Review: The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

| Tasha

night before christmas

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore, illustrated by Christine Brallier

Following the classic Christmas tale, this version of the story is made special by the illustrations.  Brallier has created fifteen stained glass illustrations for the book.  They range from holiday mantles to close ups of the reindeer and of course Santa Claus.  Santa does not wear a red hat here but instead has the robes of an English Santa Claus.  It makes the feel all the more timeless and special. 

Throughout, Brallier has small touches that are worth finding.  I was entranced by her use of smaller mosaic pictures on the walls as art.  She also includes decorations on blankets and tassels as well as snowflakes in the snow and stars in the sky.  Though the art is done in such a hard medium, there is no feeling of the limitations put on the art by that.  In fact, the depth of color and the texture of the mosaic glass add much to the book. 

My only quibble would be that I’d love to have had an illustrator’s note at the end of the book about her process in creating the illustrations.  I’d love to have a sense of their scale.  Happily, details like this are available on the author’s blog.

A gorgeous new version of a Christmas classic, this one is worth sharing as a holiday treat.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from the illustrator.

Review: The Nowhere Box by Sam Zuppardi

| Tasha

nowhere box

The Nowhere Box by Sam Zuppardi

George just can’t get away from his little brothers.  They follow him everywhere, even into the bathroom!  George has had enough.  So when he finds the box from the new washing machine, George builds himself a way to travel far away.  In fact, he goes to Nowhere.  Nowhere is wide open and empty, but George quickly fixes that by dumping things out of his box.  In no time at all, Nowhere is incredibly fun.  But wait, there are no dragons to fight and no pirates to sail the seas.  Perhaps there is room in this new space for a few more people to play.

Zuppardi takes a classic story of imaginative play and makes it rambunctious and fun.  George’s frustration with his younger brothers is tangible in the early pages as is the relief of being alone for awhile.  The story is simply told with a frankness and with the images and George’s own imagination carrying the tale forward.

The images are a huge part of what makes this book worth reading.  They have a similar energy level to the “No, David” books.  As the box becomes more of the story, cardboard is incorporated into the scenes, forming the ground and most of the objects.  The images are bright and bold, perfect for high energy kids.

A story of imagination and being an older sibling, this book will be enjoyed by any child who has loved a big box.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Bang by Leo Timmers

| Tasha

bang

Bang by Leo Timmers

Using only the word “bang” throughout, this nearly-wordless picture book is a humor-filled delight.  In a series of car crashes, one after another, the story is told.  It all starts with a deer who isn’t paying any attention, since he’s reading this book while driving.  Then comes the truck full of chickens driven by a pig.  Then a fashionable giraffe in an orange sportster.  A hungry alligator with a truck full of tires follows.  And more and more.  After each car enters the page, there is an enormous bang, and then each new car impacts all of the others in new ways.  Colors change, items move from one vehicle to another, and merry chaos reigns. 

Timmers fills his wordless book with wonderful details that make lingering on the pages a must.  You even start guessing from the introduction of the new elements about what will happen to the other vehicles in line.  The final fold-out page with all of the vehicles in a row is great fun to look at and makes for a grand finale.

Timmers’ art is quirky and bright.  The vehicles are all completely unique, formatted to fit the bulk of a pig, or the height of a giraffe.  The pages are filled with bright colors and lots of action.  As each new vehicle comes onto the page, there is wonderful moment before you know what happens.  This pacing is perfection and all thanks to the art.

Jolly and very funny, this is a picture book that children who enjoy vehicles or large crashes will adore.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Gecko Press.

Review: The Runaway Hug by Nick Bland

| Tasha

runaway hug

The Runaway Hug by Nick Bland, illustrated by Freya Blackwood

Lucy is all ready for bed and asks her mother for a hug.  When her mother jokes that is the last hug she has left, Lucy offers to borrow it and return it.  Lucy heads off to lend the hug to different members of her family, making sure to get it back each time.  Each hug is different, some tighter others smell like peanut butter.  When Lucy gives her dog a hug though, the dog runs off and Lucy is sure that she has lost her mother’s last hug forever. 

