The Internet is rumbling with a rumor that director Peter Jackson will be adapting Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engine series for film. Jackson has yet to confirm or deny this, but what exciting news for fans of the series!
Via Cinematical.
Author: Tasha
Snore, Dinosaur, Snore
Snore, Dinosaur, Snore! by John Bendall-Brunello
Three little dinosaurs wake up from sleeping on their mother’s spiny back. But their mother is still asleep. She doesn’t move when they prod and pinch her. She just continues to snore. They try tickling, clawing and elbowing her. More snores. Then they roll her over and slide her down a hill! Snores. After rolling down and splashing into a muddy puddle, she just might be waking up. But they won’t be sure until those snores turn into ROARS!
Simple and perfectly paced for a toddler audience, this book has the appeal of dinosaurs mixed with silliness and giggles. The little dinosaurs are mischievous. Children will delight in the thought of rolling a mother down a hill and into mud. And the reaction at the end is just loud and surprising enough to cap off this fun romp of a book.
Appropriate for ages 2-4, this book will be welcomed by young dinosaur enthusiasts and should not snore for long on any library shelf. Not with little dinosaurs around!
Reviewed from copy received from publisher.
Last Night I Sang to the Monster
Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Zach is in rehab with no memory of how he got there. His therapist tells him that he was going through alcohol withdrawal so severe that he could have died, but all of the other details remain hidden in Zach’s mind. As Zach goes through therapy, learning from therapists and others going through rehab, he learns to feel emotions again even though he longs to stay in the cocoon of amnesia that he has built. This powerful novel shows the unpeeling of denial and addiction to reach the essence of memory and humanity.
This book reads like a poem, a prayer. The language is by turns languid and thoughtful and then raging and taut. Readers are not spared from the emotional onslaught of recovery and truth as Zach slowly realizes what has happened to him. The prose is an inner dialogue, a wandering but purposeful journey through memory. It is a stream of consciousness that flows like a raging river, cleansing and correcting as it goes. Zach is an amazing character who even when in denial and doubt, shines like a beacon. He is strong in the face of such overwhelming change and brave as he faces his demons.
This is a book filled with such truth and honesty that it is searing and painful to witness. It is a book that will capture teen readers and not let them loose even when they finish the novel. Highly recommended, this book is appropriate for ages 15-18.
Reviewed from library copy.
Also reviewed by La Bloga and The Picnic Basket.
Gracias / Thanks
Gracias/Thanks by Pat Mora, illustrated by John Parra
In this bilingual book, a boy tells the readers everything he is thankful for as he goes through his day. He starts his day by being thankful for the sun that wakes him up. He is thankful for things in nature, people in his life, music and food. At the end of his day, he is thankful for his soft pajamas and the crickets in the garden. This book is thoughtful and joyous look at life and everything small and large that we have to be thankful for.
There is a thoughtfulness in Mora’s writing that shows the depth of the gratitude for each item mentioned. I particularly appreciate the fact that nothing the boy is thankful for takes money to achieve. We can all be thankful for these passing moments in our lives, making this a universal book. Parra’s illustrations done in acrylic have a timeless and rustic feel, often showing signs of wear on the paint that add to the vintage quality. The young boy is multiracial adding another layer of depth to the story.
Highly recommended, this book could be used in classrooms to lead gratitude exercises. It also makes a great conversation starter for families about what is most important, even the smallest things. At the same time, for younger children it is a wonderful quiet book about a boy’s day and its details. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
Reviewed from copy received from publisher.
Also reviewed by HappyNappyBookseller, Latin Baby Book Club, A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy, and featured on 7-Imp.
The Borrowers – Anime Style
Studio Ghibli, the animation studio behind Ponyo, has announced that their next project will be an adaptation of The Borrowers. The story will be reworked from 1950s England to a modern Japanese setting. It will also be renamed The Borrower Arrietty after the character of the Borrower daughter. It is to be released in Japan in the summer of 2010.
