Picture Books

Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero

| Tasha

Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero by Anne Cottringer, illustrated by Alex T. Smith

Eliot is a very quiet child by day.  He reads books and feeds his fish.  But when midnight strikes, Eliot becomes a superhero!  He has all sorts of adventures: returning lions to the zoo, saving ships, and recovering the crown jewels.  Tonight he has to stop a huge meteor that is heading right for earth!  In a series of adventures and mishaps, the question becomes whether he can save earth in time.

Imagination to the rescue!  Eliot has great classic adventures that will appeal to children.  His quiet identity at home is also a classic superhero alter-ego, which will be appreciated.  The text is written to be read aloud with fonts that call for crashing noises, loud explosions, and even quiet.  Smith’s illustrations are a great mix of collage and drawing, creating an exciting setting for each of Eliot’s adventures.  They are clever, wry and very silly, perfection for the book.

Recommended for children who have their own capes, this book will fly into eager hands.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Looking Like Me

| Tasha

Looking Like Me by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Christopher Myers

This father and son partnership has created a picture book that will work with a broad span of ages.   Walter Dean Myers’ poem explores everything that a person can be, all the various aspects of a person.  He focuses on what a person loves to do, relationships with others, and who that person really is.  It is an empowering message of both individuality and connections to others. 

The poetry in the book dances from one idea to the next with a jazzy rhythm and urban vibe.  Christopher Myers’ art is joyous, loose and loud.  The two work together to offer a book filled with rhythm and movement. 

This book is accessible enough to be used with children in elementary school, but may speak loudest to older children and teens who are asking themselves about their identity.  It begs to be used with students and reacted to in a personal way.  Appropriate for ages 7-14.

Reviewed from library copy.

Firefighter Ted

| Tasha

Firefighter Ted by Andrea Beaty and Pascal Lemaitre

When Ted woke up one morning, he smelled smoke.  He knew that he needed a firefighter!  Unable to find a firefighter anywhere in his room, he become one.  He did have to make his own fire extinguisher our of whipped cream and an air tube from the fish tank.  Firefighter Ted started the day by putting out a breakfast fire, much to his mother’s dismay.  He then rescued a kitten from the hot sidewalk.  This made him late to school.  Met at the door by the principal, Ted became alarmed that the principal was overheating, so he wrapped him in hazard tape and used his fire extinguisher on him.  When the class went to the science fair, Ted had to leap into action again to make it all safe.  In the end, there was a real fire and you know who came to the rescue!

This second Ted book follows Doctor Ted.  Done with the same humor and spunk as the first, readers will be very happy to have a second adventure that hints at a third.  Ted is a great character who takes imaginative play to an entirely different level.  He combines ingenuity with courage, never paying attention to what others have to say about his costumes or what he does to help.  The illustrations are done with thick black lines and bright colors.  They are inviting, fun and fresh.

Recommended for all public libraries, this series will fly off of the shelves.  It will also make a welcome addition to fire safety story times and units.  Appropriate for toddlers through preschoolers, this series will be enjoyed by ages 2-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

When the World Is Ready for Bed

| Tasha

When the World Is Ready for Bed by Gillian Shields, illustrated by Anna Currey

It’s bedtime and the entire world starts to get ready.  The little rabbits are called back to their cozy cottage.  The flowers close, night birds sing.  The evening routine starts.  There is warm soup for supper.  Toys have to be tidied up.  Time for talking about the day.  Then baths, teeth, and faces.  Stories, prayers, and hugs.  And one final glimpse of a bright star in the sky. 

This quiet bedtime story has the warmth and feel of a very traditional English tale like Peter Rabbit.  The story is told in short rhyming verses that add to the feeling of tradition and also to the feeling of a gentle nighttime routine.  Currey’s art reflects that same sense of timelessness and coziness.  From the soft cozy furniture to the toys strewn across the floor even after tidying up. 

This is a book to sink into, read again and again, and make part of your regular bedtime routine.  Appropriate for ages 1-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Not Last Night but the Night Before

| Tasha

 

Not Last Night but the Night Before by Colin McNaughton, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark

A little boy runs to answer the door and there are three black cats there.  They rush in and knock him to the ground.  Then the man in the moon is at the door, he also rushes in.  And so one after the other fairy tale characters knock on the door and then shove, push, and knock the boy right down.  Finally when Punch, Judy, Baby and Crocodile knock on the door, they shake hands and greet him warmly.  And that is when readers and the little boy suddenly understand where everyone was headed and why. 

McNaughtons rhymes are bouncy and great fun to read aloud.  They invite you into the silliness and imagination at play here.  Clark’s illustrations are equally inviting as they depict beloved characters.  I particularly love the way the characters wait patiently and sweetly at the door but then proceed to barge in and down goes the boy again.  That little tension before each onslaught is delicious. 

