Studio Mouse Children Books
Reviewed by Kathleen Garber

Rosita and Elmo Read a Recipe

Jodie Shepherd

Illustrations by Bob Berry

Read, Listen and Learn book by Studio Mouse.

Summary: Rosita’s Abuela (Grandmother) comes to visit and teaches Rosita and Elmo how to make Guacamole and Salsa. Steps include making a shopping list, buying ingredients, washing hands, combining ingredients and eating!

The story includes a CD that not only reads the story aloud but also has fun songs, activities ideas and goes over the new vocabulary The CD is at the back of the book and has such English words as ingredients, recipe and guacamole and Spanish words such as abuela, hola and delicioso.

Before the story even begins, at the front of the book is the actual recipe for both Gooey Guacamole and Sensational Salsa so that you can make them with your children.

As for the actual story in the book, the pictures are bright, colourful and clear and the words are easy to read. The key vocabulary words that are listed at the back are bolded throughout the story so that you can point them out to your child. Although there are quite a few words on each page, the illustrations match the words which is important to young children who get confused if something they hear in the words isn'’t pictured. My 2 ½ year old loved it although if your child hasn’t been read to often since birth (which they should be) than the child probably won’t be able to listen to this whole story until they are 3 or over.

Rhyme Time
Dawn Bentley, Laura Gates Galvin and Tish Rabe

A Carry a Tune, Learn-Aloud Book by Studio Mouse

This is a cute Disney Princess book for those who already know the basics of Rhyming. It's not for very beginners and it helps if they know the Disney Princesses too.

A small poem is given and the last word is omitted so the child can figure it out. The answer is written in light writing at the bottom of the page. For e.g.

“Pretty Things.

Ariel is a princess who sings.

She likes to collect pretty things.

Flowers for her hair,

And jewelry to wear,

Like necklaces, bracelets and _ _ _ _ _.”

ANSWER: rings

The illustrations are bright and colourful. This would be a good book for a child 6 or older who knows the Disney Princesses and has help to read from a parent.

The accompanying CD reads the story aloud and has some fun songs.

This book also has a take along handle to make it easier for children to bring the book with them wherever they go.

Cinderella and Belle: Kindness Counts
Laura Gates Galvin

Editors: Tracee Williams

Summary: This book is actually two short stories in one. Cinderella teaches her mice friends Jaq and Gus to be good hosts for her guests. Belle learns that it’s important to help others.

The included CD reads the story aloud and has some fun songs along with it.

Each page has 3 to 5 lines of text at a slightly bigger print and would be good for 4 and up with parental help or approximately 7 or 8 and up to read by herself.

This book also has a take along handle to make it easier for children to bring the book with them wherever they go.

Marshall: A Nantucket Sea Rescue
Whitney Stewart

Illustrations by Dennis Lyall

Pet Tales is presented by Soundprints and the American Veterinary Medical Association

Summary: Marshall, a big friendly Newfoundland, is rescued by brave surf men during a storm at sea. Will Marshall soon become a lifesaving dog himself?

I love dogs but am not interested in life at sea very much. If I was, perhaps I would have enjoyed the book a little more. It’s a well-written story but suitable for ages 8 and up.

I’m not a big fan of the style of illustrations either. They are very well done artistically but not what I like to see in a picture book. I’m not sure the proper term for the type of art but it’s definitely painted and so has edges that run into each other. I prefer clearly defined illustrations.

The accompanying read-along CD contains two version of the story. One has a sound to turn the page and one does not. In addition to reading the story, the narrator also reads the extras that are at the back of the book. They are an Author’s Note, More About Marshall and Nantucket’s Lifesaving Men, Glossary, Pet Health and Safety Tips and A Real-Life Pet Tale.

The book comes with a small stuffed dog that looks like Marshall. It's really cute and seems well-made.

Learn & Carry Space Adventure
Laura Gates Galvin

A Read-Aloud Book with Read-Aloud and Musical Fun CD

4 books & CD in a carrying case (Learn & Carry)

This little set would be perfect for the child ages 3-6 who is interested in Astronauts, The Moon, The Planets and Spacecraft.

The four books are each small board books but with 20 pages made of thin cardboard  and with a reading level much higher than a normal board book. A toddler could still wreck the pages. Also on some pages along with the story text there is a little fact. For example a page says  we'll learn about Mercury, the closest planet to the sun.” It also says, “Mercury has holes, or craters, on it's surface, just like the moon.”

The accompanying CD reads the books and has some fun music. Unlike most read-aloud books, these stories are read by children, which I’'m sure will be better received. When the stories are read aloud, the facts are not read. A later track on the CD explains all the space terms such as telescope, mission control, Apollo and dwarf planets.

The illustrations in the book are cute and look pretty real. If you glance quickly, you might even think they were photographs

Disney Princess Write-With-Me Alphabet

Laura Gates Galvin

Included: Book, Two Write-On/Wipe-Off Pens, Learning CD and Stickers all in a zippered case.

This is a really cute learning book for kids who are into Disney Princesses. On each page, the letter is shown (e.g. Kk) along with a sentence (e.g. K is for King, Kiss and Keepsake) and then pictures of each of those items with the occasional little sentence for harder words (e.g. Ariel kept the dinglehopper she found as a keepsake.) Then the bottom 1/3 of the page is where your child can practice her letters. There are four sets of three letters. First you trace over the solid black lines where there are arrows and numbers to show you where to trace. Then there are three solid grey letters to trace and then three letters made of dotted lines and finally a blank space to write the letter themselves.

There are two pages of 41 stickers at the back that the kids can use to decorate their work. These are not reusable stickers though so once they are on, they are on. The two pens are fine tipped but did not wipe off as easily as I would have liked. The pages of the book are thick cardboard, which is good for young children who can be rough with books unintentionally.

The product says not for children under 3 because of small parts which I assume would be the pens and stickers but with proper supervision would be okay for advanced two year olds.

The accompanying CD includes 5 tracts. 1, 2 and 5 are singing about learning to write your alphabet with the princesses and is cute. Tract 3 is instructions on how to use the book. Tract 4 is the story as it is in the book (i.e. A is for…, B is for…) with pings to tell you when to turn the page.