Month: February 2011

Little White Rabbit: Masterful Simplicity

| Tasha

littlewhiterabbit

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes

Little White Rabbit set off filled with imagination.  As he hopped through the grass, he wondered what it would be like to be green.  When he went by the fir trees, he wondered what being tall was like.  When he hopped over the rock, he wondered about how it would feel not to be able to move.  When he saw the butterflies, he imagined being able to fly.  But when he saw the cat, he got too scared to imagine anymore.  He hurried back to his family and didn’t stop wondering and imagining.

Henkes is a master of the picture book format.  The simple words here carry the story beautifully, giving just enough detail to keep the book moving.  The focus on wondering and imagining is one that will have young minds wondering along with the book, exactly what I love to see in any picture book. 

The illustrations, done in colored pencil and acrylic paint, are also simple.  They are nice and large, which will work well with a group of preschoolers.  The simplicity speaks to the skill of Henkes as an illustrator.   The double-page spreads of the imaginings of Little White Rabbit offer lots of exploration, moments of quiet, and space for young children to have their own daydreams too.

Simplicity by a master of the genre, this book will be adored by Henkes’ many fans and will find new fans too.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by Brimful Curiosities.

Check out the video about the making of this book:

Mr. Men–The Movie

| Tasha

Twentieth Century Fox Animation will be bringing Roger Hargreaves’ Mr. Men to the big screen.  There are 48 Mr. Men books in the series, which has been adapted for television before.  No writer or director has been announced yet for the project.

Thanks to The Hollywood Reporter for the news.

How To Train Your Dragon–The Movies

| Tasha

how to train your dragon

The second How to Train Your Dragon film will expand to a larger world, allowing this sequel to be the bridge to at least one more film after it.  The book series has 8 volumes, so there is plenty in the stories to pull from.  There are promises of new dragons, new characters, and yet a focus on the beloved Hiccup and Toothless. 

Thanks to /Film for the news.

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Redwall Author Dies

| Tasha

  

Brian Jacques has died on February 5th at age 71.  His 21 book fantasy series, Redwall, is beloved by readers around the world.  They have sold over 20 million copies in over 20 countries.  His lengthy fantasy novels were unusual when he started the series in the 1980s. 

The 22nd book in the series is scheduled for publication on May 3rd.

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Tell Me the Day Backwards: A Bedtime Charmer

| Tasha

tellmebackwards

Tell Me the Day Backwards by Albert Lamb, illustrated by David McPhail

Released March 22, 2011

Timmy Bear and Mama play a game before he goes to sleep.  They tell each other their day backwards.  The story they tell one another is filled with special moments together like watching the sunset and having a picnic.  Then there are moments of fear, and told backwards they make it even more of an event.  The story builds nicely as readers discover exactly what led to Timmy Bear jumping from a high rock into the river.  The story ends as it began, with Timmy Bear in bed and Mama at his side, creating a beautiful circle of a story. 

Lamb’s writing here has such a gentle feel, it is perfect for a bedtime story.  The adventure portion in the middle keeps this from being too soft and gentle, adding a great story arc to the book that is sure to have young readers listening intently.  The exchanges between Mama and Timmy in the book have a touch of humor and a great deal of love. 

McPhail’s art captures the story with his usual style.  His illustrations are soft watercolors that work for both the active portions of the book and the slower parts.  He manages to capture so much emotion, action and movement in only a few lines.  The illustrations are simple and lovely.

This book belongs in every library and will make a wonderful gift book for toddlers who just may have similar adventures in a given day.  After reading the book it is impossible not to want to tell your day backwards, so if sharing with a group, you may have to have an activity of writing or drawing their day backwards.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from ARC received from Candlewick.

Camo Girl: Shining Strong

| Tasha

camogirl

Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon

The author of The Rock and the River returns with another amazing book.  Ella is not part of the popular crowd at school.  In fact, she is the lowest of the low.  Teased by about her uneven skin coloring, some of her classmates call her Camo Face, Ella has trouble even looking at herself in the mirror.  She has her best friend, Z, who has been her friend for many years, but Z is getting stranger and stranger, losing himself in stories and roles.  Now there is a new boy at school, a boy who doesn’t seem to notice Ella’s skin at all.  He brings her a way into the popular world, but how can she leave Z to fend for himself?  This novel speaks to issues of race, bullying, friendship and differences, never shying away from asking very difficult questions.

Magoon’s writing here is superb.  Her writing is at times filled with such longing and ache that it enters your bones.  Other times it soars, lifting readers along with it, demonstrating that anything is possible.  She illuminates the darkness of bullying, but this book is about so much more than that.  It is about the tenderness of long friendship.  It is about the hope of the new.  It is about the beauty of difference.  It is about the strength of self.

