Book Reviews

Review: One Love by Cedella Marley

| Tasha

one love

One Love by Cedella Marley, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Marley has adapted her father Bob Marley’s famous song into this picture book.  The book follows the same arc as the song, but is simplified considerably.  Fans of the song will definitely try to sing along with the words since they are so iconic.  Children who don’t know the song will discover a vibrant picture book where the words give the emotion, but the pictures tell the story.  It’s the story of a community coming together to turn a vacant lot into a park, One Love Park.

This simple picture book owes much to the original song.  It’s where the book gets its heart.  The words are pulled directly from the song and in picture book form read aloud well.  Just like the song, the emphasis is on community, love, and creating a new world together.

Brantley-Newton’s illustrations add so much joy to this book.  They are full of color and movement, the multicultural cast of characters are vibrant and glowing.  Readers can also keep an eye out for visual references to Bob Marley.

Simple, lovely and powerful, this book is definitely worth celebrating.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

Here’s the book trailer:

Review: What’s New at the Zoo? by Betty Comden

| Tasha

whats new at the zoo

What’s New at the Zoo? by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, illustrated by Travis Foster

This funny book about an overcrowded zoo contains words that are lyrics from the Broadway Show, Do Re Mi.  The zoo is so crowded that the animals are stepping on one another.  The kangaroo’s pouch is stepped on by a bear.  The moose’s snout is stepped on by a goose.  All of the animals demand to be let out of the zoo.  So when the zookeeper arrives at the door, he is stampeded by all of the animals in their rush to escape.  The book combines humor and rhythm into one very appealing read.

Comden and Green had a way with words and rhythm.  I only wish I could have heard the music for the book and kept checking to see if there was a CD that I had missed.  The writing is humorous, offering plenty of laughs for young readers.

Much of the humor is also visual in the illustrations by Foster.  His art adds an appealing cartoonish, slapstick humor to the read.  Children will love the expressions on the faces of the animals as they are trod upon.  There are also several large flaps to lift that add even more fun.

This one is a treat to read aloud, the rhymes and rhythms flow beautifully.  Children will love the animals, the jokes and all of the zany fun.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Neville by Norton Juster

| Tasha

neville

Neville by Norton Juster, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

This story about a boy moving to a new place will speak to any child who has had to move.  The boy was never asked by his family if he wanted to move, he just got told that they were.  Now he had to move into a new house and go to a new school, and worst of all, find new friends.  His mother suggested that he go for a walk, so he did, very reluctantly.  After he walked for awhile, he turned around and called out:  “Neville!”  Nothing happened.  He did it again and again.  Then another boy joined him and they shouted together.  More children arrived and they all began calling for Neville.  Even the dogs were howling along.  When they stopped to catch their breath, the children started asking about who Neville was.  The children all decided that they quite liked Neville and the boy too.  Then it was time to head home, and the boy felt much better about moving.  That feeling lasted all the way until bedtime, when his mother wished him, “Good night, Neville, pleasant dreams.”

This clever story is written with a graceful simplicity that reads aloud smoothly and easily.  The story is beautifully crafted, with a a solid feel and a strong story arc.  There is also a wining humor about the entire story, from the children joining in so willingly to the twist at the end.  It all makes for a charming book that begs to be shared with a group of children. 

Karas’ illustrations capture the emotions of the characters clearly and with humor.  He also plays with fonts when the boy is calling for Neville.  The word is art in the air, changing and moving.  What I found most lovely was the change from the initial stark white of the new house and community where even the grass was gray.  When the boy starts meeting children, color enters the picture around him and the community is revealed to be welcoming, colorful and warm.

This outstanding picture book conveys the stress of moving in both textual and visual ways, offering a great twist and a clever resolution.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Schwartz & Wade Books.

