Picture books

Wordplay by Ivan Brunetti

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Published by TOON Books

Summary:  What’s a compound word?  When a class of kids gets assigned the task of making a list of compound words for homework (hey, there’s one), imaginations start going wild.  Annemarie (whose name is a compound word!) pictures a couple of houses doing construction work when she hears the word “homework”.  “Mailman” conjures up a picture of a letter delivering the mail, and “football” is accompanied by an image of a boy tossing a foot.  The fun continues when Annemarie goes home and asks her parents for more suggestions.  Finally, it’s bedtime (!), but the next morning she’s still going strong, and can barely tear herself away from the list to turn it in to her teacher.  Then, it’s time for one more compound word…goodbye!  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  An appealing cartoon introduction to compound words that will have kids creating lists of their own.  The compound words are half red and half black to make them easy to identify.

Cons:  I was hoping there were more language arts books by TOON, but this seems to be the only one.

Martina and Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports by Phil Bildner, illustrated by Brett Helquist

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Published by Candlewick Press

Summary:  During the 1970’s and 1980’s, women’s tennis was dominated by Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.  Although they were staunch competitors and from countries that were engaged in a cold war (the U.S. and Soviet Union-controlled Czechoslovakia), the two were friends off the court and remain so to this day.  In the early years, Chrissie won the most; then Martina got more serious, and was ultimately victorious more times over the course of their careers.  But the important takeaway from their rivalry isn’t winning or losing, but how each one pushed and encouraged the other to be a better player and a better person.  Includes a three-page annotated timeline, a paragraph about both women’s lives after tennis, and a page of sources.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  The fast-paced, chatty writing will engage readers who may have never heard of these two tennis superstars from a generation ago.  Lessons on hard work and good sportsmanship can effortlessly be extracted from their story.  And don’t worry, Series of Unfortunate Events illustrator Helquist has rendered both players more Violet Baudelaire than Count Olaf.

Cons:  “The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports” is arguably a bit of an overstatement.

Up, Up, Up, Skyscraper! by Anastasia Suen, illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke

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Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  What’s going on behind that fence?  A group of kids gets to put on hard hats and take a look at every step of the construction of a skyscraper. Each two-page spread has four lines of rhyming text, supplemented with a few sentences explaining the process.  The illustrations have labels to identify machines used, as well as different parts of the structure.  A small inset picture gives a macro view of what the building looks like at each step.  The last page unfolds upward to show the finished skyscraper.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  A fun and accessible introduction to building a skyscraper.  Construction enthusiasts will love studying the pictures, while those less familiar with the process will learn a lot.

Cons:  The fold-out page seemed a little ill-fitting and was already starting to rip a bit when I unfolded it.

7 Ate 9: The Untold Story by Tara Lazar, illustrated by Ross MacDonald

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Disney-Hyperion

Summary:  Why is 6 afraid of 7?  Because 7 ate 9.  In this takeoff on that old joke, a Private I (who really is an I) is confronted by a frightened 6 claiming that 7 is coming to get him.  The detective is off, questioning numbers and letters about the whereabouts of 7, with punny humor on every page.  B the waitress serves I a slice of pi (which, of course, costs $3.14).  A sighting of 6 tips off the private I, and back he goes to reveal the true identity of the 6 waiting back in his office (hint: that 6 gets turned upside down).  The whole thing is enough to get I to forsake number cases forever and stick with letters…they may be wordy, but they’re A-OK in his book!  32 pages; ages 3-6.

Pros:  A fun and unusual introduction to numbers that kids will enjoy hearing over and over again.

Cons:  1 and 3 seem to be MIA.

 

Blue Sky White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

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Published by Dial Books

Summary:  A few words of text on each page celebrate the American flag and the people of the United States.  On the left-hand side of each spread is a picture depicting an American landscape or icon; the facing page has to do with the flag, or has a flag as part of a picture.  For instance, “white rows” shows a line of covered wagons traveling west on the left, and the white stripes on the flag on the right.  Some of the phrases are homophones, such as Betsy Ross sewing the flag, described as “Sew together/won nation”, accompanied by “So together/one nation” showing a diverse group of Americans.  Includes notes from the author and illustrator.  40 pages; for all ages on the Fourth of July.

Pros:  A beautiful and patriotic tribute to patriotism, with gorgeous, multicultural illustrations by award-winning Kadir Nelson.

Cons:  Even this lovely book couldn’t quite pry the CNN-wrestling tweet out of my head.

