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Whatever Wanda Wanted – Jude Wisdom

In “Whatever Wanda Wanted,” we learn the sad truth of what can happen when a child is overindulged. Wanda’s parents were both very busy people, and so from the moment she was born, they decided that whatever she wanted, they would get it for her. Life is too short to say no or to compromise. From the tiniest quirk of her little finger to the angriest bellows of her cries, Wanda the baby got her way every minute, and so did Wanda the toddler. By the time Wanda entered school, she was a regular menace, and she wasn’t very nice … Continue reading →

Squirrel Park – Lisa Campbell Ernst

Chuck and Stuart are best friends. They have so much in common – they like nuts, and they like to collect leaves. They love climbing trees, especially the oak in the center of town. A lot of people think it’s weird that they are friends – did I mention that Chuck is a squirrel and Stuart is a boy? I didn’t? Well, maybe you think it’s strange too. Well, back to that old oak tree. Chuck lives there and has all his life. It’s the perfect home for him. But as the town has grown, the trees all around the … Continue reading →

Loretta: Ace Pinky Scout – Keith Graves

Loretta was an absolutely perfect Pinky Scout, just like all the women in the family before her. A gallery of portraits hung in her home, each showing an ancestral perfect Pinky scout. Her Gran was the most perfect of them all, and Loretta wanted to be like her in every way. She worked extra hard to keep her uniform spotless, and her tea parties were exquisite. Her dental hygiene was beyond compare, and she had the Pinky Scout manual memorized. She could lift weights, and every single Thursday, she saved the world. She had every badge you could earn, except … Continue reading →

Hannah and the Seven Dresses – Marthe Jocelyn

I’m fascinated by the many different mediums children’s book illustrators use as they create pictures. In “Hannah and the Seven Dresses,” we see a clever way to show texture and color – the author, who is also the illustrator, made cloth collages and used them for the pictures. This is perfectly suited to the story, as the story is about clothes. Hannah sometimes has a hard time making decisions. You see, she has a closet full of lovely dresses, which she loves to wear, but it can be very hard to decide what dress to wear on what day. All … Continue reading →

The Toughest Cowboy (or, How the Wild West was Tamed) – John Frank

A former Children’s Book-of-the-Month Club main selection, “The Toughest Cowboy” tells us the story of Grizz Brickbottom, the toughest cowboy to ever ride a range. He drank a bottle of Tabasco sauce every day and flossed his teeth with barbed wire, that’s how tough he was. One night after a long day on the trail, Grizz decided he was lonely, and would like a dog. He told his compadres it was time to get some new company. They took exception to that – did he really think a dog was better than them? Well, a dog wouldn’t pick his nose, … Continue reading →