Also reviewed by:

Review: The Cats in the Doll Shop by Yona Zeldis McDonough

| Tasha

cats in the doll shop

The Cats in the Doll Shop by Yona Zeldis McDonough, illustrated by Heather Maione

I was a big fan of The Doll Shop Downstairs when it came out in 2009.  Here in the sequel, Anna is two years older at  age 11.  She and her family still live above the doll shop, but their work has changed from that of a doll hospital to building their own dolls.  Anna finds a pregnant cat behind their house and wants to adopt it, but her father insists that they do not need a cat inside.   So Anna and her sisters give the cat food.  Anna is also looking forward to the arrival of her cousin from Russia, who is coming to live with them.  Anna wants to be best friends with her cousin, but Tania arrives and is very shy and has odd traits.  Anna has to figure out how to invite not only a new cousin into her family but maybe some cats too.

Once again, McDonough has captured the lives of a Jewish family at the turn of the century with great detail that brings the time period to life.  It is also a captivating picture of a loving family with three sisters who do not get along all the time.  The writing is simple and honest, creating a world of safety but also exploring more serious issues too.

In both lines of the story, the issue of acceptance and finding one’s place is a focus.  There are the cats who are wild outdoors, cold and even injured.  That parallels very clearly with the storyline of Tania, the cousin from Russia, who is also an outsider, stand-offish and needs nurturing to blossom. 

A great pick for any fan of the first book, these are books that read like classics.  Appropriate for ages 7-10, this book is also gentle enough to work for advanced younger readers looking for appropriate books to read. 

Reviewed from copy received from Viking.

Review: The Parrot Tico Tango by Anna Witte

| Tasha

parrot tico tango

The Parrot Tico Tango by Anna Witte

Parrot Tico Tango is a naughty bird!  He has his own mango, but as he soars through the jungle, he steals fruit from other animals.  There is the sloth’s lemon, the monkey’s fig, the snake’s cherry, the frog’s grapes and more.  Eventually, it gets to be too much to carry and he crashes.  Now Tico Tango is left with nothing, not even his own mango.  But the others offered him a slice of mango in exchange for him dancing the tango.  And dance he did!

This is a colorful book that merrily teaches colors and fruits along the way.  The rhyme is jazzy and great fun to read aloud.  The text is written in a cumulative style, so each new fruit is added to the list that is repeated with each new addition.  This adds a lot of style and emphasizes the greed of Tico Tango.  While the book teaches colors, what it would work best for in a classroom is a discussion of adjectives.  Each new fruit is talked about in detailed adjectives that are used in different sentence structures.  It would make a very approachable and fun lesson.

Witte’s art is bright and bold, a winning combination of collage and paint.  The animals themselves are bright colored, especially Tico Tango who lights up each page in his own rainbow of colors.  The fruit also adds a lot of color and then it all pops against the green of jungle and the varying colors of the sky.

This is a simple book that will be enjoyed by toddlers learning their colors on one level and then by elementary students learning adjectives on another.  Appropriate for ages 2-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Barefoot Books.

Review: Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking by Philippe Coudray

| Tasha

benjamin bear in fuzzy thinking

Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking by Philippe Coudray

This is another winner from Toon Books.  Their graphic novel line up for elementary aged children manages to be funny, smart and perfectly age appropriate.  Originally published in France, this graphic novel has a certain elegance and style.  Each comic in the book ranges from three to six panels, telling small stories in a quick, simple way.  The humor ranges from a quiet contemplative joke about friendship to a physical slap-stick style.  Coudray has woven those styles together so the book moves from one level to another seamlessly, creating a dynamic and surprising reading effect. 

Coudray’s humor is multi-faceted and great fun to read.  The book moves from one sort of humor to another with great ease.  The illustrations are colorful but in a more sophisticated palette than many children’s books.  A lot of the humor is physical, so the illustrations convey much of it.  Even in the broadest of slapstick, there is a feel of style that makes it a unique read.

The book is laugh-out-loud funny and also great fun to share aloud with children.  This is a graphic novel that belongs in all public libraries, because it is a great hook for reluctant readers.  Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by Pink Me.

Review: Brother Sun, Sister Moon by Katherine Paterson

| Tasha

brother sun sister moon

Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton

Acclaimed author, Katherine Paterson has reworked a hymn of praise first said by Saint Francis of Assisi.  It praises God for our Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and Sister Stars.  Brother Wind and Brother Air are praised for being both harsh and mild.  Sister Water is thanked for being life-giving and Brother Fire is thanked for both warmth and playfulness.  The song of praise moves through Death as well, thanking God for the days we are given and the love that we are ushered into at death.  It is a universal prayer made joyous through Paterson’s changes to Saint Francis’ original version, which is included at the end of the book.

