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Hornbeam Books
Hornbeam Gets It Done
Hornbeam and his friends embark on three enterprising and entertaining new adventures in the second book in the Hornbeam series, from the creators of the Gooseberry Park, Motor Mouse, and Mr. Putter and Tabby books!
Hornbeam the moose, Eureka the goose, Cuddy the bull, and Adorabelle the skunk are the best of friends through thick and thin. And when a problem needs solving, you can always count on your friends to help get the job done!
In “March Worries,” Hornbeam is worried that the spring winds will blow away his blueberry bush and all the sweet treats he’s planning to make. When his overblown solution gets out of control, his pal Eureka is there to lend a hand.
In “Food-Shopping,” Hornbeam and his good friend Cuddy like to food-shop together every Monday. But the deliciously distracting baked goods right beside the front door get in the way of their plans. Can they find a way to outsmart the enticing cupcake display?
In “Game Night,” Eureka hosts a monthly game night for the group, where each of the friends shows up in their favorite outfits, and everyone goes home a winner!
Hornbeam the moose, Eureka the goose, Cuddy the bull, and Adorabelle the skunk are the best of friends through thick and thin. And when a problem needs solving, you can always count on your friends to help get the job done!
In “March Worries,” Hornbeam is worried that the spring winds will blow away his blueberry bush and all the sweet treats he’s planning to make. When his overblown solution gets out of control, his pal Eureka is there to lend a hand.
In “Food-Shopping,” Hornbeam and his good friend Cuddy like to food-shop together every Monday. But the deliciously distracting baked goods right beside the front door get in the way of their plans. Can they find a way to outsmart the enticing cupcake display?
In “Game Night,” Eureka hosts a monthly game night for the group, where each of the friends shows up in their favorite outfits, and everyone goes home a winner!
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2024
1 person is currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Rylant
506 books866 followersAn author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for children and young adults as well as an author and author/illustrator of picture books for children, Cynthia Rylant is recognized as a gifted writer who has contributed memorably to several genres of juvenile literature. A prolific author who often bases her works on her own background, especially on her childhood in the West Virginia mountains, she is the creator of contemporary novels and historical fiction for young adults, middle-grade fiction and fantasy, lyrical prose poems, beginning readers, collections of short stories, volumes of poetry and verse, books of prayers and blessings, two autobiographies, and a biography of three well-known children's writers; several volumes of the author's fiction and picture books are published in series, including the popular "Henry and Mudge" easy readers about a small boy and his very large dog.
Rylant is perhaps most well known as a novelist. Characteristically, she portrays introspective, compassionate young people who live in rural settings or in small towns and who tend to be set apart from their peers.
from bookrags.com
Rylant is perhaps most well known as a novelist. Characteristically, she portrays introspective, compassionate young people who live in rural settings or in small towns and who tend to be set apart from their peers.
from bookrags.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 2, 2025
Prolific fiction writer Cynthia Rylant has an endless ability to generate adventures that strike very young readers as endlessly fascinating.
Older readers, like this Goodreads reviewer? Maybe not so enthralled.
THIS IS ANOTHER SHORT STORY COLLECTION
Hornbeam the moose teams up with three more adorable characters: Eureka the goose, Cuddy the bull, and Adorabelle the skunk.
And yes, not for the first time, Cynthia is promoting the value of friendship, friendship, friendship.
In “March Worries,” the worries involve Hornbeam's blueberry bush. His friend Eureka comes to the rescue.
Next, in “Food-Shopping,” Hornbeam and his good friend Cuddy were planning to food shop in the usual way. Only there's a display of yummy treats at the entrance to the store. Will they be able to do their shopping anyway?
Finally, there's “Game Night.” Eureka hosts a game night for the group. Don't be too shocked, Goodreaders, if it turns out that everybody wins.
RATING THIS BOOK
Unless I absolutely love or loathe a book, my policy is to rate it in terms of my imagined response of the intended readers. For "Hornbeam Gets It Done," sweetness is a common theme in all the stories. Putting aside my personal reservations about health concerns with encouraging kids to get hooked on sugar, from the readers' perspective, this book is clearly a FIVE STAR read.
Older readers, like this Goodreads reviewer? Maybe not so enthralled.
THIS IS ANOTHER SHORT STORY COLLECTION
Hornbeam the moose teams up with three more adorable characters: Eureka the goose, Cuddy the bull, and Adorabelle the skunk.
