Poetry Friday: A review of ABC Animal Jamboree

Over the years I have reviewed several books written by Giles Andreae and illustrated by David Wojtowycz. Together these two people have produced several books of poetry that are perfect for younger children. The poems are short and often amusing, and the art is bright and colorful. Today am delighted to bring you their newest title. Their other poetry books are Rumble in the Jungle, Commotion in the Ocean, and Dinosaurs Galore.

ABC Animal Jamboree

Giles Andreae

Illustrated by David Wojtowycz

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Tiger Tales, 2012, 978-1-58925-436-7

Animals come in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. Some, like the angelfish, are “gorgeous and lovely,” while others have a more homely appearance. The elephant, for example, is “big and fat and round” and the giraffe is “gangly.” Both of these animals are quite happy with their lives though, content to be as they are.

   They are not the only ones to feel this way. Frogs “may be green and slimy” but they are superlative jumpers and they are proud of their ability. Then there is a jellyfish who loves to “jiggle.” The other sea creatures think that this behavior is “quite dumb” but the jellyfish does not care. Jiggling might not be a very useful thing to be able to do, but it is “lots of good fun.”

   In this delightful collection of short poems, we meet twenty-six animals, one for every letter of the alphabet. Some of the animals, like the monkey and the rhinoceros, will be familiar to young readers, while others, like the narwhal and umbrella bird, are more exotic. Some of the poems are informative, and many are funny. Paired with David Wojtowycz’s bold and colorful paintings, the poems are a splendid alphabetical treat.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise

Happy Halloween everyone! I have a funny story for you today. Mercy Watson, the single minded pig who loves buttered toast, is back . In this adventure, Mercy Watson and her humans get into the spirit of Halloween, with disastrous consequences. 

Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise

Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Fiction  Series
For ages 6 to 8
Candlewick Press, 2007, 978-0763630140
One October afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Watson are sitting together in their living room when Mrs. Watson comes up with an idea. She suggests that this year Mercy, their pet pig, should dress up for Halloween. Mr. Watson thinks that this is a grand idea and he is quite agreeable that Mercy should be dressed up a princess. In no time at all, Mrs. Watson has created a large pink froo froo dress for Mercy, and Mr. Watson has managed to find a tiara for her. Unfortunately, Mercy does not feel at all inclined to wear the outfit. At least she isn't until it is explained that she will get "treats" if she wear the dress and the tiara. So, with a sigh, she allows Mrs. Watson to dress her.

   On Halloween night, the Watsons begin their trick-or-treating by visiting their neighbors, the Lincoln sisters. Baby is happy to see them, but sour Eugenia does not believe in letting pigs go trick-or-treating and she slams the door in Mercy's face. Kind Baby has the Watsons come to the kitchen door and she offers Mercy the treat bowl. All goes well until the Lincoln sisters' cat comes on to the scene. Then everything goes wrong very fast.

   In this delightful holiday title, Mercy Watson is sure to give readers plenty of laughs. With great patience the "porcine vision" puts up with a great deal just so that she might have her favourite treat in the world - buttered toast. A text full of chuckles and wonderfully expressive illustrations make this a perfect book for young readers.

   This is the fourth book in the Mercy Watson series.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Zorro gets an outfit

When  I was a child, we had a large fluffy and very gentle dog called Balloo. On occasion, I put some of my clothes on her, and Balloo tolerated this treatment with good humor and patience. Once I put a hat on her, and when I looked into her face I recognized the expression I saw there. Balloo was embarrassed! As quickly as possible I took the hat off her head and apologized. I never dressed her up again.

In today's picture book you will meet Zorro, a pug whose owner dresses him up and who thus makes her pet feel very embarrassed indeed. 

Zorro gets an outfit

Carter Goodrich

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2012, 978-1-4424-3535-3

Zorro the pug and his friend Mister Bud are ready for the day to begin. They get their person up, they have their biscuits, and then they make it clear that it is time for their morning walk. Zorro and Mister Bud cannot understand what is delaying their person, and then she puts an “outfit” on Zorro. The pug is extremely embarrassed by his superhero outfit, and he doesn’t want to go for his usual morning walk. What if someone sees him?

   Sure enough, when Eddie and the boys see Zorro, they make fun of the outfit. Even Slim the cat has something to say about the outfit, and it isn’t complimentary either. Mister Bud does his best to cheer up his friend, but Zorro is too depressed. How will he ever live down the humiliation?

   Being the odd one out is never easy. People stare at you, they make comments, and all in all you feel as if the whole world is saying things about you. In this clever and deliciously amusing picture book, we see how one little dog tries to come to terms with an embarrassing problem, and how the problem seems to solve itself.

   This is the second book starring Zorro and Mister Bud.

Poetry Friday - A review of Oops!

Sometimes I get so busy and so involved in my work and chores that I forget to notice the little things that make life amusing. Not taking the time to enjoy things that are funny and silly is a grave mistake to make. Thankfully, I live with goofy people and animals whose actions allow me to get a regular dose of the chuckles.

For those of you who need a laugh or two I recommend that you pick up the book I have reviewed below. It is chuckle worthy, and after you have read a few of the poems, you will surely feel lighter and happier.

Oops!

Alan Katz

Illustrated by Edward Koren

Poetry

For ages 7 to 9

Simon and Schuster, 2008, 978-1-4169-0204-1

Many people seriously underrate the value of giggles, chuckles, and laughter. Humor is therapeutic, and silliness is necessary. Sometimes life isn’t very good about providing us with things that are amusing, but luckily there are some people out there who have a beautifully developed sense of humor, and they find ways to share it with us.

   Alan Katz is just such a person, and in this collection of poems he takes young readers on wonderful humor-filled poetry journey. In the poems we meet children doing the kinds of things that children do. There is “His Royal Sloppiness” who leaves dirty fingerprints and smudges wherever he goes. Later on in the book we meet the boy whose father says that his son’s behavior is giving him gray hair. The boy is rather confused by this because from what he can see he is making his poor father bald and not gray-haired.

   The author also captures those wonderful moments from childhood that are both funny and sweet. For example there is the boy who tells his mother that he has superpowers. He can “jump fifty feet in the air” and “save the world with a wave of my hand.” The thing is that before he can do all these splendid things he needs his mother to “please tie my shoe.”

   Another child feels like a “boob” because she decided to show her little sister how toothpaste is put in the tube. Her little sister squeezes the tube so much that the older girl has no idea “how to get the toothpaste in again.”

   Children are going to love this wonderful collection of poems, which explore the everyday kind of adventures and mishaps that children have. The poems also look at just some of the peculiar questions that children ask, and readers will have a hard time holding in the guffaws and chortles and when they see the answers.

