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12,100 | 0 | Kindergarten-Grade 4-After finding 32 fleas in his hair and tumbleweeds in his chaps, a freckle-faced cowboy decides that it's time for his annual bath. He mounts his horse, calls for his old dog, and heads for El Rio. There he disrobes and commands his companion to guard his duds. After frolicking merrily with a bar of soap (the amusing illustrations show many views of the naked cowboy bathing, while still keeping a G rating), he emerges thoroughly scrubbed and puckered "like a prickly pear." The dog does not detect his owner's familiar "wild boar-like smell" and stubbornly refuses to relinquish the garments. A dust-stirring brawl ensues that leaves the man as dirty as when he started, ultimately restoring his usual aroma. Unfortunately, the togs do not survive the tussle, and the cowboy heads for home, "bare as a shorn sheep." Told in descriptive language that rolls off the tongue, this story makes the most of a humorous situation. Filled with the dusty reds and sundown bronzes of the New Mexico setting, the paintings have a gritty, sinewy look that matches the earthy tone of the tale. Clever touches abound, as the artwork offers framed close-ups of the cowboy's uninvited vermin, a map of his route to the river, and whirling views of the wrestling match. The hangdog expression on the pooch's face when he realizes his mistake is priceless. A fun look at life on the range.Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library JournalCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.K-Gr. 2. A cowboy decides to take his yearly bath, so he heads to a nearby river, where he orders his scruffy dog to guard his clothes. When the cowboy returns from the river, he's so clean that the dog doesn't recognize him. The two get into an extended fracas, leaving the cowboy as filthy as ever and the clothes in tatters. Naked and dirty, the cowboy finally returns home, the dog trotting beside him. For some children, the appeal of this story is in the clever composition of the pictures that manages to conceal the cowboy's private bits. Rex's rich paintings add sparkle to the story's dramatic telling with the attention to detail and humor that may remind some grownups of Norman Rockwell's early work. A simple, slapstick tale that is sure to elicit some giggles. Todd MorningCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Dirty Cowboy | [
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12,101 | 2 | Fledgling author Adam Bagdasarian surprisingly follows up his grim, highly lauded first novel Forgotten Fire with a series of humorous, autobiographical sketches about his childhood and adolescence from ages 5 to 20. Bagdasarian is at his funniest when commenting on the trials and torments of puberty, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. In the title story, sixth-grader "Will" (the thinly disguised author) discovers that French kissing doesn't just happen: "I tried to find a way to kiss her and breathe at the same time, but no matter where I turned my head, her nose was always there." And in "Going Steady" Will realizes that dating a seventh-grade girl is going to require diplomacy when she "handed me a small white stuffed unicorn with silver glitter on its horn ... as though it were a baseball signed by Willie Mays, and I took it as though it were a poison apple." Beyond dating drama, Bagdasarian's teen self also explores the idea of old age and death. In "A Short Life," he melodramatically fantasizes a lump on his head is a tumor and he will probably die before seeing Europe, and in the more serious "My Tutor," he is moved to tears by an aged geometry teacher who can no longer remember, let alone teach, familiar proofs. By turns witty, ridiculous, and poignant (the stories about Bagdasarian's much beloved father are among the more touching pieces) First French Kiss is a short, sweet collection that teenagers of all ages will read with pleasure and recognition. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer HubertThis volume of brief, sparely wrought stories encapsulates significant moments during a boy's youth. Writing alternately in the voice of the boy, Will, and in third person, Bagdasarian (Forgotten Fire) poignantly re-creates universal "traumas," both minor and major. Some vignettes are humorous, such as Will's account of his disappointingly unromantic first make-out session, his memory of being Scotch-taped by his older brother and his explanation of how he became one of the "popular boys" at age 10. Other scenes, more somber in tone, evoke Will's recurring fears and expanding knowledge of mortality. The narrator's obsession with the aging process, eloquently expressed in "Time" ("His heart was sick with sorrow and nostalgia and grief and the knowledge that even this moment was doomed to pass"), foreshadows the death of Will's father. Although the entries are not arranged in chronological order, readers will perceive Will's steady forward movement. And if the shifts between first and third person don't enhance the storytelling, the narrative is nonetheless evocative in its entwinement of childlike candor with adult wisdom. Ages 12-up.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: First French Kiss: and Other Traumas | [
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12,102 | 2 | Maria Lili's mouth is watering for the stew she makes with her grandparents every weekend. But on this particular Saturday, it seems that the aroma of cilantro mingling with cassava, green plantains, vegetables and chicken will exist only in the girl's imagination. There is no money and nothing in the larder but a dozen eggs, Papa Angelino announces. Mama Ana's reply is cryptic: "Then we will use the eggs to make sancocho." How the grandmother transforms the eggs into a savory supper is a case study in bartering genius. Whisking Maria Lili off to the open-air market, Mama Ana deftly moves among the tented stalls, where her hard-nosed but friendly trading eventually garners all the necessary ingredients. Torres's (Subway Sparrow) text bounces with make-a-deal energy, while her light-drenched, calm watercolors convey a serene domesticity. A recipe for sancocho, prepared throughout Central and South America, rounds off the tale. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: El Sancocho del Sabado: Spanish hardcover edition of Saturday Sancocho (Spanish Edition) | [
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12,103 | 2 | PreSchool-KThere are a number of children's books that trace the steps from sheep to wool to clothing, including Tomie dePaola's Charlie Needs a Cloak (S & S, 1982); Cynthia Millen's A Symphony for the Sheep (Houghton, 1996); and, most amusingly, Leslie Helakoski's Woolbur (HarperCollins, 2008) and Teri Sloat's Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep (DK, 2000). This book doesn't cover any new ground, but its approach is unique, showing the loving relationship between a mother and her daughter through the seasons as the animals are fed and sheared; the wool is cleaned, carded, spun, and dyed; and a sweater is knitted. Schubert's musical text has a predictable, soothing structure: "'What are you doing?' the little girl asked. 'Feeding the sheep,' her mother said. Snowy day, corn and hay. 'What are you doing?' the little girl asked. 'Shearing the wool,' her mother said. Soft and deep, sheepy heap." Particularly rewarding is the way the characters come full circle, exchanging roles by the book's end. U'Ren's gently outlined watercolor illustrations contribute a vivid look at farm life, at the expansive pastureland, and at the roomy farmhouse. The sheep are both realistic and winsome. The daughter's play beguilingly echoes her mother's work; for instance, when her mother is dying the wool, the little girl is painting on paper, and they both hold up their blue-stained hands. Children will want to examine the pictures for funny little details, such as a painting of a sheep jumping over the moon. Feeding the Sheep will teach and entertain the very young, and they'll be examining their sweaters with greater appreciation.Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Narrated in a chatty, question-and-answer rhyming text, this warm story describes work throughout the seasons on a farm. A little girl repeatedly asks her mother, What are you doing? and Moms step-by-step answers describe how she feeds the sheep; shears, washes, dries, and cards the wool; spins and dyes the yarn; and, finally, knits a sweater (Knit and purl, needles whirl). A closing scene, Sweater hug, woolly hug, shows perfect bliss between mother and daughter, and in a final reversal, the mother asks the questions, while the little girl dives into work. The physicality of the words (Soft and deep, sheepy heap), the fascinating facts, and the action-filled, brightly colored illustrations will capture kids attention, as will the cozy family bond between parent and child, working together and caring for their free-range animals. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Hazel Rochman; Title: Feeding the Sheep | [
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12,104 | 2 | Grade 5 UpMolnar re-creates memories and family stories of living in postwar Romania, fleshing them out with dialogue that, while not exact, remains true to the essence of her experiences, resulting in a readable, informative, and engaging book. The only child living in a crowded flat with seven adults representing three generations, Eva is often the center of attention of her frequently squabbling anti-Communist relatives. Her life becomes more complicated when she discovers at the age of seven that she is Jewish. She tries to understand what this means, particularly in light of her father's undiscussed but hinted-at war experiences, but for once gets little help from her family. In the late 1950s, Eva's family begins the long process of applying to immigrate to Israel, and their applications result in nerve-racking visits from Communist government agents who search their apartment. Once the grandparents leave, a non-Jewish family is assigned to their room, making it unsafe for the family to communicate with one another at home. The drama isn't over when Eva and her parents finally get the chance to leave; a less- desirable route and her father's return for a missing camera cause some tense days. Enough history and background are included to help today's readers understand the context of Eva's family's situation without detracting from the story. The book would make an interesting pairing with Peter Ss's The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain (Farrar, 2007). Photographs of Molnar and her family are included.Nancy Silverrod, San Francisco Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Molnar began life as Eva Zimmerman, an adored only child living in the apartment shared by her parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles in Bucharest, Romania. The authors loving but eccentric family sheltered her as much as possible from the harsh realities of life under communist rule, when food and housing were scarce and the Securitate, Romanias secret police, watched and listened everywhere. Her father, a cinematographer, believed in science, not God, and neither religion nor World War II were spoken of at home, so it came as a huge shock to Molnar when she learned in 1958 that her entire family had applied to emigrate to Israel and that she is Jewish. All I know is that yesterday I wasnt Jewish and today I am, says Molnar in describing her struggle to understand her new identity. As Eva pieces together her familys history, a vivid story emerges, ranging from funny, tender moments of family life to the horrific revelations of the Romanian holocaust, about which little has been written. Black-and-white family photos illustrate this poignant, memorable offering. Grades 6-9. --Lynn Rutan; Title: Under a Red Sky: Memoir of a Childhood in Communist Romania | [
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12,105 | 2 | Puddle:"Yum deftly ties moods, weather, parenting, and the power of art together." Kirkus ReviewsIts just a picture, mother and son tell one another at various points, but Yums (This Is Our House) renderingsdone in a rough, childlike style that fits the story to a Tand all-dialogue text prove that theres powerful magic in every act of representation, no matter how novice the artist." Publishers Weekly, starred reviewHyewon Yum is the creator of several picture books: The Twins' Little Sister, Last Night, a Fiction Honorable Mention for the Bologna Ragazzi Award and winner of the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration; There Are No Scary Wolves, winner of the Society of Illustrators' Founder's Award; The Twins' Blanket, a Junior Library Guild selection; and Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten!, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year. Hyewon Yum also received the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award for Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten! She lives in Brooklyn, New York.; Title: Puddle | [
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12,106 | 1 | PreS?A winning quartet of board books. In a style reminiscent of Dav Pilkey's work, Kitamura has created four animal characters, each faced with a decision: where to sleep, what to drink, how to bathe, and what to eat. Resolving these dilemmas requires hilarious experimentation (the cat curling up in the saucepan is a hoot) and myriad facial expressions, from bewilderment to frustration to satisfaction. The straightforward texts are a perfect fit for the illustrations. Youngsters will connect immediately with the simple plot lines and familiar situations. No cutesy, patronizing stuff here?these genuinely funny books assume that toddlers have a sense of humor.?Ann Cook, Winter Park Public Library, FLCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.Duck Is Dirty ($4.95; August 26, 1996; 16 pp.; 0-374-31885-9): This book recounts the modest tribulations of Duck during a potentially pleasant stroll. It starts raining, he gets his feet muddy, is buffeted by winds, papered by leaves, and takes a header into the muck. A dip in the pond and Duck is good as new. Kitamura coaxes an appealing story from this 19-word trifle; one, moreover, that will ring familiar with the intended audience. The misleadingly simple artwork is graphically sophisticated, with Duck coming across as a winsome geek. Companion volumes are Squirrel Is Hungry (0-374-37171-7), Cat Is Sleepy (31223-0), and Dog Is Thirsty (31806-9). (Board book. 1-3) -- Copyright 1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.; Title: Duck Is Dirty | [
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12,107 | 2 | Gr 47Two best friends build a fort in the woods and defend it from bullies in this fun, old-fashioned story that manages to be fresh and familiar. Wyatt is enjoying the freedom of a summer with his dad in upstate New York. His friend Augie lives there year-round and has many useful skills that include killing squirrels with a slingshot and cooking them over a fire. There are the expected bullies, two older boys named J.R. and Morrie, and an unexpected friend named Gerard, a socially isolated teenager with developmental disabilities. The two friends spend rapturous days building their fort, looking at a car company's girlie calendar, and other country-boy activities unimpeded by smartphones or YouTube, since Wyatt's father doesn't want him plugged into a screen all day. In a low-stakes climax, the two bullies try to destroy the boys' fort but are foiled by an ingenious series of booby-traps. The moral center of the novel revolves around Wyatt and Augie discovering how J.R. and Morrie are mistreating Gerard and how after some hesitation, they find in him a valuable ally. There is a touch of burgeoning sexuality, mostly as Wyatt notices and appreciates Augie's aunt's figure, but otherwise the tone of the novel is remarkably innocent without being cloying or unrealistic. There is a good balance of action and description and well-developed characters, though the bullies are a tad two-dimensional. VERDICT A boy-centered adventure with heart, appealing to a variety of readers.Kyle Lukoff, Corlears School, New York CityClassic summer adventure . . . DeFelice doesn't shy away from the gritty realities of outdoor life, and that's what sets the book apart . . . Readers will appreciate the reminder that fun like this is still possible. The New York Times Book ReviewWhat preteen . . . wouldn't love to build a fort in the woods? DeFelice makes that dream come true . . . [and] leads to a glorious, feel-good climax in which all the right things work out and the bad guys get their richly deserved comeuppance . . . Upbeat, engaging and satisfying; altogether . . . a bit of believable, achievable adventure. Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewDeFelice smoothly advances the plot to a satisfying climax and conclusion . . . for this adventuresome, good-hearted, but never goody-goody pair. Wyatt is a sympathetic narrator with a realistic blend of thoughtfulness and daring. Publishers WeeklyStuffed full of clever pranks and summertime nostalgia, this is a story of kindness and adventure . . . A boisterous and poignant coming-of-age tale. BooklistA boy-centered adventure with heart, appealing to a variety of readers. School Library JournalThoroughly enjoyable. VOYA; Title: Fort | [
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12,108 | 0 | Grade 2–4—Drawing on well-documented accounts of Martha Washington's runaway slave, McCully's fictionalized retelling focuses on Oney Judge's childhood and early adult years. Favored by her mistress, the girl is separated from her mother when Washington becomes president and moves his family from Mount Vernon to New York and then to the new capital in Philadelphia. The watercolor paintings, often circular cameos on the page, along with the text, create a good sense of household life and the rising issues of slavery in these early days of the new republic. McCully uses Oney's growing awareness of the meaning and importance of freedom as a theme throughout the story. Running away first as a teenager, Oney must run again when she's nearly caught after she has married and become a young mother. Her story here ends a bit inconclusively with the promise of lifelong freedom. "Several months later, President Washington died and his wife gave up on ever owning her maid again." McCully follows this somewhat abrupt finish with an author's note sketching in a bit more about Oney's subsequent long life.—Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Children familiar with the sterling qualities of George Washington, and to a lesser degree, Martha, may be startled to learn that both were slaveholders--Martha's inherited from her first husband. Martha takes an interest in one of her slaves, 10-year-old Oney, allowing her to become one of Mount Vernon's seamstresses. When Washington becomes president, Oney moves with the family to Philadelphia and, for the first time, meets free blacks and Quakers who are agitating for emancipation. As a young woman, Oney learns she will be given to one of her mistress's relatives after Martha's death, so Oney decides to run away. She makes her way to New Hampshire, where she eventually marries. At the top of her game, McCully takes a rather sophisticated piece of history and writes it in a way that will draw in children. They'll understand that although Oney's existence as a slave is better than most, it's punctuated by incidents that show that her life isn't her own: Martha turns down Oney's request to earn extra money as a seamstress and laughs merrily at Oney's desire to read. Even after Oney is free, she fears being tricked or taken back by the Washingtons, who never quite forget about her. The bright, eye-catching watercolor-and-ink artwork makes the story even more accessible, and an informative note adds to the text. Fascinating history. Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Escape of Oney Judge: Martha Washington’s Slave Finds Freedom | [
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12,109 | 1 | PreSchool-Grade 3–In this sequel to Stevenson's Don't Make Me Laugh (Farrar, 1999), Mr. Frimdimpny, a crocodile curmudgeon, admonishes Freddy Fafnaffer, an adorable pink pig, that no one is allowed to laugh or giggle. An infraction of the rule results in the wrongdoer having to return to the front of the book. Clever Freddy, however, spies on the crocodile and hears him reveal his secret: "If anybody tickles my tail, I giggle." As readers peruse the ridiculously silly vignettes that follow, Freddy laughs, giggles, and smiles several times, resulting in his return to the beginning of the book. At the end of the story, he sneaks up to a sleeping Mr. Frimdimpny and begins to tickle him. When the larger animal unexpectedly rolls over and Freddy gets caught beneath him, the pig asks the audience to help him tickle Mr. Frimdimpny's tail; the crocodile laughs and must return to the front of the book. Children will enjoy the humorous cartoons and delight in helping Freddy out of his predicament. The act of inviting readers to actively participate in the plot has great appeal. Youngsters will enjoy this title, which is best suited for independent reading or one-on-one sharing, over and over again.–Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS-Gr. 1. Don't be fooled by the stern title: laughing, smiling, and giggling are precisely what this picture book, a companion to Stevenson's Don't Make Me Laugh! (1999), will induce. Five short, funny stories are interspersed with appearances by two masters of ceremonies: Freddy Fafnaffer, a puckish pig and a bossy crocodile named Mr. Frimdimpny, who demands that readers abide by his fun-squelching rules (do not laugh, smile, giggle; do not do anything you are told NOT to do). In a modernist twist, the outcome of each silly story line depends on the presence of a reader who defies Frimdimpny's every prohibition, blowing on the balloon that wreaks havoc in "The Fancy Concert," or cracking a smile and having to perform the expected penance: "Go back to the front of the book!" The under-seven set, whose laugh reflexes will be stretched to hair-trigger sensitivity by story's end, will be in awe of a book that not only invites but also genuinely seems to respond to their participation. Jennifer MattsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: No Laughing, No Smiling, No Giggling | [
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12,110 | 2 | PreS-Gr 1The boy with dog and his grandfather with beard appear in a companion book to Snow (Farrar, 1998). The threesome take a walk in the late afternoon and witness a beautiful sunset before heading back to the city as the buildings and skies darken. The child feels that dusk is a sad time as it signals the end of day, but he notices the darkness is abated as the electric lights begin going on one by one. The diversity of New York City is revealed as the inhabitants, hurrying along to their varied destinations, are readying to celebrate a trio of holidays: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. Appealing gray, purple, and blue watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations of dusk are contrasted beautifully by the orange, red, and yellow of the sunset and the holiday lights. Bookstores, signs, and a library in the background are all tributes to reading. The brightly colored lights of the various festivals show that, though dusk may be the end of day, it may also be the beginning of a magical, memorable night.Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Bundled up against the cold, a boy, a grandfather, and a dog walk down to the river, where they watch the sun set. At dusk, they return to the city, where people hurry along the sidewalks. Four figures pass by: man with cravat, woman with hat, retired acrobat, and visitor from planet Zataplat. As the sky shifts from pale blue to deepening shades of gray, the radiant streetlamps, glowing theater marquees, and brightly lit holiday windows make the scenes increasingly colorful and as light as day. Theres not much of a story here, and the rhyming thoughts of the four figures seem a bit out of place in the prose text. But when day turns to night, scene after scene offers a dazzling display of bright lights and subtly shaded hues. The black line drawings also set off the luminous colors beautifully in each scene. A vivid expression of the shift from day to evening and the brilliant lights and colors that brighten a city at night. Preschool-Grade 1. --Carolyn Phelan; Title: Dusk | [
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12,111 | 2 | Daly's (Gift of the Sun) lush, pastoral paintings add depth and charm to a Cinderella variant folktale from the Emerald Isle. In this version, Trembling is the overworked and shunned younger sibling (not stepsister) of snooty twosome Fair and Brown. And rather than sport their finery for a royal ball, the young ladies (and all the gals in the land) vie to catch a husband by looking their most stunning at Sunday Mass. Enter an old henwife in the role of fairy godmother, and Trembling is soon the gorgeous and mysterious woman standing outside the church whom everyone in the congregation longs to meet. Though anonymous Trembling flees on her brilliant steed, a smitten Prince Emania manages to snatch her tiny blue slipper as she rides away. A search for the slipper's owner ensues, but in a feisty twist, Prince Emania must also fight off competing suitors. The well-paced and pleasing blend of fresh and familiar elements will capture fairy tale fans anew. Daly provides willowy, stylized characters with distinct facial features, suggesting the work of Petra Mathers. Set in an unfettered green countryside, a playful black cat appearing on every spread, the illustrations give this oft-retold story a look both ethereal and rustic. Ages 3-7. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 4-Daly's retelling is enhanced by the lusciously colored, somewhat fey illustrations. However, it is diminished by language that is less rich than that in Joseph Jacobs's version of the tale. In that telling, for instance, when Trembling is ready to go to church, the henwife who serves as the fairy-godmother figure tells her, "I have a honey-bird here to sit on your right shoulder and a honey-finger to put on your left." The next week, when the jealous sisters, Fair and Brown, want to equal the strange lady's splendor they, "would give no peace till they had two dresses like the robes of the strange lady; but honey-birds and honey-fingers were not to be found." In Daly's telling there are no honey-birds or honey-fingers at all, and the sisters' dilemma is simply that, "such fine cloth was nowhere to be found in the land of Erin." While readers may not know what a honey-bird is, they can instinctively surmise that it's a grand, desirable, and probably magical thing. It's the glimmer of the mysterious that is most missing from Daly's serviceable words-that, and several pages of plot that detail the history of Brown and Fair's continuing perfidy after Trembling's marriage. Though attractively illustrated, the storytelling vitiates the desirability of this book for folklore collections.Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Fair, Brown & Trembling: An Irish Cinderella Story | [
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12,112 | 15 | this is a vibrant quick introduction to the human and animal milieu of the Sahel, and the focus on coexistence gives it a useful environmental implication and helps introduce the idea to kids a few years away from the Scientists in the Field series. BCCBCowcher's beautiful watercolor and-mixed-media illustrations chart the animals' route, beginning with a map on the endpapers, as they travel through their long journey. BooklistCowcher's paintings of the arid landscape and its rejuvenation by rain link the lives of elephants and humans in their mutual survival. School Library JournalHelen Cowcher has written and illustrated several books for children, including Antartica and Rainforest. She lives in London, England.; Title: Desert Elephants | [] | Test |
