Metal Man by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Paul Hoppe.

Devon always heads over to where the metal man welds his sculptures.  Today even though it is so very hot, he heads over to watch the sparks fly.  His mother says that everything the metal man makes is junk: junk out of junk.  But Devon still loves spending time there.  This time, the sculptor asks Devon what he wants to make.  He’s never done that before.  Devon has an idea, but is shy about sharing it until the sculptor tells him to "Bring it on out to play."  So Devon tells him about the star house in his mind.  The two set out to build it out of scraps of metal together and when Devon brings it home, his mother has to admit that this certainly isn’t junk.

The text in this book has rhythm, an urban beat that makes for a great read aloud.  The sculptor is a great example of an African-American man who is creative and caring.  A figure too seldom seen in picture books.  Hoppe’s illustrations are thick-lined and nicely capture the wonder on Devon’s face as he sees his idea come to life. 

Recommended as a great book on sculpting, but also a wonderful book about community and it taking a village to raise a child.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

What a treat to have a stack of board books to share!  I get lots of board books to review, but few of them make it to the blog.  I’m a bit of a stickler for it to be something special.  They have the common thread of animals among them though they are all very different from one another:

Fifteen Animals by Sandra Boynton

Boynton has perfected the board book format.  As an adult reader, I often don’t see the appeal, but when I share them aloud with a small child it is pure magic.  Her latest book features lots of animals, counting and silliness all written at just the right level for toddlers to enjoy.  All of the animals in the book (except one) are named Bob, building towards the final reveal of the #15 animal’s name.  Guaranteed giggles and fun.

Baby Nose to Baby Toes by Vicky Ceelen

I love board books that incorporate photography, especially close-ups of baby faces.  This book pairs photographs of babies with similar photos of animals.  It’s a really winning combination.  Baby head and fuzzy duckling, the swirl of a tiny ear and the shell of a snail.  My favorite is the pairing of chubby baby legs with the startlingly similar backside of an elephant.  Charming, funny and captivating for the youngest children.

Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants by J.D. Lester, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata.

In a jaunty rhyme, readers see babies from human to panda to rhino all being called sweet nicknames by their mothers.  In a book that could have been too saccharine, the rhythm and silliness helps steer away from that.  Nakata’s illustrations are friendly, colorful and depict all sorts of fascinating animals.  Toddlers will enjoy the cuddly nature of the book as well as the chance to make all sorts of animal noises along the way.

Mungo and the Spiders from Space by Timothy Knapman, illustrated by Adam Stower.

Mungo has just gotten a new comic book.  It’s used, battered and torn but his mother knew he would love it.  So when he asks to have it read to him that very night, she agrees. The story is about Captain Galacticus of Star Squadron and his robotic sidekick, Gizmo.  They are taking the Gobblebeast to the space prison when they are caught in a giant spider web.  A spider web created by giant robot spiders that are controlled and created by Dr. Frankenstinker.  When Captain Galacticus is trapped by the evil Dr and his army of spiders, Mungo discovers that the final page of his comic is torn out!  What is a boy to do when a story suddenly ends?

Filled with over-the-top zaniness and pure B-movie fun, this book will appeal to most boys who enjoy rockets, robots and comics.  Even better, this book takes all of those and makes a single great story of it.  There is just the right amount of danger for a preschool and elementary audience, just the right amount of laughs, and even some jokes for the parent reading it aloud.  The illustrations are very successful with Mungo’s reality being slightly blurred and soft and the interior of the comic book filled with crisp lines and bright colors.  When the comic book is being read, the outlines of the illustrations look aged and torn, adding to the feeling of reading the same comic Mungo is.  Add a great dash of magic, and the book comes together with a satisfying ending.

This is one of the rare comic-book format picture books that will work to read with a group of children.  With its mix of popular boy-friendly subjects, this book is sure to be a galactic-sized hit at your library.

Big Rabbit’s Bad Mood by Ramona Badescu, illustrated by Delphine Durand.

This very quirky picture book offers a light-hearted look at getting rid of a bad mood.  Big Rabbit has a bad mood, one that follows him everywhere he goes.  He tries calling Squirrel but he doesn’t answer, making Big Rabbit’s mood even worse.  He tries listening to the radio.  His mood eats it!  He tries watching TV, but all he sees on the screen is his bad mood again and again.  Everything Big Rabbit tries doesn’t work until Big Rabbit decides to take matters into his own hands and get rid of the mood once and for all.

Badescu has created a book that talks about bad moods without being didactic in the least.  Instead, children will enter a world where bad moods are very troublesome and even pick their noses and wipe it on the carpet!  Frankly, what better way to show a child how very annoying a bad mood can be.  Badescu’s text works at a child’s level and will have them laughing along in no time.  Durand’s illustrations are what make the book so unique.  The animals are large and lumpy, often a strange color, and many have odd noses.  But their quirks are what make this book work so well.  The bad mood is shown as a large furry gray monster that is about as scary as one on Sesame Street.  Again, this book will work for children beautifully.

This book is appropriate for ages 3-5 and will be appreciated by those slightly older too.  The humor is great and the book is fun to read aloud.  Enjoy this whenever someone can’t shake their large furry bad mood.