Book Reviews

Five Little Friends by Sean Taylor – Book Review

| Tasha

Five Little Friends: A Collection of Finger Rhymes by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Fiona Woodcock (9781536242911)

Full of new fingerplays and finger rhymes, this picture book is a marvelous resource for families, teachers and librarians. The rhymes have a timeless quality to them that will make them seamlessly join in more traditional finger rhymes like “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” Taylor has created a collection that will be beloved and I’m hoping that some of his rhymes become universal on the storytime circuit. They have a bounce, a rhythm and a jolly sense of humor that small children will adore. 

Woodcock’s illustrations seamlessly incorporate the actions and move alongside the rhymes so that adults can quickly read the rhyme and gestures together. The colors are bright and friendly and feature a diverse cast of children acting out the rhymes on the page. The focus on learning through movement is joyful.

This one belongs in every library and would make a great gift for new parents. Appropriate for ages 0-4.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Candlewick.

Big Little Baby by Liz Garton Scanlon – Book Review

| Tasha

Big Little Baby by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Trudy Tan (9780593890868)

This board book is a warm and lovely take on a universal baby game of “Baby is SO big” while you raise their hands above their head. The book quickly expands the game to show how strong and big baby is. From being strong like an elephant and stretching to reach a toy to roaring with hunger like a bear. The story then turns to how small baby is, a part of the book that is filled with butterfly kisses and being held close. The book ends with bedtime and a sleeping baby. Award-winning Scanlon sets just the right gentle and playful feel with a rhythm and rhyme that allows the book to skip along at a baby-friendly pace. The illustrations have a lovely watercolor softness combined with engaging colors. 

Just right for babies no matter how big or small. Appropriate for ages 0-3.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Penguin Random House.

I Hate Everything! By Sophy Henn – Book Review

| Tasha

I Hate Everything! By Sophy Henn (9781665980494)

When a ghost is having a very bad day, his smaller friend tries to figure out what is wrong. Does the ghost hate him too? No? Does the ghost hate sweets? How about playing dress up? One after the other, the little ghost finds things that the other ghost doesn’t hate, and maybe loves. In the end the ghost has completely forgotten what he hates, or has he? Told entirely in speech bubbles, the book is fast paced and great fun to read aloud with a grumpy ghost voice. 

A silly book about bad moods that is sure to put you in a good one. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Beach Lane Books.

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe – Book review

| Tasha

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe (9781534478206)

The creator of Pokko and the Drum returns with a new picture book. Aggie is looking forward to living on her own, but then discovers that her new house is haunted. The ghost never leaves her alone and won’t follow any of the rules she sets for the house. He steals her socks, haunts during the middle of the night, and eats all the cheese. Finally, Aggie has had enough and heads into the woods during a rainstorm trying to be alone. But the ghost joins her. The two decide to play tic-tac-toe with the winner getting to stay in the house. It’s an epic game but will it be enough to create some rules for the two of them? Probably not.

Forsythe’s humor is evident in his illustrations with their washes of color and doll-faced little person. The ghost is a marvelously malleable creature with one big eye who would certainly be disconcerting to have around the house. The story too is a delight with a marvelous ending that is laugh-out-loud funny. 

A hauntingly good book. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Simon & Schuster.

My Quiet Place by Monica Mikai – Book Review

| Tasha

My Quiet Place by Monica Mikai (9781797225319)

A little girl enjoys early morning because it’s so quiet. But soon it’s getting busy and noisy even in their house. Outside more noises are added as the city wakes up. Happily, she has some quiet places around the house to retreat to and spend time alone. She even has a spot at school. The world, especially a city, can be a lot of noise and people, but even then she can find ways to find quiet. It could be a hand to hold or a song to hum. So when she finds another child at a birthday party who can’t take the noise, she knows just how to help. 

Told in the first person, this picture book shares proactive ways that children and families can help when someone is experiencing sensory overload. The little girl does not share a diagnosis, keeping the story focused on her personal experience and ways she finds her quiet place throughout the day and in various settings. The illustrations show the noise as red lines coming from various parts of the room. The little girl’s emotions are shown clearly and help share her experience.