12,113 | 0 | "My sister Emily was buried today," begins this wisp of a picture book, part thumbnail biography and part miniature poetry anthology. For the next several pages, a mournful Lavinia reminisces about her reclusive sister ("Emily never went anywhere. Townsfolk thought her strange"), roots through her dresser ("Here are the dresses she wore only white in summer and winter") and ultimately discovers a cache of poems ("There must be hundreds!"). The remainder of the book offers up a selection of Dickinson's best-known and perhaps most approachable work, beginning with "This is my letter to the World/ That never wrote to Me " and including "There is no Frigate like a Book/ To take us Lands away" and "I'm Nobody! Who are you?/ Are you Nobody Too?" Verses about nature predominate ("A Spider sewed at Night/ Without a Light/ Upon an Arc of White"), but Winter does not shy away from more metaphysical themes ("Exultation is the going/ Of an inland soul to sea,/ Past the houses past the headlands / Into deep Eternity "). With her trademark folk art style, Winter demurely dresses the pages in shades of lavenders, periwinkle and soft green. The scanty biographical information may leave the curious wanting more, but this is nevertheless a visually pleasing introduction to Dickinson and her work. Pair this with Elizabeth Spires's The Mouse of Amherst for a more complete picture of the poet. Ages 5-up.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Grades 2-5--The reclusive American poet is revealed through 21 of her poems in this small-format picture book. Told from the point of view of her sister Lavinia, who discovered almost 1800 of Dickinson's precious poems after her death, the story provides only snippets of the poet's enigmatic life: her refusal to leave the family's Amherst home, her fanatical love of words, and her dying as a virtual unknown. However, the selection of poems-Emily's "letters"-gives insight into her thoughts on a variety of topics, ranging from nature ("Snowflakes") to the secrets of the heart ("Have you got a Brook in your little heart-") to her distaste at the thought of fame ("I'm Nobody! Who are you?"). Winter's paintings use all-white backgrounds to illustrate the facts of her story, but when readers step into the world of Dickinson's imaginative mind and intense poetic spirit, the illustrator switches to color-filled backgrounds, with the full or partial figure of the poet ever-present. Here the strong images of the subjects of the poems clearly take precedence, and, as with Winter's illustrations in Follow the Drinking Gourd (Knopf, 1992), her simplistic style manages to accentuate the depth behind the words. Naturally, these gems beg to be read aloud, and they are sure to provoke discussions about their meaning and the powerful images they suggest. Pair this title with Michael Bedard's Emily (Doubleday, 1992) for a fuller introduction to this brilliant poet.Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RICopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Emily Dickinson's Letters to the World | [
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12,114 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 4–When five giant sisters open a quarry on Umbagog Lake in New Hampshire, one of them carves a miniature granite town, finishing with a tiny stone baby. Lil Fella wails unceasingly, and the siblings can't get him quiet. Nellie, a young wannabe stonecutter, offers some ideas—give him warm clothes, food, etc. However, since everything the sisters fashion is of stone and giant-sized, nothing works. Finally, human-sized Nellie takes the infant into her arms and rocks him to sleep. The sisters realize that a cozy cradle and soft smile do more for a fussy baby than all the newfangled granite creations they can provide. With its larger-than-life female superachievers, this delightful story is a welcome addition to the male-dominated canon of tall tales. Bertrand also provides a twist to the usual format, for unlike heroes such as Paul Bunyan and Sally Ann Thunder, the enormous sisters are unable to solve their problem with their colossal talents, but must rely on a clever, but much smaller, girl. This turnabout will resonate with youngsters who often feel overwhelmed by a world of adults. The story is well told, the setting is clearly described, and the vocabulary has a down-home flavor that adds to its comforting tone. Hawkes's brightly colored acrylic paintings are filled with interesting details, his landscape is decidedly New England, and his characters' emotions are plainly visible in their facial expressions and trademark big eyes. This rock-solid tall tale will quickly become a favorite.–Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* K-Gr. 2. New Hampshire residents may have lost their iconic Old Man in the Mountain, but with this splendid tall tale, they have gained five mountain women (and one granite babe). Cut from the same cloth as Anne Isaacs and Paul Zelinsky's Swamp Angel (1994), giant siblings Jade, Golda, Ruby, Em, and Beryl each possess a special talent that keeps their granite quarry running smoothly. When stonecutter Beryl carves a real infant, "as dear as any backwoods baby--if a mite heavier than most," its wailing disturbs the entire state. Neither Beryl's granite layette, nor Em's giant, hand-carved rocker, nor any of the remaining sisters' superhuman feats stop the fussing, which persists until a wise local girl intervenes. Together with Bertrand's rollicking text, Hawkes' broad double-page paintings make this ideal for sharing with groups, but children will also want to pore over such details as the locustlike swarm of "WAAAH"s emerging from the baby's mouth, and backgrounds inspired by Granite State minerals. While kids giggle over the juxtapositions of the towering sisters and their fingertip-size charge, they (and their elders) may also appreciate the gentle mockery of overeager parents who sweat over fancy nursery accoutrements and overlook the most modest comforts of all. Jennifer MattsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Granite Baby | [
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12,115 | 13 | When King Tut's tomb was discovered in Egypt in 1922, the world was abuzz. What would be the next big, newsworthy archaeological find? Might it be Giza 7000X, a secret Egyptian tomb buried deep within the earth? Claudia Logan and Melissa Sweet (with the cooperation of The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston) answer that question and ask a few more in The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle, their truly splendid picture book for older readers. Readers follow a fictional family to Egypt in 1924 to an actual expedition led by Dr. George Reisner. Written in diary form from the perspective of young Will Hunt, who joins the expedition, the book is immediate and engaging, communicating the mystery and excitement of an archaeological dig like nothing we've seen.Illustrated with wonderful, color-soaked paintings as well as collages of authentic documents and artifacts from the Giza 7000X site, this richly visual diary is as entertaining as it is educational. Young readers will revel in the "you are there" glimpse of an archaeological dig, learning that excavation can sometimes be as much about fleas and dust as it can be about mummies or, say, a solid gold lion's leg. Sidebars about pharoah's curses, cartouches, and heiroglyphs sit alongside enthusiastic postcards from the boy to his friends back home in Boston: "What are we doing? Picking up things hour after hour with TWEEZERS. If someone sneezes or trips--there goes 5,000 years of history down the drain." As Will lives behind the pyramids, he witnesses the discovery of a secret tomb... but whose is it? Can the team solve the mystery before Will and his parents return to America? Highly recommended. (Ages 8 and older) --Karin SnelsonLogan (Scruffy's Museum Adventure) uses a fictional boy hooked on ancient Egypt to guide readers through a real archeological dig in this gripping and entertaining picture book mystery. Young Will Hunt cannot wait to travel with his parents to Giza in 1924 Egypt. There, living right behind the pyramids, he is eyewitness to the discovery of a secret tomb and an excavation led by Harvard archaeologist Dr. George Reisner. The author organizes the narrative into the boy's diary entries, and postcards home from Will to his friend Sam add immediacy and humor to the events (I hope something happens or I'm 'tombed' to eternal boredom). Readers get a taste of both the painstaking day-to-day grunt work of an archeological dig and the thrill of uncovering the tomb's contents. But the real hook of the book is its central mystery: Who lies in the tomb? As the team progresses, they find strange twists: the usual burial practices have not been followed. Sweet (Ten Little Lambs, reviewed above) toggles between a visual narrative, in which she develops the relationships among the various members of the dig, and a lively presentation of information, with abundant sidebars; the author here explains everything from mummification to the tools of an archeologist's trade to ancient grave robbing. The artist's own paintings, set against a sun-baked backdrop, share space with such archival materials as period photographs, object register notations and more (the book was written in cooperation with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which exhibits reproductions of the expedition's yield). Ancient Egypt aficionados will find much to ponder here. Ages 8-up. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt | [
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12,116 | 2 | Grade 4-6-Bird's classmates make fun of her clothes, as well as of the new boy, Harlem, giving the sixth grader reason to try to make friends with him. She and her neighbor Miss Delphine take a pie over to the apartment above the tattoo parlor where he lives with Mr. Moody, who collects cans for a living. Harlem's mother has sent her son to live with his father, whom he cannot recall ever meeting, because her latest husband does not like him. Bird is unable to reach Harlem until she convinces him to be her partner in the school spelling bee. She dreams of winning a trip to Disney World and of gaining "fame and glory." Through numerous practice sessions, the two build a friendship but, unbeknownst to Bird, Harlem has poor eyesight, and during the contest he cannot see words printed on an easel. These memorable characters find ways to work through their shortcomings, use their talents, and help one another. Written in the first person, the book is down-to-earth and satisfying. Readers dealing with acceptance issues will find solace in this story of friendship.Jean Gaffney, Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, Miamisburg, OHCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.*Starred Review* Gr. 4-6. Not the most popular kid in sixth grade, Bird feels a kinship with Harlem, a new boy in her class who is shunned because he "looks mean and acts dumb." With the help of her kindly neighbor, Miss Delphine, Bird starts a campaign to befriend Harlem. The process begins haltingly, but Bird is triumphant when he agrees to be her partner in the school spelling bee. Bird soon learns that becoming Harlem's friend requires work and courage, but it also brings surprising revelations and unexpected payoffs. Told from Bird's point of view, the narrative unfolds in a finely tuned voice that alternates between hope and disappointment, stubbornness and vulnerability, self-awareness and kindness. This short novel beautifully portrays Bird's strongest emotions: her love for Miss Delphine and her longing for Harlem's friendship. On a practical note, O'Connor's account of the positive changes in Harlem's life that result from his getting eyeglasses may reassure some children who need glasses but are reluctant to wear them. From the author of Moon Pie and Ivy (2001) and Me and Rupert Goody (1999), this is an involving story with a small-town southern setting and a sympathetic heroine. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia | [
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12,117 | 2 | In a doll story that will win over even confirmed tomboys, McClintock (Molly and the Magic Wishbone) introduces a Victorian child who, despite her frock and pinafore, enjoys digging in the dirt and climbing trees. After Aunt Edme sends Charlotte a doll dressed "in linen and lace and delicate silk ribbons," the child brings the doll up to her bedroom (home to birds' nests, a bug collection and a pet snake) and lays out the house rules: "No tea parties, no being pushed around in frilly prams. You'll just have to get used to the way we do things." And the doll, whom Charlotte names Dahlia, does just that. She joins the girl and her teddy, Bruno, as they make mud cakes and even tastes one and participates in Bruno's favorite game of "toss-up-in-the-air-and-land-in-a-heap." When Charlotte washes the mud from the doll's face, her "prim" painted mouth "blur[s] into a soft smile." Dahlia even survives a fall from a tree, although her finery gets crumpled and torn. Readers will hold their breath when the child shows her tattered doll to seemingly priggish Aunt Edme, who responds to the beaming Dahlia's condition with a smile of her own. McClintock's detailed tableaux conveying the garb, architecture and furnishings of the era perfectly fit the mood of the story, their delicate lines and coloring belied by the robust action they convey. A timeless charmer. Ages 4-8. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 1-Charlotte is not your typical young Edwardian heroine. When readers first meet her, she is playing happily in the mud with Bruno, her rough-and-tumble teddy bear. When Aunt Edme gives her a doll that is dressed in linen and lace, and looks frail and prim, the child is skeptical. Dahlia, however, belies the frilly name her new owner has bestowed upon her by enjoying a mud pie, participating in a race down a steep hill, and falling out of a tree. The last hurdle to their friendship is cleared when Aunt Edme visits and pronounces the doll well loved. The illustrations show Charlotte as a girl of energy and action, with a bedroom filled with birds' nests and collections of cattails. The pictures are packed with detail but pastel in color, leaving viewers with the impression of a time gone by. Charlotte is a girl of long ago who has all the qualities we encourage today-curiosity, confidence, and strength. She is surrounded by supportive women-an aunt who invites her to play freely, and a mother who gives her daughter a safety net from which to grow. Dahlia will be loved by young girls who are forging their first friendships, both with real and imaginary friends.Susan Marie Pitard, formerly at Weezie Library for Children, Nantucket Atheneum, MACopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Dahlia (BOSTON GLOBEHORN BOOK HONORS (AWARDS)) | [
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12,118 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 3It is Mother's Sunday, "when the older ladies dressed in crisp white suits and wore clean white glovesand hats. Big, bold, beautifully colored hats." Clara B. is in a rush to sit into the pew just behind the lady with the best oneher grandmother. When complimented on her broad-brimmed pink chapeau, the woman responds, "Honey, I'm not wearing this hat. The hat is wearing me!" Clara is not allowed to touch it, but she is determined to try it on. Later, when her grandmother dozes off in an armchair, Clara finally gets her hands on the hat. In the bedroom, she stumbles and accidentally crushes it. Then she tries to repair it, snipping and gluing with "supplies from Grandma's craft drawer." She returns it to the box with a note of apology. The next Mother's Sunday, Clara is apprehensive, but then she finds a pink hatbox labeled "Child's Medium" on her pew seat. In many African-American churches, it is customary for women to wear elegant, stylish, often large, elaborate hats, especially on Mother's Sunday. Turner-Denstaedt provides a brief explanation of this tradition. Morrison's large and expressive paintings are suffused with warmth and reflect the text beautifully. This is a wonderful family story that celebrates the bond between generations.Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.The illustrative oil paintings are at their best in the vivid crowd scenes: the pageantry in the African-American church, with the styles carrying from elders to youth is rich and glorious. Bulletin of the Center for Childrens BooksA wonderful family story that celebrates the bond between generations. School Library JournalMorrisons illustrations superbly complement the words, sequential panels drawing out Clara B.s boredom as she waits for her opportunity, full-bleed spreads skillfully varying perspective and composition to tell the story, fine-tuned pacing leading up to the inevitable moment when Clara B. crushes Grandmas hat. Kirkus Reviews; Title: The Hat That Wore Clara B. | [
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12,119 | 1 | Gr 3-7-This triumphant and satisfying sequel to Sheep (Farrar, 2006) is sure to excite readers. Jack, the faithful, prizewinning Border collie, is aging but as determined as ever to fulfill his duties: protecting his boy, Luke, and their sheep from coyotes. Though his mind is quick as a wink, his body is beginning to slow and he needs to decide which of his kin will be the next great sheepherder. Just as Jack is coming close to making his decision, a new and more dangerous predator, a rabid wolf, appears and threatens the idyllic life on the ranch. Jack is faced with his ultimate moral dilemma-duty or love? Hobbs does it again in this engaging and heart-wrenching story. Not only will readers delve into the story through the eyes of Jack, but they will also catch a glimpse into the thoughts of the antagonist, creating a mixed sense of empathy and apathy, challenging them to consider the roles and perspectives of each character more fully. The story has an element of suspense and will keep children coming back for more. The author clearly respects the intellect of her young audience, creating an emotionally complex plot in which not all story lines have a happy ending. Fans of Sheep will consider this a must-read, and those who are unfamiliar with it will enjoy the story as well.-Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.In this sequel to Sheep (2006), Hobbs story about a border collies adventures in sheepherding and searching for a good home, Jack finds himself facing down an unfamiliar foe. Stalking the herd under Jacks protection, a rabid wolf is eyeing one of Jacks grandpups as a potential matethe promising but still-wet-behind-the-ears Jackie. A pack of coyotes, a philosophical debate about the use of traps and guns, and Jacks own inner arguments about love versus duty make this slim volume a meaty read and take it beyond most dog stories written for young readers. Alternating chapters from the wolfs perspective make him at least sympathetic. The main tensionwill Jack recognize the nature of the danger before its too late?should keep youngsters engaged until the last page. Grades 3-6. --Karen Cruze; Title: Wolf | [
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12,120 | 0 | Grade 3-5Seven-year-old-Prince and five-year-old Pearl are left to live with their grandmother in a small segregated Florida town after their parents go up north to look for work. In the meantime, Grandma does her best to take care of the children as they struggle to make ends meet during the 1930s. Carter admirably attempts to show a grandmother's strength as she nurtures, loves, and guides her grandchildren who miss their parents and live with the danger and uncertainty of segregation and Jim Crow laws. Despite the serious subject matter, the story is told through the voice and sensibilities of a young child. As such, the sentences are extremely simple; situations seem superficial, with abrupt dialogue and uneven transitions; and the pace is slow. Despite Allen's many expressive black-and-white illustrations, this easy chapter book fails to capture the imagination.Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 3-5. When Daddy loses his job at the sawmill, he and Mama go up north to find work and establish a new home in Philadelphia. Pearl and her younger brother Prince stay with Grandma in Florida, where Jim Crow laws rule and Klansmen riding up to Grandma's general store bring fear to this small, close-knit black community. On an ironic note, after the riders leave, they draw a groan from the Grand Wizard's washerwoman: "Lord, I'm the one got to wash all those filthy robes again." During the long months of waiting, Pearl and Prince learn a thing or two about their grandparents and about how life in the North will be different for their family. The unfairness of segregation emerges in examples that young readers can readily understand, and the value of community comes through clearly. Shaded pencil drawings sensitively illustrate the book. Told in first person from Pearl's point of view, the story provides a good introduction to African American life in the South during the Depression. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Grandma's General Store - The Ark | [
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12,121 | 2 | "Cole is a master at conveying the emotions of the characters, both animal and human. This engaging story and its resourceful heroine will appeal to many children."—Starred, School Library Journal "A beguiling mix of rhythmic prose and snatches of verse . . . Fine fare for reading alone or aloud."—Starred, Kirkus Reviews "Satisfying fare indeed."--The Horn Book "A spunky and self-contained folkloric heroine whose victory has nothing to do with getting the prince, our protagonist will be welcomed by many young listeners."—Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books "In both text and art, Cole...delivers an original fairy tale with lingering emotional resonance."—Starred, Publisher's WeeklyBROCK COLE is the author and/or illustrator of many books. His picture books include Buttons, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book, and Larky Mavis, and his critically acclaimed novels include The Goats and Celine. Most recently, he illustrated George Washington's Teeth, written by Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora, which was selected as an ALA Notable Book. He lives in Buffalo, New York.; Title: Good Enough To Eat | [
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12,122 | 1 | "I had always been afraid of the forest, that dark and unknown place at the farthest edge of my little world," begins Nivola's (Elisabeth) tale of a mouse who faces down his fear. The opening image, framed in a border of white, shows a charming town of red-tiled stucco houses in a valley under blue skies; a long, winding road connects the town to an expanse of trees at the top of the picture. The author underscores the seductive pull of the forest with emotionally sophisticated description: "At night I often dreamed of it and woke chilled with fear.... One night the fear pressed so heavily on me that I could bear it no longer." The next morning, the mouse takes a last look at his cozy abode smooth-lined, awash in warm colors and safely nestled in the tidy village before setting out. Horizontal framed images of the fellow moving farther from his home, the skies growing overcast, parallel the mouse's internal journey. Nivola's forest scenes are pointillistic, creating an overwhelming world of copious foliage. Dwarfed by the enormous trees and frightened by a moving shadow, the hero panics, trips and falls to the forest floor. But he opens his eyes to discover a soft bed of moss, a butterfly ("like a guardian angel") and sunlight "raining down through the leaves and warming my back." The mouse's bravery in tackling the unknown is heroic and will likely inspire other small heroes to conquer forests of their own. Ages 3-6. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.K Up-A little mouse lives safely and comfortably in his cozy house in his familiar village, but he is haunted by his fear of the forest-"that dark and unknown place at the farthest edge of my little world." One day, realizing that this fear has become so intense that he has no choice but to confront it, he leaves hearth and home and enters the forest. Frightened by a shadow, he runs, trips and falls, and lies still on the ground hoping to avoid discovery. As he lies there, he slowly becomes aware of the beauty and sweetness surrounding him-moss as soft as feathers, sunlight raining down, a butterfly hovering nearby "like a guardian angel." When he turns over and looks up, he realizes that "The sky was bigger than the forest, bigger even than my fear had been, bigger than everything." He is finally able to begin his journey home with "the sweet murmuring world of the forest filling me." Nivola has produced a true gem. The writing is poetic, graceful, and remarkably evocative, accessible to young children yet appealing to sophisticated readers. The theme of reluctance coupled with the imperative to go "there and back again" is universal, making this truly a book for all ages. Nivola's gently colored pointillistic illustrations blend the imaginary into an otherwise realistic natural world. This is a piece of picture-book perfection that most libraries will want to own.Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Forest | [
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12,123 | 11 | The South African creators of The Dove turn out a lighthearted story about a husband and wife and their small farm. Trying to reduce his workload so as to spend more time basking in the sun, Thulani decides to sell their cow and buy a goat instead ("I'm tired of all this milking," he says to himself). When the goat eats the couple's entire store of dried corn, Thulani sells it and gets a sheep instead. This sequential tale has the fellow replacing one animal after another, until finally he trades three geese for some sunflower seeds that unexpectedly change the farm's fortunes and cure Thulani of his lazy ways. Kids will be pleased as the story comes satisfyingly full-circle with Thulani's reform effected without any didacticism. Creatively tinkering with traditional perspective and scale, Daly's comically detailed, folk art-like pictures have the same playfulness as Stewart's storytelling. Ages 5-up. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 1-3?Thulani loves to spend his days sitting in the sun and hates to have his leisure interrupted by chores. Tired of milking the cow, he trades her in for a goat. When the goat gets into the corn seed, he exchanges it for a sheep. When shearing it is too much trouble, he buys some geese. With each trade, his hard-working wife becomes more and more exasperated. Thinking to please her, the man exchanges the geese for a bag of seeds. But when they sprout, Dora is more upset than ever. It seems that he won't ever make her happy. However, when Thulani feeds the sunflower seeds to the chickens, the hens begin to lay more eggs, and, in the end, the story has come full circle. Dora is delighted, and Thulani is now busy trading animals. His favorite time of day is milking time?when he can finally sit down and have a quiet think. Daly's paintings add to the charm of this story. Bright gold end papers scattered with seeds introduce the good-humored mood. The color scheme of soft greens and golds emphasizes the warm pastoral setting. This is a fresh, funny variation on the "Lazy Jack" theme, with illustrations done in a folkart style and filled with little details of South African rural life.?Barbara Kiefer, Teachers College, Columbia University, NYCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Gift of the Sun: A Tale from South Africa | [
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12,124 | 13 | PreSchool-KThe seasons in the life of a lovely blue country home are the subject of this understated, contemplative work. Lyrical verses begin by describing the house in summer, filled with a lively family. As the days grow shorter, the family departs, leaving it in seeming isolation and quiet. When the seasons pass into fall and then winter, it plays host to a mouse, a stray cat, and a bird. They while away the cold months until spring bursts forth, heralding the approach of summer. When the family returns, there are some new additions, including kittens, fledglings, and a baby, thus reflecting the cycle of birth and renewal brought about by the passage of time. The spare, evocative text serves as an effective counterpoint to the rich, painterly perspectives of the blue house. The only caveat is that this pastoral interlude may have more appeal to adults attracted to the notion of rustic vacation homes than to children.Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 2. The creators of numerous acclaimed picture books offer another winning title in this deceptively quiet story about a well-loved vacation house. In summer, the rooms burst with life--the crickets sing, laundry floats on the line, and children's voices rise "like dandelion puff." Then fall comes, the people leave, and the empty house is quiet. "Or is it?" Banks' describes the house's secret life through fall, winter, and spring: the faucet drips, snow falls, a bird builds a nest, a cat roams and sleeps. At last, another summer arrives, and new kittens and birds share the house with the returned family. In spare, poetic sentences, Banks' precise sounds and cyclical rhythms amplify the hypnotic sensory impressions, which Banks invites listeners to imagine: "The cat stretches out across the bed and settles into a secret dream. Listen to her purring." Another artist might have chosen subdued grays and purples to depict a house shuttered for winter, but Hallensleben's beautiful, thickly brushed, impressionistic paintings evoke a sense of noise and life in rooms painted shocking blue and rich, bright red. Scenes of rooms glimpsed through half-open doors and of quiet corners extend the words' message that many of life's exciting stories lie in small moments and partial glimpses. A beautifully crafted story filled with wonder. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Great Blue House | [