Via TotalFilm.com
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Namaste!
Namaste! by Diana Cohn, illustrated by Amy Cordova
Nima lives in Nepal where her father works a few weeks every year as a mountain guide. When he leaves this year he promises to return with a story and she must have a story for his as well. On Nima’s long walk to school in the village, she greets the people she passes with “Namaste.” She wishes that she could help people like her father does. That would make a wonderful story to tell him on his return. Before heading home after school, Nima greets her father’s friend Tenzing, who is a trader. After her greeting, Tenzing thanks her with honey telling her that she brightens his day whenever she says Namaste! So with every greeting, Nima is helping people.
This book exudes the feel and style of Nepal. The meaning of Namaste is explained to readers early in the book, so they will understand what Nima is really telling people and why it is so special. The story is simple and gentle, filled with the daily rhythms of another part of the world which allow us a glimpse into what is similar and different. Cohn’s prose is sprinkled with words that work well in the context and can be looked up in the glossary as well. Cordova’s art really ties this book to Nepal through traditional art motifs and iconic images such as the prayer flags.
This book is a fast and fascinating way to make a quick visit to Nepal and see it through the eyes of a little girl. It is a book that celebrates the simple and the profound at once. Namaste!
Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from library copy.
Below you can take a look at a video with the author and illustrator talking about the book:
Have You Ever Seen a Sneep?
Have You Ever Seen a Sneep? by Tasha Pym, pictures by Joel Stewart
Does a Sneep steal your picnic the minute you turn your back? Does a Snook ruin your quiet time by being so loud? Have you swung out over the water and landed in a Grullock’s throat? Have you been surprised by a Floon? Chased by a Knoo? You haven’t?
This funny and charming fantasy features a boy who lives in a land filled with creatures we have never seen before. They are humanoid but strange with purple skin, large beaks, and many legs. It is a great juxtaposition of a normal boy in what seem to be normal settings doing normal things and then an unusual creature arrives and the entire scene shifts. Pym’s rhymes are effortless as they swing readers through the book. Stewart’s art suits the subject perfectly with its gentle feel combined with wacky characters in wild colors.
Highly recommended for preschool or toddler storytimes. Children will love the fact they are being asked if they have seen such a creature themselves. Adults reading aloud will find the pacing impeccable. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
Reviewed from library copy.
Alice in Wonderland the Trailer
The second trailer for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland has been released. You can see it in the following formats:
Original video source (AIW_Trailer5_720.mov)
Original video source (AIW_Trailer5_1080.mov)
Original video source (AIW_Trailer5_480.mov)
/Film has a series of stills from the trailer because all of the images fly past so quickly. The film will be released in both 2D and 3D on March 5th.
Red Ted and the Lost Things
Red Ted and the Lost Things by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Joel Stewart
This is a picture book graphic novel. It is best described as sweet and quiet, two words that are rarely associated with graphic novels! Red Ted has been lost on the train by Stevie who loves him as much as she loves cheese. He is put on the lost and found shelf next to a green crocodile who has been there so long he can’t remember who lost him. Red Ted doesn’t want that to happen to him, so he decides to escape. The crocodile goes with him, jumping off the shelf and following the signs out of the station. Once outside, they meet a cat who smells the cheese on Red Ted and then helps him find his way to Stevie by following the smell of cheese.
The adventures they have on the way are not frightening, focusing on things like rain and dogs. This book has a quiet story that combines an old-fashioned feel with a modern format. It is a very good first graphic novel for young children who will enjoy the speech bubbles and the frames that they see in older siblings’ books. Rosen tells a complete and charming story in just a few words and snatches of conversation. Stewart’s art works really well here with the bright and bold colors of the main characters contrasting with the gray tones of the backgrounds.
A graphic novel for the preschool set, this book has a charm about it that will find it happy owners. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Reviewed from library copy.
