Don't read this to my kids - Picture book reviews and review videos by Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books.rss Board book and picture book reviews and videos by Cassandra Gelvin en http://www.drttmk.com/sites/all/images/drttmk-logo.svg The Crocodile and the Dentist http://www.drttmk.com/books/crocodile-and-dentist There's a reason zookeepers usually use sedation.

Rating: good
The Crocodile and the Dentist cover image

I'm not crazy about this book, but I like the way the idea is presented: both of the characters feeling the same way about each other but being brave or not wanting to get angry. It seems like it would help children understand the concept of empathy, and the idea that 'he's just as scared of you as you are of him.'

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Message: Try to think about others' points of view, and understand how others are feeling.]]>
Sun, 18 Aug 2019 12:03:39 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/crocodile-and-dentist
Giraffe Meets Bird http://www.drttmk.com/books/giraffe-meets-bird In the words of War, "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

Rating: meh
Giraffe Meets Bird cover image

It seems like it's trying to say that you need to be nice to people for them to like you back, which is a decent message to have. It kind of reminds me of the book "Grumpy Cat" (not to be confused with the internet superstar).

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Message: Even creatures that don't get along at first can learn to appreciate each other.]]>
Sun, 11 Aug 2019 12:02:03 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/giraffe-meets-bird
Frog Goes to Dinner http://www.drttmk.com/books/frog-goes-dinner Pain-in-the-neck frog.

Rating: meh
Frog Goes to Dinner cover image

I guess it's just supposed to be funny, but I didn't think it was. I found it rather annoying instead. I don't like trouble for the sake of trouble, or things like pranks.

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Message: Don't take frogs to a fancy restaurant?]]>
Sun, 28 Jul 2019 12:02:12 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/frog-goes-dinner
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me http://www.drttmk.com/books/life-doesn-t-frighten-me Ambiguity is fine for adults, but it may or may not work for kids.

Rating: meh
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me cover image

Amazon says this is aimed at ages 4+, but this would go right over a preschooler's head, and unfortunately that might mean they would get a message that it's not okay to be scared. Plus a list of scary things that maybe they'll be able to "shoo" away and maybe they won't.

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Message: Don't be afraid of the world. Or, everybody is actually pretending that they're not afraid of the world.]]>
Sun, 21 Jul 2019 12:04:40 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/life-doesn-t-frighten-me
Miles is the Boss of His Body http://www.drttmk.com/books/miles-boss-his-body Good but could have been better.

Rating: good
Miles is the Boss of His Body cover image

It definitely provides children with a character to emulate. It's not completely realistic, but I feel like it could have gone further. It's good, but it could have been better.

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Message: Everyone is in charge of their own body, and they shouldn't be forced to allow other people to do things to their body that they don't want to do.]]>
Sun, 14 Jul 2019 12:02:52 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/miles-boss-his-body
T. Veg: The Story of a Carrot-Crunching Dinosaur http://www.drttmk.com/books/t-veg-story-carrot-crunching-dinosaur Pick a lane.

Rating: meh
T. Veg: The Story of a Carrot-Crunching Dinosaur cover image

Okay, there's this vegetarian T. Rex, and isn't that weird. Let's all make fun of him. Wait, he left, and now we miss him, so let's not make fun of him anymore. It's almost like vegetarianism is a random choice in this. Like they're trying to use vegetarianism as a metaphor for some other lifestyle choice that I really can't figure out.

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Message: Vegetarianism is good. Or, don't discriminate against people. I really wish it would pick one.]]>
Sun, 07 Jul 2019 12:02:14 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/t-veg-story-carrot-crunching-dinosaur
The Kind Dinosaurs http://www.drttmk.com/books/kind-dinosaurs Not enough substance.

Rating: meh
The Kind Dinosaurs cover image

This seems more like the introduction to a story than an actual story. It's not all that short by page length, but the amount of text per page, and what's conveyed, is just so small.

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Message: Be kind.]]>
Sun, 30 Jun 2019 12:02:04 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/kind-dinosaurs
Little Love http://www.drttmk.com/books/little-love Try a little tenderness.