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12,125 | 2 | Three people and two cats form a cozy quintet in this volume, in which Jenkins (The Secret Life of Billie's Uncle Myron) playfully appraises a family's varied talents and tastes just the way a child learning to count might do. A girl, the diminutive version of her red-haired mother, does the accounting. She notices that of the "five creatures" in her family, there are "Four who like to eat fish.... Two who like to eat mice. Only one who likes to eat beets." A dinnertime image reveals each individual's preferences; purple vegetables fill the narrator's white plate, while the cats monitor a telltale hole in the wall. Round-the-clock glimpses of the household show "One who sings loud late at night" (a charcoal-gray cat in a moonlit window) and "one who sings in the morning" (the girl's father, standing over the sink in his striped pajamas). When her father falls asleep on the couch with the cats, the girl lists "Three who nap with the Sunday newspaper." She sits nearby, imitating her bookworm mother by flipping through a picture book: "Two who can read, and one who is learning." Bogacki (The Bird, the Monkey, and the Snake in the Jungle) suggests contentment with a subdued palette of autumn orange, sea green and creamy, pale yellow. His tranquil illustrations provide clues to Jenkins's narrative, which encourages deductive reasoning. Jenkins smoothly weaves logical analysis into a narrative that exudes warmth, and the book concludes with a gentle scene of togetherness: "Five who sit together in the evening by the fire." Ages 3-6.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr 1-3-A lighthearted look at a family from different viewpoints. The five members of the household, both human and feline, share many traits with one another while maintaining their individuality. The narrator (and only child in the group) sorts the five by their various commonalities from hair color to leisure activities to food preferences. "Three who like to hide in boxes./Four who have a knack with yarn." Although the illustrations in pastel colors seem a little lackluster at first, readers will be drawn in by their soft, gentle flow from scene to scene and the portrait they combine to create of a warm and loving family. Primary-grade teachers will find this a wonderful accompaniment when teaching grouping and Venn diagrams as it will allow them to assist students in making real-life connections to mathematical concepts. Children will simply enjoy it for the good story that it is.-Sheryl L. Shipley, North Central Local Schools, Pioneer, OHCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Five Creatures | [
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12,126 | 15 | PreS-Gr 2A basic introduction to community gardens for youngsters. Beginning with a lush, rural landscape with old houses, picket fences, and a young family gardening in their spacious yard, the narrative shows bulldozers arriving as "stone and metal, the city grows." Rather suddenly, viewers are in an established urban landscape of high-rise buildings and neglected, overgrown lots. Green and brown have turned to "pigeon blue and squirrel gray," though plants still peek out from "in between" pavement cracks and balcony planter boxes. The colored pencil illustrations depict a diverse cast of children and adults of all ages who see an overgrown city lot and with the repeated refrain of "Brown brown,/dig the ground" transform it into a vibrant garden. Back matter includes additional information on community gardens and pollinators as well as a butterfly craft project. The simple text pairs well with the detailed visuals, each spread packed with movement and activity. However, while the overarching theme of urban development followed by green redevelopment may be clear to adult readers, young audiences viewing the images may be confused by gaps. For example, the same family depicted gardening in the countryside at the opening of the story is shown just a few pages later, following some quick construction, on top of a building, admiring the night sky. It isn't obvious whether they moved to the city or the city sprung up around them within a very short time frame. VERDICT Though slightly marred by a confusing time line, this is nonetheless an attractive read-aloud for beginning lessons on gardening. A strong addition to most shelves.Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN"An attractive read-aloud for beginning lessons on gardening." Chelsea Couillard-Smith, School Library Journal; Title: Green Green: A Community Gardening Story | [
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12,127 | 0 | Grade 5 UpThese intertwined graphic novels tell the stories of two girls coming of age in Europe during World War II. A Family Secret follows the story of Helena, who survived the war primarily due to her father's decision to collaborate with the Nazis. She recounts her life and those of others, including citizens stranded in the Dutch East Indies at the time. The Search begins in our current era, with Esther arriving in the Netherlands from the U.S. for her grandson's Bar Mitzvah. While there, she catches up with Helena, whom she befriended at age 12 after fleeing Hitler's Germany for the Netherlands. Through flashbacks, Esther and Helena tell their grandsons about the danger-filled era of their youth. Before she returns to the U.S., Esther learns the final fate of her family and receives a priceless memento that Helena has kept for her. The Search, in particular, would pair well with Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl. Heuvel crafts his artwork in the European ligne claire style, making the books highly reminiscent of Herg's work in "Tintin." North American audiences may find the cartoon style somewhat at odds with the often tragic nature of the narratives, but those who try it out will find the books interesting and educational.Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.; Title: A Family Secret | [
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12,128 | 18 | In an ambitious and successful authorial debut, Arnold (Fanny at Chez Panisse) further explores the culinary arts this time through biography. Her brilliant but little-known subject, Frenchman Alexis Soyer (1809-1858), rose quickly from child prankster to lowly apprentice to chef de cuisine at London's new Reform Club. There he helped to design a kitchen so innovative that it became a tourist attraction. In clever shorthand, Arnold provides a fascinating cutaway drawing of the kitchen that also reveals the toilsome process of 19th-century cooking. Soyer went on to invent labor-saving cooking devices and methods to help feed large numbers of Britain's impoverished as well as its soldiers. Arnold artfully weaves delicate, lively pen-and-watercolor spot illustrations in and out of the text to convey a substantial amount of historical information. For instance, she uses before-and-after vignettes to convey Soyer's contributions to military cooking ("Before Soyer: The meat was lashed tightly in bundles. The outer parts were boiled to shreds; the inner parts remained raw. After Soyer: Soyer had the joints of meat hung separately so that they could cook evenly and be ready at the same time"). Captions curve and flow between the scenes, moving the eye forward. Aspiring historians, budding chefs and gourmet parents will devour every scrap of information about this remarkable man. Ages 5-8.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-5-An engaging picture-book biography of a 19th-century chef/inventor/cookbook author. At the suggestion of his brother, the "head cook in an aristocratic English household," Soyer moved from France to England when he was in his 20s and worked for noblemen. He went on to establish a soup kitchen in Ireland during the potato famine and worked with Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War, when he improved hospital kitchens in Scutari, Turkey. The writing is simple and straightforward, with touches of wry humor throughout, and the graceful watercolors add mood, detail, and a sense of time and place. This story of a remarkable life set in remarkable times does a wonderful job of bringing the past to life.Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, ILCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Adventurous Chef: Alexis Soyer | [
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12,129 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 4-Based on the author's childhood, this inspirational story stands as a tribute to a strong family facing hard times. Emma and her family are migrant workers who follow the crops to make a living. Passionate about books, the girl longs for a store-bought volume, but knows that the few coins her mother saves in a jar are for no-money days. Arriving in Pennsylvania, Emma, her parents, and younger siblings pick apples together, but then Mama tells her that she is to attend school now that she is eight. Nervous because she is the only "chocolate-brown" child in the class, which could not have happened in her still-segregated Florida home, Emma soon discovers the riches of the school library. Desperate to read, she takes two volumes home for the weekend, against the rules. A kind teacher and a firm but understanding mother lead to a happy ending. Filled with descriptive language, the text flows smoothly and it clearly describes Emma's enthusiasm and fears. The richly textured browns, yellows, and greens of the paintings evoke a warm, orderly, and nonthreatening environment, reinforced by the mother's long arms reaching out and embracing her children.Susan Pine, New York Public LibraryCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 1-3. When Emma's migrant family moves from Florida to Pennsylvania for apple picking, she finds herself the only "chocolate-brown" child in her new third-grade classroom. Her initial discomfort is mitigated by the kindness of her teacher and the pleasure of reading books in the classroom library. After Emma owns up to breaking a rule, she receives an unexpected reward. Longer than most picture-book texts, the story provides a convincing portrayal of Emma's firm grounding within a loving family as well as her powerful affinity for books and stories. In his first picture book, Holyfield contributes an excellent series of graceful, full-page illustrations. With strong composition and sensitive body language, the paintings will draw viewers right into Emma's world. An inviting picture book with read-aloud potential. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Hard-Times Jar | [
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12,130 | 11 | A delightful picture-book version of the Russian folktale about the simple third son who, through the magical powers of the Listener, Swift-goer, Drinker, and others, performs the tasks set by the Czar and wins the princess. The handsome illustrations which fill the pages with animation and gleaming colors have a folk character and Russian flavor. Starred, BooklistArthur Ransome (1884-1967) was an English author and journalist, author of the Swallows and Amazons series and many other much-loved children's books.Uri Shulevitz is a Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author. At thirteen, Shulevitz won first prize in an all-elementary-school drawing competition in Paris's 20th district. He was written and illustrated many celebrated children's books, including the Caldecott Medal-winner The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, written by Arthur Ransome. He has also earned three Caldecott Honors, for The Treasure, Snow, and How I Learned Geography.; Title: The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship: A Russian Tale | [
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12,131 | 0 | K-Gr 3One remarkable milestone on the path to flight was the first manned balloon trip, which occurred in 1783. Up to that point, no one had accomplished a trip between countries, so Dr. John Jeffries (English) and Jean-Pierre Blanchard (French) decided to be the first. Jeffries and Blanchard allowed their competitive spirit to come between them until the trip had a few precarious moments; once they faced possible disaster, they quickly began working as a team to successfully cross the English Channel into France. The illustrations vary from traditional to graphic novel-style at points, using panels and dialogue balloons. Olshan establishes suspense as the two encounter problems and danger during their voyage, and children will want to keep reading and learning more about this historic trip. An author's note discusses the true details incorporated in the story and explains the creative license taken. VERDICT A delightful tale that will captivate elementary students with comedy, suspense, and beautiful illustrations.April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, ALThe baroque ornamentation and carefully lettered speech balloons of Blackalls spreads recall the work of George Cruikshank; like him, she has a gift for revealing that people dressed in petticoats and tricorne hats are just as human as the rest of us. With humor thats never snarky, Olshan reminds readers that, sometimes, the challenge adventurers must overcome is not the elements; its their own vanity. Publishers Weekly, starred reviewBlackalls witty illustrationswhich include full-page art and double-page spreads in color along with occasional black-and-white comic-panel strips; word balloons; and florid ornamentationfeel plucked from the time period. An authors note directs readers to Dr. Jeffriess firsthand account of the flight and reveals that portions of the book rely on Olshan and Blackalls creative adaptation of factual events. The Horn Book, starred reviewThe illustrations vary from traditional to graphic novel-style at points, using panels and dialogue balloons. Olshan establishes suspense as the two encounter problems and danger during their voyage, and children will want to keep reading and learning more about this historic trip. An authors note discusses the true details incorporated in the story and explains the creative license taken....A delightful tale that will captivate elementary students with comedy, suspense, and beautiful illustrations. School Library Journal, starred reviewHeres a story ripe for booktalking: a pair of bickering, cheating, dissembling adults set off from England in a hydrogen balloon and land in France in their underwear. Olshan tosses in some speculation to enliven a tale that really requires little additional embellishment, but those basic facts hold up. . .The muted colors and teardrop-shaped speech bubbles of the illustrations suggest eighteenth-century satirical cartoons, and theyre as droll as Olshans text, capturing the seriocomic perils that forced the squabbling frenemies to pull in harness together. No references are included, but an endnote on the facts and fictions herein is entertaining and useful, making this a delightful sequel to Hot Air (BCCB 7/05), Marjorie Pricemans (Mostly) True picture-book chronicle of the Montgolfiers flight in 1783. The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, starred reviewRarely has a story of a historic first been so silly. Olshan and Blackall together tell the somewhat fictionalized tale of American (then English) Dr. John Jeffries and French Jean-Pierre Blanchards first international journey by balloon. . .Blackalls signature watercolor illustrations, in a vintage palette and full of old-fashioned details, amp up the levity with humorous comic strips showcasing the balloonists over-the-top arguments, and depictions of the dogs anguished reactions to their owners egos. Booklist; Title: A Voyage in the Clouds: The (Mostly) True Story of the First International Flight by Balloon in 1785 | [
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12,132 | 13 | Kindergarten-Grade 3A strong addition to a popular series, this story will capture the imagination and interest of anyone who has ever taken music lessons. Although he'd rather shoot hoops with his friend, Gus spends the required half-hour practicing the piano. With Grandpa's gentle encouragement, the boy makes it through his recital, but only comes to truly love playing the instrument when his family puts together an impromptu band later that day. The delightful relationships among the characters add to the charm of the book. The loving bond between Gus and his grandfather is apparent through their words and actions, and also through the soft, comforting illustrations. The interaction between Gus and his mother as she monitors his practice session rings true. Mills uses amusing metaphors and clever wordplay throughout the text. In the end, Gus learns that sometimes doing your best makes family members just as proud of you, if not more so, than when you demonstrate perfection. An engaging easy-reader.Anne L. Tormohlen, Deerfield Elementary School, Lawrence, KS Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 1-3. Gus knows that practice makes perfect, but the truth is, the half hour he has to practice piano is the longest half hour of his day. In the tenth story in Mills' Gus and Grandpa series of chapter books, beginning readers follow Gus' path from reluctant piano student to nervous recital performer to family band member. In the happy grand finale, the whole family (including Grandpa on the violin) plays a song called "The Horse Race," and Gus finally understands what it means to have "music in his fingers." Stock's lovely, expressive, watercolor and pencil artwork perfectly complement this story about the joy of playing music and the reward of hard work. Plentiful illustrations, a large font, big margins, short sentences, and simple vocabulary ensure a reader-friendly experience, especially for children who are familiar with the agony and ecstasy of music lessons. Karin SnelsonCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Gus and Grandpa and the Piano Lesson | [
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12,133 | 2 | Grade 1-2-While nothing wildly exciting happens in this installment in the series, the author invests the members of this family with real personalities: Mom is not very patient and Dad is a bit goofy, while Grandpa and Gus have good humor and brains. The short chapters move the story of a summer outing along with a refreshingly complex vocabulary that challenges but never overwhelms new readers. Stock's colorful and energetic watercolors expertly complement the text.Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 1-3. In this book from the Gus and Grandpa series, Gus' family goes fishing. His mother is only interested in picnicking and his father in figuring out how to use his new fishing rod, but Grandpa shows Gus how to cast and gives him the confidence to keep trying until he can do it on his own. Fishing is not the most exciting sport to read about, but the story is nicely paced. A great deal of the book's charm lies in the expressive pencil drawings, tinted with watercolors, that capture both the solitariness and the camaraderie of the sport. This quiet book will be particularly welcome in areas where fishing is a popular pastime. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Gus and Grandpa Go Fishing | [
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12,134 | 0 | Could it be that young readers' minds are going to the Devil? That's certainly not the case in this logical follow-up to that little red volume, The Devil's Storybook. This bluish-green book contains 10 other Devil stories, told by a very dextrous fiddlemaster. There are such familiar diabolical incarnations as a fortune-teller, a hunter, a soldier, a pick-pocket rascal and a "nosey" writer. The fortune-teller causes the populace of a whole village to be overrun by strangers; the hunter helps keep a threatening rhino busy (the latter constantly chases the former); the soldier is upstaged by the Devil's prominent list of historic battles that he's attended; the writer's vice is "writing books no one could understand" he's accused the rascal of attempting to pluck his purse, but the well-versed thief claims it's "all flytrap," since his accuser is "more squeak than wool." There are the usual stories of mistaken identity commonly associated with tales of devilry; and those dealing with "justice" and Christmas: the camel Akbar, a Devil's pet, throws his rider and follows a shining star under which a baby is born, "who was going to be nothing but trouble for a long, long time." The author's traveling to the very gates of Hell brings to this children's book a spacious dimension of unadulterated maturity. These stories are simply some of the funniest available. For Babbitt, the Devil is more than a subject for amusement and less than an article of belief; she is nevertheless writing within the realmthe good and the badof the religious. As in the "Simple Sentences" story, Babbitt can rightly be placed in the middle ground between her two eloquent and hilarious protagonists, the rascal and the writer. A Michael di Capua Book. Ages 8-12. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 4-6 Babbitt's Devil is sly, vain, and as her black-and-white drawings show, slightly paunchy, with a very long pointed tail. Readers first met him in The Devil's Storybook (Farrar, 1974), and in these ten new stories he runs true to form. When not making his guests uncomfortable in Hell, he likes to journey through the world causing trouble and misfortune for its inhabitants. Sometimes the tables are turned, however, notably by the very ornery or the very innocent, and the Devil gets a surprise. All of these stories are humorous, but many have a wry sadness hiding close to the surface. Readers will encounter a talented parrot and a bumbling fortuneteller, an opera singer named Doremi Faso, a pair of mixed-up lovers, and other unique characters. The unhurried jaunty rhythm of the text seems an echo of the Devil's own personality, and reads well aloud. Characterization is enhanced by an illustration in each story, and the visual appeal is supported by the book's thick, creamy pages with wide margins and well-spaced print. This book is a pleasure to look at, to hear, and to read. Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public LibraryCopyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Devil's Other Storybook: Stories and Pictures | [
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12,135 | 0 | K-Gr 3-Set in 1957, this epistolary story is told in 12 letters from a child to her Aunt Lupita. Isabel, her parents, and her older brother emigrate from Mexico to the United States, leaving her aunt behind. From her new home, Isabel writes about her struggle with learning English, starting school, helping her mother bake cakes for children's parties, and building her "quiet place"--a cardboard playhouse where she feels safe. Central to the story, the construction of Isabel's project closely follows her gradual adjustment to her new life. Small gives glimpses at the process throughout the book, starting with very shy Isabel asking for a discarded birthday box and ending with her unveiling her completed project at her birthday party, attended by everyone in the neighborhood. Spread over a double-page foldout, the "quiet place" explodes with color, lavishly decorated with Isabel's art. No longer merely a comfy space, it transforms into a place for connecting with new friends, a symbol for fitting in. Drawn in Small's signature style, the delicate but vibrant illustrations, along with the pithy narrative vignettes, poignantly capture the emotional hardships and triumphs of the immigrant experience. Another gem from this dynamic team.-Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Articulating our experience can provide important perspective as we confront new challenges. The anxiety that comes of being uprooted is tenderly explored in 'The Quiet Place,' an immigrant tale by Sarah Stewart and the illustrator David Small, award-winning collaborators. The New York Times Book ReviewA warm, gentle portrait of an immigrant's isolation and the ways that creativity and a loving family can offer both a safe haven and a bridge. Kirkus, starredA moving, memorable portrayal of one child's immigrant experience. Booklist, starredStewart and Small offer a stirring, backyard-size metaphor for the determination and drive for self-betterment that characterize the immigrant experience. Publishers Weekly, starredIt's such a fascinating place. BCCB; Title: The Quiet Place | [
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12,136 | 1 | The plot of this book, for 4-year-olds and up, involves the travails of Al, a janitor who lives in a dingy apartment on Manhattan's West Side with his dog Eddie. One day, a funny-looking bird sticks its huge head through Al's bathroom window and proposes a journey to a terrific place where there are "no worries" and "no cares." Al agrees and takes Eddie with him. What the two experience is paradise--butterflies, wildflowers, chirping birds and cool streams--but it soon gives way to the uncertainties of being away from home, and a moral: that home is where the heart is. This sharp, wry and tender story, which won the 1987 Caldecott Medal, marks Yorinks' and Egielski's fourth highly praised collaborative work.K Up The theme here is, ``be happy with who you are,'' or maybe, ``there's no free lunch.'' Al, a janitor, lives a meager existence with his companion (dog) Eddie in New York City. They complain to each other about their lot and are ready to take off to a better place with a huge bird who just pops in and invites them. This ``island in the sky'' is perfect. All its inhabitants are friendly birds, and there's nothing to do but enjoy the tropical paradise. But when they both begin to sprout feathers and beaks, they realize that there is a price to pay, so they take off, Icarus-styleincluding a plunge into New York Harbor. Safely home, they discover that ``Paradise lost is sometimes Heaven found.'' Egielski's solid naturalism provides just the visual foil needed to establish the surreal character of this fantasy. The muted earth tones of the one-room flat contrast symbolically with the bright hues of the birds' plumage and the foliage of the floating paradise. The anatomical appropriateness of Al and Eddie plays neatly against the flamboyant depiction of the plants. Text and pictures work together to challenge readers' concept of reality, with touches such as the stacks of delivered newspapers outside Al's door when he returns fromhis ``dream''? Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State University, ColumbusCopyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Hey, Al | [
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12,137 | 13 | "In the pasture, instead of keeping watch over the flock, Giotto spends his time sketching." He may not be much of a shepherd, but this talented 8-year-old boy doesn't have to remain one for long; after timidly introducing himself to the painter Cimabue, he becomes the Florentine painter's protégé--and before long Cimabue looks at Giotto's work and thinks, "the pupil has outdone the master." The present tense lends immense vitality to this simple exercise in biography, written by Italian art critic Paolo Guarnieri and translated by Jonathan Galassi. The lively, immediate story is perfectly matched by the stunning paintings of Guarnieri's wife, Bimba Landmann, which imitate the style of the great pre-Renaissance master while maintaining their own absolutely modern flavor. Children who find themselves absorbed in drawing, music, or any project other than the one at hand will find young Giotto's story inspirational. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1998 by Edizioni Arka, Milano. With permission of the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.) (Ages 7 and older) --Richard FarrThe spare, mellifluous quality of first-time children's book author Guarnieri's prose is matched only by the fluidity of line and stark perspectives in Landmann's paintings, which emulate the work of their subject. The author focuses on the makings of the artist from boyhood and concludes with Giotto's pivotal pilgrimage to Assisi, where his frescoes are still revered today. He characterizes the shepherd boy cum master painter as both gifted and driven from the first. Growing up in pre-Renaissance Italy, young Giotto takes the family's sheep to pasture each morning and spends the day sketching pictures of everything he sees on stones and in the sand. After viewing Cimabue's Madonna with Child being carried in a procession, Giotto becomes determined to confide his burning desire to the painter. Cimabue warmly receives Giotto and teaches him to mix pigments from minerals and plants. When the painter later sees the boy's rendering of a sheep he exclaims, "No painter I know has ever succeeded in making a creature look so alive." Giotto's parents then agree to allow the boy to study with Cimabue in Florence when he is old enough. Landmann's (Journey into the Blue Night) gilded, fresco-like paintings shimmer in earth tones. He authentically depicts the stylized landscapes and the flat perspectives of Giotto's time. For aspiring artists and art buffs alike. Ages 5-up. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: A Boy Named Giotto | [
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12,138 | 7 | Kindergarten-Grade 3As green goblins gather in the woods for their annual Halloween party, readers get a glimpse of their world. The spine-chilling array of ghoulish guests is all smiles and the creatures' behavior seems, well, a lot like children getting ready to have fun. They are looking for a good fright, and think they are getting one when a ghost tells shivery tales. But then an owl announces the approach of "the scariest creatures of all," sending the partyers into hiding. Will listeners predict that the new arrivals are trick-or-treaters? Children will be drawn to the skillful use of color and charmed by the details Costello provides. The use of perspective creates an alternating sense of safety and intimacy, scariness and comfort. As the story builds to its climax, a page may have as many as four pictures. From the delightful cover through the charming rhyming text and enchanting illustrations, readers will be grabbed, teased, and tickled by this appealing tale.Mary Hazelton, Warren Community School, ME Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Here They Come! | [] | Train |
