How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lois Wickstrom did it again. She took a classic fairytale and gave it a twist. If this is the first Lois Wickstrom book you read I highly recommend checking her other stories out. This twist is on Jack and the Beanstalk and I was not disappointed at the new views and narratives.
How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them is a take on Jack and the Beanstalk. My son has not heard that story, so he didn’t make the connection, but I did. I thought it was really creative and had things changed for this generation. The ending didn’t make sense to my 7 year old, and I had to explain it to him. Then, once he got it, he thought it was funny. He was very confused about a goose that lays golden eggs, until I explained to him that’s just how the story has always gone. I thought Jack was very cleaver to trick the giant. Because we read other books by this author/illustrator combo, my son noticed the similarities and thought Jack looks a lot like Caspian. So, while this book was not familiar to my 7 year old, I caught on, and we both loved it. (Side note, I don’t like the title. How to Catch Little Boys had my thoughts going a TOTALLY different direction)
Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy
How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was another great kid’s book. I have totally enjoyed every single one and same with my children. This is a great book based on the fairly tale jack and the beanstalk, but with a little twist. Its all from the giant’s point of view. The giant plans and writes them all out on how to catch little boys and eat them. I absolutely love how other people have different point of views on different stories and these never seem to get me to think. This book was very entertaining, it was funny, cute, skimming, learning, and the pictures are just great and really flow and show the story in a different way which brought the story almost to life.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R19YMZ7OC7GOR6/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was a twist on Jack and the Beanstock. I read this story to my almost 10 year old and the laughter out of her was priceless. The pictures in the story was bright and colorful. Jack was lazy and wanted to get money. The ogre was watching his every move and trying to get him to the top so he could eat him. I would say this book is more for age 7-8 years old.
View all my reviews
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1052870197
How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is hysterical! The premise of the book is ingenious. I find the pop culture references quite amusing. The artwork is incredibly beautiful. It reminds me of the forest witch luring children to her candy-adorned hut in the woods.
How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a cute retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk with a twist. Wickstrom’s take on classic fairytales are unique and this one is no different. In this version, we get the giant’s perspective and what he plans to do with Jack; however, Jack outsmarts him with some quick problem-solving. I always enjoys the way she weaves lessons into her stories and the illustrations are always interesting and special.
Reviewed by @meggs1717
How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What do giants and little boys have in common? They both need to eat and a giants favourite thing is little boys, but not when they are scared, so this giant hatches a plan to catch his favourite meal.
He is so confident in how well his plan works, that he makes an infomercial for any other giants to follow, this is of course after he tries it our for himself and his first victim is Jack.
First he sells some magic beans, then he let’s Jack steal a goose which lays golden eggs and a golden harp, so when Jack comes back the third time, it is time to show him the cooking pot.
Will Jack fall victim to this giants plan, or will be able to escape? This is a fun retelling of a favourite childhood tale which any age will enjoy from beginning to end.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Ten Little Starfish: A Counting Book by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is so cute!! I personally thought that it was adorable. The illustrations are so cute and fun. It is a counting book, so it is wonderful for kids 1-5. You can have your kids search and find all the starfish along the way through the book as you read. There are also some great facts about starfish near the end of the book. Also included are some search and count pages where they give you a few things to find at the end. Then after that there is a search the whole book and count page. It will have you going through the book a couple times with your kid(dos), counting a few different things. Personally I would add on a few more counting challenges using the opening and ending pages. They are illustrated with small shells, crabs, and star fish on those four pages, so you can defiantly add to all the counting fun there! I would recommend this book for babies 1st library up to pre-k. Start them reading young and they’ll be counting in no time!
How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Retelling but with a twist. Once again, Lois Wickstrom allows your imagination to flourish with this retelling of a classic. We all know Jack and the Beanstalk, but did Jack really steal the goose and golden harp? From the eyes of the giant Earth boys are just lazy and easy to pick. Until Jack shows he’s not as easy to trick as the giant thought.
My six-year-old once again loved this retelling of a classic and even my eleven-year-old giggled a time or two when there was a twist. Each of the author’s books give me a newfound love for the classic stories I grew up on and I love getting to share them with my boys in a new way.
Ten Little Starfish: A Counting Book by Kim Ann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a really cute sea-themed counting book for your littles. I love the rhyming throughout the book and the descriptions on each page. I also like at the end how Ann gives interesting facts about starfish as well as a QR code so you can download the sing-a-long. This would be a great addition to any gift for soon-to-be parents (especially if their theme or décor was beach for sea).
Reviewed by @meggs1717
Ten Little Starfish: A Counting Book by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a great book for young kids just learning how to read and count. The story itself is easy but engaging. I would recommend this book for kids in lower elementary or below. Rather they can read on their own or not, kids are going to love the beautiful artwork found within this book. Kim Onn has written a great book to get kids interested in counting and in starfish, while Nejla Shojaie has drawn beautiful works of art to engage imaginations.
