Picture books

Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade: A Thanksgiving Story by Trinka Hakes Noble, illustrated by David C. Gardner

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Sleeping Bear Press

Summary:  Rettie has to be mother and father to her three younger siblings, since their mother is sick with consumption and their father is fighting in World War I.  Life in their tenement building is difficult, all the more so when the influenza epidemic hits.  Their building is quarantined, and Rettie is worried that she won’t be able to get out for the Ragamuffin Parade on Thanksgiving.  This is an annual event for poor immigrant children to collect pennies from their more well-to-do neighbors.  Rettie works hard, helping to keep the apartment building clean and washing rags to earn some extra money.  Finally, the quarantine is lifted in time for Rettie to go to the parade.  Not only that, but the cold weather slows down the influenza epidemic, and the war comes to an end in early November.  Rettie joins the rest of America in celebrating Thanksgiving by using the pennies from the parade to buy her family apples and a pumpkin. Includes an author’s note about the Ragamuffin Parade, which may have been the inspiration for the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade.  32 pages; grade 1-4.

Pros:  Part of the “Tales of Young Americans” series, this is a heartwarming story of a young girl persevering under difficult circumstances.  Readers will learn a lot of history from Rettie’s story, and the illustrations show a great deal of historical detail as well.

Cons:  Rettie seems a little too good to be true.

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Imagine That: How Dr. Seuss Wrote the Cat in the Hat by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Random House

Summary:  In 1954, there were lots of great new books for kids like Charlotte’s Web and Horton Hears a Who!.  Good books for those who already knew how to read; for children just learning, there wasn’t much.  Ted Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, was hired to write a fun and interesting book for beginning readers, using an “official” list of approved words.  He thought it would take him a week or two, but he ended up spending over a year getting it just right.  The result, of course, was The Cat in the Hat, and it became an instant hit, leading Ted to write more books for beginning readers like The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and Hop on Pop.  When his friend Bennett Cerf challenged him to write a book with just 50 different words (The Cat in the Hat had 236), Geisel rose to the occasion once again with Green Eggs and Ham.  Includes writing and illustrating tips from Dr. Seuss, notes from the author and illustrator, and a list of books by Dr. Seuss. 48 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  A fun look at creative genius, with a few pages of Seuss-inspired rhyming text and plenty of Seuss-inspired illustrations.  Messages about perseverance and hard work are subtly woven into the story.

Cons:  A brief biography or timeline at the end would have been a nice addition.

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The Bad Seed by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  That is one bad seed.  He never puts things back where they belong.  He tells long jokes with no punch line.  And he’s late to everything.  Why?  Well, it’s kind of a long story.  He started out okay, growing  up in a big family on a sunflower.  When the flower wilted, though, he lost his home, and eventually ended up in a bag.  A giant started to eat him, but he got spit out at the last minute.  It was pretty much downhill from there.  But now he’s made a decision to try to be good.  It isn’t always easy, and sometimes he slips back into his old ways, but he keeps going, and eventually starts to think maybe he’s not such a bad seed after all.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Pretty funny stuff that could open up discussion about why people do “bad” things, and how to help them do better.  It can’t be easy to personify different seeds, but Pete Oswald does a charming job.

Cons:  I’ve done just about all the “bad” things listed by the seed.  The picture of the abandoned shopping cart in the parking lot really hit home for me.

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All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Mike Curato

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Henry Holt and Company

Summary:  A boy describes the trip he and his family are taking from the Cuban countryside to the city of Havana to visit relatives.  Their mode of transportation is an ancient sky-blue Chevy, whose nickname is “Cara Cara” because of the sound it makes when it runs.  The engine, the boy says, is held together with “wire, tape, and mixed-up scraps of dented metal”.  Nevertheless, they get it started and head out to the highway, joining the colorful parade of other pre-1959 cars.  There are many interesting sights along the way; the family gathering is a success; and Cara Cara gets everyone back home again as night is falling.  An author’s note explains how the cars are symbolic of the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the Cuban people; the illustrator’s note describes their trip to Cuba to create the book.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Car fans will love the illustrations and details of the many different automobiles, including labeled ones on the endpapers.  Readers will get a vivid taste of Cuban life with illustrations that may get a look from the Caldecott committee.

Cons:  Some additional photos from the trip to Cuba would have been a nice addition. (There’s one of the car that was used as a model for the book.)

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Baabwaa & Wooliam by David Elliott, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Candlewick Press

Summary:  Baabwaa and Wooliam are two sheep who like to knit and read, respectively.  One day, though, they realize that they are yearning to put down their books and needles and try something a bit more adventurous.  They head outside, and after a bit of exploration, cross paths with a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  When Wooliam mentions having read about him in a book, the wolf stops mid-chase, and asks to see the book.  His short attention span tips the two sheep off to the fact that he can’t read, and they set out to remedy that situation.  An unlikely friendship forms, and before long the three are hanging out together…knitting, reading, and occasionally indulging in a chase around the field.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Lots of sly humor, both in the text and the illustrations.  This would be a great companion to one of the many other wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing tales.

Cons:  I have trouble pronouncing the word “Wooliam”.

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

Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters by Michael Mahin, illustrated by Evan Turk

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  McKinley Morganfield was born into a family of sharecroppers on the Mississippi delta, and from a young age, he did his own thing.  He couldn’t stay out of the mud, resulting in his childhood nickname of Muddy.  He loved the blues; even though his grandmother didn’t love them, he taught himself to play guitar and played and sang whenever he could.  As a young man, he got into a fight with his boss, and was forced to leave town.  He headed for Chicago, hoping to make a living as a musician.  After playing in clubs for a while, he tried to make a record.  Producers wanted him to copy others’ music, but Muddy eventually found success with his own sound.  An author’s note gives more information about Muddy Waters’ life, music, and his influence on later musicians like the Beatles.  48 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Evan Turk’s unique illustrations (Caldecott contender?) perfectly capture the spirit of Muddy Waters’ life and the blues music he created.  The text has a lyrical feel to it as well.

Cons:  More biographical information or a timeline would have been useful.

La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons

Summary:  The prince is longing for a wife, but no woman is perfect enough for his mother’s approval.  When a maiden happens by, the prince is hopeful, but Mom decides to test her with the old pebble under the mattress(es) trick.  Naturally, the young woman tosses and turns all night, convincing the mother that she’s the one for her son.  There’s a bit of a twist at the end, as it’s revealed that the prince stuck some pitchforks and stones in with the mattresses, but everyone lives happily ever after anyway.  Includes a glossary of Spanish words used in the text and an illustrator’s note explaining how she was inspired by textile arts of indigenous people of Peru in creating her art.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The catchy rhyming text and South American influences in both language and illustrations make this a perfect companion to the more traditional tale of the princess and the pea.

Cons:  Kids will find it helpful to have some background knowledge of the original story before reading this one.

Little i by Michael Hall

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Published by Greenwillow Books

Summary:  When Little i loses his dot, he doesn’t know what to do.  Some of the other letters (s, t, r, a, n, g, and e to be precise) think he looks a little odd.  Without a dot, he looks like a number.  So i sets off in search of his dot.  Along the way, he sees many wonders.  A waterfall is exciting! Spectacular! Magnificent! And very loud! (and made up of exclamation marks if the reader looks closely.)  He pauses to admire some sprouts that look like commas.  At long last, i finds his dot, but he has grown on his journey, and no longer feels like he needs it.  Leaving the dot, he heads for home, where he is greeted by friends a, h, o, and y.  They see that he has changed–he’s now a big I, which makes him a whole word!  The other letters cheer–especially b, r, a, v and o.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A clever adventure involving letters and punctuation.  The bold, colorful collage illustrations are eye-catching.

Cons:  The sly humor and hidden punctuation may be lost on younger readers.

In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Greenwillow

Summary:  The husband-and-wife team that brought you When Spring Comes have teamed up again with this look at fall.  Squirrels, acorns, apples, pumpkins, and beautiful falling leaves are all featured in the close-up paintings rendered in the brilliant hues of the season, accompanied by only two sentences of text that stretch over the whole book.  A girl and her dog move throughout the book.  By the end, they are gazing at a white sky, ready for the first snowfall.  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  A perfect introduction to the season.  We can only hope there will be similar homages to winter and summer.

Cons:  The first sentence stretches on for 19 pages, which may not be the best modeling for how to avoid run-ons.

The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC’s (The Hard Way) by Patrick McDonnell

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Little, Brown

Summary:  In this nearly wordless book, a cat runs away and gets chased by an alligator, bear, and chicken (in that order).  The story unfolds alphabetically, but kids will have to figure out what the word is for each picture.  There’s a happy ending, as a unicorn distributes valentines; the cat waves goodbye to his friends, uses an X on a map to get home, gives a gigantic yawn, then catches some zzz’s.  The whole alphabet is listed on the last page, along with a list of all the words shown in the story.  48 pages; ages 3-6.

Pros:  An intriguing introduction to the alphabet, engaging readers who will have to both figure out the word for each letter and the story those words are telling.

Cons:  The title doesn’t exactly roll right off your tongue.