A little quiet book just right for those who need some space. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Chronicle Books. 

My Abuela Is a Bruja by Mayra Cuevas – Book Review

| Tasha

My Abuela Is a Bruja by Mayra Cuevas, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez (9780593480632)

A little girl’s Abuela is magical in everything that she does and the girl wants to grow up to have the same magic and learn her secrets. Her grandmother is an island bruja, knowing all the secret paths and hidden waterfalls. Her grandmother is a garden bruja, able to get plants growing happily in sun and shade. She is a dancing bruja and a kitchen bruja, making savory and sweet. The little girl wishes for her own bruja magic and her grandmother assures her that she comes from a long line of magical women and already has magic of her own.

I particularly enjoyed the idea of a grandmother being a witch turning into the beauty and knowledge of an older woman taking care of a child. This book celebrates that there is magic in small things like dancing, exploring nature, eating good food and spending time together. The illustrations are lush and colorful, evoking Puerto Rico with a delightful playfulness.

A magical and down-to-earth read perfect for grandmothers to share. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

CeeCee: Underground Railroad Cinderella by Shana Keller – Book Review

| Tasha

CeeCee: Underground Railroad Cinderella by Shana Keller, illustrated by Laura Freeman (9781623543891)

CeeCee was first called Cecelia, then Celia and finally CeeCee, but she remembered the name her mother had given her. She was a slave on a plantation in Maryland, working constantly though the daughters of the house never worked. CeeCee longed to learn to read and when she was caught looking at books was punished by being locked in the attic. It was after one of those incidents that she learned from the plantation cook about Moses, who could lead her to freedom. After months of preparation and planning, CeeCee put her plan in action.

Told with simple frankness, this picture book demonstrates the power of names, the way changing names was used to dehumanize enslaved people, and the importance of connection to one’s family even when pulled apart. Using the structure of the Cinderella story works particularly well. The digital illustrations capture the emotions of each moment on the page, inviting readers to experience them too. 

Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Charlesbridge.

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz – Book Review

| Tasha

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz (9781250357465)

This adult science fiction novella tells the story of a crew of robots who awaken from being turned off to find that the restaurant they had been working in has been abandoned. The world around them has changed too with more destruction and fewer other stores in the area. As the four robots begin to think about what they want for themselves and their own future, they decide to open a biang biang noodle shop. Along the way, they face more than their share of anti-robot hatred but they also learn that they have created a larger community willing to stand with them. 

With its focus on robots and found family, this novella will resonate with an older YA or new adult audience. The length is enticing and the cover is a colorful riot of noodles, San Francisco and robots. The book has lots of heart, almost no violence and is set in a vivid world of conscious legal contracts, sentient robots with limited civil rights, and a colorful cast of human and robot characters. 

A cozy SF novella food, family and San Fran. Appropriate for ages 16+.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Tor.

A Place for Us by James E. Ransome – Book Review

| Tasha

A Place for Us by James E. Ransome (9780593324882)

This wordless picture book shares a day in the life of a mother and son who are unhoused. The boy goes to school and is picked up afterwards by his mother. They live in an unnamed city and he shares his news of his day as they walk to get dinner. After dinner, they spend the rest of their evening together in the library doing homework and reading. Once the library is closed, they head to a park where the boy sleeps on the bench, his head in his mother’s lap as she keeps watch through the night. The boy brushes his teeth in a drinking fountain, changes clothes and then is off to another day at school. 

This book is immensely moving and powerful. There is such dignity to their day together, such effort in keeping her son safe and such a strong connection between the two of them. All of that is shared in images alone, speaking from the page through their interaction, their body language and their time together. It is haunting, beautiful and a call to action. Ransome is one of our greatest picture book creators and this one is one of his best. 

Powerful and full of heart, this picture book doesn’t let you look away from those in need of housing. Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Nancy Paulsen Books.