On the Loose in London by Dan Yaccarino

Time for a little fun! Today's read is part of a series...the third, I believe, but it's the first one I'm picking up, and I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem. It appears to be a bit humorous and circles around two siblings, who are on their way to discover London. This is aimed at those readers out there, who are very sure of their words but might need a little more practice before hitting complete chapter books. I'm excited to see what these two are up to because I have a feeling it will be anything but boring.

Let's open it up and take a peek, shall we?

ON THE LOOSE IN LONDON!

Dog Meets Dog

by Dan Yaccarion

Illustrated by Ethan Long

Simon Spotlight

Chapter Book

112 pages

ages 5 to 9

Star Chapter Books are the perfect bridge for kids moving beyond beginning readers but not yet ready for longer chapter books. With short chapters, bold two-color illustrations, and fast-paced, funny stories, these confidence-building books make reading fun and rewarding.

In this tip-top tale of chaos and mayhem, dog siblings Betsy and Bones take London by storm—bungling plans, muddling maps, and turning their sightseeing into one hilarious disaster after another!

On their latest vacation, Betsy wants to stick to her carefully organized itinerary, but Bones is determined to follow his own whims. From Big Ben to Buckingham Palace to Tower Bridge, the siblings’ clashing styles turn every stop into comic confusion—but when it counts, they will need to work together to make the most of their London trip.

Each Star Chapter Book is 112 pages long, divided into six to eight short chapters with illustrated panels on every page to keep kids engaged from start to finish. This highly visual early chapter book format supports the transition from leveled readers to chapter books, making Star Chapter Books a perfect fit for independent reading, classroom libraries, or shared story time.

Look for more Star Chapter Books adventures to help kids grow confident and discover the joy of reading, including Betsy and Bones’s next adventure, Framed in Paris!.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Traveling with these two to London creates an adventure with one unexpected situation after the next...and it might just be enough to test their relationship.

Betsy and Bones are siblings and headed to London to vacation together. Betsy has everything prepared and knows exactly where they can go, what they can see, and what there is to do. Bones...not so much. When they meet up at the Piccadilly Circus to start their vacation, the first problem hits as Bones can't help but be disappointed that it isn't a true circus. Soon, he's ignoring his sister's suggestions ends up landing them in the Thames River, they're rescued by a guard from the Tower of London, and they end up hiding in a closet after trying on the displays at the Jewel House. At one point, Betsy can't take his nonsense anymore and heads off for time apart, but this might not be the best idea.

The two siblings clash in personalities and, yet, pack sibling goodness. There's quite a bit of humor as the two go from one problem to the next and chaos after chaos hits. It's quick-paced, fun and engaging  all the way through. There's also some travel goodness as the two discover London and little details surrounding the city slide in. Then, there's a message surrounding being open to other opinions and ways of doing things, and working together. All of this combines into an easy read with many surprises.

This works very nicely as an ease-over read for beginning readers into chapter books. The style leans heavily toward the graphic novel format, but instead of letting the dialogue and images propel everything forward, each panel has a short text describing the scene. A bit like a book. The sentences are short and the vocabulary fits nicely to the age group. This allows readers to practice their reading skills while taking cues from the scenes. There is, of course, some usual dialogue bubbles too, but by keeping the text, it also nods at the usual, book reading style. The graphics aren't overly colorful, but rather stick orange and gray tones. This allows the scenes to come across clearly and bring across the emotions and situations nicely without distracting too much from the reading. All of it works well and makes an enjoyable read.

I'm going to have to go back and take a peek at the other two books in the series because this pair of siblings is packed full of surprises.

And here they are....

Dan Yaccarino is the author and illustrator of over fifty books for children, including Piccolo, Unlovable, Every Friday, and The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau. Awards and honors for his work include being named The New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Children’s Books, the Bologna Ragazzi Award, and an ALA Notable Children’s selection. Dan has also had the honor of being invited to the White House to read his books. He created and produced the animated series Doug Unplugs, Oswald, and Willa’s Wild Life and character designed the series The Backyardigans. You may visit him online at YaccarinoStudio.com.

