Picture books

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt, pictures by Adam Rex

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Balzer + Bray

 

Summary:  Ever wonder where the game rock, paper, scissors came from?  Well, kids, it all started in the Kingdom of the Backyard where dwelt the mighty warrior Rock.  No one could defeat him, as he demonstrates in battles with Clothespin and Peach.  His victories bring him no joy, and he leaves the kingdom in search of a worthy foe.  A similar drama is played out with Paper in the Empire of Mom’s Home Office, and Scissors in the Kitchen Realm.  The three eventually meet up in the great cavern of the Two-Car Garage, where, you guessed it, Rock beats Scissors, Paper covers Rock, and Scissors cut Paper.  All three are so happy to have found a worthy opponent that they continue to re-enact their epic battles.  Which is why children everywhere honor these valiant warriors to this day by playing…that’s right: Rock, Paper, Scissors.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This gets my vote for the 2017 book I most want to read to first graders (so far!).  I can envision hordes of 5- , 6- , and 7-year-olds rolling on the floor with laughter over both the story and the pictures.  Have fun with this!

Cons:  Be prepared for the words “butt” and “underwear” if you read this out loud (see illustrations).  Which in part explains the rolling on the floor.

Flowers for Sarajevo by John McCutcheon, illustrated by Kristy Caldwell

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Peachtree Publishers

Summary:  Drasko helps his father sell flowers on the streets of Sarajevo.  But when war comes to their city, his father has to go away to fight.  Drasko is left on his own, and the older merchants push him away from the prime selling locations to a corner of the square.  The only good thing about his location is that he backs up to a concert hall and gets to hear the orchestra play.  One terrible day, at ten o’clock in the morning, a bomb falls on a nearby bakery, killing 22 people who were waiting to buy bread.  The next morning, when the clock strikes ten, a cellist from the orchestra comes out to the street and plays a sad and beautiful melody.  He continues to play every day at ten o’clock for 22 days, one day for each person killed by the bomb.  Slowly, life begins to return to normal in the square again, and Drasko works hard to do his part to make it beautiful once more.  Includes information about the Balkan region and Sarajevo, an author’s note about the events that inspired this story, additional resources, and the words and music to the author’s song, “Streets of Sarajevo”.  The book comes with a CD that includes this song and Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor, the song played by Vedron Smailovic, the cellist in the story.  32 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  A sad, moving, and ultimately hopeful story about a part of history kids may not know much about.  The muted illustrations complement the story.  The musical tie-in adds another interesting element to the book.

Cons:  Definitely a picture book for older elementary and middle school students, needing adult support to fully understand the story.

Balderdash! John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children’s Books by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  Pity the poor children growing up in early eighteenth century England.  Although there were plenty of books around for adults, kids only got preachy poems, sermons, and books of rules about manners and such.  Fortunately for them, a young printer named John Newbery thought they deserved better.  The fact that his books were entitled A Little Pretty Pocket-Book and The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes and became overnight bestsellers demonstrates what a deplorable condition children’s literature was in at that time.  John continued to work throughout his career to produce popular books for kids, and we remember him every January when the Newbery Medal is awarded to the book that has made “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children”.  An author’s note gives additional biographical information.  44 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  A lighthearted look at the life of a man whose name many librarians and teachers know, but whose life we are less familiar with.  Readers will appreciate the wealth of children’s literature that has grown since Mr. Newbery’s time.

Cons:  The subject may be of greater interest to adults than to kids.

Take Your Time: A Tale of Harriet, the Galapagos Tortoise by Eva Furrow and Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Laurel Molk

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Henry Holt and Co.

Summary:  Harriet is a Galapagos tortoise who enjoys taking life at her own leisurely pace.  Other animals tell her she’s too slow, but she is untroubled.  One day she decides to travel to a nearby island to see a penguin parade.  Although the parade doesn’t happen until summer, she leaves in the winter and enjoys a nice slow swim.  When she gets there, she has fun meeting other animals and taking in the sights.  A couple of years pass by, and Harriet decides it’s time to return home.  At the end of another deliberate swim, she meets a pod of dolphins, one of whom offers to give her a ride on his back.  Harriet tries it out, but doesn’t like the speed.  When she gets back to her island, she reflects with satisfaction on all the animals she’s met, and how each one moves to its own rhythm. An author’s note tells the story of the real Harriet, who lived to the ripe old age of 175, becoming the world’s oldest animal in captivity. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A fun and leisurely look at the life of a Galapagos tortoise, including quite a few other animals who live in that ecosystem.  The prints colored with watercolors are unique and beautiful.  Readers will be fascinated to learn more details of Harriet’s long life, and there’s a good lesson about finding your own rhythm.

Cons: Like Harriet, the story meanders without much of a plot.

Away by Emil Sher, illustrated by Qin Leng

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Groundwood Books

Summary:  A young girl (who could also be a boy, but is referred to as a girl on the book flap) is worried about her first summer at sleepaway camp.  She and her mother have a lot to do before she goes, but they find ways to stay in touch through post-it notes.  The entire story is told through these brief messages.  The girl’s grandmother, Mimsy, arrives, and shows her pictures of her mother crying before she went to camp.  The mom replies that her tears didn’t last, but her memories did.  Finally, the big day arrives, and the girls goes off on the camp bus, with notes from her mother to write and have fun.  The penultimate page shows three post-its with these messages, “So far I have two new friends.  And 3217 enemies [accompanied by a picture of a mosquito].  Next year’s goodbye will be easier!”  And the final page shows the happy girl hugging her mother upon her return.  32 pages, ages 4-7.

