Year: 2011

Review: Binky under Pressure by Ashley Spires

| Tasha

binky under pressure

Binky under Pressure by Ashley Spires

Released September 1, 2011.

Binky is still a space cat and still protecting his humans from the alien invaders.  His life has become rather dull.  Then one morning, Gracie arrives.  She’s a new kitty his humans have adopted.  Binky tries to explain that this is HIS space station and these are HIS humans.  But Gracie doesn’t seem interested in giving up her new home or even Binky’s favorite toys.  It’s not until Binky spots Gracie defeat an alien with incredible finesse that he starts to wonder if maybe she isn’t what she seems to be.  This new Binky book will thrill fans of the series as Binky faces his biggest challenge yet.

Spires has created a series of books that have a strong sense of humor and great storylines.  She writes with dexterity and ease that readers will enjoy.   The illustrations in this graphic novel use many interesting perspectives and incorporate plenty of humor visually as well.  The palette for the books is subdued, giving it a signature look.

Highly recommended for fans of the series.  If you haven’t enjoyed the Binky series yet, start at the beginning.   I envy those lucky enough to read all three of the books in quick succession.  They are such fun!  Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Kids Can Press.

Review: The Crossing by Donna Jo Napoli

| Tasha

crossing

The Crossing by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Jim Madsen

A gorgeous retelling of the Lewis and Clark story, told through the eyes of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the infant that Sacagawea carried on her back during their explorations.  Readers will see mountains, rivers and forests.  They will also meet bear, elk, cougars and more.  Napoli’s poem captures the rhythm of the journey, the stroke of the oars, the moments of quiet.  It is an immersive book where readers get to see the glory of the land that makes up our country, unspoiled by man-made structures.

Napoli’s verse incorporates many senses.  There are the sounds of the animals and humans that work to bring the entire setting to life.  There are the views that the baby sees, a wildness that is a large part of the story, a sense of expanse and freedom.   The author’s note adds much to the book, including the duration and length of the journey.

Madsen’s illustrations have a depth to them that adds much to this title.  He uses deep colors and uses the beauty of the land as the perfect inspiration for his work.  There are small moments of a child growing from infant to toddler, but also moments where the world is spread before them and reveled in. 

A beautiful and creative look at Sacagawea’s journey with Lewis and Clark, this book is a luminous look at the origins of our country.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Also reviewed by The Fourth Musketeer and Kiss the Book.

Review: Cows to the Rescue by John Himmelman

| Tasha

cows to the rescue

Cows to the Rescue by John Himmelman

This third book in a hilarious series follows Chickens to the Rescue and Pigs to the Rescue.  It’s time for the county fair where there will be plenty of opportunities for the cows to save the day.  They help when the truck won’t start by carrying the family, the pigs and the duck to the fair.  They fill in during the three-legged race so that Jeffrey would have someone to race with.  They help the duck win the Handsomest Duck contest by getting him cleaned up.  They filled in for family pictures at the fair.  In the end, they have done so much that they can’t make it home.  So it’s up to the duck to try to get everyone back to the farm.  Look out for the next book, which just might be Duck to the Rescue.

Himmelman has a great touch for humor, painting it in broad strokes without holding back.  His words may be simple, but they have a jolliness that make it a pleasure to read.  His use of page turns to delay the cow’s solutions also adds great timing into the book. 

His illustrations have a pleasant cartoon quality to them, which definitely adds to the humor of the title.  From the duck that gets caught up in the action to the tiny pig who has a great personality of his own, this book has so much to look at and enjoy.

If you enjoyed the first two books, make sure to check this one out.  And if you haven’t read the first two, you can start at any point.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Henry Holt & Company.

Review: The Bear Who Shared by Catherine Rayner

| Tasha

bear who shared

The Bear Who Shared by Catherine Rayner

Norris, the bear, knew that the plorringes were the best fruits.  So he waited under the plorringe tree because he knew something special was going to happen.  Tulip and Violet, a mouse and a raccoon, knew that plorringes were the best too.  They were able to climb up in the tree to get closer to the single hanging plorringe.  They could see how delicious it looked and smell its delicious scent.  They listened to it and hugged it too.  They were just about to lick it when it fell off of the tree and down right onto Norris’ head.  Now Norris was closest to the plorringe and had it all to himself.  But just as Norris was patient, he was also a very nice bear.  The type of bear who would not only share but would make some new friends doing it.

The story here is one that has been shared in many picture books.  Rayner’s writing has a gentle repetition that is almost not noticeable.  She has a playfulness and a warmth to her writing that makes it a pleasure to read aloud.

It is the illustrations that make this book something extraordinary.  There is the brawny brown of the bear done in overlapping paint that show his girth and weight, but also his sturdiness and steadiness.   Then the raccoon is a mash of black and grays, blending and merrily mixing, capturing the dynamic movements.  The mouse is all delicate line and a whisper of pink expression for the tail.  The plorringe is yellows, reds and pinks, a mix of mango, plum, and guava.

A book about sharing and friendship that will be loved due to the illustrations.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books for Young Readers.

Review: Oh, Harry! by Maxine Kumin

| Tasha

oh harry

Oh, Harry! by Maxine Kumin, illustrated by Barry Moser

Harry the horse did not have the lean lines of the other horses at the Adams & Son farm.  He wasn’t jittery or temperamental like the others either.  Instead, he was gentle, kind and calm.  When any other horse got out of line, Harry was brought in to calm the situation down.  He didn’t have a stall like the others either, instead he was allowed to move from spot to spot in the barn as he liked.  But then Algernon Adams, aged 6, arrived at the farm.  He ran around, yelled and scared the horses.  Until one evening, when he got shut in the grain bin.  All the people had left, only the horses were in the barn, including Harry.  And now Harry had a decision to make about the naughty young Algernon.

Kumin’s verse is playful and jaunty.  This is not poetry of a serious sort, but rather the type that skips along telling a story.  The rhymes read aloud well, moving the entire story along at a brisk pace.

Moser’s art offers a lot of range here.  His paintings show quiet moments of beautiful horses together.  They also show silly moments with Harry and Algernon.  They have deep colors placed again white space that really make the images pop.

A winning combination of engaging verse and art, this picture book will be appreciated by horse lovers of any age.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Magic Trash by Jane Shapiro

| Tasha

magic trash

Magic Trash: A Story of Tyree Guyton and His Art by J. H. Shapiro, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

This is the life story of Tyree Guyton.  Tyree grew up in Detroit in a large family.  He was always picking up stray objects and creating things with them.  At age nine, Tyree decided he wanted to be an artist.  But as the years passed, he worked many jobs, none of them artistic.  When he returned back home, his street has changed from a bustling neighborhood into a stretch of dilapidated  houses.  So Tyree went to work, painting everything he could find.  Houses got polka dots, bright colors were everywhere, found objects were incorporated.  But not everyone loved Tyree’s work, they considered it garbage.  Houses were knocked down by the city, until finally after years, Tyree’s art was safe.  This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Heidelberg Project, certainly something to celebrate!

Shapiro has written this book with a sparkle and jazz that suits the subject.  Her storytelling is impressive as she creates moods that change from one page to the next as the story progresses.  She weaves in rhyming lines at times, adding to the distinctive feel of her words.

Brantley-Newton’s art is done in mixed media, incorporating found objects, torn pages filled with words, painting, pattern and texture.  Her art is bright, beautiful and vibrant.  Against the distinctive backgrounds, her characters stand out with great charm.

A look at street art that is part of the street, this book will be enjoyed by art teachers and budding young artists alike.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Charlesbridge.

2011 Winners of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards

| Tasha

CBC

The Children’s Book Council of Australia has announced the winners of their 2011 awards.

 

Older Readers Book of the Year

WINNER

The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett

HONORS

 

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher by Doug MacLeod

 

Younger Readers Book of the Year

WINNER

The Red Wind by Isobelle Carmody

HONORS

 

Just a Dog by Michael Gerard Bauer

Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot by Anna Branford, illustrated by Sarah Davis

 

Early Childhood Book of the Year

WINNER

Maudie and Bear by Jan Ormerod, illustrated by Freya Blackwood

HONORS

 

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies by Tom Niland Champion and Kilmeny Niland, illustrated by Deborah Niland

Look See, Look at Me by Leonie Norrington, illustrated by Dee Huxley

 

Picture Book of the Year

WINNERS

 

Mirror by Jeannie Baker

Hamlet by Nicki Greenberg

HONORS

 

Why I Love Australia by Bronwyn Bancroft

My Uncle’s Donkey by Tohby Riddle

 

Eve Pownall Book of the Year

WINNER

The Return of the Word Spy by Ursula Dubosarsky, illustrated by Tohby Riddle

HONORS

 

Drawn from the Heart: A Memoir by Ron Brooks

Our World: Bardi Jaawi: Life at Ardiyooloon

Review: Drawing from Memory by Allen Say

| Tasha

drawing from memory

Drawing from Memory by Allen Say

Released September 1, 2011.

This is a captivating look at the life of Allen Say and his journey to become an illustrator.  It begins with his childhood in Yokohama, Japan which he had to flee when the bombings started in 1941.  As a child, his mother kept him safe at home and not out playing near the water.  He learned to read early and fell in love with comics, deciding at a young age to become an artist.  His father dismissed his dreams, wanting him to follow a more respectable path.  Say lived with his grandmother while he went to school until at age 12, he moved and lived alone in a rented apartment in Tokyo.  Following his dream, he approached the famous cartoonist, Noro Shinpei in the hopes of becoming his student.  Say found his sensei and a new father figure in his life.  Readers will discover the long hours, hard work, and talent that made Say the artist he is.

Say weaves photographs, drawings and paintings together into an extraordinary look at his life.  The text blends humor  with  brutal honesty about his family’s lack of support for his endeavors.  Always the book is optimistic, exploring the dedication that it takes to attain greatness.  It will serve as inspiration for young artists who may themselves be being ridiculed for their dreams.

More than a graphic novel, this is an autobiography told in images and words that is surprising, moving and luminous.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

Also reviewed by

Review: Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer

| Tasha

blood wounds

Released September 12, 2011.

Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Willa’s life may not be perfect, she lives in a blended family with sisters who get their expensive hobbies and trips paid for by their mother, while Willa doesn’t get those opportunities.  Their family is happy though.  Of course, there’s a reason that Willa feels the need to cut, so maybe things aren’t as good as they seem.  Then one day, with a series of murders in a faraway state, Willa’s life is thrown into crisis.  Her biological father is on the run after killing his wife and children, and he’s probably headed to get Willa next.  As the crisis throws their life into turmoil, Willa discovers more about her family than she’d ever known, including secrets that answer a lot of the questions she’s never dared to ask.

Pfeffer has created a book that starts with a thrilling premise but that turns out to be less of a thriller and more of a psychological look at a teen girl who has to deal with the aftermath of her father’s madness.  Willa is a very intriguing and complex heroine.  She struggles to be the perfect daughter, never revealing what she really thinks to her family.  On the inside though she is filled with doubts, with unvoiced thoughts, and with resentment.  With her father’s murders her life begins to reflect more of her inner world, becoming just as confused and tumultuous. 

The writing here is very well crafted.  With so many themes: blended families, cutting, murder and forgiveness, it could have become muddled.  Instead the themes support one another, creating a tapestry of interwoven ideas that strengthen one another. 

Readers will pick the book up for the thrilling premise and then be riveted as they discover a much more complicated read than they were expecting.  Appropriate for ages 13-15.

Reviewed from ARC received from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Also reviewed by