Bothers is written by Yin and the paintings are by Chris Soentpiet. This is a heart felt book about immigration. Ming immigrates from China to be with his two brothers in San Fransisco where they have a shop in Chinatown. Ming's brothers have to work extremely hard to make ends meet which leave Ming to man the store in his brothers' absence. While left alone, Ming wonders outside of Chinatown, against his brothers wishes. On one of his forays he runs into a school where he meets an Irish immigrant named Patrick. They quickly become good friends and Patrick not only helped Ming learn English, but helped him with his shop work as well. This is a story about friendship, immigration and the bonds of family and the realistic paintings of Soentpiet are beautifully rendered. There are long paragraphs on each page so this would be a good book for those older children with a bit more patience. I would say ages 6-9. Children who enjoy this heart warming book may also like Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say.
Ladybug Girl and Bingo by David Soman and Jacky Davis is about a little girl with a big imagination. Ladybug Girl is kin to a superhero, but much cuter. She and her dog Bingo go camping with her family and discover so many amazing things in the woods. Where her family might see a bolder, Ladybug Girl sees a turtle big enough to ride. Where one might see a gnarled old tree, Ladybug sees a wizened old wizard. In all of her adventures she takes her trusty sidekick bingo. This is an adorable book with several sentences to a page and charming illustrations that make this book good for children ages 3 and up.
We Planted a Tree is written by Diane Muldrow and illustrated by Bob Staake. This picture book is about many people planting a tree and the different phases of a tree. The book also shows what benefits there are to the plant and people when trees are planted. The message of the book is positive and told in a simple way with easy sentences and words and colorful illustrations to reinforce the theme of the book. This book simplicity and eye catching appearance makes it good for young readers ages 4-8. If your child likes this book, they may also be interested in The Curious Garden by Peter Brown.
You and Me and Home Sweet Home is by George Lyon and Stephanie Anderson. This book is a book about over coming adversity. This book makes me appreciate the little things I take for granted everyday. Sharonda and her mother are having to live on a pull out couch at her Aunt's house and need to find a place to live. Their church organizes a group to build a house for Sharonda and her mother and Sharonda is pleased when she gets to help prepare her house. The realistic depictions of the characters are beautiful and I especially love the last page because the embrace between mother and daughter makes me reminiscent. It's an embrace I've seen so many times before. Though this book deals with a more serious subject, the words and sentences are all very simple making this book great for children ages 5-9.
Thunder Rose was written by Jerdine Nolen and illustrated by Kadire Nelson. This book is a prefect mix of plot and illustration. I love the front cover because you can just tell by looking at Rose's sweet smile that she is precocious. Thunder Rose is a tall tale of a little girl who has thunder and lightening coursing through her veins. She is smart, strong, and has a way with animals and the elements. Nothing less than a bull will do for this young heroine to ride. This is a longer tale with a few paragraphs on most of the pages and some more difficult words, but it's an exciting story on the scale of Paul Bunyan and sure to hold a child's attention. This story would be great for children 5-8, but I think even older children would enjoy the story. I almost with this was a chapter book series.
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