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The Curious Garden. Peter Brown. 2009. Little, Brown. 40 pages.

There once was a city without gardens or trees or greenery of any kind. Most people spent their time indoors. As you can imagine, it was a very dreary place.
However, there was one boy who loved being outside. Even on drizzly days, while everyone else stayed inside, you could always find Liam happily splashing through his neighborhood.
It was on one such morning that Liam made several surprising discoveries.

Can a garden thrive in the city? Can a garden grow in unforgotten places and spaces? Can a little boy start a love-nature movement and change the landscape of an entire city? You might enjoy reading Peter Brown's The Curious Garden. It is about a little boy who "discovers" wildflowers and other plants growing on an abandoned railroad track. He decides that he wants to make this place his own--he wants to be the gardener, the caretaker, of this little green space. Especially since it's such a contrast to the drab gray environment of the city. The book follows this "garden" through several seasons.

I was not a big fan of this one. But I think that could be just me.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

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Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down. Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. 2010. February 2010. Little, Brown. 40 pages.

"We must...meet hate with love."
These were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words that got them started.
Four hungry friends. Eager to eat.
Each took a seat at the Woolworth's lunch counter
in Greensboro, North Carolina.
David, Joseph, Franklin, and Ezell sat quiet and still.
With hearts full of hope.
With Dr. King's words strong and close.
They were college students with a plan.
It was February 1, 1960.

This picture book very simply, very eloquently presents the story of one aspect of the Civil Rights Movement. The focus is on the peaceful protests, the sit-ins. It tells how four college students inspired others--many others--to join in the nonviolent fight for equal rights, for integration.

I thought the writing was great. I enjoyed the style very much.

This was the law's recipe for segregation.
Its instructions were easy to follow:
Do not combine white people with black people.
Segregation was a bitter mix.
Now, it was the friends' turn to ignore and refuse.
They ignored the law, and refused to leave until they were served.
Those kids had a recipe too.
A new brew called integration.
It was just as simple:
Combine black with white
to make sweet justice.
For them, integration was better than any chef's special.
Integration was finer than homemade cake.

For readers looking for more information, more background, the book features a Civil Rights Timeline and a bibliography.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

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Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same. Grace Lin. 2010. July 2010. Little, Brown. 43 pages.

Ling and Ting are twins. They have the same brown eyes. They have the same pink cheeks. They have the same happy smiles. People see them and they say, "You two are exactly the same!"
"We are not exactly the same," Ling says.
Ting laughs because she is thinking exactly the same thing!

I really enjoyed Grace Lin's Not Exactly the Same. I thought it was a great early chapter book for young readers. The book is divided into six chapters. The stories are about simple things, ordinary things. But that doesn't mean they are boring! I enjoyed the simplicity of it. How it captured life. I think my favorite story was "Making Dumplings."

See also Grace Lin's Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

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Bedtime Bunny. Sandra Magsamen. 2009. [January 2009] Little Brown. 20 pages.

Bedtime bunny is on her way...
to help you say goodbye to the day.
At bedtime she loves to snuggle with you.
But first there are some things you need to do...

A bedtime board book about bedtime routines. A simple book. Nothing particularly new or unique about this one. But it is cute and sweet enough. It is part of a series. Each come with a little finger puppet.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

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I Don't Want A Cool Cat! By Emma Dodd. 2010. [August 2010] Little Brown Young Readers. 32 pages.

I don't want a cool cat.
A treat-me-like-a-fool cat.

I don't want a stuffy cat.
A huffy, over-fluffy cat.

I don't want a night cat.
A looking-for-a-fight cat.

I just love, love, loved last year's I Don't Want A Posh Dog. So I was so excited to see that there is a companion book called I Don't Want A Cool Cat. Because cat lovers need good books too, you know! This rhyming picture book (with a great feel for rhythm) shows what one little girl wants in cat. After listing the types of cats she doesn't want, she then describes the one she really wants.

It's cute. It's silly. It's fun. It really couldn't get any better than this.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

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The Lion & The Mouse. Jerry Pinkney. 2009. [September 2009] Little, Brown. 40 pages.

Who, who, whooo
Screeeeech

A mostly wordless picture book that happened to win the Caldecott this year. Is there a fair way to review a mostly wordless picture book? I'll try my best. This one is a telling of the Aesop's fable of the same name. A story that shows a lion being merciful to a mouse--by sparing his life, and a mouse returning the favor and being merciful right back by saving the lion's. Is it a story that particularly needs a lot of words? Maybe, maybe not. I think a certain familiarity with the story is helpful with this one going into it. But that could just be me. (On a side note, how familiar are kids today with Aesop's fables? Are they still being read or taught?)

