Picture books

Let’s Go to Taekwondo! A Story About Persistence, Bravery, and Breaking Boards by Aram Kim

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Published by Holiday House

Summary:  Yoomi is a dedicated taekwondo student looking forward to earning her yellow belt.  On the day of the test, she and the other white belt kids kick and punch with no problem.  When it comes to breaking a board, though, Yoomi is afraid of getting hurt and stops just short of the board.  Her teacher assures her she can try again, but Yoomi becomes so anxious about not being able to break the board that she stops going to class.  Her grandmother doesn’t try to force her to go but tells Yoomi that she is going to stop trying to learn how to use the computer to call her sister in Korea.  Yoomi encourages her to keep trying, and eventually Grandma succeeds.  Yoomi gets the point and returns to class the next day, where she finally breaks the board and gets her yellow belt.  Includes additional information about taekwondo.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This story of persistence is populated with adorable animals.  Grandma wisely shows rather than tells, and Yoomi shows courage in continuing to try something that is difficult for her.

Cons:  Master Cho is a scarily large rabbit…approximately the same size as one of the adult judges, a tiger, yet the mouse adult judge fits into the palm of the tiger’s hand (paw). 

Sun in My Tummy by Laura Alary, illustrated by Andrea Blinick

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Published by Pajama Press

Summary:  Oatmeal, blueberries, and milk may seem like a ho-hum breakfast, but there is magic in the foods we eat.  The oats and the blueberries grew out of the soil, warmed by the sun, and watered by the rain.  They make food from sunlight, creating seeds which can be used to grow new plants.  The cow was able to make milk because she ate grass that grew with the help of sun and rain as well.  “Inside everything, if you look deep enough, you will find the sun. Warm-hearted. Generous. Giving.”  Includes additional information about photosynthesis.  32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  This is an excellent science book for primary grades, starting with a concept everyone will recognize and using free verse and whimsical illustrations to foster a sense of wonder about the natural world.

Cons:  I felt like this book could use a subtitle, since “Sun in My Tummy” may not immediately call to mind photosynthesis.

Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Dan Santat

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  Your mama wakes you up with the news that your granny is ill and you need to take her a basket of food.  Do you put on your faux fur cape (turn to page 20) or your favorite red cape (page 6)?  Each choice leads to a new twist in the story, some intersecting with other fairy tales like Snow White and Jack and the Beanstalk, until an end is reached, either happy or tragic.  One path leads to the last few pages, where Red (a.k.a. you) decides to go on more adventures and is told “But whether you adventure far or sit alone or snooze, the thing you must remember is that every day…you choose.”  92 pages; grades K-3.  

Pros:  I was excited about this book when I read reviews, and it did not disappoint.  I’m looking forward to sharing it with some classes, where I’ll have the kids vote on which path to take.  The rhyming text is fun to read, and Dan Santat’s illustrations add delightful touches to all the stories.

Cons:  I got eaten by the wolf pretty early on.

The Great Zapfino by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Marla Frazee

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  The action opens at the circus, where The Great Zapfino is climbing a high, high ladder to a platform from which he will jump onto a tiny trampoline below.  One minute he’s there, and the next he’s gone.  He hightails it away from the circus to an airport, arriving at a high-rise building where he becomes an elevator operator.  Each day he meets all kinds of people on the elevator, and each night he goes back to his room and makes toast for supper until one day the toaster catches on fire.  As the room fills with black smoke, Zapfino runs to the window.  With no choice, he leaps to a trampoline rescuers are holding below, finally nailing the jump he ran away from in the circus.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Mac Barnett and Caldecott honoree Marla Frazee have created a winner with this black-and-white nearly wordless book that feels a little bit like an old silent movie.  The illustrations of the elevator throughout the day are particularly well-done, and kids will want to slow down to get a good look at all the people.  I wouldn’t say no to some Caldecott consideration.

Cons:  That’s a lot of smoke for one little piece of burned toast.

I’m Terrified of Bath Time by Simon Rich, illustrated by Tom Toro

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  You might suspect a child is narrating this book, but no, it’s a bathtub.  Most of its day is spent pleasantly with Sink and Toilet, but every night a giant appears and twists its eyeballs to make water shoot out of its nose.  When the tub is full of water, an equally terrified child appears, resistant to getting in the water.  Sometimes she kicks the tub’s nose, sometimes she screams in its ear, and once she pooped (a low point for both of them).  “You have all the power in the relationship.  Which is why I’m asking for a favor.”  Be kind: decorate the tub’s nose, sing some songs, and bathtime can be fun for all parties involved.  40 pages; ages 3-5.

Pros:  Authored by a Saturday Night Live writer and illustrated by a New Yorker cartoonist, this book is surprisingly kid friendly…bathroom humor in its purest form.  As the parent of a child who was once terrified of baths, I have a special appreciation for a book with this topic.  

Cons: Bath time or bathtime?

A Good Place by Lucy Cousins

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Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Four insects are seeking a good home: Bee wants flowers, Ladybug is searching for leaves, Beetle needs dead wood, and Dragonfly is looking for a pond.  Each time one thinks it has found the perfect place, humans turn out to have made it less than ideal because of garbage, traffic, or pesticides.  Finally, a passing butterfly hears about their dilemma and leads them to a beautiful garden a boy has created.  The garden has flowers, leaves, a pond, and even a dead log.  All four celebrate on the last page.  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  And just like that, I have a book to read tomorrow to a class of preschoolers starting a gardening unit.  Lucy Cousins has created four endearing insect characters with a gentle environmental message that even the youngest readers will grasp.

Cons:  It would have been nice to have a little back matter about creating a garden.

Drawing Outdoors by Jairo Buitrago, illustrated by Rafael Yockteng, translated by Elisa Amado

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Published by Greystone Kids

Summary:  A girl tells about her school, which has “almost nothing.  A blackboard, some chairs.”  What it does have is an imaginative teacher who greets them at the door every morning.  On this particular day, the teacher leads them outdoors for a day of drawing.  Even the twins who walk a long way and don’t like school are excited for the day’s adventure.   They stop at a river, where a teacher points out a Brontosaurus!  The kids are excited and start sketching it.  From there, they head to a rock where the teacher spots a Triceratops and a stream with a Stegosaurus.  When the sun disappears, the teacher looks up to see the Pterodactyls who are blocking it.  A scary T-rex in the woods sends some of the kids scurrying back to school, but others stay and enjoy a snack on the back of an Ankylosaurus.  As the girl heads home with a smile on her face, the reader can see all the dinosaurs surrounding the school in the background.  36 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Dinosaur fans will love these illustrations and a story that celebrates the power of imagination and good teachers.

Cons:  I wish we had gotten a look at some of the students’ dinosaur drawings.

Serengeti: Plains of Grass by Leslie Bulion, illustrated by Becca Stadtlander

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Published by Peachtree Publishing Company

Summary:  Each two-page spread depicts a scene from the Serengeti, with a four-line poem and a paragraph of additional information.  An introductory page describes the ecosystem of the Serengeti, and a note at the end gives additional information about the poetic form, which is derived from an East African form called the utendi.  Also includes a glossary, a reading list, and information on Serengeti stewardship, including three organizations that are working to preserve the Serengeti.  48 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  A beautiful science and poetry book, with gorgeous paintings of the Serengeti that will catch the eye of any animal lover.  The additional information about the poems and the Serengeti makes this an excellent resource for language arts, geography, and science.

Cons:  I wish there had been some information about the humans who live in that area.

Dog Says, Cat Says by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez

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Published by Dial Books

Summary:  In rhyming text, a dog and cat alternate talking to their owners throughout the day: “It’s morning! Do you have to go? I’m bringing you my ball/It’s morning? Well, your bed’s so soft, I may not move at all.”  The dog enthusiastically leaps into all things dog-gy: barking at the mailman, playing fetch, and rolling in the mud, while the cat perfects the art of standoffishness and showing superiority to the dog.  When nighttime comes, the dog is ready to settle down in his bed, while the cat prowls through the house, then finally snuggles in with the dog.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A fun book for pet lovers that reminded me of Elisha Cooper’s Yes and No, with the dog and cat leading very different lives but coming together as night falls.  The bouncy rhymes and illustrations capture both the high energy of the dog and cat’s more languid nature.

Cons:  Failed to change my opinion that dogs make superior pets.

A Perfect Fit: How Lena “Lane” Bryant Changed the Shape of Fashion by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  Raised by her grandparents in Lithuania, Lena Himmelstein learned sewing from her grandmother and from her grandfather, the definition of real success: helping another person.  When she was 16, Lena followed her older sister to America, where she got a job as a seamstress.  She studied English and fashion and married a man named David Bryant, who died shortly after the birth of their son.  To support the family, Lena bought a sewing machine and started her own business.  When a pregnant woman asked for a gown that would grow with her, Lena remembered her grandfather’s advice and found a way to help her customer.  Her reputation grew, and soon she opened her own shop and a bank account.  At the bank, she accidentally signed her name as “Lane” instead of Lena.  Lane Bryant became famous for clothes made to help women of all sizes and shapes.  “Everyone said Lena was a great success.  And when she thought about her grandfather, she knew that it was true.”  Includes an author’s note and a list of sources.  32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  Mara Rockliff’s engaging writing and Juana Martinez-Neal’s fashionable illustrations bring Lena Himmelstein Bryant’s story to life, with a heartwarming emphasis on how helping others is the true definition of success.

Cons:  Too bad this wasn’t released in time for Women’s History Month.