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12,400 | 1 | Wizzil the horrible hag is bored stiff until her parrot not-so-sweetly suggests that she amuse herself by making somebody suffer, specifically the Frimps. Taking the bird's advice, she transmogrifies into a common housefly and zizzes over to Frimp Farm. Old DeWitt Frimp, who deplores flies, is armed with a flyswatter and misses the fly-witch by a hair. Wizzil vows revenge.Now, at least no longer bored, she decides to turn herself into a glove and lie in wait for the unwitting DeWitt. Sure enough, he puts it on right away, considering himself a lucky man to have made such a discovery. With the glove on, he soon finds that he can hit everything but flies with his flyswatter. Worse yet, Fred and Florence Frimp begin to experience "unbearable itches in unexpected places." When meatballs begin to explode, DeWitt finally realizes that the rash of bad luck started with the glove, and he throws it in the river.How could he have known that the glove would transform into the hideous Wizzil as soon as it hit the water? Or that Wizzil, unused to water, would start to sink? DeWitt, a good soul, jumps right in to rescue her, even though she is quite nasty. But what's this? Her nastiness washes downstream, and Wizzil is left a sweet old lady in his arms. "Needless to say, Wizzil and DeWitt fell completely in love, and wound up an old married couple who stayed together on the farm." And Wizzil was never bored stiff again. (Though the parrot found her new life with humans a bit humdrum.)William Steig--New Yorker cartoonist and creator of numerous picture books, including the Caldecott Medalist Sylvester and the Magic Pebble --is up to his usual tricks in this quirky story. Made-up words like "zizzes," odd colloquial expressions, and goofy plot twists add up to not only unmitigated delight but a complete lack of condescension in his writing for young readers. British illustrator Quentin Blake's scratchy, fluid, comical pictures--loaded with as many knee-slapping details as the story--are the perfect accompaniment to Steig's silly, romantic tale of the power of love to vaporize boredom and mean-spiritedness. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin SnelsonTwo masters of children's literature turn in an amiable, if not groundbreaking, performance in this madcap witch story. Bored, Wizzil the witch heeds her pet parrot's suggestion to "go make somebody suffer!" She transforms herself into a fly and relentlessly pesters an ornery old coot named DeWitt Frimp. Observing that DeWitt is a leftie, Wizzil returns the next day in the form of a left-handed work glove; when DeWitt puts the "happy harpy on his hand," his arm misbehaves. The moment of truth arrives when DeWitt hurls the glove into the river, whereupon Wizzil is revealedAand true love blooms. Steig, whose Made for Each Other took a clear-eyed look at sentiment, cuts the romantic sweetness with an ample squeeze of sour lemon. He toys with tongue-twisters and kid-pleasing insults (DeWitt is a "bald-headed fuddy-dud"; Wizzil's a "hateful hag"). Blake (Clown) composes spiky, energetic line-drawings of DeWitt, who flails clumsily at the offending fly, and Wizzil, who struggles and spits when she lands in the water. In the wryly happy ending, newt-brown and froggy-green watercolor hues give way to sunny shades of yellow and blue. Steig and Blake start with unrefined nastiness, then blindside their characters (and readers) with a comical but sincere look at love. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Wizzil | [
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12,401 | 11 | Kindergarten-Grade 2The endearing heroine of My Name Is Yoon (Farrar, 2003) is learning about Santa Claus and the North Pole at school. She is captivated, but her parents insist that we are not a Christmas family. We are a Korean family. However, after Yoon points out that they are both American and Korean, her parents figure out a way to meld a Christmas tradition with their own New Year's celebration. Yoon's round and expressive face is depicted as captivated, joyous, and implacable by turns, and her holiday imaginings are rendered as sprightly, juggling Korean-looking elves and a surreal but childlike North Pole. Her parents are rather suddenly and easily convinced to let the tradition of Santa into their home, but children and parents alike will be charmed by Yoon's yearning and determination to experience a bit of Christmas magic.Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Recorvits continues the story begun in My Name Is Yoon (2003) in this picture book about a Korean girl's struggles with her classroom's holiday preparations. When Yoon brings home a book about Christmas, her parents tell her, "We are Korean. Santa Claus is not our custom." Still, Yoon decorates a bush outside her home and pins up a mitten, instead of a stocking, hoping Santa will visit:. "America is our home now. Are we not both Korean and American?" On Christmas morning, there's a present and a candy cane waiting for her. It's somewhat confusing that Christmas is portrayed here only as a cultural holiday. There's no mention of Christianity at all. As in the previous title, though, Recorvits tells an affecting story about reconciling cultural identity, beautifully brought to life in Swiatkowska's evocative, feathery portraits and dreamscapes. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Yoon and the Christmas Mitten | [
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12,402 | 0 | Cameron has written another top-notch entry in the Julian and Huey series, this time from the brothers' pup's perspective. School Library Journal, Starred ReviewReaders will enjoy this pet story told from the pet's viewpoint. BooklistDog fanswill delight in Spunky's tail-wagging tale-telling, which could introduce a new generation of kids to the Bates family chronicles. BCCBthis is a beginning chapter book that begs to be read. Horn Book MagazineReaders ready for chapter books will delight in seeing the world through Spunky's eyes and powerful nose. Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewSpunky Tells All is a beautiful tale of human, cat, and dog finding friendship together. I loved it. It speaks with deep spirit and fine observation of small telling things in a way that young humans will understand. Paula Fox, author of the Newbery Award winning The Slave DancerI loved going back inside Huey and Julian's world, but this time, through the eyes of the wise and loyal Spunky. A book with humor, heart, and a lovable dog. Who could ask for more? Barbara O'Connor, author of How to Steal a DogI fell in love with Spunky who, in his own words, is a considerate Dog and only tries to do what is best for his human family. His tale, both charming and hilarious, will make readers laugh out loud--and pay much closer attention to what their own dogs are really saying. Ann M. Martin, author of Everything for a DogAnn Cameron is the author of many books for young readers, including The Stories Julian Tells and the National Book Award finalist The Secret Life of Amanda K. Woods. She lives in Portland, Oregon.Lauren Castillo is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including Alfie Runs Away by Kenneth Cadow. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.; Title: Spunky Tells All | [
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12,403 | 7 | *Starred Review* Commemorating its fiftieth anniversary, LEngles classic couldnt have scored a better talent to adapt its story into comics form. Larson produces high-quality coming-of-age stories featuring female protagonists, with the most recent (Mercury, 2010) even including a fantasy element to highlight the tales emotional stakes. She dives wholeheartedly into LEngles seminal epic, chronicling the journey of Meg Murry, her preternaturally intelligent younger brother, Charles, and their friend Calvin OKeefe, crossing distant worlds to save the Murrys, lost patriarch. Guided by three grandmotherly guardian angels, they navigate the dangers of a mind-controlled world fallen under the influence of a cosmic force of pure evil. Larson has miraculously preserved the power of the originals social and religious themes, as well as its compelling emotional core, while staying true to her distinctive voice and aesthetic. Her soft-lined, large-eyed characters are a modern exemplar of classical American cartooning, and the metallic blue coating of the pages evokes both the timelessness of the story and the remoteness of alien worlds. This adaptation is fabulous for presenting a fresh vision to those familiar with the original, but its so true to the storys soul that even those whove never read it will come away with a genuine understanding of LEngles ideas and heart. Grades 6-12. --Jesse KarpKnow somebody who hasn't met Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who or Mrs Which? Larson's colorful panels bring Madeline L'Engle's brilliant time-travel favorite to life in an exciting new way. This is page-turning eye candy of the highest order. James PattersonThis adaptation is fabulous for presenting a fresh vision to those familiar with the original, but it's so true to the story's soul that even those who've never read it will come away with a genuine understanding of L'Engle's ideas and heart. Booklist, starred reviewThe memorable story of Meg Murry, Charles Wallace Murry, and Calvin O'Keefe's adventure across space and time is conveyed with all the intellectual and emotional impact of the original novel. BCCBLarson has remained true to the story, preserving the original chapter format and retaining L'Engle's voice. Black-and-white artwork is accented with blue, echoing the original cover color. School Library Journal; Title: A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel | [
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12,404 | 13 | PreS-Gr 1-The plot is a bit slim in this story about a family of performing giraffes. It opens with an introduction to the Chandeliers, outlining who they are and what they're known for, not unlike the brief descriptions of actors found in theater programs. Readers are then abruptly dropped into the story of their performance. It becomes clear a few pages into the story that one character who was not in the introduction keeps appearing-"Little Rufus Chandelier was not big enough to perform in the show..." but he ends up saving the day in every instance. Each spread consists of a few simple sentences stating what's happening in that particular scene. The illustrations are bright and colorful with the giraffes having specific characteristics, making them easily distinguishable from one another, but the spreads don't seem to connect together to form one coherent tale. There are far better books that tell children in a humorous and relatable way about being the youngest and finding one's own place in a vibrant family.-Lora Van Marel, Orland Park Public Library, IL(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.There are humorous visual details in the bustling watercolor-and-line compositionsand children will enjoy searching for the tiny mouse wearing a giraffe costume in every scene. Kirkusa delightful turn on the theme of the quiet child who becomes a hero, and certain to be summoned for many encores. Publishers Weekly; Title: The Chandeliers | [
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12,405 | 11 | Frank (Erin's Voyage) spins a mesmerizing epic poem about the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb, weaving all of its accompanying drama and suspense into a tapestry of measured quatrains ("Three thousand years of darkness yawned/ behind that tiny flickering light--/ and Carter, staring with pupils wide,/ stood stunned before a wondrous sight"). Hooking readers quickly with an alluring glimpse of ancient grave robbers moving "with catlike stealth" in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, Frank sets the scene and then fast-forwards 30 centuries to the efforts of ambitious archeologist Howard Carter and his wealthy friend and financial backer Lord Carnarvon. The author's sophisticated blend of alliteration ("the seas of sweat his pores had spilled") and vivid imagery ("evening shed its twilight husk"; a curse "as dangerous as a sharpened sword"; an afterlife "born again from death's dark womb") conjures all the awe and excitement of Carter's prolonged search and triumphant discovery. An equally intriguing afterword tells more about Tutankhamen, as well as his legendary curse and the mysterious death of Carnarvon. Pohrt's (Having a Wonderful Time) graceful watercolors with their careful composition and muted sepia tones recall old photographs, while borders filled with hieroglyphs and Egyptian motifs underscore the exotic setting. A handsome typeface and elegant page design complete the package. Ages 5-up.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr 3-6-An illustrated retelling of the excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamen by Howard Carter. While the author adds nothing new to the basic facts, the book is unusual because it is written as poetry. Readers might be reminded of other verse describing real events, such as "Casey at the Bat" or "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." The text describes the death of the boy king; the supposed plundering of the tomb; Carter's archaeological excavation; and the mysterious death of Lord Carnarvon, the sponsor of the expedition. Pohrt's informative pen-and-watercolor paintings, bathed in desert colors and reminiscent of early 20th-century illustrations, will be a real draw for some children. Many of the detailed pictures are full page; others are smaller and framed by colorful borders containing hieroglyphics, and spot-art portraits and illustrations of figurines and other objects appear throughout. While the poetry is well done, it is difficult to imagine children preferring this to the more straightforward tellings that are available such as Elaine Landau's The Curse of Tutankhamen (Millbrook, 1996). However, it would make a superb read-aloud for older students because the verse is carefully crafted.-Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NYCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Tomb of the Boy King: A True Story In Verse | [
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12,406 | 15 | *Starred Review* Kenyan activist Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her environmental and human rights achievements. Founder of the Green Belt Movement, she has encouraged people to repair their economy, land, and health with simple, environmentally friendly acts, such as planting more trees. This beautiful picture-book biography echoes the potent simplicity ofMaathais message with direct, spare prose and bright, delicate watercolors. Tracking forward from Maathais childhood in the rich landscape of Kenyas highlands, the words and pictures clearly show how the activists deep connection with nature as a youth inspired her to develop sustainable practices as an adult. Nivola writes about potentially complex, abstract relationships, such as those between ecological preservation and human health, with clear language that shows connections that children will easily grasp. The story of how eachhuman and tree can make a difference willinspire young people, who will want to linger over the wide, double-page landscapes picturing people restoring stripped land to green, thriving communities and forests. An authors note offers more about Maathais inspiring story. Point teachers and parents seeking more information to Maathais autobiography, Unbowed (2006),which wasnamed a Booklist Adult Editors Choice. Grades K-3. --Gillian EngbergWangari's work, as so beautifully depicted in Planting the Trees of Kenya, will inspire people worldwide. Pete SeegerThe 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Maathai changed the world one seed at a time. Claire A. Nivola's lovely Planting the Trees of Kenya offers Maathai's story to a younger, wider audience. No child, and surely no library, ought to be without Planting the Trees of Kenya. Boston GlobeA stirring biography about her extraordinary life, with focus on courageous efforts to reforest Kenya and empower women. The San Francisco ChronicleSimultaneously childlike and sophisticated...The idea of restoring ruined land to its original beauty will fill readers of all ages with hope. Starred, Publishers WeeklyBeautiful . . . The story of how each human and tree can make a difference will inspire young people, who will want to linger over the wide, double-page landscapes. Starred, BooklistThe delicately detailed illustrations suit the equally low-key writing style...This tale of civic responsibility, personal initiative, and conservation of natural resources is a timely one. Starred, School Library JournalThere's plenty to discover in the intricate pen-and-watercolor illustrations; the text is more detailed and will engage older children. American ScientistPossesses a detailed, naive charm that beautifully explicates Maathai's social progress as she instructs women, schoolchildren and even prison inmates in the benefits of planting and nurturing trees...This impressive effort will resonate with children. Kirkus ReviewsAs an illustrator, Nivola . . . creates absorbing, telltale images--sweeping views of the countryside with miniature human figures, in the manner of folk paintings . . . .The whole is as much a pleasure as an inspiration. The Horn BookClaire Nivola gives us a wonderful story about Wangari Maathai, the winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and the founder of the Green Belt movement. Rondi Brouwer, Blackwood & Brouwer, Kinderhook, NYNivola's sotry delivers the idea that each of us can make a difference. Older readers will appreciate Nivola's detailed note about Maathai's life and her Green Belt Movement. The Sacramento BeeWangari Maathai's story is beautifully told, is just the right length for young readers, and boasts wonderful illustrations that capture the beauty of this African country. Book Loons; Title: Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai (Frances Foster Books) | [
