Jumping Penguins by Marije Tolman and Jesse Goossens

| Tasha

jumping penguins

Jumping Penguins by Marije Tolman and Jesse Goossens

This nonfiction book is filled with facts about different animals.  And not just any facts!  These are facts that are funny, amazing and memorable.  For instance, did you know a giraffe has no vocal chords?  That caterpillars throw their poop?  That crocodiles are cannibals?  That a flamingo can only swallow if its head is upside down?  Fifty animals are shown here with whimsical illustrations by the award-winning Tolman. 

Goossens masterfully selects facts that mix the incredible with the bizarre with the humorous.  The book is a wonderful mix of fictional depictions of the animals and scientific facts.  Due to the pile up of animals on the cover, I was expecting a fictional book rather than this page-turner of a book that gets you so intrigued that you have to keep on reading.

Tolman’s illustrations are beautiful.  She has such a unique style and one that works particularly well with animals and their diverse habitats.  With each, she seems to capture what makes them interesting and special.  At the same time, she mixes in furniture, hats, sun glasses and more.  So the animals look hip, silly or serious depending on the page.

Delightful, whimsical and a great choice for children who love animals, this book is appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Lemniscaat.

Top Picture Books of 2013

| Tasha

Here are my 25 picks for the best picture books from 2013! 

Battle Bunny building our house carnivores

Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett, illustrated by Matthew Myers

These three gifted book creators truly channeled their inner children to create this book.  It is funny, smart and immensely creative

Building Our House by Jonathan Bean

Get this into the hands of young construction enthusiasts definitely!  But it has appeal far beyond that since it is a story of family at its heart.

Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat

Clever, funny and wonderfully inappropriate, this book asks us all to accept our inner or outer carnivores.

dark day the crayons quit deep in the sahara

The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen

One of my favorite picture books of the year, this book reads aloud perfectly, the tension growing and growing until it’s almost explosive.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

A colorful look at crayons, personalities and ultimately creativity, this picture book should be shared aloud with plenty of paper for coloring on.

Deep in the Sahara by Kelly Cunnane, illustrated by Hoda Hadadi

An accessible and beautiful look at a Muslim community that dazzles.

dusk everyone can learn to ride a bicycle

Dusk by Uri Shulevitz

A top holiday pick, this book is a lovely companion to Snow and stands on its own too.

Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka

A great pick for spring when children are sure to be longing to be out playing in the warmer weather, this book is a quietly inspiring read.

 flora and the flamingo fog island hank finds an egg

Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle

It turns readers into storytellers in a way that is engaging and free, just as this entire book is throughout.

Fog Island by Tomi Ungerer

Magical, dark, and filled with fog, this book would make a great story time paired with The Three Robbers.

Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley

Beautiful and charming, this little book is sure to become a favorite.  Time to curl up with your own little bear and enjoy.

have you seen my new blue socks hello my name is ruby

Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier

Socks lost and then found, rhymes and rhythms, and a delight of a read aloud to share, this book has it all!

Hello, My Name Is Ruby by Philip C. Stead

A tiny but oh so impressive little bird will steal your heart in this vibrant picture book.

how to hide a lion if you want to see a whale inside outside

How to Hide a Lion by Helen Stephens

Too clever to be called sweet, this book is warm and friendly.  A perfect book to share with your big cat at home or to curl up like a lion and listen to.

If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead

Lovely, simple and filled with charm, this picture book is thoughtful, quiet and worth the wait. 

Inside Outside by Lizi Boyd

This lovely wordless book explores the changing seasons in a subtle and engaging way.

journey mighty lalouche

Journey by Aaron Becker

Beautifully done, this book is a gorgeous testament to the power of creativity and the amazing places that great art can take us.

The Mighty Lalouche by Matthew Olshan, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Highly recommended, this picture book would make a stellar pick to read aloud to elementary classes thanks to its boxing, action and humor.

mr tiger goes wild mr wuffles

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

This is a stellar picture book.  Brown tells a story that all children can relate to, that of being too wild and too loud and not acting appropriately.  The storytelling is exemplary with perfect pacing and plenty of humor.

Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner

Beautiful and funny this is a wordless masterpiece.

my fathers arms are a boat nasreddine once upon a northern night

My Father’s Arms Are a Boat by Stein Erik Lunde, illustrated by Oyvind Torseter, translated by Kari Dickson

Stunning in its writing and illustration, this is a picture book that is noteworthy and memorable.

Nasreddine by Odile Weulersse, illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer

Perfect for sharing aloud, this book is a friendly and funny introduction to Nasreddine.

Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean E. Pendziwol, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

It is a quiet and lovely book, one to treasure and share.

pancho rabbit and the coyote tortoise-and-the-hare

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale by Duncan Tonatiuh

Tonatiuh writes with a strength here, each word seemingly chosen for its impact and power.  The importance of this sort of story for young children cannot be ignored.  This book carefully dresses the horrors of the story in folktales, but the purpose is still clear.

The Tortoise and the Hare by Jerry Pinkney

Quite simply, this is another masterpiece by Pinkney.  A must-have book for every library serving preschoolers.

Cybils Finalists 2013

| Tasha

cybils

The 2013 finalists have been announced for the Cybils Awards which are given to the best books in a variety of categories.  Great reads that are usually very unique and don’t match other award lists, so the result are books that are often fresh and always lots of fun. 

I will be serving on the final judging of the YA Speculative Fiction category.  I’m surprised to see I’ve only read one of them, so I have lots of reading ahead!

New National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

| Tasha

natamb medal1 Kate DiCamillo is New National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

Kate DiCamillo has been named the new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014-2015.  She was named by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington who had the following to say about her:

Kate DiCamillo is not only one of our finest writers for young people but also an outstanding advocate for the importance of reading. The Library of Congress is pleased to welcome Kate as a worthy successor to our three previous National Ambassadors.

SLJ has an interview by Travis Jonker with our new ambassador who will be inaugurated on January 10th. 

Review: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

| Tasha

ophelia and the marvelous boy

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

Released January 28, 2014.

Ophelia knows that everything worth knowing can be proven with science.  Her father is an expert in swords and is helping a museum set up an exhibit.  She and her older sister Alice come along, the entire family still aching with the loss of Ophelia and Alice’s mother.  As Ophelia wanders the museum in the city where it always snows, she discovers all sorts of amazing things.   But by far the most interesting thing she discovers is a boy locked behind a door.  He is a prisoner who claims to have lived for centuries though he looks like a boy.  And he believes that Ophelia is the person who can save him.  So Ophelia starts to help, and along the way, she has to give in to the magic that is around her and discover her own bravery.

A large part of the pleasure of this book is discovering all of the twists and turns of the plot.  This retelling of the Snow Queen fairy tale takes an entirely new approach to the story.  Foxlee has created a novel that is filled with frightening creatures, dangerous situations, and daring feats.  She has incorporated a clock that is counting down to the day that the Snow Queen can finally kill the marvelous boy, so that alone creates a great deal of time pressure.  Yet Ophelia is also struggling to keep her family happy and not concerned with her.  As the book goes on, the tension is tangible on each page.

Ophelia is a wonderful young protagonist.  While she does believe in science and fights against believing in magic, she is also on the adventure of a lifetime.  Her mother was a novelist and serves as the voice of courage in her head.  Ophelia has a great mix of deep courage and vulnerability.  Readers will figure out who the Snow Queen is long before Ophelia does, something that Foxlee uses to continue to crank up the tension.

Magical, frightening and beautifully written, this book is pure warmth and friendship in the face of icy brutality.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from digital galley received from Edelweiss.

Review: The Message of the Birds by Kate Westerlund

| Tasha

message of the birds

The Message of the Birds by Kate Westerlund, illustrated by Feridun Oral

The old owl tells the story of Christmas to a gather of birds.  He tells the story of Jesus in the manger and the birds above in the rafters.  The birds heard a song in the baby’s voice, a special song that they would carry through the world.  The robin asked why the birds don’t sing that song anymore, and the partridge explained that people don’t listen.  The little robin suggested that even if they don’t know the language anymore, their hearts could understand it.  The birds talk about whether the message would be heard and understood, and then the robin realizes that children are the most likely to hear the message.  So all of the birds sing the song, spread the message, particularly to children.  And something amazing happens.

I’m never sure with any Christmas book what level of Christianity I’m going to find in them and then what type of message it is going to be communicating.  When this book’s second set of pages had the manger scene, I thought I was in a very traditional Christmas book.  What followed though, was a delightful surprise as the book immediately turned from the traditional Christmas tale to one that is universal, a story of peace.  Westerlund tells the story with a pacing right out of folktales.  Her wise older owl, the inventive young robin are characters that are traditional in the best sense of the word.

Oral’s illustrations have a soft beauty to them.  Throughout his images of the birds, there is thick snow in the air.  The colors are consistently subtle and wintry, tawny browns, creamy whites and deep browns are punctuated only with the colors of the birds and the green of the trees. 

A lovely addition to Christmas stories, this book is beautifully written with rich illustrations.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Ned Vizzini Dead at Age 32

| Tasha

It's Kind of a Funny Story Be More Chill The Other Normals

I saw rumors swirling this morning about this, but didn’t want to post anything until something looked official.  What a tragedy to lose a tremendous writing talent so very young.  According to the LA Times, Vizzini committed suicide on Thursday in New York City. 

Vizzini was the author of several books, including It’s Kind of a Funny Story which was a fictionalization of his own time spent in a psychiatric ward due to being suicidal.  That book was made into a movie in 2010.  I particularly enjoyed an earlier book of his, Be More Chill and found it to be a great book to booktalk to teens.  I was also a fan of one of his more recent books The Other Normals which I had hoped would have a sequel since I loved the world he built so much and the humor too.

This is a deep loss for YA literature.

Review: Mo’s Mustache by Ben Clanton

| Tasha

mos mustache

Mo’s Mustache by Ben Clanton

Mo just got a brand new mustache in the mail!  But when he shows it to all of his friends, they all get their own mustaches and soon it isn’t special anymore.  So Mo decides to wear a striped scarf instead and leave his mustache off.  Then all of his friends get scarves too.  Mo loses it and shouts at his friends, demanding to know why they are copying him.  Everybody explains to him that he has a great sense of style, so they like to imitate him.  Mo had never thought of it like that.  So he sets up a fashion show where everyone can show off their own sense of style.  And you will never guess what Mo wears to the party!

Clanton’s writing is brisk and brightly funny.  He uses dialogue from the various monsters to tell much of the story and each one has an impressively different voice and tone from the others.  It all makes this book a treat to share aloud.  It is also a book that celebrates being yourself and having your own personal style. 

The art is modern and zany.  Mo himself has a star on the end of his tail, other monsters are furry, still others are tiny with just one eye.  They are all clearly individuals from the start and so it is a treat to see how they all use the new accessory in their own unique way. 

Clever, smart and full of zest, this book will have you picking out your favorite mustache and scarf too.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

2013 on Twitter

| Tasha

Check out a summation of my 2013 activity on Twitter. Thank you to all of my followers for another great year!

twitter video

Click on the image above to be taken to the video.