Picture Books

Review: Homer by Elisha Cooper

| Tasha

homer

Homer by Elisha Cooper

Homer is out on the porch when the day starts.  Everyone seems to have something that they want to do that day.  The other dogs want to run around and play chase.  Homer doesn’t want to.  He doesn’t want to play in the field either, or walk to the beach, or swim, or go to the market.  He stays on the porch.  One-by-one the others return from their day and everyone tells Homer about it.  The dogs are tired from running. He gets to smell the flowers from the field and even wear one. There are shells to smell, wetness from the beach, and produce from the market.  People finish their days out on the porch with Homer.  At the end of the day, Homer heads inside, eats his dinner, and happily falls asleep in a chair.

Cooper does several things in this very simple picture book.  First, he pays homage to the relationships of dogs and humans, the sort of dog that is quiet, steady and always there.  Homer is the sort of dog everyone wants on their porch too.  Second, Cooper speaks to the importance of simplicity and a life well lived.  This is done quietly as one watches Homer’s day, realizing the bliss that it brings him. 

The setting of the seaside and the summer activities, make this a great book to share when you have sand between your toes.  Even better if a dog is thumping his tail nearby.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns by Hena Khan

| Tasha

golden domes

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors by Hena Khan, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini

This color concept book introduces young readers to Islam and the many gorgeous colors of that religion and culture.  So when the red of the prayer rug is talked about, so is praying five times a day.  There is the blue of her mother’s hijab, used to cover her hair.  Orange is the color of henna.  Yellow is the box for Eid gifts for those in need.  Green is the color of the Quran.  In each instance and others, the culture is woven into the colors in a beautiful and effortless way.  This is a look at Islam that is lovely, welcoming and filled with light and color.

Khan’s writing is very simply done.  The colors are natural fits with their objects in Islam, none of them seem forced at all.  She explains each color and object in only a few lines, leaving the bulk of the book for the beauty of the illustrations.  Amini’s work has a wonderful richness to it where she dedicates the entire two-page spread to one specific color, changing the background too.  She also uses textures throughout and a softness that makes it all the more inviting.

A beautiful tribute to Islam, this book will fill a niche in many public libraries.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

Review: Georgia in Hawaii by Amy Novesky

| Tasha

georgia in hawaii

Georgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O’Keeffe Painted What She Pleased by Amy Novesky, illustrated by Yuyi Morales

In 1939, the Hawaiian Pineapple Company commissioned two painting by Georgia O’Keeffe.  This picture book is the story of her trip to Hawaii funded by the company.  O’Keeffe spent time on each of the Hawaiian islands.  Her first stop was Oahu where she saw pineapples in the fields.  She wanted to spend time close to the plants as they grew, but the company did not approve.  They gave her a pineapple that had been picked, but that was not the same for O’Keeffe.  She next went to Maui where she spent time near a rainforest and waterfalls.  She painted what she wanted, when she wanted.  On the island of Hawaii, she saw volcanoes, rare red coral and lots of flowers. Finally, she went to Kauai and visited with the local artists as the air was filled with the scent of burning sugar.  But when she returned to the mainland, she didn’t have a single picture of a pineapple.  The company was upset, and so was O’Keeffe, who hated being told what to paint.  So how could they resolve this?

Novesky brings the Hawaiian island to lush life in this picture book.  Her words tell of the beauty and diversity of the islands.  They also show how the islands impacted the work of Georgia O’Keeffe.  The story is told on a level that children will enjoy, giving examples of what inspired O’Keefe to paint and what did not.  It is a strong story about how creativity and inspiration work.

Morales’ art is so lovely.  As she says in her illustrator’s note at the end of the book, she took inspiration for the illustrations not only from the twenty paintings that O’Keeffe created in Hawaii, but also from works throughout O’Keeffe’s lifetime.  The illustrations have something that I can’t put into words.  It’s a kinship or a closeness with the original work. 

This is a gorgeous and striking picture book about a dynamic, one-of-a-kind artist.  Appropriate for ages 6-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Demolition by Sally Sutton

| Tasha

demolition

Demolition by Sally Sutton, illustrated by Brian Lovelock

There has been a movement recently to create some very original and fresh construction and truck books.  Before that, it was a bit of a desert of naming big trucks, telling how they work, and leaving it at that.  This book is one of the best of those new, fresh books about construction vehicles.  In rhyming lines, it tells the story of the demolition of a building.  It begins with the people getting ready, moves to the wrecking ball, then the excavator and its tearing jaws.  There are stone crushers and wood shredders.  Trucks are loaded and clear the site, then they start to build something.  Something with slides, monkey bars, and plenty of fun.

