Review: The Nutcracker by words&pictures

 The Nutcracker
by words&pictures; illustrated by Cynthia Alonso

Series: Step Into...
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – words & pictures
Publication date: November 17, 2020
Available as: board book
Pages: 12
Suggested tags: baby & toddler, Christmas, classics



From the publisher:

"Step inside the classic story of The Nutcracker. With gentle, engaging text, beautiful illustrations, die cut and layered pages, all of which encourage the reader to interact with the book and turn each page to delight in the increasingly expansive spreads."

I love reading Nutcracker retellings. It's just such a classic, dreamy story and I love seeing how different authors and illustrators choose to interpret it. This version is kind of a simplified, modernized Nutcracker, and it's super cute! 

This board book is formed from die-cut pages, giving you just a peek of each page visible from the front of the book. As you turn each page, a bit more of the story is revealed.

This version also feels very fresh and contemporary. The illustrations are simple yet beautiful with vibrant colors. Marie (aka: Clara) wears two-piece rainbow-print PJs instead of a frilly dress, something that many little readers themselves might be wearing while they read this. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her dancers add some diversity to the story.
The story is condensed and there is only a sentence or two on each page, which I think is perfect for a board book audience. It's a quick introduction to The Nutcracker to get little ones familiar with and interested in the story. I think the mix of the artwork, the simple text, and the die-cut pages will definitely make this a hit with tiny readers! 


Final verdict: I loved it! I thought this book was great! I might buy it for myself and I would definitely recommend it to others.

{ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy.
My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; 

your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }

Review: A Is for Artichoke by America's Test Kitchen Kids

A Is for Artichoke: A Foodie Alphabet from Artichoke to Zest
by America's Test Kitchen Kids; illustrated by Maddie Frost

Available as: board book
Pages: 26
Publisher: Sourcebooks Explore
Publication date: October 16, 2018
Suggested tags: board book, alphabet, food


From Goodreads:

"The perfect book for your little future foodie―straight from the experts at America's Test Kitchen!

This is so much more than an alphabet book! From artichokes to ganache and from oven to zest, this is a whimsical and informative introduction to words and kitchen concepts. Future chefs and food fans of all ages will delight in reading about everything kitchen-related! Three levels of learning means this book will grow with your little one from foodie basics to kitchen confidence! No other board book features ABCs and food in this way―and no other board book features the expertise of the cooks at America's Test Kitchen!"

What an adorable board book for foodie babies and their parents! The illustrations are adorable – smiley little vegetables strolling with their baby vegetables, caramelized onions sunbathing, the Umami Express bus (heading nonstop to Flavor Town, I can only assume)… It’s literally too precious for words.

I love that this can be used with various ages: it starts with the standard “[letter] is for [word],” then includes a one-sentence explanation of the word, and then has a whole paragraph below that to explain the concept more fully to older readers.

I don’t even like cooking all that much and this book makes it so appealing that I want to drop everything and go to cooking school. The concepts covered include foods, cooking tools, appliances, methods of cooking, and more. It’s a great primer on all things food, and it would make an adorable gift for expectant parents who love cooking and want to introduce that love to their tiny foodie-to-be.

Final verdict: I loved it! I thought this book was great! I might buy it for myself and I would definitely recommend it to others.

{ Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for providing me with a review copy.
My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; 

your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }

{ Let's Read About ... } Food

Here's a reading list I put together that's all about one of my favorite things... FOOD! I tried to keep this one strictly about food itself: eating, types of food, where food comes from, etc. I'm planning other lists for cooking, baking, and other great food-related stuff! (And this was HARD, y'all. Evvvverything is about cooking or baking competitions! But we'll get there soon...) For now, hope you enjoy the list and bon appétit!

{ Board Books } 

{ Picture Books }

{ Beginning Readers }

{ Chapter Books }

{ Middle Grade }

{ Young Adult }

And be sure to check out these booklists for more great books about food:

• This list from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art of books about food and farms for ages 0-8.
• This list from Kitchen Concoctions of children's books about food, broken down into sections like "books made into movies" and "books about picky eaters".
• This list from Publishers Weekly of books "food-infused fiction for kids".
• Also this hilarious article from Paper Fury entitled "10 Reasons YA Books Should Mention Food".

{ Let's Read About ... } The 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! To celebrate the day, I'm sharing some patriotic board books and picture books that I've discovered, and some booklists I've found around the web to lead you to more great books about America's Independence Day. If you're celebrating the 4th, I hope you have a happy and safe holiday!

{ Board Books } 

{ Picture Books }

And be sure to check out these booklists for more great books about the 4th of July:

• This list from Reading Rockets of books to celebrate America for ages 0-9.
• This list from Pragmatic Mom of diverse picture books for the 4th of July.
• This list from A Mighty Girl of books about patriotic girls and women, both fiction and nonfiction.

{ Let's Read About ... } Books with "summer" in the title

This week on my blog, I'm highlighting books about summer!

Today I'm getting literal and sharing books with the word "summer" in the title! Here are some summery books I've discovered, and some booklists I've found around the web to lead you to more great books about summer for all ages!

{ Board Books } 

{ Picture Books }

{ Middle Grade Books }

{ Young Adult Books }

And be sure to check out these booklists for more great books about summer:

• This list from Brightly of "summery board books for babies and toddlers."
• This list from We Are Teachers of 17 picture books about summer.
• This list from B&N Kids Blog of 5 "wacky" books about summer break.
• This list from Epic Reads of new YA books released for summer 2019.