Picture books

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak

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Published by Henry Holt and Company 

Summary:  A girl and her dog go for a walk through the fields and forests on a late summer day.  As they go, she greets everything she sees: “Hello, trees. Hello walking sticks and butterflies.  Hello, puddles.”  Each item responds to tell her how it is changing as summer turns into fall.  The trees are swaying in the breeze, the animals are looking for food, and the sun is setting earlier each evening.  After watching it set, the girl says goodbye to summer and goes into her house.  A wordless two-page spread shows a peaceful nighttime scene.  On the final page, the girl sits on her front step, the sun back in the sky, and greets the new season: “Hello, autumn!”  32 pages, ages 4-7.

Pros:  Perfect for this time of year, the text and the beautiful green and gold illustrations will get kids talking about the changes they see around them as summer moves into fall.

Cons:  That twinge of sadness I feel as the days shorten and the leaves start to change colors.

Rabbit & Robot and Ribbit by Cece Bell

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Candlewick Press 

Summary:  When Rabbit goes to visit Robot, he’s dismayed to find that Robot has another friend over, a frog named Ribbit.  Ribbit’s vocabulary is limited to a single word, “Ribbit”, which Robot is able to understand using his frog translation software.  Rabbit starts feeling jealous, and pretty soon Rabbit’s and Ribbit’s emotions are running so high that Robot overheats himself trying to interpret them all.  When Robot collapses, Rabbit and Ribbit have to work together to learn how to revive him.  In the end, the three friends discover that three isn’t really a crowd and learn to play together.  48 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  The sequel to Rabbit and Robot: The Sleepover, this long easy reader/short chapter book with cartoon illustrations and silly dialogue is just right for emerging independent readers.

Cons:  Let’s hope Cece Bell doesn’t wait another 2 ½ years before writing another Rabbit and Robot book.

The Sound of Silence by Katrina Goldsaito, illustrated by Julia Kuo

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 

Summary:  Yoshio enjoys hearing the sounds of his Tokyo neighborhood: rain falling on his umbrella, his boots squishing in puddles, his own delighted giggles.  One day he hears a new sound, a woman playing a koto with twinkling, twangy notes.  When she’s through, he asks her what her favorite sound is.  She replies, “The sound of ma, or silence.”  From then on, Yoshio tries to hear the sound of silence, but at home, outside, or in school, there are always other sounds.  Finally, arriving early at school one morning, he sits down and begins to read.  Suddenly, in the middle of a page, he realizes that he is surrounded by silence!  He notices how peaceful it makes him feel, and realizes that the sound of silence has been there all along, running underneath all the other sounds.  An afterword explains the concept of ma and how it has influenced Japanese music and other culture.  40 pages; grades K-3. 

Pros:  A beautiful introduction to some aspects of mindfulness and meditation, and a way to help kids relax and focus on the present moment.  The illustrations show many details of a Tokyo home and neighborhood, and a note at the end explains how they were created using a combination of pen drawings and digital coloring. 

Cons:  This could be a tough concept for young kids to understand.

Guess Who, Haiku by Deanna Caswell, illustrated by Bob Shea

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Published by Harry N. Abrams 

Summary:  Ten haiku poems are offered as riddles for the reader to guess:  “new day on the farm/muffled mooing announces/a fresh pail of milk”.  The next page shows the cow, who has her own haiku to offer.  So it goes, until the final poem, “two hands hold a book/guessing animals’ puzzles/written in haiku…It’s YOU!”  The final page explains a little about haiku, including defining what a syllable is, and invites readers to explore the playfulness of the form.  24 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  An excellent introduction to haiku for the very young.

Cons:  The “riddles” aren’t particularly challenging.

I Am NOT a Dinosaur! by Will Lach, illustrated by Jonny Lambert

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Published by Sterling Children’s Books 

Summary:  Sure, we all know T-Rex, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops, but they weren’t the only vertebrates around in prehistoric times, not by a long shot.  The rhyming text introduces some of the other key players, like the familiar saber-tooth cat and woolly mammoth, and the less-well known dunkleosteus and glyptodont.  An introductory note from Dr. Mark A. Norrell, paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History starts things off, and a final author’s note puts the prehistoric eras into some perspective, comparing the 170 million years of dinosaurs with 200,000 years of modern humans.  There’s also a bit more information on each animal and a timeline showing the different geologic time periods and which of the animals lived in each one.  40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  There’s more to this book than meets the eye.  Young dinosaur fans will enjoy learning about some new animals, but the front and end notes add a lot more information.  If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you may know what a fan I am of cut-paper illustrations, and these are right up there with Steve Jenkins’ work.

Cons:  You might be sorry if you don’t glance at the pronunciation guides in the end matter before attempting a read aloud.

Rattlestiltskin by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Erin Camarca

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Published by WestWinds Press 

Summary:  The classic fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin is given a Spanish twist.  Senora Gonzales brags that her daughter Rosalia can make tortillas light enough to float.  When wealthy Don Ignacio challenges her to come make some for him, Rosalia fears she’s in trouble.  She gets to work, hoping for the best, but her tortillas don’t float.  Just when she is about to despair, a strange little man dressed in rattlesnake skins pops out of the oven.  He gives her the secret for making floating tortillas in exchange for Rosalia’s promise that she’ll do anything he asks, then disappears back into his oven.  Don Ignnacio is impressed enough to invite her to come live on the hacienda and cook for him.  All is well for a while, but one day the little man reappears and demands that Rosalia comes to work as a maid for him and his friends.  Just like in Rumpelstiltskin, the deal will be off if she can guess his name, and after two sets of three guesses, she manages to learn that his real name is Rattlestiltskin.  She gets it in three the next day, Rattlestiltskin self-destructs, and Rosalia, Don Ignacio, and even Senora Gonzales live happily ever after.  Includes a recipe for homemade tortillas.  32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  A fun compare and contrast with a classic retelling like Paul O. Zelinsky’s Rumpelstiltkin.  The mood of this version is definitely lighter, and the Spanish setting , characters, and language add an interesting twist.

