Picture books

You’re Doing THAT in the Talent Show?! By Lynn Plourde, illustrated by Sue Cornelison.

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Published by Disney Hyperion 

Summary:  Penelope and Tiny are best friends, but when it comes to the talent show, they can’t agree.  Penelope wants to be front and center, whether it’s dancing, acting, singing, or a combination of all three.  Tiny can’t imagine being in the spotlight, and advocates for a performance with the chorus.  Finally, they come up with the perfect solution: to perform separately, but cheer each other on enthusiastically.  The plan goes off without a hitch, and Tiny even gets a chance to save Penelope’s act from a potential disaster.  The last page lists tips for a spectacular performance.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The classic story of an introvert and extrovert trying to work together.  Bright, cheerful illustrations and a friendship with a perfect ending will keep readers happy.

Cons:  The text got a little repetitious.

Cloth Lullaby: The Woven Life of Louise Bourgeois by Amy Novesky, pictures by Isabelle Aresenault

~ Janet Dawson ~ 4 Comments

Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers 

Summary:  Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) spent her childhood along the banks of a river in France.  Her mother repaired tapestries, and Louise learned the art of weaving from her.  Although she studied math at the Sorbonne, Louise ultimately became an artist.  After her mother died, she made a giant sculpture of a spider, famous for its weaving, and spiders appeared in a lot of her other works.  Later in life, she gathered fabric from many different people and places in her past and created works of art with the different textiles.  She continued to create art right up until the time of her death at age 98.  End matter includes additional biographical information.  40 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  The illustrations are exquisite and really capture Louise’s life and art.  The text is almost poetic.

Cons:  This is not a straightforward biography, and kids may find some of the text difficult to understand.  The biographical information at the end is helpful; it may be useful to present it before reading the story.

Ideas Are All Around by Philip C. Stead

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Published by Roaring Brook Press 

Summary:  The narrator has to write a story, but he has no ideas.  So he decides to take his dog, Wednesday, for a walk.  Along the way, they see flowers, a turtle, people, trains, and clouds.  The narrator thinks about where the people on the trains might be going and how it might be to write his story on his old typewriter back at home.  He talks to a woman who used to rent a room to him, and remembers when he spilled blue paint on her sidewalk.  He stops to have coffee with her, and when he tells her his problem, she replies that ideas are all around.  Finally, he goes home and starts typing on the old typewriter.  48 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  Read this to get creative juices flowing.  The stream of consciousness writing and somewhat abstract prints, interspersed with photos, will inspire readers to look around them for ideas.  It would be an excellent springboard to taking a walk and focusing on observation skills.

Cons:  Kids might find this a little dull as a story; it really is more of a tool for creativity.

Luis Paints the World by Terry Farish, illustrated by Oliver Dominguez

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Published by Carolrhoda 

Summary:  Luis is sad because his brother Nico is leaving to join the army and go overseas.  When Nico tells Luis he is going to see the world, Luis begins painting a mural trying to capture the world so Nico will want to come home again.  After Nico leaves, Luis incorporates photos that Nico texts him into his mural.  Gradually, their mother and others from the neighborhood join in to make the mural a community effort.  The seasons pass, and finally, one warm summer day, Nico comes home again.  A note from the author explains that Luis, Nico, and the mural are based on her experiences working in Lawrence, Massachusetts.  32 pages; ages 4-9.

Pros:  The rich, colorful illustrations capture Luis’s mural beautifully, and the story is real and heartfelt.

Cons:  A few of the Spanish words and phrases aren’t translated.

 

The Whale by Ethan Murrow and Vita Murrow

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Published by Templar Books 

Summary: “Giant whale or giant hoax?” screams the headline of the Cape Chronicle. It’s been 50 years since two children claim to have spotted a giant whale. Two kids read all about it and decide, individually, to explore the issue themselves. When their boats collide, they are forced to join forces. Putting their scientific minds together, they collect amazing evidence of the Great Spotted Whale. Upon their return, they find themselves featured in their own Cape Chronicle article…and discover an interesting connection to the first team of whale spotters from half a century ago. 32 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros: This almost-wordless book (the only text is in the two newspaper articles at the beginning and end) tells the story through realistically detailed black-and-white illustrations. Readers will almost feel the salty spray and hear the whale songs coming from the beautiful renditions of the ocean.

Cons: Like many books without words, the story may be a little confusing.

Anything But Ordinary Addie: The True Story of Adelaide Herrmann Queen of Magic written by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Candlewick

Summary: Adele Scarsez never wanted to be ordinary. As a young woman she tried dancing and acrobatics, but they didn’t quite satisfy her desire to entertain and thrill audiences. Traveling to America, she met a young magician named Alexander Herrmann and asked him to marry her. He agreed, and Addie found her true calling as Adelaide Herrmann, magician. She performed as his assistant for many years. When he died, she knew she needed a way to keep the show going. Addie decided to learn the bullet-catching trick, a bit of magic so dangerous that magicians had been killed performing it. However, Addie succeeded, and her show continued for many years. An author’s note at the end tells a bit more about Addie, as well as how Mara Rockliff uncovered her story. 48 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros: The team that produced last year’s Mesmerized returns with another tour de force. The story is fascinating, and the illustrations and overall design of the book, with text in a variety of fonts woven in among the pictures, make this a visual feast.

Cons: I would have liked to have understood the bullet-catching trick while reading the story instead of having to go to the website given on the last page to get a description of what it was.

Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, illustrated by Rafael Lopez

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

Summary: Mira is an artist. She loves to draw what she sees around her, and give her pictures to family, friends, and neighbors. One day, a man comes to her neighborhood who loves art as much as she does. He starts to paint murals around the community, and he invites Mira and her neighbors to join him. The bright colors are like magic, and when the murals are done, the painters don’t stop. They paint sidewalks, utility boxes, and benches. The man who started it all unites everyone with a wave of his paintbrush. Pages at the end tell about Rafael Lopez, who is both the man in the story and the illustrator of this book, and how he transformed San Diego’s East Village, and has since moved on to other communities around the world. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros: An inspiring true story about one man who made a difference. Not only did he beautify his own community, but his work has raised money to help talented artists get more education, and his movement has spread around the world. His illustrations convey the magical transformations of his art, and should put Lopez in contention (again) for some Caldecott recognition.

Cons: I would have loved to have seen more photos of the real murals and other artwork.

Grumpy Pants by Claire Messer

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Published by Albert Whitman 

Summary: Penguin is in a bad mood. He doesn’t know why, and he doesn’t care. When he gets home, he slowly gets undressed. First he takes off his grumpy coat and grumpy boots, but he still feels grumpy. Then it’s his grumpy socks. No change. Finally, when all his grumpy clothes are off, he counts to three, and slides into a nice cold bathtub where he can splash and play. His favorite pajamas and a cup of hot chocolate take away the last vestiges of grumpiness. He goes to bed, knowing that he will wake up to a happy new day. 32 pages; ages 3-6.

Pros: Simple text and illustrations will help kids understand and deal with changing emotions, aided by a very cute penguin.

Cons: The appearance of heart-covered red underpants may distract kids from the more important lessons of this story.

Prairie Dog Song by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Lee & Low Books 

Summary: Prairie dogs are what is known as a keystone species–an animal that, through its activities, helps many other plants and animals survive. When people moved into the prairie dogs’ habitat and started using it as farmland, many other species were affected as well. The tale is told both through a song based on “And the Green Grass Grew All Around” and a more detailed description of how the prairie dogs once lived, the other animals that were part of the grasslands, and how that habitat has changed. The final few pages explain how the work of the Janos Biosphere Reserve in Mexico is helping to restore grasslands and the animals that make them their home. 40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros: The beautifully colored and textured cut-paper illustrations illuminate the information-rich text about this endangered habitat and the many varied species that live there.

Cons: While the song is written in a good-sized font, the rest of the text is a bit on the small side.

Have a Look, Says Book by Richard Jackson, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

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Published by Atheneum 

Summary: A little girl and her father are reading a book together. She is invited to take a closer look, and travels inside, where she can look, listen, but especially touch. She climbs inside a wooly sock, then gets dripped on by a wet mitten. She walks along a mossy trail and tries on a scratchy tutu. A furry kitten and a shaggy llama are just some of her companions on the journey. Hot cocoa, crumbly cake, and a comfy chair draw her back out the other side of the book, where night is falling and it’s time for bed. 48 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros: Beautiful illustrations and oversized, decorated words make this book a visual feast. It’s a great introduction to textures and describing words that would work well with toddlers or as a writing lesson for older kids.

Cons: A gluey snail and squishy peas.