This Is Gus by Chris Chatterton

Meet Gus. He doesn't like anything or anyone. Or does he? 

Thoughts: Grumpy characters are so much fun. I loved Gus from the first. I've always wanted to name a dog Gus after the mouse in Disney's Cinderella. And it looks like Gus might be one of my favorite breeds...a basset hound. The illustrations are colorful and I love Gus's grouchy expressions. My favorite is Gus and the puppy on Gus's birthday. Gus is in good company with Bruce (the Bruce books by Ryan T. Higgins) and Mr. Panda from the books by Steve Antony.  

Themes: Dogs, Grumpy Characters 

(Penguin Workshop, 2019.) 

What About Worms!? by Ryan T. Higgins

Tiger is big and brave. He's not afraid of anything...except worms. 

Thoughts: Too funny! Tiger is just what I've come to expect from Ryan T. Higgins. Tiger isn't grumpy like Ryan's other character Bruce. Instead, he's a little bit of a mess especially when worms might be involved. I can't wait to share this book with kids. The illustrations are full of color, emotion, and movement. This book would pair well with Fear the Bunny by Richard T. Morris, The Secret Life of a Tiger by Przemysław Wechterowicz, and It's a Tiger! by David LaRochelle.  

Themes: Tigers, Worms, Fears 

Here are activity sheets from the publisher. 

Checkout the other Elephant & Piggie Like Reading Books:

• The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat
• We Are Growing! by Laurie Keller 
• The Good For Nothing Button! by Charise Mericle Harper 
• It's Shoe Time! by Bryan Collier 
• The Itchy Book! by LeUyen Pham 
• Harold & Hog Pretend for Real! by Dan Santat 

Checkout other books by Ryan T. Higgins: 

• Mother Bruce
• Hotel Bruce 
• Be Quiet! 
• Bruce's Big Move 
• Santa Bruce 
• 1 Grumpy Bruce 
• Bruce's Big Fun Day
• Bruce's Big Storm 
• Peek-a-Bruce
• We Don't Eat Our Classmates 
• We Will Rock Our Classmates 

Links are to my reviews. 

(An Elephant & Piggie Like Reading Book with Mo Willems. Disney, 2020.)

Soaked! by Abi Cushman

It's raining. Bear doesn't like the rain. It ruins everything. There's nothing to do. It's still raining. 

Thoughts: Too funny! Bear reminds me of Bruce from the books by Ryan T. Higgins. Bear is definitely a mildly sarcastic grump. The illustrations are detailed and there is a wealth of expression on the animals' faces. My favorite illustration is the hula-hooping animals. 

Themes: Bears, Rain, Forest Animals 

(Viking, 2020.)

Happy Blogiversary to What Is Bridget Reading?!

 

What Is Bridget Reading? is 12 years old today! So much has changed since 2008. This blog began with booktalks I was writing during my Programming for Children and Young Adults course in graduate school. Since then I've added reviews, reading projects (Harry Potter, Ramona, and Beatrix Potter), library program reflections, and Flannel Friday posts. I also became involved with the Cybils Awards for the first time in 2013. 2020 marks my third year serving as a category chair. 

I'm looking forward to blogging for many more years to come. 

Older Blogiversary Posts for a Walk Down Memory Lane: 

2010

2013

2014

It Is (Not) Perfect by Anna Kang

Making a sandcastle should be easy, but the more friends that help, the more complicated it gets. Will it ever be perfect? 

Thoughts: Such a fun book! I love the characters Kang and Weyant have created with these books. It Is (Not) Perfect will be a great addition to a beach themed storytime. I love the depth of feeling expressed in the illustrations...especially by the characters' faces. 

Themes: Beach, Friends

(Illustrated by Christopher Weyant. Two Lions, 2020.) 

The Hidden Rainbow by Christie Matheson

Can you help the bees grow the garden? 

Thoughts: I've been a fan of Christie Matheson's books from the moment I read Tap the Magic Tree. Her newest book doesn't disappoint. This will be a great addition to various storytimes in the spring. The illustrations are colorful and I like the mix of watercolor and collage. My favorite illustration is the violet blossoms. Interactive books are always a hit at storytime! 

Themes: Spring, Bees, Flowers, Colors, Numbers, Interactive 

Checkout the activity guide from the publisher! 

(Greenwillow, 2020.)

Fussy Flamingo by Shelly Vaughan James

Mami and Papi can't convince Lola to eat shrimp. Until she does, she'll stay gray. Lola doesn't want to eat shrimp. She would rather eat other things. 

Thoughts: This book is too funny. It reminds me of Sylvie by Jennifer Sattler. I like the South American setting. It's different and makes Fussy Flamingo unique. The illustrations are colorful. I especially like the expressions on the flamingos' faces. I think this book will appeal to many parents of picky-eaters. 

Themes: Birds, Flamingos, Fruit, Colors 

(Illustrated by Matthew Rivera, Sourcebooks, 2020.)

Play Outside! by Laurent Moreau

Mom sends the kids outside because they're too rowdy to stay inside. Playing outside has all sorts of possibilities. As they play, they explore nature and readers can look for and try to identify over 250 different animals. 

Thoughts: Love! Playing outside is not a new concept, but Moreau's approach to it is. I like how he starts with the children in their own yard and then slowly moves them out and into different locations. The animals are great. I'm very thankful for the index in the back of the book. The illustrations are bold and colorful. I like the lack of traditional black outlines. I look forward to sharing this book with kids and getting my nephew a copy when he gets to the picture book stage. 

Themes: Play, Imagination, Outdoors, Animals 

(Norton Young Readers, 2020.)  

How to Write a Story by Kate Messner

Want to know how to write a story? This book is for you. How to Write a Story explains the process in ten kid-friendly steps.

Thoughts: Too fun! I started writing stories in third grade. I didn't really know what I was doing and would have loved to have a book like this to guide me. The steps make perfect sense and are explained so kids can understand them. The illustrations are colorful and interesting. I love the sea monster and the main character as a mermaid. I look forward to recommending this book to parents and teachers as well as using it myself when I visit elementary classrooms. This book would pair well with This Is a Sea Cow by Cassandra Federman, Amy the Red Panda Is Writing the Best Story in the World by Colleen A. F. Venable, The Bear Report by Thyra Heder, By Mouse and Frog by Deborah Freedman, Violet and Victor Write the Most Fabulous Fairy Tale by Alice Kuipers, Violet and Victor Write the Best-Ever Bookworm Book by Alice Kuipers, and Write! Write! Write! by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater. 

Themes: Stories, Writing, Elementary 

Bonus: Five Tips to Get Kids Writing at Home by Kate Messner

 (Illustrated by Mark Siegel. Chronicle Books, 2020.)

The Invisible Bear by Cécile Metzger

Bear lives alone in a colorless world. He thinks he likes it that way until one day he gets a neighbor. 

Thoughts: This is a sweet book. I like the introduction of color into Bear's world. The themes of neighbors, friendship, bears, and colors make this book quite versatile for storytime. It would pair well with Those Pesky Rabbits by Ciara Flood, Too Tall Houses by Gianna Marino, Goodnight Already! by Jory John, and A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker. The watercolor illustrations are both monochromatic and colorful depending on where you are the in the story. My favorite illustrations are Bear in Madame Odette's garden (before they are friends) and the cover. 

Themes: Bears, Neighbors, Friendship, Colors

 (Tundra, 2020.) 

A World of Opposites by Gray Malin

Explore the world through opposites! 

Thoughts: Such gorgeous photos. I especially like the ones that feature animals. Noting the location of each photo is also fun. Though A World of Opposites is a simple concept picture book, there's such scope for conversation in the book. I think this book will appeal to kids of all ages as well as adults. 

Themes: Opposites, Travel, Books with Photos

(Abrams Appleseed, 2020)