12,139 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 3-When a girl and her dog, Henry, greet the Canada geese as they return in the spring, she notices that one has been injured and is missing a foot. The others in the flock shun the goose, but the child worries about it. Her parents warn her not to interfere-the animal must grow strong on its own to survive. Saddened by its plight, the youngster can't help herself; she and her dog observe, talk to, and sometimes feed the bird. Over the summer, the creature begins to hobble on one leg and eventually swim, but the family still wonders how it will get up enough speed to fly. Then one day, all the geese are gone. After worrying all winter, the child and Henry hear honking from above in early spring, and welcome back "their" goose-and her mate. Based on an experience with a real goose that landed in the author's yard, Best's story will appeal to young nature lovers and to anyone with a soft spot for an underdog. Meade's paper-collage illustrations capture the action as well as the glory of the passing seasons. This is a heartwarming story with a tender message about accepting others in spite of their differences and helping those who are less able.Jeanne Clancy Watkins, Chester County Library, Exton, PA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.(*Starred Review*) Ages 4-8. A young girl is thrilled when geese land at the nearby pond in spring. After her dog barks and the birds jump for the sky, the child realizes that one goose has been left behind. This goose has a dangling foot (some kind of accident?), and the next day its foot is gone. Other birds ignore Goose ("I never thought geese could be so mean"), and the child's parents warn her not to help ("A wild goose has to learn to live with her weakness. Or she won't live at all"). Goose does learn to swim, but the child wonders how the bird will push off and fly when it's time to migrate. Best's simple prose is rhythmic and beautiful, more poetic than much of the so-called free verse in many children's books; and Meade's clear, cut-paper collages show the drama through the child's eyes--the clamor of the flock against the New England landscape through the seasons; the honking and jumping for the sky; and one goose left behind, wild and beautiful, hurt, and strong. The story is based on Best's experience with a wounded goose that landed in her backyard, and every child who has nursed an injured creature will recognize the bond, the distance, and the hope. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Goose's Story | [
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12,140 | 2 | Felicity and Cordelia are two bunny friends, but theyre as different as their outfits. Cordelia, in a demure dress, is the stay-at-home worrywart, while Felicity, in the more practical pants, is fearless. So fearless, in fact, that she takes off in a balloon to find adventure. Yet adventure comes in the form of a broken balloon. Despite postcards from Felicity, Cordelia is worried that her friend will never return, but Felicity is clever as well as brave and turns the trip home into another adventure. Readers will take pleasure in the ending, in which Felicity returns home in a surprising way and reunites with her friend. The adorable artwork features simple shapes outlined in heavy black, giving the pictures the effect of something children could draw themselves. The short text is the right length for lap-sitters or groups. Although daring Felicity seems to be the heroine here, Cordelia, with her baking skills, makes a solid case for the comforts of home. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Ilene CooperJahn-Clough's illustrations are, as ever, childlike, winsome, and boldly colored. Her story . . . reinforces the importance and interdependence of distinct personalities as well as the beauty of real friendship. School Library JournalThe short text is the right length for lap-sitters or groups. Booklist; Title: Felicity & Cordelia: A Tale of Two Bunnies | [
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12,141 | 6 | "I am in charge of this book. I make up the rules," announces Mr. Frimdimpny, a snaggletoothed creature (crocodile? alligator? dragon?) who lays down the law: "Do not laugh! Do not even smile! Don't do anything you are told not to do." Noting that he, personally, never laughs or smiles, the stern taskmaster cautions readers that they must go back to the beginning of the book if they fail to follow his directions. In a trio of vignettes, Stevenson proves that some rules are indeed made to be broken as various animal characters take turns instructing readers NOT to do things. In the first sequence, for example, a canine waiter, carrying an enormous tray of food, begs readers not to tickle him in a certain spot, conveniently marked with a large red X: "Wait... What are you looking at? You are staring at my red X. What are you thinking? OH, NO!" Comic calamity results. Finally, when Mr. Frimdimpny conducts an exercise to determine if, as he suspects, readers are "smiling a tiny bit," he himself commits an offense that sends HIM back to the front of the book. Stevenson's trademark understated humor hits the bull's-eye; it's hard to imagine the reader who won't join in the joke. Ages 3-6. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-K A book that is sure to make young children giggle. In fact, Stevenson has practically guaranteed their laughter by introducing Mr. Frimdimpny, a bossy crocodile who ORDERS them not to laugh and explains that he is in charge of this book. He lays down the law no laughing or else readers will have to start the book all over again. Running commentary is offered by a pair of bears who smiled and met the consequences. Each of the three very short stories involves slapstick humor. There is a ticklish waiter, an elephant with a cold, and a hippo who can't stop dancing. In the end, Mr. Frimdimpny cannot obey his own rule and must begin again. The twist is in the circular nature of the book. The illustrations are pure Stevenson, from the crocodile with his stern eyes and snaggly teeth to Fendently, the ailing elephant. The animals are set against clean white backgrounds, making them look even more awkward (and, of course, funny). The crocodile's declarations are in large, bold type, while the bears' dialogue is hand printed. The book is a surefire winner at storytime as well as for family reading time. The large cartoons and short text keep everyone's attention focused on the zany action. Susan Marie Pitard, Weezie Library for Children, Nantucket Atheneum, MA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Don't Make Me Laugh | [
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12,142 | 2 | Grandpa comes up with a great idea for Gus's disguise in Gus and Grandpa and the Halloween Costume, the eighth title in the beginning reader series by Claudia Mills, illus. by Catherine Stock. Ages 6-8.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 2-3. Once again, it's Grandpa whose wisdom and good sense come through for grandson Gus. Halloween is coming, and Gus is agonizing about a costume. His parents seem not to understand: "All this fuss . . . when I was a kid we wore any old thing," says Dad. But Grandpa remembers, and when he unearths a wonderful Mounties costume that Dad wore as a youngster, Dad remembers, too--and Gus ends up with the coolest costume around. To ensure Gus won't forget the special pleasures of Halloween fun as his dad did, he has his picture taken with dearly beloved Grandpa, who turns out again to be his very best friend. Stock's amiable watercolors bursting with the golds and oranges of an autumn day, reflect the sunny warmth of loving connections passed across generations. For reading alone or reading to a favorite grandpa. Stephanie ZvirinCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Gus and Grandpa and the Halloween Costume | [
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12,143 | 2 | In perhaps their most personal work to date, this fifth collaboration between the husband-and-wife team behind The Journey explores the subtle, intense bond shared by a girl and her caregiver, inspired by a similar relationship in the author's childhood.The book begins cinematically, with endpapers that feature a girl nearly swallowed by the luxurious appointments of her sepia-toned bedroom. The artist sets her off in a kind of spotlight, her red hair and blue nightgown the only splash of color; in the following panel cartoons, she could be an adultputting on her glasses and emerging from the blanketsuntil she picks up a teddy bear and makes her way down the stairway, barely able to reach the banister.Thus Small (So You Want to Be President) presents Annabelle Bernadette Clementine Dodd as a girl wise beyond her years. Belle's mother kisses her on the cheek, her father consults his watch, and Bea, a quietly graceful woman with her hair neatly tucked into a bun, packs the parents' luggage in the trunk. As the parents speed away, Belle leans against Bea with their arms entwined, the girl's height at perhaps Bea's waist.Stewart wastes not a word as her text sets a rhythm to the duo's days, the first day of the week spent hanging laundry on the line, the second ironing, etc. Each afternoon the two break for a stroll on the beach, and, depicted in Small's wordless spreads, the scenes underscore a bond so strong that the child and caregiver need not speak. Bea invites Belle into her world, leading Belle up the back stairs into her cozy room, and taking the girl to her church, filled with the African-American congregation's voices raised in song ("Belle sang best"). When tragedy nearly strikes one day, it is as though Bea feels in her bones that something is wrong, and when she comes to Belle's rescue, the portraits that follow convey their ineffable connection. On the final page, Small shows the now grown Belle in surroundings much more akin to Bea's special room in Belle's house than to her parents' fineryand readers feel the full impact of Bea's life on Belle's own. Ages 5-up. Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Grade 1-3Annabelle Bernadette Clementine Dodd, Belle for short, is the child of wealthy parents who have no time for her. Even before the story begins, readers see her climbing down the stairs to kiss them good-bye, her father glancing at his watch all the while. But Belle has Beatrice Smith, a kindly housekeeper with whom she spends her days sharing Bea's chores (creating more havoc than help). While they have specific chores each day of the week, they always make time for delightful excursions to the beach. Then one day, Belle decides that she can go alone, with nearly disastrous results. The rhyming text describes the loving relationship between Bea and Belle, and the woman's infinite patience with her young charge. Small's cartoon watercolor-and-crayon illustrations, most of them spreads, depict a mansion on a hill overlooking the sea, Belle's grand bedroom, ornate parlors, and a time when wringer washing machines, clotheslines, and electric fans were the last word in luxury. The pictures of Bea hugging the little girl to her breast after nearly losing her, the woman's grief at what might have happened, and Belle's efforts to cheer her up are especially poignant. However, the last image of the two shows them still oceans apart, with Bea offering hot chocolate and apologies and Belle still visibly distraught, head in her hands. It's bound to leave children unsatisfied.Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: The Friend | [
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12,144 | 2 | Grade 3-6-In the beginning, Jeff is just an imaginary dog, 10-year-old Suzanne's loyal companion, the dog she has wanted all her life but can't have because of her brother's allergies. Then one day, a black-and-tan dog, the real Jeff, appears, wandering on the median strip of the highway near her home. Suzanne recognizes him immediately and despairs when her father refuses to stop the car and rescue him. Yet miracles do happen, and the animal survives, only to appear later on the family's doorstep. With a great deal of persuasion, Suzanne convinces her parents that this is the perfect dog, her dog, and she is allowed to keep him on a trial basis. What follows is a perfectly riotous summer with Jeff getting into laugh-aloud trouble at every turn. But summers, even the best of them, end, and this perfect relationship must come to a bittersweet ending as well. In this "mostly true" story, Staples has perfectly captured the feel of a Pennsylvania lakeside summer in the late 1950s. Her writing is rich and descriptive, yet clear and simple. Her characters are all familiar-the lonely, imaginative child, not quite ready to grow up and longing for a perfect friend; the whiny but helpful younger sister; the exasperated and yet sympathetic mother; the lovable and incorrigible dog-but Staples turns each one into a perfectly rounded individual, a person (or dog) readers could easily know. Like Henry and Mudge, the Blossoms and Mud, Opal and Winn-Dixie, Suzanne and Jeff are sure to become favorites with readers of all ages.Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 4-6. In this fictionalized memoir, Staples remembers a blissful summer before fifth grade, when the dog of her dreams miraculously appears at her family's door. "I need a dog because I don't have any real friends," says young Suzanne, a loner who prefers solitary adventures in the woods to the company of other kids. When Jeff, a scruffy mutt the family spotted at the roadside, arrives at the Fishers' door, it seems to be fate. For the rest of the summer, Suzanne roams happily with Jeff, growing closer to her sister and neighborhood kids along the way. Unfortunately, Jeff's comic accidents and escapes prove too difficult to manage, and Suzanne's parents send Jeff to a local farm. The first-person narrative is filled with rich, poetic vocabulary and nostalgic details that belong more to an adult's memories than to a child's viewpoint. But Staples' beautiful words and images capture summer's delicious freedom, and readers will connect with daydreaming, independent Suzanne, who notices everything, fears growing up, and loves her pet with a pure intensity that her parents will never understand. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Green Dog: A Mostly True Story | [] | Train |
12,145 | 1 | PreS--A winning quartet of board books. In a style reminiscent of Dav Pilkey's work, Kitamura has created four animal characters, each faced with a decision: where to sleep, what to drink, how to bathe, and what to eat. Resolving these dilemmas requires hilarious experimentation (the cat curling up in the saucepan is a hoot) and myriad facial expressions, from bewilderment to frustration to satisfaction. The straightforward texts are a perfect fit for the illustrations. Youngsters will connect immediately with the simple plot lines and familiar situations. No cutesy, patronizing stuff here--these genuinely funny books assume that toddlers have a sense of humor.Ann Cook, Winter Park Public Library, FLCopyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Dog Is Thirsty | [
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12,146 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 3The residents of a crumbling, crowded apartment building gather on their idyllic rooftop garden to share food, music, and friendly conversation. There is a diverse cast of charactersFrenchie and Horty from Paris, Mr. Carriero from Italy, Curly and Touz, and Dick and Genebut only one little girl with "cabbage-curly hair." With her family and all of her neighbors sharing this "House of Joyful Living," she feels like she is on top of the world. But as Mama's belly grows, she fears that, once the baby arrives, no one will pay attention to her. Aided by Widener's bold, expressive acrylics, Schotter paints a nostalgic picture of the warmth and joy of a close-knit, urban community and one little girl's realization of the blessings a new baby will bring. With a focus on community and neighborliness, this is a unique, though not essential, addition to the new-sibling bookshelf.Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Our kitchen smells of love and long ago. Drawing on her own childhood memories, Schotter tells a joyful story of a Jewishgirl in a small, diverse immigrant community in New York City. Whenever they can,a buildings tenantsclimb the stairs to the roof garden, where theyread, weed, and chat and share traditional foods from many countries. The girlglories in being the only child on the roof,though her jealousy about Mamas coming baby breaks the idyll. Wideners large,vibrant paintingswill appeal to preschoolers with clear close-ups of the child with her neighbors,as well asthe big rooftop views of the city, including theBrooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty far on the horizon. In onebeautifulspread, the smoke and smells from many kitchens surround the crowded city rooftops in a halo. Yes,the story isnostalgic, but it is rooted in the realism of what displacement and community mean. Preschool-Grade 2. --Hazel Rochman; Title: The House of Joyful Living | [] | Train |
12,147 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 3-Hector McGregor has a happy life with his wife, five children, and a hen called Hattie. He is good at mending things, but in between jobs he has time to wander among the bluebells, paint pictures, and play his fiddle. Trouble comes when he makes a barking bag to help the postman ward off an errant terrier and discovers that he also has a knack for inventing. He makes bouncing boots for a short child, helping hands for a busy mother, and an alarm clock that pops a deep slumberer out of bed. Hector is persuaded by the president of the Royal Society of Inventors that he will be even more inspired if he works in a laboratory with no distractions. Once ensconced in the lab, however, he finds no inspiration at all. After painting his family on the walls, Hector realizes that his happy home life has been the source of his inspiration all along. Pelley is a native of Scotland, and her text is peppered with colorful expressions ([he] played a rousing reel or a sweeping strathspey, while-[his family] whirled and whooshed and wheeched). There is a natural lilt to the language that lends it a folkloric quality. Chesworth's exuberant cartoons capture Hector's joyful family life as well as his forlorn isolation. This charming tale could be coupled with Uri Shulevitz's The Treasure (Farrar, 1979) for a discussion of appreciating what lies directly in front of you.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS. In an uproarious picture book, Inventor McGregor is inspired by his happy family in their higgledy-piggledy house to concoct all kinds of wild thingamabobs and thingamajigs. When the establishment recognizes his genius and moves him to a city studio, his inspiration dries up--until he takes his workshop back to his country home. Preschoolers will love the nonsense of the contraptions, beautifully captured in the sound and the rhythm of the storytelling, with short, sharp sentences about how McGregor fixes squeaky skates, wobbly wagons, tangled kites, knotted yo-yos, headless dolls, and footless soldiers. The wild, double-page watercolor spreads celebrate the farcical gadgets the inventor uses as they show the gluing and hammering of his work and his joyful home. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Inventor McGregor | [
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12,148 | 13 | “Lasky’s prose (based on O’Keeffe’s letters, according to an author’s note) lays a marvelous foundation for looking at the artist’s iconic images in books listed in the bibliography–finding a flower “so big that people will have to look at it” or the ladder she used to climb “into the sky.” Eitan’s textured brushwork interprets O’Keeffe’s obsessions stylistically, emphasizing the essence of forms and the effect of changing light.” —School Library Journal“Filled with vivid sensory detail, Lasky’s poetic text conveys, through the everyday moments of Georgia’s solitary life in the southwestern desert, the painter’s unfailing desire to express the beauty of the natural world as she saw it. Eitan’s accompanying paintings are composed of flat swatches of rich, opaque color, and the sophisticated economy of detail is particularly appealing when evoking the stark beauty of the arid landscape.” —Booklist “Endnotes provide contextual information on O'Keeffe's life and art.” —Publishers Weekly“Both author and illustrator employ a light yet meaning-rich touch; the text is spare, the accompanying images (some almost like playful spot art) evoke this unique American landscape and the intense inner life and rooted sensibility of this astounding artist.” —Kirkus Reviews “This is a beautiful book for readers already interested in O’Keeffe’s style or ready to experience it, and the biography and selected bibliography at the end will open additional doors of wonder and experience to budding young artists.” —Infodad.comKATHRYN LASKY’s distinguished books include The Man Who Made Time Travel, an NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ORA EITAN is one of Israel’s most prominent artists and a Hans Christian Andersen Award nominee. She lives in Jerusalem, Israel.; Title: Georgia Rises: A Day in the Life of Georgia O'Keeffe | [
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12,149 | 6 | PreS-Gr 2This book's cover art, depicting a child thinking about a dog, is indicative of this playful journey through the animal world. Swenson asks readers to imagine themselves as several different animals, including a dinosaur, a bug, and a bird, and decide how that creature's qualities would appeal to them. For instance, would the child like to be a "sea-sparkler; ocean-swimming, coral-peeker;/wave-jumping,/flash-of-color; toe-nibbler,/faster-than-the-big-fish sort of fish?" After this fun list of descriptive words, Swenson comes back to another specific quality of that animal: "Would you splash in the surf? Some fish do." These lists help emphasize the diversity of species and the many ways these animals engage with their environment. The text has a rhyming, sing-song quality that makes it a great match for preschool storytimes. Raschka brings movement, energy, and personality to his vibrantly colored art. With just a few strokes, he makes a hissing cat puff up in anger at a nearby dog, ferocious and threatening. Readers can act out the characteristics of that cat or fish as the story is read. However, this could also be used in a classroom, both as a model for creative writing or as a beginning point for expanded study on a given species. A fun way to get readers to use their imaginations in the natural world.Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZElegant, curious free verse and lush watercolors combine in a jaunty musing about the wonders of zoological pretending. BooklistNot so much a story as an imaginative survey of creatures great and small, this book presents a variety of animal just being themselves. Swenson's playful direct-address text is chock-full of sound effects and rollicking rhythms that beg to be read aloud. The Horn BookRaschka brings movement, energy, and personality to his vibrantly colored art . . . A fun way to get readers to use their imaginations in the natural world. School Library JournalAddressing both a winsome girl character and child readers, Swenson invites kids to speculate what sort of dog, cat, fish, bird, bug, frog and dinosaur they might want to be . . . Swenson's rhythmic cadences coupled with Raschka's wry, upbeat illustrations yield a title that's a cheery picker-upper. Kirkus ReviewsSwenson's playful language and Raschka's amiable cartoons lend a welcome unpredictability to this animal game. Publisher's Weekly; Title: If You Were a Dog | [
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12,150 | 7 | Who paints the most fantastic pictures in France? Is it Gaston du Stroganoff? Felicien CaffayOllay? Alphonse LeCamembair? Only when an unknown painter by the name of Clousseau paints a portrait of a duck so realistic that it quacks is the true genius of the Paris art world recognized. Clousseau's paintings have an incredible effect on the publicand no wonderpainted waterfalls flow out of the frames and onto the floor and birds fly off to new horizons. Then a boa constrictor escapes from its painting and frightens a baroness, and a painted cannon levels the building that once housed it. The unfortunate artist is sent to prison and all his artwork is seizedall except the one that hangs in the king's palace, a painting of a dog. When that dog captures a cunning jewel thief, Clousseau earns a royal pardon. Agee's enchanting tale has touches of droll Gaelic humor reminiscent of the stories of Tomi Ungerer. A well-defined drawing style is enhanced by dark, rich colors, thickly and boldly applied. Agee provides much food for the spirit with his spare storytelling and distinctive artwork. Ages 3-up. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 2 Agee's strong solid shapes and somber colored drawings contrast with the clever and witty premise of his book. Set in Paris at the turn of the century, it recounts a grand art contest. Traditional academy painters show their grandiose masterpieces: The King on His Throne, The King on Horseback, The King in Armor. Then an unknown artist, Clousseau, shows his small painting of a duck. ``Outrageous'' is the response until the duck that he has painted quacks. All over Paris, his works come alive. A boa leaves its painting, black smoke billows from a painted volcano, and water gushes from a waterfall. Needless to say things get out of hand, and poor Clousseau lands in prison. One overlooked painting eventually saves the day. Agee's tongue-in-cheek scenario ends with a final double entendre. The outrageous yet gentle humor is sure to delight parents and children alike. Judith Gloyer, Milwaukee Public LibraryCopyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau | [
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12,151 | 0 | A monkey that takes refuge in the ruins of Buddha's temple during a monsoon sets the stage for these finely honed retellings of six Jatakas, or birth stories. As the monkey's eyes adjust to the light, he discovers he is in the company of a lion, turtle, jackal and dove, and a statue of "the Enlightened One" begins to speak. In each tale, Buddha assumes a different shape to impart his message of peace, attentiveness, tolerance and respect. Lee (The Song of Mu Lan) effortlessly and subtly weaves Buddhist practices and principles into her evenly paced tales. Each story is a study in brevity and restraint yet, like Buddha, conveys enormous empathy. For instance, after a heron, in a deceptive ploy, consumes all the fish in a lake, a crab outwits him then makes his way back to the water, "weeping all the while for his lost friends." Lee draws the frame story in black-and-white, with Buddha in teaching posture and the animals listening attentively. The full-color illustrations for each Jataka combine the strength of woodcuts and the fluidity of Chinese silk painting, with their serene landscapes in soft colors and confident black lines; the full-spread illustration of a lion heading off a stampede of animals bound for danger is especially moving. Fans of Aesop's fables and the Just So Stories will likely find these characters equally as compelling, while others will discover a gentle and graceful introduction to Buddhism here. Ages 5-up. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 2-5-A group of animals, sheltering in a cave from the fierce monsoon rains, hears a small statue of Buddha speak. The six stories he tells calm the beasts and teach them wisdom. Chosen from the hundreds of ancient Jataka tales, the selections are, like many of Aesop's fables, gems of moral philosophy. Lee's retellings not only encapsulate some of the teachings of Buddhism, but also suggest the centrality of Buddha in that religion. Each selection begins with a different incarnation of the Buddha: "I was then a willow tree..."; "I once was a monkey..."; "Long ago, I was born a golden antelope...." The smoothly flowing text shares each page with a bold block print, some in black and white and some with subtle colorings. Both words and pictures are arranged for reading aloud and invite comparison with other beast tales and discussions of Buddhist teachings. Like Demi's Buddha Stories (Holt, 1997), which shares only one tale with Lee's book, these stories will enrich collections of folk literature and parables from the world's religions.Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: I Once Was a Monkey: Stories Buddha Told | [
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12,152 | 0 | Starred Review. Grade 3-5This autobiographical story follows an African-American family on their difficult move from Alabama to Nebraska in the 1960s. The journey presents special complications for the young narrator, her siblings, and her parents; they can only buy fuel at "Negro stations" and shop in "Negro stores." Jessie has reservations about leaving all the good things she knows in the South but grows increasingly optimistic about improved prospects elsewhere as she gets farther from home. After several anxious days of driving, the travelers finally arrive in Lincoln, their new frontier. Lagarrigue's paintings are subdued but powerful and well-suited to Harrington's somber, poetic narrative voice. Contrasting shades and changing textures are used to evoke the characters' emotions and to highlight the passing landscape. On the endpapers, an outline map showing the family's journey is painted on a road map, setting the tone for the book. A brief author's note is appended. A solid choice for readers who aren't quite ready for Christopher Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham1963 (Dell, 1995).Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. It's 1964 in Alabama, and Jessie's African American family prepares to leave the South for better jobs and schools. Jessie knows that the best opportunities lie further north, but she doesn't want to leave her beloved grandparents and familiar home: "I wish my toes were roots. / I'd grow into a pin oak and never go away." Then moving day arrives, and the family piles into the station wagon for a long drive to Nebraska. In subtle, cadenced poetry, Harrington brings close the stark realities blacks faced in the segregated South ("Can't stop anywhere. / Only the Negro stations, / only the Negro stores") as well as Jessie's growing excitement as she considers what's ahead: "listening to the tires / make a road-drum, a road-beat: / good luck / good luck / good luck." Lagarrigue's paintings beautifully capture the family scenes in the car and the endless, shifting landscape from the window in soft-edged, thickly brushed strokes that heighten the emotions in Jesse's words--the nostalgia, the worry, and the bittersweet hope about a promising new place. Pair this with Jacqueline Woodson's Coming on Home Soon [BKL Ag 04], another quiet, powerful portrait of an African American child's view of family migration. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Going North (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards)) | [
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12,153 | 7 | A boy has a dreamlike encounter with a wise child who has fallen to earth from a spaceship in Gaarder's (Sophie's World) limp imitation of Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince. The page layout directly recalls that classic, and the illustrations even feature the same small planet and very similar-looking characters. The setup promisingly suggests the book is about a child who must reimagine his position in the world because of the arrival of a new sibling. As Joe waits alone at home for his parents to return from the hospital with a baby, he meets Mika, a boylike alien who teaches Joe that there are worldviews other than his own. Their conversations, however, are unfocused and somehow never urgent, only occasionally touching on issues related to Joe's becoming a big brother. They discuss the process of evolution, whether animals can think, how babies are born, the five senses, the existence of God, the structure of time, and the concept of meeting together on a mountaintop when each one lives in a metaphorical valley. Repeatedly, Gaarder reminds readers that certain ideas are important: "What Mika had said seemed to give a whole new meaning to everything we'd been talking about." Overall, a tepid exercise. Ages 7-12. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-4-Eight-year-old Joe is waiting alone at home for the birth of his sibling when he sees something fall from the sky. It's Mika, from the planet Eljo, hanging by the seat of his pants in Joe's apple tree. During the first meeting, the two explore the thought-provoking concept of when down becomes up and vice versa. This conversation begins a fast friendship for these two creatures from different worlds who discover they have much in common, and Joe teaches Mika all about planet Earth. The importance of questioning everything, from what's a pancake to religious beliefs, makes this gentle story fun to read as well as eye-opening. Gaarder shows how explaining what we take for granted to someone who's never experienced it can be exhilarating and fulfilling. The fact that Mika disappears when Joe's brother is born may be predictable to older readers, but doesn't diminish the magic of the book, nor does the obvious fact that Mika is in truth an alien version of the long-awaited baby brother. The story is written in the form of a letter to a child from her uncle, who was the same age as Camilla when his brother was born. Simple line drawings help keep the tone light and accessible in spite of the often deep discussions. Slow readers may find the philosophizing cumbersome and confusing, but the main themes of friendship, sibling love, and the ability to question and think on one's own are so clear and easy to understand that many children will enjoy this story.Linda Bindner, formerly at Athens Clarke County Library, GACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Hello? Is Anybody There? | [
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12,154 | 2 | Gr 5-7-Minnie's family, including her uncle, who lost a leg in the Iraq War, had to move when her dad "blew the whistle" at work and lost his job. Now Minnie is the new kid at Mojave Middle School, and she's not sure where she fits in. When a new language-arts teacher arrives at Mojave, she is unlike any teacher the sixth-grader has ever had. Young, hip Miss Marks encourages her students to ask questions-and draws negative attention from parents for her unconventional wardrobe and her tattoo, and for rumors that she's a lesbian. But Minnie loves Miss Marks; she makes Minnie think about important things and encourages her students to speak up. Because of this teacher, Minnie finds the courage to stand up for her Muslim friend and against prejudice, and eventually to stand up for Miss Marks, too. Readers will cheer this protagonist on as she finds her voice-and perhaps be inspired to make their own voices heard.-Laurie Slagenwhite Walters, Peachtree Montessori International, Ann Arbor, MI(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Minnie McClarys story starts well, but it slides into the predictable, before hitting readers with its message. Minnie finds herself in a new town, with her life turned upside down. Her uncle Bill, home from Iraq, builds a helicopter in the basement. Everyone in her family is fighting, and her only potential friend is Amira, a quiet Muslim girl in a headscarf. Enter Miss Marks, the inspirational renegade teacher who encourages the students to ask questions. Her looks and unconventional methods outrage parents and almost get her fired, until Minnies brave speech at a school board meeting saves the day and lets everyone know that prejudice is bad and they should stand against hate. The book is strongest when portraying Minnies friendship with Amira and her uncles adjustment to civilian life. Despite its flaws, these elements will be enough to warrant purchase in libraries needing more books with themes of acceptance and standing up for your beliefs. Grades 4-6. --Suzanne Harold; Title: Minnie McClary Speaks Her Mind | [
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12,155 | 11 | The homespun, old-fashioned charm of Small's (The Gardener) busy pictures makes the most of this winning narrative, first published in 1923 as one of Sandburg's Rootabaga Stories. The comedy begins on a Nebraska corn farm owned by the Huckabucks: Jonas Jonas, Mama Mama and their daughter, Pony Pony ("I call my pony-face girl Pony Pony because if she doesn't hear me the first time, she always does the second," quips her father). The family's crop yields a bountiful harvest. But when Pony Pony finds a Chinese silver slipper buckle in the middle of a squash, her parents predict this means that their luck is going to change, "and we don't know whether it will be good luck or bad luck." A fire in the barn causes a veritable blizzard of popcorn, with Pony Pony and her dog staring out at each other, goggle-eyed. The Huckabucks then take to the road for several years while they wait for "a sign, a signal" to return home. As they cover the Midwestern states, Small shows the family as a tightly knit trio, with a mother and daughter proud of Jonas Jonas's resourcefulness, whether he is driving a coal wagon or watching the watches in a watch factory. When the Huckabucks finally get their "sign" to return to their farm, Small makes the most of their homecoming: all the animals gather at the front door to welcome the Huckabucks home, newspapers spilling off the front stoop. He depicts the family's peripatetic lifestyle with wry wit and droll details, leading readers of this engaging book to feel they've met with the good kind of luck. All ages. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 4-Finally, another of Sandburg's Rootabaga Stories has been made into a picture book-and a fine one. Jonas Jonas Huckabuck, his wife Mama Mama Huckabuck, and their daughter Pony Pony Huckabuck raise popcorn. One day, the child finds a Chinese silver slipper buckle inside a squash. Her parents say it's a sign that their luck will change. Sure enough, that night a fire starts in the barn and the popcorn starts to pop, until the entire farm is buried in it. The family leaves, traveling throughout the Midwest. In different towns, Pony Pony proudly watches as her father drives a coal car, digs ditches, or works as a watch-factory watchman. On Thanksgiving, three years later, she opens a squash, and there's the mate to the silver buckle. It's another sign, and so the family returns to the farm, ready to grow anything but popcorn. Small's watercolors burst with hue; each panoramic double-page spread is full of detail and the people look extraordinarily human in figure and expression. With exuberant energy, the artist illustrates the reverence Sandburg held for the Midwest-its farming, industry, and people. He communicated it through his rhythmic text that is delicious on the tongue-that plays, details, catalogs, and repeats until the story feels like a spell. His classic Depression-era migrant-worker fairy tale should spring to new life with this new version.Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Huckabuck Family: and How They Raised Popcorn in Nebraska and Quit and Came Back | [
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12,156 | 2 | Gr 6-8-As a member of the Leadership Club and an honor student at Longwood Middle School, Sierra Shepard helped create the banner announcing its creed: "Rules Respect Responsibility Reliability." The school has established an ironclad zero-tolerance policy on weapons, but when Sierra accidentally takes her mother's lunch bag to school, she finds it contains a paring knife. A loyal rule-follower, the seventh grader turns the knife in to the office, assuming that her spotless record will exempt her from the consequences of breaking a rule. That is not the case. Sierra begins a weeklong in-school suspension during which she questions her assumptions about following rules, her classmates, her parents, and school administrators. Sierra also reexamines her feelings about Luke Bishop, the school "bad boy" who is more complex and interesting than she thought. Sierra is a realistic and appealing character whose experiences will resonate with readers who enjoy stories about school and friends. This compelling novel could also spark a discussion about the slippery nature of rules and how they are enforced. Unlike Mills's novels for younger readers, Zero Tolerance includes mild swear words scattered throughout, but they seem genuine for the age of the characters.-Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Seventh-grade honor student Sierra Shepards middle school has a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and weaponsa rule she agrees with until she is suspended for accidentally bringing her mothers lunch (containing a paring knife) to school. Suddenly, Sierra is denied access to her classes and extracurricular activities, thrown into in-school suspension, and thrust into the media spotlight with a push from her high-powered attorney father. The school administrators are nothing if not intransigent, but Sierra is also uncomfortable with her fathers tacticsuncovering a recent DUI conviction for the principal. Mills, the author of many humorous yet thoughtful novels contrasting the lives of perfect students and troublemakers, does not disappoint here. Sierras experiences transform her from an entitled Goody Two-shoes who expects the benefit of the doubt to a more mature young woman who understands that desperation and anger can result in choices that cause dire consequences. Recommend to fans of Mills other middle-school novels, including Lizzie at Last (2000) and Alex Ryan, Stop That! (2003). Grades 4-7. --Kay Weisman; Title: Zero Tolerance | [
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12,157 | 5 | Grade 2-5. A "wise-fool" story set in the deserts of Arabia. Hosni, a simple shepherd, works for a sheikh. Alone much of the day, he talks to his sheep; at night, he listens to the tribal elders' tales and dreams of faraway cities. When the sheikh goes to a city to sell camels, he takes some shepherds with him, including Hosni. Each one receives a golden dinar to spend as he pleases. Dazzled, the man wanders the busy streets and crowded markets, finally exchanging his dinar for a verse, words of wisdom from an old man. Of course, the other shepherds make fun of Hosni, and, of course, the verse?a bit of homely advice?not only saves his life, but also serves to introduce him to his future wife. Basing his story on a folktale, Ben-Ezer uses crisp, vivid language throughout; he includes descriptions and phrases that suggest the tale's setting. Shulevitz's illustrations add a light, comic touch. The sheikh appears stubby and self-important; the other shepherds seem foolishly self-congratulatory. Hosni alone has a quiet dignity. The desert provides the backdrop for most of the story; its stylized landforms echo the shapes of the city towers, which in turn repeat the shapes of the shepherds' turbans and camel packs. Colors include soft greens, blues, and reds, but a desert gold predominates. The hue suggests both Hosni's good fortune and the richness of his dreams.?Ellen D. Warwick, Winchester Public Library, MACopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Hosni the Dreamer: An Arabian Tale | [
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12,158 | 2 | On the first day of school, Miss Lucinda asks the students to introduce themselves and share a special talent. Going around the circle, it seems everyone's good at somethingMichael says he can write long words; Francesca excels at soccer; other students build sand castles, train dogs, draw cats. But Jack can't think of anything, listing instead what he is not good at, by reciting backin orderthe names and activities of the children before him. Miss Lucinda tells the class that the way Jack can remember things is a special talent itself, and she gives him the responsibility of handing out name tags. With simple, short sentences, Jack's feelings and worries are sympathetically portrayed in this supportive, positive read. Animated, expressive cartoon-style art, with colorful texture and detail, depicts the diverse characters and their various activities, in familiar school, home, and outdoor environments. A reassuring confidence booster, encouraging childrenand their adultsto think creatively about what they enjoy, their abilities, and how to recognize and celebrate individual accomplishments. Rosenfeld, ShelleWarm illustrations of the enthusiastic students help make this a nice choice for those just starting school. Kirkus ReviewsChildren will find piquant details in the pictures when they return to it later on their own. The Horn BookProvide[s] a springboard for discussions. Publishers Weekly; Title: Jack's Talent | [
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12,159 | 0 | Witty and silly in equal measure, Small's (Ruby Mae Has Something to Say) cheeky expose about the real reason the father of our country went into politics works on a number of conceptual levels. George Washington's farm is home to a host of precocious animals, including some secretive, moody cows ("They had to be dressed in lavendar gowns/ and bedded on cushions of silk/ .../ Begged every hour in obsequious tones,/ Or they just wouldn't give any milk"); house-servant hogs ("Always polite and impeccably dressed,/ They were certainly well-bred swine"); and a crew of scholarly sheep bent on mastering the mysteries of the universe. Illustrations are opulent and expansive, with both the overall conceits and the characters' costumes wonderfully imaginative and inventive. Buoyant rhymed couples have an across-the-board appeal, while the sly political joke that closes the tale will satisfy adults primarily: George, stymied by the animals ("My cows wear dresses, my pigs wear wigs/ And my sheep are more learned than me"), is last seen in a famous pose, being ferried across the Delaware, and saying, "Sell the Farm... I'll try Politics!" Smart entertainment. All ages. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 3?You may very well wonder how a man who could not tell a lie ever found his way into the political arena. Well, according to this outlandish historical tall tale, it all began at Mount Vernon. In description befitting the larger-than-life legend, Small relates the trials and tribulations that face gentleman farmer George Washington. As he is forced to cope with extraordinarily fussy cows, dandified pigs, and intellectually superior sheep, it soon becomes apparent that the man is simply not cut out for country living and he jumps at the chance to make a career change. The only thing funnier than this book's lighthearted, irreverent rhyme is its marvelous watercolor artwork. In accurately rendered detail, the artist's engaging double-spread cartoons depict the interiors and grounds of the historical site, and deftly incorporate the engaging, decidedly eccentric cast of characters, all in period costume. The future father of our country laments, "My cows wear dresses, my pigs wear wigs,/And my sheep are more learned than me./ In all my days on the farm I've seen/nothing to equal such tricks." Washington takes a backseat here, but, as is often the case, the forces that motivate greatness are many, varied, and wide open for speculation.?Luann Toth, School Library JournalCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: George Washington's Cows | [
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12,160 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 2This latest story about Jamela has all of the charm of the previous books. Here, the child is looking forward to her birthday and a shopping trip with her mother and grandmother. She gets a new dress but when she spies a perfect pair of sparkly Princess Shoes, she is told they are not practical and that she must choose something sensible enough for school. The sturdy black shoes she gets are not glamorousuntil Jamela decorates them with sparkly beads and glitter. Her mother and Gogo are upset that she has ruined them, but when a local merchant wants her to create more of her special Jamela Shoes to sell in the market, their anger subsides. The child proudly earns enough money to pay her mother back for her school shoes and is later rewarded with a special birthday surprise. Daly's exuberant watercolors are full of vitality. Details reflect South African life and culture, and the text is lightly sprinkled with Xhosa phrases. A wonderful addition to multicultural collections, this book would be a good choice for a birthday read-aloud or as part of a unit on saving or earning money.Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Pres-K. In the fourth book about the young Xhosa child growing up in a contemporary South African city, Jamela goes shopping for birthday clothes with Mama and Gogo (grandmother). She buys a nice dress, but Mama insists on practical, black school shoes rather than the sparkly ones Jamela loves. When Jamela decorates the school shoes with lots of glittery beads, Mama is angry, but a neighborhood artist, Lily, thinks the shoes are fabulous, and she and Jamela decorate more and sell them at the local crafts market. Then on Jamela's birthday, there is money for both kinds of shoes. As in Jamela's Dress (1999) and other books by Cape Town writer-artist Daly, the exuberant watercolor pictures show the girl in a vibrant multiracial neighborhood, and kids everywhere will relate to the joyful birthday story--the shopping, the crafts, the dreams, and finally the party with family and friends. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Happy Birthday, Jamela! | [
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12,161 | 2 | From the creators of the Caldecott Honor book The Gardener comes a handsome story about a young Amish girl's first visit to a big city. Each night Hannah writes to a "silent friend" (her journal) about the thrilling sights in Chicago: "If I stacked our home, the barn, and my one-room schoolhouse on top of each other, they wouldn't even reach the fourth floor of one of those huge skyscrapers! The city has more of everything. More buildings. More cars and buses. More people--all kinds of people--with almost all the colors of a quilt in their different clothes and faces." Her exuberance is tempered only by her homesickness, which is beautifully portrayed in illustrator David Small's pictures of Hannah's rural home, alternating with the exciting, strangely parallel depictions of city life. In the illustration for the above journal entry, for example, readers see the gridwork of city streets, with blocky skyscrapers in the background. On the next two-page wordless spread, Small reveals a view through Hannah's mind's eye of the women of her community working together on a similarly gridlike patchwork quilt. Hannah is an appealing guide to the city; readers will be mesmerized by her unique perspectives. (Ages 6 to 10) --Emilie CoulterHAn Amish girl makes her first visit to a city (Chicago, in this case) in another graceful and understated work by the collaborators of the Caldecott Honor book, The Gardener. In daily entries, Hannah addresses her diary as "my silent friend," as she excitedly recounts the day's activities and compares them to life back home. Each reference inspires the illustration that appears on the succeeding wordless spread --a scene from her rural hometown. Like her heroine, Stewart wastes no words; a simplicity and economy inform the prose. Small effectively depicts the spare, serene Amish lifestyle and, using a more subdued palette and a simpler line than in his previous work, effectively underscores the sharp contrast between the two settings.In one particularly engaging juxtaposition, Hannah describes a visit to a store. "I was staring at some strange dresses when a saleswoman suddenly held one up to my shoulders," she writes, then wonders if, at home, her Aunt Clara has finished stitching Hannah's dress. The accompanying illustration shows a store clerk holding up a red and white polka-dot party dress in a glittering shop dominated by elegantly clad mannequins. A turn of the page reveals Hannah's recollection of standing barefoot in her aunt's stark sewing room, holding up a simple blue shift. Another strong visual segue concludes this exceptional title and brings home its themes: On her final day in the city, Hannah gazes at one of Monet's paintings of haystacks in a museum and admits in her journal "how much I've missed [Aunt Clara] and my pony and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa and my sisters and brothers." Strong likenesses of the haystacks appear on the following spread, as the bus carrying Hannah and her mother home passes by a dusk-shrouded field. (Observant youngsters may notice that in Small's aerial view of the family's home and barn, found on the endpapers, these two buildings bear a resemblance to those in the background of Monet's painting.) As affecting as the book's graphics, Hannah's candid journal entries, filled with a wide-eyed wonder of the city, spill over with a contagious enthusiasm ("I feel like happiness has rushed up and grabbed me from behind"). Her trip to the city only seems to deepen her appreciation for her family's way of life. Readers will feel as though they have made a fast friend in this likable young heroine. They will not easily forget her. All ages.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Journey | [
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12,162 | 0 | Kindergarten-Grade 4Floy, nicknamed Squirrel, lives in the Yosemite Valley with her parents who own and operate a hotel. Her father hires John Muir as a handyman, and his knowledge of the animals, plants, and geology of the region captivates the feisty girl. He spends hours outdoors with her, showing her how to examine insects under a magnifying glass and to recognize glacier trails. But his naive, good humor and rugged, good looks also capture the attention of visitors. A rift develops between John and his boss, so the naturalist decides to move on. Squirrel is devastated but somewhat mollified when he shows her his special mountainside perch, where he assures her she will have her "best thoughts." The afterword explains how this fictionalized retelling of an actual relationship reveals much about the compelling founder of the Sierra Club. Both his gentle personality and steely determination to see his beliefs recognized by his peers come through clearly. On the other hand, Squirrel seems persistently petulant and often downright rude; the abrupt conclusion leaves readers wondering about this rather unlikable heroine. McCully's sure watercolors capture the stunning natural beauty of the area and provide a majestic backdrop for the small figure of Squirrel. This offering is best used to introduce Muir to budding naturalists or to supplement geology and conservation units.Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.K-Gr. 3. Once again, the creator of the Caldecott Medal winner Mirette on the High Wire (1992) makes a wild, small girl the center of stirring picture-book historical fiction. Floy "Squirrel" Hutchings, six, has always lived in the Yosemite Valley. In 1868, when John Muir finds a job in the hotel owned by Floy's father, the fierce, lonely kid defies the newcomer. But Muir's love for the natural world is contagious, and soon he's teaching Floy how to look closely at the rocks, trails, animals, birds, and plants around her. McCully's beautiful, double-page watercolor landscapes, many in strong shades of green and brown, show and tell how the great conservationist helps Squirrel discover the amazing world where she lives, from the tiniest ant to the towering mountains and valleys formed by glaciers. In an afterword, McCully talks about Muir's later work (he helped create Yosemite National Park and founded the Sierra Club) and about Floy's short life. The contrast between the child's "glowering loneliness" and the rich solitude she finds in nature will move young wilderness lovers profoundly. A bibliography is appended. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Squirrel and John Muir | [
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12,163 | 2 | Written in the late '40s but not taken on by L'Engle's agent, this posthumously published novel is more artifact than timeless story. As such, it will primarily interest readers who want to know more about the author of the groundbreaking A Wrinkle in Time, especially because an introduction by L'Engle's granddaughter Lna Roy identifies it as semiautobiographical. Elizabeth, like L'Engle a graduate of Smith College, has convinced her controlling guardian aunt to let her take a scholarship apprenticeship at a summer theater, even though her aunt vigorously opposes Elizabeth's lifelong passion for the stage. Set over a long weekend, the action revolves around Elizabeth's infatuation with a womanizing director from the city and her subsequent disillusionment; luckily a decent fellow is around to pledge his love to her. Even with a veil thrown over the characters' sex lives, L'Engle suggests the intimacy, good and bad, within a theater company, and her dialogue pungently evokes the period. The tidiness of the resolutions betrays the inexperience of the writerwhich, paradoxically, may endear this work to L'Engle fans. And although the conflicts are dated, the heroine's yearnings often transcend the '40s setting. Ages 12up. (June) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Grade 10 UpJust after college graduation, Elizabeth joins a summer theater troupe where she finds elusive love with Kurt, a pompous director, and deep friendship with her lanky, goofy colleague Ben. L'Engle revisits her own theater experiences at the beach in the 1940s, making this novel's salty breezes, musty shared quarters, and boardwalk burgers vivid. Beautifully unadorned language and fluid dialogue recall a bygone era that might feel foreign to modern teens. Even dated colloquialisms and social mores, however, cannot diminish L'Engle's magnificent rendering of a smart girl's guileless romantic missteps. Teens will cringe as Elizabeth swoons over Kurt and ignores the clear chemistry that she shares with Ben. They will quickly forgive her, as the young woman's unwavering sense of self, her heady belief in acting, and grounded acceptance of life's inequities make her a powerful, appealing character. The wonderfully simple, economic prose allows Elizabeth's revelations to shine with glimmering clarity, like moonlight on the ocean.Shelley Huntington, New York Public Library Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: The Joys of Love | [
