Picture Books

Review: Crankenstein by Samantha Berger

| Tasha

crankenstein

Crankenstein by Samantha Berger, illustrated by Dan Santat

You should be very very scared of Crankenstein.  He appears when provoked, on rainy days, at bedtime, or when popsicles melt on hot days.  Nothing can fix Crankenstein, not a sunny morning, pancakes for breakfast or any amount of niceness.  But there is one thing that can fix a Crankenstein – another Crankenstein.  Sometimes that and only that can get the Crankensteins to both start giggling and then they both disappear and become normal kids again.  But beware, Crankenstein still lurks, hidden, and ready to appear at any moment.

Written in a firmly tongue-in-cheek tone, readers will quickly recognize their own Crankenstein moments in this book.  Berger keeps the details minimal and the situations universal in this book, adding to the humor.  Santat’s illustrations really bring the story to life.  Crankenstein is given the perfect death glare, those deadened eyes staring right at you.  Santat doesn’t hold back here, gleefully creating an over-the-top characterization of pure grumpiness.

This book reads aloud wonderfully and offers a gleeful glimpse at the grumps.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea

| Tasha

unicorn thinks hes pretty great

Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea

Goat is disgruntled.  Everything was going just fine and then Unicorn came along.  Goat rides his bike proudly until Unicorn actually flies by.  Goat brought treats for the class and then Unicorn made it rain cupcakes.  Goat was doing great at the dance but Unicorn won first prize.  Goat does some simple magic coin tricks and Unicorn turns things to gold.  It just is not fair.  So Goat is not ready for Unicorn to come up to him when he’s having lunch and talk about how much he loves goat cheese, how he adores cloven hooves, and how jealous he is of Goat’s curved horns.  The book ends with the two deciding to be friends and imagining what they would look like as a superhero team. 

Shea always does comedic writing very nicely with a great sense of timing and books that are ideal for reading aloud thanks to the strong character voices.  Here Goat steals the show despite Unicorn’s more flashy attitude.  His dour attitude is nicely enlivened with humor and his own wry take on life. 

Shea’s art is done in his signature simple yet rather zany style.  Unicorn’s magical traits are portrayed in a flashy, wild way that makes them all the more funny and impressive.  With only a few lines, the mood of both Unicorn and Goat are clearly shown.

Funny and wild, this book proves that the cupcake is always fresher on the other side of the rainbow.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley

| Tasha

hank finds an egg

Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley

This debut picture book started life as a self-published work.  As such, it was the cream of the crop, because it is also one of the best wordless picture books of the year, bar none.  Hank is a little bear, or some sort of bear-like creature, who happens upon an egg on the ground in the forest.  Looking around, he locates the nest that it must have fallen from, but even though he tries several different ways, is unable to reach the nest to return the egg to safety.  Night falls and Hank keeps the egg warm at his campsite all night long.  In the morning, he returns to the nest and finds the mother bird there.  An ingenious solution gets the egg up to the nest and before long, Hank is rewarded for his kindness. 

This wordless picture book has a charm that is hard to put into words.  Dudley has handcrafted all of the items on the page, from the brown leaves that blanket the floor of the forest to the unfurling green fronds of fern that add to the hopeful feeling of the book to Hank and the trees that surround him.  All are photographed with a great sense of detail and also a wonderful depth of field that make it all seem real and true. 

Beautiful and charming, this little book is sure to become a favorite.  Time to curl up with your own little bear and enjoy.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Cousin Irv from Mars by Bruce Eric Kaplan

| Tasha

cousin irv from mars

Cousin Irv from Mars by Bruce Eric Kaplan

Family can be difficult to get along with, especially distant cousins who come to stay for a long time.  But what if that cousin is from Mars?  Teddy is not excited about his Cousin Irv coming to visit.  When he arrives, he is so different.  He eats everything in the kitchen, takes Teddy’s pillow, wears Teddy’s clothes, and plays with his toys.  When Irv takes Teddy to school one day, Teddy is scared of what everyone would think.  But everyone loves Irv, partly thanks to the way he can vaporize things.  Teddy starts to really enjoy being with Cousin Irv, and right about that time, Irv decides to return to Mars, after all they have better coffee there.

