Grumpy Cat and Pokey: The Grumpus! gets 2 Stars {comic, reluctant readers, 4th-7th grade}

Grumpy Cat and Pokey!: The Grumpus by Ben McCool, Royal McGraw, Ben Fisher, Derek Fridolfs, and Illas Kyriazis is a collection of short story comics about the lovable (much to his disgust) Grumpy Cat.  This is the 3rd Grumpy Cat book, but it is my first. 

Grumpy Cat is a lovable and fun cat.  His comics are apparently hilarious to the majority of the reviewers out there.  Most people think this comic book was funny and a downright great to read.  However, I felt differently. 

I give Grumpy Cat 2 out of 5 stars. I liked the short comic collection; this format is great for reluctant readers. I liked Grumpy Cat's statement of "I'm allergic to fun."  Though, the things I enjoy end there.  

All in all I felt Grumpy Cat and Pokey: The Grumpus! was random, boring, and lacked any real point or story line in any of the various comics.  Even the stickers at the end (shown below) were random.  

I love finding books for reluctant readers, but I feel there are other great books for reluctant readers in this age group. 

Have you read any Grumpy Cat books? Am I completely off on my feelings this cat and his comics?  I'm feeling like quite the party pooper, but at least I'm an honest party pooper. ;)
  

Happy Grumpy Cat comic book reading! 

Grumpy Cat and Pokey!: The Grumpus by Ben McCool and more 
Rating: 2/5 stars
Best For: 9 - 12 year olds, 4th though 7th grade
Worth a Check Out: If you like Grumpy Cat
Buy It or Not: No.
Read Aloud: No.
Lesson Ideas: ???


I received this book from Myrick Marketing in exchange for my review and honest opinion.  All of my thoughts, opinions, and words are my own.

We Dig Worms! gets 3.5 Stars {Comic} {Non-Fiction}

We Dig Worms! by Kevin McCloskey is a non-fiction comic book aka a book with comic like pictures sharing true facts and information about worms.  This is the second Toon Book I have reviewed, and for the most part I think both of these informational comic books are fun books for kids to enjoy and easy to apply the text to their own lives.

I give this book 3.5 out of 5 Stars in my book review.  I liked the illustrations and the fun and crazy facts about worms found throughout this book.  Boys and girls alike in Kindergarten through 3rd grade will like this book, however kindergartners may struggle with some of the information presented.    

We Dig Worms! is a short 40 page book is full of beautiful illustrations with a lot of details.  McCloskey has a beautiful artistic style, but his writing may need to be refined.  

I do love the details found in the illustrations.  Even the front inside cover, pictured above, and back of the book has such fun detail.  A kid might not notice the details and the connection with the beginning of the book, shown above, and the end of the book, shown below, but do you notice what I love about these pictures? 

I felt this book is good, but it only earned 3.5 stars b/c the facts presented throughout the book, especially the second half of the book, seemed choppy.  The flow of the facts and the writing just wasn't there; this is where an editor could've helped McCloskey refine his writing.  

There are a lot of cool facts about worms that I learned.  I am sure that if I enjoyed the facts the kids will enjoy them as well.  I feel the information in this book is good, but they could've been presented a bit better.  However, I still learned a lot, and I am sure a kid won't notice the disjointed feeling of the facts.  

All in all, I enjoyed this book, and several kids I know in ages ranging from 4 to 8 years old enjoys this book as well.  

Go check out this earth loving book especially if you have a dirt digger, of you know a kid that loves to dig in the backyard or is fascinated with bugs will enjoy this simple worm book.  

Amazon has the following book description: 

"What do worms do all day? How do they see? And why are they so cold and squishy? Find out by going on an underground tour through the hidden world of earthworms. Kevin McCloskey's book even shows readers what's happening inside a worm's body—brain, crop, gizzard, and more. The book takes young readers from "ew!" to "wow!" as they learn about the different ways worms work hard to help the earth. Kids may pick up many of the life science lessons contained here on their first read, but they'll return to We Dig Worms! again and again to rediscover its story. Deceptively simple, humble yet charming, this little book reaches surprising depths . . . just like, well, a worm!"

Do you have a favorite fun non-fiction book?  I'd love to hear your favorites. 

Happy Worm Book Reading for all of you Bookworms! ;)

I received this book from Myrick Marketing in exchange for my honest review and opinion. 

The Real Poop on Pigeons! gets 4 Stars {Comic} {Non-Fiction}

The Real Poop on Pigeons! by Kevin McCloskey is a non-fiction simple comic like book that is perfect for boys and girls alike.  I loved learning many things about pigeons, which to be honest I didn't have the highest opinion of before.  However, I do think differently   I'm sure glad I got this book from Myrick Marketing for my honest opinion and review, b/c I would not have picked this one up on my own.  

I have thoroughly enjoyed The Real Poop on Pigeons!  It is a great informational comic book. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars in my book review.  I liked the content and the pictures.  I felt the format of the book was great for someone who doesn't like to read.  I liked that this book gives teachers and librarians the opportunity to really teach from it.  The Real Poop on Pigeons! is engaging for students, challenging, but not overwhelming.  There's many things that I like about this book which is why it earned a higher rating.  

I absolutely love the inside cover; I love when the inside covers have great details and look pretty.  It just makes me happy to see such detail.  I feel McClosky did a great job with the pictures/illustrations.   He was consistent with the style of writing and illustrations throughout.  Like in the image below the pictures truly enhance the book.

I feel the facts presented in the book were great.  Facts, and how they are presented, are what take informational texts from good to great.  Did you know pigeons carried mail?   

My biggest qualm with this book came with Toon Book's reading level system.  I first found this chart in the very back of the book.  I thought it was great looking chart, but I actually had a difficult time finding what level The Real Poop on Pigeons! was.  I couldn't find any reference on the front, spine, or even inside the book anywhere.  It wasn't until I found it on the Toon Books website and then noticed Level 1 was written on the back of the book above the ISBN.  

I definitely didn't like how difficult it was to find the level of a "Leveled" book, but when I finally did find the level I have to disagree with it.  This book is short in the number of words, has short sentences, and meets the other bullet points under Level 1.  However, the content of the book is a little high for Kindergarten and 1st graders.  I would say this book is better geared to 2nd-5th graders.  This would be a good book for reluctant readers b/c it is short and easy to read. 

Amazon had the following book description to get you even more excited about the book: 

"Did you know a pigeon can fly faster than a car and farther than a small airplane? Or that they have something unusual in common with penguins, flamingos, and even the dodo? With his trademark mix of humor, well-researched facts, and artistry, Kevin McCloskey delivers the straight poop on these humble creatures, which turn out to be...coo, coo, COOL!

Kevin McCloskey, who teaches illustration at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, learned about pigeons from Vinnie Torre, one of Hoboken’s last pigeon racers. He dedicated this book to his children, even if his daughter is a little skittish on the subject since a flock of pigeons descended on the family during a visit to London’s Trafalgar Square. He says he considered painting the pictures here on roofing material (because pigeons flock to roofs) but settled instead for painting on a pigeon-blue Fabriano paper, the kind used by Picasso."

Go check this book out! It's a great book for parents, teachers, and librarians to add to their collection especially if you have a bird fan or a non-fiction book reader.  Just so you know, most young kids love non-fiction b/c it is relatable.  Kids see pigeons, and this book allows them to use a reading strategy and connect this book to their world and/or lives.

Check back Friday for my review of We Dig Worms! another informational comic book by McCloskey.


Happy Pigeon Reading in Beginner Comic Format!