Book Reviews

Cool Cat

| Tasha

Cool Cat by Nonny Hogrogian

This wordless picture book is a strong voice for creativity and change.  Cat is in a desolate landscape, filled with dead grass, broken glass, and rusting cans.  It is a brown, barren place.  But Cat has brought his paints!  He starts in a corner with some green leaves, then moves to the sky and turns it from brown to blue.  Mouse and Rabbit join him, adding touches of bright red berries.  A cardinal sweeps in to finish the sky, while trees, rocks and even a pond are added.  Soon the birds are perching on the tree branches, a duck is paddling in the pond, and the painting becomes real.

Hogrogian’s paintings have a softness that really works for this blurring of reality and art.  The muddy brown of the original landscape speaks volumes all in itself.  Then with juxtaposed with the brightness of green, red and yellow it becomes a dreadful ugliness.  Children will enjoy the different animals that help out with the art.  This is a testament to shared art and murals.  But at a deeper level, it is a book about how art transforms and how each of us can make change in our own worlds.

A great art book for very small children, this book can be shared at different levels.  Toddlers will enjoy the animals and the colors while older children will see the change and wonder.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Boo to You!

| Tasha

Boo to You! by Lois Ehlert

A new Ehlert picture book is always cause for celebration, a Halloween celebration in this case. 

The mice are in the garden preparing for their harvest party.  But then the cat shows up, making them very nervous.  The mice continue to decorate, creating jack-o-lanterns out of pumpkins and other vegetables.  When the cat appears in the middle of the party, the mice have found a way to defend themselves with very funny results.

Ehlert excels at simplicity.  Her books have a minimal number of words, but still have a storyline, action, and humor.  Perfection to share with toddlers and preschoolers with shorter attention spans.  Ehlert’s illustrations are always wonderful.  Here she works with paper combined with garden objects and photographs of squash and vegetables.  She perfectly captures the feel of late autumn with seeds, pods, and twine.  Her collages are great fun to pore over and try to figure out what they are made out of.  She uses pumpkin seeds as teeth to great effect!  Children will want to talk about the illustrations, touch them to see if they can feel them, and just linger for awhile in Ehlert’s world.

Highly recommended, this is a great Halloween book for little children.  It has no witches, monsters, or anything frightening.  Just mice, a cat, and lots of squash.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Leaf Trouble

| Tasha

Leaf Trouble by Jonathan Emmett, illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church

Pip, the squirrel,  lives in an oak tree and knows that tree very well.  But something has been happening so slowly that he never noticed: the leaves have changed color and are starting to fall off!  Pip runs around and tries to catch all of the leaves, he and his sister gather them into a big pile, and then they try to reattach some.  That doesn’t work, of course, but his mother appears then and explains about the tree needing to rest over the winter.  She then explains that the leaves are like the setting sun each evening, disappearing but returning in the morning.  The book ends with the young squirrels comparing the reds and yellows of the leaves with the colors of the sunset.

I have read many picture books over the years about children and animals panicking when leaves start to fall from the trees.  But this one deserves a spot on your library shelves because of the intelligent tie-in with the setting sun.  Children will immediately understand the connection to something they experience each and every day.

Emmett has written this in a voice that should be read aloud.  His prose has depth, humor and a nice cadence.  The first paragraph of the book is inviting, clever, and sets the tone nicely for the rest to come.  Church’s illustrations are perfect for the seasonal tone of the book.  Done with paper art, they are filled with tumbling bright-colored leaves that have a dimension and shadow to them.  They will work well with a large group of children because of their size and color.  

A great combination of author and illustrator, this autumnal title will have you falling for it immediately.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Our World of Water

| Tasha

Our World of Water: Children and Water around the World by Beatrice Hollyer

This book focuses on one of the world’s most precious things: water.  Water and its use is seen through the eyes of six children who live around the world.  From Peru to Mauritania, from Tajikistan to Ethiopia, from the United States to Bangladesh, each child uses water to bathe and drink, but there the similarities end as we see deserts and monsoons.  Hollyer’s use of bright, clear photographs helps to bring our understanding of our own relationship with water into clarity as we also learn about the hardships of other cultures from other parts of the world. 

Hollyer’s photographs are windows into the lives of these children.  They show their homes, siblings, families, and daily lives.  Though it focuses on water, readers will also get a sense of the overall culture as they read.  Hollyer has written the prose with simplicity and a great feel for the young reader.  There is just enough detail to be easy to read and interesting. 

Expect a lot of conversation after sharing this with a group of children or even one child.  This is a winning look at our world and our water.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Stick Man

| Tasha

 

Stick Man by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

Stick Man lives in his family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their three stick children.  One morning when out for an early morning jog, he is seized by a dog and used to play fetch.  Then a girl finds him and uses him for a game of Pooh Sticks.  On his misadventures go as he is woven into a swan’s nest, used as a mast for a flag on a sand castle, and many more things.  The seasons change and he becomes the arm of a snowman until finally he is laid in the fireplace as a perfect piece of kindling.  But never fear, someone approaches with a Ho-ho-ho who will make sure that Stick Man gets back to his family.

Donaldson’s words are a delight to read aloud.  She has refrains that repeat as Stick Man is captured by the next person.  She uses rhythm throughout the book to create a brisk pace and jauntiness.  With her style, there is no fear that the repetition in the storyline will become stale.  Scheffler’s illustrations reflect that same jaunty, energetic quality.  They are funny and clever.  I found myself charmed by small details like the Stick Lady’s hair and skirt.  His illustrations gently mark the change in seasons from spring through to Christmas. 

