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27,000 | 2 | Grade 5-8The first part of this book, Lost, but Not Gone Forever, covers issues such as losing possessions, losing at sports, losing siblings when they move away from home, losing a parent in a divorce, losing a limb, and losing confidence. The second section covers death and grieving. The authors, a rabbi and a priest, obviously have a lot of experience in dealing with grief. Unfortunately, they have adopted a cloying, condescending tone that seems certain to get in the way of their message. For example, in the chapter on losing a friend, they write: The first way to lose a friend is if a witch casts an evil spell andzap!turns your friend into a frog. Given the seriousness of the subject matter, it seems unnecessary to rely on this kind of cuteness. Elizabeth Weitzmans Lets Talk about When a Parent Dies (Rosen, 1996) and Marilyn Gootmans When a Friend Dies (Free Spirit, 1994) are more worthwhile choices.David N. Pauli, Portland Jewish Academy, OR Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Familiar television faces and the authors of How Do You Spell God? (1995), Gellman, a rabbi, and Hartman, a Roman Catholic priest, explore issues of loss for elementary-and middle-school students, and for parents who want to discuss such concerns with their children. Using words like "stuffy" and "busting up," their informal text is aimed straight at kids and incorporates lots of examples children can relate to as well as relevant excerpts from such wide-ranging sources as A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh and Sarah Dessen's 1996 teen novel, That Summer. Careful not to patronize or denigrate, they begin with discussion of "small" losses--a missing toy, a friend's moving away--and proceed to losses of greater magnitude, such as divorce or the death of a loved one. With a few exceptions, such as a discussion of the soul, this is not a strictly religious book. Rather it is a practical, heartfelt exploration that emphasizes the idea of picking up after a loss and learning to look back with fondness and understanding. A list of further readings is appended. Stephanie Zvirin; Title: Lost & Found: A Kid's Book for Living through Loss | [
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27,001 | 15 | PreSThese toddler-sized board books feature watercolor paintings of multicultural children splashing in puddles, building snowmen, flying kites, and engaging in other weather-appropriate activities. The text is kept to a bare minimum, using a one-, two-, or three-word sentence per double-page spread to describe things to do in each milieu. Matching the simplicity of the narratives, the paintings show a child or two, a cat or a dog, and a touch of background scenery. The rhythm of the sentencesHear it patter; Watch it fallwill appeal to young listeners. Both words and pictures allow them to experience the world through all of the senses, e.g., by tasting rain, watching clouds, feeling sand between the toes, and listening to the wind sing. Perfect introductions to the joys of reading.Dawn Amsberry, formerly at Oakland Public Library, CA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Anna Grossnickle Hines is the popular creator of numerous books for children. Though she has sewn "enough dolls and stuffed animals to fill a well-stocked toy store," and made a few simple quilts for her three daughters, Anna did not do any serious quilting until she decided to use quilts to illustrate the poems in this book. Inspired by her mother, who has been making prizewinning quilts since her retirement, Anna made her first quilt for the book in 1996. Working between other projects, she pieced four more over the next two years, and from April through November 1999 made the fourteen remaining quilts.Anna Grossnickle Hines lives with her family in Gualala, California."As a child I was very shy, but I enjoyed the attention I got from having my first-grade teacher put my drawings up on the wall. I remember sitting in my father's chair at the age of seven, looking at a Little Golden Book version of Heidi and telling my mother, "When I grow up, I want to make books for boys and girls." She said simply, "If that's what you want to do, that's what you should do.""All the time I was growing up, first in rural Ohio, then, after my eleventh birthday, in Los Angeles, California, I read and drew. Sometimes I wrote, but I was shyer about that and usually tore it up. My parents and teachers encouraged me, but none of them could tell me much about how to go about "making books.""In college my teachers told me that I had too much talent to waste on children's books, that "only Picasso gets away with drawing children," that I should "go have a baby and get it out of [my] system" and come back when I was ready to do " real art. " So at the end of my third year, having taken all the basic art courses, a class in children's literature, and another in child care and management, I left school to study on my own."I checked out stacks of books from the library and read them to the preschoolers in the daycare center where I worked. I read books about writing and illustrating books for children, and experimented with printing techniques. I also started writing: poetry at first, then a few picturebook stories, timidly sharing them with friends. Although they encouraged me, I still didn't know how to go about submitting my work to a publishing company."I was twenty-eight years old before I got that information from a Society of Children's Book Writers' conference. By that time, having been married and divorced, I had two young daughters to support, and had earned my degree and teaching credentials from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California."During the next eight years I taught third grade, married a songwriting forest ranger named Gary Hines, had a third daughter, continued my writing and drawing, and collected over one hundred encouraging rejection letters from various publishing companies, eighteen of them from Susan Hirschman at Greenwillow Books."Then on Friday, November 13th, 1981, instead of sending me a nice rejection letter, Susan called to say, "We'd like to publish Taste the Raindrops." Since then my life has been full indeed, with a wonderful family and work I love."I am fascinated by children, by how they think, what they do each day, how they learn about the world around them, their relationships with others. I enjoy sorting it all out and making sense of it, especially as what is commonplace to us is new and engaging to them."Every once in a while I have the additional reward of hearing from a child, or parent of a child, for whom one of my books has meant something special. Then I'm really glad I didn't listen to my college teachers."; Title: What Can You Do in the Sun? | [
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27,002 | 0 | In this romp through time, a teller of tall tales situates himself in the middle of a host of history-making events. "Adding comical original verse and ebullient full-page art, Kellogg wreaks playful havoc," said PW. Ages 4-up. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc."...Kellogg's energetic pictures almost leap off the page while sparking grins as big as the boasts they depict." -- L.A. Times"The best collection of historic whoppers, accompanied by great illustrations..." -- ChildsplayOne rhyming whopper after another is served up in this tall tale narrated by a lad in a coonskin cap. It is rather a grand tour of world history...that starts with Moses being rescued from the rushes and ends with a return flight from Saturn. Along the way readers meet, among others, Adam and Eve, Columbus, Samson, Paul Bunyan, and Pecos Bill. The artwork is as outrageous as the jaunty text....and Kellogg has insinuated all manner of incidental humor into his illustrations. -- Kirkus Reviews; Title: I Was Born About 10,000 Years Ago | [
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27,003 | 2 | Grade 1-3-Irrepressible energy propels a young narrator through a day at his parents' Brooklyn restaurant (a real place), from early morning deliveries to dinnertime. Lewin's photo-realist scenes take viewers from quiet, sun-drenched sidewalks to the gleaming kitchen's busy nether reaches, all to a mouthwatering commentary: "Uncle Ming, Chung, and Wing work side by side, moving around each other like dancers in a ballet. Subgum Chow Mai Fun. Sam Gap Tai. Moo Goo Gai Pan.-Flip. Flip. Flip. Done!" After a day of greeting regulars, handing out menus, and chucking packets of condiments into bags of takeout, "It's time for my favorite dish-PIZZA!" Lewin himself puts in an appearance at the end, happily chowing down on his favorite dish, Buddha's Delight. Serve up this tribute to a neighborhood establishment with the likes of Alexa Brandenberg's Chop, Simmer, Season (Harcourt, 1997) or Marissa Moss's Mel's Diner (BridgeWater, 1996) for a taste-tempting storytime.John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Ted Lewin grew up in an old frame house in Buffalo, New York, with two brothers, one sister, two parents, a lion, an iguana, a chimpanzee, and an assortment of more conventional pets. The lion was given to his older brother, Don, while he was traveling as a professional wrestler, and he shipped it home. The family kept Sheba in the basement fruit cellar until Don returned and their mother convinced him to give it to the Buffalo zoo.Ted always knew he wanted to be an illustrator. As a child he copied the work of illustrators and painters he admired, including N. C. Wyeth, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Velzquez, and Goya. When it came time to go to art school (Pratt), he needed to earn money to finance his education. So, following in his brothers footsteps, he took a summer job as a wrestler -- the beginning of a 15-year part-time career that eventually inspired his autobiographical book I Was a Teenage Professional Wrestler. Teds career as an artist began with illustrations for adventure magazines, and its only over the last several years that he has devoted his time to writing and illustrating childrens books. "Im having more fun doing this than anything Ive ever done before," he says. He is an avid traveler, and many of his books are inspired by trips to such places as the Amazon River, the Sahara Desert, Botswana, Egypt, Lapland, and India. His Market!, published in 1996, showcases markets around the world, from Uganda to Ireland to Ecuador.Touch and Go is a collection of stories about the adventures Ted had while researching his books. Gorilla Walk is his first collaboration with his wife, Betsy, and is about their trek to see the mountain gorillas in Uganda. Theyve just completed their second collaboration, Elephant Quest, set in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. Teds current project is about a Civil War drummer boy.Ted and Betsy live in Brooklyn, New York, where they share their home with two cats, Slick and Chopper.; Title: Big Jimmy's Kum Kau Chinese Take Out | [
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27,004 | 15 | PreSThese toddler-sized board books feature watercolor paintings of multicultural children splashing in puddles, building snowmen, flying kites, and engaging in other weather-appropriate activities. The text is kept to a bare minimum, using a one-, two-, or three-word sentence per double-page spread to describe things to do in each milieu. Matching the simplicity of the narratives, the paintings show a child or two, a cat or a dog, and a touch of background scenery. The rhythm of the sentencesHear it patter; Watch it fallwill appeal to young listeners. Both words and pictures allow them to experience the world through all of the senses, e.g., by tasting rain, watching clouds, feeling sand between the toes, and listening to the wind sing. Perfect introductions to the joys of reading.Dawn Amsberry, formerly at Oakland Public Library, CA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Anna Grossnickle Hines's studio window looks out on her wild woodland garden. This lovely, familiar view inspired her to write Miss Emma's Wild Garden. She lives in Milford, Pennsylvania. In Her Own Words..."As a child I was very shy, but I enjoyed the attention I got from having my first-grade teacher put my drawings up on the wall. I remember sitting in my father's chair at the age of seven, looking at a Little Golden Book version of Heidi and telling my mother, "When I grow up, I want to make books for boys and girls." She said simply, "If that's what you want to do, that's what you should do.""All the time I was growing up, first in rural Ohio, then, after my eleventh birthday, in Los Angeles, California, I read and drew. Sometimes I wrote, but I was shyer about that and usually tore it up. My parents and teachers encouraged me, but none of them could tell me much about how to go about "making books.""In college my teachers told me that I had too much talent to waste on children's books, that "only Picasso gets away with drawing children," that I should "go have a baby and get it out of [my] system" and come back when I was ready to do " real art. " So at the end of my third year, having taken all the basic art courses, a class in children's literature, and another in child care and management, I left school to study on my own."I checked out stacks of books from the library and read them to the preschoolers in the daycare center where I worked. I read books about writing and illustrating books for children, and experimented with printing techniques. I also started writing: poetry at first, then a few picturebook stories, timidly sharing them with friends. Although they encouraged me, I still didn't know how to go about submitting my work to a publishing company."I was twenty-eight years old before I got that information from a Society of Children's Book Writers' conference. By that time, having been married and divorced, I had two young daughters to support, and had earned my degree and teaching credentials from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California."During the next eight years I taught third grade, married a songwriting forest ranger named Gary Hines, had a third daughter, continued my writing and drawing, and collected over one hundred encouraging rejection letters from various publishing companies, eighteen of them from Susan Hirschman at Greenwillow Books."Then on Friday, November 13th, 1981, instead of sending me a nice rejection letter, Susan called to say, "We'd like to publish Taste the Raindrops." Since then my life has been full indeed, with a wonderful family and work I love."I am fascinated by children, by how they think, what they do each day, how they learn about the world around them, their relationships with others. I enjoy sorting it all out and making sense of it, especially as what is commonplace to us is new and engaging to them."Every once in a while I have the additional reward of hearing from a child, or parent of a child, for whom one of my books has meant something special. Then I'm really glad I didn't listen to my college teachers."; Title: What Can You Do in the Snow? | [
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27,005 | 11 | This "entertaining and instructive parable," an original folktale about an emperor and his twin sons in ancient Japan, is "brought to life skillfully with dramatic cut-paper illustrations," said PW. Ages 5-up. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.Two brothers, one a warrior and one a wise man, each pursue a quest to capture the five elements. "An original fairy tale that draws extensively on Japanese culture....An exciting, well-told story....The cut-paper illustrations are outstanding....A beautiful first book from a highly accomplished artist." -- Kirkus; Title: The Warrior and the Wise Man | [
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27,006 | 0 | PreSchool-Grade 2-Following in the tradition of Margot Griego's Tortillitas para Mama (Holt, 1995) and Jose-Luis Orozco's Diez deditos (Dutton, 1997) comes this stellar collection of nursery rhymes. Selected from the rich oral tradition of Latin America and the American Southwest, most of the verses are known throughout the Spanish-speaking world. The rhymes cover everything from early morning birds to elephants to angels, and the reason for their enduring popularity is clear. Deeply rhythmic verses, compelling rhyme schemes, and words that "play trippingly on the tongue" characterize every verse. Schertle's excellent English adaptations are not literal translations but poetic re-creations. They retain the rhythm, meter, and general meaning of the originals, making the rhymes as memorable and memorizable in English as they are in Spanish. Escriv's watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations use brilliant hues and detail to reconstruct a young child's world. Certain to become a staple for preschool and early elementary programs, this offering is also a wonderful, reassuring lap book. A must-purchase for libraries.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreS. As the preface to this delightful book states, nursery rhymes and songs are an important part of Spanish oral folklore. The 29 rhymes here--some accompanied by finger plays or games, and some simply meant to be chanted on their own--in most cases came to the Americas from Spain. They are presented both in Spanish and in English, although "to preserve the charm of the original rhymes," the English versions are not translations but "poetic recreations." Even adult readers with a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish will see some of the differences, but both versions have a sweet, rhythmic simplicity that will get children singing, clapping, and perhaps making some forays into a new language. The watercolor illustrations, featured prominently on the page, are a mix of historical and contemporary, generic Latin American scenes, and pictures of animals (not Escriva's artistic strong suit). Parents, teachers, and librarians will find a multitude of uses. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Po Peep!: Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes (Spanish Edition) | [
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27,007 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2A cumulative tale thats perfect for summertime sharing. As Jen builds a sand castle, a boy comes along, asks if he can help, and then uses his bucket to dig a moat. One by one, more children join in to construct a path, a road, and a wall. With each newcomer, a line is added to the refrain of the rhythmic text: The castle grew taller. The moat grew deeper. The path grew wider. The wall grew longer. The repetition and simplicity of the words make the story a smart selection for both newly independent readers and for reading aloud. The palette in the watercolor-and-pencil illustrations brings to mind the beach on a less-than-perfect dayjust the time for playing on the shore rather than swimming. The textured tan and beige sand contrasts with the smooth pale blue of the lake. The multiethnic characters are all well drawn and small details give them lots of personality. A breezy story about cooperation, construction, and camaraderie.Dina Sherman, Brooklyn Childrens Museum, NY Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Brenda Shannon Yee grew up in Center Line, Michigan, and graduated from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She has written stories, poetry, and science fiction since she was young, and this is her first picture book. She and her husband and two daughters live in Rochester Hills, Michigan.; Title: Sand Castle | [
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27,008 | 2 | “A fine read-aloud and discussion starter.” (School Library Journal)“This strong and important story easily ranks as one of the best choices for this and every Thanksgiving.” (Sun Chronicle)“A thought-provoking Thanksgiving read-aloud.” (ALA Booklist)Sparkling new illustrations refresh this Thanksgiving classic based on the true experience of a member of Barbara Cohen's family. The touching story tells how recent immigrant Molly leads her third-grade class to discover that it takes all kinds of pilgrims to make a Thanksgiving. Originally published in 1983, Molly's Pilgrim inspired the 1986 Academy Award winning live-action short film.; Title: Molly's Pilgrim | [
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27,009 | 13 | Smith, a mixed-blood member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, convincingly juxtaposes cherished Native American tradition and contemporary lifestyle in this smooth debut. Watching a videotape of Grandma Wolfe performing a jingle dance, Jenna is determined to dance at an upcoming powwow. But she lacks the cone-shaped, tin jingles that are sewn on to dancers' dresses as part of the regalia. The girl walks down a suburban sidewalk lined with modern houses as she sets out to visit her great-aunt, a neighbor, a cousin and Grandma Wolfe, all of whom lend her jingles for her dress. Smith's language consciously evokes legend. For example, "As Sun caught a glimpse of the Moon" indicates the time of day; and Jenna is careful to borrow only a limited number of jingles, "not wanting to take so many that [another's] dress would lose its voice." Van Wright and Hu's (Jewels) lifelike renderings capture the genuine affection between Jenna and these caring older women. Their easy integration of Native and standard furnishings and clothing gracefully complement Smith's heartening portrait of a harmonious meshing of old and new. Ages 4-10. (Apr.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 3-Without enough tin jingles to make her dress sing, how can Jenna be a jingle dancer just like Grandma Wolfe at the next powwow? She borrows one row from Great-aunt Sis, whose aching legs keep her from dancing; another from Mrs. Scott, who sells fry bread; one from Cousin Elizabeth, whose work keeps her away from the festivities; and a fourth row from Grandma, who helps Jenna sew the jingles to her dress, assemble her regalia, and practice her bounce-steps. When the big day arrives, the girl feels proud to represent these four women and carry on their tradition. Watercolor paintings in bright, warm tones fill each page. In scenes where she is dancing, backgrounds of blurred figures effectively represent both the large audience and the many generations whose tradition the gathering honors. Seeing Jenna as both a modern girl in the suburban homes of her intertribal community and as one of many traditionally costumed participants at the powwow will give some readers a new view of a contemporary Native American way of life. An author's note and glossary tell more about the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Ojibway origins of jingle dancing, and the significance of the number four in Native American tradition. This picture book will not only satisfy a need for materials on Native American customs, but will also be a welcome addition to stories about traditions passed down by the women of a culture.Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Jingle Dancer | [
