Holly Jolly Kitty-Corn by Shannon Hale

It's not the holiday season yet...that will come quickly, though. Still, the book world is shifting into high gear to make sure Christmas present plans are in full swing long before the season begins. Today's read rings in with snowflakes and carols, I believe. At least, that's what the cover is telling me. It's also the 5th book in the series, and I did take a look at one of the earlier ones (Surprise! See, it can happen!)  You can head over here if you're curious. 

So, think about cool weather and fuzzy hats because we're going to dive into this read and take a peek.

HOLLY JOLLY KITTY-CORN

KITTY-CORN #5

by Shannon Hale

Illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Abrams Books

Picture Book

48 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING...

SEPTEMBER 23rd!!!

Bestselling Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn creators Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham are back with a festive kitty-corn tale, featuring Christmas decorations, gingerbread houses, one (almost) perfect tree—and the magic of true friendship

The best part of Christmas is the merry music! No, it’s the gingerbread! No, it’s definitely decorating the tree!

Kitty and Unicorn can’t wait to spend their first Christmas together! But try as they might, they can’t seem to agree on their favorite festivities. Will the magical best friends pull off the perfect Christmas, or will all their plans come tip-timber-crashing down?

The magical, bestselling team of Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham return with a cozy and heartwarming holiday story for kitty-corns everywhere.

Also Available in
Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn
Party-Hearty Kitty-Corn
Pretty Perfect Kitty-Corn
Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn

Available in board
Kitty-Corn Things That Go
Kitty-Corn Parts of Us

GOODREADS     /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Christmas atmosphere hits on every page with surprises and friendship, too.

Kitty and Unicorn are so happy to spend their first Christmas together. While everything seems to run great, at first, a little mishap leads to a disagreement. Kitty and Unicorn don't want anything to happen to their friendship, so both of them try their best to make the other one happy. But this might not work, either.

The cover already had me smiling with it's glittery, holiday shine. Add adorable Kitty and Unicorn, and the energy and holiday spirit is impossible to miss. While there's a great message about friendship, which adds tons of wholesomeness to the tale. But it's the holiday activities, which makes this one fun. As Kitty and Unicorn enjoy moments listening to music, snacking on gingerbread, and do other holiday things, it's hard not to want to enjoy each moment right with them. Plus, it will have listeners/readers getting a little inspiration for things they can enjoy during the holidays.

The text brings across each moment nicely and fits the intended age group well. The story flows with a quick enough pace to keep even reluctant readers engaged. The illustrations not only make each activity clear, but hold humor to add to the fun. These might even inspire readers to some unique ideas on how to decorate their own trees.

At the very end, there's the musical score and words to a Christmas carol (a very familiar one with the words changed to fit Kitty and Unicorn.) So, it makes a rounded, lovely read for the upcoming season.

Kitty-Corn Club: Parts of Us by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham

Today's read is the second in a series for the youngest readers out there...a board book. I haven't read the first one (because I barely ever do...call it fate), but I'm confident that this doesn't make a difference. I picked it up thanks to the fun animals on the cover. So colorful and playful! According to the description, it concentrates on the various body parts of these animals, which will help little bookworms learn the parts of a body. I'm assuming this won't go too deep and remain easy with things like wings and paws and such. But we'll see.

So, let's open this one up and take a look!

 

PARTS OF US

Kitty-Corn Club #2

by Shannon Hale

Illustrated by Leuyen Pham

Harry N. Abrams

Board Book

24 pages

ages 0 to 3

COMING...

MAY 18th!!!

This original concept board book celebrates what makes our bodies unique—from head to toe and horn to tail. From the bestselling and award-winning Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn creators, author Shannon Hale and illustrator LeUyen Pham

All are welcome in the kitty-corn club! Whether you’re long-tailed or short-tailed, furry or feathered, taloned or tentacled, you are just right.

From head to toe and horn to tail, join Kitty and Unicorn—alongside Gecko, Parakeet, and a new Octopus friend—as they demonstrate, with humor and creativity, the many ways our bodies may be different, unique, and amazing.