Told in a wonderful modern tongue-in-cheek and filled with asides that speak to our culture today, this book will appeal to children and adults alike.  The humor is well developed and sophisticated, yet manages to still be child-friendly.   The text is meant to be read aloud, offering just the right comedic timing.  Kaplan’s art is simple and even minimalist.  Using lots of white space, the fine-lined art is awash in bright watercolors.  But it is the language and humor here that are really the stars of the book. 

Modern and very funny, this book will appeal to parents and children alike.  It has a great quirky oddness to it that makes it all the more fun to read.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

Review: No Fits, Nilson! by Zachariah OHora

| Tasha

no fits nilson

No Fits, Nilson! by Zachariah OHora

Everyone has temper tantrums, but you haven’t seen a tantrum until it is one thrown by a huge blue gorilla.  Nilson has tantrums over even the smallest of things like putting on shoes, his block castle being knocked over, or other people having bananas.  Amelia tries to keep him calm with treats like banana pancakes and holding her frog purse.  But Nilson still has fits.  Amelia though is calm throughout, always acting kindly.  That all changes though when the ice cream vendor runs out of banana flavor! 

This picture book nicely captures tantrums and children, offering a welcome bit of humor for children and parents going through this phase.  By using Nilson as the one who loses his control, the book nicely distances the tantrums from the child reader.  It also adds a wonderful sense of fun to the entire read.  The ending of the book is particularly satisfying as Amelia finally loses her cool and the truth of who Nilson is really is revealed.

OHora’s art is modern, filled with bright colors and black lines.  Somehow it has a feel of wood cuts, but with freer lines.  The friendship of these two characters is lovingly shown in the images, then beautifully shattered with the tantrums too. 

An engaging and funny look at tantrums and anger, this book will neatly fit into any story time on anger.  It is also one that is a perfect bedtime read.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial.

Review: Ah Ha! by Jeff Mack

| Tasha

ah ha

Ah ha! by Jeff Mack

A picture book told in just two letters and four words!  Frog is all set to have a relaxing day at the pond (AAHH) when a boy and his dog appear and scoop him into a jar (AH HA!)  But Frog escapes out into the pond once more and settles down on a rock.  It isn’t a rock and suddenly a hungry turtle is after Frog (AH HA!)  Frog escapes once again (AAHH) but finds himself being chomped at by an alligator (AH HA!)  Frog clings to a reed, except it isn’t a reed, it’s a bird’s leg and he has to escape once again.  Right into the boy’s jar.  (AH HA!)

With a similar feel to his Good News, Bad News picture book, Mack once again creates a book that is very cleverly done.  Despite being written with just a few words and two letters, this book tells a complete story that has a wonderful pacing.  With all of the wild predators that Frog faces, the book’s pages will turn quickly. 

Mack’s art is vibrant and colorful.  He draws in a large format that will work well when used with a group.  Even his words are large enough to be read by an audience.  The art has a friendly feel to it, cartoony and bright.

This one is ideal for new readers who are just starting out or for toddlers who will enjoy the fast pace and the shortness of the text.  It would also make a great inspiration for a writing challenge using only a few words to tell a complete story.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

Review: Caterina and the Perfect Party by Erin Eitter Kono

| Tasha

caterina and the perfect party

Caterina and the Perfect Party by Erin Eitter Kono

Caterina is planning a party and she just knows that it is going to be perfect.  She creates the most inviting invitations, cooks the most delicious food, and hangs the best decorations she can craft.  Everything seems to be going perfectly, even with the twists thrown in by her little brother Leo.  But when the day of the party arrives, so does a great big storm.  Suddenly things are no longer perfect.  Everything is drenched, there is mud and puddles everywhere, and nothing is going as planned.  But one list does turn out to be the most important of all, her list of friends. 