Ethan Long is the acclaimed author and illustrator of many books for children, among them the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner Up, Tall, and High. He is also the creator of the animated, Emmy Award–nominated interactive series Scribbles and Ink at PBSKids.org, which is also a digital book series on Epic. For more about Ethan and his work, visit EthanLong.com.

Today's read... Chiller Thriller! by Joe McGee

It's IWSG day, and I still haven't caught up with the calendar. Where is time going? Anyway, for those of you who don't know...this is an awesome writers' group, which offers support, encouragement, a place to vent, friends, tips, opportunities, and so much more. Started by the just as amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh, this group meets every 1st Wednesday of the month. 

Special thanks goes to the co-hosts:  C. Lee McKenzie, JQ Rose, Jennifer Lane, and Jacqui Murray!

I just want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and amazing Holiday Season if I don't get around to 'seeing' you before the end of the month!

******

To December belong snow-topped mountains and the dreams of pine trees. And let's not forget vampires and yetis. Okay, I've never spared much thought for monstrous creatures during the holiday season, but today's read seems to add that as a fresh twist. Although this one shouldn't be about Christmas...I don't think, anyway...it does promise tons of snowflakes and chilly fun. 

CHILLER THRILLER!

Junior Monster Scouts #7

by Joe McGee

Illustrated by Ethan Long

Aladdin

Chapter Book Fantasy

112 pages

ages 6 to 10

The Junior Monster Scouts befriend a lonely yeti in the hilarious seventh chapter book of the Junior Monster Scouts series!

It’s winter in the Village and a fresh blanket of snow means sledding, caroling, yummy hot cocoa, and fun for everyone. Everyone, that is, but a lonely Yeti named Igloo and cranky Baron Von Grump whose cabin is about to be whisked away by a scary avalanche! Can the Junior Monster Scouts—Franky, Wolfy, and Vampyra—save the day and make a new (and not-so-abominable) friend?

GOODREADS    /    B&N    /    BIBLIO  /   AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Friendship takes all sorts of interesting and silly twists with a group, which is everything but average.

A big snow fall means tons of outdoor and wintery fun for the Junior Monster Scouts, and they're planning on using the time well. But nothing goes as smoothly as planned. Not only is the grumpy Barn Von Grump at her complaining best...but then, her house is about to tip off the top of the mountain...but there's an unexpected guest. Alright, the yeti wasn't invited, but that only makes things more interesting.

This is the first book I've read in this series, which means I'm hitting this one pretty late in the game considering its book seven. Luckily, it wasn't too hard to dive in and figure out the characters and their personality traits. The fun starts from the very first page and continues the entire way through in the quirkiest and oddest ways. It's silly, it's a bit strange thanks to the original characters, and it definitely keeps the reader surprised until the end...because it's impossible to see most things coming.

The text is just right for the chapter book audience and great for those who are pretty sure of their words but not quite ready for true middle grade novels. The generous spacing and larger font make for easy reading. There are also illustrations every few pages to help readers visualize the scenes. The artwork does a good job at adding the right humor. The style wasn't my most favorite, but that's a personal taste thing. 

While silliness an humor are packed into every page, there are several encouraging messages, too, which guide in all things friendship (works even for those who aren't monsters). The author does speak to the reader and draws them in, which makes the tale come to life but also broke the flow, sometimes. Again, either a reader enjoys it or doesn't. It's a fun book with an original cast, which delivers a fun and silly tale from beginning to end. 

And here they are...

Joe McGee loves to write about monsters and magic and other strange, curious, and quirky things. He grew up with his nose in a book and his imagination exploring other worlds. He knew when he was ten years old that one day he would grow up to be an author! He has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and an MFA in writing from Rowan University. Joe teaches at Sierra Nevada University’s low-residency MFA program and English at Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College. He is a former Army officer and lives in the mountains of West Virginia with his wife (also a children’s author), Jessica Rinker. 

Ethan Long is the acclaimed author and illustrator of many books for children, among them the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner Up, Tall, and High. He is also the creator of the animated, Emmy Award–nominated series Tasty Time with ZeFronk, which aired on Disney Junior.