Age 04-08. 5 Stars. Amos and Boris tells the story about a mouse and a whale’s unlikely friendship, in a twist on Aesop’s fable of the Lion and the Mouse… Steig’s writing and illustrations are snappy and appealing, and the story combines lighthearted humor with a compelling relational theme. An excellent read-aloud choice.

Age 04-08. 5 Stars. Everyone should have at least one Noah’s Ark story, and Peter Spier’s version is one of the best available. It is especially well suited to children, with its wordless format and careful attention to visual detail.

Age 04-08. 5 Stars. Hughes’ artwork is wonderfully rendered, with a particular eye to details that emphasize the warmth and closeness of this family. Most importantly, Bella’s open-hearted self-sacrifice epitomizes the kindness that siblings ought to express toward one another. Elder and younger siblings will appreciate this story for different reasons.

Age 04-08. 5 Stars. Of all the easy-reader books in print, this series may be the best in writing quality, complexity, character development, and humor.

Age 04-08. 4 Stars. The story isn’t quite as good as A Toad for Tuesday, but it is lighthearted, funny, and suspenseful enough to hold the attention of a child transitioning into chapter books… This is not a must-read, but it’s an enjoyable fantasy adventure, rooted in positive values of friendship, kindness, and courage.

Age 08-12. 4 Stars. There is a genre of 1950’s British children’s literature, usually populated with animal characters, that is charming and enjoyable for both children and adults. This is well written, with high action and suspense, appealing characters, and quite a bit of understated humor.

Age 04-08. 4 Stars. This delightful story situates itself somewhere between Frog and Toad and The Wind in the Willows in reading level. It has a wider vocabulary than most picture books or easy readers, and makes an excellent read-aloud for young listeners just transitioning into chapter books.

Age 04-08. 5 Stars. De Angeli captures a little of the flavor of Pennsylvania Dutch language along with many details of everyday life. Her characters are appealing, the family is warmly loving, and the story itself is full of excitement and danger. It will appeal to both boys and girls, but especially boys. It contains more prose than most picture books and is a perfect fit for children who are just transitioning into chapter books.

Age 00-04. 3 Stars. This book is a kind of combination of a traditional Nativity retelling and the popular board book Big Red Barn… The illustrations… depict a modern couple having a baby in an American-style barn… The text doesn’t flow as well as Brown’s other books, but it’s a pretty good one-time read.

Age 04-08. 4 Stars. This is a beautiful story for the budding naturalist and the compassionate reader…. When a great snow falls, the animals of the forest cannot find food. But when an older couple scatter seeds, nuts, and bread crumbs outside their cottage, the animals throng around their home, finding enough to eat until the weather thaws…. While feeding local wildlife may not be wise in all situations, this simple story presents a picture of responsibility toward animals that reflects God’s command for people to subdue, fill and steward the earth.