a good book.

Knit Your Bit: A World War I Story
Author: Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrator: Stephen Guarnaccia
Pages: 32
Age Range: 6-12
Published: 2013
Genre: Historical Fiction
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG

When the nation calls for knitters to send goods to the troops fighting in WWI a young boy can't see the importance of it all. But when a knitting bee is proposed and the girls taunt the boys saying they're chicken to even try the boys decide to learn and not only participate in the bee but learn some valuable lessons on the way. Great large illustrations and simple text make it a perfect introduction to war for young readers. An author's note at the back explains about the actual events the story was based on and there are photos in the end pages. Another lovely historical fiction picture book on a slightly obscure event.




 

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin
Author: Liesl Shurtliff
Pages: 264
Age Range: 9-12
Published: 2013
Genre: Fantasy
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG


Rump is born in a land where your name foretells your destiny, and with a name like Rump things won't ever be good. His mother died just after giving birth and he's convinced she only spoke part of his name before she passed, adding to his troubles. So he sets out to figure out the rest of his name and escape his fate. He ends up finding the truth about both and it's more than he'd bargained for. This is a great re-imagining/re-telling of the fairy tale filled with magic, humor, heart and self-discovery sure to appeal to both boys and girls.

 

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen
Author: Susan Nilsen
Pages: 243
Age Range: 13+
Published: 2012
Genre: Realistic Fiction/YA
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG-13


Henry and his father have just moved to Vancouver, BC in an effort to start over after a murky event Henry calls 'It'. His mother is in another city with his grandparents, his older brother is dead and Henry has anger and coping issues and is forced to talk to his school counselor who encourages him to write his feelings in a journal. Each entry exposes a bit more of the past (which I won't disclose here because it's a huge plot point), his day-to-day life trying to cope with it all, his weight gain, lack of friends, trust issues, new life with his dad etc. An unlikely set of friends prove to be the support system he needs and when a similar incident rears its head with his new friends Henry is able to take a bit of ownership in dealing with it which leads him to being able to deal with the other event and begin to forgive his brother. This is a harsh and disturbing story with dark elements and a heavy tone but it's also one of those stories that needs to be told and the details aren't overly graphic or as grim as they could be. Bullying and school violence will continue to be timely topics and this book does a fabulous job of showing one of the lesser highlighted points of view.

a good book.

Today's theme is authors who create their own illustrations (or if you prefer, illustrators who write their own stories!) The author/illustrator is a curious beast. It is rare to find someone with one particular talent, but to find a person with two, well that's just cause for extreme jealousy (on my part at least.)

One perk is that they know exactly what they want from the story they are trying to tell but on the flip side they have full responsibility for the whole shebang, no partner to bounce ideas off of or collaborate with.
Here are a few recent editions of solo undertakings that shine.

Flora and the Flamingo
Author/Illustrator: Molly Idle
Pages: 32
Age Range: 2-7
Published: 2013
Genre: picture book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

Chubby little Flora dons flippers and mimics the graceful flamingo's every move but the flamingo is having none of it. Doing her best to discourage Flora, the flamingo squaks at her and sends her splashing into the water. But seeing her dripping and sad then she has a change of heart, helps her up and the two dance beautifully togteher. Beautiful, wordless with lifting flaps creating movement and action on each page. soft pink palette will appeal to the ballerinas in the crowd proof that anyone can do anything they set their minds to (though they may need a bit of help along the way!)

The Great Lollipop Caper
Author/Illustrator: Dan Krall
Pages: 32
Age Range: 5-8
Published: 2013
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ***
Rating: PG

All kids love Lollipop but no kids love the earthy, acidic little Caper (well, except adults but he doesn't count them, he wants the kids!) But he has a plan to flavor all the lollipops to taste like capers and thus win them all over! Donning a trenchcoat and hat (looking a bit villainous but apparently passing as a harmless pea) he sneaks into the lollipop factory to carry out his evil deed. But it backfires and only Lollipop can save the day and conseqently teaches Caper a thing or two about being yourself. Cute, sillly and ...capers, seriously! The endpages are adorned with (doctored) photos of the two main characters. Running text tells the story punctuated by speech bubbles from the characters and bystanders. The book has an almost cariactured vaudeville feel but with bright, unlikely color combinations (vivid red background spreads, neon greens,) rather than black and white and the comically grotesque facial features will be sure to make kids giggle. Perfect for fans of the slightly dark and twisted like Lemony Snickett and Jon Klassen.


Windblown
Author/Illustrator: Edouard Manceau
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-6
Published: 2013
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

In the vein of Press Here and so many other interactive types of books to come out of late this also invites the reader to participate, but not until the end. Some colorful scraps of paper are blowing in the wind but with each page turn they rearrange into a different animal who had a part in making them what they are now (cutting them up, making the paper, shaping the wood etc.) The text builds in 'the house that jack built' fashion inviting vocal participation from the reader/listener. The illustrations are simple, the colored pieces taking center stage and being accented by basic pen drawings to turn them into something new. It could easily be used in a classroom with students being given some matching scraps and encouraged to add their own embellishments (or big pieces of paper to make scraps of their own.) By the end the wind blows them all the way to you…what will you do with them?