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12,407 | 2 | In this when-in-Rome story, a stray dog alters his canine ways to appease half-a-dozen grouchy cats. Widget, a scruffy Westie, wanders into a farmhouse where he finds "six cats, six warm beds, and six bowls of hot food." The well-fed cats glare at him. "I wish you could stay," says the grandmotherly caretaker, Mrs. Diggs. "But I'm afraid the girls just can't stand dogs." Widget utters a hopeful "Meow?" Thereafter, he adopts feline ways, until the inevitable emergency ("Mrs. Diggs... fell down. She didn't move") compels him to bark and save the day. The McFarlands, who imagined a teddy bear mimicking a bird in The Pirate's Parrot, once again depict an adaptable outsider. Widget's name aptly suggests an unspecific, versatile object. In Jim McFarland's pen-and-ink and watercolor wash illustrations, the ingratiating dog appears the same size as his adoptive sisters, with pointed ears and a scruffy, upraised tail; he even casts a cat-shaped shadow. This story line offers no surprises, but it gives a fond account of cross-species conciliation, and, at their best, the pictures of the hero attempting to adapt to his housemates' behavior hint at the sly wit of James Stevenson's artwork. Ages 3-6.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reS-Widget is a stray dog-homeless, cold, wet, and hungry. He finds his way to a warm, cozy home but then has to exercise all his ingenuity to convince the six female felines in residence to accept him. With a light and humorous touch, text and illustrations charm readers as Widget charms the cats by pretending to be one of them. The funniest spreads are of Widget and "the girls" facing off all puffed up, then hissing and spitting. The pup quickly realizes that purring, playing, and even using the litter box is the ticket into this household. In the end, the cats accept him on his own terms-as a dog-since it is barking, not meowing, that saves the day after a mishap suffered by their human guardian, Mrs. Diggs. Illustrations, apparently watercolors, are detailed and realistic with cartoon touches that add to the humor, as when six pairs of cats' eyes are all turned toward Widget, whose own wide eyes are trained in turn on them. This is a preschool crowd pleaser, just right for storytime.Dorian Chong, School of Library and Information Science, San Jose State University, CACopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Widget | [
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12,408 | 2 | Gr 2-4-This picture book is a fictional account based on events in the life of eccentric inventor Lodner Phillips as told from the perspective of his daughter, Virena. Papa theorizes and tinkers but never succeeds. Finally, while the family is dropping lines from a pier into Lake Michigan, his daughter asks, "have you ever wondered what it's like to be a fish?" Immediately the man dashes back to his workshop and soon produces one of the world's earliest submarines, the Whitefish. Children will delight in the way Virena is the catalyst for her father's successive improvements to his primitive vessel as she continues to ask questions: about how fish move through water, stay dry, and know where they are going. Kulikov's luminous, playful, detailed illustrations on full-bleed spreads incorporate a variety of perspectives, including close-up views of fish and of Papa underwater and cutaway diagrams of his creations. An afterword is included. The exuberant and inquisitive tone of this book is sure to entertain curious children.-Anne Barreca, New York Public Library(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Theres a rich history of batty inventor/tinkerer dads in childrens books, and the girl narrators father in this book could hang with the best of them. That hes based on a real mid-nineteenth-century person makes it all the better. Whether Papas spectacular failures have been great ideas (steam-powered roller skates) or not-so-great (edible socks), not once has Papa invented anything that works perfectly. But inspiration flashes when the family is out fishing in the lakea mechanical fish. Iteration after iteration of his rudimentary submarine ends in lighthearted disaster, each time the object growing more complex and preposterous until hes finally come up with a vessel just crazy enough to work. Fleming festoons her glib narrative with read-aloud treats of Clacketa-claketa-clacketa! and Clink! Clankety-bang! Thump-whirr! Meanwhile, Kulikov dishes out some tall-tale-worthy artwork and cut-out designs somewhere between Leonardo da Vinci and Rube Goldberg. A closing note talks about Flemings inspiration, the inventor Lodner Phillips, who really did take his family for an underwater spin in Lake Michigan in 1851. Grades K-2. --Ian Chipman; Title: Papa's Mechanical Fish | [
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12,409 | 7 | Lucas has a trick of moving his frames, allowing his pen-and watercolor artwork to dance outside the borders, and with all manner of stars, mementos, and symbols whirling through the pages, theres plenty to look at. A visual treat. BooklistSweetly surreal. Kirkus ReviewsLucas (Halibut Jackson) writes and paints with quiet affection for his characters. Publishers Weekly ; Title: Cake Girl | [
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12,410 | 2 | When Ava and her sister, Arlie, enter a poetry contest to win a pet, Ava imagines that the prize will be a dog, and she even chooses its name: Lucille. They do win the prize, but Lucille turns out to be a parakeet. Ava doesnt hide her keen disappointment, but she gradually warms up to the companionable little bird. When something sticks in Lucilles throat and she can barely breathe, Mama, Ava, and Arlie lovingly nurse her back to health. Each character in the well-structured story is an individual. The text, with its short sentences and frequent dialogue, reads aloud well. In a bit of economic realism that many will appreciate, Mama calls the pet-store owner for medical advice, because a vet would be too expensive. Golden light suffuses the illustrations, giving a cozy look to the scenes, even when Ava is feeling let down and antagonistic. A warm story with its own quirky charm. Preschool-Grade 3. --Carolyn PhelanMany kids will relate to Ava's craving for a canine BCCBEndearing. Publishers WeeklyLucille is the real deal. KirkusReads aloud well . . . A warm story with its own quirky charm. Booklist; Title: Ava and the Real Lucille | [
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12,411 | 2 | Starred Review. Grade 6-9Horvath spins another delightfully offbeat yarn, complete with her signature cast of eccentric characters, wacky situations, poignant moments, and snappy dialogue. Twelve-year-old Henry's mother decides on a whim to be a missionary in Africa and drags his father along, leaving Henry in the care of his aunts, Magnolia and Pigg, for several months. Mag, turning 40 and recovering from an obscure disease, decides that they need a vacation. They embark on a destination-less car trip that feels more like a kidnapping to the boy. The aunts bicker and are nasty. Virginia Beach is too hot. In the Everglades, Henry accidentally spends four days floating in a swamp with an autistic boy. Pigg falls in love with a cowboy in Oklahoma and stays there. During the trip, they receive word that Henry's mother followed a chimp into the bush and got lost. She's finally found, but Henry's father contracts malaria. Eventually, word comes that the parents will meet Mag and Henry in Tulsa to finish the trip. Unfortunately, Henry's parents are either fighting or not speaking. Although at first he works hard to get them to see one another as he sees them, he finally realizes that he is not responsible for their happiness or their problems. Horvath again introduces a young person who is parentless for some reason and who is put in the care of distant, idiosyncratic relatives who change the child's perception of life. This latest book, like its predecessors, bounces from the hilarious to the heartrending. Another hit for Horvath.Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 5-7. It can't be coincidence that Horvath uses the same framework for all her stories: an abandoned child finds him- or herself in the care of offbeat adults, usually relatives. Here, the child is Henry, whose parents have gone to Africa, leaving him with child-averse aunts, Magg and Pigg. After Magg recovers from an illness that causes her to bruise and bleed ("She reminded me of a banana that's been kept too long. I expected fruit flies to begin gathering in her hair"), the trio go on vacation. They crisscross the country, fighting about where to go and disliking the place once they get there. If Horvath wants to show an endless car trip where people inside and outside the car (with a few exceptions) range from nasty to clueless, she succeeds. That's not to say that Horvath doesn't write well; she's her usual arch, amusing self. But when, at long, long last, Henry yells, "How did I end up with such unpleasant people?" readers may wonder the same thing. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Vacation | [
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12,412 | 5 | Elegant full-page oil paintings, in the style of Fisher's Kinderdike, provide a dramatic backdrop for a retelling of the famous but underexplored legend about a 14th-century Swiss marksman. When Herr Gessler, the cruel governor of Altdorf, decrees that residents must kneel before his hat, elevated on a pole in the town square, William Tell refuses to meet the tyrant's demands, calling them "mean and stupid." As punishment for his disobedience, Herr Gessler issues Tell the well-known ultimatum about shooting an arrow through an apple perched on his son's head. Fisher builds the essential tension as Tell accepts the challenge and prepares to release the fateful arrow. The son, of course, is spared; the governor, however, is not, and he is killed by Tell's arrow before the story ends. Working in a stylized palette that allows for orange or lavender skies and slightly mottled figures, Fisher paints almost cinematic compositions, as if freeze-framing the action. One caveat: presiding adults may wish Fisher had included source notes or other information about the legend. Ages 5-8. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-5-In 1307, Hermann Gessler, governor for King Albert of Hapsburg, proclaimed that the citizens of Altdorf must kneel before his hat in the town square. The frightened people obeyed for the most part, but a young pig seller and a boy and his sister forgot to kneel and were clapped in chains. Then William Tell and his son Jemmy refused to comply with the rule. Gessler was enraged but challenged Tell, a fine hunter, to shoot a single arrow through an apple placed on Jemmy's head. If Tell succeeded he would be set free, but if he failed he would be sent to prison. Tell first determined to shoot wide of the apple to save his son, but Jemmy convinced him to try the shot, and his aim was true. A week later his arrow found its mark once again, and the people were rid of a cruel tyrant. Fisher's richly textured paintings bring a distinctive sense of drama to this traditional tale. He uses light and varying perspectives to highlight the human dimensions of the story, while vivid colors underscore the emotional tensions and move the exciting plot to its swift denouement.Barbara Kiefer, Teachers College, Columbia University, NYCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: William Tell | [
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12,413 | 2 | Gr 710Situated sometime between the events in Jack's Black Book (1997) and Hole in My Life (2002, both Farrar), Gantos's latest offering is a fictionalized look at a critical juncture in his own adolescence. Shortly after moving to a new town, 14-year-old Jack meets Gary Pagoda, a way-too-cool-for-school delinquent who is the utter antithesis of Jack. He smokes, wears a black leather jacket, curses like a sailor, steals cars, may have impregnated a local girl, and shares Jack's enthusiasm for all things pyrotechnic. Dissatisfied with his own seeming weakness and looking to reinvent himself, Jack falls in love with the ideaif not exactly the realityof bad boy Pagoda. In an effort to impress his new mentor, Jack literally risks life and limb in cringe-inducing scenes of backyard stunts involving fire, ropes, and all manner of terrible ideasmany of which should come with a "Don't try this at home!" warning label. Beneath the bravado, however, Jack struggles with self-acceptance and what it means to be a man. He allows his manipulative and mean role model to goad him into increasingly dangerous situations, losing pieces of himself with every moral compromise. Though it's clear by the end that Jack is not cut out for a criminal lifestyle, the seeds of his tendency to relinquish control of his life to others have been planted and the stage set for the trouble he meets in Hole in My Life. Gantos's characteristic humor and keen observation of the fragile teen psyche combine with heartbreaking authenticity in this unflinching look at how a good kid can easily go down a wrong path. VERDICT Hand this to the so-called "bad" kids, the lost kids, and the ones struggling to find their way.Kiera Parrott, School Library JournalEloquent, unflinching and darkly funny, The Trouble in Me chronicles a boy's initiation into manhoodone warped version of it, anyway. Chicago TribuneThe book has an unsettling power ... A gutsy ... cautionary romp. The New York Times Book Review[An] incendiary fictionalized memoir ... Abundant style and substance makes this an irresistible cautionary tale ... Gantos has won a Newbery Medal, Printz Honor, Sibert Honor, and countless hearts. Readers will want to know how he became one of a kind. Booklist, starred reviewGantoss characteristic humor and keen observation of the fragile teen psyche combine with heartbreaking authenticity in this unflinching look at how a good kid can easily go down a wrong path ... Hand this to the so-called bad kids, the lost kids, and the ones struggling to find their way. School Library Journal, starred reviewFull of 'don't try this at home' moments ... Jack's interior monologue also has a heartbreaking edge. Publishers WeeklyReaders will laugh ... at Jack's reckless antics and lack of impulse control, but they will probably also sympathize with his deep itch to make a change. Kirkus Reviews; Title: The Trouble in Me | [
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12,414 | 2 | K-Gr 3Best friends Maya, Nancy, Chyng, and Zulay laugh and sing and help one another with homework. When their first-grade teacher, Ms. Seeger, surprises them with an announcement about an upcoming field day, excitement fills the air. The 22 students each announces the events they want to compete in, and Zulay surprises everyone when she says she would like to run in the race. Zulay is blind and just learning to use her cane. She does not like to stick out among her peers but is determined to accomplish her goal. With the help of a teacher, Zulay works hard to overcome the odds and achieve success. This story is inspiring and inclusive. Zulay is portrayed as a happy, well-rounded first grader, and the author pays the perfect amount of attention to her special needs. Young readers will understand the challenges that Zulay faces in getting around but also that all students face unique challenges. Bright, colorful illustrations on a clean white backdrop are crisp and clear and mesh seamlessly with the text. This story is a great read-aloud for younger students due to the length of the text, but just right as independent reading for second and third graders. This picture book is a great way to continue building diverse library collections for all readers.Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DEThis picture book is a great way to continue building diverse library collections for all readers. School Library JournalBest's prose and Brantley-Newton's digital images exude warmth and empathy as they build to a triumphant conclusion that has Zulay working hard to prepare for a Field Day race. Publishers WeeklyZulay's voice shines with rhythm and sensory detail, immersing readers naturally in her experience. Zulay's mention of learning to read braille, swim and climb trees despite difficulty will reassure blind kids whose hands are also "learn[ing] the way," and all kids will cheer as she and Ms. Turner fly around the track. A slightly raised braille alphabet on the back cover is a nice touch. Blind and sighted kids alike will enjoy this cheery outing, which appropriately treats learning to use a white cane with the straightforwardness another might treat learning to ride a bike. Kirkus Reviews, starredRefreshing in its casual approach to racial diversity....Friends reflect an array of skin colors and ethnicities. Vanessa Brantley-Newton's wonderfully spirited illustrations find the subtler commonalities between them all, as they mirror one another in their expressions and body language. Best's rendering of the cheerful inclusiveness in Zulay's classroom toward a child with a disability is equally exciting. The New York Times; Title: My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay | [
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12,415 | 2 | Max's Dragon may well intrigue a child just beginning to glimpse the possibility that words, like toys, if put together just so, can ignite a thrilling magic of their own. The New York Times Book ReviewAnother winner from the pair that introduced Max in Max's Words. Amusing wordplay and impish illustrations play off each other in perfect syncopation. Starred, Kirkus ReviewsSuffused with a golden light... a celebration of child imagination wherein words do indeed have power. School Library JournalThe unusual perspectives in the bright, textured artwork greatly enhance the story's drama and, in the active spreads of endearing dragons and goofy dinosaurs, the blurring of the real and imagined worlds. BooklistThe playful couplets will keep early readers and listeners engaged and anticipating each new pair. The Horn BookThis is a great book, combining two things children will love to do, rhyme and imagine. Times Record NewsA wonderful introduction to poetry for young children. Seven Impossible Things Before BreakfastKate Banks and Boris Kulikov's Max's Words was a Children's Book Sense Pick and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. They also collaborated on The Eraserheads. Ms. Banks has written many other books for young readers, including And If the Moon Could Talk, winner of the Boston GlobeHorn Book Award, and The Night Worker, winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award. She lives in the South of France. Mr. Kulikov has illustrated a number of books for children and lives in Brooklyn, New York.; Title: Max's Dragon (Max's Words) | [
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12,416 | 2 | Delivers a story that sparkles. . . . Readers will come to realize that everyone has something worth paying attention to, if you dig deep enough. Christian Science MonitorAnother satisfying novel with a southern setting . . .The plainspoken text is clean, direct, and honest in its portrayal of pain and hope. BooklistO'Connor carefully weaves together the hopes, fears, disappointments, sorrows and joys of her multi-generational cast to produce a warm and satisfying conclusion. Kirkus ReviewsO'Connor fans...won't be disappointed. Bulletin of the Center for Children's BooksO'Connor's knack for well-developed characters and feisty protagonists is evident, as is her signature Southern charm. School Library JournalBarbara O'Connoris the author of award-winning novels for children, including How to Steal a Dog, The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis, and The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester. Drawing on her South Carolina roots, Barbara's books are known for their strong Southern settings and quirky characters. In addition to six Parents Choice Awards, Barbara's distinctions include School Library Journal Best Books, Kirkus Best Books, Bank Street College Best Books, and ALA Notables. She has had books nominated for children's choice awards in 38 states. Barbara is a popular visiting author at schools and a frequent speaker at conferences around the country. She currently lives in Asheville, NC.; Title: Greetings from Nowhere (Frances Foster Books) | [
