Month: July 2011

Book Review: Rah, Rah, Radishes! by April Pulley Sayre

| Tasha

rahrahradishes

Rah, Rah, Radishes! A Vegetable Chant by April Pulley Sayre

Get into the summer veggie crunching mood with this book that celebrates vegetables of all sorts! 

Rah, rah, radishes! Red and white.

Carrots are calling.  Take a bite.

Oh boy, bok choy! Brussels sprout.

Broccoli.  Cauliflower.  Shout it out!

With a rhythm that is great fun and contagious, this book will have even the most dubious children cheering for vegetables too.  

Sayre pairs her rhymes with bright photographs of vegetables from farmer’s markets.  The freshness is apparent as is the abundance.  It’s an ideal setting for celebrating farming and food.  Her photographs are as crisp as the pea pods and as colorful as the peppers. 

A great introduction to trying new foods or visiting a farmer’s market, this book is a celebration of good eats.  Yum!  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

Also reviewed by:

Book Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

| Tasha

missperegrines

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Built around real vintage photographs, this book is itself a lovely oddity.  Jacob’s grandfather has been telling him stories his entire life.  Stories that are filled with monsters, death and magic.  But when Jacob becomes a teen, he knows better than to believe his grandfather’s stories any more.  In fact, his grandfather is losing touch with reality, babbling about needing weapons and being in danger.  When Jacob goes to check on him, he discovers his grandfather mauled and dying in the forest.  It is his grandfather’s last words that take Jacob on a journey to a remote island in Wales.  There he finds a deserted orphanage where his grandfather had once stayed as a teen during World War II.  There are still signs of the children who once lived there, but they point to children who were peculiar and strange.  And even stranger, they may still be alive.

The story is slow moving at first, but picks up into a whirlwind pace by the end.  In between, the reader will delight in solving the mystery of the orphanage and what is to be found there.  Riggs has created two very vivid settings in the remote island and the orphanage.  They are beautifully rendered in his prose, creating worlds within worlds like a nesting doll.

This fantasy has the added delight of the vintage photographs, which bring a strange sense of altered reality to the book that works particularly well.  Riggs has created a strong but human protagonist in Jacob, who struggles with fears but turns out to be very brave and driven.  The mystery of the book entwines itself around the story, always nudging to be noticed and wondered at. 

Riggs has written a peculiar book in the best sense of the word.  This unique read will have both teens and adults entering a suspenseful world of monsters, children and magic.  Appropriate for ages 14-adult.

Reviewed from library copy.

Book Review: Fandango Stew by David Davis

| Tasha

fandangostew

Fandango Stew by David Davis, illustrated by Ben Galbraith

A wild west version of Stone Soup, this book will have you singing the praises of Fandago Stew too.  Luis and his grandfather, Slim, come to the town of Skinflint with their stomachs already rumbling with hunger.  But they also have a plan, Fandango Stew.  Unfortunately, the local sheriff is not happy to have them in town and tries to run them out.  But he agrees that Luis and Slim can boil water and throw in their bean.  Slim and Luis break into song “Chili’s good, so is barbecue, but nothing’s finer than Fandango Stew!”  One-by-one the people of Skinflint begin to contribute, shamed into it when Slim and Luis talk about the Fandango Stew they made in other towns and the generosity shown there.  Well, Skinflint may be frugal, but no one calls them stingy!  As each new component is added, Slim and Luis reprise their song, adding new harmony parts.  In the end, you know the story of delicious stew created by a community but this time it has some western seasoning added too.

Davis has created a fun and stylized version of the traditional tale.  The incorporation of the western setting is well developed and adds an interesting dimension to the story.  As the story and the stew develops, the inclusion of the entire community and their pride and willingness to turn it into a party make for a jubilant read.  The use of the song after each addition to the stew adds a strong structure to the book as well.

Galbraith’s illustrations are filled with texture and color.  Everything from the ropes to the boards of the houses to the corrugated roofs add to the rich feel.  As the book progresses, the illustrations move from a sepia toned sparse color to richer colors. 

A rootin’ tootin’ good recipe for a book!  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by BooksForKidsBlog.

Book Review: A Good Knight’s Rest by Shelley Moore Thomas

| Tasha

goodknightsrest

A Good Knight’s Rest by Shelley Moore Thomas, illustrated by Jennifer Plecas

The Good Knight has had a very busy day of saving princesses and even rescuing a cat from a tree.  He is worn out and weary and decides to go on vacation.  When he goes to say goodbye to the dragons, they ask if they can come with him.  Being the good knight he is, the Good Knight agrees to bring them along.  As they travel, the dragons have them stop again and again to stretch and use the bushes.  Each time, the knight does not want to stop but ends up finding a peaceful spot.  Just when he starts to relax, the dragons want to leave again.  So it goes again and again until finally the dragons realize that the knight really needs some rest and they solve the problem perfectly.

I have long enjoyed the Good Knight series with its gracious and patient Good Knight and the three rambunctious dragons.  This book works particularly well with its strong structure, repetition and the ending that will have everyone smiling.  Thomas writes with a great touch for pacing and an ear for repetition so that it adds to the humor and the tone of the book.

Plecas’ art is bright, colorful and engaging.  Readers will be able to visually see the Good Knight getting more and more tired as they continue their travels.  The wide-eyed dragons are never frightening, rather they are child-like and goofy.

A great book to take on your own summer vacation or to share at naptime or bedtime.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Dutton Children’s Books.

