Day: December 14, 2010

Banana!: Zany Sharing Fun

| Tasha

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Banana! by Ed Vere

Told in just two words, this book is perfect for very young listeners.  One monkey in a blue striped shirt has a banana.  Another monkey in a red striped shirt enters the book and sees the banana.  He asks for it.  The monkey with the banana refuses.  The red striped monkey gets angry and then throws a temper tantrum, shouting “Banana!” all the while.  Finally, the monkey says “Please” and the banana is shared.  Or is it?

Vere does so much with just facial expressions in this book.  For a person reading it aloud, there is no question what tone of voice should be used from one “banana” to the next.  The simplicity is impressive, the clarity even more so.  The rough-edged illustrations are goofy and very friendly as are the bold bright backgrounds. 

With a cover that is sure to make it fly off the shelves, this is a book that toddlers will love.  Get ready to read the word banana again and again.  Appropriate for ages 2-3.

Reviewed from copy received from Henry Holt.

The Tooth: A Big-Hearted Book

| Tasha

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The Tooth by Avi Slodovnick, illustrated by Manon Gauthier

First published in Canada, this book speaks to the issues of plenty and need.  Marissa has to go to the dentist because her tooth hurts from eating too much candy.  On the way through the city streets, she notices a man sitting on a grate on the sidewalk to keep warm.  Once inside the waiting room, Marissa heads to the window and watches the people passing the man.  Some leave coins but most completely ignore him.  When Marissa goes in to the dentist, her tooth has to be removed.  So she gets it to take home with her, ready for the Toothfairy to get it from under her pillow.  But Marissa has another idea and she gives her tooth to the man on the sidewalk so that he can get the coins from the Toothfairy.  She also acknowledges that it is just a beginning because he doesn’t have a pillow to put the tooth under.

Slodovnick’s book emphasizes not only the divide between the haves and have nots, but also the way that we ignore needs right under our own feet.  Marissa is a naïve character which allows her to ask questions that will interest other children and offer a solution that is simple but also complex.  This is a book that gently opens the door to discussion about what a single person can do to make a difference.

Gauthier’s illustrations have a modern edge to them.  The city is depicted as a gray towering presence while the main characters pop in color against the gray.  The homeless man is also shown in color though the other people on the street are the same gray as the city itself. 

A book sure to get children talking, this would work well in a unit about kindness, charity or helping.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Kane Miller.