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12,417 | 2 | After a long, hard day of school, Jacob loves to watch his favorite cooking show with Chef Monty. Even better than watching, though, is trying out recipes himself, and on the night of his parents anniversary, before his family leaves for a restaurant dinner, Jacob makes his first pie. Following all of Chef Montys rules, starting with a happy baker bakes a happy pie, Jacob puts together a peach pastry, facing each dilemma with more remembered advice, such as if something unexpected happens, fix it as best as you can. At last, just as his family is ready to leave, Jacob solves a final problem by cooling the too-hot-to-eat pie with ice cream and serves up dessert before dinner to his loving family before they all head off to the restaurant. Sweets glowing, citrus-bright collage scenes capture all the warmth, energy, and fun in this well-paced story that folds sly messages about working through problems into the celebratory tale. Chef Montys list of rules and a recipe for Happy Peach Pie complete this sweet treat. Preschool-Grade 2. --Gillian EngbergCari Best has done it again with a charming text full of the meaning of life. Library Media Connection, STARRED reviewA sweet look at a spunky kid with great problem-solving skills and some rules that are easily applicable to everyday life. Kirkus ReviewsWhile young readers can make Happy Peach Pie (recipe on the back jacket), this is about more than pie making. Important themes aboundlove, security, cooperation, warmth, respectand somehow all are tied to the simple acts of cooking and eating together. A delicious book for all collections. School Library JournalSweet's glowing, citrus-bright collage scenes capture all the warmth, energy, and fun in this well-paced story that folds sly messages about working through problems into the celebratory tale. Chef Monty's list of rules and a recipe for Happy Peach Pie" complete this sweet treat."Booklist; Title: Easy as Pie | [
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12,418 | 2 | In 'Max's Castle,' by Kate Banks, the letters are simply letters, yet become ingenious tools for sparking a child's imagination.As with previous collaborations between Banks and the bold illustrator Boris Kulikov ('Max's Words', 'Max's Dragon'), words become magical amulets that transmogrify the world around Max. The New York TimesKulikov's chalky, boldly lit illustrations have a bright energy that feels almost improvisational, working in seamless harmony with Banks's nimble wordplay. Publishers Weekly, StarredBrimming with clever wordplay, humor, and mixed-media scenes worthy of any child's dreams-come-true, the full impact is clearly the result of seasoned collaboration and experience School Library JournalPlayful perspectives, vivid colors and animated action are brilliantly executed with details that require a second look, then a third. Kirkus Reviews, StarredKate Banks and Boris Kulikov have also collaborated on Max's Words, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and its sequel, Max's Dragon, as well as The Eraserheads. Kate Banks lives in the South of France and Boris Kulikov lives in Brooklyn, New York.; Title: Max's Castle (Max's Words) | [
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12,419 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 3In Marveltown, the style and aesthetics of the 1950s meet awe-inspiring inventions for a retro look at the future. In this city created by inventors, "man-made wonders" are everywhere: a giant disk of farmland can be flipped over in December to reveal a playground and rotated again come spring, there's a mechanical-animal zoo, and citizens can go rocket-jumping by moonlight. Every Saturday, kids are allowed inside the Invent-o-Drome, and they've already created a Rocket Chair; a radio-controlled Ripple Rug for tripping bullies; Hypno-Goggles, a clean-bedroom hologram for fooling parents, and more. Meanwhile, the adults have been busy building electrohydraulic robots to construct a Skyway held up by invisible ion rays. When an errant mouse chomps an important wire at Robot Central Command, the machines run amok and begin to demolish the town. As the adults flee for their lives in a scene reminiscent of a Godzilla movie, the Marveltown kids fight back using their inventions to destroy the marauding robots. The boldly colored, nostalgic-looking illustrations depict the action with detail, vitality, and humor and will easily grab readers' attention. The creative fun of a world filled with cool inventions shines through and will get kids thinking of their own innovations.Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Working in a sort of 1950s vision of the future, which is equal parts nostalgic and innovative, this picture book is a lighthearted romp through the possibilities of the unbound imagination. Marveltown is a place where flights of fancy come to life. Residents go sky-skiing for fun, drive around on a skyway held up by ion rays, and work in the Invent-o-Drome to come up with ever more fantastical and farfetched creations. Even the kids get in on the fun, inventing homework-eating mechanical dogs, Hypno-Goggles, and the Rocket Chair, which can launch a kid from home to school in seconds flat. When giant worker robots go nuts and run amok (as robots are wont to do) it is the kids inventions that save Marveltown. But for all the geared gadgets and clever contraptions at play, it is the peerless power of the kids ingenuity that shines in the end: Everywhere, super-sly kid power was clobbering brute robot power! Give this to all the little inventors and tinkerers, and let their own imaginations run amok. Grades 1-3. --Ian Chipman; Title: Marveltown | [
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12,420 | 11 | PreS-Gr 3This addition to the children's saga finds Adle and Simon touring China with their uncle. Told through postcards written by Adle, this adventure is a true delight. With stops in Hong Kong, Tongli, and Shanghai (to name a few locales), this is a beautifully blended masterpiece of art and history. As with the other books in this series, Simon loses items along the way, prompting a fun search-and-find aspect that readers will love. The endnotes contain blurbs about each location, including significant historical information. VERDICT The intricate, vintage-style illustrations and interesting historical facts will be sure to please a wide audience. Young armchair travelers will want to pore over this one.Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh"This book is simply gorgeous, and McClintock is a national treasure."--Kirkus"A breathtaking tour of pre-industrial, pre-communist China."--The Wall Street Journal; Title: Lost and Found: Adle & Simon in China (Adele & Simon) | [
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12,421 | 2 | Being an only child has its pros and cons, but for Rosemary, the latter outweigh the former. Always being the center of some adult's attention ("I am the honey in their hive") wears thin. The answer seems to be for her parents to have another child, but they aren't interested in that solution. Then Rosemary comes up with her own way to stop being an only: she begins collecting other singletons. Her first is just a rock. Then she adds a turtle, followed by a rabbit, a cat, and a dog. Before long, Rosemary, though still an only, is no longer alone. The story meanders, and Rosemary's heartfelt plea to be someone's sister is left hanging. But it's good to have a story that centers on the frustrations that can come with being the sole focus for parents. Blackall, who elevates everything she illustrates, has a knack for using clever details to get the humor across; here those touches are everywherein the costumes, the decoration, and especially in the expressions. She makes the message fun. Cooper, Ilene; Title: What's So Bad About Being an Only Child? | [
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12,422 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2-Sara, her Russian grandmother, and their friends, first introduced in Three Cheers for Catherine the Great (DK, 1999), are back. On a "hotter than a hot potato" summer day, the neighbors decide to head to the beach. Crowding into Mr. Minsky's old car with eager anticipation, the group finds that getting there takes longer than expected, but the adults (especially Grandma) amuse the children and themselves on the seemingly endless ride. When the car breaks down, ever-intrepid Catherine saves the day by providing a hairpin to fix the problem. The hot colors in the exuberant art echo the sizzling feel of summer. Potter imbues the characters with wonderful quirks and personalities that make each one an individual. Although the story line is less compelling than that of the first title, readers familiar with these characters will welcome their return.Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha's Public Library, WICopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreS-Gr. 2. In this sequel to Three Cheers for Catherine the Great (1999), eight-year-old Sara wishes that she could swim like her Russian grandmother, Catherine, who can "float like a flower." Sara's chance to learn comes on a hot day, when Sara, her grandmother, and the neighbors pile into a car and head to the beach. Once en route, though, they encounter one obstacle after another: traffic jams, carsickness, car trouble. They finally reach the beach at dusk, and with Grandma's supportive arms, Sara learns to swim. The various situations don't quite blend into a tight story, but Best's appealing language is filled with puns and atmospheric details enhanced in Potter's whimsical paintings that contrast the hot, crowded car with the open beach and cool sea. Like Sara, children may grow impatient for the car ride to end, but they'll recognize Sara's thrill when she finally floats on her own, and wish for a warm, capable grandmother like the unstoppable Catherine--who has a solution to everything. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: When Catherine the Great and I Were Eight! | [
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12,423 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2Readers can almost hear the happy sound of Mama's bangle bracelets jingling as she pumps her fist with joy when she finds out that she has secured a new joband with it, a new place to live. However, young Jamela isn't happy at the prospect of leaving all of the things she loves best: her squeaky front gate, her friends, and the evening star that she can see from her bed. Moving-day mishaps abound, and when a grumpy Jamela takes refuge in a packing container, she precipitates an upset that involves visits to numerous neighbors, affording youngsters a full view of her winsome world. A lovely generosity of spirit on the part of the adults in her life allows Jamela to redeem herself, regain her dignity, and settle in to "her new room in her new homeunder the same old sky." A glossary of the South African words that so effectively flavor this treatment of a familiar theme is appended. Daly's warm, easy watercolors are full of motion, and convey both the unique sun-seared heat of the South African setting and the universality of common human experience. The endpapers are alive with Jamela's crayon drawings of her new house. With his gift for respecting children and the child in each of us, Daly offers a reassuring reminder that the love of family and the warmth of friendship (and even stars) move right along with us, no matter where we go.Kathy Krasniewicz, Perrot Library, Old Greenwich, CT Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Gr. K-2. In this tender, affectionate follow-up to What's Cooking, Jamela? (2001) and Jamela's Dress (1999), the first double-page spread reveals a jubilant scene: Mama kicks up her heels while waving a letter notifying of "a job and a new place to stay." But Jamela slouches at the kitchen table, exuding worry instead of excitement. She "love[s] their old house," especially the "bedroom window and the world she saw out of it." The fact that the "world" outside is a South African township, and that Mama's news represents economic progress, matters as little to Jamela as it will to most American children. Childhood issues rather than political ones drive Daly's storytelling, and his focus remains squarely on the scary prospect of bidding farewell to the familiar and comfortable. It's a funny packing mix-up that lightens Jamela's mood--along with the excitement of exploring the new house, which brims with cozy possibilities. The closing scene of Mama and Grandma Gogo tucking Jamela into her new bed, their contented profiles framing an expansive view through the window, is both reassuring for little ones anticipating their own changes of scene and hopeful for those with knowledge of the underlying history: the world of nonwhite South Africans is slowly getting bigger. Jennifer MattsonCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Where's Jamela? | [
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12,424 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 3—Set in the early 20th century, this tale about the circus has multiple layers. Benny and Sam are ecstatic when the circus train comes to Willow Grove, arriving at the rail yard where fancy wagons, wooden planks, and giant rolls of canvas are unloaded. As the tents are set up, a roustabout spots the boys watching and invites them to help. They are happy to lug water and carry boards and thrilled to each earn a nickel and a ticket to see the Big Top show. When Sam can't find his ticket and realizes that the circus monkey has snatched it, Benny kindly sacrifices his much-desired candy apple to get it back, and the boys are able to enjoy the performance. An author's note sets the stage by describing how these shows used to travel from town to town bringing animals, performers, workers, and supplies—"everything needed to construct a tent city entirely dependent upon itself." Gordon's vibrant illustrations depict the historical element while also conveying the dynamic relationship between the two friends. An inviting slice of Americana.—Susannah Richards, Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, CT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved."Joyful illustrations...will give children, especially those who have never experienced a circus parade of big-top performance, a good idea of what it was like back then." —Booklist "As Esbaum moves the duo from backstage to the choice seats in the Big Top, she handily captures the flavor of pre-electricity days, especially in her use of vintage vernacular (Benny remarks at one auspicious moment, "I was so bumfuzzled, I couldn't unwind my tongue") . Gordon's . . . big scenes--the unloading of the circus train, the big parade down Main Street--bustle with a sense of sweep and head pleasure." —Starred, Publishers Weekly "Gordon...lights up the event, bringing prime elements of the story forward, dressed in electric color, and painting the background in a haze; the illustrations' almost-can-taste-it, dreamlike quality takes readers to Back Then, when midway and sideshow were the real deal." —Kirkus Reviews“Gordon’s vibrant illustrations depict the historical element while also conveying the dynamic relationship between the two friends. An inviting slice of Americana.” —School Library Journal; Title: To the Big Top | [
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12,425 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 1A wispy-haired young girl dressed in a blue coat, orange-and-red striped stockings, and a beret takes charge of a lost baby bear. With the staunch, internalized voice of a mother, the heroine calms him ("Hush-a-bit, Little Bear. So we can think"), asks questions, and looks for his mama. They come upon a park and a big tree to climb. In a heartfelt spread, Little Bear cries "Ma-maaa!" from the highest branch and can be heard throughout town, beckoning his mother's return. The sketchy lines of the city, drawn in pen and ink and watercolor with little variation in value, create a flat New York streetscape, yet the sole emphasis on the characters and natural elements adds to the reassuring overtones and rhythms of the text. Short phrases make the story flow. The baby bear's infantlike talk will charm the youngest children, but for an urban lost-and-found story with a little more drama, try Alexis Deacon's Beegu (Farrar, 2003).Sara Paulson-Yarovoy, American Sign Language and English Lower School PS 347, New York City END*Starred Review* Written as an advice book of sorts, this whimsical title offers suggestions about what to do if you run into the scenario named in the books title. The bear in question is, as depicted in the ink-and-wash illustrations, a clear stand-in for a preschooler: a small cub who cries for his lost mother. A young girl on the streets of Manhattan tries to help: How does your mama look, Little Bear? How does your mama sing? At last, the girl takes Little Bear to a park, where he climbs a tree, shouts for his mama, and, miraculously, is heard. The bears sweet reunion isnt the only one, though. The closing page advises, Run! On the wings of the wind. All the way home. To tell your mama everything that happened on this crispy-cold day. The final spread shows the girl racing toward her mother, who stands at the door with open arms. The repetitive beat in the sly, humorous words makes this a perfect read-aloud, although the irresistible nuances in Savadiers artwork, including the body language between girl and bear as she comforts him, are best viewed at close range. Young children will recognize the thrill of an independent adventure, the drama of being lost, and the reassuring joy of being found. Preschool-Grade 1. --Gillian Engberg; Title: When You Meet a Bear on Broadway (Melanie Kroupa Books) | [
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12,426 | 2 | Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2Maxs two older brothers are serious collectors: Benjamin saves stamps and Karl keeps coins. The youngest boy decides to accumulate words. He carefully selects them from newspapers and magazines, cutting out and sorting them by category: colors, foods, small ones, big ones. He copies entries from the dictionary onto pieces of paper and adds them to his mounting collection. It doesnt matter if coins or stamps are moved around, but words can be arranged and rearranged to create stories. Even though his siblings wont share pieces of their collections, Max gives away words and the three boys devise a short story together. Imaginative, softly colored illustrations reveal the gathered words scattered all over the pages. They are fine examples of concrete poetry: HUNGRY has a chunk bitten out of it; ALLIGATOR has teeth and an eye peering from the R; BASEBALL is printed in the shape of a bat. The text is set in a variety of styles and sometimes curves around the piles of Maxs collection. This tale pays homage to the written word and may get children thinking about cutting and pasting their own stories or creating concrete poetry.Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Max's brother Benjamin collects stamps; his brother Karl collect coins. Max wants to collect something too; he decides to collect words. He begins with small, familiar ones--ate, who, big--which he cuts out of magazines and newspapers. Then he finds longer ones--alligator, baseball. He collects words of things he likes to eat, words that describe colors, and strange words that he finds in the dictionary. When his collection grows too big for his desk, he spreads his words on the floor. Lured by the creative power of words, his brothers rearrange, change, and move the words to create a story, which is visualized in Kulikov's artwork. Kulikov's signature style, which incorporates exaggerated expressions, unusual perspectives, and big-eyed characters, is a perfect match for Banks' clever tale. Kids are naturally inclined to collect things, and the idea of accumulating something intangible in this delightful homage to storytelling will intrigue them. In a word: captivating. Julie CumminsCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Max's Words | [
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12,427 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2With a zest for worm farming, young Winnie cares for her red wiggler companions. Hoping to submit them as an entry in the county fair competition, she asks her neighbors for advice, but they are all preoccupied with their own ambitious offerings. In a quiet twist, Winnie's worms serve a greater purpose by helping the other competitors. Instructions for creating a worm farm conclude the lighthearted narrative. Nimble lines and cool colors depict the energy of the active outdoor scenes. Humorous details abound through animated expressions: Winnie's a hoot as she cuddles her favored worm close to her face while the disgusted cat yowls. She maintains her endearing qualities throughout with her smile, freckled cheeks, and no-nonsense visor pulled low over her hair. Winnie's spunky, good-natured heart anchors a gentle and entertaining read.Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC ENDThe story presents such a winning heroine, Winnie, part-scientist, part-entrepreneur, that you may consider raising worms as a hobby. Chicago TribuneThe back of the book has instructions for how to start your own worm farm to help your garden; which makes this book a great one for sparking a family project next summer. The News & ObserverWinnie's spunky, good-natured heart anchors a gentle and entertaining read. School Library JournalHoyt's sprightly cartoons add just the right amount of humorous action to Winnie's worm-farming tasks, while Winnie's winning personality allows readers to learn a bit about the positive aspects of worm composting. An author's note includes directions for creating a worm farm and sources. Kirkus Reviews; Title: Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer | [
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12,428 | 2 | Grade 24What a boy imagines while drawing is chronicled through a dialogue with an owl, a pig, and a crocodile, eraser creatures that live atop his colored pencils. The owl is good with words and backward letters. The pig erases everything except animals drawn larger than him. The crocodile is in charge of numbers. When the boy runs out of room after drawing a landscape, the crocodile goes too far, erasing and erasing until the trio lands in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly a wave sweeps the fearful friends onto a desert island, and they are chased by wild animals. The boy crumples and abandons his work, leaving the eraserheads stuck unless they can figure a way to inspire him to persevere and transform the scene into something else. Kulikov, a master of mixed-media illustrations, effectively uses two contrasting tones to create distinct, but juxtaposed worlds: the boy and his eraserheads are layered and densely rendered, while the child's artwork and the background images are lightly sketched and hatched with a watercolor base. This complex tale will intrigue those adventurers ready for a Jumanji-like experience of jumping into the arduous but rewarding creative process of persevering through mistakes.Sara Lissa Paulson, American Sign Language and English Lower School PS 347, New York City (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.The creators of Maxs Words (2006) and Maxs Dragon (2008) collaborate again in this picture-book fantasy that begins in a very mundane, everyday setting: at a desk where a boy struggles with his homework. Three expressive, animal-shaped erasers help by rubbing out mistakes: a crocodile, who is good with numbers; an owl, who likes letters and words; and a pig with a big appetite, who will erase just about anything. The wild adventures begin when the boy ditches his lessons and begins to draw, and the erasers find themselves whisked perilously through each imagined world. Theyre nearly drowned by a tidal wave from a beach scene and chased by wild animals until the crocodile, with some strategic erasing, sends a message to the boy, who sketches a boat and floats the gang safely in a calm sea. Banks folds reassuring messages about mistakes into this inventively illustrated title that, like David Wiesners Three Pigs (2001) and Mordicai Gersteins A Book (2009), plays with conventional story borders and may inspire kids to sail off on their own imagined escapades. Preschool-Grade 2. --Gillian Engberg; Title: The Eraserheads | [
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12,429 | 2 | Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 1Born on a spring day, a baby fox is taught the necessary survival skills by his patient parents. The kit is eager to explore the world on his own and asks from time to time, "Am I ready?" "No, fox, no," is the reply. In the fall, a more competent creature doesn't ask, but states, "Now I'm ready," and his mother responds, "Go, fox, go." The lyrical text reads easily, and one slightly changed sentence is repeated throughout: in the spring, "And the rain comes and goes"; at night, "And the stars come and go"; and in the fall, "And the days come and go." Rich, saturated colors fill the spreads with the seasons' deep hues as they depict the young animal's progress toward independence. Van Gogh-like sweeps of color indicate tall grasses, while splotches of paint deftly reveal the changing hues of leaves and sky. The endpapers show a silvery landscape bathed in moonlight. This picture book is a tender tribute to family.Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.As in The Great Blue House (2005), Banks and Hallensleben offer another atmospheric picture book that celebrates seasonal change. In an earthen den, a baby fox is born. The shifting seasons mark the fox's growth: in spring, the little fox wonders when he can go outside; in summer, while hunting with his parents, he wonders when he can roam on his own. Finally, in fall, the little fox has learned to care for himself, and his parents send him off with sweet encouragement. Banks' spare, sensory words include some sophisticated imagery ("burnished leaves"; a "bloated" sun) that will be a reach for some preschoolers. With lulling rhythms and poetic phrases, Banks reinforces the deeply reassuring tone: trees "sigh like a lullaby setting the world at ease" and "silence grows into a peaceable hum." Illustrated with Hallensleben's rich, thickly brushed scenes of the nurturing fox family exploring fields and woods, Banks' gentle story sends a message that independence, whether for a fox or a child, is as natural and inevitable as the turning of the seasons. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Fox | [
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12,430 | 0 | Condense The Incredible Journey to its purest essence then add the most exquisite, vividly painted illustrations, and there you have The Cat Who Walked Across France.A cat lives contentedly for many years in a seaside village, until his old mistress dies and he is shipped off to another town far away. Lonely and ignored, the gray kitty sets off on an odyssey, lured by memories of "the tangy smell of lemons ripening on a branch under a window at the stone house by the edge of the sea," and driven by "the taste of the salty air that blew off the water and coated the bench behind the stone house by the edge of the sea." Returning finally to his home seaport, the paw-sore old cat finds the door to his stone house still open and inviting. Readers will be pleased (and not surprised) to learn that the new residents welcome the brave and determined fellow with open arms and dishes of food.Kate Banks and Georg Hallensleben, who have teamed up on several gorgeous and award-winning picture books, including Close Your Eyes, are a creative match made in heaven. Lovely! (Ages 5 and older) --Emilie CoulterKindergarten-Grade 3--Displaced when his elderly mistress dies, a cherished pet makes a long and lonely trip through cities, towns, and the countryside to return to the seaside home he shared with her. "The cat pranced over bridges and bristled at the thundering trains that passed. At dusk he would lick the dirt from his face and paws. In his dreams he could hear the twigs snapping and the crunch of dried leaves as he circled around the stone house by the edge of the sea." Banks's account of the expedition and the longing of the unnamed feline is quiet but descriptive. Occasional dangers such as stray dogs, aggressive children, and city traffic punctuate the animal's plodding trek as he grows thin and tired, doggedly working his way across the country. Hallensleben's double-page scenes, painted in his customary broad strokes and deep palette, convey a warm but also somber sense of each place as the journey progresses. The unidentified French landmarks create a particular geography for the universally satisfying story. A map of the route taken appears on the back of the book jacket. Predictably, the house's new owners offer the feline a warm welcome. How could it be otherwise? Rich in theme and evocative in tone, the cat's quest will resonate with young readers.--Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: The Cat Who Walked Across France: A Picture Book | [
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12,431 | 2 | Grade 4-7-Readers of the "Jack Henry" series have followed Jack's adventures from fifth to eighth grade as his nomadic family moved from place to place. Now, in a prequel about his fourth-grade year, Gantos's alter ego arrives on a naval base in Cape Hatteras, NC. Jack is quick to acclimate to their new home, a camouflage-painted trailer in the middle of a swamp, and his optimism is rewarded when school starts and he finds himself head over heels in love with his new teacher, Miss Noelle. His unabashed adoration and efforts to please her are poignant and laugh-out-loud funny. The school principal assigns Jack the unwanted job of "Respect Detective," which turns out to be another name for a snitch. The local veterinarian operates on a backward-footed duck and persuades Jack to rehabilitate it in time for the local Pet Parade. The chapters are not plot driven but rather interrelated vignettes that queue up in Jack's memory during this school year. Slapstick is nicely balanced with reflection as the boy struggles to understand his father's moods or make sense of the death of a wheelchair-bound peer. The catchy format imitates a journal with lined-paper edges and excerpts of Jack's handwritten ramblings. A fun and refreshing read.Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 4-7. The story of young Jack Henry continues in this prequel to the previous four books, which takes place when Jack is nine. His father has joined the navy and the family is moving to Cape Hatteras. Jack jumps off the pages as he falls in love with his teacher, referees a genius contest between his brother and his friend, and learns from his father how to brood. Some of the best scenes are between Jack and his dad. Both of them try to come to terms with who they are and what they believe about the world in general and themselves in particular--always cheered or egged on by Mrs. Henry, who sees her men's weakness and loves them anyway. Jack never sounds like a nine-year-old in the narrative, and the form sometimes oddly juxtaposes the sense of recent happenings with a long look back. That dichotomy is balanced by Gantos' wonderful writing, which is witty, smart, and unafraid to tackle tough topics. A worthy addition to the series. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Jack Adrift: Fourth Grade Without a Clue (Jack Henry) | [
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12,432 | 0 | Kindergarten-Grade 2 The Zabajaba Jungle is a dangerous place filled with assorted menacing flora and fauna. Leonard, a solid fellow who looks like he might be Brave Irene's older brother, is fighting his way through this jungle for an unknown reason. He walks through the inside of a petrified monster, gets rescued from a mass of snakes by a butterfly, discovers the delicious but illegal nectar of the Jabazaba flower, and is dragged off by mandrills and tossed into a hole in the ground. The mandrills take him before a bizarre triumverate of judges who are impressed when Leonard sets off some fireworks he happens to have. He escapes, and discovers his parents peacefully sitting in an enormous glass bottle, his mother knitting and his father reading the paper. He breaks the bottle and leads them out of the jungle. Steig's illustrations are appropriately jungle-like and colorful, and filled with all kinds of extravagant creations. The relatively brief and slightly peculiar story lacks the cohesiveness of Steig's wonderful Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (Windmill, 1969) or Dr. DeSoto (Farrar, 1982), and Leonard isn't as sympathetic a character as Brave Irene (Farrar, 1986) or Pearl from The Amazing Bone (Farrar, 1976). But the narrative has witty moments and a refreshingly challenging vocabulary. Children will resonate to the imaginative aspects of the story, which reflect the irrationality of dreams. Leda Schubert, Vermont Department of Education, MontpelierCopyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Zabajaba Jungle | [
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12,433 | 2 | PreS-Gr 1The girls from The Twins' Blanket (Farrar, 2011) are back and have something new to sharea baby sister! At first the twins aren't so thrilled about the baby taking up all their mother's time, but soon they realize that if they lend a hand, Mom will have more time to spend with them. They become so involved that they decide they need another baby! This semiautobiographical story puts a sweetly funny spin on the classic big sister plotline. The dual first-person narrative is comprised of dialogue, mostly between the twins as they sort out their feelings about their new sister. Once again, Yum shows a caring Asian family with the emphasis on the sibling relationship. Fans of the first book will be delighted that the blankets, along with the twins' favorite colors, pink and yellow, make an appearance in the stylistic and painterly mixed-media illustrations. This book has broad appeal for big sisters- and brothers-to-be as well as for twins.Amy Seto Musser, Denver Public LibraryIt's refreshing to see a new baby book that focuses on the effect on existing sibling dynamics, and the strong-willed twosome, with the text entirely in their dialogue, continues to be authentically endearing . .. BCCB. . . an appealing choice for any child dealing with a new sibling. BooklistFans of the first book will be delighted that the blankets, along with the twins' favorite colors, pink and yellow, make an appearance in the stylistic and painterly mixed-media illustrations. This book has broad appeal for big sisters- and brothers-to-be as well as for twins. School Library JournalA fresh take on sibling-rivalry and new-baby themes. The Horn BookReaders of The Twins' Blanket will recognize the two adorable, identical twin girls in their polka-dot dresses . . . a spot-on look at sibling rivalry that will speak to multiples and singletons alike. Kirkus ReviewsA sensitive, true-to-life story of a family's growth that never turns saccharine. Publishers Weekly starred review; Title: The Twins' Little Sister | [
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12,434 | 2 | Gr 1-3Once Beatrice figures out how to spell, she doesn't want to stop. With the support of her grandma, she spells everywhere and anywhere. Around town she spends her time correcting the myriad spelling errors she finds. At school she tries to start a spelling club, but her friends aren't interested. A disheartened Beatrice stops spelling for a whole week, until she comes up with a clever plan. She turns the class Show and Tell into Show and Spell, and then tells the class about her pet T-A-R-A-N-T-U-L-A Rose. Show and Spell takes the school by storm and soon Beatrice and her friends are spelling anywhere, at any time, and correcting errors together. Beatrice then writes a letter to Nanny Hannah, thanking her for giving her the spelling bug. This wordy picture book will introduce children not only to the joys of spelling but also to words like lulu and crackerjack. Potter's folk-arty illustrations depict the story's action and emotion well, but feel a little dated. This book will find a ready audience among the spelling crowd and might encourage others to join them.Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Beatrice doesnt think shes ever going to learn to spell her name correctly, but once thats accomplished, shes off and running. She spells, and she spells well. Beatrice goes around town correcting misspelled signs, but when she tries to get her classmates to join a spelling club, all she hears is a big N-O. Then, an idea. She turns show-and-tell into show-and-spell. When she brings her T-A-R-A-N-T-U-L-A to class, she spells out all its characteristics. Now this sounds like fun to the class, and soon all the kids are joining in. This latest collaboration between Best and Potter features a smart, sympathetic heroine and her stalwart, spelling-loving grandmother who has encouraged her spelling Bea throughout her word-filled journey. The letter mentioned in the title is the one Bea writes to Nanny Hannah at the end of the book, thanking her: Some people get hazel eyes . . . or orange sweaters from their grandmas. Thank you for giving me spelling. Sturdy illustrations, full of action (and words), appear alongside a story that appeals to both heart and mind, making this S-W-E-L-L. Grades K-2. --Ilene Cooper; Title: Beatrice Spells Some Lulus and Learns to Write a Letter | [
