How the Squid Got Two Long Arms by Henry Herz follows the adventures of one thieving squid.  Armed with only a silver scarf to keep him warm in the cold, dark depths, the squid goes on a hunt to find more fashionable ways to stay warm.

He stealthily steals an octopus's sweater while she sleeps.  His arms quickly grab a crab's mitten.  Then, he spots the most glorious item of all: a cap.  There's just one problem.  The cap is on the head of an eel.

Will this squandering squid take on the powerful eel?  Can he capture the cap and be the most fashion forward creature of the sea?

I thought this was a really fun read.  The idea of a stealing squid really made me laugh.  I also like the idea of sea creatures wearing clothing to stay warm.  My favorite part of the book is the nod to another famous title, This is Not My Hat.

Herz's characters are big and bold.  I love how their personalities shine through, especially as they each encounter the squid.  Their fashion choices are sensibly hilarious.

Luke Graber's illustrations are stunning.  Children will love the bold scenes featured on every page.  I really like his use of cool blue tones to make the underwater life pop.  Each character is also depicted in a different color which really makes them stand out on the page.

This is a great read for children ages 3-8.  I can also see this fun story being used in schools as part of the curriculum for ocean units.

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Alice's Magic Garden by Henry Herz introduces readers to Alice long before she ever went to Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass.  Alice is miserable living in a stuffy, grey boarding house.  The food is terrible and none of the girls like her.

One day, Alice finds a secret garden hidden on the grounds of the boarding house.  She delights in tending to the garden every day.  Little does she know that her small acts of kindness are about to change her life in big and colorful ways.

This book is a magically fun read, especially for those who are already in love with Lewis Carroll's cast of creative characters.  I enjoyed getting to see Alice's character blossom, much like her enchanted garden.  Once mild and meek, she emerges as a bold and confident young lady.

I also liked seeing the White Rabbit and Caterpillar take on a more serious and mindful role.  Instead of being absent minded and silly, they are totally present in the moment and even show signs of being thoughtful and caring instead of cantankerous.  To me, this gives the characters more depth as well as a more prominent purpose for being in the story.

Natalie Hoopes' illustrations are stunning.  I love how the illustrations have a Wizard of Oz feel to them.  Before Alice finds the garden, her world is black, white, and grey.  After continuously tending the garden, only her world bursts into color.  This is a great visualization of how her world is to change even further once she finds the Rabbit's hole.

I love Hoopes' artistic style.  She puts so much detail into every page.  Her color palate is remarkable.  The cool blues coupled with the pink and purple pastels really pop against the lush greenery of the garden.

Readers of all ages will delight in this magical prequel.  Children will especially be captivated by the gorgeous illustrations and hilarious characters.  Parents will also enjoy hunting for literary Easter eggs from Carroll's original classic hidden throughout the book. 

Sterling, Best Dog Ever by Aidan Cassie follows the adventures of one very confused Dachshund.  Sterling hasn't had very good luck in finding a forever home.  His owners seem to always lose interest, sending him back to the streets.

One night, Sterling notices a sign at the Butlery Cutlery Company.  Their utensils are being shipped to "all the best homes."  He decides to hide in one of the boxes where he waits to be delivered to his perfect home.  

The Gilberts are surprised to see the pup inside their box of forks.  Yet, Sterling has a plan.  He won't just be any fork; he's going to be the best fork ever!  But when his plan starts to unravel, will he find the courage to be what the family really needs?

I absolutely adore this book!  This is definitely one of my favorite picture books of all time.  Sterling's character is beyond adorable.  He reminds me of my own dachshund, Hope.  Young and old alike will relate to his struggle of feeling like he needs to be something other than himself.

This story is full of emotion and heart.  I loved watching Sterling's silly antics, yet my heart broke when he kept trying to be what he thought everyone wanted.  I definitely shed tears at the end.

The character of the little girl reminds me of myself.  I noticed that her bedroom wall is covered in dog posters and drawings.  She also has numerous stuffed dogs tucked away under her night stand.  I can totally relate to her passion for pooches (especially dachshunds).  

I also love that this story sheds light on the importance of animal adoption.  As the proud pet parent to five rescue dogs, I know that many of them have a story similar to Sterling's.  They were loved for a time, yet dumped when the owners became "bored" with them.  This book would be a great addition to the humane education curriculum at animal shelters and rescue groups across the country.

Cassie's illustrations are truly stunning.  Sterling's expressions are priceless.  I was in love with his character the moment I saw the book cover.  I also love the spotlight illustrations at the beginning of the book that show Sterling trying to imitate numerous items.  My favorite was the curling iron (my husband favored the jackhammer).

This book is a fantastic read for animal lovers of all ages.  Readers will cheer Sterling on in his quest to find his true purpose.  I hope to see more books featuring the best dog ever.  

I'm very excited to announce that my first guest blogger post has been posted to DOGTV's Everything Dog Blog!

Click on the link to check out the post:  ​http://blog.dogtv.com/delightfully-different-dogs/



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Toot and Puddle are back in a brand new adventure in I'll Be Home for Christmas by Holly Hobbie.  Toot is in Edinburgh at a family reunion.  His Great-Great Aunt Peg has just turned 100 years old!  Christmas is just days away, but he has promised Puddle that he will be home in time to share the holiday.

Back in Woodcock Pocket, Puddle eagerly prepares for Christmas and Toot's arrival.  With the assistance of his feathery friend, Tulip, the pair have pulled out all the stops to celebrate in style.  The only thing that's missing is Toot.

Suddenly, a dangerous ice storm hits Edinburgh.  All flights are delayed.  Will Toot miss spending Christmas with his best friend? 

