Book Reviews

Review: Road Trip by Gary Paulsen and Jim Paulsen

| Tasha

road trip

Road Trip by Gary Paulsen and Jim Paulsen

This collaboration of father and son is about a road trip to rescue a border collie puppy.  Ben and his father have not been getting along lately.  His father just told Ben that he has quit his job and started to flip houses.  That means that Ben’s hockey camp that he had been promised may not happen this summer.  The road trip is a way for the two of them to spend time together along with their adult border collie, Atticus, and for his dad to avoid his ticked-off mother.  When Ben realizes what is happening, he invites along a friend that his dad doesn’t really approve of.  That friend will not be the last surprise passenger on the trip as they quickly trade their failing truck for a school bus.  Told in alternating chapters, Ben and Atticus explain the journey in their own unique points of view.

This is really a love story to dogs.  Atticus is a huge part of the story, his reactions to people foreshadow what sort of person they will turn out to be.  The use of his perspective is also cleverly done so that his actions are explained to the reader even though the other humans in the book may not fully understand them.  Happily, the various odd characters who join them on their journey are also well drawn and interesting.

The writing is clever and fresh in this slim volume of just over 100 pages.  It is a great pick for reluctant readers.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House Children’s Books.

Review: Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue

| Tasha

sleep like a tiger

Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

This is the story of a little girl who just wasn’t sleepy at bedtime.  Her parents agreed that she didn’t have to head right to bed, but she did have to put on her pajamas.  Then she had to wash her face, and that felt good.  She climbed into bed, because she loved the feeling of the sheets.  Then she asked about whether everything in the world sleeps.  Her parents explain that yes, like the dog being asleep on the couch where he shouldn’t be.  The book turns to explain about different animals and how they sleep from the upside down bats to floating whales to hibernating bears.  After talking, her parents let her stay awake in her bed.  The little girl begins to sleep like each of the animals, curling up like the dog, folding her arms like bat wings, finding the warmest spot like a cat.  Until finally, she is asleep like the strong tiger.

Oh what a bedtime story!  I had heard great things about this book and at first saw beautiful illustrations and a fairly normal story, but that changes and becomes something very special.  Once the little girl is in bed and talking about the animals, the language becomes more poetic and filled with imagery.  It is warm, cozy and infinitely inviting.

Zagarenski’s illustrations have a richness about them that enhances this bedtime tale.  Thanks to the golden crowns, they have an illuminated manuscript feel.  There is plenty of texture and pattern, but also a modern zing to the illustrations.  They are entirely winning.

This glorious bedtime story is a real treat to read aloud.  Get your own jammies on and cuddle up, I promise you will be dozing in no time, just like a tiger.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: From the Good Mountain by James Rumford

| Tasha

from the good mountain

From the Good Mountain: How Gutenberg Changed the World by James Rumford

A mysterious object appeared in Germany in the 15th Century.  “It was made of rags and bones, soot and seeds. It wore a dark brown coat and was filled with gold.  It took lead and tin, strong oak, and a mountain to make it.”  To find out the answer to this clever riddle that appears on the first page of this book, readers will visit the 15th century and meet Johannes Gutenberg, who has invented a way to print books with movable type.  The riddle is not left at the first page, but is the center of the entire book.  Each piece of the printing press is explored from the very elements it is made from to the final culmination in a printed document.  Each page is also illustrated like an illuminated manuscript. 

Come visit the world of Gutenberg in this picture book biography that takes a very unique and intriguing approach to its subject matter.  This is much more a biography of the press itself than Gutenberg the man.  It is about the ingenuity and foresight it took to see such a construct in raw materials.  Readers are sure to learn much about the process of printing and what materials were used to create books.

Rumford’s art is just as wonderful as his writing.  The illuminated manuscript feel of the book is captured in its use of golds that seem to shine on the page like gold leaf.  He also uses the deep blues and other rich hues to create a feel of timeless beauty.

This is an intriguing read that will appeal to students who enjoy puzzles and riddles.  It is a book that unwraps and explains in a clever, engaging way.  Appropriate for ages 7-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers

| Tasha

this moose belongs to me

This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers

Wilfred’s moose arrived a while ago and Wilfred just knew that the moose was meant to be his.  He called the moose, Marcel.  Wilfred had some serious rules if Marcel was going to be his pet, but Marcel didn’t seem interested in following them.  Some though, Marcel was very good at.  He did not make noise while Wilfred was listening to his music.  He provided Wilfred shelter from the rain and he knocked high things down so that Wilfred could reach them.  Then there were the rules that Marcel didn’t follow.  He didn’t stay near home and soon Wilfred had learned to carry string along with them so they could find their way back home after long jaunts.  It was on one of those long walks that Wilfred discovered that there was someone else who thought that THEY owned the moose! 

Jeffers once again captures a concept with solidity and grace.  He manages to take the idea of owning an animal and get readers to ask themselves about what ownership really means.  The character of Wilfred has to do some adapting of his own, quickly changing his own rules and beliefs to be more moderate and open-ended.  It also helped to share food.

The art here combines grand backdrops of mountains and plains with one small round-headed boy and a moose, dragging bright blue string behind.  It’s a wonderful juxtaposition that will have readers understanding immediately that this moose is certainly not a pet that belongs to anyone.

Another delight from Jeffers, this book is about wilderness, the wild, and owning a pet.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Owly & Wormy, Bright Lights and Starry Nights by Andy Runton

| Tasha

bright lights starry nights

Owly & Wormy, Bright Lights and Starry Nights by Andy Runton

When the first Owly book came out years ago, I made sure to get it into the hands of my own reluctant reader.  Unburdened by the need to read words, he immediately took to both Owly and Wormy.  I’m happy to say that the series has continued to be just as good as that first book.  Runton has started to do more picture book versions as well and this is one of those.  In this book, Owly and Wormy go on a trek out of the woods and up to a hill where they will be able to view the stars better.  Along the way, they get caught in a rainstorm and take refuge in a cave.  There are strange and frightening noises and their telescope has disappeared!  It will take real bravery and no fear of the dark to figure out what happened.

This wordless picture book relies on its illustrations to succeed.  Happily, Owly and Wormy have a warm friendship that is evident from the very first page.  Add the dash of darkness, the storm and a really dark cave and you have a real adventure.  All of the content is ideal for the youngest independent pre-readers who will enjoy having a graphic novel of their very own. 

Runton takes fear of the dark and the unknown and turns it into a chance to make new friends and see new things in this strong addition to a great series.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Review: The Herd Boy by Niki Daly

| Tasha

herd boy

The Herd Boy by Niki Daly

Malusi looks after his grandfather’s sheep during the day, taking them grazing and also protecting them from predators.  Malusi has to be able to work in the heat of the sun, keep the sheep away from the ravine, and keep close watch for snakes and baboons.  His friend Lungisa is also a shepherd but he has his own dog, something Malusi wishes for.  He also dreams of becoming something more than a herd boy, maybe even president! 

Daly weaves in African details to create a setting and society in this picture book.  The details are small but vibrant such as the food, the animals out in the wild, the landscape, and language.  She uses a few words and phrases of throughout the book, just enough to add some African spices to the tale.  Using poetic language, she draws the strong character and large dreams of Malusi clearly.  He is a young hero with large responsibilities and a willingness to lead.

Daly’s art embraces the landscape of Africa with ravines and hills framing the page, eagles soaring in the sky, and distinctive plants in the foreground.  There are full color images but also sepia toned ones that show small touches of the story as well.  The large format of the full-color images make this book good for sharing with a group.

