emotions

Review: Peace, Baby! by Linda Ashman

| Tasha

peace baby

Peace, Baby! by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

So many children’s books about strong emotions come off as mini-lectures about proper behavior.  This one has a stirring call for people to not react with violence or anger, but instead with peace and understanding while continuing to be understanding about those negative emotions that can overwhelm.  The rhyme helps make the book fun and jaunty while offering the idea of just saying “Peace, Baby!” when you get upset.  This is the most basic of conflict resolution, yet it is also the start of something bigger, taking responsibility for your own reactions and controlling them.  This cheery book invites others to be happy and peaceful.

Ashman’s rhyme is at the heart of this book, carrying the entire idea of being peaceful and calm forward with a jolly rhyme.  Thanks to the playful nature of the rhymes and the “Peace, Baby!” the book does not lecture but instead recommends hugs, conversations and compromise. 

Lew-Vriethoff’s illustrations add a lovely softness to the book.  With their pastel shades, the book continues to feel playful but also has a lightness to it that keeps the message from feeling heavy handed at all. 

A strong addition to library collections, this will be a great way to talk about emotions as a group and also the proper responses to when you feel angry.  Peace out!  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

Review: Again! by Emily Gravett

| Tasha

again

Again! by Emily Gravett

It’s nearly bedtime and that means a bedtime story.  Mama dragon and little dragon curl up together to share the story of the bright, red dragon Cedric who has never gone to bed.  When they finish, the little dragon asks for it “Again?”  Mama dragon agrees and readers will see another full page of the book that tells more about Cedric and his not sleeping.  Mama reads it one more time before falling asleep herself.  Readers will notice the little dragon getting redder and redder just as Cedric in the story is turning back to green.  But this little dragon has a burning desire for one more story that leads to a fiery ending.

Gravett cleverly reaves two parallel stories together here.  There is the main story of the little dragon who wants to be read to over and over again.  Then there is the story of Cedric in the book that Mama dragon reads.  The two play off of one another, with tension in one ebbing as the other picks up. 

The art is just as clever.  Towards the end, the little dragon shakes the book in disgust and the characters take a tumble across the pages.  This leads to the surprise of the ending, which is sure to delight young readers. 

A perfect ending for a story time, this book is one that young children (and dragons) will want to read AGAIN!  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Rain! by Linda Ashman

| Tasha

rain

Rain! by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Christian Robinson

The perfect book to lift your spirits on a soggy spring day!  When an older man wakes up and sees the rain, he is not happy.  But when a little boy looks out at the same rain, he’s delighted.  The older man grumbles through his preparations to go outside, while the little boy puts on his green boots, green coat and frog hat still happy with the gloomy weather.  The old man grumbles about puddles, while you can see the joy of the child.  They end up in the same café, the old man still grumpy with his day and the young boy happy with cocoa and cookies.  When the two bump into each other, it seems like the grumpiness rubs off on the little boy.  But then he notices that the older man left his hat behind, and with a little joke and a shared cookie, a day is brightened.

Ashman has written this book very simply, just in snatches of dialogue.  Despite the simplicity, the mood of each character is clear in their words.  It is made even more clear by the cut-paper illustrations that display each person’s mood with just a few lines.  Readers will notice that the pages with the older man have others with grumpy faces while the pages with the the child have others with smiles. 

A book that is sure to have readers jumping merrily in puddles and dancing in the rain, this is an inspiration to look on the bright side of things and share your happiness.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black

| Tasha

im bored

I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

The dreaded boredom has set in in this very funny picture book.  A little girl is so bored she is flat on her back moaning when she notices a potato.  When she tosses the potato away, not knowing what to do with it, the potato says that it too is bored.  The potato goes on to tell the little girl that kids are boring.  She insists that no, kids are fun and the potato challenges her to prove it.  She shows the potato all the physical things she can do, then demonstrates using her imagination, but through it all the potato stays unimpressed.  There is a great twist at the end of the book that you will have to read for yourself.  A funny read that will have even the most bored child enjoying themselves.

Done entirely in dialogue, this is a fast-moving picture book.  It begs to be read aloud with a grungy, dusty potato voice.  The ever-bored potato is a great foil to the little girl who despite herself loses herself in her imagination and actions.  It’s a lesson that kids are anything but boring, even when they themselves are bored.

The illustrations have a great rough feel to them.  Done digitally, there is a feel of the organic roughness of a block print.  I particularly enjoy seeing a little girl not in pink or done up cutely.  This little girl is a real one, one that throws herself into things and that includes being willing to argue with a potato.

This is one book that is anything but boring.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Review: Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten by Hyewon Yum

| Tasha

mom its my first day

Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten by Hyewon Yum

A little boy is all set for the first day of Kindergarten, eager to start.  His mother, on the other hand, is not quite to eager to see her little boy start school.  The boy runs to school with his mother trailing behind, worried and blue.  His mother frets about how big the school is, that they don’t know anyone there, but the boy is set to head in.  Then in the hall, things change and suddenly it is the boy who is smaller and bluer and more concerned and his mother is glowing and ready for him to start.  This book perfectly captures the mixed emotions of the first day of school for children and parents alike. 

Yum manages in a just a few words to really show the eagerness the boy feels and the reticence of the mother.  The boy is thrilled to be a big boy and head off to school, the mother is obviously seeing him a completely different light.  The book really comes into its own when the change happens and suddenly the mother feels confident and the boy is unsure.  It is that switch, that change that makes the entire book really work well.