Rating: meh
Little Love cover image

It is a fairly didactic book, which I was not expecting. I was actually expecting something sappy instead of something preachy. The main character spends so much time trying and failing to find happiness, that it's not really explained why love was the right answer.

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Message: Fame and beauty are unimportant. What's really important is love.]]>
Sun, 23 Jun 2019 13:54:26 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/little-love
Fruit Bowl http://www.drttmk.com/books/fruit-bowl Tomatoes are like the Schrödinger's cat of produce.

Rating: meh
Fruit Bowl cover image

I think maybe this book was just an excuse for the author to make a bunch of fruit puns, because they comprise the majority of the text.

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Message: Tomatoes are fruit.]]>
Sun, 09 Jun 2019 12:02:04 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/fruit-bowl
Little Bella's Nighttime Wonderland http://www.drttmk.com/books/little-bellas-nighttime-wonderland More of a window than a mirror for my kids.

Rating: meh
Little Bella's Nighttime Wonderland cover image

As far as wilderness goes, she's lucky, and I'm glad she and her kids appreciate it. But it's so caught up in the beauty of nature and the awkwardness of its rhyming that it doesn't recognize that this situation is unusual.

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Message: Nature is wonderful.]]>
Sun, 02 Jun 2019 13:08:06 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/little-bellas-nighttime-wonderland
Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower http://www.drttmk.com/books/tricky-vic-impossibly-true-story-man-who-sold-eiffel-tower The tricky thing is the point.

Rating: meh
Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower cover image

It's one of those books that I'm not quite sure what to make of. It's an interesting story; I just don't really see what they're trying to say. I feel like some readers might think that it's glorifying con artists.

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Message: Tricky Vic is an interesting person from history.]]>
Sun, 26 May 2019 12:03:14 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/tricky-vic-impossibly-true-story-man-who-sold-eiffel-tower
My Great Big Mamma http://www.drttmk.com/books/my-great-big-mamma Great big disappointment.

Rating: bad
My Great Big Mamma cover image

I had high hopes for this book. I really did. I came away from it feeling like this is not a book for children, it's for the adult reader.

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Message: Fat people love their kids more.]]>
Sun, 19 May 2019 12:06:57 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/my-great-big-mamma
Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France http://www.drttmk.com/books/mesmerized-how-ben-franklin-solved-mystery-baffled-all-france This is so awesome. A great book.

Rating: good
Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France cover image

This book talks about science and it does in a very science positive-way. It talks about the importance of knowing the truth and knowing reality. It's got great pictures and great writing as well.

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Message: Benjamin Franklin is awesome. Or, the scientific method is a way to learn about reality.]]>
Sun, 12 May 2019 12:02:28 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/mesmerized-how-ben-franklin-solved-mystery-baffled-all-france
It's the Best Day Ever, Dad! http://www.drttmk.com/books/its-best-day-ever-dad Good because of what it leaves to the imagination.

Rating: good
It's the Best Day Ever, Dad! cover image

This is just a great day with the dad and the two kids. It's unclear where the mother is for most of the day, but there's no judgment of it. Perhaps she has a personal hobby. It's a great depiction of the father and the two daughters having fun together in a very wholesome way.

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Message: It's fun to hang out with your dad.]]>
Sun, 05 May 2019 12:02:45 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/its-best-day-ever-dad
Neither http://www.drttmk.com/books/neither In a world... where there are only birds and rabbits...

Rating: meh
Neither cover image

It's not bad. It's got a good message, but it doesn't really go anywhere with it. It could have gone so much farther, and it didn't.

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Message: Everybody fits in somewhere. There's a place for you.]]>
Sun, 28 Apr 2019 12:03:56 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/neither
Not Quite Narwhal http://www.drttmk.com/books/not-quite-narwhal What does it all mean??

Rating: meh
Not Quite Narwhal cover image

I feel like this book is supposed to be metaphorical for something, but I don't get what. Maybe adoption? At first it comes across as maybe being like LGBTQ, but it doesn't go in the right direction for that.

