Picture books

Imagine! By Raul Colon

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster

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Summary:  A boy rides his skateboard over the Brooklyn Bridge to the Museum of Modern Art.  Inside he is captivated by three painting: Pablo Picasso’s Three Musicians, Henri Rousseau’s The Sleeping Gypsy, and Henri Matisse’s Icarus.  As he gazes at them, the figure from Icarus steps out of the painting and starts dancing with the boy.  The three musicians soon join them, playing their instruments, and finally the woman and lion from Rousseau’s painting follow the group as they head out of the museum.  They explore the city, riding the subway, taking a dip on the Cyclone roller coaster, eating hot dogs, and climbing the Statue of Liberty before heading back to MOMA.  The boy says goodbye as they all return to their paintings, then he gets his skateboard and heads for home. Along the way, he sees a big building and is inspired to paint pictures of his new friends on its side.  An author’s note tells how he developed his own love of art and hopes to inspire readers. 48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This wordless picture book is a follow-up to Colon’s 2014 Draw!, sharing with readers a love of art and creativity that started when he was a child.  The watercolor paintings give the illustrations a dreamy quality that is appropriate for a story of imagination.  Maybe a contender for Caldecott recognition.

Cons:  I wish the original paintings had been shown somewhere in the book.

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Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

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Published by Neal Porter Books

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Summary:  “I dreamed of you,/then you appeared./Together we became/Resplendent life, you and I.”  So begins Yuyi Morales’s book addressed to her son, whom she carried across a bridge into a new country when he was a baby.  Together they explore their new home, confused by the language and often making mistakes (demonstrated by the picture of her playing with her young son in a public fountain, while a police officer stands by with his hands on his hips).  One day they discover a miraculous place: the public library. “Suspicious. Improbable. Unbelieving. Surprising. Unimaginable.” Slowly, she learns about the library, and picture books open up a new world to her and her son, teaching them to read, write, and speak.  “We are stories./We are two languages./We are lucha./We are resilience./We are hope./We are dreamers, sonadores of the world./We are Love Amor Love.” Includes “My Story”, a two-page note from Morales about her journey from Mexico to the U.S. and how the public library helped her and her son Kelly pursue their dreams in their new country; also books that have inspired her.  Simultaneously released with Soñadores, the Spanish language version. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Yuyi Morales hasn’t really been on my radar as an illustrator, but this beautiful book made me go back and look at what other books she has done (her best known is probably Viva Frida which won both the Belpre Medal and a Caldecott honor).  Her note on how she created the pictures reveals that they are a blend of acrylics and ink, along with a long list of items that she photographed and scanned.  This makes for bright, colorful, textured illustrations. Kids will enjoy finding books that they recognize in the pictures from the library. The brief, poetic text beautifully expresses the hopes and dreams of those immigrating to the U.S.  Look for this title during awards season.

Cons:  Young kids may need some help in understanding what is going on in the story.

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

Fangsgiving by Ethan Long

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Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Fangsgiving: Ethan Long: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Vladimir is making Thanksgiving dinner with his friends (a witch, a mummy, Frankenstein, and a werewolf) when some family members unexpectedly drop by.  Vlad is happy to see them, but before long they have taken over on the turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, adding touches like eyeballs and earwax.  When it’s time to eat, they decide to turn off the lights, and the family dog Spike devours the whole dinner before anyone else has a chance to get any. “You ruined Thanksgiving!!” shouts Vlad, and his family is chagrined, saying they were only trying to help.  Vlad remembers they’re family, and everyone works together to make a dinner they all can enjoy. 32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  I wasn’t familiar with Ethan Long’s previous two monster holiday books, Fright Club and Valensteins, but Fangsgiving convinced me they may be worth a look.  Kids will howl with laughter at the antics of the different monsters and enjoy the gross-out additions to the traditional holiday feast.  Plus there’s a nice Thanksgiving message about appreciating friends and family.

Cons: It’s a pretty silly romp; you will probably want to supplement with some other books that look at other aspects of Thanksgiving.

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

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

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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”.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.