Month: June 2018

Night Out by Daniel Miyares

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Schwartz and Wade

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Image result for night out daniel miyares

Summary:  A boy eats and sleeps alone in some kind of all-boy institution (a boarding school? An orphanage?).  One night he finds an invitation propped up against the bowl housing his pet turtle.  He sneaks out and rides his bike to the shore, where a large turtle ferries him across the water to a cave.  There’s a party going on, and the other animals welcome him with open arms (and wings).  After a night of tea and dancing, he returns to his room.  His turtle can be seen returning to his bowl just as the boy is climbing through the window. The last page shows the boy sharing the story with his new (human) friends. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This almost wordless book (38 words) is a celebration of the power of stories to connect with others.  The dedication says it all: “Dedicated to the dreamers. May you always feel invited.”  Daniel Miyares’ evocative illustrations perfectly capture the child’s loneliness and the power of his imagination to create a happy world for himself.

Cons:  Knowing that Daniel Miyares has created beautiful wordless picture books, I felt like the words in this one were unnecessary.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Big Bunny by Rowboat Watkins

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Chronicle Books

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Image result for big bunny rowboat watkins

Summary:  A bedtime story about a bunny is told as a conversation between two narrators.  It’s a big bunny…a ginormously scary bunny?…no, just big, and he lives on…a ginormous FLOATING CARROT?…no, just a round planet.  And so on, with one narrator looking for a horror story while the other tries to rein her in.  The narratives are told with two fonts to help the reader differentiate.  The final pages reveal the parent and child who are doing the storytelling and when you find out what they are, their terror of bunnies all makes sense.  40 pages; ages 4-7.

Pros:  Kids will find this silly story with its goofy illustrations absolutely hilarious.

Cons:  That cute little bunny nibbling grass in my backyard seems suddenly ominous.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild by Catherine Thimmesh

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  Pandas almost disappeared from China after poaching and habitat destruction nearly wiped them out.  Yet over the last few decades, the number of pandas has slowly risen, thanks to intensive conservation efforts.  The author examines both the issues of what caused their decline and how scientists have slowly helped reintroduce pandas into the wild.  Early efforts didn’t always succeed, and these are documented as well. Interestingly, there are those who believe pandas should be allowed to die out as part of the natural order, and this point of view is also explored.  The final chapter summarizes successes, not only in the panda conservation movement, but in helping other endangered species. Includes glossary, sources, index, and a list of ways to help endangered species. 64 pages; grade 4-7.

Pros:  Sibert medalist Catherine Thimmesh (Team Moon) gives a complete, engaging picture of the state of the panda, an animal whose adorableness has led to it becoming the face of the World Wildlife Fund.  And speaking of adorable, readers of all ages will enjoy the many photos illustrating the text.

Cons:  I know they’re an important part of the conservation process, but it’s hard for me to take the guys in panda suits seriously.

Image result for human panda suit

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Power Forward (Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream) by Hena Khan, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Salaam Reads/Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  Fourth grader Zayd dreams of making the gold team in basketball, but he feels like he’s got a long way to go.  For one thing, he’s the shortest kid in his class and weighs less than 60 pounds.  For another, his mother is thrilled he’s been asked to join advanced orchestra and is certain his future lies with playing the violin.  When Zayd discovers his friends are coming to school early for extra basketball practice, he makes up a story to skip early-morning orchestra and plays with them instead.  His mom catches him eventually, and Zayd is grounded for two weeks…with basketball tryouts just nine days away.  Zayd is sure he’s doomed to play another season on the D team until his uncle gives him some useful advice about how to follow his dream.  144 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  An exciting, true-to-life sports story with interesting glimpses into Zayd’s Pakistani-American family and their culture.  Matt Christopher fans not quite ready for Mike Lupica will enjoy getting to know Zayd and can look forward to at least two more books in this series.

Cons:  Readers may wish for a little more actual sports action.  It looks like this may be coming in book 2.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

 

The Party and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Chronicle Books

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Image result for party sergio ruzzier

Summary:  Friends Fox and Chick share three stories for early readers.  In the first, Chick asks to use Fox’s bathroom, then proceeds to have a party with her friends there.  Next, Chick can’t understand why Fox prefers vegetables to small animals, but when she realizes she herself is a small animal, is happy to share his vegetable soup.  Finally, Chick asks Fox to paint her portrait, but can’t sit still look enough for him to do it.  56 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  Early readers will love the cartoon dialogue and friendship reminiscent of Elephant and Piggie or Frog and Toad.  With any luck, this will be the beginning of a new series.