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27,010 | 11 | Ann Morris's many books include Families, Bread Bread Bread, Hats Hats Hats, On the Go, and Loving. She lives in New York City.As a children's book writer, Ann Morris has been able to successfully integrate her varied experiences in teaching young children, travel, writing, and editing. Having grown up in the polyglot public schools of New York City, where each child's ethnic heritage was revealed by his name or by the contents of the lunch box from home filled with sausages, egg rolls, matzos, or pizza, she developed a strong Interest In cultures other than her own. " I'm a gypsy by nature," she says. "I always have my suitcase packed."She and photographer Ken Heyman once traveled across the United States to document the lives often different families. Both she and the teacher's pupils liked the snake charmer/teacher who taught class in a circus trailer with her favorite boa around her neck. Although Ms. Morris has never tried this stunt he herself, she has taught children in public and private schools in New York City, and adults at Bank Street College, Columbia Teachers College, New York University, and Queens College of the City University of New York. More recently she has been teaching writing for children at The New School.Ann Morris left teaching to become editorial director of Scholastic's early childhood department. Now she devotes her professional time to writing and all her other time to 11 people watching, music in any and all Forms, cat care, cooking and eating, and travel." All of these experiences, she says, provide material for her books.In Israel Ms. Morris was caught up in the enchantment of the place as well as the conflicts that are a consequence of its history. One of her books, When Will They Stop Fighting? (Atheneum), reflects her concern about children who have become the victims of these conflicts.Ann Morris worked with photographer Ken Heyman while producing an award-winning series of sound-filmstrips for young children. Since then the author-photographer team has created several books in a multicultural series for Lothrop, including Hats, Hats, Hats; Shoes, Shoes, Shoes; and Bread, Bread, Bread. Her interest in travel and the arts brought her to the famous Vaganova, Academy, where children of the famous Kirov ballet company are instructed. This resulted in On Their Toes (Atheneum), followed by Dancing to America (Dutton), photographed by Paul Kolnik. The latter book is about one of the Russian children and his family who emigrated to New York, where he now participates in our own School of American Ballet. Her book Karate Boy (Dutton) features her nephew and his friends in karate class. She thinks of this as a "family book" in that it was photographed by her cousin, David Katzenstein. Light the Candle Bang the Drum (Dutton), with illustrations by Peter Linenthal, is about holidays around the world.; Title: Tools | [
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27,011 | 0 | "Consider this one for classroom read-alouds." -- School Library Journal"Youngsters, who are just finding their own voices, are thus given the unique opportunity to examine the characteristics of others'." -- The Horn BookPaul B. Janeczko speaks as editor, anthologist, poet, and teacher in his many awardwinning books for young readers, including Stone Bench in an Empty Park, Very Best (Almost) Friends, and How to Write Poetry.When he's not exploring the wild possibilities of poetry, Mr. Janeczko's voice can sometimes be heard calling his standard poodle, Rosie, or rooting for the Red Sox. He lives with his wife and daughter in Hebron, Maine.; Title: Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices | [
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27,012 | 11 | Echewa's (The Ancestor Tree) lilting retelling describes how an orphan gains power over the villagers who treat him badly. Each day, from sunup to sundown, the people call out to Mbi, "Mbi, do this! Mbi, do that!" Yet the boy frequently ends up hungry, having no food other than the scraps he can lick from others' bowls. One day, a udara fruit falls magically from its treeAout of seasonAand when Mbi plants its seeds, like Jack with his Beanstalk, he gets more than he bargained for. Not only does a tree take root immediately, but it obeys Mbi's commands. The tree gives him all the fruit he can eat, which he generously shares with the villagers. But when a boy tries to steal the fruit, Mbi sings to his tree, commanding it to grow ("Udaram to-o-oh!") until its branches are "lost in the clouds." Only after the villagers shower Mbi with gifts and promise to be kind to him does he command the tree to bring the boy down. The drumlike beat of the words gives the narrative the sound of a tale that has been passed down orally for generations, replete with songs and pauses that anticipate audience reaction. Yet the book's moral may confuse readers; the tale seems to indicate that kindness is dependent upon power. Lewis (The Jazz of Our Street) fills his sun-drenched watercolors with realistic details of clothing in vibrant colors and exquisite baskets set in intimate village scenes, and grounds the story's magical elements in the real world. Close-up portraits of Mbi's transformation from village outcast to mascot help to compensate for the obfuscation of the story's message. Ages 4-up. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 1-4-Mbi, an orphan, is continually mistreated by the other villagers. He slaves for them from dawn till dusk and is sometimes awakened during the night to perform yet another chore. One night, he goes off to sit by himself under a udara tree. It provides him with a magic fruit, which he eats and then plants the seed. Instantly, a magic tree grows and Mbi soon discovers that it will follow his commands. Although he provides the villagers with fruit, they continue to mistreat him. However, when Mbi causes the tree to grow into the clouds with a mean boy trapped at the top, the people heap gifts, flattery, and promises of good treatment on him until he brings the boy down. The tale strikes a rather sour note, as the fawning of the villagers is so obviously insincere. They are in no way repentant of their previous behavior toward Mbi but simply wish to manipulate his present power. The author cites Nigeria as the country of origin for this tale but provides no source notes, raising a question about whether or not he altered the tale enough to subvert its original meaning. Lewis's watercolors have an unfinished look to them, clear in the foreground, fuzzy in the background, like a badly focused photograph. For a more satisfying version of the tale set in Haiti, see Diane Wolkstein's "The Magic Orange Tree" in the collection of the same name (Schocken, 1988).Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Magic Tree: A Folktale from Nigeria | [
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27,013 | 13 | Grade 4-10-These short plays vary in length from 2 to 10 pages and range from fairly straightforward to complex to several very brief, poetic works that have an experimental-theater flavor. Difficulty of staging varies. Gary Soto's "These Shoes of Mine/Estos zapatos mios," in which a boy gives his new shoes to his uncle and grows in understanding of his mother, could be mounted easily in most school venues. Denise Ruiz's "Jump In/Saltando" in which a young girl out jumps the unpleasant neighborhood double Dutch champion and earns a place for herself, requires both space sufficient for jumping and actors who can skip rope well. Textual difficulty also varies: Oscar Hijuelos's elaborate "Christmas Fantasy/Fantasia de Navidad," about Santa's lost son, reads easily, while the text for Federico Garcia Lorca's "The Girl Who Waters Basil and the Very Inquisitive Prince/La nina que riega la albahaca y el principe pregunton," which rhymes in Spanish, is rendered a trifle incomprehensible in the English translation. Several of the shorter plays have elements of magical realism, and may be confusing to young audiences. Nonetheless, these selections, especially if done bilingually, would be an intriguing presentation. While Barbara Winther's Plays from Hispanic Tales (Plays, Inc., 1998) gives an English-only rendition of one-act plays from both Spanish and Latin American sources, directors and students interested in more challenging scripts might want to consider You're On!-Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Seven plays by noted Hispanic authors have been selected by Carlson, who also compiled Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the U.S. (1994). Each play is presented in both English and Spanish. Although the selections are short (anywhere from 3 to 10 pages), they vary greatly in complexity and style. Some feature contemporary scenes and straightforward dialogue like Gary Soto's "These Shoes of Mine." Others, such as Pura Belpre's "Tropical Memories" and Alfonsina Storni's "A Dream in the Road," a play in mime, are more mood pieces. Both Denise Ruiz's "Jump In," featuring a double-Dutch jump rope contest, and Elena Castedo's allegorical "Luck," in which cast members climb up and down on chairs, provide plenty of opportunities for movement. Federico Garcia Lorica's folkloric piece is actually a reconstruction of a lost play that was first presented in the Spanish poet's home in 1923. Finally, Oscar Hijuelos contributes a zany play featuring bumbling elves and Santa's lost son "Rico," which is sure to be a hit in grade-school Christmas pageants. This unique resource will enrich any library's performing arts collection and be especially useful for those libraries serving Latino communities. Annie Ayres; Title: You're On!: Seven Plays in English and Spanish (Spanish and English Edition) | [
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27,014 | 1 | When a cold little duck returns to her pond too early one "miserable and frozen spring," she receives an unpleasant surprise: her feet freeze to the ice ("stuck stuck stuck"). She tucks her head under her wing and begins to think warm thoughts of spring: "wiggly worms and shiny beetles" ("black black black") and "blades of grass in squishy mud" ("snack snack snack"). Her quiet and creative patience pays off, and before she knows it, spring has truly arrived, along with a group of ducks who touch down on the little pond beside the not-so-cold little duck.The power of dreams and positive thinking is born out in this charming story of a duck that won't give up. Young readers will dream along with the feisty little duck, and rejoice when the ice cracks and she can wiggle her tail, waggle her wings, and kick kick kick her feet. Sam Williams's soft little duck and her pleasant reveries will linger in the reader's mind, as will the big, bold, rhyming text of Lisa Westberg Peters. (Baby to preschool) --Emilie CoulterIn this visually sumptuous testimony to patience and the power of positive thinking, a brown duckling arrives back at her pond a bit too early for spring. Her feet stick to the frozen waterA"stuck stuck stuck"Aand the brisk air makes her "shake shake shake." But when she concentrates hard on all the wonderful things that warm weather will bringA"crocuses and applebuds/ And blades of grass in squishy mud"Aa flock of ducks appears in the sky, with spring right on their webbed heels. With tightly composed vignettes and watercolor spreads, British artist Williams depicts a landscape on the verge of transformation. In the opening pages, his purple skies and expanses of white convey both the physical and spiritual chill of winter; when spring blossoms forth, the pages pulse with heartwarming blues, yellows and greens. Peters's (October Smiled Back) rhythmic text set in huge, elegant type and punctuated on each page by the graphic treatment of a single-syllable evocative verb, acts as just the right introduction to the change of seasons. For example, a spread featuring the text "The ducks flew down, they dipped and splashed" also shows the words "dunk dunk dunk" bobbing in the water, circling a duck with its backside protruding from the pond. All told, a wonderful answer to the perennial question: "Will spring ever get here?" Ages 4-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck (Rise and Shine) | [
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27,015 | 16 | David McKee lives in Nice, France.; Title: Hide-And-Seek Elmer (Elmer Books) | [
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27,016 | 0 | A journey with Naomi Shihab Nye and Dan Yaccarino is impossible to resist. Sixteen luminous poems by Nye are accompanied by Yaccarino's stunning mixed-media collages. Nye, poet, novelist, essayist, and anthologist, writes of journeys--internal and external, short and long, slow and fast. Her poetry invites readers to sail away, to rejoice in the journey as well as the destination, and to notice everything along the way. Yaccarino, award-winning artist, and illustrator of Circle Dogs, Deep in the Jungle, An Octopus Followed Me Home, and others, crafts unusual and compelling collages to lose oneself in. His rich use of color, texture, and pattern complements Nye's deeply layered, absorbing poems. This is a collection to cherish. (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie CoulterNye (editor of Salting the Ocean) challenges readers with a range of her own poems, linked thematically as an investigation of journeys to inner spaces as well as literal journeys to real and imagined places. In "Mad," a girl flies to the moon to escape her mother, but when it gets cold at night, slides down the silver thread her mother sends up because "She knows me so well./ She knows I like silver." An airplane pilot in "Full Day" says, "In one minute and fifty seconds/ we're going as far/ as the covered wagon went/ in a full day," and the poet further contrasts the experiences of modern travelers and pioneers. Yaccarino's (Circle Dogs) imaginative, abstracted mixed-media collages tend to distance the audience from the emotions or characters presented in the poems, but wisely leave readers free to interpret Nye's meanings for themselves. Both the poems and the illustrations vary widely in their accessibility. The title poem, for example, lauds the "quiet minute between two noisy minutes/ It's always waiting ready to welcome us/ Tucked under the wing of the day." The more abstruse "Envelope" begins, "The sky sends a letter to the ground." Chock-full of unexpected images, the poems are occasionally marred by cryptic or portentous metaphors (e.g., "Are you hooked to the slightest movement/ of a girl by the Arctic Sea?"). On balance, however, the journey through this volume is a rewarding one. Ages 5-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Come With Me : Poems for a Journey | [
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27,017 | 0 | James Stevenson positively shines in Candy Corn, the third of his exquisite "corn books" after Sweet Corn and Popcorn (which won a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book Award). Each double-page spread features a different design and type style to reflect the shifting moods of his diverse and delightful poems. "Peanuts," for example, perfectly illustrates the out-of-control nature of peanut eating. The left page presents a sole peanut, "First I had this one." The adjacent page swims with peanuts, each with its own "caption": "Then I had this one. / Then I had these two / and this one / and this" and so on. "Dawn" is illustrated only by a deep blue on the left page that softens to a lighter blue on the right. And "Coming or Going" doesn't need any illustration at all:But what a difference It makes to me-- Your going away, Your coming home.The poet never misses the mark--his quiet (yet playful) observations about subjects from flowering dogwoods to paving machines have heart and integrity, as do the spare, watercolor-splashed line drawings that you might find in an artist's personal sketch book. Stevenson is a master at capturing moments, images, and emotions with the most elegant and sparing of strokes. With his appreciative eye, he shows us that we're lucky there isn't just one daisy in the world, and that "for every head there is a hat." No question, we'll be looking for the next corn book. (Ages 7 and older) --Karin SnelsonGrade 2-6-Like the sweet candy corn people nibble every autumn, these poems are delectable tidbits that tickle the taste buds. Stevenson's third collection of poignant, brief poems is both satisfying and illuminating. Once again, layout, text, color, line, and verse combine to produce a delightful array of treats. The 24 poems offer a new view of such diverse topics as peanuts, frogs, dumpsters, and dawn. Who but this master of succinct wordplay and pictures could see candy corn as dragon's teeth, imagine school buses chatting at the end of the day, or find 11 ways to express bird noises? Each selection is exquisitely illustrated in pastel watercolor and black ink; colored pages add interest to several verses and tinted ink highlights others. This gem belongs alongside Sweet Corn (1995) and Popcorn (1998, both Greenwillow) in every library.Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Candy Corn: Poems | [
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27,018 | 13 | In perhaps her most personal work to date, Aliki presents two equally moving sides to Marianthe's story, the first as a new arrival to a foreign America, and the second the explanation of why she came. A third-person narrative describes the girl's first days of school; Mari struggles with English until she realizes that art translates to all languages. One day, as Mari prepares to tell her story through her paintings, the sympathetic teacher announces that "there is more than one way to tell a story. Someday Mari will be able to tell us with words." Readers then flip the book over to begin the second installment, for which Mari capably uses words to explain her background. Here Mari's first-person narration recounts her early years in the old country, where extended family and community pulled together to grow food and to weather such tragedies as war and famine. Like her character, Aliki spins her tale gracefully in two media, placing words and art in impressive balance, and inventively incorporates a reverse-chronological sequence to fill in the details. Aliki takes an artistic leap, as she paints her characters with a range of extraordinarily expressive faces in close-up portraits, and effectively employs a changeable palette from the dusty grays of troubled past times to the chipper hues of a contemporary classroom. In an America comprised of immigrants, many youngsters facing the same sea changes as Mari will likely find her a stalwart companion, and those with a Mari in their lives may gain a newfound respect for the strength it takes to make the journey. Ages 5-up. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 3-These two carefully written stories, combined in one book, show the difficulties a child faces when coming to a new land and the unique heritage each one of us has. In Painted Words Marianthe, or Mari, starts school knowing no one and unable to speak or understand the language. She expresses herself and her feelings through her art. She shares her experiences and new knowledge with her mother, who provides the girl with warm reassurance. Finally the day comes when Mari is able to stand before the class with her paintings and tell her story with her new words, "page by painted page." Flip the book over for Spoken Memories. It is Mari's turn to tell her class what her life was like in her native land. The setting is a small, poor village, probably in Greece, but it could be anywhere. In simple, understated language, Aliki has captured the emotions and experiences of many of today's children. Colored-pencil and crayon illustrations in soft primary and secondary colors reinforce the mood of the text. Sometimes the art occupies a page by itself; sometimes the space is shared with text. The occasionally oversized heads and wide eyes of the children in otherwise realistic drawings lend a childlike and endearing quality. An illuminating book for all collections that serve youngsters from other lands.Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Marianthe's Story: Painted Words and Spoken Memories | [
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27,019 | 18 | Moving at a brisk gallop, Krensky's (The Moon Robber) narrative recounts the eventful night of April 18, 1775, when Paul Revere rode from Boston to Concord to warn that British troops were on their way to seize the rebels' military supplies. The author's accessible account incorporates background information, elucidating the events leading up to Revere's escapade as well as its aftermath ideal for pairing with Longfellow's The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Harlin's (Mississippi) painstakingly detailed watercolors evoke period artwork, successfully capturing the aura of colonial streets and the primness of British uniforms as well as the sense of movement and urgency in the hero's ride and the royal army's river crossing. Set against deep blue, teal or white backgrounds, the paintings balance closely focused portraits with animated panoramas and vividly re-create the drama of this historical episode. Visual highlights include Revere's boat passing next to a British warship under cover of darkness and the Minutemen and British troops exchanging gunfire from opposite ends of Concord's North Bridge. A memorable re-creation of a momentous mission. All ages. (Aug.) Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 2-4-Krensky uses short descriptive sentences to bring to life the famous incident. He details the movements of the British regulars in their march toward Concord to seize the colonists' military supplies, Revere's famous ride, and his capture (and release) by British troops. Several paragraphs of background information mention the issues that led to fighting and offer a brief overview of the Revolutionary War. Harlin's soft, realistic paintings display his dexterity with watercolor and his deft use of perspective. Double-page panoramas capture the span of a British warship, a line of red-coated soldiers, and Revere being chased on horseback at dusk by British soldiers. A map showing the area from Boston to Concord indicates Revere's route. Missing are source notes and/or a bibliography. Despite the picture-book format and brief text, this slice of history is not easy to understand without some background information about the period. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (Handprint, 2001), illustrated by Christopher Bing, includes notes, letters written by General Gage and Paul Revere, detailed maps of the British march to Concord and Revere's ride, a bibliography, and a full page of acknowledgments. An edition of Longfellow's poem illustrated by Jeffrey Thompson (National Geographic, 2000) also includes background notes. Add Krensky's book to collections needing additional materials or as a companion to Longfellow's poem.Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Paul Revere's Midnight Ride | [
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27,020 | 2 | George Shannon is a popular storyteller and former children's librarian whose many notable picture books include Tomorrow's Alphabet, Lizard's Guest, and White Is for Blueberry. Tippy-Toe Chick, Go!, illustrated by Laura Dronzek, was named a Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book. George Shannon lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington.; Title: True Lies | [
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27,021 | 15 | "[A] clear, straightforward introduction. The visual drama of Simon's books is hard to match." -- --School Library JournalSeymour Simon is the author of over one hundred science books for children. His many award-winning books include Icebergs and Glaciers, a New York Academy of Sciences Children's Book Award winner, as well as Storms, Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Mountains, and many books about the solar system. Mr. Simon is the recipient of the Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Nonfiction for the body of his work. He lives in Great Neck, New York.; Title: Mercury (Mulberry Books) | [
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27,022 | 15 | PreSchool-K-There are many picture books about sunflowers, but this fine, new one doesn't resemble any of them. It begins with a full bloom: "This is the sunflower,/tall and bright,/that stands in my garden/day and night." The cumulative rhyme continues ? la "The House That Jack Built." The birds come and eat some seeds and spill others, the rain and sun make the seeds sprout, and by the end of the book, "a patch of sunflowers,/tall and bright,/stands in my garden/day and night." Crews's watercolor illustrations combine realism and imagination to show the interaction of the plant, the birds, and the weather. Sometimes colorful silhouettes of birds fly in winding paths of thickened brush strokes. On one double-page spread, the text is ringed by 17 heads and beaks of different birds, all messily cracking sunflower seeds. This illustration is repeated on the last page, labeled with the name of each bird and a paragraph of facts about the flowers. A simple, elegant book, filled with a little information and a lot of pleasure.Carolyn Jenks, First Parish Unitarian Church, Portland, ME Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.In the cumulative tradition of "This Is the House that Jack Built," this gorgeously illustrated poem celebrates a sunflower's life cycle. In a see-saw rhythm, rhymed lines describe the seeds' path from blossom to bird, then back to the ground, where sun and rain turn seeds to sprouts, and the cycle begins again. It's the artwork that turns this standard, pleasing ecological subject into a beautiful, noteworthy title. The velvety watercolors are clearly defined and saturated with color: the vibrant, full-page sunflower blossoms nearly hum with growth, while handsome, stylishly detailed birds become sweeping banners of color when they take flight. This is perfect for story hours; also recommend it to budding ornithologists, who will appreciate the illustrated key identifying the birds pictured in the text. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: This Is the Sunflower | [
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27,023 | 13 | In this marvelous collection, the words in Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Rita Dove's "Primer" find wings in Jacob Lawrence's stylized painting, "The Library." Elizabeth Catlett's stunning print, "The Sharecropper," brings even more depth to Langston Hughes's softly sad poem, "Aunt Sue's Stories," and it's almost as if Emilio Cruz's swirling, colorful painting, "Figurative Composition #1," was created for Maya Angelou's poem, "Human Family": "I note the obvious differences / between each sort and type, / but we are more alike, my friends, / than we are unalike."Editor Belinda Rochelle imaginatively pairs 20 poems by African American poets with 20 works of art by African American artists. Each poem and piece of art evokes the history, identity, and pride of African American people, whether it addresses slavery, family, childhood joy and woes, or racism. In Alice Walker's poem "How Poems Are Made: A Discredited View," she writes: "I know how poems are made. / There is a place the loss must go / There is a place the gain must go. / The leftover love." Readers will pore over this extraordinary compilation for hours, weeks, and years, as it becomes a permanent treasure in their collections. Artists and poets also include William H. Johnson, Gwendolyn Brooks, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Nikki Giovanni. --Emilie CoulterHIn this stunning collection, Rochelle's (Witness to Freedom: Young People Who Fought for Civil Rights) 20 pairings of painting and poems, culled from 19th- and 20th-century African-American artists and poets, are nearly as inspired as the works themselves. In one spread, Langston Hughes's "Aunt Sue's Stories" tells of a child listening to Aunt Sue's own experiences of "Black slaves/ Working in the hot sun,/ And black slaves/ Walking in the dewy night." Opposite, Elizabeth Catlett's print Sharecropper portrays a gracefully aging woman, her face a haunting mixture of wisdom and warmth. Alice Walker's "Women," a poem about the path women forged to freedom "With fists as well as/ Hands/ How they battered down/ Doors" and "knew what we/ Must know/ Without knowing a page/ Of it/ Themselves," is juxtaposed with William H. Johnson's Harriet Tubman wearing an American flag, its stars fallen on the ground (it is also the volume's cover image). These pairings examine not only sweeping history but also intimate domestic moments, such as Robert Hayden's "Those Winter Sundays," a child's reflection on the father he (or she) never thanked for rising in the "blueblack cold" to make a fire before waking the child ("What did I know, what I did know/ of love's austere and lonely offices?"). Opposite, Henry Ossawa Tanner's Thankful Poor, a glorious oil painting of father and child, depicts their two heads bowed in prayer at the table, bathed in golden light.Regardless of topic, the works focus consistently on the virtues of strength, courage and determination. Elegant and thoughtful design elements shape the volume into a unified whole despite the varied styles of the paintings and poems included, and Rochelle's superb selections and endnotes on the authors and artists make this a collection to be treasured. All ages.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Words with Wings: A Treasury of African-American Poetry and Art | [
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27,024 | 15 | "Cleverly handles the principles of addition and subtraction."--" Booklist"(starred review)"An excellent choice."--" The Horn Book"Ann Jonas has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including Color Dance, Reflections, and Round Trip, which was an ALA Notable Book and a "New York Times" Best Illustrated Book. She is a graduate of Cooper Union and has worked as a graphic designer for many years with her husband, Donald Crews. They live in upstate New York.; Title: Splash! | [
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27,025 | 13 | Grade 1-4-In this look at a quilting bee, the warm and friendly atmosphere of this social gathering quickly gets lost in a blur of patterns and text. Dozens of watercolor-and-ink illustrations depicting both scenes of people quilting and pattern squares are scattered about like a crazy quilt. Interesting facts about the design, construction, and history of quilts, as well as the origin of traditional patterns used by the pioneers, are ill served by the book's format and fonts, which make it difficult to distinguish the narrative from the numerous captions. On a more positive note, the author offers a wonderful idea for making an authors' and illustrators' quilt. For an informative, better-organized alternative, try Mary Cobb's The Quilt-Block History of Pioneer Days (Millbrook, 1995).Teri Markson, Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School, Los AngelesCopyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.K-Gr. 2. Perhaps inspired by picture books like Patricia Polacco's beloved The Keeping Quilt (1998), many teachers plan units on quilts to take advantage of their multiple curriculum connections. As usual, Gibbons proves herself in sync with such classroom trends with her newest nonfiction offering, which follows a contemporary "quilting circle," consisting of adults and two child helpers, from planning a new quilt to displaying it at the county fair. Historical background on quilting and on traditional American patterns, such as Road to California and Little Red Schoolhouse, enriches the simple text. Gibbons' bright watercolors serve the bold, geometric patterns well; however, it's a shame that most of the pattern blocks (a pattern's smallest repeating unit) are never depicted within a completed quilt, preventing readers from marveling at the designs in their full, kaleidoscopic splendor. A suggestion for a class project, involving sending favorite authors and illustrators cloth squares to be decorated and returned, will likely be greeted by teachers with enthusiasm. (Whether the authors and illustrators will oblige seems less certain.) Jennifer MattsonCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Quilting Bee | [
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27,026 | 14 | Published in 1955 and appearing for the first time as a picture book, this modest holiday tale from the author of The Good Earth might well have been called The Good Son. On Christmas Eve, a man recalls the holiday many years ago when he gave his father, a struggling farmer, a most-appreciated gift: the boy rose extra early to do his father's biggest chore, the milking. Buck's understated yet moving piece, paired with a sentimental note from the illustrator, will resonate with readers. Buehner's (Snowmen at Night) inky, starlit winter skies and rustic barn revealed by lantern light transport readers to a hushed and humble setting. All ages.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-5-Originally published in 1955, this story has been illustrated and brought to life for a new generation. A man remembers a great discovery he made when he was 15 and living on his father's farm. A few days before Christmas he overhears his dad saying how much he hates having to wake his son at dawn for morning chores. As a special gift for his father, the boy gets up at a quarter to three on Christmas morning and does the milking by himself. Buehner illustrates these scenes, many taking place at night and illuminated by lanterns or by moonlight, with a sturdy, folksy, old-fashioned solidity. The hard life on a farm, the struggle to keep the family and animals warm and fed, is reflected on the parents' faces. Moving and tender, this is a fine choice for reading aloud or family sharing.-S. P.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Christmas Day in the Morning | [
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27,027 | 2 | "A hushed refrain queries sleepy animals, all headed to the quilted safety of a child's bed....A soothing nighttime fantasy." -- School Library Journal"Everything a good-night book should be." -- Parents' Choice; Title: Where Does the Brown Bear Go? | [
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27,028 | 18 | Breathtaking illustrations by debut artist Harlin are the main attraction here. As in her Sierra and Mojave, Siebert offers a poetic evocation of one of America's natural wonders. "I am the river,/ Deep and strong,/ I sing an old, enduring song/ With rhythms wild and rhythms tame,/ And Mississippi is my name." The poem initially traces the river historically from the clear "melting glacial waters" to the muddy water that now "hides/ The garbage, sludge, and pesticides/ That kill fish and fowl to find/ Their lethal way back to mankind." The last half of the book traces the river's path from Lake Itasca "in the north" to the Gulf of Mexico. The cadences of the poem mimic the wide river's flow, yet the messages grow cumbersome: "What followed was a nation's quest/ To grow, expand, and `tame' the West." The paintings, on the other hand, seem both lifelike and transcendent. The river shimmers with light, workers lean wearily against sandbags blocking the cresting river, a white heron is reflected in the waters of a southern bayou. Classroom teachers leading a study of the mighty river will like this book as will travelers who frequent souvenir shops along the Mississippi's banks. All ages.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Grade 3 Up-In a flow of powerful words and images, Siebert invites readers on a poetic journey down America's most famous river: "I am the river,/Deep and strong./I sing an old, enduring song/With rhythms wild and rhythms tame,/And Mississippi is my name." The story moves through time, first paying tribute to the Choctaw, Winnebago, Sioux, Chicasaw, and Illinois; next it sings of the early European settlers, the Civil War, and industrialization; and ends in the modern era. Harlin's magnificent watercolor paintings capture the spirit of the mighty river and the passage of time. Each evocative picture complements Siebert's nearly flawless verse. Readers will appreciate the one-page "About the River" section at the end, as well as the "River Words" glossary and the double-page map of the important cities along its banks. Ideal for reading aloud or dramatizing, this book is a joyous celebration of the Mississippi, including its dangers and challenges, and will be well received by both children and adults.Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Mississippi | [
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27,029 | 0 | Sid Fleischman wrote more than sixty books for children, adults, and magicians. Among his many awards was the Newbery Medal for his novel The Whipping Boy. The author described his wasted youth as a magician and newspaperman in his autobiography The Abracadabra Kid. His other titles include The Entertainer and the Dybbuk, a novel, and three biographies, Sir Charlie: Chaplin, The Funniest Man in the World; The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West; and Escape! The Story of The Great Houdini.; Title: Here Comes McBroom: Three More Tall Tales | [
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27,030 | 20 | "Rabbi Gellman is an expert at making Bible stories interesting and accessible." -- -- School Library Journal"Will delight parents and children alike." -- Publishers Weekly"Will delight parents and children alike." -- -- Publishers WeeklyRabbi Marc Gellman is the author of God's Mailbox and coauthor, with Monsignor Thomas Hartman, of How Do You Spell God? He lives in Dix Hills, New York.Debbie Tilley, illustrator of God's Mailbox, lives in Escondido, California.; Title: God's Mailbox | [
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27,031 | 1 | The Lewins' first collaboration recounts their 1997 journey to southern Uganda to view mountain gorillas. Before taking readers along on their expedition, the authors explain the phenomenon of ecotourism that makes such sightings possible: trackers spend up to two years habituating mountain gorillas to the presence of humans. Writing in the present tense, the Lewins emphasize the rough conditions, noting that "the heat and humidity are dreadful" and, though their water supply is depleted, they trudge on, "caked with mud, our hearts pounding from exertion, our faces sucked in from dehydration, our hair matted down with sweat." The recounting of the first sighting of a mountain gorilla is curiously flat; the authors note that "our thirst and fatigue are forgotten," but they don't communicate excitement, much less exhilaration. The watercolor art alternates between labeled, sketchbook-type images and full-spread, realistic paintings rendered with an appreciation for light and shadow. The former offer a solid overview of the area's wildlife and illustrate selected moments in the Lewins' travelogue, while the latter situate readers at the trekkers' side. But the art disappoints in the encounters with the gorillas: the images of these animals are the least defined. Readers may come away with the feeling that one really had to be there to appreciate it. Ages 6-up. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 4 Up-This gorgeous book is the illustrated journal of the Lewins' trip to Uganda to see the mountain gorilla. An introduction talks about this endangered species, where the animals can be found, and describes the process of "habituation," which allows for ecotourists to visit them on a limited basis. Each page is rich with captioned, border drawings that offer glimpses at the terrain, animals, and people that the couple encountered on their difficult journey through the jungle, battling heat, bugs, and mud. Side drawings show their progress, providing humorous asides, such as the drawing of two men falling down a muddy slope with the caption, "Ted takes out a porter." Interspersed with the text are lush, watercolor double-page spreads showing the humans walking through the sun-dappled trees, and, later, the gorillas among the leaves. Readers learn about the animals' habits, their family structure, and how trackers interact with them. A final section gives facts about mountain gorillas. Throughout, the authors transmit their wonder and respect for the creatures. Although young children may be interested in leafing through and "reading" the pictures, the book's tone and vocabulary speak to more mature readers. This is a visual feast for the older set who don't often have picture books written for them, suitable for reports, but especially for browsers with an interest in ecology, animals, or travel.Sally Bates Goodroe, Harris County Public Library, Houston, TX Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Gorilla Walk | [
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27,032 | 15 | PreSThese toddler-sized board books feature watercolor paintings of multicultural children splashing in puddles, building snowmen, flying kites, and engaging in other weather-appropriate activities. The text is kept to a bare minimum, using a one-, two-, or three-word sentence per double-page spread to describe things to do in each milieu. Matching the simplicity of the narratives, the paintings show a child or two, a cat or a dog, and a touch of background scenery. The rhythm of the sentencesHear it patter; Watch it fallwill appeal to young listeners. Both words and pictures allow them to experience the world through all of the senses, e.g., by tasting rain, watching clouds, feeling sand between the toes, and listening to the wind sing. Perfect introductions to the joys of reading.Dawn Amsberry, formerly at Oakland Public Library, CA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Anna Grossnickle Hines's studio window looks out on her wild woodland garden. This lovely, familiar view inspired her to write Miss Emma's Wild Garden. She lives in Milford, Pennsylvania. In Her Own Words..."As a child I was very shy, but I enjoyed the attention I got from having my first-grade teacher put my drawings up on the wall. I remember sitting in my father's chair at the age of seven, looking at a Little Golden Book version of Heidi and telling my mother, "When I grow up, I want to make books for boys and girls." She said simply, "If that's what you want to do, that's what you should do.""All the time I was growing up, first in rural Ohio, then, after my eleventh birthday, in Los Angeles, California, I read and drew. Sometimes I wrote, but I was shyer about that and usually tore it up. My parents and teachers encouraged me, but none of them could tell me much about how to go about "making books.""In college my teachers told me that I had too much talent to waste on children's books, that "only Picasso gets away with drawing children," that I should "go have a baby and get it out of [my] system" and come back when I was ready to do " real art. " So at the end of my thirdyear, having taken all the basic art courses, a class in children's literature, and another in child care and management, I left school to study on my own."I checked out stacks of books from the library and read them to the preschoolers in the daycare center where I worked. I read books about writing and illustrating books for children, and experimented with printing techniques. I also started writing: poetry at first, then a few picturebook stories, timidly sharing them with friends. Although they encouraged me, I still didn't know how to go about submitting my work to a publishing company."I was twenty-eight years old before I got that information from a Society of Children's Book Writers' conference. By that time, having been married and divorced, I had two young daughters to support, and had earned my degree and teaching credentials from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California."During the next eight years I taught third grade, married a songwriting forest ranger named Gary Hines, had a third daughter, continued my writing and drawing, and collected over one hundred encouraging rejection letters from various publishing companies, eighteen of them from Susan Hirschman at Greenwillow Books."Then on Friday, November 13th, 1981, instead of sending me a nice rejection letter, Susan called to say, "We'd like to publish Taste the Raindrops." Since then my life has been full indeed, with a wonderful family and work I love."I am fascinated by children, by how they think, what they do each day, how they learn about the world around them, their relationships with others. I enjoy sorting it all out and making sense of it, especially as what is commonplace to us is new and engaging to them."Every once in a while I have the additional reward of hearing from a child, or parent of a child, for whom one of my books has meant something special. Then I'm really glad I didn't listen to my college teachers."; Title: What Can You Do in the Rain? | [
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27,033 | 2 | Shirley Neitzel and Nancy Winslow Parker collaborate on their eighth endeavor, Our Class Took a Trip to the Zoo. Parker's illustrations stand in for each missing item in the cumulative text, about a boy who loses his hat and even his pants during his zoo visit. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reSchool-Grade 1-One mishap after another befalls a young boy as he visits the zoo. He leaves his coat with the chimpanzee, he drops his lunch when a bear startles him, and so it goes. ("A button popped off by the lions' den, I tore my pants on the ostriches' pen when our class took a trip to the zoo.") Each item is shown against a white background and is then cumulated as a rebus. When his sympathetic teacher asks what happened, the child recounts his experiences and the illustrations show the animals and the objects. In the end, the zookeepers give him some of their clothing to wear home. Parker's charming watercolor, pencil, and ink illustrations are cheery and full of fun. Children will enjoy the format and chiming in on the repetitive verses. Pair this with Peggy Rathmann's Good Night, Gorilla (Putnam, 1994) for a jolly storyhour.Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CTCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Our Class Took a Trip to the Zoo | [
26655,
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27,034 | 15 | A girl and a boy and their golden retriever explore the autumn woods. "As it graphically portrays the subtleties of nature's treasure house, this handsome book will likely hone youngsters' sensitivities to hidden signs of life," said PW. Ages 3-up. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc."Large, brilliant, lifelike illustrations...provide the pleasure of a game while giving youngsters the enjoyment of a nature walk. Cammy and William explore the woods on an autumn afternoon and on successive pages notice such things as an empty nest, a gnawed branch, feathers, and bones. Each observation prompts the question, 'Who's been here?' Turning the page reveals the answer in both a closeup double-page spread and descriptive text....An ideal title for primary-grade nature study." --"School Library Journal"An excellent introduction to classroom nature units and the perfect prelude to a walk in the woods."--"Booklist; Title: In the Woods: Who's Been Here? (Mulberry Books) | [
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27,035 | 2 | From deserted urban lot to finished structure, this brief, amply illustrated volume documents the process of constructing a three-story building. As in his earlier children's books (Country Fair and Ballpark), Cooper's latest sketchbook strikes his signature pleasing balance between the factual and the whimsical. Watercolor and pencil illustrations combine small-scale, intentionally rudimentary images of busy workers with views of the building's structural progress. Often presented as extended captions, the narrative is as sprightly and informal as the artwork: a backhoe "gnaws into the earth and scoops up dirt like a messy eater trying to bring food to its mouth." Abundant anecdotes bring a refreshing, true-to-life quality to this chronicle (the hands of a worker smoothing wet concrete "are crusted in gunk and he has to use his wrist to push his glasses up his nose"; a contractor lugging toilets upstairs "bumps into walls and can't see her feet"). The text runs up and down the pagesAand occasionally even upside down. In one particularly playful arrangement of type, the words appear to spill from the spout of a cement mixer. Smoothly planting technical terms and techniques alongside a layperson's detailed observations, Cooper constructs a cheerful tribute to a significant accomplishment. Ages 4-up. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 2-Architects, carpenters, masons, backhoes, cranes, lunch trucks, scaffolds, plastic sheets, and Porta Pottis are all part of the fascinating process of turning a vacant lot into a multistoried office building. Cooper fills these white pages with loosely sketched, watercolor-and-pencil renderings of construction-related people and things as he chronicles the events on a building site. The text design often reflects the activity taking place on the page and sometimes requires readers to rotate the book. The illustrations effectively capture the bustle and camaraderie of the multiethnic and gender-balanced crew, but are occasionally too blurry to be easily interpreted. The hand-printed labels accompanying some drawings are also frequently illegible. However, the text not only delivers a realistic description of the sights, sounds, and even smells of a construction site, but can also be whimsically fanciful, as when the backhoe "gnaws into the earth and scoops up dirt like a messy eater trying to bring food to its mouth." The challenging vocabulary requires a more sophisticated audience than Sue Tarsky's The Busy Building Book (Putnam, 1998), but this book hits the nail on the head for slightly older sidewalk superintendents.Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Building | [
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27,036 | 7 | A couch metamorphoses into a series of seaworthy vessels as a boy imagines himself sailing over the waters of a small blue rug. Much of the charm of this wordless, nearly monochromatic book lies in the play between the similarities and differences in the two illustrations on each spread. On the left, the boy sits on the couch with various props, positioned to suggest the oar of a canoe, the mast of a sailing ship or the periscope of a submarine. The right shows the imagined scene as the boy steers a raft or commands a huge ocean liner. While the left-hand scene is rendered with dark, broad lines (so broad that it's hard to tell exactly what the boy's props are), the imagined scene is more finely drawn and modulated with blue watercolor wash. The vessels become more elaborate as the boy's fantasy life confidently expands, until the sudden appearance of a huge colorful sea monster (in a three-panel fold-out spread) dwarfs him on a vulnerable raft. The monster turns out to be his mother's vacuum cleaner, and in the final image, mother and son read about boats while sitting on the rugAnow just a rug. Tender and inviting, this well-conceived book speaks to kids' twin needs for familiarity and adventure. Ages 3-up. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-K This wordless picture book follows a small boy's imaginings as the couch he sits on transforms into a variety of vessels. The child wears a Native American headdress as he paddles a canoe; a baseball cap as he rigs the sail on a sailboat; a captain's hat on an ocean liner; a pirate's scarf as he steers the tiller of a pirate ship, and so on. Suddenly, a huge sea monster becomes visible, harbored in a foldout. On the next page, Mom appears and she and the boy rest safely on a raft as the creature dozes. The drawings are limned in shades of blue and green encircled by lots of clean, white space. The result is a charmingly simple, entrancing book. Rosie Peasley, Empire Union School District, Modesto, CA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Ship Ahoy! | [
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27,037 | 11 | "An engaging supplement to American history textbooks." -- --Publishers WeeklyBefore beginning her career in children's books, Betsy Maestro was a teacher. Her first book with Giulio Maestro was A Wise Monkey Tale published in 1975, and since then they have collaborated on more than one hundred books. Their on-going "American Story" series began with the highly acclaimed The Discovery of the Americas and continues to help young readers understand and appreciate our nation's history.The Maestros live with two cats and a goldfish in a converted cow barn in Old Lyme, Connecticut.; Title: The Voice of the People: American Democracy in Action (The American Story) | [
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27,038 | 15 | "A splendid introduction to the splendors of the heavens. -- --m Kirkus Reviews(pointered review)"An entertaining, informative and simple presentation." -- -- School Library JournalDr. E.C. Krupp and Robin Rector Krupp have worked together on The Comet and You (Macmillan), the first children's book to receive the American Institue of Physics Science-Writing Award; The Big Dipper and You (Mulberry), an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children' and, most recently, The Moon and You (Mulberry). Dr. Krupp is the Director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and an expert on ancient and prehistoric astronomy.; Title: The Big Dipper and You | [
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27,039 | 15 | "Perhaps Simon's nonfiction for children is so successful because he gets readers involved in the natural world around them, with both arresting and accessible facts". -- Publishers Weekly"This treatment of glaciers and icebergs is beautifully illustrated, and the text is clear and well-written. Lively and informative."--"School Library Journal"Perhaps Simon's nonfiction for children is so successful because he gets readers involved in the natural world around them, with both arresting and accessible facts."--"Publishers WeeklyThe frozen rivers and sheets of ice known as glaciers can move as slowly as a few inches a year, yet they make a powerful force shaping the earth beneath them and around them. Breathtaking photographs mark this dramatic introduction to the beautiful yet frozen world waiting to be discovered on mountaintops and in polar regions.; Title: Icebergs and Glaciers | [
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27,040 | 2 | Mary Calhoun's first children's book, Making the Mississippi Shout, was published in 1957. Since then, she has become the award-winning author of more than fifty children's books, including A Shepherd's Gift, Flood, Cross-Country Cat, Hot-Air Henry, and other books about Henry. She and her husband live in Clark, Colorado.; Title: Henry the Christmas Cat | [
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27,041 | 1 | Hutchins's (Changes, Changes) high-spirited caper follows Hen, Duck and Goose on a quest to find just the right spot for a picnic. After filling a basket with berries ("because Hen liked berries best"), apples ("because Goose liked apples best") and pears ("because Duck liked pears best"), the trio sets off, taking turns carrying the basket. What the three don't notice and what youngsters will delight in observing is that each time the feathered friends pause to switch, a critter climbs in and helps itself to the picnic fare. Concluding that the food has fallen out, the pals simply refill the basket; the audience will revel in knowing that the still-hungry culprits lurk nearby. Kitchen-bright illustrations outlined with a sure black line show the traveling, industrious trio, and they make hilarious unwitting straight men. With an understated humor infusing both narrative and pictures, Hutchins successfully pulls off the child-pleasing contrivance of letting readers in on the secret. Beginning readers especially will appreciate the brevity and ample repetition of the text. Ages 3-up. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Ages 3-6. Hen, Duck, and Goose gather their favorite fruits and set off on a sunny day to have a picnic. Like three feathered Goldilockses, they have trouble settling on a spot: one place is too hot, another too windy, and so on. But mysteriously, their basket lightens as they walk. The birds never learn what's happened to their lunch, but readers are in on the joke from the beginning; it's all explained in the appealingly bright, clean-lined drawings. The repetitive text builds suspense at just the right place to keep children giggling as they wait for the picnickers to discover the surprise. The visual detail is crucial to the story, so this will work best for small groups of children who can crowd up close. Another winning effort from a veteran author. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: We're Going on a Picnic! | [
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27,042 | 16 | Trucks that plow, trucks that roll, trucks that haul, trucks that lift--Matt just can't get enough of his favorite toys. When asked to clean his room, he puts away his trucks, socks, and teddy bears, but not in the way his mom probably intended. With each succeeding page, his toy trucks grow, until Matt is driving the mammoth vehicles over the rubble of his bedroom, scooping up laundry and hockey sticks. As the trucks increase in size, so do the words in the margins describing what the trucks are doing (pushing, rolling, scooping, loading). Finally, Matt's room is clean, his trucks in a basket, and he's ready to go outside where a whole other world of bulldozers, backhoes, and tractors awaits!Truck-love is as inevitable a developmental stage as crawling and toilet training. This book is sure to be an all-time favorite, with its bright yellow gouache paintings of trucks, trucks, and more trucks. Peter Ss has a knack for this kind of focused look at childhood passions. He has written and illustrated many popular picture books, including another trucky treatise, Fire Truck. (Preschool) --Emilie CoulterIn this well-conceived book, a boys love for his prized toys feeds his imagination. Ss (Fire Truck) opens with a predominantly white spread of a boys room, the furnishings outlined in fine black line, populated with yellow miniature trucks and a yellow-haired boy. A line of text running vertically up the right-hand side reads, Matt, will you pick up your trucks? Matt picks them up all right, but not before having some fun. He drives them to their bin one at a time, each one carrying him further into a fantasy construction site. As he pulls on the string of a little truck hitched to a plow, the word plowing pulses in yellow type up the right-hand page, and in successive spreads, the truckand the textgrows bigger, until in a fold-out three-page spread, Mat is LIFTING a crane (holding a striped yellow sock) from inside a huge, fantastic vehicle, with orange sausage-like type bursting out of the page. The penultimate spread shows Matts last clean-up effort as he takes the crane truck (still holding the sock) to the bin. As a reward, Mom takes him outside to view the same vehiclesall full-sizeat work on a vacant lot. Ss introduces additional colors only in the blue siren atop each vehicle, and in the various colors used for the text at the right of each spread; through his brilliant use of yellow, he keeps the focus on the boy and his trucks. By cleverly evoking the way a child uses creativity to construct his own fantasy world, the author gets readers all revved up too. Ages 3-up. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Trucks Trucks Trucks | [
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27,043 | 0 | Grade 3-4-On the eve of an unnamed Civil War battle, a drummer boy "composes a letter in his mind" telling his mother that he hopes he will be brave in the upcoming clash. "I may be only nine, but I want to do my part to save the Union." The next morning, soldiers from each camp line up. Amidst the cannon shots, figures are running, muskets are firing, and sabers are wielded. A red spot appears over Stephen's heart as he falls to the ground. Taps plays mournfully. The mood changes suddenly as a hand reaches down to help the boy up and it is revealed that he, his father, and their fellow Union and Confederate soldiers are modern-day reenactors, or "living historians," as they call themselves. An endnote provides background information on these reenactments and the real 19th-century drummer boy Stephen Bartow. Lewin's luminous watercolor paintings are beautiful; his depiction of light coming through trees is stunning. The story, however, seems manipulative. Readers will not be prepared for Stephen's "death." Also, those seeking a sense of the Civil War experience do not gain authentic insight. Those looking for picture-book treatments of the Civil War should consider George Ella Lyon's Cecil's Story (1995) and Tres Seymour's We Played Marbles (1998, both Orchard). Patricia Polacco's Pink and Say (Philomel, 1994) helps readers understand the emotions that war causes. Ann Turner's Drummer Boy (HarperCollins, 1998) offers a poetic but detailed examination of why a boy would join the army and the changes he undergoes as a result of his experience.Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 3-5. This handsome, large-format picture book begins with young Stephen sitting around the fire of a Union Army encampment. The next morning, he grabs his drum and marches into battle with his regiment, the Red Legs. Though the drummer boys are kept to the rear of the action, the Confederates "send off a terrible volley. Stephen falls. A red spot wells up on the white strap of his drum, right over his heart." The shooting stops, taps is played, and Stephen's father reaches down to help his son up again. The soldiers leave the scene of the modern-day reenactment and go home. The story is told in simple, spare language, and the illustrations are luminous. Light dapples through the forest and shines brightly on the men, weapons, and flags that Lewin composes so well in the battle scenes. It's a shocker, though, when the child featured in a picture book is apparently shot to death. Middle-school teachers may enjoy reading the book aloud as part of Civil War units. The book is glorious to look at, has a surprise ending, and reads aloud well. Parents will, quite reasonably, expect libraries to shelve it apart from the general picture book collection, possibly with fiction or in the "picture books for older readers" section. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Red Legs | [
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27,044 | 0 | On the heels of James Stevenson's winsome poetry collections (the award-winning Popcorn, as well as Candy Corn and Sweet Corn) comes Cornflakes--25 poems and sketches on topics from guitars to garbage bags. Stevenson has a real knack for taking a snapshot of a fleeting association, thought, or moment. He hears music in junkyards; sees opera-goer bow ties on garbage bags; sees piglets in fat, white trucks; and personifies everything from flowers to factories. A favorite is "Paint Box": I'd like to make/ One painting/ Half as nice/ As my paint box/ Left alone." And "Match-up": "Along the shore/ The perfect shell/ Awaits the perfect child."Stevenson perfectly encapsulates the quietest of observations with the fewest of words. His cartoonish, watercolor-splashed scritchings--loose, expressive, artful--manage to impart just the right tone. The type itself changes from poem to poem to capture the varying moods and whims of this friendly, down-to-earth collection. (Ages 7 and older) --Karin SnelsonFollowing Popcorn, Sweet Corn and Candy Corn comes another collection of poems with snap, crackle and plenty of pop appeal. Stevenson once again disarms readers with his choice of subjects, his offhand ink-and-watercolor art and his wryly comic verse offering sharp new takes on objects or actions so familiar that they usually escape notice altogether. The opener, for example, "The Ascent at the Diner," pictures a cheeseburger on a paper plate, its bun secured with a frilly toothpick; the text imagines that "Somebody small and brave" has scaled the cheeseburger "And on the summit proudly stuck/ The small blue flag of Cellophane." Nothing is too lowly to be invested with charm: "My wastebasket/ Says yes to everything./ Not bad! Quite good! / Oh, excellent! / Are you sure/ You don't want that back?" Even apparent throwaway remarks make readers stop and think, as in the two-page two-liner "The Basket Man": "Every day the basket man puts all his baskets out./ Every night the basket man puts all his baskets in." The left page depicts a storefront festooned with baskets; the right page shows the bare storefront after hours--the "basket man" is notable for his absence in the art, prompting a quiet revelation about the power of the imagination (the author's as well as the audience's) to people a scene. Crammed with surprises and happy bursts of recognition, this volume will invigorate kids' abilities to observe and enjoy the world around them. Ages 8-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Cornflakes: Poems | [
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27,045 | 7 | PreSchool-Grade 3 Youngsters who like "scary stories" will find this selection deliciously shivery more from the look of the characters than from the plot. After inviting readers to join her, Old Witch bakes a pumpkin pie. She sets it to cool and casts a spell, "Protect this treat for me alone to eat," before taking off "to make some mischief." Its scent wafts its way to the cemetery, where a spooky ensemble follows it to the source and devours the dessert. Suddenly sleepy, each creature finds a spot in the house to snooze. When Witch arrives, neither the pie nor the uninvited guests can be found. Instead, one sees "a perfectly shaped pumpkin" where Vampire had been, "a dozen brown eggs" where Ghoul had slumbered, "a smidgen of salt" in place of Ghost just waiting to be baked into a new pie. While it is cooling, eerie, white monster wisps are released in the steam, and the creatures return to their homes, "their tummies still full of Halloween pie." Tunnell uses the repetitive actions of his six graveyard goons as an opportunity for alliteration and rhyme. O'Malley's oil washes with ink lines and cross-hatching create dark, shadowy backgrounds, so the florescent details pop out in the foreground. Thus, language and art combine to make this an effective choice for groups. A recipe is appended. When storytime audiences can stomach Erica Silverman's Big Pumpkin (S & S, 1992), and are ready to sample something a bit spicier, serve them Halloween Pie. Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc."A heartwarming period piece based on a true incident, lovingly told, beautifully illustrated," raved The New York Times Book Review of Michael O. Tunnell's Mailing May, illustrated by Ted Rand, which was also honored as a 1998 ALA Notable Book.The author of five picture books, two chapter books, two novels, and one documentary, Mike teaches children's literature at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He and his wife, Glenna, have four children and two grandchildren.; Title: Halloween Pie | [
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27,046 | 12 | Grade 1-3-Arnold divides her well-organized text into sections that cover the four diverse biomes that are found on the Australian continent and focuses on particular creatures that inhabit these areas. The two-paragraph text describing each of the 17 animals is encased in a beige block to set it off from the full-color photographic background. Koalas, quolls, echidnas, dingoes, bilbies, and penguins are some of the animals introduced. Striking, close-up photos complement the author's comments.Krista Grosick, Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Seventeen unusual animals from Australia are introduced with a brief text and a handsome, full-color, close-up photograph. Like Arnold's other titles, African Animals and South American Animals, this one arranges animals by habitat, focusing on animals of the forest, grasslands, desert, and coast. A map in each section shows where each habitat occurs on the continent. Some very odd creatures are presented, including koalas, possums, gliders, quolls, Tasmanian devils, platypuses, echidnas, kangaroos, wombats, dingoes, snakes, bilbies, and penguins. Children will relish the glossy, full-color photographs, and the text will provide a tantalizing introduction, but young researchers will need to look elsewhere for detailed information. No sources are given. The author does not indicate the size of most animals, and the "rabbit-sized" bilbies and the wombat are shown larger that the six-foot, gray kangaroo. Since no scientific names are given, the reader may search unsuccessfully for the thorny devil or quoll. And the popular kookaburra appears in a photograph but nowhere in the text. Handsome for browsing, but limited for school assignments and research. (Nonfiction. 7-9) -- Copyright 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.; Title: Australian Animals | [
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27,047 | 2 | A young calf's insistent questionA"Say Moo! Say Moo! If I say Moo, why don't you?"Ais the premise for an appealing collection of barnyard babble. What starts with the sheep's sanguine reply (" 'We B-a-a-a,' said the sheep. 'That's what sheep do' ") builds to a repeated round of animal sounds. With the noises in boldface type and a simple rhyming frame, the text makes for a rollicking read, but it unfortunately leads to the worn moral "I'm glad I am me and I'm glad you are you." Lamut's (Alex and the Cat) softly colored spreads feature almost cartoonish barnyard characters with bright eyes and exaggerated facial expressions. Most successful are the background vignettes as each animal is introduced, shown in its own habitat (ducks in a pond, an owl in a tree); the creatures here are realistic and convincing. But the artwork becomes a hodgepodge when the calf begins contemplating what it would mean if the animals began making one another's noises. Lamut portrays these musings as a bestiary of pig-headed horses and sheep-headed dogsAwhich may leave children confused and adults with some explaining to do. Ages 3-up. (May) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-The different sounds that animals make are humorously depicted as a cow makes the rounds of the barnyard each morning and greets each creature it meets. "Good morning, Sheep./Say Moo! Say Moo!/If I say Moo, why don't you?" "'We Ba-a-a,' said the sheep. 'That's what sheep do.'" Soft, whimsical illustrations provide the perfect complement to this gentle story of animal identity, told in rhyme.Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: And the Cow Said Moo! | [] | Train |
27,048 | 15 | PreSchool-Grade 2-Under the sand, a spadefoot toad waits for the sound of rain. She remains in her burrow as creatures, including peccaries, a rattlesnake, and a kangaroo rat, pass above her but finally emerges to lay her eggs when the distinctive patter of rain begins. Clear, often lovely watercolors illustrate the creature's wait, the desert animals, and the brief time the toad and tadpoles spend on the desert floor after the rain. The nature lesson is propelled by frequent sound effects and the palpable need for rain. Notes at the end give additional information on the habits of this toad and her animal neighbors. Pair this title with Lynn Stone's Desert Animals at Night (Rourke, 1997) or Bash's Desert Giant (Little, Brown, 1990) for a look at desert life. Or, compare the spadefoot toad with her flashier amphibian relatives of the rain forest in Joy Cowley's The Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Scholastic, 1999). The only book for children specifically about the spadefoot toad, Sayre's title is a useful and pleasing addition.Ellen Heath, Orchard School, Ridgewood, NJ Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.*Starred Review* Ages 4-7. Several inches below the surface of the desert sand, a spadefoot toad waits and listens for rain. She hears the sounds of animals overhead: a scorpion, a kangaroo rat, a herd of peccaries, a woodpecker, and a rattlesnake. Finally, rains falls. She digs her way to the surface, where she mates. From the eggs she laid in a puddle of rainwater, tadpoles hatch and grow into toads. These tiny toads dig under the sand and wait, perhaps for months, for rain. Sayre, the author of If You Should Hear the Honey Guide (1995) and Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! (2000), once again writes about the natural world in a way that is clear, precise, and poetic. The text, which is akin to that of any good fiction picture book in its brevity, attention to sensory details, and read-aloud potential, also conveys the life cycle of a single species in a cogent and memorable way. The book ends with two appended pages that include a discussion of the spadefoot toad and a little information about each of the other animals that appeared in the book. Created with pencil, pen and ink, and watercolor, Bash's pictures illustrate the desert scenes with pleasingly varied colors, perspectives, and layouts. Preschool and primary-grade children will find this well-crafted book a wholly satisfying introduction to the spadefoot toad in particular and desert animals and the idea of life cycles in general. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Dig, Wait, Listen: A Desert Toad's Tale | [
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27,049 | 11 | A lively brother-and-sister team (accompanied by Mom) demonstrates the literal ups and downs of a typical day in this well-executed photo-essay about opposites. On a sunny afternoon, the kids run fast and walk slow on the way to the park, romp with a large dog and observe a small ant, splash in a wet sprinkler, then snuggle in dry towels and so on, until they finally settle into bed at night. Crews (You Are Here) is highly skilled at seeing through her photographic lens with the eyes of a child. In the sharp playground shots here, the two children clearly find joy and fascination in their everyday playAand express these reactions in a completely natural way, as if no photographer were among them. The jacket image, featuring a preschooler making a roughAbut gleefulAlanding from a slide, sets the tone for the fun inside. Ages 4-up. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-K-Throughout the day and into the night, a brother and sister experience the world of opposites in this enchanting photomontage. Crews captures the natural enthusiasm and inquisitiveness of the children as they set out for the park where they play in surroundings rich with appealing opposites, from a large dog and a small ant to a wet sprinkler and a welcoming dry towel. As the day draws to a close, a loud bath and a quiet story prepare them to settle into bed, where mother is near and the dark city streets seem far away. Using scenes both familiar and inviting, Crews has created a delightful concept book that will have young children pointing to the opposites in their own world.Teri Markson, Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School, Los Angeles, CA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: A High, Low, Near, Far, Loud, Quiet Story | [
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27,050 | 10 | PreSchool-Grade 2-A madcap romp through a textile-filled landscape. Young Madison Pratt's adventure begins when she finds a lonely plaid purse left in the park. After picking it up, she is infected with a kind of plaid virus comparable to the heroine's dilemma in David Shannon's A Bad Case of Stripes (Blue Sky, 1998). Even after she drops the purse, the bold red plaid spreads everywhere on her body until she is even shedding plaid tears. Her mother, who is a nurse, diagnoses the "Plaid Curse" and attempts futilely to control the contagion. Soon the entire town is covered in all types of plaid. This catastrophe spurs Madison to action and she retrieves the purse in the park where she promptly turns it inside out. The sad, blue shade of its lining alters the protagonist and her surroundings from plaid to the expected melancholy tone. However, the situation is soon made right when the resourceful girl sings a silly tune sure to "cure the blues." Reminiscent of the work of Maira Kalman, the illustrations reflect the humor and whimsy of the playful rhyming text. The slightly retro-looking characters, buildings, and artifacts are placed against plaid and other colorful backgrounds. Innovative and delightful, this tale may just cause a new fashion sensation.Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Madison Pratt finds a little plaid purse in the park, a discovery she is happy about until the purse's plaid pattern germ begins to spread--to Madison's coat and hat and underpants, then changing everything it touches. When Madison guesses the "antidote" (the purse's lining is "a sad shade of blue"), the town turns blue. Happily, Madison is an expert at getting rid of the blues. In the end, the purse coordinates with Madison, who acknowledges that colors--even plaids--sometimes fit her mood. The text frequently but inconsistently rhymes, which is confusing. Observant children may also spot some lapses in logic--for the most part, people's skins don't change color, though Madison can be seen trying to scrub off her plaid. Yet even with such problems, the book might fit nicely into a story hour centered on color and mood that also includes David Shannon's A Bad Case of Stripes (1998) and Dr. Seuss' My Many-Colored Days (1996). Catherine Andronik; Title: Mad About Plaid | [
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27,051 | 18 | Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. This picture book is a great way to introduce the sweep of history and the drama of geological change. Exciting words and double-page artwork celebrate New York City now. Turn the pages and there's always surprise: 350 years ago fewer than 1,500 people lived in what was then called New Amsterdam, but 18 different languages echoed through the streets; 400 years ago, the Lenapes hunted on a trail that later became a street named Broadway. Then the leaps back in time become huge--190 million years, to the age of the dinosaurs; then to cataclysmic geological upheavals, including volcanoes, mountains, oceans; and finally, only rock. Christiansen's pastel illustrations, enhanced with dramatic computer images, are clear and informative, though sometimes too cute (a smiling woolly mammoth), but the text does make complex information immediate for children, who will learn some amazing facts. A good choice for science and social studies classes. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reservedSusan E. Goodman is the author of many acclaimed nonfiction books for children, including On This Spot: An Expedition Back Through Time, which was a Washington Post Book World Best Book of 2004. Her book The Truth About Poop was named Best of the Best by the Chicago Public Library, and Skyscraper was a Booklist Editors' Choice for 2004 and a Book Links Lasting Connection.; Title: On This Spot: An Expedition Back Through Time | [
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27,052 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 4-There was a time, not so long ago, when family farms were the rule rather than the exception. In those days, harvesting the hay was the centerpiece of the summer. As Gramp tells Nora in this story, "Nothing's more important on this farm than hay." The excitement and tension of that time is fully realized in poetic prose as the girl and her grandparents stop everything to bring in the crop: "Hurry! Hurry! whispers the breeze. It lifts the silver poplar leaves. Rain coming! Hurryuphurryuphurryup the haytedder clacks, as Nora drives it around the field." And yet, as anxious as they are to bring in the hay, it cannot be hurried: it must be dry before it can be brought into the barn. Readers cannot help but be pulled into the story, worrying about whether the rain will hold off long enough, then breathing a sigh of relief when the wagon stacked high with sweet-smelling hay is safely in the barn, leaving only a little on the field to spoil. Smith's accomplished and engagingly realistic watercolor and colored-pencil drawings beautifully capture that time. The approaching storm clouds are especially effective, conveying visually these frantic moments. This appealing title joins a distinguished trio of books about Nora and her grandfather: Mowing (1994), No Foal Yet (1995), and Sugaring (1996, all Greenwillow).Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Following Mowing (1994), No Foal Yet (1995), and Sugaring (1996), this book is the author/illustrator team's fourth title about rural life with Nora and her grandparents. The hay has just been cut when the wind picks up and the sky darkens. Nora, Gramps, and Gram work hard, loading the hay onto the horse-drawn wagon and bringing it under cover just as the rain starts. The text is filled with rich, sensory descriptions and brief, lyrical sentences that convey the smells, sounds, and rhythms of the task--the hayloader "swooshes" the hay; feet trample it down; and the load rises "as big as the moon," with Nora on top of it. Children will connect with Nora's intense desire to learn and help, and feel the urgency of the task and the relief of bringing in the hay as the rain creates "a silver curtain between the barn and the wide green world." A lovely addition to a fine series. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Hurry! | [
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27,053 | 7 | PreSchool-Grade 1-Twenty-six hungry ogres (from Abednego to Zuleika) feast their way through the alphabet, munching on everything from anchovy butter to zucchini. As in Heller's Goblins in Green (Greenwillow, 1995), each letter entry is made up of a creature's name, a verb describing what it is doing, and an adjective, followed by a noun beginning with the next letter,. e.g., "Pernilla is peppering her parsnip quiche." The alliteration is sure to please children, even if they don't share the ogres' taste in snacks-"gobs of hummus," "ladles of molasses," "urns of vichyssoise." Smith's brightly colored gouache, watercolor, and pencil illustrations show the fun-loving ogres enjoying their food in many inventive ways. Youngsters may take added delight in searching for the many art masterpieces hidden throughout the pages. An entertaining concept book that's chock-full of clever wordplay.Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Nicholas Helleris a master of the offbeat, rib-tickling picture book.Ogres! Ogres! Ogres!:A Feasting Frenzy from A to Z, the sequel to his popular Goblins in Green, is no exception.Mr. Heller is also the author of The Giant, This Little Piggy, Woody, A Book for Woody, and Peas.He and his wife and children live in Maine.; Title: Ogres! Ogres! Ogres!: A Feasting Frenzy from A to Z | [
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27,054 | 5 | Following Princess Furball and Toads and Diamonds, Huck and Lobel now reshape another traditional story, a labyrinthine Scottish tale set in Norway. A widow's youngest daughter announces that the man she marries need not be titled nor wealthy: "I only want him to be kind and good and to love me. I'd even be content with the Black Bull of Norroway." That very creature, "known to be a monster," appears at her door when she, Peggy Ann, leaves home to seek her fortune. The bull brings the girl to three different castles on successive nights, announcing that each is the residence of one of his brothers, who are humans. After Peggy Ann removes a thorn from the bull's foot, breaking a spell and thereby restoring him to a handsome duke, the two become separated and years pass and several plot gyrations occur before the couple reconnects. In a concluding note, Huck refers to her heroine's "long and arduous search for her lost love," but their reunion is roundly satisfying. The text is inventively set into Lobel's watercolor and black pen illustrations. An appealing folk-art quality gives the tale a suitably timeless look, while the thoughtful visual interpretations capture its emotional nuances. Ages 6-up. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Grade 2-5-A complex Scottish folktale set in Norway. Three sisters set out to marry, the first two seeking riches and status, but the third, Peggy Ann, only wanting a mate "to be kind and good and to love me. I'd even be content with the Black Bull of Norroway." And, indeed, that's who comes to carry her off on the journey to seek her fortune. Along the way, the bull's kindness and solicitude ease her initial fears. Days into their trip, Peggy Ann notices that the creature is limping and removes a large thorn in his foot. Instantly he transforms into a handsome young man, the Duke of Norroway. The girl's kindness has partially broken a cruel enchantment but the Duke must conquer the Guardian of the Glen to break it forever. Peggy Ann and the Duke face a series of obstacles and a separation of seven years before they are at last reunited. Huck's fine prose makes accessible this tale that appeared in dialect in Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy Book (Dover, 1965). An author's note provides background on the origins of the story and other sources in which its variants appear. Richly colored watercolor-and-black-pen paintings done in Lobel's signature painterly style provide a dynamic visual presentation. Glossy cream-colored borders set off the pictures to perfection and the smaller vignettes interspersed throughout add variety. A superb addition to all folktale collections.Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Black Bull of Norroway: A Scottish Tale | [
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27,055 | 20 | Beautiful reproductions of some of Europe's finest sacred art complement Mayer's (Young Mary of Nazareth) mellifluous account of Jesus' childhood. Blending accounts from Matthew and Luke with stories from the apocrypha and other religious writings, Mayer presents a fully dimensional extended portrait of the Holy Family. Joseph and Mary, devoted parents as well as servants of God, appreciate that raising such an extraordinary child will be the biggest challenge of their lives. Here, Jesus is a sort of man-child who calmly balances his very human familial role with a divine callingAa dichotomy that often baffles his teachers. For example, when a priest tells the five-year-old Jesus that he shouldn't be modeling clay sparrows on the Sabbath, Jesus claps his hands and the clay birds come alive and fly off. Readers will be fascinated as Jesus begins to perform miracles and understand his holy power. Mayer's talents as a storyteller allow her to offer an exploration of a religious figure that is both accessible and resonant, and her thoughtful delivery affords a new perspective on the Sermon on the Mount, which concludes the text. Young readers will especially appreciate her ability to project a sense of Jesus' childhood personality, an element absent from the Gospels. And, elegantly produced with Bible-like illuminations in gold, this volume is as enjoyable to look at as it is to read. All ages. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-6-The story of Jesus's childhood as told in the gospels of Matthew and Luke is embellished by traditional legends drawn from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, the Apocrypha, and the revelations of the Venerated Anne Catherine Emmerich. Mayer combines them all into a flowing, dignified narrative, both simple and elegant. She recounts miraculous incidents that began during infancy, and ends with the Biblical accounts of the visit to the Temple at age 12, the baptism by John, and a lovely paraphrase of the beatitudes. Each element begins with capital letters in gold, and the body of the text is in large, clear type arranged harmoniously around full-color reproductions of paintings by James Tissot, Fra Angelico, Jacopo Bassano, Leonardo da Vinci, and others, illustrating the various incidents and set out in a variety of sizes, from full page to vignette. Altogether, the format is perfectly suited to the subject. Informative author and source notes, a bibliography, and a list of the artists are appended.Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Young Jesus of Nazareth | [
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27,056 | 10 | In this two-million-mile tall tale (praised to the skies by National Public Radio commentator and children's book author Daniel Pinkwater), famed American frontiersman Davy Crockett saves the planet, is elected to Congress, and gets the girl and a coonskin cap. Rosalyn Schanzer's outrageous story was inspired by a series of 19th-century comic almanacs about Crockett, source of wildly embellished legend: "Why, Davy could whip ten times his weight in wildcats and drink the Mississippi River dry." Here, Davy Crockett is called upon by the president to wring the tail off Halley's comet--"the biggest, baddest ball of fire and ice and brimstone ever to light up the heavens"--which is hurling itself toward America. One look at Davy, with his chiseled face and gigantic muscles bursting out of his buckskins, and the reader will know the comet hasn't got a chance. Schanzer, whose love of American history is also revealed in How We Crossed the West and Gold Fever!, has a mighty grip on the folksy language and rhythm of the tall tale. After all, "every single word is true, unless it is false." (Ages 5 to 9) --Emilie CoulterSchanzer (Gold Fever!) raids the annals of American history once again, emerging with a feisty tall tale inspired by the Davy Crockett almanacs published in the 19th century. Assuring readers that "every single word is true, unless it is false," she spins a rollicking yarn of how Crockett (who could "whip ten times his weight in wildcats and drink the Mississippi River dry") saves the world from a disastrous collision with Halley's Comet. Deep in the woods with his pet bear, Death Hug, Crockett is bent on wooing "purty" Sally Sugartree, unaware that the president has advertised for his help to reign in the comet. Once Crockett finds out he's needed, he's off "like a high-powered hurrycane," climbing to the top of a high mountain and leaping onto the comet. In the end, a triumphant Crockett gets both the girl and his coonskin cap (to cover what's left of his comet-singed hair). Schanzer's lickety-split pace and picaresque prose are equal parts swagger and sass, and her vibrant, color-drenched paintings extend the spirited tone. Careful attention to comic detail and visual echoes of the genre's hallmark exaggeration (Crockett, for instance, has the chiseled-jaw and popping muscles of a Disney hero) frame this zesty slice of Americana admirably. Ages 6-12. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Davy Crockett Saves the World | [
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27,057 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2-A poetic text explains the water cycle. "This is the ocean,/blue and vast,/that holds the rainwater from the past./This is the sunshine,/hot and bright,/that warms the ocean,/blue and vast,-." The cumulative verse seems appropriate for the repetitive elements of the cycle. Schaefer maintains the rhythm throughout, even when the pattern is interrupted to follow the rain running into rivers and into the sea and then picks up with the sunshine, "hot and bright,/that makes the vapor, moist and light,/that fills the clouds, low and gray,/that bring rain/somewhere/ every day." The illustrations are interesting photographs and original images of clouds; rushing creeks; and a variety of plants, fish, and other wildlife collaged on the computer using Adobe Photoshop. The book would be best used along with demonstrations or a more straightforward description of the process of water evaporation and condensation. However, it makes a good supplement for developing a sense of wonder and appreciation of the importance of water to our planet.Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.Lola M. Schaefer is the author of numerous books for children. School Library Journal called This Is the Sunflower, illustrated by Donald Crews, "a simple, elegant book, filled with a little information and a lot of pleasure." And The Horn Book said, "this handsome book is a natural for science story hours." The author lives with her husband, Ted, in northeastern Indiana.; Title: This Is the Rain | [
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27,058 | 18 | As with her How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark, Schanzer's lively writing and drawing style again makes history come alive. Here she gives appropriate spark to a picture-book overview of Benjamin Franklin's various inventions and scientific experiments, zeroing in on his discovery of lightning's electric power. The statement "It's true!" begins the exhilarating ride. From there the author summarizes, in a succinct and zippy style, many of Franklin's achievements as inventor, statesman, author, entrepreneur, activist, community leader and musician-a Renaissance man of boundless energy ("Didn't the man ever stop to rest?" she wonders). The artwork, a combination of vibrantly colored dyes and ink line, depicts an ebullient Franklin smiling, with his hair flying, as he flits from one role to the next. But the author devotes a significant portion of the book to Franklin's curiosity about electricity (which he believed to be found in lightning) and its potential to cause devastating fires, including the story behind Franklin's famous experiment of flying a kite with a key on its string during a thunderstorm. The compositions, which include period detail and accessible illustrated renditions of Franklin's documented projects and inventions, match the chipper tone of the text. An extensive author's note provides further information on Franklin's life and works, and spiffy endpapers reproduce diagrams and notes from Franklin's papers in Philadelphia's American Philosophical Society. This fitting tribute to a memorable leader emphasizes the playfulness that accompanies a curious mind and the boundless energy required for great accomplishments. Ages 6-12. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 2-4-Even in childhood, Franklin was inventing better ways to do things. "He lay on his back, held on to a kite string, and let his kite pull him lickety-split across a big pond." This spirited account of the most prodigious inventor echoes the tall-tale humor Schanzer employed in Davy Crockett Saves the World (HarperCollins, 2001). Her subject comes across as larger than life, even though the lively, color cartoon sketches often depict him in miniature. The book begins with Franklin's accomplishments but quickly moves on to his many inventions and his growing interest in electricity, culminating in his capture of lightning in the legendary kite experiment. The author does a nice job of explaining the historical context and the ultimate value of the lightning rod in saving lives. The deftly drawn comic scenes and the folksy tone lend folklore flavor, but this brisk account is not fictionalized. The concluding author's note adds information on Franklin's work as inventor, and the endpapers superimpose a small, cheerful depiction of him on a pleasant layout of his own sketches. Well conceived and crafted, this fresh view is particularly welcome as few of the fine picture-book accounts of the popular patriot remain in print. Enjoyable reading fare, this volume will pair neatly with Lisa Jo Rudy's The Ben Franklin Book of Easy and Incredible Experiments (Wiley, 1995).Margaret Bush, Simmons College, BostonCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning | [
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27,059 | 1 | Gr 3-6-An in-depth look at the process, the types of patterns, and the research that has helped us to understand how and why birds migrate. Lerner concerns herself with the birds of the Americas and uses specific examples to explain partial migration, migration within continents, east-west migration, and other patterns of seasonal movement. The birds mentioned are illustrated in crisp, realistic paintings, and a map shows their summer, winter, and year-round ranges. Other pictures and diagrams clarify flight and gliding patterns as well as experiments performed by ornithologists. With current nonfiction books so often broken into "fact-bites," it is a pleasure to find an attractively illustrated book that offers young readers the opportunity to delve into a fascinating topic. Children who read the book straight through will come away with a comprehensive view of bird migration, but there is an index for those interested in particular species. Suggestions for field guides and bird-watching are appended. A sterling addition to library collections.Ellen Heath, Orchard School, Ridgewood, NJCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr. 3-6. Lerner follows up her fine books Backyard Birds of Summer (1996) and Backyard Birds of Winter (1994) with another well-researched book, this one on the migration of birds living in the Americas, particularly in North America. Topics include why birds migrate, how they find their way, how geography influences their routes, how scientists study migration, and how rain forest destruction in Latin America affects bird populations in the eastern woodlands of North America. Lerner illustrates the clearly written discussions with precise, delicate paintings of birds as well as maps of migratory routes. A good mix of art and text that will both intrigue and satisfy a wide age range. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: On the Wing: American Birds in Migration | [
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27,060 | 2 | "Lyrical" text and "extraordinary, light-filled" paintings celebrate the earth, children and the diversity of the world's ethnic heritages, said PW. Ages 4-up. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc."How better to celebrate ethnic diversity than to look to children, the hope of the future? This glorious picture book does just that."-- "Booklist; Title: All the Colors of the Earth (Mulberry Books) | [
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27,061 | 2 | Joanna Cole addresses separation issues for youngest children in When Mommy and Daddy Go to Work, also illus. by Chambliss. During her time at day care, the child narrator imagines what her parents are doing while she paints pictures, eats lunch and takes a nap. The closing "Tips for Parents," which suggest specific actions to help lessen a child's separation anxiety, should help ease the transition.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reS-A supportive book for children starting day care. Carly introduces readers to her family as they begin their day. While the child is initially sad when her parents drop her off at her program, she soon becomes immersed in the activities. During the day, she thinks about what they are doing at work-her mother is selling cars and her father is teaching. At lunch she speculates about what they are eating. Then her mother and father return for her, just as she had been told they would. A page of helpful suggestions for parents follows the story. The delicately toned illustrations complement this soothing story that is good for one-on-one reading. Pair it with Robin Ballard's My Day, Your Day (Greenwillow, 2001) for read-alouds.Marilyn Ackerman, Brooklyn Public Library, NYCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: When Mommy and Daddy Go to Work | [
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27,062 | 10 | Kindergarten-Grade 3-The legend of this backwoods hero has resonated with generations of American children. Schanzer has based her tale on a story published in one of the small paperback Davy Crockett almanacs that became popular after Crockett was elected to Congress. She relates how the President calls upon Davy Crockett, through an ad in the newspaper, to destroy Halley's Comet before the fiery mass hits Earth. Unfortunately, Crockett is too busy practicing dance steps in an attempt to woo Sally Sugartree to read the newspaper, but when the apple of his eye sees the ad, they rush to Washington. The climax of the story is the hero's battle with the comet and, true to his tall-tale image, he saves the planet. Full- and double-page frolicsome illustrations feature bold colors and cartoon characters that underline the humor of the story. They depict the comet as a terrifying monster with awesome powers, but one that is eventually deflated by Crockett's strength. Even libraries with several tall tales on their shelves will appreciate this fresh look at a legendary character.Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc."Depicted as a clean-shaved, strong-jawed, Rambo-esque figure in form-fitting buckskins, Davy cuts a truly admirable figure." -- Kirkus Review A thundering good choice for reading aloud. -- ALA Booklist (starred review) Tall-tale aficionados will be more than ready to face danger with Davy. -- Bulletin of the Center for Children' s Books; Title: Davy Crockett Saves the World | [
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27,063 | 1 | PreSchool-Grade 1-A rhyming counting book that follows a group of brightly clothed bunnies frolicking on a playground on an idyllic spring day. Flowers are blooming; the sun is shining; the grass is green; and sweet little rabbits slide, swing, jump rope, play ball, dig in sand, etc. Each two-page spread adds another animal until there are 10. The numbers are written as addition equations (3+3=6, 4+2=6, 5+1=6) as well as single numerals. While young children will not be able to solve the problems, they will see that numbers can be depicted in different ways. Another clever feature is the all-natural playground equipment: the slide is half of a hollow log and the jungle gym is made of trees and logs. Along with the rabbits, each page features other objects to count. A useful list at the back facilitates finding all of the items. Soft-toned colored pencils on watercolor illustrations sustain the mood of idealized childhood.Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Rick Walton is the author of more than thirty books for children, including So Many Bunnies: A Bedtime ABC and Counting Book and What to Do When a Bug Climbs in Your Mouth and Other Poems to Drive You Buggy. When he is not writing, he likes to read, travel, and play the guitar. Rick lives in Provo, Utah, with his wife, Ann, and their four children.; Title: One More Bunny: Adding from One to Ten | [
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27,064 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2-The little pig is growing up and dealing with a new problem in true "Geraldine" style. Here, she must face a new baby-sitter, Mrs. Duffy. The night is off to a bad start when her younger brother cries and hides in the closet. The feisty little heroine takes matters into her own hands and convinces Willy to unleash the family's pet iguana and put it in the bath with them. Even when it gets loose, Mrs. Duffy gets onlya little flustered, and her patience and quiet forgiveness finally win the siblings over. Like floral wallpaper in a warm kitchen, soft reoccurring patterns throughout the pages give the story a cozy feeling. Most children will relate to the anxiety associated with being left in the care of someone new, and who better to help them ease the transition than this hilarious, endearing piglet who, in the end, always does the right thing. Another gem from an author/artist who truly understands children.Holly T. Sneeringer, St. Mark School, Baltimore, MD Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Ages 3-5. Little pig Geraldine returns with younger brother, Willy, to face a new babysitter. The kids aren't crazy about the idea, and Willy especially makes a fuss when Mrs. Duffy arrives. Geraldine tells Mrs. Duffy that she can calm the situation, but her prank solution is to take their pet iguana, Jerome, out of his tank and put him in the bathtub with Willy. Mrs. Duffy is properly horrified when she spots Jerome, and more so when he escapes. But she shows her stuff when it comes time to rescue Jerome from his hiding place, winning the affection of her charges. Keller's familiar pen-and-watercolor artwork catches the humor of a familiar family situation--we don't like the babysitter. Because of Keller's simple style, some may at first think that Jerome is a stuffed animal; the ensuing pandemonium will quickly clue them in. Especially for fans of Geraldine and Willy. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Geraldine and Mrs. Duffy | [
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27,065 | 2 | Known for her colorful picture books about community activism (Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen) DiSalvo-Ryan addresses the "super-storing" of America in her latest offering. Lucy loves spending time at her Grandpa's corner grocery, where neighbors depend on the personal service. But when construction begins on a giant supermarket around the corner, Lucy and Grandpa fear that Grandpa's shop will be put out of business and he'll have to move away. Before she'll let that happen, Lucy uses her can-do spirit to rally the community on Grandpa's behalf andAat least for nowAkeep his store afloat. DiSalvo-Ryan again displays her knack for heartening tales that blend family love and neighborhood spirit. Lucy's adoration for Grandpa is palpable, and the community's support is rousing, never pat. Sprightly watercolors depict a vibrant cast of ordinary characters in a small-town setting. Her busy spreads emphasize people and the ways they interactAand the strength they find as they take pride in where they live. Ages 5-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 3-Lucy's grandfather owns the local grocery store, and the child is worried that he will be forced to sell and move away from her once a new supermarket opens. Filled with love and determination, she is able to pull the neighborhood together and save her Grandpa's store. DiSalvo-Ryan illustrates how anger at a situation can be turned into something positive and emphasizes the importance of community in our lives. Children will empathize with Lucy and realize that they are not always powerless, that they can make a difference. The soft, colorful illustrations are large, often taking up almost the entire two-page spread. The faces of the people reflect the feelings described in the text. The map on the end pages is an added bonus, paving the way for similar classroom projects. This title would fit well into a social studies lesson on communities.Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Grandpa's Corner Store (Rise and Shine) | [
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27,066 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 3-What shines through in both of these books is Gibbons's dedication to presenting the games as fun. Each volume outlines all of the necessary equipment and rules and describes a fictitious game to demonstrate the facts. The illustrations, especially those of the players, clearly reflect the action. Both entries have a glossary with key terms, including important concepts such as teamwork and sportsmanship. Excellent choices for beginner players and readers.Meghan R. Malone, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Reviewed with Gibbons' My Football Book.Ages 5-7. Gibbons introduces the basics of basketball and football in two small-format paperback books. Each book identifies the equipment, the court or field, the positions of the players, and a few rules of the game. In the brightly colored artwork, young players, both boys and girls, illustrate this introductory information, then begin a game that adds a touch of narrative and allows for explanation without the tedium of listing one rule after another. Bas ketball begins "Basketball is fun, whether you are playing yourself or rooting for your favorite team." A similar sentence leads off in Football , and that low-key message is at the heart of both presentations. The books don't cover all the rules; indeed, for kids who are intently interested, they will raise as many questions as they answer. Instead, they offer a starting point for young children trying to figure out what's going on in the sport or how to get in the game. Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: My Basketball Book | [
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27,067 | 6 | PreSchool-This newly illustrated edition of Buckley's charming hide-and-seek story (1962; o.p.) is perfect for preschool storytimes. The rhythmic text is only slightly changed and works well as a read-aloud or one on one. Ormerod's full-color illustrations are sunny and cheerful. They show Josie's father and pregnant mother pretending to search for the little girl everywhere but the right place, while Josie can be seen hiding in each picture. Her dog, cat, and older brother gradually discover her whereabouts by following the trail of leaves and flowers that she drops as she sneaks from place to place. Eventually, everyone ends up together outside in the hammock, sleepily hugging and cuddling. This joyous picture book is greatly enhanced by the new artwork. Even libraries that have the old version should treat themselves to it.Judith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Where Did Josie Go? | [
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27,068 | 2 | In a starred review, PW commended the cheerful and informative approach to adoption in a book that is "perfect for sharing in any family." Ages 4-up. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc."In an informative yet personal tone, Cole's picture book introduces the delicate issue of adoption to very young children. Honesty, realism and well-chosen biological facts supportCole's cast of characters, who, radiating self-confidence, celebrate the joy of becoming a family....Cole's cheerful, informative approach to adoption is at the heart of this picturebook."--" Publishers Weekly "(starred review)"Cole expertly navigates a middle course that provides children with some excellent, age-appropriate background on adoption."-- "Booklist; Title: How I Was Adopted (Mulberry Books) | [
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27,069 | 15 | In this tender treatment by Henkes (Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse) and Dronzek, Henkes's wife, a painter making her children's book debut, "Oh!" becomes a universal expression of friskiness elicited by the first blanket of snow. When morning arrives and "everything is white," the squirrel wants to "skitter, skitter, skitter," the rabbit wants to frolic (the illustration shows it has chased the squirrel from the previous page up a tree). Two children, hoods up and backs to the viewer, jump into snowdrifts and dashing red cardinals swoop in and out of the snowflakes. "OH!" writes Henkes after accounting for all the landscape's gleeful inhabitants, and Dronzek heightens the moment by switching from neatly framed compositions to a full-bleed, double-page spread of all the characters at play. But all snowy days must come to an end: "The sky turns dark. The snow turns blue," and everyone heads for his or her respective home, with promises of more snow-play tomorrow. Extending himself to a younger audience than in his previous works, Henkes keeps his prose succinct and unadorned, seasoning it with repetition and an easy cadence: "The cat wants to play. Sneak, sneak, sneak, brave young cat." Dronzek's acrylic renderings swiftly evoke how snow both sharpens and softens the world. The whitened landscape throws every other color in her palette into sharp relief, while her pastel-like textures look positively downy. Ages 2-up. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-"The snow falls and falls all night./In the morning everything is white./And everyone wants to play./Oh!" It's a simple beginning for an innocent day of subdued glee. Double-page spreads feature a spare, repetitive text that's reminiscent of Margaret Wise Brown's work and faces framed illustrations of familiar animals and a duet of children on bright white backgrounds. For example, "The dog wants to play./Run, run, run,/clever old dog" accompanies a frisky red dog at play, and a bunny poised for jumping follows "The rabbit wants to play./Hop, hop, hop,/shy little rabbit." Animals and children come together and the whole group is seen enjoying the snow-filled winter day on a hilly expanse. Finally, evening draws near. "Rush on home./Good-bye, snow./See you again tomorrow./Oh!" Imbued with a soft, fuzzy quality, the full-color acrylic illustrations evoke the haziness of falling snow, and the illustrator's choice of blue and white as dominant colors is gently soothing. A winter book that's sure to please.Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Oh! | [
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27,070 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 3-What shines through in both of these books is Gibbons's dedication to presenting the games as fun. Each volume outlines all of the necessary equipment and rules and describes a fictitious game to demonstrate the facts. The illustrations, especially those of the players, clearly reflect the action. Both entries have a glossary with key terms, including important concepts such as teamwork and sportsmanship. Excellent choices for beginner players and readers.Meghan R. Malone, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Reviewed with Gibbons' My Basketball Book.Ages 5-7. Gibbons introduces the basics of basketball and football in two small-format paperback books. Each book identifies the equipment, the court or field, the positions of the players, and a few rules of the game. In the brightly colored artwork, young players, both boys and girls, illustrate this introductory information, then begin a game that adds a touch of narrative and allows for explanation without the tedium of listing one rule after another. Bas ketball begins "Basketball is fun, whether you are playing yourself or rooting for your favorite team." A similar sentence leads off in Football , and that low-key message is at the heart of both presentations. The books don't cover all the rules; indeed, for kids who are intently interested, they will raise as many questions as they answer. Instead, they offer a starting point for young children trying to figure out what's going on in the sport or how to get in the game. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: My Football Book | [
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27,071 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2-In picture-book format, Gibbons provides the basic facts about two popular sports. Using short, clear sentences, she defines terms, explains the rules, and describes scoring. One line in each book mentions the equipment necessary for each game, but the information is well augmented by clearly labeled, colorful drawings showing additional gear, such as shin guards for soccer players or protective covering for the baseball catcher. Both books contain diagrams of the game fields. However, the words selected for the brief glossaries seem arbitrary; for example, "cleat" is defined in Soccer, but not in Baseball. These informative books will be enjoyed by new players or spectators of older siblings' events.Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Reviewed with "My Baseball Book" "Ages 4-8. This pair of small, snappily designed books are attractive, accessible introductions to the two sports children are most likely to play. Diverse groups of young children, drawn in Gibbons' typically bright colors and cheery style, demonstrate sports equiptment and game plays. Each book includes a diagram of the field, and a breif glossary explains sports basics, such as offense and teamwork as well as specific terms ("dribble," "strike"). Margart Blackstone's books, such as "This Is Soccer" (1999), which are written for the same young audience, catch the excitement of game play; these books make the sports understandable.- - "Booklist"Reviewed with "My Baseball Book""In picture-book format, Gibbons provides the basic facts about two popular sports. Using short, clear sentences, she defines terms, explains the rules, and describes scoring. One line in each book mentions the equiptment neccessary for each game, but the information is well augmented by clearly labeled, colorful drawings showing additional gear, such as shin guards for soccer players or protective covering for the baseball catcher. Both books contain diagrams of the game fields...These informative books will be enjoyed by new players or spectators of older siblings' events." --"School Library Journal"; Title: My Soccer Book | [
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27,072 | 2 | When You Were Inside Mommy by Joanna Cole, illus. by Maxie Chambliss, also explains pregnancy and childbirth in language young children can understand and presents pertinent details in a matter-of-fact manner. Chambliss's palette in soft tones of pink, blue and lavender conveys the happiness of the expectant family and several detailed drawings of a developing fetus reveal some of the mystery. The small trim size makes the paper-over-board book comfortable for lap sharing while the "Note to Parents" in the back offers advice on talking to children.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reS-A meaningful and sensitive way to open up a dialogue about pregnancy and childbirth with preschoolers. Cole tells the facts in a straightforward, enthusiastic, but sensitive manner, addressing the child directly ("Once you were inside your mommy. Did you know that? It's true!"). The concepts covered are the most basic: babies grow in the womb from cells provided by the mother and father and are fed through a special tube. When the muscles of the womb start squeezing and the baby is ready to be born, the scene switches to the hospital, where the joy of the birth is the main focus. Chambliss's color illustrations match Cole's tone perfectly, and show a warm and loving family consisting of a mother, a father, and a baby who develops into a boy of about four. The happiness brought on by the infant's birth can even be seen on the faces of the doctors, their smiles visible through their surgical masks. Illustrations that depict the womb and the umbilical cord make the text easier to understand without being too graphic. An informative note to parents offers practical tips for answering children's questions with honesty and warmth.Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, ColumbiaCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: When You Were Inside Mommy | [
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27,073 | 1 | "Appealing." -- Booklist; Title: Hot Fudge | [
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27,074 | 2 | Reviewed with Barbara Brenner's One Small Place in a Tree.Gr. 2-4. These companion books offer a glimpse of nature in action by zeroing in on "one small place" teeming with living things. By the Sea takes an up-close look at a tide pool, briefly describing the timing of the tides and how the changes affect tide pool inhabitants, while giving a more in-depth explanation of the complex interdependence of the plants and animals in their unique environment. In One Small Place, a bear uses a tree as a scratching post, thus beginning the chain of events that leads to a large hole that becomes home to a variety of forest animals. Brenner makes the science enjoyable and understandable, and Leonard's highly detailed, realistic illustrations provide great visual aid. These attractive volumes will nicely complement a science unit on ecology. Lauren PetersonCopyright American Library Association. All rights reservedBarbara Brenner's curiosity about the world ranges far and wide. Her interests are reflected in the wide scope of her quality fiction and nonfiction. Some of her best-selling titles include Wagon Wheels and Voices: Poetry and Art from Around the World, which was an ALA Notable Book for Children and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. One Small Place in a Tree is a companion book to the striking One Small Place by the Sea. Barbara Brenner lives with her husband, artist Fred Brenner, in Hawley, Pennsylvania.; Title: One Small Place by the Sea | [
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27,075 | 18 | Grade 3-7-Attentive readers of this book-those who can wrest their eyes from the illustrations-will learn some history, some geography, and quite a lot about Islam, as well as about the life of Salah al-Din. (One interesting fact is that he was neither an Arab nor a Turk, but a Kurd.) Even more important, however, may be the chance to put oneself in the shoes of "the enemy," an exercise that is as useful today as it would have been in 1099. Anyone who still harbors romantic ideas about the Crusades will be disabused of them here. The harsh glare of history scours secular and religious leaders alike. Even Richard the Lionhearted appears as both a brilliant commander and "an obnoxious bully," and in light of his slaughter of 3000 hostages at Acre, who could disagree? Saladin is not depicted as flawless, and the attitude of Islam toward women is noted. Yet, on the whole, the great and generous Muslim leader is portrayed as being far nobler than any competitor. Each full page of text is a mini-chapter, a self-contained part of the overall narrative, so that readers can pause and linger over the opposing full-page illustration. These pictures, enlivened by saturated, jewel-like blues, reds, and greens, combine Western realism with pattern and composition recalling Turkish miniatures. Countless details of dress, armor, domestic interiors, and landscape evoke the period and setting. The beauty and sophistication of Islamic culture shine through Stanley's glorious pictures. A timely and splendid addition to the author's earlier biographical profiles.Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.The beauty and sophistication of Islamic culture shine through Stanleys glorious pictures... Timely and splendid. (School Library Journal)Alive with pattern and brilliant with streaks of illumination, the art is some of Stanleys finest. (ALA Booklist (Starred Review))[Stanley] uses color and line to create interest and to teach the eye what to see. (Riverbank Review)Stanley has selected an unusual subject and presented him with clarity and style. (Horn Book Magazine)This compact, strikingly illustrated biography is a terrific starting point for young readers. (New York Times Book Review); Title: Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam | [
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27,076 | 2 | Gilbert and his sister accidentally switch costumes for their school's Halloween parade. "This cross-dressing caper gets primary-grade humor just right," said PW. Ages 5-up. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc."This caper gets primary-grade humor just right." -- "Publishers Weekly ""A kid-appealing Halloween treat."-- "The Horn Book"; Title: Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet (Gilbert the Opossum) | [
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27,077 | 2 | Nikki Grimes began penning poetry at the age of six. Her many award-winning titles include the picture books Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman, which won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, and Meet Danitra Brown, which won a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. Coretta Scott King Author Honors went to her novels The Road to Paris, Jazmin's Notebook, and Dark Sons, and her novel Bronx Masquerade won the Coretta Scott King Author Award.In 2017, Nikki Grimes was honored by the American Library Association with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in recognition of her substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.She lives in Corona, California.; Title: Oh, Brother! | [
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27,078 | 11 | Take a stroll through friendly, familiar neighborhoods, where unexpected viewpoints await around every corner. The latest "corn book" from wordsmith and artist James Stevenson (following Cornflakes, Candy Corn, Sweet Corn, and Popcorn) examines the minutiae of the regular old world. Shabby shoes, a fold-up dock, burnt cake, even barnacle-studded flotsam are honored by Stevenson's uniquely skewed vision in this collection of 26 short, illustrated verses about what can be found just around the corner--even in one's own mind. In "Why?" the poet wonders:In James Stevenson's companion to Cornflakes, Just Around the Corner, the author/artist contemplates modern life in a cozy village, from a melancholy ode to an abandoned favorite hangout, "The No-More Diner" ("No more crashing china/ No more noisy talk/ .../ It's the No-More Diner now.../ Memories to Go") to visual equivalents of storyboards ("December Sunday," a beach scene on an unseasonably warm day) to celebrations of small-town icons ("La Fabulosa Grocer"), with pen-and-ink and watercolor wash illustrations that capture magical moments in a world of comings-and-goings.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Just Around the Corner: Poems | [
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27,079 | 0 | In the first of Florian's (Mammalabilia) delicately painted, thoughtfully conceived watercolors, just a tip of an ear and the top of a hat hint at the answer to the question, "What's big?" At the turn of the page, readers discover that "a pig is big./ A pig is fat./ A pig is bigger than my hat." The world widens with each additional line, from the smiling, peachy pig to a city street and eventually to the wide blue universe. Florian's illustrations grow increasingly complex without overwhelming readers with detail. But while the initial jaunty verses are just right for preschoolers, both language and concepts become more sophisticated as the book progresses: "What's bigger than a city?... The earth's dimensions do excel./ In magnitude it is gigantic,/ From Katmandu to the Atlantic." Florian occasionally scrambles the sense of his verses for the sake of the rhyme ("A cow is bigger than a boar or sow./ It's bigger yesterday and now"). In general, though, the presentation is clever and humorous, well suited for elementary school children prepared to grasp the size of a universe as "the biggest thing of all./ Compared to it all things seem small." Ages 3-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: A Pig Is Big | [
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27,080 | 11 | PreSchool-Grade 2-Through spare, simple text and appealing color photographs, Morris shows readers that "all children-are part of families" and that they come in all sizes, nationalities, and configurations. The format varies so that each page features one large or several smaller pictures. The text explains that "People in families love and care for one another-help one another-play together-cook-eat-and celebrate together." The book depicts family interactions in the United Kingdom, the United States, Ethiopia, Canada, Vietnam, South Korea, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Japan, and India. An index of photographs identifies each group and its nationality and a map indicates where the photos were taken.Joyce Rice, Limestone Creek Elementary School, Jupiter, FL Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Ann Morris's many books include Families, Bread Bread Bread, Hats Hats Hats, On the Go, and Loving. She lives in New York City.As a children's book writer, Ann Morris has been able to successfully integrate her varied experiences in teaching young children, travel, writing, and editing. Having grown up in the polyglot public schools of New York City, where each child's ethnic heritage was revealed by his name or by the contents of the lunch box from home filled with sausages, egg rolls, matzos, or pizza, she developed a strong Interest In cultures other than her own. " I'm a gypsy by nature," she says. "I always have my suitcase packed."She and photographer Ken Heyman once traveled across the United States to document the lives often different families. Both she and the teacher's pupils liked the snake charmer/teacher who taught class in a circus trailer with her favorite boa around her neck. Although Ms. Morris has never tried this stunt he herself, she has taught children in public and private schools in New York City, and adults at Bank Street College, Columbia Teachers College, New York University, and Queens College of the City University of New York. More recently she has been teaching writing for children at The New School.Ann Morris left teaching to become editorial director of Scholastic's early childhood department. Now she devotes her professional time to writing and all her other time to 11 people watching, music in any and all Forms, cat care, cooking and eating, and travel." All of these experiences, she says, provide material for her books.In Israel Ms. Morris was caught up in the enchantment of the place as well as the conflicts that are a consequence of its history. One of her books, When Will They Stop Fighting? (Atheneum), reflects her concern about children who have become the victims of these conflicts.Ann Morris worked with photographer Ken Heyman while producing an award-winning series of sound-filmstrips for young children. Since then the author-photographer team has created several books in a multicultural series for Lothrop, including Hats, Hats, Hats; Shoes, Shoes, Shoes; and Bread, Bread, Bread. Her interest in travel and the arts brought her to the famous Vaganova, Academy, where children of the famous Kirov ballet company are instructed. This resulted in On Their Toes (Atheneum), followed by Dancing to America (Dutton), photographed by Paul Kolnik. The latter book is about one of the Russian children and his family who emigrated to New York, where he now participates in our own School of American Ballet. Her book Karate Boy (Dutton) features her nephew and his friends in karate class. She thinks of this as a "family book" in that it was photographed by her cousin, David Katzenstein. Light the Candle Bang the Drum (Dutton), with illustrations by Peter Linenthal, is about holidays around the world.; Title: Families | [
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27,081 | 2 | "Tailor-made for cozy reading." -- School Library JournalHelen E. Buckley, author of Grandfather and I, Grandmother and I, and Where Did Josie Go?, lives in Bradenton, Florida, and Pulaski, New York.; Title: Grandmother and I | [
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27,082 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 4–Sixteen thoughtful poems about being thankful for everyday things. Grimes uses a variety of forms that include haiku, a riddle, and a rebus in selections that speak directly to the experiences of young children. In Lunch Box Love Notes, a big sister sometimes resents having to watch out for her baby brother, but a note left in her lunch box by her mother thanking her for taking such good care of Ray makes it worthwhile. Dear Teacher closes, Signed, David/who only hates math/½ as much/as he used to. A Lesson from the Deaf simply and eloquently describes saying thank you in sign language. Cabreras acrylic illustrations are distinctive, folksy, and effective. The art for Mystery is particularly effective, showcasing 42 children of different ethnicities in small, rectangular portraits. A lovely book for reflection and discussion.–Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 1-3. Grimes' latest thematic poetry collection lends the "attitude of gratitude" relevance beyond Thanksgiving Day. The 16 entries encompass many modes of expressing appreciation, including letters, thoughtful gestures, even sign language, and run the gamut of emotional tones; in the bittersweet "Shelter," a homeless child acknowledges longings ("I wish I had a room / that I was forced to clean") while counting blessings ("At least, I'm not alone"). Less effective than Grimes' narrative-style poems are several that tackle gratitude as a concept, which leads to vague sentimentality: "'Thank you' is the seed I plant in the garden of your heart." Richly textured but occasionally muddy, Cabrera's acrylic paintings shine brightest in the most lighthearted selections, where her sunlit palette conveys the warm feelings and burnishes the skin tones of the many characters of color. Children struggling to articulate gratitude will find numerous ways to draw upon this--some may memorize or copy out favorite poems to pass along, while others will be inspired to pen their own tender words. Jennifer MattsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Thanks a Million | [
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27,083 | 2 | "Hutchins knows how to tickle little funny bones." -- Publishers Weekly"Just right." -- -- Kirkus Reviews (pointered review))"I tend to see the funny side of things," says Pat Hutchins. Whether it's the light, subtle humor of her first picture book, Rosie's Walk, or the slapstick comedy of Rats!, her special gift of humor is reflected in both words and pictures.Pat Hutchins was born in Yorkshire, England, one of seven children, and grew up in the countryside of Yorkshire, which she still loves. At a very early age she knew that she wanted to be an artist.She was encouraged by an elderly couple, who would give her a chocolate bar for each picture she drew. A local art school gave her a scholarship and she studied there for three years, continuing her training at Leeds College of Art, where she specialized in illustration. Her career in the children's book field began with the highly acclaimed Rosie's Walk, a 1968 ALA Notable Book. Since then she has written five novels and created more than twenty picture books. She was awarded England's prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal in 1974 for The Wind Blew.She says she tries "to write about what children say and do," and she believes in very simple picture books for the youngest child. But her simple texts and wonderfully vivid pictures manage to convey the most complex emotions. She also has the rare ability to use such basic concepts as time, growth, and change to create imaginative, satisfying books for children. Her ideas come from a variety of sources: listening to her children and their friends, or sometimes from real situations. The idea for The Very Worst Monster came to her when her niece told her she wanted to give her baby brother away. Ms. Hutchins tempered the theme of sibling rivalry by using soft watercolors to make the monster family more lovable. The result is a delightfully wicked monster family that children will wish lived next door.Pat Hutchins lives in London with her husband, Laurence, also an artist. They have two sons, Morgan and Sam.; Title: Little Pink Pig | [
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27,084 | 2 | Multiple plot lines and nonlinear storytelling may make it difficult to enter Smith's (Jingle Dancer) complex novel, but the warmth and texture of the writing eventually serve as ample reward for readers. The sensitive yet witty narrator, 14-year-old Cassidy Rain Berghoff, grows up in a small Kansas town as one of the few people with some Native American heritage. That experience alone might challenge Rain, but Smith creates a welter of conflicts. Rain's mother is dead (she was struck by lightning), and as the novel opens, her best friend is killed in a car accident just after he and Rain realize their friendship has grown into romance. Six months later, her older brother urges her to go to her great-aunt's Indian Camp. At first she shrugs it off, but later volunteers to photograph the camp for the town paper and begins to share her Aunt Georgia's commitment to it. When public funding for the camp becomes a contested issue in the city council, Rain decides to enroll. Some of Smith's devices such as opening each chapter with a snippet from Rain's journal add depth and clarify Rain's relationships for readers, although other elements (the detailing of song lyrics playing in the background, for instance) seem stilted. Even so, readers will feel the affection of Rain's loose-knit family and admire the way that they, like the author with the audience, allow Rain to draw her own conclusions about who she is and what her heritage means to her. Ages 10-14.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Grade 5-9-Rain and Galen have been friends forever, but for Rain's 14th birthday, the thrill of finding that her burgeoning romantic feelings are being reciprocated puts the evening into a special-memory category. The next morning, she learns that Galen was killed in an accident on the way home. Plunged into despair, Rain refuses to attend the funeral and cuts herself off from her friends. Skipping to six months later, the main portion of the story takes place as she thinks about Galen's upcoming birthday and summer plans are complicated by the girl's Aunt Georgia's Indian Camp and political efforts to cut its funding. Rain participates in nothing and her family members, loving though they are, seem preoccupied with their own needs and concerns. Gradually, Rain's love of photography resurfaces and lands her an assignment with the local newspaper. She becomes involved in examining her own heritage, the stereotypical reactions to it, and her own small-town limitations. There is a surprising amount of humor in this tender novel. It is one of the best portrayals around of kids whose heritage is mixed but still very important in their lives. As feelings about the public funding of Indian Camp heat up, the emotions and values of the characters remain crystal clear and completely in focus. It's Rain's story and she cannot be reduced to simple labels. A wonderful novel of a present-day teen and her "patchwork tribe."-Carol A. Edwards, Sonoma County Library, Santa Rosa, CA Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Rain Is Not My Indian Name | [
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27,085 | 2 | K-Gr-2-In this cumulative rebus story, a boy is sick in bed and begins to list the things he needs in order to feel better. "I need Clyde the cat with me in bed,/and another pillow for my head,/and an extra blanket if you please,/and a box of tissues in case I sneeze-." The book also doubles as a memory test because readers must continuously review the ever-growing list of items accumulated. Parker's childlike rebus illustrations replace the text for each essential the youngster requires. The story line is reminiscent of Shel Silverstein's poem "Sick," but lacks its playful spontaneity. Neitzel's rhymes are formulaic and uninspired. While the premise and rebuses are inventive and fun, this offering is not as fresh or engaging as this team's earlier titles.Louie Lahana, New York City Public Schools Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.Ages 4-7. The team that produced The Dress I'll Wear to the Party (1999) and other books presents this new story in which a young boy describes the things he will need "since I'm not feeling well today." Like the earlier book, this one is made up mostly of cumulative verses and rebuses that allow prereaders to participate and increase their sight-word vocabulary at the same time. Parker's crisp pictures, expertly rendered in watercolor and lightly outlined in black pen, depict each item on the boy's list--TV cartoons, puzzles, puppets--as a large, nearly full-page illustration, then again as a rebus in the text. The boy's list of needs ends about three-quarters of the way through the book, and a funny rhyming text takes over: "You say if I were really ill, I'd not complain, I'd just lie still?" In a surprising plot twist, the boy finds out that school was cancelled for the day: "Hurrah! Hurray!" The cumulative verse element of the story makes this a good choice for choral reading, with each child or group of children reciting a line and perhaps creating their own rebus picture. Older children can also make up their own cumulative verse and rebus stories as an enrichment activity. Lauren PetersonCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: I'm Not Feeling Well Today | [
