Picture Books

Review: Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear

| Tasha

virginia wolf

Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

This picture book is loosely based on the life of Virginia Wolf and her sister.  Adults will enjoy the tie-ins, but they are not necessary for children to understand in order to enjoy the book.  It is a story told from Vanessa’s point of view.  Virginia was having a “wolfish” sort of day where nothing pleased her and any sort of noise bothered her.  Vanessa tried to talk with her and discovered that Virginia was dreaming of a far-away perfect place to be.  So Vanessa snuck away and found art supplies and paper to create that world for her sister.  Soon her walls were covered in birds, butterflies, flowers and color.  There was even room for a wolf to wander.  Virginia’s mood lifted and she was ready to play once again. 

This book takes a direct look at depression but can also be used for more transient moods of children.  The author’s writing is rich and beautiful.  When Virginia first gets depressed, she explains it this way: “The whole house sank.  Up became down.  Bright became dim.  Glad became gloom.”  When Vanessa paints the garden it is described this way: “I painted leaves that said hush in the wind and fruit that squeaked and slowly I created a place called Bloomsberry.  I made it look just the way it sounded.”  This is a book that not only has art as a solution and an escape, but also has art in the writing itself.

Arsenault’s illustrations have a wonder to them that is astonishing.  Done in mixed media of ink, pencil, watercolor and gouache, the images play with darkness and light with a fearlessness.  Color is used sparingly at first, then when the art appears it is lush and vibrant.  One completely understands the way that art can lift a person.  Perhaps my favorite small detail is that the art at first when seen through Vanessa’s eyes is adult, lush and fine lined.  Later when glimpsed in retrospect, it has a childlike quality to it instead. 

This picture book is a small work of art that speaks to the power of creativity and art to lift moods.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Kids Can Press.

Review: Animal Masquerade by Marianne Dubuc

| Tasha

animal masquerade

Animal Masquerade by Marianne Dubuc

This picture book takes one long-running gag and turns it into a very funny picture book.  As the animals get ready for the masquerade, they have to dress up in costumes.  Each animal dresses up as another animal and then that animal chooses yet another animal to dress up as.  It forms a neat chain.  Much of the humor is in the depictions of the costumes themselves and also in the occasional asides that break the rhythm of the book for even more of a punch-line effect.  Fonts are also played with as the hummingbird disguised as an ostrich has its fonts hidden half underground just like its head.  In another spot, the butterfly disguised as a bat has its font upside-down.  All of the small touches add to the giggles in this picture book.

Dubuc’s art here is wonderfully whimsical and playful.  The different animals in disguise are often absurd and completely strange.  Just wait until you get to the animals that dress up like a three-headed monster, Red Riding Hood dressed as a chocolate cake, and the hen that is too dim to understand what is happening and doesn’t dress up as anything at all.   The book is longer than most picture books in terms of number of pages, but that adds to the running gag theme here. 

This picture book will do well read aloud very straight and seriously until the first big joke hits.  Then make sure to leave plenty of time for the giggles to pass before moving on.  It will work well for Halloween too, without anything scary about it.  Appropriate for ages 4-6. 

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Boy & Bot by Ame Dyckman

| Tasha

boy bot

Boy & Bot by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

One day when out collecting pinecones in the forest, a boy meets a robot.  The two of them play together and have a lot of fun.  But then when rolling down a hill, the robot’s power button gets pressed and he turns off.  The boy thinks the robot must be sick, so he takes the robot home and feeds him, reads him a book and puts him to bed.  When the boy’s parents look in at him before going to bed, they press the switch on the robot.  Now the robot notices the sleeping boy and thinks that he has malfunctioned.  Bot takes the boy to his home, gives him oil, reads him an instruction manual and is just about to replace his battery, when the Inventor arrives.  Soon all is straightened out and the two continue their grand friendship.

Dyckman’s story has a wonderful symmetry that works well.  With the two friends and their misunderstandings of one another, the story mirrors itself in a delightful way.  Both instances have their humor, as does the rest of the book.  It is this wry sense of humor that carries the story forward and makes it a pleasure to read.  The book is written in a straight-forward way, making it a great read aloud.

Yaccarino’s illustrations are very successful.  They have a wonderful sort of fifties vibe to them, while at the same time being modern.  The large robot is never frightening, thanks to his permanent smile and his care for the boy.  Yaccarino plays with bright colors throughout the book, keeping his art simple and dynamic.

