Book Reviews

Review: My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood by Tameka Fryer Brown

| Tasha

my cold plum lemon pie bluesy mood

My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood by Tameka Fryer Brown, illustrated by Shane W. Evans

Moods are matched with colors in this jazzy picture book.  Jamie is having a really great day, feeling purple and just being.  But when his brothers kick him off the couch, his mood turns stormy gray.  As he draws, his mood turns green and easy.  Then his older brothers make fun of his drawing and Jamie’s mood turns black.  Basketball gives him a swishing orange mood and running home almost late has him racing red.  Family dinner is lemon pie yellow and washing up brings on tides of bluesy feelings.  The day ends with that same cold plum purple mood as it began with.  What color is your mood?

Brown’s poetry has a jazz beat and lots of metaphors that make it dance in your mind.  Children will immediately recognize the moods and easily relate the colors to them.  From the teasing of older brothers to the pleasure of making art, Jamie’s moods are universal.  Brown’s writing begs to be read aloud, written so that it tumbles off the tongue.

Evan’s illustrations have a jaunty vibe that matches that of the poem.  The art is digital collage created with oil paints and graphite.  The illustrations have a great depth of color, something that makes this book all the more vibrant.  They also have a wonderful texture from the paint and from swirls in the color. 

This is a positive way to look at complex emotions and would make a great book to start a discussion about feelings and moods.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Viking.

Review: Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston

| Tasha

black helicopters

Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston

Valley’s mother was killed by the black helicopters while she was out in the garden when Valley was four years old.  Raised by her father, she has been taught to hide at all times.  There is a den in their house where she and her brother Bo can never be found.  Valley knows above everything else that Those People will kill her without even thinking about it, just like a coyote.  But now Valley is out of the house and on the road with explosives strapped to her and the trigger waiting for her to decide exactly when to use it.  When the first explosive goes off prematurely, Valley is left on her own in a world she has had little contact with.  But Valley knows how to read people and how to manipulate them, right up to the end she is in complete control.  Or is she?

This taut thriller turns the world on its head.  Valley’s story is told in flashbacks so readers know that they are learning the backstory of a domestic terrorist.  And what is amazing about the writing and the storytelling here is that despite that knowledge, readers will begin to understand Valley and the way she was raised and how she came to be the person she is now.  That alone is a tremendous achievement.

Then there is Valley herself.  A girl who is bitter, strong and lonely.  She has lived much of her life in the company of only her father and brother and much of that she spent hiding completely alone.  She is bright and fierce, burning with a hatred for Those People that her father carefully instilled in her.  And she is wrong, oh so very wrong, about the world and about others and about her own family.  She is flawed and ever so human under that bomb.

Well written and carefully paced, this book is tantalizingly taut and thrilling.  In the end though, it is about a girl caught in a web of lies that she cannot see past.  Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Primates by Jim Ottaviani

| Tasha

primates

Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks

Released June 11, 2013.

Explore three of the greatest primatologists of the 20th century in this graphic novel.  The book begins with the story of Jane Goodall and how she was recruited by the famous anthropologist Lous Leakey to research chimpanzees.  It shows how she first learned to quietly watch the chimpanzees and be accepted by them as well as her own personal life as she lived in the jungle.  When Dian Fossey is then recruited by Leakey, the story turns to her life and her very different personality as she researched gorillas using similar techniques to Goodall.  The last woman recruited was Galdikas and she studied orangutans and had her own adventures as her research progressed.  Told with humor but also immense respect, the stories of these three pioneering women show the importance of female scientists and the unique paths you can take to reaching your dreams.

Ottaviani writes in the voices of the three women, beautifully capturing their individuality through their words.  The three are profoundly unique yet also amazingly similar in their bravery, dedication and resilience.  I particularly enjoyed the scenes where the three of them were together and the ending which demonstrated how different they were from one another.  It takes a lot of skill to write three women’s voices with such clarity that they are distinct and special.

The art by Wicks has a wonderful simplicity and also a playfulness that makes the book welcoming and light hearted.  This is nonfiction that reluctant readers and young biologists alike will enjoy.  The graphic format is compelling and given the nature of the research makes the entire experience more tangible for young readers.

A great graphic novel, this is a stellar pick for school libraries and public libraries that will have children learning about scientific history without even realizing it!  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy received from First Second.

Review: If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano

| Tasha

if you want to see a whale

If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead

The incredible partnership that brought you And Then It’s Spring last year has recreated a similar magic in their second book together.  In this book, a young boy heads to the sea to try to spot a whale.  There are things that you must have to see a whale, one is time to wait and another is a way to not get too comfortable and doze off while waiting.  There are also things that you must ignore, like sweet pink roses that want you to look at them or boats that are floating by or insects crawling in the grass.  Just keep your eyes on the sea and wait.  And then…

Fogliano’s writing is poetry.  She lets us wander into distractions, taking our own eyes off the sea to explore the grass, the roses and the clouds in the sky.  Her pacing is delicious, making us wait for the payoff in the end in a way that doesn’t promise anything other than the wait and the sea itself.  It is that wait and that meander that makes this book so wonderful.  In other words, she makes the book about the journey, about being in the moment, about noticing.

Stead’s illustrations are done in her signature style with fine lines and organic colors that seem to come from childhood crayons.  Adding the friendly dog into the story works well, he serves as another pair of eyes both watching for the whale and being distracted. 

Lovely, simple and filled with charm, this picture book is thoughtful, quiet and worth the wait.   Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Nasreddine by Odile Weulersse

| Tasha

nasreddine

Nasreddine by Odile Weulersse, illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer

Nasreddine and his father head to market together with his father riding the donkey along with a large basket of dates and Nasreddine walking behind.  When some men criticize them for letting a boy walk in the mud, Nasreddine heads back home while his father calmly continues on.  The next week, Nasreddine pretends to twist his ankle so that he can ride and his father walks.  But onlookers once again make comments and Nasreddine heads home.  The next time they head to market, the two of them both ride the donkey, but that doesn’t stop the comments either.  Then they both walk and let the donkey just carry the items for market, but the criticisms are still made.  Nasreddine makes one final try at fixing things: the two of them will carry the donkey!

The book ends with a note about the stories of Nasreddine which are told throughout the Middle East.  This story like the others about him are a perfect mix of humor and wisdom.  Here Nasreddine learns the hard way not to listen to the criticism of others.  The way that his father deals with it is patient and an attempt to invoke Nasreddine’s common sense and let him learn it on his own.  This adds to the merriment of the storyline as well as making for a very readable tale. 

Dautremer’s illustrations have the feel of a folktale with a modern edge.  The setting is clearly historical but the angles of the illustrations and their neat perspectives add lots of interest as well.  Nasreddine himself is a beautiful little boy, his round face and red tunic making him stand out in any setting. 

Perfect for sharing aloud, this book is a friendly and funny introduction to Nasreddine.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

Review: Bink & Gollie: Best Friends Forever by Kate DiCamillo

| Tasha

bink gollie best friends forever

Bink & Gollie: Best Friends Forever by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile

Bink and Gollie return in their third book of escapades as best friends.  The first of the three stories in this book has Gollie wondering if she might have royal blood while Bink is much more interested in pancakes.  The second has Bink worrying about being short and buying the incredibly complex Stretch-o-matic that requires “excessive assembly.”  The third story has the girls wondering what collection they should start to get a record in Flicker’s Arcana of the Extraordinary. 

In all of these stories, we get to see Bink and Gollie as pure individuals.  It’s a relief as always to return to a storybook world where girls are not bedecked in glitter, ruffles and pink.  These are two girls who read as real and tangible and completely unique.  I also enjoy the way that the friendship between the two girls always has space enough for them to be themselves and not try to even mimic one another.  As always the stories are clever with great endings and completely readable by young readers.  The illustrations continue to have the same freshness as the stories and characters, with wonderful humor embedded in them.

Fans of Bink & Gollie will be clamoring for the third book and thanks to the unique characters and easy reading format, these books belong in every library.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Vine Basket by Josanne La Valley

| Tasha

vine basket

The Vine Basket by Josanne La Valley

In East Turkestan, Mehrigul’s beloved brother has left the family and now her father is always angry and her mother has taken to bed.  Mehrigul is forced to leave school and help out on the family farm.  She also works the family market stall which is where her vine basket, created in the form of a cone rather than a more useful shape, is spotted by an American woman who offers to buy it for a very high sum.  But her father just drinks and wagers away the money, leaving the family still on the brink of ruin.  There are political pressures too with the Chinese pushing the Uyghur people to conform.  If Mehrigul does not return to school, she could be sent to work in a Chinese factory.  But there is one ray of hope and that is that the American woman asked for more baskets.  It will take time and determination for Mehrigul to complete the baskets for her, especially once her father forbids her to do it. 

