Have you ever wondered what animals are saying when they vocalize? In the book, “Say What?” by Angela DiTerlizzi, readers can speculate about what is going on in their favorite critters head. Joey Chou’s fun and darling illustrations give plenty of opportunity for children to practice naming animals, and the story rhymes, which is my favorite kind of read-aloud.

It’s sure to be the book your small child drags off the bookshelf and to your lap every day!

Ages 2-5

We all know children who stand out a bit from everyone else. Maybe it’s the odd way they dress, or the games they like to play, or the way they walk. This darling book written and illustrated by Kristen Balouch shows how everyone has a perfect-match friend, even a little, little girl with a big, big voice.

From the publisher: “In this vibrantly illustrated picture book, one loud little girl looks for a friend to play with. She searches the jungle high and low for a pal but her BIG voice scares all the animals away! One by one, an elephant, a snake and a croc quicly retreat away from her booming vocals, until at last she finds the perfect playmate-whose “roar” is even louder than hers!

Ages 2-5.

M.O.M. (Mom Operating Manual) by Doreen Cronin and Laura Cornell, will remind you immediately of Cronin’s hilarious “Diary of a Worm” series, as well as the Jamie Lee Curtis books, because of the Cornell’s smile-inducing illustrations.

M.O.M. is the perfect gift for children of anyone who recognizes the many jobs of mothers and ways we sometimes carry out our stressful roles. The humorous illustrations describe situations most of us can relate to, so even mothers who take themselves too seriously may crack a smile. Detailed and colorful pages are designed to be read in any order, like an operating manual, rather than as a “story” which is appealing to readers who prefer the “magazine” approach to reading. (My son likes to read this way.)

Great book!

Ages 4-8

Book review by 14-year-old Darla.

The Boss Baby, by Marla Frazee, is is an adorable comparison between babies and businessmen. Almost as if from another sibling’s perspective, it tells of how this little baby demands things like a boss would – like late-night “meetings” – while getting all the “perks” a boss would get as well. This book has colorful illustrations and clever comparisons, making this book humorous and fun to read, even for a fourteen-year-old!

Book Review by 12-Year-Old Craig

The pages of Robot Zot! is a short story about a robot that only thinks about his mission to save the world. He goes to outer space and only thinks about war. But what if he didn’t just think about war? What could change his mind?

When you read this book make sure to look at the colorful illustrations by David Shannon. He really put a lot of thought into this book. It gives you clues to what happens next, as well as what happens outside of Zot’s mind. I am 12 years old and I still liked this book. I would recommend this book to children ages 3-10 but it is recommended by the publisher for ages 3-7.