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.