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12,164 | 2 | Gr 9 Up-Brandon, a high school wrestler, must face the fact that despite his best efforts he isn't as hyper-masculine as he feels he needs to be. Acceptance of his gender fluidity will prove to be his greatest challenge. Brandon's stepfather, a symphony conductor, appears to need regular validation of his manliness, and his mother undergoes breast enhancement surgery to appear, presumably, more womanly. Vanessa, Brandon's girlfriend, is also a wrestler; she feels she can only have a true win on the mat once her opponent lets go of the thought that she's a girl. When he's not aggressive enough in the ring, Brandon's coach calls him Brenda. Eventually, he meets Angel, an attractive young woman whose birth certificate reads "male." Angel-empowered, self-loving, and equipped to help others-can support Brandon to be at home in his body and in his craving for feminine expression. This book is a strong addition to LBGT and general collections as a compelling story for reluctant readers and an educational piece on a topic that needs discussion. The use of typography for emphasis is occasionally awkward and self-conscious, but overall this novel-in-verse presents a clear, realistic narrative in various voices. It succeeds in conveying the message that "you are not alone" to transgender youth while helping everyone else get a handle on these often-tortured teens. The author succeeds in her mission to foster "greater understanding and acceptance of gender's vast and lovely variation." -Teresa Pfeifer, The Springfield Renaissance School, Springfield, MA(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.*Starred Review* When Brendan Chase types Want to be a girl into his Macs search engine, one word pops up: transsexual. In Clarks raw, honest debut novel, told in verse, three voices capture a few experiences of teens on the transgender spectrum. Brendan is not one of those people / whos always wanted to wear a dress. / Whos always known / he should have been born female. Sex with girlfriend Vanessa, although confusing, feels good, and Brendan questions throughout whether or not hes trans. Fortunately, theres an angel in his lifeliterally. Angel, trans without sex-reassignment surgery (My junk doesnt dictate who I am), fights against demons of her own and struggles to reconnect with her younger brother. Shes a volunteer at Willows, a center for queer teens, and eventually introduces Brendan to terms like gender identity, gender attraction, genderqueer, and gender fluid. Meanwhile, the third voice belongs to Vanessa, a girl on the boys wrestling team, who cant understand why her boyfriend, Brendan, is suddenly so distant. Unlike many novels that deal with one transgender character, this movingly explores so many gender identities, from the three main characters (each appears as a different font) to Angels roommates. A must-have for library shelves, this will be popular with fans of Ellen Hopkins. Resources and further reading conclude. Grades 9-12. --Ann Kelley; Title: Freakboy | [
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12,165 | 5 | A work of art, a work of love, a collector's item. Chicago Tribune Book WorldMaurice Sendak has drawn what must be some of his finest pictures for this book . . . The Juniper Tree returns Grimm to the whole family. The Boston Globe[Segal and Sendak] favor the odd, the pungent, the ambiguous; their Grimm has a salty, unfamiliar taste . . . Segal's translations achieve the spoken quality the Grimms aimed for . . . Sendak's drawings are monumental, hypnotic . . . I only wish the Segal-Sendak Grimm had existed when I was young. Walter Clemons, Newsweek[An] uncommon collection of 27 folktales--among them the strangest, most grotesque, mysterious and haunting in Grimm. The pictures are superb, and come from the darker, stranger side of [Sendak's] genius. The New York Times Book ReviewThe abiding value of the Segal/Sendak collection is that it can be read over and over, and each time one will discover a sparkling mot juste that Mrs. Segal has implanted in the text, and each time the study of Mr. Sendak's drawings will show forth a felicity not seen before. These two geniuses soar and dance together in the empyrean. The New Yorkertime one will discover a sparkling mot juste that Mrs. Segal has implanted in the text, and each time the study of Mr. Sendaks drawings will show forth a felicity not seen before. These two geniuses soar and dance together in the empyrean. The New YorkerLORE SEGAL (19282005) wrote numerous books for young readers, including Tell Me a Mitzi and Why Mole Shouted, both published by Farrar Straus Giroux. She was born in Austria and lived in New York City.MAURICE SENDAK (19282012) was one of the preeminent children's book illustrators and authors of the twentieth century. Best-known for the Caldecott Medalwinning Where the Wild Things Are, he was also the recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award for children's book illustration, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, and the National Medal of Arts.; Title: The Juniper Tree: And Other Tales from Grimm | [
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12,166 | 11 | Grade 3 Up?Kharms, a Russian author who "disappeared" during Stalin's regime, turned to writing for children when he could no longer safely publish his adult works. The 10 stories and poems presented here reflect an absurdist's view of life. The situations are often unsettling, the word images jarring, and the characters symbols for larger issues. In one story, a carpenter falls so often on the ice and is eventually so covered with bandages that his family no longer recognizes him and won't let him into his apartment. In one of the more accessible poems, people wave at balloons with hats, canes, rolls, cats, chairs, and lamps. Using a vibrant selection of colored inks, sketchy brushwork, and black outlining, Arnold's illustrations are a visual assault on the senses. Think of Dr. Seuss mingled with Marc Chagall. This may be the desired effect, but given the quirky, image-filled text, the pictures often seem unnecessary. It's as if every poem in Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends (HarperCollins, 1974) were illustrated by a dozen separate images. Some of the more successful artwork deals concretely with the social conditions of Stalinist Russia. For example, the poem "A Man Left His House" is perfectly complemented by a backdrop of search warrants. While this book will introduce Kharms's life and work to a larger audience, it is difficult to determine who that audience will be. The ideal readership may be older students who are studying the effect Communism had upon the Russian people.?Denise Anton Wright, Alliance Library System, Bloomington, ILCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc."A comic master of Russian juvenile." -- Michael Patrick Hearn; Title: It Happened Like This: Stories and Poems | [
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12,167 | 2 | Grade 1-4-Although Jean Laffite was a real figure, nothing much is known about him except that he was a pirate who preyed on the ships coming into New Orleans in the early 1800s, and that he fought heroically with the young United States against the British during the War of 1812. This tall tale recounts how he saves the Mississippi River and gains a huge friend. It tells how he himself was rescued by the river fishermen near New Orleans when he was a baby, and swam all the way to Minnesota and floated back when he was seven. But when Jean is 16, the river mysteriously dries up overnight, and he uses a little bit of cayenne pepper to solve a whale of a problem. This rollicking good yarn is brought to life with Cook's warm, glowing oil paintings full of action and humor. The story will be enjoyed as a read-aloud, as a shared one-on-one experience, or as part of a storyteller's repertoire. An excellent addition to any collection, particularly those specializing in Louisiana lore.Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 2-3, younger for reading aloud. The author of two adult books about New Orleans addresses children in this original tall tale about the Big Easy's most famous legendary citizen. Found (like Moses) in a basket on the river--the Mississippi, in this case--Jean quickly weans himself on chicory-laced coffee, and by the age of seven has performed such notable deeds as swimming the river's entire length. Here, he faces his biggest challenge--literally. It seems the Mississippi has been blocked by a huge stray whale. How to unstick this latter-day leviathan? A pinch of cayenne down the blowhole does the trick. The immense, ivory-colored whale towers over houses and local residents in Cook's swirling illustrations, but Jean is portrayed as a skinny, apple-cheeked Every Lad. As the relationship between hero and monster is never adversarial, this serves as a thought-provoking alternative to violent traditional tales, or such modern exemplars as Catherine Wright's Steamboat Annie and the Thousand-Pound Catfish (2001). John PetersCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Jean Laffite and the Big Ol' Whale | [] | Train |
12,168 | 16 | PreSchool-Grade 1A young girl wakes up and is excited to see snow on the ground. She drags her father out of bed and gets ready to go out to play, putting on her shirt, pants, socks, and snowsuit. Running outside, she exclaims, "Hello, snow!/Hello, sunshine!/Hello, wind!/Snowflakes tickle/On my chin." When her neighbor comes out, they build a snowman together and then go sledding. After they take a couple of spills, the friends go inside for some cocoa. The rhyming text uses simple language to highlight familiar activities. Done in pen-and-ink and watercolors, the cartoon illustrations are filled with action and humor and reflect the excitement of a snowy day. Vibrant colors make the indoor scenes warm and cozy, while the characters' brightly hued outdoor clothing stands out nicely against the white backgrounds. Although Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day (Viking, 1962) remains the first choice about this popular topic, Hello, Snow! makes an adequate addition.Rebecca Luhman, Greece Central School District, Rochester, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS-Gr. 1. A little girl drags her father out of bed in the early morning, bundles up for the cold, and rushes outdoors to play in the snow. After she builds a snowman with a neighbor child and his dog, they all go sledding until the final run ends in a pile-up, and everyone heads indoors for cocoa. Short and cheerful, the rhymed verses offer the voice of the child, who usually expresses herself in terms of hellos and good-byes. In her high-spirited mood, even the act of putting on a sock becomes a form of play: "Hello, sock. / Goodbye toe. / Hold on, piggies--In you go!" Always upbeat and often comical, the artwork captures and extends the joyful tone of the text. Heightened by effective use of white space, the illustrations, ink drawings with watercolor washes, are notable for their expressiveness, economy of line, and warmth of color. This is one winter picture book that lets you feel the snow. An irresistible addition to winter story hours. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Hello, Snow! | [
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12,169 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 2-A young karate student begins her class thinking that she can get back at the bullies who bother her younger brother. However, after taking the sensei's lessons to heart, Mary discovers that the martial art is about more than mastering self-defense; it helps individuals develop the inner confidence to "avoid a fight." The author includes vocabulary that will be familiar to students of karate as they pass from a white belt as a beginner through the various color levels. Mary's fellow students are a diverse group of boys and girls. The bright artwork illustrates one of the first katas, a combination of blocking and kicking stances. Double-page spreads alternate with pictures that show movement and action against red and orange dragon motifs. Even though this plot is message driven, there is a dearth of picture books featuring a young girl in martial arts. Couple this one with Brian Pinkney's JoJo's Flying Side Kick (S & S, 1995) for a unique sports-themed storytime.Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.K-Gr. 2. When bullies hassle her little brother, a young girl feels helpless. Then she joins her best friend at a karate class, and she's hooked. After practicing throughout the summer, she graduates to a yellow belt, gains strength and self-confidence, and succeeds in warding off the bullies--without violence. Leary's picture-book debut is more a vehicle for introducing karate basics than a well-developed story, but it's refreshing to see a girl starring in a martial arts title. Leary uses clear, simple words to describe both karate's thoughtful, meditative purpose ("karate is not to be used to show off") and its high-kicking, empowering action. The brightly colored illustrations, rendered in the fine lines and textures of colored pencils, capture the girl's excitement as she practices in front of her "Girl Power" poster and finds her inner dragon at the dojo. Pair this with Ann Morris' Karate Boy (1996) and Gary Hellman's The Karate Way (2001) for more picture-book views of the martial art. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Karate Girl | [
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12,170 | 1 | Readers can spot the grinning creature throughout, whimsically camouflaged into lush paintings that blend fantasy and reality . . . Forget about the elephant in the roomthe one in your imagination is a lot more fun. Publishers Weekly, starred reviewThe text gives pointers on elephant-spotting, while the sophisticated, textural artwork allows young readers to spot elephants that the obedient, fictional child does not see . . . Another tribute to imagination from highly creative partners. Kirkus ReviewsKulikovs colorful and playful mixed-media illustrations are a joy to peruse. With an elephant skillfully camouflaged on every page, adults and children will take delight in finding and pointing it out. BooklistKate Banks is the author of many acclaimed books for children, including the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner And If the Moon Could Talk. She lives in the South of France.Boris Kulikov is the critically acclaimed illustrator of many children's books. His work includes Papa's Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming; W is for Webster by Tracey Fern; and the Max's Math series, written by Kate Banks.He lives in Brooklyn, New York.; Title: How to Find an Elephant | [
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12,171 | 2 | Starred Review. Grade 25Shulevitz provides a note and early drawings to source this story based on his own childhood experience. A small boy and his parents flee Poland in 1939. They travel to Turkestan (modern-day Kazakhstan) where they live in one room in a house made of "clay, straw, and camel dung" with strangers. When the narrator's father returns from the bazaar with a huge map instead of bread to feed his starving family, his wife and son are furious. But the map turns out to provide food for his spirit as the youngster becomes fascinated by its every detail. Using his imagination, he can transport himself to all of the exotic-sounding places on it without ever leaving the dreary room in which it hangs. The folk-style illustrations, rendered in collage, watercolor, and ink, combined with the brief text, create a perfectly paced story. A page turn to discover where Father is going "one day" brings readers into a Russian bazaar with its crowds of colorful sellers and buyers, the scene closely resembling a drawing the illustrator made at age 10. Scenes framed in white depict the family boxed in by their desperate circumstances, first fleeing their war-torn country with its angry red-black sky, and then cramped in their small room in a distant land. The frames disappear as the boy imagines himself released from his confinement to travel his newly discovered world. This poignant story can spark discussion about the power of the imagination to provide comfort in times of dire need.Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Recasting a childhoodmemoryas a fictional tale, Caldecott Medalist Shulevitz revisits the journeying theme from his recentThe Travels of Benjamin Tudela (2005), while harking back to thefancifulsimplicity of Snow (1998) and So Sleepy Story (2006).Driven from home by a war that devastated the land,a family flees to a remote cityin the steppes.One day,the father returns from the market not with bread for supper but with a wall-filling map of the world. No supper tonight, Mother said bitterly. Well have the map instead.Although hungry,the boy finds sustenance of a different sort in the multicolored map, whichprovides a literalspot of brightness in the otherwise spare, earth-toned illustrations, as well as a catalystfor soaring, pretend visits toexotic lands.Shulevitzs rhythmic, first-person narrativereads like a fable for young children. Its autobiographical dimension, however,will open up the audience to older grade-schoolers,who will be fascinated by the endnote describing Shulevitzs life as a refugeein Turkestan after the Warsaw blitz, including his childhood sketch of the real map. Whether enjoyed as a reflection of readers ownimaginative travels or used asacreative entre toclassroom geography units, thissimple, poignantoffering will transport children assurely as the map it celebrates. Grades K-3. --Jennifer Mattson; Title: How I Learned Geography | [
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12,172 | 0 | Starred Review. Grade 2-4Statues of Esther Morris are found in front of the Wyoming State Capitol and in the United States Capitol, yet she is not as well known as Susan B. Anthony or Elizabeth Cady Stanton. White tells the story of the woman's achievements in helping to gain the vote for women in Wyoming and as the first female judge and the first woman in the United States to hold political office. However, even the author admits that only the barest facts are known about her subject's early life, her millinery business, and her two marriages. As a result, readers are given an appealing, inspiring story, but is it historical fiction or nonfiction? White is successful in depicting a strong, dynamic woman. Whether brewing tea or learning to sew, from an early age Esther adamantly states, I could do that!the mantra of her life. From New York to Illinois to the Wyoming Territory, Morris takes care of herself and her family while championing the abolitionist and suffragist causes. Carpenter's bright, lively chalk illustrations contribute to the cheerful, fast-paced tone of the story. Her work complements the understated text with humor-filled illustrations. To discuss voting and elections with young children, this title would work well with Emily Arnold McCully's The Ballot Box Battle (Knopf), or Elinor Batezat Sisulu's more modern The Day Gogo Went to Vote (Little, Brown, both 1996), set in South Africa.Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Gr. 2-4. Hatmaker, wife, mother, pioneer, and activist, Morris was instrumental in getting the vote for women in Wyoming, the first state to pass such a law. After a local judge resigned in outrage, Morris added insult to injury by taking his job--thereby becoming the first woman in the U.S. to hold public office. Inspired by the facts of Morris' life and punctuated throughout with the woman's read-aloud-friendly affirmations of "I can do that!" this may appeal to young readers more than Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge's fact-filled but workmanlike When Esther Morris Headed West (2001). White's carefully shaped text is amplified by Carpenter's folksy oils, which combine prim, period details and witty exaggerations in the spirit of her illustrations for the tall tale Loud Emily (1999). Children drawn by jacket art showing Esther as a little girl may be surprised that the story mostly features a grown woman, but they'll be quickly won over by a character so determined that, once an idea occurred to her, "it was more likely that things were about to change than that things would stay the same." An author's note and suggestions for further research conclude a well-crafted story that secures Morris a deserved place in the sorority of redoubtable picture-book heroines. Jennifer MattsonCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: I Could Do That!: Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote (Melanie Kroupa Books) | [
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12,173 | 13 | The spirit of Hokusai, the Japanese artist best-known for his Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, moves through the pages of Ray's (The Barn Owl) study with indefatigable energy. Born in 1760 and a rare peasant to rise to prominence during an era when Japan remained closed to the outside world, Hokusai outshone his masters and defied convention until his death at age 89. The painter, who never knew his father and whose mother died when he was just six years old, developed a quiet confidence and portrayed the peasantry from whence he came: " `I must paint the way my heart tells me,' he told wealthy patrons when they refused to buy his pictures of laboring artisans and humble farmers toiling in the fields." Ray's wash and colored-pencil illustrations depict Kabuki stages and fish markets that echo Hokusai's own sketches of everyday life (reproduced on the book's endpapers) yet her style remains her own. Instead of emulating the empty spaces and delicate brushwork characteristic of Japanese artwork, she drafts her figures with tangible weight and mass and clothes them in heavily shaded robes in deep blue, red and aqua. The text supplies plenty of historical background without undue complexity. Older children will be drawn to Hokusai's lively world, and adults will find inspiration in the man who wrote as he lay dying, "Even as a ghost/ I'll gaily tread/ the summer moors." Ages 7-up.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr 4-6-Born into poverty and orphaned at six years old, Hokusai longed for an environment that would allow him the opportunity to read and draw. Although faced with dire challenges, his determination and talent carried him through childhood until he could set his course on a road that led to greatness. Hokusai produced 30,000 works of art, including the famous Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. This picture-book biography tells of the life of a man who influenced Western Impressionists as well as Eastern talents. The text and evocative artwork provide details and scenes of everyday Japanese life in the 19th century. The illustrations include accomplished soft watercolor and colored-pencil paintings, labeled Chinese characters, drawings from the artist's sketchbooks, and a reproduction of Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa." Julia Altmann's One Day in Japan with Hokusai (Prestel, 2001) is a semi-fictionalized account of the man illustrated with his woodblock prints. Ray's delightful offering will be enjoyed by budding artists and biography fans, and will be a useful adjunct to studies on art, artists, or Japan and its culture.Ilene Abramson, Los Angeles Public LibraryCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain | [
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12,174 | 0 | Alder's clunky debut charts the rise and fall of King Harold, as seen by the fictional Evyn, the king's loyal Welsh servant and foster son. A regular Horatio Alger hero of Saxon England, Evyn finds his promising career as a storiawr (wandering storyteller) stopped short when his tongue is cut out by the high-born ruffians who killed his father. A few days later, Evyn's uncle sells the mute boy into slavery on the vast estates of Lady Ealdgyth Swan Neck, who, for some reason, arranges for the boy to be taught to read and write. Later, Evyn leaves Ealdgyth's household to serve her lover, Harold, Earl of Wessex. At this point the narrative really bogs down, becoming essentially a star-struck account of Harold's ascent ("It seemed to Evyn that all the power of the Saxon people was concentrated behind the muscle and bones of the Earl of Wessex") and his defeat at the hands of William the Conqueror. Characterizations are wooden and oddly distant: it's hard to get a sense of Harold's repeatedly emphasized charisma from Alder's clicheed phrases. A wealth of potentially fascinating historical details indicates thorough research; unfortunately, these snippets are poorly integrated into the story. Ages 12-up. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 7^-12. Eleventh-century Britain is the background for Alder's finely written account of a slave who becomes the chronicler of Harold, last of the Saxon kings. When Evyn is brutally attacked and rendered mute, his hopes of becoming a storyteller and escaping his life as a serf are shattered. Sold into slavery, he joins the household of Lady Ealdgyth, the common-law wife of Earl Harold of Wessex. Illiterate, mutilated, and feared by the thralls, Evyn becomes known as Shadow. When he is sent to a monastery to be educated, his future is altered forever. After his return, he saves the life of Earl Harold and follows Harold, as his squire and later as his foster son, from Wessex to London and eventually to the Battle of Hastings, where he witnesses Harold's death. On the journey, Evyn learns about loyalty, honor, and bravery, and he comes to realize that by chronicling the fate of his king, he has actually become a storyteller. Alder's vivid descriptions of the harsh conditions and customs of medieval life make the story come alive, and her brisk pacing never wavers. Evyn is an observant, sympathetic narrator, an apt recorder of the perilous times. Chris Sherman; Title: The King's Shadow | [
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12,175 | 6 | Agee's lighthearted black-and-white cartoons illustrate a roundup of clever palindromes--words and phrases that can be read from left to right and in reverse. Among the 60-odd entries are those depicting a handful of long-necked animals in the parking lot of the "Llama Mall"; "Emily's sassy lime" squirting a man in the eye; a chef screaming "Stop, pots!" to his runaway cookery; a feline sidling up to a bar and ordering a "pint a' catnip"; and a couple stranded on a small island engaged in conversation (" 'Nora, a raft . . .' 'Is it far, Aaron?' "). The publisher plays along good-naturedly: note the book's price and ISBN. It all adds up to plenty of fun . . . nuf said? How about one more: there's plenty in these pages to elicit more than one hearty "hah hah." All ages. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 6 Up-- This small volume of palindromes--words, verses, or sentences that make sense (well, sort of) when read backwards and forward--is a collection of offbeat humor. Gifted and talented students might find it creatively challenging. Each of the 60 entries is augmented by a funny, literal black-and-white cartoon. A fun book for the right audience. --Valerie Childress, J. W. Holloway Middle School, Whitehouse, TXCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Go Hang a Salami! I'm a Lasagna Hog! and Other Palindromes | [
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12,176 | 1 | Pranks prevail on the bayou when lollygagging Compere Lapin (aka Brer Rabbit) takes on Compere Bouki (which means "hyena") in these three lively folktales from the Pelican State. Lapin continually outwits Bouki, cleverly tricking him out of his cotton crop or playing dead in order to abscond with Bouki's seafood gumbo. Colorful vocabulary ("picayunish"; "hornswoggled") and peppery idioms ("greasier than a politician's palm") season each page, along with Doucet's (Why Lapin's Ears Are Long and Other Tales from the Louisiana Bayou) robust metaphors ("And there, as far as the eye could see, stretched sweet potato vines greener than ten-dollar bills and thicker than a passel of lawyers in cahoots"). Many of these literary devices require a sophisticated audience for full appreciation, as may also be true of Cook's (With a Whoop and a Holler) illustrations, with their abstract brushstrokes, recurring salmon and saffron hues and subtle details. But those who pay close attention will be rewarded by Lapin's canny expressions and droll mannerisms (e.g., chewing a mint leaf while clutching a glass of mint julep as he lolls in his hammock). Glossary and notes round out this highly polished presentation. Ages 5-up. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 5--Anyone who enjoyed Doucet's storytelling in Why Lapin's Ears Are Long (Orchard, 1997) and Cook's artwork in With a Whoop and a Holler (Atheneum, 1998) should enjoy this new romp that combines the talents of both individuals. The author takes readers back to the bayou for three more stories featuring Compere Lapin, this time as he plays all his tricks on Compere Bouki. Since these two are the Cajun alter egos of Brer Rabbit and Brer Wolf, readers shouldn't be surprised to find familiar plots from African-American folklore. The tale known as "Who Nibbled up the Butter?" in Joel Harris's The Favorite Uncle Remus (Houghton, 1973), the story called "Fox Goes Hunting but Rabbit Bags the Game" from Harris's Jump!: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit (Harcourt, 1986), and the episode popularized by Janet Stevens in Tops & Bottoms (Harcourt, 1995) all turn up here. There is even a Creole variation on the tar baby and the briar-patch tradition. Cook's paintings, perhaps his most impressionistic work yet, capture all of the action and humor of the text. Although some might quibble that none of the illustrations actually depict the bayou promised in the title, those from southern Louisiana know that it's not all swamps and cypress. The glossary and author's note will be helpful for folks unfamiliar with the historical background and Cajun terminology. Even collections that already have the other versions deserve this valuable lagniappe.Sean George, St. Charles Parish Library, Luling, LACopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Lapin Plays Possum: Trickster Tales From the Louisiana Bayou | [
