Book Reviews

Review: Binky Takes Charge by Ashley Spires

| Tasha

binky takes charge

Binky Takes Charge by Ashley Spires

Binky has now been promoted to lieutenant in first against the aliens.  It means that he is now in charge of training new recruits.  But his first recruit is definitely not what he had been expecting.  To start with, he isn’t a cat!  He’s a dog!  Binky sets out to train the new cadet anyway, trying to ignore the fact that he pees on the floor, won’t use the litter box, doesn’t respect the idea of a cat nap, and is unable to pounce a fake alien on a string. Soon Binky is questioning more than his cadet’s skills, perhaps he’s really a spy for the aliens!  Now Binky sets out to prove what he suspects, but he’s in for a few surprises along the way.

The Binky series is one of my favorite graphic novel series for children.  It is a treat to see our alien-fighting (actually insect fighting) hero reach new ranks here.  The addition of a dog into the series is brilliant, especially one who may be a spy for the flies.  Add in the farting and the physical humor, and you have a series that is bound to appeal to reluctant readers as well as eager readers.

Spires’ art is done in a limited color palette.  Her black and white cat lives in a sepia-toned world that has bursts of color.  This palette could read as vintage, but here the modern lines and modern story keep it up-to-date and great fun.

This is another strong book in a great series.  It’s a must-have for all children’s graphic novel collections.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Kids Can Press.

Review: I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black

| Tasha

im bored

I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

The dreaded boredom has set in in this very funny picture book.  A little girl is so bored she is flat on her back moaning when she notices a potato.  When she tosses the potato away, not knowing what to do with it, the potato says that it too is bored.  The potato goes on to tell the little girl that kids are boring.  She insists that no, kids are fun and the potato challenges her to prove it.  She shows the potato all the physical things she can do, then demonstrates using her imagination, but through it all the potato stays unimpressed.  There is a great twist at the end of the book that you will have to read for yourself.  A funny read that will have even the most bored child enjoying themselves.

Done entirely in dialogue, this is a fast-moving picture book.  It begs to be read aloud with a grungy, dusty potato voice.  The ever-bored potato is a great foil to the little girl who despite herself loses herself in her imagination and actions.  It’s a lesson that kids are anything but boring, even when they themselves are bored.

The illustrations have a great rough feel to them.  Done digitally, there is a feel of the organic roughness of a block print.  I particularly enjoy seeing a little girl not in pink or done up cutely.  This little girl is a real one, one that throws herself into things and that includes being willing to argue with a potato.

This is one book that is anything but boring.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Review: The Second Life of Abigail Walker by Frances O’Roark Dowell

| Tasha

second life of abigaiil walker

The Second Life of Abigail Walker by Frances O’Roark Dowell

Abby has always been on the outskirts of her group of friends, considered the fat one who could be teased endlessly about her weight.  She has to be careful not to give her real opinion and to always toe the line set by the group leader.  Privately, she considers them to be “medium girls” and nothing special, but they are her friends.  As Abby starts to investigate the abandoned lot across from her house, she gets gently bitten by a fox.  It is from that point on that she is no longer content to be a medium girl herself.  Following the fox and then a dog, Abby discovers a creek she never knew was in her neighborhood and then a farm on the other side.  A boy lives there with his grandmother and his father who is recovering from battle in Afghanistan.  As their friendship grows, Abby gains self confidence and is able to give a lot back too. 

This book had me from the very first page.  Told from the point of view of the fox, the first short chapter invites readers to speaks to the power of story, the role of fabled characters in our lives, and moments when the real world and myths intertwine.  It sets the stage perfectly for what is to come.  This is a realistic story that has magic and myth moments.  The writing is outstanding, bringing magic into our world through empty lots filled with weeds, foxes who live in urban settings, edges of suburbs, and newfound friends.

Abby is a great character.  She is chubby and ridiculed for it by not only her friends but her parents.  Yet she has a quiet strength, an underlying confidence, that allows her to withstand those opinions and grow into the person she really is.  She is a wonderfully normal child, not the brightest, not the strongest, but one who is willing to see beyond the weeds to the flowers.

