74 Vegbooks reviews by Homa Woodrum.
We received Achoo! Why Pollen Counts as a free review copy at our house, and my kids, age 5 and 7, could not wait to read it. I didn’t pre-read it, we simply sat down and dived right in. Though I’ve reviewed books…
Tags: AdaptationsAllergiesBearsBeesEarly ElementaryHoma WoodrumHuman BodyImmune SystemPlantsPollinationShennen BersaniSpiders
“Zootopia” loosely means “animal place” and in Disney’s new movie it refers to a sprawling metropolis with multiple climates/areas where mammals (both predators and prey) co-exist. Judy, as a young bunny in a farm…
Tags: DisneyEarly ElementaryFamily FilmsFemale ProtagonistHoma WoodrumInterspecies FriendshipOlder ElementaryPredatorsShakiraWild Animals
When I received a publisher’s review copy of Ben Hatke’s hardcover graphic novel Little Robot, it was first on the list to read that night at bedtime with my almost 5- and 7-year-olds. The artwork is beautiful, much…
Tags: Ben HatkeFriendshipGood for ToddlersGraphic NovelsHoma WoodrumRobots
I received a publisher’s review copy of Gryphons Aren’t So Great and my mother-in-law remarked at the spelling in the title so I looked into it. Griffin and grphyon seem to be variants meant to describe the same…
Tags: Alexis Frederick-FrostAndrew ArnoldEarly ElementaryGraphic NovelsHoma WoodrumJames SturmMythical CreaturesPreschoolers
I saw “Cinderella” with my 4-1/2 and 6-1/2-year-old yesterday and it was a non-musical slightly modern twist on the Disney cartoon of yore. I wanted to write about the movie for Vegbooks because it had some animal…
Tags: AnimalsCate BlanchettDerek JacobiFemale ProtagonistHoma WoodrumHuntingKenneth BranaghPrincess
I received A Penguin Named Patience from Sleeping Bear Press as a review copy. I’ve never seen a picture book that ties in with Hurricane Katrina and it must be a sign that I’m getting older when books are made to…
Tags: Captive WildlifeEarly ElementaryHoma WoodrumHurricane KatrinaLisa AnchinPenguinsPicture BookSuzanne Lewis
I put Planet Kindergarten on our library reservation list as soon as I knew it had been released because we love Sue Ganz-Schmitt’s book, The Princess and the Peanut: A Royally Allergic Fairytale (I reviewed it…
Tags: Homa WoodrumHumorIllustrationKindergartenPicture BooksPreschoolersShane PrigmoreSue Ganz-Schmitt
I bought this book during an author meet-and-greet with April Runge in late 2013, and though I had read about Gordy and the Magic Diet by Kim Diersen & April Runge (illustrated by Carrie Hartman), I had been…
Tags: April RungeCarrie HartmanEarly ElementaryFood AllergiesHoma WoodrumKim DiersenPreschoolers
I’ve been reviewing for Vegbooks for over three years so I’ve seen a fair share of standard books – ABC books (All the Asleep Animals, Click, Clack, ABC,and Letters of the West) and song books (Jo MacDonald Had a…
Tags: Alexander PetersenAnimal TracksAnimalsCountingHoma WoodrumNaturePreschoolersSteve Engel
I received a review copy of Letters of the West: An ABC Book of the Many Plants, Animals, and Other Curious Features of the West from the publisher just after we returned from a road trip that took us alone the…
Tags: AlphabetAnimalsEarly ElementaryHoma WoodrumNatureNature BooksPlantsPreschoolersUnited StatesWild AnimalsWildlife
This book has the makings of a hit – I read through my review copy of Julia’s House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke and everything just suits the book so well. The illustrations, the colors, and the titular Julia…
Tags: Ben HatkeEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistGraphic NovelsHoma WoodrumKindnessKindness to Animals
Vegbooks readers will rejoice that The Zoo Box by Ariel Cohn and Aron Nels Steinke gets kids thinking about what it would mean to be on the other side of a zoo exhibit without being preachy or making conclusions on…
