Picture Books

Whoo Goes There?

| Tasha

Whoo Goes There? by Jennifer A. Ericsson, illustrated by Bert Kitchen

Everything was dark and quiet.  Owl sat alone on a branch in a tall tree, waiting and watching.  Whenever something rustled, thumped or squeaked, Owl wondered, “Whoo goes there?”  He hoped it was something just right for his dinner.  But each time it was not a fat mouse or squirrel, it was a cat, a skunk or a bat.  Finally, Owl knew it WAS a mouse, and he headed into the darkness to try to catch it.

This book based on a simple premise offers more depth than most repetitive stories.  Here we see nature in action, tension builds with each creature that isn’t edible, and the ending is perfectly satisfying with a touch of humor.  Ericsson’s prose uses the repetition nicely, never becoming sing-songy or dull, but using it instead to create a vivid mood.  Combined with Kitchen’s incredibly lifelike illustrations, this book offers a book that will give children a tingle with no real fear.  Kitchen’s art is beautifully rendered.  He shows the detail of the bark of a tree contrasted with the spines of a porcupine in just one of his masterful images.  Each one is a window into nature and into that creature.

Highly recommended, this is an ideal book for story times with toddlers.  I would consider it for Halloween story times where the children are a bit young for monster books but want a little thrill still.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

The Smallest Snowflake

| Tasha

The Smallest Snowflake by Bernadette Watts

Far above where the geese were flying, the snowflakes were waiting to fall.  The Smallest Snowflake wants just to land somewhere special.  Each snowflake fell in a different place.  One fell on the top of a mountain, another sparkled in the branches of a tree, another at the top of a building in a city, and still another on the wall of a castle.  The Smallest Snowflake kept on flying on the wind until it landed in a window box of a cottage where a merry fire burned in the fireplace, paintings hung on the wall, and another painting was in the process of being painted.  The snowflake had never seen this sort of thing before.  The snowflake watched day to day until one day from underneath came a pushing and green shoots appeared as spring arrived.

This is a gentle story about the journey of a snowflake to just the right spot.  The cottage is where Watts used to live in Wales.  Readers will see her at work, view her cozy home, and catch a glimpse on the final page as she takes her book to the mail.  Watts creates a lovely picture of winter here as each snowflake finds just the right spot to land.  Her illustrations capture the swirl of snow, the chill, and then the warmth of the cottage.  Small touches throughout invite the reader to look closely at the pictures.  A red kite flies high above orange roofs.  Newspaper pages blow out of someone’s hands.  Raccoons huddle together on a cold branch. 

Best shared with a small group or just one child because of the great details and quiet story, this book is a real gem.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Day Is Done

| Tasha

Day Is Done by Peter Yarrow, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary wrote this poignant song about the wisdom of children and their ability to lead us.  This picture book takes the lyrics of the song and turns it into a book for children that adults will appreciate as well.  A variety of animal families are featured in the book including bears, deer, rabbits and raccoons.  Sweet’s illustrations explore the connections of families, nature and wonder as her animals live in a forest bedecked in flowers drawn with a child-like hand.  Both the song and illustrations combine to create a world of shelter, love and connectivity.

Sweet’s illustrations with their touches of thick crayon and youthful simplicity are deceptive.  Looked at closely, they are mixes of collage and watercolor that are expertly combined into a seamless unity.  Sweet’s art moves from late afternoon through evening and night, changing from pastels to deeper starlit blues. 

A beautiful and accessible version of the beloved song, this book includes a CD with two additional songs.  Appropriate for ages 2-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by Jama Rattigan, LadyD Books, and Brimful Curiosities. 

Cora Cooks Pancit

| Tasha

Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore, illustrated by Kristi Valiant

Cora always got stuck with the kid jobs when her mother cooks like licking the spoon and drawing in the flour.  So when her older siblings head out of the house, Cora asks her mother to make pancit.  Cora’s mother gives her the red apron that belonged to her grandfather who was a cook.  After washing her hands, Cora gets to help with grownup jobs like shredding chicken, checking the soaking noodles, and stirring the hot pan.  When the family sits down to dinner, Cora is nervous.  Will her pancit taste good?

This is a very warm book with a bustling, busy family.  It really speaks to the relationship of a mother and daughter, the way that traditions and foods are handed down to the next generation, and the pleasure children get from being part of creating and learning.  Gilmore’s text is joyful as it explains Filipino foods and heritage, giving us glimpses of the family history along the way.  Valiant’s art with its warm, deep colors show us a family that is familiar but has its own particular culture. 

A glowingly friendly look at a loving Filipino family, this book will have you hungry for your own family recipes and offers a great venue to discuss everyone’s particular family heritage through food.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Interview with Kristi Valiant at Elizabeth Dulemba’s blog.

Also reviewed by Paper Tigers, The Picnic Basket, Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup, and BookDragon.

The King and the Seed

| Tasha

The King and the Seed by Eric Maddern, illustrated by Paul Hess

King Karnak has no heir and is coming to the end of his reign.  So he puts out a call for anyone who wants to be king to come and join in a competition.  Knights come from across the land, ready for the battle to begin.  But the king surprises them all by handing each one of them a seed and asking them to bring it back in six months to show what they have grown.  A boy, Jack, who came only to witness the competition, gets a seed for himself.  Jack tries and tries to make his seed grow, but nothing works and six months later he heads back to the castle.  There he finds the knights with armloads of plants, huge flowers, all different from one another.  Jack doesn’t want to admit his defeat to the king, so what’s a boy to do?