Ben Rides On
Author/Illustrator: Matt Davies
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-8
Published: 2013
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG

Ben gets a new bike and it's perfect! He rides it all the way to school, the really, really long (and adventurous) way. But when he gets there it's stolen by the big bully Adrien Overbite and all day Ben thinks only of his poor bike and how he can exact revenge. He's crushed, particularly when he sees the bike smashed against a tree on his long walk home. But then he realizes that Adrien has been launched over the nearby cliff. At first he thinks he's gotten his comeuppance and plans to leave him there but his concscience gets the better of him. He helps Adrien only to have him ride off again on Ben's bike. But Adrien has a surprise up his sleeve.
This is a great little story of doing the right thing (and a conversation starter about bullying and making good choices). Davies scribblyish illustrations (reminiscent of David Catrow though the pallette is subdued) are fabulous. I particularly love the facial expressions. Former Pulitzer prize winning political cartoonist, this is Davies' first political cartoonist, this is his first foray into picture books.

a good book.

Or a few.  I've been on a wierd reading schedule the last little while with trying to pack and being gone and everything so I haven't read as much as I would have liked.  I've also been in a bit of a slump.  If you follow me on Goodreads you'll have noticed that most of my books have gotten a rather bland 3-star rating, nothing super outstanding.  But here are some of the rare few that have captured my interest and kept me reading  and excited beyond the blah and ordinary.

 

Nugget and Fang: Friends Forever--or Snack Time?
Author:Tammi Sauer
Illustrator: Michael Slack
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-8
Published: 2013
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG

Nugget and Fang are best friends. And life is perfect until Nugget, a minnow, goes to school and learns that sharks (of which Fang is one) eat minnows! His new friends convince him they shouldn't hang out anymore but Fang is devestated. He tries everything he can think of to tell them he's not going to eat them but it's not until he saves them from a fishing net that they finally believe him and now they're all friends together!

Unlikely friends are a common theme in picture books and the shark one saw plenty of play in Finding Nemo but I think that works in its favor in this case (I kept wanting Fang to burst into choruses of "fish are friends, not food"...though to convince said fish, not himself as is the case in the film) The illustrations are grand with bright and plentiful shades of blue and other tropicals. The texture is great as well; you get hints of wood and oil, sponge, collage and more giving it an authentic underwater feel and the creatures are delightfully cartoonish.

Sever
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Pages: 371
Age Range: 13+
Published: 2013
Genre: Young Adult/Dystopia/Sci-fi
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG-13

Rhine is back under her father-in-laws roof but with the help of Cecily and Linden eventually finds herself on the road again with the two of them in tow searching for her brother in an effort to stop his terrorist antics and prove that she is alive. But she finds out Rowan is working for Vaughn and the world she's been trying to escape is not what she'd always believed.

I've finished up several trilogies in the last little while and all of them fell very flat; strong and intriguing first installments, weak seconds, and unfulfilling thirds.  This was the best of the bunch, keeping the tension and my interest right through to the end.  It still didn't quite meet the expectations I'd established with the first volume but it was pretty close. A heartbreaking but satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

Doll Bones
Author: Holly Black
Pages: 244
Age Range: 9-12
Published: 2013
Genre: Suspense/Fiction
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG


3 kids spend the bulk of their time playing make believe games involving queens and heros, pirates and quests all acted out using various dolls and toys. But Zach's father thinks its time he grew up and Poppy and Alice are going through changes of their own as they begin to mature. When all of Zach's toys go missing he can't bring himself to tell Poppy and Alice the truth so a string of lies and misunderstandings ensue. Poppy takes it upon herself to bring them together with one final quest. This time they must venture out for real, across state lines to bury a china doll of her mother's she tells them holds the remains of a murderd girl whose ghost has been haunting Poppy's dreams. They go along out of spite and placation but as their quest gets stranger and stranger they realize Poppy may have been telling the truth all along. Equal parts creepy ghost story, quest and growing up this is a great spine tingling adventure perfect for those middle readers who are eager to be seen as older yet still have moments of clinging to their childhood.

Moloka'i
Author: Alan Brennert
Pages: 389
Age Range: Adult
Published: 2003
Genre: Historical Fiction
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG-13

A young girl contracts leprosy and is taken from her family on the Big Island to live in the leper colony on the island of Moloka'i. Following her through childhood and on through old age we see her progress through the disease, cause trouble, fall in love, form friendships and lead a beautiful life that touches all she comes to know. Around her the world progresses as well; the Americans usurp power from Hawaii's queen, the world descends into war, pictures begin moving and lights are captured in small glass globes, yet through it all Rachel never loses her love of learning and her longing to discover the world around her and beyond the bounds of her life. 

There's so much going on here with lessons about the history and political background of the Hawaiian islands, the history of the treatment and eventual understanding of leprosy (now known as Hansen's disease) and its effects on the people who contract it as well as their families, and of course, Rachels own story. It's a heartbreaking story of love, life, and beating unbeatable odds. I can't stop thinking about it.
Those are the recent standouts. What have you been reading lately?

storytime!

Part of my job consists of conducting twice a week storytime sessions for 3-5 year-olds. I've decided my next theme is going to be ninjas.  There have been quite a few cute ninja books to cross my desk recently. Here are my favorite picks so far:

Nighttime Ninja
Author: Barbar Da Costa
Illustrator: Ed Young
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-6
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score:****
Overall Score:****
Rating: G


When all is quiet the ninja creeps through the house in search of treasure. But just as he's about to strike the lights come on and….Ah! Mom is foiling his plans to steal cookies! And it's back to bed for him. Young's cut paper illustrations have a decidedly Asian flare. Bold framed pages outlined by ribbon accent the dark, shadowy action. And the cute twist at the end is perfect.