Tags: Ariel CohnAron Nels SteinkeCaptive WildlifeEarly ElementaryGraphic NovelsHoma WoodrumPreschoolersWild AnimalsWild Animals in CaptivityZoos
I love this book. We got it from the library and though it is wordless, it has a fantastic message and beautiful illustrations. I enjoyed Mark Pett’s last book, The Boy and the Airplane, but this book (Amazon…
Tags: BicyclesEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistHoma WoodrumMark PettPreschoolersSavingWordless BooksWorking
If you are looking for new options for your little ones, I highly recommend “Peep and the Big Wide World,” available on PBS, Netflix, and Hulu Plus. Each episode includes a mix of animation and real life stories all…
Though billed as the fifth book in the “Hazel Ridge Farm” series, I Love You Just Enough is a great standalone picture book. Written by a husband and wife team, Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen (words) and Gijsbert van…
Tags: DucksFemale ProtagonistGijsbert van FrankenhuyzenHoma WoodrumIllustrationPicture BooksPreschoolersRobbyn Smith van FrankenhuyzenWildlifeWildlife Books for KidsWildlife Rehabilitation
Written in the present tense with a graphic novel style, Sleep Tight, Anna Banana by Dominique Roques and illustrated by Alexis Dormal is the first picture book from publisher First Second Books and the first of a…
Tags: Alexis DormalBedtimeDominique RoquesGood for ToddlersHoma WoodrumMark SiegelPicture BooksPreschoolers
Historically inspired children’s books shine, I think, when they don’t try to take on too much of an era or answer all questions because they can spark an interest in further investigation on the part of the reader.…
Tags: Black History MonthEarly ElementaryEugene WaltonHistoryHoma WoodrumIllustrationPhilip ReidR. Gregory ChristieSlaverySteven Sellers LaphamWashington D.C.
I have friends that I can’t trust for movie reviews because they love everything —which is great when you need a movie buddy! I am usually more selective, but when something I am a fan of hits the big screen my…
Tags: Building BlocksFamily MoviesHoma WoodrumLegosRole of WomenWill ArnettWill Ferrell
I received an advance review copy of “In a Heartbeat” by Laura Doherty and have played it several times for my children (ages 3 and 5) since. Ms. Doherty’s voice is lovely and the accompaniment, though sparing, makes…
I was able to review a free pdf copy of Patty’s Secret for the purposes of reviewing it for Vegbooks. Written by Leneille Moon and illustrated by Brandon Fall, the titular Patty tries to pretend that she doesn’t have…
Tags: Brandon FallEarly ElementaryFood AllergiesHoma WoodrumLeneille MoonVegan Author
I received a review copy of the latest adventure featuring Bronto recently, to the delight of my children who really enjoyed Bronto & the Pterodactyl Eggs. Charlotte Vivian Rodenberg not only brings Bronto the…
Tags: Charlotte Vivian RodenbergDinosaursEarly ElementaryHoma Woodrum
I picked up this book (Amazon affiliate link) from the new arrivals shelf at our local library and thought it would be a good one to share on Vegbooks because the premise of a young girl taking a ladybug and making…
Tags: Anna BranfordChapter BooksDeathEarly ElementaryElanna AllenFemale ProtagonistHoma WoodrumInsectsRead AloudSeriesViolet Mackerel
I’m rhapsodizing about graphic novels again but if you’ve read the works I’ve reviewed previously for Vegbooks, you’ve (I hope) fallen in love with Owly and Hilda as our family has. You will also love Rayburn, the…
Tags: Early ElementaryFantasyGraphic NovelsHoma WoodrumMonstersOlder ElementaryRob Harrell
In the age of buying songs piecemeal, there’s still something satisfying about listening to an album all the way though. I was lucky to receive an advance review copy CD of Frances England’s “Blink of an Eye” a while…
Tags: BirdsEarly ElementaryFrances EnglandGood for ToddlersHoma WoodrumMusicPreschoolers