Month: August 2017

Professional Crocodile by Giovanna Zoboli

| Tasha

Professional Crocodile by Giovanna Zoboli

Professional Crocodile by Giovanna Zoboli (9781452167008, Amazon)

This detailed, wordless picture book shares the story of one professional working crocodile’s day. Crocodile is awakened from his dream of floating in a swamp by his alarm clock. He gets ready for work, uses the bathroom, brushes his teeth and selects an appropriate tie. He has jam and bread for breakfast and heads out. He window shops on his walk to work and takes the subway. He picks up flowers, the newspaper and a treat from the bakery. He finally reaches his destination, the zoo, and takes his place in the exhibits after changing out of his clothes.

This book plays up the mundane little activities in life, making them all the more important. Clearly European, this book captivates, showing small details of life and then suddenly switching into wild animals at the zoo with a satisfying ending. The illustrations are filled with little details, like other animals on the streets and subway, and humans looking just a tad nervous as they see Mr. Crocodile near them.

It is the use of human life details with the crocodile character that work so well here. That tension plays throughout the picture book, making it a look at humanity and our lives just as much as being a crocodile. There is a real appeal to the illustrations and the story line that draws the reader in and will have them leaning over the page to see more.

Great illustrations and a whimsical crocodile character make this a winner. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

 

Thornhill by Pam Smy

| Tasha

Thornhill by Pam Smy

Thornhill by Pam Smy (9781626726543, Amazon)

Released August 29, 2017.

A grand Gothic graphic novel, this book is surprising and delightfully dark. The story is told in two parallel stories, one in images and one in text. Both stories take place in the same neighborhood and revolve around Thornhill, a home for orphans. Mary’s story is told in text and is set in 1982 where she is one of the last children to leave Thornhill. As the other girls leave, Mary is left with a girl who has been bullying her for some time and the story builds to a terrible climax. The illustrated story is that of Ella in 2016 who has just moved to town and doesn’t have any friends yet. She can see Thornhill, now disused and old, from her house. When she glimpses a girl there, she decides to figure out the story of Thornhill and the girl.

This is the sort of story, you curl up with and read as fast as possible. Happily, Smy’s writing and illustrations make it almost impossible to leave this book behind for even a moment. The illustrations linger with the reader, haunting in their black and white details. The text invite readers into the past, showing them what being an orphan in was like before rules were put in place to protect children. There is a brilliance to not setting the history piece in the 1800’s, but allowing shocking situations of a more modern time to surface.

The art pieces in the book allow the reader to piece together that the girl being described in the text is not the one in the images quickly. The images are done only in black and white, filled often with deep shadows and lit by bright light at other times. They are dynamic and interesting, telling their own wordless story of Ella and her own losses.

Get this into the hands of children who enjoy ghost stories, because this one will haunt readers. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Roaring Brook Press.

 

 

2017 Arab-American Book Awards

| Tasha

The winners of the 2017 Arab-American Book Awards have been announced. The awards include a category for best Children/Young Adult book. Here is the winner and the honorable mentions for that category:

WINNER

The Treasure of Maria Mamoun

The Treasure of Maria Mamoun by Michelle Chalfoun

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age in Palestine 27791453

Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age in Palestine by Ibstisam Barakat

The Three Lucys by Hayan Charara

 

Waking Brain Cells Anniversary

| Tasha

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It’s the birthday of this blog which turns 14 years old tomorrow!

Thank you everyone for tuning in, putting up with the stream of content on Twitter and Facebook, following on RSS feeds, reading on WordPress or Google. Thank you for making me part of your days whether you read this blog regularly or just once in awhile.

Thank you too to the publishers for sending me copies of books to read and for discovering new talented authors every year that make it impossible for me to ever stop reading.

I hope to keep going into the future!

This Week’s Tweets, Pins and Tumbls

| Tasha

Here are some cool links I shared on my Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr accounts this week:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Children’s Books Missed These Immigrant Stories. So Students Wrote Them | @nytimes – https://t.co/Ssg6sT3n3v

Colorful Poetry: 22 Diverse Poetry Picture Books for Kids: https://t.co/R7MK2x4bC7

The first book recommendation from our new Young People’s Poet Laureate!: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/young-peoples-poet-laureate

Get kids excited to hit the water with 5 sweet picture books about swimming

Meg Cabot on the rumors of a third Princess Diaries film, and the differences between the books and movies |  – https://t.co/MVXQy7tRyO

TEEN LIT

10 great YA novels with transgender or non binary main characters! – https://t.co/9OTFXFrlOO

Robin McKinley: A Pioneer in YA Fiction | @BookRiot – https://t.co/jMZ4ySoPsG

We’ve got 100 must-read inclusive YA SFF books for your TBR, spons by :

Owl Bat Bat Owl by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

| Tasha

Owl Bat Bat Owl by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

Owl Bat Bat Owl by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick (9780763691615, Amazon)

An owl family is contentedly sleeping on a sunny day on a branch high in a tree. Then a family of bats arrives to hang below them on the same branch. The owls are awakened and slide down to another part of the branch, the parent owl clearly upset. Meanwhile, one of the owlets and one of the baby bats start to make friends and the little owl hangs upside down with the bat family. Both parents disapprove and everyone settles back into their own families, until they are disturbed by a strong wind blowing in. Soon baby owls and bats are being flung off the branch and the adult bat and owl are panicking as they search for their children. This might just be what the families need to get along!

This wordless picture book is nicely done with clear facial expressions on the animals that help the story be easily related to. The connection between the youngest of the animals is also very helpful, showing how bridges can be built by the youngest in the world. While this book is simple, it speaks to the importance of integration, diversity and wider community.

Turn the book upside down for a bit of a bat perspective on the world! Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Bunches of Board Books

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Before & After

Before & After by Jean Jullien (9780714874081, Amazon)

Jullien captures the difference between before and after in this board book. With changes shown through the illustrations, they are funny and sometimes surprising. Long hair before turns into short hair after and then long hair again way after. Question marks are used to ask if the egg really came before the chicken. A roller coaster ride shows a change in hair and expressions as father and child take a wild ride. This book is silly and fun and will result in lots of conversation with little ones.

Reviewed from library copy.

Butterfly Garden

The Butterfly Garden by Laura Weston (9780763693176, Amazon)

This board book has sturdy flaps to open. The book is done in lino prints, strong and graphic. They are done in black and white, opening the flaps shows the colors of butterflies, milkweed and leaves. The flaps open for the butterflies in ways that let their wings flap cleverly. Finding the flaps will have readers running their hands over the pages, making it a sensory experience that way too. The board book uses few words and shows the lifestages of monarch butterfly in a tangible and lovely way.

Reviewed from library copy.

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Say Zoop! by Hervé Tullet (9781452164731, Amazon)

OK, so this isn’t really a board book, but it’s just right for little hands! The thick board covers open to sturdy pages and invite little ones to play. Just like his earlier books, Tullet invites children to interact with the pages, this time using noises as well as pressing dots. This will result in lots of silly noises, simple at first and then growing into complexity that is silly and hilarious. Just go with it! Share it with older kids too!

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

 

 

Patina by Jason Reynolds

| Tasha

Patina by Jason Reynolds

Patina by Jason Reynolds (9781481450188, Amazon)

Released August 29, 2017.

This book follows Ghost in Reynolds’ popular and amazing Track series. In this book, the focus is on Patty, another member of the newbie group on the track team. Ghost is still in the book, shown as a member of the team and the book begins where Ghost’s story left off. Patty lives with her godparents and her little sister, since her mother lost her legs to diabetes and can’t take care of them. They still see their mother on Sundays for church and Patty has to follow certain rules about the way she dresses and what makeup she wears to meet her mother’s expectations. Patty takes care of her little sister, making sure that she does her homework, eats enough, and has her hair braided neatly with 90 red beads. Still, Patty struggles with the changes in her life and moving away from her neighborhood and friends and into a fancier school. It is on the track that she feels most like herself, even as she learns to run relay where she has to learn to trust her teammates entirely.

The first book in the series set a high level of expectation for the second and fans will not be disappointed with this second book. Readers will enjoy getting to know Patty better and her family situation. Patty has a lot of anger inside her, something that she internalizes and struggles with. At the same time, she is strongly caring and loving of her family, trying to hold them all together and do as much as she can. This complexity in a middle grade novel is what makes this series so special.

The focus on teamwork in this second book echoes throughout the novel not just on the track and relay team. As Patty learns to trust her teammates, she also becomes more open to help from others in different settings like her classwork and new friends. Her family is complicated and strong, stepping up when necessary. The theme of legs resonates throughout the book as well, Patty carrying her mother’s legs with her on the track even as her younger sister imagines them touring the world and having adventures.

Every public library should have this series on their shelves. It will run right off the shelves. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Atheneum.

 

A Pattern for Pepper by Julie Kraulis

| Tasha

A Pattern for Pepper by Julie Kraulis

A Pattern for Pepper by Julie Kraulis (9781101917565, Amazon)

Pepper needs a dress for a special occasion, so she and her mother go to Taylor’s to have a dress specially made. First, Mr. Taylor measures Pepper and then it’s time for Pepper to choose the fabric. But there are so many that it’s not that simple! Some of the patterns are too cold, others are too bumpy. As they discuss each pattern, Mr. Taylor offers information on the pattern and its name, explaining where the pattern came from in the world. After Pepper rejects pattern after pattern, she starts to wonder if she will ever find the right one. Happily, Mr. Taylor has been listening to all of her likes and dislikes and figures out the exact pattern that Pepper will love.

Kraulis combines information on each textile pattern with an engaging look at a child empowered to make this decision for herself. Throughout the adults show patience and a sense of Pepper’s ability to work through the problem with their expertise helping. Pepper is an engaging character, firmly knowing her own mind without being rude. As readers learn about the patterns, they will enjoy seeing what their own favorites are and whether they agree with Pepper on her choice.

The illustrations are done in a limited color palette with primarily blues and browns on the page. This limited color scheme allows the patterns to really be the focus rather than the color of the fabrics. The illustrations have a nice texture to them as well that lends itself to a book about textiles.

An empowered young heroine makes her pattern a priority in this picture book. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from e-galley received from Netgalley and Tundra Books.