Topsy-turvydom is a picture book that takes a lighthearted approach to one of the most serious concerns the world has had to wrestle with for more than half a century. The drama is unfolded through the eyes of animals so humans can enjoy a hearty chuckle during a stressful period. This book is limitless! Toddlers will benefit from the rich illustrations and everyone can delight in the humor. The book is truly a concoction of several figures of speech: onomatopoeia, alliteration, synesthesi...

Tom-Tom and the Punch Bowl of Irish Moss is a lively tale of a mongoose that lost his way and ended up in the dining room of a terrified family. The story is full of excitement as it details the adventures of a frightened creature. The story shows sensitivity to the creatures of the environment as well as how traumatized an animal can be when it loses its path and ends up in unfamiliar surroundings. It is an excellent tool for teaching young children how to interact with animals in the env...

The narrator has been away in New York City for some time. She is progressing very well but she misses her family and familiar surroundings. In order to make connections she started to reminisce on the family members feet. This has allowed her to make even deeper connections with her farm reflecting on the fruits and vegetables. She also remembers pleasant times with her grandmother and grandfather. Feet signify specific periods; they jog memories. The memorable occasion with her grandmoth...

My First Hurricane centers around two happy children who wanted to experience the excitement of a storm. Eventually, a hurricane hits their tropical island, but the horror and devastation of the horrific winds blew the children’s smiles away. The parents, who are philanthropists, made provisions for the victims, and the entire family joined other neighbors as they turned the chaos into a channel of service to others. This is a moving story that legitimizes the virtues of a selfless life an...

Annie and the Wash Pan of Ripe Bananas is a story that deals with the choices and consequences a young girl faces. Annie, fi nding herself bored one day when school was on holidays, defi es her grandmothers request to read. This resulted in her being unable to get close to the parade. The story highlights the reading strategy, cause and effect in a novel way. Elements of grammar including nouns are also presented as well as fi gurative language. Annie and the Wash Pan of Ripe Bananas, legi...

How Loney the Honey Badger Got Its Name shows how a ferocious badger, Loney, intimidates the animals of two forests; this causes Loney to be led to a beehive where he plunders the honeycombs, devours the royal jelly, and endangers the life of the queen, along with the entire forests. The badger’s behavior is repudiated by all the animals and the environment; this causes the badger to ultimately retreat to its sett in shame. The account contains excellent story elements—a great setting and ...

The book Patchy and His Emu Chicks highlights patterns, as well as diversity. The author cleverly juxtaposes similarities and differences of four flightless exotic birds and several pattern fabrics. Central to the story is the importance of accepting individuals regardless of their uniqueness because each one is special. This is an enjoyable children’s story with numerous teaching points, including word families, comparing and contrasting, homonyms, affixes, and fresh vocabulary.

Johanna the Iguana and Her Limousine Load of Shoes tells the exciting adventures of an iguana, Johanna, during her trip to the Big Apple, New York City. Johanna loves shoes, so they are the only wardrobe item she takes along with her. But the shoes are more than just items of clothing; they symbolize change, hope, excitement, as well as pain and disappointment that the protagonist endures. Fortunately, Johanna copes with the challenges because of the guidance she receives from her mentor, ...

Latty the Platypus and the Woodwind Orchestra takes readers through a journey with a platypus, Latty, who suffers the loss of her mother, and the arrival of her own chicks. In order to deal with her loss, Latty memorializes her mother’s musical talent by teaching the chicks to play several instruments in a woodwind orchestra.A humorous story that addresses difficult issues in a lighthearted manner, it highlights determination in the face of adversity and even tragedy. This is a won...