With humour and fine cartoony illustrations
933210
A young chemistry graduate goes to work for a mad scientist

A young woman struggling to find a job eventually gets hired by a mad scientist. The plot does not advance much in this first volume as it ends as Elliott  our heroine  arrives at Dr Stein's houses and meets her new employer.

With humour and fine cartoony illustrations, this volume is entertaining and fun.
Some white lettering on black background which is not easy to read in the digital edition.
4959320
Wallace the Brave by Will Henry, is a book filled with comics about a boy, his friends and his family. They live by the sea, where the father is a fisherman, and their house is built on stilts. Wallace is in his early years of school, and like many his age, he doesnt necessarily find his school demands endearing.
The artwork and pictorial representations of the characters were excellent. I found the plot and themes of the comics charming and funny. This is the first time Ive seen this comic and I was hooked at once. I appreciated the setting by the coast, which isn't one Ive seen developed before. I also found both the father and mother characters charming, and the father often being pulled into his sons fantasies was refreshing. This allows the comic to be embraced by a wider audience than only children, for many can relate to the pressures of life drawn up in a humorous way. The book does have one or two characters that don't seem to measure up to the others, either in terms of looks or in aptitude, and there is an undertone of mockery by the others. Yet I wouldnt consider it cruel. Kids do tease others for being different and this simply reflects that.
I believe readers of any age would appreciate at least some aspect of this comic. Wallace the Brave is a book that I could easily see made into an animated series that many around the world would enjoy. Highly recommended.
3665674
We loved this book. The format is a series of rhyming descriptions of several jobs that a croc does- and then a punchline that makes it silly. For example,

"As postal carriers supreme,/in weather sunny or extreme,/ Crocs guarantee they'll never fail, delivering each piece of mail./ And to make their work more fun..." Then, on the next page, "Crocs hide the mail from everyone!".

They go through several jobs in this same fashion- from a doctor to a cook to house-painters- each with a somewhat serious description and then something silly that the crocs do. Children will find the antics of these mischievous crocodiles funny and the rhymes are fun to read out loud. The illustrations are bright and silly and match the whimsical tone of the book.
1996017
This is a delightful book that teaches as well as entertains through its silly and imaginative verses.  Some are parodies of famous poems.  A nice book for the child who is interested in science, or even those who are not.  Excellent artwork.
2260917
Entertaining,a fun read,richly illustrated,fun for adults too.
2042349
Very nicely illustrated with both color and b/w art.
3048477
I am herewith reviewing another fine debut effort, proof that picture books will never die. Andrew Prahin wrote and illustrated this lovely little book about keeping good friends and making new ones. Digital illustrations are not often my favorite, but Prahin has taken care with shading and the little details which are often easily ignored when painting paintless.

I thought this might be an expansion on&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Old-Hat-New-Hat/dp/0679886303/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Old Hat New Hat</a>&nbsp;but it is less about the hats and more about the people who wear them. Really it is a story of distance-challenged friendship like&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Toot-Puddle/dp/0316365521/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Toot & Puddle</a>. Our hat maker (a mole?) seems clearly inspired by Lane Smith's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/It-s-a-Book/dp/1596436069/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">It's a Book</a>, visually at least. His friend (a badger?) moves away from home to fulfill a lifelong dream--wonderfully unrealistic, he wants to become a sea captain! Our hat maker is lonely, but bravely chooses not to fall into despair. His kindness is rewarded in ways I do not wish to spoil. Suffice to say, I loved his Santa sack-full of hat-houses.

Nice foreshadowing and really hilarious small details throughout. Pay attention to where his worldwide customers are located, for example. And the birds' hats. The matching compositions on the visit-each-other spread. The name of the ship. The worms-in-tea. And more and more.

We support friends when they move away, but we still miss them. This is one of the best friendship books I have seen in a long time, and I would gladly add it to my collection of stellar friendship-celebrating books including&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Moon-Rabbit/dp/0670011703/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Moon Rabbit</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/A-Visitor-for-Bear/dp/0763646113/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">A Visitor for Bear</a>.

Coda: I know it's trivial, but I might have suggested an alternative title: The Hat Maker
1445117
The illustrations really add to the narrative - so
humorous and giggle worthy.
The themes of sharing and problem solving
are great for this age range too.
569833
The adorably whimsical illustrations of "A Bit of a Do" are utterly charming.  The expressions on the faces of the kitchen's characters are very funny!  Check out the cover for an example.