My Beautiful Birds by Suzanne Del Rizzo

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Published by Pajama Press

Summary:  Sami knows he is safe in the refugee camp with his family, but he can’t help missing his home in Syria and the pigeons he cared for there.  His memories of his village being destroyed by bombs scare him, and he has trouble joining the groups of children playing and going to school.  Slowly, he learns ways to manage his fears, and he is helped by the arrival of four birds that he adopts as pets.  Taking care of them helps him to focus on the positive things around him, and soon he is happier in his new home.  When he spots a new girl with tears in her eyes, he is able to reach out to her and offer his friendship.  An author’s note tells more about refugee camps where millions of Syrians have been forced to settle.  32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  A personal story about a contemporary crisis that gives readers a child narrator they can relate to.  The illustrations, created from polymer clay, are unique and eye-catching.  This would make a great introduction to a discussion of Syria and refugees.

Cons:  Life in the refugee camp appears to be more pleasant than it most likely is.

Morris Mole by Dan Yaccarino

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Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  Morris, the littlest mole in his family, is different than the others.  Instead of wearing the standard-issue mole work boots and hard hat, Morris prefers a dapper suit and bowler hat.  When the moles start to run out of food, their inclination is to dig deeper, but Morris decides to tunnel up.  He discovers a whole new world aboveground, and gets so distracted by all the wonderful things there that he doesn’t see the fox sneaking up on him.  Just as he’s about to become lunch, a hungry wolf comes along and the fox needs a hiding place. The little mole quickly digs a hole, the wolf goes away, and Morris is a hero.  The fox and his other animal friends gather a feast for Morris to take back to his brothers.  Back underground, the other moles are extremely grateful to Morris, who informs them, “I may be small, but I can do big things.”  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Striking digital illustrations illuminate this tale that celebrates thinking outside the box.

Cons:  I’m pretty sure moles’ eyes aren’t nearly that big.

The Treasure Box by Margaret Wild

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Published by Candlewick Press

Summary:  “When the enemy bombed the library, everything burned.”  So begins the story, a boy forced to leave his home and flee with his family to another city far away.  His father brings along a book he had borrowed from the library, one that he had read many times and that he told Peter is “about our people, about us.”  His father protects this treasure as they travel, and when he dies, Peter carries it as far as he can, then buries it beneath a tree.  He moves to a new country, grows up, and eventually returns to his now-peaceful homeland, where he finds the tree, digs up the book, and takes it back to his village.  A new library has been built, and Peter places his father’s book back on the shelf to be loved by generations to come.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  A timeless story about people preserving what’s of value to them, even in the most difficult times.  The beautiful watercolor and collage illustrations change from grays and browns to bright colors as Peter’s life becomes easier and his world turns into a brighter place.

Cons:  I think the cataloging on the old book would have to be updated before Peter sticks it back on the library shelf.

Rolling Thunder by Kate Messner

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Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  In brief, rhyming text, a boy tells of his journey to Washington, D.C. to ride with his grandfather in the Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom, a parade of motorcyclists held on Memorial Day every year to honor America’s veterans.  The focus is the Vietnam War, where Grandpa fought and lost friends.  The motorcyclists camp the night before, then get up at dawn to join the parade.  It winds past the Lincoln Memorial and ends at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where there are speeches and tears.  Finally, the boy and his grandfather sit in a field at the end of the day, watching a shooting star in the night sky.  A brief author’s note tells about the Thunder Ride.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Readers with interests in the military, history, or motorcycles will enjoy this; it would also make a great Memorial Day read-aloud (sorry I’m a little late…maybe Veterans’ Day?).

Cons:  The illustrations don’t reflect the diversity of those who served in Vietnam.

That Neighbor Kid by Daniel Miyares

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Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary:  In this almost wordless book, a girl starts spying on the boy who’s just moved in next door.  She sees him reading a book, then removing part of the wooden fence between their houses to nail rungs on to a tree.  Stealthily following him up the ladder, she discovers him scratching his head over plans for a tree house.  She pulls a hammer out, and the only words in the book appear.  “Hi.”  “Hi.”  The two of them get to work, and before long, a house begins to emerge.  As they build, splashes of color appear in the previously black-and-white illustrations.  On the last page, they wave from the yellow-lighted windows of their houses, the completed treehouse standing between them.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A simple story of friendship, told entirely in the beautiful watercolors of Daniel Miyares.

Cons:  Kids, don’t try unsupervised hammering and sawing at home!