Month: October 2020

Picture Book Round Up: LOLs

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Today’s post features some of my favorite funny picture books. Yes, these are intended for small kiddos – but they’re also ones that I pick up when I want to smile.

Who Wet My Pants?
by Bob Shea, Illustrated by Zachariah OHora

A bear who is a part of a scout group is surprised to find that someone wet his pants. He goes around, asking all of his friends which one of them wet his pants. If you have the humor of an eight-year-old boy like I do, you’ll think this is hilarious.

Find Who Wet My Pants at a library near you on WorldCat!

The Panda Problem
by Deborah Underwood, Illustrated by Hannah Marks

Every main character in a story has a problem, right? A panda is the main character in this story, but the panda doesn’t seem to have a problem… until the panda becomes the problem. I really love picture books that break the fourth wall, and the interaction that the panda has with the narrator in this picture book is just too fun.

Find The Panda Problem at a library near you on WorldCat!

Pokko and the Drum
by Matthew Forsythe

Pokko’s parents made a huge mistake… they gave her a drum. This silly picture book follows Pokko as she unintentionally leads a parade through the forest. The storyline is funny, but the illustrations here are really make this a stand-out book. Shoutout to Matthew Forsythe for both writing and illustrating this – I feel like it’s so impressive when people can do both!

Find Pokko and the Drum at a library near you on WorldCat!

Attack of the Underwear Dragon
by Scott Rothman, Illustrated by Pete Oswald

Cole has always wanted to be a knight, and his wish has now come true! Sort of – he’s serving as an Assistant Knight to Sir Percival. Surely his training will go well… unless an underwear dragon shows up. Fingers crossed that Cole will be able to use his knight skills to fight the dragon off!

Find Attack of the Underwear Dragon at a library near you on WorldCat!

And yes, the first book in this round up features someone wetting their pants, and the last book in this round up features underwear. I don’t care how old you are – that stuff is always funny. Have fun with these picture books, and let me know in the comments if you know of any great laugh out loud picture books I should check out.

The Hashtag Hunt

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Lauren is on a mission. She’s a contestant in the Hashtag Hunt, a photo scavenger hunt with a $10,000 grand prize. The fifth hashtag challenges her to find a #HottieinTheWild… and then she gets caught taking Brenner’s picture.

Brenner is waiting on a friend to arrive, minding his own business, when someone points out the lady across the bar taking his picture. He rolls with it… and before he knows it, he is offering to help Lauren find the perfect picture for hashtag number six.

The Hashtag Hunt takes place over a ten-hour time span, following Lauren, Brenner, and their friends as they race the clock to find the perfect items for the competition. This is a fun, light read that will suck you in from the very first chapter.

What I loved most:

Y’ALL. I CAN’T EVEN with how much I loved this book. It was an absolute breath of fresh air in this hot mess of a year. The characters were so fun, and the plot was so easy to sink into. Plus, it’s a clean adult romance. I love romance books, and it’s so darn rare to find one that’s clean!

I read this for my first ever book club, which I am doing with my Phi Mu alumnae sisters. Kristina Seek was kind enough to join our zoom book discussion meetings, and I legit fangirled all over her because the book was just that good. I promise you, this will be one of the best books you read this year.

Read this book if you like:

Sweet romances, relatable characters, Hallmark movies, strong friendship bonds

Book details:

  • Author: Kristina Seek
  • Publisher: Independently published
  • Date of Publication: December 9, 2018
  • Interest Level: Late high school to Adult

White Fragility

~ rachelbenzine ~ 1 Comment

Plot:

The subtitle of this book is “why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism”, and I think that sums up this book so well. White Fragility looks at the concept of whiteness in America, and how whiteness and racism interact. Most white people don’t grow up talking about race, and how race shapes their world; most people of color do. This book addresses why we as white people are so uncomfortable talking about race, why we get so defensive when it’s brought up, and what we can do to change the way we think about and talk about race.

What I loved most:

I’ve been doing a lot of reading this year about the experiences of people of color in America – check out my list of stellar anti-racist books here. I think it’s crucial for white people to listen to people of color, and to learn from them whenever possible. However, we also have to look at ourselves, and what it means to be white in America in 2020. White Fragility is a super complicated book, and it’s definitely going to challenge the way that you think about race and about your own complicity in America’s structural racism. But it’s worth the effort, friends.

Read this book if you like:

Analyzing your own attitudes and beliefs, personal growth, anti-racism, sociology

Book details: