Search
Search results
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2071 KP) rated Horton Hears a Who! in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Horton the elephant hears a small cry for help coming from a speck of dust, he immediately does what he can. However, the other animals in the jungle think there is nothing there and try to destroy that speck of dust. Can Horton prove to them that there is someone that needs to be protected?
Rereading this as an adult, I was struck by how strong the themes of standing up for what you believe and those who need your help are. But those themes never slow down the story, which features constant danger for the Whos. I actually found myself caught up in the story once again, hoping they’d be heard in time. Add in Seuss’s rhymes and illustrations and you’ve got a wonderful book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/03/book-review-horton-hears-who-by-dr-seuss.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Rereading this as an adult, I was struck by how strong the themes of standing up for what you believe and those who need your help are. But those themes never slow down the story, which features constant danger for the Whos. I actually found myself caught up in the story once again, hoping they’d be heard in time. Add in Seuss’s rhymes and illustrations and you’ve got a wonderful book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/03/book-review-horton-hears-who-by-dr-seuss.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Cockatoo from Timbuktu in Books
Mar 19, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Cockatoo from Timbuktu is from the same author who wrote Timothy Mean and the Time Machine (a 4/4 book I reviewed about a year ago) by William AE Ford. Just like the first book I reviewed by him, it is an amazingly cute book with fun rhymes.
Kian is a baby Cockatoo that lives at a zoo but wants to go home to Timbuktu and his parents. The little Cockatoo plans his escape and goes on a trip around the world to go home. He visits places like India and China, along with Egypt and Rio. He directly visits eight places during his journey and if readers pay attention he flys over even more amazing places such as the Stonehenge.
I absolutely love the cute little Cockatoo that is the focus of the story. “Cockatoo” and “Timbuktu” are both fun words to say, drawing interest from children. The artwork is also extremely cute as are all the other animals. Other than the few areas where the rhyme falls apart, I could find nothing to complain about. I absolutely love the cute little Cockatoo that is the focus of the story. I do understand losing the rhyme at spots for the sake of the story.
This is designed for children. It could easily be read to newborns and older. A great book fro the beginning reader. It may also spark interest in different animals in older children as they track Kian’s path home. I rate this book 4 out of 4. Just like the book before it, this book is wonderful. I love the bright artwork and repetition and rhymes. Everything about this book is great for young children.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews/
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
Kian is a baby Cockatoo that lives at a zoo but wants to go home to Timbuktu and his parents. The little Cockatoo plans his escape and goes on a trip around the world to go home. He visits places like India and China, along with Egypt and Rio. He directly visits eight places during his journey and if readers pay attention he flys over even more amazing places such as the Stonehenge.
I absolutely love the cute little Cockatoo that is the focus of the story. “Cockatoo” and “Timbuktu” are both fun words to say, drawing interest from children. The artwork is also extremely cute as are all the other animals. Other than the few areas where the rhyme falls apart, I could find nothing to complain about. I absolutely love the cute little Cockatoo that is the focus of the story. I do understand losing the rhyme at spots for the sake of the story.
This is designed for children. It could easily be read to newborns and older. A great book fro the beginning reader. It may also spark interest in different animals in older children as they track Kian’s path home. I rate this book 4 out of 4. Just like the book before it, this book is wonderful. I love the bright artwork and repetition and rhymes. Everything about this book is great for young children.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews/
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2071 KP) rated Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? in Books
Mar 3, 2022
Sounds Like a Fun Book for All Ages
This is a simple book. There’s really no plot, but as we read, we find out about all the noises that Mr. Brown can imitate. Yes, he can imitate a cow, but there’s also a cork, rain, a train, and a butterfly. Yes, you read that right.
This has all the creativity, humor, and charm of a classic Dr. Seuss book. I loved it as a kid, and I found it just as fun reading it to kids when I was older. Since the sounds are part of the rhythm and rhymes of the book, they call out to be made as you read, so it is most fun if you really get into it. This is classified as an easy reader. Some of the sounds written out might not be familiar words, but it is a chance to challenge young readers in a context they will get. Add in Dr. Seuss’s illustrations, and you have a winner.
This has all the creativity, humor, and charm of a classic Dr. Seuss book. I loved it as a kid, and I found it just as fun reading it to kids when I was older. Since the sounds are part of the rhythm and rhymes of the book, they call out to be made as you read, so it is most fun if you really get into it. This is classified as an easy reader. Some of the sounds written out might not be familiar words, but it is a chance to challenge young readers in a context they will get. Add in Dr. Seuss’s illustrations, and you have a winner.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2071 KP) rated What Pet Should I Get? in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When a brother and a sister arrive in a pet shop to pick out a new pet, they are faced with so many wonderful choices. Will they pick a dog, a cat…or something more exotic?