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Message: Unicorns and narwhals are similar?]]>
Mon, 22 Apr 2019 07:50:55 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/not-quite-narwhal
I Hug http://www.drttmk.com/books/i-hug I roll my eyes.

Rating: poor
I Hug cover image

It feels like the author didn't even try to write an actual book. The art is of spotty quality. I'm not familiar with David McPhail's other illustration work, but I'm not impressed by what he did in this book.

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Message: Children who are learning to read need really simple books.]]>
Sun, 14 Apr 2019 12:03:48 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/i-hug
Once a Mouse... http://www.drttmk.com/books/once-mouse Don't be arrogant, or a hermit will turn you back into a mouse.

Rating: meh
Once a Mouse... cover image

Are all tigers prideful? Are they supposed to be that way? Is that what this story is saying, that tigers are all prideful? Was the tiger that attached the mouse/dog prideful? What does that even imply? Or is it saying that you shouldn't be proud of being powerful if you didn't earn your power?

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Message: Bigger animals are more prideful and less grateful? Or maybe, don't be proud of what you didn't earn?]]>
Sun, 07 Apr 2019 18:50:18 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/once-mouse
Amos and Boris http://www.drttmk.com/books/amos-and-boris Somewhere on the good side of "meh."

Rating: meh
Amos and Boris cover image

"I don't have to tell you how these old friends felt at meeting again in this desparate situtation." Okay, technically, Mr. Steig, you don't. But you also didn't have to write this book. You're a writer, for Pete's sake. Write.

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Message: Be kind and help others.]]>
Sun, 31 Mar 2019 12:04:00 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/amos-and-boris
Alfie: The Turtle That Disappeared http://www.drttmk.com/books/alfie-turtle-disappeared I guess tortoises are turtles, too?

Rating: meh
Alfie: The Turtle That Disappeared cover image

Alfie thinks that the party he arrives at, Nia's eighth birthday party, is the same day as he left, a year before. Maybe he's just really stupid.

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Message: Turtles love you back.]]>
Sun, 24 Mar 2019 12:02:41 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/alfie-turtle-disappeared
Don't Forget Dexter http://www.drttmk.com/books/dont-forget-dexter Cute story about a misplaced toy.

Rating: good
Don't Forget Dexter cover image

It really captures the emotions that people go through, especially kids, when they worry that they've been forgotten, with a pervasive humor and dinosaur-toy-specific details.

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Message: Favorite toys are important. Or, family who are separated will find each other.]]>
Sun, 17 Mar 2019 20:32:43 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/dont-forget-dexter
Chicago Treasure http://www.drttmk.com/books/chicago-treasure Sorry, Larry.

Rating: poor
Chicago Treasure cover image

When I got the email requesting a review for this book, the brief summary had me guessing I was going to enjoy it about as much as reading a high school yearbook from a city I've never been to with photos of nobody I knew. That was about right, with the added experiences of confusion, annoyance, and mild concern for the authors' legal well-being. Also, it was way longer than I expected.

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Message: Chicago is awesome.]]>
Sun, 03 Mar 2019 12:04:17 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/chicago-treasure
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? http://www.drttmk.com/books/polar-bear-polar-bear-what-do-you-hear Adjective noun, adjective noun, what do you verb?

Rating: meh
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? cover image

Just like its predecessor in the series, this book has no plot, and is a series of questions to a series of animals, phrased in exactly the same way, and is highly repetitive. I guess this one is for the parents who have burned out on "Brown Bear" and will be satisfied with a slight variation for a while.

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Message: Different animals make different noises.]]>
Sun, 24 Feb 2019 12:02:05 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/polar-bear-polar-bear-what-do-you-hear
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? http://www.drttmk.com/books/brown-bear-brown-bear-what-do-you-see Brown Bear, Brown Bear till the day I die.

Rating: meh
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? cover image

This is like the "Baby Shark" of previous generations. Maybe it's cute once, but it will not get out of your head.