Bland and Blackwood make a great team for creating picture books.  Black’s tone is playful from the very beginning and one knows that this family is something special just from the way they speak to one another.  Throughout there is a sense of humor and an enduring affection for one another that permeates the book.  Bland also does a great job of keeping the book securely in Lucy’s point of view, so that readers know from the very beginning that Lucy is taking this last hug seriously.  There is no laughing at Lucy for this, rather it serves as the heart of the book and this imaginative play is celebrated.

Blackwood’s illustrations have fabulous soft lines that blur and flow.  Blackwood leaves some of her lines from sketching on the page, creating a sense of motion but also a feeling of the connected nature of the world right on the page.  She also adds to the warmth of Bland’s writing, her home that she places this family in filled with warmth, some clutter, and reality.

A beautiful pick for bedtime, just make sure you aren’t down to your last hug!  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House Children’s Books.

This Week’s Tweets, Pins and Tumbls

| Tasha

Here are the links I shared on my Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr accounts this week that I hope you find interesting:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

11 Rare Children’s Books from the Library of Congress | Mental Floss http://buff.ly/18mAKeH #kidlit

The 13 Best Children’s, Illustrated, and Picture Books of 2013 | Brain Pickings http://buff.ly/1gT32xv #kidlit

Latinas for Latino Literature: Latino Children’s Literature Celebrating the Holidays http://buff.ly/18wIJDH #kidlit

P.L. Travers’ Mary Poppins books are full of dark delight | Movies | The Seattle Times http://buff.ly/1gT9ULi #kidlit #classics

SLJ’s Top 10 Latino-themed Books of 2013 | School Library Journal http://buff.ly/JanWw7 #kidlit

Sesame Street’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Parody Is All About The Cookies http://buff.ly/1dlF6k7

What books are great to read aloud? | Children’s books http://buff.ly/19cNHWS #kidlit

You’ve Seen the Movies, Now Read These 80+ Children’s Classics http://buff.ly/1gXnAVN #kidlit

EBOOKS

Norway To Digitize All Norwegian Books, Allowing Domestic IP Addresses To Read All Of Them | Techdirt http://buff.ly/19hiMsA

mockeytalk: (100+) Tumblr on We Heart Ithttp://weheartit.com/entry/90008842/via/cafeporfavor

LIBRARIES

The Meaning of Libraries | Michael Benson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-benson/the-meaning-of-libraries_b_4408468.html?utm_hp_ref=books&ir=Books … #libraries

Video game champions in the public library | Joystiq http://buff.ly/19hOI03 #libraries #gaming

What Are the Most Important Libraries in the World? | Mental Floss http://buff.ly/1f4hrWw #libraries

3-Japan-Book-Towers

READING

Of the 124 Authors Who Made the ‘Times’ Top 10 Bestseller Lists in 2012, Only 3 Were People of Color | The Hairpin http://buff.ly/18mAJY1

Top Ten Ways to Encourage Children to Read Over Winter Break by Katherine Sokolowski | Nerdy Book Club http://buff.ly/IYkchl #reading

SOCIAL MEDIA

10 Surprising Twitter Statistics To Help You Reach More Followers | Fast Company – http://buff.ly/1gT9tRi

Pinterest Is Gaining Ground on Facebook and Twitter for News http://buff.ly/1gT7lci

Teens Dig Digital Privacy, If Snapchat Is Any Indication : All Tech Considered : NPR http://buff.ly/1dlCMcI #privacy

TEEN READS

At Book Riot today, I made an infographic for those of you seeking "gentle" or "green light" YA reads for all ages: http://bookriot.com/2013/12/09/green-light-ya-reads-a-flowchart/ …

Maurene Goo on How a Doctor and Lawyer Ended up Writing Young Adult Novels | Hyphen magazine http://buff.ly/Jb4Gi0 #yalit

Not just for kids: Young adult books are big sellers – CBS News http://buff.ly/18wKNvE #yalit

Why Everyone Should Read More Science Fiction | Amie Kaufman http://buff.ly/1dlFdMz #yalit

Review: Big Snow by Jonathan Bean

| Tasha

big snow

Big Snow by Jonathan Bean

It is very hard to wait for the snow to come, as David discovers in this picture book perfect for the snowy season.  David is waiting for the snow to start, so he helps his mother bake cookies.  But then the flour reminds him of the snow so he heads out to check on it.  It’s fine and dusty in the air.  He heads back inside and helps clean the bathroom, but then is reminded of snow from the bubbles.  When he checks, there is more snow but it’s still light.  He helps his mother change sheets and is reminded of snow blanketing the ground, when he checks outside that’s exactly what the snow is doing!  Then it’s naptime, and David dreams of snow, lots and lots of snow.  Will his dream come true?