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27,086 | 2 | "The flush, prettily bordered illustrations, aglow with velvety colors and old-fashioned storybook charm, serve as a fitting backdrop for this unabashedly romanticized tale," according to PW. Ages 5-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc."Charming" -- -- The New York Times"Pure fun. Aglow with velvety colors and old-fashioned storybook charm." -- Publishers Weekly; Title: The Story of the Tooth Fairy | [
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27,087 | 2 | "A good-hearted celebration of life and experience, and a gift to the public." -- School Library JournalVera B. Williams is the creator of many distinguished books and was the U.S. Illustrator Nominee for the 2004 Hans Christian Andersen Award. She lives in New York City.In Her Own Words..."Throughout my childhood I was encouraged to make pictures, tell stories, act, and danceall of this at a heaven in our New York City neighborhood called the Bronx House."On Saturdays I painted with a crusading art director, Florence Cane. In her book The Growth of the Child Through Art, I appear under the name Linda. I was sixteen when the book appeared and embarrassed by it. But at age nine I had been totally proud when a painting of mine was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art and I was later shown in the Movietone News explaining to Eleanor Roosevelt its Yiddish title, "Yentas.""In 1945 I went to Black Mountain College in North Carolina, a unique educational community. I graduated in 1949 in graphic art, which I studied with Josef Albers. Along the way I planted corn, made butter, worked on the printing press, and helped to build the house in which I lived with Paul Williams, a fellow student I married there."I wanted that connection of art and community to continue. And it did at the Gate Hill Cooperative, a community we built with other Black Mountain peoplea poet, musicians, and potters. I lived and worked there from 1953-1970 (after which I moved to Canada). My children (Sarah, Jenny, and Merce) grew up there. For them, we branched out into a school, part of the Surnmerhill movement. The gingerbread houses that led to my first book for Greenwillow I first made in sticky variety at our school. I have always liked to teach, and have taught art, cooking, writing, and nature study, for nursery age on."At forty-six, no longer married, living in a houseboat on the bay at Vancouver, British Columbia, I did my first book. But before that could happen, the fates decreed a stint of cooking and running a bakery at a small school in the Ontario countryside. My love affair with Canada included also a 500-mile trip on the Yukon River. Many of those adventures I put in Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe."I also write and draw for adults-short stories, leaflets, and posters. As a lover of children, I try to do what I can to help save their earth from nuclear disaster. This pursuit, too, has added its excitement to my biography, including, in 1981, a month's stay in the federal penitentiary in Alderson, West Virginia (an outcome of a women's peaceful blockade of the Pentagon). Perhaps this experience will some day appear in one of my books. So far I've found children's books a wonderfully accommodating medium where any of my various activities might pop up."; Title: Stringbean's Trip to the Shining Sea (Mulberry Books) | [
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27,088 | 2 | Likable young Andy narrates DiSalvo's (Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen) latest tale celebrating the importance of community and home life. He lives with his parents and two younger sisters in a cramped apartment that lacks sufficient heat in winter. His father, who each morning rises before dawn to go to work, says, "Someday things will change around here." Yet the family keeps an upbeat attitude: the narrator notes that "There always seemed to be enough to go around, even with five people at our table," while his mother comments that "Our family is rich in more ways than we can count." One day Andy learns of a meeting organized by a Habitat for Humanity-like organization, and his family joins the effort to refurbish a nearby abandoned home. As Andy's father succinctly explains, "If you're interested in helping to fix up a house for other people... then one day other people will help fix up a house for you." DiSalvo's conversational text tells how the family pitches in, and readers will applaud the news that Andy's family will move into the next house the group tackles. The loosely rendered artwork effectively captures the characters' energy and spirit of cooperation. This affecting tale will be an eye-opener for youngsters who take their warm home for granted and will send a missive of hope to those who long for the same. Ages 5-8.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 3-Readers who are familiar with Habitat for Humanity and similar programs in theory can now see it in practice from a child's perspective. After Andy and his parents work as volunteers for an organization that buys deserted buildings and fixes them up, they finally get word that they will soon be working on a house that will become their own. The first-person narrative, while not consistently childlike in voice, does include plenty of details that gives a feel for the family's modest goals. More about their circumstances, such as Andy's lack of a bedroom before the move, is revealed only through the large, upbeat, colored-pencil and gouache illustrations. They also show that the family is warm and loving, living in a diverse neighborhood. Text is well placed, primarily on double-page spreads. The intent of the book is made clear by the foreword by Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller. Although unmistakably a book with a purpose, it succeeds in introducing children to an important movement, with the art and design allowing them to see a story along with the message.Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: A Castle on Viola Street | [
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27,089 | 2 | "As in his many other beautifully constructed photo essays, Simon provides an illuminating and thought-provoking view of nature." -- "The Horn Book""Outstanding photos and readable text." -- "School Library Journal"Seymour Simon has been called “the dean of the [children’s science book] field” by the New York Times. He has written more than 300 books for young readers and has received the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children’s science literature, the Science Books & Films Key Award for Excellence in Science Books, the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people, and the Educational Paperback Association Jeremiah Ludington Award. He and his wife, Liz, live in Columbia County in Upstate New York. You can visit him online at www.seymoursimon.com, where students can post on the “Seymour Science Blog” and educators can download a free four-page teacher guide to accompany this book, putting it in context with Common Core objectives. Join the growing legion of @seymoursimon fans on Twitter!; Title: Wildfires | [
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27,090 | 19 | "Notches-Unknown PBJ," "Gone Fishin' Fish Sticks," "Pokey Brownies," "Make-Lots-of-Friends Oven-Baked French Fries." Even the pickiest eaters will perk up their ears at these irresistible dishes from acclaimed chef and TV personality Emeril Lagasse. Packed with 75 fun, tasty, and even healthy recipes, the New Orleans chef's cookbook for kids is sure to inspire feats of culinary greatness in the youngest aspiring epicure. The big, colorful volume features clear, step-by-step instructions with a strong emphasis on safety, preparation, cleanliness, and fun. Sidebars provide the yield, ingredients, and tools needed for each recipe, and small pictures illustrate some of the trickier steps, demonstrating, for example, how to brush the "Cheesy Star Snacks" with egg white before baking. A prominently placed Caution bar at the top of the page uses icons (knife, flame, oven mitt, etc.) to let young cooks know how careful they need to be. The exuberant chef sprinkles his well-known Emerilisms--"kick it up," "oh yeah, baby," "bam!"--throughout the pages, and clever illustrations by Charles Yuen use photos of Emeril's head with cartoonish drawings of his body and the foods he celebrates. Grownup readers who have enjoyed Emeril's other cookbooks (Prime Time Emeril, etc.) will love sharing their favorite wacky chef--and some kitchen time--with the kids in their lives. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie CoulterThe host of his own show on the Food Network, chef Emeril Lagasse gets kids into the kitchen with recipes such as "Grill-It-Up-a-Notch Ham and Cheese Sandwich" (a dash of dijon and honey, plus a slice of gruyere, make all the difference), "Baby Bam Burgers" (he beefs up the meat with onions, garlic, etc.) and "Oh-Yeah-Baby Glazed Carrots" included in Emeril's There's a Chef in My Soup!: Recipes for the Kid in Everyone, illus. by Charles Yuen. The oversize volume contains 75 recipes with clear instructions and illustrations built around Emeril's humorous headshots; easy-to-read icons designate cooking considerations, including difficulty levels (almost all require some adult supervision). Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Emeril's There's a Chef in My Soup! Recipes for the Kid in Everyone | [
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27,091 | 2 | Starred Review. Grade 3-5Best friends Danitra and Zuri are back for a new school year and a new teacher. Miss Volchek gives us quizzes/with no warning in advance,/and still Danitra tells us/that we should give her a chance. Challenges arrive for Zurifears about passing math and worry about her mother's illness. Even singing solo with the glee club adds a level of anxiety to her days. Confident Danitra, the One of a kindOriginal thinker/Matchless tutor/Matchless friend provides support, friendship, and her own unique styles to her advice. Grimes's text, a running sequence of titled verses, neatly voices the critical self-examination of preadolescent girls. Lewis's detailed watercolor paintings create energy of their own, revealing the girls' emotions with visualization of both joyous expressions and thoughtful moments. Theirs is a friendship with the closeness of siblings, revealed for readers in a natural flow of events and Zuri's narration. A must-buy for all libraries and a must-read for all Danitra and Zuri fans.Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.K-Gr. 3. "School is in and I remember / How much I detest September." Kids will recognize the first-day-back anxiety in the third book about Zuri and her best friend, Danitra Brown. Unlike Danitra Brown Leaves Town (2002), which was in free verse, this narrative, delivered by Zuri, is in simple rhyme. Lewis contributes the illustrations here--beautiful, expressive full-page watercolors of kids in the classroom, schoolyard, lunchroom, washroom, and library. Their new, bossy teacher separates the friends, but Danitra is still there for Zuri, clowning and distracting the class when Zuri messes up, and helping her study for the math test. There's a serious undertone to the fun (Zuri's mother is very ill), but there's nothing reverential about the friendship, and Lewis shows Danitra as her own person, bespectacled and exuberant, with a "one of a kind hairdo" and "singular style." Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Danitra Brown, Class Clown | [
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27,092 | 2 | DeGroats cute characters are colorfully appealing to young children. (Kirkus Reviews)Diane deGroat is the illustrator of more than 120 children's books and the author-illustrator of bestselling books about Gilbert, including Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants! (Gilbert Goes Green); April Fool! Watch Out at School!; Mother, You're the Best! (But Sister, You're a Pest!); Last One in Is a Rotten Egg!; and the New York Times bestseller Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink. Diane lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.; Title: Jingle Bells, Homework Smells (Gilbert the Opossum) | [
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27,093 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 1-Preschool blahs and sibling rivalry cause Russell to resist morning preparations, so Mom allows him to stay home and be a baby like his sister for a day. Of course, distasteful meals of pablum and mashed bananas, being banned from television and Legos, and general boredom soon convince the boy that his mother is right: "It's fun to be a baby when you are a baby. It's just not so much fun to be a baby when you're a big boy." Maione's cartoon characters cruise through cheerful vignettes; even the mother's initial frustration is low-grade. Hurwitz continues to deliver tales helpful to youngsters and parents managing everyday issues of growing up.Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Hurwitz takes a standard themeand develops it in an intriguing and merry fashion (Kirkus Reviews)Hurwitz continues to deliver tales helpful to youngsters and parents managing everyday issues of growing up. (School Library Journal); Title: Russell's Secret | [
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27,094 | 15 | PreSchool-Grade 3-An open door and a path leading through the trees invite readers to join a young narrator on a nature walk and to observe the plants and wildlife that thrive in several different habitats. Each locale-the woods, a salt marsh, dunes, and the beach-is gloriously depicted in a three-page foldout that is entered through a die-cut. The scenes are filled with foliage and animals native to the particular environment and each one has a list of things to look for; some may be familiar to youngsters ("tracks in mud" or "a mosquito") and some may not ("salt marsh fleabane" or "a diamondback terrapin"). Phrases such as "an osprey with dinner" or "a clapper rail at its nest" give hints about which creature is which. A helpful key at the end assists with the identification of any flora or fauna that are missed. The outstanding realistic acrylic illustrations depict the scenes in an almost three-dimensional perspective, allowing children to feel as though they are entering the pictures. Double-page bridge illustrations show the gradual changes as the focus moves from one habitat to the next. Offering a wonderful opportunity for one-on-one sharing, this beautiful, interactive book encourages discussion, develops observation skills, and provides a learning experience that will bring children closer to nature.Marlene Gawron, formerly at Orange County Library, Orlando, FLCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreS-K. Similar in approach and format to Cole's I Took a Walk (1998), this picture book provides young children with an introduction to wildlife near the seashore as they search the illustrations for individual animals and plants named in the text. A little girl, glimpsed only in an inset picture on the cover and on the title page, narrates as she walks to the beach on a summer morning. Along the way, she tells what she sees. In design, the left-hand page folds out to make a wide horizontal spread of the scene. Visual and verbal clues will help children (and adults) find the snowy egret, the prickly pear cactus, and the tracks in the mud, but kids can also check the last page for a smaller, labeled version of each picture and confirmation of identities. Cole's acrylic paintings include graceful landscapes as well as clear, close-up pictures of the smaller ecosystems. Parents looking for an early introduction to nature study will find this an informative offering with a playful approach. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: On the Way to the Beach | [
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27,095 | 2 | A girl observes the various stages of her mother's life through photographs that unfold like a family album. "The deceptively plain text speaks volumes when paired with these tender watercolor and gouache paintings," said PW. Ages 3-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc."A lovely book, powerful in its simplicity". -- Kirkus Reviews (pointered review)"The exceptional talents of Zolotow and Lobel combine in this celebration of life."-- "Booklist" (starred review)"A lovely book, powerful in its simplicity."-- "Kirkus Reviews" (pointered review); Title: This Quiet Lady | [
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27,096 | 2 | Every dog has its dayAand this one's a dilly. Getting up from his nap (taken in a bed in his own fully appointed room), a sportily dressed dog confidently announces, "I don't want to chase the cat today!" That most uncharacteristic statement gets the cat to thinking: "Now that you mention it I don't want to chase the mouse today," she adds, turning a cartwheel. Before long, the mouse is in on the act, vowing not to chase the lady of the house. And "because nobody's chasing nobody today," the whole group celebrates by sharing juice and cake. Making her picture-book debut, actress and children's performer Harper adapts this chipper rhyming ditty from an original song found on her most recent recording, Rhythm in My Shoes. The story is buoyed by a gentle silliness and features an almost-familiar scenario that allows young readers a knowing enjoyment of the fun. DuPont, Harper's sister and also a newcomer to children's books, provides ink-and-watercolor compositions that benefit from long, lean lines and a crisp palette. Her overly anthropomorphic animals and snappy sense of movement across the pages add to the goofy good times. Ages 3-8. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 1-A dog wakes up from his nap and suddenly realizes that he doesn't feel like chasing the cat anymore. Scratching his head, he can't figure out "why I ever chased that cat. I must have been nuts, acting crazy like that." When the feline stops to think about her behavior, she, too, realizes she never liked chasing the mouse. The mouse in turn vows to "stop bothering the human race." All are relieved with the truce and they celebrate with a party, complete with a peace sign decorating the cake. The colorful, stylized illustrations convey a sense of newfound freedom: the chic cat in polka-dotted leotards turning cartwheels, the cool dog dancing around the room. The engaging repetition and rhyme of the text begs to be read aloud and a musical version of this story is featured on the author's CD Rhythm in My Shoes (Rounder Records). Perfect for introducing concepts of peace and friendship. Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: I'm Not Going to Chase the Cat Today! | [
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27,097 | 1 | Grade 5-8-A chatty recounting of an auto/bicycle trek through Kenya and into Tanzania. A spin-off from Classroom Connect Inc.'s "Quest" series, this pleasant "AfricaQuest" journal is undated and episodic, and the incidents included appear random and unrelated (the Internet site might provide cohesive glue). As the team follows the Great Rift Valley, Allen joyfully records meetings with several tribal groups, numerous animals, rhino "bodyguards," and biologists studying baboons and hyenas and attempting to "educate" intrusive lions. Her enthusiasm is evident, as are her emotional responses to the encounters and sightings. The illustrations consist of a few small black-and-white photos and soft black-and-white drawings, in keeping with the "journal" effect. Also included are several pages of animal data, a note from the author explaining her choice of subjects and some of the logistics of the trek, and a generalized map of sites visited. (By the by, Allen's explanation of the origin of the Rift is in error-it was caused by plates pulling apart, not colliding.) Try this gentle effort along with such spirited records as Bo Zaunders's Crocodiles, Camels & Dugout Canoes (Dutton, 1998), Lawrie Raskin and Debora Pearson's 52 Days by Camel (Annick, 1998), or, in a more scientific vein, Nic Bishop's lively Digging for Bird-Dinosaurs (Houghton, 2000) or Jane Goodall's intense The Chimpanzees I Love (Scholastic, 2001).Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 4-8. Breathless with excitement, a young biologist describes her close encounters in the wild with animals and people (in that order) on a five-week camping trip to Kenya and Tanzania. Led by a smart local guide, she travels with a small group in a rickety SUV and by bike. Her present-tense narrative brings readers right there. An elephant towers over the jeep. A rhino is ready to charge. Enormous herds of zebra and wildebeest stretch to the horizon. In her tent at night she hears bloodcurdling screams and low growling roars from lions nearby. And, oh yes, she spends time with the Hadza people, the last true hunter-gatherers of East Africa, whose way of life is rapidly disappearing. The message is sometimes slick ("they're not barbarians, but friends and family"). However, Allen never plays the role of superior sophisticated Westerner in search of her primitive self. Thrilled by the animal adventures, young conservationists will also think about the issues Allen raises: of course, we want to conserve the amazing animals, but what about the people who need electricity? Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Hippos in the Night: Autobiographical Adventures in Africa | [
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27,098 | 11 | Gillian Chapman, author of Crafts from the Past: the Aztecs, and Crafts from the Past: the Egyptians, as well as Art from Sand & Earth (Raintree/Steck Vaughn) lives in England.; Title: Egyptian Crafts from the Past | [
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27,099 | 2 | Grade 2-5 - These 14short poems all depict little moments of being human. The disasters referred to in the subtitle range from big to small, from comic ("Hello apple!/Shiny red./CHOMP. CHOMP./Hello worm./Where's your head?") to sad (a child is shown holding a dead rabbit, a classroom pet: "His tall straight ears, his long quick feet/Trailed like falling velvet drapes."). Embarrassment, shame, fear, chagrin: all of these feelings are so common in childhood that a collection of poems about them seems natural. Erlbruch, a well-known German artist, creates pictures that show this range of emotions beautifully. At first glance, they are deceptively simple and spare. A closer look reveals that what seems to be a quietly colored drawing actually has the subtle variation in texture of a collage. Ample white space, simple backgrounds, and a font that looks both childlike and elegant all combine to enhance this lovely book. A winner from a prolific poet/editor/compiler and a talented illustrator. - Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Noted poet Lee Bennett Hopkins has edited or authored numerous books for children, including the I Can Read Books Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees; A Pet for Me: Poems; and the ALA Notable Children's Book Surprises. The recipient of a Christopher Award and the University of Southern Mississippi's Medallion for "lasting contributions to children's literature," Mr. Hopkins lives in Florida.; Title: Oh, No! Where Are My Pants? and Other Disasters: Poems | [
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