This is a cheery book that avoids being too sweet thanks to the character of the little brother and the interrupting storm.  It is a book that will speak to children who enjoy having everything planned out and want things to be perfect.  But it is also one that spontaneous children will feel very comfortable reading too.  I particularly enjoyed that Caterina does all of the crafting and cooking herself.  Even better, that is not the part that goes wrong as I initially thought it might. 

Even though Caterina is a planner, she also has a spark of spontaneity to her that makes her much more relatable.  The little issues her brother creates are incorporated into her final designs without much fuss.  She also does not sulk at the end of the book about the failed plans, quickly adapting to the new party that is happening around her. 

Cheerful and warm, this book would make a great pick for reading at any celebration or crafting program.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial.

Review: Truck Stop by Anne Rockwell

| Tasha

truck stop

Truck Stop by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Melissa Iwai

Every morning the truck stop has to open for business.  A boy and his family own the truck stop and get there early in the morning before the sun has come up.  The boy squeezes the orange juice while his parents prep the other breakfast foods.  Soon the trucks start arriving.  The boy knows all of the regulars and his parents know their orders by heart.  There is Eighteen-Wheeler who wants all of his tires checked.  Milk Tank and Maisie arrive next for a sweet breakfast of coffee and doughnuts.  The man with the moving van wants pancakes.  But where is Green Gus the old pickup truck?  More trucks arrive, but still no one has seen him.  It’s not until the little boy gets on the school bus that they figure out what has happened to Gus.

Rockwell tells a story that is a fine mix of family, food and trucks.  Children will enjoy seeing how a restaurant runs and also the warmth with which regulars are remembered and served.  Still, it is the trucks that will have this book off of the shelves and into little hands.  It is good to see more than just a list of different types of trucks and instead have a book that can be read aloud as a story as well.  Even better, there is a little mystery at the end about Gus that makes it all the more fun to read.

Iwai’s illustrations are done in cut paper collages.  The types of paper add a richness to the images, combining textures from textiles, slick painted papers, and lots of patterns.  The result are pictures that are colorful and a pleasure to look at closely.

A solid book, this will be a welcome bedtime addition for any family with a truck-loving child as well as a choice pick for story times.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Viking.

Review: Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller

| Tasha

sophies squash

Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller and Anne Wilsdorf

Released August 6, 2013

When Sophie and her family go to the farmer’s market, Sophie helps pick out a lovely squash.  However, it is not a squash that she wants to eat!  Instead she names it Bernice and takes it everywhere with her.  Her parents offer to cook Bernice so that she won’t rot, but Sophie is scandalized.  Soon though, Bernice is starting to show her age with “freckles” on her skin.  So Sophie heads back to the farmer’s market to ask how to help Bernice not rot.  The farmer suggests, “Fresh air.  Good, clean dirt.  A little love.”  Sophie heads home and plants Bernice in the garden, tucking her into that good dirt.  That night, the snow starts to fall and Sophie has to be very patient.  Her parents get her a fish to keep her company, but he’s not as interesting as Bernice.  With spring come some surprises that will delight and satisfy.

This picture book does not read like a debut book, instead having a confident tone and a quirky premise of more veteran authors.  The story is completely satisfying, offering a conclusion that brings the book full circle and along the way plenty of squash bonding time.  So many children bond with objects in their childhood that this will speak to many children.  Both the humor of it being a squash and the seasonal nature of the story make this a joyful pick.

Wilsdorf’s illustrations reflect the quirkiness of this title beautifully.  The bond between girl and squash is perfectly rendered and while humorous, the images never laugh at Sophie and her new friend.  The warm and loving family is depicted in their kitchen and home, ready to eat the squash but also ready to let Sophie decide. 

Pick this one for your next autumnal storytime though it will also make a nice addition to any garden-themed unit too.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from digital copy received from Edelweiss and Random House.