Ahhhhhhhhhh. Every parent with a tech powered kid needs this book. Charlie McButton is not happy to lose power when a storm rolls in to town. It leads him to be a bit of a monster. BUt luckily his little sister teaches him quite a lesson. I love this book. The rhymes are perfect and the illustrations are quite colorful, even though looking at the cover you might not believe that. It was just such a special and fun book. ( )

I truly enjoyed reading this story! The ending was adorable when Charlie realizes he would rather spend time with his sister than play with any of his gadgets. ( )

I really enjoyed reading the book, When Charlie McButton Lost Power by Suzanne Collins. The rhyming and illustrations in this book kept you entertained while also teaching a valuable lesson. This is the second rhyming book I've read and I have found them both to be very entertaining. I find myself reading the rhymes with more enthusiasm and excitement then a traditional writing style. This made the book fun and more enjoyable. The clay rhyme is my absolute favorite part it shows how a good rhyme can be fun, show emotion and draw you in.
“Could anything be any duller than clay?
Soggy gray clay on a soggy gray day?
He hated the way clay got under his nails
And how he could only make snowmen and snails.”
I feel like the drawings also add to my enjoyment of this book. They are scribbly while still maintaining detail. They are very expressive, you can completely relate to Charlie’s expressions as he gasps for air when losing his electronics or pounces on his sister dolly. The illustrator Mike Lester makes the emotions pop in his drawings while still keeping everything fun. I originally thought the main idea of this book was to learn to live without electronics, but it also has a bigger message. Not only does Charlie have to entertain himself without batteries but while doing so he learns to appreciate his sister and play with her. By the end he realizes that he can be happy without electronics and batteries; and to enjoy the company of his sister most of all. ( )

I checked this book out almost 2 months before I got to use it - it is written in rhyming verse, and can be used to teach prediction, character traits, problem resolution. It makes a great mystery box book when you pull out a gameboy, a play station and a deck of cards - let the prediction begin!!

I loved this picture book. Charlie McButton is totally plugged in, so when a storm knocks the power out he is desperate for some entertainment. He has an old gadget that would work if only he could find some batteries. All of his little sister’s toys run on batteries which leads him to make some bad choices. However all is not lost, and as he tries to make things up to her he may learn that losing power is not the end of the world. The illustrations are a fantastic piece of this story. They add a comic element that made the story even more enjoyable. Everything reads in a lyrical rhyming style making it fun to read out loud. The reminder that playing something that doesn’t require batteries is current but not heavy handed. A gem of a picture book. ( )