Picture Books

The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux

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The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux by Emily Arnold McCully

Jacques Marsal was intrigued with the prehistoric bones and tools that his teacher showed him.  When he got to see the cave paintings at Font de Gaume, he was amazed.  So when he and three other boys discover a cave, they want to explore it.  Following a tunnel into the earth on their hands and knees, they found an enormous cave.  On the cave walls were paintings that looked like they had just been painted.  They explored the cave for several days, finding paintings even down a deep shaft.  Jacques insisted that they show the paintings to his teacher who at first thought they were playing a trick on him.  But when he saw the paintings and an expert confirmed them, they all knew that they had found a treasure on the walls of the cave. 

McCully tells the tale with plenty of details, allowing readers to understand the time period and the length of time the boys explored the cave.  These details make the history come alive.  The boys are depicted as real boys who play war, explore caves without any equipment and are tempted to keep the cave a secret.  They are human rather than heroes.  McCully’s afterword offers some more of the history of Lascaux, explaining what happened after the book ended. 

McCully’s illustrations done in ink and watercolor have a great contrast between daylight and the caves.  In daylight, the colors are light and vibrant.  The underground illustrations have an effective darkness around them, conveying the thickness of the earth around the caves.  McCully moves successfully between her finely detailed illustrations and the more primitive paintings on the cave itself.  The contrast between the two styles makes sure that readers know that these are depictions of the cave paintings.

A book that should delight readers who enjoy history and adventures.  Use this as a great introduction to the caves themselves and expect to have lots of requests for images from the caves themselves.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Also reviewed by 100 Scope Notes.

Little Black Crow

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Little Black Crow by Chris Raschka

A little boy sits on a fence and wonders about the life of a little crow.  Where does the crow go in the snow?  Where does it go in a storm?  Who does it meet?  Does it ever complain about the cold and wet?  How does it sleep?  And most vital of all, is it really a boy, like him with similar feelings and wonders?  Raschka takes his spare verse and asks deep questions about animals and their relationship to humans.  Through it all, his watercolor images move, transitioning as the book continues from a black and brown palette to a glory of pinks, blues, oranges and yellows.  Even the illustrations have a minimalist feel to them, just like the verse they leave plenty of room for readers to insert themselves into the book.

Raschka has created a book that really works here.  It is a book that will lead to conversations and questions naturally.  It is a book that is beautifully designed, a book that invites exploration.  Raschka’s illustrations have a freedom, an exquisite carefree feel that works as a foil to the wondering tone of the boy as he tries to understand more clearly the world of the bird. 

A marvelous book, this picture book offers lots of wonder and depth.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum.

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Balancing Act: Simple Fun and Math

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Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Two mice put together a stick and rock to make a teeter-totter.  With one mouse on each end, they balance.  But when a salamander wants to join in, the teeter-totter tips, until another salamander comes along.  When one frog jumps in, the teeter-totter really tips, but balance is restored with another jumping frog coming on.  Trouble comes along though when a bird wants to join in too.  For a little while there is balance with all of the animals on one side and the bird on the other.  But then the weight is too much for the stick.  All of the animals except the mice head off to do something else.  The mice?  Well, they still have a stick and a rock…

Stoll Walsh has a way with simple stories that really allows them to shine.  Her use of very basic text allows her books to be used with very young children.  Her art is also simplicity itself with its paper collage on a white background.  She uses great color as the animals join in with a bright red salamander, teal frog and blue bird.  At the same time as she is giving an engaging story, she is also introducing the concept of balancing and how to add objects together to make two sides equal.  A book that offers basic math concepts in such a gentle and enjoyable way is very special.

A jolly picture book that offers equal story and concept for preschoolers.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Jim: A Cautionary Tale

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Jim: a Cautionary Tale by Hilaire Belloc and Mini Grey

Looking for a picture book that is far from sweet and a bit wicked?  Then look no further!  Mini Grey takes the classic tale by Belloc and turns it into a book with lots of tiny details and pop-up pages that make for great fun in reading.  The tale is one of Jim, who went to the zoo with his nurse and then slipped away from her.  He hadn’t gotten far when a lion grabbed him and began to eat him from the feet up.  Jim called for help and a zookeeper came running, but was too late, only Jim’s head was left.  The story is written in verse that is dry and naughty.  The voice of the poem makes what happens that much more unexpected and delightful.  Grey’s illustrations have a modern feel that works well with the tone here.  This is a picture book best shared with children who are slightly older and will understand the dark humor at work.

