LEGO Animal Atlas: Discover the Animals of the World

 LEGO Animal Atlas: Discover the Animals of the World by Rona Skene - 80 pages

Goodreads:

An atlas of animals with 60 bricks to build four exclusive mini-models: panda, penguin, giraffe, and kangaroo.

Discover the planet's amazing animals with specially commissioned LEGO(R) models and maps. Which animal gobbles up 4,000 clams in one meal? Where can you find a snail as big as a baseball? The LEGO Animal Atlas has answers to these questions and a whole lot more. The book is packed with fascinating facts, images, and building ideas for more than 110 models of the world's most awesome animals.

A detailed LEGO map, dotted with charming micro-build creatures, introduces each of the continents. The maps are followed by colorful spreads featuring up to seven LEGO animals in their habitats. From a cute koala in the Australian outback to a mighty lion prowling the African savanna, this book showcases many of the world's favorite animals--plus some unusual sights, such as the bizarre blue-footed booby and the mysterious giant squid.

The models are built with mostly standard bricks, and tips and breakdowns will inspire children to create their own animal models. A combination of clear photos, authoritative text, fun facts, and classic LEGO humor helps children learn as they build and play their way around the animal world.

The LEGO Ideas Book New Edition: You Can Build Anything!

 The LEGO Ideas Book New Edition: You Can Build Anything! by Hannah Dolan - 200 pages

Goodreads:

A brand new edition of the best-selling LEGO(R) book of all time - with hundreds of all-new models!

Unlock your imagination with this colorful treasury of more than 200 new building ideas created by LEGO(R) fan builders. Learn tips and tricks to become a better builder. Find out how professional LEGO designers get their ideas and meet the fan builders. Get inspired to make your own LEGO creations with ideas to build your own dream home, create an alien sports center, grow your own brick-built rooftop garden, and much more. What will you build?

Packed with stacks of ideas, there's something for everyone!

- A daring pirate adventure.
-Perfect pets.
-Games and challenges for the whole family.
-Easy-to-build dinosaurs.
-Ancient and modern landmarks.
-Things-that-go from trains and monster trucks to planes and spacecraft.
-Animals, aliens, and all kinds of critters.
- Dragons, legends, myths, and movie-worthy scenes.

Includes ideas for all ages and abilities from kids to collectors. There's something for everyone to explore and love.

Taylor Swift: Unofficial Search & Find Biographies

Taylor Swift: Unofficial Search & Find Biographies by Gus Morais - 40 pages

Goodreads:

Are you ready for it? This one-of-a-kind biography takes you on a visual exploration of Taylor Swift’s groundbreaking career, celebrating every album era, iconic outfit, and unforgettable moment. From singing “Tim McGraw” at the start of it all to her Midnights confessionals, this book is packed with Easter eggs that only her most loyal fans will uncover.

Dive into masterfully illustrated spreads, each inspired by a pivotal era in Taylor’s life. Seek her out in the snake-adorned chaos of Reputation, find hidden treasures among the glitter-dusted allure of 1989, and follow a trail of butterflies and rainbows through the dreamy world of Lover. Each page brims with secret details Swifties will instantly recognize—can you spot the “13”s or the infamous cardigan? Don’t forget to look for cameos from Meredith, Olivia, and Benjamin Button!

This isn’t just a game; it’s a love letter to Taylor’s evolution—from fearless teen to worldwide pop icon, through heartbreaks, triumphs, and re-recordings. Relive the defining moments that have shaped her narrative, from her first Grammy win to her iconic vault door teases and surprise album drops. Find your way through every glitter-drenched, heartbreak-tinged, revenge-laced era Taylor Swift has gifted us. Swipe on that red lipstick, put on your headphones, and start your scavenger hunt—because where Taylor goes, we follow.

I Eat Poop. A Dung Beetle Story by Mark Pett

I Eat Poop. A Dung Beetle Story by Mark Pett - 42 pages

Goodreads: 

Dougie has a secret: he’s not a ground beetle.
He’s a dung beetle, and he loves eating poop.

Dougie knows he should be proud. Dung beetles help process waste and do other extraordinary things! But Dougie also knows that if anyone at school saw his lunch, he’d be an outcast.

One day, the lunchroom bugs out over a classmate eating poop, and Dougie must make a choice. Can he stand up for his friend—and for his true self?

I Eat Poop. is packed with important social emotional learning themes and is great for classroom or at home discussion. Read I Eat Poop. for conversations about:

*Bullying and being kind
*Standing up for your friends and speaking up for your beliefs
*Being proud of your culture and heritage
*Embracing diversity and accepting and celebrating differences

The book also includes incredible, STEM-related facts about bugs.

The Chestnut Soldier by Jenny Nimmo

The Chestnut Soldier by Jenny Nimmo - 203 pages
The Magician Trilogy #3

Nia's cousin Evan has come to visit to recover from injuries sustained as a soldier.  Unfortunately, his visit is used by an ancient "demon" as a chance to possess him.  Magician Gwyn and Nia will have to work hard to save Evan and everybody.

This is the final book in the Magician Trilogy.  I listened to it on audiobook.  While I enjoyed the book, it was probably my least favorite out of the series.  It was just longer with more build-up.  The other books seemed more succinct in telling the story.  Still, it was a good conclusion to the trilogy.

So Light, So Heavy by Susanne Strasser

So Light, So Heavy - Susanne Strasser - 22 Pages

Toddlers will be drawn in by repetition, opposites, humor, and an unexpected twist in this board book story about Elephant's quest to get the seesaw to teeter. A cast of friendly animals--who are all so light--try to help move the seesaw, but Elephant's side won't budge. He's so heavy. Then what happens when a child swoops in with other plans? Short, simple, and memorable, this board book offers a satisfying story arc.

The Sandman and the War of Dreams by William Joyce

The Sandman and the War of Dreams by William Joyce - 128 pages

Academy Award winner William Joyce’s Guardians recruit Sanderson ManSnoozy, the sleepy legend also known as the Sandman, to their cause in this fourth chapter book adventure.

When the Man in the Moon brought together the Guardians, he warned them that they would face some terrible evils as they strove to protect the children of earth. But nothing could have prepared them for this: Pitch has disappeared and taken Katherine with him. And now the Guardians are not only down one member, but a young girl is missing.

Fortunately, MiM knows just the man to join the team. Sanderson ManSnoozy—known in most circles as the Sandman—may be sleepy, but he’s also stalwart and clever and has a precocious ability to utilize sand in myriad ways. If the other Guardians can just convince Sandy that good can triumph evil, that good dreams can banish nightmares, they’ll have themselves quite a squad. But if they can’t…they might never see Katherine again.

E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core! by William Joyce

E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core! by William Joyce - 251 pages

Pitch, the Nightmare King, and his Fearlings had been soundly driven back by Nicholas St. North and company in the first Guardians’ adventure. But now Pitch has disappeared completely—and out of sight does NOT make for out of mind. It seems certain that he’s plotting a particularly nefarious revenge, and the Guardians suspect he might have gone underground. But how can they find him there?
Enter E. Aster Bunnymund, the only emissary of the fabled brotherhood of the Pookas—the league of philosophical warrior rabbits of imposing intellect and size. Highly skilled in martial arts (many of which he invented himself), Bunnymund is brilliant, logical, and a tunnel-digger extraordinaire. If the Guardians need paths near the Earth’s core, he’s their Pooka. He’s also armed with magnificent weapons of an oval-sort, and might just be able to help in the quest for the second piece of the Moonclipper.

This second book in The Guardians series is about much more than fixing a few rotten eggs—it brings the Guardians one step closer to defeating Pitch!

Toothiana: Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies by William Joyce

Toothiana:  Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies by William Joyce - 226 pages

Beware a tooth fairy queen scorned in this, the third chapter book of Academy Award winner William Joyce's The Guardians series. There's a lot more to this tooth-swiping sprite than meets the eye!

When last we heard, the Guardians were resting easy with the knowledge that the children of Santoff Clausen were finally safe from Pitch's dastardly plans.

But is it all a ruse, a scheme, a lull the evil Nightmare King has deviously concocted?

Whatever Pitch's plans, what he doesn't know is that there's a new Guardian in town, and she's not the type to forget old grudges. Actually, she's not the type to forget anything--because this Guardian is none other than Toothiana, the Tooth Fairy herself. She's fierce and fast and crossing her will lead to a multitude of troubles. And, it turns out that, well, all those teeth she has been collecting? They contain memories. The forgotten memories of childhood... including the memories of how to fly. Young Katherine is hopeful that these memories might help her to remember her parents. The Guardians hope they'll offer even further protection from Pitch.

You can see how this information would be invaluable to our heroes. But it could also be invaluable to Pitch...

Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce

Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce - 228 pages

Before SANTA was SANTA, he was North, Nicholas St. North—a daredevil swordsman whose prowess with double scimitars was legendary. Like any swashbuckling young warrior, North seeks treasure and adventure, leading him to the fiercely guarded village of Santoff Claussen, said to be home to the greatest treasure in all the East, and to an even greater wizard, Ombric Shalazar. But when North arrives, legends of riches have given way to terrors of epic proportions! North must decide whether to seek his fortune…or save the village.
When our rebellious hero gets sucked into the chaos (literally), the fight becomes very personal. The Nightmare King and his evil Fearlings are ruling the night, owning the shadows, and sending waves of fear through all of Santoff Clausen. For North, this is a battle worth fighting...and, he's not alone. There are five other Guardians out there. He only has to find them in time.

The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found by Martin W. Sandler

The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found by Martin W. Sandler - 176 pages

The exciting true story of the captaincy, wreck, and discovery of the Whydah the only pirate ship ever found and the incredible mysteries it revealed.
The 1650s to the 1730s marked the golden age of piracy, when fearsome pirates like Blackbeard ruled the waves, seeking not only treasure but also large and fast ships to carry it. The Whydah was just such a ship, built to ply the Triangular Trade route, which it did until one of the greediest pirates of all, Black Sam Bellamy, commandeered it. Filling the ship to capacity with treasure, Bellamy hoped to retire with his bounty but in 1717 the ship sank in a storm off Cape Cod. For more than two hundred years, the wreck of the Whydah (and the riches that went down with it) eluded treasure seekers, until the ship was finally found in 1984 by marine archaeologists. The artifacts brought up from the ocean floor are priceless, both in value and in the picture they reveal of life in that much-mythologized era, changing much of what we know about pirates."

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Jerry Pinkney

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Jerry Pinkney
40 pages

This is the classic tale with a gentler, but very appropriate, ending for the troll.  The artwork is rich and colorful and adds to the drama of the story.  I loved it!

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children - Keith McGowan - 192 pages

Sol and Connie move to Grand Creek and find themselves in danger from neighbor Fay Holaderry.  Will they be able to escape her attempts to cook and eat them?

I picked the audiobook to listen to this month to fit the horror challenge as the case's back matter listed it as a horror book for children.  Turns out it is just a modern retelling of Hansel Gretel.  I didn't think it was very scary as it was pretty obvious from the beginning that the kids were going to escape unharmed.  Still, I did enjoy the audio and would recommend it to those who enjoy fairy tale retellings.

The Angel Tree by Daphne Benedis-Grab

The Angel Tree by Daphne Benedis-Grab - 246 pages

The town of Pine River has a unique holiday tradition.  Every year the Angel Tree is erected in the town square.  People are encourage to write their "wishes" on the tree and people from around town will grant those wishes.  Any wishes that are left over are taken care of by the Angel.  However, no one knows who the Angel is.  This year, four kids -- Cami, Lucy, Joe, and Max -- determine to discover who the angel is and thank them for granting their wishes.
I really, really liked this book.  It was a great holiday story with a lot of warmth and caring.  I picked this up as an ARC and will definitely be ordering it for the library.

Geraldine the Music Mouse, by Leo Lionni

  Geraldine the Music Mouse, by Leo Lionni, 36 pages

Geraldine has never heard music, until she finds a block of cheese and as she nibbles it, the form of a mouse playing its tale becomes visible and then plays music at night.  Which... is... a thing, I guess...?  I don't know- kind of weak conceptually, but the art is on point, as usual.

Let's Make Rabbits, by Leo Lionni

   Let's Make Rabbits, by Leo Lionni, 30 pages

This one was really cute!! A combination of artistic styles- pencil and collage, to create two rabbits and their food.

Tillie and the Wall, by Leo Lionni

   Tillie and the Wall, by Leo Lionni, 32 pages

Tillie and the other mice have always lived with the wall- but she wonders what's on the other side.  She eventually tunnels under and finds that there are other mice, just like her, on the other side.  Not that interesting, but I guess at the time was a good enough parable about the Berlin Wall.  Classic collage style in this one.

The Biggest House in the World, by Leo Lionni

   The Biggest House in the World, by Leo Lionni, 32 pages
A snail dreams of having the biggest house in the world, but then he realizes he can't go anywhere.  This serves as a cautionary tale for another snail, who decides to keep a small house so he can travel light.  An interesting and minimalist concept for adults and children alike.  Awesome pencil artwork.

Little Blue and Little Yellow, by Leo Lionni

   Little Blue and Little Yellow, by Leo Lionni, 48 pages

I love the minimalist art of this children's picture book.  As with most Lionni books, the art is cool, the premise sounds interesting, and then the story kind of fizzles out without ever getting anywhere.  But blue and yellow make green.

I'd Really Like to Eat a Child by Sylvianne Donnio

I'd Really Like to Eat a Child by Sylvianne Donnio, 32 pages

Whenever I saw this book, I knew I had to read it simply because of an inside joke among my friends that I'm sure no one else could possibly find funny.  Anyway, the book stars a young crocodile child who is force fed bananas by his parents, and then one day decides he wants to eat meat.  Specifically human child meat.  His reasons remain unknown to the reader.  His parents argue reason in that as a little crocodile, he couldn't possibly eat a whole child, but our hero remains headstrong and refuses his parents' counter offers of hotdogs and chocolate cake in hopes of eating a child of his own.  Until one day, he comes across a little girl playing by the river.  Not one wanting to miss out on this golden opportunity, the crocodile approaches the child.  However, his parents were right all along and he is too small to eat this child, who ends up flinging he crocodile into the river by his tail.  When his parents asked him what he's learned from the ordeal, it's that he must eat bananas to grow up big and then he can eat a child.

This book exists.  It is real.  And although it may not be the greatest children's book ever created, it actually is.  Take that Cat in the Hat.  But seriously, it teaches kids many valuable lessons, such as crocodiles can be easily flung and parents may think they know everything, but through determination one can prove them wrong.  One thing I cannot seem to figure out though is if this was supposed to be a legitimate children's book or an adult book written as a children's book.  Any way you slice it, though, this book is pure entertainment.