Book Reviews

Review: Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Melanie Watt

| Tasha

scaredy squirrel goes camping

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel is back!  This time he wants to stay far away from camping outside, much happier to watch a TV show ABOUT camping.  Unfortunately though, he needs to plug his TV in for it to work.  So he has to find an electrical outlet which means heading outside and into the campground.  As always, Scaredy plans his trip carefully.  He lists what he is scared of, packs important survival supplies, picks out a wilderness outfit to keep himself safe from things like nasty odors and bugs, and has a map of his mission timed to the minute.  But things do not go as planned, showing Scaredy that sometimes it’s not about the plan itself but the journey on which it takes you.

Watt has a wonderful comedic timing that she displays in all of her Scaredy Squirrel and Chester books.  It is all about those moments of hesitation that make the humor all the more funny.  Scaredy is a great character with his obsessive planning and worrying.  Many children will see themselves in Scaredy and also be able to see the humor as well.  As always, the illustrations are clear, clean and add to the fun.

Another great book in a strong series, this one is perfectly timed for spring and summer camp outs.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Kids Can Press.

Review: It’s Monday, Mrs. Jolly Bones by Warren Hanson

| Tasha

its monday mrs jolly bones

It’s Monday, Mrs. Jolly Bones! by Warren Hanson, illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Mrs. Jolly Bones has specific tasks that she does each day of the week, but you will be surprised at how she works!  Monday is laundry day.  She starts normally enough with sorting the clothes, washing them, drying them, ironing them.  But then she flings them out the window and decorates the street!  On Tuesday it is gardening day and that one ends in a similar way.  Wednesday is cleaning day and my she works hard.  It all looks so normal until you find out where Mrs. Jolly Bones takes her bath.  The week continues on in this silly fashion with shopping on Thursday, baking day on Friday, friends over on Saturday, and resting on Sunday.  They are all done in surprising and striking fashion. 

Hanson has written a rhyming story that has just enough of a lilt and a rhythm to add to the silliness of the entire book.  This is a wild frolic of a book that needs that gentle sway and not more.  The humor is entirely over the top, much to my great joy.  Hanson takes jokes all the way, ending up with surprises and humor that will have children howling.  It is the type of book that simply must be shared.

Tusa’s illustrations have her signature style to them, resulting in a book where the humor is spot on and the pictures have a cheery, bright quality all their own.  They are done in subdued colors with primarily white backgrounds, making the action pop.

A kindred spirit to Amelia Bedelia, this humor doesn’t rely on wordplay so Mrs. Jolly Bones makes a great early friend for silly kids.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Perfectly Percy by Paul Schmid

| Tasha

perfectly percy

Perfectly Percy by Paul Schmid

Percy is a porcupine and one of his favorite things of all are balloons!  But it’s hard when you are a prickly porcupine, balloons don’t last long at all.  So Percy decides to figure out how he can solve the problem with balloons.  He thinks and thinks, but no good ideas come to him.  He tries hanging upside down, riding his tricycle, but nothing.  It’s not until he’s having breakfast that suddenly he has an amazing, incredible idea!

Schmid’s story is quite simple, focused on one little porcupine’s problem with balloons and how he solves it.  I appreciate a picture book that gives so many pages over to coming up with a solution and just thinking and thinking.  It makes for a thoughtful and quiet book.  Best of all, Percy comes up with the solution all on his own with no adult help. 

The illustrations here have a wonderful feel to them.  Done in simple lines with pastel backgrounds, Percy shines.  Throughout the book has a cheery feel, one never doubts that Percy will find a solution to his problem.  Once that solution is found, the cheer turns to sheer joy and delight.  That is one merry porcupine. 

Thoughtful and empowering, this book stays jolly as well.  Percy would be a perfect addition to story times.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Harper Collins.

Review: Windblown by Édouard Manceau

| Tasha

windblown

Windblown by Édouard Manceau

Scraps of paper blow across the page, first one then several appear.  But what are they and whose are they?  First the chicken insists they are his since he found them.  Then the fish says that he cut them from the paper.  Then the bird, the snail and the frog explain that they are theirs as well.  Each animal fits them to their body to demonstrate why they belong to them.  Then the wind itself speaks about blowing the pieces around and offers them to the reader, “What will you do?” 

Superbly simple and entirely engaging, readers will be playing along with the book before they even open the pages.  Manceau has cleverly selected shapes that fit together in many different ways.  He demonstrates this over and over again, then turns it all over to the reader to continue. 

This is also a book that would make a great art project for little ones.  Share the book, then give each child the pieces shown in the story to make their own picture.  An ideal way to end a creative story time.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: What Will Hatch? by Jennifer Ward

| Tasha

what will hatch

What Will Hatch? by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Susie Ghahremani

This simple little book builds tension through the use of a guessing game and the wonder of waiting for an egg to hatch.  On one page, the habitat and a little description of the eggs are given, with the question of “What will hatch?”  Take a guess, turn the page and find out the answer.  There are lots of surprises along the way.  The clever use of die cuts in the pages that peek through in egg-shaped holes adds to the fun.

Eight different animals are shown here with basic information.  Nicely, there is more information at the end on each of the animals as well as information on chicken egg development.  Ward’s text is particularly simple, just a few phrases with a skip of repetition.  It is the illustrations here that really make the book.  Done in gouache on wood, the images have a lovely texture to them that combines beautifully with the swirling nature of the art.  The texture also reinforces the natural subject matter in a subtle way.