Some of the language from the rhyme, however, left me scratching my head just a bit.  Cans are referred to as tins, potato chips as crisps, and the phrase "quieten things down" is included.  It seems the author is British.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, it just struck me as remarkable that we can speak the same language and have such different ways of communicating the basic ideas covered by this very short poem.  (The Tesco brand is English, and that line of the poem won't make any sense if you don't know that.) If you're American, and you're planning to read this book to your child, be prepared to explain the meanings. It will be good practice for them when they get to school.
345805
An excellent children's book, one of a series which is also great fun for me to read to the brood. The book consists of the adventures of the Moomentrolls who are pleasant, funny, playful troll like creatures living  in the north country. They have interesting adventures and a good sense of  humor. The author has amusing notes in the book. It is clever and wity and  the humor and jokes are more accessible to children than some of Lewis  Carroll's worldplay. The series is quite good. In my opinion this puts  Harry Potter to shame and is more accessible and fun for younger children  than Tolkien. Both our four year old and seven year old are quite amused  and captivated by different aspects of the book.
2344958
This book is full of clever illustrations and precise wording that can serve as a fun, easy story or be used to springboard into lots of different topics at varying depths of understanding. This humorous book follows a young girl who creates her own country in her room.

As a teacher, I love that this is a fun and easy introduction to government that allows students to understand big concepts such as (but not limited to): laws, elections, government officials, natural disasters, government responsibilities, citizenship, and even foreign nations. All of these concepts are presented in a funny and subtle way, allowing the reader and teacher to take as much from it as they are able depending on their previous knowledge or time allowed.

As a parent, I love that the book's words are simple enough to keep the attention of my 2 year old and intrigue my 4 year old into learning more about the government. The illustrations have a lot of little details that even amuse me, and may take several readings to catch all the little illustrated jokes. As a parent, I could even skip most of the government explanations if I wanted and focus on the concepts of siblings, sibling rivalry, responsibility for your actions, forgiveness, and love.

Just a great book with simple words and complex, yet fun illustrations that could be tailored to a large range of readers and subjects.
3934252
Not every book has to be super-serious minded.  This one isn't -- combining good information with corny illustrations and jokes.  It's entertaining for kids, and when they are laughing, they are learning.
4495815
This book is a good mix of genuine scholarship and light humor, rather on the lines of Will Cuppy (and a good deal better than Richard Armour). The entries cover the lives of people who are largely forgotten except for the words linked to their names. Most of the words were ones I happen to be familiar with as an English teacher (and long-time dictionary browser) but I thought Marciano was judicious in considering some doubtful cases such as "hooker" and "crapper." (When I first heard the "crapper" story from a London tourist guide many years ago, I thought it was joke, but apparently not. )
The text is enhanced by clever line drawings (again, very much in the tradition of, say, the illustrations for The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody)
1184687
This book is incredible anyway, but the illustrations make it even more of a delight.
2704155
A short, rhyming story, this would make an excellent read-aloud for younger kids. Duck is sitting in his living room on a rainy day when a drop of water drips into his tea cup. He immediately launches into "Fix-It Duck" mode, setting out to repair the roof. But he doesn't have a ladder, so he sets out to borrow one from his friend Sheep. Sheep mentions that the window in his own roof (Sheep lives in a camper) leaks, and Fix-It Duck is on the job again. The reader rapidly figures out that Fix-It Duck, while well-intentioned, is an uncoordinated and accident-prone menace. But the thing about Duck is that he never gives up when things don't go as planned. He just makes a new plan, and keeps on going. For example, here's when he "fixes" Sheep's window:

He does what he can to close up the gap.

He glues it, screws it and gives it a tap.

(SMASH - picture of broken window)

"The problem," says Duck, "is your glass is too thin."

"My house," wails Sheep. "The rain's coming in!"

"What we need," says Duck, with a glint in his eye,

"is to pull your house to somewhere dry."

And things get more out of control from there, with an added, funny twist revealed at the end.

I found the text in this book quite catchy. It reads like a song. I was making lunch immediately after reading it, and kept hearing "This is a job for ... Fix-It Duck" repeating in my head, in a cheerful sort of way. The illustrations are exuberant and whimsical, with enough attention to detail to reward repeat readings. For instance, the amiable Duck drinks his tea out of a smiley-face mug, while the house-proud Sheep has a vase of colorful flowers in his window, and serves tea in flower-printed mugs. Duck also has a "DUCK1" vanity plate on his car, and a little duck-shaped hood ornament. Mostly, though, what comes across from the deft illustrations are the personalities of the characters, cheerfully clueless Duck, justifiably nervous Sheep, wary Goat, and shy little Frog, who makes an appearance in the end.

The board book edition is sturdy, but in a larger format, with thinner pages, than  many board books. It's an excellent addition to the set of available board book titles. The colors are bright (despite the rain falling on every page), and I expect the book to hold up well to repeat readings. This book is sure to be a hit with the early pre-school crowd. Personally, I'll be keeping an eye out for Duck's other adventures.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on March 12, 2007.
4958221
The author and illustrator demonstrate a wicked sense of humour and with minimal French the reader can't help but chuckle at the translations of common French expressions
3153100
This really is a lovely little book to enjoy with the children. The author is a very talented illustrator and the simple message this book gives to you is complemented really well by the quirky and funny pictures. I'd recommend anybody gives this book a chance, I certainly wasn't disappointed.