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
4 Stars
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend by Terri Sabol is a cute children’s picture book story with a bit of an educational component about animal welfare/animal activism, and community awareness. It highlights the T.N.R (Trap-Neuter-Return) program and how it works, as raising awareness is key to the success of the program.
The story is told through Oscar and Emmy, who are cats, and their human family, whose adventures start when they encounter a stray cat. What happens makes for a sweet read.
Happy Reading…
Reviewed by @angelahayes
•*• PREORDER •*••*•
When Lilly forgets her favorite stuffed rabbit, Hun Bun, she worries about getting through school without him. How will Lilly adjust to be able to get through her day?
Hun Bun has been with Lilly since birth and is always there to calm her worries when those pesky heebie-jeebies appear. Heebie-jeebies make her palms sweat, her belly do flip-flops, and her heart beat loudly.
One day, when she forgets to pack Hun Bun, something begins to change. Join Lilly as she discovers how her heebie-jeebies signal her to tame her worries, be brave, and take charge to do hard things.
Grab a copy of Lilly Tames Her Worries for your child’s backpack today!
Ten Little Starfish: A Counting Book by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This a cute 1-2-3 story about a starfish and its day. As you count up with you, learn different interesting facts about starfish. As an added bonus, when you reach the end of the story, there is a short scavanger hunt list to complete using the illustrations from the story.
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was the first book I’d read in the Oscar and Emmy series, and it turned out to be so wonderful! It was beautifully illustrated and contained such great information about Trap-Neuter-Return. My family is full of animal lovers, so this was right up our alley. I read it with my 7-year-old and 11-year-old, and we all came away with something new and useful. I think it’s crucial in educating everyone about stray and feral cats. I have already picked up several of the other books in the series. I highly recommend picking this up and sharing with the younger ones in your life!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very clever take on the story of Jack and the Beanstalk! Jack is a typical Earth boy and the ogre/giant is watching his every move. He’s got a plan to get Jack to visit but Jack might be a little more cunning than the ogre.
This is a cute book that kids will love. They won’t expect the ending, which will make it more fun!
Ten Little Starfish: A Counting Book by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an incredibly detailed, well written, book about counting, but not only did it count to ten you were able to read a lot of detailed information about starfish, like they can regrow their limbs, or glow under the moonlight. There was also some extra facts, and activities at the end of the story to give this book a little bit of an edge. Although my children are older, and wouldn’t enjoyed this book as much as kiddos who are a little younger and have yet to learn to count we did enjoy learning the facts about starfish, and it would be a perfect read for younger kids.
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend is a great book about a worthwhile topic that hits very close to home, T-N-R or Trap-Neuter-Release. It had wonderful, full-color illustrations, and easy to understand wording. We had a very similar situation to this one and it very quickly got out of control. Luckily a local humane society was able to step in and help us out and they continue to work with us to maintain the situation so it doesn’t get out of control again. I enjoyed how in the author letter at the end she explained how T-N-R was near and dear to her own heart and how Shadow was based off of a real life cat. She also gave such worthwhile explanations on what Trap-Neuter-Release is really about and how it works. I feel like this would be a really good book for young and older kiddos alike who are having to experience a situation like this one or want to know more.
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 stars
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend is an educational and fun read. It raises awareness to the young and old about cats that have no home.
I am a rescue girl for all my animals. Well, that is except my (already fixed) stray cat affectionately named Kitty Kat, that adopted us about a year ago but continues to live outside. I had never heard of TNR so was interested to learn more about it. I also learned that it is banned here in Australia.
Terri has done a good job of weaving together a controversial topic and child’s story to make it a topic that can be fun and easily shared. Through bright and colourful pictures this story teaches young minds the pitfalls of abandoned animals and the outcome of neglecting them.
I see there are many more adventures for Oscar and Emmy to read to my grandbabies and my new great granddaughter.
Reviewed by @jennadb
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend is a wonderful children’s book that discusses the TNR program. It is a great resource for kids (and adults) to learn about how to deal with feral cats and the stray population. The author has done a superb job of writing the story in a way that is easy to understand while still being packed full of information. The illustrations are bright, fun, and really make the story come to life. I loved how the author has included information at the end of this book on the Trap-Neuter-Return Program. It is easy to see that the author is passionate about the subject matter and wants to pass her knowledge onto others. A great book for children to learn compassion, empathy, and understanding towards the stray cat population. This would be a wonderful, must-have, addition to any home and school library. I highly recommend this book!
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was another great little kid’s book, so many lessons and learning for kids. It was beautiful story and illustrations my kids really enjoyed this story. it was about stray cats and how to understand how to deal with them. the cute book was very incredible and cute. Highly recommend this cute little story about cats
Hole in the Rock by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This story follows Lizza and her family on their “adventurous move.” Lizza’s dad has a taxidermy business and ultimately decides to move the family into a cave. A cave where the family is on display for tourists. All Lizza wants to do is move back into a normal house. My tween loved reading about all of Lizza’s schemes in an attempt to get her family back to “normal.”
