Picture books

Little Miss, Big Sis by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

 Published by HarperCollins

Summary: Little Miss is excited to be a big sis. Told entirely in brief rhyming couplets (“Sleep. Fuss. Eat. Repeat.”), the story follows Little Miss from the revelation of the big news through the first year or so of the new baby’s life. Little Miss proves to be a fabulous big sister, helping to stop tears and for the most part ignore little annoyances as the baby gets old enough to play. It looks like many happy years ahead as the book ends with a picture of Little Miss passing a love note from her top bunk to the baby on the bottom one.

Pros: Rosenthal and Reynolds team up for another winning picture book, putting a rosy spin on getting a new baby in the house.

Cons: The book doesn’t explore any of the less positive feelings associated with a new baby in the house.

High Tide for Horseshoe Crabs by Lisa Kahn Schnell, illustrated by Alan Marks

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Charlesbridge

Summary: Every spring, millions of horseshoe crabs flock to the shores of the Delaware Bay. As they have done since before the time of the dinosaurs, the crabs lay their eggs in the sand. Meanwhile, flocks of different types of birds make their way to these same shores as they migrate to the Arctic. They are hungry and weak on their arrival, and the horseshoe crab eggs are packed with fat and protein. They feast on the eggs, sometimes doubling their body size in just a few weeks. Many eggs remain, though, buried in the sand until the birds have continued on their way. Then, tiny crabs the size of ladybugs hatch and swim into the sea. People come from all over to watch and study this chapter in the lives of the horseshoe crabs and the birds. Grades K-4.

Pros: Having spent many summers in Cape May, New Jersey, I can remember finding the remains of horseshoe crabs on the beach. I never suspected the fascinating story behind these ancient looking creatures. This book makes science accessible to even the youngest students. The story is clearly written and beautifully illustrated, and the end material gives more interesting information. Readers will want to study the labeled drawings on the end papers.

Cons: I didn’t really understand the page that simply said, “It’s happening!” which seemed to connote an exciting event that wasn’t quite clear to me.

Night Animals by Gianna Marino

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Viking Books for Young Readers 

Summary: Possum is scared. He warns Skunk that they’d better hide from the night animals. Before long, they’re joined by a nervous wolf (“Help me!” “Help YOU?! You’re a wolf!”), and then by a bear. When a shadow appears across the moon, all four animals freak out until they realize it’s just a bat. The bat asks them why they’re so scared; when they tell him it’s because of the night animals, he tells them, “You ARE night animals!” That reassures them until they come across some campers in a tent. The campers and the animals manage to scare each other, and each group runs off in opposite directions. Ages 3-8.

Pros: Cartoon bubbles keep the dialogue short and funny. The white parts of the animals, including their big round eyes, seem to glow in the dark against the black background. Anyone who has ever been told, “They’re just as afraid of you as you are of them” will surely appreciate this book.

Cons: The interesting facts about each animal are printed on the back of the dust jacket, which make them inaccessible on library books.

Wrap-Up Wednesday: Rhyming Picture Books

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

As I’m approaching 150 books reviewed so far this year, I thought it might be fun to revisit some of my favorites.  Every Wednesday will now be “Wrap-Up Wednesday” where I provide a wrap-up of a few of my favorites in a chosen category.  This week I was reviewing all the picture books I’ve reviewed, and I realized all my favorite read-alouds are rhyming books.  Publishers often caution picture book authors against writing rhyming stories.  Thank goodness these authors didn’t listen. I’ve kid-tested most of these, and they passed with flying colors!

 Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld.  Published by HMH Books for Young Readers.

The kindergarten teachers at my school beat me to the punch and  read this to their classes before I could.  No matter; the kids all loved hearing it again.  Stick and Stone beat bullying, shyness, and a ferocious storm to form a friendship that’s a perfect 10.

Monkey and Duck Quack Up! by Jennifer Hamburg, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham.  Published by Scholastic Press

Okay, maybe not the most thought-provoking choice, but the rhymes are way catchy, and the joke of the last page made me  laugh.

Everybody Sleeps (But Not Fred) by Josh Schneider.  Published by Clarion Books.

This is the only one I haven’t tried out on kids, but I’ve got to believe they would love it.  Best of all (in my opinion), it has sly humor that will entertain the parents as well.

Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Meg Hunt.  Published by Chronicle Books

I’m in awe of people who write good fractured fairy tales.  And the ones who can do it in rhyme…I have no words.

Ninja Bunny by Jennifer Gray Olson

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Rule number one for a ninja bunny:  a super awesome ninja must always work alone.  So the bunny goes forth alone, working his way through the next nine rules with mixed success.  With Rule 10: “A super awesome ninja must battle anyone anywhere anytime alone”, he finds himself face to face with a ferocious bear.  Fortunately, the rest of the bunnies have ignored Rule 1, and are right behind him, ready to rush in with ninja-like ferocity and scare that bear away.  On the final page, there’s been a change: “Rule 1: A super awesome ninja needs super awesome friends!”  Ages 3-7.

