Laurie BerknerRezensionen

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Laurie Berkner is even fun in print. We sang and marched to this one in storytime and the kids loved it. Of course, it would be best shared with Laurie Berkner's musical soundtrack, but in a pinch, you can sing it yourself. Kids will still enjoy it.

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"I'm the biggest monster / that you've ever seen! / My eyes are purple / and my teeth are green." So begins the rhyming narrative of Monster Boogie, which uses the words of Laurie Berkner's song of the same name as text, and pairs them with bright, attention-grabbing artwork by Ben Clanton. Eventually, by inviting the two children he is visiting to join him in the Monster Boogie, our green-toothed guest allays their fears...

I wasn't sure, going into Monster Boogie, how I would react, given that Berkner and Clanton's previous collaboration - We Are the Dinosaurs, another picture-book based on a Berkner song - left me mostly unimpressed. I'm glad I gave this one a try, despite my lukewarm reaction to the earlier title, as I found both narrative and artwork here appealing, and think the book would make an excellent reassurance story for children afraid of monsters lurking in the dark at bedtime. My only qualm, in this respect, is the potentially frightening two-page spread at the beginning of the book, which shows the monster ostensibly leaping across the room, claws extended. If young children can get past that one frightening scene, however, they'll be in for an entertaining treat. Recommended to Laurie Berkner fans, and to anyone looking for lighthearted monster fare.

This is a fun mix—an addictive song paired with bright illustrations—which brings monstrous entertainment.

There's a monster in the bedroom, one with green teeth and purple eyes. He appears to be scary, at first. But this monster doesn't have roars and growls in mind. All he wants to do is boogie and wiggle.

Laurie Berkner's song comes to life in these pages, allowing an energy packed monster to come to life. The text is simple enough for even younger listeners to understand and, coming from the song, repeats itself. Although this does come across as repetitious at times (especially on the refrain), it does make the phrases catchy for kids and easy for them to 'read' along even when they can't read the words themselves. A possibly scary monster transforms into a source of giggles and will have young readers boogie-ing and wiggling themselves. Still, the message is clear—first impressions can be deceiving. Because this monster is anything but frightening.

The illustrations are bright and add just the right amount of silliness and excitement. While the phrases from the song repeat themselves, the action in the illustrations does not. It's the combination of these two which makes the book entertaining.

For those, who aren't familiar with the song or might want the chance to play it themselves, the music score is on the back of the book. But even without it, this is an easy to enjoy read which guarantees smiles for fans of silly monsters.

I received a complimentary copy and found it so fun to read that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.

With amazing illustrations and a text which invites to fluffy pillows and dreams, this is a lovely book to match Laurie Berkner's popular song or simply as a wonderful, nighttime read.

Pillowland is a fluffy, puffy place full of fun and adventure. The text is simple and follows the lyrics of Laurie Berkner's song, Pillowland. While knowing the song adds a great basis for this book and makes it that much more fun to read, it's also enjoyable without knowing the song. It works great as a read-aloud even for younger listeners, especially with fun sound effects such as 'zoom! zoom!' and 'wheee!' It invites to imagination pure while bringing a comfort of softness and enjoyable dreams. For those who don't know the song, the text might come across a little strange at times, but this problem is solved with an extra treat found on the back of the book. A simple musical score of the song is printed there so kids can learn the song or sing along.

The illustrations are unique and a treat. With a mixture of paper cut-out art and real life items, the illustrations gain a whimsical and imaginative feel. It's fun to simply flip through the book and gaze at the pictures.

Fans of Laurie Berkner are sure to love this one, and those who don't know her will discover a lovely place where kids can dream and enjoy a fluffy world.

I received a complimentary copy, and my children and I enjoyed it enough that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.

A band of young dinosaurs leave their parents in the morning to stomp across the Earth in order to make it flat. The stomp and chant to lunch and up sides on mountains until they get tired. Then they sleep in caves until something rumbles underneath them and wakes them up. On their run home they continue to chant their song.

Better listen to the song again ...

I was confused by this book and didn't understand the point until I realized it was a song. However, still not a fan. Cute pictures though. The book did do well with rhyming.

Using her song, "We Are the Dinosaurs," as a starting point, children's musician and author Laurie Berkner presents this picture-book adventure featuring a group of young dinosaurs who venture out on the nearby mountain for a day of hiking and fun. The main text of the song is augmented by the dialogue amongst the dinosaurs, and the accompanying artwork by Ben Clanton is done in pencil, acrylic and watercolor.

Truth be told, I had never heard of this song before picking up We Are the Dinosaurs, so I had no auditory point of reference whilst reading. I suspect that this affected my enjoyment level, and that I would have been less indifferent if I actually knew the tune. That said, I do tend to feel that if a song doesn't tell enough of a story to stand up by itself textually, it probably isn't the best selection for a picture-book. I've noticed recently that many of the song-based picture-books I've picked up (Bob Dylan's If Dogs Run Free comes to mind in this respect) were less than impressive. Recommended primarily to those who are already fans of the song.

I am a little picky when it comes to music and I've never been particularly fond of children's music because it can sometimes feel a little demeaning for some reason. While I wouldn't ever listen to this cd on my own time, or even with any future children, I definitely see the value for using during storytimes. The SPL children's librarian who I volunteer with often uses Laurie Berkner music during her pajama storytimes and it is really fun to watch. The musical quality itself isn't half bad and definitely incorporates important aspect of play and rhythm.

Laurie Berkner has several children's albums. This one is a full-length CD with many upbeat songs, in a folk style, some with a touch of jazz. Most of the songs have easy lyrics to sing and are about fun things that kids like to do such as eat pretzels, dig up vegetables, etc. Some are more abstract and evoke imaginative thoughts like "In the Clouds" and "Magic Box". She also does some traditional tunes like "Erie Canal" and "I've Been Workin' on the Railroad". I find Laurie's music very enjoyable, sometimes a little bland but mostly really fun and descriptive. My son loves this album and often sings it to himself.

A simple story about emotions and the value of expressing them. Colorful illustrations and a CD with the same story made into a song, sung by Laurie Berkner.
A great book for a "feelings/emotions" lesson plan.
Source: My personal collection.
Ages: 2-5

"Victor Vito and Freddi Vasco" is a such silly book for children. Two polar bears are on a mission to improve their restaurant by serving a variety of foods from across America. It starts off with a letter from Victor and Freddie explaining what they will be doing throughout the book. The illustrations in the book are super kid friendly and vibrant.

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