Month: November 2009

Lips Touch

| Tasha

Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor, illustrated by Jim Di Bartolo

In three stories, this book explores the power of a kiss and its ability to change one’s life.  The first story, Goblin Fruit, features a teen who has been raised by a family who still lives off the land and believes in the old stories.  But Kizzy longs to be loved, yearns to be noticed.  She is noticed by a beautiful new boy at the school.  Readers will immediately realize that this is too good to be real, but will Kizzy?  The second story, Spicy Little Curses, is set in India.  An elderly woman visits a demon in hell and negotiates for the lives of children.  In one deal, she trades the lives of over 20 children for a single curse.  That curse gives a young English woman who has been born and raised in India the most beautiful voice in the world.  The twist is that if she speaks, anyone who hears her will die.  In the final story, Hatchling, readers find themselves in a fairy tale that turns dark with the howling of wolves and a race of beings who collect children as pets, breed them for coloring, and have lost their souls. 

Taylor’s writing here is lush with imagery.  Her language is rich and sensual, dark and frightening.  She explores large, deep themes without hesitation, leading readers through explorations of lust, longing, and trust.  Through her skilled characterization, readers are captivated almost immediately by each story.  They are not linked stories, but are laced together loosely by theme and tone.  Taylor creates three distinct stories, each fascinating and complex.  The grouping of the three together is masterful with each of them becoming stronger by being next to another. 

These are short stories that will have teen readers asking for more.  Point them towards Margo Lanagan for more short stories that have dark themes.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from ARC received from publisher.  ARC did not contain the bulk of the illustrations.

Also reviewed by Becky’s Book Reviews, Charlotte’s Library, and A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy.

All of Me! A Book of Thanks

| Tasha

All of Me! A Book of Thanks by Molly Bang

A small child thanks each body part for how well they work.  Fine feet hold you up, hands can grab and hold, arms to hug, mouth, eyes, nose, ears, and heart.  Each bit of us is constantly supporting our life, allowing us to do what we need to do.  Every day we feel so many different things, do so many different things.  And in the end?  We are part of the universe and alive!

Bang’s art is so beautiful and simple here.  The end pages of the book feature some of her work space and then some ideas for children to start creating their own illustrations and books.  The book features felt, crayon, paint, and most importantly for its inherent feel: brown paper bags.  The brown paper creates a very organic feel to the book that works brilliantly with the subject.

Her words are simple too, allowing children to really think about what each of their body parts does. They will also realize how important each of these small functions are to their days and lives.  Bang approaches all of this with a sense of joy and playfulness that is echoed in the art.

For parents who are practicing mindfulness or daily gratitude, this book is the perfect way to get your children thinking in a positive way about small, basic parts of their lives.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Luv Ya Bunches

| Tasha

Luv Ya Bunches by Lauren Myracle

Yes, this is the book that was not included in Scholastic Book Fairs because one of the characters has lesbian parents.  Sheesh!  That has since changed and they will be carrying the title. 

This book though is so much more than the subject of that controversy!  It’s funny, smart, and simply wonderful.

It all starts with a big gesture in the hallway made by Katie-Rose, who slams into Milla, sending her backpack and everything in it skittering across the floor.  Katie-Rose skulks away, so Yasaman is blamed for the event though she had nothing to do with it.  Violet, the new girl, saw it all and is the one who discovers a tiny toy turtle left behind on the floor.  The mean Modessa and her lackey Quin are a large part of the bad things that happen next, but you will have to read the book to find out what that is!  Let’s just say that friendship will triumph in the end.

The book is told from the point of view of all four girls and as in Myracle’s previous books incorporates online chatting.  It also has her trademark ease with dialogue as well as her deep understanding of tweens.  The four main characters are distinct, unique and interesting.  They all have their own insecurities, moments of bravery, and challenges.  Each girl approaches school and creating friendships differently.  All four girls are racially different and this book nicely avoids any stereotyping of them. 

And just for the record, the same-sex parents are seen in passing just like the rest of the parents in the story.  They drop off, pick up, make costumes, etc.  They are not the focus of the story at all.  Another thing that makes this book so refreshing and real.

This is a fun, candid book that will have late elementary school girls hooked before the first page ends.  The issues faced by the girls are real, tangible, and very intriguing.  It only gets better when readers learn at the end that there will be more in the series!  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from publisher.

Also reviewed by Welcome to My Tweendom and TheHappyNappyBookseller.

Finn Throws a Fit!

| Tasha

Finn Throws a Fit! by David Elliott, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering

I was sold on this book from the very first page, which features a huge image of Finn hugging a peach.  The look on his face of complete and utter bliss is the essence of joy.  Then of course, the book changes… 

Today, Finn does not like peaches.  He doesn’t like anything at all.  He is just plain grumpy!  He slams doors, yells, cries, stomps his feet.  His temper is so huge that when he does these things they have disastrous effects.  His tears flood the house.  Lightning flashes when he yells.  It’s an earthquake when he stomps his feet.  And then it is over.  Readers find out why he was cranky, and now?  Now, he’d like a peach please.

For any parent who has ever survived toddler tantrums, this book hits the mark perfectly.  The drama of the fit itself is right on, cranked up to the ultimate level just as every tantrum feels.  For me, the best moment of the book beyond that charmer of a first page is the end of the fit which ends with this line:

“It lasts until it doesn’t.” 

Exactly.  Perfectly and succinctly put. 

Elliott’s writing is very simple and yet dramatic.  The short sentences on each page make this a perfect book for toddlers who just may be capable of this sort of tantrum.  Ering’s art is delightfully wild, filled with stormy clouds of emotion.  Done in charcoal, oil paint and grease pencil they work very well in both the sunny parts of the book and the dramatic. 

