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7,700 | 2 | "Huckleberry Finn has nothing on Billy when it comes to frog-jumping contests," wrote PW. "Easy-flowing dialogue and realistic situations give this picture book/chapter book both depth and heart." Ages 6-9. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc."A sensitive and honest story."--School Library Journal"Bunting's easy-flowing dialogue and realistic situations give this picture book/chapter book both depth and heart."--Publishers Weekly ; Title: Some Frog! | [
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7,701 | 2 | Grade 1-5Could a middle-aged woman and a five-year-old-boy plant and care for more than 600 trees? Perhaps that is one of the miracles of the holidays. Wilma is tired of growing petunias and sunflowers, but can't decide what to cultivate next. Then she realizes that she has everything she needs to grow Christmas trees, including an enthusiastic helperher neighbor Parker. She orders 62 dozen small starts of balsam, or five-year-old seedlings, and she and the boy plant them. Finally, after five challenging years, they have trees to sell. That Christmas, they think about the 566 families who have their trees and place an order for 83 dozen new seedlings to plant in the spring. This lovely tale celebrates intergenerational friendship and determination, growth and nature, and the joy of the holiday season. Root's graceful watercolor and gouache illustrations beautifully capture these elements and more, and an author's note gives additional information about Christmas trees and how they grow.Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.As in their previous collaboration, Pumpkins (1992), Ray and Root once again focus on a holiday crop. Wilma, a gray-haired gardener, decides to plant a huge field of Christmas trees. She orders hundreds of small starts of balsam and enlists the help of Parker, the little boy next door: He was five, like the seedlings. Parker helps measure straight rows and dig holes for 744 trees, and he continues to help through the following years. Roots appealing watercolor-and-gouache illustrations invite inspection, from scenes of the field in different seasons to those that show Wilma and Parkers harmonious teamwork over time. Ray gracefully conveys an acceptance of natural cycles: some trees are lost to deer that dug in the snow to chew the sweet green tips. The year that Parker is 10, the team sells their first 566 trees and then, looking to the future, order dozens of new seedlings. All the numbers add up to an added math theme in a story that lovingly depicts the hard work, cooperation, and patience necessary to grow crops. An authors note offers more about Christmas-tree history and farming. Grades K-2. --Abby Nolan; Title: Christmas Farm | [
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7,702 | 2 | Grade 1-3–Beginning with the traditional opening, "Once upon a time," this touching story features a kindhearted bandicoot named Hunwick, who, one evening after a tumultuous storm, finds "a most curious egg." After conferring with Emu, Cockatoo, and Echidna, Hunwick takes it back to his burrow and gives it a safe and cozy home. The odd egg, which refuses to hatch, becomes the gentle bandicoot's friend and confidante. Although Hunwick's neighbors are concerned about the situation, the creature comes to realize that the egg is actually a perfectly shaped stone and continues to "love it with all his heart." This slightly offbeat story with a universal message about the power of friendship is accompanied by glowing watercolor pencil illustrations in orange, pink, and violet tones that showcase the flora and fauna of the Australian landscape, adding an interesting element to this charming title. Young readers will appreciate Hunwick's loyalty and may be curious to learn more about the exotic animals portrayed in the lovely artwork.–Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MAPreS-Gr. 2. The creators of Koala Lou (1994) offer another picture book that nearly explodes with the exotic plants and animals of Australia. After a violent desert storm, Hunwick, an irresistible, saucer-eyed bandicoot, finds a solitary egg, which he brings back to his cozy burrow. He continues a tender friendship with it even when it doesn't hatch, and his friends become worried. Finally, Hunwick reveals that he has known that his egg isn't an egg at all; it's a stone, which he continues to love "with all his heart." The abrupt conclusion is puzzling, and the layouts, featuring small inset scenes surrounded by creatures and plants set against white backgrounds, don't always make the most of Lofts' striking, detailed, colored-pencil art. But children will easily be drawn to Lofts' astonishingly expressive animal characters, and Fox's gentle text may resonate with young ones who feel a magical connection or companionship with their own cherished rock, shell, or shred of blanket. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Hunwick's Egg | [
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7,703 | 2 | Gr. 4-8. This collection of 14 folktales from around the world, retold by Jane Yolen, feature male protagonists using cleverness, imagination, and intelligence to solve problems, conveying the message that strength does not have to be synonymous with force: there is strength in compassion, kindness, and wisdom. Included in the collection are stories that will be familiar, such as "The Magic Brocade" from China, the African American tale "Knee-High Man, and the Brothers Grimm tale "Jack and His Companion." Less familiar stories are here, too: "Hired Hands" from Afghanistan; "The Young Man Protected from the River" from Angola; and "The Fisherman and the Chamberlain" from Burma. Each story is accompanied by a full-page illustration depicting a scene in the tale. Yolen explains the background of each story and how she went about adapting it for the collection. Free of didacticism, these diverse stories give readers something to think about. Sources are provided. Ed SullivanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedJANE YOLEN is the author of many fine books for young people, including Not One Damsel in Distress, stories that "sing and soar in Yolen's supple language," according to Booklist. She has won several of the most prestigious awards in children's literature. Ms. Yolen lives in western Massachusetts and Scotland.RAUL COLÓN has illustrated more than fifteen books for children, including My Mama Had a Dancing Heart, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year. He also collaborated with Robert Burleigh on Pandora and Hercules. He lives in New York. ; Title: Mightier Than the Sword: World Folktales for Strong Boys | [
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7,704 | 2 | PreSchool-K-In typical toddler fashion, Ella Sarah has her own ideas about what she should wear and persists in her choices despite her family's suggestions. "Her father said, `That outfit is too fancy. Why don't you wear your yellow T-shirt with white shorts, and your tennis shoes?'" Ella Sarah replies with what becomes her refrain. "I want to wear my pink polka-dot pants, my dress with orange-and-green flowers, my purple-and-blue striped socks, my yellow shoes, and my red hat!" At the end, her equally "well-dressed" friends arrive for a tea party. The larger-than-life family members tower over Ella Sarah, with only their torsos and legs showing. The exuberant illustrations, "created using a variety of printmaking techniques," dance and tumble across the pages, adding emotion to her refrain. The vibrant yellows, oranges, pinks, and purples work together surprisingly well-Ella Sarah doesn't look as shocking as one would imagine. This should be a hit at storytime or for one-on-one sharing.Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.*Starred Review* PreS. Young Ella Sarah is a kid with flair, and she has a special outfit in mind: "my pink polka-dot pants, my dress with orange-and-green flowers, my purple-and-blue striped socks, my yellow shoes, and my red hat." Mom, Dad, and Big Sister offer alternate ensembles, complaining that Ella Sarah's outfit is "too dressy" and "too silly," but Ella Sarah insists on her own choice and finally manages to pull everything on. Then the doorbell rings. In walks a crowd of Ella Sarah's young friends, dressed in equally flamboyant clothes, and the glamorous kids enjoy a tea party. With minimal words and her signature art marked by bright, bold prints, Chodos-Irvine perfectly captures a universal childhood struggle. Preschoolers will enjoy chanting along with Ella Sarah's often repeated list of clothing, and the illustrations create strong mood and movement with just a few opaque shapes, beautifully conveying Ella Sarah's gestures, from pre-tantrum stuffed-animal tosses to the wrestling war of getting dressed to her smug tea pouring at the story's end. Young children will easily see themselves in Ella Sarah's fierce defiance, and they'll delight in her gleefully bold fashion statement. A perfect read-aloud for the dress-up crowd. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Ella Sarah Gets Dressed | [
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7,705 | 2 | "A rollicking read-aloud, this is a book that begs to be turned into a class play, readers theater, or puppet show."The Horn Book"Stevens's enchanting, well-imagined, dimensional cartoon-style drawings of the office-supply characters imbue each one with a distinct personality to match their dialogic voices....This book is recommended for any classroom and should find a home in most libraries."School Library Journal"Will keep kids engaged, while both words and pictures create distinct, hilarious, highly animated characters from everyday objects."Booklist; Title: The Little Red Pen | [
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7,706 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 1–As a little girl prepares for bed, she gets her wide-awake stuffed animals ready, too. One by one, she hushes them as she bathes, brushes her teeth, and puts on her pajamas. Eventually everyone is settled down and tucked in for the night. The story is told in rhyming couplets that are effective despite some stretches. My polka-dot pig/plays electric guitar./Hush, dotted pig–wish on a star./My little red hen/eats alphabet soup./Hush, little hen–/climb into your coop. The watercolor spreads enliven the text with fun depictions of the toys antics. The illustrations are framed by a color border and contain rich details that will engage readers. The background activities include a cat-and-mouse chase, a teddy bear brushing her teeth, and a cow searching a drawer for pajamas. Good for bedtime or a sleep-themed storytime.–Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS-K. A little girl is getting ready for bed, but the same can't be said for her stuffed animals. She tries to get them in sleep mode, but she doesn't have a chance. Her monkey bangs a pot on his head; her kitten hides under the rug. "My spotted cow sings / songs to the lambies. / Hush, spotted cow--put on your jammies." The text goes on too long (perhaps it seems long because of its singsong rhythm). But the premise is clever, and the watercolor artwork is adorable. Langdo uses soft colors and rounded shapes to good advantage; the stuffed animals seem eminently huggable. His pictures artistically convey the energy of the text, as snakes slither, hens slurp soup, and cows ransack drawers. Young children will have a laugh with this at bedtime, but the story may rile them up rather than settle them down. Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Stuffed Animals Get Ready for Bed | [
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7,707 | 0 | "A seductive introduction to the period." -School Library Journal"Fresh and readable, the text offers a simple introduction to the times, while colorful, informal little drawings add visual appeal to the hand-lettered pages."-Booklist MARISSA MOSS is best known for her handwritten illustrated journals, including the enormously popular Amelia series. She lives in Berkeley, California.; Title: Emma's Journal: The Story of a Colonial Girl | [
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7,708 | 0 | Douglas Florian (Insectlopedia, The Mammalabilia) is at it again. The 21 poems and paintings in his new collection, Bow Wow Meow Meow, will tickle young dog and cat loversand just about everyone else, too. Florians painting of a poodle, essentially a riot of curls and a pink hair bow, accompanies a four-line concrete poem cleverly typeset in swirls on the opposite page:Grade 1-5-Twenty-one humorous poems and paintings about dogs, cats, the wolf, and a few large felines. Each spread features a poem and an accompanying impressionistic full-page illustration of the breed or animal. There are short poems ("I am a cat of longhaired version./A pet-igree that's known as purrrsian"), some a bit longer, and one that curls like poodles' hair. The language has flair, and the writing is zany and creative. The watercolor paintings in primarily pastel colors are great fun, revealing an attribute or the character of each animal. This is a delightful selection to read aloud to younger children, and it offers older students models of simple poems that really work. A definite contender for "best in show."-Susannah Price, Boise Public Library, IDCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: bow wow meow meow: it's rhyming cats and dogs | [
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7,709 | 16 | Stephen T. Johnson's deluxe kiddie carpenter kit My Little Red Toolbox won the hearts of youngsters everywhere. Johnson's latest creation, My Little Blue Robot, takes the simple joy of building to the next logical step--constructing a talking robot on wheels! Made with the same quality as its predecessor, this kit features sturdy, ultrathick cardboard pages from which kids (with a little help) can pry out the flat robot components. First, you build the head. A diagram shows how the pieces for the head (all on the same page) fit together. No glue is necessary, as the pieces fit together with slots and tabs. The rest of the body follows, with clear instructions page by page. On the final page, the book takes a turn for the sentimental: "My robot needs one more thing. He needs a heart. Just like me." Kids then can open up the robot's chest and place the red cardboard heart inside. Awwww. And what does the robot say? Will it cry with Frankenstein's monster-style anguish? Or will it say "Hello!" or "Beep"? We'll let you find out. (Ages 4 to 7) --Karin SnelsonMy Little Blue Robot, Stephen T. Johnson's follow-up to the bestselling My Little Red Toolbox, comes with 13 sturdy cardboard pieces that pop out of the thick pages, including a play screwdriver and key tool to help youngsters put the robot together. A mechanical "heart" makes the toy talk. Ages 4-7.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: My Little Blue Robot | [
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7,710 | 16 | Kindergarten-Grade 3-This engaging story with gorgeous artwork opens, "This tree was here when we moved in. Dad says it's a pie tree." Readers watch as it changes from bud to flower to fruit bearing. Ehlert uses a variety of mediums in her collage illustrations, including acrylic and watercolor paints, colored pencils, crayons and pastels, and several types of paper. Each spread is an amazing work of art on its own, filled with beautiful birds, lush cherries, and vividly colored scenery. Pictures are exquisitely designed and laid out. Each spread includes a piece of the ongoing story (in large, bold font) and an "I spy" section that details items for children to look for (in smaller type, using more extensive vocabulary). This book can serve independent readers at several levels, and would make a wonderful read-aloud as well. It also supports curriculum units on different types of birds, seasonal changes, and cooking. An easy-to-follow recipe is also incorporated into the story. The attractive cover has actual steam holes cut into the pie, making it a visual and tactile treat. Children will clamor for Pie in the Sky.-Corrina Austin, Locke's Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS-Gr. 2. In this well-designed picture book, an unseen child wonders about what his father calls the "pie tree." Through dialogue, the child observes the tree; in the summer it bears fruit: cherries for the birds and raccoons and also for pie (recipe included). The main text, short and well suited to reading aloud, appears throughout the book in large, white letters that show up well against the background colors. In the first half of the book, a few lines of poetry printed in small type appear on each spread, commenting on the child's observations and always ending with, "But no pie." With bright colors and playful touches such as holes on the cover art that represent steam holes in a pie's crust, the book has an inviting look that makes its natural history and cooking lessons more appealing. The vibrant collage illustrations, made with an eclectic combination of materials--from paint and handmade papers to sheet metal, wires, and tree branches--celebrate the colors and simplified shapes of birds, insects, the cherry tree, and, yes, kitchen implements. Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Pie in the Sky | [
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7,711 | 11 | Product Description Pig-Boy is hairy. Pig-Boy is dirty. Pig-Boy is hungry! And when trouble comes, he knows just what to do. (Of course, escaping trouble comes easily to a trickster, who can shape-shift his way out of sticky situations just in time!). With the tropical colors and cadences of the islands, master artist and storyteller Gerald McDermott brings irrepressible humor and energy to a Hawaiian trickster tale that's been beloved for generations. Includes an author's note. A Look Inside Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale from Hawai'i (Click on Images to Enlarge) Meet Pig-Boy Pig-Boy and the chickens PreSchool-Grade 3–McDermott continues his series of trickster tales with a simply told story about Kamapua'a, a popular figure in Hawaiian mythology. This little pig has a loving, nurturing human grandmother who wraps him in soft leaves and sings him to sleep with an empowering song about magic. '…if trouble comes,' she tells him, 'just slip away.' Pig-Boy's hunger is immense. He eats all the roots in his grandmother's taro patch, then eats the king's chickens, divides himself into a hundred little piglets, and slips away. He looks to the goddess Pele for help, and when she rejects him, he shape-shifts into a pig-nosed fish and evades her, as well. Captured by the king's men, he again uses his powerful magic to escape and return to his dear grandmother. McDermott has omitted the torrid sexual relationship between Kamapua'a (in human form) and Pele that is an integral part of the traditional tale. Although this somewhat weakens the plot, it has allowed him to create a charming story that is clearly meant to be shared by adult and young child. Boldly colored gouache paintings on textured paper are softened with pastel and detailed with colored pencil. The purple trickster pig stands out against backgrounds of emerald green. People and chickens wear yellow-gold and orange, and the sea is a deep, bright blue. A note about the Pig-Boy character is included. This fine introduction to a classic Hawaiian trickster should have a place in most collections.–Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale from Hawai'i | [
