Month: July 2019

Review: The Little Green Girl by Lisa Anchin

| Tasha

The Little Green Girl by Lisa Anchin

The Little Green Girl by Lisa Anchin (9780735230736)

Mr. Aster likes his normal routine. He cares for his garden, keeping it neat and clean. Then a new seed blows in on the wind. He plants the seed in his greenhouse and takes good care of the plant that emerges. Eventually, he moves the plant out into the garden. The plant looks like a little girl, and at first she is content to be at the center of the garden, always watching Mr. Aster as he works. But then the birds arrive and tell her stories of the wide world. Little Green Girl tries to move herself using vines and lifting her roots, but each day Mr. Aster tucks her back into her bed in the garden and repairs any damage she has done. Finally, Little Green Girl has an idea and makes sure that Mr. Aster allows her to travel. It may just be what Mr. Aster needs too.

Anchin has written a lovely, magical book that takes the idea of a plant and gives her plenty of personality. The book looks at both the pleasures of home and also the delights of experiencing something new. It also speaks to the power of a new friend and spreading your branches to include new experiences.

The artwork is completely charming. In particular, Little Green Girl, is a masterpiece of greenery. She is firmly rooted to the ground but manages to have plenty of emotional expression through body language despite that. Her readiness to travel could not be more clear when she manages to re-pot herself into a traveling form, sunglasses and all.

A book that will expand your horizons and get you thinking of taking a trip. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

This Week’s Tweets

| Tasha

Here are the items I shared on Twitter this week:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Ekua Holmes #CSK acceptance for The Stuff of Stars: “This story reminds us that we all come from the same place and are made from the same stuff, no matter how divided the world may seem” ow.ly/kjQj50uPj2Z

Gene Luen Yang gets personal in new graphic novel Dragon Hoops – https://t.co/3D0Wxjy8rC

Harry Potter Prequel Series Coming to TV – BookRiot – https://t.co/6hWbLeQtWb

How Gyo Fujikawa Drew Freedom in Children’s Books – https://t.co/F6yIx4rDPN

Knuffle Bunny Gets a Permanent Home at Park Slope Library – https://t.co/BwJP28KSST

What We Know About 2018 Graphic Novel Sales | https://t.co/jUlvrh24ay

LIBRARIES

Beautiful Libraries Around the World Every Booklover Should Visit (Video) buff.ly/2IZsEik #libraries

Church holds LGBT prom for teens after library cancels it – https://t.co/S3rkCtAxEG

In rural Stanley, ID, the library’s Wi-Fi is such a draw that the librarian installed a router outside and added benches and power outlets so people can get online even when the library is closed. ow.ly/jSmu50uOCY6

YA LIT

The 16 Most Anticipated YA Books to Read in July bit.ly/2NpoLrj via @EpicReads

Cover Controversy: The Poet X — @100scopenotes 100 Scope Notes buff.ly/2FQ3zEF #yalit

For a wave of Korean American young adult novelists, Korean pop culture is a touchstone – https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/wave-korean-american-young-adult-novelists-korean-pop-culture-touchstone-n1021516

A new month means a NEW #TBRexplosion! We’ve gathered up 22 new must-reads hitting shelves in July, including debuts – https://t.co/YMmlEhqHqT

Summer 2019 YA Books: 150+ New Titles Hitting Shelves Between July and September buff.ly/2KYsYAv #yalit

Why should authors read your bad reviews? buff.ly/2KVPDgI #yalit #bookreviews #authors

 

Review: Our Flag Was Still There by Jessie Hartland

| Tasha

Our Flag Was Still There by Jessie Hartland

Our Flag Was Still There by Jessie Hartland (9781534402331)

Explore the history of the Star-Spangled Banner in this nonfiction picture book that celebrates the women who created the flag. The story begins in 1813, when the nation was once again at war with the British. Major George Armistead wanted to send a message to the British that declared that this land belonged to America. Nearby was a shop owned by Mary Pickersgill, who had been taught to make flags by her mother. The fact that a woman owned her own shop and had a staff of other women was very unusual in the 1800s. Mary agreed to make the enormous flag. They worked on it day and night, running out of fabric at times and then running out of room. They moved to a nearby brewery to be able to continue their work with enough space. The flag was finished in six week and then the war began. The flag flew throughout the naval battles, inspiring the song that we still sing as our national anthem.

Hartland tells a fast-paced and lively tale here that never gets bogged down in historical details. The book includes final pages with more information on the war and the battles. The emphasis here though is on how inspiring the flag was and continues to be and how one industrious woman managed to create a symbol that carries on to this day. The art is done in a folk-art style that suits the book well. The size of the flag is emphasized at times to humorous effect. It’s so very large and still able to be viewed at the Smithsonian.

A dynamic look at American history. Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

| Tasha

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen (9781250191922)

Released July 30, 2019.

Fie is one of the Crow class, despised and ignored by all of the other classes. Denied the right to have a home other than the open road or any weapons to defend themselves with, they are hated because their class alone is immune to the plague. They serve to come into villages and homes, remove the plague dead and cleanse the space, firing up a funeral pyre away from town. So when Fie’s clan finds themselves caught up in royal court intrigue with the crown prince and his double, who faked their own deaths, Fie is not amused. The only people she cares about are her clan, so the two interlopers despite their charm, mean nothing to her. When an offer is made to save the Crows and give them protection though, Fie knows that she must make it truly stick and gets the prince himself to swear a Covenant oath on it. Now she just has to get them to safety in time before they are all killed.

Owen has woven an incredible world in her debut novel, which is the first in a series. I’m always impressed when an author can toss readers directly into the story with almost no exposition to help and it all works and makes sense. The world building is unique and fascinating, creating both a wide world to explore but also a microcosm of several people as they navigate their fractured and magical society. The magic too is interesting, using bones and teeth to create witchery is wonderfully gruesome and delightfully in keeping with the entire book’s themes. Particularly welcome is a deft use of LGBTQIA+ throughout the novel in the society and several characters.

The character of Fie is also compelling. She is a young woman haunted by the loss of her mother by killers on the open road. She has powers but they are in their infancy and her destiny is to become a chieftain among her people. She is armed with a biting sarcasm that lights up the story like flames, and a deep understanding of what is wrong with the world. Her connection with Tavin grows organically throughout the story and adds its own heat to the book.

A great new voice in YA fantasy, this novel is dark, bloody and compelling. Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Henry Holt.

 

Review: Hummingbird by Nicola Davies

| Tasha

Hummingbird by Nicola Davies

Hummingbird by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Jane Ray (9781536205381)

In a grandmother’s garden in Central America, a granddaughter watches the zooming hummingbirds. The birds will soon be heading north for the summer to their nesting grounds. The tiny birds must cross the Gulf of Mexico, stopping for a bit of rest on boats along the way. They continue on, following the blooming flowers as they stretch northward. When they reach their nesting grounds, the male hummingbirds defend their nearby flowers. There, the same girl, now in New York City, finds an eggshell on the ground and realizes that she has seen both the beginning and end of the hummingbird’s migration.

Davies, a zoologist, beautifully frames the story of the hummingbird with one little girl’s own travels from Central America to her home in New York City. She makes sure that readers have plenty of facts about the hummingbird, from how light they are to what their diets need to how they nest and migrate. Davies has a real skill for sharing just enough facts with young readers and still telling a compelling story that is not derailed by too many factoids.

The illustrations by Ray are phenomenal. Her delicate lines are exactly the right format for these tiny birds. She captures the beauty of their feathers and their coloring. She also shows them in mid-air but still manages to convey their speed and dexterity.

A beautiful nonfiction picture book about an amazing tiny bird. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Bear Out There by Jacob Grant

| Tasha

Bear Out There by Jacob Grant

Bear Out There by Jacob Grant (9781681197456)

This second book about Bear and his friend Spider follows Bear’s Scare. Bear is happy staying at home all day, being cozy and warm. Spider though has a kite that he wants to fly, and he loves to be outdoors. When Spider’s kite gets away from him, Spider asks Bear for help finding it. So Bear heads out into the itchy, bug-filled, dirty woods along with his friend. The two search for a long time, Bear completely missing the charm of the woods. When it starts to rain though, the entire adventure gets bleak and disheartening. The two friends though, never quit. They eventually find the kite tangled in the trees. Now can they find a way of compromising and finding some indoor/outdoor fun together?

Grant writes with a great wry sense of humor that really allows Bear to be just as grumpy as he likes without the book ever becoming too filled with complaints. Spider helps in that way too, without saying a word, keeping spirits high and trying to show Bear how lovely the outdoors actually are. The text is simple and the pace is just right for a walk in the woods.

As with the first book, Grant’s art is perfect for sharing with a group. He fills the pages with color and large shapes. Even small Spider can be easily viewed by children seated on the floor. The art is welcoming and simple.

A look at the wonders of nature through the lens of a friendship. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Review: Moth: An Evolution Story by Isabel Thomas

| Tasha

Moth An Evolution Story by Isabel Thomas

Moth: An Evolution Story by Isabel Thomas, illustrated by Daniel Egneus (9781547600205)

This nonfiction picture book explains a specific process of evolution by following the story of the Peppered Moth. The moths emerge from their cocoons after the long winter, quickly seeking shelter from predators. At first, most of the moths had speckled black and white wings. It allowed them to better hide in the bark of the woods. The ones that happened to be born with dark wings got eaten by predators. So the speckled moths were able to survive to lay their eggs. But then the world around them changed with more soot and pollution covering the bark of the trees and other objects. Now it was the dark moths that survived best and could lay their eggs. Steadily, the moths started to become darker and less speckled. Now though, pollution is lessening and there is no longer as much soot. So the speckled moths are returning alongside the dark moths.

The tale of the Peppered Moth shows many elements of evolutionary process, including natural selection and adaptation. Both of those concepts are more fully described in the final pages of the book but are fully realized in the main part of the book as well. Thomas does a lovely job with the prose, giving the reader just enough information to allow the story to unfold before them. She limits the amount of words on the page, making this accessible for quite young children.

The illustrations are marvelous, inviting readers into the darkness of a moonlit woods as the moths emerge from their cocoons. The pages fill with moths of different mixtures of black and white. When day comes, more predators enter the pages. As the pollution enters, the world becomes dark and filled with dots and specks of dirty soot. The moths glow against the new darkness, or hide well, depending on their color. It’s a stirring and rich look at evolution happening right before your eyes.

Beautifully written and illustrated, this is a very special nonfiction picture book. Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from copy provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Review: Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas by Juana Medina

| Tasha

Juana & Lucas Big Problemas by Juana Medina

Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas by Juana Medina (9781536201314)

The first book in this series won the Pura Belpre Author Award in 2017. This second book continues to use the author’s own childhood in Bogota, Colombia as inspiration. Juana’s life is wonderful. She has her dog, Lucas, and her mother. But lately, her mother has been making some changes. Her hair is different and she has a boyfriend. Luis is nice and kind to Juana, but it’s a lot of change to deal with. When the two decide to get married and move to a new home, Juana is brokenhearted. But even though things are changing, some things will always be true, like how much Juana is loved.

Medina shares how traumatic major life changes can be to children without minimizing their emotional strain. At the same time, Juana is a resilient child, who is constantly facing life with an inherent optimism that pays off. Medina focuses on hope and love throughout the book, never allowing it to bog down and keeping the pace brisk.

Throughout this early chapter book, Spanish words are sprinkled in a way that makes sense to English-speaking readers. The setting is used nicely in the story and factors heavily into the illustrations which are friendly and have a warm cartoon feel.

Another winner from Medina! Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.