Robot fans will rejoice at this fresh new take on friendship and embracing differences.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Review: The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool

| Tasha

cloud spinner

The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool, illustrated by Alison Jay

This is the story of a boy who could weave cloth out of clouds.  The color of the thread would change throughout the day, as the clouds’ colors shifted with the changing light.  There was gold in the morning, white in the afternoon, and crimson in the evening.  The boy had learned from his mother to only use as much as he needed, nothing more.  But when the boy’s amazing scarf caught the eye of the king as he rode through town, the boy was ordered to create a scarf for the king.  The king was pleased with the scarf and immediately ordered the boy to create a cloak and also dresses for the Queen and the Princess.  The boy spun and spun, pulling the clouds from the sky until there were no clouds left at all.  Then the rain stopped falling and a terrible drought hit the country.  It will take two children to figure out how to fix it.

Catchpool has written a very enjoyable tale with a strong environmental heart.  The story is structured as a traditional folktale, rather than a modern one.  It has lines that repeat, a medieval setting, and the play of rich and powerful against poor subjects.  The book reads aloud well, thanks not only to the structure, but also to the writing being clear yet filled with lovely little details such as the colors of the thread from the clouds.

Jay’s illustrations are done in her signature crackle glazed style.  That lends a sense of history and time to the entire work.  Her pictures are filled with light and color.  Keep an eye out for the smiling hills that dot the countryside, a jaunty little touch.

A timely picture book about conservation, the environment and using just what you need and no more, this picture book would make a great addition to Earth Day or green programming.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Alfred A. Knopf.

Review: Falcon by Tim Jessell

| Tasha

falcon

Falcon by Tim Jessell

Told in lush illustrations and verse, this picture book follows the daydreams of a young boy.  A boy in a summer field dreams of being a falcon.  He would fly high in the mountains, along the coast, and roost in the cliffs where he could hear the crashing waves.  He would journey to the city, where he could perch far above the noise and bustle and watch the city from above.  Then he would dive down, faster and faster, towards the sidewalks and the people.  At the very last moment, he would spread his wings and fly above their heads.  The fun he could have, if only he were a falcon.

Told in verse that is spare and lovely, this poetry will work well for a young audience.   The imagery in the poem is directed at that audience.  For example, towards the beginning of the book, this symbolism is used:

With the sound

of tearing paper,

my wings would

slice through

the air.

Immediately, children will hear the sound and realize just how fast that falcon is flying.  It is beautifully, clearly written to great effect.

Combined with this poetry are incredible illustrations that are deep colored and striking.  They range from close-ups of the falcon to long-distance images of the coastline at night.  They are immensely beautiful and captivating as they capture this imaginary life of a falcon.

A radiant picture book about imagination and flight, this book will have young readers dreaming their own daydreams of gliding high above the earth.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House.

Review: Vote for Me by Ben Clanton

| Tasha

vote for me

Vote for Me by Ben Clanton

This picture-book look at the campaigning process takes young readers through a comical look at politics.  The donkey and elephant represent Democrats and Republicans only superficially.  They make no claims that match the party platforms at all.  Instead, it is about how cute elephant is, whether you will accept candy or peanuts as a bribe for your vote, and lots of grandstanding.  Soon the two are completely at odds with one another and slinging actual mud along with their bitter words.  The insults they use are harsh but humorous, just right for the picture book crowd.  Soon both of them have said things they regret and they agree to get along.  But it just might be too late for either of them to win the election!

This book is not an in-depth look at voting or politics.  Instead Clanton has created a light-hearted look at arguments and fighting through the lens of an election.  Adults will enjoy the clear ties to modern American elections while children will be engaged by the humor. 

The illustrations have a great vintage feel with a modern edge.  The pages are dappled like old paper that has just begun to mildew.  The two characters show lots of emotion throughout the book and it is clearly conveyed by their body language and facial expressions.

A chance to laugh a bit at the cantankerous campaign ahead of us, this book would work for discussions about arguments as well as a light-hearted look at elections.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Kids Can Press.

