Lucky Breaks

May 11, 2009 | Tasha

This second Lucky book follows the Newbery Award winning, The Higher Power of Lucky. One worries about a second attempt to catch magic but there need be no worries here. Patron has again captured the essence of a tiny town, its diverse inhabitants, and at the same time the longings of a young girl. Lucky is now almost eleven, an age that she feels has infinite potential. Much more so than ten. She is ready to become “intrepid” and have adventures. But she is still stuck in Hard Pan and her friends don’t seem to be changing. Lincoln is still obsessed with knots and Miles with being almost 6 himself. When a group of scientists enter Brigitte’s cafe, there is a girl just Lucky’s age with them. After a few stilted glances, Paloma and Lucky become fast friends. But Lucky still yearns for adventure especially in her no-danger small town.

Just as charmingly written as the first, this book is the perfect companion novel. Lucky remains as strong a character surrounded by others who are written with equal clarity and strength. Patron writes with a subtle humor that is a delight to read. Just as with the first book, this would make an exceptional classroom read with plenty to discuss together.

I loved visiting Hard Pan again and seeing all of my old friends. A wonderful second book, I look forward to the third which will complete the series. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Rita and Whatsit

May 6, 2009 | Tasha

Rita and Whatsit by Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod, illustrated by Olivier Tallec

Rita and Whatsit at the Beach by Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod, illustrated by Olivier Tallec

Rita is grumpy even though it’s her birthday. She has stacks of presents but everything is wrong: too small, too big, too medium. Then she sees a present that is wiggling. She tries to open it and it runs away. When she catches and opens it a dog peeks out. Most readers expect a squeal of joy at this point. Nope. Instead she bellows at him, makes demands and continues her grump. It isn’t until she runs through a list of possible horrid names for him that she begins to smile and Whatsit starts to talk to her. The first book ends with them becoming friends.

The second book has Rita and Whatsit at the beach each with their own idea of what a perfect day at the beach is. They end up playing a game of pretend together that involves all of their favorite things like sandcastles, floating in the water and ends with Whatsit getting all of the sweet, sticky stuff he’s been wanting.

Both books offer a different kind of child than many other books. Rita is demanding, difficult, and wonderful. She threatens to change Whatsit’s name regularly, shouts loudly, but loves just as deeply. It is a pleasure to see a child that is a mix of negative and positive shown with such obvious pleasure.

Tallec’s art is simple and small, perfect for sharing with a small group or one-on-one. His use of simple lines and bursts of color make the book friendly and almost like a cartoon strip in style.

Share this with any little drama queens you might live with. Some of us grow up to be librarians after all! ;) Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Not All Animals Are Blue

May 6, 2009 | Tasha

Not All Animals Are Blue: A Big Book of Little Differences by Beatrice Boutignon

This French picture book is a treat in its innocence and freshness. Each double-page spread features one page with a line of small, detailed animals which faces a page with five descriptive phrases – one for each animal. Some of the matches are easy while others can be difficult until you match other animals first. Children will enjoy this book because of the cuteness of the animal figures and the challenge of the game.

Boutignon’s illustrations are small, clever and make you want to look at them longer. Some animals have pieces of clothing on them, while others are more realistically portrayed. The mix of the two is a winning one. There are several figures that will steal your heart. One of my favorites is a very cuddly penguin wearing footie jammies.

A book to read with one or two children so that everyone gets to pick the matching animals and enjoy the details of the illustrations. Perfect reading for 2-4 year olds.

48 Hour Book Challenge

May 6, 2009 | Tasha

MotherReader has announced the dates for the 4th Annual 48-Hour Book Challenge. The selected weekend is June 5-7, 2009. To participate, you select 48 hours in that weekend to read books. There are some small rules about the books you can read, just to keep things on the same level.

There are winners for most hours committed, most books read, and an honor list for those who read 20 hours or more.

So how many hours can you read in 48 hours? And how many reviews will you post? There will be prizes to win!

Bloggers Extraordinaire

May 5, 2009 | Tasha

Booklights is a new blog from three incredible bloggers: Jen Robinson, Pam Coughlan (Mother Reader), and Susan Kusel (Wizard’s Wireless). They have partnered with PBS Parents to create a blog that will “inspire a love of reading in your child.” Huzzah!