You can tell that Dr. Seuss didn’t think this was his best work and that’s why he gave up on it. The rhymes are almost there, but they aren’t as good as some of his books. Same with the rhythm of the lines. By the time we get to some of Seuss’s trademark imaginary creatures (and there are only two of them), they feel forced into the book. Never mind the fact that we never answer the title question. Fortunately, the illustrations live up to the Seuss name. It’s not a bad book, but it’s not one to rush out and buy, either, which is what I suspected before picking it up.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-what-pet-should-i-get-by-dr.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
You can tell that Dr. Seuss didn’t think this was his best work and that’s why he gave up on it. The rhymes are almost there, but they aren’t as good as some of his books. Same with the rhythm of the lines. By the time we get to some of Seuss’s trademark imaginary creatures (and there are only two of them), they feel forced into the book. Never mind the fact that we never answer the title question. Fortunately, the illustrations live up to the Seuss name. It’s not a bad book, but it’s not one to rush out and buy, either, which is what I suspected before picking it up.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-what-pet-should-i-get-by-dr.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Rosie the Tarantula: A True Adventure in Chicago’s Field Museum in Books
Jun 14, 2018
Rosie the Tarantula: A True Adventure in Chicago’s Field Museum by Peggy Macnamara is a cute picture book. It is a story about a pink footed tarantula, Rosie, who lives at the Chicago field museum. One day in 2011 she escaped from her room. She didn’t appear until 2012. This book imagines the adventure she might have had. It is also used to describe what can be found at the field museum. Plus there are lots of notes at the end about the real rosie, and other animals mentioned in the book. I will say the rhymes are hard and do not flow well, but for this book I don't think it is needed. I applaud the author for getting the words to rhyme in the first place. And while this book is about a Chicago based institution, lots of kids will love its story and colorful illustrations.
I received an ARC from Northwestern University Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give the book 4/5 stars.
I received an ARC from Northwestern University Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give the book 4/5 stars.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Feb 2, 2021
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Timothy Mean and the Time Machine in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Contains spoilers, click to show
Timothy Mean and the Time Machine by William A. E. Ford was a wonderful little children's book. Marcelo Simonetti also created some amazing artwork for the book. The rhymes on just about every line would hold a child's attention and the interesting locations would inspire their imagination. The book is very short, with only about ten pages with text on them. This makes it great to prevent young readers from being intimidated by the size of the book. The book also goes through the days of the week, helping to teach children the names of the days in a fun way.
Being bored one day, a young boy by the name of Timothy Mean decides to build a time machine. He visits Vikings and Pirates on their ships, causing them trouble. He visits his parents while they are children and in school themselves. At one point he even pulls the pants down on am astronaut. No trip in time would be complete without a trip into the future so that is exactly what he does. Timothy also likes playing pranks and being a trouble-maker at each location he visits.
The locations visited and Timothy's pranks open up chances for discussion with parents and slightly older children. Parents could ask their children all kinds of things about the book. They could ask about if their child would want to walk on the moon, or what they think the future will be like. Parents could ask about what their child would do if they were a pirate or maybe what they think life was like in mid-evil times. Almost any children's book that encourages children to think and use their imagination is a good one.
I loved the book. What I liked most were the fun rhymes and locations. If I absolutely had to pick something I did not like it would have to be the few lines that did not rhyme as they almost upset the flow of the passage. Though in all honesty, it is not a big issue and for a children's book writers are somewhat limited on their options to ensure a child would understand.
Target readers for this book are anyone. As a mother, I would feel comfortable reading this book to my children no matter how young. I also feel like this would be a good book for a beginning reader, maybe a page a dag. For even more fun and value, parents could have their new readers read the page that goes with the current weekday. Slightly older children and more experienced readers could sit down and read the entire book on their own.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 and plan on getting a physical copy for my own children (I reviewed a digital copy of the book). The book was wonderful and I hope it gains enough popularly that William A. E. Ford creates an entire line of rhyming Timothy Mean books
https://facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Being bored one day, a young boy by the name of Timothy Mean decides to build a time machine. He visits Vikings and Pirates on their ships, causing them trouble. He visits his parents while they are children and in school themselves. At one point he even pulls the pants down on am astronaut. No trip in time would be complete without a trip into the future so that is exactly what he does. Timothy also likes playing pranks and being a trouble-maker at each location he visits.
The locations visited and Timothy's pranks open up chances for discussion with parents and slightly older children. Parents could ask their children all kinds of things about the book. They could ask about if their child would want to walk on the moon, or what they think the future will be like. Parents could ask about what their child would do if they were a pirate or maybe what they think life was like in mid-evil times. Almost any children's book that encourages children to think and use their imagination is a good one.
I loved the book. What I liked most were the fun rhymes and locations. If I absolutely had to pick something I did not like it would have to be the few lines that did not rhyme as they almost upset the flow of the passage. Though in all honesty, it is not a big issue and for a children's book writers are somewhat limited on their options to ensure a child would understand.
