Review: Tiptoe Tapirs by Hanmin Kim

| Tasha

Tiptoe Tapirs by Hanmin Kim

Tiptoe Tapirs by Hanmin Kim (InfoSoup)

The jungle was a very noisy place with all of the animals making the most noise they can. The elephants went BOOM, the rhinos went BAM-BAM, the hornbill went CAW, and the ape went HOO-HAA-HOO-HAA! But there was one animal that wasn’t noisy at all, Tapir and Little Tapir. They were very quiet, tiptoeing through the jungle silently. When Little Tapir wanted to go to the Great Puddle for her third birthday, the two tapirs moved silently to get there and then enjoyed the lovely mud. Then out of the blue, a leopard attacked the tapirs. The leopard ran after them with loud THUDDING steps while the tapirs ran silently. The tapirs were almost eaten by the leopard when a gun shot rang out. The leopard was terrified, but the kind tapirs had a solution to save them all.

Kim has woven a fable-like story around his love for tapirs. The book is a delight to read aloud from the loud noises of the other animals to the hush-hush of the tapirs and their quiet silence. It’s a wonderful contrast that is great fun to act out. Kim uses repetition and solid writing to create a traditional feel in this story. There is also a lot of humor throughout, the noises are wild, the mud cakes are fresh. The focus on kindness as the solution in the end is also a treat of its own.

The art also has a dynamic mix of traditional and modern feel. Done in watercolor, ink and marker, the illustrations are filled with organic shapes of leaves and trees. Colors range from bright washes of watercolor to the darkest black of ink. The shapes of the animals themselves are delicately done, particularly the tapirs who both hide in the jungle settings and dance on the page.

Whether you are sharing this with a loud or quiet little animal, this book is a great pick to share aloud. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from ARC received from Holiday House.

Review: Double Trouble for Anna Hibiscus

| Tasha

Double Trouble for Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke

Double Trouble for Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke and Lauren Tobia

I’ve been a big fan of Anna Hibiscus since the first titles were released. Those books were chapter books and it’s great to see the transition to picture books about Anna continue. In this book, Anna wakes up one morning to discover that her mother has given birth to two baby brothers. Her cousins inform her that baby boys are trouble and Anna Hibiscus quickly sees that that is true. When she wants to snuggle with her mother, she is sleeping. Her grandmother too is sleeping after being up all night helping with the birth. Her uncle is too busy making food for her mother to get Anna her regular breakfast. Her aunts are busy rocking the babies. Finally, it is too much for Anna Hibiscus to take and she starts to yell and cry. After all that fuss though, Anna Hibiscus quickly realizes that while things may take longer now, her family is still right there beside her.

The story deals directly with the mixed emotions that come from having new siblings, from the surprise of their arrival to the lack of attention for the older sibling. These classic emotions are shown clearly here, despite Anna Hibiscus having such a large family around her. Readers will notice that she has lots of support, though she is not noticing it at all. The emotions build quickly and steadily to a breaking point and the resolution of Anna Hibiscus’ outburst is filled with understanding and kindness.

The art work is lovely, clear and clean. The beauty of African life is shown on the page as is the loveliness of the mixed races of Anna Hibiscus’ family.  As always, the warmth of the lifestyle that Anna Hibiscus grows up in is radiantly shown in the images.

Another winning Anna Hibiscus book, perfect for new older siblings who may have double or single troubles of their own. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from digital galley received from Kane Miller.

Review: Untwine by Edwidge Danticat

| Tasha

Untwine by Edwidge Danticat

Untwine by Edwidge Danticat (InfoSoup)

Giselle and Isabelle are identical teen twins on their way to Izzie’s concert at school when their car is crashed into and their lives changed forever. Giz wakes up in a hospital room, unable to speak or move. She can hear though and is in a semi-conscious state. That’s how she realizes that everyone thinks that she is Isabelle. People don’t mention her at all, avoiding the subject, but Giz is sure that she would know if Isabelle had died. Her parents eventually come to see her, both physically battered by the accident and with bruises, broken bones and casts. Trapped and unable to communicate, Giselle thinks about her past with her family, their strong ties to their Haitian heritage and the bond that she and her sister have always had.

Danticat is an award-winning author of several adult books. This is her debut YA title. Her writing is superb. Told in Giz’s voice, the prose lilts and dances like poetry. It weaves around the reader, creating moments of clarity and then as Giz reminisces about her family and sister lifting into pure emotion. Nothing is told, all is shown and there is a radiance to the entire novel that is sublime.

Giz is a strong heroine. Haitian-American, she is solidly connected to her heritage through her grandparents who still live in Haiti. It’s a joy to see a depiction of a family of color who are complex and far from stereotypical. Giz is a large part of this. Her voice is clearly her own, her upbringing affects everything around her, and being a person of color is at the core of this novel yet not at center stage. It is done with a delicate yet firm hand.

One of the most beautifully written teen novels of the year, this look at sisterhood, death, grief and family is hauntingly lovely. Appropriate for ages 13-17.

Reviewed from copy received from Scholastic Press.

New UK Human Rights Book Prize

| Tasha

amnesty-logo

Amnesty International and CILIP will be working together to celebrate human rights in UK children’s books. The prize will be named the Amnesty CILIP Honour and will offer a medal to one book on the shortlist for the Carnegie Medal and one book on the shortlist for the Kate Greenaway picture book award.

The medal will begin in 2016 with the first award given in June of that year.

Amnesty International’s Nicky Parker, said: “Books have a unique ability to inspire empathy, broaden horizons and empower young readers. We hope this award will make it easy to identify books which will teach children about truth, freedom and justice and encourage them to feel they can shape a better world.”

This Week’s Tweets, Pins & Tumbls

| Tasha

Here are the links I shared on my Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr accounts this week that I think are cool:

William Nicholson:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Children Want Factual Stories, Versus Fantasy, More Often Than Adults http://buff.ly/1Gmicfp #kidlit

Children’s author Cressida Cowell scoops philosophers’ award for fight against stupidity – http://buff.ly/1MH0obT #kidlit

The Deep, Dark Secret Of R.L. Stine: ‘I Never Planned To Be Scary’ http://buff.ly/1KjNyhS #kidlit

An Interview with the Director of the “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” Documentary – http://buff.ly/1NUvZwM #kidlit

Shannon Hale and Dean Hale to Collaborate on a Captain Marvel Book – http://buff.ly/1Lmvmbv #kidlit

Top 10 books about adoption – chosen by adopted children – http://buff.ly/1W7ajwn #kidlit

The urgent need for diverse children’s books – http://buff.ly/1M27TzS #kidlit #weneeddiversebooks

Cath and I were indeed two peas in a pod.:

TEEN READS

Get to Know the 5 Finalists for the 2015 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature | Brightly http://buff.ly/1LoTLLk #yalit

Meg Rosoff Is Wrong: Diversity in Publishing Is Important and Marlon James Proves It – http://buff.ly/1Lowh91 #kidlit

Review: Ninja Baby by David Zeltser

| Tasha

Ninja Baby by David Zeltser

Ninja Baby by David Zeltser, illustrated by Diane Goode

Released November 3, 2015

Right when she was born, Nina was a ninja baby. The doctor slapped her bottom to make sure she was breathing and Nina knocked him over with a ninja kick. Nina was immediately independent, working on her ninja skills even when taking a bath or having her diaper changed. But then everything changes when her parents bring home a new baby, a Kung Fu Master. He approaches everything differently, steadily taking over her parents’ attention and time, pulling them all under his power, and doing it all with a cute gurgle. There’s a lot a ninja can learn from a kung fu master and a lot a kung fu master can learn about stealth and attacks. Soon the children are working together to build their skills, so their parents had better watch out!

Zeltser embraces his ninja-themed picture book and doesn’t slow down. The ninja theme carries through the entire book, with baby Nina escaping her crib and doing sneak attacks. The humor of the book is dynamic and clever, offering a bright mix of ninja references and normal childhood experiences. But make no mistake, Nina is a true ninja, just as her little brother is a true kung fu master. It is this additional element that makes the book really work. Nina is stealthy and fast while her little brother takes on a completely different type of martial arts energy. The combination is pure delight, especially as they begin to learn from one another.

The illustrations by Goode are wry and cheery. They have a loose line about them that makes them very friendly. The images tell the complete story, making sure that readers know that Nina really is a little ninja and that she is truly gifted at stealth. The blissful new brother is also wonderfully depicted as a contrast to Nina.

A unique take on a new sibling book, this one will sneak up and steal your heart. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books

Vera B. Williams Dies

| Tasha

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The New York Times has the news of the death of Vera B. Williams at age 88. Willams started her career in children’s books late in life in her late 40s. She received a Caldecott Honor for A Chair for My Mother, one of my all-time favorite picture books. Williams has illustrated other books that have become instant classics such as More More More Said the Baby which also received a Caldecott Honor.

Her art is exuberant, colorful and filled with joy. She illustrated books in a naturally diverse way, incorporating children of all colors and making her books shine even more.

Review: Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

| Tasha

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate (InfoSoup)

Jackson knows that it’s all about to happen again. His family is having a garage sale for a lot of their stuff, allowing Jackson and his little sister to just pick one bag of items to keep. There just isn’t enough money for rent and Jackson feels hungry a lot of the time. His father doesn’t want to ask for assistance, preferring to find a way through on their own. When Jackson was younger, the family had lived in their minivan for awhile and now Jackson sees the same signs as before. When they lived in their car, Jackson met his imaginary friend, Crenshaw. Now even though Jackson is older, Crenshaw is back and bigger than ever. Crenshaw is a huge cat with a deep purr, who tells Jackson that he is there to help and encourages Jackson to just tell the truth. As Jackson’s world gets more complicated though, how in the world can an imaginary friend make a difference?

This is Applegate’s first novel for children since winning the Newbery Medal for The One and Only Ivan. Applegate imbues this new book with a shining magic of imagination. She keeps the wonder of Crenshaw real on many levels, not only for Jackson himself but also creating moments where readers will know that Crenshaw is much more than imaginary. This luminous touch keeps the entire book dazzling for readers.

It is even more important given the issues that the book explores. Family poverty and homelessness are critical in our world today and so few books tell that story from the point of view of a child experiencing it. Applegate keeps the story real here, focusing on the impact of being hungry, on the fear that being homeless generates in a child. She also makes Jackson a real hero. A child facing immense problems who, with the help of his imaginary friend, manages to tell his parents what this kind of life does to him. It is powerful, heart wrenching and true.

An important book that mixes an imaginary friend with the harsh reality of homelessness, this is a top pick for young readers. Appropriate for ages 7-11.

Reviewed from copy received from Feiwel & Friends.

Review: Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin

| Tasha

Robo Sauce by Adam Rubin

Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri (InfoSoup)

Everyone knows how cool playing robots is! Except sometimes your family doesn’t think it’s quite as cool as you do. So what if someone offered you a magic and scientific potion that would let you play robot in a new way? Would you make it? Well, the boy in the book does and turns into a giant robot. But even then, none of the humans want to play with him. But the boy has a solution, more sauce! Very quickly, the story goes out of control as robo-sauce makes its way through the entire book, transforming everyone into robots. Readers can even change the book itself into a robot theme.

The collaborators of Dragons Love Tacos return with this striking robot-themed picture book. Rubin has created an adult narrator who sets things into motion by providing the robo-sauce recipe. The book feels traditional and readers will be fooled into thinking that the boy will soon realize that he doesn’t want to be a robot but a real boy. Happily, the book takes an unexpected twist and becomes something altogether different. The narrator is along to voice their objections to the changes, making it all the more delightful.

The art by Salmieri is done in subtle colors except for the robot lights and sauce which are a vivid neon orange. They are friendly and cartoon-like, filling the book with a sense of merriment. Even the transformation into a robot is a grand adventure filled with wild noises. When the book transforms into a robot book, the pages have already been doused in neon sauce and the pages have a completely different feeling about them. Very cleverly designed, this picture book embraces transformation at a whole new level.

A great read-aloud, this robot picture book will transform your story time! Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books.