Ella is a great character who is gripped with such self-doubt that it is almost despair.  Yet she continues on, watching out for Z, caring for her family, and even hoping that the new boy’s smile might be just for her.  Beautifully, her transformation in the book is less about her changing and more about her perceptions changing about herself and those around her.  It is a powerful and important distinction.

Highly recommended, this is an amazing book for tweens looking for a book that has depth, power and strength.  Appropriate for ages 9-13.

Reviewed from copy received from Aladdin.

Also reviewed by TheHappyNappyBookseller and My Life in…

Author posts on DiversityinYAFiction and Chicks Rock!

Laurie: A Picture Book About Hearing Loss

| Tasha

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Laurie by Elfi Nijssen & Eline van Lindenhuizen

Originally published in Belgium and Holland, this tremendously sweet book takes a straight-forward approach to the story of Laurie, a girl with hearing loss.  Laurie has trouble hearing other children, so she usually plays alone.  The others tease her about being deaf and refuse to play with a girl who can’t understand them.  Laurie’s dog doesn’t mind that she’s different from the others.  Finally one day, Laurie and her mother go to the ear doctor.  He discovers she needs hearing aids, or “hearing computers” as Laurie calls them.  Now Laurie can hear cars coming, plays happily with others, and pays better attention in class.  Sometimes though, she still likes the quiet and turns her hearing aids off just to return to the silence. 

Nijssen’s writes as an author who has experienced hearing loss herself.  This makes the emotions and struggle of Laurie very real.  The book doesn’t shy away from conflicted feelings and one of the nicest parts is when Laurie decides to turn her hearing aids off or down once in a while.  It makes for a lovely moment that shows that being different was not the problem, being misunderstood was.

Lindenhuizen’s art is simple and friendly, depicting Laurie separated from the other children at first and later connected with others.  She uses space on the pages very successfully, emphasizing the spirit of the text visually.

A great pick for units on differences and diversity, this book is friendly and straight forward.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Zita the Spacegirl: A Girl-Powered Graphic Novel

| Tasha

zita_frontcover

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

This is a great graphic novel for elementary readers who will enjoy the action and the science fiction setting.  Zita and her friend Joseph see a meteoroid fall to earth.  When Zita looks closely, she sees that there is something embedded in the meteoroid.  It looks like a red button and despite her friend’s protests, she presses it.  Immediately, a rift opens and sucks Joseph through it.  After some moments of panic, Zita presses the button again and heads through the rift to rescue her friend.  On the other side of the rift, Joseph is being dragged away by a strange multi-armed alien who flies off with him in a space ship.  Now Zita is left alone in a strange world filled with amazing creatures.  Unfortunately, it’s a world about to be destroyed by a giant asteroid.   How is Zita going to be able to save her friend before the planet is demolished?

Hatke is a great storyteller.  Zita is a friendly, determined and strong girl character, who remains solidly the heroine of her story.  Through his friendly illustrations Hatke has created a world that makes one feel at home despite its strangeness.  The adventure here is thrilling, dangerous and great fun.  As Zita adventures through the world, readers will enjoy the humor of different characters.  Hatke embraces nuanced characters as well, which is a treat in a graphic novel for children.

The illustrations here have an anime appeal to them.  Young fans of Pokemon will feel right at home with the variety of creatures that Zita meets. 

This is one of those great graphic novels that belongs in every library collection.  Sure to check out and be very popular, just face this one out and watch it check out of the library.  Appropriate for ages 8-12.

To get a sense of the illustrations, you can view the video below:

Zita the Spacegirl Trailer

Reviewed from copy received from First Second.

Also reviewed by:

The Literate Mother

Little Lamb Books

Perpetual Learner

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku

| Tasha

wonton

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

This picture book is told in a series of haiku poems.  The poems form the only text in the book, charmingly telling the tale of Won Ton, a cat saved from the animal shelter by a boy and his family.  Once rescued, Won Ton demonstrates that he is pure cat.  His aloof yet cozy manner is captured to perfection here in the poems.  The book is in turns touching, beautiful, wistful and very funny.

Wardlaw’s haiku read as if they were effortlessly written.  In a few words and syllables, he captures the life of a cat and the humor of life.  It is a book that celebrates poetry, making it approachable and understandable for children.  At the same time, he speaks to the power and connection in animal adoption. 

Yelchin has illustrated the book with a playful flair.  The graphite and gouache illustrations are bright and large, making them well suited to sharing with a group.  Anyone with a cat in their lives will recognize the poses, the reactions and the attitude that Won Ton displays.

A perfect book to share in a poetry unit, this book is appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Henry Holt and Company.

Also reviewed by Fuse #8 and Wild Geese Guides.