Target readers for this book are anyone. As a mother, I would feel comfortable reading this book to my children no matter how young. I also feel like this would be a good book for a beginning reader, maybe a page a dag. For even more fun and value, parents could have their new readers read the page that goes with the current weekday. Slightly older children and more experienced readers could sit down and read the entire book on their own.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 and plan on getting a physical copy for my own children (I reviewed a digital copy of the book). The book was wonderful and I hope it gains enough popularly that William A. E. Ford creates an entire line of rhyming Timothy Mean books
https://facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Wailing Snail in Books
Jan 9, 2020
The Wailing Snail by Claire Walker is a cute little rhyming book about a chain reaction caused by a little garden snail. It reminded me of a similar book by Dr. Seuss called Because a Little Bug Went KA-CHOO! but with a much darker ending.
In a garden, a little snail wails so loudly that it causes a major chain reaction. This reaction at one point causes a cat to get mad at a bird and chase after it. Once the bird escapes it is so tired and exhausted that it goes in search of something to eat. The story then comes full circle with the bird finding the snail in the garden that started the whole thing in the first place. The snail then once again lets out a wail
I really liked the illustrations by Diane Bonham. They are cute with simple shapes and colors that ultimately do not overwhelm children. The subject matter of the page is always depicted in a way that draws full attention to it. The rhymes give the book a solid rhythm and the rhyming words being bold and all caps puts emphasis on them for learning and teaching points for new readers. What I did not like was that while the story comes full circle it dose so it a dark and almost morbid way with the bird eating the snail. The back of the book does hint at something bad happening so I might just be used to childrens books have a feel-good ending.
The target readers for this book are young children, infants to toddler age range who would enjoy having this book read to them as the rhymes make it fun. Older toddlers and/or children just starting their first few years of school may question the ending. The ending is an interesting twist for adults though. I rate this book a 2 out of 4 because in the vast amount of childrens book available I would not go out of my way to recommend this book. At the same time, I also would not discourage anyone from it either, but I would warn them about the ending. This book sits firmly as a mid-range book, not good and not bad.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/wailing-snail
In a garden, a little snail wails so loudly that it causes a major chain reaction. This reaction at one point causes a cat to get mad at a bird and chase after it. Once the bird escapes it is so tired and exhausted that it goes in search of something to eat. The story then comes full circle with the bird finding the snail in the garden that started the whole thing in the first place. The snail then once again lets out a wail
I really liked the illustrations by Diane Bonham. They are cute with simple shapes and colors that ultimately do not overwhelm children. The subject matter of the page is always depicted in a way that draws full attention to it. The rhymes give the book a solid rhythm and the rhyming words being bold and all caps puts emphasis on them for learning and teaching points for new readers. What I did not like was that while the story comes full circle it dose so it a dark and almost morbid way with the bird eating the snail. The back of the book does hint at something bad happening so I might just be used to childrens books have a feel-good ending.
The target readers for this book are young children, infants to toddler age range who would enjoy having this book read to them as the rhymes make it fun. Older toddlers and/or children just starting their first few years of school may question the ending. The ending is an interesting twist for adults though. I rate this book a 2 out of 4 because in the vast amount of childrens book available I would not go out of my way to recommend this book. At the same time, I also would not discourage anyone from it either, but I would warn them about the ending. This book sits firmly as a mid-range book, not good and not bad.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/wailing-snail
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Leprechaun Returns (2019) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019 (Updated Nov 11, 2020)
I think I sort of enjoyed this? Maybe?
I'm not a Leprechaun veteran by any means. I saw the first one years ago and that's about it, and I seem to remember that being pretty average.
As far as I can gather, Leprechaun Returns is a direct sequel to that original movie, discounting the many other sequels that followed.
"It's so bad that it's good" is an often used term that doesn't quite apply to LR.
There's certainly some fun to be had - the kills are fairly over the top and imaginative and the Leprechaun himself can be amusing at times, throwing limericks and rhymes all over the place whilst gleefully killing off the mostly annoying characters.
There's even a character from the original thrown into the mix, which I'm sure is a lovely inclusion for proper fans of the franchise.
Other than that, it's a pretty run-of-the-mill, unscary, teen horror movie.
It's the very meaning of mediocre, but for some reason I found myself satisfyingly entertained by the times the credits rolled.
I may even seek out the older sequels!
As far as I can gather, Leprechaun Returns is a direct sequel to that original movie, discounting the many other sequels that followed.
"It's so bad that it's good" is an often used term that doesn't quite apply to LR.
There's certainly some fun to be had - the kills are fairly over the top and imaginative and the Leprechaun himself can be amusing at times, throwing limericks and rhymes all over the place whilst gleefully killing off the mostly annoying characters.
There's even a character from the original thrown into the mix, which I'm sure is a lovely inclusion for proper fans of the franchise.
Other than that, it's a pretty run-of-the-mill, unscary, teen horror movie.
It's the very meaning of mediocre, but for some reason I found myself satisfyingly entertained by the times the credits rolled.
I may even seek out the older sequels!