Hi everybody! Welcome to our Kids Book Review Library Haul post! This is where I give you quick and snappy reviews of our favorites from our weekly library haul. We read a LOT of children’s books from the library, so I don’t bother reviewing all the ones that were just mediocre. I like to keep things positive too, so books that I thought were terrible don’t usually make it into the list either… unless I just really want to rant about it for a while. Let us know in the comments which books were winners in YOUR library haul!

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#1 Red by Jan De Kinder
A little girl sees Tommy get embarrassed, and when he gets embarrassed, his cheeks get all red. She laughs and point it out to the other kids, and before she knows it, the whole class is laughing at Tommy and a boy named Paul is taking charge of the merciless teasing. When the squabble comes to blows, the teacher asks if anybody saw what happened. The girl is scared to be the only one in her class defending Tommy, but when she puts her hand up, her classmates back her up, and Paul gets in trouble.
This is a good one for reiterating–especially to timid children–that they don’t have to sit there and watch/let people be mean. I’ve been a little anxious about this topic for a while–specifically about how I can encourage my Sophiapea to stand up for herself–and I think this book was a perfect accessory to that end.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

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#2. Mr. Brown can Moo! Can you? by Dr. Suess

This one is an oldy but a goody. I imagine most people have read/seen Mr. Brown Can MOO! but it deserves mention on the off chance that some have not. It is a self-described ‘Book of Wonderful Noises’ and it really goes beyond the ordinary animal noises. Along with the tradition “MOO” your kids are going to be ticking, tocking, eeking, and boom-boom-booming for days. Definitely a fun one for all ages!

We love it: 5 out of 5 stars

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#3. Flora and the Penguin by Molly Idle
Flora and the Penguin is a picture book in the strictest sense of the word. The story is told solely in pictures, with a few flaps that lift up for a different perspective. Sophiapea didn’t seem to notice or care. In fact, it was the first book she brought me to read this morning. The pictures are sweet, simple, and very expressive, and we didn’t have any problem coming up with a snappy little dialogue for Flora and her Penguin.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

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#4. Baby Bear Counts One by Ashley Wolff
Baby Bear is watching the animals around him eat and get ready for their long winter naps. He counts them all as he walks with his mother through the woods.
I liked this one because it served a dual purpose, in my mind at least, serving both as a counting practice and a little bit of a nature study. We counted all of the animals, and talked about why some animals go to sleep for the winter, and others migrate to avoid the bad weather.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

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#5. Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau by Andrea Beaty
Madame Chapeau makes beautiful, unique hats for each individual, but she is all alone. Until her birthday, that is, when through a series of surprising events, she is gifted with her own very special, one-of-a-kind hat, and makes some friends so that she never has to be lonely again.

This was a rhyming, rollicking story, with vibrant illustrations and lots of crazy hats. Sophia got a huge kick out of it, and had to stop to gawk over each and every different hat, so I’d say it served it’s purpose.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars.

***Affiliate Program Disclosure: I am not being paid to review these books, but if you do click on the picture and purchase any of these books through my Amazon link, I will receive a small kickback. It has no effect on the price you pay, but it does help me to run this website, so thanks! All of the book pictures are linked to Amazon. 🙂