Member Reviews

This would be a great read-aloud. It teaches children opposites, but embeds it in a cute story about a fallen log in the forest, and what the animals do with it. It would be perfect for a younger elementary or preschool classroom.

The illustrations of different forest and river scenes are beautiful. They are very detailed, including different elements of nature and the different animals included in the book.

Overall this is a fantastic way to teach children opposites, while also giving opportunities to discuss themes like problem solving and working together.

Was this review helpful?

This little picture book is working hard on so many levels! The simple text is perfect for a story time read aloud with plenty of opposites for young participants to mimic, while also being perfect for a one on one lap sitting read aloud as the gorgeous detail of the illustrations will provide hours of "can you find..." and "do you see..." fun for a care giver and child to share. The decision to bold and italicize various words along the path of the story is fantastic, as it leads the eye and adds emphasis for a child who is new to independent reading while keeping visual interest high for the child who is still following along with a finger as an older reader leads them through the story. A perfect addition to any library picture book collection, Trunk Goes Thunk will engage children from all communities (whether rural or urban) and at several different developmental stages. Thank you to NetGalley for access to this beautiful arc!

Was this review helpful?

For the most part, I think that this is a cute and clever book. However, I think that the opposites part felt a bit forced, especially as the book progressed. Originally, I thought that the opposites aspect was nonexistent. Then, once I noticed that it was, in fact, present I felt like the author was scrambling for different examples in order to stick with the theme of the book. Although, I think that this book is appropriate for young, young kids that are still learning their opposites. To any kids older than about kindergarten-2nd grade, this book would be pretty boring and dull. As for the illustrations, they fit this younger age group really well due to their bright colors and cute animal drawings.
In order to make this book better, I would have appreciated if the author added some more depth/diversity to the writing. Broaden the opposite pairs you use, how much you write on each page, what you write about on each page, etc.

Was this review helpful?

What a beautiful picture book. I love how the page spreads are designed, with different types of seperation for the opposites. The choice of enlarging the opposites words is always a great choice. I will definitly be picking this up for my classroom.

Was this review helpful?

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

I loved the idea of a tree falling in the woods and all the animals coming to investigate. I love that this fallen tree gives passageway across the river for so many animals. I fun, lively picture book.

Was this review helpful?

Adorable picture book with onomatopoeia and opposites. I love a book that a child can anticipate what the next word is going to be so it helps them "read along". Full of diverse forest animals, beautiful illustrations, and a full story.

Was this review helpful?

I loved the woodsy illustrations. This is a great book to teach the concept of opposites. It would be great for an outdoor literacy class because they could find some of the sets of opposites outside.

Was this review helpful?

My toddler loves anything to do with the forest and animals so this title was right up his alley! Thank you Netgalley and Gnome Road Publishing for access to this digital ARC, hes already asked for me to read it with him again! The opposites are easy and the pictures are beautiful. Some books are a one time read, either because the kid isn't interested or because the story was too long, not the case with this title! Short, interesting and cute! He was able to be an active participant in the reading as he liked pointing out the animals and practicing his new words. Very much recommend!

Was this review helpful?

A fallen tree becomes a bridge for the animals and an opportunity to have wordplay about opposites.
The illustrations by Chantelle Thorne/Burgen Thorne are beautiful, colorful, imaginative, and real delights.
Perfect for reading alone or WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to EVERYONE, especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Gnome Road Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!
#TrunkGoesThunk #NetGalley Pub Date Sep 10 2024

Was this review helpful?

I received an electronic ARC from Gnome Road Publishing through NetGalley.
Colorful illustrations capture the life that flourishes around this tree that fell. Morris weaves the opposite terms seamlessly in her lyrical text for younger readers. The text offers opportunities for discussion on opposite terms as well as life cycles in the forest.

Was this review helpful?

Wow what a lovely book!
I liked all the illustrations of the animals and the representation of the seasons.
I will be reading this again and again with my kids and enjoying all these beautiful illustrations.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Was this review helpful?

This is currently one of the best books about teaching opposites out there, because thanks to the wonderful depictions of nature, wild life and seasons, the lovely animals as characters and well-written text, the reader enters a beautiful world and gets immersed in it. Suitable for toddlers and young readers.

