moving

Review: From There to Here by Laurel Croza

| Tasha

from there to here

From There to Here by Laurel Croza, illustrated by Matt James

This sequel to the award-winning I Know Here continues the story of a little girl who has moved from Saskatchewan to Toronto.  She now contrasts their life in the rural woods with that in a new city.  So much of her days are different now.  Her father no longer comes home for lunch.  They live on a city street instead of a quiet gravel road.  Here they lock their doors, there everyone kept their homes open.  There you could see the stars in the sky at night, here there are only the lamps shining.  There the children played all together and there wasn’t anyone her age.  Here there is!

Croza deftly shows the differences between two places, drawing them each with an eye to the positive.  Even as the little girl misses and even yearns for her nature-filled home, she starts to see what is good about the new place she lives.  Any child who has undergone a move will see themselves in this book, yet Croza has also written a very personal story of one little girl.

James’ art is rich and layered.  He uses sweeps of colors on the page to convey motion and change.  At the same time, he also uses parallel images that show the similarities of the places at the same time examining the differences.

Another triumph of a picture book, children will enjoy this as a sequel but it also stands nicely on its own.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Bad Bye, Good Bye by Deborah Underwood

| Tasha

bad bye good bye

Bad Bye, Good Bye by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Jonathan Bean

On a rainy day, a boy and his family are packing up the moving van and heading to live in a new town.  The little boy pulls at the boxes, tugs at the movers, and cries as they drive away leaving a friend behind.  As they head to their new home, gray clouds clear from the sky and the sun comes out.  Maps are pulled out, naps are taken, and the day brightens.  Night is spent at a motel with a pool and then the next evening they pull into their new town.  Everything is different and new, a new room with new views.  But there’s also a new kid, fireflies and the stars are out too. 

In only the briefest of rhyming couplets, Underwood paints a clear picture of the fear of moving and the emotional upheaval for children.  In their long drive though, the mood shifts to one of possibilities rather than grief.  Even the journey itself is a form of coping and healing that makes the happy ending feel like a natural result of the entire process. 

Bean’s art works so well here.  He uses a translucent feel to evoke the dreary rainy misty day that they move on.  But that same effect is used for the fumes of the traffic on the road, the speeding truck on a steep downhill slope, and the bluesy evening that they arrive.  The effect offers a lot of depth to the images, creating layers to explore visually.

A book on moving that shows that moving on with your life is also part of a major family move.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: A Year with Marmalade by Alison Reynolds

| Tasha

year with marmalade

A Year with Marmalade by Alison Reynolds, illustrated by Heath McKenzie

One autumn, Maddy told Ella that she is going away for a year and asked her to take care of her cat, Marmalade.  Both Ella and Marmalade cry and cry when Maddy leaves.  Ella can’t find anyone to play in the leaves with her, pick and munch apples, or stomp in puddles.  Then one frosty morning, Ella wakes up to find her feet warm and Marmalade sleeping on her bed.  As winter arrives, Ella and Marmalade get closer and closer.  Spring comes and the two work together in the garden and head to the beach together.  Maddy returns with the autumn, but what will happen now with Marmalade?

This book is a smart mix of waiting for a friend to return and seasons.  Along the way, there is also the chance to make a new friend too.  The dance of the seasons moves the story along nicely, creating a timeline along which readers can see the relationship between Ella and Marmalade growing and changing. 

It is the illustrations that make this book more than just a book about friendship in a crowded picture book market.  McKenzie combines black and white line drawings with bursts of color.  Marmalade is always shown as a pop of orange, while the human characters remain black and white.  The effect has an appealing lightness.

A picture book about moving, friendships and change, this lovely little picture book would make a nice addition to units on seasons as well.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

Review: Here I Am by Patti Kim

| Tasha

here i am

Here I Am by Patti Kim

This wordless picture book is the story of a boy and his family coming to an American city.  The signs don’t make any sense, the crowds are huge.  It’s noisy and big and confusing.  In the boy’s pocket is a red object from home.  It reminds him of what he left behind whenever he holds it in his hand.  He spends a lot of time at home, not interacting with anyone until one day, he drops his keepsake out of the window where a girl picks it up.  The girl heads off and the boy follows her and along the way discovers the greener parts of the city, food he recognizes, and people who are friendly.  In the end, he’s planted himself firmly into this new place.

