books
Reviews
Mooove Over!
“The cow, wearing a bright purple dress splashed with stars, barges through the crowd with bags and boxes . . . Readers will cheer as the ill-mannered bovine gets her comeuppance, and Meisel’s energetic and humorous acrylic illustrations will keep them in stitches as they practice counting by twos.” - School Library Journal
“Meisel’s colorful illustrations fit this tale perfectly,
with the sweet facial expressions of the cow lending surprise to her rude
behavior. Not only will readers learn to count by twos, they will also
learn the words used to describe pairs: duet, couple, twosome, partners
. . . in this funny story.”
- Kirkus Reviews
“Picture books + Math = Fun!” - Book Links, feature article
Notes from a Teacher
“Mooove Over is a delightfully illustrated picture book that engages the listener in skip-counting. I particularly like the use of varied vocabulary for the word two – ‘duet of ducks, pair of pigs, couple of sheep, twosome of geese.’ This book can be used by primary teachers as a counting or skip-counting number story and in an older classroom as a resource and jump-start for creative vocabulary in math language.” - Sara McGraw, Albany School of Humanities, Albany, NY, instructs math teaching methods in the College of St. Rose graduate program.
A Cake All for Me
“This delightful cookbook rhyme . . . a tasty treat for the youngest readers!” The Bookbag
“[Paul Meisel’s] cover illustration of an exultant pig flourishing a cake suggests some of the high spirits and simple pleasures of this rhyming book, as fluffy and sweet as seven-minute frosting. . . . The appended recipe will guide kids through making a chocolate-chip cake, to hog or to share. Good thing, because this book will put readers in the mood for a snack.” Publishers Weekly
“Charming . . . A tasty treat.” School Library Journal
“Hilarious and fun.” Midwest Book Review
Fire in Their Eyes
“Double and triple recommendation—really pull-you-in-and-don’t-let-you-go writing.” - Deborah Churchman, editor, Ranger Rick Magazine
“This stirring on-the-scenes account of the lives of firefighters who courageously battle wildfires is guaranteed to spark the imagination of any would-be firefighter. Action photos and personal narratives make this book stay on readers’ minds long past the final page.” - VOYA
“Vivid photos . . . compelling account.” - Horn Book
“Every page is packed with fascinating facts that will hold readers’ attention. In addition, graphic full-color photographs convey the intensity, violence, and power of fire.” - School Library Journal
“Beil profiles a handful of men and women, capturing the drama, excitement, and danger of their job. Beil’s own photographs reflect the roller coaster pace of the work—from a burly man sitting at a sewing machine repairing his parachute, to a tree exploding in a column of fire.” - Booklist
“Plenty of crisp color photos of firefighters taking on exploding trees, wind-driven flames, and ‘fire whirls’ are a sure draw for browsers, and the glossary of terms will be useful to readers taking a studious approach to the topic.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“The excitement and danger of this profession is captured as the reader follows the stories of real-life firefighters through some harrowing near-death experiences. The brilliant and vivid color photographs add detail and realism to the stories.” - Children’s Literature
“The photographs in this book are mesmerizing. The text itself is clear and easy to understand.” - Book Report
“You can almost feel the heat. This book can’t help but encourage a healthy respect for the power of fire.” - Scientific American – Explorations
“A searingly beautiful tribute … it will foster a deep appreciation of the forests and trees we plant on the Jewish Arbor Day as well as give a whole new understanding of the natural cycles of growth and destruction of our planet.” - Jewish Family and Life
Reviews, Professional Fire & Forestry Journals
“Read this before you jump. Flames and a catchy title lure you to this book, targeted for the youth audience, and the photos and writing keep you turning the pages. Ms. Beil writes from personal and collected experience, but without techno-babble and acronyms. Her text is fun to read, informative and tidy. There is a good mix of men, women, nationalities, education, and forest politics.” - Wildland Firefighter
“A vivid portrayal in prose and photographs. The book conveys in dramatic detail the specialized knowledge, skills, and motivations of these firefighters.” - Journal of Forestry, Society of American Foresters
Grandma According to Me
“A preschooler offers an affectionate depiction of her traditional
cookie-baking, sweater-knitting, soft-lapped grandmother. The child-like
text contains several striking images: the girl happily calls her own
wrinkly bathtub hands ‘grandma hands’ and the creases in
her grandma’s face ‘story lines.’ . . . [Rand’s]
paintings reinforce the warm-hearted mood.”
- School Library Journal
“Lovingly told from the child’s point of view. A first book for Beil, this winning combination of text and art will bring a smile to the reader’s face. This story is just right for families looking for books to read together and for family story times in libraries.” - Booklist
“Rand’s homey illustrations depict the traditional grandmother the young narrator lovingly describes in this warm storm detailing activities the two do together.” - Horn Book