Picture Books

The Monster in the Lake by Leo Timmers – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

The Monster in the Lake by Leo Timmers (9798765670507)

When one of the ducks wants to go to the lake, Eric asks about the monster that lives there. The other ducks assure him that that’s just a story and there are only fish and frogs in the lake, so he follows them reluctantly. When he peeks his head below the surface, he sees the huge horned monster there. When he shouts to the other ducks, they think he is joking and keep on swimming. Eric soon finds himself face-to-face with the monster, but it’s not quite what he expected.

Timmers builds wonderful suspense here as he fills the page mostly with green lake water with the ducks way at the top. The fish and frogs float past and the reveal of the monster is great fun and deftly paced for maximum impact. Though this is a book with a monster, there is a merriment that keeps the feelings light, plus the monster itself helps with that since it’s quite charming. A great combination of building story line and brilliant use of the page, this would make a great read aloud for older children. 

A monstrously great book to sink into. Appropriate for age 4-7.

Reviewed from copy provided by Gecko Press.

If We Were Dogs by Sophie Blackall – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

If We Were Dogs by Sophie Blackall (9780316581721)

A merry look at two children playing together where one decides that they should be dogs. They will be the big dog and the other the little dog. They can wag tails, drink from water bowls, fetch big sticks and much more. Somehow though, the little dog keeps on not having much fun while the big dog is merrily playing. When even more dogs join them, the little dog has had enough! A clever look at how playing together means incorporating others’ ideas into imaginary scenarios. As always the illustrations by Blackall are charming. In particular, the little dog’s face captures his worry, doubt and how put-upon he feels.

A delightful doggy romp. Appropriate for ages 3-5. 

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Hachette Book Group.

The House That Floated by Guojing – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

The House That Floated by Guojing (9780593709054)

In a tiny red house on the edge of a cliff above the sea lives a little family. They spend their days fishing and rescuing dolphins from nets at sea and then carving fish figures at home. When a huge storm comes, the water almost reaches the house! The family work together to get the small house onto a handmade raft and leave their beloved space behind. They reach an even higher cliffside and the house is hoisted up to a new green-filled space where they can now live.

This wordless picture book takes its time to show the closeness of the family unit, how they spend their quiet days together. Because of that, the storm’s arrival is jarring in the best possible way, shaking the reader out of the bliss that was their home. The book stays fantastical in some ways with the house on the raft and the lifting of it to a new site, but there is also a definite tie to our world facing climate change and dangerous weather that move people to new places where we hope they will feel welcomed and safe.

Wordless and profound. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Random House Studio.

Seven Ways Through the Woods by Jenn Reese – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Seven Ways Through the Woods by Jenn Reese, illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz (9780063356269)

When you come to a dark forest, you have several ways to enter it. First, you can simply follow the path where others have walked before you. It’s not exciting, but it’s an option. There are six other choices that are a lot more fun. Perhaps riding a griffin? Or taking the sprite tunnels? Or finding a portal flower. The seventh way is only for the bravest explorers. That way is to leave the path and stay in the magical forest, not seeing it as an obstacle but a destination. 

I didn’t know much about this picture book when I started reading that thought that it might be focused on nature and hiking. I was overjoyed to find that it took a magical turn into sprites, moss giants, griffins and more. The text keeps the tone of a guide narrator, much like a regular hiking book, which adds to the charm. The illustrations from the beginning are rich and colorful, using the digital format to create saturated tones that glow. 

Pure forest magic. Appropriate for ages 4-7. 

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Greenwillow.

The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle by Sy Montgomery – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle by Sy Montgomery, illustrated by Matt Patterson (9780063325166)

This nonfiction picture book shares the story of Fire Chief, a common snapping turtle. This turtle is currently over 60 years old and living in a pond near a fire station. Throughout his life, Fire Chief was lucky. He survived being so small that almost anything else could eat him. He found a safe pond to spend his summers and another one nearby to overwinter in. But as the town grew up around him, he was very unlucky one day as he moved to his winter pond and was hit by a car. That’s when the Turtle Rescue League came to help. They patched his shell and helped him regain the use of his back legs. When Fire Chief was ready to return to his pond, the humans there also decided to lend a hand to get him a space that would work for him all year long. 

The author and illustrator of the award-winning The Book of Turtles return with another book celebrating these animals. The author and illustrator also help rescue turtles in their hometown and know Fire Chief personally. This connection to the animals and to this story really make this book special. The book wisely mixes turtle facts and information with Fire Chief’s own life and story. There is so much to enjoy here in its warm tone and clear delight in its subject matter. That is matched by the art which takes close-up looks at Fire Chief and his habitat, getting readers closer and more intimate than photography could. 

