The Big Fat Cow that Goes Kapow by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton

This beginning reader features ten very short stories that are silly, raucous and great fun.  The book starts with a story where it is raining big fat cows, then tells the stories of Noel the Mole, Klaus the Mouse, and Willy the Worm.  The fun continues with human protagonists who ride bikes with spikes and wear lots of hats all at once.  All of the stories are told with only a few words, allowing the illustrations to carry a lot of the humor.  An ideal read for children who are reluctant to start reading, thanks to the humor that will keep the pages turning.

Griffiths has a great feel for comedy, offering surprising twists and turns in only a few words.  His writing has a similar feel to Dr. Seuss’ Ten Apples Up on Top in its brevity and rhyming.  Denton’s illustrations have a great frenzied feel.  They are filled with motion and wild characters.  I for one cannot resist a book where cows explode and udders go flying across the page.  Must be a Wisconsin thing. 

This is sure to find an eager audience among beginning readers who are looking for modern humor and silliness.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by Becky at Young Readers.

Brownie & Pearl Step Out by Cynthia Rylant, illustrations by Brian Biggs

In this simple, charming story, Rylant explores shyness.  Brownie, the little girl, and Pearl, her cat, are going to a birthday party that cats are invited to too.  Once they are at the door to the party, Brownie starts to feel shy about knocking.  Pearl, though, is not shy at all and enters the house by the cat door, forcing Brownie to have to knock and join the party.  By the end of the party, full of cake and ice cream and having played lots of games, Brownie is very happy to have come. 

Rylant has created the first in another charming pairing.  This book is for even younger readers than Henry and Mudge or Mr. Potter and Tabby.  The vocabulary is kept limited and there are at most two short sentences on each page, usually as short as four words.  Despite these limitations, Rylant has created a charming protagonist.  Biggs’ illustrations are done digitally and have a nice warmth to them.  The illustrations are simple and friendly for young readers. 

Highly recommended, every library needs a copy of this first in Rylant’s new series.  I can’t wait to see what adventures Brownie and Pearl head on next.  Appropriate for new readers of any age, approximately ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

A Birthday for Bear by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton

The creators of A Visitor for Bear return with an easy reader featuring Mouse and Bear!  It is Bear’s birthday, but Bear is much to busy to celebrate.  Bear does not like birthdays.  He doesn’t like parties, balloons, cakes or presents.  But Mouse has different ideas about how Bear should spend his birthday, and they don’t include scrubbing the house from top to bottom.  Mouse tries again and again to get Bear into a birthday mood and in the end you know he will win!

This easy reader retains the feel of the original with great humor and charm.  Becker’s writing does not feel constrained by the new format at all.  She embraces the limitations of an easy reader and turns out a delightful tale.  The illustrations are still soft-hued and domestic, a great foil for the silliness of Mouse.  This is a great odd couple for the younger set.

Highly recommended, this is an easy reader that should be in every library collection.  It is a great easy reader, but an equally good read aloud.  Appropriate for ages 4-7. 

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by BooksTogether.

Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen.

Is that the scent of butter in the air?  No!  It must be a new Mercy Watson book!

Finding that there is a movie called When Pigs Fly playing at the Bijou, the Watsons set out to the movies.  Mercy is pleased to hear that they serve real butter at the Bijou!  On their way, they meet up with many familiar characters from the series who join them:  Eugenia and Baby Lincoln, Stella and Frank.  Once they reach the drive-in, readers will happily recognize more characters, all of whom enter the fray as Mercy disrupts the drive-in as only a butter-loving pig can.

If you are a Mercy Watson fan, you must pick up this latest one.  If you have not yet enjoyed the buttery wonder of Mercy, don’t start with this title.  Head to the first book and enjoy them one by one.  Note: it is impossible to not want to read them by the bucketful, but try to show some restraint and not pig out.  Van Dusen’s illustrations are colorful, lively and wonderfully manic when called for.  His tiny touches of buttery toast behind each page number make for a complete package of a book that one can simply sink into with a joyous sigh.  This world of pigs, butter and fun is one that is always a pleasure to return to and linger in. 

A great read-aloud series that is also great fun.  I highly recommend it for young readers who are heading for chapter books but still enjoy illustrations to break up the text a bit.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Spill the Beans by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard

As a huge fan of the Mr. Putter and Tabby series with their gentle and very funny humor, I was delighted to see that there was a new entry in the series!  In this latest book, Mr. Putter and Tabby (his cat) join their friends Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke (her dog) on a new adventure, a cooking class.  To be specific, a cooking class that offers one hundred ways to cook beans.  At first the worry is that Tabby and Zeke won’t stay below the table, but the two animals are capable of causing plenty of trouble from right under there.

Rylant has a special gift for writing text at a beginning reader level that is not only accessible for new readers but also great fun to read aloud.  She writes in a way that belies the difficulty of a smaller vocabulary.  Howard’s art offers additional humor and great facial expressions from Tabby.  Both author and illustrator delight in naughtiness, making this ever so much more approachable for children because of it!

This entire series is highly recommended.  Fans of the series can rejoice in yet another book that meets the high standard of the series.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels by Jamie Michalak, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz

When Joe the Giraffe thinks he has won the grand prize in a contest he entered, he takes Sparky the turtle on a joyride in his brand new and very yellow car.  The fruit-covered hat in the front seat is seen as another prize, one definitely worth donning while driving.  The two have a series of great adventures from shopping at the mall to grabbing lunch at Tasty Burger.  Sparky would much rather just be home and safe in his pond while Joe is thrilled to be out and about on an adventure.  By the end of the story, the two are fast friends and both appreciate their differences.

Easy readers can be challenging.  Not the reading level, but the content.  It can so often fall flat.  This one, however, manages to set just the right tone of manic silliness and easy content.  The illustrations add to the zany fun, as the two animals careen around town merrily.  The bright colors will make the book very approachable for new readers.

Just the right mix of fun for young elementary readers, this is a good choice for easy reader shelves in both school and public libraries.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by PlanetEsme and Young Readers.