Stephanie Morgan

Trains Coming Through! is another book that I would love to see optioned as a board book, especially because of the stated age range of 0-3 years. The pages appear to be a heavier weight of paper than I usually see in kid's books or it could possibly just feel different because they're not glossy. The illustrations are beautiful and captured my daughter's attention - especially the freight boxcar page.

This book is also more factual based than a book that rhymes - although the main rhyme which introduces the trains is now one of my daughter's favorite sayings. I know my daughter has learned more information about trains from this book - even I have. If your child loves trains this would be the perfect addition to their library.

Fun side story: after reading this book to my daughter we were going through our local town from my parent's house and she referred to the sugar beet factory as a train castle. Literally one of the cutest things!

Would I purchase this as a gift or for my own child? YES - especially if they're interested in trains (my daughter happens to LOVE trains).… (mais)

Although she had once been friends with her neighbor Mrs. Burke, an elderly woman who lived alone with her cat, Melissa allows herself to be convinced by neighborhood rumors and her new school friends that the older woman is a witch. Prompted by one of these friends, she leaves a mean note on Mrs. Burke's door, even though she knows it isn't right. Then three Care Bears from the land of Care-a-Lot - Love-a-Lot Bear, Birthday Bear and Funshine Bear - appear and help her to see that she has nothing to be frightened of, and that Mrs. Burke is a lonely person in need of friendship...

The Care Bears were immensely popular when I was a girl, and although I didn't have any, I definitely had friends who did. Each bear had a special task, something that would help children to be in better touch with their emotions, and to be more caring to one another, and that task was always represented by a little emblem on their bellies. In any case, there have also been Care Bear television shows, movies, and this line of picture-books, each one teaching some important lesson. The story here - an elderly woman is mistaken by local children for a witch - is an extremely common one, both in children's literature and in real childhood. I recall that the neighborhood children where I grew up spread similar rumors about ancient Mrs. Ogilvy, who lived in a massive, dark-wood-shingled house on my street. I think that this is both common and natural, the fear young children sometimes have of the very elderly, especially when they appear grumpy or unfriendly, and it is something that adult caregivers should be mindful of, and address in a reassuring way. Thankfully, I was never disrespectful or inconsiderate toward Mrs. Ogilvy, but I also don't recall being kind or neighborly.

In any case, I found the story here sweet, the message on point, and the artwork colorful and cute, in a distinctly 1980s cartoon style. This is not a book I would normally have picked up, as I have little real interest in the Care Bears, despite my recollection of them, but I found it on a list of witchy picture-books. In the end, it isn't so much a witchy tale as it is a story of intergenerational friendship, and the ability of love and kindness to drive out fear and prejudice. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories that address the fear of elderly neighbors.… (mais)