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Message: Animals can be bizarre colors.]]>
Fri, 22 Feb 2019 15:05:22 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/brown-bear-brown-bear-what-do-you-see
Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone http://www.drttmk.com/books/sir-cumference-and-sword-cone More like Sir Barely-Appearing-In-This-Book.

Rating: meh
Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone cover image

There's no realistic usage of mathematics in this. There's no engineering or practical application of anything. It feels like the author had an ending in mind, maybe just the title of the book, and wanted to write something based on Euler characteristics, so she had to make some kind of weird, contrived situation for them to derive Euler characteristics on their own. Everything they do is just super lucky. I don't know who's going to enjoy this book. People who are really gung-ho about math, I guess.

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Message: Knowing mathematics will help you become the king? Enjoying math is mandatory.]]>
Sun, 10 Feb 2019 12:03:35 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/sir-cumference-and-sword-cone
Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine http://www.drttmk.com/books/sam-bangs-and-moonshine Or maybe "moonshine" is like "moonlight."

Rating: meh
Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine  cover image

Maybe the father should have been clearer. Maybe she should have an additional adult helping take care of her. And where are Thomas's parents? Why do they let him drive around the island on his bicycle? Couldn't she go stay with them? This is just a weird book, and I'm not sure how applicable the message is to children nowadays.

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Message: Lying can cause very naive people to get killed.]]>
Sun, 03 Feb 2019 12:02:05 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/sam-bangs-and-moonshine
Mirandy and Brother Wind http://www.drttmk.com/books/mirandy-and-brother-wind Not sure whether I'd rather catch the wind or inherit it.

Rating: good
Mirandy and Brother Wind cover image

It's just this misunderstanding between friends. She thinks Ezel is telling her she can't do something, when he's really trying to suggest that they could dance together without saying it. And it turns out she dances with him because he's her friend and she doesn't want other people being mean to him. She sticks up for him and does the right thing.

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Message: Stick up for your friends.]]>
Sun, 27 Jan 2019 12:04:02 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/mirandy-and-brother-wind
The Rough-Face Girl http://www.drttmk.com/books/rough-face-girl Mildly interesting.

Rating: meh
The Rough-Face Girl cover image

It's the standard 'older siblings mean to younger sibling, younger sibling wins in the end' story that's all over the world, like Cinderella from Europe or Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters from Africa. It's unclear why RFG's father lets her sisters treat her so terribly. And in Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, at least the younger daughter gets tested on her personality, and not her weird ability to see invisible things. As usual, the younger girl gets rewarded by marrying the best guy because that's what girls want.

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Message: Don't be haughty and don't lie to people? Or, make sure you can see invisible things.]]>
Sun, 20 Jan 2019 12:03:00 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/rough-face-girl
Little Mamá Forgets http://www.drttmk.com/books/little-mam-forgets Unrealistic, or highly unusual, memory loss.

Rating: meh
Little Mamá Forgets cover image

She seems to remember things that are important to the granddaughter. Which is rather inconsistent with the forms of memory loss that I'm familiar with. She forgets that the granddaughters name is Lucy, not Luciano (which is Little Mamá's name). Why would she call someone else by her own name? Maybe it's Lucy's mother's name, too? I feel like I have to make a lot of excuses for this book to make sense.

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Message: When you lose your memory as you age, you lose things kind of randomly and sporadically.]]>
Sun, 13 Jan 2019 19:30:49 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/little-mam-forgets
Ten Big Toes and a Prince's Nose http://www.drttmk.com/books/ten-big-toes-and-princes-nose Forced rhymes, cliché story.

Rating: meh
Ten Big Toes and a Prince's Nose cover image

I was disappointed by this book. I was hoping based on the summary that it would be more interesting, rather than just, 'Hey these people met and fell in love and then they're happy.' It wasn't clever. It wasn't inventive. It was pretty run-of-the-mill. A good message, but not interesting enough to hold my attention.

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Message: Don't judge people by their appearance.]]>
Sun, 06 Jan 2019 12:02:05 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/ten-big-toes-and-princes-nose
Each Kindness http://www.drttmk.com/books/each-kindness Missed opportunity is more dramatic than actual reformation.

