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More about Ellen

Hi there, I’m Ellen! Here you’ll find me reviewing books little ones love. I’ll do the searching, sifting, and summarizing for you. Simply follow Bellewood Cottage and when you see titles that sound perfect for you and your kids, just request them from your library or order online. Read More…

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bellewoodcottage

🌿 reviewing books little ones love
🌿a new picture book review (nearly) every day
🌿 blogging at bellewoodcottage.com

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🎿Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen🎿
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🎿“One winter morning at 6:53,⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Mr. Magee and his little dog, Dee,⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Woke to fresh snow and a beautiful sky⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And decided, “It’s time to give skiing a try!”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🎿Mr. Magee jumps in wholeheartedly (with his little dog Dee in a backpack behind him!) when he decides it’s time to learn how to ski. The story (all in rhyme that flows impeccably 👏👏) is wildly fun. If you’re reading this aloud to your kids, you too will undoubtedly be amused as you discover the escalating adventure on each page. A wonderfully funny and wholly creative book. I love it! This is the third book in the Mr. Magee series, and it was published in 2010…so it might be too much to hope that there are more Magee stories in the works, but they sure are fun!

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🌿 The Biggest Story ABC by Kevin DeYoung and Don Clark 🌿
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You know I’m excited about The Biggest Story by Kevin DeYoung (check my feed if you didn’t see it!), and this board book rendition is the perfect choice if you are reading to littles (1-3 years, per the publisher’s suggestion). The board book is the “ABC” version of the older kids’ hardcover. It tells the Biblical story of God in a compelling, yet simplified, way.
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🌿 The publisher notes the age range at 1-3, but some of the illustrations and vocabulary could be a little confusing for the youngest in that group. For instance, a pair of hands in chains illustrates the captivity of the Israelites, or the words “prophet”, or “messiah” for example could be unfamiliar. The book follows an “ABC” format, with one sentence per page. The featured letter (location in the sentence varies) is underlined in the text and emphasized in the graphic illustrations on the page. I love the straightforward storytelling and styling of this book to communicate truth to even the littlest in our homes!
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🌿Age range: 1-3. My rating: 5/5.

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👏 THIS. 👏
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🌿 This, my friends, is why reading a book to your child for the 173rd time sometimes feels absolutely IMPOSSIBLE.
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🌿 Because, maybe, just maybe, that book wasn't so great to begin with? I will totally allow that any book read that many times to a single-minded toddler is probably going to be monotonous to the adult reader. But, I truly believe that GOOD BOOKS are enjoyed by all ages. Yes, even through repetitive readings. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌿This is why you see grown women still obsessed with a series that starts with an eleven-year-old Anne (Anne of Green Gables). Or why The Chronicles of Narnia still holds truth and unseen treasure even after years of re-reads. Or why it's much easier to read Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes (Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury) with your baby every night than it is to read a character book detailing the woes of the latest Disney princess, or what have you. 🤷
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🌿 Good stories + excellent writing + skilled illustrations = wonderful picture books. Find more of those books for your kids and I can guarantee that reading aloud will be a lot more fun. That's why I'm loving sharing all these books on my feed (and trust me, I'm just getting started)...because I daily experience this truth as I read aloud with my little one. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌿 Good books are worth it. I would love to hear if you have any favorites you've read with your kids lately!

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❄️ Small Walt and Mo the Tow by Elizabeth Verdick, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal ❄️ On Friday I shared Small Walt, and today I’m sharing the sequel. Small Walt and Mo the Tow brings the same story-telling and retro-style illustrations of the prior book and it’s a wonderful pick for winter reading. When a car slides off into the ditch on a snowy day Small Walt and Mo the Tow (together with their drivers, Gus and Sue) must attempt a rescue. Plenty of “varroooomms”, rumble-grumbles, and engine humming to keep things exciting as you read-aloud. Ages: 4-8. Rating: 5/5.