And yes, not for the first time, Cynthia is promoting the value of friendship, friendship, friendship.
In “March Worries,” the worries involve Hornbeam's blueberry bush. His friend Eureka comes to the rescue.
Next, in “Food-Shopping,” Hornbeam and his good friend Cuddy were planning to food shop in the usual way. Only there's a display of yummy treats at the entrance to the store. Will they be able to do their shopping anyway?
Finally, there's “Game Night.” Eureka hosts a game night for the group. Don't be too shocked, Goodreaders, if it turns out that everybody wins.
RATING THIS BOOK
Unless I absolutely love or loathe a book, my policy is to rate it in terms of my imagined response of the intended readers. For "Hornbeam Gets It Done," sweetness is a common theme in all the stories. Putting aside my personal reservations about health concerns with encouraging kids to get hooked on sugar, from the readers' perspective, this book is clearly a FIVE STAR read.
February 8, 2025
Another adorable - or is it AdoraBelle? - book, the second in a series from Cynthia Rylant and Arthur Howard.
In the3 episodes in this oversized beginning chapter book, Hornbeam the Moose and his friends enjoy what life throws them - always with an upbeat ending. In "March Worries", Hornbeam worries that the wind will blow everything in his yard away: Eureka the Goose helps out. In "Food-Shopping", Hornbeam and Cuddy the Cow learn a solution to resist the baked goods near the grocery store's entrance. And in "Game Night", everyone wins.
As always, Cynthia Rylant weaves a tale that satisfies and leaves readers upbeat. Hornbeam and his friends are often clueless, but good-hearted. Everyone pitches in to help out. These are themes found in both Henry & Mudge and Mr. Putter & Tabby series. Each episode is sure to bring a smile to the reader's face.
Illustrations by Arthur Howard were rendered in colored pencil, watercolor, and gouache on Stonehenge paper. They are similar in nature, but much simpler in execution than the Mr. Putter/Tabby books. Good use of white space. This format means the illustrations are large enough they can be seen by all when read in a group setting.
Recommended for PreSchool-grade 2.
In the3 episodes in this oversized beginning chapter book, Hornbeam the Moose and his friends enjoy what life throws them - always with an upbeat ending. In "March Worries", Hornbeam worries that the wind will blow everything in his yard away: Eureka the Goose helps out. In "Food-Shopping", Hornbeam and Cuddy the Cow learn a solution to resist the baked goods near the grocery store's entrance. And in "Game Night", everyone wins.
As always, Cynthia Rylant weaves a tale that satisfies and leaves readers upbeat. Hornbeam and his friends are often clueless, but good-hearted. Everyone pitches in to help out. These are themes found in both Henry & Mudge and Mr. Putter & Tabby series. Each episode is sure to bring a smile to the reader's face.
Illustrations by Arthur Howard were rendered in colored pencil, watercolor, and gouache on Stonehenge paper. They are similar in nature, but much simpler in execution than the Mr. Putter/Tabby books. Good use of white space. This format means the illustrations are large enough they can be seen by all when read in a group setting.
Recommended for PreSchool-grade 2.
October 15, 2025
Well, it's not Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea, but I sure hope there are more in the series that are available to me! I love this team. But I do wonder why this is a picture-book, rather than a leveled reader which it actually qualifies as.
October 12, 2025
hornbeam is a moose. He helps his neighbor, eureka the goose, tie things to steaks in the March wind. hornbeam and cuddy the bull go grocery shopping on Mondays, but they never get very far because the bakery is just inside the store. He and his friends also have a game night where they play board games. delightful stories and pictures from the same Duo who created the Mr. Putter and Tabby books.
July 13, 2024
More humorous stories: fighting the wind in March; avoiding the baked goods in the grocery store; and game night with friends. These are gentle slices of life with no conflict to mar the good times. The cartoon illustrations by Arthur Howard are perfect matches for these stories.
August 26, 2024
Good introduction to chapter book format, much like Frog & Toad and George & Martha. The illustrations are great, and the stories are fun. I could really relate to the "Food Shopping" story.
November 16, 2024
Hornbeam and his friends Cuddy, Eureka, and Adorabelle in three short tales of problem solving and lasting friendships.
January 21, 2025
Hornbeam and friends are such relatable characters. Fun illustrations and funny situations. Trim size is a little large for typical shelves, but kids love BIG books.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews