Fiction Wednesday - A review of Iva Honeysuckle discovers the world

Many children dream of being an adventurer, a "discoverer" who does something that makes them famous. They play at being an archaeologist who finds the tomb of an ancient king or queen. They pretend that they are travelling through a snake-infested jungle where they find a species of dinosaur. They dig holes all over the garden looking for the lost gold of a pirate.

The main character in today's fiction title is just such a discoverer. She has big and grand dreams, but in the end what she discovers is more precious than the gold she dreams of finding.

Iva Honeysuckle discovers the world

Candice Ransom

Illustrated by Heather Ross

Fiction

For ages 7 to 9

Hyperion, 2012, 978-142313173-1

Not long ago, Iva’s father gave her a few things that belonged to her great-grandfather Ludwell Honeycutt. The stack of old National Geographic magazines, the geography bee medal (from 1923), and the tire record book that belonged to Ludwell are some of her most treasured possessions. One day Iva discovers that there two pieces of paper inside one of the magazines. One is a letter that her great-grandfather received from the National Geographic Society in which the secretary of the society says that Ludwell cannot become a member until he discovers something. Now that the summer vacation has begun, Iva decides that she is going to fulfill Ludwell’s dream. She is going to be a discoverer.

   The second piece of paper that Iva found in the magazine is a map. After a little investigating, Iva decides that the map will lead her to where General Braddock buried a stash of gold. The story is that he stopped in her town, Uncertain, when he was on his way to Pennsylvania to fight the French during the French and Indian War. General Braddock died in battle so he never came back to Uncertain to retrieve the gold.

   Iva convinces herself that finding the treasure is going to be “easy peasy,” but she soon comes to the realization that it is not going to be easy at all. Iva’s search for the treasure is made all the more difficult because Heaven, her twice-cousin, keeps messing things up, and Iva’s mother enrolls her in vacation church school.

   Heaven is without a doubt one of the biggest trials in Iva’s life. Iva’s two sisters are very close to their of-the-same-age cousins, but Iva is not. In fact she and Heaven fight all the time. Everything Heaven does irritates Iva. Heaven gets a kitten, she is chosen to assist in vacation bible school, and she even steals Iva’s best friend. Iva feels that it is “not fair” that what should have been a great summer full of adventure is turning out to be such a miserable one.

   It is never easy being different from other people. There are always grownups around who want you to be like everyone else. Iva is quite content to be different, but she cannot help being hurt when people complain about the fact that she chooses to do things in her own way. Being stubborn and single-minded, Iva fights back, which is how she gets into even more trouble.

   With humor, deliciously amusing and colorful characters (some of whom are marvelously eccentric), and a meaningful story, Candice Ransom explores how one girl tries to come to terms with her dreams, expectations, and the needs of those around her. 

Picture Book Monday - A review of C.R. Mudgeon

Many of us like things to stay the same. A change in our routine upsets us, and when we are invited to try something new we decline to do so. The main character in today's book takes this aversion to change to a whole new level. He is practically allergic to new things and new experiences. He is also a first class grouch!


C. R. Mudgeon

Leslie Muir

Illustrated by Julian Hector

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Simon and Schuster, 2012, 978-1-4169-7906-7

   C. R. Mudgeon is a hedgehog who does not like change. In fact, he is practically allergic to it. He likes his routine, and has no interest in trying new things. Every evening he has the same celery root soup and cup of dandelion tea. Every Tuesday he picks a small fig for his dessert. Every night after his supper he sits by the fire and reads his favorite book – Medical Cures from A to Z.

   One Tuesday C.R Mudgeon goes out to pick his fig when he sees that there are red poppies in front of his door, and the sight greatly disturbs him. He discovers that someone new has moved into the neighborhood, and when he knocks on the door of the someone’s house a gaily dressed squirrel called Paprika greets him. C.R Mudgeon tries to complain about the poppies. They are making him see spots and he does not like it one bit. Paprika does not seem to think that this is a problem at all, and a very unhappy C. R. Mudgeon goes home. He consults his medical book and goes to bed.

   At suppertime C. R. Mudgeon has his usual celery root soup. A spicy cooking smell coming from Paprika’s house makes the soup taste “thin” and “pale.” The grumpy hedgehog goes over to Paprika’s house to complain, and her response it to him a bottle of “Volcano Sauce” to spice up his dinner. One sniff of the sauce is enough. C.R. Mudgeon goes to bed with a clothespin on his nose.

  One would think that all this disruption would be more than enough for one hedgehog to bear, but C.R, Mudgeon’s trials are not over yet. Not by a long shot.

   Many people find that a routine gives them comfort. Sameness is easy to deal with and it makes life predictable. Change can be painful and confusing. The problem is that too much routine and sameness can cause problems too.

   In this clever and amusing picture book, Leslie Muir explores the idea that new friends and new experiences really are “the spice of life,” and without them life can be more than a little insipid and uninspiring.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Poetry Friday: R is for Rhyme

Over the years, I have often heard people say, "Oh, I don't like poetry, I much prefer prose." I am willing to bet that these people have not have the good fortune to read Lewis Carroll's The Walrus and the Carpenter or Langston Hughes' My people. Since I started reviewing books for young readers, I have encountered poems that make me howl with laughter, or that are so moving that I get a lump in my throat. I have encountered whole novels written in blank verse, and poetry forms that I had never even heard of, like acrostic poems.

In today's poetry title you will meet and experience a wide variety of poetry forms. You will see how they are written, and discover the many effects that they can have.  

Ris for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet

Judy Young
Illustrated by Victor Juhasz
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 6 to 10
Sleeping Bear Press, 2006, 978-1585362400
For many of us, rhymes and lines from poems form some of our earliest book memories. Mother Goose, Robert Lewis Stevenson's famous poems, "The Owl and the Pussycat," and many others all give us phrases that we remember well into adulthood. In this unique alphabet book, readers will get to meet a whole new set of poems, each one of which show us that poems come in many different faces and forms. Among others we meet a sonnet, a ballad, a haiku, a jingle, and a limerick. Then there are the parts of poems that give them their unique qualities; their rhymes, rhythms, their metaphors, narratives, quatrains, and free verse elements.

   For every word in this alphabet book, the reader is given a poem to read, to enjoy and to explore. Each poem helps to illustrate the word that is being described. Thus, the reader can actually see what iambic means, laugh at a limerick, and hear onomatopoeic words. The author includes an in depth description of each word, explaining when certain forms are used, what effect they have, and what the history of the form is.

   This book certainly is one of the most creative poetry picture books that has been published because it not only gives us poems to read, but it also helps us to better understand the whole wonderful world of poetry, and to see that poetry can convey a feeling or an impression in an unforgettable way.

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Mr. and Mrs. Bunny – Detectives Extraordinaire

Books that make you laugh are essential, especially on days when things are not going so well. Thankfully, Polly Horvath is a master storyteller who manages to combine humor and poignancy perfectly to give readers a bookish experience that will make them feel so much better in no time at all. Her new book is about a pair of bunny detectives, and it really did make me laugh as I read it. 

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny – Detectives Extraordinaire

Polly Horvath

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Fiction

For ages 9 to 12

Random House, 2012, 978-0-375-86755-2

   Madeline is very unfortunate because she has parents who really aren’t much good at being parents. To be honest, she is the most responsible member of her family; she is the one who insists that she goes to school, and she does most of the cooking, cleaning, sewing, and other necessary household chores. When her parents are kidnapped by someone calling himself The Enemy, Madeline once again has to be the one who figures out how to save the day.  Apparently this enemy wants Madeline to tell him where her Uncle Runyon is. Uncle Runyon is a skilled decoder and presumably The Enemy wants to make use of his decoding abilities.

   Madeline tries to get her uncle Runyon to help, but he slips into a coma and is not able to do anything in his nonresponsive state. Thankfully, just when she is feeling desperate, Madeline makes the acquaintance of Mr. and Mrs. Bunny. For some reason, she is able to speak and understand the rabbit language, and she tells the two bunnies all about her parents. Not long ago, Mrs. Bunny decided that she and her husband should try being detectives, so she is thrilled to be able to offer to find Madeline’s missing parents.

   Mr. and Mrs. Bunny take Madeline home with them, even building her a “hutch” to stay in because she is too large to fit into their home. The only clue that Madeline has about her parents’ captor is a file card that is covered in series of “squiggles and whirls.” Try as they might, Madeline and her new friends cannot figure out what the symbols mean, and since Uncle Runyon is unable to help, they are forced to visit The Marmot, a marmot who is apparently an excellent decoder. The problem is that the marmot is not inclined to be helpful, and his behavior is trying to say the least. Madeline is even forced, at one point, to hypnotize the marmot to try to find out what the coded message on the file card says. It doesn’t help that Mr. and Mrs. Bunny allow themselves to be sidetracked by other matters (often), and that they are not terribly good detectives to begin with.

   Polly Horvath is a master storyteller, a writer who has been delighting readers for years with her quirky, often amusing, and frequently touching stories. As they read this unique story, readers will quickly come to sympathize with Madeline. After all, imagine what it would be like to have to parent ones parents, and how frustrating it would be to be dependent on a pair of very nice but rather muddled rabbits.

   With evil foxes who have to be defeated, useless grownups, loveable rabbits, and a garlic bread addicted marmot, this is a story that will delight readers who enjoy Roald Dahl’s books. 

Picture Book Monday - A review of Croc and Bird

Children generally seem to find it very easy to make friends with someone who comes from a different world. Even when they don't share a common language, they manage to make themselves understood, and find ways to play together. Of course, all too often, someone comes along who says that they are too different to be friends, which is ridiculous because they are managing perfectly well, thank you very much.

Today's picture book explores the idea that friendship and family connections should be allowed to form where they will, and should be celebrated.

Croc and Bird

Alexis Deacon

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Random House UK, 2012, 978-0-091-89332-3

Two eggs are sitting on the sand together, and under the twinkling stars they break open and two babies come into the world. One of the babies is a parrot chick, and the other is a little crocodile. Together the two parentless youngsters figure out how to get food, and they keep each other warm until the sun comes up. Together they sing and build nests and they grow up. They believe that they are brothers and they are happy.

   Then one day they discover that birds and crocodiles are not brothers after all. The bird joins his kind in the trees, and the crocodile lives with his relatives in the river. One would think that they would be happy now, but they are not. Something is wrong.

   For hundreds of years people have told their children that they should only be friends with their own kind. They have discouraged friendships with children who live in another town, who belong to a different tribe, who practice a different religion, or who come from a different country. “Stay with your own kind” children have been told.

   This wonderful book celebrates families and friendships of all kinds. It shows to great effect that there are no rules when it comes to choosing who is going to be your friend, your sister or your brother, your mother or your father. All that matters is that you love and respect one another, and that you have interests in common that you care about. 

Poetry Friday - A review of Bug Off!

I know that a lot of people dislike creepy crawlies of all kinds. I happen to like them, and had numerous cricket and beetle pets when I was little. Jane Yolen used have an aversion for insects, but she now has come to appreciate that these little animals are really quite fascinating, and some can even be said to be beautiful. Jane  still would prefer that insects keep their distance, but their intriguing ways and looks have inspired her to write a collection of poems that even entomophobic and archanaphobic readers will enjoy

Bug Off! Creepy, Crawly Poems

Jane Yolen

Photographs by Jason Stemple

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Boyds Mills Press, 2012, 978-1-59078-862-2

Many people (including the author of this book) do not like insects. They do not like how they buzz, they don’t like their large ‘buggy’ eyes, and they don’t like the fact that so many insects “creep, crawl, bite, sting.” It is true that insects can be a nuisance at times, but they also are vital component in countless ecosystems, and many of them are quite beautiful, if you take the time to look at them.

   The good news is that you don’t have to trot around with a large magnifying glass to see some of this beauty. Jason Stemple has done this for you by taking some extraordinary photographs that he has chosen to include in this book. The author, Jane Yolen (who as I mentioned does not like insects), was so amazed by the beauty of these little creatures that she has decided that perhaps insects are not so nasty after all.

   To accompany each of Jason’s photos, Jane Yolen has written a poem, and a section of text that provides readers with further information about the insects show in the pictures.  In “Oh, fly” Jane Yolen talks about how relieved she is that a fly “flew /onto / my leaf / and not / my food.” She even admits that the fly is quite attractive (on the leaf).

   Later on in the book, we see a photo of a daddy longlegs. In the informative text we read that this creature, a harvestman, is not a spider at all, which is what most people think they are. Instead it is a cousin of sppiders, and it is quite harmless, even though its long legs make it look a little sinister. In her poem, Jane Yolen wonders how the daddy longlegs knows which legs “go forward” and which “help / Pick up the slack.”

   With touches humor, brilliant descriptions, and a clever use of language, Jane Yolen gives her insect subjects a fair shake, showing us that they can be beautiful, interesting, and full of surprises. 

The New Issue of the TTLG Journal is online!

Happy May everyone, the May and June 2012 issue of Through the Looking GlassChildren’s Book Reviews is now online for you to look at.

May and June are the months when summer finally makes itself felt, at least around here in Oregon. Winter coats and sweaters are put into boxes or are tucked away on high shelves, and bathing suits are tried on to see if they still fit. The sun is warm, and children are happy to spend their play time out of doors. There is a delightful collection of books about summer on the TTLG Summer Days page, with books for readers of all ages.

Summer is also a time when many people are very busy in their gardens. If you want to share your love of gardening with the children in your life, take a look at the In the Garden Feature. You will find both fiction and nonfiction titles here that will interest children and young people who are eager to try out their green thumbs.

For this month's special feature I am looking at books that are about music and musicians. The books will include both fiction and nonfiction titles that explore the world of music, and that tell us stories about musicians of all kinds. You will find tales that will inspire you and amuse you, and who knows, you may even decide to try making some music of your own.

For this month's Editor's Choice title, I have selected Above World, by Jenn Resse. This novel will take readers ages 9 to 12 to a futuristic world where humans have new challenges to face if they are going to survive.

Finally, take a look at the new Bookish Calendar. Here you will find reviews about Nellie Bly, Mother's Day, Paul Gauguin, a horse called Seabiscuit, and much more. This calendar is a great tool to use at home and in the classroom to help children incorporate books more fully into their lives.

-:Bookish Events for May and June:-

May 13th - May 19th is Reading is Fun Week (USA)

May is “Get Caught Reading” Month (USA)

Children’s Book Week May 7th - May 13th (USA)

I hope you find a way to celebrate some, if not all, of these bookish events. If I have missed an important bookish event, please drop me a line to tell me about it.

Enjoy!

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Daphne's Diary of Daily Disasters: The name game!

For years I have enjoyed the stories about Amelia. Written and illustrated by Marissa Moss, these stories are presented to readers in a journal format, and they wonderfully chronicle the highs and lows in the life of a young girl. Not long ago Marissa started a new series featuring a girl called Daphne. Once again, the stories are in journal format, and once again the author uses humor and sensitivity to explore the life of a young person.

For today's fiction title I have reviewed the first title in the Daphne series.

Daphne’s Diary of Daily Disasters: The Name Game!

Marissa Moss

Fiction

For ages 8 to 10

Simon and Schuster, 2011, 978-1-4424-1738-0

Daphne is in the 4^th grade, and it is a her first day of school. She had a new backpack, a new diary to write in, and her best friend Kaylee is in the same class, so things should be all right. But there are not. The teacher calls roll call and says “Daffy” instead of Daphne. Daphne knows full well that her classmates are going to call her Daffy for the rest of the school year, and perhaps for the rest of her life. Sure enough, she gets called names all day long.

   After school, Daphne has to go to the orthodontist, then she has to sit through her little brothers’ soccer practice, which is incredibly boring. It doesn’t help that her parents ask how her first day of school went. Daphne does not want to talk about her dreadful day, she wants to “forget” what happened as soon as possible. She would even prefer to listen to her father’s boring account of his day rather than have to talk about hers.

   Then Daphne’s father mentions how someone mispronounced his name at work that day, and he tells his family about how he was called all kinds of names when he was a kid in school. All of a sudden Daphne feels less alone. Her father went through the same experience that she is going through now. Who knew? Not only that, but Daphne’s father comes up with a solution to her problem. Could it be that she can salvage her reputation after all?

   Dealing with being called names, and having people make fun of you is an unfortunate part of school life. The problem is that it can cause a lot of pain, sometimes unintentionally. Thankfully, Marissa Moss has found an effective and sympathetic way to address this issue. Through Daphne, she shows young readers that they are not alone, and that many of the adults in their lives were teased when they were kids. She helps readers to see how important it is to be sensitive to others, and to have a sense of humor.

   This is the first book in a new series.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Martha, No!

When my daughter was little, I seemed to spend a large proportion of my time telling her "NO!" Occasionally she paid attention to me. More often she didn't. Today picture book title was of course written for children, but it will also appeal to parents, teachers, and other people who have little children in their lives. If you say "No" a lot to a child on a daily basis, this book will surely make you smile.

Martha, No!

Edward Hardy

Illustrated by Deborah Allwright

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Egmont, 2012, 978-1-60684-266-9

   Today Martha Felicity Molly-Anne May is going to meet her “sparkling new nanny.” Miss Harrington-Chive is going to take care of Martha for the day, and she is confident that she and Martha will do just fine. After all, Nanny has looked after “hundreds of children.” Nanny does not heed Mother’s warning about Martha’s tendency to scare nannies off, convinced that “angelic” Martha is going to be no problem at all.

   They are not out long before Nanny finds out that Martha is rather a handful. In the park she gets blown out of a sousaphone, in the museum she climbs the T. Rex, and at lunchtime she tries to spin pizza dough with disastrous results.

  One would think that a playground would be a safe place to take Martha, but Nanny soon finds out that it is not the case when Martha digs a tunnel from the sandpit into the middle of a busy street. Is this nanny going to throw in the towel just like all the other nannies did?

   Children are going to laugh out loud when they see what Martha does, and how she drives her new nanny to distraction. Here is a little girl who knows what she wants, and who is not afraid to do what she wants. Heaven help any adult who tries to tame her. 

   With wonderfully amusing illustrations and a story that will resonate with children, this is a picture book that will become a firm favorite with young readers. 

Poetry Friday - A review of Wonderful Words

I love words, which is why I spend five days a week writing, reading, and tinkering with them. I was therefore thrilled to find out that poet extraordinaire, Lee Bennett Hopkins, has put together a book of poems that celebrate words that are written and spoken. 

Wonderful Words: Poems about reading, writing, speaking, and listening

Selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Illustrated by Karen Barbour

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 and up

Simon and Schuster, 2004, 978-0-689-83588-9

   Words are so much a part of our lives that most of the time we don’t even think about what we are saying, hearing, or writing. We take words for granted because they are there, all around us. Could it be that words should not be taken for granted? Perhaps they are things to be valued and savored. Certainly Lee Bennett Hopkins thinks so, which is why he has brought together a special collection of poems that celebrate the written and spoken word.

   This journey into the world of words begins with a short poem by Emily Dickinson who does not think that a “word is dead / When it is said.” Instead, she thinks that a word “just / Begins to live” the day it is uttered.

   To poet Pat Mora, words are not just letters strung together. They are things that have a taste, a smell, and a texture. They have a sound, and they are “long and dark as tunnels” or “bright as rainbows.” When they are brought together in enough numbers, words become part of a book, and a book offers readers so much. A book can be a “friend” that gives us dreams. A book can warm us, excite us with stories, give us ideas, and they are there when we need them.

   When they are spoken, words can be powerful things too. They can change minds, comfort, enlighten, and hurt. We need to be careful because once they are said “it is / not easy to call them back.”

   This marvelous collection of poems will appeal to anyone who loves words. Writers, readers, poets, actors will all appreciate that words are precious and compelling things that make our world richer and more interesting. 

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Above World

There are lots of books coming out these days that are about life on Earth in the future. Most are pretty grim, and some are downright depressing. I sometimes find it hard to read such titles because they are so dark. Today's fiction title is different from many of these futuristic books. Yes, we humans have mucked up the world, and yes the characters are struggling to survive. The difference is that in this story there is a message of hope. The main character is able to make a difference, and we are left with a sense that all is not lost. Not yet anyway. 

Above World

Jenn Reese

Fiction

For ages 9 to 12

Candlewick, 2012, 978-0763654177

Many years ago, humans finally came to understand that their population was too large and no longer sustainable.  They came up with an extraordinary solution to this problem: they decided that some of their number they would modify their bodies to that they could live in places that had hitherto not been populated by humans. Thus the Kampaii lived in the shallower oceans, the Deepfell lived in the deep oceans, the Aviars had wings and lived in the skies, and the Equian people had hooves and lived in the deserts.

   Life has been comfortable for the Coral Kampii, Aluna’s people, until now. Recently several of the Kampii have drowned because their shell necklaces, the tech devices that allow them to breathe underwater, have failed. When Aluna finds the body of her friend Makina floating in a kelp forest she gets furious. How can the Elders pretend that all is well? Someone needs to find out why the breathing necklaces are failing before all the Coral Kampii die.

   On the day when Aluna is supposed to get her tail, she decides that she cannot stand by while her people die. Someone has to go to the Above World to find out why the necklaces, which were made by HydroTek, are failing. With her best friend Hoku by her side, Aluna leaves the only world she knows to walk around on her feet, and to face the Upgraders, creatures whose bodies are made of machine parts and “parts” that were taken from other beings.

   Aluna and Hoku are not in the Above World long before they are captured by Aviars and taken to Skyfeather’s Landing, one of the Aviar strongholds. At first the Kampii teenagers are prisoners, but when they help defend the city from the Upgraders, Aluna and Hoku and the people of the air become allies. The Aviar have managed to free themselves from the stranglehold of Fathom, the Upgrader leader, and Aluna understands that her people will have to do the same. As long as Fathom is in control of the Hydrotek technology, her people will never be able to control their breathing necklaces and the other tech they depend on.

   With the blessing of the Aviars, Hoku and Aluna set off once more to try to find HydroTek and they meet Dash, an Equian teen. Since Dash is on his own, he joins Hoku and Aluna in their quest, standing by their sides when they are pursued by Upgraders. The three young people are then joined by Calli, an Avian that they made friends with when they were in Skyfeather’s Landing. Though they are all very different in temperament and personality, when they are together, the four teens are a force to be reckoned with. Aluna and Dash are excellent fighters, while Calli and Hoku are tech wizards. They do not know if they will be strong enough to defeat Fathom and the creatures he has made, but they have to try.

   This fascinating and beautifully written book will delight readers who have a fondness for books that are full of bizarre and otherworldly beings and creatures. Elements of fantasy and science fiction are combined with tense adventure sequences to give readers a memorable futuristic title. Readers will be interested to see how young people can change their world if they have the will and courage to defend what they know is right.

   This is the first title in what promises to be an exciting new series. 

Picture Book Monday - A review of A Leaf Can Be...

Many of us spend much of our lives in perpetual motion. We are always on the go, always thinking about what we have to do next. As a result, we often don't appreciate the little things. We forget to look at, and to appreciate, the natural beauty around us. We take trees, flowers, birds, clouds, and the sun for granted.

Today's picture book celebrates leaves. This may seem like a strange idea, after all leaves are everywhere. What's the big deal? The big deal is that leaves not only provide humans and animals with oxygen, food, and shelter; they also make our world beautiful.

A leaf can be...

Laura Purdie Salas

Illustrations by Violeta Dabija

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 7

Millbrook Press, 2012, 978-0-7613-6203-6

   You may think that a leaf is a very ordinary everyday sort of thing. A thing that does not seem to do much, and that you can therefore afford to take for granted. You would be wrong to think this though, because leaves serve many purposes, and they change from season to season.

  In spring, leaves come out when “sunny days linger / and orioles sing.” They serve as a cradle for moth chrysalises, as a “food maker” for trees, and as a rain shelter for animals. As the weather warms, leaves give us shade, and many animals eat them. Leaves make the air cleaner and the Earth greener.

   In the fall, leaves turn gold, brown, red, and yellow and they start falling off the trees. Their colors make our world beautiful, and when they fall to the ground they provide animals with a place to hide. Some animals use the fallen leaves to make their nests.

   With a beautiful lyrical text this picture book shows readers of all ages how precious leaves are. The gorgeous illustrations are so soft and beautiful that one wishes one could dive into them.

   The author provides readers with more information about leaves at the back of the book, and a glossary explains what some of the words used in the text mean.

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day everyone. I hope you find lots of ways to 'be green' on this this special day. 

Poetry Friday - A Review of Bustle in the Bushes

I know a lot of adults who don't like insects of any kind. Or spiders. Or snails and slugs. However, most children are fascinated by these little creatures. They keep beetles and snails as pets, and spend hours looking for insects and their relatives in yards and gardens.

In today's poetry title we are going to visit a garden to see what kinds of little critters we can find. Does anyone have a jar and a butterfly net handy?

Bustle in the Bushes

Giles Andreae

Illustrated by David Wojtowycz

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 4 to 7

Tiger Tales, 2012, 978-1-58925-109-0

   If you visit your backyard and if you are very quiet, you might hear rustling in the bushes and a buzzing in the flowers. Get down closer to the ground, and you might see a ladybug marching across a leaf, a bee hovering over a blossom, or a dragonfly zipping to and fro in front of your nose. Let’s take a journey into a bookish backyard on a “lovely summer’s day” to find “minibeasts” who “want to come and play.”

   The first creature we find is a snail who slowly slides across the ground. The snail accounts for its slowness by explaining that we too would be slow if we “had to carry / Your house on your back.” Not far off are four slugs who, unlike their relative the snail, do not carry their houses around with them, which is why they hide under flowerpots and stones.

   Later on we meet an earwig who is standing on a twig. The creature tells us that it likes to eat plants and rotten trees. This may seem like strange to you, but what is stranger still is that the earwig has “pinchers on my bottom!”

   Then there are some grasshoppers whose long legs make them excellent jumpers. The amazing thing is grasshoppers can also make music with their legs by rubbing them together.

   Many children love looking for and learning about insects and other small creatures that are commonly found in gardens and yards. In this delightful book, we get to meet and find out about a wide variety of “minibeasts” who live in several different kinds of micro environments. With rhyming bouncy poems and bright illustrations, now children can experience the “Bustle in the Bushes” wherever they are.

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Pippi Longstocking

Many years ago my mother bought me a used copy of Pippi Longstocking and I quickly fell in love with the quirky main character who was so very odd looking, and who did not seem to care about anyone's rules. Pippi was a law unto herself, and woe betide anyone who got in her way. 


Some books are wonderful when you are a child, but when you reread them as an adult they seem to have lost their spark. This book is the kind of book that will charm children and adults alike. I think this may, in part, be because both children and adults sometimes wish that they could be Pippi Longstocking. Wouldn't it be grand to be able to do whatever you want?

Pippi Longstocking

Astrid Lindgren
Illustrated by Michael Chesworth
Fiction
For ages 8 to 12
Penguin, 2005, 978-0142402498
Annika and her brother Tommy are terribly good children who always do as they are told, who are always clean, and who are wonderfully polite. They are also often bored and lonely. If only they had someone to play with. If only someone with children would move into the empty house next door.

   Then, one day, when they get back from a weekend away, the two children see that someone has moved in next door, and what a peculiar looking someone it is too. They see a little girl whose braids are so tight that they stand straight out from her head. Her dress is patched, and her shoes are enormous. It doesn't take them long to find that not only does the little girl look odd, but she also thinks, speaks and behaves oddly as well. What Annika and Tommy soon determine is that the little girl, Pippi Longstocking, is a most unusual and quite delightful person.

   Soon Annika and Tommy are not the only ones to discover that Pippi is odd. Two tramps who think they can rob Pippi because she lives alone with only a monkey and a horse for company, quickly come to the conclusion that she is not an easy mark. A busybody trying to get Pippi to go to a children's home gives up, and as for making Pippi go to school – well, suffice it to say that one day with Pippi in the class is more than enough for the class teacher.

   Pippi's deliciously funny tall tales, her generous spirit, her outrageous ideas and behaviour, and the little flashes that she lets us see of her inner self, all come together to make this a classic tale that has delighted children for decades. Though she is incredibly strong, independent and wilful, Pippi is also a motherless and fatherless child who at times mourns her parentless state, and she recognizes that she doesn't quite fit in. Her vulnerability makes us love her all the more because we see a bit of ourselves in her. We see that she is seeking love and a sense of belonging.

Picture Book Monday - A review of I don't want to be a pea!

Sometimes even the best of friends can squabble, and often it is over the silliest of things. In today's picture book you will meet two friends who find out that their friendship is truly a precious thing.

I don’t want to be a pea!

Ann Bonwill

Illustrated by Simon Rickerty

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2012, 978-1-4424-3614-5

   Hugo the hippo likes to think that Bella is his bird, and Bella the bird likes to think that Hugo is her hippo. Irrespective of who ‘belongs’ to whom, the bottom line is that the two animals are friends. Tonight is the night when Hugo and Bella are going to the Hippo-Bird (or Bird-Hippo) Fairy-Tale Fancy Dress Party, and the friends need to decide what kind of costumes they are going to wear.

   Hugo wants to go as the Princess and the Pea, but Bella has no interest in dressing up as a pea. In her opinion a pea is “too green and small.” Instead, Bella would like to be dressed up as a mermaid and Hugo can be the rock that she sits on. Bella thinks that Hugo looks just like a “gray and blobby” rock.

   The two friends start squabbling in earnest, unable to agree about their costumes, until both animals walk off in a huff. Both Bella and Hugo decide that they don’t want to go to the party together. It is only when they are alone that they both realize that being alone might not be such a good thing after all.

   Best friends fight sometimes, and when they do, the resulting situation can be very distressing. Often the fight’s cause is quite silly, but that does not matter in the slightest. All that matters is that the friends cannot seem to agree.

   In this wonderfully simple, sweet, and funny picture book, the author and illustrator have created a story that will resonate with readers of all ages. All of us fight with our best friends sometimes, and all of us sometimes need to remember that it is far better to reach a compromise than it is to be without a friend. 

100 hundred years ago at this time on and on this day...

In the early hours of the morning on April 15, 1912, The RMS Titanic, mortally wounded after it struck an iceberg, sank. 1,514 people died, and the world has been telling the story of the tragedy every since. Movies have been made about the event, and books have been written. Since the wreck of the Titanic was found in 1985, people have argued about whether it is acceptable to bring artifacts to the surface or whether they should remain on the seafloor. Though the last survivor of the tragedy has died, the stories of the victims and the survivors live on.


Ever since I started reviewing books for young readers, I have been reading and reviewing books about the Titanic. You can see these titles on the TTLG Titanic Feature Page. One of my favorite titles, "Polar the Titanic Bear" is about a stuffed animal, a polar bear toy, that survived the tragedy. The story is told from the point of view of the bear, and it is interesting and, of course, very touching.

Poetry Friday - A Review of Jazz

Jazz is a music form that is fantastic to listen to and to play. There also great stories associated with this kind of music, stories about musicians, pieces of music, and the history of jazz. In today's poetry picture book, Walter Dean Myers uses incredible poems to tell us some of these stories, and to give us a feel for what jazz is about.

Jazz

Walter Dean Myers

Illustrated by Christopher Myers

Poetry Picture Book

For ages

Holiday House, 2006, 0-8234-1545-7

   When people think of jazz music, probably the first thing that comes to mind is the sound of a beat, a thump that makes ones toes tap and fingers snap. Jazz has its roots in the drumming rhythms of Africa where “A black man’s drum / speaks / love.” These rhythms crossed the Atlantic with the slaves, coming to America where they grew, changed and evolved in miraculous ways.

   Using fifteen remarkable poems, writer Walter Dean Myers explores the history and world of jazz, telling us about the many facets of this musical form. Through the poems, we come to understand how voice, bass, horn, piano, saxophone, and percussion play singly, in small groups, or in big bands to give people a singular musical experience.

   We hear how the music is “America’s music” for band players in uniform, and how, at a different tempo, jazz musicians play in a funeral march. First the drums are solemn, saying “Goodbye to old Bob Johnson,” but later the beat speeds up as friends and family members send Bob Johnson “Along the road to heaven / in 4/4 time.” We hear about Louie Armstrong, who turned London “black and blue” with his music and who turned a sad song into one that was full of joy.

   With bouncing rhythms that make the words of the poems almost dance off the pages, this poetry collection is an honest and powerful tribute to jazz and to the people who create this unique music.

Blog Book Tour - The Warrior Sheep Down Under

Every so often I find that I need to read a book that is funny, wonderfully ridiculous, and highly improbable. A few years ago, the first Warrior Sheep title came out and I soon found out that it was all these things, and more. Today I have a review of the third book in this series to share with you. If you need a laugh, a grand adventure, amusing characters, and a happy ending, then this is the book for you.

The warrior sheep Down Under

Christine and Christopher Russell

Fiction

For ages 9 to 11

Sourcebooks, 2012, 978-1-4022-6780-2

The five rare breed sheep, the Warrior Sheep, have had some pretty extraordinary adventures in the not too distant past, defeating villains who are a threat to sheepdom. At the moment, the five sheep are having a very peaceful time. Their owner, Ida White, has gone to Australia to visit her brother, and she has taken Todd, her grandson, with her. Since the sheep cannot go all the way to Australia, they are staying with Rose, Ida’s sister. Rose lives in Murkton-on-Sea, and the sheep are quite content, except for the sound. They keep hearing the sound of someone calling for help, someone who is in despair. It is very unsettling.

   Wills, the Balwen Welsh lamb, tries to convince himself that the sound is caused by the wind blowing in the rigging of the boats and yachts in the harbor, but then Sal, the Southdown ewe, starts to recite a section from the Songs of the Fleece. The “prophetic verses” tell of a Tuftella, a “sheeply maiden” who was kidnapped and taken “Down Under” where she was imprisoned in a tower. Sal is convinced that the sound they are hearing is Tuftella begging them to save her from her captors.

   Though they really have no idea how they are supposed to rescue Tuftella, the five sheep leave their pasture, and stow away on a yacht that is going Down Under. They convince themselves that the person who owns the yacht, Alice Barton, is their “fairy godtingy” and that she will help them succeed in their quest. In actual fact, Alice is a very unpleasant person indeed, one who is quite willing to throw the sheep overboard when she finds out that they are on her yacht. Thankfully, her crew members are more compassionate, and the sheep make it all the way to New Zealand in one piece.

   One would think that traveling so far hidden in the hold of a yacht would be more than enough of an adventure for five sheep, but this is just the beginning. Little do they know, but bungee jumping, white water rafting, crocodile wrangling and many other adventures lie in their future.

   In this third Warrior Sheep title, authors Christine and Christopher Russell take readers on yet another extraordinary adventure, and the five rare breed sheep prove once again that they are brave, resourceful, and incredibly lucky. Readers will find it hard not to laugh at the situations that the sheep encounter, and will appreciate the strange ways that the sheep interpret the words of their Songs of Fleece to fit what is happening to them.

You can find out more about the Warrior Sheep Books on this website: http://www.warriorsheep.com

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Over the years, I have read several of John Grisham's thrillers, and I have always enjoyed the way many of them are about lawyers who are challenged to solve problems in unique ways. I was therefore intrigued when I saw that John Grisham had written a mystery book for younger readers. 

Unlike the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy books, which I loved when I was a kid, this story does not contain a lot of action and drama. This does not mean that there isn't any tension in the tale though, as you will see when you read the book for yourself. 

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

John Grisham

Fiction

For ages 8 to 12

Penguin, 2010, 978-0-14-241722-5

Both of Theodore Boone’s parents are lawyers, and one would think having two lawyers in the family (plus Uncle Ike, who is also a lawyer) would make Theo fed up with everything that has to do with the law. For some reason this is not the case. In fact, Theo is fascinated by every aspect of the law. When his eighth grade classmates are playing baseball and hanging out, Theo is at his parent’s office soaking up information about the law, or hobnobbing with judges and clerks at the courthouse. As far as Theo is concerned, becoming a lawyer is the only goal worth having.

   When the trial of a man accused of murdering his wife begins, Theo is eager to observe what it going on. His instincts tell him that the man, Mr. Duffy, is guilty, but even he has to admit that the evidence is thin and circumstantial. Theo cannot see how the prosecution can prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Mr. Duffy did indeed kill his wife. He certainly seemed to have a motive (a million dollars in life insurance money), and he could be said to have opportunity, but no one saw him at his home (the scene of the crime) at the right time, and there is no evidence that he was there when his wife was killed.

   Then a boy from San Salvador who Theo knows from school asks to speak to Theo. Everyone knows that Theo is a wiz when it comes to the law, and Julio wants Theo’s advice. Apparently Julio’s cousin, who is an illegal, saw Mr. Duffy going into his house at the time of the murder. He saw Mr. Duffy put on some gloves, which he later threw away in a garbage can. In short, it would appear that there was a witness who can place Mr. Duffy at his home when his wife was killed. The problem is that the witness does not want to come forward because he doesn’t want to be deported. Julio swears Theo to secrecy, but Theo knows that the secret is one he cannot keep. Somehow he has to convince the witness to come forward on his own, otherwise a guilty man could walk free.

   John Grisham is famous for writing very successful adult thrillers, and now he has created a thoroughly enjoyable novel for younger readers. Children who have a fondness for mysteries will find this book intriguing. The story is not fast paced with a lot of action and drama, but it is gripping all the same. There is a suggestion of danger that lies just beneath the surface, and readers will be eager to find out how Theo solves the problem that he is presented with.

   This is the first in what promises to be an excellent series for young mystery buffs.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Crafty Chloe

When I was a kid, I was always making things with my hands. The kitchen table had hard blobs of dried glue permanently attached to it because this was my favorite work space, and my hands were often blotched with ink from pens. Once I accidentally sewed a dress that I was making for Raggedy Anne to my own dress, and I was furious when I was told that I had to cut the doll dress free.

Today's picture book is about a crafty little girl who finds out that being crafty can be very rewarding.

Crafty Chloe

Kelly DiPucchio

Illustrated by Heather Ross

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Simon and Schuster, 2012, 978-1-4424-2123-3

   Chloe is not very good at sports, and when it comes to dances lessons she has “the grace of a camel in roller skates.” There is one thing that she is good at though: Chloe is very good at making things. She can turn just about anything into a fantastic hand-made crafty creation, and she is really good at making clothes too.

   When Chloe is invited to Emma’s birthday party, she goes to the store to buy her what she hopes will be the perfect gift. She is just about to get Emma the new Flower Girl doll when London walks up and says that she is buying Emma the doll. Not knowing what else to say, Chloe says that she is going to make Emma a gift instead of buying one. Unfortunately, London is the kind of girl who does not appreciate hand-made gifts, and she makes it clear that she thinks Chloe’s gift is going to be a disaster.

   Though Chloe is so good at making things, in this instance she has no idea what to make for Emma. She gets so desperate that she even pretends that she is sick, for a while. Then Chloe’s mother mentions that Emma is going to have pony rides at her party. Chloe goes back to the drawing board, and then she gets to work. She has a present to make.

   There used to be a time when many presents were hand-made, and they were appreciated not only because the gifts were pretty or useful, but because the givers had spent a certain amount of time making them. These days very few people have the time or the inclination to make home-made gifts, which is rather a shame.

