Not Pop Pop by Angela De Groot & Illustrated by MacKenzie Haley - #bookreview

Yay! It's library day.

The doors SWISH open.

I slide my old books down the chute.

The Blurb

In this sweet and tender picture book, a trip to the library turns into an adventure in kindness and a reminder that people experiencing homelessness deserve compassion and respect--just like every human.

During a visit to the library, Brian is sure he sees his Pop-Pop around the corner--same eyes, same beard, same bushy eyebrows.

Nope, that's not Pop-Pop!

This man brushes his teeth in the restroom and his sneakers are patched with duct tape. Some people make frowny faces and even call him mean words, but Not Pop-Pop loves books, puzzles, and turtles, just like Brian.

He may not be Brian's pop-pop, but could he be someone's?

Not Pop-Pop also includes a kid-friendly resource for adults to begin conversations about homelessness, empathy, and ways that anyone can make a big difference in the life of a person in need.

My Review

Not Pop Pop is a touching story and is perfect for sharing with children. 

The story begins with a young boy, Brian, and his mum entering the library to exchange his books. When he thinks he spots his own Pop Pop he becomes very excited but soon realises that it is not his Pop Pop. Instead, he finds a man who is shabbily dressed, who brushes his teeth in the sink in the library toilets and who seems to be living in his car. 

This realisation leads to his mum explaining to him about homelessness. Whilst, other library users are disapproving and even call Pop Pop unwelcome names, his mum is able to teach him about compassion and understanding of those less fortunate than ourselves.

The colourful illustrations by MacKenzie Healey support the text perfectly and will catch the eye of young readers. 

Additionally, at the back of the book are sections about homelessness intended for both children and their parents/carers.  Headed as Understanding Homelessness, How we can Help and For Parents, Caregivers and Teachers, there is something for everyone in this lovely picture book.

November is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month in the US and an ideal time to share this book with little ones. In the UK we mark World Homeless Day on the 10th October. That said, this would be a marvellous book to share with children at any time and to introduce this important issue.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 0593578926

Publisher:  Waterbrook Press

Formats:  e-book and hardback

No. of Pages: 40 (hardback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Angela De Groot was born in England, grew up in South Africa, and now lives in New Jersey with her family. 

Angela’s debut picture book, NOT POP-POP (PRH/Waterbrook) is a 2025 Moon Beam Gold Medal Winner for Compassion and a 2025 Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award finalist. Angela hopes that her writing inspires curiosity and compassion while creating worlds that readers can find and lose themselves in. 

A lifelong lover of reading and writing, Angela teaches ESL and Basic Literacy at her local library. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her in the garden talking to the birds. 

Author Website

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(book and media courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett & Illustrated by Jon Klassen - #bookreview

 

How does he do it?

How does it work?

Does he tighten his belt?

Or shrink himself down to the size of a mouse?

***

The multi-award-winning duo of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen tackle a perennial question: how does Santa go down the chimney?

When Santa arrives at a child’s house on Christmas Eve, does he go down the chimney feet first or head first? What if he gets stuck? What if there’s no chimney? Maybe he slides under the door, as thin as a piece of paper? Or is it possible he pours himself through the tap? What happens once he’s inside?

Mac Barnett’s iconic talent for earnest deadpan humour and Jon Klassen’s irresistibly funny art honour this timeless question with answers both ridiculous and plausible, mounting in hilarity as the night continues. Channeling a child’s fanciful explanations, this latest collaboration by a bestselling team will find a secure spot among family Christmas traditions.

***

This is a delightful picture book which aims to answer the question that every child has asked at some point, how does Santa get into the house? He is so quiet he never wakes anyone up including the dog!

Aimed at pre-school/infant aged children, every theory is purported in this book and accompanied by stylised illustrations from Jon Klassen. These completely support the text which will aid early independent readers.

It is a charming story with humour throughout and would make a perfect gift. I think most children would be thrilled to discover this in their stocking on Christmas morning.

When my sons were young, we would share a Christmas/Winter themed book every evening at bedtime. With one hundred percent certainty, I can say that they would have adored this book, and it would have fit the bill perfectly.

My little boys are now full grown men with families of their own, and they will love sharing this book with my grandchildren.

ISBN: 978 1529512779

Publisher:  Walker Books

Formats:  e-book and hardback

No. of Pages:  32 (hardback)

About the Author:

Mac Barnett is a New York Times-bestselling author of stories for children. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. Mac’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Germany’s Jugendliteraturpreis, China’s Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Award, The Netherlands’ Silver Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil. He is the co-creator, with Jon Klassen, of Shape Island, a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their best-selling Shapes series of picture books. Mac lives in Oakland, California.

About the Illustrator:

Illustrator, cartoonist, enthusiast. An appreciator and advocate of work that is honest and genuine from its conceptualization to its execution.

Specializing in children’s picture book illustration, editorial cartoons and character design.

Jon currently lives and works in Toronto, Canada.

(book courtesy of the publisher)

(author media courtesy of his own website)

(illustrator photo courtesy of Wikipedia and bio info courtesy of the illustrators website)

(all opinions are my own)

Charlotte's Snowman by Lainey Dee - Illustrated by Sarah-Leigh Wills - #BookReview #BlogTour

 

Charlotte woke up and noticed that it had been snowing all night and to her delight was still snowing. "It's snowing, it's snowing!" she yelled.

The front garden was filled with a thick layer of white sparkling snow...

***

Children love building snowmen. When they add a nose, eyes, and mouth to their snowman, they get a magical feeling that their snowman has his own personality.

And… sometimes snowmen do come alive!

Charlotte wakes up and sees that it’s snowing… it’s snowing and it’s snowing. She runs outside to build a snowman. She fixes a carrot for the snowman’s nose, a stick for his mouth, and two stones for his eyes.

But the snowman has many demands, so Charlotte has to part with her gloves, scarf and hat; so her snowman wouldn’t feel cold. But the sun comes up all of a sudden, and Charlotte cannot find her snowman anymore. 

She is sad. Then, she learns that her snowman hasn’t disappeared completely, but is hiding in the ground, waiting to emerge next winter.

A great book for those children who miss their much loved snowman when winter is over​.

***

This is a delightful and charming picture book for young children and would definitely have a place in the infant classroom.

It is a sweet story about a child's delight and eventual disappointment with a snowman that she has built. However, the book ends on a hopeful note as she realises that she can rebuild him again next winter.

It could lead to interesting discussion between an adult and child about the changing seasons, and how each season will return again.

The book has been beautifully illustrated and support the text very well. The colourful illustrations will appeal to children.

When my children were young, throughout December, I would always share a different winter themed book with them each day. This book would have been a perfect addition to that, and I will be alerting them to this book to share with their own children.

ISBN: 978 1909191532

Publisher:  KA Books

Formats:  e-book and paperback (currently available on KindleUnlimited)

No. of Pages:  28 (paperback)

About the Author:

Lainey Dee was born in Birmingham and grew up in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

The author of Charlotte's Snowman, Let's Celebrate Being Different and Rodasauri the Dinosaur's Trip to London. 

Lainey was inspired to write for young people having worked with children for many years. Lainey currently looks after twins aged five years. A huge art deco fan, she lives in an art deco house which is decorated in that period style. In her free time, she enjoys baking and cooking for friends and visiting National Trust properties.

Her favourite ice cream is strawberry and the strangest place she has slept in was a tepee Texas.

She enjoys using her imagination to invent new stories and characters. Lainey hopes her books will help readers see themselves and the world differently and understand how special they are.

(book and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)