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12,435 | 1 | Old Monsieur Gator is very slow. He moves "slower than saw grass grows" and "slower than a snail with sore feet." He can no longer catch any of his tasty fellow bayou creatures to eat, "And--oh ho!--them critters sure know it." The possum, skunk, and otter taunt him, wiggling and sashaying just out of his reach. Finally, Gator gets hot (red hot) and hatches a crafty plan--he will make gumbo. When he asks who will help him, Little Red Hen-style, the creatures don't say "Not I," but "I ain't," (a reply more fitting for a Louisiana bayou). But when Gator finishes his okra and crawdad soup, and asks "Who' gonna help eat it?" the chorus chimes "Me! Me!" Gator agrees to let the otter, skunk, and possum take a sip, but when they lean over the pot, slurping and slipping, "Them animals go into the pot." A harsh fate for Gator's sassy tormenters? Perhaps, but revenge is downright tasty for Monsieur Gator.If all this bayou cooking (albeit with characters from the book as ingredients) gets your mouth a-watering, a recipe for "Maman's Spicy-Hot Gumbo" adorns the back cover of the book. Sally Anne Lambert (of Barkus, Sly and the Golden Egg captures the expressions of the tortured old gator and the taunting bullies with great skill, and her use of color and composition is no less than exquisite. A spicy-hot read-aloud, straight from the bayou. (Ages 5 and older) --Karin SnelsonKindergarten-Grade 3--This is a classic tale of contemptuous characters getting a well-deserved comeuppance, with a few interesting twists to spice up the dish. Poor Monsieur Gator is too old to catch his dinner, a fact that has not escaped his former prey--a possum, an otter, and a skunk. As he barely scrapes by on vegetables, the cruel animals tease him endlessly. Finally, Monsieur Gator decides to cook up some gumbo, "just like Maman used to make," and in a sequence straight out of "The Little Red Hen," he asks his tormentors to help him gather the ingredients. Of course they refuse to participate until the fragrant stew is ready and they gather around hoping for a taste. The wily old predator obliges by tricking them into the pot. Although Lambert's watercolors capture the general mood of the swamp, the absence of anything resembling palmetto fronds or moss-hung cypress trees is telling. Also, anyone who has ever cooked gumbo will immediately recognize that Monsieur Gator's recipe is way off base. Fortunately, the story flows well in spite of these slips and Gator ultimately accomplishes his goal. Both the story and the illustrations are well executed. For more authentic swamp scenes and Cajun critters, mix in anything by Tynia Thomassie, J. J. Renaux, or Sharon Arms Doucet.--Sean George, Memphis-Shelby County Public Library & Information Center, Memphis, TN Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Gator Gumbo: A Spicy-Hot Tale | [
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12,436 | 2 | With a broad emotional range in both writing and illustrations, this is a cut above most early chapter books. BooklistThe large type and occasional pen-and-ink illustrations make this a great choice for reluctant readers. The unique cast of characters, including a very outspoken classmate named Lilly, creates many of the laughs in this engaging early chapter book. School Library JournalStuey is just the right kind of friend--confident and independent--for any third grader. KirkusWith a broad emotional range in both writing and illustrations, this is a cut above most early chapter books. Booklist OnlineSchoenberg perfectly captures the humor, and heart, of second grade. Claudia Mills, author of 7 x 9 = Trouble! on The One and Only Stuey LewisKids will love Stuey's daring schemes, laugh hard and long at his missteps, and sympathize with his hidden fears. Ann Cameron, author of The Stories Julian Tells on The One and Only Stuey LewisReaders will easily recognize analogues to Stuey and his crew in their own lives and welcome more of his adventures. Publishers Weekly on The One and Only Stuey LewisJane Schoenberg is a lyricist and the author of The One and Only Stuey Lewis, My Bodyworks and The Baby Hustle. She lives in western Massachusetts.Cambria Evans has written and illustrated two picture books, Martha Moth Makes Socks and Bone Soup. She lives in New York City.; Title: Stuey Lewis Against All Odds: Stories from the Third Grade | [
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12,437 | 0 | Starred Review. Grade 38This posthumously published collection of 23 poems is masterfully illustrated with colorful cut-paper collages. Worth's artistry lies in painting nuanced word pictures in a few spare lines of free verse. Her poems are often exquisite, always thoughtful, and apt to leave readers with an entirely new perspective. In "Bear," she focuses on the creature's cagy fierceness: "The bear's fur/Is gentle but/His eye is not:/It burns our/Way, while/He walks right/And left, back/And forth, before/Us." "Jellyfish" crafts an aura of elegant mystery: "Rising under water/Like transparent/Ghost-bells/Of lost lands." Presented on beautifully designed spreads, the offerings are animated by Jenkins's exquisite artwork. Whether eye-catching or subtly understated, his designs respectfully bear out each poem's image. The author's indelible description of a porcupine "Held fast/In the thicket/Of its own/Thorns" is marvelously brought to life in the brilliant, multidimensional-looking illustration of a small creature peering shyly from its spiky tangle. In "Star-Nosed Moles," readers are first drawn to the visual depiction of another unassuming animal, paws splayed at an awkward angle, but this image only underscores the delicious irony of the poem's artful metaphor, which likens moles to miners with "velvet-coated/Appetites, their taste/For treasure fed/On all the buried/Wealth of earth." Worth's work deserves a wide audience: this superlative collaboration will resonate with poetry lovers, but should also open doors for those who feel daunted by poetry.Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* Vivid imagery and an expert command of sound and meter distinguish this collection of poems about animals. Each spread is dedicated to a different creature, from tiny snail to blue whale, and Worth's inventive metaphors will startle readers into thinking about common animals in new ways: A wasp is a "sharp flake of / Night let loose / In daylight," for example, and jellyfish are "transparent / Ghost-bells / Of lost lands." Jenkins' masterful, spare cut-paper collages illustrate each selection, and the picture-book format seems a bit at odds with Worth's more challenging, philosophical poems, which demand an older child's expanded vocabulary and knowledge of science concepts, such as evolution. There are many poems that will be accessible to younger children, though, and the poetry's many strengths overcome any questions about the intended audience that the format raises; even teens may appreciate Worth's well-honed poetry and her intelligent, creative views of the animal world. Suggest this with Diane Ackerman's Animal Sense (2002). Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Animal Poems | [
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12,438 | 0 | Grade 4-7A worthy sequel to Weasel (S & S, 1990), DeFelices beloved tale of Ohios frontier in the 1840s. As that story ends, Nathan Fowler has experienced evil incarnate in the form of Weasel, a mercenary trained to hate the areas Shawnee. Nathans father nearly died by Weasels treachery, but Ezra Ketcham, a white neighbor who was married to a Shawnee woman, saved him, and then left to seek his wifes people. As this story begins, Nathan has learned that a freak show is displaying Ezra as a White Injun. Traveling with a peddler of dubious reputation, he sets off to find him and bring him home. Only 12, Nathan has become shy of strangers after his experience with Weasel, and he must learn to read people, to hone his instincts. He relies on his practical frontier background, and a great deal of courage, to get his friend home. His biggest surprise is that Ezra seems to be only a husk of his former self. On top of the physical challenge of returning from Western Pennsylvania to his Ohio home, Nathan must reconnect to Ezras soul. Told in Nathans voice, this adventure treats readers to a double-dip cliff-hanging plot and heart-searing maturation.Pat Leach, Lincoln City Libraries, NE Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 4-6. In this sequel to Weasel (1990), 12-year-old Nathan, accompanied by peddler Owen Beckwith, journeys to Pennsylvania, searching for Ezra, the man left mute as a result of Weasel's savagery. Since the events of the previous year, Nathan has had great difficulty trusting people, so this journey offers him insight into the ways of the world and needed skills in judging human nature. When he finally locates Ezra, who is being held captive by the owner of a freak show, it takes all Nathan's new expertise and more to rescue Ezra and help him return to Ohio. As always, DeFelice's finely nuanced characters shine: Nathan both matures and heals from his earlier scarring; Beckwith, a huckster with a good heart, supplies much insight into reading people; and Ezra, beaten down by life, can nevertheless respond to Nathan's kindness. Although not as tightly focused as the earlier book, this is a thoughtful adventure that will appeal to Weasel fans everywhere. Sally EstesCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Bringing Ezra Back | [
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12,439 | 5 | *Starred Review* When hardworking Nelly May takes a position as live-in housekeeper and cook for Lord Ignasius Pinkwinkle, she agrees to use his special names for the house and everything in it. She must call him Most Excellent of All Masters. His bed is his restful slumberific. His dog is his fur-faced fluffenbarker. The kitchen bucket is a wet scooperooty, and so on throughout the house, or as he would have it, his roof-topped castleorum. Late one night, when she needs to inform Lord Pinkwinkle of an emergency, Nelly May shouts out a warning that strings together one silly term after another. She quits. He asks her to return, and they come to a new agreement. While it lacks the economy of Joseph Jacobs folktale Master of All Masters, on which it is based, this picture-book text captures its spirit and interprets it for a generation that might never hear the tale outside this format. Brightened with cheerful washes, Coles lively pencil drawings illustrate even the potentially static house-tour scenes with animation while turning Lord Pinkwinkle into a character undergoing a transformation from snooty to aghast to sheepish to friendly. Expanding on a storytellers standby, this comical picture book is highly recommended for reading to groups of children. Preschool-Grade 3. --Carolyn PhelanWith one smart heroine and witty wordplay, this book, which is based on the English folktale "Master of All Masters," will delight. School Library Journal, starred reviewBased on a storyteller's standby, this comical picture book is highly recommended for reading to groups of children. Booklist, starred reviewJocular and sparking with energy, an old tale gets a new turn. Kirkus ReviewsThe clean book design and forefronted action make it perfect for storytime, which is where this comical tale of creative naming will shine. The Horn BookA rollicking readaloud or storytelling selection. BCCB; Title: Nelly May Has Her Say | [
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12,440 | 0 | Singers retelling from the Old Testament gives a new dimension to the story of the Flood. Children will enjoy hearing the different animals praise their own special qualities so that each will be assured a place on Noahs Ark. Of course, all are taken on board, but because the dove is the only one that did not boast, Noah makes the bird his messenger. Commenting that there are more doves in the world today than there are ferocious beasts, Singers says, The dove lives happily without fighting. It is the bird of peace. Eric Carles brightly colored collages make this an inviting addition to collections. School Library JournalEric Carle, who has a special way with animals, contributes sumptuous pictures to a book which is not to be missed. Publishers WeeklyThis great storyteller has put a new and mildly moral twist on the story of Noahs Ark . . . and Eric Carle does not disappoint. His cut-out portraits of the animals are colorful and vigorous, and, combined with his paintings, varied and provocative. This is good stuff for hungry little eyes. The Boston GlobeText: English (translation); Title: Why Noah Chose the Dove | [
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12,441 | 13 | An authors note reveals that this picture book is based on personal experience, as Beans parents built their own house when he was a young child. Here we follow a mother, father, two children (and, eventually, a new baby) over the course of a year and a halfthrough a harsh winter and plenty of lumber pickupsall the way to move-in day at their new abode. Told from the point of view of the oldest child, a girl, the challenges and rewards involved in constructing from scratch become clear. The kids are not exempt from the do-it-yourself action, and they happily help fill the loud mixing machine. Bean (At Night, 2007) makes use of every inch of the tall trim size here, filling his pages to the brim with heavily lined illustrations of bustling people and activityoften as a series of four vignettes across a spread. Whats heartwarming throughout is the depiction of a tight-knit family (My family makes up a strong crew of four). The authors concluding personal photos add to the loving feel. Grades K-3. --Ann KelleyChildren ages 310 who already like tools and diggers aren't the only ones who will respond to the warmth and optimism in these clear, detailed, gently color-washed pages. The Wall Street JournalShot through with pioneer spirit . . . Bean's terrific illustrations show a loving family, living in a mobile home as they gather lumber and pour concrete . . . Children will enjoy the comforting solidity of shoring up foundations and sawing strong boards. The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice)* Raise the roof for this picture book. It's something special. Kirkus Reviews, starred review* Lovingly told, this captivating tale will help satisfy a child's curiosity of what it takes to create a building from scratch. School Library Journal, starred review* Bean creates an engaging story as well as a glimpse into a warm family setting. The Horn Book, starred reviewA warm look at the nuts and bolts of building a house and turning it into a home. Publishers WeeklyWonderfully detailed, often humorous. BCCBWhat's heartwarming throughout is the depiction of a tight-knit family (My family makes up a strong crew of four'). Booklist; Title: Building Our House | [
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12,442 | 4 | This Train, This Plane and This Boat author-illustrator Paul Collicut continues to explore transportation and opposites with This Car. "This car is short. This car is long. This car is old. This car is new," reads the straightforward text; dramatic full-color illustrations show an array of automobiles. Endpapers showcase popular and lesser known cars, their make and model. Ages 3-6.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reSchool-Grade 2-Brightly colored artwork and an intriguing array of cars make this book a standout among the many offerings available on the topic. The examples include a toy racer that "loops-the-loop," a solar-powered automobile, and the Lunar Rover. Each one is featured as part of a realistic-looking, full-page scene. In one illustration, a pit crew repairs a drag racer, while in another, jump-suited mechanics tinker with a lift-bound sedan. The automobiles are presented in pairs that reinforce simple concepts. A car that "pulls a trailer" is coupled with one that "pushes snow." A red convertible "drives over water," while an amphibious vehicle "drives through water." Featuring metallic shades of gray, blue, and red and lots of shiny chrome, the art captures the power and potential of these machines. The background details will help children to put the cars into context, and to think about how they are used in daily life. Painted snapshots of many more examples, complete with model name, year, and country of origin, decorate the endpapers. Transportation buffs and fans of the author's This Plane (2000) and This Train (1999, both Farrar) will not be disappointed.Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library JournalCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: This Car | [
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12,443 | 16 | Bob has a problem. Living as he does among the chickens, all he can do is cluck. But henrietta the cat sets him straight. 'Bob . . . You need to stop clucking and learn how to crow . . . That's what roosters do.' This advice sends him on a search among the animals of field and forest for one who will teach him to crow . . . The droll, repititious text, perfect for reading aloud, is delightfully complemented by birght, lively watercolor illustrations. Starred, School Library JournalA rooster with a bit of an identity crisis takes center coop in this lighthearted picture book about the sounds various animals make . . . Kicky pencil-and-watercolor scenes give this simple barnyard tale a vibrant sense of sound and movement . . . Offers readers something to crow about. Publishers WeeklyA visual treat for lap or group sharing. BooklistTracey Campbell Pearson is the author and illustrator of many books for children, including Myrtle and Where Does Joe Go? She lives in Jericho Center, Vermont.; Title: Bob: A Picture Book | [
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12,444 | 0 | A satisfying, well-aged slice of American lore. Publishers WeeklyA little-known piece of American history is at the center of this humorous story. When the people of Cheshire, MA, hear that President Jefferson is eating cheddar made in Norton, CT, instead of their own, they decide to do something about it. Against all odds, they make a 1235-pound wheel of cheese and ship it to the president, who declares it the best that he has ever tasted. School Library JournalThe author and illustrator bring to life an incident right out of history in this droll picture book enhanced by lively, color-washed pen-and-ink drawings . . . A humorous tale with a wide range of appeal and uses in and out of the classroom. Kirkus ReviewsCandace Fleming, author of Boxes for Katje and The Hatmaker's Sign, lives in Mount Prospect, Illinois.S. D. Schindler has illustrated many picture books. He lives in Philadelphia.; Title: A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar | [
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12,445 | 18 | A solid introduction to Americas most famous lexicographer. School Library Journal, starred reviewA visually fantastical portrait of Noah Webster. Publishers WeeklyAn engaging, diverting read. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's BooksA fascinating look at the determination and vision that led one man to create an essential resource. KirkusPraise for Barnum's Bones:T. rex lovers will gobble it up, and seekers of easy biographies will be hot on their heels. School Library Journal, starred reviewTracey Fern ("Buffalo Music," "Pippo the Fool") turns a slice of a scientist's biography into an American adventure tale, describing how Brown and his rivals at other museums raced to find the best fossils and to discover new species. New York Timestruly breathtaking. This will captivate the masses of kids whose jaws drop in the presence of hulking fossils. Booklist, starred reviewFern fills her text with all the salient facts but uses a breezy, humorous, awestruck voice that strikes just the right tone in telling the story of this fascinating, quirky scientist. Kirkus, starred reviewTracey Fern is the author of several other picture books, including Dare the Wind and Barnum's Bones, both Junior Library Guild selections. She lives in West Newton, Massachusetts. Boris Kulikov is the critically acclaimed illustrator of many children's books, including Max's Words by Kate Banks. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.; Title: W Is For Webster: Noah Webster and his American Dictionary | [
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12,446 | 2 | With simple, distilled details, [Wong] creates full, lovable characters in Minn and Jake- tough, precocious oddballs who find a strong sense of themselves in each other's differences...appealing, whimsical sketches. BooklistCt's b&w illustrations achieve unusual dimension. Incorporating what seem to be collage elements, her strikingly graphic compositions mirror the deceptive ease of the verse narration. Publishers WeeklyJanet S. Wong is the author of many poetry collections and acclaimed picture books, including This Next New Year. She lives in Medina, Washington.Genevive Ct has illustrated several books for children. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.; Title: Minn and Jake (Sunburst Books) | [
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12,447 | 1 | In a text as imaginative and skillful as his extraordinary color illustrations, Steig tells the comic, touching story of Caleb and his wife. Publishers WeeklySteig is a superb artist with the literary ingenuity to produce durable, energetic stories. The Horn BookWilliam Steig (1907-2003) was a cartoonist, illustrator and author of award-winning books for children, including Shrek!, on which the DreamWorks movies are based; the Caldecott Medal-winner Sylvester and the Magic Pebble; The Caldecott Honor book The Amazing Bone; and the Newbury Honor Books Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto. Stieg also published thirteen collections of drawings for adults, including The Lonely Ones, Male/Female, and Our Miserable Life.; Title: Caleb and Kate | [
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12,448 | 18 | ...will assist readers in developing a broader context in which to place Winnemucca's personal struggle. BCCBAn essential purchase, providing a new perspective on westward expansion and insight into the life of an inspiring but little-known civil rights crusader. School Library Journal, starredPowerful language and blazing orange, earth, and jewel-toned chalk drawings create a stirring testament to one individual's conviction. BooklistPowerful language and blazing orange, earth, and jewel-toned chalk drawings create a stirring testament to one individual's conviction. Publishers Weekly, starredA compelling introduction to an extraordinary leader. KirkusDeborah Kogan Ray's distinctive picture book biographies include Dinosaur Mountain and Down the Colorado. She lives in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.; Title: Paiute Princess: The Story of Sarah Winnemucca | [
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12,449 | 2 | In this graceful first novel, the funeral of one boy's grandmother excites a curiosity about death in three Japanese schoolboys . . . An offbeat and unsentimental coming-of-age story. Starred, Kirkus ReviewsAn eloquent initiation story that first touches and then pierces the heart . . . The passage of the time and the nature of mutability are poetically expressed in this warmly humorous narrative, deserving of equally high marks in kid appeal and literary merit. Starred, Publishers WeeklyA book about death that espouses the pure joy in life. School Library JournalKazumi Yumoto has written several books, including The Letters. She lives in Tokyo, Japan.; Title: The Friends | [
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12,450 | 0 | A series of 12 oracular rhymes, each depicted in a full-page tableau, forms the basis of this elegant, sophisticated work. PW 's comment: "Opening this ripe melon-colored book is like peering through a door at an opulent play." All ages. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Crows: An Old Rhyme | [
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12,451 | 0 | In this unusually graceful autobiographical novel, a Jewish girl in 1932 Germany observes disturbing changes in the adults around her as Hitler rises to power. Ages 12-up. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: A Frost in the Night | [
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12,452 | 0 | Cole creates an unlikely duo: a giant and his troublesome toe. "His giant resembles a retired W.C. Fields," said PW. "Whimsical illustrations animate the story, which will leave readers hoping for further episodes." Ages 4-8.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Grade 1-3 An original, rather odd, tale of an elderly, dull-witted giant and his "toe." Chopped off while the giant hoed his cabbages, the "toe" proceeds to give him a very hard time, disposing of his prized hen (that lays golden eggs) and his harp (that sings all by itself). But it's the same "toe" that manages to get rid of the mean-looking troublemaker named Jack, convincing the giant of his worth and earning his rightful place in the giant's affection. The colorful watercolor illustrations are evocative and great fun. The delightful use of language makes this a super read-aloud choice for children old enough to appreciate the humor. Cole's best effort to date. Luann Toth, Summit Free Public Library, N.J.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.; Title: The Giant's Toe | [
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12,453 | 0 | Kindergarten-Grade 3The French youngsters introduced in Adle & Simon (Farrar, 2006) return in this early-20th-century adventure with their Aunt Ccile. This book follows the same format and look as its predecessor, complete with McClintock's signature pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, off-white paper, vintage font, and endpaper maps following the siblings' travel route. As the children pack for their train trip across America, Adle reminds Simon to try not to lose anything, while Aunt Ccile reassures them that she has labeled all of his belongings with his name and her address. This is a necessary precaution, because as soon as they arrive at the train station, Simon's journal goes missing. And in typical fashion, he continues to lose an item at each of their destinations, from San Francisco's Chinatown to Washington, DC. Fans of Where's Waldo? will enjoy searching for Simon's lost items amid all of the action-filled scenes, while adults will appreciate the great detail and line work. Readers of all ages will delight in the variety of facial and bodily expressions found in both the main and background characters. Also, while the colors remain muted, they are ever so slightly brighter than those in Adle & Simon, creating a more open and airy feel to the scenes. Like the first book, McClintock includes endnotes detailing each location that the children visit. This is a feast for the eyes and a wonderful way to incorporate geographic information into a child's frame of knowledge.Kim T. Ha, Elkridge Branch Library, MD Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.French siblings Adle and her younger brother, Simon, last seenin Paris, are now in America, visiting their aunt. They are looking forward to their cross-country train journey, but once more, Simon is being less than careful with his belongings. He starts the trip with ajournal, pencil box, cowboy hat, drinking cup, and several other items, but alas, theyre soon strewn across the states. It is this thread that keeps the narrative going, but whatwill entice readers mostis McClintocks meticulous artwork, which brings to life a time gone by. Re-creating the early days of the last century, she uses soft colorings and plenty of cross-hatching to show readers all manner of sights: a North Dakota farm; the Pacific Ocean, south of Seattle; a dusty ranch in Texas, complete with cowboys and a chuck wagon. The absorbing artwork will sustain many viewings, perhaps even enough for eagle-eyed readers to spot Simons (tiny) lost objects in the spreads. Those who want to know more will enjoy illustrated endnotes that offer facts about the destinations. Grades K-2. --Ilene Cooper; Title: Adle & Simon in America (Adele & Simon) | [
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12,454 | 11 | In this original folktale inspired by the North American Plains people, Crow and Weasel come of age together as they make a voyage into unknown territory, made vivid in Pohrt's well-researched paintings. All ages. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.[A] genuinely stirring adventure story . . . stunningly illustrated. The Washington Post Book WorldMr. Lopez's story is a wonderful one, that is, full of wonders. It is a journey through a vast landscape, every part of which is electric with life and danger. It is also an interior, spiritual journey toward wisdom. And the illustrations are brilliant. Paula FoxCrow and Weasel are two young men of the Northern plains who undertake a journey through unexplored wilderness to the tundra and back. Their quest is also a fable of inner discovery based on ideas and traditions of early American Indians. An engrossing story, which is imaginatively illustrated. The New Yorker; Title: Crow and Weasel | [
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12,455 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 2The child first introduced in My Name Is Yoon (2003) and Yoon and the Christmas Mitten (2006, both Farrar) returns in a story centered on her birthday. Yoon longs for a jump rope in order to join the other girls on the playground. Instead she receives a book and a precious family bracelet with her name, meaning "Shining Wisdom," engraved inside in Korean. Yoon is tricked into lending it to an older girl who promises to teach her how to jump rope. But when the girl refuses to return the bracelet, Yoon must figure some way to get it back. This story opens like the others, with the protagonist stating, "My name is Yoon. I came here from Korea, a country far away." It allows readers to discover aspects of Korean culture and to learn how a Korean-American child reconciles her two worlds. Swiatkowska's illustrations are full of texture, and her brushstrokes continue to become more open and loose. Here, the paintings occupy a large number of spreads, and backgrounds are completely filled with single colors, sometimes bold reds and aquas, other times more muted olives and grays. The large textured strokes, thickly applied paint, and distorted forms are in keeping with the symbolism of the jade bracelet and the imagery in the folktale that Yoon receives as birthday gifts.Kim T. Ha, Elkridge Branch Library, MD Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Instead of the jump rope Yoon wants, her mother gives her a book about a girl who outwits a tiger and a beautiful jade bracelet that was once her own. At school, an older girlasks lonely Yoon to let herborrow the bracelet. When the bully refuses to return it, Yoon, like the girl who outwitted the tiger, uses her quick thinking to recover her treasure. Children will appreciate the justice meted in this third story about Yoon and her Korean American family. The accomplished art has a childlike navet that fits the gentle story. Grades K-3. --Linda Perkins; Title: Yoon and the Jade Bracelet | [
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12,456 | 7 | "At night David can fly. In the daytime he can't. In the daytime he doesn't even remember that he can. But at night, after his mother has put him to bed, he wakes up, sometimes.... It isn't flying exactly, but floating--he floats in the air." As he hovers over his parents, he can see their dreams, round and yellow, just over their heads. He can faintly see his dog Reddy's furry dream, too, before floating outside. In the moonlight, he can see mice dancing, how the vegetable garden looks in black and white, and a flock of sleeping sheep: "All of them except one are dreaming they're eating; that one is dreaming he's asleep." Throughout Randall Jarrell's dreamy, evocative prose poem we follow David in his nocturnal drifting. We hear the tender bedtime story of an owl to its owlets, until the owl--with "two big silent strokes of its wings sails away"--flies with the boy back to his house. There, he goes to sleep and wakes up to his loving mother, remembering nothing. Maurice Sendak's illustrations, which are never intrusive, capture the quiet moodiness of this piece--the final collaboration of Jarrell and Sendak before Jarrell's death in 1965. A starred review in School Library Journal says, "Jarrell writes with simple force and grace about the essential loneliness of life, but above all he is writing about love--family love, especially, which is shown to be strong and constant." (All ages) --Karin SnelsonDavid is an ordinary boy, but at night he wakes up and remembers that he can fly, something he forgets during the day. He hovers near his parents' heads, seeing their dreams, and then soars through the countryside. In the morning, his mother's dream (to make pancakes) comes true. PW called the text "lyrical, interspersed with rhymes and a long poem; this book is a rarity." Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Fly by Night | [
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12,457 | 15 | This small square book dramatizes the astonishing journey of the Monarch butterfly, and the powerful instinct that drives it to fly as much as 3,000 miles from the U.S. to Mexico for the winter . . . Even preschoolers will feel the excitement about this most fragile of creatures that can fly so far and prove so strong. Starred, BooklistRiddle makes use of vivid, glowing colors to capture the majesty of this perennial favorite on the curriculum circuit. Kirkus ReviewsThe rhythm and repetition are infectious, making it nearly impossible to keep from chanting along. The Horn BookSam Swope is the author of two previous picture books, The Krazees and The Araboolies of Liberty Street. He lives in New York City.Sue Riddle lives in Providence, Rhode Island. Gotta Go! Gotta Go! is his first book.; Title: Gotta Go! Gotta Go!: A Picture Book (Sunburst Book) | [
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12,458 | 0 | Touching, authentic, carefully wrought. Pointer, Kirkus ReviewsMinfong Ho is an award winning Chinese America author. She writes books for children and young adults.; Title: The Clay Marble | [
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12,459 | 2 | A boy and his grandfather go rowing just as dawn breaks over the mountains in this quietly stunning, poetic book. A Michael di Capua Book. All ages. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.Drawn from a Chinese poem, the spare text tells of an old man and his grandson asleep by the shore of a mountain lake. With the approach of daylight, the watercolor illustrations slowly become more focused and detailed...Serene, simple, and stunning, this is Shulevitz at his best. Starred, School Library JournalShulevitz, winner of the Caldecott Medal, has created a book which, in every sense of the word, abounds in beauty...A unique, unforgettable experience for both children and adults. The Reading TeacherBeginning with the first hint of dawn, each subtle change of atmosphere and color is recorded in a series of stunning and poetic illustrations. A boy and his grandfather awaken and row out in their boat just as the dawn breaks dramatically over the mountain-- with such realism of color and light that the reader almost feels his pupils narrow as the light increases. An artistic tour de force of accuracy and sensitivity. Parents Magazine; Title: Harcourt School Publishers Signatures: English As a Second Language Grade 4 Dawn Signatures | [
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12,460 | 11 | Reading The Ch'i-lin Purse is like holding a wondrous jewel in the palm of your hand. Jay O'Callahan, storytellerFilled with warmth, kindness, and the true human spirit. Everyone will be touched by the characters of these stories. Voice of Youth AdvocatesA professional storyteller, Fang uses the tales she heard, read, and loved as a child in Shanghai. Now she has written down nine of those stories whose origins are legends, novels, and operas hundreds of years old. Dramatic, humorous, and touching by turns, the stories often concern difficulties overcome by characters who are kind or clever, or both...A fine, flavorful collection. Starred, BooklistJeanne M. Lee is the author and illustrator of many books, including The Song of Mu Lan and I Once Was a Monkey: Stories Buddha Told. She lives in Massachusetts.; Title: The Ch'i-lin Purse: A Collection of Ancient Chinese Stories (Sunburst Book) | [
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12,461 | 2 | In this prequel to the Newbery Honor book The Cricket in Times Square, "the characters of these quintessential New Yorkers are as vibrant and joyful as they ever were," wrote PW. Ages 8-up.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse (Chester Cricket and His Friends) | [
