Book Reviews

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity

| Tasha

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex

Steve was a great fan of the Bailey Brothers who star in a series of detective novels.  In fact, Steve considered their series and The Bailey Brothers’ Detective Handbook to be the best books ever.  But even though he had read their books through several times, Steve was very surprised when he went to the library to work on his report about early American needlework and was attacked!  Steve now had to recover a national treasure, evade secret-agent librarians, and clear his name of national treason.  Oh, and finish his report by Monday.

An amazing riff on and homage to classic detective series like the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, this book is hilarious, exciting and just pure fun.  Barnett’s tone dances between tongue-in-cheek and sincerity with great ease.  Steve is a great protagonist, eagerly following the advice of the Bailey Brothers throughout his own adventure even though things rarely go as planned. 

Rex’s illustrations are vintage Hardy Boys, done in black and white with gray washes of shadow.  Just as with the novel itself, Rex plays with the format, making it modern but vintage at the same time. 

Highly recommended for all libraries, this book begs to be shared with others.  It would make a super read aloud for elementary school classes, because of its episodic nature and cliffhanging chapters.  Appropriate for ages 9-13.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed by Book Trends, TheHappyNappyBookseller, and Fuse #8.

Running on the Cracks

| Tasha

Running on the Cracks by Julia Donaldson

Leo just can’t stay at her aunt and uncle’s house any more.  Her parents are both dead, so she heads to Glasgow to search for her grandparents using only a few clues that her father had given her over the years.  After a few days of homelessness, Leo is rescued by Mary, a recent psychiatric patient, who tends to take in waifs and strays.  The newspapers carry stories of Leo’s disappearance, so she is forced to hide in Mary’s apartment and only goes out at dawn to sketch.  Finlay, a teen who wants to be tougher than he really is, meets Leo when she steals doughnuts from a cart he works at.  He recognizes her as the missing girl and only later becomes a friend and protector.   As Leo continues to hide from the authorities, her group of friends become more like family to her.  But just when she begins to relax a bit, her uncle appears and the dangers of living with him become clear.

This story mixes tension with a story that is deep and moving.  The tension of pursuit is constantly present in the story, but the meat of the book is really Leo’s search for her family and for a safe haven and the people she encounters and bonds with in that journey.  Leo is a great biracial character.  Her Chinese background plays an important role in the story and in her search for her family.  She is a well-written character who shows great strength and ingenuity in the face of so many difficulties.  It is also wonderful to see a male protagonist in Finlay who is just as strongly written and interesting as Leo.  The pairing makes this a great choice for all readers.

Another aspect of the novel is the character of Mary who suffers from mental illness.  She offers Leo protection and a home, but her moods and actions become more and more disorganized as the novel goes on.  Her illness is portrayed with honesty and not hostility, which is refreshing.

I am not a fan of the cover.  I wish it showed more of Leo and Finlay who make an intriguing pair of friends.

A fast-paced novel, this book reads quickly and despite darker themes is more about the positive side of life.  Appropriate for ages 12-15.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Grumpy Grandpa

| Tasha

Grumpy Grandpa by Heather Henson, illustrated by Ross MacDonald

A little boy talks about his grandpa who is always grumpy.  Every year he and his parents drive to spend two weeks on his grandpa’s farm.  The little boy has to be quiet and not disturb his grandpa.  He tries to stay out of grandpa’s way so that he isn’t yelled at like the TV or the dog, but it’s not so easy.  Every afternoon, after a nap, Grandpa leaves the farm alone.  The little boy wonders where he goes.  Then the next day, Grandpa takes the boy along.  They head to a boat on a pond with fishing poles.  Now he has to be really quiet and still.  Grumpy Grandpa just keeps getting grumpier.  The little boy decides to leave, forgetting he is in a boat.  Splash!  Now how will Grumpy Grandpa react to being tipped overboard?

