Picture Book Saturday

Ganesha's Sweet Tooth
By Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes
Published 2012 by Chronicle Books
I know next to nothing about Ganesha, but I'm always willing to learn more and with such a beautiful and eye-catching cover, I couldn't resist picking up this book when it arrived in our library. I really, really liked this. It's got a really cute and fun story that I think kids will enjoy (and it will also teach them something!), but the true strength lies in the illustrations. The colors are bold and vibrant and incredibly appealing and the style is whimsical and entertaining. This book is a beauty to look at with a story that lives up to the illustrations. Highly recommended.

Don't Read This Book!
By Jill Lewis, illustrated by Deborah Allwright
Published 2010 by Tiger Tales
I feel like I've seen a number of books similar to this one over the years. The characters in the story break the fourth wall and interact directly with the readers, in this case warning them not to read the book. Why? Well, the story has disappeared and the King needs to find it before it's ready for readers. It's a cute story, and I think it will appeal to fairy tale fans and kids who want a funny read. But it was just okay for me.

Monkey and Elephant Get Better
By Carole Lexa Schaefer, illustrated by Galia Bernstein
Published 2013 by Candlewick Press
I grabbed this one off our new book cart because I liked the teal elephant and purple monkey on the cover. It's a fairly simple story of friendship and differences. Elephant gets sick and Monkey knows all the things to make him feel better, but they are actually the things that will make Monkey feel better. It's cute enough, but not terribly memorable. It could work in a "getting sick" storytime.