Picture Book Monday - A review of Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping

I loved camping when I was a kid. Camping on the beach every summer was something I looked forward to for months. I would have had a hard time dealing with Scaredy Squirrel because he is is under the impression that camping is a highly dangerous activity. In fact, I am pretty sure he would have driven me crazy. Or perhaps not.

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping

Melanie Watt

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 8

Kids Can Press, 2013, 978-1-894786-86-7

Some people love camping. They enjoy the simple life in the great outdoors, savoring such uncomplicated pleasures as sitting around a campfire at night, sleeping in a tent, and going for long invigorating hikes.  Scaredy Squirrel is not such a person. He prefers the comfort of home to the discomfort of camp life, and he knows that camping is fraught with such dangers as skunks, mosquitoes, quicksand, and zippers.

Scaredy decides that the way to enjoy camping is to do so vicariously, by watching “The Joy of Camping” on the television. There is a problem though.  Scaredy does not have an electrical outlet in his tree home. He is going to have to use a long extension cord and go to a nearby campsite to plug in the cord. Being the cautious (some might even say neurotic) fellow that he is, Scaredy dons his Wilderness Outfit. Scaredy does a little pre-expedition training and then, armed with pliers, tomato juice, a bag of cement and other supplies, Scaredy sets off. One thing he isn’t prepared for is a surprise, which is exactly what he finds.

Scaredy Squirrel is, without a doubt, one of the funniest picture book characters out there. What makes him so endearing is the fact that he is not perfect. He is afraid of just about everything and is committed to living life as safely as possible. He hates change in all its forms. The amusing thing is Scaredy is forced to deal with change, and it is delightful to see how he copes. Though he is decidedly overanxious, he is not, thankfully, unable to see the many gifts that life has to offer, and he manages to find ways to enjoy those gifts in his own very distinctive way.

Poetry Friday - Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a twist

When I was around eight years old I went on a fairy tale jag. I read every fairy tale I could get my hands on, and my godmother got me a set of books that I loved. In each book the author, Ruth Manning-Sanders, focused on fairy tales about one kind of magical being. There was a book about giants, one about magical animals, one about dragons, one about witches, and so on. The author retold the stories in creative ways giving readers wonderful descriptions of places and characters. In today's poetry title you are going to meet some familiar fairy tale characters, but their 'voices' are not going to be what you are used to. Have fun!

Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a twist

Jane Yolen and Rebecca Kai Dotlitch

Illustrated by Matt Mahurin

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 10

Boyds Mills Press, 2013, 978-1-59078-867-7

Fairy tales have been delighting and terrifying children for generations. The stories have played important roles in popular culture and many have been turned into plays, musicals, and films. The one thing that they have in common is that the “good guys” almost always win, and the “bad guys” usually get their just desserts. In a world that is full of chaos, unknowns, and unhappy endings, fairy tales can help us to feel comforted and secure.

Jane Yolen, the author and poet, clearly loves fairy tales, and she has written many such stories over the years. For this poetry collection she has collaborated with children’s book author and poet Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Together they have created poems that allow young readers to look at some classic fairy tales in a new way. Instead of telling the stories in the third person, which is the way most fairy tales are presented, they use the voices of the characters in the stories to present a fresh point of view. For every story there are two poems. Sometimes the poems are from the point of view of one character, and sometimes we hear from two characters.

For example, in Hansel and Gretel, Gretel begins by talking about how she and her brother should have guessed at once that they “were in deep, deep trouble” when they found the witch’s house with its “chocolate doorknobs” and “marzipan bricks.” Then we hear from Hans, who has quite a different approach. He is optimistic and says, “No worries, no need to fear.” He is convinced that he, Hans, will be able to save the day.

Sometimes we even hear from characters who do not appear in the stories, characters who surely might have popped out of the pages if someone had had thought to write them in. For example in The Three Bears,  the first poem we read allows us to hear not just bear voices and Goldilocks voice. We also hear the voice of Officer Bruin who has come to “view / The ruin.”

Readers of all ages who like fairy tales are going to enjoy exploring the thirty poems in this book. It is interesting to hear how different the voices of the characters sound and how many perspectives there are in one tale. Readers might be tempted to try their hand at writing some of their own fairy tale poems. What would Jack’s beanstalk have to say about being climbed, and what would Cinderella’s glass slipper have to say about the girl who charmed a prince?

Picture Book Monday - A review of It’s Monday, Mrs. Jolly Bones!

I am an annoyingly organized person. Or so I am told. I do certain chores on certain days, like my mother does, and my grandmother did. There is something comforting about having a wash-the-linens day, and a do-the-food-shopping day. In today's picture book you will meet a lady who does a different task on each week day, but there is something unique about the way she does her chores, something delightfully odd.

It’s Monday, Mrs. Jolly Bones!