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12,177 | 2 | PreSThis simple tale of helpfulness is a charmer. A little yellow duck lives side by side with monkeys, giraffes, gorillas, and elephants. He is wandering through some tall grass when he stops and says, "Uh-oh. I'm lost." A monkey in a tree answers, "I can help." On the following spread, the duck says, "Thank you, monkey!" as he is reunited with his mother. That episode is followed by the monkey needing help, with a giraffe coming to his assistance. The story continues this pattern throughout the book. The text is sweetly illustrated with descriptive pictures. After one reading, most children will pick up on the pattern and be able to read the book by themselves. This endearing story of friendship should have broad appeal for most libraries serving preschoolers.Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.The author of Here They Come! (2004) offers another preschool title, this one addressing seeking and finding help. When a duck gets lost in the grasses near his pond, a monkey helps him find his way. In turn, monkey is rescued by giraffe, giraffe by gorilla, gorilla by sunbird, sunbird by elephant, and elephant by the original duck. Costellos use of patterning is especially effective: each animal to be rescued is a juvenile; each rescuer says, I can help; and each thank you comes from a parent. The ink-and-watercolor artwork features simply drawn, brightly colored focal characters set against landscaped backgrounds suggesting an African savanna. The animals, except perhaps the sunbird, will be familiar to young listeners, and the added twist in the final spreads (duck is lost again, but new friends are ready to help) will amuse and reassure them. Spare, repetitive text and attractive artwork make this an ideal story-hour choice for even the squirmiest group. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Kay Weisman; Title: I Can Help: A Picture Book | [
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12,178 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2-Before he obeys his father's summons to bed, Little Monkey insists he must say good night. So he "scampers to the Big Top tent" where he is catapulted from one circus performer to another, singing out his good night to one and all. The result is a comic progression from Ringmaster to clowns to band to a somersault on the flying trapeze right into Mama and Papa Monkey's arms-accompanied by the roar and applause of the crowd. The whimsical cartoon paintings are essential to the enjoyment of the brief text. Using full- and double-page images framed in white as well as small vignettes, Walker enticingly paces the illustrations so that a page turn is required to reveal Little Monkey's next landing place. Young readers will enjoy guessing that a large backside and small tail belong to Elephant, that what seems like a ball is really Strongman's barbell, and that a ladder leads to the flying trapeze. The "Rat-a-tat!" of the band, the "Boing!" "Crash!" "Swoosh!" "Clunk!" "Swish!" and other sounds of Little Monkey's travels also provide great noisemaking opportunities. Little Monkey and that other star of the circus, Olivia, will provide youngsters with some delightful moments under the Big Top.Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CTCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreS-K. According to Papa Monkey, it's Little Monkey's bedtime, but the youngster first wants to tell everyone in the Big Top good night. Off he goes into the circus tent, leaping, swinging, and sliding ("Wheee!") from performer to performer, saying good night to Ringmaster, Lion, Elephant, and more, leaving havoc in his wake as well as an appreciative circus audience. Finally, it's back into Papa's arms, and bedtime at last. Playfully arranged action words and sound effects, both in large type, encourage participatory read-alouds, and Walker's illustrations are charming. He works in festive pattern play, abundant circus detail, and sweetly expressive performers, from jugglers to hoop-jumping poodles, all decked out in rainbow-colored, subtly textured costumes. As a bedtime tale, this romp may be a bit too stimulating, but there's no doubt that the circus setting and the playful rendering of the familiar good-night-to-all ritual will capture an audience. Shelle RosenfeldCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Little Monkey Says Good Night | [
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12,179 | 2 | Gr 6-10-The fascinating and often strange history of the X-ray is traced from its accidental discovery by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895 through its extremely sophisticated, life-saving uses today. Its early applications, often unwittingly hazardous and/or comical, included near sideshow antics wherein crowds gathered to see their own bones or create X-ray portraits of themselves, as well as creative ones, such as Thomas Edison's harnessing the power into a machine with medical diagnostic potential. McClafferty's chronicling of examples of the uses and abuses and "schemes and dreams" of the discovery, as well as the delayed realization of its dangers, makes for interesting reading. There are occasional dips into patronization of its adolescent audience. ("The only way underwear could be X-ray-proof would be if it was made from lead. OUCH!") Ouch, indeed. Black-and-white archival photos appear on nearly every page with engrossing documented explanations. Art applications through current medical and industrial uses, along with a nod at future possibilities, are also discussed. Students will applaud this book, even if teachers wince at the occasional hokeyness.Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CACopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr. 6-9. When the German scientist Wilhelm Roentgen conducted his experiments with X rays he amazed the world with the newfound ability to see inside the human body. Soon X rays were used in medicine as well as in novelty sideshow acts. Unfortunately, it took people a long time to discover the deadly effects of radiation. The first two-thirds of the book explores the follies and successes in the early days of X rays. The last third goes into some of the technology's current applications beyond the world of medicine: paleontologists, art authenticators and restorers, Egyptologists, and astronomers all use X rays. The author, rather than merely producing a litany of experiments and milestones, recounts this scientific history through human stories, which makes for fascinating reading. A glossary, Web sites, a list of further readings, and a selected bibliography are appended. Todd MorningCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Head Bone's Connected To The Neck Bone: The Weird, Wacky, and Wonderful X-Ray | [
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12,180 | 0 | Starred Review. Grade 47In the voice of her sister Audrey at age 11, White has created a fictionalized memoir of her life as a child in a Virginia coal mining camp. It is 1948, and the family is living in grinding poverty with an alcoholic father and a mother who suffers periods of depression. School bullies torment Audrey, calling her Skeleton Girl (her weight "fell off" during a bout of scarlet fever), and dare her to climb the water tank at night and walk around the perimeter. Shining through the gloom are Audrey's friendship with classmate Virgil, whose cleverness averts the potential water-tank catastrophe, and the compassion of her teacher, Miss Stairus, beloved by all. Audrey's physical hunger and her longing for a better life are palpable, but it is only through tragedy that a better future emerges for the Whites. Details of setting and time are pitch perfect; spare, lyrical language combines skillfully with dialect; and humor infuses the story as the kids share jokes, including some based on the "Little Audrey" comic strip. Characters are carefully drawn and nuanced, and there is neither saccharine sentimentalism in Audrey's relationship with her younger sisters whom she calls the three little pigs, nor are her father and his enabling parents demonized. A note to readers and cover and interior photographs of Audrey and her mother and sisters make this story all the more real and compelling. A little gem.Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Based on incidents from her own life and told in the voice of her older sister, Audrey, White offers a heartfelt story of what its like to be poor, hungry, and sometimes happy. Its 1948, and Audrey lives in a Virginia coal-mining camp with her father, who drinks; her mother, who drifts away, if not physically, emotionally; and her sisters, the three little pigs. Eleven-year-old Audrey has her own troubles. Illness has left her eyesight compromised, and she isso thin kids call herSkeleton Girl. Yet its her familys troubles that weigh on her most. Will her fathers need for drink rob them of the money they need for food? Will her mothers sadness about the death of baby Betty Gail pull her even further away from the family thats left? This is a small book, both in size and in the scope of its story. Yet it is fierce inits honesty while remainingutterly childlike. The first-person narrative allows readers to see clearly, through Audreys damaged eyes, the real people who inhabit this world,a place where smiles comefrom a movie or a piece of candy, and how hunger or the fear of it taints everything. A tough, tender story. Grades 5-8. --Ilene Cooper; Title: Little Audrey | [
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12,181 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 3In this wordless picture book, an unhappy child sits at a table holding a fork over a plate of food. She obviously isn't excited about her supper and is sent to her room. After she goes to sleep, her stuffed bear awakens her and takes her on a walk. They meet up with some wild animals and play until finally the bear falls asleep and the girl lies down close to him. The next morning, she looks at her stuffed bear still sprawled on his back, and then walks downstairs and hugs her mom. Yum's evocative linocut illustrations offer ample context for a child to imagine what the little girl is feeling, and how her mood changes over the course of the night. White, pink, and yellow tones blend and contrast in her face to sometimes resemble a mask. Not all children will fully appreciate the indistinct look of the pictures; however, their sweet poignancy is palpable. Many adults will view this book as a useful tool to encourage children to explore and cope effectively with feelings of anger as they compose their own explanations for the series of events so vividly represented in this eloquent book.Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Small in design and wordless in execution, this story of a young Asian girl,unhappywith her dinner, will strike a chord with many children. Impressively combining her painting and printmaking skills, Yum first offers an image ofthe girl obviouslymiserable about whats on her plate. Mothers angry shadow is enough to make readers understand why the girl must go to her room, where a stuffed bear offers comfort. But as the girl sleeps, something magical happens: the bear becomes real and offers his paw for a journey into the night. A mysterious and intriguing two-page spread shows the girls house, ordinary and everyday, sitting next to a deep forest inblues and blacks lit by a golden moon. The compact book becomes momentarilyvertical as the animals of the woods are introducedand playtime ensues, but those looking very, very carefully will see the girl subtly change mood. Perhaps being in a forest with boisterous foxes andlions is not so much fun after all, and when the bear falls asleep, the girl stares pensively at theground. Then it is morning, and the bear is once again inanimateand Mother welcomes the girl home. With so much depth and emotion, the art makes words superfluous. Their absence gives kids room to think. Preschool-Grade 1. --Ilene Cooper; Title: Last Night | [
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12,182 | 2 | K-Gr 2Rainbows, hearts, stars, and general sweetness abound in this story about Love Monster and his experiences in the aptly named town of Cutesville. While everyone else is getting excited about Present Day, Love Monster is nervous. He wants to give an absolutely perfect gift to his "bestest of friends" but finds that even though the shops have lots of "wonderful, shinyful" things, he doesn't have enough money to buy any of them. Just when he thinks that he will completely disappoint his perfect person, he is inspired to give the kind of gift that money cannot buy. The bold, expressive illustrations (with lots of pink and purple hues), created through solar etching printmaking, are full of brightness and energy, completely matching the story's mood, characters, and setting. Subtle humor apparent in the artwork will appeal to readers young and old. With a timeless message of the importance of friendship and the Love Monster's lesson that something "doesn't have to cost the earth to mean the world," this is a lovely book to share around a holiday or before beginning a crafting project or to recommend to any little ones with concerns about their family's finances.Whitney LeBlanc, Staten Island Academy, NYThis follow-up to Love Monster shows the titular, loving little beastie trying to find the perfect present for the monster he thinks "is the most perfect monster in the world." . . . The best gifts are those that come from the heart, and this book surely comes from Bright's Kirkus ReviewsA timeless message of the importance of friendship and the Love Monster's lesson that something "doesn't have to cost the earth to mean the world," this is a lovely book to share around a holiday. School Library JournalAdorable puns, fuzzy monsters, and a meaningful message about what constitutes a good present make this a cheerful holiday read. Annie Miller, Booklist; Title: Love Monster and the Perfect Present | [
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12,183 | 2 | Grade 47Korczak was a doctor, writer, and advocate for children's rights in pre-World War II Poland. He ran an orphanage for Jewish children and acted as a beloved father figure right up until he and the children perished together in Treblinka. Bogacki's picture-book biography is heartfelt and well researched. However, it seems overwhelmed by its own subject, as the author condenses the details of Korczak's upbringing and the context of the Holocaust into a backdrop for the story of the orphanage. As a result, Korczak doesn't come across as the fascinating man he was, and the book is a bit confusing. Bogacki's childlike illustrations seem wrong for the dark subject matter and dark scenes, particularly since most children don't learn about the Holocaust until fifth grade, and these pictures seem too young for that audience.Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.The endpapers offer a study in contrast, the first showing Warsaw before the war, full of red rooftops and tall trees, while the closing spread shows Warsaw after the war, awash with shadowy silvers and grays. An author's note describes how Boagacki, himself Polish-born, grew up hearing the stories of Korczak. Bulletin of the Center for Children's BooksInspiring is a rare word for a realistic Holocaust title, but it is true of this picture-book biography. BooklistFor anyone teaching about the Holocaust, this moving portrait of humanitarian Janusz Korczak is worth a look. Instructor...this is a gorgeous, gently-told book that every Jewish kid should eventually read. TabletA passionate picture-book biography of the Holocaust-era children's advocate and doctor. Kirkus Reviews; Title: The Champion of Children: The Story of Janusz Korczak | [
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12,184 | 2 | Grade 5–8—This thoughtful coming-of-age novel tells the story of Lucy and her summer before entering junior high. As a self-described wimp, she is highly influenced by her friend Megan, and the two have spent the summer obsessing over ways to ensure their popularity in seventh grade. One tip is to stay away from dummies, aimed toward Eddie, a boy with Down syndrome whom Lucy has been playing with as a summer job. When Lucy goes to spend the final days of vacation with her grandmother, a potter, and Eddie shows up two days later, she experiences subtle lessons that make her realize that there is more to life than what others think of you. Memorable aspects of the book are Lucy's honest voice and the natural dialogue between characters. Lucy's insecurities and inability to stand up for what she knows is right, particularly when it comes to Eddie, make her a compelling character. Hobbs has achieved a perfect balance; she is on the verge of being a teenager, but also wants to cling to the simplicity of childhood. This is most evident in her relationship with her grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimer's. In this simple, yet sophisticated story, most of the conflicts are resolved rather quickly, if not a bit too neatly. However, the results of these conflicts are more important and resonate throughout the story. There is also a satisfying open-endedness that leaves readers with a sense of hope, despite the knowledge that challenges still exist.—Kerry Roeder, The Brearley School, New York City (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Lucy's story will encourage young readers to find courage for adventure. The Topeka Capital-JournalLike the final stretch of freedom before school begins, there's something quietly magical--and bittersweet--about Hobbs's (Anything but Ordinary) latest novel. Hidden beneath the ordinary anxieties of a 12-year-old starting middle school (Will she be popular? Will her clothes be the right style?), lies a tearjerker that is both insightful and penetrating. Starred, Publishers WeeklyThis is a touching book that makes the reader think about problems outside of themselves. Library Media ConnectionThe storys finely tuned realism is refreshing, particularly in Lucys yearning for social acceptance and in the fully drawn and wholly memorable characters. Starred, BooklistEngaging and thoughtful. Kirkus ReviewsThis thoughtful coming-of-age novel tells the story of Lucy and her summer before entering junior high . . . . There is also a satisfying open-endedness that leaves readers with a sense of hope, despite the knowledge that challenges still exist. School Library Journal; Title: The Last Best Days of Summer | [
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12,185 | 2 | Grade 5-8 - Marcia Faitak enters eighth grade with pimples and five extra pounds, the latter due to her immobility over the summer from a broken ankle. Her immediate goal is to improve her self-image and make Alex Ryan invite her to the October school dance. She gathers advice from books, friends, and her sister, but her efforts to impress Alex are clumsy, and she reminds him that he caused her injury. Marcia has other challenges - her incredibly picky art teacher, her disgruntled French teacher, and community service at a local nursing home. While her friend Lizzie records the residents' histories, Marcia offers the ladies makeovers and learns that beauty has more to do with personality and outlook than with physical appearance. This lesson carries over into her own life and helps her to become a better artist, more comfortable with herself, and more empathetic. Best of all, Alex finally asks her to the dance. As she gets ready for the big night, she receives news that one of her friends at the home suffered a heart attack, and Marcia makes the tough decision to be with the dying woman. This humorous, appealing tale is realistic, touching, and evenly paced. Pair it with Ben Mikaelsen's Petey(Hyperion, 1998), another intergenerational friendship story. - Alison Grant, West Bloomfield Township Public Library, MI Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 4-7. In the last of the five books about kids in West Creek Middle School, the focus is on pretty, popular Marcia Faitak. Already distraught that she has gained five pounds and has two pimples that won't go away, Marcia is also worried that Alex won't invite her to the school dance. It seems an extra irritation when her social studies teacher requires students to do a community service project in a nursing home. Who wants to work with "senile, drooling old people"? Meanwhile, Marcia's demanding art teacher tells her to stop drawing Barbie pictures and to find inner beauty. Marcia offers the old people beauty makeovers, and most are thrilled to get their nails done and tell their stories. Of course, she does find individual truth behind the stereotypes, but the message is never heavy because Mills' realistic characters--kids, teachers, parents, and the elderly--show anger, sadness, humor, and surprise. Readers new to the series will want the other books, too. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Makeovers by Marcia (West Creek Middle School Series) | [
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12,186 | 2 | This engaging sequel to Losers, Inc. and You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman gives the title character of the latter novel a minor role, while placing the refreshingly candid Lizzie Archer center stage. Determined to shake off her reputation as a nerd, Lizzie puts on a new face at the start of seventh grade. She exchanges her flowing lace dresses for jeans and tank tops, feigns dumb in math in a misguided attempt to impress a boy, abandons her beloved poetry-writing and imitates the guy-pleasing giggling of a popular girl in her class. While avoiding the melodramatic, Mills credibly conveys Lizzie's inner turmoil as she struggles to be normal yet fears she will "never understand the rules of the popular girls' game." On a class trip to the rare books room of a university library, the heroine, inspired by Emily Dickinson's individuality, suddenly realizes that she can be herself without worrying about what others think and without severing the new bonds that she has made with her classmates. With her likable heroine and strong supporting cast, Mills delivers a timely message to middle graders confronted with peer pressureAand facing a case of the back-to-school jitters. Readers will likely turn the final page of this story hoping that this isn't the last they hear of Lizzie. Ages 8-12. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 5-7-An enjoyable and realistic portrayal of an adolescent who is trying to fit in. Lizzie Archer, an individualistic preteen whom readers may remember from You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman (1999) and Losers, Inc. (1997, both Farrar), is starting seventh grade. She loves to write poetry, plays the flute, and is the smartest student in her class, especially in math. She shops at thrift stores-not for ordinary clothes, but for long lacy dresses that call to mind Emily Dickinson, her favorite poet. Lizzie's uniqueness has made her the target of torment in the past. Her decision to change her situation results in a quest for "the new, improved Lizzie," but she's not sure whether taking advice from the most popular girl at school is the right idea. Readers will cringe at the decisions Lizzie makes as she struggles toward her perceived goal of being "normal." She realizes, after a few blunders, that she has the strength to stand up for herself and what she loves. Mills has all the elements of middle school in place and deftly weaves a story that is both sensitive and humorous. Readers will empathize with this appealing protagonist and delight in her accomplishments.Patti Gonzales, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Lizzie At Last | [
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12,187 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 4 This title provides a creative twist on the new-sibling theme. Lizzie, a passionate, gifted storyteller and writer, receives a lot of attention until her brother is born. As Marvin gets bigger, he messes up her bedroom, spills her oatmeal, and decorates her favorite stuffed bear with golden glitter. The second grader finds an outlet for her jealousy and anger by writing stories: about a beautiful princess who banishes an ugly prince to a desert island, a scary Marvinosaurus, a dangerous Marvinfish. She entertains her teacher and class by acting the stories out while telling them. Everyone is captivated by confident and prolific Lizzie's abilities. Miss Pennyroyal's new assignment is to create a comic-book character who will have lots of adventures. With a deadline looming, Lizzie develops a serious case of writer's block something was missing. Then an unexpected dose of inspiration comes from her little brother when he returns home from visiting Gramma. Expressive watercolor and ink cartoon illustrations done in soft hues have humorous elements, such as young Marvin standing on a stack of books in his crib. This is a good choice to share with children coping with and learning to accept a new sibling. Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.An only child, Lizzie has always enjoyed making up stories about girls and princesses, but after Marvins birth, her parents have little time to listen to her tales. Annoyed when her growing brother messes with her things, she responds by writing narratives about an ugly prince, a nasty pirate, and the Marvinosaurus. Lizzie is thrilled when brother leaves with Mom for a short trip, but while he is away, she finds herself unable to create a hero for a comic book. Upon Marvins return, her writers slump ends, and she creates The Amazing Adventures of Marvin (with Big George the Wonder Dog). Sullivan has found an oblique way to write about the ups and downs of a school-age child adjusting to a much younger sibling, and she carries it out with skill. Bringing the story to life, Tusas strong, quirky line-and-wash drawings define characters and settings, add bits of visual humor, amplify the books emotional content, and give the jacket its winsome appeal. Grades K-3. --Carolyn Phelan; Title: Once Upon a Baby Brother | [
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12,188 | 11 | Daly (Bravo, Zan Angelo!) splashes luminous watercolors across the pages of this warmly evocative picture book, set in his native South Africa. Jamela's mother purchases a length of costly fabric for a wedding, and after washing it, leaves Jamela in charge of the cloth while it dries. Jamela, however, can't resist playing dress-up with the gorgeous material. As she struts through town trailing the fabric like a train, passersby greet her with the refrain "Kwela Jamela African Queen!" She poses for a triumphant photo, but is crestfallen when a boy on a bike accidentally spoils the fabric. But all's well that ends wellA when her photographer friend wins a cash prize for the photo he took of regal Jamela, he replaces the ruined material. Daly displays a knack for pinning down domestic details that will resonate with his audience, from Jamela teetering about in her mother's red shoes to the look of contrition on her face as she gets a scolding. The affectionate interaction between mother and daughter is particularly well delineated; the bond of love between them emanates from the warmth of the oranges and yellows in the fabric at the center of the tale. Subtle accents add to the exotic flavor of the setting, from the Nelson Mandela poster hanging on a shop's wall to the chickens running loose in the streets. A sympathetic and light-hearted slice of life. Ages 5-up. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Set in South Africa, Jamela is to guard the material for her mother's dress drying on the line. Attracted by its bright hues, Jamela forgets her duty in the quest for fun. Other fun-lovers will feel empathy for her self-induced problems. A 1999 Parents' Choice Silver Honor Winner. (Kemie Nix, Parents' Choice). -- From Parents' Choice; Title: Jamela's Dress | [