Maddern’s storytelling has a great flair, filled with small touches and humor that really bring the story to life.  The book has a strong message that is not overdone.  It also has a classic folk tale format that is mixed with a modern storytelling style, creating a very engaging book.  Hess’ illustrations are bright-colored and offer interesting perspectives on the action.  They will work well with a group.

Ideal for reading aloud, this book is a great modern folktale that emphasizes the importance of honesty.  Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

All Kinds of Families

| Tasha

All Kinds of Families by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Marc Boutavant

Bottle caps, gingersnaps, buttons, or rings

You can make families from all sorts of things!

Explore the idea of family as a broader thing.  People are families, animals are families, but also socks, marbles, thimbles and more!  The idea of family is embraced here, going far beyond our everyday concept of it and allowing children to find families everywhere.  In the book, the human families are also celebrated and children’s roles in them are highlighted.  This flowing poem even has you seeing families in fingers and toes.  A celebration indeed!

Hoberman’s rhyme here is great fun, offering lists of items that are families and inviting readers to add their own ideas.  The highlighted text above nicely finishes each verse of the poem.  Boutavant’s illustrations are retro 1970s and equally fun.  They feature grinning objects, lots of animals, and small details to enjoy. 

This is a jolly book that is a warm hug of inclusion for everyone and everything into the world of families.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

In the Belly of an Ox

| Tasha

In the Belly of an Ox: the Unexpected Photographic Adventures of Richard and Cherry Kearton by Rebecca Bond

Two brothers, Richard and Cherry Kearton, grew up in the hills of Yorkshire and spent much of their time outside exploring.  When they both moved to London, they missed the countryside, so they visited it whenever they could.  One visit, Cherry brought his new camera and took a picture of a bird’s nest.  An idea was born!  The brothers decided to take pictures of birds nests using a variety of blinds, disguises and props, including a large bull to hide inside.  It took them three years and 30,000 miles of travel across Britain to make their book.  British Birds’ Nests was published in 1895.  It was the first nature book to be illustrated entirely with photographs. 

This is really the story of two brothers who were willing to work hard, invent their own solutions, and follow their personal dreams.  It is a story of being yourself and finding your own way in life and not listening to what “should” be done.  Make sure to look at the end of the book where you can see some of their photographs.  One is a heart-stopping photo of both brothers high in a tree with a ladder. 

Bond’s text here sets just the right mood.  She and the readers revel in the inventiveness of the brothers and their enthusiasm and hers shine.  Her illustrations have a wonderful vintage feel.  The watercolor landscapes evoke the region nicely and the brothers come through as vibrant characters.

A great piece of picture-book nonfiction, this title is one that should be shared.  It’s a great piece to start conversations about what children are really dreaming of, what their special gifts are, and what they may become someday.  And it just might get indoor children moving outside to take their own pictures and climb their own trees.  What could be better?!  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

We Troubled the Waters

| Tasha

We Troubled the Waters by Ntozake Shange, illustrated by Rod Brown

It takes a very special picture book to leave you with tears standing in your eyes.  This is that book.

This book of poems takes readers from slavery through Jim Crow to the KKK and the battles of the Civil Rights Movement.  It is a visual and poetic trip through African-American history, a journey that evokes the emotions, the cruelty, the hate and the oppression.  It lifts only at the end speaking of modern life in America with a hopeful tone and a unity that sees beyond color.

Shange’s poems are powerful, unflinching looks at historical moments.  They celebrate victories while continuing to honor the slain and victimized of the past.  She writes with an honesty that elevates these poems beyond simple historical facts, creating emotional and honest portrayals of what people felt and experienced during those times. 

Brown’s art is equally powerful.  His portraits of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks speak to the people themselves and their message even more than their outward appearance.  They are beautifully rendered in deep colors, a tribute to the history and the people.

Highly recommended, this is a book that is ideal for February’s Black History Month but should be used all year long.  This is our history no matter our color.  It is a history we should all be aware of so that it never repeats itself.  Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by TheHappyNappyBookseller.

The Duck and the Kangaroo

| Tasha

The Duck and the Kangaroo by Edward Lear, illustrated by Jane Wattenberg

Combine Lear’s classic poem with funky, modern collages and you get a winner of a picture book!  Duck is bored living in his pond.  He wishes that he could travel the world the way Kangaroo does so he asks Kangaroo to carry him on his back.  But Kangaroo has one major concern about the plan, Duck’s wet, cold feet would be awfully uncomfortable.  Duck has already solved this problem by getting knitted socks and a cape to keep himself warm.  So off they hop, the two friends around the world three times.

Lear’s poem would make a great pairing with his other more famous The Owl and the Pussycat.  This poem is silly, wild and rather surreal, which matches well with Wattenberg’s illustrations.  Her collages incorporate Lear’s own art and that of others, creating a cohesive and fascinating blend of old and new, all in vibrant color.  Duck’s wide-eyed view of the world enhances the humor of the poem, as do other small touches like the rainbow of knitted socks perfect for webbed feet.

A wild and funny book that will find a niche of eager readers looking for something joyous and surreal.  Just hop along with the story and you will find a real treasure of a friendship by the end.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

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