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Cute story and illustrations. Appreciate the fact that the mom warns the kids the feral cat may not like human interaction, which might help emotionally regulate a child that becomes upset with a feral cat in real life. The book also realistically discussed TNR programs, which was nice it mentions real-world programs.
As an educator, I appreciate the use of dialogue- so many kids books don’t have dialogue for teaching grammar and what quotation marks mean, and the conversations contained within the book are authentic!
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The art in this book is very beautiful to look at, and definitely draws my eye in to read the story. I love this story and being taught about TNR, like the characters in the book, I was unaware of this program and think it is great. I hope this book can reach many that will be willing to look into the TNR program and help other stray cats. I kind of wish I could have found out what happens to the kittens in the end, where did they go? But happy that the momma cat still comes back around.
Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Informative and engaging
This is a great educational yet entertaining story book that teaches children about responsible pet ownership. The message is about the TNR program and the importance of controlling the stray and feral cat population. The language is easy for children 6 years and over to engage with and the illustrations are so cute.
A great addition to a school or home library. Highly recommend!
Hole in the Rock by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this and then re read it with some of my little bookworms that visit my library and I must be honest it was a lot more fun the second time round because I could see through the eyes of a child ❣️📚
Being an animal lover I can imagine that having a dad that’s a taxidermist must be an absolute nightmare for Liza but when he decides to put the family on “ display” in a cave i think that was the last straw for her and she makes a decision to rescue herself for. This situation but for every action there’s a reaction right !? The latter isn’t always fun though and more often than not what we expect isn’t what we get and our decision don’t always only affect us but those around us and this is where myself and kids had great discussions and while they enjoyed the story they walked away feeling like they’d learnt something ❣️📚
A fun and interactive read for em and my little friends ❣️📚
.•°*°•. 
BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE .•°*°•. 
Join Oscar and Emmy, two curious cats, as they discover a surprising visitor outside their window. Uncertain about the stray cat, they soon embark on a journey of friendship.
Through the eyes of the children who show empathy and kindness towards animals beyond their own pets, understand the importance of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). Delve into the significance of this vital program in aiding stray and feral cats within your community.
Enriched with a useful infographic on TNR, this book empowers you to become an active contributor to the solution.
Click here to view the Book Trailer for Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend by Terri Sabol
Terri Sabol is an accomplished children’s book author, renowned for her heartwarming and entertaining stories featuring the real-life adventures of her two beloved rescue kittens, Oscar and Emmy. Born and raised in Texas, Terri developed a love of writing and storytelling at a young age, and always dreamed of one day becoming an author. Thinking that was out of reach, she focused on her other dream… teaching.
After graduating from college with a Masters degree in education, Terri worked as an early childhood teacher, and it was during this time that her passion for picture books truly blossomed. She was inspired by the joy and wonder that children experienced when reading and listening to stories, and it was this love for inspiring young minds that led her to create her own series of children’s books.
Terri’s debut book, “Oscar and Emmy Get Rescued”, was published in 2016, and told the heartwarming story of how she came to adopt her two kittens from the animal shelter where she volunteered. The book was an instant hit with children and parents alike, and it quickly became clear that there was a demand for more stories featuring Oscar and Emmy and to help educate children on the importance being involved in pet care.
Over the years, Terri has continued to write new books in the series, each one capturing the unique personalities and quirks of her two adventurous cats. Her books not only entertain children, but also promote the values of compassion and kindness towards animals, as well as the importance of rescue and adoption.
In addition to her Oscar and Emmy series, Terri has also written several other books showing off her writing skills, including “Green With Envy” and “Kneading a Winning Idea”.
When she’s not writing, Terri can be found spending time with her two rescue kitties, Oscar and Emmy. She also loves travelling and exploring new places and visiting old favorites, all the while taking inspiration for her next book. Through her stories, Terri hopes to inspire children to explore the world around them, to embrace their imaginations, to never give up on their goals, and to always be kind and compassionate towards others, especially animals.
Ten Little Starfish: A Counting Book by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wonderful adventure finding the starfish and counting them. I can picture there being many readings of this story frequently. wonderfully detailed illustrations. Fun will be had when reading this story.
Ten Little Starfish: A Counting Book by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such a cute book for toddlers and pre-kindergarteners. Each page contains beautiful illustrations of ocean creatures like star fish, crabs and the beach as the children learn to count from one to ten. The rhymes in each of the book are very entertaining and easy for children to grasp. I would definitely recommend this book.
How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In a cute twist of Jack and the beanstalk this author retells the well known story but from the giants perspective. He lures boys by selling magic beans and a harp. Etc. As the story goes on Jack climbs the stalk and the giant thinka hes trapped him but Jack manages to outsmart the giant in the end.
This is a cute story with engaging illustrations that my daughter loved and may open up conversations about topics that may be harder to address with kiddos.