Book Reviews

Art & Max: Another Wiesner Winner

| Tasha

Art & Max by David Wiesner

I always approach a new Wiesner book with huge expectations.  I mean, this is the three-time Caldecott medalist!  I guarantee this will not disappoint, no matter how high your expectations are.

Arthur is quite a painter.  He does portraits of lizards as they pose for him.  Max wants to learn and Arthur is willing to teach him.  The first step is Max figuring out what to paint.  Arthur grandly suggests that Max could paint him.  So Max does exactly that, with deep blue and bright yellow, he paints Arthur right in the face.  Arthur gets cross and bursts free of his paint-filled skin only to find that the colors have stayed and now his skin is chalk and pastels.  When a blowing fan won’t fix it, Arthur takes a drink of water to feel better.  It erases his color, leaving just a line drawing behind that Max quickly unravels.  Now it is up to Max to figure out how to get Arthur back.

Wiesner’s only text in this picture book is Arthur and Max’s dialogue with each other.  The illustrations really tell the story.  Wiesner has a great sense of comic timing from the first spurt of paint onto Arthur all the way through to Max rebuilding him in a very simplistic style.  The moments are ones that will have young readers and listeners laughing out loud.  As they are enjoying the story, they are being taught about the way that different media react, work and appear.  It is a very skillful and clever introduction to art styles and formats. 

Exceptionally, the book is also about creating art yourself.  It is about a painter with his own distinct style working with a younger artist.  It is about restraint meeting freedom.  About creativity and letting loose and what happens when you do.  It is a book that has many layers, several of them from paint.

A colorful, dynamic picture book that embodies what it is also conveying.  This picture book needs to get in the hands of your art teachers, children who enjoy art, and anyone looking for a good laugh.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Clarion Books.

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White Cat – Dark and Delightful

| Tasha

White Cat by Holly Black

Curse working is illegal because it can so easily be misused and disguised.  Curse workers are able to change your memories, give you good or bad luck, change your emotions, and even change you into something else.  Cassel comes from a family of curse workers who continue to use their gifts illegally.  His mother is currently in prison because she worked someone’s emotions.  His brothers work for one of the crime bosses.  Cassel has deliberately created a life separate from his family.  But he can’t run from the fact that he killed his best friend a few years ago.  Cassel can’t do curse work but that doesn’t stop him from pulling a con.  At his private boarding school, he is a bookie for all sorts of bets.  But things start to fall apart when Cassel wakes up on the roof and can only remember following a white cat in his dreams.  The school sends him home and requires him to see a doctor before he returns.  As Cassel tries to find a way to game the system and return to school, more odd things start to happen, leading Cassel to figure out exactly what his mobster family has been up to. 

Holly Black has created a great mashup of mobsters and fantasy.  In this compelling novel, she has given us a clever and twisted world that is well-built and completely brought to life.  A large piece of her success is her protagonist.  Cassel is charming, intelligent and easily cons readers into liking him.  Thanks to being an outsider in the crime world, he is a great way to introduce readers to this skewed and amazing world that Black has created.  Equally successful is Black’s pacing and story.  The action sequences are inventive and taut, they are contrasted effectively with the slower, subtler moments of the novel.  It is beautifully constructed. 

A crime spree of a novel, this book will have readers clamoring for the second one in the Curse Workers series as soon as they finish the first.  Don’t handle this one with kid gloves!  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

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Half Brother: Stole My Whole Heart

| Tasha

Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

In 1973, thirteen-year-old Ben moves with his family to Victoria from Toronto.  He not only has to deal with leaving his friends behind and moving to a new city and climate, but he has a new little brother.  His new “brother” Zan is a chimpanzee, taken from its mother when it was only days old and brought to Ben’s house to be part of an experiment conducted by both of his parents in whether chimps can learn language and how being raised as a human child will affect him.  At first, Ben is caught up in his own teen concerns: a pretty girl and how to be an alpha male in his new school.  But slowly he warms to Zan and eventually grows to consider him a real sibling.  As Zan learns to sign and communicate, the divisions between his parents’ two approaches become magnified and their approaches to parenting Ben as well.  All too soon, Ben is forced to confront the truth about the experiment and its result.  The question will be answered, what kind of brother will Ben be to Zan?

Oppel really had his work cut out for him here.  Bring the 1970s to life with all of its unique perspectives and style plus write a convincing teen boy character and finally create an animal character that rings true.  And he manages it all with great style.  The time period is deftly created from small touches, never hitting readers over the head with it.  Ben is a boy who is easily related to by readers.  He struggles in school, would rather be with his friends or outdoors, and has a big crush on a girl.  At the same time, he makes classic mistakes with the girl, frustrates his parents, and gets in plenty of scrapes.  Nicely, Ben’s crush echoes what is happening with his father and the experiment.  He’s not a perfect hero, but because of that he reads as a real person with plenty of emotional depth.

Zan, the chimp, is a wonder of writing.  By turns he charms, aggravates, frightens, bites, mauls, tantrums, and adores.  He is never written as a human child, never given human emotions.  Oppel never loses sight of the fact that Zan is pure animal, that loss of perspective is left to Ben.

The book is deep and haunting.  At times even before things unraveled, I read it with a pit in my stomach, knowing that something was going to unravel the Eden that was being portrayed.  It is a book that explores experimentation on animals, what makes us human, what the animals in our lives mean to us, and what it is that connects us all to one another.  It is a book of self exploration, the clarity of comprehension despite the pain, and what one must lose to do right by those we love.  In short, it is a glory of a novel.

A great read that is impossible to set aside, this book will stay with you long after you finish it.  If you are like me, you will finish it with deep gasping breaths, tears and great satisfaction.  Appropriate for ages 13-15.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

It’s a Book – Subversive and Smart

| Tasha

It’s a Book by Lane Smith

This is signature Lane Smith in every possible way.  A donkey and a gorilla sit in a living room together.  The donkey has a laptop, the gorilla has a book.  The donkey is puzzled by this book.  How do you scroll?  Does it blog? Where is the mouse?  The gorilla answers again and again, “No, it’s a book.”  Finally, the donkey gets the book in his hands and refuses to give it back.  The gorilla stands up to leave, heading for the library when the donkey offers to charge it when he’s done.  All leading up to the final line: “You don’t have to… It’s a book, Jackass.”  This is like a long lead up to a perfect punch line. 

I shared this book with my sons, aged 9 and 13.  They both adored it.  They got the references to blogging, video games, charging and mice.  By the final line, they both had huge grins on their faces and both looked rather slyly at me to see if I had realized what I had said.  Then we all laughed and read it again. 

Smith has created a book that will be enjoyed by adults and older children.  Young children will not get the references to the technology and will not get the punch line.  So let’s not waste time discussing whether that last line is appropriate for  preschoolers or story times.  The entire book is not for them. 

Smith’s wonderful art is modern, sleek and yet has a timeless quality to it.  It is ideal for this mashup of technology and books.  The day I got it in the mail, I took it to one of our staff luncheons.  It was read aloud, everyone loved it.  I’m going to have it tucked with my things for the upcoming state library conference.  They will all enjoy it.  And I expect plenty of the same looks my sons gave me and plenty of laughter too.

A picture book for adults and older children, this is one to read aloud to librarians and teachers rather than the other way around. 

Reviewed from copy received from Roaring Brook Press.

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Ballet for Martha: Bravo! A Beautiful Performance

| Tasha

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca

This is the story of how three great artists came together to create a classic American ballet.  Aaron Copland’s music inspired the original story and dance of Martha Graham and then in turn Isamu Noguchi created the minimalist sets.  All of these have become iconic so it is a pleasure to understand how the three collaborated on the creation, each drawing from the others ideas but also adding their own to make an ever more powerful ballet.  This picture book manages to capture the arc of creativity and also the ideas behind the ballet itself.

Greenberg and Jordan have somehow managed in so few words to tell two stories.  They reveal both the story of the collaboration between the creators of the ballet and also the story of that the ballet itself tells.  The text also gives insight into the design elements of the sets, the simple power of the music, the creative process of choreography.  This is truly a look at what it takes to be a master composer, choreographer and artist.  The text invites the reader in, explains the elements and leaves one in awe.

Floca’s watercolors are alive and vivid.  They offer a real look at the costumes and sets but also offer stirring glimpses behind the curtain and into the artistic process.  His use of color is subtle yet strong, really allowing the original creativity of the collaboration to shine.

Highly recommended, this book is a breathtaking look at a ballet.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Roaring Brook Press.

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Roslyn Rutabaga and the Biggest Hole on Earth

| Tasha

Roslyn Rutabaga and the Biggest Hole on Earth by Marie-Louise Gay

Roslyn woke up in the morning knowing just what she was going to do that day.  She was going to dig the biggest hole on earth in her backyard.  Over her breakfast of carrot flakes, she told her father about her plan and he thought it was a good one.  She just had to be back for lunch.  Roslyn careful chose the perfect spot for her hole.  But when she started digging there, a worm complained that she was digging up his front yard and should dig somewhere else.  She moved near the fence but then a grumpy mole stuck his head out and complained that she was digging up his bedroom.  She moved near the lilac bush and started digging again.  She dug until she found what she thought was a dinosaur bone!  But the dog that had buried it came and told her that she was digging up his stash of bones.  Roslyn gave up.  She lay in the bottom of the hole.  Just as she was despairing, her father arrived with carrot sandwiches to lift her spirits.