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❄️ Small Walt by Elizabeth Verdick, Illustrated by Marc Rosenthal ❄️
If you have little ones in your home that rush to the windows when a snowplow is near, well, this book is for you! The story is about Walt, the city’s smallest snowplow. It's a picture book filled with engine humming, sound effects, and of course, plowing miles of snow. Walt’s dilemma is thus: he is consistently underestimated because of his small size. When Gus, a driver, gives him a chance to plow with all his might, Walt is determined to show everyone he is up for the challenge. Snowplow aficionados (especially in the 3+ age range) will enjoy the story that ensues. The retro-style illustrations (that recall Virginia Lee Burton’s classic, Katy and the Big Snow) are my favorite part. Visit my stories for a closer look! Ages 4-8. Rating 5/5.

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🐧Where Is Home, Little Pip? By Karma Wilson, Illustrated by Jane Chapman.🐧 In Where Is Home, Little Pip?, we meet a small baby penguin named Little Pip. Her days are filled with cheerful play and her nights closed with a sweet song her parents sing with her. A rhyming song that declares home is “...where Mama and Papa and Pip makes three.” Aw! But when Pip sees a feather glittering against the white ice of the Antarctic, she can’t resist. Chasing the feather across the ice and snow, she finally catches it. Only to discover…she has no idea how to find home again. As she struggles to find her parents, she encounters other animals, beginning with a blue whale, who try to help her. First, the blue whale explains in her own song that “home is under the oceans deep…where my babies and I swim and leap.” But Pip knows that isn’t her home. She meets with more disappointment (and more songs!) until she begins to sing the song that Mama and Papa have taught her. It’s the turning point, and she soon discovers that home might just have found her.

From the author/illustrator team that created Bear Snores On, you won't want to miss this wintery story. Filled with rhyming song and onomatopoeia this book is well-suited to reading aloud and a heartwarming choice for bedtime. Ages 4-8. My rating 5/5. 🐧 Also look for What’s in the Egg, Little Pip and Don’t Be Afraid, Little Pip. 🐧

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❄️ The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats ❄️ This book, published in 1962, is one of the classics. A must-own really. Keats won a Caldecott Award for the incredible artwork he created in this winter tale. His story is about Peter, a small boy who experiences the wonder of the first snow. In 1962, his book, with young Peter the star, broke the color barrier present in the world of picture books. In his Caldecott acceptance speech, Keats is quoted as saying, “I can honestly say that Peter came into being because we wanted him; and I hope that, as the Scriptures say, ”a little child shall lead them,” and that he will show in his own way the wisdom of a pure heart.” From the very first pages where Peter makes tracks in the snow, first “like this”, then “like that”, to later on when he brings a snowball indoors with him to savor the snow (and is a bit confused when he can’t find it later!), children will recognize and relate to the wonder that a world covered in snow brings. It’s a delightful story and a piece of history that deserves a place on your reading shelf. For younger babies that still enjoy shorter board books, it can also work as a “wordless” book where you might simply point out different features/colors/objects on each page. The bright colors and high contrast art Keats created will easily engage little ones. This is one of our favorite winter reads. Age range: 2-5 years (but you can try it with any age). My rating: 5/5. Also look for the other books Keats wrote about Peter, such as Peter's Chair and Whistle for Willie. ❤️

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❄️ Mrs. Toggle’s Zipper by Robin Pulver, Illustrated by R.W. Alley ❄️ When I mentioned to my mom that I planned to start featuring kids’ books on my blog/Instagram, we started reminiscing about all the favorites we remembered reading together. Mrs. Toggle’s Zipper was one of the titles we exclaimed over. Yes, yes! I remember Mrs. Toggle! I quickly hopped on Amazon to find a new copy and sadly it looks like this book is out of print. However, you can still snag a used copy for a reasonable price.
The book kicks off with some explanatory text to set the scene and then dives right into the problem. Mrs. Toggle, a schoolteacher, has not yet removed her coat. The ensuing battle to un-stick her zipper is rather amusing. After the opening paragraphs, there is plenty of dialogue with her young students to keep listeners entertained. First her students attempt a collective effort to forcefully pull the zipper open. When that fails to solve the problem, a trip to the nurse’s office seems like the next logical step. The principal even gets involved, to no avail. Finally, it’s the wise and handy custodian who discovers the answer to the perplexing problem. Age range: 3+ My rating: 4/5.

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