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Popular Books
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You’re my little Cookie Monster
ISBN: 9781838915896

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Night night my little cuddle bug
by: Natalie Marshall

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The going to bed book
by: Sandra Boynton
ISBN: 9780316592253

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Llama Llama Red Pajama
by: Anna Dewdney
ISBN: ?????????????

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Goodnight moon
by: Margaret Wise Brown
ISBN: ?????????????
Book Reviews
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Seashells More Than A Home
by Melissa Stewart
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Just finished the Seashells more than a Home book. I kind of wish she defined mollusk at the beginning of the book since she uses the word throughout, but it's a beautiful book. It gives solid and easy to understand examples, the main font is clearly differentiated from the notes, but both are large and legible. It's also always fun to get to learn new things from a picture book. I have an abalone shell, but never knew what the holes were for! Or why cockle shells are so fragile looking. And there's a partial bibliography both for the author and the illustrator, huzzah!

Lucky Stars Mr. Wolf's Class #3
by Aron Nels Steinke
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I'll have to chat with younger readers when I can, missing the appeal on this one. (And the whole mouths being in the wrong place drove me nuts to the point of interrupting the flow of the story.)

Rescue And Jessica
by Jessica Kensky
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Torn on this one. It's very sweet, but despite being based on her life, I feel like it really shouldn't be in non-fiction. Even in kid's books I'm not big on non-fiction books putting specific thoughts in people's heads unless those people have written or spoken along those lines. So I'm suuuuper not big on non-fiction books showing animals thinking like people. I'm also iffy on how she turned herself into a tween/teen and glossed entirely over her injuries. It's lovely to have a thoughtful and positive portrayal, and first hand, view, I just wish it had emphasized more on the training and working together and less on an imaginary dog's POV and a quasi-fictional view on her. Two separate books-maybe a more real non-fiction and then a picture book might have been more appropriate here?

The Okay Witch
by Emma Steinkellner
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I thought it was awfully cute. The pace is a little off, sometimes slow and sometimes galloping, but overall it's charming with a nice message of being yourself with a dash of reclaiming and acknowledging the brokenness of the past. The mayor's heel turn from basically one panel to the next was sudden, I mean, closure is good, but still could have used a bit more there. (I also kind of wish there'd be some kind of acknowledgement of the role of patriarchy in the prosecution of witches beyond the obvious of it being male descendants, but yeah...)

Frida Kahlo And Her Animalitos
by Monica Brown
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It's wonderfully illustrated, but not much of a biography. I'm not keen on biographies that make statements about the subject's interior life, or on books about artists that never show examples of the artists work. (Or in general, on books that compare women to animals, even though I get it's meant to be a positive bridge.)

Pandora's Legacy
by Kara Leopard
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It was okay. I feel like there was too much tell when it came to plot (exposition is still exposition, even if it's a talking cat that's somehow also a Titan), and any characterization was sacrificed to speed and fighting. Also, all the easily identifiable villains are female? All the male monsters in Greek mythology and they cherry-pick the female ones and imply Zeus is a good guy?! (What the heck is the Jabberwocky doing in here? Just saying...)

Out Of This World The Surreal Art Of Leonora Carrington
by Michelle Markel
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It drives me nuts when artist biographies don't show any works by the artist. I feel like the biography aspect of this was well written, but just again, the art and lack thereof. The illustrations were lovely and held true to the surrealist aspect, but still. And stylistically they owe more to Peter Max than Leonora Carrington...

Perfect Little Children
by Sophie Hannah
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This book has you on the edge of your seat and waiting to figure out what the big reveal is going to be. Back and forth through the chapters the reader questions whether the main character, Beth, is hallucinating seeing her best friend and children. The problem is that the children haven’t aged; they are still three and five years old like they were before Beth and Flora had a falling out 12 years ago. This book was really enticing and a very easy read that keeps you involved and motivated to solve the mystery that consumes the characters. A story that comments on how terrible the urge for perfection can be and the importance or not giving up on the truth, “Perfect Little Children” shows that friendship can prevail even after many years.

Through The Window Views Of Marc Chagall's Life And Art
by Barb Rosenstock
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Attractive enough, but so vague as to be nearly useless. More a stilted but dreamy picture book than anything actually informative. (And as much as I like the idea of nods to the artists style, seriously, can we have some actual examples of his art, more than two small photos in the end material?! I'm really not digging this narrative nonfiction trend where bios of artists don't actually include much of the artists work.)

Tough Mothers
by Jason Porath
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Another great introduction to a batch of badass women. Not a be all and end all, but an amazing starting place with a highly readable pace. Also greatly appreciate the broader approach to the use of mother and matriarch. (I feel like the casual style would do better in teen with the first book, but I think the use of mother in the title is why the few libraries that have it put it in adult...)
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