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The Police Cloud
by Christoph Niemann
Reviewed by Bri Ahearn, Bri Meets Books
The Police Cloud is a charming picture book with a solid message for toddlers. The title character, a cloud,
dreams of finding a place in the city he lives above. His ultimate dream is to be a police officer. The police chief
agrees to let the cloud be a police officer, but the cloud soon learns the job might not be a perfect fit for him. He tries to
catch criminals, only to have them slip away! However, soon the little cloud finds where he truly belongs.
The illustrations really capture the reader. Whimsical and with a Seussian palette, Christoph Niemann's art imagines a
fun world any toddler would delight in visiting. The sky awash with brilliant blues, the city alive with red and orange, the
book is a visual treat. With talking buildings, and cheerful clouds, The Police Cloud is a winning and colorful
addition to a child's bookshelf.
Alligator Boy
by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Diane Goode
Reviewed by Jill Chesler
Alligator Boy, by Cynthia Rylant and Diane Goode, is a very funny book about a boy who was "tired of being a boy"
and decided to be an alligator. His aunt sends him an alligator costume and the fun begins! The rhyming text is whimsically
illustrated and the reader can't wait to see what will happen on the next page. The book is appropriate for 3-6 year olds,
who will be able to tell the story from the pictures before they are able to actually read the text. "He found his dear
dad and told him the story of being a lizard, no longer a boy. 'I hope you still like me,' the small gator said. Dad
nodded and patted the reptile's green head."
Second graders will be amused by the illustrations and enjoy reading the rhymes. It is easy to understand why the authors
have won awards for books they have written and illustrated. I would have loved reading this book to the children in my
class.
Kid Tea
by Elizabeth Ficocelli, Illustrated by Glin Dibley
Reviewed by Katherine Herold
Kid Tea is a creative and fun story about the joys of both (a) getting dirty and (b) washing up after doing so.
The children in the story become dirty in various ways (such as painting) and then take baths to clean-up. The fun arises
when the bath water turns the same color as the mess on the kids (e.g., yellow water after using yellow paint). The
children in the book refer to this colored water as kid tea, and appear delighted to find out what effect their mess will
have on the color of the water. Parents of those children who love to get dirty but hate taking baths might even be able to
use this book as a tool to illustrate the fun of bath time. (Or perhaps that's wishful thinking!)
The one drawback of this book is that the author draws upon some tired gender stereotypes to construct her story. The young
girl needs a bath after playing with her mom's lipstick, while the boy needs a bath after playing football. Despite these
clichés that may annoy the parent reader, the engaging story and delightful illustrations by Glin Dibley are sure to hold
the attention of the young child…and perhaps make her want to take a bath or two.
Books Reviewed:
The Police Cloud, by Christoph Niemann. Schwartz & Wade, 2007. ISBN: 0-3758-3963-1.
Alligator Boy, by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Diane Goode. Harcourt Children's Books, 2007.
ISBN: 0-1520-6092-8.
Kid Tea, by Elizabeth Ficocelli, illustrated by Glin Dibley. Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2007.
ISBN: 0-7614-5333-4.
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