Review: Annual Toy Drive by Jessica D. Adams

Today's review is one of several books in a collection. I have read a few of this author's works and was glad to get my hands on this one, too. This one centers around...if you can't tell by the title...the Toy Drive as found in my corporations or stores, especially during this time of year. But this one takes an interesting twist as it addresses the problem of used toys, too.

As an extra bonus, I noticed that this one is currently FREE on Amazon (at least, on the day of this post).

ANNUAL TOY DRIVE

The Underground Toy Society

by Jessica D. Adams

Children's Fiction

18 pages

ages 5 to 8

When the toys learned that only new toys were allowed in the donation bin, they almost lost hope. Will their forgotten friends find new homes in time for Christmas?

The Underground Toy Society helps toys find new homes. Sometimes finding new homes is not easy. When Murry Mole takes a wrong turn and digs a tunnel to a toy store, they thought the toy donation bin would help toys find homes easier and faster. However, only new toys were allowed in the toy donation bin.

Find out if forgotten toys find new homes in time for Christmas in this updated version of The Underground Toy Society and the Annual Toy Drive with a new cover and new illustrations!

The Underground Toy Society children's books aim to teach kids to appreciate what they have and inspire them to clean their rooms. With the Annual Toy Drive book, children will learn about teamwork, kindness, friendship, problem solving, and giving to others.

GOODREADS   /   AMAZON   /   B&N

MY TIDBITS

This is a cute story, which rotates around the entire concept of toy drives. In this one, the Underground Toy Society has been trying to relocate old toys to children, who don't have many, but it's not working well. When they meet other toys in a store, they learn of a toy bin, where toys are distributed to needy kids. There's one hitch; the toys have to be new. But this group isn't about to let that stop them.

This is a book for those, who would like a little longer read-aloud or for kids, who have a good grasp on words already, as a read alone. The story is sweet and fun with characters who are hard not to like. Plus, their goal is one readers can root for. While the illustrations are simple, they do lighten up the tale and make reading that much more enjoyable. The text flows well and works well for the age group.

I especially found a couple scenes cute, and the introduction of this wonderful type of charity to young readers is a bonus. 

Review: The Underground Toy Society by Jessica D. Adams

 

THE UNDERGROUND TOY SOCIETY

You're the Illustrator!

by Jessica D. Adams

Children's Fiction / Activity

43 pages

The toys told Samantha not to go because it was too dangerous outside!

Samantha was determined to find her best friend, Stacey. They had not seen each other for many years. Their owners had grown up and moved out of their childhood home, separating Samantha and Stacey. They sat collecting dust, waiting for new children to play with them.

Will Samantha and Stacey ever see each other again? Will they remain lonely forever just like other old, forgotten toys in the world?

GOODREADS   /    AMAZON  

MY TIDBITS

A story comes to life and let's kids discover their own imagination and artistry in the process.

This book follows the original tale from the author but then takes it a step further. Listeners gain a unique role in this book and are encouraged to become the illustrators. The story is just right as a read aloud for younger audiences or can be used as a reader for those, who are pretty sure of their words. The vocabulary is easy to understand, and the tale runs along at a nice pace. It's a sweet tale with a message listeners can easily identify with. So, it's a fun tale already without the extra activities

But this is a book to really dive into. Some pages encourage the listener to color an already existing illustration (like a coloring book). Other ones invite the child to add their own ideas or expand on already partial illustrations. Each one allows the listener to let their own imagination seep in. This makes it a great read for reluctant readers, homeschoolers or simply as an activity for those quieter hours.