Cons:  A friendship between a fox and a chick makes me a bit nervous.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Ebb and Flow by Heather Smith

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Kids Can Press

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Summary:  Jett makes it clear from the beginning of this novel in verse that he’s had a “rotten bad year”.  After his father was imprisoned for killing a family while driving drunk, Jett’s life began to spiral downward.  He became friends with the class bully, and eventually learned that his friend has his own sad reasons for his bad behavior.  Jett’s spending the summer with his grandmother, who loves him unconditionally and uses her tough love to help him come to terms with some of the bad choices he’s made.  He and Grandma tell each other stories from their lives that help Jett to see he’s not the only one who’s made mistakes. Set on the northeast coast of Canada, Jett allows the beautiful beaches and sea help him to heal and move forward into what he hopes will be a better year for him.  232 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A beautiful collection of poems about learning to forgive and let go of the past.  Despite Jett’s troubled past, he is a likeable narrator, and his story moves back and forth in time, allowing the reader to get to know him while slowly learning of his difficult year.

Cons:  Although the ending is ultimately hopeful, there’s a lot of sadness in the story.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Class Action by Steven B. Frank

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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Summary:  When sixth-grader Sam Warren gets assigned a practice standardized test to take over Columbus Day weekend, he’s had enough.  Standing on his desk a la Dead Poets’ Society, he declares he is done with homework.  After losing the coveted piano solo in the school concert and being suspended from school, he seeks legal counsel from his elderly retired lawyer neighbor.  Before long, Sam’s friends and sister are involved, too; when they lose in the lower courts, they find themselves appealing to the Supreme Court, cheered on by millions of schoolchildren across America.  Will the highest court in the land rule in favor of saving their childhood?  Includes a glossary of legal terms and a list of the twenty cases referenced in the book.  272 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Kids will root for Sam as he takes a stand against homework, not even realizing they’re getting a civics lesson on how the American judicial system works.  The fictional Supreme Court justices are thinly-disguised copies of the real ones, which adds to the humor for those in the know.

Cons:  The contrast between Sam’s case and others mentioned in the book like Brown v. Board of Education makes his problems seem pretty first-world.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

 

A Stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick Press

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Image result for stone for sascha becker

Summary:  On the opening page, a family is burying their beloved dog, then leaving for summer vacation.  The girl in the family reaches into the ocean as she watches another girl play with her dog on the beach.  The action suddenly shifts to prehistoric times when a meteor hits the earth.  It lands as a golden slab of rock, which is then used in all kinds of structures and works of art throughout history.  In its final incarnation, it’s carved into a dragon which eventually ends up smashed into pieces at the bottom of the sea.  One of the pieces washes ashore, and the girl from the beginning of the story finds it.  She takes it home and lays it on her dog’s grave, bringing the story full circle.  48 pages; grades K-5.

Pros: Books from Lane Smith, Aaron Becker, and the Fan Brothers all in the same month…what an amazing world we live in.  Like Becker’s Journey trilogy, this wordless book requires multiple “readings” to begin to absorb all that is happening in the illustrations.  Imaginative kids will be fascinated with the idea of traveling back in time through geology and will look at rocks in a whole new way.

Cons:  Younger readers (and possibly older ones too) will likely need some help to understand what is going on.

New Shoes by Chris Raschka

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Published by Greenwillow Books

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Summary:  A child describes a trip to the shoe store.  His shoes have holes in them, so Mommy takes him to the shoe store where his feet are measured.  He tries on yellow shoes and red shoes.  The yellow ones are “pinchy”, but the red ones are “comfy”.  He goes home where he enjoys running, both inside and out, and shows off his new shoes to his friend Emma.  32 pages; ages 2-5.

Pros:  The perspective is entirely of a child looking at his/her feet (the gender is never revealed…I need some new pronouns for writing some of these reviews).  Caldecott medalist Raschka never talks down to young kids in this story of a common, yet exciting experience for the youngest readers.

Cons:  A few sources recommend this for ages 4-8, but 4 is probably pushing the upper limit of the age range for this book.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Scott Magoon

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Orchard Books

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Summary:  A crew of underwater creatures is interviewing Shark to present fun facts to the folks watching back home.  Shark keeps getting doing shark-ish things, like eating a baby seal or going after a human who has a cut on his knee. When caught, he always has an excuse: “I was just helping her find her family!” “I brought boo-boo strips!”  Interspersed with the hi-jinks are some actual facts about sharks. Shark feels so misunderstood that he needs a hug; the squid broadcaster provides one, but then gets eaten…or is Shark really just playing hide and seek? The show signs off with a voice from inside Shark’s stomach.  48 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  Who wouldn’t love a goofy shark story?  There will be plenty of laughs in the audience, both from the text and the illustrations.

Cons:  I can’t help being a bit disturbed by the ending.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.