Did I like it? Not all that much. But that really isn't so surprising. I so rarely "like" Caldecott winners. Do I think Pinkney's talented? Yes! Of course! But this particular book isn't quite my style.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

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Selfers, Suzanne. 2007. To Catch a Mermaid. Little, Brown Young Readers. 246 pages.

This is a quirky little book great for fourth to sixth graders (ish). Here's how it starts off, "Boom Broom awoke to find his little sister, Mertyle, looking for spots. 'It's a good day for spots,' she announced, examining her knobby knees with a magnifying glass. The Broom family is a mess. Ever since Mrs. Broom (good-old mom) was blown away by a freak twister, the family has been following to pieces. Mr. Broom has quit painting. Which means he's stopped selling his paintings. Which means their in financial stress. Mertyle, the little sister, hasn't left the house since the accident. (Not that Mr. Broom has much either. In fact, he seems to be stuck to hiding in the attic and/or closets.) Boom Broom has been trying to manage himself--with only a little help from their Viking cook, Halvor, but the Brooms are far from happy.

One day when Boom is supposed to be bringing home a fresh fish to eat for supper--Halvor loves fish--he brings home a freebie reject fish instead. This 'fish' turns out to be a merbaby. A wild, squealing, ugly as all get out, merbaby. And this one little act will set the course for a quirky and odd adventure that will either be the catalyst for great change (and happiness) or doom them all with an ancient curse.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

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For today's Poetry Friday selection, I'm offering up Crocs!, a rhyming picture book by "the emerging poet of gross," David T. Greenberg. Told in second person, which is unique in itself, a boy leaves the city for what promises to be a quiet vacation away from "Roaches in your omelets/ pigeons dropping bomblets/ wild poodles stalking you in gangs." At first he's having a nice time relaxing, but is soon surrounded by tons of crocodiles intent on disturbing his peaceful vacation. They soon invade his life, and the boy soon starts getting the urge to act like a crocodile. The surprise ending is cute and satisfying even though it is a bit cheesy.

So, you know, it's very difficult to tell a story in rhyme. Children's book authors often try it and often fail because it's hard to make the rhymes work. While Crocs! is not a failure, there are moments when the rhymes really work like in the beginning of the book, "Isn't it a pity/ That you had to leave the city/ Because of the all the horrifying critters/ Giant tabby cats/ And defiant scabby rats/ Large enough to swallow baby-sitters."

And then there are times when the rhythm is off a bit: "Crocodiles growling/ Crocodiles Howling/ At the very tops of their lungs/ Crocodiles thrashing/ Wildly smashing/ Crocs with studs in their tongues."

However, Lynn Munsinger's illustrations are very funny and had me laughing out loud in places. Goofy-looking crocodiles are in all types of funny situations. You see a long-lashed crocodile putting on lipstick, another painting her nails bright pink, a couple of crocodiles unsuccessfully trying to floss their teeth, a crocodile chef with a wok, noodles in its mouth and all over the place, and many many more. Because of this, I can forgive some of the weak poetry in the book even though I really do wish it was just a tad bit better.

I think many kids will enjoy the absurdity of the situations depicted in the book and will reach for it again and again.

Visit the Poetry Friday roundup at author amok.



What Other Bloggers are Saying:

Charlotte's Library: "...this book is fun to read aloud, and fun to look at, and kind of strange. Definitely one for the child who appreciates more than a bit of surreality with their playful, rollicking verse." (read more...)

A Patchwork of Books: "The illustrations are a perfect match to the story and your little ones will be giggling at the silliness of the crocs and the great faces on the boy." (read more...)


More info:

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316073067
• ISBN-13: 978-0316073066
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

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I've been avoiding writing about Breaking Dawn because I was REALLY REALLY trying to think of something nice to say. Well, I don't have anything nice to say. Icky Icky Poo Poo.

Luckily, Elizabeth Hand is more mature than me and summed up the series, along with a review of Breaking Dawn in The Washington Post. Warning...it contains spoilers, so don't read her review if you want to suffer through the torture of reading Breaking Dawn on your own. I wholeheartedly agree with her, especially when she says, "The most devoted readers will no doubt try to make excuses for this botched novel, but Meyer has put a stake through the heart of her own beloved creation."

Alright, devoted readers. What's your excuse?

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Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 640 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (August 7, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316160202
ISBN-13: 978-0316160209
Source of book: Bought it



In Eclipse, the third book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga, a mysterious rash of murders is plaguing Seattle, and in the nearby town of Forks, trouble is also brewing. Bella and Edward's romance is back on track, but Jacob is not giving up on Bella without a fight. As she is forced to choose between the two, another choice, mortality vs. immortality is weighing heavily on her mind. A threat on Bella's life brings the werewolves and vampires together in an unlikely alliance.

I have an "on-again/off-again" relationship with Stephenie Meyer. I think of all of the books in the Twilight Saga, this is my favorite. We FINALLY see Bella mature just a little, and the emotional ending left me in tears. But there's just something about Meyer's writing that irks me. I like the books. I like the story, so why can't I just let it go and enjoy it?

I was talking to my friend Marlies online about her thoughts, and she said, "I like the series because it gives a new dimension to an old tale that never before has appealed to me. Vampires? Please. Give me a good romantic comedy any day. And lo and behold, I get the nostalgic twitters of high school--granted, not much humor--with the rush of a mystery."

And a second later, Marlies said that the characters are "remarkably flat," and "that we're supposed to relate to Bella because of her clumsiness, but her disregard for her parents and the feelings of others is astounding."

See what I mean? People like the series but are quick to admit its flaws. And I completely agree with Marlies about Bella. To me, she is not likable, and I don't think teenagers will relate to her. Granted, I'm not a teenager, but in many ways, she is completely irresponsible and weak. She relies way too much on others to get her out of situations, and in this book, she was completely obsessed with two things in this book: becoming a vampire and having sex with Edward. It got to point that I WANTED Edward to bite her and get it over with. Eeesh. She had no interest in college and no dreams other than to become a monster so she could spend the rest of her life with Edward. The feminist in me has issues with this.

While Bella didn't do much for me, I definitely got to know Alice and Jacob much better in this book and became quite a fan of both. One thing that did bother me though was when Jacob grabbed Bella in a bear hug (or should I say wolf hug) that she couldn't get out of and kissed her without her consent. Yeah, yeah, she punches him and breaks her hand, and they all have a good chuckle over it, including her policeman father, Charlie. However, it just felt wrong to me, and I felt it sent out the wrong message to teenagers. Never hold someone against his/her will....never never never never. Shame on you, Ms. Meyer.


Aside from this, I really did like Eclipse, but it will go straight into my "guilty pleasure" pile.

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Sergio Makes a Splash by Edel Rodriguez
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (May 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0316066168
ISBN-13: 978-0316066167
Source of book: Review copy from publisher



In this adorable picture book, the title character, Sergio, a young penguin has a serious dilemma. He LOVES water--ice, baths, rain, puddles--but he doesn't love the "very deep kind." Why? Because he can't swim. Yep, that's right. Sergio is a penguin who can't swim. When his class goes on a field trip to the ocean, he is naturally frightened. But can a little encouragement from his teacher and classmates plus arm floaties, a snorkel, and life preserver give him the courage to jump in?

Edel Rodriguez's oil-based woodblock ink and digital media illustrations will are fun and charming, and children will be drawn in by the bright aqua blue of the ocean that is the background throughout the book.

This is a very fun book that could help give kids the courage to try something they may be afraid of.

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In the Small by Michael Hague
Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (May 1, 2008)
Amazon Price: $14.99 (usd)
ISBN-10: 0316013234
ISBN-13: 978-0316013239
Source of Book: ARC from publisher



A longtime fan of Michael Hague's illustrations (Peter Pan , The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and more), I was eager to get my hands on his newest endeavor.

In the Small is a graphic novel with a very intriguing premise. A flash of blue light strikes the Earth, killing many humans. The ones who survive are shrunk to six inches tall, and snakes, spiders, cats, birds, rats, and more now prey upon them. Teenage siblings, Mouse and Beat, set upon a mission to lead survivors back to their home where there is a greenhouse, water, and most importantly, safety. But are they really safe and for how long?

Michael Hague does not disappoint with the illustrations, and any fan of graphic novels will be impressed with his detailed, action-packed, life-like art. The story itself will intrigue many sci-fi and fantasy fans. However, I felt it was a little sparse. I yearned for more details and more character development. People get killed in the story, but as I was reading, I honestly hadn't had the opportunity to get to know them enough to really feel anything except, "well, that's unfortunate that the bird got her." The story also only focuses on Mouse and Beat's story, and I wondered what was going on in the rest of the world. Aside from this, I do think that many kids who are into graphic novels will like this, especially since the cliffhanger ending leaves us wanting more.

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