Pros:  You can’t go wrong with ninjas, and this book comes with a good message about friendship.

Cons:  The hit with the rake looks painful.

Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sis

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  A boy writes a letter to his grandfather, assuring him that he is working hard over the summer, practicing his reading, writing, math, and history.  The pictures show that all his studies center on ice cream.  He is reading lists of ice cream flavors and solving math problems involving scoops of ice cream.  He is researching the history of ice cream, starting with its creation in ancient China and tracing it to the United States.  His grandfather rewards all his hard work with a trip to the top of Ice Cream Peak.  Ages 4-8.

Pros:  There’s nothing wrong with focusing on ice cream during the summer months (or any other months for that matter).  Award-winning author and illustrator Peter Sis has fun with the folk art-inspired illustrations.

Cons:  The story is a bit trite.

Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre & His World of Insects by Matthew Clark Smith, illustrated by Giuliano Ferri

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

 

Published by Two Lions

Summary:  Back in the early 1900’s, an eccentric old man lived in a village in France.  His neighbors observed him squatting in the sun for hours to watch beetles, and marveled that he would pay children to gather dead moles and lizards to attract flies.  Imagine their surprise when a procession of cars arrived at their quiet village one day, and out of one of them stepped the President of France!  Turns out the old man was Jean-Henri Fabre, a scientist whose lifelong passion was studying insects.  Other scientists had written about dead insects from faraway places, but Fabre was more interested in the bugs he saw in the fields and woods around him.  He liked to study the live ones to learn about their behavior.  Then he wrote about them in books so beautiful that the President of France came to his house to let him know he had been nominated for a Nobel Prize in Literature.  While Fabre is little known today outside of France, his work influenced Darwin and inspired generations of naturalists.  Grades 2-5.

Pros:  This is an engaging biography of a little-known scientist, which includes a lot of interesting information about insects.  The illustrations capture the amazing creatures Fabre loved as well as his wide-eyed wonder of them throughout the nine decades of life.

Cons:  This is long for a picture book; probably best suited to older elementary students.

A Penguin Named Patience: A Hurricane Katrina Rescue Story by Suzanne Lewis, illustrated by Lisa Anchin

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Sleeping Bear Press 

Summary:  When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2008 many of the animals at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas did not survive.  Patience was the oldest of a group of 19 penguins who were rescued and sent to the Monterey Aquarium in California.  This book tells the story from Patience’s perspective, from the day she senses something is wrong to the grand re-opening of the aquarium when the penguins strut down a purple carpet to the sound of “When the Saints Go Marching In”.  The author’s note at the end provides interesting additional information.  Grades K-4.

Pros:  This is a great introduction to Hurricane Katrina and ways that people across the country reached out to help the city of New Orleans.  The large, cheerful illustrations add an upbeat note.

Cons:  The story mentions 19 penguins, and the author’s note talks about a group of 18 penguins.

Billy’s Booger: A Memoir (Sorta) by William Joyce and his younger self

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Back in the days of black-and-white TV and color Sunday comics, Billy has trouble fitting in at school.  Dubbed “my most challenging student” by his principal, Billy’s creative attempts at making math and P.E. more fun are not appreciated by his teachers.  When the school librarian announces a book-writing contest, Billy gets right to work, researching meteors, mythology, and…mucus.  The latter topic wins out, and Billy creates a book about a super booger, which is included in its entirety as an insert to this book.  When prizes are announced, Billy’s entry is overlooked, and he’s discouraged for the next several days.  Finally, whe goes to the library to return all the books he used for his research, he hears laughter.  A group of kids is gathered around a table, and they’re all reading his book!  The librarian tells him that she put all the contest books in the library, and his has been checked out the most.  Billy’s career is launched.  Grades K-4.

Pros:  This would be a great mentor text for memoir writing.  And of course, every 7-year-old boy will be clamoring to read a book entitled “Billy’s Booger”.

Cons:  The “be yourself” message is a bit heavy-handed.

Daisy Saves the Day by Shirley Hughes

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Even though Daisy loves her family and does well at school, times are tough, and she is sent out to live in a grand house and work as a scullery maid.  Her work is difficult and exhausting, but she works hard and tries to do what’s expected of her.  The two old ladies who own the house like her well enough, and when their niece comes from America, she encourages Daisy to read some of the books in the house.  All three women leave the house one day, to go see the coronation of a new king, George V.  Daisy’s left behind by herself, and decides to decorate the outside of the house with red, white, and blue clothing.  The only red she can find is the red flannel bloomers the ladies wear in the winter.  When they come home, they are horrified, and Daisy is in disgrace.  A few weeks later, though, she wakes up to the smell of smoke, and is able to put out a kitchen fire before it can do much damage, saving the house and its occupants.  As a reward, she is given enough money to be able to return home and go back to school.  Grades 1-4.

Pros:  This is a charming story about a winning cast of characters, particularly Daisy.  It has an old-fashioned feel to it, and illustrations reminiscent of Tasha Tudor.

Cons:  I looked for an historical note at the end, and was disappointed not to find one.