Children’s Book Reviews

Written by Gloria D. Gonsalves and illustrated by Nikki Ng’ombe, Jai the Albino Cow is a delightful picture book for young children that sparks imagination at every turn.

Anjait “Jai” is the youngest of three cow siblings living in Kole Hills. Jai is different from her older brothers in that she has a white coat, pink eyes, and fluffy hair and suffers from Albinism. Other cows outside her family believe she’s cursed. One day, Jai is chosen to participate in a special dance called the Dance of the Cattle Kings in which no female has ever participated before. Cows from […]

The challenges of being a young boy are uniquely showcased in Boys, Bears, and Bubblegum, an eclectic collection of short stories and poems for children written by Carolyn Madero and illustrated by Giovanni Munari and Jane Brusetti.

The stories showcase challenges in the form of speech impediments, the terror brought on by nightmares, or the yearning to be seen as responsible – all while teaching valuable life lessons through a mixture of humor, empathy, and graceful prose. Poems like “Would You Like to Hear My Poem?” emphasize a child’s struggle to be heard over the demands of daily life.[…]

What’s a Monster? written by Maurice Trent, with illustrations by Arisbeth Cruz, is a wonderful storybook with a great little twist that goes beyond your typical children’s monster-story fare.

Oliver is scared of the house at night. During an argument over the family bathroom, Oliver’s older brother Ty tells him to keep his voice down otherwise it will attract the resident kid-eating monster, which Oliver tries to ignore. It is only when Oliver receives a playhouse as a gift for his fifth birthday that the forgotten threat of monsters suddenly becomes all too real for Oliver, and it’s cleverly revealed […]

B.A.L.D.: Lillie’s First Day of School by Tijuana Collier and Khaila Ramey-Collier, is a charming storybook with an all-important message about confidence and individuality.

Lillie is very excited about the most important day of her life – her first day of school. She can count to twenty-two, write and draw inside the lines, and can even tie her shoes on her own, making her more than ready for school. However, Lillie’s a little different from other young girls in that she’s bald. No worries, though. In Lillie’s world, being B.A.L.D. simply means that Beauty Always Looks Different…

Influenced by personal […]

The Day Momma Made Me Dance by Patrice Shavone Brown is a children’s book that is intended to educate about the contentious topic of disciplining your child with violence.

This short book begins with some basic house rules as well as social etiquette for children, such as no running in the house and share while playing with others. The young girl in the book ignores everything she’s told to do, until one day, she brings home a write-up slip from her teacher. Her mother becomes angry and wants to see how well the child “can dance,” as she disciplines the […]