Teeny-tiny mini-moo
Kitty-corns will read with you
Silly-willy hardy-hars
Let’s all look at body parts

Also Available in board
Kitty-Corn Things That Go

Available in
Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn
Party-Hearty Kitty-Corn
Pretty Perfect Kitty-Corn
Itty-Bitty Kitty-CornT

GOODREADS     /     ABRAMS

MY TIDBITS

Super cute and quick, this is a fun book to grab some very simple body part basics while adding tons of smiles, too.

The unicorn, kitty, gecko, bird, and octopus show off various body parts they have in common. From backs to 'toes', a few parts are highlighted, each with the animal's twist. While joining in nicely, at first, the octopus soon runs into some snags...and a realization, which makes him a bit mopey. But the rest of the animals have a plan, which is sure to cheer him up again.

The book is brightly illustrated and concentrates on the animals. These are cheerful and energetic as they present their various body parts for all to see. The text plays around the illustration to add emphasis to increase the fun. The words are simple, and each phrase is kept to a few words at the most. 

Even reluctant listeners will be drawn in thanks to the familiar terms. The octopus's situation is no problem to understand for most listeners, and they will probably sympathize with the creature. There's a wholesome solution, which rounds the entire book off on a joyful note. It might also open up the door for a fun craft activity.

And here they are...

LeUyen Pham and Shannon Hale are the team behind the bestselling picture books Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn, Pretty Perfect Kitty-Corn, Party Hearty Kitty-Corn, and Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn; the bestselling graphic novels Real Friends, Best Friends, and Friends Forever; and, with Dean Hale, the early chapter-book series the Princess in Black. They’ve made a bunch of other books, too. They are both moms of cat-loving kids, wives to book-creating husbands, honor award winners (Caldecott and Newbery), and believers in unicorns. Pham lives in Los Angeles, Hale lives in Utah, and together they know they can be—and make—anything.

Review: The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare by Shannon Hale

PRINCESS BLACK AND THE SCIENCE FAIR SCARE

The Princess in Black, #6

by Shannon Hale 

Illustrated by Dean Hale

Candlewick Press

Children's Humor/ Adventure / Fantasy

96 pages
ages 6 to 10

It’s mayhem at the science fair! A squishy goo monster is a challenge for the Princess in Black — but luckily some science-loving princesses are on hand to help.

Princess Magnolia is excited. Excited and nervous. She’s going to the Interkingdom Science Fair today to present her poster about seeds and plants, and when she arrives, she sees that her friends are there too! Princess Honeysuckle made a mole habitat, Princess Sneezewort has built a blanket fort, and Tommy Wigtower has a talking volcano that’s saying “EAAAAT!” Wait, what? A surprise goo monster makes this a job for the Princess in Black, and the Princess in Blankets is on the scene to lend a hand. But will two masked heroes be enough to save the science fair? A little scientific problem-solving — and a lot of princess power — will make the sixth entry in the New York Times best-selling series a smash hit.

MY TIDBITS

Dainty princess meets princess power in an adventure which brings fantasy, humor and even science under one tiara.

Princess Magnolia is excited and nervous about her trip and contribution to the science fair. She didn't really spend much time on it and is not sure what to expect. Upon arrival, she meets her princess friends and each has a project which leaves hers looking more miserable with each step she takes. When she reaches Tommy's project, she notices something isn't right. The volcano refuses to explode, and it talks! Only the Princess in Black can solve what happens next.

This chapter book is great for readers who are pretty sure of their words, but aren't ready to dive into anything difficult. The sentences are kept short and simple as well as most of the vocabulary. At first, it came across as almost too simple but the story grabs quickly to create a fun, easy read. Each page holds bright and fun illustrations, while the text—written in a large font—never comes across as too much or heavy. It's a great balance which won't scare off more reluctant readers.

The author does a lovely job at mixing princess puffiness and perfect etiquette with bold and adventurous heroism. The princess are sweet yet a little fumbly and awkward, while still being prim and proper. It makes each one easy to love and promises a dash of silliness and excitement. The toss in of monsters hit a little quirky at first, but it works and adds the right zest to the adventure.

There's also a dab of science in this adventure, but never too much. Each project at the fair glides over with a quick bit of information but it's so light that readers catch it without feeling sciency. Later, the projects are brought in again as the princesses do their best to handle the goo monster. The science aspects don't run deep, but they are there and open up kids to some basic concepts.