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Daisy Dawson and the Big Freeze

Some of my favorite chapter books are the titles in the Daisy Dawson collection. These books are full of sweetly funny moments, charming characters, and just a little touch of magic. In today's fiction title, Daisy Dawson and her friends find out that sometimes we have to leave the home we love, so that we can come back to it. 

DaisyDawson and the big freeze

Steve Voake

Illustrated by Jessica Meserve

Fiction

For ages 7 to 9

Candlewick Press, 2008, 978-0-7636-5627-0

One morning Daisy’s mother tells Daisy that it is going to be a very cold day. Apparently, Arctic winds are blowing and it might even snow. Sure enough, after Daisy gets to school, and while she is cleaning out the gerbil cage, it starts to snow outside. Daisy slips Furball and Burble, the two gerbils, into her pocket and then she goes outside with her classmates.

   Outdoors, Furball and Burble meet Daisy’s squirrel friends, Hazel, Cyril, and Conker. The squirrels invite the gerbils to go sliding with them, and soon the little gerbils are riding on Hazel and Conker’s heads, holding the squirrel’s ears “as if they were motorcycle handlebars.” After one ride down the hill, the gerbils – not being used to snow and cold - are ready to go back indoors. They know when enough is enough.

   Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Woolverton, one of the new lambs. Instead of staying with the flock, which is what his mother and the sheepdog tells him to do, Woolverton wanders off. Daisy and Boom the hound dog set off to find the lamb, hoping that he hasn’t come to harm in the woods.

   Daisy Dawson, the little girl who can speak to and understand animals, is a very special book character. She is sweet, generous, and her animal friends are all very fond of her. With brilliant touches of humor and delicious characters, Steve Voake gives his readers a splendid story full of warmth and love.

Picture Book Monday - A review of The Monsters' Monster

Some parents have the misconception that their children are going to turn out to be little versions of themselves. Perhaps in the beginning this happens, but after a while our children become their own people, and we have to accept and celebrate their individuality. 

Today's picture book is about three monsters who set about creating a big monster. They intend for him to be a bigger version of themselves, but they find out that sometimes one cannot anticipate how a creation is going to turn out. 

The Monsters’ Monster

Patrick McDonnell

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Little Brown, 2012, 978-0-316-04547-6

Grouch, Grump, and Gloom ‘n’ Doom are three little monsters who live in a suitably dark and dank castle, and who make a point of being as unpleasantly monsterish as possible. The one thing that they have in common is that they cannot agree which of them is “the biggest, baddest monster,” and this causes no end of trouble and countless brawls.

   Finally, the monsters decide that the solution to their problem is to create a “MONSTER monster. The biggest, baddest monster EVER!” They build their creature, and then with the help of a convenient lightning strike, they bring him to life. The three monsters are thrilled with their creation. Now, at last, they know which of them is “the biggest, baddest monster.” Their monster is going to be a credit to monsterdom, and he is going to leave chaos in his wake. It never occurs to them that their plan might not work out the way they expect it to.

   Young readers are going to love this clever and unusual story with its heartwarming and surprising ending. They will see how even the best laid plan can backfire, and how, in this case at least, the problem turns out to be an unexpected gift.

Poetry Friday - A review of Swan Song

When I was still quite young, I read about the dodo bird, a flightless bird that was so tame that humans were able to come right up to it. Needless to say, the humans took advantage of the situation, killed the dodos for their meat, and the birds were wiped out. Not long after reading about the bird, I saw a model of a dodo in a museum, and my heart went out to the poor funny looking creature. How sad it was that I would never get the opportunity to see one in the flesh, or even see a photo of one. Ever since that day, I have tried to do what I could to protect threatened animal and plant species so that they don't disappear.

In today's poetry title you will get to meet the dodo and several other species that are no longer with us. I am sure the poems will move and inspire you.

Swan Song

J. Patrick Lewis

Illustrated by Christopher Wormell

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 12

Creative Editions, 2003, 978-1-56846-175-5

There are millions of species of animals living on Earth. This may make many people feel that we are lucky, that we are rich in natural wonders, but the truth is that these animals are only a small fraction of the animal species that have inhabited our planet. “More than ninety-nine of all species that have ever lived are now extinct.” Many of these absent creatures were dinosaurs, animals who disappeared due to changes that took place on Earth long ago. However, many other species have vanished more recently, and they have done so because of us.

   This collection of poems is about some of the “recently departed” animal species. The poems serve as an epitaph for twenty extinct animals, and they also serve as a warning. We need to remember the species that are gone, so that we can protect the species of the present.

   Often considered the poster child of extinct animals, the dodo was a flightless bird that lived in an environment where they had no enemies, and who therefore had no fears. Then humans arrived, who hunted the dodo and thus the poor dodo “ceased to be.”

   Great Auks where another species of flightless bird who also had the unfortunate tendency not to fear the humans who came to their island homes. They too paid the ultimate price, providing hunters with feathers for eiderdown and meat for the table.

   In 1937, many momentous events took place that attracted a lot of attention in the media. The Hindenburg crashed, Amelia Earhart disappeared, Japan declared war on China, and Hitler announced that God was his “friend and ally.” People all over the world mourned and worried as they read the articles, but few of them grieved over the article that announced that the last Bali Tiger was dead. She had died without anyone mourning her loss.

   In his rich and powerful poems, Patrick J. Lewis beautifully captures the loss that we should all feel when we consider how many animal species have gone extinct because of human greed and thoughtlessness.

   At the back of the book readers will find further information about the animal species mentioned in the poems. 

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Liar and Spy

There are times when all of us are tempted to ignore or avoid our problems rather than face them. No one wants to suffer the pain that comes with confronting problems. In today's fiction title we meet some young people who take this avoidance strategy to a whole new level, and who thus create a situation that has its own set of problems. 

Liar and Spy

Rebecca Stead

Fiction

For ages 9 to 12

Random House, 2012, 978-0385737432

Not long ago Georges’ father lost his job and Georges and his family had to move out of the house and into an apartment. It was hard for Georges to leave behind his custom bed and the house that was filled with so many good memories, and his father is relieved with Georges starts spending time with a boy called Safer, who lives in the same apartment building.

   Safer claims to be a spy who is keeping tabs on the mysterious Mr. X who lives in an apartment upstairs. Safer is convinced that Mr. X is up to no good, that perhaps he is murdering people and cutting their bodies into pieces in his bathtub. Safer uses the intercom system in the building to spy on people, especially Mr. X, and Georges is appalled when Safer even takes Mr. X’s laundry out of the washing machine so that he can look through all the pockets in the clothes.