Told entirely in pictures, this wordless book is written by a person who lived through this experience when they came to America from Korea forty years ago.  The book has an honesty that runs through it and nicely shows the time that it takes for someone to even see the positive in a new place.  It addresses the overwhelming feeling of homesickness and the jarring loss of language that isolates.  Beautifully illustrated, this book is one that has intricate images that come together to form a cohesive and powerful whole.

A remarkable capturing of the immigrant story, this book will speak to those who are immigrants and will also help others understand what children from other countries are going through.  The choice to make it wordless makes it all the more useful with immigrant populations in our communities.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from digital galley received from NetGalley and Capstone Young Readers.

Review: Listening for Lucca by Suzanne LaFleur

| Tasha

listening for lucca

Listening for Lucca by Suzanne LaFleur

Siena and her family move to Maine from Brooklyn to help her little brother Lucca.  He doesn’t speak, using only gestures to communicate with them.  Siena isn’t sad to move, since she didn’t have lots of friends to leave behind.  Maine should be a new start for all of them.  When they arrive at their big old house on the beach, the family gets to work fixing it up.  But both Lucca and Siena believe that the house is haunted by a family that used to live there.  Siena finds a pen on a high shelf in her closet that seems to connect her to a young girl who used to live in the house.  She also dreams about the girl’s brother Joshua as he fights in World War II.  The stories of the two families have striking similarities that give Siena the idea that she may be able to not only fix the present but also the past.

I adored this book.  LaFleur tells a story of mystery and ghosts where the past is just as alive and changeable as the present.  Throughout the book has a sweetness and wistfulness to it that makes it a pleasure to read.  I also appreciated the way that Siena has a tie to the past through her collection of lost items.  LaFleur builds her story carefully, so that each element makes an innate sense as it happens.  Beautifully done.

The characters are strongly written.  Siena is a heroine who can be prickly at times, but has the courage and talents to make a difference.  She is an incredible older sister, loving and attentive, but is much more critical of herself.  Her parents and younger brother are just as fully realized in the story.  The friends that Siena makes in town all also have touches that make them whole as people.

This lovely book transcends genres with its mix of mystery, historical fiction, and fantasy.  It’s a winning combination.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from digital galley received from Edelweiss and Wendy Lamb Books.

Review: My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz

| Tasha

my happy life

My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz, illustrated by Eva Eriksson

Dani has a very happy life, something that she thinks about as she falls asleep every night.  She has a father who loves her very much and is about to start school for the first time.  At first Dani feels like she will never make any friends at school, but then she notices another little girl who is standing alone.  Soon Ella and Dani are best friends, inseparable.  That doesn’t mean that they don’t fight sometimes, but they never fought for long.  But all too soon, Dani discovers that Ella is moving away.  Now Dani has to figure out how to go on without her best friend and it’s not easy.  Dani ends up with a scraped knee and a bandaged head and even hurts a boy in her class by shoving him.  Yet, Dani is a naturally happy person and quickly apologizes for what she did.  It’s not easy, but she learns to move on from missing her friend to being happy once again.

Originally published in Sweden, this book has the feel of a European import.  It has a gentle feel to it but also a deep honesty that is wonderful to see.  Dani has had many challenges in her life, including losing her mother, but she is the epitome of a happy person who embraces joy in every way.  This is an uplifting book where there are challenges, lots of strong negative emotions, but in the end, happiness prevails in a very natural and unforced way.

The illustrations and text work together in harmony here.  I was actually surprised to see that they were done by two people rather than just one since they work so very well together.  The images of the two friends together are buoyant while those of Dani in more dark moods continue to shine with a subtle light even when sad or hurt.

