Let's Tell a Story! Fairy Tale Adventure by Lily Murray

Are you ready to go on an adventure? This book helps you create your own fairy tale story. You choose all the elements. The options are almost unlimited. (I'm including the back cover so you can see a little more information about the book and the creation process.)

Thoughts: This book is great! I can't wait for kids and parents to read this book and start creating their own stories. I'm also looking forward to using this book with kids when I focus on fairy tales. I'm going to take you through the process (simply) of creating a story. I'm just making the choices, not answering all the supplemental questions and describing everything. 

• Which one of these heroes do you want to be? A bear 
• What do you want to get dressed up in? (Choose as many as you like.) A satchel, a stripy scarf, a cloak, and a pair of glasses
• Where do you want to go? To a magic waterfall
• What do you need to take with you? (Choose three.) A map, a picnic basket, an umbrella 
• Who will come with you? (Choose as many as you like.) An invisible friend, Little Red Riding Hood, a wise owl, Thumbelina 
• How do you want to travel? On foot
• Which route do you want to take? Down the otter river 
• Who's there to greet you? (Choose as many as you like.) 12 dancing princesses, a lion, and a golden fish
• What will you eat at the fairy tale feast? (Choose as many as you like.) Pancakes, porridge, hot cocoa 
• Where's your hero hangout? A teapot
• An enemy has appeared! Which one is it? A big bad bunny
• There's a way out of danger! Which one will you choose? You put on a crafty disguise and clip away. 
• Which one of these things will you choose as your reward? The power to become a mermaid
• What happens next? Choose an ending for your tale. You decide to become a detective. 

I like to write stories and poems so I'm looking forward to fleshing out my story at some point. I can't wait to play with the other books in this series. 

Other books in the Let's Tell a Story! Series

• Space Adventure (out now)
• Pirate Adventure (April 12, 2022)
• Jungle Adventure (April 12, 2022)

Themes: Elementary, Writing, Fairy Tales 

(Illustrated by Wesley Robins. Wide Eyed Editions, 2021.)

Hornswoggled: A Wacky Words Whodunit by Josh Crute

Deer wakes up one morning to find that someone has stolen his antler! He's been hornswoggled. As he goes to see his friends, each one of them is missing something. Who is the thief? 

Thoughts: Too funny! I love how the story builds around each animal, what was stolen, and how they feel about it. I think slightly older children (say first and second grade) will love learning these new words. I love the mixture of fonts used and that all the wacky words are defined as you read. The illustrations are bright, colorful, full of expression and motion. The animals' facial expressions are top notch. Pair with 13 Words by Lemony Snicket, Hat Tricks by Satoshi Kitamura, Warning! Do Not Touch! by Tim Warnes, and The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel. 

Download an activity guide from the author's website here. 

Themes: Animals, Wordplay, Elementary

(Illustrated by Jenn Harney. Page Street Kids, 2021.)

Redlocks and the Three Bears by Claudia Rueda

Wait a minute! I thought this was supposed to be a story about Goldilocks. Who is Redlocks? 

Thoughts: What a fabulous book! I love the mixture of three different fairy tales (Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Three Little Pigs). I wonder if Claudia selected these specific fairy tales because she thought children would be most familiar with them. The text is simple and easy to follow. The illustrations are soft colored and engaging. I like the mixture of illustration styles, the use of white space, and the pages where you feel like you're inside the book with the characters. Fairy tales are one of my favorite types of books and I can't wait to add this one to my next fairy tale themed storytime. 

Pair Redlocks and the Three Bears with any of the following for a great storytime! 

Red Riding Hood Books 

• Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T. Smith 
• Little Red Hot by Eric A. Kimmel 
• Federico and the Wolf by Rebecca J. Gomez

Three Little Pigs Books

• The Great Gran Plan by Elli Woollard 
• The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz

Goldilocks Books

• Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson
• Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems 
• Goldilocks and the Wee Bear by Troy Wilson

Fractured Fairy Tales 

• Fairly Fairy Tales by Esme Raji Codell
• Once Upon a Slime by Andy Maxwell

Download an activity kit from the publisher's website here. 

Themes: Fairy Tales

(Chronicle Books, 2021.)

Bear Is a Bear by Jonathan Stutzman

A bear can be all kinds of things to a child. A snack, a tissue, a bookworm, or a pillow just to name a few. 

Thoughts: Such a sweet book. I love how it goes through two generations. Bear Is a Bear would make a great baby shower gift or a gift for anyone who has ever loved a stuffed animal. I love that Bear is a child's toy, but he's shown as so much more through the illustrations. The illustrations are colorful and detailed. I like the mixture of styles (one page with text facing and two page spreads). The bear is especially well illustrated. I just want to cuddle him. My favorite illustrations are the cover (love that Bear is reading Little Women!) and the girl reading Little Women. Pair with Found by Salina Yoon, Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator by Mo Willems, Louis by Tom Lichtenheld, and Tea Party Rules by Ame Dyckman. 

Download a teacher's guide from the publisher's website here. The teacher's guide has discussion questions and extension activities. 

Themes: Stuffed Animals, Bears, Imagination 

(Illustrated by Dan Santat. Balzer + Bray, 2021.)