   As time goes by, Safer’s demands become more and more bizarre, and Georges starts to feel uncomfortable about Safer’s activities. What makes things even worse is that Georges’ school life is miserable. A boy called Dallas is going out of his way to pick on Georges, making fun of his name and everything else that he can think of. Georges feels so very alone in school, and so very alone at home as well. His mother is working extra shifts at the hospital and his father is so busy that he does not realize that Georges is struggling.

   Then Georges make a discovery about Safer, and his world come crashing down around him. Suddenly what seemed to be real is nothing but an illusion, and Georges has no idea where lies and deceptions end and the truth begins.

   Trying to adjust to big and unexpected changes can be very hard for a young person, especially if he or she has no support system in place. This remarkable book explores the lives of several children who try to deal with their fears by pretending they don’t exist. Their loves converge and the most unexpected thing happens.

   Though there is pain in this story, there is also hope and humor. Readers will be amazed to see how Georges, the boy who keeps his head down and tries to ignore his problems, finally finds himself confronting them.

Picture Book Monday - A review of A House in the Woods

Most of us have things or people whom we turn to when we are feeling glum.When I am down in the dumps I tend to seek hugs from my husband and daughter, snuggles from my pets, and I pull out my copies of Wind in the Willows, Pooh, or Pride and Prejudice. These three book titles are my comfort titles, my bookish equivalent of hot chocolate, mac and cheese, or toasted cheese sandwiches.

Today's picture book is a perfect title to read when you need a pick-me-up. The story is heartwarming, the characters are charming, and the art is softly gorgeous. 

A house in the woods

Inga Moore

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Candlewick Press, 2011, 978-0-7636-5277-7

Two pigs set up house in the woods, one living in a den, and one living in a hut made out of sticks. The pigs go for a walk together one day, and when they get home they find that Bear has moved into the den, and Moose has moved into the hut. The pigs don’t mind this at all, as they are very fond of Bear and Moose, but unfortunately the two large animals are so big that it isn’t long before both the den and the hut are destroyed. Now the two pigs and their large friends are homeless. They are, to be sure, in quite “a pickle.”

   Then Moose suggests that they all work together to build a house that they can share, a proper house with windows, doors, and all the other modern conveniences. There is a problem though. Building such a house takes skill, and Moose and his friends are going to need some help. There is only one thing to do in such a situation: Moose calls the Beavers to help. After all, when it comes to building things, the Beavers know a thing or two.

   In this wonderful picture book, Inga Moore pairs her truly gorgeous illustrations with a story that is brimming with warmth and goodwill. The book is just the thing to read on a not-so-good-day when one is feeling glum and out of sorts.  

Poetry Friday - A review of Forget-me-nots

When I was in school, we children spent a lot of time memorizing quotes, facts, figures, and rules. It was tedious, and to be honest most of the time we memorized things for tests and then promptly forgot them. The exception to this rule were the poems. Even now, many years later, I can still remember the Jabberwocky, the Walrus and the Carpenter, some of Robert Frost's poems, Ozymandias, and others. Learning these poems helped me understand them better, and it also showed me how beautiful and powerful language can be.

Today's poetry title contains a selection of poems that are perfect for learning by heart.

Forget-me-nots: Poems to learn by heart

Selected by Mary Ann Hoberman

Illustrated by Michael Emberley

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 12

Little Brown, 2012, 978-0-316-12947-3

Some people are of the opinion that learning poems by heart is a tedious and dull thing to do. What is the point, they ask. Well, learning a poem by heart helps you to better understand why the poet fashioned the poem the way he or she did. One comes to appreciate how images and ideas are fashioned using words, and how certain sounds, rhythms and rhymes conjure up thoughts and feelings in us when we hear them.

   For this book, Mary Ann Hoberman has selected poems that are suitable for beginner readers and for more advanced readers. Some are short, while others are longer. Some are goofy and funny, while others have a more serious tone. The one thing that all the poems have in common is that they are “memorable.” In other words the poems are both “easy to remember” and “worth remembering.”

   The book opens with a word from Ann Hoberman and then she gives us a poem, telling us that we are about to go on “an adventure.” She tells us that we are going to “invite” the poems to live in a house in our heads that is called “Memory.” The beauty of using this house is that it gets bigger the more you use it, and the more you give it, “The more it will give.” Perhaps best of all, once the poems are in your memory house, they will be there “As long as you live.”

   The poems that we first meet are very short. These special little gems will go into that memory house easily. They include verses by Emily Dickinson, Edward Lear, and Robert Lewis Stevenson. Then there are poems about people, people of all kinds. Robert Frost’s poem A time to Talk reminds us that one should always take time to have a “friendly visit” with a friend who is passing by. In his poem Love That Boy, Walter Dean Myers shows us how much a father loves his little son who walks “like his grandpa / grins like his uncle Ben.” The father in the poem knows in his heart that one day his son will be “a good man before he done.”

   Next there is a section of poems featuring animals. How could there not be. Children and animals fit together as perfectly and peanut butter and jelly. There are poems about a cat, a rooster, a dog, a pig, a bat, and even a yak. Some are deliciously funny, while others have a more contemplative feel.

   This animal-centric collection is followed by poems about “Delicious Dishes,” time, happiness, “Weather and Seasons,” sad feelings, “Strange and Mysterious” things, and “Poems from storybooks.” Finally, there are a few poems that are longer and more challenging to memorize. The author concludes by offering her readers some tips on how to learn poetry by heart.

   

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Following Grandfather

Trying to come to terms with the death of a loved one is never easy. I lost my grandmother when I was sixteen, and I found it very hard to pull myself out of my grief. For young children, coming to terms with such a loss is even harder because it does not seem to make any sense.

Today's fiction title by Rosemary Wells beautifully shows how one little mouse comes to terms with a death in the family. It is warming and reassuring, and it explores a difficult topic with great sensitivity and sweetness. 

Following Grandfather

Rosemary Wells

Illustrated by Christopher Denise

Fiction

For ages 7 to 9

Candlewick Press, 2012, 978-0-7636-5609-8

   Jenny is a young mouse who has a very close relationship with her grandfather. Grandfather came to America as a stowaway in a ship, and he made a home, and then a business, for himself in Salvadore’s Spaghetti House. Grandfather’s restaurant was a great success, and now it is being run by Jenny’s parents, and Grandfather has taken over the job of taking care of Jenny. Together the two mice walk explore Boston and go to the seaside, and when Jenny is a “young lady,” Grandfather takes her to buy frock. He also teaches her to hold her head high, even when the Cabot Lodges and the other wealthy mice look down on her. Jenny may be “the child of humble cooks,” but she must always have whiskers that are as “straight as arrows.”

