Outside of a Dog

notes reviewed Lilla Spöket Laban får en lillasyster by Inger Sandberg

Lilla Spöket Laban får en lillasyster (Hardcover, Swedish language, 1999, Rabén & Sjögren (1999))

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3 stars

ghost family welcomes a new baby ghost that can imitate lots of different sounds
easy language, lots of onomatopoeia & the objects they're from
strange illustrations

notes reviewed Little Brown Bear says "no" to everything by Claude Lebrun

Little Brown Bear says "no" to everything (1995, Childrens Press)

Little Brown Bear's response to everything is negative.

NO, NO, NO!

1 star

Content warning ending

bear is spoiled rotten, and the mother doesn't do anything about it
no conclusion to this "story" because all the bear says is "NO"
could have shown that: there are consequences / disadvantages to saying "no", and maybe some outcomes with saying "yes". example of something the bear might say yes to: "would you like some cake/snacks?". what a wasted opportunity of an ending.
all this book does is reinforce the child's resistance to new experiences and to things they don't like/want to do

notes reviewed Good Night, Alfie Atkins by Gunilla Bergström

Good Night, Alfie Atkins (Hardcover, 2005, R & S Books)

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3 stars

not a fan of the weird / strange illustrations
the language / sentence structure was.... idk... off-putting / awkward
many excuses to not go to sleep
the main character was annoying/obnoxious the whole story. was it meant to be humorous?
the dad's situation/struggle is amusing and endearing
ending was sweet

notes reviewed Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll

Meg the witch meets her friends for a Halloween party but something goes wrong with …

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2 stars

Content warning scenes, ending

halloween, witches, black cats, etc.
simple illustrations with bright flat primary colours
lots of onomatopoeia

some scenes: - main character walks over the cat's tail, the cat screams, and she doesn't even apologize - woke up at 12AM, had breakfast, left at 1AM to meet friends, had a spell party, friends got turned into mice, then: - "I'll have to change them back, next Hallowe'en". Not THIS Halloween, but NEXT. - confusing ending because who waits a year to do change their friends back? - well... witches be witches, i suppose.

notes reviewed Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban

Bedtime for Frances (Hardcover, 1995, HarperCollins Publishers)

Frances finds it difficult to go to sleep with the strange noises and menacing shapes …

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1 star

outdated and has NOT aged well
the father has a statement about how an individual's worth is reduced/tied to their job and social obligations. this is followed up by the casual threat of violence / punishment (spanking) when the main character (Frances) doesn't want to / cannot go to sleep. personally, I would've withheld snacks, electronics, etc., you know, things that would actually be effective in disciplining a child. but alas, the story is from an older era where trauma is common.
I liked the scene where she goes right up to what she thought was a "giant" and realizes it was just the chair + bathrobe. confront your fears, yes. growth.
I disliked the parents because they: belittle their kid, dismiss their Frances' fears/struggles + fail to teach her to confront/face them, threaten her with violence, are emotionally distant, show no effort in raising their child to be confident/independent/brave …

outdated and has NOT aged well
the father has a statement about how an individual's worth is reduced/tied to their job and social obligations. this is followed up by the casual threat of violence / punishment (spanking) when the main character (Frances) doesn't want to / cannot go to sleep. personally, I would've withheld snacks, electronics, etc., you know, things that would actually be effective in disciplining a child. but alas, the story is from an older era where trauma is common.
I liked the scene where she goes right up to what she thought was a "giant" and realizes it was just the chair + bathrobe. confront your fears, yes. growth.
I disliked the parents because they: belittle their kid, dismiss their Frances' fears/struggles + fail to teach her to confront/face them, threaten her with violence, are emotionally distant, show no effort in raising their child to be confident/independent/brave with a strong emotional foundation, and lastly, was more focused on watching TV and their own activities than caring for Frances.
lots of things scare Frances, like giants, tigers, moths, etc., but what actually got her to sleep in the end, was the thought of being spanked.

notes reviewed Thomas the Tank Engine by Reverend W. Awdry

Thomas the Tank Engine (Hardcover, 2004, Egmont Books Ltd)

Thomas is a fussy, cheeky little tank engine whom we meet here for the first …

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2 stars

unlikeable characters. example: Thomas enjoys scaring other engines and "then he would laugh rudely and run away to find some more".
moralistic, in an annoying way. the lessons feel forced and heavy-handed
themes of revenge, hubris, ego, comeuppance, impatience

notes reviewed The Three Railway Engines by Reverend W. Awdry

The Three Railway Engines (Hardcover, 1985, Kaye & Ward Ltd)

The three Engines all lived in the same shed and worked on the same railway. …

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2 stars

feels outdated + irrelevant
unlikeable characters. example: Edward scares others for fun
there was a chapter where the characters locked up a train (Henry) because he refused to leave a tunnel (and disliked the rain). the chapter ended with an intrusive narrator that says "But I think he deserved it, don't you?" it felt cruel and unsympathetic.
some scenes were positive and about perseverance, determination, and change
moralistic, in an annoying way

notes reviewed Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

No cover — Make Way For Ducklings (Paperback, 1969, Dutton Juvenile)

First published in 1941, the book tells the story of a pair of mallard ducks …

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5 stars

very cute ducks + ducklings
charming illustrations
adventurous story
teaches kindness, cooperation, and responsibility
themes of family, love, and safety/security

notes reviewed Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

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5 stars

very cozy, comforting, and peaceful
has a gentle rhythm that is great as a bedtime story
encourages bedtime routines and helps readers transition into sleep smoothly

notes reviewed The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

The Little Engine That Could (EBook, 2012, PHILOMEL)

Although she is not very big, the Little Blue Engine agrees to try to pull …

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4 stars

timeless classic
repetitive language
teaches the importance of perseverance, confidence, determination, cooperation, etc.
good example of how a small engine can make a big difference