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MADreads for Kids

Book reviews for children by library staff and guest contributors

¡Aprender cosas nuevas es difícil! / Learning new things is hard!

Cover of Elena monta en bici / Elen
A review of Elena monta en bici / Elena rides a bike by Juana Medina

Elena quiere aprender a montar en bici, pero cada vez que lo intenta... ¡CATAPLAM! ¡CATAPLOM! ¡CATAPLUM! Después de su tercer intento y su tercer choque, Elena está lista para rendirse, pero un amigo la anima a intentarlo de nuevo y ¡adelante! Este libro de primer lector es un recuerdo de que la única forma de mejorar en algo es practicar.

También disponible en inglés / also available in English

Jun 9, 2023

The power of pockets

Cover of A Dress with Pockets
A review of A Dress with Pockets by Lily Murray, illustrated by Jenny Lovlie

This librarian is obsessed with this new book by Lily Murrary and illustrated by Jenny Lovlie. When I was a little girl, my favorite book was about a little ballerina. Not because I particularly loved to dance, or because the story was so wonderful, but because of the illustrations of the tutus. I wish that younger me could have had a story like A Dress with Pockets, a book that not only has whimsical illustrations of “Sundresses, fun dresses, blue dresses, green. Swishy dresses, witchy dresses, very very itchy dresses!

Jun 2, 2023

Explorando juntos / exploring together

Cover of Milo + Niko
A review of Milo + Niko by D Guzman

Milo está aburrida en la tienda de plantas de su abuela, deseando jugar con alguien. Cuando su abuela le sugiere que busque tesoros que no espera, Milo va a explorar con curiosidad. De repente, ¡una cola anaranjada con negro aparece entre las plantas... es un tigre! Milo le da el nombre de Niko a su nuevo amigo y juntos exploran la selva todo, buscando, navegando, y vigilando todo el día. Se divierten tanto que ni siquiera se dan cuenta cuando abuela cierra la tienda, y ella tiene que gritar, "Miloooooooooo."

May 31, 2023

Stepping into the story

Cover of Once Upon a Book
A review of Once Upon a Book by Grace Lin and Kate Messner

Step into this colorful book adventure! Authors Grace Lin & Kate Messner pull us into the pages in Once Upon a Book. A young girl wishes it wasn’t “so frozen and gray” and – suddenly! – finds herself stepping into the pages of a tropical wonderland. Flamingos, colorful flowers and more greet her. In exploring each new world (from riding a camel through the desert to swimming in an underwater reef to soaring with the clouds in the sky) she realizes that what she wants most of all is to be back in her cozy home with her mom and dad.

May 19, 2023

Knight Owl

Cover of Knight Owl
A review of Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

All young Owl has ever hoped and dreamed of is becoming a knight, but it was just a dream until suddenly knights begin disappearing from the castle. Taking advantage of this staffing shortage, Owl applies to Knight School and to everyone's surprise, he is accepted! He studies and works hard - even a small shield is tough for him to hold - and after graduating with honor, he is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. Other knights usually fell asleep during these long shifts, but Owl is very good at it. Until one night he hears a strange whooshing sound... 

May 12, 2023

Not the only one

Cover of My Brother is Away
A review of My Brother is Away by Sara Greenwood, illustrated by Luisa Uribe

This book is dedicated by Sara Greenwood “for the child I was and the child you are - hope, healing, love, light.” When Sara’s brother was away in prison when she was growing up, this book did not exist. Yet, like the little girl in this story realizes when they go to visit her big brother, “I see I’m not the only one whose brother is away.” In the children’s book world, we talk of books both as windows and mirrors - windows to better understand the experiences of those different from us, and mirrors to see our own experiences and feelings reflected and supported.

May 11, 2023

Gibberish

Cover of Gibberish
A review of Gibberish by Young Vo

"First Dat sailed on a boat, then flew on a plane..." and now Dat is starting a new school where everyone speaks gibberish and he can't understand a word. Feeling lost and alone, Dat soon makes a friend - after all, play is a universal language! Slowly Dat starts to learn new words and begins to feel at home in his new environment. This book shines in the illustrations - all the gibberish is represented by speech bubbles filled with symbols, and while Dat is illustrated in color, his surroundings start out as black and white cartoons.

May 8, 2023

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