The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and fifty-seven

The Amulet graphic novel series has been lauded by reviewers and book fans all over the world, and today I am delighted to be able to bring you my review of the newest book in the series. This installment continues where book three left off, and we discover that the situation the main character is in is actually even worse than we thought.

Amulet: Book Four – The Last Council

Kazu Kibuishi
Graphic Novel
For ages 9 to 12
Scholastic, 2011, 978-0-545-20887-1

   Led by a boy called Max, Emily, her family, her friends and her allies are finally in Cielis, the floating city. They all hope that here they will at long last be able to get the help they need to defeat the Elf King, their mortal enemy. They are not in Cielis long before it becomes apparent that all is not well. Emily is separated from her friends, the elves who came with her are imprisoned, and Emily has a distinct feeling that something is very wrong.

   Soon after arriving at Cielis, Emily is taken to the Academy and she learns that she is going to have to compete in some strange trial for a place on the Guardian Council. She and Max are told that they need to be willing to “succeed at any cost.” The other young Stonekeepers that they meet are willing to fight each other for a place on the Council, but Emily believes that they should all work together. Perhaps if they do, they will all be able to survive the test.

   One by one the young Stonekeepers fail the tests they are presented with until at last, Emily and Max are the only survivors. Emily realizes that she has been deceived. She has been played by the enemy.

   In this fourth Amulet title, Kazu Kibuishi takes his readers on another tension-filled adventure that is full of surprises. Readers will learn that nothing is what it seems, and that it doesn’t pay to underestimate the enemy. Fantastic illustrations are paired with a story that has captured the interest of graphic novels fans of all ages. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and fifty-six

Many people around the country are alarmed because so many of our children are not as healthy as they should be. Many of them barely ever exercise, they have a poor diet, and they spend far too much time glued to televisions, computer screens and cell phones. In today's picture book, author Eileen Spinelli, who is a big favorite of mine, addresses this issue with sensitivity and humor. 

Miss Fox’s Class Shapes Up

Eileen Spinelli

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Albert Whitman, 2011, 978-0-8075-5171-4

   One day Miss Fox notices that her students are not in good shape. Some of them are too tired to stay awake in class, others have rumbly tummies because they don’t have regular meals, and others can barely run up a short flight of stairs without wheezing and puffing. Miss Fox decides that her students need to “get fit,” and not just for Field Day. They need to be fit “For every day.”

   Miss Fox’s campaign begins with a visit to Nurse Weasel, who tells the children that their bodies need “healthy food,” and she gives them recipes to take home to their families. Then Miss Fox invites Bunny and Raccoon to come up with some exercises that the students can do during recess. Soon all the students and their families are learning that exercise can come in many forms, and it can be fun.

   In this delightful Miss Fox title, young readers will see that getting fit and being healthy can be fun and rewarding. Using her delightful characters and an engaging storyline, the author conveys an important message that all children need to hear.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and fifty-five

When we grow up many of us get so busy that we no longer notice the changing of the seasons, except to complain about the cold, the heat, the rain, the snow, or the leaves that need to be raked up. Luckily children notice the magic that takes place as one season flows into another, and they often share their sense of wonder with us adults. Today's picture book captures the essence of that magic, and the author throws in a warm dose of parental love as well. 

All the seasons of the year

Deborah Lee Rose

Illustrated by Kay Chorao

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Abrams, 2010, 978-0-8109-8395-3

   It is autumn, and the geese are starting to fly south. The trees “wear a gold and scarlet crown,” and leaves drift to the ground where a mama cat and her little son rake them up and jump in them.

   In the winter, the cat and her child enjoy mornings when they wake up to discover that everything outdoors is covered with glittery snow. Together they “speed our sled on a downhill ride.”

   By the time summer rolls around, “snow and sleds” are just in the cat’s dreams as they play in the summertime garden in the heat. They splash around in the ocean, lake and pool to keep cool.

   Whatever the season, the mother cat loves her child, watching as he grows and changes.

   In this beautiful picture book, a gentle rhyming text is paired with Kay Chorao’s warm and charming illustrations. Children will find the loving message reassuring, and they will enjoy seeing the things that two cats share as the seasons unfold.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and fifty-four

For many children, the beginning of September is back-to-school time, and school doings fill their lives. For some, getting used to being back in school is not easy, and there are anxious moments. For today's picture book I have a title that will help children to remember that school can be fun, even if they don't have a canine class mate.

Bailey

Harry Bliss

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Scholastic, 2011, 978-0-545-23344-6

   Bailey is a dog, a special kind of dog who goes to Champlain Elementary School five days a week. Like the children in his class, Bailey packs his lunch and he has subjects that he is better at than others. He likes to tell everyone what his favorite things are (sticks, bones, slow-moving squirrels) and he is very good in math.

   There are times though when he is very much a dog. He tends to eat his homework (literally), and he cannot help rummaging through the garbage after lunch. He loves to dig holes and chase sticks. Sometimes these doggy activities are an asset, and at other times they are not, and you can never be quite sure when Bailey’s dogginess is going to take over.

   In this delightful book, Harry Bliss, who created Diary of a worm and Diary of a spider, lets us share a school day with a very unique elementary school student. Children are sure to enjoy reading about his adventures and misadventures, and by the time they get to the last page they will wish that Bailey was a student in their class. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and fifty-three

When you try to do something that you have never done before, and if you don't know what you are doing, things can go wrong. Very wrong. A souffle can come out of the oven as flat as a pancake, a broken pipe can flood the house, and a home hair dyeing kit (blond) can turn your hair green. It is, generally speaking, a good idea to read a book about how to make a souffle, how to fix a pipe, and how to successfully dye your hair so that you do not end up with green hair. Of course, there are always those individuals who just can't be bothered, who don't read directions or the small print. Today's story is about just such an individual.