This is definitely a blog to keep an eye on and already has some great posts worth reading. I love that they introduced themselves with lists of their favorite picture books. Great stuff!

Squawking Matilda

May 5, 2009 | Tasha

Squawking Matilda by Lisa Horstman.

Unique illustrations pair with a story about responsibility in this picture book. Mae receives a note from her Aunt Susan saying that she is sending her a chicken to live with her. Mae loves to have new projects, so she thinks a chicken would be perfect. When Matilda arrives, she doesn’t look like any other chicken on the farm. First Mae needs to learn to care for a chicken: food, water, and cleaning up the coop. And the jobs become difficult and a little dull, so Mae goes on to work on other things. In her absence, Matilda pines away and loses almost all of her feathers. Mae finally realizes something is wrong and sets out to do things right. She creates a chicken-sized jacket and hat to keep Matilda warm without her feathers. And the two of them become fast friends. When Aunt Susan arrives to check on Matilda though, Matilda is nowhere to be found. What could she be up to now?

Horstman created puppets for the illustrations with stainless steel innards and felt bodies with polymer clay hands and heads. The puppets were photographed against neutral backgrounds and the details of the scenes were done with painted backdrops that were added later. This process created intriguing illustrations that are obviously more 3D than a flat painting but still retain some of the painted feel as well. The characters are charming, especially the cat who is always looking hungrily at Matilda and Matilda herself with her expressive head of feathers. The story line is accessible and interesting too with wry touches of humor throughout.

This book is appropriate for ages 4-6 and would make a handsome addition to a chicken storytime with its unique feel.

Hello Baby!

May 5, 2009 | Tasha

Hello, Baby! by Mem Fox, illustrated by Steve Jenkins.

Take two amazing children’s book creators and put them together and you get a treat like this book. The book starts with a simple question, “Hello, baby! Who are you?” It moves from one animal guess to the next with each animal doing an action that children will love to imitate. Fox has created a joyous bouncing verse that romps from one animal to the next with great merriment. Paired with the amazing paperwork art of Jenkins, the book is taken to another level.

As I read this book, my mind immediately heard the chorus of preschoolers pretending to be yawning hippos. I also saw groups of children rolling their eyes like geckos. Jenkin’s art is realistic and vivid. The colors shout from the page and children will enjoy looking closely at the art even though it will project perfectly to a group. Fox’s words are brief and lovely, perfect for sharing with toddlers. At the same time there is a sophistication about the art and the verse that will make it of interest to older preschoolers as well. This is most definitely not solely a toddler title.

Highly recommended as a great pick for toddlers and preschoolers. But expect lots of animal actions and silliness along the way. Appropriate for 2-5 year olds.

Slither and Crawl: Eye to Eye with Reptiles

May 4, 2009 | Tasha

Slither and Crawl: Eye to Eye with Reptiles by Jim Arnosky

Another winner from Arnosky, this book offers life-size drawings of reptiles. The pages even fold-out for those really large animals. In between the detailed pictures that will have everyone oo-ing and ah-ing, Arnosky offers some great scientific facts tempered nicely with personal anecdotes. These more scientific passages are also illustrated with a facing page in color and pencil drawings surrounding the text. Then you unfold the page to see the life-size reptiles nice and close. Beware the sea turtles. I nearly dropped the book much to my son’s delight.

Any fan of animals or reptiles will adore this book. It is appropriate for a wide-range of ages with younger children enjoying the pictures and older children finding engrossing details too. Arnosky completes the book by admitting he is afraid of snakes and a little afraid of all reptiles, but that doesn’t stop him from admiring them. A wonderful cap on a book that will entice reptile lovers and others to take a look.

A great book for any library, this one will slither quickly off the shelves. The fold-out pages are sturdy and if worried you could reinforce the folds with some tape. Recommended for ages 4-8.

2009 Americas Award

May 4, 2009 | Tasha

The 2009 Americas Award has been announced. It is an annual award for books for children and teens that “authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States.”

The 2009 Winners are: