Year: 2011

Book Review: Bear with Me by Max Kornell

| Tasha

bear with me

Bear with Me by Max Kornell

Owen had a great life before Gary showed up.  One day his parents just showed up with a big bear.  They said they had always wanted a bear.  But Owen didn’t want a bear at all.  Gary was going to sleep in Owen’s room, share Owen’s toys, and live with them as part of their family.  Now his parents were busy with Gary and Gary snored when he slept!  He even left the covers off the markers so they dried out and broke the swing in the backyard.  Owen finally had enough and went outside by himself.  Gary found him there and slowly, slowly the two of them became friends.  Perhaps having a bear join the family wasn’t as bad as Owen had thought.

Kornell writes with a wry sense of humor that works very well here.  The use of an intruding bear as a stand-in for a new sibling works well in his hands.  He keeps the text straight-forward but humorous.

The illustrations add much to the book.  They are done in an intriguing style of cut-paper that has been drawn on and then added to the scenes.  Each character is often their own cut out on a background that is one large sheet.  The lines are simple and the colors bright.  Gary is a wonderfully large bear that is completely non-threatening and looks just as worried as Owen.

Ideal for blended families or new adoptive siblings, this book has loads of appeal.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

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Book Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

| Tasha

monster calls

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd, illustrated by Jim Kay

Released September 27, 2011.

Conor awoke at 12:07, just after midnight, from his nightmare, the one he had been having for years.  Then he realized that something was calling his name.  It was a monster, but not the monster from his dreams.  It was another monster, a monster who came walking to tell him three stories and then Conor had to tell him the fourth and final story.  And it had to be the truth.  Conor had not told anyone the truth for some time, not since his mother had first gotten sick.  Now she was worse again.  So Conor turned to the monster in the hopes that he could save her, that that was what had brought the monster walking.

Ness has created a powerful book from the final idea that Siobhan Dowd left before she died.  It is gut wrenching on so many levels.  You have a monster who is breathtakingly real, a boy who is disappearing into his mother’s illness, and a story of cancer and all of the feelings and emotions it creates and doesn’t allow to be expressed.  This is a book about the time before the loss, the anguish of the waiting, the hollowness not only inside the surviving family but around them as well, and the anger that is a part of grief too. 

Ness does not duck away from anything difficult here, rather he explores it in ways I haven’t seen before.  He takes the darkness and makes it real, makes it honest, creates truth from it and lays it all bare.  It is a book that is difficult to read but too compelling to put down.

Kay’s art runs throughout the book, framing the text.  It helps create a mood for the entire work, one of darkness and lightness too.   He plays with such darkness in his art here that it is sometimes a matter of black and blacker.  The art, done just in black and white, speaks to the power of the monster, the blaze of life, and the fragility of it as well.

I simply can’t say enough good things about this book.  It is a stunning work that truly does tribute to Siobhan Dowd’s idea.  Appropriate for ages 12-14.

Reviewed from ARC received from Candlewick Press.

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Book Review: Little Croc’s Purse by Lizzie Finlay

| Tasha

little crocs purse

Little Croc’s Purse by Lizzie Finlay

This little morality story features Little Croc who found a purse one day.  He had to decide if he was going to return the purse with its money or keep it all for himself.  He decides to return the purse, but on his way to the police station, he meets with several temptations.  He manages to avoid spending any of the money and once he’s at the police station finds out that the woman who owns the purse wants to meet him.  When she arrives, she checks for a special locket in a hidden pocket and then leaves the entire purse and the money for Little Croc.  Little Croc doesn’t spend it all in one place either, leading to a very satisfying conclusion to this book.

Finlay manages to make not only a morality tale, but a picture book that works as a story as well.  While there is definitely a moral about honesty here, the story is about more than that.  Her writing is light-toned and even the moment with the bully is brief and easily handled.  This helps lift the tone of the entire book. 

Her whimsical illustrations also do that with a tiny crocodile lugging a very large, very flowery, rather pink purse.  Even better, when Little Croc does buy something for himself, it is a pair of very red boots.  He also never shrinks away from carrying the purse and owning it as his own after it has been given to him. 

A book about honesty, thoughtfulness and caring for others, this book is sweet and jolly.  Keep it in mind for parents looking for books about manners and honesty for preschoolers.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

Book Review: No One But You by Douglas Wood

| Tasha

No One But You

No One But You by Douglas Wood, illustrated by P.J. Lynch

This radiant picture book speaks to each of us having individual experiences in the world.  Only you can feel things the way that you do.  Only you taste, hear, smell and see things in the way that you do.  No one else breathes with your breath.  No one else wishes on the same star in the same way.  And no one else feels the emotions you do or says I love you the way that you mean it. 

Wood’s writing reads like a poem, a verse that dances, expresses and moves.  He turns his lens onto different specific moments, emphasizing how we all experience things differently.  Using small moments of life, the book also quietly asks people to slow down and really experience what they are doing then.  Because no one else will feel it but you.

Lynch’s art is quiet and powerful.  His realistic paintings focus on diverse children doing day-to-day things.  The expressions they show are candid, real and vibrant.  His colors range from bright to dark, all of them filled with a special light that emanates from the children’s faces.

A gorgeous picture book, this is ideal for bedtime reading and is sure to make any child who hears it think about just how special they are.  Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Candlewick Press.

Book Review: The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman

| Tasha

great big book of families

The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Ros Asquith

This book celebrates all of the different sorts of families there are.  It starts with a stereotypical family of blonde, white mom and dad, two kids (a boy and a girl), a dog and a cat.  They even come complete with the picket fence and apple tree.  Turn the page and you are in reality with families of different colors, single parents, grandparents, two mothers, two fathers, and adoptive families.  The book then moves on to family sizes, different homes, different ways to go to school, different ways parents work, the holidays families take, the food we eat, clothes, pets, hobbies, and much more.  The book ends by expressing a very important message that families change.  So what does your family look like today?

Another facet of this book is the celebration of families of different incomes and wealth.  Nothing is put down, just mentioned as different from one another.  Children may not notice the differences, but if you are a child struggling with poverty, it is good to see yourself represented here matter-of-factly and honestly.  Hoffman’s entire text is written in this straight forward way, she is inclusive, expansive and above everything non-judgmental. 

Asquith’s illustrations have a nice sense of humor that keeps the book from being too earnest.  They have a quirky feel, a silliness that makes the book a pleasure to read.

Every library needs a copy of this warm, welcoming book where all children will see parts of themselves represented.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books.

Book Review: Catch That Baby by Nancy Coffelt

| Tasha

catch that baby

Catch That Baby! by Nancy Coffelt, illustrated by Scott Nash

Starting from the title pages, Rudy’s mom has to catch him to get him into the bath.  But once the bath is over, the real chase begins as “Nudie Rudy” runs through the house.  Mom tries to catch him, but he runs into the living room.  His Mom and brother run after him, but he’s into the kitchen.  Now the dog, his father, and his sister join the chase.  But Rudy is off into the back of the house, filled with plants.  Now grandma and grandpa help look, because Rudy has disappeared.  What in the world could he be up to now?

Coffelt’s text ties this wild naked baby chase closely with The Gingerbread Man as more and more characters join in trying to catch Rudy.  The story telling is split between narrative and dialogue, shown in speech bubbles.  This keeps the pace of the story racing along with Rudy from page to page.

Nash’s art has bright colors and a comic book feel to its lines.  He uses objects and the dog to cleverly block any frontal nudity from view, instead showing chubby legs, flying feet, and a bare bottom. 

There is a real humor to the book, so much so that you can almost hear the giggle of this naked little racing boy.  The twist at the end is endearing and a natural part of the story.  A great pick for toddlers, this book is appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Aladdin.

Book Review: The Mangrove Tree by Susan L. Roth

| Tasha

mangrove tree

The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore

This book tells the true story of Dr. Gordon Sato in picture book format.  The village of Hargigo in the African country of Eritrea was dry and the animals could not find enough to eat.  Dr. Sato had the idea of planting mangrove trees on the shore of the salty Red Sea.  The trees can survive the salt and would give women in the village a way to earn money close to home from planting the trees.  The trees also help by giving off oxygen too.  The goats and sheep ate the leaves from the trees and grew stronger, living longer and having healthier babies.  The mangrove trees also changed the habitat along the shore, creating hiding places for sea creatures that helped the fish grow larger and the fishermen improve their catch.  This is the story of Dr. Sato, who through science changed the lives of people not only in Hargigo, but around the world.

Trumbore has written a clever dual story here.  On one side of the page, a simple cumulative story is told of the mangrove trees by the sea.  On the other side, readers get much more detailed information about the science and impact of the planting of the trees.  Finally, at the end of the book, readers can see photographs of the actual villagers, the trees and Dr. Sato. 

Roth’s illustrations are eye-catching and inventive.  Using collage, she has created such texture, color, and natural feel.  Her illustrations have depth, showing the people at work, giving individual coats to the sheep and goats, and celebrating the bright colors the people wear.  It is a very rich illustration that celebrates the setting and the work that went into the project.

Highly recommended, this book is a beautiful mix of nonfiction and picture book that is ideal for elementary science about the environment.  It celebrates the impact that one man can have on the world, inspiring youth to think about what they can contribute too.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by BookDragon.

Book Review: Addie on the Inside by James Howe

| Tasha

addie on the inside

Addie on the Inside by James Howe

Addie Carle, the only girl in The Gang of Five, is the center of this third story in The Misfits series.  Addie is an outspoken and opinionated person, but the verse here shows her to have many more doubts and concerns than she might show on the outside.  As her year of seventh grade continues, Addie has to deal with some big issues: the death of one of her cats, the breakup of her first relationship, teasing by other girls in school, and finding her own voice, even though she is talking all the time.  Addie shows herself to be thoughtful, caring, involved, and much more than others see on the outside, she just has to find the confidence to let her real self show.

Howe’s verse works on several levels.  First, it tells the story of Addie and her growth.  Second, it is poetry that truly functions as individual poems as well.  He plays with rhyme inside his lines at times, while other poems are more narrative and still others are haiku.  It is a fresh look at a verse novel that shifts from lighter to deeper tones easily.

Addie is a fascinating character, a girl who is smart, involved, vocal and entirely human.  While I’m not sure everyone will have this response, she was like listening to my own middle-school inner voice.  Addie’s point of view is uniquely her own, yet she spoke to me completely.  I finished the book with tears rolling down my face, just because of the understanding for my younger self I had found.

A beautifully written book featuring a strong yet human protagonist, this is one amazing read.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum.

Book Review: Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage

| Tasha

wheres walrus

Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage

This wordless picture book has a great appeal for the youngest children and adults alike.  Walrus escapes from his small pool in the zoo, pursued closely by the zookeeper.  He hides in the most unlikely spots, posing as a mermaid in a fountain, seated at a diner counter, glamming up a window display, and much more.  Finally, he is cornered up on a diving board sporting a red swim cap.  What happens next is a satisfying close to this cheery picture book.

Savage has a tremendous sense of pacing in this book.  It moves ahead from one hiding place to the next, and then turns into a full story as the final pages turn past.  The story works well without words, helped by the skilled pacing and the ease of the storyline.

What really sets this book apart are the illustrations, done in bold shapes and bright colors.  They have a graphic quality to them and a modern edge.  While the book sounds like a Where’s Waldo type of book, it really isn’t thanks to the simplicity and style of the illustrations. 

This wordless dazzler of a picture book will impress old and young alike with its style and sense of fun.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Scholastic.

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