Archives for June 2023

This first one is really fun especially if you are a pet lover! I read through it rather quickly and it definitely made me laugh! It’s an age-old debate that stands the test of time: cats or dogs? The rivalry between cat people and dog people is a tale as old as time, but with Cat Jokes vs. Dog Jokes: A Read-From-Both-Sides Comic Book(Workman Publishing; on-sale June 20; $9.99 paperback; ages 7-11) no one has to choose because in this unique double-sided tête-bêche format, the reader can flip the book over to read jokes from both perspectives!

Start from the beginning as a cat person, reading dog jokes told by a recurring cast of cats — What do you call two dogs talking side by side? Parallel barking! But flip the book over, and it becomes a roast of cats by dog comedians — Why are cats bad with computers? Because they keep eating the mouse!

Fully illustrated with more than 200 jokes, this silly animal book will have kids giggling, whether they’re reading it on road trips, visits to grandma’s house, or even before bed. Cat Jokes vs. Dog Jokes is perfect for every young reader, avid and reluctant alike! You can find it here.

Is your child a dinosaur fan?  This one is a must-read! MEET THE MEGAFAUNA!: Get to Know 20 of the Largest Animals to Ever Roam the Earth (Workman Publishing; June 27, 2023; $24.99 hardback; ages 7+) by Gabrielle Balkan and illustrated by Phùng Nguyên Quang and Huỳnh Kim Liê. Interactive and highly visual, it’s filled with 20 supersized animals that once soared the skies, ruled the oceans and prowled the Earth. Gorgeously illustrated with incredible detail, there are 10 fold-out gatefolds that give kids a sense of the enormous size of this mostly extinct class of animals. From a 50-foot-long giant snake that could drown a crocodile to a 20-foot-long giant sloth that could uproot a tree, other new favorite animals found roaming the pages include:

The Giant Turtle (65 million years ago), who grew to be 15 feet long by eating jellyfish and seaweed.

●        The Giant Shark (3.6 million years ago), who used their 7-inch-long teeth to eat 2,500 pounds of meat a day.

●        The Terror Bird (1.8 million years ago), a 7-foot-tall, 330-pound predator that pursued prey at speeds up to 40 miles per hour.

●        Plus megafauna still alive today, like the Blue Whale, the largest animal to ever live, who is born weighing a whopping 6,000 pounds and grows to 400,000 pounds.

It can also be found here.

I love these next ones for little ones! Scared Unicorn and Angry Unicorn are baby books for ages 0-3, with simple, repetitive language – we hope it helps babies develop social emotional skills! Additionally, babies can develop motor skills with the lift-the-flap feature. I am under the impression that mot preschool ages children love unicorns! These are sure to be a hit! Both can be found on Amazon.com.

Written by Giovanna Cicero, “Evie: The Small Garden” highlights how children’s exposure to nature can encourage empathy, creativity, and a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world. With beautiful illustrations, the book will help children engage in physical activity, and imaginative play.

Evie is a curious two-year-old who loves her garden. As she walks around it, she describes all the different things she can see, from an apple tree to the garden mirror. The fun and joy she feels from nature and her surroundings will inspire other children to look, learn, and share her delight in their everyday lives.

“I hope that this book will encourage young children to enjoy and explore their own gardens or outdoor space to create an understanding and recognition of the flowers, plants, and fruit they can see growing,”  explains the author. “It’s especially important right now that children of all ages come to know the importance of looking after our environment, and this can be achieved if they have fun learning about nature and can delight in becoming aware of their surroundings.” I recommend this book to all parents and young children! Evie: The Small Garden is available on Amazon UK:https://amzn.eu/d/gYNSDhR.