Was this review helpful?

Pjs, cuddling, and story-time before bed is a favorite at our house! The last couple weeks the kids had so much fun reading some new material I was given advanced copies of. It’s cute how now they ask what new books I have to read. As soon as I’m finished they will tell me what they loved about the book. My great little reviewers! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📚📖 @netgalley #netgalley

Mandela Cloudy Days by Kuljinder Kaur Brar ( comes out Oct 21)
Her dad is a truck driver and she has to learn how handle her “stormy cloud emotion” days. A great book about emotions.

From Plant to Plate by Darryl Gadzepo (comes out May 20)

Odd Animal Out by Ben Hoare (comes out May 20)

Mel and Mac by Elena Joannides (comes out Nov 13)

100 First Words for Little Utahans by Christopher Robbin’s (comes out June 17)

The Most Perfect Persimmon by Hannah Chung (comes out Aug 12)

Call Me Roberto by Nathalie Alonso (comes out Aug 26)

Addition and Subtraction Kindergarten Math Workbook (comes out May 20)

Callis Fun Bilingual Tales by Jorji Colley (comes out June 17)

The Strangest Fish by Katherine Arden (comes out September 2)

Santa’s New Start by Aditi Wardhan Singh (comes out April 21)

The Blue Canoe by Sheryl McFarlane (comes out July 8)

In Time by Marina Ruiz (comes out July 8)

The Wind in the Willows (comes out July 31)

Stella and Marigold by Annie Barrows (comes out Sept 30)

Emily Snook by Laura Bower (comes out Sept 16)

Trunk Goes Thunk by Heather C Morris (comes out Sept 9)

Swinging into History by Karen L Swanson (comes out Aug 5)

Sonya and the Super Duper Disaster by Rachel Funez (comes out July 22)

Squirrel Needs a Break by Kristen Remenar (comes out May 6)

Pickle Words by April Pulley Sayre (comes out July 15)

She Sells Seashells by Heidi Stemple (comes out July 15)

Squawk of Spanish by Gabrielle Aldeman (comes out Aug 12)

Just Us by Mary Beth Griffin (comes out Aug 26)

Trabsportation by DK (comes out May 20)

The Bedtime Book of Magical Creatures by Stephen Krensky (comes out May 27)

Was this review helpful?

Trunk Goes Thunk! is a beautifully illustrated story showcasing a variety of forest creatures reacting to a tree falling. The illustrations are so colorful and detailed, and I love how many animals are throughout the pages. The story ranges throughout the seasons and has a pair of opposites in bold font on most pages.

Perfect for children who love nature, animals, or want to learn about opposites.

I received an ARC from Gnome Road Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley, Gnome Road Publishing, and Heather C. Morris for the early access copy of Trunk Goes Thunk.

Trunk Goes Thunk is a cleverly worded and beautifully illustrated story that shows its readers the impact to the wilderness when a tree trunk falls. The text accents the concepts of opposites by using bold and enlarged text. The illustrations are eye catching and beautifully detailed.

Trunk Goes Thunk can easily be used for curricular purposes. It highlights the concepts of opposites, a variety of animal wild life, weather changes, paw prints, plant life, and even provides a QR code for access to educational resources. This story can be a great resource for ages Kindergarten to Grade 4.

Was this review helpful?

This children's book is fabulous! It focuses on a tree that falls in the woods and how the various animals use it as a bridge over a river. The illustrations are beautiful and clear. The story is fun and teaches about the natural world as well as about opposites. I expect many children from preschool through 2nd grade will enjoy this picture book. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

This was a fun book to read with my son. I loved the natural, soft tones in the book. We both enjoyed all of the different forest animals included in the story. He especially loves raccoons. The text is fun and engaging. The use of opposites was great. I liked that the words were bolder for easy recognition. Definitely a fun book to read with any forest animal loving kiddo!

Was this review helpful?

The book was beautifully written. The author made great and careful word choices that were very impactful. I liked how the words were big or bold as it is not only eye-catching, but engaging for young readers. The pictures were also great and familiar. Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it.

Was this review helpful?