   Jenny’s beloved grandfather teaches Jenny all kinds of valuable lessons and tells her wonderful stories. Then, out of the blue, Grandfather is gone. Mice from all over Boston attend Grandfather’s funeral, even the Cabot Lodges. Poor Jenny is so grief stricken that she cannot be comforted, much to her parents’ distress. She cannot imagine how she is supposed to go on without her grandfather.

   Losing someone you love is always painful, but for the young such a loss can be devastating and incomprehensible. In this beautifully written and illustrated story, we come to appreciate how special Jenny’s grandfather is, and we see how the little mouse struggles to come to terms with her grief.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Rocket Writes a Story

For many people, the idea of being a writer is very attractive. They see themselves sitting in front of an old-fashioned type writer, banging away on the keys at great speed, the words flowing from their imagination with ease. In reality writing is hard work. It can be boring, frustrating, and it is very rarely an easy process. Stories and characters refuse to appear on command, and then after they do condescend to arrive on the scene, they refuse to cooperate.

Today's picture book is about a little dog, Rocket, who writes his first story, and I plan on keeping this book on hand so that I can turn to it when I get frustrated with my own writing. 

Rocket Writes a Story

Tad Hills

Picture book

For ages 4 to 7

Random House, 2012, 978-0-375-87086-6

Rocket the dog loves to read. His friend the little yellow bird taught him this valuable skill, and now Rocket eagerly reads books of all kinds. Like many people who love to read, Rocket loves  words, and encouraged by the little yellow bird, he goes off to look for new ones when he can. He brings his words back and shares them with his teacher, who helps Rocket to write the words down on small pieces of paper making sure that they are spelled correctly. Then the two friends place the pieces of paper on their word tree.

   It isn’t long before the word tree is covered with scraps of paper. What should Rocket do with them all? Rocket gets a marvelous idea. He decides that he is going to write a story using the words that he has collected. Rocket gets very excited about the project, and he eagerly tells everyone about it. Then he encounters a problem, a very serious problem. Rocket has no idea what to write.

   Writing a story for the first time, or even for the hundredth time, can be very challenging. The idea of writing a story is wonderful, and then one is faced with a blank page and an empty mind. Where do story ideas come from?

   In this delightful book, Tad Hills brings back Rocket, the little dog who learned how to read. We see how Rocket figures out what to write about, and are charmed by the surprising gift that he gets when his first writing project is complete.

   With loveable characters, sweet minimal illustrations, and a meaningful story, this is a book that will appeal to writers of all ages.

Poetry Friday - A review of The Emily Sonnets

When I was still quite young, a friend gave me a book of poems that I must confess I struggled with. The poems, written by a woman called Emily Dickinson, were not what I was used to. They did not rhyme and flow easily off the tongue, and they had strange punctuation. It was only many years later, when I was a teen, that I learned about Emily's life and came to appreciate her poetry. 

The poems in today's poetry book tell the story of Emily Dickinson's extraordinary life, and I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy poetry and who are drawn to stories about remarkable people.

The Emily Sonnets: The life of Emily Dickinson

Jane Yolen

Illustrated by Gary Kelley

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 8 and up

Creative Editions, 2012, 978-1-56846-215-8

   Poet Jane Yolen has long loved the poems written by Emily Dickinson. and she feels a closeness to Emily even though they live “two towns and slightly more than fifty years apart.” In this unique book, Jane Yolen tells Emily’s story from six points of view. We hear the ‘voices’ of Emily, her sister Vinnie, her niece Mattie, her friend Thomas, an unknown critic, and Jane Yolen herself.

  The tale begins with Emily telling us how “cold as winter’s core” her mother was and how close Emily was to her older brother and her younger sister. Both her brother, who “stove so hard my life to save / From drowning in that icy wave,” and her sister seemed to recognize Emily’s sensitive personality.

   From Vinnie we hear about how Emily scribbles poetry on “chance slips” of paper. In these poems, “Her perceptions all drawn line by line,” Emily reveals little parts of herself, but she does not choose to share them with the world.

   To Emily’s niece Mattie, Emily is “Like Queen Mab who endless reigns, / Upon the hillside.” She is a magical being who is neither an adult nor a child. Emily is the one who spends time with Mattie and the other children, who gives them treats and takes their side.

   Vinnie is the one who, when Emily is gone, finds Emily’s poems and decides that they must be saved and “published for the ages.”

   Adults and children alike will be moved by the power and beauty in these poems. Jane Yolen captures how Emily felt about her own life, and how others felt about her and her incredible gift. We see how Emily chose to live a quiet life without a husband or children, and how much she was loved and admired by those who knew her. We also appreciate why, to so many, her words are a gift, “a fine embrace.”

   At the back of the book Jane Yolen provides her readers with further information about Emily Dickinson’s life, her work, and her legacy.

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Bink and Gollie: Two for one

Most of us, at some point, want to win something, or do something that earns us other people's admiration. We want to show the world how good we are at dancing, singing, playing a sport, or winning a contest. Unfortunately, all too often, our efforts backfire. In today's picture book we meet two children who discover that winning is overrated. Other things matter much more.

Bink and Gollie: Two for One

Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee

Illustrated by Tony Fucile

Fiction

For ages 6 to 8

Candlewick Press, 2012, 978-0-7636-3361-5

Today the State Fair is open, and Bink and Gollie decide to go to the event. Bink quickly decides that she wants to try hitting a rubber duck with a ball at the Wack-a-Duck booth so that she can win the “world’s largest doughnut.” Unfortunately, Bink has very little skill when it comes to throwing baseballs at rubber ducks, and she ends up hitting the Wack-a-Duck man. In fact, she hits the poor fellow with each of her three baseball throws.

  After the Wack-a-Duck fiasco, the friends move on, and Gollie sees that there is going to be an amateur talent show. Gollie would love to be in a talent show, and she is sure that she can do her talent on a stage in front of an audience. The problem is that saying you can perform, and being about to actually do it, are two very different things. Poor Gollie discovers just how paralyzing stage fright can be.

   In this delightful second book featuring Bink and Gollie, the two friends go to the State Fair, and things don’t go quite as anticipated. The good news is that there is one thing the friends can count on, even when they cannot hit a rubber duck or when they get stage fright.

   With amusing illustrations and three chapters, this title is full of clever touches of humor and we are reminded that there are more important things in life than winning prizes or being in the spotlight.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Sky Color

When I was a school girl, my art teachers were very insistent that we children should paint and draw in a certain way. Grass had to be green, houses had to be square, and the sea had to be blue. I got into trouble once for insisting the the sea sometimes looked green or grey. Thankfully, art teachers these days are more open to the idea that young artists should be encouraged to try new things, and to explore new ways of looking at things.

Peter Reynolds is an author and illustrator who has created several books about the artistic process. I consider his books The Dot and Ish to be inspirational, and today I have a review of his newest book. 

Sky Color

Peter H. Reynolds

Picture book

For ages 6 and up

Candlewick Press, 2012, 978-0-7636-2345-6

   Marisol loves to draw and paint. She also loves to share her drawings and paintings with others, and uses her art to convey ideas that she cares about. Being an artist “through and through,” Marisol is thrilled when her teacher announces that they are going to paint a mural that will hang in the library.

   Eagerly the children get to work on a large piece of paper. Marisol volunteers to “paint the sky,” but then she encounters a problem; there is no blue paint. The little girl cannot imagine how she is going to paint the sky if she doesn’t have any blue paint. It is a very troubling problem.

   Being an artist not only requires that you have a love for creating art, but it is also important that you dare to think outside of the box. Of course you could paint, draw or sculpt like everyone else, but what would it be like if you tried to do something new, something different?

  In this splendid book, Peter H. Reynolds once again explores the creative process. This time he challenges his readers to see things in a new way, to experiment with their craft to create a work of art that is uniquely theirs. 

Poetry Friday: A review of A strange place to call home.

I studied zoology when I went to university, and one of the things that attracted me to this subject was learning about the many amazing ways in which animals adapt to their environment. Having an interest in animal adaptations meant that I was naturally drawn today's poetry title. In the book, poet Marilyn Singer finds a novel way to tell her readers about a few of the strange and wonderful animals that live on our planet.

A strange place to call home

Marilyn Singer

Illustrated by Ed Young

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 10

Chronicle Books, 2012, 978-1-4521-0120-0

Choosing to live in a place that has a temperate climate without extremes is a strategy that many animals have adopted. After all, who wants to deal with extreme temperatures (either hot or cold) and a lack of water and food. The problem with living in temperate places is that so many animals do it, and competition for resources and living space is often fierce. For this reason, some animals have chosen to live in, and adapt to, environments that have “challenging conditions.” Deserts, polar ice caps, steep mountainsides, and salt lakes do present challenges, but at least one does not have to compete with many other animals for food and space.

   This remarkable book looks at just a few of the species that have chosen to call extreme environments home. For example, Japanese snow monkeys live in a part of the world where the winters can be very cold and snowy. The monkeys have, over time, adopted a very strange habit; they sit in the hot spring pools to keep warm. It is a remarkable adaptation, one that we still do not fully understand. What gave the monkeys the idea that sitting in hot springs would keep them from freezing to death?

   Just like those snowy Japanese mountainsides, the zone where the sea meets the land is a very inhospitable place. Here “waves are prone / to be forceful” and animals that choose this place to set up house have to find a way to prevent the waves from washing them away. This the limpet has done with great success. Using “suction,” the limpet is able “to cling” to rocks and thus avoid being washed away by the waves.

   Whereas the limpet has to deal with too much water action, Spadefoot toads live in deserts where “dryness is the norm.” How can these amphibians procreate in such a place where there is no water? Their solution is simple. They wait until rain arrives and then, in a short period of time, they breed, lay eggs, and their young develop.

   In this fascinating book, Marilyn Singer’s memorable poems show us how fourteen very different animal species survive in harsh environments. Using a variety of poetry forms, including free verse, a haiku, and a sonnet, the author presents words pictures of creatures that are truly fascinating.

   At the back of the book, the author provides readers with further information about the animals mentioned in the book, and she also talks about the poetry forms that she used.

   

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Ghost Knight

Most of the ghosts that I have met in books have, at worst, been scary or even terrifying. They look and sound awful, but they cannot really do anything to you. The ghosts I met in today's book are altogether different. They belong in a category of their own, and I sincerely hope that they and their kind only exist within the pages of a book.

Ghost Knight

Cornelia Funke

Illustrated by Andrea Offermann

Translated by Oliver Latsch

Fiction

For ages 9 to 12

Little Brown, 2012, 978-0-316-05614-4

When Jon’s mother tells him that he is going to be sent to a boarding school, Jon feels angry, upset, and betrayed. He blames his mother’s new boyfriend, “The Beard,” for coming up with the plan, and when he arrives at his new school in Salisbury, he is determined to be as miserable as possible. This Jon manages to do with great success until something happens that quite takes his mind of being sent to a boarding school.

   On his sixth night at the school, Jon looks out of his bedroom window and sees three malevolent looking ghosts staring up at him. They are astride horses, and their horrible appearance quite terrifies Jon. The next day, as he is walking back to the school’s boardinghouse, he is pursued by four ghosts riding ghostly horses. In terror, Jon runs from them, and when he explains his extraordinary behavior to his teacher, everyone treats him as if he has gone mad.

  Jon knows that no one believes his story, so he pretends that he was just making it up. Only one person doesn’t fall for this ploy. Ella, a very pretty girl who goes to Jon’s school, believes that he has indeed seen four ghosts. Ella’s grandmother, who fancies herself an expert on ghosts, does not believe that Jon is in danger until she hears that his mother is a Hartgill. Apparently, two of Jon’s ancestors, a father and son, were murdered by a man called Lord Stourton. The lord was executed for his part in the murder, and ever since then male Hartgill descendants have had nasty habit of dying unexpectedly.

   Ella’s grandmother suggests that Jon should go to another school, but Ella thinks that he should ask for some help. In her opinion, Jon’s only hope is to ask the ghost of William Longspee, the illegitimate half-brother of Richard the Lionheart, for his help. Apparently the knight swore an oath that he would “protect the innocent from the cruel, and the weak from the strong.” It is said that he made this oath so that he could make up for the “sinful deeds” that he did when he was alive.

   Not knowing what else to do, Jon asks William Longspee for his help, and to his amazement the ghostly knight appears and promises to help Jon if he is threatened by Lord Stourton and his four minions. Not long after this encounter with the knight, Lord Stourton, his four servants, and two terrible hell hounds appear and attack Jon and Ella. Jon calls for Longspee who comes to the boy’s aid and dispenses with the dogs, the four ghostly servants, and their malevolent master.

   Jon is delighted with Longspee’s success, and is so grateful and that he decides to do what he can to free the knightly ghost from his oath so that he can finally have some peace. Jon and Ella never imagine that their problems with Lord Stourton are only just beginning.

   Full of thrilling adventure, terrifying ghostly doings, and surprising plot changes, this exceptional book will thrill readers who have a fondness for ghost stories. It is not a tale for the faint hearted, and throughout the story the author cleverly weaves fact and fiction together to give readers a thoroughly captivating tale.

