The Bear Who Wasn't There and the Fabulous Forest by Oren Lavie

Title: The Bear Who Wasn't There and the Fabulous Forest
Author: Oren Lavie
Illustrator: Wolf Erlbruch
Format: Picture Book
Length: 37 pages

The Story

The Bear Who Wasn't There isn't sure if he is himself. In his pocket he finds a list of clues about himself to help him figure that out. So he sets off through the forest to find out if he is himself.

My Thoughts

This is a very strange book. It's nonsensical nature reminded me a bit of Alice in Wonderland, but in this case the confusing nonsense (or, one might argue, philosophy) is basically the whole story. So if you're like me and don't easily understand abstract philosophical concepts, you might be confused the whole time you're reading this book. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I don't really get it. And I don't know what age group to recommend it to. I feel like this is an adult book in picture book format. Maybe if you know a really philosophical child?

The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Lump of Coal
Author: Lemony Snicket
Format: Picture Book
Length: 34 pages

The Story

This is the story of a lump of coal who rolls out of a bag of coals and goes off in search of something interesting. He finds a snobby art gallery manager, a disappointingly inauthentic Korean restaurant, and a fake Santa before his fortune finally takes a turn for the better.

My Thoughts

If you're a fan of Lemony Snicket's other books you will probably like this one too. The premise is odd, and it just gets odder as you go. I particularly enjoy the part where the lump of coal goes into a Korean restaurant and can tell by the smell of oregano that the restaurant does not cook real Korean food.

Snicket does tend to use a lot of big words, which can be good for a kid's vocabulary but which also means young readers will probably struggle with this one. It's probably better suited to parents reading to their young children, or for older readers to read on their own.

A Guinea Pig Pride & Prejudice

Title: A Guinea Pig Pride & Prejudice
Authors: Jane Austen (original) and Alex Goodwin (adaptation)
Format: Picture Book (text-heavy)
Length: 51 pages

The Story

This is a condensation of Pride and Prejudice, seemingly using text right from the original book, accompanied by pictures of guinea pigs playing the various roles. The photos are complete with beautifully designed sets and adorable tiny guinea pig outfits.

My Thoughts

I'm not entirely sure what age range this book is good for. It is quite wordy for a picture book, and the words are not easy for a modern-day child to understand, being taken from the original novel. There are lots of sentences like "To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley's heart were entertained." Very flowery.

On the other hand, the pictures are adorable! So while I can't really say whether this will encourage a child's interest in "the classics", they might like it just for the guinea pigs. :)

The Insomniacs by Karina Wolf

Title: The Insomniacs
Author: Karina Wolf
Illustrators: The Brothers Hilts
Format: Picture Book
Length: 29 pages

The Story

The Insomniacs used to live during the day like most people, but then Mrs. Insomniac gets a new job 12 time zones over. Suddenly the whole family is up all night and always nodding off during the day. They try to find some way of getting back to their old schedule, but finally end up learning from the nocturnal creatures around them.

My Thoughts

The illustrations are what really made this book for me. The art is in a dark, kind of weird/creepy style that reminds me of Tim Burton. The story is unique, while having a common message of accepting yourself for who you are. I feel like this would make a good bedtime story.

That Is NOT a Good Idea! by Mo Willems

Title: That Is NOT a Good Idea!
Author: Mo Willems
Format: Picture Book
Length: 42 pages

The Story

A fox invites a goose to dinner. She goes along, with every page leading closer and closer to danger. All along, a chorus of baby geese warn that that is NOT a good idea!!

My Thoughts

This is book is the perfect storytime book! I read it during my brief time in an elementary school library, and the grade 1-2 classes loved it. The tension builds throughout the story, towards the conclusion everyone can see coming,  but as in every good story not everything is as it seems.

If you've read any of Mo Willems' books you already know that he's amazing. This book is no exception!

2016 I Love Picture Books Challenge

Since starting this separate book blog for reviewing children's books, I've had a bit of trouble really getting it going. This is partly because I've had trouble finding time to write reviews, but also partly because I haven't been reading enough kids' books! So, to motivate myself to find some great new kids' books to read and review, I'm joining the I Love Picture Books Reading Challenge.

My goal is to read and review 20 picture books in 2016. I'll list them below as I read them.

1. That Is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
2. Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems
3. Small Saul by Ashley Spires
4. Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss
5. The Insomniacs by Karina Wolf
6. A Guinea Pig Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin and Alex Goodwin
7. The Good Little Book by Kyo Maclear
8. Sensational Sisters: A Story of Two Sisters with Sensory Processing Disorder by Samantha Sandiland
9. Squirmy Wormy: How I Learned to Help Myself by Lynda Farrington Wilson
10. Xander's Panda Party by Linda Sue Park
11. The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket