Author: Tasha

Almost Nothing, Yet Everything by Hiroshi Osada

| Tasha
Cover image for Almost Nothing Yet Everything.

Almost Nothing, Yet Everything by Hiroshi Osada, illustrated by Ryoji Arai (9781592703579)

The author/illustrator team who created Every Color of Light returns with a picture book celebrates a different element: water. A parent and child head off on a journey along the waterways. Water has no color of its own, but can be any color based on where it is. It forms to any shape, but you can’t slice it or hold it in your hands. It reflects us back when we look into it and also the sky and clouds. It flows, rains, cascades and overflows. It is simple, but vital to life on earth.

Translated from the original Japanese, this picture book is beautifully poetic. It looks at the many aspects of water through the eyes of a child who is interacting with it on a journey along the river. The ending of the book adds a child’s question about whether water is the pee-pee of the gods. After such a lyrical poem, the question is marvelous in its honesty, simplicity and wonder.

Arai’s illustrations are exceptional. Filled with the beauty of water, they capture it both in its impact on landscapes and as it flows through one’s fingers. The large landscapes are deep green and dramatic while the close ups are personal and capture small moments of discovery. The combination of the two make the importance of water in our lives clear.

Another winning elemental picture book from Japan. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy provided by Enchanted Lion Books.

2021 PM’s Literary Awards Shortlist

| Tasha

The 2021 PM’s Literary Awards Shortlist has been announced. The book awards celebrate the best in Australian books of the year. The awards are given to adult and juvenile titles. Winners will be announced in December. Here are the shortlisted titles for the children’s and teen awards:

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Cover for Fly on the Wall

Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai

Cover for How to Make a Bird

How to Make a Bird by Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Matt Ottley

The January Stars

The January Stars by Kate Constable

Cover for The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst

The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty, illustrated by Kelly Canby

The Year the Maps Changed

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE

Cover for The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love

The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love by Davina Bell

The F Team

The F Team by Rawah Arja

Cover for Loner

Loner by Georgina Young

Cover for Metal Fish, Falling Snow

Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore

Cover for When Rain Turns to Snow

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll

| Tasha
Cover image for A Kind of Spark.

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll (9780593374252)

Addie is neurodivergent just like her older sister. She has had good luck with teachers at school until she gets Ms. Murphy, who clearly doesn’t appreciate having Addie in her class. Meanwhile, Addie’s previous best friend has found someone else to be friends with, a girl that bullies Addie constantly. The new girl in class though clearly wants to be Addie’s friend and is also willing to stand up and defend her. As Addie navigates friendship and school, she learns of her village’s history of witch trials and the women who were killed. She is determined to have a memorial created for the women who were killed, many of whom were likely different from the norm, just like Addie and her sister.

Written by a neurodivergent author, this middle grade novel won the Peter Blue Book Award for Best Story of the Year. It is clear to see why. This portrayal of being autistic is filled with compassion and empathy, but also doesn’t apologize for being different instead pointing out how important different perspectives and voices are. Written in the first person from Addie’s point of view, readers get to understand how it feels to need to control autistic behaviors and the toll it takes.

Addie explains directly how it feels to be autistic, how it is to have to suppress stimulation behaviors, and what having a meltdown feels like to the person having one. This book offers everyone a way to see underneath autistic presentation to the person underneath who has so much to say and contribute. This is done simply by allowing us inside Addie to deeply understand her as a human.

A compelling look inside autism and activism. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Crown Books for Young Readers.

Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste

| Tasha
Cover image for Looking for a Jumbie.

Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste, illustrated by Amber Ren (9780062970817)

When night comes, Naya doesn’t want to go to bed, she wants to find a jumbie. A jumbie is a creature from Caribbean tales rather like fairies or trolls. After being tucked into bed, Naya heads outside to find a jumbie. A voice in the woods asks her what a jumbie looks like, so Naya explains that a Douen has a big mouth and backward feet. The creature who had asked her the question looks a lot like a douen, but the two continue on together in search of jumbies. The next creature Naya meets looks like a lagahoo with thick fur, sharp teeth and chains. The three then venture on, meeting a fiery soucouyant, the goat-like huge Papa Bois, and the watery snakelike Mama D’Leau. All of them bring Naya back home, but what will her mother think?

This playful picture book has the structure and rhythm of traditional and beloved stories which will make it familiar to many children. The Caribbean creatures described will be new to many readers as will the idea of a jumbie in general. Readers will love the jaunt across the fields, woods and rivers to discover a variety of jumbies who are tricksters but also kind to Naya.

Ren’s illustrations take the bright tropical colors and pair that with the dark of night to create illustrations that stand out. The creatures themselves are a wide range of colors and types, each so different from the others that they are surprising and delightful when the pages turn.

Adventure into the land of Caribbean stories with this picture book. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Balzer + Bray.

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – October 22

| Tasha

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Beloved author Gary Paulsen has died aged 82 – Pan Macmillan

Documentary chronicles diversity in children’s literature – SLJ

From middle grade novel to Netflix: a conversation with Adam Gidwitz about A Tale Dark & Grimm – 100 Scope Notes

Grover’s iconic Sesame Street children’s book turns 50 – NPR

Jerry Pinkney, the beloved award-winning children’s book illustrator, has died at 81 – NPR

Picture books for children – reviews – The Guardian

Southlake school leader tells teachers to balance Holocaust books with ‘opposing’ views – NBC News

Your favorite children’s books – The New York Times

LIBRARIES

Texas’s book censorship hysteria: an interview with Ashley Hope Pérez – OIF Blog

YA LIT

Netflix’s To All the Boys gets spin-off show with original star returning – DigitalSpy

Realms of Ruin – a project from six YA authors to create an NFT-based writing project has been cancelled – Bad Writing Takes on Twitter

Maybe… by Chris Haughton

| Tasha
Cover image for Maybe…

Maybe… by Chris Haughton (9781536220247)

When the older monkey leaves, they warn the three little monkeys to NOT go down to the mango tree because there are tigers down there. But the little monkeys can’t stop thinking about how much they love mangos. Maybe… they could just head down and look. They see no tigers and a mango close enough to reach. They keep a close look out and quickly grab the mango. Yum! But what happens when they decide to have more mangoes and stop being careful? Tigers!

