Tag: story book

Activity and Coloring Sheets, Children's Literature (Ages Birth - 7), Picture Books/Easy Books (Ages 3 and up) (Fiction), Reviews

Review: The Pumpkin Thief by Alice Hemming

BentenShisho

Hemming, Alice. (2026). The Pumpkin Thief. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.

*Downloadable activity sheet at the end of the post!

Buddies Bird and Squirrel plant a garden (well, maybe one a little more than the other), and after some impatience on the part of squirrel, five lovely little pumpkins grow, each different in their own way.

Squirrel is very smitten with the largest orange one. (I’m rather partial to those too, Squirrel!) But when Squirrel looks away for just a moment, he notices only four pumpkins remain…

…then three…

…then two…then one…and when he goes to tell Bird there is a pumpkin thief afoot, Bird is missing! OH NO!

So he packs up the last pumpkin and goes searching for clues to find Bird. He will not give up!

He finds holes made from a beak, and a feather, a swishy mark in the dirt and foot tracks! He draws a sketch of the culprit based on the clues he’s found but he is frantic. “Give. Bird. Back!” he says. “You can keep ALL the pumpkins…” And suddenly, there is bird on top of the last pumpkin. “Um, is everything ok, Squirrel?”

Squirrel finds out the truth behind the clues he misinterpreted, and the disappearing pumpkins But also, the fate of the final pumpkin he covets.

Super adorable book. This is the first in the series I have read, but there are more! Take a look. Good lessons to be had about making assumptions, not paying attention, but also, having good friends. Perfect for Fall.

Activity Sheets:

Original Source: Librarian and Educator Resources | Sourcebooks, LLC.

Pumpkin Thief Activity Sheets
Children's Literature (Ages Birth - 7), Picture Books/Easy Books (Ages 3 and up) (Fiction), Reviews

Review: Hap-pea Halloween by Keith Baker

BentenShisho

Baker, Keith. (2025). Hap-Pea Halloween. Beach Lane Book.

Keith Baker has a whole series of these “little pea” books. This one, of course, is Halloween themed. I actually really love his illustrations. I think they are creative, vivid, colorful, expressive, and full of silly, crazy detail.

The book content, I’m not super jazzed about. The entire book is just asking what/who will you be for Hallowee, and then gives you pages of suggestions with peas dressed as the suggestions.

Again, the illustrations are the stars here. The peas’ costumes are awesome and fun to point out with a little one.

It does mention, of course, that it is time to carve a jack-o-lantern.

And then you get to see what the carved jack-o-lanterns look like the peas’ town. Again, illustration is the star here. Then it goes back to asking about what you’re going to be for Halloween for a few more pages.

Then it shows the town, block by block and the little peas knocking on the doors trick-or-treating, which is, of course, colorful, fun, sweet and delightful. I particularly like the little werewolf pea in the middle and the moon in the back.

And this is the closing page.

So, not my favorite Halloween picture book. This one more has me lukewarm, but honestly, I liked it even more the second time I read it, while writing this, because I noticed more nuance and really appreciated the illustrations so much more. So, keep that in mind.

Recommended Ages: 3-5

Children's Literature (Ages Birth - 7), Picture Books/Easy Books (Ages 3 and up) (Fiction), Reviews

Review: My Abuela Is A Bruja by Mayra Cuevas

BentenShisho

Cuevas, Mayra. (2025). My Abuela Is A Bruja. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

This little girl is positive that her grandmother is a bruja (a witch).

“There is magic in everything she does. What is her secret? I want to know!” She is an island bruja living in a house on a hill where “the sky meets the ocean.” They take advantage of the island’s river and waterfalls on hot days and on cool days, the animals lead them into the forest’s magical spaces and sing them lullabies.She wants to be a bruja like her grandma.

Her abuela is a garden bruja. She grows all of the best and most amazing plants in Puerto Rico, and teaches her granddaughter how to dig in the earth with her bare hands, sowing and planting.

There’s even magic when abuela let’s her water their seeds with the hose. Check out that rainbow and the rainbow colored birds in its spray!

