Bertie Was a Watchdog by Rick Walton, illustrated by Arthur Robins is a book about Bertie, who is called a watchdog, not because he is mean, but because he is the size of a watch.  When a burglar comes into the house, he laughs at the size of Bertie.  They have a series of contests:  who can bite harder, whether Bertie can catch the burglar, and finally who can bark louder.  It is this last contest that finally gets the burglar into trouble, because he barks so loudly and so long that the police outside hear him. 

I enjoyed the manic illustrations of the book, and kids will enjoy hearing about a tiny dog that gets the best of an enormous man.  Definitely one to share in your next doggie storytime.

Adventures of Cow by Lori Korcheck, illustrated by Marshall Taylor was listed on only one top book list on one of the children’s lit discussion lists.  But it deserved to be on more.  Written with a broad sense of humor that children will adore, it is the photographic journal of a plastic toy cow traveling through a farmyard.  Throughout, Cow misidentifies the animals, but is eventually returned safely home to his unique family.

This is the perfect book to read aloud to antsy toddlers, though even older children will enjoy the puns and mistakes.  Prepare yourself for a lot of groans and laughs. 

Happy New Year to All!  May the next year be filled with bright colors, great illustrations, and wonderful reads.

If you are a parent or a librarian who works with teens and preteens, then you have probably heard of Runescape, a multi-player role playing game that is available free online.  Runescape Boards is a site that will be useful for players, because they can ask questions, get answers, and browse previous conversations for ideas on how to improve their game. 

In My Heart by Molly Bang is close to my heart.  I have a four-year-old son who is always worried about us being apart.  I have told him for years that he is always in my heart.  Then along came this picture book, and it really created a magical moment at first reading.  Bang has created a colorful, joyous book that celebrates the fact that even when parents and children are apart they are still in each other’s hearts. 

Recommend this to working parents or families with children heading off to preschool or daycare.  It is a symbol that has worked well for us, and I know that it will ease other little folks’ fears. 

British researchers have found that there is a side effect of the release of a new Harry Potter book: empty emergency rooms.  Children visiting emergency rooms in Britain dropped by HALF on summer weekends when the books were released.  The article has a nice sense of humor combined with the results, though I would quibble with their assumption that if kids read more they will be less active.  I think that if kids read more they will watch less TV, and that is always a positive tradeoff.

Margaret Hodges is dead at age 94.  She is the author of books like St. George and the Dragon, winner of the Caldecott Medal.  Fans of her writing can expect two more of her books to be published posthumously.

The Salisbury Post has an article from the Rowan Public Library with a group of recommended snow books to share with children.  And the list is completely wonderful with some old favorites, some new surprises and my son’s favorite snow book in recent years, Martin MacGregor’s Snowman by Lisa Brodie Cook.

The Bonemender by Holly Bennett is a great read.  It is the story of Gabrielle, the daughter of a king, who was born with a unique power of healing with her hands.  No one has ever seen anything like it, but she trains with the local healer and uses her talent to heal those around her.  Then two strange men arrive, one of them bearing an awful wound to his thigh.  Gabrielle heals the man, and in the process learns that they are elves and gradually falls in love with one of them.  But the elves come bearing terrible news of an invasion of their peaceful kingdom by dark forces.  The elves and humans must join together to fight off this foe. 

The story is a mix of romance, fantasy and war story.  It is a fast read, told from both Gabrielle’s point of view and Feolan, the elf she loves.  Give this to fantasy lovers as well as romance readers.  It is a perfect stepping stone for teens who will enjoy paranormal romances.