50 Below Zero Board Book, by Robert Munsch (illustrated by Michael Martchenko)

50 Below Zero Board Book
Author: Robert Munsch
Illustrator: Michael Martchenko
Publisher: Annick Press
Publication Date: June 13, 2013
(Originally Published in 1986)
Source: NetGalley
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I'm a huge fan of all of Robert Munsch's books and I've always enjoyed reading them to my daughter as well as to daycare classes. Having said that, I've never like the abridged board book versions nearly as much, even when reading them to very young children. A big part of the charm of Robert Munsch's books is in the repetition of phrases, the predictability of the format, and the general silliness of the noises and expressions. And a lot of that is lost in the board book versions. I tried reading the board book of The Paper Bag Princess to my daughter Magda and I got so frustrated I went back to the original. I felt the same way with this one. Too much is lost in the abridged version.

Boy Soup, by Loris Lesynski (illustrated by Michael Martchenko)

Boy Soup

Author: Loris Lesynski

Illustrator: Michael Martchenko

Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media

Publication Date: March 11, 2013

(Originally published September 1, 2008, by Annick Press)

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Normally the giant wouldn't try to eat boys. He knows it's wrong. But he has a terrible cold and the only remedy is a nice pot of boy soup! But when he kidnaps six boys--plus Kate--he gets more than he bargained for. The kids outsmart the giant, make a killer pot of soup (well, almost) and discover a new interest in cooking (and giant evading).

The story's great, but what really makes the book is the fantastic artwork by Michael Martchenko. You probably know him as the longtime collaborator with Robert Munsch. He has illustrated some of his most iconic books, including The Paper Bag Princess and Stephanie's Ponytail. My daughter Magda kept saying, "Look! It's Stephanie. Only in this book she's called Kate." I told her that it was the same person who drew the pictures in the other books and she said, "I know. It's like I know all the kids from other books!"

The Fire Station, by Robert Munsch (illustrated by Michael Martchenko)

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I love Robert Munsch! I saw this title on NetGalley.com so I guess it's been re-released, but originally it was published twenty years ago. Like all Robert Munsch books, it holds up beautifully. It's also one of my daughter's favourite types of Robert Munsch stories, namely the little-kid-with-a-fast-vehicle (her other favourites are Angela's Airplane and Zoom!). Of course, one of the best thing about Robert Munsch books is Robert Munsch himself, his storytelling is beyond compare. If you ever have a chance to take your child to see him in person, it's definitely worth it. In the meantime, check out his website. You can download audio files of him reading almost all of his books. (It's fantastic for long car rides for those of us who don't have video games and DVD players in our cars.)


Hit the jump for Magda's assessment and more!