The Boy Who Cried Ninja
Author and Illustrator: Alex Latimer
Pages:32
Age Range: 4-7
Published: 2011
Genre:Picture Book
Cover Score:***
Overall Score:****
Rating: G

When a boy blames all of the 'bad' happenings in his life on ninjas and giant squids and various other creatures his family doesn't believe him and he gets in trouble for lying. When he decides he'll just fess up and claim responsibility he gets in trouble for doing all the bad things. So, he sends out some invitations to a party and when all of the creatures show up he feels vindicated and his parents realize their mistake. Silly fun with great Oliver Jeffers-ish illustrations.

Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to Be Noticed
Author and Illustrator: J. C. Philipps
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-7
Published: 2009
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ***
Rating: G

Wink tries and tries to do his best in Ninja class but he can’t be silent. He wants to share his accomplishments with everyone and show them what he has learned. But “silence is the weapon of the ninja” as his master reminds him often and “the loudest cricket is the first to be caught.”

His grandmother tries to console him with tickets to the circus but Wink chides her that ninjas don’t go to the circus. On his long walk home from class one day Wink comes across a young boy practicing acrobatics and Wink steps in to lend a hand. Days later his grandmother and master each receive tickets to the circus in the mail where they see Wink shining in the spotlight doing all of his greatest moves in a flashy costume to the applause of a large audience. Cut paper illustrations filled with humor, texture, and perfect Eastern flavor.

The Three Ninja Pigs
Author: Corey Rosen Schwartz
Illustrator: Dan Santat
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-7
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score:****
Overall Score:****
Rating: G

The story of the 3 little pigs gets an oriental kick when the 3 pigs, tired of the rampaging, huffing puffing wolf decide to train at the new ninja school.

The first pig takes aikido but gets bored and drops out. Pig two takes jujitsu, learns a few skills and then leaves convinced he’s ready to take on everyone. The third goes with karate (a girl, btw) and slowly works her way through all the skills month after month (some nods to karate kid in the illustrations)

When the wolf comes knocking, Pigs One and Two in their straw and twig houses still can’t compete and come running to the third for rescue. Showing off her newly acquired skills she breaks some boards and bricks and sends the wolf running before she can apply them to his hide. The two brothers are grateful and return to school to finish their learning.

A fun rhyming text sprinkled with martial arts terms (and a glossary in the back) makes for a perfect read aloud. Santat has a way with color focusing on deep golds, greens and reds. There’s a touch of comic book feel particularly during the action sequences (panels, frames, close ups, movement lines, speech bubbles) and fun nods to The Karate Kid that parents will get a kick out of. Gorgeous end pages show a Japanese landscape filled with hills, mountains, cherry and bonsai trees. And there are fun illustrated author and illustrator ‘photos’ on the back flap.

The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear
Author: David Bruins
Illustrator: Hilary Leung
Pages:32
Age Range: 3-6
Published: 2009
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score:***
Overall Score:****
Rating: G

3 friends share many of the same interests but they also each have their own strengths. One day they get frustrated with each other and devise a series of contests to see who is the best of all, but the contests leave them more confused than ever. They each go their separate ways and while meditating and pondering they realize that they appreciate their strengths and differences and that’s what makes them unique.

A definite “moral” book but it’s such fun you can mostly overlook it. The illustrations have a decidedly Eastern hint, stylized like anime and paneled like a graphic novel. The greatest part is the game in the back. Walking like you would in a western showdown the players stand back to back, count 3, turn and pose like either the ninja, the cowboy or the bear. In a full body version of rock paper scissors each wins out over one of the others. 

If I were really cool and didn't mind facing the backlash that would inevitably surface by promoting weapons in a program, I'd follow up the stories with the creation of these ninja nunchucks. I'll probably just stick with the less threatening ninja stars (though with my group I'll probably have to make them myself and just let them do some appropriate decorating.) And if I had unlimited funds/time/permission I'd send them all home with a treat...Ninjabread Men!

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #36)

Squid and Octopus: Friends for Always
Author and Illustrator: Tao Nyeu
Published: 2012
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-8
Genre: fiction
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ***
Rating: G
 
First Sentence:One chilly day, Squid knit eight beautiful socks.

In the vein of Frog and Toad, Henry and Mudge and a million other buddy books, comes a new duo to delight and entertain. These two sea creatures are introduced in a picture book with 4 short and silly stories involving socks and mittens, tea parties, super powers, fortune cookies and more.

In my favorite of the four Octopus finds a cowboy boot which he mistakes for a hat. As he travels throughout the ocean each animal he meets marvels that he is using the item for something it wasn’t intended. Someone tells him it’s a doorstop, a soup bowl, a flower pot and so on and he readjusts how he’s using it with each encounter. In the end Squid shows up at his door wearing the mate as a hat and we are reminded why the two are such good friends!

I love the supporting cast of characters who show up occassionally in the storyline but most often just add their comments and asides as speech bubbles in the illustrations. The stories themselves are decent, kids will enjoy them but not really anything super memorable. However the illustrations are superb. They are silk screened using ink and colored pencil (no idea how that process works but it has a lovely result) and the soft blue/orange/green color pallette adds to the dreamy underwater atmosphere. Nyeu's style is instantly recognizable and is carried out to the endp pages which are light blue with white wave and sea creature designs swirled across them. Her debut book focused on a magical bear who makes a return appearance in many of the illustrations.

Very highly recommended if you are at all interested in the art of the picture book. And still recommended if you are in the market for a new set of friends to read about. Kids will enjoy the silliness and will love poring over all the humorous details throughout the pictures.

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #35)

Minette’s Feast
Author: Susanna Reich
Illustrator: Amy Bates
Published: 2012
Pages: 32
Age Range: 6-12
Genre: Biography
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G
 
First Sentence:Minette Mimosa McWilliams Child was a very lucky cat, perhaps the luckiest cat in all of Paris.

In the opening pages we are introduced to Minette and her life before meeting Paul and Julia Child. She watched them wander the streets of Paris together arm in arm stopping to enjoy fine meals in cafes and restaurants. Their apartment was not perfect; it was dark and cold and populated with mice but they filled it with family and friends. Yet still it was missing something. Thus Minette was adopted and grew to enjoy leisurely naps and welcoming laps interspersed with delicious meals. While Julia spent days at the various markets and in cooking class improving her skills and exploring her passion Minette basked in the tastes of the leftovers though she always (as any cat would) preferred mice!

The text is rich with French phrases, actual quotes from Paul and Julia and lovely touches of alliteration and poetic phrases. For example; Julia and Paul spent much of their time nibbling ‘croissants in cafes where cats curled on chairs’, and munching on ‘baguettes in bistros where birds warbled in cages’ and so on. It gives the simple story an added bit of depth and texture.

The illustrations are sketched in pencil and tinted with watercolors in muted tones and have a decidedly French flare, my favorite being the tribute to the Chat Noir on the title page. (And I loved the red and white checked picnic blanket end pages...end pages, people, pay attention!!) :)

There’s an afterword with additional information on Child’s life including dates, mentions of her spy activities, her cookbook publication and television appearances and her death. A French pronunciation guide and glossary helps out with the phrases found throughout the story. There’s also an author’s note describing her interest in Julia’s life and her inspiration in using a cat to make the story accessible to children as well as a notes section detailing the references for all of the quotes used.

This is another fine example of a picture book biography containing enough of a story or focus to keep the interest of young readers while still providing factual information (and the plethora of resources in the back make me even happier; the more back matter the better!)  Kids probably won't care much about Julia Child but Minette's story will keep them entertained while moms indulge their own fan fantasies.

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #33)

Where’s Walrus?
Author and Illustrator: Stephen Savage
Published: 2011
Pages: 32
Age Range: 2+
Genre: Fiction/Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G
 
First Sentence: wordless!

A sneaky walrus takes advantage of naptime at the zoo to escape his small pool and venture out into the city. Using a variety of hats, the walrus is able to evade the zookeeper by blending into his surroundings. He starts out in a fountain, joins a line of businessmen eating at a lunch counter, shows off his curves in a department store window, helps build a wall and put out a fire and even tries his hand –er flippers—at can-can dancing and painting. When he does a marvelous dive at a swimming competition his swim cap slips off and his cover is blown. But the zookeeper knows just what to do to entice him back to the zoo.

This book is completely wordless with simple graphic illustrations in muted colors with very little detail. (For example, a crowd of people all wearing gray merge into a sea of floating heads, the skyline shows just the silhouettes of the buildings with no other delineation for depth, no windows, etc.)

Love it! It’s best with a small group since everyone has to see the pictures to tell themselves the story but I even used it in a recent school visit and panned the book across an audience of 100+ kids up to 5th grade and they all loved it. They cheered for every escape and laughed at the hapless zookeeper’s inability to identify something so out of place as a walrus (sort of the Superman/Clark Kent effect—really? How does no one else recognize him?)

The end-pages are teal with a patchwork of white line drawings of some of the locations around town the walrus visited, adding to the charm. (Why is it that publishers so often ignore the end pages? Have I convinced you to start noticing them yet? Did I tell you I’ve been known to buy books based solely on the decoration I’ve found on them? True story.)  Highly recommended!!

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #31)

Frog and Fly: Six Slurpy Stories
Author and Illustrator: Jeff Mack
Published: 2012
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-6
Genre: Fiction
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ***
Rating: PG

First Sentence: Hi!

*Warning* Those who are truly tender hearted may not appreciate it!

Hi. Hi. I am Fly. I am Frog. Nice to meet you. Nice to eet you? No. Nice to meet you? *slurp* No. Nice to eat you! This is the entire first story and they continue on in this vein, the unsuspecting fly meeting his demise at the end of each story but the last where there is a great little twist. Obviously it’s got a bit darker humor but as a fly reappears at the beginning of each (older readers will likely realize that it’s not actually the same fly) the gravity of the situation for that poor character isn’t as chilling as it could be.

It’s a larger-sized picture book format yet done in panels and with super simple text that’s easily adaptable for a read-aloud or a beginning reader. Each of the short stories is five pages long with about 25 or so words of dialogue. The panels teach top to bottom story progression, the speech bubbles highlight dialogue, and the short rhyming text is decipherable and predictable (though still clever and surprising.) The pen and ink illustrations employ bold outlines and bright colors and the large font is easy to read.

This is another of those books that crosses over between beginning readers/graphic novels/picture books, making it great, silly fun for a range of readers.

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #30)

Bear Snores On
Author: Karma Wilson
Illustrator: Jane Chapman
Published: 2002
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3+
Genre: Fiction/Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: *****
Rating: G
First Sentence: In a cave in the woods,
in his deep, dark lair,
through the long, cold winter
sleeps a great brown bear.

Said bear sleeps (and snores) through the day and night, through storm and a host of uninvited guests. A tiny mouse stumbles in and builds a fire and is quickly joined by a hare, a badger, a gopher, a mole, a raven and a wren. They share food with each other, pop popcorn, laugh and visit while bear snores on unaware until a rogue pepper flake makes its way to his nose and he sneezes himself awake. I’ll let you read this yourself to find the ending but it’s got a fun little twist, just perfect for preschoolers.

There are a lot of rhyming picture books out there and a lot of them are just mediocre. They look great on the page and even sound good in your head, but when you try to read them aloud the words and rhythms just fail to flow smoothly. Not so with our Ms. Wilson. She has a veritable gift for verse. And she uses some lovely words to do it. Nothing about her vocabulary is trite or tired, another reason why I love her so much. At an age when children are gaining words in their own vocabulary at the rate of +/- 5 or so words a day,  the more rich language they are exposed to the better. So the bear’s cave is also referred to as a lair and a den. The animals ‘pitter-pat,’ ‘creep-crawl,’ ‘sneak-peek,’ and ‘scuttle;’ and they ‘divvy’ up their snacks, in the ‘damp’ ‘dank’ cave. There are also lots of fun action sequences for varying voice volume and pitch. And a host of sequels!

Wilson has a bunch of other titles that are all quite good as well but the bear books are my favorites. There are currently 8 (if I counted right!) with a new one to be released later this year.

Chapman’s illustrations are friendly, the animals at once recognizable for what they are but with a definite cartoonish quality in their faces and posturing—I think little mole is my favorite--(and ability to be friends without eating each other!) Highly, highly recommended!!

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #29)

The Napping House
Author: Audrey Wood
Illustrator: Don Wood
Published: 1984
Pages: 32
Age Range: 2+
Genre: Fiction/Picture book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

First Sentence: There is a house, a napping house, where everyone is sleeping.

In ‘This is the house that Jack built’ style, the prose builds and builds on itself as each of the inhabitants of the house (a snoring granny, a dreaming child, a dozing dog, a snoozing cat, and a slumbering mouse) all pile onto the cozy bed for a perfect nap while the rain outside beats against their window. And then a wakeful flea bites the mouse setting off a chain of events that leads to nobody sleeping, a broken bed and the dispersed rain storm.

I love the progression of the storm visible through the window and the perpetually smiling faces, even while asleep. The text is rhythmic and good listeners will be able to repeat the phrases with you as they build.

A successful husband and wife team, all of the Woods’s books are great for reading aloud; King Bidgood, Silly Sally and yesterday's aforementioned Mouse and the Big Hungry Bear being my top picks. The text is concise but playful; the illustrations are lush and full of humor and lovely little details.

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #28)

Mouse Paint
Author and Illustrator: Ellen Stoll Walsh
Published: 1989
Pages: 32
Age Range: 2+
Genre: Fiction/Picture Book
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

First sentence: Once there were three white mice on a white piece of paper.

The clever mice are able to blend into their surroundings and are safe from the cat that lurks nearby. One day they find 3 jars of paint-red, yellow, and blue and you can imagine what happens next. They climb right in and no longer are white mice. Then they spill paint out onto their paper creating puddles that they jump into and stir around with their feet discovering the secondary colors made by mixing. As the paint dries their fur gets sticky and stiff so they wash themselves off in the cat dish until they are white again and resort to painting the paper. But they leave a corner of it white “because of the cat.”

Simple text, but the kids love trying to guess what the colors are going to be. Even better if you have your own paints or jars of colored water or something that you can mix together so they can see it happen for themselves.

Walsh’s illustrations are done in torn paper collage giving it depth and texture, the illustrations are small, set off by a thick black outline around the top ½ of the page, the text below it. The mice are more realistic than most illustrations, with their white fur, pink feet, tails and ears and red eyes. This pairs nicely with any of the multitude of picture books featuring mice characters such as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry...., and Mouse Mess.

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #27)

It’s the Bear!
Author and Illustrator: Jez Alborough
Published: 1994
Pages: 32
Age Range: 2+
Genre: Fiction/Picture Book
Cover Score: **** (the cover to the left is not the one I have, this one is a bit boring and would only merit a **)
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G (nothing offensive, though super sensitive or really young readers may find it a tad scary)
 
First Sentence: Eddie doesn’t want to come
And picnic in the woods with mom.

Eddie, his teddy and his mom are in the forest for an afternoon picnic. Eddie is nervous to venture into the woods, convinced a bear will come. Mom just scoffs at the idea; bears don’t live in their forest. But when mom realizes she’s forgotten to pack the pie she leaves Eddie to run home and get it. She’s soon a speck on the horizon and Eddie hears a great big bear coming his way! He scampers into the picnic basket. The bear with his giant teddy sit down and eat up all the food. When he reaches into the basket Eddie screams help, startling the bear that stands there in fright and watches mom walk up with the pie. Mom doesn’t see the bear behind her until he grabs the pie from her hands. She’s finally convinced Eddie knows of which he speaks and they all run away.

Eddie, his teddy, the bear and his giant teddy return in Where's My Teddy? Which is just as great.

Again, super brief rhyming text is perfect for tiny attention spans. Lots of action and flexibility for interpretations and voice changes (whispers, yells, gasps, screams) make it an easy one to liven up, act out and more. Suspenseful and scary on the most limited of levels, kids love it!

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #26)

Most of the books that I read are those that come across my desk at work which means they’re usually new releases and current titles. Every once in a while we’ll get a re-release of something or a re-order that comes to my attention but those are few and far between. And because my TBR pile is more of a book itself these days (I think my Goodreads list is up to 700 books or so) I always feel mildly guilty re-reading anything. Luckily that guilt doesn’t transfer to picture books because they are so short. So, for the next couple of days I’ll be sharing with you some of my storytime standards. These often pack a more powerful punch than some of my own personal favorites; the colors tend to be a bit brighter, the storylines a bit simpler (my target group is 3-5 years old), the text brief yet carefully worded to get the most out of every syllable and often they are funny. That’s not to say that you can’t enjoy a quiet, lyric, wordy story with kids this age, you most definitely can and should! But when you’ve got a room of nearly 20 of them, often leaning towards the younger end of the spectrum, often the shorter the better (bonus if there are places for participation) wins out.

Edward the Emu
Author: Sheena Knowles
Illustrator: Rod Clement
Published: 1988
Pages: 32
Age Range: 2+
Genre: Fiction/Picture Book
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

First Sentence: Edward the emu was sick of the zoo, there was nowhere to go, there was nothing to do, and compared to the seals that lived right next door, well, being an emu was frankly a bore.

And there you have the premise. Poor Edward is tired of his life so each night while the zookeeper is sleeping he sneaks off to various cages trying out life as different animals; a seal, a lion, a snake. Overhearing the zoo’s visitors talk about their favorite animals gives Edward the inspiration for the next day’s adventures but one day someone brags that their favorite animal is the emu. Edward hurries back to his cage so as to not disappoint them but there’s someone else in his place!

The illustrations are done in colored pencil and are quite simple. The animals are realistic looking yet their facial expressions give them away (particularly Edward’s) as being anything but real. There’s a lot of white space, basically you’ve got just the animal with a simple prop (the seal’s ball, a tree for the lion to laze in, and the occasional fencing) but there is no horizon line, no sky, nothing else to detract from the animals themselves. And often they are shown close up, just heads, or in Edward’s case, just feet!

The text is well-paced rhyme and full of descriptors that beg to be acted out, various voices and Edward’s over-the-top reactions. The kids eat it up. Plus an emu’s not an overly popular animal so you get some great questions about what exactly Edward is. I’ve tied this in to zoo themes, Australian animals, animals in general, birds and self-esteem.

And if you like Edward you can re-visit him in the companion story...Edwina the Emu for more great fun!

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #21)

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Author: Eric Litwin
Illustrator: James Dean
Published: 2008
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-7
Genre: Picture Book/Fiction
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

First Sentence: Pete the Cat was walking down the street in his brand-new white shoes.

Pete’s groovin’ down the street in his great big white shoes. He loves his shoes so much he walks down the street singing this little song "I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes…" until he steps in a big pile of strawberries that turn his shoes red. But he doesn't get down, it's all good. Instead of throwing a fit or getting upset he adjusts his song. "I love my red shoes, I love my red shoes..." Until he steps in a pile of blueberries. Now his song sings the merits of his blue shoes. And so on. With a great little moral at the end. Keep walking along and singing your song cuz it's all good!

The large painterly illustrations in bright primary colors reach out and grab you while Pete’s chill attitude with his coffee and his banjo, his guitars and statements of ‘groovy’ will have you mellowly grooving right along with him.

Check out the video of the author reading it—guaranteed you’ll get it stuck in your head!

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #19)

Homer
Author and Illustrator: Elisha Cooper
Published: 2012
Pages: 32
Age Range: 2-6
Genre: Picture Book/Fiction
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G


First Sentence: Homer sits on the porch.

Homer is a loyal dog, the canine patriarch who sits patiently on the porch all day while his owners and various other characters come and go off to the beach, the field, the market, and the water. And he's there to welcome them all when they return home again. As night falls he moves indoors and gets cozy in a big blue chair to keep watch again as everyone sleeps.

There’s not much more to the story than that. It's serene and simple and shows the love and loyalty of many of our animal friends.

Cooper has a way of successfully capturing the grand scope and importance of the usually mundane. His other books include quiet accolades to farm life, the beach, county fairs, and even construction sites. His soft watercolor and pencil illustrations rendered in pastel hues lend a peaceful air to the scenes and breathe comfort and familiarity from the pages. These are books that will invite solemn rereads and contemplative poring over each and every spread. Highly recommended.

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #16)

A Home for Bird
Author and Illustrator: Philip C. Stead
Published: 2012
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3+
Genre: Picture book/fiction
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: *****
Rating: G


First Sentence: Vernon was out foraging for interesting things when he found Bird.

The story begins on the publication page with an illustration showing a small wooden bird being bounced from his cuckoo clock and off the back of a moving truck.  The text introduces us to Vernon, a toad who finds Bird. While Bird is unresponsive to all of Vernon's questions Vernon is patient and a good friend, introducing him to porcupine and skunk, taking him with on his adventures but finally deciding that perhaps he's sad because he misses his home. So, they ready a boat and leave home and Vernon's old friends trying many new places to live but none seem quite right. Bird still says nothing and Vernon is sad. Eventually with the help of a rooster (weather vane) they find a small house with a truck outside and a battered cuckoo clock inside.  Vernon fixes up the door and settles in amongst the ticking innards and in the morning all is well!  It’s a lovely little tale of friendship.

I love Stead’s illustrations.  They are sketchy and imperfect (which makes them perfect!)  Vernon is reminiscent of Frog and Toad and he is just so genuine and sincere.  One could only hope to have a friend as loyal and willing to turn each of our quirks and flaws into a positive trait; when Bird fails to answer Vernon declares him ‘shy’ and ‘brave’ and he readily sacrifices and sets off into the unknown for someone who has given him next to nothing in return.

Vernon does get discouraged but he’s also very determined and this loyalty and determination pay off in the end with an exuberant image of triumph on the closing page. It’s simply told with no wasted words or actions and each illustration carefully adding charm to the already charming story.  Highly recommended!

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #14)

Banana
Author and Illustrator: Ed Vere
Published: 2007
Pages: 24
Age Range: 2+
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

First sentence: Banana!

Using just the two words 'banana' and 'please' Vere tells the tale of two monkeys; one with a banana and one without.

The monkey sans banana (wearing a red shirt) sees the other monkey (wearing a blue shirt) holding a banana and exclaims 'banana!'  While blue monkey looks a little panicked and clutches the banana protectively against his chest red monkey's shoulders droop in disappointment. 'Banana?' He queries. A temper tantrum ensues while blue monkey looks on eventually encouraging red monkey to eek out the word 'please'. He hands it over only to have his own feeling of disappointment as red monkey runs off in triumph and begins to eat it. Blue monkey also utters a desperate 'please' and the two monkeys split their prize, both happy with their piece of the 'banana!'

This is one of those books that makes me think 'hey I could do this!' It's so simple. But it's so effectively done. A great read-aloud option with a variety of voice options and inflections, short enough that even the tiniest of listeners will be engaged. There is no distracting background scenery, just the two monkeys and the banana, the background color echoing the emotion being portrayed. A large 12x12 format makes it ideal for a large group.

The endpapers are bright colored graphic blocks with an image of a banana in the front cover and a banana peel in the back.

Why is it that 'banana' is such a funny word? I have to admit that while reading it to myself I read the word 'banana' in the voice of a Minion. Have you seen the trailer for the second movie yet? Here, let me oblige you...

And if you can't get enough of bananas, try this book. I promise you will giggle along with Elephant and Piggie.  Or there's this wordless option that's also pretty great.

I think I see a 'banana' themed story time in my future!

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #13)

I, Galileo
Author and Illustrator: Bonnie Christensen
Published: 2012
Pages: 32
Age Range: 8-12
Genre: Biography/Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

First sentence: I, Galileo Galilei, am old and can no longer see, but there was a time when I saw all the way tot the stars--the moon, the planets, the sun.

Told as if in Galileo's own words this starts with a simple biography of his childhood in Pisa. Taught by his father and encouraged to think and experiment he was an ever-curious boy. He loved the life of a scholar he was introduced to when he was 11 but his father wanted him to become a doctor. After some disagreements the two found a middle ground.His curious nature caused him to be unpopular and eventually he left for Padua and Venice where he made his greatest discoveries and devised the first telescope.

Galileo spent time studying the surface of the moon, sun and the phases of the planets and while in the Medici's court in Florence discovered the sun to be the center of the universe. Remembering Copernicus' issues with the church after his declarations along the same lines, Galileo chose to keep his findings to himself for many years. Finally, when a friend became pope Galileo thought he would have the freedom and protection to declare his findings but he was summoned to an Inquisition and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The last page shows Galileo as an old man (as he was when he began telling his story) and although imprisoned he has the faith and hope that the truth will eventually shine forth.

This was a great introduction to Galileo’s life. It gave you just enough to understand why he’s someone you need to be reading about and will encourage many to want to know more. Personally I'd love to read more about him, especially his last days and time of imprisonment to know if that attitude was factual. I'm always impressed with stories of people who do hard things because they know to their core that it's the right thing to do. I'm not sure I could be so strong.

It was also fun to read about places I've seen in real life. I was able to visit Italy several years ago and saw many of the locations noted, including the church where Galileo’s lantern still hangs. He’d observed it swinging back and forth like a pendulum and legend has it this is what started him thinking about the rotation of the planets.

A note on the publication page tells us that the illustrations are gouache resist with oil paints and they are lovely. They have a rich Renaissance sort of feel to them--deep blues, reds and golds mimicking the illuminated texts of the day. Small panels of additional illustrations show the various versions of the universe (as it was previously understood and the Copernican system) as well as samples of his scientific notes and insets of his instruments.

A few extra touches: the endpapers (!) include a richly illustrated map of Italy and the stars on the cover are raised and glittery.

There is also some great back matter: a preface that sets the stage for the time and culture surrounding Galileo's birth in 1564, an afterword explaining his effects on the world we now live in,
a chronology, a list and simple explanation of Galileo's experiments, inventions and improvements and his astronomic discoveries as well as a bibliography, additional websites and small glossary.

This is a great introductory resource and would be a valuable addition to any library!

Happiness is...a good book (Summer Reading edition #8 & #9)

My Snake Blake
Author: Randy Siegel
Illustrator: Serge Bloch
Published: 2012
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3+
Genre: Fantasy/Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
 Rating: G

First sentence: I was in my room, hiding from my homework, when my dad knocked on the door, handed me a big box with a red ribbon on top, and shouted: "Happy Early Birthday!"

A young boy is surprised one day with a package from his eager father (mother, not so pleased). Dad quotes the Declaration of Independence in defense of letting the snake (for that's what lay hidden under the wrapping paper) out of his cage. Mother is aghast until the snake twists and curls its body into a cursive 'hello' greeting followed by his name, Blake. Blake is very polite (he never bites anyone or does anything bad) and helpful (he does the dishes and helps the boy with his homework.) He even eats unwanted Brussels sprouts and guards against bullies. Blake is a very handy pet to have around.