Rating: meh
Each Kindness cover image

"The Hundred Dresses" is almost identical in storyline to "Each Kindness." All the kids make fun of a poor girl, and at the end, the girl moves away and the main character is depressed by what happened. Basically, the main characters need to see someone else suffer in order to grow, and they don't realize the opportunity they had until it's gone.

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Message: Be nice to people for niceness's sake. Or, you never realize how much of a jerk you were until after the fact.]]>
Sun, 30 Dec 2018 20:21:20 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/each-kindness
Welcome: A Mo Willems Guide for New Arrivals http://www.drttmk.com/books/welcome-mo-willems-guide-new-arrivals Tries too hard to be funny, and doesn't quite deliver.

Rating: meh
Welcome: A Mo Willems Guide for New Arrivals cover image

I'm definitely in support of all books that try to take the parent into account. If this book entertains parents enough to want to read it to a pre-verbal child, I think that's great. But overall, I was not that impressed by it. It's not great, it's just okay.

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Message: Baby, you are loved.]]>
Sun, 23 Dec 2018 12:02:05 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/welcome-mo-willems-guide-new-arrivals
Teddy’s Favorite Toy http://www.drttmk.com/books/teddy-s-favorite-toy Doing the right thing is the least you can do.

Rating: good
Teddy’s Favorite Toy cover image

The best thing about it is that his favorite toy is a doll, and absolutely nothing is mentioned about it being unusual. It's not the story of how some other character came to accept the fact that he's a boy who plays with dolls.

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Message: Moms are awesome and will do what is needed to help you.]]>
Sun, 16 Dec 2018 12:02:40 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/teddy-s-favorite-toy
William's Doll http://www.drttmk.com/books/williams-doll Not as good as it probably used to be.

Rating: meh
William's Doll cover image

This book was probably great for its time (1972). I think it's a bit outdated in execution, although the message still resonates today. This book was at the beginning of teaching people about the topic, and it deserves some historical credit for that.

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Message: There's nothing wrong with boys wanting dolls.]]>
Sun, 09 Dec 2018 12:03:00 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/williams-doll
The Daddy Book http://www.drttmk.com/books/daddy-book Pretty run-of-the-mill Todd Parr.

Rating: meh
The Daddy Book cover image

It's nothing to run out and buy unless you're starved for books about daddies, and I think there are a lot of those out there. It's the kind of thing that would fit right in at a pediatrician's office: bland, rather inclusive, and inoffensive.

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Message: There are lots of different kinds of daddies.]]>
Sun, 02 Dec 2018 20:46:37 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/daddy-book
Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry http://www.drttmk.com/books/sometimes-my-mommy-gets-angry Describes the problem, but offers no real solutions.

Rating: meh
Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry cover image

I'm conflicted about this book. I haven't been around anybody with untreated bipolar disorder (which, according to the author's note, is what this book is supposed to depict the mother as having), but given some anecdotal evidence from friends, the mother's behavior is not very common for those who suffer from bipolar, and seems more like someone suffering from drug or alcohol addiction.

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Message: Some parents have mental illness.]]>
Sun, 25 Nov 2018 12:02:27 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/sometimes-my-mommy-gets-angry
Making Animal Babies http://www.drttmk.com/books/making-animal-babies Useful for animals, not for people.

Rating: meh
Making Animal Babies cover image

I guess you could technically use this to describe where babies come from to a kid but that doesn't seem to be its purpose. It spends so much time discussing other things that aren't relevant to human sexuality that either the writer was just really interested in different types of animal reproduction (I mean, it is mildly interesting that sponges, say, reproduce by budding), or was intentionally trying to obscure the information about people. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and just assume he was a reproductive biologist.

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Message: Different animals reproduce in different ways.]]>
Sun, 18 Nov 2018 12:03:10 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/making-animal-babies
Donkey-Donkey http://www.drttmk.com/books/donkey-donkey Unfortunate-Unfortunate.

Rating: bad
Donkey-Donkey cover image

This book would be much better (although still probably not an amazing book) if Donkey-Donkey found his own inner strength at the end in accepting his ears the way they were at the beginning. Maybe even found some benefit to holding them that way, or their length, instead of just finding problems with every other way and defaulting to the original because 'that's what donkeys do.' Or maybe he could have found some crazy way of holding his ears that nobody else did, and become a local attraction. I don't know.

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Message: Rely on others to validate your self-worth.]]>
Thu, 15 Nov 2018 15:32:46 -0800 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/donkey-donkey
Miss Nelson is Missing! http://www.drttmk.com/books/miss-nelson-missing Miss Nelson is too feminine to be assertive.

Rating: bad
Miss Nelson is Missing! cover image

What it boils down to is, don't have respect for people who treat you kindly. The only two opinions the children can have for the teacher are disrespect, or fear. Really, the best relationship between an adult and a child is for them to have mutual respect and understanding of the other's position. It's obviously a lot harder for children to understand the position of the adult.

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Message: To get people to listen to you, you have to be nasty and threatening.]]>
Thu, 01 Nov 2018 12:02:40 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/miss-nelson-missing
The Wolves in the Walls http://www.drttmk.com/books/wolves-walls Great book, just not for the younger crowd.

Rating: good
The Wolves in the Walls cover image

I really loved the fact that Lucy is not only the one who figures out what is happening before anybody else does, but challenges everybody else on why they are actually afraid of this. But it's never outright pointed out that there's no reason to be afraid of it, and even at the end when the wolves are shown running away from the house, the family brandishing their chair legs, it's still done in a creepy style, the wolves and people as silhouettes, with weird smoke in the sky and a dark house. The idea is great, the execution is great, it's just not for the fainthearted child.

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Message: Just because something is traditional, that doesn't mean it's right. And don't be afraid of wolves in the walls.]]>
Wed, 31 Oct 2018 12:02:26 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/wolves-walls
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse http://www.drttmk.com/books/lillys-purple-plastic-purse Let's try to understand each other a little bit more.

Rating: good
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse cover image

I think it's a great book, because it shows something that kids, like my four-year-old, would totally do. When he had a new pair of shoes, he walked into preschool telling everybody about them, even though we got there late and the teacher was talking to the other kids. He can't hold his enthusiasm inside, and that's an extremely common thing for kids. They have to learn respect for other people and their time, especially when others are trying to learn in a group context.

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Message: Making a mistake is not permanent. You can fix things that you did wrong. Or, when you're at school, you need to let the teacher talk without distracting the other children.]]>
Mon, 29 Oct 2018 12:02:33 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/lillys-purple-plastic-purse
Who Has What?: All About Girls' Bodies and Boys' Bodies http://www.drttmk.com/books/who-has-what-all-about-girls-bodies-and-boys-bodies Doesn't tackle the hard questions.

Rating: meh
Who Has What?: All About Girls' Bodies and Boys' Bodies cover image

It doesn't talk about, or even leave room for transgender or intersex people. It's really basic. It takes the entire book to basically only say: 'Girls have vaginas, ovaries, and uteruses, and boys have penises and sperm.' That's it. That is the only information you can get from this book.

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Message: Boys and girls have different bodies.]]>
Sat, 27 Oct 2018 12:02:40 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/who-has-what-all-about-girls-bodies-and-boys-bodies
The Gruffalo http://www.drttmk.com/books/gruffalo Nobody's as gruff as a gruffalo.

Rating: meh
The Gruffalo cover image

As in most "trickster tales", it relies on the "tricked" characters being complete idiots. For me, this doesn't paint the trickster as clever or intelligent, just lucky and dishonest. If the mouse wasn't trying to save his own life, this would have a bad message, but as it is, it's just middle-of-the-road. It's perfectly reasonable to lie to somebody to save your own life.

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Message: People who try to hurt you are stupid, and will fall for obvious tricks.]]>
Thu, 25 Oct 2018 12:02:14 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/gruffalo
Amazing You http://www.drttmk.com/books/amazing-you Not enough here to be useful.