Pros:  Kids will want to pore over the busy watercolor illustrations to understand all the details of the story.  The post-it notes are an unusual but effective way to show how a mom stays connected with her daughter despite their busy lives.

Cons:  A notation on the calendar reading “hearing aid battery” made me wonder if one of the main characters had a hearing loss (which would maybe explain all the written communication), but I couldn’t find any other evidence for this.

Little Wolf’s First Howling by Laura McGhee Kvasnosky, illustrated by Kate Harvey McGee

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  It’s a big night for Little Wolf–his first howling.  He and his father, Big Wolf, travel to just the right spot under the stars and a full moon.  Big Wolf demonstrates, “Aaaaaoooooooo!”.  Then Little Wolf tries.  “Aaaaaooooooooo! I’m hoooowling, ‘oooowlng, ooooowling!”  Hmm, not quite.  Big Wolf tries again.  And again.  But each time Little Wolf adds more and more, skiddily skoddily beep bop and some diddily daddily dooooooo.  Big Wolf tells him it’s not proper howling form, and Little Wolf tries one last time.  This time, Big Wolf can’t help himself.  His paws start tapping, and before long he joins in, do-wopping just like his son.  “Wait until we tell the others!” exclaims Little Wolf as they head for home.  “Oh, I expect they already know,” says his father.  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  The pictures are gorgeous, perfectly capturing the moonlit night and the two beautiful wolves.  The message about self-expression is just right for kids.  And the right reader could have a lot of fun reading those howls.

Cons:  I suspect I’m not the right reader.

The Secret Life of the Red Fox by Laurence Pringle, illustrated by Kate Garchinsky

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Boyds Mills Press

Summary:  A year in the life of Vixen, a female fox.  The reader follows her as she hunts in the snow, pouncing on a mouse in an acrobatic move, and escapes a couple of barking dogs.  She meets up with her mate, and eventually moves into a den.  When spring comes, there are four fox kits in the den.  The grow all summer, and on the last page, they are ready to go off on their own, just as autumn arrives.  There are two pages of additional information about the red fox, plus a brief glossary and bibliography.  32 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  The story of Vixen is packed with information about foxes.  Woven into the story are facts about how foxes find food, what they eat, how they take over other animals’ burrows for their dens, and how the parents take care of their babies.  The illustrations are beautiful and add additional information.  There is plenty here for a research report, or simply to satisfy a curious child.

Cons:  I seriously hope I never stumble across a hole in the snow like the one Vixen used as a storage place for her dead mice.

Niko Draws A Feeling by Bob Raczka, illustrations by Simone Shin

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by 21st Century

Summary:  Niko loves to draw his feelings.  When he sees something, he tries to capture the way it makes him feel with splashes of color on the paper.  His family and friends don’t understand.  They keep trying to figure out what the object is that he’s drawn.  This makes Niko sad, and he draws that sadness.  Then one day, he meets Iris.  When she asks to see his pictures, Niko is hesitant, afraid she will react like everyone else.  Finally, he takes her to his room, and she looks at all the pictures.  She just looks at first, but when she sees his picture of sadness, she says, “You must have been sad when you drew that picture.”  Nico feels like a window has opened in his brain.  Immediately, he draws a new picture–one that shows how it feels to make a new friend.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A gentle, warm introduction to art, friendship, and being yourself..

Cons:  Young readers may label Niko’s drawings as “scribbling”.

We’re All Wonders written and illustrated by R. J. Palacio

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Auggie, the protagonist of Palacio’s Wonder, narrates this book, explaining that he is different from other kids.  Even though he does ordinary things like ride a bike and eat ice cream, the way he looks sets him apart and sometimes makes him a target for cruelty.  His mom tells him he’s a wonder, and he’s sure his dog Daisy thinks that he is, too.  When life gets too difficult, Auggie and Daisy pretend to blast off into space and hang out with the aliens on Pluto.  He concludes by stating that if people could see differently, they would realize that he and everyone else in the world are all wonders.  The final illustration shows Auggie making a new friend.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A good introduction to the themes introduced in the longer book. Lots of appeal for younger audiences, particularly with the movie of Wonder coming out in the fall.

Cons:  Will R. J. Palacio eventually write a new story, or will she just have one hit, Wonder? (See what I did there?)

Green Pants by Kenneth Kraegel

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Jameson refuses to wear anything but green pants, going so far as to wear them exclusively for swimming.  Any attempts by others to foist red or blue pants on him result in blue pants in a tree or red pants on the dog.  Jameson believes he can do anything, as long as he’s wearing his green pants.  So he can’t make up his mind when Uncle Armando and his beautiful fiance Jo invite Jameson to be in their wedding.  He really wants to do it, but one of the requirements is wearing a tuxedo–with black pants.  His indecision persists until moments before the big event.  Finally, with a little help from Jo, he’s able to be in the wedding but still find a way to express himself.  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  An empowering story for kids who have definite ideas about their likes and dislikes.  The illustrations are funny and pretty cute.

Cons: I’m no fashion expert, but has anyone actually worn green pants since Mr. Green Jeans hung out with Captain Kangaroo?