Abuela is a dancing bruja, dancing to and playing music with her granddaughter, swaying to the beat. Abuela is a kitchen bruja, combining plants and ingredients into delicious, magical dishes like sofrito and sugary delicious, flan, eaten on the porch in the cool evening.

She feels abuela’s bruja magic when she tucks her in, lights the candle and “prays I’ll have good dreams.” With forehead kisses she imparts the same magic that the little girl dreams of.

“Mija, you already have your own magic. It grows strong from deep roots in our land, nurtured by all the brujas that came before and will come after.“ You can see and imagine their power, all the women who came before her.

And as she falls asleep she, the brujita or “the little witch,” knows in her heart “Abuela’s magic will always be with me.”

I included a lot more quotes from the book than I typically do, just because there was no better way to say it or share what the book was trying to convey. It is beautiful, with Lorena Alvarez Gomez’s stunning jewel-toned illustrations creating island magic all their own, and Mayra Cuevas sweet, loving adoration in word form. She’s very much talking about her own grandma (Abuela) in Puerto Rico and recalling the magic of their time together. And I 100% believe her Abuela is a bruja, because she made the most powerful magic every day, with love, nature and intuition passing it along to future generations.

You’ll also find Abuela’s recipes for Sofrito and Flan in the back with a Spanish glossary and man did it make me miss my grandmothers.

Perfecto.

Recommended Ages:3-7

Children's Literature (Ages Birth - 7), Picture Books/Easy Books (Ages 3 and up) (Fiction), Reviews

Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky by Jory John

BentenShisho

John, Jory. (2021). The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Mr. Seed is in a bad mood with a bad attitude. Halloween is his favorite holiday, but he just can’t find a costume good enough! The ones he has tried just won’t work out and he’s afraid of being underdressed.

In fact, he is so obsessed with the thought that everyone will out dress him that he is willing to take drastic measures.

He tells everyone that Halloween has been cancelled until tomorrow, due to a storm…and squirrels? He figures this will give him more time! Ha ha! He succeeded. Or did he?

Pumpkin seeds walks up to him and reminds him that it isn’t about the costumes. They don’t have to be fancy. They can be simple and still great, but it’s not even about that. It’s about celebrating autumn, and friends, and spending time together.

And suddenly, Mr. Seed isn’t so sure he has succeeded after all. He must fix his mistake! He gathers everyone together again and tells them, false alarm! Halloween is back on! Continue with the trick-or-treating. Everyone is so relieved. Mr. Seed goes back home and decides he’s going to take some paper bags and figre out his costume then go have fun! No squirrels here folks!

Or are there? 😉

Super cute. Happy for Mr. Seed. Another good title in this series, and excellent illustrations by Pete Oswald, as always.I love the message. It isn’t about the money, or the cost. It is about enjoying nature and each other. Don’t over complicate it.

Recommended Ages: 3-7

Children's Literature (Ages Birth - 7), Picture Books/Easy Books (Ages 3 and up) (Fiction), Reviews

Review: Bats at the Library by Brian Lies

BentenShisho

Lies, Brian. (2008). Bats at the Library. Houghton Mifflin Co.

While the night might be beautiful and dark, it’s same old same old for the neighborhood bats. They are begging for something different. Lucky for them, they realize that someone at the library has left the window open. It’s bat night at the library!

They fly and follow the warm light through the open window, to their delight. Some read books about food, other enjoy the soft lighting. Some make use of the water fountain and others lose themself in storytime, letting their imaginations soar into other worlds.

Before long, they realize they’ve lost track of time, enjoying the library and all it has to offer. The sun is coming up. It is time to fly! But they hope, another night, the librarian will leave the window open again so that they can once again visit…

…and fill their, and their children’s minds with all sorts of adventures, through the night.

Beautiful and love book, Brian Lies! My favorite is the bat with the glasses, and the pictures of what their imaginations see when they are listening to the stories they are exploring. The illustrations are beautiful. Most of the rhymes are strong. It’s a very sweet, wholesome book. I hope the bats can visit the library again (they do have other adventures as this is part of a series!), I just don’t want them in mine. 😉 Books and guano don’t mix.

Recommended Ages: 3-6