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Children's book reviews from the children's book expert
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It's rare to find a children's book that will actually keep kids' interest for a long period of time. Once you read the story, most kids move on to more exciting adventures. But In the Town All Year 'Round by Rotraut Susanne Berner (Chronicle Books 2008, ISBN: 978-0-8118-6474-9) offers hours of entertainment as readers search the large, colorful pages for Cassie the cat, Pedro the guitarist, the mysterious motorcyclist and more.
The book is organized in four sections, one for each season of the year. At the beginning of each section is a page of characters' pictures and intriguing questions and clues for readers to discover within the pictures that follow. They then search the over-sized, double-page spreads for the answers.
Some questions and clues include:
Who is the mysterious motorcyclist?
What is fox doing in the city?
The magpie often finds the most remarkable things.
Where is Hannah taking such a large present?
Where are Iris and Charlie going with those pumpkins?
This book is a good choice for kids who can't yet read because there's not much text. Most pages have no words at all, only detailed illustrations full of action and adventure. The characters easily come to life on the page. No words are necessary. In fact, the book could spark some intriguing conversation between kids and adults and they discuss what's going on in each picture.
In the Town All Year 'Round is both entertaining and educational. I highly recommend this book for parents looking to spend some quality time with their kids while curled up with a good book.
Girls who long to follow their hearts will find a powerful tale of love and heartache with The Girl Who Wanted to Dance (Candlewick 2009, 978-0-7636-1345-7) by Amy Ehrlich.
In the story, 8-year-old Clara lives with her father and grandmother in a tiny village. Clara wishes to be a dancer, but her stern father forbids it. When a troupe of dancers comes to town, Clara goes against her father’s wishes and follows them into the forest where they have set up camp. While there, she makes a shocking discovery that helps her realize her past and understand her future.
Full of imagery and imagination, The Girl Who Wanted to Dance reads like an enchanting fairy tale:
And on summer evenings, they went down to the river and watched the swallows skim over the water. Granny would sit on the bank, knitting hats or a sweater for Clara while Clara jumped about, leaping and spinning until she felt like a bird herself, free and weightless in the violet air.
The Girl Who Wanted to Dance speaks to the struggle many children face between following their artistic passion and being obedient to their parents. With enchanting illustrations by Rebecca Walsh, this book is designed to be read aloud as the story comes to life on the page. The elaborate descriptions would not work well for beginning readers, but almost any child would enjoy hearing the story read to them.
Those who enjoy classic tales filled with emotion – both happy and sad – will enjoy reading this book.
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 12/28/2009
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Every child can relate to this clever tale of a mummy child who has lost his "Mummy" in the spooky graveyard. With its scary sound effects and creepy characters, parents and kids will enjoy this touching story, especially around Halloween.
In Where's My Mummy (Candlewick Press 2009), Little Baby Mummy convinces Big Mama Mummy to play just one more game of "Hide and Shriek" before going to bed. But when he hides behind a tombstone and his mother doesn't come to find him, he goes out searching for her instead.
He tromps through the woods, into the swamp, and into a cave following spooky sounds such as "Clank, clink, clank," and "Flap, flip, FLOO." But instead of finding Mama Mummy, Little Baby Mummy finds Bones the skeleton, Glob the blob, and Drac the vampire.
"You're not my mummy!" Little Baby Mummy shouts. The creatures tell Little Baby Mummy to go to bed, warning him of the dangers that lurk in the dark night.
Little Baby Mummy is not afraid...until he sees a tiny mouse. That's when he runs away screaming for his Mama Mummy. At last he finds her, and she tucks him safely into his coffin, where Little Baby Mummy makes some sound effects of his own as he snores peacefully in his sleep.
Kids who love P.D. Eastman's
Looking for a fun counting book for a young child at bedtime? Ten Sleepy Sheep, a new board book edition by Candlewick Press, is the perfect choice. It combines the elements of a peaceful bedtime story -- soft illustrations, lots of repetition, and a sing-song rhyme pattern -- with an educational counting book.
In the story, it’s bedtime for 10 playful lambs, but they don’t want to go to sleep. Instead, they romp around the farm, leaping over fences and disturbing their fellow creatures. One by one, each tiny sheep drifts off to sleep, leaving the remaining sheep to discover new adventures.
When all the little lambs except one have finally drifted off to sleep, the last sheep’s mother lulls her to sleep by...
…counting sheep, of course!
Illustrated in acrylics and pastels by Susan Gaber, this charming story will touch the hearts of both kids and their parents. It has a predictable pattern that children will want to hear over and over again, and the new board book edition will ensure a long life on a child’s bookshelf. It’s meant to be read aloud, so I encourage parents to brush up on their storytelling skills when they purchase this book. It will surely become a must-read on a nightly basis.
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4142-9
Candlewick Press, board book edition 2009
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 12/25/2009
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In Bringing Down the Moon, a new board book edition by Candlewick Press, children will enjoy a charming story about some animal friends who learn how far away the moon really is.
Mole emerges from his hole one night to see the moon for the first time. He thinks it's so beautiful, he decides to capture the moon. His friends Rabbit, Hedgehog, and Squirrel try to explain that "It's not as close as it looks," but Mole is determined to bring down the moon.
He tries jumping up and pulling the moon down, poking it with a stick, and even throwing acorns at it, but the moon does not budge. When Mole finally sees the moon's shattered reflection in the ripples of a puddle, he thinks he has broken it and laments ever trying to capture the moon. He is relieved when he realizes that he has not broken the moon and learns that the moon is really not as close as it looks.
Enchanting watercolor illustrations by Vanessa Cabban and sound effects that show Mole's efforts to take down the moon make this story a perfect read-aloud for 3 to 6 year olds. The board book format is perfect for tiny hands -- and even mouths! This book would make a great baby gift or child's birthday present.
ISBN: 978-076364267
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 12/17/2009
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Sometimes an unexpected visitor can bring a pleasant surprise. In A Visitor for Bear (ISBN: 978-0-7636-2807-9), published by Candlewick Press in 2008, award-winning author Bonny Becker has created a modern class
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 5/15/2008
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Greg records his experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship. (CIP)
Despite their increasing popularity, there seems to be some hesitancy for librarians to stock graphic novels in school libraries. If all graphic novels were as funny and clever as this one, I believe more librarians would stock them. This book is not only hilarious, it captures perfectly the awkward, sarcastic attitude shared by all pre-teen boys. Greg is a character we can all relate to, which is why this series is so wildly popular. The illustrations are equally as entertaining, and the fact they they are black-and-white doodlings make them even more appealing. This book is a great choice for reluctant readers because the language is not very difficult, and it is a fast read. But the fun story appeals to anyone who likes a good laugh.
"That piece of Cheese has been sitting on the black top since last spring. I guess it must've dropped out of someone's sandwich or something. After a couple of days, the Cheese started getting all moldy and nasty. Nobody would play basketball on the court where the Cheese was, even though that was the only court that had a hoop with a net.
Then one day, this kid named Darren Walsh touched the Cheese with his finger, and that's what started this thing called the Cheese Touch. It's basically like the Cooties. If you get the Cheese Touch, you're stuck with it until you pass it on to someone else.
The only way to protect yourself from the Cheese Touch is to cross your fingers. But it's not that easy remembering to keep your fingers crossed every moment of the day. I ended up taping mine together so they'd stay crossed all the time. I got a D in handwriting, but it was totally worth it.
This one kid named Abe Hall got the Cheese Touch in April, and nobody would even come near him for the rest of the year. This summer Abe moved away to California and took the Cheese Touch with him.
I just hope someone doesn't start the Cheese Touch up again, because I don't need that kind of stress in my life anymore." [p.9-10]
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 5/14/2008
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When a terrible blight attacks Ireland’s potato crop in 1845, twelve-year-old Nory Ryan’s courage and ingenuity help her family and neighbors survive. (CIP)
The character of Nory Ryan is true-to-life and believable in this story because Giff gives her real emotions in the face of horrific tragedy. As a 12-year-old girl caught in the middle of a potato famine in Ireland, Nory struggles to maintain hope as she watches her family and neighbors starve around her. Nory’s internal dialogue shows that she tries to remain optimistic, but the negative thoughts permeate her mind nonetheless. This real sequence of emotions makes the character seem more real to the reader, which makes the story more effective.
“Think about green leaves, I told myself. Think about the sun in the sky and Da fishing on a big ship. Think about good things.
What else?
A red wedding dress. Number 416 Smith Street in Brooklyn.
Think about…
Stories of famine, people dying in their houses. Da’s little brother. A boy like Patch.
Please let the potatoes be all right.” [p.40]
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 5/14/2008
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With their father jailed for sinking a river boat, Noah Underwood and his younger sister, Abbey, must gather evidence that the owner of this floating casino is emptying his bilge tanks into the protected waters around their Florida Keys home. (CIP)
While the story is presented as an adventure and uses the elements of mystery and suspense to drive the plot forward, the underlying message of environmentalism is difficult to miss. The main character Noah is the narrator of the story, and he often makes statements about his environmental beliefs that come across as preachy and excessive. The author would have done better to leave out the moral lesson and let the events unfold more naturally.
“Whenever my father takes us out on the boat, he always stops to scoop up trash that other people have tossed overboard – Styrofoam cups, bottles, chum boxes, plastic bags, whatever. Dad says it’s our duty to clean up after the brainless morons. He says the smart humans owe it to every other living creature not to let the dumb humans wreck the whole planet.” [p.139]
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 5/14/2008
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A simple errand to the Laundromat turns into a crisis when Trixie loses her beloved Knuffle Bunny stuffed animal in the process.
Willems has used a combination of black-and-white photographs of Brooklyn, New York, with colorful, hand-drawn illustrations of the characters in this touching story of Trixie, a toddler who cannot yet speak, and her Daddy. While the illustrations are clearly cartoonish and exaggerated, the juxtaposition with the photographs gives the story a realistic tone that readers can appreciate.
Trixie and her Daddy walk into a real Laundromat in Brooklyn, New York. Trixie, her Daddy, Knuffle Bunny, and their basket of laundry are full-color cartoons. The Laundromat building, windows, sidewalk, benches, and surrounding fence are black-and-white photography.
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 5/14/2008
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The story of a loveable dog named Walter and the family who loves him. Walter has a big problem: He can’t stop farting. And unless he can prove his worth, he will be sent to the dog pound for his smelly problem.
Many school libraries have chosen not to carry this book because of its content. To many people, the idea of a farting dog is simply not appropriate reading material for schoolchildren. But the story goes beyond simple “toilet humor” and attempts to teach a lesson about acceptance and family. Walter proves that he is more than just a lazy, farting dog; he is a hero who is loved by his family. This positive message makes the book a good choice for students who might not otherwise be interested in reading.
“When Father and Mother came down in the morning, they found the open window. And they saw the bag with their valuables in it. And Walter was sitting beside it. He still had the rag tied around his snout. You’d have to say he looked heroic.
“He saved the silverware!” cried Mother.
“He save the VCR!” cried Father. “Good dog, Walter! You’re our dog, even if you do fart all the time.”
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 5/14/2008
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Fearing that her legal guardian plans to abandon her to return to France, ten-year-old aspiring scientist Lucky Trimble determines to run away while also continuing to seek the Higher Power that will bring stability to her life. (CIP)
Patron has created some very unique characters in this book, from a recovering alcoholic named Short Sammy who lives in an old water tank to an aspiring president named Lincoln who is obsessed with knot tying. The story is told from the perspective of Lucky, a motherless 10-year-old girl who sees nothing unusual in her surroundings. The result is a touching blend of real-world issues such as divorce, death, and poverty with childish innocence and silly humor.
“Never before had Lucky realized that Lincoln’s knot-tying brain secretions gave him such a special way of seeing. She had thought he tied knots for practical reasons, in case there was ever a boat that needed to be tied to a dock, or a swing to be hung from a tree. Now she knew that Lincoln was really an artist, who could see the heart of a knot.
Lucky wished she were an artist too, and could organize all the complicated strands of her life – the urn she still had, the strange crematory man, Brigitte and Miles, HMS Beagle, and Short Sammy, the Captain and the anonymous people and Dot and even Lincoln himself, and weave them into a beautiful neat ten-strand knot.” [pp.68-69]
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 5/14/2008
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A very old overcoat is recycled numerous times into a variety of garments. (CIP)
This book creatively incorporates die-cut pictures into the story. Each page features a different cut-out shape that illustrates the different forms that Joseph’s overcoat takes through the course of the story. The effect is very clever because the reader is able to see through to the previous page.