I adore this book!  Hobbie's story is full of cheer and heart.  Her classic Toot and Puddle characters truly shine in this heartwarming tale.  I absolutely love the humor that is sprinkled throughout the story.  From calling Great-Great Aunt Peg an "ancient aunt" to the gift of a "lucky nut," I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading.

Another aspect of the story that I love is how the story toggles between Toot's journey homeward and Puddle's Christmas preparations.  Starting off the book with a postcard is such a fun and unique idea.  I also like how Hobbie leaves room for the imagination.  I don't want to give anything away, but pay close attention to the ending.    

Hobbie's illustrations are gorgeous.  Toot and Puddle could not be any cuter.  She really makes the scenes come alive with the use of warm colors for Puddle's story and cool colors for Toot's story.  Hobbie also keeps things fresh by alternating between sing page illustrations, multiple vignettes, and double page spreads.

This is a fantastic, festive book for readers of all ages. 


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Which Way to Witch School? by Scott Santoro takes the reader on a magical journey to Miss Thornapple's School for Proper Young Witches.  Young witches in haunted houses across the land are busily preparing for the rapidly approaching school year.  Packing their belongings into their hats, they wait for their bus driver to appear.

The sprightly specter collects the witches and flies the bus into the night.  The journey is long, but the witches don't mind.  They talk about potions, spells, gossip, and more.  Who knows what this school year will have in store?

I love this book!  I am a huge fan of Halloween picture books, especially those involving witches.  Santoro creates a magical world filled with mischief and fun.  This story is a mix between The World's Worst Witch meets The Magic School Buss.  I also love the fact that this is a rhyming picture book.

Santoro's illustrations are fresh and have a comic book type flair.  I think that his subtle nods to modern pop culture are hilarious.  I especially love the nod to the beloved classic The Wizard of Oz.

This is a spooktacular read for children ages 4-8.

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​Iggy Pig is back in a wintry adventure in Iggy Pig's Snowball Fight! by Vivian French.  One cold, winter day, Iggy Pig wakes up and discovers that the farm is covered in snow.  His mother tells him that snow is not for eating, but playing.

As she helps Iggy with his scarf and mittens, there is a knock at the door.  Mother Pig opens the door only to find that there is no one there.  Iggy races into the winter wonderland and finds a set of foot prints.  

The pondering pig is sure that the foot prints belong to his friend, Dusty Dog.  Iggy sets out on a quest to find his furry friend.  Will Iggy uncover adventure along the way?

I really like this book.  I thought that French's story was fun and whimsical.  I also love that the story has elements of mystery and suspense.

David Melling's illustrations are adorable.  I fell in love with all of the farm animals.  I really love the hidden flip book contained in the upper right hand corner involving Chicky Chick.  

This is a great read for children ages 3-6.

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In Mary Engelbreit's A Merry Little Christmas:  Celebrate From A to Z, she guides children through the alphabet via a family of mice who are preparing for Christmas.  Each letter has a connection to something dealing with the most wonderful time of the year.  This is anything but your typical concept book.

Engelbreit brings the alphabet to life with her gorgeous and well-known illustrations.  The pages are bursting with adorable characters and magical winter scenes.  Children will delight in counting down to Christmas with the woodland creatures.

Her rhymes for each letter are absolutely charming and original.  Engelbreit keeps things fresh by alternating the focus from the alphabet letter to the illustrations on each page.  This held as well as peaked my interest.

Overall, this is a wonderfully festive read for children ages 3-8.

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The Little Drummer Mouse by Mercer Mayer is a twist on a holiday classic.  Little mouse is the smallest of his brothers and sisters.  His mother constantly worries that he will get lost.  She decides to make a drum for him out of an acorn.

The little mouse loves playing his drum.  He plays it everywhere that he goes.  But the town's creatures are tired of the noisy mouse.

Meanwhile, the town has just received word that the royal family who is to give birth to the new king of the world will be passing through their very forest.  They quickly begin making preparations for the  regal convoy.

When the town's creatures think they have been stood up by the royal family, they decide to celebrate anyway.  But the little mouse soon discovers something that will change their lives forever.

I thought that this was a fun take on a Christmas classic.  Mayer weaves the story of little mouse so beautifully.  I also love the idea of animals celebrating the birth of the king.

The illustrations are absolutely stunning.  With images that fill the page, children will be drawn to the festive, winter scenes.  I also love how Mayer amplifies the world of animals.

The only disconnect that I found with this story was the fact that the humans could talk to the animals.  I feel that this takes a lot of the magic and mystery out of the tale.  When I was a child, I loved the idea of animals helping humans without their knowledge.  To me, having the animals interact with the humans takes away a bit of the story's sparkle.

Overall, this is a fun read for children ages 3-6.


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In Little Porcupine's Christmas by Joseph Slate, the animals of Creature Creek School are preparing for the Baby in the Manger play.  Porcupine can't wait to try out for a part.  When he arrives at tryouts, his classmates are less than kind.

All of the parts have been assigned.  Porcupine must now be part of the stage crew.  He helps design the sets.  He keeps the stage clean.  But when a disaster threatens the play, will he have the courage to help the classmates that ridiculed him?

I thought this was a sweet story.  My heart ached for Porcupine.  I think that readers of all ages will relate to the theme of not judging a book by its cover.

Felicia Bond's illustrations are outstanding.  Having illustrated such classics as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, children will instantly recognize her work in the Creature Creek students.  Her characters are adorable as well as iconic.

This is a wonderful read for children ages 3-6.


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