  

  

Picture Book Monday - A review of Chopsticks

When you are around someone a great deal it is easy to get used to being half of a pair. Most of the time this is a good thing, but there are times a break from the togetherness and connectedness is a good thing. In today's picture book, Amy Krouse Rosenthal explores this idea in a novel and delightful way.

Chopsticks

Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Illustrated by Scott Magoon

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Disney Hyperion Books, 2012, 978-142310796-5

   Chopsticks are a pair of friends who have been together for “forever.” They go everywhere and do everything as a pair and no one, not Spoon or Fork or Knife, can ever remember seeing them apart.

   Chopsticks are very skilled when it comes to manipulating food, and they are always challenging themselves to master “fancy new culinary tricks.” This is what they were doing when one of them accidentally breaks a tip. The injured Chopstick is whisked away to the doctor by Whisk. The doctor bandages up the damaged tip, and Chopstick is told that he needs to rest until the break sets.

   For days, the uninjured chopstick stays by his companion’s side until his dear friend tells him to “venture off on your own a bit.” The uninjured Chopstick cannot imagine being alone, but he does what his friend asks him to do, and goes off to explore on his own. He has no idea then that leaving his friend for a while is going to change both their lives.

   With deliciously amusing illustrations and clever examples of word play, Amy Krouse Rosenthal tells a story that is heartwarming and empowering. Children will see how even the best of friends can benefit from being apart for a while, and why it is important to learn how to stand on your own two feet, or on your one chopstick!

Poetry Friday: A Review of Bananas in my ears

Sometimes life is just too complicated, too full of rules, and too full of chores and responsibilities. Our brains are stuffed with facts, figures, lists, words, numbers....and all that stuff. Sometimes those deep and meaningful books with their challenging characters and their demanding plots are just too much for our brains to handle. We need something lighter and gentler. We need to smile, perhaps even laugh.

Today's poetry title is perfect for those days when you need to lighten up your life.

Bananas in my ears: A collection of Nonsense Stories,Poems, riddles, and Rhymes

Michael Rosen

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Candlewick Press, 2012, 978-0-7636-6248-6

Many people think that poetry, real poetry, has to be ‘deep and meaningful,’ and that poems should explore important themes and emotions. Certainly some poetry is serious and thought provoking, but there are also those poems that serve another purpose: they amuse us and make us laugh. Often these poems look at everyday people in everyday situations, and they show us how absurd life sometimes is.

   For this collection, Michael Rosen has created some decidedly quirky poems, which are paired with Quentin Blake’s decidedly delightful illustrations. The poems are divided into four chapters: The Breakfast Book (Hard-boiled legs), The Seaside book (Smelly Jelly Smelly Fish), The Doctor Book (Spollyollydiddlytiddlyitis), and The Bedtime Book (Under the Bed). In each chapter, readers will find many individual poems, and they will also find some recurring sections.    

   In the “What if…” section in each chapter, we are presented with some truly peculiar scenarios. Another section - “Things we say” or “Things they say” or “Things you say” - shows us what people tend to say when they are in a certain situation. For example, I am sure that every parent has heard their child say “Mom, I suddenly feel all right again” when they get to the doctor’s office. Oh, and let’s not forget the times when children say “Just one more story” at bedtime.

   In every chapter you will also meet Nat and Anna, siblings who squabble, argue, fight, and support one another only as siblings can. Young readers will surely laugh when they see what this big sister and little brother get up to.

   Though many of the poems in this book are of the tickle-the-funny-bone variety, there are some that are more contemplative. In Over my Toes, we are reminded of what it feels like to have “the soft sea wash” over our toes as we stand on a beach. In Feeling Ill, we join a child who is stuck in bed, bored to tears and “waiting for the clock to change.”

   Children and adults alike are going to enjoy sharing these poems, laughing at the what ifs, thinking about what people say in certain situations, and marveling at how they behave. Humans really are quite extraordinary creatures.

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Aggie the Brave

There have been times when I have had to leave one of my pets at the veterinary clinic for a few hours or even overnight, and I must confess that every time I have done this I have felt ridden with guilt. I imagine that my dog or cat feels that I have abandoned him or her, and find it hard to concentrate on anything while I wait. Today's story is about how one little boy copes with having to leave his beloved dog Aggie at the vet's office.

Aggie the brave

Lori Ries

Illustrated by Frank W. Dormer

Fiction

For ages 4 to 7

Charlesbridge, 2012, 978-1-57091-636-6

   Aggie has to go to the vet to be spayed. When they get to the vet’s office, Aggie refuses to get out of the car and her owner, Ben, has to pull her out. When she is finally out of the car, Aggie tries to hide, and then she tries to run away. Ben tells her that she needs to “Be Brave!” but Aggie has no interest to being brave in the least.

   Ben does not like the fact that he has to leave Aggie at the vet’s office. As he gives her a good-bye hug, he tells her to be good and to be brave. Unfortunately Ben finds it very hard to be brave himself, and in the car on the way home he bursts into tears. He misses his friend and playmate dreadfully, and getting through the rest of the day is very hard. All Ben wants is for tomorrow to come so that he and Aggie can be together again.

   Taking a pet to the vet can be a traumatic experience for both the pet and the owner, as is the case with Ben and Aggie. In this charming chapter book for beginner readers, we see how Ben copes with his own fears, and how he helps his pet to get through a trying experience.

   With three chapters and plenty of illustrations, this is a perfect title for young readers who are eager to start reading ‘real’ books.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Because you are my teacher

Good teachers are a precious commodity. They help children to learn that the process of learning is exciting, that the journey is like a adventure. Today's picture book reminds us just how valuable our teachers are and how much we owe them.

Because you are my teacher

Sherry North

Illustrated by Marcellus Hall

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Abrams, 2012, 978-1-4197-0385-0

   When you have a clever and imaginative teacher, the time you spend in school can be full of adventures. One group of children feels very lucky because their teacher is able to take them to places all over the world, and they never actually leave their classroom.

   Because she is their teacher, the children study the Atlantic “where the great blue whales roam free.” On the backs of imaginary camels the students travel across desert sands to visit the ancient pyramids of Egypt. Thanks to their teacher they are able to tour the Amazon travelling on their make-believe river raft. As they float along they hear “the howler monkeys growl their spooky song.”

   This delightful picture book serves as a tribute to all those teachers who find unique and engaging ways to explore distant lands with their students. With the teacher and her four pupils, we visit two of the world’s five oceans and all seven of its continents. In some of the places we visit we meet bizarre animals, while in others we marvel at man-made wonders.