Review: Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett

| Tasha

chloe and the lion

Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex

You know this book is going to be unique when you get introduced to the author and illustrator before the book begins.  Then you meet Chloe, a little girl, who is the main character in the book.  The story begins and Chloe is collecting loose change that she would use to ride the merry-go-round in the park as many times as she could.  When she headed home, dizzy from the ride, she got lost in the forest.  Then a huge lion jumped out at her!  Except Adam Rex, the illustrator, did not draw a lion.  He thought a dragon would be a much better choice.  Mac Barnett, the author, doesn’t like that idea at all and insists that this is HIS book because he is the author.  The fight goes on from there, until Mac feeds Adam to the lion that a new stand-in illustrator drew for him.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t really like the art of the new illustrator and also finds that he can’t draw well enough himself to fill in for Adam.  What is an author to do?!

I love books that break that fourth wall and take a look at the inner workings of the author/illustrator or involve the audience in an interesting way.  The book’s art and writing are so closely integrated together that it is almost impossible to review them separately.  The tone here is clean and clear until the fight scene where it becomes comically fraught with emotion.  There are running gags, funny comments and lots of humor throughout the story that make it all the more fun to read.

The illustrations are inventive and add real dimension to the book.  There are several elements at play.  There are the figures done in clay that represent the author and illustrator.  There are the flat drawings of Chloe and the lion.  Then there is a stage where the book story takes place.  It’s a wonderful mix of theater, reading, and art.

The silliness doesn’t stop at the end of the book, make sure to check out the author blurb at the back, along with the very short illustrator blurb.  This book will thrill children with its silliness, dynamic illustrations, and its clever look behind the curtain of making a picture book.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: It’s Milking Time by Phyllis Alsdurf

| Tasha

its milking time

It’s Milking Time by Phyllis Alsdurf, illustrated by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher

This picture book looks at milking time on a modern dairy farm.  A little girl works alongside her father.  She helps to bring the cows in from the field and then into the barn.  She scoops feed into their stalls and helps get the milkers ready.  Then she opens the big barn doors and the cows enter the barn and line up in their stanchions.  The little girl goes around and locks them.  Milking starts, and there are quiet moments to look out at the growing corn, but then milk is ready to be carried to the milk house, a pitcher filled for the family.  Then the calves must be fed, the manure shoveled, and finally the two walk up to the house in the twilight.

Told with great detail and a loving tone, this story shines with love for the heartland and dairy farms.  While the farm is clearly modern, there is a great timelessness to the story with the interaction of farmer and cows, the buckets of milk, and even the pitcher of milk for home use.  Alsdurf uses a refrain throughout the book, “Every morning, every night, it’s milking time.”   That repetition works well, reminding readers that this same activity happens over and over again on a farm.

The illustrations add to that feeling of timelessness.  They are done in soft colors with late afternoon light flowing golden over the images.  They also have soft edges, like favorite jeans that have been washed many times.  They are pure comfort.

For librarians in Wisconsin, this book is a natural fit.   It’s good to see a farm setting that is not historical but keeps that pastoral feel.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House Children’s Books.

Review: The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle

| Tasha

pirates next door

The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle

This book first came to my attention when it won the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize in the UK.  It is the story of a girl living in a neighborhood where all of the lawns are neat and tidy, until the pirate family moves in next door.   They arrive complete with pirate ship, treasure chests and barrels of grog.  There is a pirate boy named Jim Lad, his parents, his grandfather, and his little sister, Nugget.  Jim Lad and the girl quickly became friends, but the rest of the community was not as welcoming to the pirate family.  Rumors spread quickly about all the nasty things the pirates were up to and the fear was that if one pirate family lived there, then more would come.  But this pirate family is only there while their ship is being repaired, so soon Jim Lad is off again, leaving behind a touch of pirate treasure for everyone.

Duddle has written a child-friendly book about segregation without ever using the word or focusing on that concept.  It is a book about people who are different from you moving into your neighborhood.  Happily, the pirates expect to be shunned to a large degree, and just live their lives the way they always would.  They are unapologetic, make no efforts to fit in, and then disappear, but not without making a real impact and changing people’s minds. 

The illustrations in this book really set it apart.  They have that lush feel of cinematic animation.  Each character has a unique feeling to them, effortlessly distinct and interesting.  That’s true of the pirate family and also of the many elderly neighbors who gossip about them.  The effect is rich and striking.  The illustrations also use the color palette of cinema, with the dramatic lush colors, deep blues of night, and often playing with light and dark. 

This exceptional book takes the appeal of a pirate story and weaves in social commentary with great restraint.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.