Jeffrey Burton

Each page invites to sweet dreams, while flipping to the owls' favorite waking hours of day.

The stars are out, which means it's time for the little owl to rise out of its nest. Mother owls spends every moment with her little one as they go from one calm and sweet activity to the next. But at one point, the sun shows its first rays, and the little owl needs to return to the nest.

This is a bedtime read, which manages to flip the nocturnal clock of an owl while still remaining calming enough to ease into the last, sleepy moments. The little owl is full of life and enjoys every moment of its waking hours. The mother owl spends her time singing, playing and discovering the night world around them. This gives a lovely sense of family and security, which melds wonderfully with each calming scene.

Tones of brown and dark blues create a night world which also invites to a calmer mood. The text offers short phrases and follows a rhyming, lullaby-like pace, which generally flows well. It offers just enough to push the read along, while the illustrations take over the rest. I received a complimentary copy and found the night/daytime flip cute.… (mere)

Searching for the Easter Bunny holds many surprises and fun with every opening of a flap.

It's time for Easter, but the Easter Bunny isn't anywhere to be found. A little bear begins his search to find this important friend, but it's not that simple. Luckily, he receives help along the way.

This is a sturdy board book, which has thick and sturdy pages, thanks to the extra layer of cardboard needed to create the thick and sturdy flaps. So this book will take some abuse. The characters and scenes hold quite a few details while still having a gentler art style. The colors are bright and fit well to the Spring atmosphere. Each page holds joyful scenes and invites to play.

The text flows in an enjoyable rhyme, which urges listeners to join in the search for the bunny. This is age appropriate and does have enough repetition to make it a fun read-aloud. Each verse hints at a large object in the illustrations (which holds a flap). These are easy to open and uncover a new friend as well as a quick text, which adds a hint of surprise (and giggles with the right reading atmosphere). It's fun to watch the friends gather more and more as they assist in the bunny search. It's a cute book for the holidays and is sure to bring more than a few smiles. I received an ARC and found this one to be fun to read as well as very sturdy.… (mere)

First sentence: When it comes to fall, there's so much to love. The weather turns cool, the clothes get cozy, and there's only ONE treat everyone wants to eat.

Premise/plot: Are you Team Apple or Team Pumpkin? Which "fall" treat do you prefer? In this board book, apple and pumpkin "boast battle" to see which is best.

My thoughts: I like this one. I do. I love both apples and pumpkins. I have a love-hate relationship with the illustrations. Some spreads I love. Some not so much. But I definitely liked this one more often than not. The text is super cute--precious at times. Such as the following:

Did you know every kid is the apple of someone's eye?
Did you know every kid is someone's little pumpkin?… (mere)

Cute animals and holiday dreams mix with enough humor to draw giggles and smiles in this sweet read.

This is a board book for the youngest readers out there and is made a little sturdier to handle some bumps, accidents, and small hands. The top part of the book is rounded to form a deer head. The antlers are made of fuzzy cloth with a plastic filling, so they crinkle and snap whenever they are touched or fingered. The tale starts at Santa's workshop where elves are loading the sleigh. Santa's question of who wants to help pull it starts off the rest of the fun. Easy to recognize creatures (from animals to robots to dinosaurs and more) get their chance to chime in.

The text is a little heavy for a board book and swings around a three-line rhyme. This flows pretty smoothly and isn't overly difficult for young readers to understand...although I would see this one more for ages three and up. The illustrations are lively and colorful with enough details to draw in for reading again and again. It's a fun twist on Santa's sled and brings a cute humor to the Holidays. I received a complimentary copy and found it cute and smile worthy.… (mere)