Monster hug! by David Ezra Stein.

I think I have discovered a new favorite picture book author.  This is the same David Ezra Stein who wrote the wonderful Leaves, which is my new favorite autumnal title. 

In this book, two monsters wake up, meet and start to play.  The monsters are bigger than mountains, can climb buildings, eat cars and trees, but really are just a pair of wild children.  The art is wonderfully rough and wild, suiting the subject perfectly, emphasizing the child-friendly text.  I love the wildness in the monsters’ eyes, the transposing of a blue monster who lives in a volcano and a red monster who lives under the sea, and the use of red words that capture the mood of the two monsters in single syllables. 

There is something special about finding a book that is not only masterfully created but will be truly enjoyed by even the smallest children.  What a rare treat!

Very toddler friendly, this book can be used with children ages 2-6.  Even older children will enjoy the humor and freedom here.  Highly recommended for use in preschool and toddler story times this time of year for a very non-scary monster story.

Review of one of the nominated titles for the 2007 Cybils in Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Gift of the Unmage by Alma Alexander.

Thea was born a Double Seventh, the seventh child of two seventh children.  From birth she was expected to have great magical powers, but they never emerged.  Her father pulls some strings to get her a special Pass to learn from Cheveyo in an unknown land.  With Cheveyo’s quiet teaching, Thea begins to learn more and more of herself and why she cannot do magic.  She learns of her special powers of weaving, allowing her to visit the ancient Grandmother Spider and discover the presence of many worlds beyond her own.  This is power and knowledge that she will need to fight in an upcoming battle that might just save her own world from destruction.

This book is a fascinating blend of spirituality and fantasy.  The things that Thea learns with Cheveyo are less magical and more philosophic.  I had not anticipated the depth of these lessons, the ring of truth they have and the power that this book receives from them.  The writing is lovely as it twines through different worlds, allowing the reader to experience them.  I enjoyed the portrayal of the near-silent Cheveyo and Grandmother Spider.  Thea’s character is well-developed and serves as the perfect window into her world. 

While this book will not be for all fantasy fans, who may expect their fantasy to be more about dragons and knights, it will be welcome for readers of fantasy looking for depth and great world building.  Highly recommended for thoughtful fantasy readers.

Review of one of the nominated titles for the 2007 Cybils in Fantasy and Science Fiction

Tattoo by Jennifer Barnes.

This fluffy fantasy novel has the charm of a Buffy the Vampire combined with a dark fairy myth.  A normal day at the mall becomes a lot more when Bailey selects four strange temporary tattoos.  She and her three close friends apply the tattoos at the mall and then discover that they have special powers given to them by the tattoos.  Bailey begins to hear voices and dream vivid dreams of two fairies, which lead the four teens on a wild ride to save both their world and the connected fairy world.

These are not sweet Tinkerbell fairies with pixie dust, rather they are dark fairies with amazing powers.  The humor of the book is winning as are the four teen girls, who are each as unique as can be, though they verge on cardboard at times. 

The cover is a huge selling point of the book.  Teens looking for a book to escape into without working hard at it will enjoy this novel.

VOYA’s October Edition has a Roundup of Paperback Series for Teens.  It is great to see series books being reviewed seriously.  One thing that VOYA does exceptionally well is to take paperback releases seriously and review them right alongside the hardcovers.  When one is working with teens this is very important.  The Sweep series looks like the best bet from this batch.  Onto my to-be-read list it goes!

Eliza’s Kindergarten Surprise by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by Nancy Spier

When Eliza’s mother drops her off at Kindergarten for the first time, Eliza cries.  So her mother gives her a special kiss and puts it into Eliza’s pocket.  As Eliza starts her day, her pocket feels very empty, but she finds two buttons that look like her mother’s eyes and put those in her pocket.  Throughout her day, Eliza finds all sorts of small objects that remind her of her mother.  By the end of the book, Eliza has quite a collection, and suddenly knows exactly what to do with it. 

The illustrations are very clean and bright.  I do wish that some of the background children at school were of different races, but it remains a very friendly book.  The use of a pocket being empty to symbolize that empty feeling inside is very nice. 

This is a very positive book about starting school, showing that children can cope in many different ways.  Perfect to share with children starting either preschool or kindergarten, this book will allow a discussion about fears to start.

Recommended for ages 4-6.

Mine by Mathilde Stein, illustrated by Mies van Hout.

A clever little tale of a ghost and a girl.  When Charlotte discovers a ghost in her bed hogging the covers, she tells him he can stay but must share the bed.  Then in the morning Charlotte listens again and again to the ghost declaring that everything thing is “Mine!”  Charlotte stays patient, using lots of parenting techniques to get the little ghost to learn to share.  Slowly, the ghost learns that sharing is actually a lot more fun.  Eventually someone from the castle on the hill comes to the door to ask if Charlotte has seen a greedy little ghost.  But Charlotte declares that the only ghost she knows loves to share.  The little ghost does head back home to the castle and his parents, but sends a friendly note back to Charlotte.

This is a wonderful Halloween book with none of the Halloween holiday in it.  The illustrations are bright and colorful with an interesting mix of strong black outlines and free coloring.  The text has a nice rhythm and style that will be very welcoming to children.  Additionally, this friendly ghost tale is perfect for children who want to have a quieter and less frightening Halloween. 

Recommended as a read aloud for ages 4-6.

Catch that goat!  by Polly Alakija.

This is a great romp through a Nigerian street market.  Ayoka has been asked to watch the family goat, but he immediately escapes out the door.  As she dashes after him, she asks each person if they have seen the goat.  They haven’t but all of them are also missing something as well.  It’s not until the very end that everyone finds exactly what they are missing.

The art here really shines, filled with colors, business and the bustle of a marketplace.  There is a real sense of place in each image and one can almost hear and smell the market.  The text of the book is very simple with a distinct rhythm through the repetition.  This will make it very friendly for small children.

Recommended as a great multicultural read for preschoolers, ages 3-5. 

Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.

I loved last year’s Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, so I was very excited to get my hands on this new book by the same authors.

Naomi and Ely have been friends since they were tiny children.  Their friendship has grown and changed over the years, becoming closer and closer.  Even when Naomi’s father had an affair with one of Ely’s mothers, their friendship withstood it.  But their entire relationship is challenged by a single stick of Orbit gum, which tells Naomi that Ely has stolen her boyfriend.  The entire basis of their friendship has shifted because they have always had a No Kiss List to prevent just this sort of thing.

Cohn and Levithan have again written a book with such a fresh look and tone that it is amazingly hip in a way that will stand the test of time.  Where other authors look more to making cool references about bands and products, these authors create coolness out of anything at all, including gum.  The other aspect of the novel that works so well is its pacing.  As readers watch the friendship deteriorate, they will feel as if years have passed, just as Naomi and Ely do.  At the end, they will be surprised and amazed that it was actually such a short period of time.  The authors do this without slowing the story down, but instead lay the groundwork of time as a shifting one.  This is applause worthy writing.

Naomi’s character is a little stagnant for me, but I also see that that is part of what Naomi is about.  She is trapped in her own version of reality, unable to see beyond it.  Just as her mother is wallowing in her own pain, Naomi is also caught and unable to move beyond.  Ely is a far more likable character, filled with charm and wit.  But it is the secondary characters who really shine.  Gabriel, the creator of amazing playlists, the two Bruces who rise beyond what any reader expects them to be, and the Robins who are also very well written and highly individual.  All of the characters have unique voices, fresh perspectives, and a lot to offer the reader.

Let’s hope this author team continues to write together.  They manage to not only have a hip book, but also show the human face of the hippest among us.  This book is appropriate for high school students and not younger due to some references in the novel.  But it should be in every library and in teen’s hands.  This one is a guaranteed circulation magnet for libraries.

The Wicked Big Toddlah by Kevin Hawkes.

This rollicking book is guaranteed to have small children listening intently.  It is the story of Toddie, a brand new baby who is very special.  He is huge!  He is brought home on a flatbed truck, takes baths in the ocean, and eats ice cream by the truckful (literally!)

The text of the book is key to its success.  Done in a matter-of-fact style, the words don’t speak to the size of Toddie at all.  Instead they are all about normal baby things:  dirty diapers, baths, eating solids, starting to walk, etc.  Nothing in the text gives away the antics of the illustrations.  The illustrations are large, colorful and spectacular.  Toddie is amazing in his large size, great enthusiasm, and broad humor. 

Recommended for ages 3-6.  Highly recommended for reading aloud.  This book is a guaranteed read aloud winner.