A Donkey, an Otter, and a Chicken..... stories to delight children from Candlewick Press [Review & Giveaway USA/CANADA]

Catch That Chicken! by Atinuke illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

Ages 2-5
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9781536212686

My thoughts: This is a well told African tale set in a village compound with livestock and chickens seemingly roaming at will. And in the midst of this crowded scene, we find little Lami who loves to chase chickens and catch them. She is the fastest in the compound to be able to catch chickens.

The author uses a story telling mode and the story just flows along. I love the use of alliteration that encourages listeners and young readers to recognize words that begin the same and use them for effect. 

Bright illustrations are excellent and just right for this story taking the reader into the heart of African culture and village life. This is also a great story for teaching the culture of village life within a compound. 

About the book: Lami is the best chicken catcher in the whole village. Her sister may be speedy at spelling, her friend fast at braiding hair, and her brother brave with bulls, but when it comes to chickens, nobody is faster or braver than Lami. That is, until the day when Lami chases a little too fast, up the baobab tree, and reaches a little too far . . . ow! How can she catch chickens with an ankle that’s puffed up like an angry lizard? Could it be, as Nana Nadia says, that quick thinking is more important than quick running? Award-winning author Atinuke celebrates Nigerian village life in a story vibrantly illustrated by Angela Brooksbank with a universal message at its heart.

If You Take Away the Otter by Susannah Buhrman-Deever illustrated by Matthew Trueman

Ages 5-8
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9780763689346

My thoughts: This is a superb book that is both interesting and educational and will entertain the reader or listener intellectually as well as visually. We don't normally stop and think about the multitude of good otters bring to our world. We see them as graceful, cute critters, sometimes lazy, and consider it fun to watch them.

But they have been endangered. Now in this children's book we can see just how much our oceans need the otter. 

A story is told on each page with text and illustrations. Also tucked away on each page are important points of interest that will drive home the need to protect sea otters for the health of our oceans.

Terrific book. 

About the book: On the Pacific Coast of North America, sea otters play, dive, and hunt for sea urchins, crabs, abalone, and fish in the lush kelp forests beneath the waves. But there was a time when people hunted the otters almost to extinction. Without sea otters to eat them, an army of hungry sea urchins grew and destroyed entire kelp forests. Fish and other animals that depended on the kelp were lost, too. But when people protected the sea otters with new laws, their numbers began to recover, and so did the kelp forests. Susannah Buhrman-Deever offers a beautifully written account of a trophic cascade, which happens when the removal of a single element affects an entire habitat. Asides that dig deeper are woven throughout Matthew Trueman’s dynamic illustrations, starring a raft of charismatic sea otters. Back matter includes more information about sea otters and kelp forests, including their importance and current status, the effects of the international fur trade on indigenous peoples, and a list of books and websites for readers who wish to continue to explore.

Little Green Donkey by Anuska Allepuz Hardcover ISBN: 9781536209372 Ages 3-7

Ages 3-7
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9781536209372

My thoughts: This is a simply told story of a picky eater. He fixates on a food (green grass) and eats it to excess. The result is he turns green. His mother despairs of convincing him to eat a variety of colorful foods, so he picks through a few. He settles on crunchy carrots. And then, alas, he turns orange as a carrot.

The purpose of the story is to show that our bodies need a variety of food and that we should not just pick one that we prefer. 

The illustrations are cute and capture the mood of the story quite well. 

About the book: Little Donkey loves eating grass. Grass is so juicy, zingy, sweet, and tangy! Mom asks him to please have a tiny taste of something else — oranges, watermelon, broccoli? — but a life of eating grass is just fine with Little Donkey. Until one day he spies his reflection in the watering hole and sees that he has turned green. Mom resumes her persuasion with new urgency. Apples and grapes? Yuck! No thank you! But carrots — carrots are crunchy, crispy, and delicious! Little Donkey is delighted with his new carrot-only diet and happy to transform from his all-green self to — oops! Pictures full of color and movement bring to life a charming story that will resonate with choosy eaters.

GIVEAWAY

Begins September 6

Ends September 30 @ 12:01 EDT

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DISCLOSURE: I received complementary copies to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's prize is provided and shipped directly to the winner by publisher or publicist.