Bean creates a book not only about waiting for a big snow, but also about the different types of snow that arrive in the course of a storm.  It is a wonderful tribute to loving snow and wintry weather and hoping for the white to cover the barren landscape.  Bean cleverly ties in David’s reminders of snow with the level of snow outdoors.  Children will immediately get the connection and will enjoy watching the storm outside progress.

Bean varies the illustrations from close ups of David helping his mother and their cozy home interiors to distance images of their home and neighborhood as it transforms under the snow.  One can see the magic of snow happening firsthand.  I also love the humor of David disappearing to check on the snow, only the end of his scarf still in the room.  And bravo for Bean creating a family of color in a book that doesn’t have anything to do with race.

Even with the icy temperatures outside, this is a book that will get everyone looking forward to the next big snow.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Farrar Straus Giroux.

Parents Magazine Best Children’s Books

| Tasha

Thanks to Mr. Schu for pointing out that this list was released!  He is keeping a wonderful collection of the best books lists being produced this year.  Here are the ten books that made the 2013 Best Books list from Parents Magazine. 

Alphablock Animal Opposites Awesome Dawson

Alphablock by Christopher Fracenschelli and Peskimo

Animal Opposites: A Pop-Up Book by Petr Horacek

Awesome Dawson by Chris Gall

The Big Wet Balloon: Toon Books Level 2 Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library Pinwheel

The Big Wet Balloon by Liniers

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

Pinwheel by Salina Yoon

Starring Jules: As Herself Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great 

Starring Jules (As Herself) by Beth Ain

Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell The Year of Billy Miller

Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone and Marjorie Priceman

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

2013 Roald Dahl Funny Prize Winners

| Tasha

Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2013

The Roald Dahl Funny Prize is a British children’s book prize that “aims to promote laughter and humour as a feel-good factor when reading, to draw attention to funny books as readable and enjoyable books and to reward authors and illustrators who write and illustrate books using humour.”  There are two age categories to the award.  Here are the winners:

AGES SIX AND UNDER

Monkey Nut

Monkey Nut by Simon Rickerty

AGES SEVEN TO FOURTEEN

I Am Still Not a Loser. Barry Loser, Spellchecked [I.E. Written] by Jim Smith

I Am Still Not a Loser by Jim Smith

Review: Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel

| Tasha

palace of spies

Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel

Peggy is an orphan who lives with her uncle, aunt and beloved cousin, until she is thrown out of the household for refusing to marry the man her uncle has chosen for her.  Peggy has few options, so she turns to a gentleman who seemed to know her mother when she was alive but whom she only met the day before.  With no other choices, Peggy is drawn into the sparkling grandeur of being a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I.  But she does not go as herself, instead she assumes the identity of Lady Francesca Wallingham.  As Fran, she joins the circle of girls serving the queen but she also must be watchful for anyone discovering her.  As the intrigue increases, Peggy realizes that anyone around her could be a spy and starts to question what happened to the real Fran.

Zettel manages the near impossible in this novel.  She has a historical novel that stays true to the time period and yet manages to read as swiftly as a more modern teen novel.  Without ever breaking out of the setting or inserting modern sensibilities, Peggy still manages not to turn off readers with her opinions.  Readers are quickly shown what life was like for an orphaned and penniless girl in this time with a sexual assault on Peggy soon after we meet her.  This helps underline her lack of power and explain why she takes on the danger that she does for the rest of the book.

Zettle plots this book with great skill, revealing the true motivations of the characters slowly.  There are several mysteries at play here and more that emerge as others are figured out.  The pacing of the book is don’t very well too, with enough historical detail to make sure the setting is strongly presented but never too much to slow down the speed of the storytelling.

A dark and mysterious historical novel, this is much less froth and much more intrigue and betrayal with some romance too.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from ARC received from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.