Picture book reviews

Bobbie Dazzler by Margaret Wild and Janine Dawson is a fun little book about what you can accomplish if you just practice, practice, practice. Bobbie is a red-necked wallaby who can do lots of things, like jump, bounce, and skip. But what Bobbie really wants to be able to do is the splits. Her friends reassure her that it's ok that she can't do the splits, but that isn't enough for Bobbie. Finally, with lots of practice, Bobbie teaches herself to do the splits and then all her friends, too. The illustrations in this book are simple pen and ink drawings with watercolor and are just as cute as the story.


Punk Farm on Tour by Jarrett J Krosoczka would be a great storytime book! While Farmer Joe is away at the National Tractor Society Conference, the barnyard animals form a band and go on tour. Cow, Sheep, Pig, Goat, and Hen perform a rousing version of "The Wheels on the Bus" (in this case, the wheels on the tour van), each verse reflecting the most recent mishap along the way. My favorite character, by far, is Goat with his "Chill, homie" type commentary. Pig is a runner up with his groupies. Terribly cute!


Previously by Allan Ahlberg takes us backward through several classic tales, such as Jack & the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and The Gingerbread Boy. Each tale is connected to the following by some common thread; for example, did you realize Jack from the beanstalk story is the same Jack that falls down the hill, thanks to his annoying sister Jill? Bright illustrations are a perfect complement to this fun book.

M 11-year-old daughter requested I read this to her for bedtime last night, and she thought it was terribly cute! It was neat to see that she still appreciates a good picture book!