Picture books

Are We There Yet? By Dan Santat

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Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  A boy’s trip to Grandma’s in the back seat of his parents’ car turns into an adventure in time travel.  The long trip gets boring, and time slows down so much that he finds himself moving back in time…to frontier days, pirate times, ancient Egypt, and finally, to prehistoric times.  When he decides to enjoy the present, time suddenly speeds up, and he’s afraid he’s missed the party.  But finally, the trip ends, and he’s back in the present again.  The last page has him unhappy once more as older relatives prove less than enthralling company.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Caldecott medalist Dan Santat takes readers on a whirlwind trip through time, even turning the book upside down for a section in the middle of the story.  Kids will want to spend extra time absorbing all that is going on in each two-page spread.

Cons:  The illustrations are more creative than the story.

More-igami by Dori Kleber, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

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Published by Candlewick Press 

Summary:  Joey loves things that fold—tacos, road maps, his foldaway bed—so when Sarah Takimoto’s mother comes to his school one day to demonstrate origami, Joey is captivated.  He asks Mrs. Takimoto to teach him, to which she wisely replies, “I can show you the folds.  But if you want to be an origami master, you’ll need practice and patience.”  So Joey goes home and folds everything in sight.  After going through his homework, his sister’s sheet music, Aunt Vivian’s recipe, and the $38 in his mother’s purse, his family has had enough.  Discouraged, Joey wanders into the neighboring Mexican restaurant, where the sympathetic owner gives him a job folding napkins.  He starts simply, but doesn’t give up, and after months of practice, he is finally able to create a masterpiece. Includes instructions for an origami ladybug.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A charming story about the importance of persistence when learning a new skill.  Joey, who appears to be African-American, is taught by a Japanese American woman and helped by his Mexican American neighbor in a multicultural friendly community.

Cons:  Apparently I lack the “grit” necessary to master origami, because even the ladybug looks a bit challenging to me.

Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Disney Hyperion 

Summary:  Owl is trying to go to sleep, but every time he lies down, he hears a squeak.  Could it be coming from the cupboard?  He empties out every shelf, but finds nothing.  Is it in the floor? Removing all the floorboards doesn’t help.  The roof? The walls?  Before long, Owl is lying in his bed under the stars.  That’s when he finally sees the mouse whose squeaking has been keeping him awake.  With the mystery solved, both animals are able to happily fall asleep.  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  A simple and funny bedtime story, with large, child-like illustrations.

Cons:  Why is Owl sleeping at night?

Crossing Niagara: The Death-Defying Tightrope Adventures of the Great Blondin by Matt Tavares

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Published by Candlewick Press

Crossing Niagara: The Death-Defying Tightrope Adventures of the Great Blondin: Tavares, Matt, Tavares, Matt: 9780763668235: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Jean Francois Gravelet, a.k.a. The Great Blondin was just five years old when he first performed on the tightrope.  Although he loved his circus career, he longed to do something even more daring.  When he first laid eyes on Niagara Falls, he knew what he wanted to do.  He set up a rope, contacted the newspapers, and on June 30, 1859, he made his first successful crossing, stopping along the way to perform a few tricks, including retrieving a bottle from the Maid of the Mist below and toasting the crowd.  He promised to return on July 4, and this time, he crossed the falls blindfolded.  Over the next two summers, he made many crossings, trying all kinds of stunts.  His ultimate challenge was carrying his manager across on his back (a trick his manager wasn’t terribly enthusiastic about).  When the crowds began to thin, The Great Blondin moved on, but he was forever remembered for his Niagara Falls crossings.  End matter includes a brief author’s note and a bibliography.  36 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  The storytelling and large, detailed illustrations combine to make a pulse-pounding tale of daring.

Cons:  I could have enjoyed a little more biographical detail about The Great Blondin.

There Is a Tribe of Kids by Lane Smith

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 Published by Roaring Brook Press 

Summary:  A boy travels through the world alone.  He starts off with a tribe of kids—goats—then has fun with a colony of penguins and a pod of whales. He climbs on a formation of rocks, then falls down into a pile of rubble. He hangs out with an army of caterpillars, then marvels at a flight of butterflies.  Finally, he finds the tribe of kids…his tribe, and he is no longer alone.  40 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  There is more than meets the eye to this simple but gorgeously illustrated book by Caldecott honoree Lane Smith.  It’s not a story so much as a meditation on adventure, coming home, and finding where you belong.  And the collective nouns are always fun, as well.

Cons:  Kids may not appreciate this if they hurry through it.  It’s a book that requires a slow, careful look…maybe more than one.

Olinguito, de la A a la Z! by Lulu Delacre

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Published by Lee and Low Books 

Summary: Never heard of the olinguito? Don’t worry, scientists have only known about it since 2006. Lulu Delacre has created an alphabet book with text in both Spanish and English that follows zoologist Dr. Kristofer Helgen through the cloud forest of Ecuador as he looks for and finally finds this little animal. The olinguito doesn’t make an appearance until “W”, though, so the reader gets introduced to many other flora and fauna of the rainforest. Extensive back matter includes information about the discovery of the olinguito, the cloud forest, the illustrations, plus a lengthy glossary…all in both English and Spanish. 40 pages; grades K-4.

Pros: The illustrations are as lush and colorful as the cloud forest. The text could be used as a simple alphabet book or as a resource for research, depending on which parts are used.

Cons: The English is sometimes not as alliterative as the Spanish in the alphabet portion of the book.

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.