Month: September 2018

The Secret Life of the Little Brown Bat by Laurence Pringle, illustrated by Kate Garchinsky

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Boyds Mills Press

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Summary:  This story starts shortly after Otis, a little brown bat, has left his mother and is living on his own.  Watching how Otis spends his days and nights, the reader will learn the physical characteristics of bats, their diet, where they live, how they hunt using echolocation, and their life cycle.  The illustrations mostly portray Otis at night in a variety of settings: roosting in an abandoned building, hibernating in a cave, flying through the sky, and hunting for insects in a meadow. At the end, Otis has found a mate and is settling down for a long winter’s sleep.  Includes two pages of additional information about little brown bats and a glossary. 32 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  An excellent introduction to a bat’s life, told in a narrative form that will hold readers’ interest.  The pastel illustrations on the dark background provide striking portrayals of Otis (whose name comes from his species’ scientific name, Myotis lucifugus) and the other bats.

Cons:  Otis didn’t really seem to be leading a “secret life”.

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

Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi, art by Hatem Aly

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Picture Window Books

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Summary:  Yasmin is a Pakistani-American girl who lives with her extended family.  In the four stories that are part of this book, she explores the city with her mom and makes a map that helps her when she gets lost; wins an art contest despite feeling like she has no talent; helps her class design and build a miniature city; and puts on a fashion show with her grandmother.  Each story is also sold as a separate book, and the stories straddle the line between easy reader and early chapter book (with three chapters per story). Includes four discussion questions (one for each story); an Urdu glossary that includes words from the text; a recipe for a yogurt drink called Mango Lassi; and instructions for making a flower motif bookmark.  89 pages; grades K-2.

Pros:  Yasmin is a likeable character who will resonate with Pakistani-Americans and teach a few things about her culture to readers who are not.  The artwork by Hatem Aly (The Inquisitor’s Tale) makes a cheerful complement to the text and will help kids understand the meaning of possibly unfamiliar words like hijab and kameez.

Cons:  Yasmin spends a whole recess in her classroom with no adult supervision, and her teacher seems just fine when she comes in and discovers Yasmin there.

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

What Can a Citizen Do? By Dave Eggers, illustrated by Shawn Harris

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Chronicle Books

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Summary:  The team that brought us Her Right Foot takes a look at the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.  The rhyming text is simple, emphasizing the importance of helping others and working to make a better society.  Suggestions include helping a neighbor, joining a cause, writing a letter, and the generic “righting a wrong”. There may be a sly political message in the “No Trumpets” sign in a couple of the illustrations.  The conclusion? “So forget yourself a second/Grab a shovel or a pen/Do something for another./Don’t you dare doubt that you can!/Everything makes an impact/on a bigger big than you./And it all starts with the question:/What can a citizen do?”  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A basic introduction to civics for preschool and primary students.  The illustrations are the star of the show here, with a diverse cast of kid characters portrayed in collage illustrations that seem to pop out of the page.  

Cons:  If ever a book cried out for back matter, this is it.  What is a citizen? What are some specific actions citizens can take?  Definitely some missed opportunities here, particularly after the thought-provoking Her Right Foot.

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

 

Night Job by Karen Hesse, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

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Summary:  A boy tells about his Friday evenings with his father, a school custodian.  The two ride Dad’s motorcycle to the school, then begin the weekly cleaning. Even though there’s lots of work to be done, it’s clear they enjoy being together and helping each other out.  They listen to a ballgame on the radio, and take a break to eat sandwiches in the courtyard. Eventually, the boy falls asleep, as his father continues to work until 4:00 a.m. As they head for home, the sun is starting to rise.  They relax in their living room, reading the paper that’s just been delivered, and at the end of the story they have drifted off to sleep together in the big recliner. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A beautiful example of narrative writing, simple but filled with sensory details, metaphors, and similes that would make this an excellent mentor text for a writing class.  The little boy and his father clearly have a happy and loving relationship, and their evening of hard work seems satisfying.

Cons:  Seems like a pretty late night for such a little kid to put in every week.

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

Proud: Living My American Dream (Young Readers’ Edition) by Ibtihaj Muhammad

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

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Summary: In 2016, Ibtihaj Muhammad became the first Muslim American woman to compete in the Olympics wearing hijab, and she and her teammates won the bronze in the team saber fencing competition. She tells her story here, starting as a young child growing up in a close-knit family in New Jersey. She and her siblings were always active in sports, and fencing appealed to her and her parents because she could compete without having to alter her team uniform. She was part of a championship high school team, then went on to fence for Duke. Ibtihaj struggled as one of the few African Americans in a traditionally white sport, and found herself often having to explain her faith and decision to wear hijab. She assumed she was done with fencing after college, but when she struggled to break into corporate America, she found herself back at her old gym, where her coach encouraged her to reach for her Olympic dream. At the same time, Ibtihaj founded Louella, an online company selling fashionable clothing for Muslim women. As she pursued her dreams, Ibtihaj often found herself serving as a role model for her faith community; the book ends with the Olympics, but an epilogue tells of her post-Games activities, including more fencing, activism, and continuing with her business. Includes a fencing glossary, Ibtihaj’s advice, and a few questions and answers for her. 304 pages; grades 5-12.

Pros: Any reader with a dream will find encouragement and inspiration in Ibtihaj Muhammad’s story. She has learned to proudly be herself and in the process realize her goals through incredibly hard work and determination.

Cons: Although there were eight pages of color photos, I could have enjoyed seeing even more.

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

The Dress and the Girl by Camille Andros, pictures by Julie Morstad

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Harry N. Abrams

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Summary:  On the first page, a girl is getting fitted for a new dress made by her mother.  “The dress loved the girl, and the girl loved the dress.” They go through many days together, enjoying life by the sea in their Greek village.  One day, they get on board a ship with the girl’s family and begin a long trip across the ocean. When they arrive in New York City, the dress is folded and left in a trunk where it waits for a very long time for the girl to come back. The dress travels in its trunk around the world as time passes and the girl grows up.  Then one day, the dress arrives back in New York, where it is hung in a shop window. A woman stops to look at it and remembers all her adventures with that dress. The last page shows her putting it on her own daughter. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The illustrations steal the show in this book, and, in my world, would be considered for a Caldecott.  The story is sweet and another immigrant story to add to the many different takes on that theme that have been published this year.

Cons:  I didn’t really understand why the dress was left behind and how the trunk ended up in so many different countries around the world.

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

Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransom

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Holiday House

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Summary:  There’s nothing good about Chicago, as far as Langston is concerned.  It’s 1946, and after the death of his mother, his father has decided to move north, happy to get a job in a paper factory and leave behind his sharecropping days in Alabama.  But Langston is picked on at school for being “country” and misses his mother and old home terribly.  Trying to avoid a bully one day, Langston gets lost and finds himself at the George Cleveland Hall Library.  His experience of libraries is that they’re for white folks only, so he’s surprised to learn that not only are other black people going inside, but that the library celebrates African-American culture. Quite by accident, he finds a book by his namesake, Langston Hughes, and discovers a writer who expresses much of his own longing for home.  Gradually, the younger Langston learns how he got his name and that his mother was connected to poetry and Langston Hughes as well. The library changes everything, and by the end of the story, young Langston and his father are beginning to create a new life for themselves in Chicago. Includes an author’s note with more information about the Chicago Black Renaissance and the Hall Library.  112 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  This brief gem would make a perfect introduction to historical fiction.  Each character has been created with sympathy and insight, and the reader will learn about post-World War II Chicago along with Langston.  There’s also enough of Langston Hughes’s poetry included to make this a good jumping-off place for further exploration.

Cons:  A little more back matter about Hughes and the full text of some of the poems quoted in the story would have been a nice addition.

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

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frane Lessac

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Charlesbridge

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Summary:  “Cherokee people say otsaliheliga to express gratitude.  It is a reminder to celebrate our blessings and reflect on struggles–daily, throughout the year, and across the seasons.”  With each season, the Cherokee people in this book are grateful, whether it is for food or community or festivals or family.  People are shown creating traditional crafts, celebrating life and death, eating, playing, and remembering their people’s history and how it is woven into the history of the United States.  Cherokee words and their pronunciations are scattered throughout the text. End matter includes a glossary, an author’s note, and a Cherokee syllabary with some lessons about the Cherokee language.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A beautiful book that would make an interesting harvest time supplement to Thanksgiving reading.  I loved the bright folk art style illustrations.

Cons:  After studying the Cherokee syllabary, I think I can safely cross learning that language off my bucket list.

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

Good Rosie! by Kate DiCamillo, pictures by Harry Bliss

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Candlewick

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Summary:  Rosie is kind of lonely; she barks at the dog at the bottom of her shiny silver bowl, but doesn’t get a response.  She wags her tail at a cloud that’s shaped like a dog, but that’s unsatisfactory as well. Finally, her owner gets the hint, and they head to the dog park.  There, Rosie meets a not-too-bright St. Bernard named Maurice, and a very bouncy, yappy little dog named Fifi.  Rosie’s ready to call it a day and head home when Maurice decides to play with Fifi and almost swallows her whole.  Rosie intervenes and is surprised when the three of them end up as friends. In the final chapter, a trip to the dog park and games with Fifi and Maurice have become part of the routine for Rosie and her owner. 32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  There’s plenty of humor in both the story and illustrations of this graphic novel style picture book. I’m a big Harry Bliss fan, and he doesn’t disappoint with his adorable, expressive dogs, while Kate DiCamillo knows how to perfectly capture small details of friendship.

Cons:  I’m sorry Fifi almost got eaten, but she did seem pretty annoying.

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

Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community by Susan Verde, illustrated by John Parra

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  A boy describes the concrete wall in his neighborhood, and all the goings-on in front of it throughout the seasons.  The people sing, dance, skateboard, eat, and tell stories, but the wall just sits there doing nothing. Then, the boy decides to change that.  Working with others from the community, he designs a picture to paint on the wall. The wall becomes a canvas for art that everyone can contribute to.  In the end, it’s covered with pictures of the people that have been shown on the previous pages. Includes author’s and illustrator’s notes telling about their experiences and inspirations from street art.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Readers may be inspired to create their own street art after reading this book.  The illustrations show a busy, diverse community that looks like a fun place to live.  Kids will enjoy looking back to find the people portrayed on the mural.

Cons:  The author’s note is a bit long for the intended audience; it would have been nice to include some photos of real street art along with her explanation.

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