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7,712 | 1 | PreSchool-Grade 1-Rhymed text, with no more than three large-print words per page, chronicles a toad's attempt to cross a desert highway. A lizard and tortoise accompany the critter part way, but his mid-road rest stop causes a boy and his dad to stop their red camper and assist. The watercolor-and-gouache scenes depict desert flora, and Schmidt makes comic use of the toad's perspective in a surrealistic view of the vehicle. Fun for new readers, the book also serves as a quick read-aloud for preschoolers, who will thrive on the suspense.Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreS-K. Why did the toad cross the road? To get to the other side, of course. In Yolen's simple picture book for preschoolers, a toad and his reptilian desert buddies attempt to cross a road in front of an oncoming truck: "Hop--toad! Hop, hop / across that road." What could be a toad-al disaster is luckily avoided because the father and son (and dog) in the truck spot the reckless amphibian in time to stop. They crawl under the truck, locate the toad in question, and set him free: "Hop toad, / off that road." Schmidt's expressive paintings get right down to road--and toad--level, so the perspectives on the approaching red truck and reaching human hands are quite dramatic. Psychedelic desert skies add a surreal touch to this suspenseful, appealingly understated story of tragedy narrowly averted. Karin SnelsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Hoptoad | [
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7,713 | 2 | [set star] “Plum-Ucci knows her audience and provides her readers with enough twists, turns, and suspense to keep them absorbed.”—School Library Journal (starred) “A complex, credible look at alienation, compassion, loyalty, and cruelty.”—The BulletinCAROL PLUM-UCCI is the author of numerous novels for teens, including What Happened to Lani Garver and Streams of Babel. She lives in southern New Jersey.; Title: The Body of Christopher Creed | [
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7,714 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 1-Weston and Gammell have stirred together the ingredients for a fun romp in the kitchen as three lively kids make pancakes for breakfast. Mixed-media illustrations with variegated pastel scribbles and color splotches in the background convey the action as the children slop and splash their way through the creation and consumption of the meal. Done in an energetic style similar to his work in Karen Ackerman's Song and Dance Man (Knopf, 1988) and Cynthia Rylant's The Relatives Came (Bradbury, 1985), Gammell's illustrations are filled with zany, lovable characters making a delicious mess. Although a few of the rhymes are a bit of a stretch, the simple poem with its onomatopoeic phrases and catchy rhythm is sure to have youngsters bouncing along with the beat. Pair this title with Eric Carle's Pancakes, Pancakes! (S & S, 1991) and Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Pig a Pancake (HarperCollins, 1998) for a funfilled storytime. A recipe is included, along with a warning to "leave the cooking to the big kids."-Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.*Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 1. A simple pancake breakfast turns into a joyous, batter-splattering riot when three ragamuffins take over the kitchen. While the adults sleep, two boys creep downstairs and join a girl who's already at work on a wild flapjack production line. After eating and a raucous cleanup, the kids race outside. Weston's minimal text keeps the beat with rolling rhythm and rhyme: "A pancake flip, / a pancake flop, / pancake bottom / over pancake top." But it's Gammell's energetic pastel, pencil, and watercolor art that really tells the story; its explosions of color and texture are so visceral that children may test the pages for spilled syrup. Gammell's characters are irresistible with their mismatched clothes and gravity-defying hair, and he creates hilarious situations to match the simple words. "Save some for later / in a secret place," for example, is illustrated with an image of a boy stealthily carrying an armload of cakes into the basement, like a dog burying a bone. Read this to fidgety story hour listeners who will want to shimmy and shake to their own pancake cheers. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Hey, Pancakes! | [
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7,715 | 2 | Ably balancing fact and fiction, Moss (the Amelia's Notebook and Young American Voices series) uses her signature notebook-style jottings and drawings to launch the Ancient World Journal series. The fresh, diverting first-person account of fictitious 12-year-old Galen, an aspiring artist, describes life as a slave in the palace of Emperor Augustus. As the tale opens, Galen is living with his artist father and brother as slaves of Pollio, a pompous equestrian who bought Galen's father to have him decorate his villa. A dramatic incident occurs while the emperor Augustus visits the villa on his way home to Rome: Pollio threatens to kill Galen's brother when the boy accidentally breaks a treasured wine cup. Augustus, outraged by Pollio's cruelty, buys the family and takes them to Rome with him. The chatty narrator recounts the goings-on in the busy household (which includes Augustus's cold wife, Livia, and his scheming, bullying grandson, Agrippa) while providing a clear, intriguing portrait of ancient Roman life, with such customs as gladiator fights, chariot races and celebrations of the Saturnalia and the feast of Liberalia. Moss's marginal notes in Galen's engaging voice plus his sketches offer insight about food, dress ("Togas are impossible to drape by yourself") and hairstyles. Moss caps this account with Galen's climactic discovery of a plot to poison Augustus so that Iullus Antonius can become emperor. Youngsters will be so drawn into the story that they might not realize how much history they're learning along the way. Ages 8-12.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-6-Galen, a 12-year-old Greek slave living in Augustus Caesar's household, is working alongside his father, a famous artist, decorating Livia's new house. When he discovers a plot to assassinate the emperor and his stepson Tiberius, he saves Augustus's life and gains freedom for himself and his family. Other than Galen, his family, and two others, all of the characters are historically accurate, as are many of the events. In the course of the story, youngsters will learn about slavery in Roman society, the members of the emperor's immediate family, how and where people lived, the foods they ate, chariot racing, gladiators, and more. The text looks handwritten and there are many small drawings (Galen's practice sketches), most of which have captions. One caveat: the varying size of the font may confuse readers. Sometimes the smaller font indicates a caption, sometimes the main text.Lynda S. Poling, Long Beach Public Library, CACopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Galen: My Life in Imperial Rome | [
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7,716 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 1–In this follow-up to Rocko and Spanky Go to a Party (Harcourt, 2004), the twin sock monkeys are expecting a guest, so they clean the house, plan the menu, and go shopping. Chaos ensues as Spanky throws all the toys into the closet haphazardly, and Rocko's trip to the grocery store yields only his favorite junk food. Fortunately, their visitor is Momma and she brings their favorite food, Momma Socko's Deee-licious Peanut-Butter-and-Banana Sandwiches. (The recipe is included.) The illustrations, done mainly in shades of red, green, and yellow, have a 1950s look; the story itself is rather flat and lacks action because of the bland narrative. Strictly an additional purchase.–Linda Zeilstra Sawyer, Skokie Public Library, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.KARA AND JENNA LAREAU are the creators of the Rocko and Spanky series. When they're not writing and illustrating, Kara edits children's books and Jenna is a graphic designer. They live in Providence, Rhode Island. ; Title: Rocko and Spanky Have Company | [
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7,717 | 16 | A voracious fox pursues a half dozen bunnies throughout sunlit, rolling farmland, as the ominous titular cry fills the air. "Run, fat rabbits! Run, run, run! That fox wants to eat you, one by one! Dinnertime!" writes Williams (I Went Walking) in what becomes the book's refrain. Argent's (Wombat Divine) fox, a full-fledged menace, boasts spectacular leaping abilities and a fang-endowed mouth. One by one, the rabbits' number dwindles. Not to worry: attentive readers will notice that the rabbits are escaping down a hole and, at book's end, it's revealed that "Dinnertime!" (set in slightly larger type, off to the side) is actually the call of their exasperated but doting mother. The artwork explodes with anxious excitement and ever-varying mise-en-scene. In one spread, the fox bursts through bales of hay as the rabbits scatter in the foreground, and sheep, mice and scarecrow observe like a hand-wringing Greek chorus; in the scene that follows, Argent moves the pursuit to the background, while the animals' worried reaction takes center stage. She wisely tempers the high-stakes action with soupeons of anthropomorphized humor: one bunny uses the scarecrow's kerchief as a superhero cape, and a pair of sheep stand on their hind legs and clutch each other in fear as they urge the rabbits to run. A high-energy romp. Ages 3-7. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reSchool-Grade 1-In this appealing concept book, six rabbits are playing when along comes fox. They run, someone calls "Dinnertime!" and one little creature disappears down a hole. Now there are five rabbits playing. The repetitive refrain, "Run, fat rabbits! Run, run, run! That fox wants to eat you, one by one!" continues until the final rabbit disappears safely down the hole, only to be reprimanded by their mother for not coming "straightaway!" Argent's appealing watercolor illustrations have little details that will keep children paging back to see what the mice are doing on each spread, and which rabbit has gotten away. The fox is somewhat scary, but the rounded lines of his body, the frustrated look on his face, the easy escape of each creature, and the ending, where readers discover it was mama rabbit yelling "Dinnertime!" make this slightly creepy fun instead of really frightening. The rhyming text flows well and small children will delight in the repetitive refrain and the successful escape of the little animals from the big, powerful fox. With its large, colorful pictures and fascinating details, this offering will work equally well one-on-one or with larger groups, and is sure to be a hit for storytimes.Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CTCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Dinnertime! | [
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7,718 | 11 | Kindergarten-Grade 3 This collection of feel-good poems is brimming with a child's appreciation for each month of the year. Each selection is accompanied by paintings that span a spread and, on occasion, an additional illustration covers the following two pages. The central setting appears to be a city, but there's plenty of green space for sledding and other outdoor activities. The large, color illustrations are perfect for engaging youngsters in discussion about the pictured month and its attendant activities. Somewhat stylized, they are at times reminiscent of the work of Ezra Jack Keats. The art and the poems work well together: children slide down a hill of snow in January while the words of the poem cascade at a slant. The selections are just as fully descriptive as the pictures and contain visual and aural imagery as well as emotional intensity. For example, April is/whenGrandma/tells you how each spring/she falls in love with the world/all over again /and you understand. This is a strong read-aloud. Older children can be encouraged to write their own poems in celebration of their favorite month. Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.K-Gr. 2. In joyful poems, one for each month of the year, a young boy has fun during the changing seasons in his city neighborhood. There's noisy action (sledding with his friends in the park in January) as well as quiet moments (carving initials on the "frost-feathered windowpane" in February). In March the boy's palms dream "about closing around a wooden bat"; in September there are "yellow pencils / in brand-new eraser hats." October is Halloween, and November brings Thanksgiving foods. Pham's paintings of an African American boy and his younger sister are brightly colored and full of energy, and the simple words in short lines will be great for reading aloud. Children will want to create words and pictures about their own seasonal celebrations in the classroom and at home. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Once Around the Sun | [
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7,719 | 0 | ". . .This enjoyable little novel focuses on Lars Olafson, who moves back to the old family farm near Valley Forge, Pa., learning a valuable lesson about what truly happened at that historical site - from a ghost. . .This is a great merging of fact and fiction." - The Pilot, Southern Pines, NCDOROTHEA JENSEN is a former teacher of English. She wrote The Riddle of Penncroft Farm to make the American Revolution come alive for her own children. She lives in southern New Hampshire.; Title: The Riddle of Penncroft Farm | [
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7,720 | 2 | Grade 3-5-She loved the woods, built a summer cottage in Maine, wrote about the ocean, and finally published her landmark book about the poisonous pesticides killing wildlife. Ehrlich skims a few highlights of Carson's life and work, sometimes poetically. "A transparent, elongated paramecium drifted slowly across the microscope's field.-In that simple one-celled organism she saw the complexity of the universe." The author focuses on Carson's love of nature and writing, but her life seems uneventful. The dozen dated and sketchy episodes begin with a childhood scene in 1912, then touch on teenage and college years, and skip from a 1929 bit of research at Woods Hole to 1945 when Carson edited documents for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. Though the biologist doesn't come to life in the text, Minor's fine watercolor-and-gouache paintings provide splendid full- and double-page views of various settings and credible portraits. While the spare narrative may be somewhat nebulous for primary-grade readers, it might serve as an evocative introduction for slightly older children. The epilogue, dating Carson's death and crediting her with starting the environmental movement, mentions Maine's Rachel Carson Wildlife Preserve.Margaret Bush, Simmons College, BostonCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 2-4. This handsome picture-book biography introduces children to the pioneer nature writer and activist, whose books, such as Silent Spring (1962), did so much to start today's environmental movement. There are gaps in the story, especially about Carson's personal life, but Ehrlich's lyrical prose grounds the big ideas in particulars that children can relate to--the small things that reveal the complexity of the universe. The focus is on Carson's warnings about the poisons that were everywhere, "on the grasses that cows ate, and in their milk and meat, and in our own bodies, too"; the horror of poison spray that kills "birds and grasshoppers, butterflies and bees, and fish in the rivers." Minor's full-page paintings in watercolor and gouache capture the broad sweep of the land as well as the tiny connections in the woods and in the sea around us. Young ecologists will find support here, and they will be inspired to find out more about Carson and the great spaces she explored. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson | [
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7,721 | 2 | * "A poignant and humorous coming-of-age story."Kirkus Reviews, starred review"A slow-simmering stew of friendship and betrayal, family love and loyalty, and finding oneself."SLJ* "A home run for Wiles."Publishers Weekly,starred review; Title: The Aurora County All-Stars | [
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7,722 | 1 | Vivian Walsh and J. otto Seibold (Olive, the Other Reindeer, Penguin Dreams) create another winning, whimsical world in Gluey: A Snail Tale. The story begins when a bunny named Celerina finds a beautiful, empty house and moves right in. Little does she know, a snail named Gluey lives there, too, fixing all the house's cracks as carpenter snails like to do. One day, Celerina breaks a vase! Gluey tells her he could fix it, but his voice is so soft, she can't hear him. That night, he slowly repairs her vase. As this sort of gluey alchemy continues to happen, Celerina becomes more and more convinced her house is magic. She decides to have a tea party to prove to her skeptical friends that dishes would be repaired before their very eyes in her enchanted house! Of course, when the party derails into a plate-breaking free-for-all, the house itself collapses into pieces. Seibold's sophisticated, retro, stylized illustrations and color palette are no less than fantastic, and Gluey is perhaps the cutest children's book snail of all time. Children will be crushed by the injustice Celerina shows Gluey, then overjoyed at the end when they become friends. (Ages 5 and older) --Karin SnelsonWalsh and Seibold, whose offbeat characters include Mr. Lunch and Olive, the Other Reindeer, introduce a prepossessing and generous escargot. "Once upon a time... in a lovely meadow a stone's throw away... A bunny found an empty house and moved right in." Celerina, the rabbit, does not realize her new home is kept in good shape by Gluey, an ecru-green "carpenter snail" who loves fixing cracks. (Although his patching technique is not shown, he pores over a repair manual and lifts broken objects with his antennae.) When Celerina breaks a vase, Gluey puts it back together overnight. Yet the snail is too small to be seen or heard, so Celerina attributes her luck to her "magic" house. She proudly plans a party to show it off, and while she's tidying up, she meets Gluey and disgustedly "flick[s] him across the meadow." Celerina's darling name is much sweeter than she is; Seibold gives her a cynical cupid's-bow mouth and wicked Bette Davis eyes. But Gluey-whose blue-gray shell gets slightly damaged in his landing-does not hold a grudge, and Celerina comes to realize her error. Walsh creates suspense and sympathy around the snail's travails, and Seibold's images of the skeptical bunny and some gnomish "Wee Folk" are tongue-in-cheek charming. Shiny, translucent lines suggest sticky effluvium on the cover of this peculiarly appealing fable. All ages.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Gluey: A Snail Tale | [
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7,723 | 1 | Determined to find the perfect item to complete his special collection (which includes, among other things, an old blue sneaker, a Popsicle stick, a bottle cap, and an acorn), little Platypus sets off to the beach. "He didn't know quite what he was looking for, but he was sure he'd know it when he saw it." After hemming and hawing over various treasures--seaweed, a big rock, a deflated beach ball--Platypus finds exactly the right thing: a lovely curly seashell. Unfortunately, what our funny little hero doesn't know (and what sharp-eyed readers might figure out sooner than he) is that the shell is currently occupied.Young readers in a collecting phase of their own will enjoy watching Platypus's bewilderment as his prize item keeps sneaking out at night and creeping back to the beach. Chris Riddell's cute watercolors and cheerful story will please platypuses and humans alike. (Ages 3 to 6) --Emilie CoulterRiddell's (illus. of Something Else) spunky hero has a bill the size of a clown's shoe and a comic case of the collecting bug. In one of the book's many crisp and austerely composed watercolors, Platypus proudly displays the contents of his big green collecting box: a blue sneaker, an acorn, marbles, a bottle cap, etc. a collection to be envied in any child's estimation. Yet something is missing. "He didn't know quite what he was looking for," writes Riddell as he sends Platypus down to the beach on a quest, "but he was sure he'd know it when he saw it." A beautiful shell seems to be just the ticket, except that it won't stay put: two tiny eyes and a single claw poke out of the green box as Platypus sleeps, and the next morning the shell is gone. The same thing happens when Platypus reclaims the shell. The reason, Platypus discovers, is that the shell already belongs to someone a hermit crab. Youngsters in the throes of a hoarding phase will sympathize with the hero (who sleeps with a tiny stuffed toy platypus), while Riddell's well-paced plotting makes the mystery and the resolution equally enticing. Happily, a second Platypus title is scheduled for next season. Ages 2-5. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Platypus | [
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7,724 | 0 | Grade 1-6–For those who love Radunsky's flamboyantly ribald sense of humor, are comfortable with chaos, and accepting of Italian Renaissance art delivered out of context and edited mischievously, this variant of the classic tale "The Turnip" is great fun. It is set in Italy in 1602, the year an enormous stalk of asparagus grew in the king's yard. A combined effort by the monarch, the queen, a rhinoceros, the bravest knight, the princess, and Tiny Little Bird succeeds in dislodging it. "And the humongous, stupendous, splendid, catastrophic vegetable collapsed!" Not much in the text or illustrations makes sense but both scream for attention. The old masters might not be pleased with Radunsky's schoolboy tendency to exaggerate their subjects' noses or white out their eye sockets to fill them in with slightly crossed bug eyes. Part of the book's mischief involves a seemingly mindless inclusion of phallic images. Adolescent? Oh yeah. And no wonder, considering that the artist says he was 13 years old in 1602 according to the book-jacket notes. It's all very amusing, but will children get it? Yes! The lowbrow humor, the blind silliness, and the quirky exaggerations are childishness itself. For older children there is the appeal of random sarcasm and funky, distorted illustrations.–Liza Graybill, Worcester Public Library, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 4-7. Interpretations of the Russian folktale "The Enormous Turnip" (see Tatiana Zunshine's book, p.1622), are legion, but Radunsky's may elicit some furrowed brows. A giant asparagus appears in the courtyard of a king, who despises it; eventually, a small bird succeeds in toppling it after all others fail. The book concludes with a foldout revealing the veggie behemoth surrounded by characters and their elegiac musings ("Such a huge asparagus it was, and now it's fallen and beaten down"). Readers older than the story's usual picture-book-age audience will probably most appreciate Radunsky's gonzo storytelling style, but the text is really just a vehicle for eye-popping visuals, a pastiche of Italian Renaissance people and other elements nicked from actual paintings. An author's note acknowledges artists such as Lorenzetti, Piero della Francesca, and Mantegna, but, unfortunately, no master list is given for the numerous individual paintings that are referenced. Creative educators might make this flaw into a virtue, though, by encouraging students to use library resources to trace Radunsky's inspirations. Younger groups studying folktales should stick with retellings like Jan Peck's The Giant Carrot (1998); pull this out for sophisticated older kids (and college-age art students), who will get the most out of the armchair museum tour. Jennifer MattsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Mighty Asparagus (New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books (Awards)) | [
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7,725 | 11 | "Playfully told with succinct text and illustrations, this tale will appeal to a wide audience. It is both simple and sophisticated with subtle and not-so-subtle levels of irony…Once again McDermott proves his visual and storytelling mastery."—School Library Journal, starred review"This is a tightly focused tale with a great payoff; playful, spirited Monkey comes out on top while devious and dimwitted Crocodile is left hungry, and listeners are certain to cheer for the cheeky primate’s final victory."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books GERALD MCDERMOTT (1941-2012) was an internationally acclaimed author-illustrator of books for children. A graduate of Pratt Institute in New York City and a lifelong artist, he began his career as an animated filmmaker before moving into the creation of children's books based on storytelling traditions from around the world. He was awarded the Caldecott Medal and two Caldecott Honors; his extensive and influential body of work includes six popular picture books focusing on the trickster motif. Devoted to oral tradition and the transformative power of mythology, he was the first Fellow of the Joseph Campbell Foundation and served as a consultant on mythology in education. www.geraldmcdermott.com ; Title: Monkey: A Trickster Tale from India | [
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7,726 | 13 | Lois and Roland score the two lead roles in the school play Stormy Weather--the Thunder Queen and the Sun King. Disappointingly, our heroine Beverly is stuck playing the Wall and the Shrub. (Worse yet, her only line is "Please stop kicking me.") It is not the chance at stardom for which she had hoped. Still, she decides to give it her all--memorizing everyone's lines, helping build sets and make costumes, and baking cupcakes to sell at intermission. In the end, the Shrub saves the day, whispering cues from behind the foliage when the Thunder Queen forgets her lines. Young readers will see their own hopes and fears in Beverly, who agonizes over and completely blows her audition, but learns, as her parents teach her, that "There really are no small parts." Beverly, created in thick black lines la Lauren Child or Lucy Cousins, is just as winning as she was in Alexander Stadler's Beverly Billingsly Borrows a Book. Comic touches abound in this sweet, compassionate book about a play, perseverance, and the power of a shrub. (Ages 3 to 7) --Karin SnelsonKindergarten-Grade 2-First introduced in Beverly Billingsly Borrows a Book (Harcourt, 2002), the endearing animal is back, this time excited about upcoming auditions for the school play. However, despite her energetic practicing and emoting, when the day comes she freezes and ends up playing a rock and a shrub. On opening night, Beverly rescues the star performer, who falls victim to her own stage fright. The story is told with gentle, quirky, child-friendly humor, nicely matched by bright, cheerful, also quirky gouache-and-ink illustrations in mostly soft shades edged in black. Pair this with Cari Best's Shrinking Violet (Farrar, 2001) for a storytime that celebrates shyness, kindness, and resilience.Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Beverly Billingsly Takes a Bow | [
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7,727 | 2 | Starred Review. Grade 1-3–This fourth book in the series focuses on a potentially scary and emotionally charged theme: the death of a classmate. Pa Lia Vang doesn't like Stinky Stern, the bully of her second-grade class. But late one day, on his way home from school, he is hit by a van in full view of the child. She learns later that evening that he has died. When the students take turns remembering him, Pa Lia is unsure of what to say. In an honest and sensitive series of remembrances, the author never allows her characters to sugarcoat or gloss over the boy's past injustices. The children acknowledge the truth about their relationship with Stinky, but also express their sadness and confusion about his death. Edwards's expressive black-and-white computer-sketched illustrations provide additional details about the characters and setting. The author handles the topic with skill and sensitivity, a significant accomplishment given the vocabulary and structural constraints of the easy-to-read chapter-book format. While the subject matter is indeed serious and the tone, for the most part, somber, children who have experienced the loss of a classmate or friend will find hope in this honest presentation.–Carol L. MacKay, Camrose Public Library, Alberta, Canada Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 1-3. In this latest entry in the Jackson Friends series, second-grader Pa Lia Vang is upset when fellow classmate Matthew "Stinky" Stern intentionally ruins her intricate, cut-paper snowflakes. On the same afternoon, though, Stinky is killed by a car. The next day, Pa Lia's wise teacher invites students to share their memories of Stinky, and Pa Lia has conflicted emotions, because she never liked the boy. She works through her complex feelings by drawing pictures of episodes in Stinky's life, as recounted by her classmates. Finally, when a boy stands up and announces that he never liked Stinky but will still miss him, Pa Lia comes to better understand her feelings. Edwards manages to portray deep and complicated emotions through simple language in a short book for young readers. Her computer-generated, black-and-white illustrations add to the story's emotional depth by representing Pa Lia's thought processes as she struggles to understand the frightening events. An excellent exploration of the difficult subject of death. Todd MorningCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Stinky Stern Forever: A Jackson Friends Book | [
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7,728 | 2 | Grade 1-3-When Baby Rose grabs and breaks Iris's special button necklace, their mother helps to fix it for show-and-tell. After school,Iris borrows her friend Walter's harmonica, given to him by his grandmother. When it disappears, she worries about Granny's reaction. But the woman is understanding, and the missing instrument turns up unharmed. Iris and Walter are endearing individualists, with interesting taste in headgear. They are a refreshing addition to the limited literary offerings for this age group. Guest neatly ties up the mystery, deals with the drawbacks and advantages of having a little sister, and shows readers the warmth and support of Iris's extended family. The text is appropriately composed for young readers without being boring, repetitive, or preachy. Davenier's pen-and-ink illustrations are sunny and full of activity, with Baby Rose in seven different places at once. The deceptively simple drawings convey a range of emotions on the children's faces, and even the cat has a personality. Iris and Walter are a perfect pair of friends, created by a perfectly matched team.-Jane Barrer, Washington Square Village Creative Steps, New York City Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.K-Gr. 2. Friends Iris and Walter return in another beginning chapter book about a small crisis that is made right with warmth and humor. Iris is looking forward to sharing her homemade button necklace with her class at show-and-tell until her baby sister, Rose, breaks it. "You can't take your eyes off Baby Rose for a minute," says their mother. At school, Iris cheers up when Walter shares his new harmonica with her, and he even lets her take it home to practice. The next morning, though, the harmonica has disappeared, leaving Iris to face Walter and tell him it is lost. The friends, together with their families, find the missing present where busy Baby Rose hid it, and the story ends on a celebratory note. As in the series' previous titles, Davenier's ink-and-watercolor illustrations capture the chaos of family life and children's play in swooping strokes and cozy colors, and Guest's simple, descriptive sentences and familiar, easily resolved dramas continue to be just right for new readers. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Iris and Walter, Lost and Found | [
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7,729 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 3Otter, Mole, Fox, and Hare share a house in the woods. When Fox dies, the other three struggle with their grief. By remembering the love, wisdom, and support he showed them and the funny things he used to do, they are able to create a memorial for him. As they sit in the garden they made in honor of him, they realize that Fox is with them "always and forever" in their memories and in their laughter. Durant's sensitive text explores a difficult topic without rushing the characters' stages of grief. Gliori's large and appealing watercolors are charming and warm. Unfortunately, Hare and Fox look too much alike, which may confuse some young readers. The tone is similar to Susan Varley's Badger'sParting Gifts (HarperCollins, 1984), but here Fox's death, being much more literal, is less abstract. This story will fill requests for books to share with children who have experienced the loss of a loved one.Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS-Gr. 1. British storyteller Durant tells a gentle tale about animal friends who cope with the death of a loved one. Otter, Mole, Fox, and Hare live happily together in a snug tree home, but in the autumn, Fox grows ill and dies, and his friends find his body in the woods, "still and cold, covered in leaves." After burying Fox, his friends grieve through the winter, until their friend Squirrel visits in spring and encourages them to share funny, fond memories. By laughing, they find ways to move past their grief and hold Fox "in their hearts and their memories." Durant's spare sentences have an appealing, poetic rhythm that reinforces the story's tender, reassuring tone. Gliori's charming, richly colored illustrations don't shy away from the reality of death (Fox's body is shown curled up under a tree), but the detailed scenes of the affectionate friends and their cozy home and garden will comfort children. Pair this with Mindy Avra Portnoy's Where Do People Go When They Die?, reviewed on p.1847. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Always and Forever | [
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7,730 | 16 | PreSchool-K–Digging is all in a day's work for Mr. Rally and his dog, Lightning. His projects include moving dirt and rocks on a bridge, making a drain for the rain, removing a load on the road, digging a hole for a pool in the school, and leveling a site for "a zoo, all brand new." Readers follow Mr. Rally as he gets to work, step-by-step, getting dressed, reviewing the big jobs for the day, and completing all five of them. And when each task is done, a peppy response follows and elicits young readers' recitation: "Dig up rock and dig up clay!/Dig up dirt and dig all day!/Good job, Mr. Rally!/Good job, Lightning!/Mr. Rally waves good-bye./Is all the digging done? No!" The final scene shows Mr. Rally at home, preparing his garden, and Lightning digging a hole, burying his five treasures in the yard. Earth-tone illustrations are created with watercolor and Prismacolor pencil. Although the vocabulary isn't controlled for a true early reader, the pace, repetition, and word choices make the book appropriate for beginning readers. The uncluttered art, catchy refrain, and focus on heavy machinery make it a natural for storytimes.–Marian Creamer, Children's Literature Alive, Portland, OR Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS. With help from his trusty dog, Lightning, and his big yellow backhoe, Mr. Rally is ready for any digging job. Lively pictures and words follow him through a day of five separate assignments that give the story the added fun of a counting exercise. The simple, bouncy text, with a rhyming refrain that will encourage young children to chant along, describes Mr. Rally's progress from site to site, concluding with a surprise at the end of the day that finds Mr. Rally still doing what he loves best, even after turning in his backhoe. Rosenthal's illustrations, rendered in earthy greens and browns, feature stylized shapes and thick black outlines reminiscent of Wanda Gag's work. They extend the humor and activity with extra jokes: at each site, for example, Lightning finds a bone for his collection, which he buries with a wink at the story's end. Full of action and rhythm, this winning picture book, by a husband-and-wife team, will delight preschoolers who dream of their own big-engine, dirt-digging adventures. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Dig! | [
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7,731 | 16 | A little red-nosed, green-skinned monster invites 49 of her nearest and dearest monster friends to a birthday party. "The math lesson feels like a natural component and the mega-motley monster crew is a hoot," said PW in a starred review. Ages 3-7. (Sept.) Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc."A grand addition to the counting shelf."--Kirkus Reviews"The pages are filled with action."--School Library Journal"A story of comic chaos."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) ; Title: Monster Math | [
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7,732 | 16 | STEPHEN T. JOHNSON has illustrated many books for children, including two by Robert Burleigh: Goal and Hoops, an ALA Notable Children's Book and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. He lives in Kansas.; Title: My Little Yellow Taxi | [