A majestic look at one very lucky turtle. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Clarion Books.

World Entire: A True Story of an Extraordinary World War II Rescue by Elizabeth Brown – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

The World Entire: A True Story of an Extraordinary World War II Rescue by Elizabeth Brown, illustrated by Melissa Castrillón (9781452170985)

This is the true story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who was a Portuguese diplomat with the power to give or deny visas. As the Nazis approached, refugees started to flee France to Portugal since Spain was denying them refuge. Mendes thwarted his government’s guidance and rules on giving visas and in the course of 23 days in 1940 gave out thousands of visas to all sorts of people. He recognized that these people were the same as his own family experiencing it. Mendes saved thousands of people, even showing them a safe way to enter Portugal as the borders closed. He paid for it though, as he lost his position, his home and his family were forced onto the streets. 

Such a timely title during the American immigration crisis, this picture book nonfiction shows everyone that whatever their role and what they are being told to do, there are choices that can save lives and make a difference. Brown’s writing takes a complex story and reworks it for children without losing any of its emotional impact. She takes time to explain how Mendes fretted over his decision to defy his government, showing that it was not simple and that afterwards he was impacted by the choices he made. The illustrations are done in pencil with digital coloring, offering fine lines that show life before the war, maps of the impact, and the suffering of refugees as they wait. They capture emotion clearly and support the story well.

A story that shows how civil disobedience is a powerful force. Appropriate for ages 6-10.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Chronicle Books.

Dear Acorn (Love, Oak) by Joyce Sidman – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Dear Acorn (Love, Oak): Letter Poems to Friends by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (9780358334767)

An award-winning children’s poet collaborates with an award-winning illustrator in this book of nature poetry for children. Each poem is written as a letter between two things from nature. Oak and Acorn exchange letters as do Bubble and Sky and River and Pebble. As each writes a letter, the connection between the two is made all the more clear and profound. 

Readers will enjoy the pairs of poems and could be inspired to write their own nature letters from other pairs that they see in their own experiences. The poems are beautifully accessible to young children while also demonstrating great skill and not being childish. The illustrations by Sweet are done in her signature style of collage and filled with varying colors from page to page to show the different natural aspects. The result is a spectacular marriage of poem and art. 

A great book of poetry for children that belongs in every library. Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Clarion Books.

Wanda Hears the Stars by Amy S. Hansen with Wanda Díaz Merced – Book Review

| Tasha

Wanda Hears the Stars: A Blind Astronomer Listens to the Universe by Amy S. Hansen with Wanda Díaz Merced, illustrated by Rocio Arreola Mendoza (9781623544874)

When Wanda was growing up in Puerto Rico’s rainforest, she couldn’t see the stars because of all the trees. She first truly saw the stars on a family fishing trip and she was entirely amazed by them. Wanda was a child who didn’t like school all that much and certainly didn’t like the shots she had to take for her diabetes. Eventually, she found out what she liked at school and decided to study physics in college. But at college, she started losing her eyesight due to her diabetes and eventually became blind. How could a blind person study the stars? Happily, she had friends around her to encourage her and one friend who was using sounds to study the stars. Now Wanda could listen to the stars and hear them. Wanda moved to the United States and continued to study the stars, making discoveries that only someone listening to the noises could have found. 

An amazing story of overcoming a disability in a field where it seemed impossible to go on, this nonfiction picture book shows Wanda’s perseverance, skill and also her willingness to accept help in order to find her way forward. The story itself is wonderfully written for young readers and the ending where the star noises are shared on the page is amazing in an entirely additional way. The illustrations are friendly and invite readers to engage with the material. 

A fascinating and inspiring true story. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Charlesbridge.

The Everything Trail by Meg Fleming – Book review

| Tasha

The Everything Trail by Meg Fleming, illustrated by Chuck Groenink (9781665924870)

A diverse group of children head into a redwood forest filled with the giant trees. They follow a path bordered by ferns along the creek. The forest is filled with bird song and cool canyon air. They continue to follow the water until they reach a dramatic waterfall. They see animals that are fast and slow, high and low. Sunlight drenches some areas and never reaches the inside of the cave they enter. When they reach the open air of the hillside, they see that everything is both big and small at the same time.

Told in non-rhyming poetic lines, this picture book celebrates the joy of hiking in the wilderness with friends. There is a jaunty rhythm to the book that works well with the footfalls of a hike, the dramatic reveals and the small joys. The illustrations are merry and bright, the cave filled with its own sort of lights, and the varied terrain makes for an entertaining read. 

This merry picture book celebrates getting outside and moving. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Beach Lane Books.