Picture books

Chee-Kee: A Panda in Bearland by Sujean Rim

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Chee-Kee worries about fitting in on Bearland when he and his family move there from the Island of Coney.  There are all different types of bears in Bearland, but no pandas.  Chee-Kee’s kite looks different, his hat looks different, and in all his bamboo-chewing life, he has never seen a fork.  One day, while Chee-Kee is watching some other bears play soccer, he sees their ball get stuck up in a tree.  He knows just what to do: using string from his box-shaped kite, he ties together several sticks of bamboo, and pole-vaults to the top of the tree.  The last two-page spread shows an idyllic scene in Bearland with the pandas wearing sunglasses and skateboarding, and some of the other bears flying a box-shaped kite and fishing with bamboo poles.  An author’s note tells of her own struggles as the daughter of Korean immigrants, trying to fit into American society.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  What a great–and timely–message about the contributions of all cultures to a diverse society.  Told in simple language with cute illustrations (they’re pandas, for heaven’s sake, of course they’re cute), this story will appeal to the youngest readers, but provides opportunities for discussions with older ones.

Cons: Once again, key information–in this case, the author’s note–was printed on the back cover, partially covered by the taped-down library book jacket.

What Will Grow? By Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Susie Ghahremani

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Published by Bloomsbury USA Children’s

Summary:  A dozen seeds are introduced with rhyming couplets and illustrations (“Shiny, brown.  Bumpy crown.  What will grow?  Oak tree.”)  Most of the seeds have the rhyme on the left-hand page with the plant shown on the right, but four have pages the fold out, up, or down to reveal the plant.  The final couplet is, “Dark, deep, fast asleep.  What will grow?” showing hibernating animals under the snow, followed by, “My garden!” over two pages of a colorful collection of plants blooming under a rainbow.  All 12 seeds are shown at the end, along with the time to sow them, steps for planting, and when it will grow.  The final two pages show four stages from seed to plant.  40 pages; ages 3-6.

Pros:  This follow-up to What Will Hatch? is a perfect springtime introduction to gardening for young readers.

Cons:  This seems like it could be a fun, interactive guessing game, except that eight of the plants are shown on the same page as the question.

Trudy’s Big Swim: How Gertrude Ederle Swam the English Channel and Took the World by Storm by Sue Macy, illustrated by Matt Collins

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Published by Holiday House

Summary:  When Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle emerged from the water on August 6, 1926, she became both the first woman to swim the English Channel and the fastest person, shaving almost two hours off the previous record.  Admittedly, she was a superstar swimmer, having won three Olympic medals and set 29 records in events ranging from 50 yards to half a mile.  But she was also a product of her time, riding the wave of women’s increased participation in sports and freedom that allowed her to wear a two-piece bathing suit very different from the head-to-toe coverage women swimmers had to put up with just a generation earlier.  Trudy’s swim made her a celebrity, and the final illustration shows her resting on her hotel bed, surrounded by the four ham sandwiches she ate after her swim, with newspapers carrying her story pressed against the windows.  An afterword gives more details about the swim and Trudy’s life afterward (she completely lost her hearing by age 22, taught swimming to deaf children for many years, and lived to the age of 98), and there are plenty of additional resources listed.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  As someone who has read America’s Champion Swimmer by David S. Adler to many classes, I thought there was little need for another picture book biography of Gertrude Ederle.  But veteran sportswriter Sue Macy has brought the story to life magnificently, placing it in the historical context of American women, propelled by getting the right to vote, enjoying greater freedoms and opportunities.  The illustrations have a you-are-there boldness that add a lot to the text.

Cons:  Endpapers giving a timeline of 1920’s sports history will be covered by the taped-down dust jacket of library books.

Ribbit by Jorey Hurley

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Published by Simon and Schuster

Summary:  The life cycle of a frog is described through illustrations and one word of text per page.  It begins with “Wait”, as two frogs swim near a mass of eggs, and ends with “Ribbit”, as one of the hatchlings, now an adult, finds a mate. In between, the eggs hatch, a tadpole transforms into a frog, and that frog catches an insect and hibernates in the mud.  An author’s note gives more information about frogs and their life cycles.  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  Young children will love the bright, clean illustrations depicting the frog and its environment around a pond.  The single words convey a lot of information.

Cons:  A list of books and/or websites about frogs would have been a nice addition.

Antoinette by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Christian Robinson

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Antoinette, the precious poodle from Gaston, is happy living with her bulldog brothers.  Rocky is clever, Ricky is fast, and Bruno is strong.  But Antoinette hasn’t discovered any special gift of her own.  Every day, Antoinette’s family meets up with Gaston’s to play in the park.  One day, a problem arises: young Ooh-La-La has gone missing, last seen chasing a butterfly.  All the dogs join in the search, but it is Antoinette who refuses to give up, following the scent all the way to the museum.  Even when a guard yells, “No dogs allowed!”, Antoinette persists, and arrives just in time to save Ooh-La-La from chasing the butterfly off the edge of a high statue.  Antoinette has discovered her gift, and she continues to use it into adulthood, becoming one of Paris’s most famous police dogs.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Kids who have loved Gaston will not be the slightest bit disappointed with this sequel.  It’s billed as part of the series Gaston and Friends; we can only hope for more to come in the near future.