The delicacy of Paterson’s writing is not apparent until her words are compared with the original.  She has carefully teased deeper meaning from his words.  At the same times she has made them more appropriate for young readers and listeners.  The hymn of praise sings as she has written it, endowed with a new grace thanks to her skill.

Dalton’s illustrations are simply exquisite.  Using a cut paper technique that involves delicate knife work, watercolor painting, and then a process of being steeped in coffee, the result is luminous yet rustic.  It suits this subject matter perfectly, managing to be beautiful but not too lofty.

This is a magnificent selection for libraries’ religious shelves, one that will speak to people of many faiths and is phenomenally appealing and beautiful.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

Also reviewed by:

You can see Dalton create her art in the video below:

Review: The Money We’ll Save by Brock Cole

| Tasha

money well save

The Money We’ll Save by Brock Cole

When Ma is forced to send Pa to the store for eggs and flour, she warns him to just buy those two items.  But Pa is talked into purchasing a turkey poult at the market because of the money he’ll save.  They plan on having the turkey for Christmas dinner after feeding it on scraps and letting it live in a box by the stove.  But their nineteenth century apartment was definitely not designed to raise poultry.  Alfred, the turkey, grew and grew and soon started to eat much more than table scraps.  The family started to get creative with where they could house Alfred but there wasn’t much they could do with the limited space.  As Christmas neared, the mess and stink of a turkey was getting to be too much.  Though he may be messy, the children started to love Alfred.  What happened when Alfred became more of a pet than a meal?

The setting here is brilliantly done.  The depiction of the tenement building, the attitudes of the hard-working family, and the frugality of their family life all are vividly depicted.  The 19th century time period works well for a Christmas story, one that focuses more on family than on expense and presents.  This is an old-fashioned Christmas tale with lots of heart and character.

Cole’s art also captures the day-to-day life of this family.  The clothes and home immediately let readers know that they are not reading about today.  The illustrations are a jumble of family life, turkey mess, and a small space packed with furniture.  The illustrations have a real heart to them, filled with familial love and busyness.

Highly recommended, this book is a great one to add to Christmas traditions.  It is sure to have smiles beaming from all ages and will inspire the sharing of your family’s holiday memories.  Add this one to Christmas story times too as a break from Santa Claus and presents.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Legend by Marie Lu

| Tasha

legend

Legend by Marie Lu

This dystopian fantasy is set in what used to be the western United States and now is The Republic.  The rising waters have caused issues with power, large slums, and lawlessness.  June is the only person to ever get a perfect score in the Trials, marking her as a prodigy.  She lives a live of luxury with her older brother, who has raised her after her parents’ accidental deaths.  Trained as a soldier, she is about to claim her destiny as the ideal warrior.  Day is the most wanted criminal in The Republic.  From the slums, he has managed several amazing feats of defiance but worries most about his family and the plague that is in their neighborhood.  The two of them would never have met, but then June’s brother is killed and it looks like Day is the culprit.

Lu takes the dystopian genre and weaves a story that both hearkens back to the heart of the genre yet creates something new and amazing.  The setting of a decaying United States at war with itself is slowly revealed through the story.  The results of that war are shown rather than told in details that bring the entire world to life.  From the luxury of June’s life through the squalor and danger of the slums, the setting is a pivotal piece of the tale.

The two compelling main characters add the action, the style and even the romance to this book.  June is trained to be a lethal weapon, yet she questions orders and thinks deeply about the ramifications of what she is doing.  Day is a dystopian Robin Hood with plenty of moxie and appeal.  Both of them wonder at their world, the truth of The Republic.  They also both see themselves as people who are able to make a difference.

The writing here is crisp and clean.  The story is vibrant, fast moving, and stellar.  This is one outstanding dystopian fantasy.  It is sure to appeal to fans of The Hunger Games and will leave many fans eager for the next book in the series.  Appropriate for ages 14-16.

Reviewed from ARC received from Penguin.

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