The rhyme and rhythm of this picture book really make it work.  It has a bouncy rhythm that makes the book ideal for toddlers.  The rhyming lines finish on each set of pages with noisy words that bring the work site to life.  Add to that the appeal of knocking something down and then building something new, and you have brought a toddler dream to life.  The illustrations have a great texture to them that evokes the dust and dirt of demolition.  They avoid being too cartoon-like and instead use different vistas on the project to allow young readers to see more than they could of in real life.

One of the most appealing construction or destruction books around, this belongs in every library collection.  It will also be appreciated by librarians and teachers who have long been looking for construction books worth sharing in a story time setting.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Dog in Charge by K. L. Going

| Tasha

dog in charge

Dog in Charge by K. L. Going, illustrated by Dan Santat

Dog had been busy all day.  He had sat, stayed and even danced dressed in a pink ribbon and tutu.  But his entire day changed when he was left in charge of the cats when the humans left.  Dog knew just what to do.  He would have the cats sit and stay.  But before he could order the cats around, all five of them had completely disappeared.  One-by-one dog found the cats.  They were lapping milk on the kitchen counter, hiding in the fireplace, in the clothes hamper, in bed, and putting on makeup.  Dog had to think of something quick!  Then he had a great idea: cat treats!  Unfortunately, they smelled so delicious that he couldn’t help himself and ate the entire bag.  Then, exhausted and full, he fell asleep.  When the cats found him, you will never guess what they did next!

Going has a wonderful tone and patter for slapstick comedy.  Her timing is right on and makes the book a delight to read aloud.  She also puts on an unexpected ending that will warm the heart and makes the book all the more wonderful to share. 

Santat’s illustrations are done in a mixture of different types of frames that add a dynamic touch to the book.  At the same time, they bring to mind vintage cartoon characters and have all of their charm and wit. 

This jolly picture book would make a great addition to storytimes about either cats or dogs.  It’s one of those that you can hold until the end to make the little bodies stay still.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books for Young Readers.

Review: Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop

| Tasha

redknitcapgirl

Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop

Red Knit Cap Girl finds that when she is in the forest, she has time to think about all sorts of things.  In particular, she thinks about the moon and how she can get close enough to speak with her.  She tries reaching the moon with a branch, finding her in the reflection in the water, but nothing works.  Hedgehog recommends that she find Owl and ask about how to reach the moon.  So she does, and Owl tells her that there is no way to reach the moon, but she will bend down to listen.  So Red Knit Cap Girl heads out to find a way to get the moon to listen.  She decides to have a party for the moon and all of her friends help.  Bear and Squirrel hang lanterns in the trees that she has folded.   But moon does not appear.  What can they do to get moon to listen?

Stoop’s book is eye-catching and gorgeous.  Painted on plywood, the grain of the wood becomes a large part of the images.  The grain becomes clouds in the sky, patterns on the shore, and darkness in the deep forest.  It also works tremendously well with the subject of a girl in a forest.  The colors are deep and beautiful, so rich that they are almost wet in places.  The reds glow, the blues haunt, and the deep browns are real shadows.  Against these rich colors, the simple lines of the drawings pop.  The animals and Red Knit Cap Girl ground the book with their distinctive charm.

The writing is equally lovely with moments that catch the breath.  From the opening line, I knew I was going to love this book: “In the forest, there is time to wonder about everything.”  Isn’t that just the way you feel when you venture into the woods, like time has stopped and there are moments of eternity just to think? 

A shining picture book that has a richness and beauty that does not negate its inherent child appeal.  Add this to your next story time on moons or forests.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Heroes of the Surf by Elisa Carbone

| Tasha

heroes of the surf

Heroes of the Surf by Elisa Carbone, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

In the nineteenth century, the Pliny is on its way from South America to New York City.  Aboard the ship are many families, including two young friends Anthony and Pedro, who spend the journey pretending to be pirates.  The boys are having a grand time together until one night when a storm hits.  Even the lifeboats are of no use, as they are smashed by the growing waves.  The night goes silent when the engines stop working, leaving them at the mercy of the storm.  Then the captain sends up a distress beacon.  Soon there are people on the shore and a cannon is aimed in their direction.  Could it be pirates after all?  Instead of a cannonball, a rescue line and buoy are shot onto the ship.  It takes a harrowing zip line to safety until all of the crew and passengers are safe and warm at the Long Branch Life Saving Station, a precursor to the Coast Guard.