A perfect choice for toddler story time, you could have them yell, stomp, and more while reading.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

The Mitten

| Tasha

The Mitten retold by Jim Aylesworth, illustrated by Barbara McClintock

This is a retelling of Ukrainian folktale made popular by Jan Brett whose beloved version is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.   A little boy heads out to play in his new hat, scarf and mittens that his grandmother has knitted for him.  While playing, he loses one of his mittens.  The mitten is found by a squirrel, a rabbit, a fox, and a bear who manage to squeeze into the mitten and be nice and warm.  But when a mouse comes by and begs to join them too, it is too much for even grandmother’s strong knitting.  The mitten explodes with a satisfying burst. The boy and his grandmother find the scraps in the snow and the grandmother knits him another mitten.

Aylesworth changes the tone and style here with great skill, creating an American folktale feel that is filled with charm.  McClintock’s art is perfectly matched here with her vintage feel.  The bright red mitten is changed from the original white, adding a punch of color on each page.  Her art and Aylesworth’s writing both evoke folktales, cold snow, warm firesides and the smell of damp wool mittens. 

This is a retelling that is equal to the original, which is astounding.  Because the text and art is reworked, it was able to take on the same story with a very different style and do it successfully.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

You and Me and Home Sweet Home

| Tasha

You and Me and Home Sweet Home by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Stephanie Anderson

In poetic form, Lyon tells the story of a young girl, Sharonda, and her mother who have a Habitat for Humanity house built for them.  The story moves from them living in a tiny room together in her Aunt Janey’s apartment and through the process of the home being built and completed.  Beginning with the empty lot and hope, the story is built as sturdily and lovingly as the home itself.

Lyon’s poetry does not rhyme and for most children will not read as a poem, but it is.  Filled with imagery, captured moments and truth it is a powerful message of community.  Anderson’s illustrations add so much to this book.  They too are real, concrete and yet elevated.  Her paintings have unique perspectives, strong emotions and great composition that allow for deep colors. 

A beautiful picture book that really speaks to the power of hope, community, and family.  Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

The Secret Plan

| Tasha

The Secret Plan by Julia Sarcone-Roach

Four friends, Milo, Hildy, Henry and Harriet are always being interrupted by bedtime!  So they hatch a cunning plan to get to stay up later.  Of course, their first few plans don’t work as well as they had hoped as their parents discover them hiding around the house, see through their disguises, and not even sneaking out works.  In their final plan, they pretend to be getting ready for bed as usual, then Milo the elephant dons his big furry monster slippers to sneak up the stairs.  They head to the attic where they find costumes, books, and snacks.  Eventually they start to get sleepy and head back down to bed.

This is such a winning book.  The four main characters are real scamps and their plans and the outcomes are deliciously naughty and very funny.  I especially appreciated Milo blending in with the wallpaper by painting stripes on himself.  Their disguise is equally funny with all of them working together.  But it is the ending of the book that really makes it work.  Instead of getting into any trouble in their late night escapade, they have a quiet time with books and a tea party in the attic.  There is no parental outrage, no repercussions, just the immense pleasure of a late night with friends.

Sarcone-Roach’s art works very well here.  Done in acrylic paint, the illustrations are rich, vivid and engaging.  A lot of the humor here is visual, though the wry tone of voice of the text offers some of the laughs.  The house that the animals share is wonderfully tippy and upright, filled with stairs. 

A great book to share for a bedtime story or a special late night read.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Berenstain Bears – The Movie

| Tasha

I seem to be posting a lot about films these past couple of days, but by far the most puzzling to me is the announcement of an upcoming film based on The Berenstain Bears!

The film will be done by Walden Media with Shawn Levy producing.  They will be a mix of live-action and computer animation.  That’s the part I find puzzling.  Why not do entirely computer animation?

This quote also worries me:

“I’d like the film to be un-ironic about its family connections but have a wry comedic sensibility that isn’t oblivious to the fact that they’re bears,” Levy says. “The comedy comes from this bear family coexisting in a more recognizably real world.”

Levy compared his vision of the film to the tone of Will Ferrell‘s Elf, which had a sweet, earnest hero who clashed with his cynical surroundings. “I think the movie will be witty but never sarcastic,” he says.

So will the Bear family be the only bears?  Is it a human world?  Because that is an inherent change from the series where everyone surrounding the Bear family were also bears.

Golly, this one has me bewildered.  Luckily I am not a die-hard fan of the books because I find them far too honey sweet for my liking.

My Friend Mei Jing

| Tasha

My Friend Mei Jing by Anna McQuinn, artwork by Ben Frey, photography by Irvin Cheung

Following My Friend Jamal, this book captures the friendship of Monifa and Mei Jing.  The two friends both love art, the color purple, and they both plan to be veterinarians when they grow up.  Even when the two friends are different, there are things that resonate in their cultures.  Both of them have names that mean something in the language of their grandparents.  Both have grandmothers that make really weird food like chicken feet and cow foot.  And best of all, both of them are best friends!

McQuinn has created a series where our differences and similarities are celebrated side-by-side.  The power of friendship is at the core of the book and that friendship is based on the fact that the girls are so similar in personality and what they enjoy, even though their backgrounds seem very different on the surface.  The art in books is a vibrant combination of photography and painting.  Though the girls are seen with their heads as photographs, usually their clothing is painted and so is most of their surroundings.  This technique makes for visually interesting illustrations.

A book that will get all children seeing how they are more alike than they are different, this book should have a place on most school and public library shelves.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.