PICTURE BOOK: Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson

A bear gets lost and wanders into the big city. Looking for a quiet place to rest and regroup, he wanders into a penthouse where he looks for some "just right" porridge, a "just right" chair and a "just right" spot to nap. When the family comes home, the bear and the mom recognize one another from a long ago adventure when the roles were reversed.

Such a cute twist on the classic Goldilocks story. I can't wait to read this one to my students. It is a treat! I'm thinking about pairing it with Children Make Terrible Pets or Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs for reading time in the library.

5 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 3.5

TIGER TALES: Limelight Larry by Leigh Hodgkinson

This is the last of my fall reviews of books from Tiger Tales. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have!




Handsome peacock, Larry, is so enamored by his own fantasticness, he thinks this book should only be about him. In fact, he is so amazing, he thinks there should be more books about him. But Larry is not alone in this book. First a mouse, then a bird and then other critters want to see what all this book business is about. Larry just wants to be left alone to enjoy the limelight. Once he is alone, however, Larry finds it's awfully spooky. Maybe it would be all right if everyone else joined him after all.




When I get review books from Tiger Tales, they come in a large box. My son and I usually scoop up the box and race to the table to open it and look at our new treasures. When I saw the cover of this one, I squealed out loud and yanked it out of the pile to read first. I love peacocks, and the illustrations and foil print are amazing. In fact, there is a full page spread in the book of Larry and all his feathers done in foil that is glorious! Illustrations aside, the story is a fun way to open discussion about selfishness and sharing. The tone reminds me a little of another favorite of mine, Chester by Melanie Watt.

3.5 out of 5 stars


Thanks, as always, to Tiger Tales for these and many other great books for kids!

MONDAY: Boris and the Wrong Shadow

Boris wakes up from a nap feeling as if something just isn't right. Boris' shadow is gone and has been replaced by the shadow of a mouse! No one takes Boris seriously with that little mousy shadow. So he starts stalking around to find his shadow, and when he does, it is attached to Vincent the mouse. Can Boris get his shadow - and his old life - back?

Very cute story! The illustrations remind me of Lauren Childs' style in the Charlie and Lola books. I noticed at Amazon that Boris has another book - Boris and the Snoozebox. I will have to check that one out next. Boris is a treat!

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