Dude! word by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Roaring Brook Press

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Summary:  Cowabunga, dude, this book only has one word, but lots of gnarly pictures!  A platypus and a beaver head out on surfboards one sunny day, disregarding a sign with a big red exclamation mark on it.  The beaver is laughing hysterically after the platypus gets pooped on by a seagull, when suddenly–DUDE!–a great white shark appears.  Thinking fast, the beaver produces an ice cream cone, and the three become friends.  Surf’s up until a big wave smashes the boards into the rocks.  The shark has a solution, and the three head out to sea again, the two smaller animals catching a wave on the back of their great white pal.  Everyone on the beach flees in terror, and the trio enjoy samples from the vacant ice cream stand.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Aaron Reynolds and Dan Santat is a pretty brilliant pairing, and this book of summer fun that includes ice cream, a great white shark, cartoon bubbles, and a poop joke, is pretty much a guaranteed hit at any storytime.

Cons:  If you’re trying to get your offspring to practice reading this summer, this probably isn’t the book for you.  Dude.

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When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon and Garfunkel by G. Neri, illustrated by David Litchfield

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Candlewick

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Summary:  This story of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel begins at their Central Park concert on September 19, 1981, then travels back in time 30 years to when the two boys were growing up in 1950’s Queens.  They became friends in a sixth-grade production of Alice in Wonderland, and were inspired by Elvis and other early rockers to try harmonizing, later adding Paul on guitar. At 15, they had their first hit record as Tom and Jerry (Simon and Garfunkel was deemed to Jewish-sounding for 1950’s America), but later recordings failed to catch on.  They met up again in the early 1960’s and released another record, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., another flop, except that one song, “The Sound of Silence”, slowly started climbing the charts.  The book ends on New Year’s Day, 1966, when that song reached number one. Includes an afterword, discography, bibliography, and list of musical connections.  48 pages; ages 10 and up.

Pros:  An absorbing history of one of the greatest duos of the rock and roll era.  Each page is a poem titled with one of Simon and Garfunkel’s songs, beginning with “My Little Town”, describing the suburb of Queens where the two grew up.  The illustrations are occasionally goofy, as the two boys were, but really capture the changing times from the 1950’s to the 1960’s. Any fan of their music will enjoy this history and undoubtedly learn a few things as well.

Cons:  Although this looks like an elementary school purchase, it would probably be more interesting to middle schoolers and older, and definitely requires some familiarity with Simon and Garfunkel’s music to be fully appreciated.

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Road Trip With Max and His Mom by Linda Urban, illustrated by Katie Kath

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  Max is surprised when his mom tells him they are going to drive to a family reunion to celebrate his great-great-aunt’s 100th birthday.  He’s in the middle of a book report on explorer Ernest Shackleton, so he starts incorporating what he’s learned about exploration into the road trip.  This has a few unfortunate consequences, like bringing a collapsible fishing pole instead of clean clothes, but Max is undaunted as he and his mom make their way from Michigan to an amusement park in Pennsylvania.  There are many unfamiliar relatives there, but Max finds some cousins to pal around with, and has a pretty good adventure at the park.  By the end of the weekend, he has learned a little more about his extended family, his own (divorced) parents, and himself .  160 pages; grades 2-4.

Pros:  The second book about Max shows him continuing to adjust to his new family dynamics (in the first book learned to enjoy spending weekends with his dad at his new apartment).  His mom is also learning to do things on her own, and their ups and downs make for a realistic story full of gentle humor and love.

Cons:  Loved the first book, but no matter how much I’ve book talked it, it never seems to be very popular at my library.

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The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Disney Hyperion

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Summary:  Melissa, Wilf, and Bondi, three unlikely Chicago-area middle school students, are chosen to compete for a $10,000 scholarship.  A mysterious “Mr. Smith” gives each of them a driver, a cellphone, a debit card, and three clues to solve about landmarks in their city.  Wilf, the slacker, chooses to focus more on using the debit card than solving the clues, while Melissa and Bondi compete for money that they both could use.  Bondi’s the first to present his solutions, but when he realizes he’s made a mistake that Mr. Smith doesn’t pick up on, he begins to suspect foul play. Breaking the rules, he teams up with the other two kids, and the three of them uncover a plot with stakes much higher than the initial $10,000.  Combining their brains and talents, the three kids manage to thwart some bad guys, discover a good guy who’s been presumed dead, and find a way to treasure and a happy ending for all of them. 368 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  A fun, fast-paced mystery with funny characters and plenty of Chicago history and trivia.  The text is generously interspersed with letters, memos, and texts that keep things moving along quickly.

Cons:  The Internet makes solving some of the clues disappointingly fast and easy.

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Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths by Graham Annable

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by First Second

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Summary:  Peter and Ernesto are two sloths who enjoy life in their treetop, but one day Ernesto decides he wants something more.  He climbs down from the tree to go out into the world and see the rest of the sky.  A whale and a camel help him travel through the ocean and desert.  Meanwhile, Peter is scared to death to leave home, but finally decides he must make sure Ernesto is okay.  Helped by other animals, he finds the courage to cross a rickety bridge, swim across a stream, and finally reunite with Ernesto.  The two friends return to their tree, Ernesto with a greater appreciation of home, and Peter with a bit more of a taste for adventure.  128 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  This quirky story will appeal to both graphic novel fans and beginning readers just starting to move on from Elephant and Piggie.

Cons:  Great liberties have been taken with sloths’ actual abilities and speed.

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The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Little Brown

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Summary:  When we last saw Roz, she had been captured and was in pieces, flying away from her beloved island and her goose son, Brightbill.  As the curtain rises on Act 2, Roz is being delivered to Hilltop Farm, where she is assigned care of the cows and other farm chores.  Being Roz, she soon bonds with the cows, as well as with Jaya and Jad, the two children who live on the farm.  But she is homesick for her island home, and as she goes about her farm work, she thinks about how she can get back there.  Eventually, the two children find out about her past; although they have come to love her, they know she belongs on the island and they help with her escape.  Leaving the farm is only the beginning; on her journey to the island, Roz deals with vengeful wolves, rivers to cross, and the RECO robots who captured her in the first book.  After nearly being destroyed once again, she ends up in the lab of Dr. Molovo, the scientist who designed her.  Dr. Molovo realizes Roz belongs back on the island; after giving her a new body, the doctor takes her home, and the story ends with, “The wild robot was back where she belonged.”  288 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Roz’s fans will not be disappointed with this sequel.  As much as I enjoyed the original, I thought this one was even better, and a voracious third grade reader recently agreed with me.  To quote Peter Brown, the story is “filled with heart and soul and action and science and even a little philosophy.”  Although the Newbery trend of late does not seem to favor books like this, I would love to see this one win award or two.

Cons:  The happily ever after ending probably means there won’t be a third book.

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I Walk With Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoet

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Schwartz & Wade Books

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Summary:  In this wordless book, Vanessa is new at school, and seems to be feeling isolated on her first day.  She sits quietly in class and watches kids playing in the gym without joining in.  As she walks home alone, a boy walks up to her and starts yelling.  Another girl witnesses the incident and is clearly bothered by it, continuing to think about it after she gets home.  The next day she wakes up with an idea.  She saw where Vanessa lives, so she stops by her house and asks to walk to school with her.  As the two girls walk, others join them, first one at a time and then in groups, until there are dozens of kids walking together, Vanessa in their midst.  The bully is shown on the edge of the crowd, his face red and angry.  The happy crowd of kids enters the school, and Vanessa has found a new friend.  The last page has a message for kids about how to help someone who is being bullied and some helpful words for adults to use when talking about the book with children.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Although there are no words, kids will get this book right away.  There’s a truly feel-good ending, and the story will lend itself easily to discussion afterward.  The cartoon kids are adorable.

Cons:  The issue of bullying is not always as simple as this book makes it out to be.

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The Field by Baptiste Paul, pictures by Jacqueline Alcantara

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by NorthSouth Books

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Summary:  A group of enthusiastic children starts a soccer game on a grassy field in St. Lucia, shooing away a group of cows and building their own goal posts.  Passersby lean on the fence around the field, watching the action.  Even a rainstorm doesn’t stop the game, as the players take off their shoes and socks to slip, slide, and belly flop in the mud.  Finally, the mamas call everyone in for dinner; the children go home, but continue to dream about futbol as they sleep.  Includes an author’s note about his childhood playing soccer in St. Lucia and a list of Creole words and phrases used in the story.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Soccer fans will love the action in both the illustrations and the clipped text, interspersed with Creole words.  Even those not familiar with the game will enjoy the sense of play radiating from each scene.

Cons:  The text could have flowed a bit more smoothly.

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Baby Animals Moving by Suzi Eszterhas

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Published by Owlkids

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Summary:  Young animals are shown on the move.  Some, like the zebra, can move independently practically at birth, while others, like kangaroos, get a ride with parents.  Each two page spread shows one or two animals moving with their parents, and includes a sentence or two of text describing what’s going on.  Suzi Eszterhas introduces herself on the last two pages, showing additional photographs taken for this book, and explaining a bit about her work as a wildlife photographer.  24 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  Another work of almost unbearable cuteness by Suzi Eszterhas.  Kids will love looking at the pictures, and the text is accessible for preschoolers.  Look for other books in this series: Baby Animals Eating and Baby Animals Playing.

Cons:  There’s not a lot of information if readers are doing any kind of research.

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Who Will Bell the Cat? by Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by Christopher Cyr

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Holiday House

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Summary:  In this retelling of an Aesop’s fable, a group of mice takes care of a sick cat, only to be terrorized by her when she recovers.  The mice discuss how to solve their problem, and one of them suggests tying a bell around the cat’s neck so they can hear her coming. It’s a great idea, but who will do it?  They try and fail several times until a human family moves into the house. The young girl in the family finds the bell and ties it around the scowling feline’s neck. Now the cat problem is solved, but old Wise Mouse reminds them that humans can be even more dangerous.  “When you use a tiger to get rid of a lion, what will you do with the tiger?” 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Large, realistic illustrations of cute animals illuminate this longer version of an ancient fable.  Readers can discuss the ending and what may happen to the cat and mice now that humans are on the scene.

Cons:  It’s kind of a downer.

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