I seriously could not believe this was a debut book.  La Valley writes with such assurance and skill, building a world that makes sense to those unfamiliar with the Uyghur and East Turkestan.  She also neatly explains very complicated politics in a way that children will understand thanks to the perspective of Mehrigul and her family.  La Valley does not shy away from the difficult family situation she has created, clearly creating a world where there are no real villains just adults dealing with impossible situations. 

Yet there are heroes.  They come in the form of more than the American buyer too.  Mehrigul’s grandfather is one of these, as he works impossibly hard and still supports her dreams and skills with baskets.  Mehrigul herself is certainly a heroine as well, creating beauty with an incredible humility, taking on tasks far beyond someone as young as she is, and holding her family together. 

La Valley never forgets to instill beauty into the world she is telling us about.  We learn about the Uyghur rugs, music and art.  We learn about the beauty of the desert, the sting of the sand, the wonder of the sudden rain, and the treasures of true friendship and family.  It is in this mix of destitution and beauty that this book truly shines.  It is a book that enters the very heart of the reader and takes up residence.  Beautiful, haunting, cruel and wondrous, this is one amazing read.  Appropriate for ages 12-15.

Reviewed from digital galley received from NetGalley.

Review: Stolen Magic by Stephanie Burgis

| Tasha

stolen magic

Stolen Magic by Stephanie Burgis

This third in the Kat, Incorrigible series continues the magical story of Kat who continues to romp through the social rules of the Regency-era with reckless abandon.  In this book, she is attending the wedding of her sister Angeline or at least she hopes that it will turn out that way.  But someone seems to be trying to kill her, cutting the axle of their carriage.  She has spotted someone lingering in the shadows, watching her, but has yet to figure out what she has done to anger them.  Kat is due to be initiated into the Order of the Guardians finally but that is delayed when it is discovered that their collection of spare portals has been stolen.  Then there is the woman who looks disturbingly like Kat’s dead mother who is also attending the wedding and the fact that Kat’s brother Charles has chosen a very bad time to finally wake up and become responsible.  It all makes for another delight of a novel in this charming series.

Burgis has created a heroine in Kat who is dynamic, ignores the social niceties of the day, and manages to get into all sorts of trouble, both magical and normal.  Through it all, she finds herself in incredible scrapes and adventures, that are great fun to go along on.  The writing is light handed, clear and makes for a rollicking read that is easy to read greedily and almost impossible to read slowly.

I see that this is said to be the conclusion of the series, though I admit that I hope for more about Kat.  I want to see what happens when she actually enters the Guardians, what happens to the hint of romance in the air, and what scrapes she gets into next. 

A grand ending to a great trilogy, this series is perfect to hand to both fans of fantasy and fans of historical fiction since it is a wonderful sweet concoction of both genres.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum.

Review: The Mighty Lalouche by Matthew Olshan

| Tasha

mighty lalouche

The Mighty Lalouche by Matthew Olshan, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Over 100 years ago in Paris, there was a postman named Lalouche who thanks to his job delivering the mail was nimble, strong and fast.  He lived a quiet life with just his pet finch and a view of the Seine River.  When his job was replaced with an electric car, he was forced to turn to boxing to support himself.  At first, he was laughed at because he was so small and slight, but once he got in the ring, he proved that those same postal service skills made him a great boxer.  Soon he was pitted against The Anaconda in a major fight.  What happens when Lalouche finally meets a boxer just as strong, nimble and fast as himself? 

This is going to be one gushing review, since I complete adore this picture book.  Olshan’s writing strikes just the right balance between history and humor.  His text is completely readable and ideal to read aloud to a group.  The names of the wrestlers are delightful: The Piston, The Anaconda, The Grecque.  The story is satisfying and complete, one of those picture books that is all about the tale it is telling, much to its credit.

Blackall is the ideal illustrator for this quirky French picture book.  She plays with proportions and size here, creating wrestlers that dwarf the little Lalouche.  Her cut paper illustrations have a great dimension to them, the layers of paper creating shadows and depth.  I love the warmth of the world she creates in her version of Paris, everything faded, watermarked and somehow familiar.

Highly recommended, this picture book would make a stellar pick to read aloud to elementary classes thanks to its boxing, action and humor.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House.