So many picture books show grandparents as bread baking, snowy haired saints, but many children have grandparents who don’t naturally bond with young children.  The beauty of this picture book is that yes the grandfather is grumpy, but it turns out he has a great sense of humor and remembers being a boy himself.  Henson’s text is humorous and allows readers to see that Grandpa isn’t that grumpy even before the young boy understands it. 

MacDonald’s illustrations have a vintage feel.  Done in watercolor, they evoke picture books from the 50s. This works particularly well with the homey and timeless nature of the story.

As someone who had a rather grumpy grandma, I am happy to see a book that really shows what’s underneath the crusty exterior of some grandparents.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Muktar and the Camels

| Tasha

Muktar and the Camels by Janet Graber, illustrated by Scott Mack

Muktar lives in a Somalian orphanage after his parents have died.  His parents had roamed Somalia with camels before the drought and war changed everything.  Now all Muktar has of his old life is a withered root that his father gave him and told him to use wisely.  Then one day, a man arrives with three camels loaded with books.  Muktar is asked to help unload the camels and as he does, he notices a wound on the foot of one camel.  The librarian is too busy to listen to his concerns, so Muktar creates a poultice with the root his father gave him.  By the time the librarian discovers the problem, the camel’s foot is better and Muktar has impressed him enough to offer him a job with the camels.

This book is based on the library service of the Kenya National Library Service which has camel convoys of books eight times a month that serve schools and orphanages in the outlying areas.  Muktar and his love of animals shines in this book.  His skill with camels is impressive as is his strength in the face of such overwhelming change in his life.  Graber’s text tells the story plainly, not dwelling too long on the loss but more on the present.  Mack’s illustrations, done in oils on canvas, show a land dried and hardened, but people who are surviving despite the obstacles.

Recommended as a window to another way of living, this book is appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Oh Crumps!

| Tasha

Oh, Crumps! by Lee Bock, illustrated by Morgan Midgett

Farmer Felandro is so very tired.  He has a lot to do tomorrow: milk the cows, fix the fence, mow the hay and climb the silo.  And morning comes so early.  As he is falling asleep, he hears the goats Maahing outside.  Oh crumps!  So he puts on his boots and heads out to put them in their pen.  Back in bed, he goes through his list of chores for tomorrow mixing his words up, and then hears the dogs barking.  On go the boots, out to the barn, gets the dogs settled, back in bed, list of chores, and another animals makes noise outside.  This happens again and again, until finally it is dawn and the day has begun.

This book has a very nice mix of humor and traditional feel.  Bock has created a story with a natural rhythm that will have young listeners feeling immediately at home.  Yet he also has created a very nice running gag as the farmer mixes up the words on his list of chores, leading to him thinking about fixing the cow and milking the fence!  Midgett’s illustrations merrily follow these words, so that we can see the farmer sitting with a bucket milking the spotted fence.  Her art will project well to a group of students with its thick lines and deep colors.

Highly recommended as an addition to farming story times or as a great bedtime choice, this book comes in both English and bilingual (English/Spanish) version.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from ARC received from publisher.

Imogene’s Last Stand

| Tasha

Imogene’s Last Stand by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

Imogene lives in a tiny town in New Hampshire called Liddleville.  She loves history more than anything else, so begins to tidy up the town’s historical society.  Once it is all clean, she waits eagerly for crowds to come and tour.  But no one comes except for one workman who puts a sign in the front yard saying that the house will be torn down.  The mayor wants progress and new, not old history.  How in the world will Imogene be able to save history from the stomp of progress?  Perhaps with a little help from George Washington himself.

Imogene is a wonderful character who quotes historical figures whenever she feels strongly.  She is plucky, sensible and strong-willed, just what I’d love any child to be.  Even better, Imogene has a point of view and isn’t afraid to make a stand to the adults around her.  She is a true heroine.  Fleming’s writing is wry and funny, peppered with historical quotes.  Carpenter’s art done in pen and ink and digital media, has just the right feel: a mix of traditional and modern that Imogene would approve of.

