"Red & Yellow's Noisy Night" -Josh Selig

Nothing like a huge grin and a scowl to make a book look interesting...

Red wants to play his guitar and Yellow wants to sleep. Watch how they display their sides and compromise to a solution.

I chose this book because of grinning Red and the "don't talk to me" look on Yellow. It had to be cute, right? It was a great book about disagreements and resolutions. The artwork was fun and vivid. The Olive Branch is part of the Little Light Foundation whose goal is to promote conflict resolution.

Read Also:
The Berenstein Bears - (despite problems with Mother Bear) this 1980's series of books focuses on different areas of life and how a family and each individual in the family need/can help the situation be better. Love'em!

"The Big Over Easy" -Jasper Fforde

I read a lot of novelizations of fairy tales and bible stories, so when I found this series which is nursery rhymes in mystery, I had to read!

Humpty Dumpty is dead and Jack Spratt is on the case! With Mary Mary as his sergeant, they solve the death which involves share trading, infidelity, and egg insults. Who knew?! The language was a little much but a quick read.

Read Also:

Albert Jack's Pop Goes the Weasel: the secret meanings of nursery rhymes is an interesting book on the origins of nursery rhymes. He includes speculations, myths, and wildly inaccurate claims.

Nursery Rhyme Comics is a graphic novel with fun interpretations of nursery rhymes.

"Shadows Over Stonewycke" -Michael Phillips, Judith Pela

The 5th in a serires of 6 ... or the 2nd of 3 in the 2nd series of 2 ... dude.

Coming highly recommended (Thank You!)- the "Stonewycke" books: The Stonewycke Trilogy and The Stonewycke Legacy, are about Stonewycke, a castle in Scotland and its owners: the Ramsey clan.

The trilogy focuses on Margaret Duncan (bks 1,2) and her daughter Joanna (bk 3) as they live and learn and grow. The legacy focuses on Allison, Joanna's daughter, and her husband, Logan MacIntyre. Shadows Over Stonewycke deals with the War years. Allison's and Logan's marriage, though built on their Christian faith, crumbles under the stress and lack of faith that comes from hard times. The "refiner's fire" they undergo during WWII rebuilds their faith, trust, and love in each other and God.

Very religious books, I enjoy reading about how these women take very natural emotions and desires and use them in ways to build their faith and families. I have cried multiple times during these books as the writing is strong and thought-provoking. There is quite a bit of history as well. Btw, the time frame of the series is over 100 years!

Read Also:

E.W. Honung's Raffles: the Amateur Craftsman - pretty much what Logan MacIntyre does before he reforms.

Bodie & Brock Thoene's The Galway Chronicles - 4 book series about an Irish family's faith and strength through Ireland's violent history.

Leon Uris' Trinity - an epic of familial loyalties and history in Ireland and England.

"OH NO, Little Dragon" -Jim Averback

A fun book about a dragon practicing his fire-breathing. The best parts of many picture books are the details in the background. The dragon's viking boat in the tub is a nice touch.

Read Also:

"How to Train Your Dragon" based on the books by Cressida Cowell, was an awesome movie! Great soundtrack! And I thought a better story.

Naomi Novik's "Temeraire" - fantasy series of dragons during the Napoleonic war, which includes a lot of training techniques.

"Is Everyone Ready for Fun?" -Jan Thomas

The title says it all...Is Everyone Ready for Fun? is a great book about cows ready for fun and a chicken who isn't. Unfortunately, it's chicken's couch at risk to 3 cows jumping, dancing, wiggling, and napping on it.

Great illustrations, bold lines, simple words, big font, Jan Thomas writes a good book! Also wrote Rhyming Dust Bunnies (fun) and Here Comes the Big Mean Dust Bunny (soon to be read).

Read Also:

An oldie but goodie: Robert Kalan Jump, Frog, Jump! - similar in art.

Mo Willems' We are in a Book - breaks the 4th wall as well.