Carbone writes with a lot of detail here, exploring this story based on the real disaster of this ship.  Told through the point of view of Anthony, the story stays riveting and thrilling right through to the end.  From the drama of the storm itself to the striking rescue efforts, this book is filled with tension and adventure.  Carbone also carefully builds the world of the 19th century, making sure that readers know where they are in history and how brave the efforts of the rescuers are.

Carpenter completes the historical tone of the book with her own detailed images of the 19th century.  From the clothing to the mannerisms, this book clearly reveals the time and place of its setting.  Carpenter does not shy away from the drama, instead leaning into it with her wild expanses of stormy water, the drama of almost slipping off the deck, and the wonder of the rescue.

A powerful mix of history and adventure, this fictional book will be popular with pirate and nonfiction readers.   Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Viking.

Review: Waiting for Ice by Sandra Markle

| Tasha

waiting for ice

Waiting for Ice by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Alan Marks

This is the true story of an orphaned polar bear cub who has to survive the wait for the ice to return without the help of her mother, who would normally have cared for her for another year or two.  This cub lives on Wrangel Island, far north of Russia in the Arctic Ocean.  She lives there with many other polar bears, but she is alone.  She has to find dead things on the shore to eat, defend her finds from scavengers, negotiate other food from hunting bears, and manage to survive.  Many other cubs die from starvation, but this little cub survives.  She manages to live until the ice floes return.  Even then, she is one of the last to leave the island, unsure of how to live on the ice away from land.  Eventually, she spends more and more time on the ice, and then she is carried off into the ocean where she must learn to survive in a new way.

Markle captures the harrowing and desperate life of an orphaned cub in a very straight-forward way.  The reader knows of the danger that this cub is in and how difficult her life will be.  This white-furred heroine also captures the mind of readers, demonstrating time and again how brave and resourceful she is.  Markle takes care not to humanize the life of the bears, instead they are respected as animals with their own lives.  Few human emotions are spoken about, instead the drama comes directly from the situation and survival.

Marks’ illustrations recreate the cold of the Arctic on the page.  Done in whites, blues and browns, they are chilling, warmed only by the young bear at the center.  Marks draws the movement and feel of polar bears with a confidence and care.  These are solid illustrations that do much to support the book as a whole.

A stirring tale of survival set in the Arctic Circle, this book will be enjoyed by young nonfiction readers.  It is also a nonfiction book that would work well in a story time setting thanks to its inherent drama.  Appropriate for ages 6-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Charlesbridge.

Review: The Hueys in The New Sweater by Oliver Jeffers

| Tasha

hueys in the new sweater

The Hueys in The New Sweater by Oliver Jeffers

All of the Hueys are the same.  They are all white ovals with skinny, stick legs and arms.  They even acted and thought the same, until one day when Rupert knitted himself a sweater.  It was a bright orange sweater with zig-zags and it made him stand out from all of the other Hueys.  Rupert was very proud of his sweater, but the other Hueys often reacted in shock and horror at it.  Rupert went to talk with Gillespie, who was also intrigued by being different.  Gillespie knitted himself a sweater just like Rupert’s and that way they could both be different together!  Slowly, the other Hueys started to accept that Rupert and Gillespie were different.  In fact, they embraced it, and everyone knitted themselves orange sweaters just like Rupert’s.  Now everyone was the same again, until Rupert decided to try a hat!

There is something completely winning about these little creatures that Jeffers has created.  So much of this book depends on the images, the style, and the feel.  Jeffers manages to create a community that is completely homogenous but not cult-like or frightening.  Instead it’s a community that has tea, hangs pictures, and seems very friendly.  Even their reaction to Rupert’s sweater is never angry, more one of disbelief, shock and even some tears. 

The writing is light and merry, keeping the entire book positive.  Jeffers has cleverly created a book that speaks to creativity and being your own person, not being afraid of leaving the crowd, but also one about what happens when your idea is taken over by the crowd.  The answer?  Do something else!

A great pick for a bedtime read, the book is a smaller format than many picture books and will not work well with a large crowd.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Philomel Books.