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12,462 | 0 | Readers will gobble up Karr's hilarious novel of a boy who resolves to walk 1000 turkeys from the Show-Me state to Denver, Colorado. Simon, who's 15 and newly graduated from the thrid grade, may not be too bright, but he figures he can make his fortune by buying Mr. Buffey's brinze turkeys for a quarter apiece and selling them in Denver for $5 each...The gifted Karr has a cheerful, sassy down-home writing style and a perfect pitch for dialogue. Starred, Publishers WeeklyFull of good humor and page-turning quest-style events...This novel begs to be read aloud. Starred, School Library JournalA wide-open western epic, inspired by actual drives and featuring a cast of capable young people. Kirkus ReviewsFifteen-year-old Simon Green has just completed the third grade (for the fourth time) when Miss Rogers tells him it's time he made his way in the world of 1860. Simon may not be book-smart, but he hatches a plan that could make him a fortune. He intends to herd one thousand turkeys from Missouri to Denver, where meat is scarce and fetches a high price. Bankrolled by Miss Rogers and accompanied by a loyal drover and his dog, four mules, and a wagonload of shelled corn, Simon undertakes the biggest journey of his young life in this wild Wild West adventure.; Title: The Great Turkey Walk | [
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12,463 | 5 | A satirical look at the residents of Chelm, the legendary Yiddish town of fools. Ages 10-up. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Fools of Chelm and Their History | [
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12,464 | 2 | An Amish girl makes her first visit to a city . . . in another graceful and understated work by the collaborators of the Caldecott Honor book, The Gardener . . . Spills(s) over with a contagious enthusiasm. Starred, Boxed, Publishers WeeklyHusband and wife duo Sarah Stewart and David Small have worked together on several picture books, including The Gardener, a Caldecott Honor book available from Square Fish. Small has also illustrated other books, including the 2001 Caldecott Medal winner So You Want to Be President?, by Judith St. George. Stewart and Small live in a historic home on a bend of the St. Joseph River in Michigan.; Title: The Journey | [
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12,465 | 5 | An admirable collection of legends?from India to Indonesia, from ancient Greece and Rome to the Bible?explains mythical origins of various constellations; jewel-like portraits enhance the book's appeal. Ages 7-11. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Heavenly Zoo: Legends and Tales of the Stars (Sunburst Book) | [
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12,466 | 2 | Gantos draws inspiration from his own childhood diaries in the fourth collection of stories about Jack Henry. In these nine tales, his aggravations include his annoying older sister, some crazy cats, a tapeworm and a pair of escaped convicts. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)nCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Jack . . . returns here in an account of the year . . . when his family first moves to Florida . . . His struggle for maturation is enhanced by Gantos's effervescent writing style and grasp of the gross and horrifying . . . This will reel kids right in. Bulletin of the Center for Children's BooksA laugh-out-loud read inhabited by killer cats, giant tapeworms, and escaped convicts. The Horn BookHilarious, exquisitely painful, and utterly on-target. BooklistPoignant, funny, and real. School Library Journal; Title: Jack on the Tracks: Four Seasons of Fifth Grade (Jack Henry) | [
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12,467 | 1 | PreS-Gr 2The circus is in town, and Emma longs to see it. "Sorry," says her dad. There are too many farm chores to be finished before winter. But does a bear on a unicycle wink at Emma as it zips by? Believe it or not, over the course of several days, more and more circus performers show up to play with Emma in the barn, exiting only when Mama hollers, "Supper!" Nobody else notices a thing until the day the family throw open the barn doors and find Emma's circus. What a performance they witness, with acrobats, jugglers, sword swallowers, elephants, camels, lions, and, of course, the original unicycling bear. Davenier's happy, splashy ink and watercolor illustrations tell the story with dynamic, cluttered detail. VERDICT A fun and rollicking read-aloud to share with a group. Children will linger over each increasingly crowded page, enjoying the ways the farm animals get into the act.Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NYDaveniers happy, splashy ink and watercolor illustrations tell the story with dynamic, cluttered detail . . . A fun and rollicking read-aloud to share with a group. School Library Journal; Title: Emma's Circus | [
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12,468 | 7 | Rutkoski delivers the conclusion to this trilogy with aplomb and grace . . . The heart of this story, however, has always been Arin and Kestrels complicated love for each other, and here their once-sizzling chemistry is replaced with real affection and attempts to truly know each another, though fans can rest assured there are still plenty of passionate encounters in this satisfying conclusion. The Bulletin for the Center of Children's BooksMarie Rutkoski is the author of The Winner's Trilogy, The Shadow Society, and the Kronos Chronicles, which includes The Cabinet of Wonders. She is a professor at Brooklyn College and lives in New York City.; Title: The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy) | [
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12,469 | 2 | fun and inventive take on the secret-blog concept Booklist OnlineMY LIFE UNDECIDED is a super-cute read. Brooklyn constantly makes the wrong decisions, but it ultimately leads her to discovering her true self. I loved the blend of technology with modern day. A fun book! Teensreadtoo.comYou'll love it if... you want a book that you can read anywhere, from the airplane to the pool. This engaging story will grab your attention and leave you wanting more! Seventeen.comMy Life Undecided is Jessica Brody's story of fifteen-year-old Brooklyn, who feels like she's never made a good decision for herself. She decides to start a blog and asks her followers to make her choices for her, only to find there are some choices no one can make for her. TeenVogue.comBrody (The Karma Club) taps into a universal human desire--who, at some point, hasn't wished to surrender all responsibility for one's decisions? Publishers WeeklyMy Life Undecided has a certain charm that will make it a popular read. VOYABrooklyn is a sympathetic protagonist with whom teens will identify. Her journey is fun to read, and decision-challenged readers will learn an important lesson about self-acceptance along the way. School Library JournalEqual parts fresh, funny, and engaging, The Karma Club is the story of one girl's attempt to speed Karma along only to discover that Karma plays by its own rules. Jessica Brody has created a witty, endearing heroine in Maddy Kasparkova--this is one YA debut you won't want to miss! Alyson Noel, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Evermore and Blue Moon on The Karma ClubAll the fun and intrigue of Gossip Girl, with the heart of a Sarah Dessen novel and the soul of the I Ching. Gabrielle Zevin, author of Elsewhere and Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac on The Karma ClubWritten with wit and panache. Readers will have fun with this one, and it might make them think a little, too. Booklist on The Karma ClubThe action-packed narrative builds an impressive amount of suspense for what is essentially a comic romance, and readers might learn a thing or two about Buddhist philosophy along the way. Kirkus Reviews on The Karma ClubThe Karma Club is exactly the book you'd want to read after getting dumped. With an effortless understanding of the teen landscape, Jessica Brody takes the classic tale of "what goes around, comes around" and crafts a fresh, funny, relatable story that proves it's never to late to admit your mistakes and set Karma back on its natural course. Rosalind Wiseman, New York Times best-selling author of Queen Bees & Wannabees on The Karma ClubJessica Brody knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started "self-publishing" her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples and electrical tape.Brody graduated from Smith College in 2001 with a double major in Economics and French and a minor in Japanese. She went to work for MGM Studios as a Manager of Acquisitions and Business Development, and then, in 2005, she quit her job to follow her dream of becoming a published author.Brody is the author of the young adult novel The Karma Club and two novels for adults--The Fidelity Files and Love Under Cover. Jessica's books are published in over ten foreign countries including the U.K., France, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Brazil, China, Portugal, and Taiwan. She now works full time as a writer and producer, and currently splits her time between Los Angeles and Colorado.; Title: My Life Undecided | [
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12,470 | 2 | Kate Banks has written a gentle book about the nature of being. Polly HorvathThis is a book to be experienced with all the senses. The ache of reckoning as Dillon's summer brings him face-to-face with the unexpected truths of his life is turned by Banks's sensitive prose into a wonder-filled, moving quest for understanding. Beautifully rendered, this summer by the lake will linger with readers as surely as if they had rowed to Dillon's island and befriended his loons themselves. Karen HesseEstablished as a skillful writer of deceptively simple picture books . . . Banks's first novel is intriguingly complex, enigmatic, and brilliant . . . The flow of language is as smooth as calm water, the imagery graceful . . . Banks has crafted a poignant quest for understanding by an unforgettable character. Starred, Kirkus ReviewsThis introspective, somewhat magical story is perfect for all children who wonder about their place in the universe. Starred, School Library JournalRhythmic and beautiful. Boxed review, BooklistKate Banks is the author of Walk Softly, Rachel, Friends of the Heart / Amici del Cuore, and Lenny's Space. She is also the author of many award-winning picture books, among them Max's Words, And If the Moon Could Talk, winner of the Boston GlobeHorn Book Award, and The Night Worker, winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award. She grew up in Maine, where she and her two sisters and brother spent a lot of time outdoors, and where Banks developed an early love of reading. Banks attended Wellesley College and received her masters in history at Columbia University. She lived in Rome for eight years but now lives in the South of France with her husband and two sons, Peter Anton and Maximilian.; Title: Dillon Dillon | [
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12,471 | 2 | At the end of seventh grade, Jack Henry decides to write a novel in this third collection of interlinked stories. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) r Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.These are the unsaid things that go on inside kids' brains. Rosie, age 11Twisted, revolting, and hilarious. Randy Powell, author of Is Kissing a Girl Who Smokes Like Licking an Ashtray?I suggest you read this book. Tristan, age 14The narrative sparkles with wit and . . . rings with the authenticity of adolescent humor, embarrassment, and fascination with the absolutely gross . . . Zany characters, good pacing, lots of humor, and a touch of romance make this a quick, fun read. School Library JournalEnough descriptive disaster to satisfy youngsters looking for a gross-out . . . Good solid writing, and a bizarre plot that even reluctant adults can't help but appreciate. The Horn Book; Title: Jack's Black Book: What Happens When You Flunk an IQ Test? (Jack Henry) | [
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12,472 | 12 | For Jon Agee, creating palindromes is irrepressible. Associated PressA creative, comedic gem. BooklistJON AGEE has written and illustrated five previous books of wordplay, including Who Ordered the Jumbo Shrimp? and Other Oxymorons. He lives in San Francisco, California.; Title: Palindromania! (Sunburst Books) | [
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12,473 | 7 | PW dubbed this "a potent dose of comic fantasy, bubbling over with clever wordplay and slapstick incidents, and spiked with verse." Ages 10-up. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Night of Wishes | [
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12,474 | 11 | Beautiful, easy to read fun, with an interplay between text and pictures always sought for, seldom encountered. starred, School Library JournalThe idea of the story is so childlike, the telling of it so effortless, and the book executed with such distinction that it belongs naturally among the true picture books we seem always to have had . . . A book no child should miss. The Horn BookUri Shulevitz is a Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author. He has 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: One Monday Morning | [
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12,475 | 15 | A child listens to the sound of rain, imagines various places where the rain is falling, and anticipates the plant growth and puddle play that will follow...The pictures all emphasize the nurturing, miraculous, and temporary qualities of a rainfall. Starred, School Library JournalLilting. Publishers WeeklyUri Shulevitz is a Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author. He has 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: Rain Rain Rivers (Rise and Shine) | [
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12,476 | 15 | Here is a fascinating, detailed look at the life of Charles Darwin: naturalist, geologist, and independent thinker. In his author's note, Caldecott Honor illustrator Peter Sis (Starry Messenger, Tibet: Through the Red Box) writes that Darwin always regretted not learning how to draw. However, he could and did take "dense and vivid" written notes, from which Sis drew his inspiration. Readers will spend hours poring over the gorgeous, intricately crafted pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations depicting layer upon layer of Darwins life as he developed his theories about the origins of life and natural selection. Tidbits from Darwins extensive and legendary voyage on the Beagle, notes on Galapagos tortoises, bloodsucking benchuca bugs, and Toxodon skeletons, and particulars from his family life intermingle with each other--just as in real life. Crammed with a veritable muddle of diary entries, cameo portraits, diagrams, natural illustrations, maps, timelines, a gatefold spread, and narrative divided into "Public Life," "Private Life," and "Secret Life" blocks of text, The Tree of Life will certainly be overwhelming to some readers; for other, less linear thinkers, it will be sheer, chaotic delight. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie CoulterGrade 4 Up-Sis offers an impressive homage to the life and ideas of Darwin through a fully illustrated, multilayered narrative augmented with copious charts, maps, and sketches. Two strands of text recounting Darwin's youth from his own and his father's points of view run below picture blocks in several early pages. Soon smaller chunks of text, often taken from Darwin's journals, move across the spreads with a central image and copious small, framed vignettes and picture bits. Other pages are filled completely with rows of picture cards. The artist melds information into handsome constructions to explain first the long years of travel aboard the Beagle and then the naturalist's evolving ideas about the origin of species. He knew all along it was a troublesome notion, and Sis introduces many other scientists and thinkers who influenced his work or objected to it. A gatefold spread near the end of the book reproduces the title page of the famous book, here with swirling lines of explanation and illustration. Muted tones of blue, green, and tan, and finely hatched drawings in the manner of old prints lend a period look to the pages. Beautifully conceived and executed, the presentation is a humorous and informative tour de force that will absorb and challenge readers. Though linear in its chronology, the sweeping, circular design and shorthand catalog of species, people, and ideas encountered by Darwin is a fragmentary account. However, it's a fabulous, visually exciting introduction to the man, his ideas, and the science of the natural world.Margaret Bush, Simmons College, BostonCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Tree of Life: A Book Depicting the Life of Charles Darwin- Naturalist, Geologist & Thinker | [
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12,477 | 2 | "This wry trio of tales features an engagingly imperfect boy and his engagingly imperfect grandfather," said PW of this first installment of a series for beginning readers. Ages 6-8. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.This wry trio of tales features an engagingly imperfect boy and his engagingly imperfect grandfather...Accommodating beginning readers, Mills's controlled and considerable repetition are also used to comic effect...A witty, warm offering. (Publishers Weekly)Gus enjoys spending time with his grandfather, whether he's helping Grandpa track down his car in the parking lot...or teaching Grandpa's dog some tricks. [The stories] show the pair's close, loving relationship. (The Horn Book Guide)The simple, lovely words in short lines will help beginning readers, and Stock's line-and-wash illustrations are filled with light and love and commotion. (Booklist); Title: Gus and Grandpa | [
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12,478 | 0 | Babbitt's incorrigible Devil has no trouble leading humans down the primrose path to perdition in this wise, elegantly told, darkly humorous collection, a sequel to The Devil's Storybook . Ages 8-12. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Devil's Other Storybook | [
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12,479 | 8 | A stunning version of the Grimms' classic story. All ages. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.Burkert's tapestrylike paintings, strong yet delicately detailed, radiate a spiritual beauty that enriches the movement of the story in its medieval setting. Jarrell's style, graceful and dignified, stays close to the original. Starred, Booklist; Title: Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs: A Tale from the Brothers Grimm (Sunburst Book) | [