This book captures a child’s view of the world where the obstacle is not the big idea but the small hurdles on the way to fruition.  Gay has written a book about a child with plenty of ideas and energy who is supported by a loving adult.  Roslyn is told along the way by everyone except her father that the hole will never be that big, that she will never dig to the South Pole, that she should give up.  This is a lesson in perseverance that very nicely concludes before the goal is reached.

Gay’s illustrations are delightful.  Done in mixed media, they have a wonderful texture to them that is used to great effect to be the underground portion of the illustrations.  Complete with rough tears, the paper really captures the grit of the dirt.  Gay has also filled the dirt with small touches: worms, carrots, missing socks, leaves, and rocks.  It is a pleasure to pore over the illustrations to find the “treasures” underground.

A charming story that will inspire readers to follow their heart no matter what other say, this book is appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Elsie’s Bird: Prairie Perfection

| Tasha

Elsie’s Bird by Jane Yolen, illustrated by David Small

Elsie had lived in Boston all of her life.  She loved its curving streets, the horses hooves clopping on the roads, and she loved the birds that sing.  She even sang their songs back to them.  But after her mother died, her father decided to head west to Nebraska.  The two of them took a train out west, accompanied by Elsie’s new canary named Timmy Tune.  When they reached Nebraska with its wide open prairie and silence, Elsie was overwhelmed by the vastness around her.  She stayed in their sod house, only Timmy Tune bringing a smile to her face.  Then one day when her father was gone, she accidentally left Timmy Tune’s cage door open and he escaped outside.  Now Elsie had to decide whether to stay safe indoors or entre the overwhelming prairie to save her friend.

Yolen’s verse here is exceptional.  She captures Elsie’s feelings honestly, managing even in the format of a picture book to show Elsie’s perspective rather than tell it.  When Elsie discovers the beauty of the prairie for herself, the words descriptions of the noises she hears are crystalline and wondrous.  Yolen’s use of the lack of sound to impart the way that Elsie is overwhelmed is very well done.  Readers themselves will hear the sudden clamor of sounds as she realizes that the prairie is far from empty. 

Small’s watercolor illustrations are filled with movement, whether it is a moving train or blowing blades of grass.  He captures the wind, the vastness of the prairie and the mood in each illustration.  As Elsie enters the prairie, the images of the tall blades of grass that threaten her safe return are dark, tangled and mysterious.  Then when she realizes the beauty of the prairie, the sky opens wide and bright and the grass is bedecked in blooms.  His illustrations are truly married to the story, managing to capture in pictures what Yolen has written with sounds.

Highly recommended, this is a book that has great historical interest and a superb story line.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

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The Blue House Dog – A Gentle Heart-Felt Read

| Tasha

The Blue House Dog by Deborah Blumenthal, illustrated by Adam Gustavson

After Bones’ owner dies, he is left to fend for himself on the streets.  He sleeps under bushes, avoids the cars driving around, and forages for food.  Cody, a boy in the neighborhood who recently lost his own dog, notices Bones wandering around and feeds him scraps.  But Bones is very skittish and shy.  Slowly Cody begins to be able to touch Bones, then works day after day to get Bones to enter the house.  Slowly Bones begins to bond with this new human, trust and friendship blooming like the daffodils at his old house. 

Blumenthal has created a gentle story that will work its way into your heart.  It is written with a tenderness that is apparent throughout.  There are moments where the feeling of loss is very strong, others where the moments of connection are impressive.  This is a book that brings emotions up, yet never becomes too overly negative for young sensitive children.

Gustavson’s illustrations are done in oil.  They have a lovely velvety texture and rich colors.  He has nicely chosen the best moments of the text, where the emotion is highest, where the tension of the building friendship is evident.  His illustrations use changing perspectives to show us what is happening with a welcome clarity.

A gentle and profound story of a boy finding his dog.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Peachtree.

Kindergarten Cat

| Tasha

Kindergarten Cat by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Ailie Busby

When a kitten is found outside by the jungle gym, she is taken into the Kindergarten classroom.  They name her Tinker Toy and welcome her to the class.  She joins right in with the Kindergarten activities.  She even answers questions with a loud Me-ow.  When the children head out for recess, she makes a nice napping spot in the paintbrush drawer.  And when they go home in the afternoon, she stays in the classroom, tries to tidy up the markers, and then falls asleep on the capital C on a carpet square.  The entire book is a very friendly and charming way to show children what happens in a Kindergarten classroom.

This book is such an appeal package.  Lewis’ verse is kept very simple, making it ideal for sharing with young children.  The rhymes and rhythm keep the book moving along at a brisk pace that will keep young ears listening. 

Busby’s bright illustrations are equally engaging with their sunny palette.  The illustrations are done in collage allowing for interesting textures and patterns that add depth.  The round-faced people are from a variety of races, making for a modern classroom feel.

Although some will quibble about a pet being allowed in a school, the device really works well here.  Get this in the hands of hesitant Kindergarteners and Kindergarten teachers too.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Schwartz & Wade.

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