“Joseph had a little scarf. It got old and worn…. So he made a necktie out of it and went to visit his married sister in the city.” The page turns in the middle of these two statements so that the reader can see Joseph’s scarf (on the previous page) through the shape of the necktie (on the current page). This helps young readers understand the transformation of the scarf into a necktie.
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 5/14/2008
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When thirteen-year-old Koly enters into an ill-fated arranged marriage, she must either suffer a destiny dictated by India’s tradition or find the courage to oppose it. (CIP)
While this story features many realistic moments in its attempts to show the brutality of life in India and the degradation of women in Indian culture, it falls short on believability. The main character, Koly, suffers emotionally when her husband through an arranged marriage dies and she is abandoned on the streets of a strange city, but she never really comes close to physical abuse or true hardship. The moment the reader begins to feel sorry for her, she meets someone who “rescues” her. And in the end, she apparently lives “happily ever after” with a handsome husband and a rewarding career. This doesn’t quite fit the genre of “realism.”
“At last Maa Kamala threw up her arms and ordered us to stop. “Enough of your miserable tales,” she said. “You wallow like pigs in mud. That is all in the past. Now, Koly, we must find you a job. Nearby in the bazaar is a man who furnishes all that is needed for ceremonies. Tanu works there stringing marigold garlands. The man is looking for another girl. I warn you, the hours are long and you have to be fast. What do you say?”
I could not stop myself. For an answer I put my arms around as much of
Maa Kamala as I could reach and hugged her.” [pp.120-121]
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 5/14/2008
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The year is 1936, and a 10-year-old motherless boy named Bud Calloway, sets off on his own to find the father he has never known. What he finds is adventure, mystery, and a new definition for the word “family.”
When most children hear the words “historical fiction,” they immediately think “boring.” But what Curtis has done in this story is to show the Great Depression from the point of view of a 10-year-old boy. The main character, Bud Calloway, is funny, insightful, and easy to identify with. It makes for a well-crafted, touching story with a unique twist at the end. Whether the story was set in a 21st-century video game or Colonial times, it would still be fun to read and interesting for young students.
“Then Momma’d look hard in my face, grab a holt of my arms real tight and say, ‘And Bud, I want you always to remember, no matter how bad things look to you, no matter how dark the night, when one door closes, don’t worry, because another door opens.’
I’d say, ‘What, it opens all by itself?’
She’d say, ‘Yes, it seems so.’
That was it: ‘Another door opens.’ That was the thing that was supposed to have helped me. I should’ve known then that I was in for a lot of trouble.
It’s funny how now that I’m ten years old and just about a man I can see how Momma was so wrong.” [pp. 42-43]
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 5/14/2008
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The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin. (CIP)
This story is unusual because the narrator speaks directly to the reader throughout. The tone of the book is conversational, so the reader feels as if the narrator is weaving the tale as she goes along. It works well in this story because the events are so improbable, it guides the reader into suspending disbelief at all times.
“Reader, you may ask this question; in fact, you must ask this question; Is it ridiculous for a very small, sickly, big-eared mouse to fall in love with a beautiful human princess named Pea?
The answer is…yes. Of course, it’s ridiculous.
Love is ridiculous.
But love is also wonderful. And powerful. And Despereaux’s love for the Princess Pea would prove, in time, to be all of these things: powerful, wonderful, and ridiculous.” [p.32]
By: Kari Lomanno,
on 5/14/2008
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Geronimo Stilton is up to his old tricks in Book #3 of the series. On his way to visit his aunt Sweetfur in Pleasant Paw Hills, Geronimo gets lost in the Dark Forest. He stumbles upon a haunted house owned by a family of cats, and he quickly employs the help of his sister Thea, his cousin Trap and his young nephew Benjamin. Together, they work to solve the mystery of Cannycat Castle. This story is an enjoyable, fun read. There are new adventures on every page, and the "haunted" house is never too scary for young readers. Copyright 2000 Scholastic