This is a radiant book that celebrates the quiet, the mythical, the connections that are too often missed in our rush.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Review: Little Chick and Mommy Cat by Marta Zafrilla

| Tasha

little chick and mommy cat

Little Chick and Mommy Cat by Marta Zafrilla, illustrated by Nora Hilb

Little Chick has been raised by Mommy Cat since she was still in an egg.  When Little Chick was very small, he thought that he was a cat too.  He tried to be a cat, but it didn’t work.  He couldn’t meow, or lick his paws or flick his tail.  His mother explained to him that he was not a cat, but a chick and his real mother was a hen. When the two of them would go out, others would stare at them because they were different.  His mother told him that it’s not bad to be different, what is bad is to want to be like everyone else.  His mother also made sure to give him time to be with other chicks by taking him to the Bird School so he could learn everything he needed to about being a chicken. The other chicks asked him all sorts of questions because his mother was so different from the others.  Little Chick though is happy to be part of his different but very loving family.

This picture book speaks directly to the issues of diversity and different types of families.  It will also be happily embraced by families who have adopted children, because it manages to explain clearly and with no hesitation the basic love and acceptance of diversity in adoptive families.  Small children will respond to the animal characters but easily also draw connections to themselves.

Zafrilla’s text is straight forward, tackling larger issues and bringing them to a level that small children will easily understand.  She builds an unlikely family and happily shows the love and attachment between a cat and a chick.  This is a book that is unlikely to be read as a straight animal story, because the connection to adoption is so clear.  That said, the clarity and honesty here is what makes it shine.

Hilb’s illustrations add a colorful touch to the story.  The colored pencil illustrations use delicate lines and soft colors to tell the story.  The feathers and fur beg to be petted with their textures. Hilb maintains the size difference throughout the story, further emphasizing the differences between the cat and her chick. 

This picture book focuses on diversity, love and the many forms it can come in.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Independent Publishers Group.

Review: Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson

| Tasha

bear says thanks

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman

The Bear series by Karma Wilson continues to impress with its latest entry.  There are only a few children’s picture book series that have maintained the quality of both writing and illustration as this series has.  In this latest tale, Bear has an idea to create a big feast and invite his friends over to share.  The only problem is that Bear has nothing in his cupboard at all.  Mouse shows up with a pie to share, and Bear says “Thanks!”  Bear continues to fret that he has nothing to share when Hare pops by with a batch of muffins to share.  Badger then arrives with fish, Gopher and Mole bring warm honey nuts, and Owl, Raven and Wren have herbs for tea and pears to munch.  But with no food to offer at all, what in the world can Bear give his friends?

I’ve always enjoyed the rhythm of this series and the repetition that makes them ideal to read aloud to toddlers.  There is also a wonderful friendly warmth to the books, captured both by the colors of the illustrations and the story itself.  That same warmth is here, friends offering food and sharing time with one another with no expectations.  Chapman’s illustrations stay true to the series, offering pictures large enough to share with a group.

While this book is perfect for Thanksgiving story times, I’d also use it throughout the year when talking about sharing.  This is a bear’s den that any of us would love to crawl into and spend some time in no matter what time of year it is.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Review: Hide and Seek by David A. Carter

| Tasha

hide and seek

Hide and Seek by David A. Carter

My confession of the day is my love for pop-up books.  It is exacerbated by my younger son’s equally adoration for them.  That means that I have a small voice in my head pleading to open the pop-ups as soon as we get them, and then my son pipes in too.  So I gave in and in this pop-up discovered a wonderful, colorful world to explore.  Carter has created a landscape of objects to explore, ranging from black and white to wild punches of color that create a skyscraper.  He manages to make a book that invites children to move things and look closely, but will also appeal to the aesthetics of adults.  I just opened the book in my office and immediately had co-workers around my desk interacting with it. 

Just as with most delicate pop-up titles, this book will not withstand being circulated in a library.  But if you have a young pop-up fan at home the way I do, this would make a grand holiday gift or a great pick for a long holiday drive.

Appropriate for ages 4-7 (and adults).

Review: Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

| Tasha

dont turn around

Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

Noa woke up on a table, an IV in her arm.  She had no memory of how she got there.  Years earlier, she had managed to escape from the foster care system by hacking computers and creating a fake family.  She is tough and smart.  That is what saves her when she makes a harrowing escape from the warehouse where she awoke.  But men are following her and nowhere is safe.  The only chance she has is to survive in that shadow world where there is no record of her existence.  But she needs access to cash and a computer to pull it off.  That’s where Peter comes into the story.  A wealthy kid, he watched his brother die from the mysterious disease that kills teens.  When Peter sniffs around his father’s files, he stumbles upon one that has men chasing him as well.  So he needs a great hacker to help him find out more.  That person is Noa.  Now the two of them know just enough to get them killed and the only option they have is to trust each other and keep running.

Gagnon creates a future world here that is just a few years ahead of our own.  From the raging disease that is striking down an entire generation to the mysterious people who are using teens for experiments, this is a world that is darker and wilder than our own.  At the same time, it’s a world that is close enough to ours to make it understandable and almost reality.  Gagnon writes about hacking as a beautiful mental exercise, something that the wild and intelligent teen would do simply as a challenge.

Noa is an amazing heroine.  Though she doesn’t have super powers of any kind, she is frighteningly strong mentally and gutsy as can be.  For those looking for a strong heroine, Noa is a modern and fascinating one who offers complexity and vulnerability too.  Peter is another interesting character with his hacking hobby that is used for good and his disturbingly distant parents.  The two of them together are dynamite.

Thrilling and fast paced, this book will appeal to teens who love computers as well as those looking for a riveting read.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from copy received from HarperCollins.

Review: Life-Size Farm by Teruyuki Komiya

| Tasha

life size farm

Life-Size Farm by Teruyuki Komiya

This fourth in the “Life-Size” book series takes on farm animals in glorious full-size photographs.  Just like the others in the series, there are panels that offer more detailed information, including the animals name, age, and scientific name.  There are details about physical characteristics that are explained further as well as a list of facts.  All of these are presented in bright colors and with a playful feel.  But it is the photographs in their large size and with the clarity and detail that they offer that will have children taking this book home and lingering over it.

Several of the pages unfold to show even larger images of animals.  The huge furry alpaca and the enormous cow will generate lots of interest.  What is most amazing here is that the size of all of the animals is surprising and fun.  Even better, the quality of the photographs is always high and offer lots of small details to pay attention to.

A great pick for library shelves, though the size is large enough to make them not fit on shelves easily!  This is an excellent addition to a popular nonfiction series for children.  Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Seven Footer Kids.

Review: Ask the Passengers by A. S. King

| Tasha

ask the passengers

Ask the Passengers by A. S. King

Astrid wishes there was someone who could just listen to her without pressuring her.  Her mother is too pushy and driven to confide in, her father too withdrawn and high.  Her younger sister makes jokes that would make it impossible for Astrid to tell her the truth.  The truth is that Astrid has been kissing a girl and may just be in love with her.  But Astrid isn’t sure that she is really gay.  It may be that she just loves Dee for being Dee and not because they are both gay.  To make matters worse, Astrid’s best friends are in a fake relationship to keep their own secrets.  Astrid spends a lot of time on the picnic table in her backyard watching the planes fly overhead.  She beams them her love, tells them her secrets, and asks them for advice.  When the gay club that she and her friends frequent gets raided, Astrid is forced to start to confront the truth about herself, her family, and her friends.

King has captured the story of a girl questioning her sexuality here, but the story also transcends that and will reach teens who are questioning other aspects of themselves too.  It is a story that encapsulates that particular blend of wonder and fear that comes as a teen who is learning about themselves in such a private way that the rest of the world doesn’t change along with them.  Beautifully written, this is a book that speaks to the fragility and yet strength of that time.

In addition, King has created such a strong character voice here.  It rings with truth, never becoming snarky but really capturing a teen aspect.  Astrid’s messages to the plane passengers add an additional sense of magic and wonder to the story.  As she beams her love up, passengers receive it, make decisions based it, question their own lives, and react.  It adds an important dimension to the book, showing that throughout our lives people are still questioning.

This is a striking read with a vibrant heroine and a radiant point of view that itself beams with love and acceptance.  Appropriate for ages 16-18.

Reviewed from library copy.