Blog Archives
Ava and the Last Bird
Ava discovers a bird’s nest outside her window. Each day she enjoys watching the nest to see what they will do. She loves watching the little chicks as they hatch and grow to wait to see if they can learn to fly.
Now Ava is very curious and wants to help the birds. So she tries reading to them. Her best friend Axel hears her outside reading and soon is bird watching with her as they watch the little birds learn to fly. Then a tiny little bird falls out of its nest. Ava and Axel don’t know what to do, but Ava’s grandmother does. He says, leave the baby alone it’s parents will come to rescue it when we go away. Sure enough, that is what happened. So Ava and Axel continue to watch the birds until they can all fly.
Ava and the Last Bird is a wonderful picture book for kindergarten and young elementary school children. Author Tuula Pere teaches children that nature is a wonderful place full of amazing creatures to discover. He also teaches children that they need to not interfere with the animals that surround them. Birds know what is best for them, and people must let them take care of their own families.
The artwork by illustrator Nyamdorj Lkhaasuren is fun and colorful. I loved how Ava dressed up as a bird to sing and dance for the baby bird that fell. The whimsical characters will keep children entertained as they follow along with the story.
Children and teachers will love following the adventures of Ava and Axel as they discover how the birds in their backyard live. This is a great way to introduce children to bird watching and how to properly observe the animals that live around them without causing distress or getting hurt.
Pages: 36 | ASIN : B09K4BTNW1
Axel Washes the Rug
Axel is a little boy visiting Granny for the afternoon. She decides today’s snack will be blueberries. Axel loves blueberries and can’t wait to eat them. Unfortunately, someone comes to the door, and Granny has to go talk to them. Axel, unable to wait, grabs the bowl of blueberries and spills them on the floor. He tries cleaning up the mess, but they have left blue splashes of color all over Granny’s light-colored rug. Feeling bad, he flips the rug over to hide the mess. During nap time, Axel sneaks to the kitchen and drags the rug into the bathroom to wash. He has the right idea but accidentally puts bleach into the tub with the rug. Now Axel has to tell Granny what happened.
Axel Washes the Rug, written by Tuula Pere and illustrated by Nyamdorj Lkhaasuren, is a heartwarming picture book about asking for help, taking responsibility for your actions, and forgiveness. Axel tries to do things on his own but, in the end, needs to ask for help. He tried to hide things when he stained the rug and while trying to fix it accidentally made things worse, so he admitted he had done something wrong to his Granny and feared the worst. However, Granny is more worried about Axel getting hurt with the bleach than her rug.
Children will see when reading this story that it is important to let adults know when there is an accident and let them help fix things. It also shows that just because they make mistakes does not mean they will not be loved. Granny showed compassion and love to Axel even though her rug was ruined. The message that people are more valuable than things comes through with the text and the illustrations.
The illustrations are fun and colorful. The style of the drawings is appealing to children, and the emotions are evident in the pictures. You can follow the story through just the illustrations as the details and expressions match what the author has written.
Axel Washes the Rug is an entertaining and meaningful picture book with important messages presented in a way that preschoolers and kindergarteners will be able to understand. Teachers and parents will love sharing this feel-good story with kids.
Pages: 36 | ASIN : B09K49ZVVG
Axel and Ava as Cat Sitters
Axel and Ava are so excited to find out their friend Becca just adopted a new cat. They rush over to Becca’s house to meet the new cat. When they arrive, Becca tells them they need to be patient and let the cat come to them when it is ready. She explains how rescue animals are very afraid of people to start till they know they can trust them. Axel and Ava however are impatient. When Becca runs out, they try and force the cat to play and interact with them. Axel ends up getting scratched and the cat runs out the door.
This interesting picture book by Tuula Pere and illustrated by Nyamdorj Lkhaasuren tells not only the story of Axel and Ave with the new cat but gives children a good lesson on how to act and not act around new animals. It highlights the importance first off of adopting an animal from a shelter, and then how to introduce that animal to your friends. The language used is age-appropriate for early elementary and kindergarten children. The concepts are presented in a manner they can relate to, most kids want to play with new animals and often don’t understand that what they do with their own pets is not always okay with a new one. Explaining the consequences of not listening to pet owners and following directions is done in a kind and gentle way as well. Children will follow the antics of Axel and Ave while learning a valuable lesson.
Axel and Ava as Cat Sitters is an educational picture book on the do’s and don’ts of meeting a new animal. The creative artwork adds to the charm of this insightful story. This would be an excellent book to give to a child when getting ready to add a new animal to the family or for a school library.
Pages: 36 | ASIN : B09K4CXW3Z
LITERARY TITAN 