Thanks to the beauty and depth of Daly’s writing, this picture book trends a little older than many.  It will also lead to interesting discussions with slightly older children.  Appropriate for ages 6-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

Review: H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination by Christopher Myers

| Tasha

horse

H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination by Christopher Myers

A basketball court + a ball + two kids = the perfect sum to play horse!  When two boys meet at the basketball court, they immediately invite one another to play horse or ghost.  It’s the game where one person takes a shot and then the other person has to try to match the shot exactly.  It starts out simply enough with a layup with your eyes closed, but watch where this game goes!  Filled with a banter that challenges one another to seek an even wilder idea, the two boys quickly start to talk about shooting a basket from the roof of a neighboring building when standing on one toe.  The Magellan shot takes it even further, with a jump across the ocean and around the world and a dunk with a tongue!  That’s not the end of the game though, you will just have to read it to see the final play.

I love the playfulness of this book and the friendly tone of the banter between the two boys.  The fact that not a single shot is actually thrown makes it very funny too.  This is not a challenge about sports but about imagination and thinking outside the court.  Myers writes with a feel for modern dialogue between teens that doesn’t resort to modern vernacular but instead has the perfect rhythm and posturing.  Myers’ art is equally modern with lanky boys against bright colored backgrounds.  He also mixes in photographs and builds collages that add texture and pattern. 

Great fun to read, it will have you challenged to a game of horse as soon as you can find a court and a ball.  My favorite shots were always with my eyes closed and backwards.  How about you?  Appropriate for ages 5-7. 

Reviewed from copy received from Egmont.

Review: Red Car, Red Bus by Susan Steggall

| Tasha

red car red bus

Red Car, Red Bus by Susan Steggall

Turn to the first page of this picture book and you will see people waiting at a bus stop.  Another page turn has them aboard the bus and only two words: “Red bus.” The next page has a red car join the red bus and readers will see two people dashing for the bus stop.  By the time the bus reaches its next stop, the page is filled not only with a yellow van, yellow car, the red car and the red bus, but the people running for the bus have dropped their teddy bear.  As the pages turn, the road gets more crowded with vehicles and it becomes all the more fun to figure out what the story is on the side of the road.  The only words in the book describe the colors of the vehicles and name the vehicles themselves, otherwise it is more of a wordless book as the complicated action takes place in pictures only. 

Steggall has created a picture book that really plays with the reader.  At first, I thought it was going to be a very simple color and vehicle book for toddlers, but it is something much more.  The intricate cut paper illustrations tell the story along the roadside, as each page turn moves the reader further down the road.  There is a wonderful sense of motion to the entire book.  The vehicles appear in patterns with colors and sorts of vehicles. 

This is a delight of a read, surprising in its depth and yet fully appropriate for the youngest reader who enjoys cars and trucks.  This is one to linger over and discuss, talking about the story that is told wordlessly, perfect for curling up with your special little one.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Oliver by Birgitta Sif

| Tasha

oliver

Oliver by Birgitta Sif

Oliver was different than everyone else.  He spent time in his own little world, visited only by his friends who were his toys and puppets.  They played endlessly together, having adventures across the living room.  When his family got together, Oliver played by himself under the table, wishing that he didn’t have to be there at all.  Then there was the day when he played the piano for his friends, but no one bothered to listen.  Oliver felt different all over again.  The next day though, when playing tennis alone, his ball bounced and bounced away.  It landed near a girl, who was herself playing tennis alone.  Yes, Oliver was different but it turns out that Olivia was too.

This debut picture book speaks directly to those of us who are introverted and who feel a bit different too.  Oliver lives in a world that may seem lonely to some, but is also obviously rich with imagination and creativity.  Sif takes care to make sure that it is evident that Oliver is not unhappy, he prefers to be alone.  I also particularly enjoyed that the book does not have parents worried about making Oliver less different.  Instead it is all about Oliver’s own point of view.

Sif’s illustrations have a great softness to them.  The colors are muted, the backgrounds on the pages are softly colored too.  Children looking closely will be able to find mice on each page as they watch Oliver’s life.  They visit the library with him, listen to him play the piano and only disappear when Oliver is feeling lonely.  They are a wonderful whimsical touch.

This strong picture book looks at introverted and solitary people with a warm fondness that will make even the most introverted reader want to visit Oliver and become his friend too.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Candlewick Press.