A strong young heroine combined with a focus on the importance of history, makes this a must-have book.  A definite winner of a title, this book is appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed by 100 Scope Notes.

Nasreen’s Secret School

| Tasha

Nasreen’s Secret School: a True Story from Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter

The author of The Librarian of Basra brings readers another true story from the Middle East.  This is the story of Nasreen, a young Afghan girl who has not spoken since her parents disappeared.  Her grandmother hears about a school for girls which is secret and forbidden.  In the hopes of bringing Nasreen out of her silence, her grandmother enrolls her.  The girls attending the school must be clever.  They must leave alone or in small groups.  They must hide their schoolwork if they are inspected by soldiers.  Little by little, Nasreen and her classmates learn to read and write.  And little by little, Nasreen begins to join this community of women and girls.

Winter’s illustrations are are framed by lines and painted in thick acrylic paints.  This gives them the feel of more traditional work, though they depict modern life.  Though the situation is complex, Winter manages to tell the story in short sentences.  American children will learn of a society where people disappear and girls are not allowed to be educated, all explained at their level of comprehension.  Expect lots of questions and discussion after sharing this true story with children.

An important piece of work, this picture book allows children to glimpse another culture that is now intertwined with our American one.  Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed by A Year in Reading.

Waiting for Winter

| Tasha

Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser

As my son waited for the bus this morning, he asked when the snow was going to come.  Here in Wisconsin in mid-November that is a very good question and the answer is “very soon.” 

In this charmer of a picture book, Squirrel is told by Deer that it is going to snow.  Squirrel hasn’t seen snow before, so he decides to wait for it.  Deer explains that snow is “White and wet and cold and soft.”  But it is very hard to stay awake, so Squirrel runs up and down the tree trunk.  The noise wakes Hedgehog who agrees that he wants to see snow too.  The two of them stay awake by singing – sea shanties.  This wakes up Bear who waits with them for the snow.  But what is snow has already arrived and they haven’t recognized it?  So the three look around for items that match Deer’s description of snow with very funny results.  In the end, they learn exactly what snow looks like.

Meschenmoser excels at telling a story through few words and wonderfully evocative illustrations.  Just the appearance of the animals themselves shows how very tired they are.  The close-up of Bear’s face after he is woken up perfectly captures the grumpiness and bleariness of that moment.  All of the animals are wonderfully scruffy and real.  Hedgehog always has leaves and other objects stuck in his spines, and Squirrels wild fur carries a lot of his frantic pace even when still. 

The voice of the book is also right on the mark.  Told with great excitement and delight, the tone conveys their wonder at being able to see snow even before they have caught a single glimpse of it.  Meschenmoser’s pacing also works very well, filled with just enough tension but also forward movement.

A perfect choice for this time of year when snow would be met with cheers and joy by all of us who are waiting for winter.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed by Fuse #8 and Through the Looking Glass.

Sophie Peterman Tells the Truth!

| Tasha

Sophie Peterman Tells the Truth! by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Robert Neubecker

Sophie Peterman is a veteran big sister, and she is here to tell you the hard truth about babies.  “Babies are not sweet.  Babies are not precious.  Babies are not cute.  Babies are YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE!”  Told with a broad sense of humor but lots of real truths of being an older sibling, this book is a great antidote to new baby books that look only at the sweet and cuddly parts of infants.  As Sophie will happily tell you, babies leak, they make strange noises, and they smell bad.  Even Sophie has to admit though that you can get attached to them.

The humor here really carries the book from a swallowed marble to the ransacking of an underwear drawer. This is pure child humor that elementary age kids will really enjoy from poop to farts.  Neubecker’s illustrations are done in thick lines using India ink which is then digitally colored.  The various expressions on Sophie’s face are a large part of the humor as is the constant delight of the baby. 

A very funny book on babies perfect for those older siblings who have seen it all or for that new sibling who will appreciate a humorous cautionary tale.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.