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7,733 | 2 | Grade 2-5A semi-swell collection of 16 poems celebrating books, reading, language, and libraries. Subjects range from Otto the Flea (who writes, of course, his "Ottobiography") to "The Big-Word Girl" (who takes her Webster's to the movies) to "Great, Good, Bad" books ("A bad book owes to many trees/A forest of apologies"). The brief selections encompass various forms, from an eight-word acrostic to haiku to rhyming quatrains and couplets. The tone is generally light, with the last few entries turning more to wonder and metaphor ("A good book is a kind/Of person with a mind/Of her own..."). Usually printed one per spread, the poems are accompanied by richly dark artwork. The thickly applied acrylic paint and mixed-media illustrations are sometimes reminiscent of the work of David Shannon, with a comically grotesque air, and add comprehension to the verses. The Lewis hallmarks are all hereclever wordplay, humor, nonsense, rhymethough the collection doesn't have quite the spot-on snap of his best stuff. Kids will enjoy the switcheroos of "What If Books Had Different Names?" ("Alice in...Underland?/Furious George...") and the faintly macabre title poem, but others, which reach a bit for even a nonsensical point, will have less appeal. Lee Bennett Hopkins's Good Books, Good Times! (HarperCollins, 1990) and Wonderful Words (S & S, 2004), which include offerings on the same subject from many fine authors, would partner in a nice balance with Lewis's frothier nonsense. Nancy Palmer, The Little School, Bellevue, WA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. This homage to reading salutes all the essential elements: letters, words, books. Lewis' poetry is continually clever, whether pithily summing up children's classics (a book that is excitedly read by a kid of 6 to another kid of 63) or capturing the thrill of reading in the dark. There are laughs in a poem called "What If Books Had Different Names?" that posits such titles as Goodnight Noon and Green Eggs and Spam as well as slightly more serious thoughts in the title poem. Despite the picture-book format, it will take children older than the preschool crowd to appreciate the wordplay, which on occasion is quite sophisticated (Lewis credits Lear, Carroll, and X. J Kennedy as his inspirations). The acrylic and mixed-media artwork (see cover, this issue) adds whimsy to the words. Case in point, a bibbed lamb eating the Dr. Seuss special. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Please Bury Me in the Library | [
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7,734 | 11 | The library is the perfect place to learn about new things, to find the answers to questions, and most important, to enjoy the fun of reading!; Title: Check It Out!: The Book about Libraries | [
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7,735 | 2 | In this kids' book debut by sisters Kara and Jenna Lareau, Rocko and Socko (a funky pair of sock-monkey twins) couldn't be more excited about buying a gift and dressing up for a big birthday party on Saturday. In a spunky collage of digital photos and kitschy-chic illustrations, the action starts quickly for these simian siblings, who tear off at the beginning of the book in a sidecar-equipped Vespa. But can they agree on what to buy at the Gift-o-Rama? And then there's deciding on the right party outfits, an equally contentious affair: "What about these boots?" asks Spanky. "Can I pull off the western look?" "Please do," says Rocko." But after some good-natured squabbling, the duo is ready to arrive at the party, fully decked out and gift in hand. The only problem: Who's birthday is it? Could these twins have possibly forgotten their own birthday?Autobiographical or not, this story certainly bears the mark of two sisters having a good time. Children's book editor Kara Lareau makes many nods to grownup readers, and illustrator and designer Jenna strikes the book's "Cha-cha-cha!" aesthetic just right, with plenty of fezzes, tiki kitsch, and fun small details--like a tiny, embedded Zippy the Pinhead strip. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul HughesPreSchool-Grade 1–Two sock monkeys believe that they are invited to a friend's party, but it turns out that it's a surprise birthday party for them. The story has little action, and the illustrations are bland and dully colored. The drawings of the monkeys lack any sense of animation and do not portray the mischievous and fun-loving nature that the author was attempting to show. Stick with Eileen Christelow's "Five Little Monkeys" books (Clarion) or H. A. Rey's classic "Curious George" titles (Houghton).–Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Rocko and Spanky Go to a Party | [
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7,736 | 15 | PreSchool-In the same playful, rhyming style as in this pair's All You Need for a Snowman (Harcourt, 2002), this story unfolds. "One grain of sand/like the smallest seed,/-that's all you need/for a beach!/Except for/-Trillions of grains of sand,/and EACH/is one small piece/of your very own beach!" Add to that sun, birds, water, balls, umbrellas, towels, lemonade, and "YOU!" Children will delight in the exuberance of the text and the vibrant illustrations that bring all of the sights, smells, and textures to life. The characters in the gouache-and-watercolor illustrations are similar to those in Snowman, but they have a wonderful, soft quality that perfectly conveys the hazy lazy joy of being at the shore. A good choice for reading aloud.Genevieve Gallagher, Orange County Public Library, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS. Reminiscent of William Blake's lines about finding the world in a grain of sand, All You Need for a Beach begins: "One grain of sand / like the smallest seed, / one tiny grain / that's all you need / for a beach!" Then come the words "EXCEPT FOR," which lead the way to a scene of a full beach: "five million other grains, / ten million more, / spread them all out on the sandy shore." Each successive spread adds things that make a beach complete--the sun, an umbrella, a towel, lemonade--ending with, "All you need for a beach is . . . YOU!" Schertle's infectious rhythm adds suspense with each turn of the page, and her joyful singsong rhymes are nicely matched by sun-baked watercolors of children and grown-ups, busy and blissed-out by the shore. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: All You Need for a Beach | [
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7,737 | 5 | Grade 25Princess Marge, daughter of King Gluteus and Queen Esophagus, who is nearly doomed by an irate fairy to homicide by a pie wagon, has the harsh sentence modified by another ("half-deaf") fairy, Tintinnitus. The princess will become a sleeping dragon and will "one day" be awakened by "a quince." Although all pies (and pie wagons) are banned by the king, the "kind and beautiful, sweet and clever" princess has her foot run over by a suspicious but unrecognized pie wagon on her 16th birthday and becomes a loudly snoring dragon. You know the rest! Hale's sassy, tongue-in-cheek tale may sound like just another silly "Sleeping Beauty" rewrite. However, enriched by Fine's large, double-page watercolor paintings with their whimsical human visages, distinctive fairies, and frog courtiers; the inimitable sleeping dragon princess; a repetitive refrain ("Yada, yada, hippity-hop"); and those cacophonous snores, this fantastic story is a delightful treat that begs to be read aloud.Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.As in Mary Osbornes Sleeping Bobby (2005), this raucous offering twists Sleeping Beauty into something gleefully new. A green frog,in feathered hat and cape, narrates the tale in casual languagethat is filled withkid-appealing, gross-out silliness, which begins with the names of the royal family: King Gluteus, Queen Esophagus, and their beautiful baby girl, Princess Margarine. The slapstick continues when a hard-of-hearing fairy issues a series of prophesies: the princess will be transformed into a sleeping dragon, and only a quince (not a prince) can awaken her. Enlivened with puns and sound effects, the text will readeasily to a crowd. More laughs will come fromthe full-page pencil-and-watercolor pictures, which showa motley crew of fairies (the tooth fairy is particularly distinctive in pink wings, tattoos, and a five-oclock shadow) and then the princess as a scaly, pink dragon, whose castle-rattling snores are spelled out in bright purple capital letters. Lively fun that closes with a fractured but still happily fairy-tale ending. Preschool-Grade 2. --Gillian Engberg; Title: Snoring Beauty | [
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7,738 | 16 | Veteran children's lit professor Coleen Salley tells a variation on her signature story, an archetypal "noodlehead" tale based on the time-honored Southern legend of Epaminondas. A "sweet patootie" named Epossumondas headlines here as a be-diapered young possum who follows his mama's instructions a little too literally."Queen Coleen" (as Salley sometimes goes in her native New Orleans) tells her story in slow, old-South cadence, repeating a cycle where Epossumondas visits his auntie "most every day" and receives something to take home to his mama's. His gifts, however, never seem to arrive intact: After Epossumondas arrives home with a piece of cake that's been squinched into a fistful of crumbs, his mama scolds, "Oh, Epossumondas, you don't have the sense you were born with! That's no way to carry cake! The way to carry cake is to put the cake on your head, put a hat on your head, and come along home." But the next day, Auntie gives him butter, which then gets carried home cake-style (on his head). The next day, he gets "a sweet little puppy," which then gets carried home butter-style (wrapped in leaves and cooled in a brook), etc.Caldecott Honor-winner Janet Stevens has obvious fun capturing Epossumondas's ridiculous errands in watercolor and colored pencil, especially as other bayou animals look on in puzzlement. But Steven's biggest coup has to be conveying the story's subtle secret--that Epossumondas might not be as dumb as he looks. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul HughesFoolish Jack is cast here as a pampered, over-mothered Louisiana possum in a refreshingly retold version by New Orleans storyteller Salley (Who's That Trippin' over My Bridge?). This familiar story takes on new silliness as the improbable possum-child interacts with his human mother. And what a mother (fans of Stevens's To Market, to Market will recognize her as the same model)! Stevens, in wickedly observant pencil and watercolor illustrations, characterizes the doting matriarch and her sister as matronly, doughy-cheeked ladies in cat-eye glasses and flowery dresses circa 1952. When the aunt sends cake home with Epossumondas, he scrunches it in his hand and ruins it. His mother chides him, "Oh, Epossumondas, you don't have the sense you were born with!" and advises him next time to carry cake on his head. When his auntie gives him butter, he unthinkingly follows his mother's advice regarding cake transport. "What you got, Epossumondas?" a raccoon asks, as the butter streams down the possum's face. "Butter," he replied. "Hmm. Don't look much like butter to me," Raccoon says drily. Salley narrates the series of mishaps with a storyteller's impeccable timing and a pleasing Southern patois that should inspire many spirited read-alouds. A note at book's end gives an overview of the tale's many incarnations all over the world. Ages 3-7.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Epossumondas | [
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7,739 | 0 | In a starred review PW said, "Anyone who has played basketball on a hot city playground or followed it courtside will respond to the sensuous, tactile tone of this poetic description of the game.Marvelous pastel drawings of teenagers on the court paired with the book's design turn up the heat." Ages 5-8.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Hoops | [
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7,740 | 5 | Kindergarten-Grade 4-This story, a cross between a tall tale and a fractured fable, is narrated by a traveling armadillo, and abounds in laughs and lessons. Jackrabbit is unhappy about not being fierce. Wishing on a star gets him the attention of a vegetable-punning fairy godrabbit ("Now, lettuce see-") who grants him a pair of horns (hence the jackalope) with the caveat that he not tell lies. Lying, naturally, makes them grow. Coyote happens along, and as Jack dives for his old hiding place, his horns get stuck in the ground. Between them, Godrabbit and Jack foil Coyote and live reasonably happily ever after (punning all the way). The exuberant illustrations and large size make this book ideal for group read-alouds, and the puns will appeal to older audiences. This title is an excellent choice for further discussion of the origins of fractured tales, and the advisability of wishing you were someone other than who you are. A short afterword provides facts on animals that are not what their names imply: jackrabbit's really a hare, antelope a pronghorn, horned toad a lizard. All told, the nutty plot, sympathetic characters, and handsome illustrations make for a roaring good time.Cris Riedel, Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School, Dansville, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.K-Gr. 3. The American western legend of the "jackalope" reaches new heights of silliness in the hands of the Stevens sisters. The narrator, an armadillo in cowboy boots, opens the tale on the front endpaper. Using rhyme, he introduces some famous Jacks (Jack-in-the-box and Jack-of-all-trades) and famous rabbits (Mad Hatter, Easter Bunny) before the story bursts into prose after the title page. The jackrabbit of this tale wants to be scary, but his mirror assures him he isn't, what with his big teeth and supersize glasses. Wishing on a star brings his fairy godrabbit, resplendent in a vegetable-patterned getup, who puns unmercifully on veggies ("Now lettuce see"). Jackrabbit receives a pair of horns, which get him in deep with the fox. The horns are transferred to the fairy godrabbit, and much wackiness ensues, including a fake ending before the real one. Armadillo inserts rhymed commentary throughout, and Stevens' watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations, with bits of photograph and collage, become wilder and more exaggerated as the story heats up. Fun! GraceAnne DeCandidoCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Jackalope | [
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7,741 | 15 | "A warm and exciting book."--American Bookseller"This book . . . delivers the salt smells and sea sounds that accompany beachcombers right to readers' laps."--Kirkus Reviews"A satisfying offering that will open doors for its readers."--School Library JournalDEBRA FRASIER grew up in Florida, in a house where the sandy front steps ran down to the Atlantic Ocean. An award-winning author and illustrator whose picture books include the classic On the Day You Were Born, she now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Vero Beach, Florida.www.frasierbooks.com; Title: Out of the Ocean | [
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7,742 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 3–Mom, Dad, and their five youngsters are headed for the beach. However, little Katie can't go without Fido, Mama needs the beach umbrella, baby needs "Ducky pail," and Dad…. For each forgotten item, it's "Hit the brakes! Reverse the car!…Weave through cars. Avoid a crash.…tires screech!" Finally, when everything is retrieved and they are on their way, a storm hits. And, just when everyone and everything is safely in the garage, the sun reappears! Out come the beach chairs, the cooler, the wading pool, snacks, mud pies. So who needs a beach to play in the water and sun when you have a backyard? Rhyming text and bouncy and boldly colored illustrations in acrylic on watercolor paper capture the frenzy surrounding this hilarious, truly not-to-be-undone, fiercely determined to have a good time family. A rip-roaring fun read-aloud.–Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS. As bright as a box of Popsicles, this sunny picture book puts a lighthearted spin on a day of family chaos. Packed into a minivan, a large family heads for the beach, but the dog has been left behind. Circling back for Fido is only the first of a series of return trips for forgotten items--until a rainstorm hits, and the family returns home for good. An upbeat ending finds the family cheerfully re-creating its beach day by sunbathing on the lawn. The short, rhyming text scans with an easy bouncing beat as it maintains the story's stop-and-go tension: ^B"That was it! / We're packed at last. / We're on the highway, moving fast! / . . . Oh, no . . . / A thunder crack . . . A sudden storm! / We're turning back." Wescott's ink-and-watercolor pictures extend the comical pandemonium in the car, with detailed rear-window views of wild siblings and the roof's precarious tower of beach loot. Pair this perfect warm-weather read-aloud with Phyllis Root's Rattletrap Car (2001), another story of a family outing gone hilariously awry. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: To the Beach | [
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7,743 | 0 | PreS—The popular verse, included in numerous collections of nursery rhymes, gets the star treatment in this delightful picture book. Illustrated entirely with quilt patches festooned with buttons, the ditty bounces along in bursts of color. The title page introduces the first patch—a little girl in star-covered overalls against a sunny yellow swatch of material, framed by a black border edged in rickrack and sewn upon a solid-color fabric. Then, each number is sewn on a separate quilt square, following the pattern set on the first page. The fabric designs vary, with each page more dazzling than the previous ones. Children will enjoy counting the buttons sewn beside the numbers. The text following each pair of numerals is set against its own patch, and opposite that is a quilted picture of the girl acting out the verse. The last spread contains several pairs of hands adorned with buttons that match their corresponding numbers, 1 through 10. Youngsters who are just learning to count will enjoy poring over the cheerful pictures.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved."Bold, simple layouts, the juxtaposition of printed fabrics, and the decorative use of rickrack and stitching make the playful art visually pleasing, but even better is Hines' fine-tuned understanding of how young children might use the book as they learn to count. Simple and striking." --Booklist, starred review (5/15/08) (Booklist); Title: 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe | [
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7,744 | 0 | JOAN WALSH ANGLUND’s books have been beloved by readers of all ages for more than forty years. Her classics include A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You, which was a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year. She lives in rural New England.; Title: Childhood Is a Time of Innocence: Twentieth Anniversary Edition | [
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7,745 | 13 | When Mr. Putters neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, proposes that they try ballroom dancing, he reluctantly agrees. Accompanied by Tabby the cat and Zeke the dog, they attend a dance at the Crystal Ballroom. Tabby bats the sparkly lights, and Zeke performs the tango with abandon, while Mr. Putter and Mrs. Teaberry cha-cha-cha. Written with simplicity and understated humor, the story springs to life visually through the strong, energetic pencil drawings brightened with watercolor and gouache. The young audience will enjoy seeing these familiar characters express themselves on and off the dance floor. An upbeat addition to the Mr. Putter and Tabby easy reader series. Grades K-2. --Carolyn Phelan; Title: Mr. Putter & Tabby Dance the Dance | [
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7,746 | 18 | Socially awkward children take heart: in his boyhood, the father of our country, says Rockwell (They Called Her Molly Pitcher), wasn't afraid of bears, or wolves, or the native hunters with bows and arrows... of anything, except making conversation. Her adulatory biography offers plenty for contemporary kids to connect with: her George Washington has a temper, dislikes the blood and gore of the battlefield and, even as a general, is the first to start digging trenches. But it's Phelan's (Very Hairy Bear) extraordinary artwork that cements the bond with readers. As his pencil-and-gouache scenes review the events of Washington's life up to the presidency, his scenes bristle with immediacy, dramatic tension and emotional insight. His fluid pictures impart the sense of vivid memories being conjured up, of history being re-lived in all its urgency and telling details. Audiences accustomed to visualizing Washington as the sphinx-like figure on the dollar bill will find Phelan's dashing, steely portrait nothing short of revelatory. Ages 6–9. (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Grade 1–3—This picture-book biography begins when Washington was 13 years old and living at Mount Vernon with his older half brother, Lawrence. The story follows him as he grew into manhood and became a soldier. Washington was not a fighter by nature but felt it his duty to defend the country he loved. And so he did throughout the Revolutionary War, where his bravery and skilled leadership resulted in Washington becoming the first President of the United States. Told almost conversationally, the story is accessible for young readers and listeners. The pencil and gouache illustrations are inviting and lend a softness to the portrait of this founding father. The subtitle suggests an emphasis on Washington's inherent shyness and primes readers for finding out how he overcame it. In actuality, little time is spent on this trait and no problems are noted for him in that regard either in his role as general or president. Despite this oddity, the book is an approachable, readable, and likable account of an important man.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Big George: How a Shy Boy Became President Washington | [
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7,747 | 0 | Grade 3-5–Untitled verses describe a colorful array of ocean creatures, both benign and dangerous, observed by a lone sardine searching for the swirling band of companions that he lost when the school spun out of the range of an invading marlin. "Where did everyone go?/One sardine. Apart. Alone./Welcome to the Mystery Zone." The handsome, busy views convey mystery with clever placement of creatures–some unnamed, some partially hidden, some more realistic than others. Though the sardine is mostly a passing observer, his continuing presence lends a bit of story line to the energetic scenes of underwater life. Moments of fear and danger thread throughout. "Life in the sea offers little that's free;/There's always a devil to pay." There's plenty to see and ponder though some oblique references and the sometimes mocking tone will elude many children. A thumbnail picture-glossary names some 28 species of marine life but provides no explanations or added information. Overall, this is a cheerful tour for browsers that also offers possibilities for shared reading.–Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 3-5. Deep in the ocean a tiny sardine is lost in a great coral reef. Cyrus' lavishly colored, detailed paintings show the creatures that lurk in the gorgeous underworld, and in some of his accompanying poems, the language flows like the action it describes. It darts, swerves, and swivels on the page like the sardine; swoops, then loops like a calico scallop; swells into a prickly sack like a porcupine fish; and swirls like a crayfish through a seaweed curtain. The vibrant visuals grab all the attention; there's no space to imagine other images to match Cyrus' words. But the sounds of the poetry are as much fun as the exciting action in the wild setting, making this a great read-aloud for sharing--even with younger grade-schoolers. Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Hotel Deep: Light Verse from Dark Water | [
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7,748 | 16 | The most fascinating part of an animal, in the minds of many young children, is the tail. Not only do kids lack such appendages, they've been told that, as tempting as they are to yank on, tails are not to be touched. Fortunately, this charming, texture-rich board book (with patches of real fake fur!) is the next best thing. A vast menagerie of cartoonish critters play and scamper around the pages of Matthew Van Fleet's Tails sporting tails of all types: bumpy alligator tails, fuzzy tiger tails, and even slightly stinky scratch-and-sniff skunk tails. Children can pull the tabs to make some of the tails wag or swish. The story line is minimal, as animals lounge about playing with one another and generally having good-natured fun. Catchy rhyming verse ("Tails fluffy, tails stringy, scaled tails strong and clingy. Tails long. Tails stumpy, pulling tails makes snoozers grumpy") keeps the action moving along and encourages young readers eager to turn the page. Shoddy construction can often spell doom for lift-the-flap and touch-and-feel children's books but Tails is every bit as well-designed as it is well-written and illustrated. (Preschool) --John Moe"A waggish survey of the animal world''s very own happy endings." (Parenting Magazine 2003-10-01); Title: Tails | [
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7,749 | 0 | In chatty, conversational prose, a girl describes her family's enjoyment of their cabin in the woods. Gloria Rand (who previously collaborated with her husband, Ted Rand, on Prince William) achieves a hushed immediacy with a first-person, present-tense narration. The youngster leads readers on a tour of the house and its surroundings as she performs her chores. She stops to recount family stories, occasionally interrupting herself to continue with the task at hand. "I hope a bear doesn't come out of hibernation early and surprise me! I better get back to the cabin." The lengthy text is laden with old-fashioned homey details-a hand-cranked phonograph, an icebox, stories before the fire. Ted Rand also conveys a sense of bygone days in his crayon and acrylic artwork-kerosene lamps cast a cozy glow over homemade quilts and rough-hewn beams. At times, the nostalgia factor is somewhat forced; however, the book succeeds in creating a sense of place. Ages 3-8. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 1-3-A young girl visiting her family's cabin in winter describes events from her mother and grandparents' times there as she shares in the chores of getting ready for the night. The many children who have not experienced the pleasures of cabin-camping without electricity, indoor plumbing, or running water will come to understand them better through Gloria Rand's warm text and Ted Rand's realistic acrylic illustrations. The double-page paintings frame the narrative and give off the gentle light of lantern-lit spaces. His pictures of wildlife and of the rustic interiors are particularly charming. Readers who have treasured the first-person narration, family story, and illuminated dark paintings of Jane Yolen and John Schoenherr's Owl Moon (Philomel, 1987) will see clear connections here. With its themes of stability and security, as well as details about life in earlier generations, The Cabin Key will find a place in social-studies units. It might also promote discussions about camping experiences, school science camp trips, or other times spent in the woods.Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, LaramieCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Cabin Key | [] | Train |
7,750 | 1 | "Hale entertains with a noir style adapted for a young audience. . . . Those who haven't read a 'Chet Gecko' mystery don't know what they're missing."--School Library JournalBRUCE HALE is the author of five picture books as well as the Chet Gecko mysteries. A popular speaker, teacher, and storyteller for children and adults, he lives in Santa Barbara, California.; Title: The Malted Falcon: A Chet Gecko Mystery | [
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7,751 | 5 | "Once upon a time in old Vietnam," begins "The Raven and the Star Fruit," exemplifying the spell of enchantment cast over these half dozen stories. If the setting is exotic with its banyan trees and lotus blossoms, water buffalo and tigers the classic themes are universal. They include talking animals and beautiful princesses, requited and unrequited love as well as familiar human flaws. For instance, in the above-mentioned tale a raven rewards the generosity of a poor couple by leading them to an island of treasures, while the same opportunity has disastrous results for the husband's foolish elder brother and his greedy wife. Garland (Shadow of the Dragon) places each story within its historical, geographical and cultural context, enriching readers' understanding of Vietnam and its people. "The Legend of the Monsoon Rains" recounts the ongoing dispute between the Lord of the Mountains and the Lord of the Seas for the hand of the emperor's daughter followed by a discussion of Vietnam's crops and weather; the tale of "The Boatman's Flute" highlights the country's transportation and governmental systems. Hyman (A Child's Calendar) complements the richly embroidered retellings with jewel-like India ink and acrylic illustrations. From the fluid pattern of stripes on a tiger's back (for a pourquoi tale) to the dark sweep of a maiden's hair and lissome bend of a willow branch, the artist applies her signature flowing lines and graceful artistry; she captures all the romance and beauty of the stories and their setting. Ages 8-12. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr 3-6-This handsome volume gathers six well-told traditional tales not readily available elsewhere. Three legends explain the origins of the stripes on a tiger, the man in the moon, and Vietnam's wild monsoons. Three others address the consequences of unkind and rude acts. A proud princess rejects a boatman whose music has stirred her heart because he is poor and ugly. A greedy brother and a lazy sister come to a bad end when they try to replicate the good fortune gained by their generous, polite siblings. An introduction outlines the history of Vietnam, highlighting traditional literature and language. Long notes at the end of each story relate events and characters to aspects of Vietnamese culture. However, it must be noted that while Garland provides useful information, she does not give specific source notes. Libraries may already own The Brocaded Slipper (HarperTrophy, 1992) and The Golden Carp (Lothrop, 1993; o.p.), in which Lynette Dyer Vuong employs the techniques of fiction-dialogue and vividly described action-to retell her Vietnamese tales and provides specific sources and pertinent background information. Garland makes greater use of narration. Her offering is greatly enhanced by Hyman's strong color work, romantic sensibility, and dramatic characterizations. The artist contributes decorations, as well as half- and full-page illustrations for each story. With so few collections of Vietnamese folktales available, libraries in need of Southeast Asian folklore could overlook the lack of source notes and value this lovely new collection for its smooth writing and appealing format.Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North AdamsCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Children of the Dragon: Selected Tales from Vietnam | [
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7,752 | 1 | A kangaroo and a kakuru form one of many eye-catching pairs among these engaging comparisons of modern-day animals and dinosaurs. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Dinosaur Cousins? | [
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7,753 | 13 | In the form of a play, Willard retells the Norwegian folktale with verve, relying entirely on witty dialogue and pared-down stage directions to conjure up the world of the Troll King and his captives. Karen is the youngest daughter of a poor woodcutter, and when Bear comes to the door promising riches to her family if she will go with him, she agrees. She fails to break the spell on him--he is a prince in bearskin--and later must follow him to the Troll King's castle to rescue him. Moser provides glowing watercolor portraits of the cast, keying into Willard's modern references (telephone and TV) with his own contemporary touches: both Karen and her father are figures cut and dressed from this decade. From these collaborators, readers will expect the elegance of the volume, but will be surprised and pleased by the humor in the script. Ages 8-up. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.Nancy Willard (born June 26, 1936) is a novelist, a poet, and a children's writer and occasional illustrator. Her 1981 collection of poems, A Visit to William Blake's Inn, won the Newbery Medal as that year's most distinguished contribution to American children's literature. Willard was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she later received the B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and won five Hopwood Awards for creative writing. She also studied at Stanford University, where she received her M.A.; Title: East of the Sun and West of the Moon | [
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7,754 | 2 | Product Description Ol' Bear's got a hankering for some Ugly Pie. So off he goes on a search past woodsy little homes where he smells the drifting scent of pie. Grandpa Grizzle's got a pleasin' pumpkin pie. Ma Hickory has a righteous rhubarb pie. Sweet Cicely has a heavenly honey pie. But no one has any Ugly Pie--just the ugliest ingredients you ever did see. Wait one second! Ingredients? Maybe it's time for Ol' Bear to start cookin' up something himself!For bear cubs who share ol' Bear's itch for an unsightly pie, there's a recipe included. A Recipe for Ugly Pie (Click on Image to Enlarge) PreSchool-Grade 2 Sweet molasses, my-oh-my. I'm itchin' for some Ugly Pie! sings Ol' Bear as he sets out in search of one. Grampa Grizzle, Ma Hickory, and Sweet Cicely have all baked some good-looking treats pumpkin, rhubarb, and heavenly honey pie but not one is what Ol' Bear has a hankerin' for. However, they do provide him with some ugly leftovers from their kitchens wrinkled red raisins, bumpy brown walnuts, and sour green apples. Ol' Bear goes home and realizes that he now has the ingredients for a wonderful Ugly Pie and sets about making one, and his neighbors all come to help him eat it. Large, bright watercolors, acrylics, and collage trace the bear's search as he goes from house to house. Tucked in every corner of the pictures are little woodland creatures that accompany him on his way, help him bake, and eat the final result: My-oh-my-oh-my! Some Ugly Pie! The recipe is appended with clear directions and the admonition that cubs in the kitchen should always have a big bear around while cookin'. This humorous tale should appeal greatly to little cubs everywhere. Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Ugly Pie | [
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7,755 | 13 | Gr 13As a young girl, Elva yearns for a violin. She pretends to play, improvising with a tennis racket and a tree branch. She rehearses for imaginary recitals with a toothbrush in front of the bathroom mirror. At school, she enlivens blackboard math lessons with treble clefs and musical notation. Elva never outgrows her love for the instrument, and as an adult she wistfully "[keeps] imagining what might have been." In her later years, after a lifetime of longing, she buys herself a violin. Tusa's delicate watercolor and ink illustrations show the woman on a busy city sidewalk, clutching her new instrument in a joyful embrace, as the sunshine casts a spotlight on her. With practice, patience, and perseverance, Elva learns to create sweet music. This charming book artfully and evocatively explores the joy that comes from following your dreams.Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada; Title: A Violin for Elva | [
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7,756 | 5 | With his typically effusive and cheerfully exaggerated illustrations, Kellogg (The Wizard Next Door) injects extra measures of zaniness into this 50-year-old David-and-Goliath tale by the legendary humorist. Because he is "a droll and gentle fellow" and produces remarkable toys, the villagers treat Quillow the toymaker with bemused tolerance. The town's sleepy complacency is shattered by the arrival of Hunder, an evil but none-too-bright giant. As the rest of the town scurries to accommodate Hunder's daily requirement of "three sheep, a pie made of a thousand apples, and a chocolate as high and as wide as a spinning wheel," the sly Quillow lulls the giant with stories, all the while plotting the ogre's downfall. The length and pacing of the story speak to a bygone age in children's publishing, in some places straining the picture book format. However, Kellogg often overcomes the challenge by "tiling" blocks of text among panels of art, varying the design on each spread. And nothing can diminish the humorous juxtaposition of Hunder's hulking gullibility and wide-mouth ugliness with Quillow's quirky professional affect. Ages 6-up. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 4-Pure Kellogg! Thurber's beloved classic, originally published in 1944, comes dramatically to life in the artist's capable hands. Done in his trademark whimsical, rollicking style, the acrylic, ink, and colored-pencil illustrations grossly exaggerate the moods and trappings of Hunder. This meddling giant terrorizes the countryside demanding daily rations of mammoth proportions. Despite their skepticism, the townspeople give their confidence to Quillow the toy maker, who has a plan to cleverly outwit the brute. The tiny hero, with his moplike white hair, looks like one of his own toy creations. The oversized format gives Kellogg free reign to provide details galore. The exciting page design is varied to enhance the printed text, yet always provides a vista for important action scenes. A delightful chuckle of a book!-Ronald Jobe, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Great Quillow | [
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7,757 | 2 | PreS-Gr 3Set in the southwestern desert, this adorable, humble tale of how a young coyote copes with divorced parents will win children's hearts. The cadence of the story, with its soothing repetition, balances the new dual-home reality of so many children today with the old comfort of Home where a child feels "loved through and through." The beautifully toned gouache brushwork and large swatches of color are reminiscent of Rothko's work on one page while evoking classic Golden Book aesthetics on the next. White stands out like the stars in the desert night, and the eyelashes of these coyotes are long and lush or their cheeks blush. Cardell loves his daddy who can sing and play and cook jalapeo flapjacks like no other, but he has to share his "perfectly good daddy" with a stepmother and a baby stepbrother. He loves his "perfectly good mama," but not the series of suitors that come a-courtin' but are soon sent away. Then Otis arrives, and he makes Cardell feel "a grrr form in his throat." He expects his mother to say, "We can do without Otisbut "Adis, Otis" never came." The complicated feelings of a child who must accept a new stepparent are woefully underrepresented in children's literature. Turns out that Otis can spin a pretty good yarn that "settled on Cardell's fur like a warm blanket. Even the moon seemed to smile." Well, like Otis, this exquisitely told tale is a welcome addition to any collection.Sara Lissa Paulson, The American Sign Language and English Lower School, New York City; Title: When Otis Courted Mama | [
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7,758 | 0 | Tomie dePaola (pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) is best known for his books for children.He's been published for over 40 years and has written and/or illustrated nearly 250 books, including Strega Nona, 26 Fairmount Avenue,The Art Lesson, and Christmas Remembered. Over 15 million copies of his books have sold worldwide.; Title: The Clown of God | [
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7,759 | 0 | Kindergarten-Grade 4Five girls spend a summer morning climbing magnolia trees and just being together. Unfortunately, the language is self-conscious and does not flow. In addition, Saint Jamess graphic, collage-like paintings do not lend the feeling of unity implied by the narrative. Because the figures are faceless, their expressions are impossible to read; emotions can be inferred only by body language. When the narrator states my cheeks dimple when I smile, no happy, dimpled cheeks are visible. The book fails to capture the essence of friendship, giving readers only cutout figures and disappointing prose. Nikki Grimess Meet Danitra Brown (Lothrop, 1994) is a better and more engaging example of friendship among young girls.Martha Link, Louisville Free Public Library, KY Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.A paean to the simple joys of girlfriends takes flight in this vividly phrased and illustrated picture book. On a summer Saturday, five girls in ``the Project'' get together to find a little fun. The girls start drawing paper dolls at Hattie Jean's, who has a room of her own. ViLee wants to get out of the Project, afraid her mamma will make her take her baby brother along, so they end up walking, arms linked, to where they can climb trees. The narrator talks about some other activities, e.g., taking turns on Hattie Lee's bike, or collecting bottles for the recycler to earn money for a movie, or running errands for the neighbors. They end up climbing their favorite magnolia, and taking a blossom to Lois, the friend who couldn't get away, to put in her hair. Saint James's signature paintings are made of broad flat planes of color in bold, geometric shapes. The girls are clearly distinguished by their hair and skin tones, the narrator by her short hair and tiny gold stud earring. The marvelous closeness of girlfriends saturates the straightforward storyline, with a dialect from the inner city and a universal theme of escape, from parents and small siblings, just for awhile. (Picture book. 3-9) -- Copyright 1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.; Title: Girls Together | [
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7,760 | 0 | "A thoroughly involving story. . . . An impressive first novel."--Kirkus Reviews"Readers will relish each page."--Publishers Weekly"Smashing. . . . . I am as impressed with the emotion Kristiana Gregory has packed into her novel as I am with her vivid and detailed picture of pioneer life in America in the 1870s."--Clyde Robert BullaKRISTIANA GREGORY has been a reporter, an editor, and a children's book reviewer. She was honored with the Golden Kite Award for Jenny of the Tetons. Ms. Gregory is also the author of The Legend of Jimmy Spoon and Earthquake at Dawn. She lives in Boise, Idaho.; Title: Jenny of the Tetons (Great Episodes) | [
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7,761 | 1 | BILL MARTIN JR is known worldwide for his classic picture books, including Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? He lives in Texas. ; Title: The Happy Hippopotami | [
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7,762 | 2 | Grade 7 UpAn asteroid knocks the moon closer to Earth, and every conceivable natural disaster occurs. Seventeen-year-old Alex Morales's parents are missing and presumed drowned by tsunamis. Left alone, he struggles to care for his sisters Bri, 14, and Julie, 12. Things look up as Central Park is turned into farmland and food begins to grow. Then worldwide volcanic eruptions coat the sky with ash and the land freezes permanently. People starve, freeze, or die of the flu. Only the poor are left in New Yorka doomed islandwhile the rich light out for safe towns inland and south. The wooden, expository dialogue and obvious setup of the first pages quickly give way to the well-wrought action of the snowballing tragedy. The mood of the narrative is appropriately frenetic, somber, and hopeful by turns. Pfeffer's writing grows legs as the terrifying plot picks up speed, and conversations among the siblings are realistically fluid and sharp-edged. The Moraleses are devout Catholics, and though the church represents the moral center of the novel, Pfeffer doesn't proselytize. The characters evolve as the city decomposes, and the author succeeds in showing their heroism without making them caricatures of virtue. She accurately and knowingly depicts New York City from bodegas to boardrooms, and even the far-fetched science upon which the novel hinges seems well researched. This fast-paced, thoughtful story is a good pick for melodrama fiends and reluctant readers alike.Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.*Starred Review* In Life as We Knew It (2005), veteran writer Pfeffer painted a terrifying picture of what happened in a rural Pennsylvania town after an asteroid hit the moon and cataclysmic changes on land and sea caused familiar life to grind to a halt. For readers who wondered if things were any better in a bustling city, here is the horrifying answer. On the night the moon tilts, 17-year-old Alex and his younger sisters are alone; their mother is at work, and their father is visiting Puerto Rico. No matter how the kids wish, hope, and pray, their parents dont return. Its up to Alex to do whats best. At first that means bartering for food and batteries and avoiding fighting with the rambunctious Julieespecially after sickly Bri is sent to live at a rural convent. Later it means rescuing Julie from rapists and steering her away from the corpses that litter the street, providing food for rats. Religion is one of the strong threads running through the novel. It would have been interesting to see Alex wrestle more with his staunch Catholicism, but in many ways, the Church anchors the plot. The storys power, as in the companion book, comes from readers ability to picture themselves in a similiar situation; everything Pfeffer writes about seems wrenchingly plausible. Grades 8-12. --Ilene Cooper; Title: The Dead and the Gone (The Last Survivors, Book 2) | [
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7,763 | 15 | Text: Spanish (translation) Original Language: English; Title: El Gran Capoquero: Un Cuento de la Selva Amazonica (The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest) | [
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7,764 | 0 | An attractive offering that seems--as a collection of poems about baseball--to be unique: 19 high-quality entries, including a couple of excerpts (e.g., from Golenbock's Teammates); the inevitable Casey; reliables like Lillian Morrison, Patricia Hubbell, and the anthologist; and some elegantly evocative, but perfectly accessible, adult voices--Robert Francis's ``Base Stealer,'' May Swenson's splendid, ever-hypnotic ``Analysis of Baseball.'' On every spread, Medlock's handsomely constructed impressionistic oils exude color and enthusiasm, capturing the body language and facial expressions of the pros and the boys and girls of Little League with equal skill. A hit! (Poetry. 5+) -- Copyright 1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.No Bio; Title: Extra Innings: Baseball Poems | [
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7,765 | 15 | From the opening lines (Sun sizzled. Hair frizzled), Spinelli (Summerhouse Time) jauntily establishes the theme for this tale of one sweltering week in the town of Lumberville, long before the advent of air conditioners. Beginning on a blistering Monday, the day-by-day chronicle reveals how residents cope. Abigail Blue and her brother Ralphie open a lemonade stand, but two days later forgot about the lemonade and just sold ice. Lottie Mims takes four cold showers one day and on the next wore her bathing suit to clean house. Caldecott Honor artist Lewin's (Click, Clack, Moo) amusing assemblage of brush, ink and watercolor images portray the resourceful ways the townsfolk try to beat the heat. On Saturday night, everyone—whether in a bed or on a rooftop or on a fire escape or in a tent or near the river—everyone... had the exact same dream. A spread depicting that dream rounds up playful portraits of the smiling citizens frolicking in the rain. A power outage may be the closest modern readers come to a similar experience, but they (and nostalgic parents) should nonetheless appreciate this good-natured tribute to summer at its hottest. Ages 3-7. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 3—Before stores, businesses, and homes had air conditioners, the residents of Lumberville had to get creative during a heat wave. The "sun sizzled. Hair frizzled" as sweltering day after day began. Townspeople, kids, and dogs try a variety of ways to cool down and finally all camp out on the riverbank dreaming of a break in the weather. Stark white pages provide the perfect backdrop for fresh, vivid watercolor cartoons, with the final page displaying splashes of refreshing blue raindrops. While the story is simple and straightforward, the sun-drenched illustrations provide a spirited and evocative look back in time.—Judy Chichinski, Skyline Elementary School, Tacoma, WA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: Heat Wave | [
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7,766 | 0 | Following The People in Pineapple Place, Bailey's Window and other deft blends of magic and everyday doings, Lindbergh's latest is another winner. Brinkloe's atmospheric scenes illustrate the story told by Zannah McFee, 11. Early one morning, Zannah climbs into the back of a horse-drawn milk wagon. The driver, who doesn't know she's there waiting to buy a quart, starts up, not stopping until he arrives at the Hunky-Dory Dairy. Here a small group of people live, lost in the year 1880, when they were imprisoned on a bit of land invisible to outsiders in the modern world. The milkman had discovered them accidentally; he brings the "removed" ones necessities bought by their milk sales. Zannah and the old-fashioned children are entranced by each other and she returns again and again, bringing her widowed mother Patty. The wily girl hopes Patty will wed the colony's leader Hector Graybeal, a handsome, though unduly strict man. The story is full of surprises and fun, capped with an unpredictable but gratifying realization of the narrator's dreams. Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 4-6 When Zannah spots an old-fashioned dairy van standing on the street, she climbs inside to look for the driver. Before she knows it the van has taken her to the Hunky-Dory Dairy and its odd assortment of quaintly dressed people. The people, seven in all, have been transported by an evil magician from a past time and locked into a time limbo. Until Zannah's arrival, only the driver of the wagon, Mr. Pratt, has been able to enter the dairy or see them. When Zannah's mother, Patty, is also able to visit and share the life in the dairy, Zannah begins to plot a marriage between her mother and the group's patriarchal leader, Hector Graybeal, whose daughter is the special friend Zannah has always wanted. As the lives of the families begin to mingle, each begins to accept and appreciate what the other's world has to offer. However, Patty is reluctant to give up the nursery school she runs or the conveniences of modern life, and she has ideas of her own about marriage. The supposedly funny episodes in Patty's nursery school, such as sending children to the wrong homes, are of questionable humor. After a while, one wonders how the haphazard Patty keeps a license or if she even has one. Also, the logic behind the fantasy is tenuous (it's not really clear why only these people can visit the dairy), but the vivid characters make the interplay of contemporary urban life and an earlier rural existence believable. Six captioned full-page pencil illustrations give the book the semblance of a book from another era.Eleanor K. MacDonald, University Elementary School Library, Los AngelesCopyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Hunky-Dory Dairy | [
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7,767 | 5 | Grade 2-5-- Nine animal stories from around the world grace this collection. Although the tales may have originated in North America, China, or India, all explain or account for an animal's unusual markings, from the yellow eyes of the coyote, to the stripes of the tiger and the peacock's bright feathers. The stories are clearly and casually told; they are humorous, righteous, and revealing. A glossary provides information on their origins and includes a short summary about each animal. The illustrations interpret the action with bold, abstract, cut-out paper designs that burst from the pages with bright aggressive color and the rhythm of a folk dance. Their style unifies the collection while also providing a visual separation between the tales by using different background colors for each animal. With its simplicity and eye-catching design, this collection will be enjoyed by children who are interested in wild animals, other cultures, and creation myths. --Martha Topol, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MICopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.Nine pourquoi stories drawn from named sources such as Bulfinch, The Journal of American Folklore, and the work of various anthropologists. Rosen's retellings are spare but fairly lively; Clementson's illustrations, vibrant with sharp-edged areas of joyfully intense color that appear to have been cut with scissors, dramatically frame the stark white areas of text. Concluding notes about cultural sources and the animals themselves are addressed to young readers; it's too bad that the credited sources are not also mentioned. An outstandingly handsome, eye-catching book--one that's likely to be especially useful to storytellers and teachers. (Folklore. 3-9) -- Copyright 1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.; Title: How the Animals Got Their Colors: Animal Myths from Around the World | [
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7,768 | 1 | Mick Inkpen captures the delicious scariness of what might go bump in the night in Kipper's Monster. The trouble starts when Tiger and Kipper pick up a picture book that begins, "Deep in the middle of the dark, dark wood, there lived a horrible, horrendous, terrible, tremendous..." Just to torture themselves further, they decide to camp in the woods that night with the book. Of course, once outside, Tiger has second thoughts, especially with imagined bears, a tremendous "Screech!" coming from a hole in a tree, and the shadow on the tent wall of something with horns! (It's just a snail.) They don't get very far in their reading of the scary book until they're safely back in Tiger's bedroom. As ever, Inkpen's drawings are charming and expressive, and the happy ending will make youngsters feel safe and cozy. (Baby to preschool) --Karin SnelsonA scary storybook inspires Kipper to go camping in Kipper's Monster by Mick Inkpen, but when the frightened pup drops his flashlight, the image of a tiny snail seems supersized. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Kipper's Monster | [
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7,769 | 13 | Praise for the original picture book:"[An] exuberant picture book."--Publishers Weekly"A vibrant and fascinating picture book . . . Ehlert has created a . . . captivating world within these pages."--Kirkus Reviews"A festive outing, with a gorgeous assortment of objects in vivid, eye-catching colors."--School Library JournalText: Spanish (translation) Original Language: English; Title: D¡a de mercado: Una historia contado a travs del arte popular | [
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7,770 | 11 | Grand Nanny Penguin tells her brood an extravagant cautionary tale; PW said, "With outlandish humor and fabulous color illustrations, Wood serves up a goodnatured romp across the polar cap." Ages 3-7. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.Audrey Wood is the author of many beloved books for children, including the bestselling classic The Napping House, its companion The Full Moon at the Napping House, Caldecott Honor Book King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, Heckedy Peg, Piggies, and Piggy Pie Po, all of which were illustrated by her husband, Don Wood. The Woods divide their time between California and Hawaii.  ; Title: Little Penguin's Tale | [
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7,771 | 16 | Little ones will enjoy the sturdy paper-over-board offering, Peekaboo Kisses by Barney Saltzberg. In the opening, a kitten covers its eyes ("Peekaboo! I see..."); readers lift the flap to find "Fluffy kitten kisses." Throughout, fabric patches in bold colors mimic the fur of each animal. Closing pages include a squeaker and mirror ("Peekaboo! I see.../ YOU!"). Ages 6mos.-4 yrs.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Peekaboo Kisses | [
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7,772 | 12 | As seductive as Krull and Hewitt's Lives of the Musicians, this compendium of brief biographies of literary luminaries is as much fun as a tete-a-tete with a gossipy friend. Krull knows exactly how to captivate her audience; she goes right for the juicy stuff, adding to historical fact the kind of chatty incidentals and amusing anecdotes that put flesh and blood on dry literary bones. Hans Christian Andersen, for example, "was known to hug trees," and Edgar Allan Poe, at 27, married his 13-year-old cousin. Emily Dickinson and Mark Twain shared an eccentricity-they both dressed solely in white. Jane Austen ate chocolate for breakfast, and Jack London liked to pose outrageous challenges to his houseguests-swallowing live goldfish, perhaps, or pushing peanuts up their noses. These exuberant thumbnail sketches are ably matched by Hewitt's sophisticated caricatures, which will delight sharp-eyed readers with their many visual references to particulars and oddities about each of the subjects. A must-have for the reference shelf. Ages 8-12. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 4 Up-Employing the lively format that worked so well in Lives of the Musicians (Harcourt, 1993), Krull and Hewitt present the brief histories of 20 classic writers-warts and all. Most are novelists and poets whose names, and possibly whose works, will be familiar to the intended audience. A wide variety of cultures and a generous proportion of women are represented. Krull organizes her biographical sketches chronologically, moving from Japan (Murasaki Shikibu, author of Tale of the Genji) through the centuries with Shakespeare, Cervantes, the Brontes, Twain, Poe, Zora Neale Hurston, and ending with Isaac Bashevis Singer. The glimpses she provides are respectful of their times and influences without being dull. The dry essentials are dealt with in the headings of each chapter. The rest is the juicy stuff-what the writers ate, the pets they kept, what they wore (with a healthy interest in underwear), their writing habits, eccentricities and scandals, and what people thought of them. Brief sections entitled "Bookmarks" highlight a few of their works. A one-page glossary of literary terms, a short index, and a child-focused bibliography complete the book. Hewitt maintains a light touch in her full-page caricatures by balancing fully realized facial portraits on small bodies surrounded by representative objects. The handsomely mounted text is larded with small pictorial reminders of the content. There's enough substance here for a quick report or to enliven a longer one. Let's hope this team continues through all the arts. An irresistible package.Sally Margolis, Deerfield Public Library, ILCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought) | [
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7,773 | 11 | Grade 4-10?An enchanting collection that transports readers through varied Arctic landscapes. The magical and humorous tales also provide a wellspring of information about Inuit culture. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.This collection is not only the handsomest gathering of Inuit folktales ever, but one that will bring readers as close to a living oral tradition as printed material can. After working with folklorists and Inuit storytellers, Norman recasts ten stories from every corner of this widespread culture. While versions of several stories appeared in his Northern Tales (1990), they will be new to young readers. Most have a humorous cast: A shaman enrages a rude visitor with a succession of hilarious, earthy insults; stubborn Uteritsoq ignores good advice and has his ``stomach guts'' stolen by a moon spirit; when the Ark becomes locked in Hudson Bay ice, a crabby Noah refuses to have anything to do with the local villagers, and so is forced to eat many of his animals--plus a woolly mammoth that comes on board. Between each tale's two or three magical, formal, full-page paintings, the Dillons recapitulate events in a small black-and-white running frieze, composed of human and animal figures done in a style evocative of Inuit art. A pleasure to see, to hold, and to read--this is elegant bookmaking matched to entertaining, perceptive storytelling. Story notes appended. (Folklore. 9+) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.; Title: The Girl Who Dreamed Only Geese: And Other Tales of the Far North | [
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7,774 | 1 | Most's signature bold pictures and lighthearted, informative text offer the inside story on such mini-dinos as the anchisaurus, which "could probably squeeze into a telephone booth." Ages 3-8. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Littlest Dinosaurs | [
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7,775 | 11 | Native American poet and literary critic Harjo makes her children's book debut with a simple but beautifully executed tale of a "good luck cat": "You pet [her] and good things happen." Woogie, the cat in question, has need of some luckAas the unnamed girl who narrates explains, Woogie has quickly used up eight of her nine lives, surviving an encounter with a large dog, a tumble in the clothes dryer, a fall from a tree, etc. Then, apparently down to her last life, Woogie disappears. The girl searches everywhere and finally puts a dish of food and some cat toys on the stoop, asking her cat to return. The next morning, Woogie has reappeared, missing half an ear but seemingly content. Harjo combines a childlike voice with a command of detail and imagery ("When I pet her she purrs as if she has a drum near her heart"), and the passing characterization of the narrator as Native American adds interest. Lee's (Amistad Rising) spare, sharply focused, acrylic art provides realistic action views of the risk-taking Woogie, showing familiarity with the way cats move. Given its fresh narrative voice and winning animal heroine, this is likely to have a long shelf lifeAperhaps even nine. Ages 3-7. (Apr.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 3-A young girl tells how Woogie, "a stripedy cat with tickling whiskers and green electric eyes," brings good fortune to her family. The feline's luck, however, might be running out, for she has already used up eight of her nine lives, surviving dangerous encounters with a car motor, a clothes dryer, and a large dog, as well as other mishaps. Now, the cat has disappeared and everyone is worried. After several days, she returns home, minus part of an ear but otherwise shipshape, proving that she "is definitely a real good luck cat," having exceeded her expected life span. Harjo's text presents some striking images while still maintaining a believably childlike tone. The realistic acrylic paintings beautifully convey both action scenes (Woogie falling from a tree) and quiet moments (the hopeful girl placing her missing pet's bowl and toys on the back step). Lee has a knack for capturing the cat's agility and suppleness. Details woven into the story and pictures provide a glimpse of the protagonist's Native American heritage. A moving tale for anyone who has ever lost and found a beloved companion.Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library Journal Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Good Luck Cat | [
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7,776 | 5 | Although text and art in this picture book match as hand and glove, it is really the ornate illustrations that carry it aloft to the dimension of classic fairytale. The mother of seven children (who are named for each day of the week) leaves for the market with a list of things for thembutter, knife, pitcher, honey, salt, crackers and egg pudding. The witch Heckedy Peg who "lost her leg" drops in on the kids and turns them into foodbread, pie, milk, porridge, fish, cheese and roast rib. The mother finds her children and saves them by matching each food item on her list, as in bread and butter, cheese and crackers, etc. The story has essential elements of playfulness and eeriness; also evident is a poetic license that effects a looseness in structure. The realistic figures of the happy inhabitants of the cottage are bathed in bursts of light, in contrast to the shadowy, ghastly hideout of Heckedy Peg. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 3 This original story reads like a pure folktale. The poor mother of seven children, each named for a day of the week, goes off to market promising to return with individual gifts that each child has requested and admonishing them to lock the door to strangers and not to touch the fire. The gullible children are tricked into disobeying their mother by the witch, Heckedy Peg, who turns them all into various kinds of food. The mother can rescue her children only by guessing which child is the fish, the roast rib, the bread, etc., a trick she neatly performs by matching each kind of food with the gift that each child had requested (Monday asked for butter, so Monday is the bread, etc.). This story, deep and rich with folk wisdom, is stunningly illustrated with Don Wood's luminous paintings. He shows the countryside as a true fairy tale settingthe half-timbered village, thatched roof cottages, haymakers in the field, and the witch's hut in dark, dank woods. With variety of color and line he enhances every nuance of the text, from the individuality of the children and the stalwart mother to the unrelenting evil of the witch. A tour de force in every way. Connie C. Rockman, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, Conn.Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Heckedy Peg | [
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7,777 | 0 | Tamar, the author of such tough-minded YA novels as Fair Game, turns dewy-eyed in her first picture book, an idealistic tale about a community garden in a rundown part of New York City. A studiously multiethnic coalition of neighbors claims an empty lot, and there Mrs. Willie Mae Washington plants black-eyed peas and greens "like on my daddy's farm in Alabama"; Mr. Singh raises valore, as he did in Bangladesh; etc. Young Marisol, pining to grow something, too, plants a seed she finds on the sidewalk and waters it faithfully. She is ecstatic when a sunflower finally blossoms and then grief-stricken when, at the end of the season, it dies. Overawed dialogue ("Los girasoles from Mexico, where they bring joy to the roadside," says old Mrs. Garcia), exaggerated emotions and an unlikely happy ending turn this outing into a sort of urban Marisol of Sunnybrook Farm. Lambase, a debut illustrator, wisely interprets the goings-on as fantastic. Her exuberant oil paintings tweak perspectives to the extent that Marisol's "flower of sunshine" reaches to a fifth-story window, and her warm palette bathes the characters in a protective golden light. Those in search of a more believable treatment of the multicultural garden theme might try DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan's City Green (Morrow, 1994). Ages 4-8. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 3?Marisol, who lives near East Houston Street on New York City's Lower East Side, is surprised one morning to see her neighbors busily clearing a garbage-filled lot. Soon after, they plant the vegetables that remind them of the places where they grew up. Mrs. Washington has seeds for black-eyed peas and sweet potatoes; Mr. Ortiz watches over his habichuelas from Puerto Rico; Mr. Singh has beans from Bangladesh; Mr. Castro has tomato seedlings. There isn't much space for Marisol, but she does plant one seed that grows into a beautiful sunflower. Then fall comes, and it dies. All is not lost, though, for the teenagers who have been seeking inspiration for a wall mural across the street create a sunny splash of giant yellow flowers. Full-page oil paintings explode with bright colors and offbeat perspectives. Those looking for an urban, multicultural picture book and even a tie-in to a gardening project will enjoy this straightforward story.?Susan Pine, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Garden of Happiness | [
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7,778 | 2 | * "Outlined in a thick, curly halo of split ends, a "boulder-big bear with shaggy, raggy, brownbear hair everywhere . . . except on his no-hair nose" bounds happily through a seasonal round in this outdoorsy gambol. Schertle's patterned language sets up a playful cadence that Phelan captures perfectly in his soft-lined, buttery-yellow pastels. Whether splashing after salmon in spring, fearlessly sticking that no-hair nose into a bee tree in summer, lounging at purple-stained ease amid a patch of blueberry bushes or chowing down on a hoard of acorns as squirrels chatter angrily above, the portly protagonist positively radiates doggy good cheer. Until, that is, winter sets in-then it's time for a good scratch on a rough tree trunk and a sleepy retreat to a cave where "shaggy, raggy, very hairy bearpaws" can protect that sensitive nose from the cold wind. He's a bear of rare appeal, and it's hard to resist the urge to snuggle down next to him." (starred review) (Kirkus Reviews)ALICE SCHERTLE is a well-known poet with many picture books to her credit, including Down the Road, illustrated by E. B. Lewis, and William and Grandpa, which won the Christopher Award. She lives in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.MATT PHELAN is the illustrator of The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney and The New Girl . . . and Me by Jacqui Robbins. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.; Title: Very Hairy Bear | [
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7,779 | 2 | Product Description Abuelita's hair is the color of salt. Her face is as crinkled as a dried chile. She booms out words as wild as blossoms blooming. She stuffs her carcacha--her jalopy--with all the things she needs: a plumed snake, a castle, a skeleton, and more. Her grandson knows he has the most amazing grandmother ever--with a very important job. What does Abuelita do? With her booming voice and wonderful props, Abuelita is a storyteller. Next to being a grandmother, that may be the most important job of all. Sprinkled with Spanish and infused with love, My Abuelita is a glorious celebration of family, imagination, and the power of story. A Look Inside My Abuelita (Click on Images to Enlarge) My abuelita is round My abuelita's jalopy PreSchool-Grade 1—A boy describes the morning routine he shares with his grandmother as she prepares for work. Flights of fancy enliven the tasks of bathing, eating breakfast, and dressing. When the pair arrive at her workplace, readers discover that Abuelita is a storyteller—a calling that her grandson shares. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout, often followed by brief definitions. For example, the boy says, "I live with my grandma…I call her Abuelita." Johnston effectively engages young readers' interest by mentioning the woman's work, but not revealing what she does until the final page. Morales's bold, innovative illustrations brilliantly reinforce the text. On one spread, Johnston writes that Abuelita is "robust…like a calabaza. A pumpkin." On the left, children see a cheerful, round person, while a mirror on the right shows a pumpkin with Abuelita's smiling face. The illustrations represent a fresh new direction for Morales. Characters molded from polymer clay are dressed in brightly patterned fabrics and placed among images that evoke Mexican art. Abuelita's mirror is framed by traditional metalwork, and her storytelling props include a winged serpent and a Day of the Dead skeleton. While the story is firmly placed in a Mexican context, children of all ethnic and racial backgrounds will be drawn to the eye-catching illustrations and the universal story of a loving intergenerational relationship.—Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: My Abuelita | [
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7,780 | 2 | When Nino's father abandons his cozy pizza parlor to operate an upscale eatery, he realizes he misses "cutting tomatoes and kneading dough." PW enjoyed the "bright color and lively pattern" of Barbour's paintings. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Little Nino's Pizzeria | [
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7,781 | 8 | McKinley's deft adaptation trims the story without sacrificing the witty vitality of MacDonald's 19th century original. The story of a bewitched princess (gravity does not affect her) and the prince who will sacrifice his life for her is presented in a lavishly illustrated package. Treherne's intensely decorative drawings add a striking visual dimension: her use of rich colors and elegantly stylized figures creates a romantic, mysterious mood. Each picture is bordered by a motif that emphasizes an element of the story, which effectively enhances both text and pictures. All ages. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 4The long-awaited princess, a newborn only child, is cursed at her christening by an uninvited disgruntled outrageous guest. The curse: lightness of body and spirit. The princess is given to uncontrollable floating and merri ment. The cure is love, which makes her cry and brings her down to earth. McKinley has cut approximately two thirds of MacDonald's 19th-Century fairy tale, keeping the spirit, grace, and wit of the original. She also keeps the king's inane Chinese philosophers, Hum-Drum and Kopy-Keck, MacDon ald's tasteless but harmless creations whose worst fault is that theirs is the section of the story that children skip over and forgetthey are truly, deeply boring; mercifully, here they are cut to a minimum. Treherne's buoyant, styl ized, full-page, full-color watercolors are reminiscent of Errol LeCain's. In tricate borders pick up a minor pattern in each picture and frame it with stun ning effect. Nothing much has been done with this classic since Maurice Sendak (Farrar, 1969) illustrated it with wonderful tongue-in-cheek formality. This new edition brings a younger gen eration a charming combination of tal ent.Helen Gregory, Grosse Pointe Public Library, Mich.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Light Princess | [
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7,782 | 0 | Tomie dePaola is the author and/or illustrator of more than 250 books for children. He receive a Caldecott Honor for Strega Nona and a Newbery Honor for 26 Fairmont Avenue. He is also the recipient of the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his substantial and lasting contributions to children's literature. He lives in New London, New Hampshire. Visit his website at www.tomie.com.; Title: Pancakes for Breakfast | [
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7,783 | 14 | * "A read-it-again, rollicking rhyme fest with winsome, white animals and rosy pink backgrounds. . . . This one has it all: impeccable rhyming text, bouncy rhythm, rich language, engaging illustrations and a breathtaking ending. A surefire success for Santa storytimes." (starred review) (Kirkus Reviews 2007-11-01); Title: Where, Oh Where, Is Santa Claus? | [
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7,784 | 0 | Drescher (The Boy Who Ate Around; Pat the Beastie) pays homage to Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Wilbur's verse and the result is equal parts silliness and wit, with the artist's playful grotesques populating every page. Wilbur's poems range from couplets to multiple stanzas, presenting puzzle-like proofs rather than standard opposites. The opposite of "doctor," he jokes, is "anyone who makes you sick"; "hat" is the reverse of "shoes/ For shoes and hat together/ Protect our two extremes from weather." Drescher assembles his collages on backgrounds of dark, textured paper, and forms the text by hand-lettering or cutting out newsprint, a la B-movie ransom notes. His raw, studiedly imperfect designs include metal trinkets attached with masking tape; canceled postage stamps; cartoon details and borders; and sepia-tone photo portraits, often given feathery arms and beaky noses. One memorable spread contrasts an armadillo with a pillow-the creature walks on four human feet (clad in black pumps), and feathers litter the page: "'Oh, don't talk nonsense!' you protest. / However, if you tried to rest/ Your head upon the creature, you / Would find that what I say is true." Kid-pleasingly silly and Generation X-pleasingly raffish. All ages. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-6?The jacket blurb says it all: "Henrick Drescher has run away with some of Richard Wilbur's favorite opposites." Here the artist supplies boisterous, challenging illustrations for 15 of the poet's Opposites and More Opposites (both Harcourt, 1991). The poems are wry and teasing: "The opposite of trunk could be/The taproot of a cedar tree./In terms of elephants, however,/The answer tail is rather clever." The artwork, photographed collages including tiny objects, stamps, large assembled objects, and black line as well as full-color water-based drawings, offer layers of meaning and a real interpretative challenge. Together, the text and art create an irresistible synergy for those willing to invest the time to appreciate the sophisticated pairing. People are surreal, portrayed with beaks and lurid multi-colored flesh. Text swarms over the pages. (In one case, flies do, too.) At times, the collage technique used on the individual letters makes it difficult to decipher the words. The endpapers are a riot of personal photos, correspondence among those involved in the production of the book, and miscellany. This book will have great appeal for a narrow audience, but its quirky sophistication may preclude a wide readership.?Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MACopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Runaway Opposites | [] | Test |
7,785 | 0 | Brett, author/illustrator of such favorites as Annie and the Wild Animals , has turned to prehistoric territory for her newest book. Kip the cave boy is on his way home with only a bag of Woollystet upper case, in book Rhino bones and his wits to protect him from the dangerous beasts of Ice Age Europe. At his first rest-stop a Paleowolf appears, to beg for food. Kip gives the wolf nothing and teases him, but each time Kip stops to eat, one of the wolf's keen senseshearing, smell, eyesightsaves him from an approaching animal, including the much-feared Saber-Toothed Cat. When both are safe but hungry, Kip makes a promise to Wolf: he will supply food, if Wolf will supply protectionand Wolf wags his tail to become the first dog. With folksy cadences and repetitions, this seems written to be read aloud. The illustrations are bright, with vivid details that richly evoke the possible landscapes of a prehistoric era; this is an appealing story of the way things might have been. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 1 A simple, imaginative tale of how the first domestication of a wild animal may have occurred. Kip, a cave boy living at the end of the Ice Age, is followed on his journey home by a Paleowolf, who, smelling the boy's roasted Woolly Rhino bones, begs for a treat. Each time the boy stops to rest and eat, the wolf hound senses danger and flees, saving the boy's life, too. After Paleowolf warns him of a fearsome Saber-Toothed Cat, the boy makes a deal with himhe will exchange some of his food for the animal's protective senses. The book's glorious watercolor illustrations will attract young prehistory enthusiasts, for amidst the melting ice floes roam the mighty Mammoth, the Wild Horse, the Woolly Rhino and other denizens of the Pleistocene period. Each scene appears on a ``canvas'' stretched across two pages. Borders show wood and stone carvings, cave paintings, and artifacts. Side panels on several illustrations show the dangers that Kip avoids by heeding Paleowolf's warnings. This is another of Brett's lavish offerings, intricately designed and filled with eye-catching detail. However, it is a fabricated story told with authority, featuring a modern-looking boy amidst authentic-looking animals and scenery. Children familiar with the ever-growing body of factual material on this period may accept it as the truth, despite its accompanying notes. Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OhioCopyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The First Dog | [
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7,786 | 1 | GERALD MCDERMOTT (1941-2012) was an internationally acclaimed author-illustrator and the creator of numerous award-winning books and animated films for children. Winner of the Caldecott Medal and two Caldecott Honors for his picture books, he was also a consultant to the Joseph Campbell Foundation on mythology in education. His acclaimed series of trickster tales consists of Raven (a Caldecott Honor Book), Zomo the Rabbit, Coyote, Jabuti, Pig-Boy, and Monkey, each of which draws from the folktale traditions of a different part of the world. www.geraldmcdermott.com; Title: Papagayo: The Mischief Maker | [
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7,787 | 2 | "For readers willing to think about this issue . . . there is no better vehicle than this short, engagingly written story of one rifle and its fatal impact on one modern boy."--School Library JournalGARY PAULSEN has written nearly two hundred books for young people, including the Newbery Honor Books Hatchet, Dogsong, and The Winter Room. He divides his time between a home in New Mexico and a boat on the Pacific Ocean.; Title: The Rifle | [
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7,788 | 11 | Award-winning photographer George Ancona traveled to Montana to attend Crow Fair, the largest pow wow held in the United States. Through beautiful full-color photographs, he offers an exceptional look at this unique celebration of Native American pride.George Ancona's photography has appeared in over sixty books for children, many of which he wrote and illustrated. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 1987 New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book Award and the New York Academy of Science Award. The highly acclaimed American Family Farm, an ALA Notable Book, was the first book he illustrated for Harcourt Brace.  ; Title: Powwow | [
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7,789 | 0 | No Bio; Title: Moses Supposes His Toeses Are Roses: And 7 Other Silly Old Rhymes | [
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7,790 | 11 | Paul Robert Walker has written screenplays, magazine articles, and books for young people and adults. Before he began research for Pride of Puerto Rico, Walker knew only Roberto Clemente's reputation as a baseball star but soon came to know and respect Clemente as an extraordinary man.  ; Title: Pride of Puerto Rico: The Life of Roberto Clemente | [
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7,791 | 1 | Grade 5-7-- Arnold turns her pen to the plight of the endangered California Condor. Although she reveals the sad, stunning fact that in 1986 there was but one breeding pair of condors left in the wild, her book is a work of hope as it outlines scientists' attempts to save the bird from extinction. There is background information about the species' 40,000-year-old existence, its size, color, and eating habits. There are descriptions of the growing population, the shooting of the birds for sport, and the terrible scourge of DDT. The excellentfull-color photographs and clear, engaging text are sure to capture the attention of readers; together, they record the daring mission to restore the condor to its rightful place. It would be hard to find better photographs; they show the bird in flight, engaged in courtship, birth, even at home in a giant sequoia tree. This is aimed at an older audience than Saving the Condor (Watts, 1991) by Nancy Schorsch. Its a treasure-trove for the eye and for the heart. --Amy Nunley, Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, OHCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: On the Brink of Extinction: The California Condor | [
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7,792 | 0 | Very nice old copy. Hartcourt Brace and Co. first edition. Red boards with some scuffing. Dust Jacket shows average wear. No internal markings. Thank you for your purchase.; Title: Rowan Farm | [
66928
] | Train |
7,793 | 13 | Tomie dePaola (pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) is best known for his books for children.He's been published for over 40 years and has written and/or illustrated nearly 250 books, including Strega Nona, 26 Fairmount Avenue,The Art Lesson, and Christmas Remembered. Over 15 million copies of his books have sold worldwide.; Title: Oliver Button Is a Sissy | [
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36... | Train |
7,794 | 2 | Grade 1- 3 In this long bedtime mood-piece, a little girl, Firen, accuses the moon of taking her sleep; she resolves to ``go out in the night and find it.'' Outside, a moonbeam lands in her hands and becomes a magic flute with which she flies through the night. She encounters creatures of town, sea, and jungle in a dreamlike sequence illustrated in deep greens, blues, and violet. Firen herself has a pixie-ish, flower-fairy look, and is silvery-shiny with moonlight. The earthy robust humor of King Bidgood's in the Bathtub (HBJ, 1985) gives way in this book to an airy romanticism in both text and illustrations. Adult nostalgia for the magic of warm moonlit nights is evoked more strongly than the actual experience of them, giving this more adult than child appeal. Udry's Moon Jumpers (Harper, 1959) with Sendak's exhilarating double-page spreads is still the best choice for capturing a childlike vision of nighttime enchantment. Susan Patron, Los Angeles Public LibraryCopyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Moonflute | [
17115
] | Test |
7,795 | 21 | <DIV>"Keystone Kids deals frankly and realistically with racial intolerance . . . Its theme of sportsmanship in the fuller sense rings clearly through its prose." --THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW</div><div>JOHN R. TUNIS (1889-1975) was considered one of the finest writers for young people during the 1940s and '50s. He wrote more than twenty books, many of them award winners. The timeless appeal of his novels has made them enduringly popular with readers of all ages.</div>; Title: Keystone Kids (Baseball Diamonds) | [
7538,
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] | Test |
7,796 | 7 | The fascination of Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450-1516) with bizarre imaginary beings is the springboard for a chimerical vision--elegantly realized in this resplendent work. In Willard's playful poem, the artist's housekeeper is vexed to the utmost by such distractions as "a beehive in boots and a pear-headed priest / who call monkeys to order and lizards to feast," but ultimately ac- cepts that her lot--and, her expressions suggest, her affections--lies with Bosch and his menagerie, however maddening. Once again, the Dillons have tailored their style to perfectly suit--and here, lend waggish twists to--their subject. Rendered in the opulent tones and peculiar, wild spirit of Bosch's works, their parade of fantastical creatures would make the master proud: animate cucumbers, an armor-plated, two-headed dragon, a flying fish with wings of pickles. Each exquisite painting is contained within a meticulously designed, sculpted gilt frame that produces a three-dimensional effect and adds to the immediacy and power of the surreal tableaux. The book's design is further enhanced by the calligraphic text, rich ivory stock and splendidly ornamented sepia endpapers. This eccentric work may not be for youngest children, but anyone with unusual vision and an affinity for the quirkiest corners of the imagination will find it a source of endless fascination. All ages. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3 Up-- One needn't know Bosch's paintings of nightmarish otherworlds to be intrigued by the fantastic cast of characters Willard describes and the Dillons depict--although this visual parody is even more delightful to those familiar with the artist's work. The painter's housekeeper complains of the extreme frustration produced by the hordes of weird creatures that keep her from her proper duties, and she leaves. But she's followed by the lot who clamor for her loving attention , and she returns resigned to an active life with those who need her. Willard's verse has a Seuss-like dash to it, most frequently rhymed couplets with unusual words and even odder references to things such as a "pickle-winged fish." All the words are hand-lettered in an unlikely mixture of upper- and lower-case letters in the same tones of warm brown used to create vignettes on the pages facing the full color scenes. And such illustrations they are! The Dillons' son has cast four winged beasties and intergrated them onto a gilt wood frame with a softly arched top. Inside the artists have painted scenes in the spirit of the 15th-century genius but in a more modern, post-Renaissance fashion. The setting and humans are realistically portrayed in period dress, the artist as a bit of a crackpot and his housekeeper as a young woman fed up with his madness. It's the "beehive in boots" and "three-legged thistles" that infest all parts of these scenes that are based on characters from Bosch's vision of hell. Only now the effect is comic rather than frightening. Once again the artists show their virtuosity, their ability to don the robes of another artistic period or place, and yet play the play in their own fashion. --Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State University, ColumbusCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch | [
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7,797 | 5 | Tomie dePaola is the author and/or illustrator of more than 250 books for children. He receive a Caldecott Honor for Strega Nona and a Newbery Honor for 26 Fairmont Avenue. He is also the recipient of the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his substantial and lasting contributions to children's literature. He lives in New London, New Hampshire. Visit his website at www.tomie.com.; Title: The Mysterious Giant of Barletta | [
6283,
7448,
7782,
15854,
16435,
16470,
16567,
26031,
26121,
39596
] | Test |
7,798 | 10 | Kindergarten-Grade 3. In an author's note, McCully distinguishes fact from fiction in this picture book about a pioneer entrepreneur. Olmsted Ferris, Concurrance Ann, and their daughter, Maisie, are considered oddities by their traditional neighbors. Mustard, canary seed, and popcorn are not standard crops in Galesburg, IL, in the mid-1800s. But the man perseveres, and when Maisie explains their unusual-looking cornstalks to a visiting British journalist, her father sees the potential for a new market abroad. He and Maisie book passage for England and secure an invitation from Prince Albert to demonstrate the "corn that turns to snow." During their presentation, Queen Victoria gives Maisie a French doll dressed in velvet and lace, and father and daughter receive an order for their product. McCully's impressionistic watercolors, highlighted with pastels, show the contrast between prairie and palace; the artist's palette ranges from the soft browns of a frontier fireside to the lush greens of Windsor. Pair this with Aliki's Corn Is Maize (HarperCollins, 1976), Tomie dePaola's The Popcorn Book (Holiday, 1978), and, of course, a big bowl of the fluffy kernels for a primary-grade storytime on a uniquely American treat.?Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PACopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.McCully (Starring Mirette and Bellini, p. 559) bases this tale on a piece of history from her own hometown, Galesburg, Illinois, and one of its innovative founders, Olmsted Ferris, who experimented with unusual crops. When Olmsted learned that popcorn was unknown in Europe, he took a shipment of it to London and obtained an audience with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to demonstrate this wonder. Victoria gave Olmsted a doll for his young daughter, which was passed down through the family for generations. McCully fleshes out this historical account and tells it from the perspective of Olmsted's daughter (here called Maisie), imagining that the idea of exporting popcorn originated with her and having her accompany her father to London and to Victoria's court. The Ferrises are portrayed as energetic non-conformists, looked at askance by their staid neighbors before their trip to England, and lionized upon their return. What readers will remember is the pioneer spirit behind this appealing tale and a spunky girlreal or notat its center. (Picture book. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.; Title: Popcorn at the Palace | [
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7,799 | 15 | Ehlert ( Color Zoo ) uses a variety of materials--including paper, ribbons and paints--to depict the beginning of a sugar maple's life. Some time after seeds fall from a tree in the woods, nursery workers collect the slender sprouts; years later the tree is sold to a customer (the young first-person narrator of the book), taken home and carefully planted. Once again Ehlert provides a visual bounty: her pages are awash in the riotous reds and golds of autumn and the fresh, vibrant greens of new growth. There is bounteous information, too: in addition to the tree itself she includes several varieties of birds and many of the objects associated with gardening. An appendix provides further details on the biology and upkeep of trees. Less successful is the story line linking the tree to the narrator; the child remains an unseen abstraction whose utterances ("I love my tree") appear stiff and a bit forced. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 3-- This very striking book examines the life of a sugar maple tree from the point of view of a young child. Each spread is a visual masterpiece; Ehlert has added elements of collage and watercolored paper that lend sophistication and diversity to her ever-evolving style. Preschoolers will delight in naming objects found on each double-page spread, newly independent readers will appreciate the oversized type, and slightly older children will make use of the appendix explaining the various functions and parts of a tree, along with tips on selecting and planting one. Although the book is absolutely stunning, text and illustrations in several instances are not a perfect union. Youngsters may question the "I" in the opening narration, or wonder why seeds covered with snow are mentioned but not depicted. The cover spread is gorgeous, yet the title is not particularly apt or telling. Still, both public and school libraries will find this book popular and valuable, especially when used along with Janice Udry's A Tree Is Nice (HarperCollins, 1956) or Alvin Tresselt's The Dead Tree (Parents Magazine Pr., 1972; o.p.). --Eve Larkin, Chicago Public LibraryCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf | [
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3169... | Test |
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