Cons:  Ooh-La-La = not too bright.

Grand Canyon by Jason Chin

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Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  A man and his daughter take a backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon, learning about the geological history as they go.  Starting at the bottom, they study the rocks and fossils of each layer traveling upward to discover what Earth was like in the past.  The girl imagines herself in different eras, with illustrations showing what the canyon looked like in those times.  Small cutouts in some pages give preview peeks as to what’s ahead on the next page.  Borders of many of the main illustrations show the flora and fauna that live at the different levels within the canyon.  The final two pages of the main text open up into an amazing four-page spread of the “the grandest canyon on Earth.”  Back matter includes quite a bit more information on the Grand Canyon, as well as a long list of sources and some books for further reading.  56 pages; grades 2-7.

Pros:  Jason Chin produces another natural history masterpiece, with illustrations so lifelike they almost look like photographs.  The pages are packed with information, both in the text and the pictures and diagrams.  Readers will want to be on the next flight out to Arizona to experience the Grand Canyon for themselves.

Cons:  While extremely informative, the text isn’t always quite as engaging as the illustrations.

Life on Mars by Jon Agee

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Published by Dial Books

Summary:  The narrator has arrived on Mars, where he is looking for signs of life.  By the third page, a giant creature has peeked out of his hole, but the young astronaut never sees it.  He bemoans Mars’s bleak landscape, while the beast follows close behind.  He leaves behind a chocolate cupcake in a box that he brought to offer any living beings he might find.  Thinking he has lost his spaceship, he climbs a mountain (the creature’s head) to get a better view.  Right before boarding, he finds the cupcake box he had discarded.  When he decides to have a treat on the way home, he discovers the cupcake has mysteriously disappeared.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  This would be great to pair with Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, as both have visual clues that allow the reader to know more than the characters in the story.  The story is simple, but the illustrations will have kids laughing.

Cons:  The creature seems lonely.

Mickey Mantle: The Commerce Comet by Jonah Winter, illustrated by C. F. Payne

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Published by Schwartz and Wade

Summary:  Right from the author’s note before the title page, it is clear that Mickey Mantle was a flawed character.  The note mentions the poverty and abuse that marred his childhood, as well as the alcoholism that led to his death at the age of 63.  But it is equally clear that Mantle was an amazing baseball player, chosen to replace the legendary Joe DiMaggio on the New York Yankees, and a winner of baseball’s Triple Crown in 1956 (league leader in batting average, home runs, and RBI’s), a feat not achieved by DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, or Hank Aaron.  He could belt powerful home runs from either the left or the right, and could run from home plate to first base in 2.9 seconds…until a debilitating knee injury raised his time to 3.1.  Plagued by injuries, he still led his team to the World Series 12 times, and, although fans knew he wasn’t perfect, they cheered him on for 17 years.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  The large full-color illustrations bring Mantle’s story to life, told in a conversational voice with a slight Oklahoma (Mantle’s home state) twang.

Cons:  I could have enjoyed a seeing a photo or two.

Mouse and Hippo by Mike Twohy

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Published by Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Summary:  Mouse and Hippo meet unexpectedly:  Hippo has an itch on his back, which turns out to be Mouse, who thought Hippo was a rock.  Mouse has set up an easel and is painting the water, but everything is upset when Hippo tries to scratch.  Hippo rescues Mouse, and admires the painting; Mouse offers to do a portrait in return for getting saved  Using his biggest brush to paint such a huge animal, Mouse can only fit a large swath of gray on his paper.  But Hippo loves it, using his imagination to see the rest of himself.  In return, he paints a microscopic picture of Mouse, which Mouse cuts down to size to hang over his fireplace.  It looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  This book could be used to talk about friendship, kindness, perspective, or using your imagination.  The whole story is told in dialogue, with different colors and fonts for the two animals.  Lots of humor, cute animals, and a happy ending make a winning combination.

Cons:  Don’t tell Hippo and Mouse, but their portraits really aren’t that good.

The Secret Project by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Jeanette Winter

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Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  A peaceful boys’ school in the New Mexican desert is suddenly ordered closed by the U.S. government.  Scientists arrive from all over the country to work on a top-secret project known simply as “The Gadget”.  Other workers don’t know what the scientists are working on, and the outside world has no idea their project even exists.  The scientists work long at hard, trying to figure out how to split atoms from uranium and plutonium.  At last, The Gadget is ready.  It’s placed on a stand in the middle of the desert, then the scientists drive far away.  The countdown begins…10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.  A huge fireball erupts, turning into a gigantic orange mushroom cloud .  The text ends with  two blank black pages.  Includes an author’s note giving more history of the Manhattan Project, and a list for further reading.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Mother-son team Jeanette and Jonah Winter have created a remarkable book, giving a brief history of the Manhattan Project in a way that is accessible for elementary school kids.  The illustrations convey the air of secrecy about the project, showing the scientists as black shadows throughout the story.  

Cons:  All the scientists portrayed are men. In reality, quite a few women scientists and mathematicians worked on the Manhattan Project.