Haughton’s picture book about naughty and curious monkeys is a great read aloud. The text is made up solely of the monkeys’ dialogue with one another, so make sure you have at least four monkey voices at hand! With simple text, Haughton creates a book full of building tension that also offers a wild chase scene that will have readers merrily gasping along with the monkeys, before a final twist.

As always, Haughton’s illustrations are bold and bright. The deep blue monkeys stand out against the red backgrounds. Their simple and funny faces shine with their emotions as they pursue delicious mangos. The book expands its colors to mango yellow, rich oranges and purple/pink trees.

Gasps, giggles and glee accompany the monkeys on their adventure. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Candlewick.

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen

| Tasha
Cover image for Garlic and the Vampire.

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen (9780062995094)

Garlic works at the farm market with the other living vegetables brought to life by the witch. Garlic tends to stressed and anxious, and is even more so when she accidentally sleeps in again on market day. The next day, the witch encourages Garlic to try using some magic to get her garlic to grow, encouraging Garlic to look beyond helping her in the garden too. But Garlic doesn’t want adventures at all, she’s much happier staying on the farm. So when a vampire moves into the abandoned castle nearby, it seems that Garlic is exactly the right one to send to get rid of him. After all, vampires can’t abide garlic.

This debut graphic novel for children is a look at anxiety and stress, all in one garlicky wrapper. With one bully on the farm to contend with, Garlic can’t seem to see the kindness of the others around her, instead getting fretful, sleeping too much, and doubting her own abilities. When she is sent on her mission, she finds her footing and eventually takes care of it in her own special way, making the ending satisfying on multiple levels.

The art style is unique and is something that will draw readers into the story. It has a great vintage feel to it from the classic vampire to the vegetables themselves. The humanoid veggies are marvelous characters, their emotions clear on both their faces and in their body language. The book plays characters that one might be afraid of against their tropes, showing dimensions to them in inventive ways both in the storyline and in the images.

A cozy graphic novel full of witches and vampires. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Quill Tree Books.

May Your Life be Deliciosa by Michael Genhart

| Tasha
Cover image for May Your Life Be Deliciosa.

May Your Life be Deliciosa by Michael Genhart, illustrated by Loris Lora (9781951836221)

Rosie’s family gathers every Christmas Eve to make tamales with her Abuela. She and her sister soak and clean the corn husks, her cousins chop onions and garlic, her aunt roasts the chiles, her mother prepares the masa dough, and her Abuela cooks the meat filling. The recipe with its secret seasonings isn’t written down anywhere, but her grandmother shares it with everyone in the family. Every year her grandmother shares a story about making the tamales. It wishes everyone that they are flexible, secure, proud, satisfied, loved and supported by family. Now the time has come to make dozens and dozens of tamales together with no recipe, just using your senses. Soon they get to practice patience as good smells fill the house. Finally it is time to eat!

Told with a deep sense of family and generational wisdom, this picture book celebrates time spent around the holidays together. Centered around the grandmother, this book gives her space to share not only her recipe but also her insights into what is important in life. The stories are shared as she creates the first tamale, tying them closely to what she is making with the protective layer, the olive at the heart, the corn, and more. It’s no surprise when you reach the Author’s Note that this is based on his own experiences in his Abuela’s kitchen growing up.

Lora’s illustrations show a multi-generational family and are inspired by her own Mexican family. Using bright yellows, warm oranges, and rich browns, she creates scenes where you can almost smell the spices. The stories are done in a mix of color and black and white, framing them as their own special time.

Full of love, food and warmth. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Abrams.

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

| Tasha
Cover image for Me (Moth).

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride (9781250780362)

Moth’s family were all killed in a car accident that left her face scarred. Now she lives with her aunt, who barely acknowledges her presence. She goes to school where is also ignored. Moth used to be a dancer, movement was her way of expressing herself, but she can’t dance anymore. When Sani, a new boy, starts at her school, Moth is immediately drawn to him. Sani too is grappling with his own depression. He lives with his mother whose new boyfriend beats him. So when Moth’s aunt leaves her without even saying goodbye, Sani and Moth set off on a road trip together, heading across the country to Sani’s father’s home with the Diné people. The trip brings them closer together and they both discover the connections that were there all along.

It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel, since it is done with such skill and confidence. Written in verse, so much is left implied and unsaid, unrevealed until McBride is ready for us to understand and the characters are ready to see it too. Combining Hoodoo Black traditions with Navajo/Diné, the book is filled with a deep sense of spirituality and connectivity to ancestors and those who have passed on.

The writing is exceptional, filled with moments that are breathtakingly and achingly gorgeous and others that are difficult and dark. The book is filled with wonder despite the difficulties both characters face. It’s a love story, of two people coming together through their families’ traditions, the way they are initially drawn to one another, and then a slow-building deeper connection they create together.

A book like a moth that will metamorphose right in front of you. Appropriate for ages 13-18.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Feiwel and Friends.