Review: Night Job by Karen Hesse

| Tasha

Night Job by Karen Hesse

Night Job by Karen Hesse, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (9780763662387)

Released on September 11, 2018.

On Friday nights, a little boy goes with his father to work. They leave after dark on his father’s motorcycle, head across the bridge, and enter the closed school. His father has a big ring of keys to open the door. They clean the gym first, while the little boy plays basketball. They bring a radio with them from room to room, listening to baseball games. At ten at night, they eat the lunch they brought with them. While his father cleans the library, the boy falls asleep reading on the couch. His father wakes him at four in the morning to head back home, across the bridge. The two fall asleep together curled in the big recliner.

Newbery Medal winner Hesse captures the wonder of going to work with a parent and brings in the beauty of being out at night as well. Along the way, the work of a parent who has a night job is honored. As a child of a teacher, I enjoyed the empty hallways of a school closed for the weekend or summer. It’s a beautiful thing to have those areas be silent and just for you. That feeling is shown here clearly, as the boy makes the spaces his own.

The connection between father and son is a focus of the story and the illustrations. The pictures by Karas are done in his signature style and use darkness and light cleverly. The father and son are shown as a pair throughout the book, highlighting their special time together whether in the bright gym or on the dark road.

A quiet book about jobs, connections and families. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy provided by Candlewick Press.

 

Review: Good Rosie! by Kate DiCamillo

| Tasha

Good Rosie! by Kate DiCamillo

Good Rosie! by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Harry Bliss (9780763689797)

Released on September 4, 2018.

Rosie is a dog who lives with George. She gets lonely without any other dogs to play with. Still, George takes her on walks and that makes her less lonely. When George sees a dog in the clouds in the sky one day, he is inspired to take Rosie to the dog park. There are lots of dogs there, but Rosie isn’t sure how to make friends. She doesn’t like big Maurice who is too loud. She also doesn’t like Fifi with her sparkly collar and jumping around. But when Maurice plays too roughly with Fifi, Rosie knows just what to do. Soon all three dogs are learning to make friends and play together.

As always, DiCamillo’s storytelling is skilled and warm. She introduces us to a new heroine here, a little friendly dog who is just not quite sure how to make friends yet. Children will relate to the struggles to make new friends on a playground. The two very different dogs that Rosie meets are also a pleasure. One bumbling in his enthusiasm and the other yipping around for attention. Rosie remains firmly a dog throughout the story, not becoming overly anthropomorphized along the way.

The illustrations by Bliss give the book the feel of a graphic novel. They are multi framed and yet the dialogue is not in speech bubbles, so this is a mashup of a chapter book and a graphic novel that is very successful. It is partly the illustrations that keep Rosie firmly a dog. They are realistic and lush, the sort of illustrations that make you want to reach out and pet the dogs on the page.

A dog-gone good chapter book with graphic novel appeal. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy provided by Candlewick Press.

Review: The Day War Came by Nicola Davies

| Tasha

The Day War Came by Nicola Davies

The Day War Came by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb (9781536201734)

Released September 4, 2018.

A little girl explains what happened to her when war came to her city. She started the day with breakfast, kisses, and flowers on the windowsill. Then war came while she was at school. Her town was turned to rubble and she fled with others. She lost her entire family and her home in one moment of war. She made the dangerous journey to another country alone, arriving on a sandy shore. Even in the new country though, she was not accepted. War was there too in the way the people looked at her and made her unwelcome. When she tried to go to school, she was told there wasn’t a chair available for her. It is not until the children of the community come together with chairs in hand to make her welcome that war finally begins to recede.

There are very few picture books that can make me truly weep. This was one of those. The poem by Davies is powerful and starkly honest. She has taken inspiration from several true events and turned it into a tale of the loss and continued rejection that refugees feel even after making it to safer countries. The power of children to make the world welcoming to those who have fled their countries is empowering and refreshing to see on the page.

The illustrations from Cobb take readers on a journey from the brightness of the little girl’s family life before war came to the devastation and darkness of being a refugee. The brightness does not return until the girl sees a classroom again, only to be pushed away and back to the darkness she lives in. This is a tangible look at the impact of war and the transformative power of community.

Have some tissues ready when you read this one for the first time. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy provided by Candlewick Press.

Review: Fresh Ink edited by Lamar Giles

| Tasha

Fresh Ink edited by Lamar Giles

Fresh Ink edited by Lamar Giles (9781524766283)

Explore diversity in a variety of ways in this anthology for teens that offers fresh takes on life. The anthology includes work from thirteen young adult authors. Short stories, a one-act play and a graphic story are all part of the collection. The authors are some of the best writers at work today as you can see from the cover image above. The collection is rich in diversity and voices, featuring stories about race, coming out, death, spray paint and making your mark on the world.

Giles, who is cofounder of We Need Diverse Books, has edited this collection very well. The group of contributors is astounding, each new story shining with their skill and voice. The quality is exceptional and the range of stories leads you from one type of diversity to another, exploring finding your way in a world that stands against you.

Strong writing, great stories and a call to action will make this collection a popular one. Appropriate for ages 13-17.

Reviewed from copy provided by Random House Children’s Books.

 

Review: The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer

| Tasha

The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer

The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (9780763678838)

Released September 4, 2018.

This breathtaking picture book looks deeply at the Big Bang and how it created all of us. The book begins with darkness where there is no time or space. Until BANG! matter is created and the stars flare to life. The stars burn and eventually explode themselves creating planets. Still, there is no life yet. In our solar system, there is one fragile blue planet where life eventually begins, where dinosaurs and humans live and die. And then finally, you arrive from your own speck and flare into life too.

Newbery Honor winning Bauer has written a poem that takes the science of the Big Bang and adds a feeling of mythology to it without damaging the scientific aspect. Her poem soars through the primordial darkness, journeys directly into the Big Bang, floats beside emerging planets, visits Earth, and welcomes children to life. It’s a big ask for a poem but Bauer’s words create a vehicle to really experience the wonder of the universe. Her poem also celebrates the fact that all of us are made of the same matter as stars.

The illustrations of this picture book defy explanation. They are unique and wondrous, filling the page with swirls of darkness, defining emptiness, creating reality. They are done with collage, marbled paper and combined digitally, but those words don’t capture what they do on the page. Holmes has managed to create a universe before your eyes, one that shines, explodes and manifests right there.

An exceptional picture book that celebrates science and beauty. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy provided by Candlewick Press.

 

 

Review: We Are All Me by Jordan Crane

| Tasha

We Are All Me by Jordan Crane

We Are All Me by Jordan Crane (9781943145355)

Released on September 4, 2018.

This bright picture book celebrates the many ways that we are all connected to one another. We are all alive in the same world made up of cloud, water and air, earth, sunshine and plants. We are made of bone and meat, our hearts all beat. We are all made of cells and atoms. And we are all alive and aware, all of us together.

Inspired by an idea his wife had for a holiday called Interdependence Day, this book takes a simple concept and looks deeply at it. The text stays simple but asks readers to think about connectedness in our lives. The text is simple enough to be a poem, using internal rhymes and some repetition to carry it forward. The illustrations use bright colors and pop-art style to invite readers into the rainbow that we all are inside.

Unusual and intriguing, this picture book will be beloved by those who see their own take on human connection on the page. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy provided by Toon Books.

 

Review: What’s Your Favorite Bug? by Eric Carle

| Tasha

What's Your Favorite Bug by Eric Carle

What’s Your Favorite Bug? by Eric Carle and Friends (9781250151759)

Following the first two picture books in this series, this one focuses entirely on insects. As with the other boos, Eric Carle is joined by other illustrators who draw an image of their favorite insect, tell a little about it and explain why they love it. One of the major treats of this series is never knowing what the page turn will bring, since each double-page spread is done by a different illustrator.

This collection has racial diversity in the illustrators included and also has a nice mix of male and female artists. As with all of the books in the series, there is a wonderful diversity in the art styles as well. The design of the book and the order of the pages works particularly well. There are dark and bright pages that lead readers on a journey of light and shadow that is particularly effective when combined with the crawly nature of bugs.

Another winner in this series that will have you searching out new illustrators to see their full books. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy provided by Henry Holt.

 

Review: Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

| Tasha

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram (9780525552963)

Darius can’t seem to fit in anywhere. He is teased at school for being fat and Muslim. He’s never really had a friend. His father doesn’t approve of anything he does and often seems ashamed that Darius is his son. Darius is nothing like his younger sister who is adorable, outgoing and speaks flawless Farsi. So when Darius and his family take their first-ever trip to Iran to see his ailing grandfather, Darius wonders if anything will be different there. There he finally gets to meet his grandparents. His grandfather is intimidating, still watering his trees from up on his roof and driving at breakneck speeds. At the same time, he also gets lost sometimes and has outbursts of temper. Darius’ grandmother is pure love and kindness, creating meals and sharing tea. So when Darius meets Sohrab, a boy from the neighborhood, they cautiously make friends. There are bumps along the way, penis jokes taken too far, but soon they are fast friends who share a special spot overlooking Yazd. When tragedy strikes Sohrab’s family though, Darius is unsure how to help and ends up driving a wedge in their friendship that may not be able to be mended.

This book entirely stole my heart. I enjoyed Darius himself from the very beginning as he struggled with American teenage culture. However, the book truly begins when they get to Iran. It is there that Darius blossoms, but slowly and naturally. The entire book clicks together, beautifully depicting Yazd, carefully leading readers through new experiences and new foods, and celebrating the culture of Iran.

In many ways this book is a love letter to the city of Yazd and Iran itself, but it is also deeply about Darius and his growth as he finds a best friend and a place he fits. There are profound statements here about depression, stress to fit in and the sudden magic of discovering what true friendship is. There is also great humor, struggles to be understood and to understand, cultural issues and family tensions and joy. It’s complicated, just like every good novel should be.

Come fall in love with Darius and Iran at the same time in this amazing debut novel. Appropriate for ages 13-17.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Dial Books.

Review: Who’s the Biggest? by Delphine Chedru

| Tasha

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Who’s the Biggest? by Delphine Chedru (9780500651490)

This is a very simple picture book that is all about size and teaches the concepts of bigger and smaller. The book focuses on which animal is bigger, comparing one to another. One each page, one of the animals declares “I am!” There are big things on the page like elephants and trees. Then there are also smaller objects like flowers and bees to compare. The book is just right for very small children to learn the concept in a positive and fast-paced way. As mentioned in the book, with a little creativity, the book can be read to say which one is smallest too.

Chedru’s text is simple, yet she plays with some of the phrases, making sure that each animal speaks in their own distinct way. The illustrations are strong and graphical with deep colors combined with bright ones that burst on the page. Even though the story has a strong structure, there are surprises on each page with the page turn.

A book worth exploring with toddlers. Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from library copy.