   With beautiful color illustrations and an engaging rhyming text, this is a perfect picture book to read aloud in a classroom.

Poetry Friday - A review of Dark Emperor and other poems of the night

I used to live in the city, where ones connection with nature and with nature's rhythms and cycles often is very limited. Here, in my home in southern Oregon, I can see how the light changes on the mountains as the sun sets, and how the sounds I hear shift when it gets dark. Instead of the warbles of the swallows, I hear the shriek of the owls. Instead of smelling the sun warmed earth, I smell the skunk as it wanders by!

Today's poetry title explores a woodland at night. The combination of the gorgeous illustrations and beautiful poetry makes this book a title that I know I will enjoy looking at again and again.

Dark Emperor and other poems of the night
Joyce Sidman
Illustrated by Rick Allen
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 7 to 12
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010, 978-0-547-15228-8
The sun is setting, and the world of light fades and becomes a world of shadow. Creatures that were asleep during the daylight hours emerge eager to find a meal. This is the time when raccoons shuffle out into the open, when mice dart from shadow to shadow, and when moths flutter towards any light they can find.
   A snail “unhooks itself from earth” and inches up stems and leaves looking for “tasty morsels of green.” Above in the trees, an” owl, a “Dark Emperor” sits, listening to the “squeaks and skitters” below, waiting for that moment when it is ready to start hunting.
  Unlike the creatures that move around beneath its bark and that roost in its branches, the oak is quiet, drinking its fill “slowly, slowly.” As the moon rises behind the tree, a baby “porcupette” comes out with its mother. The baby nurses and then its mothers goes off to find herself a meal. Though the youngster cannot climb trees yet, it knows it is safe, protected by its coat of quills.
   In this award-winning title, poet Joyce Sidman takes readers on a special journey into a woodland at night. She introduces us to some of the sights that you might glimpse in such an environment after the sun sets. We meet a snail, a moth, a frightened mouse, an oak tree, a spider, a porcupine, a cricket, some mushrooms, an eft, a bat, and the moon. A section of informative nonfiction text accompanies each poem, providing the reader with further information about the topic mentioned in the poem.
   Throughout the book, Rick Allen’s gorgeous woodcut illustrations provide a perfect backdrop for the poems and text. Layers of color and texture-filled details give the prints a depth that is both beautiful and startling.

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Dear Max

When I was a child most of the grownups I knew had no idea how to communicate with a kid. Or at least that is what it felt like. They had no idea how to listen, or how to respond in the appropriate manner. My father was one of the exceptions. He really wanted to know what I felt and thought, and made me feel that my opinion mattered.

In today's book you are going to meet a boy who develops a close friendship with a children's book author. They write to one another, and though they are very different, they are able to help one another.

Dear Max

Sally Grindley

Illustrated by Tony Ross

Fiction

For ages 6 to 9

Simon and Schuster, 2004, 978-1-4169-3443-1

   Not long ago Max’s uncle gave him a copy of a book by the author D. J. Lucas, and now Max is writing to D.J. to tell her how much he likes the book. He also tells the author that he, Max, would like to be a writer when he grows up. D.J. writes back to tell Max that she has written thirty-five books and that she is about to start writing another one.

   The two correspondents, who are both having a hard time coming up with a story, decide to help one another. D.J suggest that they should both write about “what interests us most.” Max decides to write about a spectacled bear, and over time, as letters go back and forth between the boy and the writer, his story evolves.

   In addition to his story, Max tells D.J about his uncle and the new puppy his uncle got who “wees” in shoes. Max incidentally lets slip that his father is “never coming back,” and that he has to go to the hospital a lot. He thinks that these visits are a waste of time because the doctors never do anything to make Max better. He also talks about a boy at school who enjoys bullying Max because Max is small for his age. Then he tells D.J about his friend Jenny, who is behaving less and less like a friend.

   Recognizing that Max’s life is sometimes hard, D.J offers him support and her friendship, and she does her best to cheer him up. She is there for him when he feels very alone, angry, and scared.

   One would never think that an adult lady author and a nine-year-old boy could have much in common, but in this book they do, and they both benefit from the friendship. It is fascinating to see how Max’s very lifelike story evolves, and how he learns how to deal with his problems himself, finding the courage that lies within him.

   With a story that is funny, touching, and punctuated with little doodles and pictures, this is a tale every child can relate to.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Who wants to be a poodle

Sometimes, often with the best of intentions, we push people into being what we want them to be without once considering that perhaps they might like to follow a different path. We assume that we know what is best for them, and don't take the trouble to listen to what they have to say.

In this delightful picture book you are going to a meet a poodle whose owner assumes that she knows what is best for her pet. Unfortunately this is not the case.

Who wants to be a poodle, I don’t

Lauren Child

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 8

Candlewick Press, 2009, 978-0-7636-4610-3

   Trixie Twinkle Toes Trot-a-Lot Delight is a poodle who lives in a posh apartment with her owner, Verity Brulee. Trixie is pampered and primped, waited on and indulged, but she is not in the least bit happy. The truth of it is that Trixie is not a poodly sort of dog, even though she is a toy poodle. She wants to be able to run on the grass, paddle in puddles, and chase “nothing in particular” like other dogs, but she is not allowed to.

   Finally, despondent about her poodly existence, complete with pompoms and pink velvet ribbons, Trixie begins to howl. She howls and howls. Then she decides to take her life in her own paws, and she tries to figure out who she truly is on the inside.

   Not being able to communicate with humans must be a very frustrating thing for dogs, and in this picture book we meet a poodle whose owner just doesn’t get it. She doesn’t understand what Trixie wants at all.  

   Sometimes people don’t understand other people, just as Verity does not understand Trixie. For this reason this book will resonate with everyone who feels misunderstood and unheard. Readers will be reassured by Trixie’s story, and they will surely love Lauren Child’s quirky and distinctive multimedia art. 

Poetry Friday - A review of My America

One of the things that still amazes me is how huge the Unites States is. The country has mountains, lakes, rivers, canyons, deserts, big cities, tiny hamlets and almost everything else that you can think of. There are huge differences between the different regions, and when I drove across the country, from Virginia to Oregon, I felt as if I have driven through several countries.

Today's poetry title celebrates the diversity of the United States in a new way, and it is a title that children and adults alike will enjoy looking through.

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States

Selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 8 to 12

Simon and Schuster, 2000, 978-0-689-81247-7

When most of us think of an atlas, we think of a large format book that is full of maps of all kinds. If the atlas is about the United States, there will probably be maps showing the geographic regions, the states, and then in-detail maps of each of the states. This atlas is very different. There are maps, eight of them in total, but most of the book is taken up with words and illustrations rather than maps. Poet Lee Bennett Hopkins wanted to give readers a unique picture of the United States; one that uses poems to take people from “sea to shining sea;” one that captures how exciting and diverse this country is; and one that celebrates the many natural  and manmade wonders that can be found throughout the United States.