A great pick for toddlers, this book  will keep them guessing as the pages turn.  Expect to have to share it again and again.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

| Tasha

lucy variations

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

Lucy Beck-Moreau was considered one of the top concert pianists.  Now at age 16, she has abruptly left the concert circuit and doesn’t play the piano at all.  Instead she is attending school just like any other teenager, doing homework, and listening to her younger brother Gus practice his piano pieces.  When Gus’ aging piano teacher dies, she is replaced by Will, a young teacher who was once himself a child pianist and recommends plenty of time away from the piano for Gus, including once forbidden video games and TV.  As Will balances out Gus’ life, Lucy is drawn to him.  Will is older and sophisticated and interested in Lucy herself as both a pianist and a person.  This is the story of Lucy’s triumph over grief and loss and her struggle to play music on her own terms and for her own reasons.

Zarr has beautifully captured a family of wealth and talent without lingering overlong on those details.  It is Lucy who is the center of the novel, which is told in third person but specifically from Lucy’s view.  This gives the book a necessary distance so that readers can view Lucy from a small space and recognize the mistakes that she is making and repeating.  Lucy is a wonder of a flawed protagonist, filled with talent yet drawn into destructive situations of her own making, one feels an affinity to her and yet pushed away as well.

It is this strength of the central character that lifts this novel above others covering similar subjects.  The writing here is strong and clear, and the story flows with a natural feel that allows Lucy to veer dangerously close to disasters that make the reading that much more exciting.  Along the way, a dysfunctional family is on display, showing readers how Lucy came to be the way that she is, and also showing hope for what is possible.

A true mix of hope, music and tenacity, this book is beautifully composed and harmonious with lingering crescendos.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Fat Angie by E. E. Charlton-Trujillo

| Tasha

fat angie

Fat Angie by E. E. Charlton-Trujillo

Angie has hit rock bottom.  She tried to kill herself in front of the entire school and now she just wants to make it through each day.  She numbs herself with lots of junk food, eating her way past the pain of her sister being held hostage in Iraq and her adopted brother being cruel to her both in public and at home.  Her mother is just anxious for Angie to be normal or at least to appear normal to everyone.  But Angie’s entire world changes when the new girl is nice to her.  KC Romance is not from Dryfalls, Ohio and it is obvious.  She is innately cool, something that Angie has never even tried to pretend to be.  Best of all, KC sees past the fat and the walls that Angie puts up to the real Angie, the one that Angie herself has never really known was there.  Now Angie is inspired to do more and that means big changes both inside and out.

This teen novel deals with all sorts of issues, all focused through Angie herself.  There is suicide, binge eating, being overweight, a sister missing in Iraq, cutting, and sexuality.  One might think that it all doesn’t fit into a single novel, but it does thanks to the incredible character of Angie.  The author writes with a wonderful snarky voice yet one that is ultimately human and smart.  She is entirely herself even though she isn’t sure who that is. 

I particularly enjoyed the snippets of therapy that are shared along with the therapist’s notes.  This is the sort of humor that pervades this book.  Yet there is incredible sadness within it as well.  There is grief that others don’t share, mean girls that are beyond cruel, and a family that doesn’t try any longer.  Angie has a lot to be angry and sad about, but somehow she rises beyond that.  Most remarkable of all though is that in this book, she does it herself.  And along the way, she helps others rise too.

Beautifully written, dark and wildly funny, this book will have you crying, raging and cheering.  Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Ol’ Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein

| Tasha

ol mama squirrel

Ol’ Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein

Stein’s latest picture book is an uproarious read aloud and will be a welcome addition to any storytime.  Mama Squirrel knows that all sorts of creatures want to eat her baby squirrels, but she won’t let that happen.  She scolds all sorts of creatures away with her fierce “Chook, chook, chook!”  Cats, dogs, owls, even humans scatter at her determination to protect her babies.  Until one day when a bear comes to her tree.  Mama Squirrel tries scolding, she tries throwing nuts, but the bear stays and then says that he will eat her entire tree!  Mama Squirrel has one last trick though, and it’s an amazing one!

This book is one amazing read aloud.  It is designed specifically to be shared aloud and I think will shine with a good sized group in particular.  The scolding noise of the mother squirrel will have everyone “chook, chook chooking” along with her.  The result will be one of my favorite sorts of story times: loud shared love of a story. 

Stein’s art will work well with a group too.  Her fierce defense of her babies projects straight from the page from her lowered brows and the set of her entire body.  The illustrations have a rough edge to them that adds to their appeal.

Get this into your pile of books to share at your next story time, or keep it stored like fall nuts for the next time you need a great read aloud.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Penguin.

Review: The Chickens Build a Wall by Jean-Francois Dumont

| Tasha

chickens build a wall

The Chickens Build a Wall by Jean-Francois Dumont

The chickens on the farm have built a wall but no one else is quite sure why.  It started when the hedgehog suddenly appeared in the middle of the farm.  The chickens were all very concerned about this strange new animal that quickly curled itself into a prickly ball.  But most alarming was when it had disappeared the next morning.  Perhaps it was after the chicks and eggs!   None were missing, but that didn’t stop the hens from accusing the hedgehog of eating their worms.  The rooster decided that they could not stand by and have this continue happening, so they leapt into action and built a wall.  It was not just a small wall, but one that grew so high that one could not see where it ended in the sky.  Can this wall save the chickens?  And what is it saving them from exactly?

Dumont tells a story about flighty chickens who jump to absurd conclusions immediately about a foreign creature.  The hens are frantic in their reactions, going to such lengths to protect themselves from nothing at all.  Readers will see parallels between gated communities and the chickens’ wall as well as the fast judgments made about people who are different from ourselves.  This would serve as a very nice book to introduce for discussions about diversity and community.

Dumont’s illustrations have a wonderful silliness to them.  The chickens are pop-eyed and always moving quickly.  The hedgehog is still, low and quiet.  The two set each other off nicely in both the illustrations and the storyline.

Translated from the original French, this book has a universal appeal and also a clever quirkiness that adds charm.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.