Sir Thursday by Garth Nix is the fourth book in the Keys to the Kingdom series.   Arthur is intent on heading out of the House and returning to the secondary realms to check on his family before he tries to find the next part of the Will and win the next Key.  But that is not to be.  Instead he is unable to return to his home because someone else is already there, pretending to be him.  Luckily, his friend Leaf can return and do battle with the strange creation that is impersonating him.  While he is trapped in the House, Arthur is drafted into the Glorious Army of the Architect under the command of Sir Thursday.  Arthur has to survive not only basic training, but a suicide run led by Sir Thursday himself. 

If all of this sounds a little confusing, that is part of the charm of this series.  The books are set in the House where the Universe is run.  Arthur is a reluctant hero who has been chosen as the Rightful Heir.  Because his own world and his family are threatened, he is forced to continue to battle through the Morrow Days one by one, putting the Will back together and gathering the Keys.  To my great joy, Arthur is accompanied now by two great girls who face battles themselves: Leaf and Suzy Blue.  The child characters are vividly rendered and they are surrounded by complex characters in the House.  The entire series should be read from the first, Mister Monday on through.  No skipping around, or you will miss some of the fun!

This book is recommended primarily for those who have read the first three.  But it could serve as a way for new people to get hooked on the series, wondering what they have missed.  It is not for reluctant readers or squeamish ones.  This is a dark series filled with humor and action.
Released March 2006.

Can You See What I See: Seymour Makes New Friends by Walter Wick. 

Walter Wick does it again with another charming Seymour book.  This illustrator of the continually popular I Spy series has created a series of his own that is for smaller children.  The illustrations are similar but more open with the same clear but cluttered photos.  Seymour is a little man made of wooden beads who along with the readers searches for items amid the pictures.   There is a slight storyline, but the most important part is finding the items and the fun of the search. 

This is not a book for storytimes, but one to curl up with a child and enjoy together.   Enjoy this one and search out the other Seymour books too. 

Fast Food by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers is another clever book from this duo.  They take vegetables and turn them into hilarious little creatures.  This time, they have focused on vehicles, from trucks made from squash to fire engines from red bell peppers to pear helicopters.  The result is a quirky, endearing book filled with all sorts of oohs and aahs. 

This duo is one of my favorites, and this book is one of the most readable books they have done.  This is a picture book that reads well and will allow you to share their silly humor with a group.  Really, if you haven’t seen their books, run out and get them while their fresh. 

A big thanks to A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy for posting about blog clouds, and for making me desperately want a t-shirt too! 

Here is my blog cloud:

Hurrah!  The Jim Henson Company is doing a sequel to The Dark Crystal, one of my all-time favorite Henson films. 

“Set hundreds of years after the first film, the sequel follows a
mysterious girl made of fire who steals a shard of the crystal in hopes
of reigniting the dying sun.“

The 2006 Orbis Picture Books Winners have been announced.  The award is given to excellence in writing nonfiction for children. 

The winners is Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman. 

The honor books are:

ER Vets: Life in an Animals Emergency Room by Donna Jackson. 
Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students by Suzanne Jurmain.
Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein by Marfe Ferguson Delano.
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.
Mosquito Bite by Alexandra Siy.

There is also a length of recommended titles on the website.