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Book Reviews

Garlic & the Vampire
Bree Paulsen
Find in Catalog

5 Stars

Garlic and her vegetable friends were brought to life by a witch to tend her vegetable farm in this spooky-themed, cute, and wholesome story. Follow Garlic as she faces responsibilities and anxieties of the unknown, just as the farm’s attention has been drawn to a supposed vampire’s house on the hill. Her friends depend on her since vampires don’t like garlic, to challenge the assumed monster. Through all this, she learns why she shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

-Caitlin
Posted 9/26/2023

Animalicious: A Quirky ABC Book
Anna Dewdney & Reed Duncan
Find in Catalog

4 Stars

What do you call a snake in a hardhat? A boa constructor. With puns or play-on words, we are introduced to characters in the animal kingdom, from A to Z. Stupendously silly illustrations work in tandem with made-up animal names like dust bunny, flatapus, and piethon to reinvent the classic ABC story for a memorable lesson on letters.

-Hannah
Posted 9/7/2023

Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle
Miranda Paul
Find in Catalog

5 Stars

Water is water unless… it turns to mist, rain, snow or ice! With illustrations that depict lived experiences of a foggy morning at a bus-stop, a snowball fight or puddle-jumping, the sparse prose on each page gives time for reflection on how this vital resource flows through moments, big and small. This picture book is equal parts informative and beautiful.

-Hannah
Posted 7/24/2023

The Whale in my Swimming Pool
Joyce Wan
Find in Catalog

5 Stars

A young boy wishes to enjoy his swimming pool in peace… but to his surprise, he finds a whale beat him to it! In exceedingly silly attempts, he tries to remove this oceanic obstacle from his backyard oasis. Reading this splashtastic summertime story is a whale of a good time.

-Hannah
Posted 7/20/2023

What If
Samantha Berger
Find in Catalog

5 Stars

A can-do attitude helps a young girl overcome every ‘what if?’ on her journey to self-expression. What if there’s no more paper? She’ll use the art of origami to create her story. What if there was no light to see the drawings? She’d harness the power of shadows and tell a tale through movement. A subtle rhyme scheme paired with jubilant illustrations make this a must-read for creators of all ages.

-Hannah
Posted 7/5/2023

Truman
Jean Reidy
Find in Catalog

5 Stars

Truman the turtle and his best human friend Sarah are inseparable… until Sarah enters preschool. Every day, Sarah boards a bus and Truman is left waiting for her to return. With splashy watercolor illustrations and a turtley awesome adventure, this book is a testament to how the best friendships bring us out of our shell.

-Hannah
Posted 6/20/2023

Most Marshmallows
Rowboat Watkins
Find in Catalog

4 Stars

Who would’ve thought marshmallows have aspirations just like us? They want to pursue education and have big dreams to battle fire-breathing dragons or explore space. In a sweet picture book that chronicles the life and goals of the toasty campfire roasters, we learn to love marshmallows even more. It’s a feel-good story that makes you feel ooey-gooey… and crave a s’more!

-Hannah
Posted 6/6/2023

The Circles All Around Us
Brad Montague
Find in Catalog

5 Stars

Our first circle is small and close-knit. As we grow, our circles expand to meet our interests and include the people we meet along the way. This muted-hue picture book has a beautiful message about interconnectedness and how kindness radiates through the many rings we draw, join and intersect.

-Hannah
Posted 5/19/2023

Knit Together
Angela Dominguez
Find in Catalog

5 Stars

At first glance, knitting and drawing do not have much in common. A mother-daughter duo enjoys their crafty hobby separately but cannot think of a way to combine them. That is, until Mom suggests her daughter draw a masterpiece for her new project. In this sweet woven story, the strongest stitch is a mother’s love.

-Hannah
Posted 5/19/2023

Purple Little Bird
Greg Foley
Find in Catalog

5 Stars

Purple Little Bird is on a mission to make his house perfect. But the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. As he takes a colorful journey to his friends’ houses, he learns that the shade of friendship is the brightest color of all. Pick up this purplicious picture book if you get a chance – hue won’t regret it!

-Hannah
Posted 5/2/2023

Readers Advisory Staff

Looking for something new for your child to read? Are you a teacher looking for something to read to your children? The Villa Park Public Library has a fantastic Readers Advisory staff that is happy to recommend all sorts of genres and titles. Whether you’re looking for new authors similar to old favorites, or you’re ready for something completely new, our staff is here to help. They organize fun programs like Toddler story and song time to help make reading a more social experience. These folks know their stuff!

Looking for a Recommendation?

If you’re looking for a recommendation you can contact one of the readers advisory staff.

Amity
Favorite genres:
Horror, Graphic Novels, Young Adult Literature, and Books about unusual animal friendships.
Amity’s bookshelf on Goodreads.
Hannah
Favorite Genres:
Contemporary romance, Mystery and Thrillers, and the occasional Young Adult novel
Hannah’s bookshelf on Goodreads
heidi gHeidi
Favorite Genres:
Historical Non-Fiction, Picture Books, and Fairy Tales.
Heidi’s bookshelf on Goodreads.
jean j_finalJean
Favorite Genres:
Books about animals that lose their hats and Mysteries.
Jean’s bookshelf on Goodreads.
Michelle
Favorite Genres:
YA, Fantasy, and anything LGBTQ+
Michelle’s bookshelf on Goodreads
Nancy
Favorite Genres:
Literary Fiction and Regional American History.
Nancy’s bookshelf on Goodreads.