The Little Mermaid by Jerry Pinkney

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Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Amazon.com: The Little Mermaid (9780316440318): Pinkney, Jerry: Books
Watery Fairy Tales - The New York Times

Summary:  Melody, the youngest daughter of the Sea King, has a beautiful singing voice and loves to go exploring.  One day she discovers the world above the sea and sees a girl named Zion.  When Melody starts to sing, Zion sees her, and the mermaid knows the two of them are meant to be friends.  Desperate to find a way to be with her new friend, Melody goes to the Sea Witch, who gives her legs in exchange for her voice.  Melody and Zion meet, but Zion is dismayed when she discovers her new friend can’t speak.  Melody draws pictures in the sand to tell her what happened, and Zion says she should never have given up her voice.  A disturbance in the sea alerts Melody to danger for her family, and she returns to the undersea kingdom in time to help defend it against the witch.  When she sees the shell with her voice in it around the witch’s neck, she manages to get it back and to use her voice to defeat her enemy.  Melody’s father realizes his daughter should be allowed to have adventures, so, even as a mermaid, she can visit with her new friend Zion.  48 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  Usually, the story of The Little Mermaid kind of bums me out, but I love this retelling with a friendship instead of a romance, and a celebration of being adventurous and using your voice.  Add this to the cannon of beautiful fairy retellings at the hands of Jerry Pinkney.

Cons:  This story is a longer than some of Pinkney’s other folktales, and may be a bit of a stretch for reading aloud to preschoolers.

Friend Me by Sheila M. Averbuch

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Published by Scholastic Press

Friend Me: Averbuch, Sheila M.: 9781338618082: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Roisin is struggling to adjust to seventh grade after moving to Massachusetts from Ireland.  A bully named Zara is making her life miserable, so when she discovers a new friend online, she is thrilled.  Haley has dealt with mean girls as well, and always seems to have time to listen to Roisin’s problems and offer sympathetic advice.  But when Zara has a potentially fatal accident and Haley seems unmoved, Roisin begins to have some questions.  Attempts to track Haley down in person prove unsuccessful, and Roisin finds herself in an increasingly dangerous situation.  She realizes she will have to risk reaching out to the people around her to find out who Haley is…and to survive their friendship.  272 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Kids who are looking for a fast-paced adventure will enjoy this social media-based thriller, and will get some positive messages about bullying as well.

Cons:  Roisin’s final showdown with Haley requires a little suspension of disbelief…but it did make for an exciting last few chapters.

Too Many Birds by Cindy Derby

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Published by Roaring Brook Press

Amazon.com: Two Many Birds (9781250232540): Derby, Cindy, Derby, Cindy: Books

Two Many Birds | Cindy Derby | Macmillan

Summary:  A grumpy blackbird sits in a lifeguard-type stand monitoring a nearby tree in this nearly wordless book.  He has all kinds of rules he tries to enforce: no running, no yelling, and a maximum capacity of 100 birds.  When he takes a lunch break, an egg cracks open, and two birds hatch, sending the bird count to 102.  “Two many birds!” he cries, grabbing a net.  But the birds organize into the shape of one large bird and drive him off.  Sitting by himself, the blackbird sees an acorn sprouting and decides to help it grow, assisted by the large flock of birds.  Eventually, they have grown dozens of new trees, providing enough space for everyone.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The cute and colorful illustrations show the power of many against a bully, and also show what can happen when the bully reforms.  

Cons:  I had some trouble understanding parts of this story.  Also, the final spread showing all the new trees was on the inside back cover, so the back flap of the dust jacket covered it up.

Turtle Walk by Matt Phelan

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Published by Greenwillow Books

Turtle Walk: Phelan, Matt, Phelan, Matt: 9780062934130: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  A family of turtles sets off for a walk one spring morning.  “Turtle walk. Nice and slow. Here we go. Are we there yet? No.”  This refrain is repeated as they continue to travel through a landscape that turns into summer, fall, and then a snowy winter.  On each page that says “No” they stop for a rest.  Finally, after a long climb up a snowy hill, the answer is “Yes”.  The turtle walk is no longer nice and slow, as they all slide down the hill on their bellies.  They wind up in a cave: “Turtle rest. Nice and long. Here we…zzzzz.”  32 pages; ages 2-7.

Pros:  Even the youngest kids will be able to chant along with the repeating refrain of this book, and the watercolor illustrations provide a delightful feast of details that can be found in each season.  The final page makes it a perfect bedtime story.

Cons:  Speaking of bed, it looks like an exhausting journey.

Tiny Monsters: The Strange Creatures That Live On Us, In Us, and Around Us by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

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HMH Books for Young Readers

Tiny Monsters: The Strange Creatures That Live On Us, In Us, and Around Us: Jenkins, Steve, Page, Robin: 9780358307112: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Maybe you don’t want to think about the tiny eyelash mites that are living on, not surprisingly, your eyelashes, but you can bet there’s some 9-year-old kid out there who does.  And that kid will also enjoy learning about bedbugs, chiggers, dust mites, and a whole host of other small creatures who live on humans, in houses, and outside.  Each spread features Jenkins’ trademark cut paper illustrations, with the actual size shown as a black silhouette (some are just a dot), the magnification of the illustration, and a paragraph of information.  The last two pages give additional information about each critter, and there is also a short bibliography.  32 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  I’m always delighted to learn that Steve Jenkins has a new book; even more so when he teams up with his wife Robin Page.  Personally, I did not find the subject of this one particularly engaging, but I just know it will be a huge hit in any elementary library.

Cons:  I feel itchy.

Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Don Tate

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Swish! by Suzanne Slade | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Book Trailer Reveal: SWISH! THE SLAM-DUNKING, ALLEY-OOPING, HIGH-FLYING HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS by Don Tate (illustrator) and Suzanne Slade (author) | Nerdy Book Club

Summary:  In 1922,when Chicago’s Wendell Phillips High School basketball team won the division championship, they knew they were some of the best players in the country.  Because they were black, though, they were shut out from the top professional teams.  A group of them was recruited by Abe Saperstein for his new New York Harlem Globetrotters team.  They travelled around the country, playing whatever teams towns could put together, and usually beating them.  To take away the sting of being so dominant on the court, the group started adding tricks and jokes to the games.  Crowds loved them, but they often couldn’t stay in the local hotels or eat in the restaurants.  To prove their equality with white players, the Globetrotters challenged the 1948 Minnesota Lakers team to a game, and beat them, 61-59, repeating the feat a year later to show it wasn’t a fluke.  With NBA ticket sales down and the Globetrotters playing to sold-out crowds, owners had little choice but to start integrating their teams.  The Globetrotters, who have been named America’s Ambassadors of Goodwill, continue traveling around the world, delighting fans with their own special brand of basketball.  Includes additional information, an artist’s note, a list of sources, a timeline, and photos.  40 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  Sports fans will love this story of the Globetrotters.  The text is accessible for primary grades, and the illustrations provide plenty of action and laughs.  The backmatter adds to the value for research.

Cons:  Although the timeline is great, it would have been nice to have some dates in the story itself to place it in historical context.  I remember the Globetrotters from my childhood, but didn’t know they had been around for almost 100 years.

The Old Truck by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey

~ Janet Dawson ~ 5 Comments

Published by Norton Young Readers

The Old Truck: Pumphrey, Jerome, Pumphrey, Jarrett: 9781324005193: Amazon.com: Books
the old truck + sponge stamps craft - This Picture Book Life

Summary:  Before the title page, there’s an illustration of a young couple building a barn with their red pickup parked out front.  The woman is pregnant.  Fast forward several years, and their daughter is old enough to help out, and to use her imagination to pretend that the truck is a boat, airplane, or moon rover.  As she gets older, so does the truck, until it comes to rest by the barn, covered by weeds and snow.  When the young woman returns to take over the farm, she tows the old truck out and gets to work fixing it up.  It takes hard work and long days, but she is able to get both the farm and the truck up and running.  The last page shows her loading up the truck with produce while her own young daughter perches on the tailgate.  48 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  I looked at this book shortly after it came out in January, and ultimately decided not to review it.  I must have been out of sorts (or out of my mind) that day, because almost a year later, I loved it.  The illustrations, created by over 250 handcrafted stamps, tell the story as much or more than the spare text.  The back flap says that the Pumphrey brothers were inspired by strong women in their Texas home, especially their single mom and great-grandmother who bought a farm with the money she earned picking cotton.  Caldecott committee, pay attention!

Cons:  I was a bit confused at first when the truck became a boat, an airplane, and a moon rover.

On the Horizon by Lois Lowry, illustrated by Kenard Pak

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

On the Horizon: Lowry, Lois, Pak, Kenard: 9780358129400: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Lois Lowry lived in both Hawaii and Japan as a child, and her poems here reflect some of her experiences in those two countries during World War II.  The bulk of the poetry, though, relates personal stories, both of people aboard the Arizona and those living in Hiroshima.  The poems are written in a variety of styles, and most are accompanied by an illustration.  Includes an author’s note telling of her experiences that influenced this book.  Most remarkable is her interaction with a Japanese boy named Koichi Seii, who moved to the U.S. as an adult and changed his name to Allen Say, becoming an award-winning illustrator and Lowry’s friend.  Aso includes a bibliography.  80 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  By focusing on individuals (many of them children or young adults), Lowry really personalizes the tragedy of war.  The details may be too sad or disturbing for younger kids, but middle school students will find a lot to discuss in these poems.

Cons:  I wish there had been some information about the different forms of poetry used.

The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

The Blackbird Girls: Blankman, Anne: 9781984837356: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Valentina and Oksana are enemies at school, partly because Oksana has been taught to hate Jews like Valentina and her family.  When they wake up one April morning, it’s obvious that there’s been an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant where both their fathers work, but the residents of the town of Pripyat are unfazed by it.  In the next few days, though, the full horror begins to be revealed, and a series of unexpected events results in both girls being sent to live with Valentina’s grandmother, whom Valentina has never met.  The story is told in the alternating voices of the two girls, interspersed with a 1941 account of a girl named Rifka fleeing Kiev ahead of the Nazis.  As Oksana and Valentina become good friends and share their secrets, Babulya is recalling the friendship she formed with a girl named Feruza who rescued her back in 1941.  When Valentina and Babulya learn of Oksana’s troubled home life, they hatch a daring plan that tests the girls’ friendship, as well as that of Rifka and Feruza, still close after so many years.  Includes an author’s note with additional historical information, resources for those facing abuse, and a list for additional reading.  356 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  This has been on my to-be-read list since March, and I’m so glad that I finally got around to it.  Featuring a cast of brave and resourceful young girls, this story makes the history come alive.  It’s definitely on my top ten list for 2020 middle grade novels, and I hope it will win some awards.

Cons:  Between all the historical events, the three different points of view, and the movement back and forth between 1941 and 1986, it’s a pretty complex story that younger readers might struggle with.

Amazon affiliate no more

~ Janet Dawson ~ 7 Comments

Due to ethical considerations, I’ve decided to end my association with Amazon. I will no longer put a link to Amazon at the end of my posts, and I’ve closed my affiliate account so the links on previous posts won’t result in a commission for me. Support your local bookstores!