Review: The Story of Fish & Snail by Deborah Freedman

November 12, 2013November 4, 2013 | Tasha

The Story of Fish & Snail by Deborah Freedman

This is the story of Fish and Snail who were great friends. Every day, Snail would wait for Fish to return with a new story. This time, Fish returned with a great story, one so wonderful that Fish wanted to show Snail instead of tell about it. But Snail doesn’t want to leave the book they are in. Snail wants to stay right there and play kittens instead of pirates. The two start to argue and finally Fish declares that it is THE END and leaves the book. Snail was so sad. This was not the way the story was meant to end. So Snail leans farther outside of the page and sees Fish in a watery book below. Will Snail leave his safe book and dare to tumble down to the other ocean below? Will Fish return with more stories?

Freedman captures a story-within-a-story here with her setting of two characters living not just in one picture book but many. It is the story of two opposite characters who still manage to be friends, most of the time. There is the sedentary Snail who longs for the stories but not the real adventure. Then there is the irrepressible Fish who jumps and leaps literally off of the page. The pair make for a balanced friendship but also one with plenty of room for misunderstanding too. Their conversation and fight are written strongly and honestly.

Freedman’s art is gorgeous. Readers will recognize her as the author and illustrator of Blue Chicken. She uses similar splash effects in her art here. The blues are gorgeously green and filled with light. When Fish swims the bubbles take on a stronger form as Freedman lets the watercolor dapple the page. There is one beautiful image of Snail looking down to the other book that plays with perspective cleverly.

I’ve heard Caldecott rumblings for this one and with its playful yet artistic illustrations, I’d love to see that. In the end though, it’s also a great story about friendship, books and being willing to take risks. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Viking.

Review: A Single Pebble by Bonnie Christensen

November 12, 2013November 4, 2013 | Tasha

A Single Pebble by Bonnie Christensen

Mei wished that she could travel to the market with her father, but she had to stay behind and care for their silk worms. So Mei gave her father a jade pebble to take along and give to a child at the end of the Silk Road. Though her father was only traveling part of the road, Mei was sure that her pebble could go all the way to the end. Mei’s father gave the pebble to a traveling monk who was heading further west on the road. The monk in turn gave the pebble and his flute to a young man who was going even farther west. And so the pebble headed west from hand to hand and other objects joined it in a collection from “a girl in the land where the sun rises.” Finally, after many hands and many people had cared for the pebble, it reached the hands of a young pirate who returned home to his family. His son in Italy received that pebble at the same time that Mei got a piece of blue glass that their city in Italy specialized in.

Set in the 9th century, this book pays homage to the various peoples and communities, nationalities and religions along the Silk Road. Readers will get a great sense of the length of this trading route thanks to Christensen’s story that makes it very concrete and connected. The book also celebrates a good story, where the gifts multiply and all because the story surrounding them becomes more and more compelling as the pebble moves farther from home.

Christensen’s art changes throughout the book. The early pages are softened by the watercolor river and hazy trees in the backgrounds. Moving further into the book, the images become more crisp and clear as the desert takes over the story. The softness returns in Italy again with a different light than the one in China. It is all delicately done and evokes both a connection between the two places but also real differences too.

A rousing journey of a book, this story is a celebration of the Silk Road. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Roaring Brook Press.

Review: Fraidyzoo by Thyra Heder

November 11, 2013November 4, 2013 | Tasha

Fraidyzoo by Thyra Heder

It’s the perfect day to go to the zoo and the whole family is excited. Well, maybe not the whole family. Little T certainly is not, in fact she is frightened of the zoo. But she can’t remember what in the zoo scares her. So her family set out to find out what might be scaring her. They start out at the beginning of the alphabet and acting out the animals. It’s not alligator, bat or camel. As they go on, the costumes they use become more and more elaborate and they all help act them out with plenty of laughter and silliness. They make it all the way to zebras and still Little T can’t remember why she is scared of the zoo. So they decide to go the next day. But there is something very frightening at the zoo, and her older sister might just find it a little too scary.

