Tag: jon agee

Life On Mars (Jon Agee)

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Hello, friends! Today’s book is Life On Mars by Jon Agee, a charmingly funny story about a lonely astronaut searching for life on a distant planet.

An astronaut arrives in a spaceship with a box of cupcakes and a dream: to find life on Mars. He searches the barren planet for any sign of habitation, but he only sees rocks and dirt. Discouraged, he decides to set off toward home – but he finds he is lost! How will the astronaut get home? And where have the cupcakes gone? And what is that orange shadow that seems to be lurking around, just out of sight…? 

This was a very cute, very amusing story. The main joke is a visual one: as the astronaut wanders, a hulking gargantuan of an alien remains in full view of the reader, but just out of sight of the intrepid explorer. It makes for a great interactive element for little readers, who can point out the Martian and laugh at the astronaut’s folly. The illustrations are simple yet adorable, and fit the tone of the story perfectly. The length is just right, and JJ had a lot of fun with this one. A great pick to read aloud, and this one is definitely Baby Bookworm approved!

Lion Lessons (Jon Agee)

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Hello, friends! Today, JJ and Mr. Dinosaur read Lion Lessons by Jon Agee, a silly story about a little boy proving that he has what it takes to be a lion.

Learning how to be a good lion is a seven step process, an unfortunately, the narrator is having a bit of trouble with all of them. His roar is not quite fearsome, his pouncing is paltry, and he can’t seem to keep his tail out of sight while hiding. Both he and his instructor-lion are beginning to wonder if he’s really got what it takes. But when faced with a situation that needs his intervention, perhaps the narrator will find that being lion-hearted is something you find within yourself.

This was a very cute story, mostly silly, but with a nice bit of lesson at the end: bravery can’t always be taught, and sometimes you find your courage only when you need it most. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure where the story was going at some points, but I was glad for a satisfying resolution. Otherwise, the illustrations are fine, simple yet cute, and add a lot of personality to the characters. The length was good, and JJ enjoyed it very much, so this is definitely a good one for the littlest readers. We liked this one! Baby Bookworm approved!