Book Reviews

Review: Hello, My Name Is Ruby by Philip C. Stead

| Tasha

hello my name is ruby

Hello, My Name Is Ruby by Philip C. Stead

Ruby is a little bird who is eager to make new friends.  So she introduces herself to every animal she meets.  She’s also eager to learn all sorts of things so she asks all sorts of questions.  Along her journey, she meets different birds who travel in different ways, a giraffe, and many more.  Finally, she meets a bird who doesn’t sing like Ruby does, but he has heard Ruby’s name before.  So he takes her there and suddenly Ruby fits in, but a little bird like Ruby is completely unique so she manages to stand out anyway.

Filled with the same solid writing and art as his previous books, Stead has created a shining new protagonist here in little Ruby.  She is so similar to many children who are fearless when meeting strangers and eager to have conversations about anything at all.  There are many children who will see themselves and their energy in Ruby.  Stead puts page breaks at wonderful points in the story, creating stand-alone moments of flight and friendship that are exceptional.

As always, Stead’s art is stellar.  He manages in just a few lines and the tip of a head to capture Ruby’s spirit and vibrancy.  In the end, the range of Ruby’s friends is shone as a group and the image just sings.

A tiny but oh so impressive little bird will steal your heart in this vibrant picture book. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Roaring Brook Press.

Review: This Is the Rope by Jacqueline Woodson

| Tasha

this is the rope

This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James Ransome

Based on Woodson’s own family, this is the story of how one piece of rope serves as a symbol for the changes that came during the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural south to northern cities.  One little girl tells the story of how her grandparents moved to New York City, using the rope to tie their things to the top of the car.  The rope was used to tie up the drying flowers from their window boxes that reminded them of home.  It was used by the little girl’s mother to tug her toys and play jump rope.  It tied her mother’s belongings to another car when she went off to college.  Then it was used for more jump rope with the little girl and in the end to support the banner for their family reunion.  In the end, it was returned to the original grandmother in exchange for a new rope to jump with. 

Woodson adheres to a strict structure in this book that really makes it feel like folklore, connecting it verbally to other histories, other migrations, other families.  Each page begins with “This is the rope…” and then moves on to tell the next thing that the rope was used for in this changing family.  Turning the pages, readers can see the time change and the opportunities progress. 

Ransome’s illustrations are lovely.  His paintings capture light and its movement as well as the family as they change.  Most of them catch those fleeting moments of life, each connected by the symbol of rope.  The result is a rich and warm series of memories.

Beautifully written and illustrated, this book captures a period of time not seen in most picture books and a story of one family’s history.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Nancy Paulsen Books.

Review: The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt

| Tasha

book of lost things

The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt

  Max’s parents who were both well-known actors had been invited to Kashmir, India to start a theater troupe there.  They planned to take Max along with them but then they disappear.  The ship they were meant to take does not exist and they are simply gone.  That left Max with just his grandmother to care for him, but Max knew that if he was well-cared for, his grief would be too much to bear.  Instead he moved back to his family home, across the garden from his grandmother, and had to find a way to earn his keep.  It was through that that he stumbled upon a job at which he was exceptionally good:  being a detective or as Max preferred, a “solutioneer.” 

Set around the turn of the 20th century, this novel has a strong, brisk pace that is invigorating.  Max is a character who is bright, curious and always thinking.  Voigt populates his life with many other interesting characters, including is wonderful librarian grandmother, the various people he helps find solutions for, and even one demanding baby.  The entire book is a vibrant historical fiction that will have great appeal. 

One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the use of painting and creativity as a way to allow your brain space to think and figure things out.  Max is a painter, creating watercolors of the sky during different seasons.  It is this artistic outlet that is a big key to his success and creative thinking.  Voigt ties the two together clearly and also gives other characters creative outlets that make them even more well-rounded.

The first book in a new series, this book is a delight of mysteries, solutions, theater and historical fiction.  Appropriate for ages 10-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Review: Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

| Tasha

mr tiger goes wild

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

Mr. Tiger was bored with the proper life he was living.  Filled with tea and stilted conversation each day, he longed to get wild.  Then one day, he does just that by starting to walk on four legs instead of two.  He felt better immediately.  And each day, got wilder yet: roaring, casing people, bounding across rooftops.  Then he took it one more step and left his clothes behind.  The other disapproved and sent him off to live in the wilderness unless he could change back and act properly.  So Mr. Tiger headed off.  The wilderness was glorious and Mr. Tiger went completely wild.  However, he also missed the people he left behind in town.  When he headed back to society though, he found that he’d had quite an impact without even knowing it.

This is a stellar picture book.  Brown tells a story that all children can relate to, that of being too wild and too loud and not acting appropriately.  The storytelling is exemplary with perfect pacing and plenty of humor.  That story is well-matched with the bright and bold illustrations.  From the get-go the orange of Mr. Tiger pops from the page, particularly when everything else is dirty sepia toned.  There are glorious moments, including the one where Mr. Tiger is wearing no clothes at all. 

This picture book is a welcome antidote to books on manners.  After all, we all need more wild in our lives.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Rifka Takes a Bow by Rebecca Rosenberg Perlov

| Tasha

rifka takes a bow

Rifka Takes a Bow by Betty Rosenberg Perlov, illustrated by Cosei Kawa

Rifka’s parents are actors in the Yiddish theater community, they work at The Grand and perform regularly.  So Rifka has grown up behind the stage, seeing them transform into different characters.  Sometimes they are so different, she isn’t really sure they are the same person.  When she goes to work with them, she gets to ride the subway and have a snack at the Automat.  She gets to look behind the stage and discover all of the illusions that go into doing theater.  Then one day, Rifka is climbing a set of stairs behind the stage and accidentally steps out during a performance!  What is a girl with acting in her blood going to do?

Written by a woman who herself grew up in the Yiddish Theater where her parents worked, this book captures the wonder of that lifestyle for a small child.  Perlov also shows us the intimate details of that world with the tricks of the stage, the joy of viewing a performance from the wings, and the obvious charm of having parents who are theater people.  This is a beautiful look at a world that has disappeared with the times.

Kawa’s artwork is very unique.  It has a wonderful modern feel thanks to the interesting proportions of the heads and bodies of the characters.  Perhaps the best touch are the little objects that dance in the air.  Whenever people are performing or communicating, they are there and flowing between them.  They offer a sense of the flow of this family and the flow that happens with the audience as well.

A joy to read, this book truly is a look at a lost world from the perspective of someone who actually lived it.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

| Tasha

rooftoppers

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

Sophie was found floating in a cello case after a shipwreck, scooped out of the water by a fellow passenger, Charles, who became her guardian.  He was a single man and a scholar, and unlikely to be a suitable parent, but the two of them got along perfectly well.  The Welfare Agency did pursue the two of them and it finally got so bad that the two fled to Paris before Sophie could be sent to an orphanage.  Sophie knew that her mother was still alive although everyone else thought she was dead.  And her guardian always taught her to never ignore a possible.  So they searched Paris for her mother, following the clue she found in the cello case.  There she met Matteo, a boy who appeared in her skylight and led her to a world of the rooftops.  Together they search the roofs of Paris for the sound of her mother’s cello.  But how long can Sophie search before she is caught by the authorities?

Rundell writes so beautifully, it is impossible not to stop and linger over her phrases.  She uses unusual metaphors like “…he held her in his large hands – at arm’s length, as he would a leaky flowerpot…”  She also paints gorgeous images of her characters, “Think of nighttime with a speaking voice.  Or think how moonlight might talk, or think of ink, if ink had vocal chords.”  And she also vividly shows how characters think, “Mothers are a thing you need, like air, she thought, and water.  Even paper mothers were better than nothing – even imaginary ones.  Mothers were a place to put down your heart.  They were a resting stop to recover your breath.”  I could go on and on with quotes, since her entire novel is filled with moments like this.

Sophie and Charles are great characters, entirely unique and quirky.  At first they are living in a normal society where they don’t fit at all and the tension between them and normalcy is finely conveyed.  It is when she reaches the rooftops of Paris though that the book becomes pure quicksilver magic.  Impossible to put down, one wishes that they too could climb to the rooftops of Paris in the confident hands of Matteo, who is also a vivid and amazing character.

Profoundly original and filled with shining prose, this novel is a wondrous read.  Appropriate for ages 11-13.  Reviewed from digital galley received from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster.

Review: Foxy! by Jessica Souhami

| Tasha

foxy

Foxy! by Jessica Souhami

This North American version of a universal trickster tale is given a fresh but still classic take in this new picture book.  Foxy caught a bee and put it in a sack.  He met a woman with a rooster and asked her to look after his sack while he went to visit a friend, but insisted that she not look in the sack.  Of course, the woman did look in and the bee flew off.  So the Fox demanded her rooster in exchange.  This pattern continues with Foxy leaving the sack with another person and exchanging one animal for an even more large and tasty one.  Until he finally gets a little boy in his sack and meets up with a woman who understands how to trick a trickster.

Souhami incorporates rhythm and repetition into her story in a way that makes it a pleasure to read aloud.  Each new animal is gained in the much the same way with the structure carrying through from one to the next.  The result is a story that dances along with the wily fox, the readers able to settle into the traditional feel of the tale.

This would make a great choice for turning into storytelling, though it would be a shame to lose the bright and vibrant cut-paper illustrations seen here.  They have a great crispness to them that translates well to a group.

Perfection for reading aloud, this story is designed to be shared.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Thumpy Feet by Betsy Lewin

| Tasha

thumpy feet

Thumpy Feet by Betsy Lewin

Cat owners will immediately see their own cats in Thumpy Feet.  He spends his day playing, sleeping, cleaning himself, and hunting.  The book takes a very simple but also very playful look at this active cat.  Small children will see their own days of naps and play reflected in this book and will also be drawn in by the jaunty rhymes and bright illustrations. 

Lewin keeps the book very simple with her language.  Using phrases like “flippy flip” and “yawny yawn” makes this a story that is great fun to share aloud.  The simplicity of the subject also lends this to be used very successfully with small children.  Additionally, the illustrations are large, bright and simple. 

This book is perfect for toddlers and librarians will be happy to add this jolly book to their cat storytimes.  Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Here I Am by Patti Kim

| Tasha

here i am

Here I Am by Patti Kim

This wordless picture book is the story of a boy and his family coming to an American city.  The signs don’t make any sense, the crowds are huge.  It’s noisy and big and confusing.  In the boy’s pocket is a red object from home.  It reminds him of what he left behind whenever he holds it in his hand.  He spends a lot of time at home, not interacting with anyone until one day, he drops his keepsake out of the window where a girl picks it up.  The girl heads off and the boy follows her and along the way discovers the greener parts of the city, food he recognizes, and people who are friendly.  In the end, he’s planted himself firmly into this new place.

Told entirely in pictures, this wordless book is written by a person who lived through this experience when they came to America from Korea forty years ago.  The book has an honesty that runs through it and nicely shows the time that it takes for someone to even see the positive in a new place.  It addresses the overwhelming feeling of homesickness and the jarring loss of language that isolates.  Beautifully illustrated, this book is one that has intricate images that come together to form a cohesive and powerful whole.

A remarkable capturing of the immigrant story, this book will speak to those who are immigrants and will also help others understand what children from other countries are going through.  The choice to make it wordless makes it all the more useful with immigrant populations in our communities.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from digital galley received from NetGalley and Capstone Young Readers.