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12,189 | 0 | Dash (We Shall Not Be Moved) pens an engrossing tale of the scientific contest for the Longitude Prize, which was offered through a 1714 act of the British Parliament in response to the devastating loss to the British navy of four battleships and hundreds of sailors. Opening with a gripping historical account of a shipwreck, the author sets up a compelling argument for the need to determine a vessel's position on the open sea. Without means for determining longitude, "English ships had been sailing everywhere in the Western world, relying on charts and maps that often had little relation to reality." The Parliament establishes the prize for "any device or invention for determining longitude" with a reward "roughly equal to $12 million today." (Even Isaac Newton competed.) Enter unlikely contender John Harrison, a carpenter and clockmaker, "a loner, plain-spoken, often tactless, with a temper he couldn't always control, and a genius for mechanics." Dash spotlights Harrison's biography as she navigates scientific and cultural history, describing the dynamics between officers and sailors. (She also mentions the role of Captain James Cook, of the Endeavour, in proving the worthiness of Harrison's inventionDCook figures prominently in Hesse's Stowaway, reviewed above). Petricic's caricaturelike drawings and the ragged-edge paper lend the volume a touch of class. Dash begins with more panache than she ends with, but keeps the suspense high throughout. Fans of science, history and invention and anyone who roots for the underdog will enjoy this prize of a story. Ages 10-up. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 6 Up-This rousing history focuses on the life of the British clockmaker who invented an ingenious way of measuring longitude at sea. This form of measurement was undeveloped in the 18th century, so the British Parliament offered a prize of 20,000 pounds to the first person to come up with an accurate system. John Harrison eventually succeeded overcoming not only the practical problem, but also the prejudices of the scientific community against his humble background and his unusual method. Dash is enthusiastic about her subject, injecting true drama and excitement into the narrative without veering from history. Her explanations of science concepts are clear and easy to follow. Though Harrison's work is key, his life intersects that of many other colorful characters, including Edmond Halley and King George III, all of whom emerge as interesting individuals. Many parts of Harrison's life are unrecorded, but the text always clarifies which areas are speculation or fact. In fact, the piecing together of data by historians becomes a fascinating element of the book, giving readers insight into the challenges and techniques of biographical research. Petricic's small, clever illustrations that open each chapter enhance the text. Dava Sobel's Longitude (Walker, 1995) brought Harrison to the attention of many adults, but The Longitude Prize may need a push to find a young audience. Consider recommending this high-quality title for biography assignments, for inventor reports, and for fans of Jean Latham's Carry on, Mr. Bowditch (Houghton, 1955).Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Longitude Prize | [
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12,190 | 0 | Grade 3-6Entering America from China will be difficult for 12-year-old Sun because of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, even though he will be traveling with his father. He studies hard so that he can answer all of the questions the American officials will ask upon his arrival; he will be alone because his father, a returning merchant, will not have to be interrogated. When he arrives on Angel Island, where Asian immigrants are held for sometimes up to a year, he waits four weeks to be called. The only questions that he cant answer are about directions, and it seems that he might fail the test and be sent back to China. Finally, with the help of a compass, he passes the test. Based on the experiences of the authors father-in-law, the book recounts a story from a neglected and shameful era in United States history. An authors note gives readers more information about the history of Chinese immigration and suggests resources for further research. Chois soft illustrations, reminiscent of those in Allen Says Grandfathers Journey (Houghton, 1993), capture the spirit of the time with beautiful visual detail. This is a significant book; from it, students will learn much about this chapter in U.S. history.Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Gr. 3-5. Like Katrina Saltonstall Currier's Kai's Journey to Gold Mountain (2005), this poignant picture book is about a Chinese immigrant boy trying to join his father^B in America. But this story is much more detailed, with a lengthy text that describes leaving the old country as well as the difficulties of getting into the new one. Drawing on her father-in-law's experience, Lee tells of Sun, 12, whose family employs a tutor to help prepare him for American officials' questions. Sun must memorize minute details about his home in China to prove that he is his father's true son. Indeed, Sun is detained on Angel Island, where he is interrogated for a month, and where he makes friends with two "paper sons," who have made up identities to get into the country. The story is told with quiet restraint; there are no emotional partings from Sun's mother in China, no tearful reunions with older brothers already in California. But the tension is always there, and Choi's beautiful, full-page oil paintings, in sepia tones and shades of green, are quiet and packed with feeling--especially evident when the boy, stripped to the waist, endures the humiliating medical exam and when, dressed in suit and tie, he faces his interrogators, trying to remember his story. Pair this with Lawrence Yep's Tongues of Jade (1991) and other stories of immigrants detained on Ellis Island, terrified of being sent back. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Landed | [
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12,191 | 15 | Grade 2-5-Ray traces the development of Bartram's passion for learning about nature, first as an assistant to his father, botanist John Bartram, and then as a partner with unique interests of his own. Told through first-person journal entries, the story begins on William's eighth birthday in 1747 and follows his developing observational and drawing skills, his friendship with Benjamin Franklin, and the various expeditions he took with his father through the northeast colonies. An adult William accompanied the elder Bartram to Florida, then stayed there for 10 years to explore the flora and fauna of this wild land and became friends with various Native peoples, including the Seminole, who christened him "Puc Puggy" (flower hunter). An afterword fills in some of the gaps left by the narrative and offers a detailed listing of the many specimens identified by the Bartrams. The delicate watercolor-and-gouache illustrations capture the quiet joy that William found in nature, and the accompanying text is printed against a parchment background that simulates his diary, complete with labeled pencil sketches of plants and animals. The journal format means skipping great portions of Bartram's life, which is a bit jarring; major events, such as the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War, are briefly mentioned. Overall, however, this quiet book is a fitting tribute to a dedicated and talented naturalist.Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, ColumbiaCopyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 3-5. Graced with appealing illustrations, this handsome book introduces naturalist William Bartram. The story begins with eight-year-old William helping his father, botanist John Bartram, find, cultivate, and study native American plants. As William grows up, he accompanies his father on expeditions to gather new plants and develops his skills in drawing plants and animals. Beginning in 1747 and ending in 1777, the story is based on fact but written as a series of fictional journal entries. The subjects are not all botanical. William also brings in political events, the family's friendship with Benjamin Franklin, religious beliefs, and sometimes-dangerous expeditions in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The last pages include a hand-colored engraving by William Bartram, biographical notes on William and his father, a list of some of the plants they first identified, an author's note, and a source bibliography. Large watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil illustrations interpret the story with great warmth and beauty. This unique book offers students a different perspective on life in eighteenth-century America. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Flower Hunter: William Bartram, America's First Naturalist (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12) | [
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12,192 | 2 | Gr 1-3-In the latest addition to the series, Grandpa helps his grandson overcome an emotional obstacle that many children will relate to-performance anxiety. Gus excels during basketball practice, but he is unable to perform during games. The yelling and screaming render him helpless and unable to use his skills. With a sympathetic ear, Grandpa reminds the boy that the voices he hears during the game can be turned off like a hearing aid, a trick his grandfather uses when he needs to hear himself think. Using this advice, Gus takes the winning shot. As in Gus and Grandpa Ride the Train (1998) and Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike (2001, both Farrar), the warm relationship between the two is conveyed through the man's loving support for his grandson's interests. Stock's illustrations, which stand alone on certain pages and are integrated with the text on others, have a vintage quality to them; their watercolor and pencil strokes yield earthy browns and soft blues. The gentle tones and emotional truthfulness complement Mills's text impeccably. Filled with fast-paced action and a bit of humor, the story is also rich with lessons in persistence, achievement, and family relationships, and is well suited for reading aloud as well as for beginning readers.Louie Lahana, New York City Public SchoolsCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr. 2-4. The seventh story about Gus and Grandpa is one of the best. Gus starts basketball, and he's good at it. He makes a basket on the first day of practice, but when it comes to a real game, with his parents watching and everyone shouting what to do, he's so nervous that he messes up. That's when Grandpa helps out: he explains that he always turns off his hearing aid when there's too much noise and tells Gus to try the same on the court. Simple without being condescending, this will have huge appeal for new readers and for reading aloud. The words and watercolor pictures are packed with the noisy excitement of the game. They are also eloquent with quiet affection. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Gus and Grandpa at Basketball | [
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12,193 | 1 | Day's latest does not lead the pack of her almost wordless picture books about the baby-sitting rottweiler Carl, but it nevertheless offers an idyllic vision to its readers. Carl and baby Madeleine are supposed to be napping when the neighborhood children approach the bedroom window and suggest a game of Follow the Leader. "You can be the leader!" they tell Carl amid the book's sole passage of text. Less mischievous than in his previous appearances (skipping out during naptime is Carl's only real prank here), the irresistible rottweiler conducts the children on a walk through suburban fields, pausing to lead them in stretching out their back legs, marching atop a short stone ledge, etc. With Madeleine riding Carl pony-style, they go to town, sit up and beg (successfully) for treats at a bakery and try out the revolving door of a well-stocked toy store. By the time Madeleine's mother comes to check on the nappers, everyone (including Carl's old friend the Irish terrier) is back in Madeleine's bedroom, striking sleeping-dog poses. Carl is at his doggiest: he has the kids rolling over, carrying sticks in their mouths and chasing a squirrel. Day's watercolors look so natural that it's possible to believe the story for a minute or two-certainly, the combination of grassy settings, friendly village shops and, of course, tender companionship adds up to an excursion virtually any reader would enjoy. All ages. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.Ages 2^-7. In Carl's latest adventure, the children come to the beloved and gentle rottweiler, congregating outside his bedroom window and asking him to come outside and play follow the leader. Carl can be the leader! In typical dog fashion, Carl wakes himself with long yawns and leisurely leg stretches, and the mimicking children follow his lead. Then the group is off, balancing atop a low rock wall, chasing a squirrel, begging for treats at the bakery, admiring the toy store display window, rolling in the grass, fetching sticks, fording a stream, and then galloping home to collapse on their backs, paws (or legs) skyward, for a well-deserved rest. Day's almost wordless picture book once again lets her realistic paintings speak for themselves. Her knowledge and love of dogs and children, compounded by her keen imaginings of what they would enjoy doing together, bring joy to her playful depictions. Youngsters will delight in following Carl through these pages over and over again. Ellen Mandel; Title: Follow Carl! | [
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12,194 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 3Lucy spends her days with her mother, brother, and grandmother. She shares a special bond with Little Mam that begins with a morning tickle and ends with a song and a kiss goodnight. In between, their day is filled with dancing, skipping, cooking, eating, and stories of Mexico. The elderly woman may forget everyday things like names, places, and directions but she always remembers her love for Lucy. The topic of Little Mam's forgetfulness is dealt with in a realistic, but child-focused manner. Cruise uses the text repetition of Little Mam forgets and my little mam remembers to provide a framework for her story. This gives it balance and offers reassurance and hope to readers. A liberal splashing of Spanish words appears throughout. Dressen-McQueen's Mexican folk-style illustrations are enhanced by her use of bold colors including pink, red, orange, brown, and blue. They capture the feel and texture of Hispanic culture but never overwhelm the story or the characters. The universal themes of love and family dominate this tender, heartfelt story.Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 2. Swirls of movement and color are the happy backdrop for a story that might have been sad. Little Mama, Lucy's grandmother, is losing her memory. Sometimes the toast burns, and sometimes she can't remember how to tie her shoes. But as Lucy explains, there still many things that joyously involve her grandmother in life. The text employs a rhythmic balance. After recounting a flurry of activity in which an element of forgetfulness occurs, Lucy describes something her grandmother does recall. Little Mama brushes her hair 100 strokes, even though Lucy must show her anew each night how to brush her teeth. The story is bittersweet, but Lucy's ability to look on the bright side, and the obvious love that she and Little Mama share, wrap the events in affection and warmth. Dressen-McQueen's artwork is outstanding. The Mexican family, living in East Los Angeles, comes alive in pictures that show the vibrancy of the happy household. Inspired by Mexican tiles, Dressen-McQueen dusts everything--tables, shawls, upholstery--with decorative designs. The spread showing Little Mama and Lucy dancing as the old woman's decorated skirt twirls across the page lifts readers up. The colors are south-of-the-border bright, adding to the inspirational feeling. Children won't forget this. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Little Mama Forgets (Melanie Kroupa Books) | [
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12,195 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 3Magnus Maximus measures and counts everything from houses to people to spots on dogs and even the stinkiest socks. When his self-designed job leads him to measure an escaped circus lion, resulting in his saving the town, the people honor him with a statue. (Even the queen came!) The elderly man then takes his measuring to a new level. He works so hard that he falls asleep before he can count his blessings. It's not until he steps on his glasses that he takes a break and discovers some of the simple pleasures in life. Children will enjoy the humor in this eccentric's ever-increasing obsession. Fine ink lines and muted watercolors fill the illustrations with small details, add humor, and complete the story. The art firmly places it in the Victorian era, a time of scientific exploration. The style perfectly captures the focus of the marvelous measurer and his scientific obsession.Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Magnus Maximus, an old gentleman in Victorian England, spends his days measuring and counting everything. His neighbors view him as simply a marvelous measurer until he encounters an escaped circus lion. He orders the lion to sit, measures his tale and whiskers, counts his fleas and heartbeats, and finally relinquishes the beast to his keeper. Magnus becomes increasingly obsessed with measuring and counting; after breaking his glasses, he cannot see to do so. A young boy leads him to enjoy the world without measuring its parts, a lesson that has a good, lasting effect. Handsome ink-and-watercolor illustrations portray Magnus Maximus and his neighbors with individuality and occasional wry humor. The period setting is convincing in every detail. While the storys lesson may seem oddly placed in a picture book for children, theres plenty for them to enjoy in this well-written original tale of a (literally and figuratively) shortsighted, elderly eccentric. Grades K-3. --Carolyn Phelan; Title: Magnus Maximus, A Marvelous Measurer | [
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12,196 | 11 | Grade 36A fascinating episode from Japanese history, related in an oversize picture-book format. In 1841, while 14-year-old Manjiro and four men were fishing, their small boat was destroyed in a storm, and they were cast away on a tiny island for almost six months. Though they survived a drought and an earthquake, they feared for their lives. "For over two and a half centuries Japan had been closed to the outside world. Anyone who tried to return after leaving the country could be put to death." They were finally rescued by a New England whaling ship. At journey's end, Captain Whitfield took Manjiro home to New Bedford, MA. Whitfield married and bought a farm where the boy learned to plant, cultivate, harvest, and ride a horsea skill reserved for samurai in Japan. Despite increasing homesickness, he attended school and graduated at the top of his class. In 1849, the California gold rush lured him to San Francisco where he collected $600 in gold dust in 70 days. Finally, after a nine-year absence, he headed back to Japan with two of the original castaways. When they arrived, government officials jailed and questioned them for seven months. He told them of America's desire to trade and of railroads, telegraphs, drawbridges, and wristwatches. At last, he became an honored samurai. An author's note gives background on Japan's 250-year isolationist policy and how one curious, determined boy opened the door to the Western world. McCully's realistic watercolors are striking against white backgrounds and show the contrast between traditional Japanese and 19th-century New Englanders as well as the tumultuous seas and perils of a fishing life. An exciting account of a pivotal period in U.S.Japanese history.Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools This picture-book biography profiles Americas first Japanese resident. Manjiro was a 14-year-old Japanese fisherman when his boat was swept out to sea in 1841. At that time, the law threatened death to any citizen who returned after leaving Japan. A castaway on a rocky island, Manjiro was rescued by an American ship whose captain took the boy under his wing, taught him navigation and farming, sent him to school, and enabled him to realize his dream of returning home. From Massachusetts, where a church deacon steered Manjiro to the Negro section, to California, where he successfully panned for gold, McCullys clearly written narrative portrays mid-nineteenth-century America as vividly as Manjiros adventures, and both setting and characters come to life in this Caldecott-winning illustrators dramatic paintings. Lists of books and Web sites are appended, along with an authors note commenting on matters outside the scope of the story, such as the long period of Japanese isolation and Manjiros later achievements. Grades 2-5. --Carolyn Phelan; Title: Manjiro: The Boy Who Risked His Life for Two Countries | [
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12,197 | 2 | Like Dr. Seuss's "Sam I Am" (from Green Eggs and Ham), Prelutsky's trio of heroes extols the virtues of individualism. However, it is Davenier's (Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen) imaginative artwork that brings this playful picture book uniquely to life. All of the three featured characters insist, "I am the only Me I Am/ who qualifies as me;/ no Me I Am has been before,/ and none will ever be." Davenier portrays each child with enough specific details and comedic vignettes to create three visual stories even though the poem itself does not differentiate character traits or personal effects. A sports-minded girl full of joie de vivre rejects a fancy dress in favor of a pirate's outfit. A budding scientist happily creates a makeshift bird hospital for an injured feathered friend. An inventive aspiring ballerina creates a hat from a tissue box, and gives a backyard performance with her dog ("Tickets 5¢"). When her pet steals the word "Me" from the text, all three children join up in hot pursuit of the pooch, attracting many other kids. On the final spread, the multicultural parade climbs over the word Me! as if it were an enticing piece of playground equipment. Davenier's distinctive, lively illustrations save the book from being an endorsement of the Me-too generation's fixation on the self. She transforms it into a celebration of creativity and emphasizes all those human endeavors that both set us apart and bring us together. Ages 3-6. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreSchool-Grade 2–This is the picture-book version of Prelutsky's ode to individuality, originally anthologized in The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983). In the brief lines of verse, children celebrate the things that make them unique emotionally (No other ME I AM can feel/the feelings I've within), physically (no other ME I AM can fit/precisely in my skin), and universally (I am the only ME I AM/this earth shall ever see). The poem is repeated three times, each time featuring a different child. Readers meet a girl who would rather roller skate and ride her bike than wear frilly dresses, a boy who loves science and nature, and a budding ballerina who loves being center stage. In the end, the youngsters come together and they are joined by many other children, all celebrating with the last line, …that ME I AM I always am/is no one else but–/ME! Davenier's colorful illustrations capture the ebullience of the children as well as their intensity as they pursue their interests. Her delicate use of watercolors and her sketchy line create the feeling of gaiety and movement, yet elegantly convey personality and emotion. As a result, the poem comes alive with a freshness that honors children on the road to self-discovery and exuberantly celebrates the differences that make them who they are.–Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Me I Am! | [
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12,198 | 0 | Kindergarten-Grade 3This story of the first woman to receive a U.S. patent makes an excellent introduction to inventors and Womens History Month. Knight used tools inherited from her father to design and build her inventions. As a child, she was always sketching one of her brainstorms for toys and kites for her brothers. She once designed a foot warmer for her mother. Although it was never patented, Knights design for a safer loom saved textile workers from injuries and death. Later as an adult, she fought in court and won the right to patent her most famous invention, a machine that would make paper bags. Matties story is told in a style that is not only easy to understand, but that is also a good read-aloud. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations capture the spirited inventor and support the text in style and design. Their sketchy quality works well with the pen-and-ink drawings of inventions at the bottom of the pages. While most of these are simulated, the actual drawings from the 1871 patent for the paper-bag machine are included. The text has some fictional dialogue that makes Mattie more real to young readers without compromising the facts. An authors note gives additional biographical information about this creative woman. This is not the best source for reports, but it will inspire interest in women and children as inventors. Its a good reminder that nonfiction isnt just for reports. It pairs nicely with Marlene Targ Brills Margaret Knight: a Girl Inventor (Millbrook, 2001).Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.K-Gr. 3. McCully took on a challenge in this picture-book biography of "The Lady Edison"--little-known, nineteenth-century inventor Margaret E. Knight. Knight created the machine that makes paper grocery sacks. Her invention isn't instantly attention-grabbing stuff for young people, but McCully draws children into Knight's life by emphasizing not only her engineering triumphs but also her resolute stance against the restrictive gender roles of her time. She begins with Knight's childhood, when the young "Mattie" sketched prolifically, built inventions, and proposed safety devices for the New Hampshire textile mills where her family worked. As an adult, Mattie continued to work on her inventions until her paper-bag machine idea was stolen. A court scene between the belligerent thief and Mattie emphasizes the inherent discrimination women of the era faced: "Miss Knight could not possibly understand the mechanical complexities of the machine," the scornful thief tells the judge. Still, Mattie wins her case at the book's jubilant close. A one-page biography, which includes Knight's later accomplishments, completes the account. Watercolor scenes invoke the drama, and a banner of sketches showing various inventions runs along several pages. A short bibliography closes. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Marvelous Mattie | [
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12,199 | 0 | Grade 1-5A story set in Colonial Virginia and based on local legend. Colonel Lightfoot was an amazing dancer, and always the first to say so. His self-satisfaction and flashy moves caught the attention of the devil. Hating to be outdone, the fiend began dancing at night on the colonel's land, turning it into a swampy mess. Enraged and overly confident, Lightfoot challenged him to a dancing duel. Gore combined acrylics and pastels to create vibrant, textured illustrations. Lightfoot always appears to be thinner and sprightlier than the other characters, who are well dressed and proper. His elongated grace is echoed by his foe's lithe shape. A finely curled mustache and goatee add a bit of humor to the devil's countenance and prevent him from looking too evil. Likewise, winged angels and petulant, toddlerlike demons provide musical accompaniment and comic relief during the contest. In the end, Lightfoot bested his adversary, who slunk down to the fires below. Concluding the story with a few shivers, Quattlebaum reveals that on dark nights, people still see sparks flying on Dancing Point, where the competition continues. An author's note cites sources and informs readers that Dancing Point is a real place located along the James River. Told with tongue-tingling language, this story will make a great read-aloud.Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.A colonist wins a dance with the devil in this lively retelling of a Virginia folktale. Colonel Lightfoot, a fine dancer, has been known for his "quicksilver feet" since childhood. In addition to his "waltzing ways," he prides himself on his land, which is pristine except for one corner, where the devil likes to dance. Striking his flinty hooves on the wet ground, the dancing devil spoils ever-larger patches of the colonel's property. Then the devil challenges the colonel to a dancing contest: Whoever can dance the longest will be lord of the land, once and for all. The colonel accepts, and, in a reversal of pride, wins by downplaying his own talents and baiting the devil's boastful arrogance. Gore's textured illustrations convey the story's energy and comedy in beautifully composed scenes of the vain, buffoonish dancers, circling and strutting. What really shines here, though, are the folksy words, which have all the infectious rhythm of a country dance. An author's note citing sources closes this sure hit for story hours and units on morality tales. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Sparks Fly High: The Legend of Dancing Point | [
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