Kids, arts and crafts, and pets all have one thing in common: they can get messy. No worries—The blockbuster series PAINT BY STICKER has found a way to combine all three in an easy, mess-free activity! The series welcomes a new addition to the family, Paint by Sticker Kids: Pets (Workman Publishing; on sale June 6, 2023; ages 5-9; $10.99)

Each Paint By Sticker Kids title presents a kid friendly topic. Pets features 10 images to paint of your favorite pets: a puppy, a kitten, parakeets, chickens, a bunny, a betta fish, a gecko, a hamster, a chinchilla, and tree frogs. Painting with stickers creates a perfect opportunity for young readers to engage their creativity at home, at school, or on the go! Using stickers to bring the image to life, this is the perfect any-time activity to keep kids busy. Now kids can spend time with their favorite pet and make art, without the mess! Since I love art and pets I absolutely loved this one! You can also find it here.

#1 NYT Bestselling Author Asks Kids “Would You Want A Dinosaur At Your Birthday?”

From #1 New York Times Bestselling author of the How To Catch series, including How to Catch a Leprechaun and How to Catch the Tooth Fairy, comes an exploration into A Very Dinosaur Birthday [Tommy Nelson, an imprint of HarperCollins / June 20, 2023 / $12.99] by Adam Wallace.  I loved this one because it is silly and little children love silly and also dinosaurs! Children will be rolling in giggles as they watch dinosaurs gobble up cake and pizza, jump into the swimming pool and crash into all the presents. This book even includes fun ideas for parents and kids to host their own Very Dinosaur Birthday Party with themed invitations, decorations, snack ideas and activities. Now, how cool is that?! You can definitely find this one on Amazon.com.

The next three books are great for babies and toddlers! I love this series of books and am quite excited about the new additions!

 HEAR THE SOUNDS (June 6, 2023; Ages 0+; $5.99) and PLAY IN ANY WEATHER (June 6, 2023; Ages 0+; $5.99), teaching babies key vocabulary words in high color, high contrast format, and BEBÉ, ¡VE LOS COLORES! / BABY, SEE THE COLORS! (June 6, 2023; Ages 0+; $5.99), introducing babies to English and Spanish through the colors around them.

Indestructibles are dedicated to expanding baby’s world through high contrast color, with vibrant colors against a black and white patterned background, these patterned books help babies focus and stimulate their vision, to develop baby’s love of reading along with their eyesight. HEAR THE SOUNDS encourages little ones to hone their listening skills! Babies will learn how to identify their favorite sounds in their everyday environment, ranging from birds chirping, water dripping, to toys rattling.

 PLAY IN ANY WEATHER invites babies to step outside and get to know the weather. This book includes vibrant, high contrast illustrations of different kinds of weather conditions alongside simple phrases to help babies describe their experiences with the outdoors. I think this is one of my favorites!

BEBÉ, ¡VE LOS COLORES! / BABY, SEE THE COLORS! teaches little ones about the colorful world around them in both English and Spanish. Babies will learn to recognize colors in their environment, such as the blue sky, all while discovering the Spanish translation of these same concepts. And as always, all three books are indestructible: mess-proof, rip-proof, and fool-proof. Babies will love these beautiful, bright, and interactive new installments in the bestselling series – and caregivers will love reading along with books built for the way babies “read”: with their hands and mouths. Printed on a unique paperlike material that is nontoxic, washable, and rip proof, they hold up against anything little ones can throw at them, spill on them, or drag them through. You can find them here.

The Amy Wu Picture Book series continues with a social–emotional learning story perfect for little ones with AMY WU AND THE RIBBON DANCE (On Sale 5/30/23). When Amy’s dream of ribbon dancing doesn’t turn out the way she planned, she learns that joy doesn’t come from the things you have (or don’t have), but from the people who fill your life.

This picture book is perfect for AAPI Month and Summer Activities with playful, bright illustrations that capture a story about creativity. With step-by-step craft instructions on how to make a homemade dance ribbon included at the back of the book, every reader will be inspired to host their very own ribbon dance party!

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Amy Wu learns about Chinese ribbon dancing, she can’t wait to try it out herself in this charming and brightly illustrated fourth installment in the Amy Wu picture book series.

Amy Wu loves to move. From wriggling to shimmying to toe-tapping, she just can’t keep still, not when there’s music all around her! So when Amy sees Chinese ribbon dancing for the first time, she has to try it out. Only, how can she throw the perfect dance party when she doesn’t have the perfect ribbon for her dance?

A special story from Mom may be just the thing to get Amy moving to the music again. I found this one to be a delightful book with beautiful illustrations! You can find it here.

This next one is a good one for those going into their last year of high school this year (or they just graduated!)

High school teaches you how to determine the area of a room, but not how to navigate the people and personalities you will find in that room. In school, you are exposed to the cataclysmic events of history, but rarely the life struggles you’re bound to experience.

Introducing Everything We Should Have Taught You in High School, But Never Did: The Graduation Gift of Life’s Most Important Lessons by Dr. Richard Gary Shear [ISBN: 979-8987944905; $12.95; April 2023], a new book from an award-winning educator who shares more than 70 lessons that have led a generation of students to become leaders, achieve personal happiness, and live life filled with joy.

Everything We Should Have Taught You in High School, But Never Did is a must-read for new graduates as well as people of all ages, revealing important life insights, such as:

• Learning the Two Secrets to Success
• How to Create the Rules of Life So You Win
• What Happy People Have in Common
• The Importance of Self Kindness
• How to Keep Your Dreams Alive
• A Guide on How to Find the Right Answers
• The Superpower of a Positive Attitude and Temperament and much more!

It can also be found on Amazon.com.

Happy Reading! Stay tuned for the next Summer Reading post in July!

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to facilitate this post. Cover images were also provided.

Disney and Pixar’s “Elemental” is an all-new, original feature film set in Element City, where Fire, Water, Earth and Air residents live together. The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in. The voice cast includes Leah Lewis as the fiery Ember; Mamoudou Athie as the water-guy Wade; Ronnie del Carmen as Ember’s soon-to-be retired dad, Bernie; Shila Ommi as Ember’s love-seeking mom, Cinder; Wendi McLendon-Covey as Wade’s stormy and Air-Ball-loving boss, Gale; Catherine O’Hara as Wade’s welcoming mom, Brook; Mason Wertheimer as Ember’s admiring neighbor, Clod; and Joe Pera as an overgrown city bureaucrat, Fern.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Sydney S. comments, “I absolutely love the movie Elemental! It shares an uplifting message that’s perfect for the younger generation. The animation is visually captivating, too. The whole concept and plot of the film (and the forbidden love story) is very clever and well-written.” Kendall B. adds, “Elemental has so many wonderful ‘elements,’ such as its detailed animation, playful voice-acting, and hilarious lines.” Emma D. wraps it up with, “Elemental is a beautiful animated film that fills the screen with color and excitement and is a great viewing experience for audiences of all ages. The animation is definitely the highlight of the film; the plot leaves a little to be desired.” See their full reviews below.

Elemental

By Sydney S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13

I absolutely love the movie Elemental! It shares an uplifting message that’s perfect for the younger generation. The animation is visually captivating, too. The whole concept and plot of the film (and the forbidden love story) is very clever and well-written.

The film takes us on the journey of a girl from the fire side of Element City meeting a guy from the water side. They try their best to solve a serious problem without conversing much. Who knows what happens when fire and water mix?

The main characters are Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis), Wade (Mamoudou Athie), Gale Cumulus (Wendi McLendon-Covey), Cinder (Sheila Vosough), Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen), Brook Ripple (Catherine O’Hara) and Alan Ripple (Matthew Yang King). The fire people usually stay away from all the other elements, so when Wade starts conversing with Ember, her parents don’t approve. Wade could extinguish Ember, and Ember could make Wade evaporate. All in all, it’s not a good mix. The concept of water and fire mixing is so clever and I applaud Pixar / Disney for this new idea. It represents everyone’s differences and the idea that each element is special. Also, Ember learns to control her anger issues, which is a lesson many people can learn from. This movie appeals to me visually as well as emotionally. The animation is incredible and it looks realistic even for being animated. Element City is beautiful and looks like a futuristic city. I felt like I was in the city with them while watching it. There’s a drastic change between the city and Ember’s hometown solely for fire people. I like the sets and how they relate to the elements. For instance, Wade’s house is mostly underwater, while other elements in the city live in trees. My favorite part of the film is when Wade starts the wave at the air basketball game they’re watching. All the water residents turn into an actual wave! All these pieces come together to make the movie entertaining, emotional, funny and captivating.

The film’s message is to follow your dreams and ignite your passions. It encourages others to do what they want to do with their life, rather than doing what other people ask them to do. In other words, be true to yourself. It also celebrates everyone’s differences.

I give Elemental 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18. It releases in theaters June 16, 2023 and is expected to start streaming on Disney+ shortly thereafter.

Elemental

By Kendall B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

Elemental has so many wonderful ‘elements,’ such as its detailed animation, playful voice-acting, and hilarious lines.

The storyline is about Ember (Leah Lewis), a girl who has lived in Firetown in Element City her entire life and dreams of one day taking over the family shop, run by her father (Ronnie Del Carmen). When a city inspector, Wade (Mamoudou Athie) bursts through the pipes under the shop he notices many violations in the shop and threatens to send notes of these violations to the city. Ember chases him throughout the city to get the notes back but it’s too late. After hearing her story he decides to help her, and the two eventually develop a bond. But can fire and water ever be together?

The best thing about this film is the intricate detail put into every bit of animation. The city has so many different parts and the animation provides a look into every nook and cranny. Also, there are many element-related puns in every scene. This attention to detail and creativity is seen everywhere, but I particularly noticed it in the scene where Wade and Ember go to an air ball playoff game. From the team names to the game itself everything is so well crafted. Leah Lewis has so much emotion as Ember and her personality really shines throughout the film. The chemistry between Wade and Ember is remarkable for an animated film. We only hear their voices but the two voice-actors work so well together. My favorite part of Elemental is the scene where Ember and Wade try to touch for the first time. They don’t exactly know what is going to happen since they are fire and water so the audience is left in anticipation.

The theme of Elemental is that differences shouldn’t separate people, and you should not judge somebody because of theirs. Throughout the film grudges are held against Ember due to her being from Firetown. Water and fire are not allowed to be together, but the love Wade and Ember share overcomes the differences that were supposed to keep them apart.

I give Elemental 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18 plus adults. It releases in theatres June 16, 2023.

Elemental

Emma D., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

Elemental is a beautiful animated film that fills the screen with color and excitement and is a great viewing experience for audiences of all ages. The animation is definitely the highlight of the film; the plot leaves a little to be desired.

Elemental tells the story of Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis), a fire element who lives in the Element City, where water, land, fire and air residents live together.  Ember lives in the fire neighborhood and hopes to take over her dad’s fire shop, but her anger issues and inability to control her temper is standing in her way. One day, Ember meets Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a water element who tries to shut down her dad’s business. After convincing Wade by explaining what the business means to her family, Wade tries to help her; only it’s too late since the paperwork has already been sent to his boss. Wade and Ember must work together to save her dad’s business, and along the way, they discover more than they ever knew was possible.

Elemental is a beautiful film to watch. The animated creation of Elemental is incredible; every scene is filled with vibrant colors. I love all the elements that they incorporate into the city’s design, especially with the multi-cultural neighborhoods like those that you would find in an actual city. The character animation is also great, especially with Ember; it is fascinating to see her flames become brighter and change shape depending on the weather. My favorite scene of the movie is the one underwater, as those visuals are the best in the film. However, the plot leaves a little to be desired. There are a lot of conflicts that are fixed quickly, so none of them feel that significant. Although I love Wade and Ember together, it is a little confusing since it is shown multiple times that water and fire shouldn’t touch, so it feels counterintuitive to what is being stated in the film. Gale Cumulus (Wendi McLendon-Covey) is very funny and I loved watching her and wanted more. Also, Clod (Mason Wertheimer) is absolutely adorable; it was nice watching other elements to see how they operate, not just fire and water. My favorite relationship in the film is between Ember and her father (Ronnie del Carmen) — it was heartwarming to see the respect the two have for each other and the love they share.

Elemental conveys the message of family, respect and loving others. It also has underlying messages of not discriminating against others, which is important in a world where some people are not always treated fairly.

I give Elemental 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. It releases in theaters on June 16, 2023.