   In this excellent book, the author shows her young readers that a home-made gift is a precious thing, a one-of-a-kind present that is special because it was made with one person in mind. Through Chloe we see that people who make things with their hands put a part of themselves into what they make. 

Happy Easter!

 Happy Easter! Have a wonderful Bunny Day

Poetry Friday - A review of UnBEElievables

Many children are interested in bees. The fact that these insects are social, and that they work together for the good of the hive sets them apart. In today's poetry picture book, Douglas Florian takes us into a bee hive to visit  the queen, the workers, and the drones. He combines artwork, poems, and sections of informational text to give children a unique book experience.

UnBEElievables

Douglas Florian

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Simon and Schuster, 2012, 978-1-4424-2652-8

Welcome to the hive of some busy honeybees. They are delighted to have a visitor, and are eager to show you around. The guards will “greet you when you arrive,” and then you can begin your bee adventure.

   As you move through the hive you will meet some of the bees who live there. There is the queen bee who lays two thousand eggs every day. She is fed royal jelly by her “doting daughters,” but her sons, the drones, never show any care for their hard working mother. Their role is to find a queen bee in another hive and to mate with her.

   All the work in the hive is done by the worker bee sisters. They feed the queen, the drones, and the babies. They also clean, keep the hive cool on hot days, and make repairs. All day long they work and they never have time to do any “Miss-bee-having.”

   There are also the bees who leave the hive and whose job it is to collect nectar. These busy insects are “A summer sensation,” working hard when the weather is warm to bring pollen and nectar to the hive.

  Often told from the point of view of the bees themselves, the poems in this book are amusing and informative. Each poem is accompanied by a full page illustration and a short piece of text that further explores the topic presented in the poem. The author wraps up our hive visit by telling us that many thousands of honeybee colonies have disappeared. It is believed that some kind of disease is responsible, and as Douglas Florian explains, we all need to do what we can to protect honeybees “not only for the sake of bees and their honey” but also because both wild and cultivated plants needs bees to pollinate them. 

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends

I am always looking for interesting new books that will appeal to children who are moving on from beginner readers to chapter books. The book I have reviewed below is an excellent example of a well-written chapter book, and it one in a series of stories about Mouse and her best friend Mole. I have been enjoying the titles in this series ever since they started coming out a few years ago, and I am always delighted when the author, Herbert Wong Yee, brings us a new book. 

Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends

Wong Herbert Yee

Fiction

For ages 5 to 7

Houghton Mifflin, 2009, 978-0-547-15222-6

   Mole loves spring because spring is when the birds come back, and he is “simply mad about birds.” One blustery spring day, Mole and his best friend Mouse set off together to try to find some birds so that they can add new drawings to their “bird books.” At first, they cannot seem to find any birds, but when Mole uses his bird whistles, several birds turn up. Unfortunately, Mole has a habit of stepping on noisy things like dried leaves, and twigs, and the birds are always scared away. Mouse and Mole are going to have to take drastic measures if they want to be able to get close to some birds.

   Early the next morning, Mouse comes to Mole’s house and the two friends get to work. Mouse’s plan sounds ridiculous, but Mole is willing to give it a try. Using pieces of fabric and glue, Mole and Mouse disguise themselves to look like birds. After all, birds aren’t afraid of birds, and if Mouse and Mole look like birds, then they should be able to get near their feathered friends. At least that is the theory. Who knows what will happen in practice.

   In this award winning book, Herbert Wong Yee tells a story that is funny and at the same time meaningful. Children will see how two friends are able to work as a team, despite their differences, and how, in the end, they create something special together.

   This is the fourth Mouse and Mole title. With its four short chapters, its charming illustrations, and its engaging story, this book is perfect for young children who are ready to read chapter books.

Picture book Monday - A review of The Word Collector

People collect all kinds of things. My daughter collects panda paraphernalia. She has panda toys, pencils, bags, plates, and pictures. My husband loves maps, in particular ones of vineyards and wine regions. I collect books, of course. In today's picture book you are going to meet a very unusual little girl who collects words.

The Word Collector

Sonja Wimmer

Translated by Jon Brokenbrow

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 8

Cuento De Luz, 2012, 9788415241348

Luna is a very special little girl who lives in a lighthouse in the clouds. In her spare time, she collects words the way “other people collect stamps.” She loves all kinds of words and delights in their sounds and meanings.

   Then one day she notices that her precious words are starting to disappear. She asks the clouds and birds what is happening to the words, and they explain that people are “too busy” to bother with the wonderful words, and that they are forgetting about them. The words are disappearing because the people “don’t think that they are important any more.”

   After a sleepless night full of worry, the little girl decides that she has to do something. She cannot let all those wonderful words disappear for ever. She packs all her words in a big suitcase and sets off on a very special journey.

   Children who like words that sing and hop, words that are long and complicated, will love this very unique picture book. The text is incorporated into the delightful collage artwork so that Luna’s story dances across the pages.

   This book not only celebrates the written word, but it also explores the idea that sometimes giving away the things you love is even better than collecting them for yourself. 

April is National Poetry Month!

 

Happy first of April! April is National Poetry Month here in the United States. There are all kinds of fantastic resources out there that you can share with your children to make April a wonderful poetry-filled month. Some of these are:

• Poetry resources from Scholastic
• Poetry resources from Reading Rockets
• Resources from The Academy of American Poets
• Reviews of Poetry Books right here on TTLG

Poetry Friday - A review of Let's Celebrate!

Since I moved to America, I have learned about and experienced all kinds of holidays that I did not know about when I was a child. I have celebrated Cinco de Mayo, Halloween, Hanukkah, Diwali, and Chinese New Year with friends and family, and I have greatly enjoyed every single festive occasion. Today's picture book looks at twenty-four holidays from around the world, some of which might be new to you.

Let’s Celebrate! Festival Poems from around the world

Edited by Debjani Chatterjee and Brian D’Arcy

Illustrated by Shirin Adl

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 10

Frances Lincoln, 2011, 978-1-84780-087-9

   There is a good chance that somewhere in the world, at this moment, people are celebrating a festival day. There are so many holidays that many of us have never even heard of, and many that we are aware exist but that we nothing about. For this colorful poetry collection, the editors have selected twenty-nine poems that celebrate a variety of festive days that are celebrated in countries around the world.

   We begin by hearing from the dragon who is taking part in a Chinese New Year parade. The dragon tells us about how it dances in the street “on caterpillar feet.” Its red, green and gold scales “shiver,” and though it is fierce looking, it reassures us that “you’ve nothing to fear” from the “King of the Chinese New Year.”

   Next we are transported to the United Kingdom, where children and their families celebrate Pancake Day by making pancakes. They make the batter, heat the pan, and pour the batter in. Then it is time to try to toss the pancake. Will the family members soon be “peeling / Pancakes off the kitchen ceiling?”

   Later in the book, we encounter the bright paint colors of Holi. Holi is an Indian festival day when people throw colored powder and water on each other. It is joyous day when everyone gets to be a prankster, and when everyone has a reason to be silly. To the sounds of sitars and tablas, people pelt each other with colorful “sparkling powers” and “happy splashes.”

   Children and their families are sure to enjoy the pictures and poems in this special book. The poems were written by poets from around the world, and some are modern, while others are older. Most were written in English, but a few were written in other languages and were translated for us.

   At the back of the book, readers will find brief explanations of the twenty-four holidays that are mentioned in the book.

   

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Pinch and Dash

In our house, my husband is the one who really loves hot and spicy food. He used to spice up the food I cooked when it was in the pot. He has since learned that this is not such a good idea, and he spices up his meals at the table instead with a dash of hot sauce here, and a pinch of cayenne power there.

Today's fiction title is a chapter book that tells the story of two friends who try to cook a meal together and who encounter a problem. 

Pinch and Dash Make Soup

Michael J. Daley

Illustrated by Thomas F. Yezerski

Fiction

For ages 6 to 8

Charlesbridge, 2012, 978-1-58089-347-3

   Pinch is hungry, and he fancies having a bowl of soup to eat. He looks in his refrigerator and sees that it contains a potato, some spinach, and some cheese, but he does not feel like making some soup himself because he is feeling lazy. He is also feeling too lazy to walk down to the Chat and Chew restaurant to get a bowl of soup. There is only one solution to this problem; Pinch is going to visit his friend Dash because Dash is always cooking something delicious.

   Sure enough, when Pinch arrives at Dash’s house, Dash is in his kitchen and he is cooking something. Dash explains that he is making skinny soup, in other words, “soup with not much in it.” Dash invites Pinch to join him, which is exactly what Pinch wants to do. There is a problem though. Dash’s soup is a bit too skinny. It needs to be “fattened up.” Pinch offers to go to his house to get the potato that is sitting in his fridge. When it is clear that one potato has not quite done the trick, Pinch gets the spinach, and then he gets the cheese from his house. Now the soup is sufficiently “fat,” but Pinch feels it is lacking seasoning. Dash refuses to let Pinch put any pepper or hot sauce into the soup, and the friends squabble about who has the right to season the soup.

   This amusing young reader’s chapter book not only contains an humorous story, but it also explores the idea that sometimes you have to make compromises for the sake of your friends. Children will chuckle when they see what lazy Dash does to get the kind of soup that he wants.

Picture Book Monday - A review of One Cool Friend

Children like to think that they are the only people who can have secrets that are fun and interesting. They never imagine that their grownups might have "cool" secrets of their own, because grownups and the word "cool" simply do not go together. This picture book shows to great effect that there are times when grownups can be pretty interesting people, and it is not wise to underestimate them. Oh, and you will also get to meet a rather clever penguin in this story, which I am sure will delight readers who have a soft spot for penguins.

One Cool Friend

Toni Buzzeo

Illustrated by David Small

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Penguin, 2012, 978-0-8037-3413-5

   Elliot is a not your average kind of boy. He wears a neat suit black suit, a white shirt, and a black bow tie. He does not enjoy the usual pursuits popular with children, so when he father suggest going to the Family Fun Day at the aquarium, Elliott agrees to go more out of politeness than anything else.

   At the aquarium, Elliot eschews the exhibits that attract all the other children, and instead he wonders off on his own. Which is when he finds the penguins. He loves the way the Magellan penguins look with their “tidy black feather tuxedos” and their “proper posture,” so he goes to where his father is sitting and asks if he can have a penguin. His father gives Elliott a twenty-dollar bill, and then Elliot goes to the penguin enclosure and picks out the smallest penguin. Eliott’s father thinks that his son is going to buy a toy penguin in the gift shop, and it never occurs to him that Elliott has a real penguin in his backpack when they leave the aquarium.

   Taking care of an animal that is used to cold temperatures, ice, and lots of water is not an easy thing to do when you live in a house. Especially when you are not too keen to let your father know that there is a penguin in residence. Elliott and his penguin, Magellan, manage very well for a while, and then the unthinkable happens.

   Children will laugh out loud when they see how Elliott acquires his unusual pet, and when they then see what he does to take care of it. They will love the extremely surprising ending, and will enjoy going back through the book to find the clues that suggest that Elliott’s father might have a secret of his own.

   With a beautifully written and minimal text, and David Small’s wonderfully expressive illustrations, this is a picture book that readers of all ages will enjoy reading. Anyone who has a fondness for penguins must add this title to their penguin book library.

Poetry Friday - A review of Mixed Beasts

Can you imagine what an animal would look like if it had the body of a bumblebee, and the head, paws, and tail of a beaver? No, neither could I until I read today's poetry title. Perhaps imagining such a thing does not interest you. Why would anyone want to waste their time imagining such an animal? Well, I can tell you from personal experience that seeing what a Bumblebeaver looks like is not a waste of time at all. Don't believe me? Then look through this book and you will see for yourself. On its pages you will meet some very strange looking creatures, and you will read some wonderful poems that will make you smile, or maybe even laugh.

Mixed Beasts, Or a Miscellany of Rare and Fantastic Creatures

Kenyon Cox
Illustrated by Wallace Edwards
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 7 to 10
Kids Can Press, 2005, 978-1553377962
Professor Julius Duckworth O'Hare (Esquire) is a zoologist who likes to travel around the world to study rare and peculiar creatures the like of which most of us have never heard of. We are very lucky because Kenyon Cox and Wallace Edwards have combined their considerable talents to introduce us just some of the bizarre animals that the Professor saw on his travels. Be advised that some of these creatures are rather startling to look at, but I am sure that you will be intrigued by them.

   Perhaps the most interesting of the animals in this book is the octopussycat. Though it is not cuddly, it is certainly fascinating because each its eight arms can work independently. The Bumblebeaver is another curious creature. It is able to make "mud-houses with his tail / Or gather honey with his nose." If you think that that is peculiar, then you should see a Creampuffin. This animal is half bird, and half dessert, and can in fact can be eaten in its 'raw' form.

   This picture book of delightfully ridiculous verse introduces readers to thirteen highly unlikely looking animals, each one of which is shown in a very unusual setting. The verse is lively and rhyming, reminiscent of some of the verse found in the Alice in Wonderland books. When readers investigate the illustrations closely they will find that other peculiar creatures inhabit the artwork. These animals are shown in an illustrated listing in the back of the book. Readers will also discover one last surprise on the very last page of the book, one which will go a long way to explain who (and what) Professor Julius Duckworth O'Hare is.