Classic Books Beautifully Adapted For Today's Young readers

Starry Forest Books started in 2016 as a boutique publisher creating custom product for Barnes & Noble. Since then, they have published top-selling series including Baby’s Big World, Classic Stories, and Baby’s Classics.

I have read all five selections seen in the picture above. They were an instant hit with our little ones.

The artwork is beautiful, colors are brilliant, and the the overall production quality of the books is top-notch.

Each book is an adaptation of a widely known classic. Find these and many others in your favorite bookstore or online on Amazon at: 

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=starry+forest+books&crid=2O6M697BJ75N0&sprefix=starry+forest+books%2Caps%2C101&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 

Publisher’s website: https://www.starryforestbooks.com/classic-stories-series 

Review by: Max Elliot Anderson author of middle grade adventures and mysteries https://middlegradeadventureandmystery.blogspot.com   

REVIEW: The Library Book

 

We have a six-year-old granddaughter who spends every afternoon at our house after school. Her favorite day of the week at school is Friday. The reason for that is because Friday is library day. But because of COVID, the library has to come to each classroom, rather than allowing the children to visit the school library.

This book was an instant favorite of hers and she asks me to read it to her almost every day, along with others we choose from the stack of books at our house. She especially enjoys looking at the artwork and likes the rhyme used in the story.

This is a book young readers will enjoy, and it will help them develop an interest in libraries from an early age.

From the publisher: 

A sweet storybook recounts how a boy who doesn’t like reading is finally won over during a visit to the library.

Zach would much rather watch TV than flip through a boring book. But thanks to his friend’s stubborn efforts to show him the magic and excitement of reading, Jack finally goes to the library and finds a book he can’t put down.

Featuring simple, rhyming text by Gabby Dawnay and dynamic pen- and-ink drawings by illustrator Ian Morris, this story is an ode to the joys of reading and a love letter to books and libraries.

Illustrated in color throughout.

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Library-Book-Gabby-Dawnay/dp/0500652600/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+library+book%2C+gabby+dawnay&qid=1632490802&sr=8-1 

REVIEW: Home Alone...but not the one you're thinking of.

This new book was of interest to our young readers, in part, because the title reminded them of the popular film by the same name. They also are familiar with the other Thames & Hudson book, Stay Benson which they loved.

For anyone who doesn’t have security cameras, where they can check in on their dog during the day, when away, this book may cause them to go right out and get one. It also makes the reader think of a book like The Cat in the Hat because, unlike the children in that story, this is a dog left home alone all day to get into all sorts of mischief.

A fun read for kids.

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Home-Alone-Barbara-Nascimbeni/dp/0500652619/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=home+alone%2C+barbara&qid=1627419044&sr=8-1 

REVIEW: The Secret Life of Whales

Just about everything young minds would want to know about whales in the deep is contained in the pages of this attractive, informative book. Have you ever looked out at the ocean and wondered what’s really going on under the surface? I have. 

Last summer our family spent a week vacationing on the Gulf Coast. We took a boat trip out to watch the dolphins play in the waves and race along beside out large excursion vessel. 

This book is the next best thing to observing sea creatures from a submarine, under the waves. The majesty of these amazing animals, along with the dangers they face, are well documented.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:  

Meet some of the ocean’s most incredible creatures in this beautifully illustrated and expansive exploration of whales.

Whales are amazing and ginormous mammals―they are some of the biggest creatures to have ever lived on Earth! This beautifully drawn children’s nonfiction book shares some of the most incredible and thrilling truths about the many different kinds of whales. From where they migrate to how they care for their young, The Secret Life of Whales is full of fascinating facts. With so many things to learn, young nature lovers won’t be able to put down this charmingly illustrated introduction to these elusive animals. Illustrated in color throughout

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0500652678/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0 

REVIEW: Out to Sea

Being a five time grandparent myself, I easily identified with the theme of this book. We are both in our seventies and our granddaughters range from ages three to nine. It’s difficult to approach the subject of death with any of these little ones because the concept is hard for them to understand. 

To help them, along with other young children, I also wrote a short story on the same subject, Grandpa's Old Oak Tree. http://booksandboys.blogspot.com/2020/04/grandpas-old-oak-tree-free-short-story.html  

In their young lives, pets have died, and that helps their understanding a little. If there is a death in the family, I’m sure Out to Sea will provide a good starting point for discussions about this subject that might help their understanding of such a complex issue.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:  

A charming and sensitively written story about learning to cope with anxiety and grief featuring the beautiful illustrations of award-winning artist Helen Kellock.

From the award-winning author of The Star in the Forest comes this heart- felt story about learning to cope with anxiety and grief. Out to Sea follows the journey of a young girl named Lara who is so sad after the death of her grandmother that her tears flood her room, her house, her town, and eventually sweep her out to sea. Adrift, she struggles to overcome her sadness until she discovers a pearl at the bottom of the ocean that triggers happy memories of her grandmother and the times they shared. With that pearl tucked in her pocket and the realization that she’s not alone, Lara finds the strength to pick up her oars and row herself back home.

Beautifully illustrated and written with sensitivity, this moving tale of social and emotional learning expresses the experience of anxiety and grief and shows readers how they might ride the waves of emotion without losing perspective.

Illustrated in color throughout

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Out-Sea-Helen-Kellock/dp/0500652368/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=out+to+sea&qid=1623273240&sr=8-6 

REIEW: Pop-up Moon

This publisher has pop-up books figured out. The young readers at our house were captivated with this book right away. They also wanted to look at it along with the previous Pop-UP Volcano! and Pop-up Earth books. Each book in this series is beautifully illustrated and intricately constructed to provide a treat to the eyes. In addition, there is much to learn every book. They want to take them to school next year and use them in their projects and research. Well done once again!!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:  

A dazzling pop-up book full of amazing facts about our moon, certain to illuminate the entire family!

You see it almost every night, but how much do you really know about the moon? In this incredible pop-up book, discover where the moon came from, why it appears to change shape, how it affects our oceans, and what a blood moon is. Shoot into space with the Saturn V rocket and travel back in time to join the first astronauts to set foot on the moon.

Four breathtaking pop-ups reveal the inner workings of the solar system, demonstrate how eclipses occur, and more. Intricate illustrations and fact-filled pages bridge the 238,000-mile distance between us and the moon, making this the perfect gift for young stargazers. Budding astronomers and anyone curious about the night sky will find that the moon’s secrets are just “one small step” away!

Illustrated in color throughout

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Up-Moon-Anne-Jankeliowitch/dp/0500651868/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=POP-UP+MOON&qid=1623273133&sr=8-2 

REVIEW: If I had an Octopus

Our six year-old granddaughter throughly enjoyed one of the author's previous books, If I had a Sleepy Sloth. So she was ready to like this new book just as much. She enjoyed the rhyme and bright colored artwork. Now she's asking for the other books in the series.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

From the duo behind the bestselling If I Had series, a humorous and entertaining tale celebrating octopuses.

Have you ever thought about what the best aquatic pet would be? It’s an octopus, of course! When a little girl fantasizes about having a crazy smart octopus pet, she pictures jumping rope with its tentacles, practicing different ball games simultaneously, and playing hide-and-seek with her camouflaging friend (just look out for the ink!).

With vibrant illustrations and playful rhymes, If I Had an Octopus is a laugh-out-loud story celebrating friendship between a child and her octopus. From the duo behind If I Had a Dinosaur, If I Had a Sleepy Sloth, and If I Had a Unicorn, Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow’s latest is a charming and imaginative tale about our favorite eight-armed creature.

Illustrated in color throughout

Amazon Link:

https://www.amazon.com/If-Had-Octopus-Alex-Barrow/dp/0500652252/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3L4YTHN8TPM9U&dchild=1&keywords=if+i+had+an+octopus&qid=1619473612&sprefix=if+i+had+an+oc%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-1