Tag: charise mericle harper

I Cannot Draw a Horse (Charise Mericle Harper)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is I Cannot Draw a Horse by Charise Mericle Harper, a delightful fourth wall-breaking adventure about creativity and confidence.

Our story begins with a shape, a “nothing” shape to be precise. The shape wonders what it will be, and the unseen narrator crafts it into a cat. Excited by this change, the cat asks for a horse companion, but therein lies the rub: the narrator cannot draw a horse (horses are hard to draw). The narrator offers plenty more suggestions and sketchy ideas, leading the cat on some energetic adventures, but the cat will settle for nothing less than a horse for a friend. Can the narrator find a way to appease this fickle fictional feline?

Silly fun with a hint of encouragement. This meta take on creative ability is one that artists of any age can laugh at; after all, horses ARE pretty hard to draw. And while the ending of the book is slightly abrupt, the subtle lesson on trying something new – even if you’re not sure you can do it – lands perfectly beforehand. Harper’s narrative between artist and creation is tons of fun to read aloud, seamlessly flowing between text and speech bubbles and paired with perfectly simplistic yet expressive art. The length is perfect for a storytime, and JJ had plenty of giggles over the cat’s unexpected antics. Overall, a charming read that perfectly balanced laughs and a lesson, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to the Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

The Good For Nothing Button (Charise Mericle Harper)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is The Good For Nothing Button by Charise Mericle Harper, a wonderfully silly story about nothing at all.

Two birds, Red and Blue, happily greet their friend Yellow as he approaches them with a special item. It’s a red button that, when pressed, does… nothing. That’s it. The button does nothing at all! Blue Bird is surprised, and asks if he may try. Pressing the button he is surprised again to find that it’s true – the button does nothing! But Red points out that the button made him surprised, and well, surprised is NOT “nothing”. Pressing the button himself, Red finds that it makes him sad – another not-nothing. Frustrated, Yellow Bird insists that the button can’t MAKE them feel any way, it’s a nothing button – it does NOTHING! After an animated tirade on the subject, Red and Blue decree that they know what the button does for Yellow – it makes him funny. Thinking on this, Yellow decides that funny is not a terrible thing to be, so maybe the button isn’t good for nothing after all.

Delightfully fun. Third in the Elephant & Piggie Like Reading series, it does the titular duo’s trademark wackiness justice. The story has fun and melodramatic dialogue that is a blast to read aloud, featuring lots of gags and even a quick run-through of different emotions (JJ loved that page best). The illustrations are simple yet full of charm, and the length was great – manageable as a storytime for little bookworms, or an early reader for growing ones. A great addition to the series, and Baby Bookworm approved!

A Big Surprise For Little Card (Charise Mericle Harper)

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Hello, friends! Today’s book is A Big Surprise For Little Card, written by Charise Mericle Harper and illustrated by Anna Raff, a wonderfully fun story about a little card with a big destiny.

Little Card lives in an apartment building with many other cards, like price tags, prize tickets, and office folders. The only ones who do not know their job yet are Little Card and his friend, Long Card. That is, until the day their job letters arrive, and Little Card finds out that he is to be a birthday card! He eagerly attends birthday card school, learning all that he can about birthdays and surprises. But when he returns home, he finds that there was a mix-up: his friend Long Card was meant to be the birthday card. As for Little Card, he has a different destiny in store – one where he just may be able to put his skills at bringing people joy to good use.

This was so cute! Spoiler alert: Little Card actually becomes a little girl’s library card, and they spend the whole day celebrating “Happy Library Day!” and learning about all the fun that the library has to offer. It was a great story, and did a great job of showing little ones how wonderful the library can be. The illustrations are very cute, joyful and colorful and full of energy. The length was fine, and JJ and I both loved it. If you’re looking for a fun story to get children excited about getting a library card, this one is a fantastic choice. Baby Bookworm approved!