Book Review: Sidekicks by Dan Santat

| Tasha

sidekicks

Sidekicks by Dad Santat

Captain Amazing is so busy saving the world from evil villains that he doesn’t have time for his pets back at home.  But Captain Amazing is also getting older, so he decides he needs a sidekick to help out.  His dog, hamster, lizard and even his lost cat decide to audition for the position.  As they vie for the position, rifts develop between them.  But when Captain Amazing finds himself in true peril, his pets must rise to the occasion and put their differences aside.  It will take all of their new skills, fantastic abilities, and their teamwork to save the day.

This graphic novel is inventive and great fun.  It is an appealing mix of superhero, animals and friendship stories.  Santat’s art (which I look forward to seeing in full color, rather than the partial color I got to see in the ARC) is engaging and modern.  Yet it plays directly back to traditional comic books with the battle scenes in particular.  Santat’s story is well paced and even controlled despite the wild antics of its characters and the vibrant action scenes.

Get this in the hands of young graphic novel readers and you will be a superhero too!  Appropriate for ages 7-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Arthur A. Levine Books.

Check out the trailer:

Also reviewed by 100 Scope Notes and Fuse #8.

Charlotte’s Web on NPR

| Tasha

Don’t miss the very charming piece on Charlotte’s Web that NPR did a few days ago!  Author Michael Sims has written a book about the creation of this classic: The Story of Charlotte’s Web. 

Here’s my favorite line from Maureen Corrigan’s piece:

If you love Charlotte’s Web — and, please, if you don’t, just get help now! — Sims’ lively and detailed excursion into the mystery of how White’s classic came to be is a perfect read for this season: full of grass and insects, pigs and summer rain.

NPR has an excerpt from Sims’ book on their website too.

Book Review: Jack and the Beanstalk by Nina Crews

| Tasha

jackandthebeanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk by Nina Crews

A fresh, modern take on the traditional tale, here Jack lives in a city and is paid the beans for a job he has done.  When he plants the beans, they grow into the huge beanstalk.  He climbs the beanstalk to discover giants living in the clouds.  Giants who have a hen who lays golden eggs and plenty of jobs for Jack to do for them.  But Jack escapes down the beanstalk with the hen.  The giants chase after him, and then the ending takes a pleasant twist from the traditional story.  A new look at an old story, this book will be most enjoyed by children who are familiar with the traditional tale and can spot the differences.

Crews is known for her innovative illustrations that use collages of photographs to create modern, vibrant stories.  Here she uses the technique to great effect with beanstalk in particular.  She also captures the feel of an urban setting very nicely and subtly.  The entire book feels modern and interesting.

The story does have surprising twists and turns from the original.  This too adds the feeling of freshness.  The story moves along faster than the original and reads aloud very nicely.  The bellows of the giants, the rhythm of the writing, and the bright illustrations make for a book that is perfect for sharing.

Ideal for comparing and contrasting with more traditional versions of the story, this book also reads aloud well on its own.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Henry Holt and Company.

Book Review: Spellbound by Jacqueline West

| Tasha

spellbound

Spellbound by Jacqueline West

Released July 11, 2011.

This second book in The Books of Elsewhere series is just as magical as the first.  Olive is still searching for a way to save Morton, the boy trapped inside a painting.  Now that the spectacles are broken, Olive must rely on the permission of one of the three cats to enter the paintings.  But nothing she tries is working.  So when her new neighbor, Rutherford, mentions that there may be a spellbook left by the McMartins, Olive immediately begins searching.  When she finds it though, she may not be ready for what it brings with it.  Plenty of adventure, magic and surprises await the reader.

West writes with an ease, a comfort that makes the book read quickly.  At the same time, she does use imagery very well, especially when describing characters.  Olive continues to be a great protagonist.  She is far from perfect, allowing her pride to get her into further scrapes in this book.  I am a fan of a flawed protagonist and Olive manages to be human and relatable throughout the novel.

As Olive spends more time outside the house, the neighborhood begins to come to life in this book much more completely than in the previous novel.  Olive’s parents are also more involved in this second book, though they do continue to leave Olive alone often, much to the delight of the storyline.

This is a charmer of a series filled with witches, magic, cats, and danger.  Fans of the first novel in the series will be clamoring for this second one.  A perfect summer read for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Dial Books.

Book Review: The Abandoned Lighthouse by Albert Lamb

| Tasha

abandonedlighthouse

The Abandoned Lighthouse by Albert Lamb, illustrated by David McPhail

A bear finds a rowboat near his favorite waterfall and promptly falls asleep in it.  The rowboat carries him through the sea and to a rocky shore with a lighthouse.  Then the rowboat drifted away.  It appeared on the beach near a young boy and his dog.  When his ball got stuck in the boat, the boy climbed in.  He and his dog were carried to the same lighthouse.  There, the boy and the bear met, spent time together, and slept.  But the little dog was awoken in the night by a storm and they all spotted a very large ship about the crash on the rocks.  They worked together to light the lamp and warn the ship to safety.  In the end, the rowboat carried the bear and the boy back to their own shores and the ship safely into its port.

This appealing book tells a simple story in a straight-forward way, perfect for young readers.  It is formatted as a reader rather than a picture book, though it would be successful in either format.  The story has enough mystery to keep the pages turning and then enough action to finish up on a high note.  It is a rather mystical book, filled with possibilities, but can still be read as a simple story as well.

McPhail’s art is lovely.  He plays with jewel tones in the sea, light and dark in the storm.  His art is easy to understand, making it very appropriate for the title.  Yet in his art, there is also the potential to see more too. 

A very nice early reader for library collections, this book is gentle and mysterious.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.  Reviewed from copy received from Roaring Brook Press.