Rating: meh
Amazing You cover image

It's not really helpful. It's just not useful to anybody having a complex discussion. I mean, yeah, preschoolers are going to understand it, but there's important things you need to be discussing with preschoolers in addition to this-- People not touching them inappropriately and similar ideas, because you need to really talk about that before it might happen.

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Message: Boys and girls have different bodies, and different parts of them are used in making babies somehow.]]>
Tue, 23 Oct 2018 12:02:10 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/amazing-you
Jacob's New Dress http://www.drttmk.com/books/jacobs-new-dress 100% terrific.

Rating: good
Jacob's New Dress cover image

That is such an awesome, empowering ending! It's so realistic, because if you have somebody bothering you about that kind of thing, they're not going to magically transform their minds. Maybe in the future, Christopher will come to terms with it. Maybe he won't. But the important thing is that Jacob understands that it's not Christopher's choice what he wears. It's up to Jacob. It's his body, and his clothes. He's proud of the dress that he and his mother made together.

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Message: Anybody can wear any clothes that they want. Things are not reserved for people by gender.]]>
Sun, 21 Oct 2018 12:03:21 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/jacobs-new-dress
Everyone Poops http://www.drttmk.com/books/everyone-poops Surprisingly boring.

Rating: meh
Everyone Poops cover image

I am attempting to not encourage that sort of humor in my children. I'm not trying to discourage it, but I'm also trying to make sure that they're not ashamed of the fact that they poop. I guess if a child had a shameful association with defecation, maybe this would be a useful book to them. It's very factual.

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Message: Everyone poops.]]>
Fri, 19 Oct 2018 12:02:20 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/everyone-poops
How Babies are Made http://www.drttmk.com/books/how-babies-are-made If it mentioned cesareans, it would be near perfect.

Rating: good
How Babies are Made cover image

It's not a perfect book, but it's a great foundation. And the illustration style, where it can be very detailed in some parts of images, and quite abstract in others, works very well for the topic. It's a nice contrast to the weirdly cartoony images and metaphors of "Where Did I Come From?" There are no descriptions of how anything feels, just a factual recounting of events.

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Message: The basic details of human reproduction.]]>
Wed, 17 Oct 2018 12:02:38 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/how-babies-are-made
10,000 Dresses http://www.drttmk.com/books/10000-dresses Good message, spotty execution.

Rating: meh
10,000 Dresses cover image

It may be unfortunate that it needs to be more obvious, but I think that it's important that Laurel be explicitly recognized as somebody who is doing the right thing and not just kind of be assumed to be doing the right thing because she's at the end of the book.

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Message: Sometimes a person who has the body of a boy feels like she is a girl instead. Or, everyone should be accepted for who they are inside.]]>
Mon, 15 Oct 2018 12:02:22 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/10000-dresses
Introducing Teddy http://www.drttmk.com/books/introducing-teddy Good message, lackluster execution.

Rating: meh
Introducing Teddy cover image

It's cute, but there's not a lot to it. I guess the subtitle, "A gentle story about gender and friendship," is a good description. Gentle, slow-paced, and brief.

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Message: It's okay to express the gender that you feel, even if that gender is not the way you externally appear.]]>
Sat, 13 Oct 2018 12:02:16 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/introducing-teddy
Finding Santa: The Adventure of Greedy Elf http://www.drttmk.com/books/finding-santa-adventure-greedy-elf Good try, but it needs more work.

Rating: meh
Finding Santa: The Adventure of Greedy Elf cover image

I hope this doesn't discourage the author from being creative. She's clearly trying hard to make a labor of love, in contrast to the many books published by some publishing houses that just seem to be churned out with no care given to their quality. In our culture with our obsession with individuality and standing on our own, it can be hard to see that we need others' help, and it can be hard to let go of part of a creative vision and allow others to add input.

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Message: Elves can be mean, too.]]>
Thu, 11 Oct 2018 12:02:24 -0700 Cassandra Gelvin http://www.drttmk.com/books/finding-santa-adventure-greedy-elf
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