The premise, the illustrative style, even the muted red/green color palette is generously borrowed from the pages of an old favorite, Crictor by Tomi Ungerer. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, in fact, fans of one will most undoubtedly love the other. And those who are not necessarily fans of snakes (such as Mother and this reader) will find themselves charmed and wishing they knew one just like Blake.

It's simple, it's silly, it's just the perfect touch of fantasy to take the edge off a dully realistic world. Perfect for inspiring daydreams as to what other secrets animals may be hiding from us and what we might do if we knew.

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One for the Murphys
Author: Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Published: 2012
Pages: 224
Age Range: 9-12
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: *****
Rating: PG

First Sentence: Sitting in the back of the social worker’s car, I try to remember how my mother has always said to never show your fear.

12 year old Carley Connors has ended up in foster care. Growing up with her mom in Vegas wasn't so bad. Sure they shopped at the Goodwill dumpster under cover of darkness and sure mom was rarely there when Carley came home from school but there were the surprise birthday celebrations and Little Mermaid song fests. They were surviving fine on their own until mom decided to marry Dennis and Dennis decided to beat them both. When Carley leaves the hospital mom is still unconscious and Carley's carted off to live with the Murphys.

Now she’s got to deal with little boys who can’t seem to get enough of her (even the one who resents the attention his mom gives to Carley), and a ‘mom’ who can somehow see into Carley’s soul. She’s not sure what she’s feeling or how she should treat these people who are strangers yet far more accepting than any blood relative Carley’s ever known. As she opens her heart to this new family she learns how to love and forgive and trust and begins to heal the family she was born with.

Mrs Murphy is too perky, their family too happy and perfect. It scares Carley and she doesn’t know how to handle it. She had no idea life could be like it was sometimes portrayed in the movies. Sure the boys fight sometimes and Mr. Murphy doesn’t seem to like her much but all in all its worlds above the life she came from.
 
Carley is a fantastic character.  She has some OCD-like tendencies she uses to help her cope like looking for patterns in words and numbers she finds (believe=lie (right in the center!), silent=listen, friend=end) that give us a little insight into the way she thinks and processes.  She's angry, hurt and bitter with some snarky and rebellious proclivities but rather than letting that dictate who she becomes she finds ways (with help from those around her) to deal with the emotions and grow from her experiences. She does this most effectively when she begins to realize that she's not the only one with problems.  Stepping outside of herself and helping the people around her transforms both herself and the person she is helping.

Carley's forced to make some tough decisions and despite the practically perfect world the Murphys seem to live in things are not all sunshine and unicorns and the ending, while satisfying and right, is not a neat and tidy typical 'happy ending'. I appreciated the author keeping it realistic and hard and not failing us all with something trite and shallow.

Here's a sample of Carley's voice throughout the book:

 She picks up the backpack that Family Services gave me, which has a stuffed giraffe, a toothbrush, and a pair of bright yellow fairy pajamas that remind me that there are worse things than death. The stuffed giraffe is good, though. Anyone who has had her whole life shredded in one night should have a stuffed giraffe. (6)

It’s like when Mrs. Murphy kept trying to get me to try Hawaiian pizza. I thought it sounded gross. But I finally tried it, and I love it. I guess sometimes you don’t know what you want because you don’t know it exists. (154)

“So what are you doing?”
“Thinking.”
“Do you mind if I ask about what?”
“My new book. It’s called Giving Tree Meets Chainsaw and Becomes Coffee Table.”
“Oh boy.” She takes a deep breath. “So we’re in that kind of mood, huh?”
(197)

There’s a great section on The Giving Tree (see above) which I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with and many a shout out to Stephen Sondheim’s Wicked which I love, love, love. There are countless mini-lessons on unconditional love and learning not to judge on appearances that she learns from the people she interacts with but they blend seamlessly into the story and don't feel preachy.

I loved getting into Carley's head.  Her story made me ache for her and so many who are real pieces in 'the system' of foster care and family services.  I found myself praying that there would be enough Murphys out there to find them all. Highly recommended!

Happiness is...a good book. (Summer Reading edition #6)

Wumbers
Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld
Published: 2012
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4+
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

First sentence: Don’t you just love making 4ts?

From the front cover: It’s a book! It’s a game! It’s words cre8ed with numbers!

This is such a fun concept. Sort of along the lines of rebus books but strictly using numbers, words are created putting numbers in the place of their matching sounds within words. Some of them you almost have to read out loud to figure out! It’s a great way to train your brain to think outside of the box. Older readers will love the puzzle/game quality of deciphering the text and as a challenge you could encourage them to come up with some of their own.

There’s not much of a storyline, just a bunch of kids doing kid things. Most of the text is in the form of speech bubbles with 1-2 sentences on a spread (the most I think had just 4) though sometimes it simply describes the illustration. Lichtenheld’s watercolor pencil illustrations are top notch as always with cartoonish appeal and bright colors (and there’s an appearance by penguins, so really, what’s not to love?)

The endpapers are more speech bubbles with random sentences asking questions in the wumber format. (Have you started paying attention to the endpapers of your books yet? You will by the time I’m through with you! *insert evil laugh and maniacal rubbing of hands together here*)

Here are a couple of my favorites:
This is kind of in10se, but do you think outer space goes on 4ever or do you think it 7tually got to end somewhere?
He pinched my belly but10!
S2pendous!

Reminiscent of William Steig’s CDB, it brings the texting spelling to a whole different level! Highly recommended!