Warren Hanson

Illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Simon and Schuster, 2013, 978-1-4424-1229-3

Mrs. Jolly Bones has a full week ahead of her. Being an organized soul, she assigns a certain task to every week day. On Monday she does the laundry, on Tuesday she gardens, on Wednesday she cleans the house, on Thursday she does the grocery shopping, and on Friday she bakes.

   These chores sound pretty straight forward. They are the kinds of chores that men and women all over the world do every day, right? Yes they are, but it is unlikely that many people do their chores in quite the same manner as Mrs. Jolly Bones.

   For example, on Monday, when Mrs. Jolly Bones does the laundry, she gathers and sorts the laundry, she washes the clothes and dries them. Then she irons and folds everything. So far her laundry day has been very normal. What is rather unusual is that Mrs. Jolly Bones then takes all those clean fresh-smelling clothes and tosses them out of the window so that they will “brighten up the street.”

   If you think this is odd, wait until you see what she does after she cleans the house, or what she does with the groceries she buys on Thursday.

   Children love books that contain surprises, and this particular book is full of them. The story has a normal beginning and then it becomes clear that Mrs. Jolly Bones has her own way of doing things, ways that will keep readers guessing all the way through the book.

   Children are going not only going to enjoy hearing about Mrs. Jolly Bones and her strange behavior, but they are also going to love exploring Trish Tusa’s cunning and amusing artwork.

Happy Mother's Day!

Poetry Friday - A review of Face Bug

Imagine what it would be like to go to a museum where they were displaying a series of photos showing the faces of insects and spiders. If one were an insect or spider this would be like going to a portrait gallery. Today's book combines poetry and art to take readers into The Face Bug Museum, and it is quite a trip.

Face Bug
J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrations by Kelly Murphy
Photographs by Frederic B. Siskind
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 6 to 10
Boyds Mills Press, 2013, 978-1-59078-925-4
Come one, come all! The Face Bug Museum is open, and insects, spiders, and their guests are invited to take a look at the photographs that is on display. The photographers who took the pictures feel that “you never really know bugs till you look them in the eye,” which is why all the photographs focus on the heads and faces of insects and spiders. Bring your camera and be prepared to be amazed, and perhaps even shocked. Don’t worry if the faces make you feel faint. Tiny Vet is “standing by” to treat anyone who gets the heebie geebies.
   We begin with the Hickory Horned Devil, which is the larva of a moth. The creature in the photo looks like a cross between a porcupine and a “Country-colored coral reef,” and it is certainly scary, but in reality this caterpillar is a gentle creature and the only living thing that needs fear it are the leaves it snacks on.
   In the next photo we see the head of an Eastern Carpenter Bee. Though they look threatening, these bees are not a danger to anyone. They do like to drill holes in wood though, so you might find their holes in your home if it is made out of wood.
   Further on in the show you will meet the Bush Katydid. This rather showy insect is standing on a stage in front of its photograph and it has happy to talk about itself. It admits that it looks rather like a grasshopper, but its green body can make it look like a leaf in the right surroundings, which is handy in a world that is full of predators. In addition to being a master of camouflage, the katydid is a singer and a “petty thief.”
   In this memorable book Patrick Lewis’ amusing poems are paired with wonderful photos and amusing illustrations to give young readers a tour through a museum that is unlike any other. Information about each insect or spider species is incorporated into the poems. Readers will also find additional facts about the fourteen creepy crawlies featured in the show at the back of the book. Children will get to know the insect and spider characters that appear on the pages, and they may even finding themselves growing fond of them.

Picture Book Monday - A review of The Museum

I still remember the first time I went to a real art museum. My father took me to the National Gallery in London. I was so in love with the lions and fountain and Trafalgar Square that he had a hard time getting me into the museum, but once I was inside I felt as if I had been transported to a magical place. It was a magical place, and I will never forget how much I enjoyed my time there.

Today's book celebrates art museums and it explores the nature of creativity.

The Museum

Susan Verde

Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Picture Book

For ages 6 and up

Abrams, 2013, 978-1-4197-0594-6

One sunny day a girl goes to the art museum and when she looks at a work of art she doesn’t just see the painting or the sculpture, she reacts to it. As she tells us, “something happens in my heart.” Her response to the art cannot be contained and her body “goes into action.”

   When she sees a painting of a ballet dancer she feels that she needs to pose as a dancer does and stand on her “tippy-toes.” A painting of swirling stars in a night sky makes her feel “twirly swirly,” while a painting of a sad blue face makes her feel lonely and down. A field of flowers makes her feel skippy, and abstract colorful swirls and squiggles give her a fit of the “giggles.”

   Then the girl comes across a large empty canvas. What does it mean? Is the non-painting “a joke?”

   In this delightful picture book the author and illustrator celebrate art museums and the journeys and adventures that they allow us to take when we look at the artworks in their galleries. The story also explores the way art can be created out of nothing, cajoled out into the open by inspiration and creativity. The emotions the little girl in the story experiences seem to bounce off the pages, and the ending will give readers of all ages something to think about.

Poetry Friday - A review of The year comes round: Haiku Through the Seasons

Traditionally haiku poems were used to capture precious moments, moments that were little gems from the natural world. Often the poems were seasonal in nature. In today's poetry title we travel through a year and the author gives us a haiku with a nature theme for every month.

The year comes round: Haiku Through the Seasons

Sid Farrar

Illustrated by Ilse Plume

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 6 to 9

Albert Whitman, 2012, 978-0-8075-8129-2

It is wintertime and when we get up in the morning there is frost on the windows so that “Each windowpane’s a / masterpiece,” of delicate frost designs.  When snow falls, children build a snowman, who hopes that the “noon sun won’t / notice” that it is there.

   In the spring a mother robin’s eggs hatch and she has to get busy finding food for her chicks. Luckily food is plentiful and she is able to bring an earthworm “back to her nest to / meet her family.”

   Summer evenings bring careful watchers a special treat. As light fades “fireflies quietly blink / their secrets.” This is also the time of year when one is most likely to experience a violent thunderstorm. Fed by the heat and moisture in the air, “Thick, black clouds grumble” above the “parched earth below.”

   Haiku is a poetry form that traditionally uses words to capture a picture of something from the natural world, and the poems are often seasonal in nature. The author of this book follows the Japanese haiku custom by focusing on nature, taking readers through the twelve months of the year with gem like poems. The poems are paired with lovely illustrations and at the back of the book readers will find more information about haiku, and “The Cycle of Life.”

Picture Book Monday - A review of Baby Penguins Everywhere!

I work from home, which means that I spend a lot of time alone. At least alone in the sense that there are no other humans around. I usually have three dogs and at least one of my two cats in my office when I am working. I love working at home, but there are times when I crave human company. I can therefore relate to the penguin in this story, who, like me, enjoys her time alone. Most of the time.

Baby Penguins Everywhere!

Melissa Guion

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Penguin, 2012, 978-0-399-25535-9

Floating on an ice floe, a penguin enjoys the “peace and quiet of the sea and ice.” However, there are times when she feels rather lonely. Then one day she finds a hat floating in the water, and in the hat there is a little penguin. One little penguin is a big surprise, but then another penguin chick pops out of the hat, which is followed by another.

   Soon there are baby penguins all over the place, and the penguin who was once lonely is lonely no longer. Instead, she is extremely busy playing with and taking care of the baby penguins. In fact, she is so busy that she gets rather tired and worn out.

   Though we love our family and friends, and though we want to spend time with them and do things for them, all of us have moments when we start to feel a little overwhelmed, when we need a little time to ourselves to sit and be quiet.

   In this sweet and beautifully minimal book, Melissa Guion explores the idea that everyone needs a little break once in a while, and she manages to do so with sensitivity and humor.

Poetry Friday - A Review of Forest has a song

I love reading poetry collections where the poems look at the seasons, and have reviewed several titles of this kind over the years. Today's title takes readers on a journey through the seasons in a forest, and we have a little girl for company who shows us some of the wonderful places, plants, animals, and trees that can be found in forest.

Forest has a song

Amy Ludwig Vanderwater

Illustrated by Robbin Gourley

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 6 and up

Clarion, 2013, 978-0-618-84349-7

Not far from a girl’s little red house there is a forest. One morning, while she is outside, the girl hears a “pinecone fall” and she smells the “spicy” tang of the pine trees on the wind. She is drawn to the forest that seems to be asking her to “Come visit. / Please?”

   In the forest she meets a chickadee, whom she invites to come and eat some of seeds that she is holding. She tells the little bird that it is “safe to land” on her hand and that she is not a threat. The bird is afraid of the child, but at the same time it cannot help seeing the seeds that rest in the hand that is still. Perhaps such a small child is not something to fear after all.

   In the spring the child finds fiddleheads in the forest. These are ferns that are uncurling as the weather warms,  and their presence indicates that winter is finally over. High in a tree she hears a tree fog calling. It is trying to convince a potential wife that it is “one great frog.”

  Summer is the perfect time to have adventures in the forest. Barefoot, the girl walks on a bed of moss, her feet sinking into the “velvet green.” She wishes her socks felt as good as the moss does. Summer is also the time when poison ivy grows everywhere. One must look for those three leaves and avoid them because “One green / touch can itch / so much.”

  In fall the maple trees begin to change their “leaves to red,” and one hears the call of geese overhead. Then the first snow arrives and the girl stands outside in the woods with her eyes closed listening to “snowy voices / crystal clear.”

   This lovely book takes readers through a forest year. We celebrate special moments with the girl, and explore the lovely world that is her refuge and her playground. We discover treasures from nature, and meet animals who share their lives with us.

   Throughout the book beautiful poems in a variety of forms are paired with emotive watercolor paintings that readers will enjoy reading and looking at again and again.

Happy Earth Day!