Belloc’s poem makes a great point from which Grey could build such a book.  Though the writing is decidedly Edwardian, Grey’s modern illustrations work well with it.  Her small touches enliven the book, getting readers interacting with panels to open, a zoo map to view, and a lion’s claws to dodge.  Though we may see modern books as those with a darker edge, it took an Edwardian author to create one of the more dark picture books I have read in a long time.  Children looking for a sudden happy ending will not find one.  They will only find the sly humor of an urn shaped just like Jim’s head that holds his remains.

This is one of those books that readers will either love or hate.  Me?  I absolutely adored it and read it again and again just to get that same jolt from the ending.  You know what kids will love this book.  Get it into their hands!  It would make an ideal holiday gift for that special child with a wicked sense of humor.

Reviewed from copy received from Knopf.

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Nini Lost and Found: A Charmer That Feels Like Home

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Nini Lost and Found by Anita Lobel

This second book about Nini the cat follows the award-winning Nini Here and There that won a Caldecott Honor in 2007.   In this book, Nini discovered that the door to the house has been left open and escaped out into the garden.  While the house was cozy, the outdoors was also fun.  There were grasses, flowers, and an entire woods to explore.  But when night falls, the woods became more frightening, darker and filled with noises that could be large animals coming after her.  Nini hid under a tree, but realized that she could not just stay there.  That’s when she heard voices calling her from the house.  With a burst of courage, Nini ran home, through the open door that closed behind her.  Back to the familiar things and smells and food.  She was very happy to be home and safe, for now.

Lobel’s deep colored illustrations show both the comforts of home and the enticements of the outdoors as equally welcoming.  The richness of the autumnal landscape brings a warmth to the outdoors, inviting both Nini and readers to explore.  Children will understand Nini’s wish to escape, wander and explore.  They will also understand her conflicting desire for safety and warmth.  It is a gentle take on the theme of running away from home.  When the book turns darker with nightfall, Lobel’s color palette turns to deep blues, blacks and browns.  The contrast is distinct and makes for a more chilling moment when Nini is hiding and scared.  The contrast is clear and effective.

This simple picture book will be enjoyed by children for many different reasons.  Some for the story of a cat, others will see the parallel with children running away, and others will enjoy the adventure at night in the dark.  I look for books that can be enjoyed by many types of children for different reasons.  This is most certainly one of them.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Knopf.

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

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Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan Collier

Dave the Potter was an outstanding artist, poet and potter whose influence is still evident in South Carolina pottery.  He lived in the 1800s and created his pottery with amazing skill, building enormous pots that could up to 40 gallons.  He was one of only two potters known to have the strength and skill to create such large pieces.  Dave was also a poet, inscribing his verse on his pottery, offering two lines of poetry and then a date.  His poems have the beauty and simplicity of Haiku and offer a unique perspective of a poet surviving in slavery.  This is a picture book that makes an important figure in history come alive, revealing his art and poetry for children. 

Hill has created a free verse of his own to tell the story of the life of Dave.  Hill’s verse is simple and striking, drawing together the connections between the simple ingredients of the clay and what it can become and the simple life of a slave and the wonder of what Dave created.  The poem leads children through the stages of making a pot from the gathering of the clay to the magic and work of creating pottery.  The book ends with more of Dave’s poetry as well as an author’s note and an illustrator’s note.  All of them speaking to the influence and importance of Dave the Potter.

Collier’s art work here is stunningly beautiful.  His watercolor and collage art speaks to the strength of Dave, the skill of his hands and the glory of his work.  The colors are rich and deep, filled with a warm earthiness that evokes pottery and clay. 