While this is a Christmas book in the end, it is also just a delightful read that could work for talk about the seasons.  It would also make a great inspiration story for children to build their own characters from sticks, twigs, leaves and pipe cleaners.  What fun!  A brilliant read-aloud, this book deserves a spot on the crowded Christmas shelves.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Secret World of Walter Anderson

| Tasha

The Secret World of Walter Anderson by Hester Bass, illustrated by E. B. Lewis.

This picture book biography offers such a strong portrait of American master Walter Anderson that readers will find themselves transported to a different place and viewing things from a new perspective.  Readers follow Anderson on his twelve mile journey to Horn Island, long and solitary row from the mainland.  Though there were no people on the island, Anderson had companions in the animals that lived there.  He kept a journal of his time on the island and of course created art while he was there for weeks at a time.  After presenting Anderson’s unique way of working, the book builds tension about what is in Anderson’s locked room.  The beauty of the reveal after his death is captivating.  This is a true celebration of an artist as author and illustrator embrace his work and life.

The book opens with three strong lines that I found entirely engaging:

There once was a man whose love of nature was as wide as the world.

There once was an artist who needed to paint as much as he needed to breathe.

There once was an islander who lived in a cottage at the edge of the Mississippi, where the sea meets the earth and the sky.

Turning the page, readers will see Anderson climbing a tree to reach a nest and out in the water up to his shoulders to get close to another subject.  Bass’ text draws us into Anderson’s perspective, joyously depicting the barren island and its animal inhabitants and deeply accepting his choices and lifestyle.  Lewis’ watercolor illustrations focus on Anderson himself in his chosen environment.  The various aspects of the island are shown in all of their colors, changing light, and beauty. 

At the end of the book, there is more detailed information about Walter Anderson, his artistic family, and the effect of Hurricane Katrina on their family homes and studios.  Readers of all ages will want to look at the photographs of Anderson’s work.  Make sure to turn all the way to the back for a photograph of that locked room.  Amazing!  There is also a nice bibliography for further reading.

This is a beautiful example of a picture book biography.  Highly recommended for art classes and to expand for children the role and work of an artist. Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Check out another review at Chasing Ray.

Poetry Friday: Sky Magic

| Tasha

Sky Magic compilation by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrations by Mariusz Stawarski

The poems in this lovely compilations move from dawn to night, focusing on the sun, moon and stars.  You will find favorite poems mixed in with new delights.  The book is a lovely lullaby of poetry, filled with great images, wonderful verse, and inspiring language.  The poems are for children, but will speak to all readers.

The poems work well for children, but are not childish.  They are all elevated examples of children’s poetry, accessible and worth stretching for to reach.  Rather like the stars themselves.  Hopkins has paid attention to not only the length of poems, but the rhythm and flow between the poems too.   There are no jarring changes between poems, but instead it feels as if they grow from being next to one another.

Here is one of my favorites from the book.  The choice of which one to share was very difficult!

Moon Lullaby by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Lull cats to sleep,

let children dream,

shine silver blue

on gentle stream.

Glaze the house

where sleepers sigh…

as hours

as nights

as years go by.

A truly lovely anthology of poems, this book deserves a place in every library.  It will also be a great book to read aloud when studying the sun, moon or stars.  A lovely poetic interlude in science, sounds lovely.  Appropriate for ages 4-8 and older.

Check out all of the Poetry Friday posts at Crossover.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed at Wild Rose Reader and Poetry for Children.

Magical Ms. Plum

| Tasha

The Magical Ms. Plum by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Amy Portnoy

Third-grade teacher Ms. Plum is the most popular teacher in the school.  Everyone wants to be in her class.  Children who have had her speak of their love for her, but then stop talking and just smile mysteriously.  Ms. Plum has a wonderful secret: a magic supply closet.  It smells of something wonderful and has dark corners filled with wondrous things.  When a student is asked to get something from the closet, they return with an animal that perfectly matches what they need.  A shy girl is pampered by a group of little monkeys.  A loud child returns with a parrot who talks even more than he does.  And who knows what the smart boy who sees himself as not needing anything will get! 

This book is a delight.  Ms. Plum is a mix of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Ms. Frizzle.  She solves children’s problems with magic and a modern style.  Becker has just the right touch, nicely building from one story to the next in episodic chapters.  Ms. Plum’s teaching is evident, but the animals and children are the heart of the story, just as they should be.  Portnoy’s black-and-white illustrations are have a modern feel that is right at home here.  They nicely break up the text, making a book that reluctant readers will feel right at home reading.

Perfect for reading aloud to a class, this is also an ideal book to hand to young readers who can reach the end of a chapter and have some resolution and a sense of accomplishment.  This would also be a good pick for readers who are reading above their age group.  There is nothing scary here but plenty of interest.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Bait

| Tasha

Bait by Alex Sanchez

Diego can’t seem to control his anger.  He punches a kid just for taunting him at school and ends up in court.  There he meets Mr. Vidas, a parole officer, the first person in his life who listens and holds him accountable.  Although he was going to be sentenced far more leniently, Diego asks to be put on parole because that is the only way that he can continue to talk with Mr. Vidas.  But will the supportive Mr. Vidas continue to be supportive when he learns what Diego has done?  And will Diego have the courage to be honest about his past?  After all, no one in the world knows.

This novel is as powerful as Diego’s fists.  It tells the story of a teen so filled with rage, bitterness, and misery that his skin can barely contain it.  But it also tells the story of survival.  It is a deep novel where Diego grows in believable and tangible ways and hope comes in where there was none.  The writing is filled with the same tension one sees in Diego.  Sanchez writes with an understanding of the complexities of the teen boy who has survived desperate situations.  He has a background as a parole officer, which I am sure contributes to the strong sense of the good a single person can do in a teen’s life.  Despite its dark themes, the book is positive, a hopeful novel. 

Highly recommended, this book is a powerful story about a survivor.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.