Children’s Book Review: Petunia Pepper’s Picture Day

Media Type: Ebook
Title: Petunia Pepper’s Picture Day
Author: Cathy Breisacher
Illustrator: Christian Elder
Publisher: Warner Press
Pages: Hardcover; 32
Release Date: July 1, 2010
Source: NetGalley
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Recommended to: Young readers who love funny stories with vivid illustrations.

Add it on: Goodreads / Amazon / B&N

Poor Petunia Pepper! Every year disaster strikes her on school picture day. Puffy hair, pumpkin-style smiles and pink eye help create pictures that only her family could love. But this year, Petunia promises herself things are going to change. She plans carefully for the perfect picture day. Unfortunately, she misses the school bus and begins a series of misadventures that lead to yet another picture day fiasco. In the end, Petunia spots her picture on the front page of the local paper, featuring her heroic rescue of a runaway poodle. Now that’s a picture everybody in her class will love!

If I had to sum up this book in one word, that word would definitely be…ADORABLE! Petunia and her dilemmas were a joy to read about, and Petunia herself was easy to fall in love with. From her smile, right down to her fabulous little shoes, she was a character that I know for a fact the girls in my class would fall in love with. I was smitten with her perseverance in the book, never giving up no matter what stood in her way. I think that is a great message for kids!

My favorite part of this book by far was the illustrations. They are bright, spunky and fun. Petunia and her family exude cuteness, and I liked how all the characters were outlined to look almost like stickers stuck into a book. Each and every page is exciting to look at. I can definitely see a group of children giggling out loud as Petunia runs into the hot dog cart, sending forth a cloud of flying hot dogs and mustard.

This is also a fabulous way to teach alliteration! The title itself, Petunia Pepper’s Picture Day, is a great start, but there are so many “p” words present in the book that it would be extremely easy to design a lesson around this concept. In the same respect, this book would be great for a Summer Bible Camp or Sunday School. At the end of the book is also a letter to the children about how God loves us all the way we are, and how everyday is a picture day! A great beginning reader, I highly recommend this book.

Rating: 5 Keys to My Heart

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.