Two Reviews: Happy Go Skate Day!

​Skate in June? Why not? After your day of skating, curl up with a mug of hot cocoa (or frozen hot chocolate--yum!) and read these two books written by two Jersey girls:

​TITLE: LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD
AUTHOR: Tara Lazar
ILLUSTRATOR: Troy Cummings
PUBLISHER: Random House/2015

​OPENING LINES: It was winter, and the river winding through the enchanted forest was frozen solid. A girl raced down to the river’s edge and laced up her skates. She swizzled and twizzled across the ice. She did fancy figure eights, lovely loops, and willowy waltz jumps. Her spins were superb. Everyone called her…Little Red Gliding Hood.
 

​Tara Lazar is a master at fractured fairy tales, play on words, and humor, and this books has it all. The opening lines cleverly lead you to the title page, and every spread after begs the reader to turn the page. “Little Red’s skates were worn-in and worn-out, no longer snow white, and a little too tight.” What is Little Red to do? She plans to win a pairs skating competition, of course. The prize is a new pair of ice skates. But who will be her partner? Little Red considers a whole host of characters that readers will recognize from their favorite fairy tales and nursery rhymes. When she finally decides on a partner, new problems arise, but you’ll have to read the book to find out how Little Red resolves her problem. Troy Cummings’ colorful illustrations paint a winter wonderland for readers to enjoy. I love the way he painted the icy reflections on the pond and characters’ expressions. I looked at the pages over and over and noticed new details each time. Tara and Troy were the perfect pair to pull off this winner of a skating fairytale! 

​Read my review on Goodreads, Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Read my review on Goodreads, Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

​TITLE: MICE SKATING
AUTHOR: Annie Silvestro
ILLUSTRATOR: Teagan White
PUBLISHER: Sterling Children’s Books/2017
OPENING LINES: During the cold winter months, most field mice take cover…tunneling deep underground, burrowing into farmhouse walls, nestling in hollow logs. But not Lucy.
 
Lucy is no ordinary mouse. Unlike most mice, Lucy loves everything about winter, especially ice skating. Her friends just don’t understand! Lucy is convinced her friends would like winter too, if they would just try. So, she attempts all sorts of things until she finally comes up with a way to include them in the fun. Annie Silvestro’s sweet friendship story is beautifully written with a lyrical voice and even a few cheese puns for a touch of humor. Teagan White’s adorable, watercolor illustrations create a whole little world that lets the reader in on a mouse’s point of view. This book will surely convince you to love winter just like Lucy does.