jake. This is when Dusty realized he was a book about dinosaurs. After Jake brought Dusty back to the library, Dusty became the book of the month. I like how this story shows that just because a book isn't always checked out from a library doesn't mean it is not important.… (more)

It's a guinea pig!! Ahem. I do like guinea pigs and there are not nearly enough books featuring their adorability.

Crunch, a plump and happy guinea pig who loves food. But even though he has lots of food, something is still missing....he's just not sure what it is. Then one day Cheddar the mouse shows up. Cheddar has a shocking suggestion: Crunch should share his food! And hugs?? NO WAY. But maybe Cheddar is what Crunch has been missing all along....a friend.

I love the scratchy woodcuts and fresh colors of the fruits and vegetables that are scattered about the pages. The animals are the perfect blend of anthropomorphic and animal with all their cute furriness intact and human emotions added. I like the way the pictures are laid out in smaller spots as Crunch goes searching outside his cage for the first time.

Verdict: Sweet story with a gentle reminder about friendship and sharing, lovely pictures, and very well-written, especially for a debut picture book. I'll definitely be watching this author for more stories - hopefully featuring more guinea pigs!

ISBN: 97818464373335; Published 2015 by Child's Play; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library… (more)