Cons:  I missed some of the ominous bizarreness that characterizes more tradition versions.

Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas by Gwendolyn Hooks, illustrated by Colin Bootman

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Published by Lee & Low Books 

Summary:  Vivien Thomas dreamed of becoming a doctor, but when the Great Depression hit, he lost all his college savings.  Determined to pursue a medical career, he found a job as a research assistant for Dr. Alfred Blalock at Vanderbilt University.  Vivien proved to be a quick study and soon was conducting his own experiments and mastering surgical skills like suturing blood vessels.  In 1941, Dr. Blalock was offered a job at Johns Hopkins University.  He accepted it on the condition that Vivien would go with him.  At Johns Hopkins, the two men met Dr. Helen Taussig, a pediatric cardiologist who was trying to find a cure for so-called “blue-babies” whose skin turned blue because of a heart defect.  Vivien Thomas ended up doing a large portion of the research, developing a procedure, and designing a needle tiny enough to do the surgery.  When Dr. Blalock performed the ground-breaking surgery in 1944, it was Vivien who stood behind him and coached him, a role he would continue to play after the first surgery was a success.  More than a quarter of a century went by before Vivien finally got the recognition he deserved, having his portrait hung in Johns Hopkins Hospital and being awarded an honorary doctorate.  Back matter includes more information about the surgical procedure and Vivien Thomas, as well as a medical glossary and sources.  32 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  A compelling story of a little-known African-American scientist who overcame a myriad of prejudices to make an important contribution to medicine.  Kids who find this book interesting may want to read last year’s Breakthrough! How Three People Saved “Blue Babies” and Changed Medicine Forever by Jim Murphy.

Cons:  There is a lot of text and somewhat technical information for a picture book.

Lucy Tries Soccer by Lisa Bowes, illustrated by James Hearne

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Published by Orca Book Publishers

Summary:  Lucy is excited to be playing three-on-three soccer for the first time.  After warming up with some drills, it’s blue versus red as the teams try out the skills they’ve just learned.  Everyone on the team gets a chance to play, so Lucy is called to the sidelines after a few minutes, but her coach praises her for listening and learning.  She watches and cheers as one of her teammates makes a goal.  The two teams line up for some handshaking and congratulations when the game is over.  The last page includes a few fast facts about soccer.  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  A good introduction for first-time soccer players to get a feel for what to expect at their first practice.  The simple story is told in rhyming text with cute illustrations.  This is part of a series written by a sports reporter…Lucy has also tried luge and short-track speed skating.

Cons:  As a former soccer mom, I feel I can confidently assert that most kids won’t pick up skills as quickly as Lucy and her friends seem to.

 

Douglas, You Need Glasses! by Ged Adamson

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Schwartz & Wade Books 

Summary:  Poor Douglas.  When he and Nancy, his owner, are chasing squirrels, Douglas ends up chasing a leaf instead.  He blissfully ignores signs like “Wet Cement” and “No Dogs” at the skateboard park.  He’s even gone into the wrong house.  But when he mistakes a beehive for a ball during a game of fetch, it’s the last straw for Nancy.  She hustles him off to the eye doctor, where he fails the eye test and gets a prescription for glasses.  After enthusiastically trying many different frames, Douglas is all set with his new specs.  Like anyone who has experienced glasses for the first time, Douglas is amazed by all that he’s been missing.  The last two-page spread shows photos of real kids with glasses, and invites readers to post their own photos at #douglasyouneedglasses.

Pros:  A fast and funny read that would be perfect for anyone who’s been having a little trouble seeing the board.

Cons:  Douglas’s nearsighted foray into the wrong house hit a little too close to home for this nearsighted reader who once wandered into the wrong hotel room in France while not wearing her glasses.

Clara: The (Mostly) True Story of the Rhinoceros Who Dazzled Kings, Inspired Artists, and Won the Hearts of Everyone…While She Ate Her Way Up and Down a Continent by Emily Arnold McCully

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Schwartz & Wade Books

 

Summary:  In the early 1700’s, while visiting a friend in India, Captain Van der Meer was astonished to see a baby rhinoceros wandering about the house.  Thinking he could make a living showing her, the Captain adopted the rhino, named her Clara, and brought her back to his home in Holland.  Clara proved to be a good companion, but a voracious eater, and the Captain was hard-pressed to buy her food.  The two of them eventually traveled all over Europe, even getting an audience with Louis XV of France, who offered to house Clara with his menagerie (the Captain turned him down).  After 17 years of travel, Clara passed away, with the Captain at her side describing her as “the greatest trouper and the truest friend.”  An author’s note tells more about Captain Van der Meer and Clara, and which parts of the story have been fictionalized; endpapers show the routes the two friends traveled.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Readers will be captivated by Clara, who comes across as affectionate and docile as a large dog.  Caldecott Medalist McCully has illustrated her story with colorful, detailed paintings.

Cons:  Beer is mentioned several times as a staple of Clara’s diet.