Heder does a superb job here of creating costumes out of boxes and ropes that look like they just might work in real life. As the costumes grow more and more outrageous and complex, they also get more beautiful. Along the way, Heder does not name any of the animals being portrayed, so the book has a guessing-game element to it as well. The ending is funny and satisfying.

Heder’s art really is the majority of the story here. The text is almost secondary to the full-page images that gallop and dash across the page. They are filled with motion, color and smiles. This is art that will inspire children to play with boxes and rope. Expect your living room to be strewn with cardboard and ideas.

Creative and a joy to read, this is much more fun than any visit I’ve had to the zoo. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Review: Train by Elisha Cooper

November 11, 2013November 4, 2013 | Tasha

Train by Elisha Cooper

Join the trains as they cross the United States in this fast-moving picture book. Start on the platform with the conductors and passengers. Then the doors whoosh shut and “All aboard” and we are off. First the train is near the city, then it’s quickly out into the countryside. The Commuter Train stops at the next station. Then the story switches to a Passenger Train with an enormous engine and readers get to see inside the engineer’s cab with all of the levers. The train crosses the countryside and then the book turns to a Freight Train that goes so slowly. It is passed by an Overnight Train that curves up into the Rocky Mountains. People head to their cabins to sleep and wake for breakfast in the dining car. Their train is then passed by a High-Speed Train that blurs and finally glides into the station. Your journey has ended, unless you read it again.

Perfect for young train lovers, they will learn about the different types of trains and terrain along this railroad clacking journey. They also get tantalizing glimpses into the trains and their cars. There are long images of rows of seats filled with people and curving rails ahead of the engine. Young readers will also enjoy seeing how you sleep on a train and where you eat. Cooper reaches beyond these details though and really captures the rhythm of train travel and the way they are so huge yet so dwarfed by the landscape.

Cooper’s illustrations are done in his signature loose style. This works particularly well with landscapes and crowded train yards. Children used to seeing exacting details on machinery will quickly get used to this less precise art style. Instead of details, Cooper manages to capture atmosphere and feel in his illustrations. This lets his trains race across the landscape showing the feel of that movement and speed.

Another magnificent picture book from Cooper, get this into the hands of young train fans or families heading on a train trip. All aboard! Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Orchard Books.

School Library Journal – Diversity Resources

November 11, 2013November 9, 2013 | Tasha

School Library Journal has released an incredible collection of articles that address diversity in children’s and teen literature. They have broken the collection into sections like Collection Development, Interviews, News Articles, and blog posts. They also point you towards recommended sites that focus on diversity.

Review: Moonday by Adam Rex

November 8, 2013November 4, 2013 | Tasha

Moonday by Adam Rex

This luminous picture book answers the question about what would happen if the moon lowered itself into your backyard. The boy in the story finds the moon so slow in his yard that he can not just touch it, but climb around on it and into its craters. The rest of the world though, stayed dark as night. The children had to go to school in the darkness and everyone was tired. Back home, they tried to hide the moon under tablecloths and blankets. But then the tide entered their yard and the dogs gathered to howl at the moon too. So the family took the moon for a drive and it followed their car until they went to the top of a big hill and it got caught in the tops of the trees. They asked it to stay there, and there it hung, once more high in the air.

This is a treat of a picture book. It doesn’t just ask the question about what would happen if the moon dropped into your yard, but it also finds a solution that is satisfying and beautiful. I loved that the story is bookended by the drive in the car where the moon followed them home and then another drive where they returned it to the sky. The entire book has a sense of wonder about it, but also a great foundation of practicality and humor.

Rex’s art glows on the page. The moon is bright and round, filling every page it appears on with a white, wintry glow. The other pages show the darkness which makes the moon all that much brighter when it appears. The moon covered with tablecloths and blankets is not dimmer at all, just lightly patterned.

Magical and beautiful, this book is dreamlike and special. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: When Lions Roar by Robie H. Harris

November 8, 2013November 4, 2013 | Tasha

When Lions Roar by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Chris Raschka

The author of It’s Perfectly Normal joins forces with a Caldecott Medalist to create this picture book. It is the story of a young boy who is overwhelmed by a visit to the zoo with all of the animal noises. He also gets scared of a thunder storm, sirens and mommy and daddy shouting. When it all becomes too frightening, the boy sits down, shuts his eyes and tells the scary to go away. And it does. Then he can hear the quiet again and he stands back up and opens his eyes. He is off to run in the sunshine, look at nature and hear the softer sounds around him.

This is a simple picture book with lines that don’t rhyme but a rhythm that ties them all together into almost verse. Harris captures the feeling of a child overwhelmed by noise but also by negative things happening. I appreciate that the child solves the issue on his own by becoming introspective and mindful and not by having a tantrum. It is a book about centering oneself and calming down even in a loud environment. The return to being able to hear the softer things and enjoy your surroundings again is particularly effective.

Rashka’s art is his signature style with loose sweeps of paint in bright colors. His images are swirls of movement that work very well with the subject matter. From the noises in the air to the quieter moments, the boy’s entire body language changes as he gives in to the overwhelming feelings first and then recovers from them.

A strong book, this is one that will encourage children to center themselves and be in charge of their own reactions to overstimulation. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Orchard Books.

This Week’s Tweets and Pins

November 8, 2013November 8, 2013 | Tasha

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

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

‘Battle Bunny,’ by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett http://buff.ly/1cvyeQU #kidlit

‘Golden Domes’ Picture Book Causes Stir at Scholastic Book Fair | School Library Journal http://buff.ly/1iMIJRp #kidlit #censorship

KidLitCon Celebrates Seventh Year in Texas http://buff.ly/1iHwBkP

The Magic of Children’s Books | Adele Parks http://buff.ly/1cHre3r #kidlit

Sandra Boynton – New drawing. Just another example of why I’m known for my gritty and unflinching realism. pic.twitter.com/XQ28LEfCMR

Three steam-powered children’s books about trains – The Washington Post http://buff.ly/1iNeKce #kidlit

Why Picture Books Are Important by Bobbi Miller http://buff.ly/1aY9hyn #kidlit

LIBRARIES

America’s Star Libraries, 2013: Top-Rated Libraries http://buff.ly/1cvPiq2 #libraries

Public Libraries Make Digital Magazines Accessible to All | Mediashift | PBS http://buff.ly/1aYk9w2 #libraries #ebooks

A Traveling Library Of Sketchbooks Sent From Creatives Around The World http://buff.ly/1cvXPsT #art #libraries

TECHNOLOGY

Do You Repeat Yourself On Social Media? http://buff.ly/1aYdIsU

Mary Shelley’s Handwritten Manuscripts of Frankenstein Now Online for the First Time | Open Culture http://buff.ly/1aYdLVL

Teachers: 5 Reasons Why I Think YOU Should Join Twitter! | Daydream Reader http://buff.ly/1iMNLxg

TEEN READS

Book doctor: Further boy’s adventures for a teenage reader | Children’s books http://buff.ly/1iHrW26 #yalit

Let’s go to the movies! – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/1cSWDjw #yalit

Interview: Terry Pratchett, Author Of ‘The Carpet People’ : NPR http://buff.ly/1iHrUaH

Marvel introduces Muslim superhero in ‘Ms. Marvel #1’ | PopWatch http://buff.ly/1iNfrlF

What is the best YA novel of all time? Round one | PopWatch http://buff.ly/1hhAmSr #yalit

GoodReads Nominees for Best Picture Book

November 8, 2013November 6, 2013 | Tasha

Join in voting on the 2013 Opening Round to select the Best Picture Book on GoodReads. The first round of voting runs through November 9th. Here are the 15 nominees: