Picture books

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.

An Armadillo in New York by Julie Kraulis

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Tundra Books 

Summary: Arlo, an armadillo based in Brazil, knows that when he feels a twitch in his left claw, it’s time for him to start planning an adventure. His grandfather Augustin gave him a set of travel journals about all his favorite places, and the one about New York City guides Arlo on his journey. Making stops at the Brooklyn Bridge, Yankee Stadium, Central Park, and many other well-known landmarks in the Big Apple, Arlo marvels at all that he sees. He’s also puzzled by his grandfather’s many references to Lady Liberty. It isn’t until his last stop, a trip on the ferry to Liberty Island, that he finally figures out who Lady Liberty really is. Arlo looks forward to return visits to the Statue of Liberty and other places in New York City. The last page gives additional facts about the Statue of Liberty. 32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros: The beautiful, slightly dreamy illustrations and the adorable armadillo will make readers want to take a trip to NYC. This is a sequel to An Armadillo in Paris; we can hope that Arlo will be doing more traveling in the future.

Cons: The story line is pretty thin.

Whose Eye Am I? by Shelley Rotner

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Published by Holiday House

 

Summary: The eyes have it in this collection of animal photographs and facts about eyes and vision. Many pages feature a close-up of an eye with the caption “Who am I?” with the answer revealed on the following page. Animals are arranged by mammal, bird, reptile and amphibian, and insect. The last page explains how the human eye works, followed by a glossary and index.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros: The beautiful photos and interesting facts make this an inviting book to browse. Readers will also enjoy the guessing game element.

Cons: I found the book a little disjointed; it took me about half the book to pick up on the arrangement by type of animal.

Otters Love to Play by Jonathan London, illustrated by Meilo So

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

 Published by Candlewick 

Summary: Did you know otters often take over dens left behind by beavers, muskrats, or woodchucks? That’s the first of many facts you’ll learn in this information-packed book that follows a year in the life of an otter mother and her two offspring. As the babies grow, they learn the playful moves that characterize otters, moves that are useful for hunting and self-defense. By the end of the year, the babies have reached their full size, but continue to enjoy sliding and playing in the spring mud. Includes an index and a page of additional information about otters. 32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros: The text has both large and small fonts, so the book can be read as a quick read-aloud, or used for more in-depth research. The illustrations capture the happy, playful otter spirit.

Cons: How could I possibly say anything bad about otters?

Place Value by David A. Adler, illustrated by Edward Miller

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Published by Holiday House

Summary:  A group of cooking monkeys demonstrate how place value works.  Starting with the concept of using 26 letters to make up words, they show how ten digits make up numbers.  Just as rearranging letters gives words different meanings, so does moving around the digits in large numbers.  The concept of place value to show ones, tens, hundreds, and on up is introduced and reinforced with several examples.  A brief history of the Hindu-Arabic number system and its basis in the number ten is given.  There are also explanations of the comma in large numbers and the decimal point, with a brief explanation of numbers to the right of the decimal.  32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  A fun introduction to an important mathematical concept.  The illustrations add a light touch.

Cons:  The information about decimals may be a bit too much for kids just learning about place value.