A radiant tribute to an artist, this picture book echoes the transcendent artist that Dave was.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything

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Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Robert Byrd

Get a real sense of the great Khan who ruled over the largest empire in the world during the 13th century.  This picture book biography invites readers to be amazed by what Kubla Khan managed to create and build.  The emphasis is on the Khan’s achievements and the scope of his realm.  There are so many little facts shared that are fascinating and engaging.  They all demonstrate the largeness of his life and his achievements, from his one hundred children to the three million workers who extended the Grand Canal.  The feel of the book is rich and dramatic as well, thanks to the illustrations by Byrd.  Filled with small details, the illustrations and words work together to really bring this legendary leader to life.  While a boon for report writers, this is also a biography that reads aloud very well thanks to the engaging style.

Krull excels at making famous people from history more human.  With Kubla Khan, she humanizes him by sharing his youth in Mongolia.  Yet Krull allows Kubla Khan to remain larger than life, his power and success is so large that it would be wrong to minimize what he managed to accomplish.  Krull also emphasizes the fact that the Khan was very open to different opinions and new ideas.  His ability to remain open is what allowed him to become the leader he was. 

Byrd’s illustrations change as the Khan changes.  The youthful years in Mongolia have a freedom to the illustrations with racing horses, hunts, and smoky battlefields.  As Kubla Khan becomes more powerful and rules China, the illustrations reflect the Khan’s own changes and adoption of the Chinese style.  Beautifully depicted, the illustrations are detailed, rich and add to the deep texture of the book.

Highly recommended for all public library children’s nonfiction collections, this is a dazzling biography.  Appropriate for ages 8-11.

Reviewed from copy received from Viking.

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Day and Night: Movie to Picture Book

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Day & Night by Teddy Newton

The Pixar short film that accompanied Toy Story 3 in theaters has been transformed into a picture book.  Showing the same style, humor and charm of the film, this book captures the interplay between day and night.  Told in short sentences on black paper, the two characters immediately see their differences but through their interaction develop a friendship.  In the end, they discover they have a lot more in common than they had thought at first glance.  There is a wonderful whimsy about their interaction as they both use their bodies as a canvas for communication.  Each shows off the wonders of their time of day.  There are parades, rainbows and butterflies for Day.  Night responds with fireworks, outdoor movies and fireflies.  Told mostly in images, the story will appeal to young and old.

Newton’s illustrations carry this story, infusing it with appeal.  The use of the black background makes the characters really pop.  This creates a dynamic look and feel for the book.  The most effective piece of the book is the ending when day changes to night and night changes to day.  When their bodies fit together to create the horizon and to complete the sunset and dawn, it is very visually arresting.

Children who have seen the short film will enjoy this picture book version, but so will children who are looking for a friendly book with inviting illustrations.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

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Mostly Monsterly

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Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Scott Magoon

Bernadette had claws, a tail, fangs, and pointy ears.  She was a monster.  She caused all sorts of mayhem, but underneath she was different.  She liked flowers, kittens, and baking treats.  So Bernadette was nervous to go to school with the other monsters.  Her niceness did not fit in with the group well.  She asked for a group hug and got glares.  She sang a sweet song and someone ate her microphone.  Even her cupcakes with sprinkles get the monsters to turn tail and run.  How was she going to make friends?  Bernadette had a plan, a very monsterly, yet sweet one. 

Sauer nicely turns the pink and princessy on its head with this small blue monster.  The mix of sweet and monster is a winning one, nicely cleansing the saccharine that can accumulate from too many pink sparkly picture books.  Sauer has a great sense of humor that is on display in her title.   The things that the monster children hope are in the box as treats are silly and great fun.  Sauer does not limit herself to normal picture book words in a any way.  Make way for slobber, conquer and dismantle, among others.  Magoon’s illustrations offer plenty of monster styles and types for the reader to gape at.  None of the monsters are frightening.  This is a funny book and the illustrations stay in that style as well.  They are bright, intriguing and silly.  Bernadette is a monster we can all relate to, thanks in large part to the way she is depicted in the illustrations.

A book that celebrates our diversity and differences, this is a great monster book to add to your not-so-scary stories pile.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon and Schuster.

Check out the trailer:

Mostly Monsterly Book Trailer