This is ideal for reading aloud.  It will work best for children who know the characters, but those just learning about them will enjoy the energy and fun here too.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Here Comes Jack Frost

| Tasha

Here Comes Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara

The author of Ghosts in the House returns with another great seasonal title.  A lonely boy who hates winter discovers frosty patterns on his windows and then Jack Frost himself.  Jack Frost playfully runs away from the boy, telling him that he can’t jump over the pond.  But the boy had ice skates and he and his dog twirl across the ice.  When Jack Frost runs over a hill, the boy and his dog use a sled.  After a rousing snowball fight, Jack Frost agrees to stay with the boy as long as he never mentions anything warm.  So they build snowmen, ski, and play.  Until one day, there are signs of spring.

The story here is charming, filled with all of the classic winter ways to play.  Kohara’s prose is clear and simple.  It is the illustrations that really make the book soar with their bright whites and blues that range from icy to midnight.  Without any spangles or sparkles, this book gleams with cold.  Prickly Jack Frost with his sharp lines contrasts beautifully with the boy in his rounded hat and coat. 

A marvelous choice for snowy story times, this book is ideal for toddlers.  Read it at home with plenty of blankets and a mug of cocoa to keep cuddly.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by A Year of Reading.

Grumpy Grandpa

| Tasha

Grumpy Grandpa by Heather Henson, illustrated by Ross MacDonald

A little boy talks about his grandpa who is always grumpy.  Every year he and his parents drive to spend two weeks on his grandpa’s farm.  The little boy has to be quiet and not disturb his grandpa.  He tries to stay out of grandpa’s way so that he isn’t yelled at like the TV or the dog, but it’s not so easy.  Every afternoon, after a nap, Grandpa leaves the farm alone.  The little boy wonders where he goes.  Then the next day, Grandpa takes the boy along.  They head to a boat on a pond with fishing poles.  Now he has to be really quiet and still.  Grumpy Grandpa just keeps getting grumpier.  The little boy decides to leave, forgetting he is in a boat.  Splash!  Now how will Grumpy Grandpa react to being tipped overboard?

So many picture books show grandparents as bread baking, snowy haired saints, but many children have grandparents who don’t naturally bond with young children.  The beauty of this picture book is that yes the grandfather is grumpy, but it turns out he has a great sense of humor and remembers being a boy himself.  Henson’s text is humorous and allows readers to see that Grandpa isn’t that grumpy even before the young boy understands it. 

MacDonald’s illustrations have a vintage feel.  Done in watercolor, they evoke picture books from the 50s. This works particularly well with the homey and timeless nature of the story.

As someone who had a rather grumpy grandma, I am happy to see a book that really shows what’s underneath the crusty exterior of some grandparents.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Muktar and the Camels

| Tasha

Muktar and the Camels by Janet Graber, illustrated by Scott Mack

Muktar lives in a Somalian orphanage after his parents have died.  His parents had roamed Somalia with camels before the drought and war changed everything.  Now all Muktar has of his old life is a withered root that his father gave him and told him to use wisely.  Then one day, a man arrives with three camels loaded with books.  Muktar is asked to help unload the camels and as he does, he notices a wound on the foot of one camel.  The librarian is too busy to listen to his concerns, so Muktar creates a poultice with the root his father gave him.  By the time the librarian discovers the problem, the camel’s foot is better and Muktar has impressed him enough to offer him a job with the camels.

This book is based on the library service of the Kenya National Library Service which has camel convoys of books eight times a month that serve schools and orphanages in the outlying areas.  Muktar and his love of animals shines in this book.  His skill with camels is impressive as is his strength in the face of such overwhelming change in his life.  Graber’s text tells the story plainly, not dwelling too long on the loss but more on the present.  Mack’s illustrations, done in oils on canvas, show a land dried and hardened, but people who are surviving despite the obstacles.

Recommended as a window to another way of living, this book is appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Oh Crumps!

| Tasha

Oh, Crumps! by Lee Bock, illustrated by Morgan Midgett

Farmer Felandro is so very tired.  He has a lot to do tomorrow: milk the cows, fix the fence, mow the hay and climb the silo.  And morning comes so early.  As he is falling asleep, he hears the goats Maahing outside.  Oh crumps!  So he puts on his boots and heads out to put them in their pen.  Back in bed, he goes through his list of chores for tomorrow mixing his words up, and then hears the dogs barking.  On go the boots, out to the barn, gets the dogs settled, back in bed, list of chores, and another animals makes noise outside.  This happens again and again, until finally it is dawn and the day has begun.

This book has a very nice mix of humor and traditional feel.  Bock has created a story with a natural rhythm that will have young listeners feeling immediately at home.  Yet he also has created a very nice running gag as the farmer mixes up the words on his list of chores, leading to him thinking about fixing the cow and milking the fence!  Midgett’s illustrations merrily follow these words, so that we can see the farmer sitting with a bucket milking the spotted fence.  Her art will project well to a group of students with its thick lines and deep colors.

Highly recommended as an addition to farming story times or as a great bedtime choice, this book comes in both English and bilingual (English/Spanish) version.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from ARC received from publisher.