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12,480 | 11 | Martins' black-and-white drawings exude action and feeling, and the elements he chose to illustrate are perceptive and sensitive...A fine addition to the poetry shelves. BooklistNikki Giovanni is the author of Lincoln and Douglass,Spin a Soft Black Song, The Sun Is So Quiet, and the Caldecott Honor Book Rosa. Her autobiography Gemini was a finalist for the National Book Award, and several of her books have received NAACP Image Awards. She was the first recipient of the Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage Award, and has been awarded the Langston Hughes Medal for poetry.; Title: Spin a Soft Black Song: Poems for Children | [
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12,481 | 2 | A not-to-be missed borscht-and-blintzes birthday party. starred, Publishers WeeklyWhen Grandma insists that she wants "no presents" for her birthday this year, Sara, her mother, and their neighbors all seek the perfect NO PRESENT. starred, School Library JournalIn lively, lyrical prose, Best celebrates a special family relationship, and conveys the unique challenges and joys of an immigrant's new life . . . Potter's festive, whimsical artwork is an irresistible play of vibrant colors and patterns, filled with rich detail and diverse, expressive characters. starred, BooklistCari Best's books include Shrinking Violet and Goose's Story. She lives in Weston, Connecticut.Giselle Potter an award-winning illustrator. She lives in Kingston, New York.; Title: Three Cheers for Catherine the Great! | [
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12,482 | 11 | In PW 's words, "Gerrard transports his comic and lumpish figures across the Atlantic to tell a Western tale. As usual, his humor is understated and droll. The good guys win out in this straight-faced comedy that . . . is 'enormous fun.' " Ages 4-8. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 1-4-- The Old West has never been more appealing than in this rip-roaring, yet gentle British tale of ranchers vs. rustlers. Rosie Jones is boss of the cowboys and presides over a neat, cozy little ranch where Fancy Dan, Salad Sam, One-Leg Smith, Singing Sid, Mad McGhee and Utah Jim "Work extremely hard, to stop her getting cross." Their exaggerated hats are tall enough to hold at least 10 gallons and, of course, are light in color, if not white. In darker, but equally tall hats, are Greasy Ben and his band of ruffians. Each page contains one or two quatrains and Gerrard's characteristically clever, charming, and detailed watercolor illustrations. As the good guys chase the bad, double-page spreads present panoramic views of mountains, canyons, and cactus. Pages with a great deal of white space follow, while Rosie and the cowboys figure out how to capture Greasy Ben without a fight. Gerrard, in his usual fashion, has captured a child's view of a western adventure in which sleeping on the hard and lumpy ground, morning baths in a stream, and eating beans for breakfast are made important. Details in the illustrations of the bunk house combine the motifs of the West with homey images of a teddy bear, family portraits, and picture books. One is reminded of dioramas when turning these pages: miniatures of ranch, desert, and town that enable viewers to walk right in and be a part of it all. Gerrard uses rich browns, blues, and pale greens with touches of reds, reaching children with little details that will make them giggle and even explode into laughter. --Kay E. Vandergrift, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Rutgers Univ . , New Brunswick, NJCopyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.; Title: Rosie and the Rustlers (Sunburst Book) | [
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12,483 | 0 | According to PW , "Zemach turns an 'old story' into a new, irresistible treat, with a brisk narrative and pictures in zesty colors in the style that has won her a Caldecott Medal. The characters are howlingly funny." Ages 3-8. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Little Red Hen: An Old Story | [
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12,484 | 2 | Laugh-out-loud funny . . . The author has bull's-eye accuracy in capturing the private torments of a twelve-year-old. The Buffalo NewsAs real as it gets. The Book ReportThe author of the offbeat Rotten Ralph picture books makes an auspicious foray into new ground with this semi-autobiographical, wholly engaging novel. His narrator, Jack, travels through the often poignant moments that highlight his sixth-grade year. Starred, Publishers WeeklyJack's a survivor, an everyboy' whose world may be wacko but whose heart and spirit are eminently sane . . . Gantos is a terrific writer with a wonderfully wry sensibility. Starred, School Library JournalJack Gantos has written books for people of all ages, from picture books and middle-grade fiction to novels for young adults and adults. His works include Hole in My Life, a memoir that won the Michael L. Printz and Robert F. Sibert Honors; the Joey Pigza series, which include a Newbery Honor book and a National Book Award Finalist; Dead End in Norvelt, winner of the Newbery Medal and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction; and the Rotten Ralph series.; Title: Heads or Tails: Stories from the Sixth Grade (Jack Henry) | [
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12,485 | 0 | Exhausted from his crusades, our hero, Sir Cedric teh Good, decides he and his men should vacation in Jerusalem. Accompanying them is his lovely wife, Lady Matilda, and their daughter, Edwina the Fair, who is secretly known as Edwina the Pest because of her very unladylike ways. They make it as far as Palestine with nary mishap, but there pesty Edwina decides to go exploring. Lady Matilda is frantic with worry, and quite vexed when she finds Edwina, until--egads!--they are both captured by evil Abdul the Heavy. Will Edwina have to marry Abdul? Will Lady Matilda become his cook? Or will Sir Cedric save the day and come to their rescue? Of course he will! Beautifully detailed watercolor illustrations enhance this lively tale. Roy Gerrard's most recent book, Sir Cedric, was selected as a Booklist Children's Editors' Choice and one of the New York Times Best Illustrated Books of 1984. He lives in England.; Title: Sir Cedric Rides Again | [
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12,486 | 2 | Jack Gantos and Nicole Rubel published their first book, Rotten Ralph, in 1976. They launched the Rotten Ralph Readers in 2001 with Rotten Ralph Helps Out.In addition to the Rotten Ralph books, Jack Gantos is the author of Hole in My Life, a memoir that won the Michael L. Printz and Robert F. Sibert Honors, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, a National Book Award Finalist, and Joey Pigza Loses Control, a Newbery Honor book. He lives with his family in Boston, Massachusetts.Nicole Rubel's many books include Twice as Nice: What It's Like to Be a Twin and Grody's Not So Golden Rules. She lives in Aurora, Oregon.; Title: Practice Makes Perfect for Rotten Ralph: A Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader (Rotten Ralph Rotten Readers) | [
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12,487 | 2 | DeFelice delivers a fast-paced mystery with a strong sense of place. Strong characters and an effective first-person narration...create an exciting whole, sure to hook readers. BooklistDeFelice keenly evokes the feel of a Gulf fishing town...the reader's empathy will be engaged as Skeet discovers that things aren't always what they seem. Kirkus ReviewsThe characters shine. Readers will savor the story. VOYADeFelice offers a realistic adventure story that is fast paced and full of drama. The characters are multifaceted and well developed, and the story should prompt readers to think about cause and effect. School Library JournalA great mystery. SIGNALCynthia DeFelice is the author of many bestselling books for young readers, including The Ghost of Fossil Glen, Wild Life, Signal, and Weasel. Her books have been nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award and listed as American Library Association Notable Children's Books and Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, among numerous other honors. She lives in upstate New York.; Title: The Missing Manatee: A Mystery About Fishing and Family | [
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12,488 | 2 | Chester, a country cricket who misses stargazing during his stay in the city, takes a breathtaking ride with new friend Lulu Pigeon over New York. Descriptions of Central Park and Times Square are evocative . . . Full-page pen-and-ink drawings are panoramic and most vibrant when depicting the familiar Chester, Harry Cat, and Tucker. BooklistThoughtful but unpretentious, humorous without more cleverness, this is nothing less than a good story, well told and sympathetically illustrated. School Library JournalWilliams's big, breathtaking pen-and-ink drawings almost steal the show from the author. Publisher's WeeklyGeorge Selden (1929-1989) was the author of A Cricket in Times Square, winner of the 1961 Newbery Honor and a timeless children's classic. The popular Cricket series grew to seven titles, including Tucker's Countryside and The Old Meadow. In 1973, The Cricket in Times Square was made into an animated film. Selden lived in New York City until his death in December 1989. He enjoyed music, archaeology, and J.R.R. Tolkien.Garth Williams illustrated all seven of the Chester Cricket books and many other distinguished works, including Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, and the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.; Title: Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride (Chester Cricket and His Friends) | [
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12,489 | 0 | Praise for Yellow & Pink:"One marvels at the expressiveness, the nearness to animation, of Steig's vibrant drawings." -The Washington Post Book World"A comic fable that has more clout than the most fervent homily." -Publishers Weekly"Illustrated with simple three-color drawings, this is a book that will delight adults as well as children and lead to some very interesting discussions!" -Children's LiteratureCaldecott Medalist William Steig is the author and illustrator of numerous children's books. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.; Title: Yellow & Pink | [
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12,490 | 0 | Every bit as worth as their predecessors. The Horn BookA virtual catalog of brief meditations on little earthly wonders-from "Amoeba" to "Zinnias"-rendered in characteristically simple yet exquisitely language and though. Voice of Youth AdvocatesMs. Worth brilliantly employs all aspects of the poet's craft...Like haiku, her poems are written in the present tense of one thing keenly observed, inviting readers to complete the picture. Myra Cohn Livingston, The New York Times Book ReviewValerie Worth's small, solid poems are consistently accessible but never condescending or compromising...The observations are sharp, matter-of-fact, fresh but unforced, and Natalie Babbitt's precise, understated drawings have the same virtues. Pointer/Kirkus ReviewsAll the original collaborations between this poet and artist are collected in this volume, which includes ninety-nine poems and an additional fourteen new ones. The early works have been widely praised, for good reason, and the new verses are every bit as worthy as their predecessors...the book is a gift to cherish. The Horn BookValerie Worth (1933-1994) grew up in Pennsylvania and Florida, and lived for a year in India. She met Natalie Babbitt at Kirkland College, and Babbitt illustrated four volumes of her poems, which were collected in All the Small Poems and Fourteen More. The National Council of Teachers of English honored Worth with its Poetry Award for Excellence, which acknowledges a body of work.A gifted artist and writer, Natalie Babbitt (1932-2016) is the award-winning author of many classic stories, including Tuck Everlasting, The Eyes of the Amaryllis, and the Newbury Honor Book Kneeknock Rise, among many other brilliantly original books for young people.; Title: All the Small Poems and Fourteen More | [
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12,491 | 13 | An excellent novel, written in the form of an autobiography, about the painter Velzquez and his Negro slave and assistant, Juan de Pareja...[who] was legally prohibited from painting because he was a slave. Bulletin of the Center for Children's BooksElizabeth Borton de Trevio (1904-2000) was the highly acclaimed author of many books for young people. Born in California, it was her move to Mexico in the 1930s that inspired many of her books, including El Gero: A True Adventure Story and Leona: A Love Story. She won the Newbery Medal in 1966 for I, Juan de Pareja.; Title: Yo, Juan de Pareja | [
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12,492 | 1 | One summer morning when his parents aren't about, frog Gorky sets up a laboratory in the kitchen and concocts a potion...His wondrous flight is described in language that bubbles with magical phrases, and the illustrations bloom with Steig's luminous art. Starred, School Library JournalOrbiting Steig's world with Gorky is an experience I recommend to everyone. The New YorkerWilliam Steig (1907-2003) was a cartoonist, illustrator and author of award-winning books for children, including Shrek!, on which the DreamWorks movies are based; the Caldecott Medal-winner Sylvester and the Magic Pebble; The Caldecott Honor book The Amazing Bone; and the Newbury Honor Books Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto. Stieg also published thirteen collections of drawings for adults, including The Lonely Ones, Male/Female, and Our Miserable Life.; Title: Gorky Rises | [
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12,493 | 10 | PW's starred review praised the "dramatic flair" and "effervescent spirit" of this inventive tale about a French aviator with nine lives. Ages 3-up. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 1-3?The daring escapades of an unflappable flier who crashes into a French farmyard and charms the owners, Sophie and Albert, who take him under their wing again when he is stranded in the Alps. A deadpan delivery, balanced by droll, stylized illustration. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Return of Freddy Legrand | [
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] | Test |
12,494 | 13 | [A] simple but pleasing story with elegantly decorative paintings. Kirkus ReviewsAn excellent read-aloud book. . .A worthy addition to the multicultural collection. BooklistJeanne M. Lee is the author and illustrator of many books, including The Song of Mu Lan and I Once Was a Monkey: Stories Buddha Told. She lives in Massachusetts.; Title: Silent Lotus (Reading Rainbow Book) | [
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71871,
72624,
74881
] | Train |
12,495 | 15 | "In strikingly vivid and arresting full-color paintings, Cowcher movingly presents . . . a well-designed introduction to the fragile balance of nature," PW commented. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Rain Forest | [
12112,
26984,
62877
] | Train |
12,496 | 0 | The engaging tale of a garbage collector who finds true love only when he stops looking for it. A Michael di Capua Book. Ages 3-up. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Tiffky Doofky (Sunburst Book) | [
9603,
10059,
10090,
10099,
10139,
10202
] | Test |
12,497 | 1 | As depicted by Caldecott Medalist Zemach, these amusingly rag-tag porkers make short work of a dashing, frock-coated wolf. Ages 3-up. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 2--The Three Little Pigs joins the gallery of newly-illustrated folk and fairy tales that have glutted the market in recent years. At least this version is refined. True to her style, Zemach uses distinctive wispy watercolor strokes to illustrate the story. In this version, the pigs get eaten and stay that way; and after the wolf tries to trick the third pig (with turnips, apples, and the fair), he is cooked in a pot of soup. The characters sport old-fashioned garb, with the pigs in tattered clothes and the wolf in a tailored jacket and top hat. Some of Zemach's interpretations are practical, interesting, and ironic: the wolf has his coat off, draped on his arm, just before he's going to lunge down the chimney. The jump itself is shown in a progressive motion to show the force of the leap. And the final page shows the surviving pig smiling, having his soup, surrounded by a bowl of apples, a basket of turnips, and a souvenir of the wolf--his tail in the pot. An additional item for collections in which another version of this tale is needed. --Marianne Pilla, formerly at Long Beach Public Library, N.Y.Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.; Title: The Three Little Pigs: An Old Story (Sunburst Book) | [
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29008,
39027,
61913
] | Train |
12,498 | 2 | An influx of circus families into a staid small town is the premise of this "rollicking ode to silliness," said PW; "Horvath remains a master of the middle-grade comedy." Ages 8-12. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.A small, quiet town becomes divided when some circus folk set down root-and, heaven forbid, decide to enter baked goods in the town's annual bake sale. Fifth-grader Ivy...narrates the goings-on, including her own role in the turmoil. BooklistA four-star attraction. Starred, School Library Journal; Title: When the Circus Came to Town | [
18206,
22839,
42027
] | Train |
12,499 | 7 | Grownups will shiver with delight when they recognize this old favorite. Georgie the mild-mannered little ghost has been around for over half a century, his gentle ways happily haunting generations of children. Georgie is quite content with his quiet routine in the home of the Whittakers. Every evening he creaks a loose board on the stairs and squeaks the parlor door. This is the cue for Mr. and Mrs. Whittaker to go to bed, Herman the cat to start to prowl, and Miss Oliver the owl to wake up and hoot. But one day when Mr. Whittaker gets a notion in his head to nail down the creaky step and oil the squeaky door, suddenly everything changes. Poor Georgie can no longer perform his ghostly duties, and must leave home to find a new haunt. But will he find happiness? Robert Bright's deep-blue ink drawings provide a spooky tone that pleasantly belies Georgie's friendly nature. We're delighted to see this well-loved classic of the pleasures of home sweet home back in print. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter-42542-6. In these 1944 and 1963 favorites, newly back in print, the shy ghost loses his home temporarily when the creaking step and hinges are fixed, and scares away the villains when the house is robbed. Ages 3-up. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Georgie | [
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28983,
37807,
76625
] | Validation |
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