Winner and 2 Children's Book Reviews

Johnny Big Ears, the Feel-Good Friend is the story, not surprisingly, of a young boy with large ears.  As he enters kindergarten, he gets teased a little bit, but Johnny is self-aware and self-confident.  With his family support, he remains optimistic and happy.

I found the reading level of this book to be quite a bit advanced for the target age group.  I also don't think there are enough illustrations to keep little ones totally engaged.  But, I do think it has a great message of being comfortable in your own skin and not allowing others to dictate how you feel about yourself.

The Tutu Ballet is another gorgeous Sally O. Lee children's book about accepting individuality and working together as a group.  My kids and I love her beautiful watercolors.  

Each of the animals in the story excels in one aspect of the ballet.  So, the teacher puts their skills to use and they put on a great show.  My only worry about this book is that I do think kids should also feel comfortable trying new things, even if they aren't the best at it.  There are a lot of things in life that we are just mediocre at, and learning to accept that as well is a useful life skill.  But overall, I've been enchanted by Sally O. Lee and her woodland creatures.

The winner, according to Random.org, of Life After Genius is Emilia!  I'll be in touch.