animals Archives – Rebecca Reads

Detective Gordon The First Case by Ulf Nilsson

March 28, 2016 by Rebecca Reid

Detective Gordon: The First Case by Ulf Nilsson is part a mystery story but also part a story of friendship in a friendly forest. Detective Gordon, a toad, is the only officer in the forest, and he sits alone at his desk. When a hungry and lonely forest mouse is caught stealing nuts from squirrel’s winter stock, he invites her home and gives her some food. He is aghast that she does not even have a name, and proudly bestows one on her. Buffy becomes his sidekick, and together they are able to find a solution to the stolen nuts in the forest. Detective Gordon is a fun addition to the early chapter book lists and I hope this is the first of many such adventures for the good detective and his meek side kick.Continue Reading

Build, Beaver, Build by Sandra Markle

March 23, 2016 by Rebecca Reid

Build, Beaver, Build by Sandra Markle is a book about beavers at the largest beaver dam in the world. Sandra Markle is a name that I’ve come across many times in my years of reading children’s fiction. I have reviewed two of her scientific mystery books on this site: The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats and The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs.

Build, Beaver, Build caught my eye because I must admit that I do not know much about beavers. Markle’s newest book gives a simple story line about a growing beaver kit for the youngest readers, and it also contains an abundance of important facts for the older reader.Continue Reading

Picture Book Sunday: The Queen’s Shadow by Cybele Young

August 2, 2015 by Rebecca Reid

The Queen’s Shadow by Cybele Young (Kids Can Press, March 2015) is a most unusual picture book for older readers about how animals see. It is difficult to identify as a fiction or a nonfiction, simply because it has elements of both!

In The Queen’s Shadow, a motley gathering of animal friends have gathered at the queen’s home for a party. After a lightning flash, the queen has found that her shadow is missing! Using clues about how the various animals at the party see, the detective is able to eliminate the animals that certainly could not have seen what has happened.Continue Reading

Picture Book Sunday: Three Monarch Award Nominees

June 14, 2015 by Rebecca Reid

In Illinois, there is a student vote on favorite books for Kindergarten through third graders called the Monarch awards. Although Raisin is not in public school in which the voting takes place, he has enjoyed browsing the shelves at the library for new favorites! Here are three that I really enjoyed too.Continue Reading

Advertisement