Yum’s art also helps capture the emotions of the day.  At first, the boy is much larger than his mother, bright colored and dashing.  The mother is blue, almost wizened and delicate, worn away with worry.  When the change of attitude happens, the mother grows steadily in size and gains color as the boy shrinks to normal size and becomes bluer.  It’s a delight to watch the change come full circle by the end of the book where the day has ended and they are both large and bright.

A perfect pick for families facing their first day of Kindergarten this fall, this book will make a great jumping off place for discussions about the mixed emotions that everyone is sure to be feeling on the big day.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Farrar Straus Giroux.

Review: Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear

| Tasha

virginia wolf

Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

This picture book is loosely based on the life of Virginia Wolf and her sister.  Adults will enjoy the tie-ins, but they are not necessary for children to understand in order to enjoy the book.  It is a story told from Vanessa’s point of view.  Virginia was having a “wolfish” sort of day where nothing pleased her and any sort of noise bothered her.  Vanessa tried to talk with her and discovered that Virginia was dreaming of a far-away perfect place to be.  So Vanessa snuck away and found art supplies and paper to create that world for her sister.  Soon her walls were covered in birds, butterflies, flowers and color.  There was even room for a wolf to wander.  Virginia’s mood lifted and she was ready to play once again. 

This book takes a direct look at depression but can also be used for more transient moods of children.  The author’s writing is rich and beautiful.  When Virginia first gets depressed, she explains it this way: “The whole house sank.  Up became down.  Bright became dim.  Glad became gloom.”  When Vanessa paints the garden it is described this way: “I painted leaves that said hush in the wind and fruit that squeaked and slowly I created a place called Bloomsberry.  I made it look just the way it sounded.”  This is a book that not only has art as a solution and an escape, but also has art in the writing itself.

Arsenault’s illustrations have a wonder to them that is astonishing.  Done in mixed media of ink, pencil, watercolor and gouache, the images play with darkness and light with a fearlessness.  Color is used sparingly at first, then when the art appears it is lush and vibrant.  One completely understands the way that art can lift a person.  Perhaps my favorite small detail is that the art at first when seen through Vanessa’s eyes is adult, lush and fine lined.  Later when glimpsed in retrospect, it has a childlike quality to it instead. 

This picture book is a small work of art that speaks to the power of creativity and art to lift moods.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Kids Can Press.

Review: Anna Hibiscus’ Song by Atinuke

| Tasha

anna hibiscus song

Anna Hibiscus’ Song by Atinuke, illustrated by Lauren Tobia

Anna Hibiscus returns in a picture book!  Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa with her extended family and they are very happy.  In fact, Anna Hibiscus is so happy that she almost floats out of the mango tree she is sitting in.  She doesn’t know what to do with herself, so she asks her grandparents, aunties, uncle, cousins and parents what they do when they feel so very happy.  Though Anna Hibiscus tries their techniques, she has to figure out what her own reaction to pure happiness is. 

This jolly picture book captures the essence of the chapter books featuring Anna Hibiscus.  Though the story is by necessity less detailed and shorter, it does a good job of setting the African stage for the story and revealing the deep love and connection that this family has.  The character of Anna Hibiscus is also shown clearly and concisely, neatly packaging her in a smaller form but losing none of her charm and wit.

Tobia’s illustrations also echo the chapter books closely.  They celebrate the African setting and the warmth of this home.  They also embrace the different skin colors of members of the family.  In the entire series, I have appreciated how frankly and naturally this is handled. 

This happy, merry story would be a great addition to units on emotions or a joyful read in any story time.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Kane Miller.

Also reviewed by The Artful Parent and Jean Little Library.

Board Book Reviews

| Tasha

i feel happy yoon little book

I Feel Happy by Salina Yoon

Explore emotions in this board book.  The book comes with one puzzle piece that has a rotating wheel.  The piece is the face of the child and children can rotate the mouth so that the face shows different reactions.  Turn pages in the book, and different situations are explained.  The child can then show the emotion that they would feel in that situation.  The puzzle piece is attached to the book with yellow ribbon.  It’s a novelty book that would work well in public libraries thanks to the durability of the piece and the pages.

It’s a Little Book by Lane Smith

A version of It’s a Book that is perfect for the toddler set.  Here you have the donkey and gorilla in diapers, exploring what a book is.  Is it for chewing?  Is it for wearing?  Is it for flying?  Each time the donkey comes up with an idea, the gorilla gives it a “no.”  Until the end, “It’s a book, silly.”  None of the controversy of the first book but all of the charm.  And yes, it did take a lot of effort to call the character “donkey” here.

Blue Chameleon: Colorful Companionship

| Tasha

bluechameleon

Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett

Gravett’s latest is a charmingly simple picture book that showcases her illustrations.  The featured character in the book is a chameleon who is feeling blue because he is lonely.  So he sets off to find a friend.  As he meets different objects and animals, his color changes to mimic theirs.  He turns yellow like the banana.  He turns pink like the cockatoo.  He even turns spotty like a ball and striped like a sock.  But he just can’t find a friend.  As he mopes gray on a rock and then disappears white against the page, he finally finds a friend who is just as colorful as he is.

Gravett has created a book about colors where the colors are a vital part of the story being told, making it very different than some picture books about colors that don’t read nearly as naturally.  Adding to the appeal is the emotive chameleon himself and his attempts at making friends.  Children will get the humor of the situation, love the moment he begins to show patterns, and also will relate to making friends.

Gravett’s illustrations and text work well together.  The bulk of the text is just the color and the object the chameleon is interacting with.  The chameleon also makes friendly comments to the potential friends, adding a welcome touch of more humor to the title.  The illustrations are bright, large and will work equally well with groups or reading to one child.

Highly recommended for any library’s colorful shelves, this book will be enjoyed by any preschooler or toddler.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

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