   The book is divided into eight sections, each one of which focuses on a particular region. Each section opens with a map and some basic statistics about the states that can be seen on the map. For example, the first chapter is about The Northeast States and in the opening, we find out a little about Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Then the poems begin, and they show us a little about this region, often capturing the flavor of the states. We read about how “Red lobster boats bob above barnacled anchors” in Maine, and how a New England lighthouse serves as a “compass for ships / as they pass / through the night.”

   In the section about the Pacific coast states, we visit some California missions, which “hold tales / of ancient years.” Here we can travel from the “Ice built, ice bound, and ice bounced” lands of Alaska to the island of Hawaii where the Mauna Loa, the live volcano, rumbles “A tumbled tune,” and sends “Fire!” into the air.

   This extraordinary collection of poems brings together the words of many poets including Lee Bennett Hopkins, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, and Douglas Florian. Together they give readers a vivid picture of an extraordinary country.

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Gus and Grandpa

When I was a child, my grandmother lived on the other side of the world, so I didn't get to see her very often. I envied the children I knew whose grandparents lived in the same city or at least in the same country. Thankfully the grandmother who lived downstairs decided to adopt me. It did not matter that she spoke Greek and that I, at least at first, couldn't speak a word. We would sit together watching TV, I would hold her crochet yarn for her, and she would let me help her bake bread and make homemade pasta.

Today's fiction title is about a boy who has a very close relationship with his grandfather. This is just one in a series of books about Gus and his splendid grandfather.

Gus and Grandpa

Claudia Mills
Illustrated by Catherine Stock
Fiction
For ages 5 to 7
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999, 978-0374428471
Gus loves to go and visit his grandfather. There are so many wonderful things to do at Grandpa's house, simple yet special things. There is the ditch to jump over again, Skipper the dog to play with, shopping trips to go on, and much more. Best of all there is Grandpa with his gentle and often funny ways.

   The author of this charming little book beautifully succeeds in showing us the closeness of the relationship between Gus and his grandfather, the comfortable nature of their relationship, and the ways in which they enjoy one another's company. She does this with short sentences and simple language, which makes the story very accessible to early readers. At the same time, she introduces early readers to chapters, giving them several Gus and Grandpa stories to enjoy in one volume.

Picture Book Monday - A review of I will come back for you

In this day in 1939, the Allies declared war on Germany. Germany had invaded Poland on September 1st, and the Allies were forced to respond to this act of aggression. Following the declaration, not much happened for a time, but then Germany launched its Blitzkrieg, or lightening war, which left many countries in Europe reeling.

One of Hitler's allies was Bennito Mussolini, the leader of Italy, who was happy to adopt Germany's methods and policies. Today's picture book is about how one Italian family was affected by these changes.

I will come back for you: A family in hiding during WorldWar II

Marisabina Russo

Historical Fiction Picture Book

For ages 7 to 10

Random House, 2011, 978-0-375-86695-1

When Nonna was a little girl, she lived in an apartment building in Rome, Italy, with her parents and her brother Roberto. In the afternoons, Mamma used to take Nonna and Roberto to the park, and every evening their Papa would play the piano for them before they went to bed.

   Then war broke out in Europe and life for Nonna and her family began to change. New laws were created that targeted Jews like Nonna. There were many things that Jews were no longer allowed to do, and then Papa was told that he had to leave his family and go to live in a village in the mountains.

   For a while, Nonna, Mama, and Roberto went to the village every weekend to spend time with Papa, but then Papa learned that the Germans were coming to the village. He knew that the Germans were sending all the Jews that they found to concentrations camps, so he decided that he would go into hiding. He told his family that he would leave a note for them in an old beech tree in the village so that tgey would know that he was well.

   When the local officials found out that Papa was gone, they got very angry and announced that they would take Mama in his place and hand her over to the Germans.

   This story is based on the real life experiences of the author’s mother, who fled to Italy from Germany in the early 1930’s, and who had some extraordinary adventures during World War II. The narrative describes very difficult times, but it also shows children how hard times can bring out the best in people. Thanks to some very brave Italians, the author’s mother and her two children (like many other Jews in Italy) were hidden and survived the war.

   This powerful and informative book serves as a fitting tribute to the people who found ways to survive Nazi and Fascist aggression both before and during World War II. It is also a tribute to those who risked everything to help others during this difficult time. 

Poetry Friday - A review of Take Two!

When I was growing up, two pairs of twins came to my school. One was a pair of identical boys, and since we had to wear school uniforms and they had identical hair styles, we had no idea which boy was which. They had a splendid time confusing their classmates and teachers. The other pair were non-identical girls, and they had nothing in common. One was a lot taller than the other, so we always thought that she was older. 

In today's picture book two of American's most celebrated poets for young readers take us into the world of twins, and what an interesting visit it is.

Take Two! A Celebration of Twins

J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 9

Candlewick Press, 2012, 978-0-7636-3702-6

   People are often fascinated by twins. Can twins really read each other’s minds? Do they really have their own language, and are they especially close because they are twins? In this clever collection of poems, J. Patrick Lewis (who is a twin) and Jane Yolen (who comes from a family that has several pairs of twins) explore what it is like to be a twin.

   The journey twin babies make begins in the womb, of course, so this is where we begin our journey in this book. Not literally, but figuratively. We read about how parents see “a dot” on an ultrasound screen, and then below that dot they see another one. Without any warning, a mother finds out that she is going to be a “Double mother.”  For months the little babies grow in their “room” that is a constant nighty-eight degrees. There the tangle of “arms and legs, / elbows and knees” stays, until at last the time is right and out they come, a “Double package deal.”

  Now the babies are here and they start to get to know their world together. From the very beginning they have a special connection, using a language that they alone share. As far as they are concerned “All the best things / Come in two,” like socks, shoes, eyes, and ears. And babies. They learn how to walk, have their baths together, learn how to tie their shoes, and have messy meals.

   Of course not all twins look alike, and sometimes they have fights or argue, just like other siblings. Twins who are identical do not necessarily have the same tastes and interest. Though they have the same DNA (and can secretly change places to confuse people) they are individuals with distinct personalities.

   With clever poems Jane Yolen and J. Patrick Lewis explore the worlds of twins, concluding their journey by looking at some of the world’s most famous twins, including Chang and Eng and Tweedlee and Tweedledum.  Many of the pages have a “Twin Fact” at the bottom that provides readers with additional information about twins.