George by Alex Gino has won the LGBT Children’s/Young Adult Lammy Award. As the mother of a transgender teen, I was in tears when I read how pronouns were used in the book. Such an important detail, small but oh so significant.
Little Dee and the Penguin by Christopher Baldwin
Little Dee and the Penguin by Christopher Baldwin (InfoSoup)
Three friends head out for a quiet picnic together that will end up leading them on a wild adventure. There is an opinionated vulture, a friendly but rather slow dog, and a motherly bear. On their picnic, they meet two creatures who will change their day entirely. Little Dee is a human and a resourceful child who doesn’t speak at all. Then there is the penguin who is on the run from the polar bears who are hot on his trail. Now it is up to the five of them to get the penguin back to his home before he ends up a meal. Along the way, planes are stolen and jumped out of, wise mountain goats offer sage advice (maybe), and safety rafts become sleds. Much the same way that five unlikely characters become friends.
Baldwin has created a cast of lovable characters in this graphic novel for children. The humor is truly laugh-out-loud funny. It got to the point where I was following family members around to share one-liners from the story. In fact a large part of the success of this book is in the blend of a funny story in general and then the way that circumstances seem to invisibly line up for the perfect pun or joke with impeccable timing.
The art is wonderful too. Each character is unique and their outward appearance says a lot about their personalities. The prickly vulture is all angles. The bear is soft plush. Little Dee is a jolt of visual energy. The action is captured with a sense of fun throughout, adding to the fast pace.
A silly and very successful read, this graphic novel will be enjoyed by all. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Reviewed from library copy.
Nobody Likes a Goblin by Ben Hatke
Nobody Likes a Goblin by Ben Hatke (InfoSoup)
Goblin lives very happily in the quiet of his rat-infested dungeon that he shares with his best friend, Skeleton. He spends the days feeding the rats, eating boots for breakfast, and playing games with the treasure. Then one day, a group of adventurers plundered the dungeon. Goblin hid but Skeleton was taken away along with everything else in the dungeon. So Goblin headed out to rescue his friend. But everywhere that Goblin went, people refused to help him and chased him away. Even once Goblin finds Skeleton, he has to find a way to escape the hordes of people and elves chasing him. Perhaps someone does like a goblin after all?
Hatke, the author of the Zita the Spacegirl series, has created another winning picture book. He uses lovely tropes from Dungeons and Dragons and turns them on their head. Here it is Goblin who is the hero and the adventurers who are the bad guys. I love the idea of these creatures having quiet and happy lives before the adventurers come and ruin it all. It’s a clever twist that makes the book enchanting to read aloud, aided by the brisk pace and clear writing.
As always, Hatke’s illustrations are exceptional. I particularly enjoy the adventurer group with their huge swords, glowing staffs and flowing locks of hair. Against them, the little goblin manages to steal your heart, thanks in large part to his diminutive size and big heart.
A perfect bedtime story for your little goblin. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from digital galley received from First Second and Netgalley.
Let the Sunshine In!
Doing much better with my concussion now that it’s two weeks after my fall. While I was still dizzy a bit this weekend, things started to return to normal on Sunday. I can now use computer monitors without pain, even at a normal brightness. Device screens continue to be more of a problem, but those are getting easier.
It was the sunlight I missed most. Being in a darkened room was horrible and something I simply don’t do much of at all. My cats freaked out just seeing the blinds being closed for the first time since they entered our lives over 7 years ago. On Sunday though, the curtains were open, the sun could come streaming in and I could watch the trees, the wind and the clouds. It was bliss.
Thank you all for your kind thoughts during this literally dark time. May your days be filled with sunshine, clouds, weather and wind. And may you get the chance to look out for awhile and enjoy it all.
Withering-by-Sea by Judith Rossell
Withering-by-Sea by Judith Rossell (InfoSoup)
Stella lives with her three Aunts in a majestic hotel along the coast. Her Aunts are miserable and mean, demanding that Stella be quiet and dutiful. Stella though would rather read the dilapidated atlas that she discovered only partially burnt in the garbage pile behind the hotel. That is why she is in the quiet conservatory and witnesses something being hidden in one of the planters. The knowledge is just one part of the mystery that is about to unfold in the hotel. It is a mystery that Stella finds herself caught up in, taking her away from the hotel and her dull Aunts and into a world of magic and new friends and enemies that even the atlas could not fully prepare her for.
This Australian import is an entirely captivating read. It has an engaging old-fashioned feel about it, particularly with the Aunts and their disapproval of anything childlike or fun. The structure of Stella’s life shouts of Victorian expectations and then the story opens into riotous action, bewildering dark magic, and daring adventures. The quiet of that early part of the book serves to make the adventures even more thrilling due to the contrast.
Rossell uses setting to great effect in this novel, creating a series of discrete worlds where Stella explores and lives. First is the hotel itself, filled with staff and the Aunts and its own secrets. As Stella walks the hallways, Rossell describes them so completely that one is walking alongside the character. Then there is the pier along with its theater that Stella longs to visit and then gets to deeply explore. Finally, there an ancient castle that has such a dramatic setting that plays a role in the entire tale.
A strong female protagonist, deeply lovely settings and intelligent escapes mix with magic in this remarkable story. Appropriate for ages 8-12.
Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum.
Sarah Crossan Wins the Bookseller’s Prize
The 2016 Bookseller’s Prize for YA has gone to Sarah Crossan for her book, One. She beat the amazing and award-studded The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge which was a finalist for the prize.
2016 Boston Globe – Horn Book Awards
A gorgeous video announces the winners of the 2016 Boston Globe – Horn Book Awards:
One Big Headache
I apologize for the sporadic posting on my blog recently and I’m afraid it’s going to continue for awhile.
A little over a week ago, I managed to fall off of my exercise equipment onto my head, hitting the back of my head on the metal footplate. I had no problems initially but then started to develop dizziness. The doctor says I have a “really bad” concussion and could be off work and away from computers for some time. I am still recovering now and continue to experience bouts of nausea, dizziness and headaches. The biggest problem with blogging and social media are the screens, which make my symptoms much worse.
So bear with me, help me be more patient with myself, and know that I am slowly reading lots and lots of great books right now and can’t wait to share them with you!
Nibbles the Book Monster by Emma Yarlett
Nibbles the Book Monster by Emma Yarlett
Nibbles is a monster who eats his way through all sorts of things, but his favorites are books. Soon Nibbles has left this picture book entirely and chewed his way right into a fairy tale instead. There he meets Goldilocks who desperately tries to explain the huge damage Nibbles leaves behind to the three angry bears. Nibbles next moves on to Little Red Riding Hood where Little Red is entirely shut out of the story and Nibbles saves Grandma from the wolf. Next comes Jack and the Beanstalk where Nibbles bites a bit of giant rump and steals the golden goose. The goose drops Nibbles back into his cage but wait, could it be that he is nibbling once again?
Yarlett very successfully combines a hungry little yellow monster with fractured fairy tales in this dynamic picture book. She keeps the menu lean and focused, just enough of a glimpse of each of the stories to understand the story clearly and then Nibbles messes everything up and dashes off. The story books are built into the pages as flaps to turn, adding to the appeal of the book. The same is true of Nibbles’ cage where children both release him in the beginning and capture him again at the end.
The artwork is filled with humor and the flaps add a level of participation to the book. Yarlett’s art really works well in the small story books themselves where her style changes as one enters each book. There is the playful cartoon of Goldilocks, the muted black-and-white colors with pops of red for Little Red Riding Hood, and a more vintage feel for Jack and the Beanstalk. These changes in the artistic style really make each book feel unique and as if they really have just been discovered in a pile.
Cleverly designed and immensely appealing, this picture book is worth a nibble or two. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Reviewed from copy received from Kane Miller.
Waking Brain Cells 