Author: Tasha

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed

| Tasha

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems.

Willems newest is a satisfying and funny picture book, just what we have come to expect from him.  Wilbur is a naked mole rat who prefers to wear clothes, something unheard of in the mole rat society.  Wilbur doesn’t understand why there is anything wrong with clothes, so the other mole rats go to complain to Grand-pah who was very wise.  He thought for some time and then decides to make a proclamation.  Wilbur heads to the proclamation wearing only blue socks, knowing that it is very important and not wanting to overstep in the fashion arena.  You will have to read the book to find out what Grand-pah said!

Willems’ text and illustrations are entirely typical of his charming, disarming, funny and clever style.  He has smart asides to the audience, illustrations that will work with a group, and of course the thrill of the NAKED mole rats.  Lovely stuff that is sure to be a hit with the preschool crowd.

Testing, testing

| Tasha

Trying out the new WordPress blog.  I love it!  Look at those colors, those curved lines, and this interface rocks!

Now to drive Jody crazy with plug in ideas!

Golden Kite Awards

| Tasha

The 2009 Golden Kite Awards were announced today.

The winners are:

Fiction: Down Sand Mountain by Steve Watkins

Nonfiction: A Life in the Wild: George Schaller’s Struggle to Save the Last Great Beasts by Pamela S. Turner

Picture Book Text: A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton

Picture Book Illustration: Last Night by Hyewon Yum

 

And the honor books:

Fiction: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Nonfiction: The Mysterious Universe: Supernovae, Dark Energy, and Black Holes by Ellen Jackson, illustrated by Nic Bishop

Picture Book Text: Before John Was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Sean Qualis

Picture Book Illustration: I Love My New Toy by Mo Willems

Nebula and Norton Awards

| Tasha

The Nebula and Norton 2008 ballots have been finalized. 

Strangely, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow is listed in the novel category instead of the teen Norton section.  Ack!  So is Powers by Ursula Le Guin!  And neither of them are in the Norton category at all.

Ignoring that inconsistency, on to the great list for the Andre Norton award for Science Fiction and Fantasy written for teens:

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Lamplighter by D. M. Cornish

Savvy by Ingrid Law

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Flora’s Dare by Ysabeau S. Wilce

 

Where is Hunger Games?!  Well, at least it won a Cybil.  😉

LA Times Book Prize Finalists

| Tasha

The 2008 Book Prize Finalists have been announced.  Here are the finalists in Young Adult Literature:

 

Candace Fleming for The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary

Neil Gaiman for The Graveyard Book

Oscar Hijuelos for Dark Dude

Nate Powell for Swallow Me Whole

Terry Pratchett for Nation

Dark Dude and Swallow Me Whole were not even on my radar from last year!  I love surprises mixed in with the expected this way.

No links and pictures because WorldCat is being horrid right now.

The Problem with the Puddles

| Tasha

The Problem with the Puddles by Kate Feiffer, illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Baby’s parents agree to disagree about everything.  This means that they could not agree on a name for her when she was born.  Her mother calls her Emily and her father calls her Ferdinanda.  Everyone else calls her by the name on her birth certificate written by a nurse: Baby.  They have two dogs because her parents couldn’t agree on which type of dog to get.  They did agree on the name, Sally, so both dogs are named that.  Mr. Puddle loves the country while Mrs. Puddle loves the city, so they have homes in both.  In their hurry to leave for the city, the family forgets the dogs.  The parents disagree on whether to turn back or not.  Meanwhile, the two Sallys have realized they are forgotten and try to fix the problem themselves.  This whimsical, funny and clever novel begs to be shared.

I just love clever books.  Books that ask children to stretch a bit and reach.  The fact that this one does it in such a subtle way makes it all the more clever.  Through the lens of a light, illustrated story, children get to see a dysfunctional couple, a father who has lost his son because of lies, and a family desperately in need of a cleaning staff.  All serious subjects handled with a deftness and skill that allow the readers to stay above it all.  Lots to discuss here, the book has great writing that reads aloud with ease as well as friendly, inviting illustrations that capture the style of the writing perfectly.

Recommended as a read aloud, this book also reads alone well.  The problem here is that I don’t know if a second book is in the works or not!  That’s the problem with the Puddles!  Appropriate for ages 7-10.

Stolen

| Tasha

Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde.

On the same day a witch is chased to her home and it is set on fire, a girl walks out of the forest.  Isabelle seems to be a girl who was stolen from the local village six years ago.  But Isabella can’t remember anything at all.  Her family takes her in and as Isabella learns more about them, her own past is slowly revealed to her.  Is she Isabella?  Or is she someone else?  And what role does the evil witch play in all of this?

For such a brief book, this novel has intrigue, mystery and twists galore.  Readers will enjoy the character of Isabella who though confused about her own past sees others with great clarity.  The villains in the novel are deliciously evil, roles are complex and twists are built up to but not foreseen.  Even those who can predict who Isabella is will not see parts of the ending coming.  How wonderful to be right but to be surprised too.

Recommended for readers who like a good thriller.  The cover alone guarantees that this will fly off the shelves.  It also has enough depth to be a good discussion book around Halloween.  Appropriate for ages 12-14.

Booklist Top 10 Graphic Novels

| Tasha

Booklist has the 2009 Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth up.  A great list for libraries who may have rows of manga series but don’t quite know what to get in the latest graphic novels.

I’m very happy to see Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan on the list.  I’ve reviewed it.  Any other favorites?

My People

| Tasha

My People by Langston Hughes, photographs by Charles R. Smith, Jr.

Langston Hughes’ powerful and simple poem is brilliantly accompanied by Charles R. Smith’s transcendent photographs.  Each photograph illustrates the beauty, depth and soul of being an African-American today.  From close ups of lined hands to the joy of a baby’s giggle, the photographs span ages.  The photographs are clear, purposefully done and gripping.

Highly recommended, this book belongs in every public library.  It is a joy to read the powerful poem and have it illustrated with such skill.  Appropriate for all ages.