Perfect for families who are trying to be more mindful and happy, this book is a joy to read and to share.  It would also make a great cuddling story for bedtime, leaving everyone smiling together.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Captain Awesome to the Rescue by Stan Kirby

| Tasha

captain awesome to the rescue

Captain Awesome to the Rescue by Stan Kirby, illustrated by George O’Connor

Eugene’s family has just moved to Sunnyview and he has to start a new school.  Happily, Eugene is very courageous.  He has to be in order to transform into Captain Awesome.  Now if he can just find his cape, before he’s attacked by Queen Stinkypants, also known as his little sister!  When Eugene starts school, his teacher gives him the responsibility of caring for the class hamster, Turbo.  Eugene does a very careful job, until one day he discovers Turbo has been hamsternapped.   It may just take Captain Awesome to reveal what really happened to Turbo and save him from some villainous plot.

This beginning chapter book has the mass appeal of superheroes.  It also has a cheery tone and a light touch.  The humor has the right tone for this age group, and doesn’t push it over the top.  This is a book that parents and children can share together, something you want with first chapter books.  As with all early reading books, the story is simple and the characters are not complex.  Still, there is adventure, plenty of villains, and the making of friends to carry the book well.

While this makes a good choice for reluctant readers, it is also good for children who are reading early as well.  There is no content here to disturb parents of preschoolers who may be reading naturally on their own.

This is a great pick for children who will soon enjoy Captain Underpants but are not quite ready as readers.  Appropriate for ages 5-7, or younger if they are starting to read on their own.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Moving House by Mark Siegel

| Tasha

moving house

Moving House by Mark Siegel

Foggytown had such thick fog that people couldn’t even see where they were walking!  Chloe and Joey wished that they could see the stars from their house, but it was far too foggy for that.  One foggy day when they returned home, their parents announced that they were moving.  As they went to bed, the two children thought about everything they would miss about this house: the warm spot on the kitchen floor, the long hallway to run down, and their secret spot upstairs.  Then suddenly, their room moved and they were wiggled around.  Their house had sprouted arms and legs and was walking down the road!  It took them to a hill above the fog where they could see the stars and look over the world for miles.  After visiting with other buildings, the children got tired and headed back to bed.  What will they see when they wake up in the morning?

This clever take on books about moving adds a large dose of fantasy.  The story stays true to the emotions of moving even though it is fantasy.  The children think about their current home with great affection, worry about where they will live, and soon learn that things can be even better in a new location. 

Siegel injects the entire book with humor.  My favorite part is the series of panels at the beginning of the book with one person after another running into objects in the fog.  The series goes on long enough for it to be a great running gag.  That broad humor slows down as the book moves forward, pacing it much like a bedtime story.

A book about moving to share with children who enjoy a touch of whimsical fantasy, some sweetness, and plenty of humor in their picture books.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Neville by Norton Juster

| Tasha

neville

Neville by Norton Juster, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

This story about a boy moving to a new place will speak to any child who has had to move.  The boy was never asked by his family if he wanted to move, he just got told that they were.  Now he had to move into a new house and go to a new school, and worst of all, find new friends.  His mother suggested that he go for a walk, so he did, very reluctantly.  After he walked for awhile, he turned around and called out:  “Neville!”  Nothing happened.  He did it again and again.  Then another boy joined him and they shouted together.  More children arrived and they all began calling for Neville.  Even the dogs were howling along.  When they stopped to catch their breath, the children started asking about who Neville was.  The children all decided that they quite liked Neville and the boy too.  Then it was time to head home, and the boy felt much better about moving.  That feeling lasted all the way until bedtime, when his mother wished him, “Good night, Neville, pleasant dreams.”

This clever story is written with a graceful simplicity that reads aloud smoothly and easily.  The story is beautifully crafted, with a a solid feel and a strong story arc.  There is also a wining humor about the entire story, from the children joining in so willingly to the twist at the end.  It all makes for a charming book that begs to be shared with a group of children. 

Karas’ illustrations capture the emotions of the characters clearly and with humor.  He also plays with fonts when the boy is calling for Neville.  The word is art in the air, changing and moving.  What I found most lovely was the change from the initial stark white of the new house and community where even the grass was gray.  When the boy starts meeting children, color enters the picture around him and the community is revealed to be welcoming, colorful and warm.

This outstanding picture book conveys the stress of moving in both textual and visual ways, offering a great twist and a clever resolution.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Schwartz & Wade Books.

Also reviewed by: