Welcome to our November 2005 children's books reviews
archive. We are always looking for new books to stimulate young readers. Whether it's a
simple children's storybook to read your kids to sleep, or a book that shows them the enchanting
worlds they can find only through reading, we continue to search for new treasures in
children's books, and hope you enjoy this backissue of our November 2005 reviews of books for children.
This little paperback tells the story of the "Curse" that catches up with Wallace and Gromit in their current and wildly popular movie. Have you seen it yet? I loved it, so this little storybook was a joy for me to find.
There are three more of these paperbacks to enjoy. All feature our heroes Wallace and Gromit, and the horrible Were-Rabbit that has started to ravage the vegetable gardens of England. In my opinion, the movie was more than worth the long wait for fans of the short films that introduced us to Wallace the cheese-loving inventor and his faithful pooch Gromit. Now it can take its place in my own collection, and I bet it gets the Oscar for Best Animated Film next year.
This is the real deal from DK publishers. You can depend on Dorling-Kindersley Books that the illustrations will be excellent, and this is no exception. From the shadow of the Were-Rabbit on the first inside page to the dramatic full-color pictures on the last few pages, this is the best collectible and most enjoyable book on the Wallace and Gromit movie.
Kind-hearted Wallace and his brave pup Gromit run a "sensitive" pest control business. They set out to trap the rabbits which are taking over Tottingham Castle. Totty, Lady Tottingham, is a softy for animals too, but her beaux is all for shooting the pesky bunnies.
So Wallace and Gromit catch the bunnies and give them a home. In a science experiment Wallace becomes a Were-Rabbit - just like Frankenstein’s monster only much more fun. If you haven't seen this gem of animation yet, hurry because it is great fun for the whole family.
Ridley Pearson has put his talents to work to produce this fantasy tale for children. The children in question should be able to handle the scare of some odd direction that the Disney World Resort is taking. It seems that the famous scientific imaginations of the upper management have invented a way to make holograms to replace live Cast Members with computer-generated replicas. Young actors are hired and holographic images of them are produced to guide the guests on tours and even answer questions. A young man by the name of Finn is one of those hired. He is not supposed to every go into the Magic Kingdom Park, but rather is to stay in his own section. Of course he ignores the rule and finds his hologram at work. He joins with four other employees to investigate what is going on here. They find that the holograms have some unexpected quirks. They are thrilling, but might be dangerous.
Suddenly one night, Finn finds himself transported from his bed to Disney World where it is nighttime. There he finds a scheming witch and a group of "overtakers." They are plotting to destroy the Disney theme park, and only Finn and his friends can stop them
This is romp through Disney World for kids, and I know even older fans will love the fine telling of a fantasy tale that takes them into the Magic Kingdom at night. It's spooky!
Here is a charming tale about the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge. It took fourteen years to construct this famous ediface, and there was a bit party to open the bridge to the public. Fireworks and top hats were the order of the day at this celebration in 1883. Many people were very impressed, but a few doubters wondered just how well the bridge would hold up with a lot of traffic crossing at the same time. Would it be safe? The most famous circus man in history decided there was a wonderful way to prove the strength of this wonderful bridge. "The Greatest Show On Earth" was Barnum's claim, and he would produce one of the greatest public spectacles ever shown. You guessed it. Twenty-one elephants proved the safety of the bridge.
What a spectacle that must have been to see! The illustrations are big and fill the pages with the beauty of the bridge and the massive pachyderm pedestrians that tested it to the awe and wonder of the world.
This is a light, fun tale about a pig called Sylvia Jean. She has a lovely outfit for every mood and every part she wants to play. When she is brave she wears a superhero costume, and she has clown clothes for the times when that is what she feels she wants to be. When Sylvia's little town has a costume contest, everyone is sure they know who will win. No contest at all they think, but Sylvia Jean is struck by stage fright. The small reader must wait for the end to find out how Sylvia Jean overcomes her fears.
Here is a different and very delightful African tale. Every page is illustrated with the colors and scenes of the African jungle, with each picture is attractively framed. The story is about a "honeyguide" and a "honey badger." The are partners in finding and extracting honey from a comb. When the badger gets greedy and gulps down all of the honey, the Honeyguide is not happy. The news of the greed travels all over the jungle. The Honeyguide hatches a plan to lead the Badger on a wild chase to a surprise ending.
The tale is simple, but a tad different from most children's books. Certainly very enjoyable for small ones having it read to them.
The story of the magical train ride has reached its 20th birthday. The Houghton Mifflin Company has reissued this wonderful tale in a beautiful special edition. The lovely book comes in a handsome slipcover. The story has a sturdy hard cover that will keep this treasure safe for more than one generation.
Its all here with the original illustrations. You could see the movie, but the book lover will appreciate this special copy to own a beloved tale that won a Caldecott award.
This is a simple tale about a young man named Eddie. He has neighbors that are angry with him and they are very noisy about it. There is loud fighting going on in other parts of the building. It's all because Edie is a ball bouncer. He constantly bounces his rubber ball on his wall. Eddie has figured out how to help the neighbors stop fighting. The artistic young Eddie brings a laugh and a smile to everyone's face when they see what he has done.
Be sure to visit us again next month when we'll
review more helpful children's books. Our
children's book reviews are written by our Editor, Richard L. Trethewey.
Rainbo Electronic Reviews' children's books reviews are published monthly. Back issues of our
reviews are available from the Rainbo Reviews Backissues Archive.
We're proud to announce that the reviews archive is now searchable by category so you can find great children's books we've reviewed in the past.
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