Spells

Emily Gravett

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2009, 978-1-4169-8270-8

   One day a little green frog finds a book of spells. He wishes that the book was about boats and that he is a pirate sailing the seven seas. But it isn’t. He wishes that the book was about castles and that he is “a handsome prince kissing a beautiful princess.” But it wasn’t. He is just a frog and the book is just a book of spells

   Then the frog finds a page with the words “Spell to become a Handsome Prince” at the top. Unfortunately, the pages in the book have been rather torn up and mixed up. There is no way of knowing which piece of page goes where. After many rather unfortunate mis-spells, the frog finally turns himself into a prince. At last he is going to be able to fulfill all his dreams. Or maybe not.

   Magic fans of all ages will find it hard to resist this clever picture book. Children will love the divided interior pages, and they will laugh out loud when they see what happens to the frog when he tries to fulfill one of his wishes. It would appear that it is VERY important to read the small print, especially when you are casting a spell. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and fifty-two

When you are big and strong it is very easy to underestimate those who are smaller and weaker than you. You imagine that just because you are bigger and tougher than everyone else, that they cannot possibly have the advantage over you in any way.

In today's picture book you will a big mean bear you learns that it really doesn't pay to underestimate anyone. 

The Grizzly Bear with the Frizzly Hair

Sean Taylor

Illustrated by Hannah Shaw

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Frances Lincoln, 2011, 978-1-84780-085-5

   The Grizzly Bear with the Frizzly Hair has nothing left to eat in the woods, and now he is hungry, bad-tempered, and “on the prowl.” When he come across a rabbit, the bear snatches up the little animal and starts to swallow it. Desperately, the rabbit tries to put the bear off, telling the hungry beast that his knees are too bony and that they will give the bear a “tummy ache.” He tells the bear that “Eating someone’s head is really not…polite.”

   Not surprisingly, the bear does not care what the rabbit has to say. He is hungry and he is going to eat the rabbit, bony knees and all. Then the rabbit tells the bear that there is something in the river that is much bigger than one little rabbit, something that will really satisfy his enormous appetite.

   Based on a folk tale that is many hundreds of years old, this is a story children will greatly enjoy. The tale is told using clever rhymes, and Hannah Shaw’s illustrations perfectly compliment the text.

Poetry Friday: A review of There's a babirusa in my bathtub

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by animals. They come in such an amazing variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, and they have such interesting adaptations and behaviors. When I was sixteen I went and worked at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust for a summer. I worked in the garden that supplied food for the animals, I cleaned cages, I prepared food, and I ended up having quite a few adventures. On one occasion a babirusa decided that he did not want me in his paddock and he proceeded to chase me out of it at full speed. Thankfully I got out of the gate in time.

Today I have a poetry title that looks at thirteen unusual animal species, including the babirusa.

There’s a Babirusa in my bathtub: Fact and Fancy about Curious Creatures

Maxine Rose Schur

Illustrated by Michael S. Maydak

Poetry and Nonfiction

For ages 7 to 9

Dawn Publications, 2009, 978-1-58469-118-1

   Most of us know about cats and dogs, horses and zebras. We have seen giraffes in a zoo, and elephants at the circus. We think we know a lot about animals, but what about the babirusa, civet, kinkajou, matamata, and tamandua. Do you know anything about these animals?
   In this fascinating and entertaining book, Maxine Rose Schur combines poems with nonfiction to give her readers portraits of thirteen unusual animals. She begins with the babirusa, a rather unfortunate looking pig-like animal that has two pairs of tusks. Babirusa’s love water, which is why the poem about this animal describes what it would be like to have a “babirusa in my bathtub.” In the nonfiction text that accompanies the poem we learn that babirusas are such good swimmers that they can swim from island to island in their Asian habitat.

   Later on in the book we meet the hagfish, a bizarre looking marine eel like creature that “ties herself into a bow / And squeezes clean from head to toe.” This rather novel way of cleaning itself is not the only strange thing the hagfish does. It also eats using a tongue that is covered with teeth, and it can produce enormous amounts of slime.

   Animal loving children are sure to enjoy this unique book with its poems, its sections of fact-filled text, and its illustrations. At the back of the book, the author provides her readers with additional information and activities that parents and teachers can use.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and fifty-one

Most of us have an inner voice that tells us when we have eaten enough of something, before we eat so much that we make ourselves sick. Some of us though have to learn the hard way that there are times when one can have too much of a good thing. The main character in today's picture book is just such an individual, and her story is wonderfully funny.

Too many pears!

Jackie French

Illustrated by Bruce Whatley

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Star Bright Books, 2003, 978-1-932065-48-0

   Pamela the black and white cow loves pears, and she will eat them at every opportunity. In fact, she is not above stealing fresh pears, stewed pears, and pear pies whenever she can. Amy, the little girl, also likes pears, and she starts to get desperate. How can she make sure that Pamela does not eat every single pear on the farm?

   Grandpa puts a fence around the pear tree, but Pamela finds a way under it. Grandma ties Pamela to a tree, but Pamela is so strong and determined that she uproots the tree. Then Amy comes up with an idea that she thinks will bring Pamela’s pear-eating habits to end.

   Children and their grownups will find it hard not to laugh out loud when they read this deliciously funny picture book. Bruce Whatley’s illustrations are delightfully expressive, and the tale’s ending is sure to delight readers of all ages.

Unusual Heroes Blog Book Tour - Sally's Bones

Today is the second day that I am participating in the Unusual Heroes blog book tour. Today I am going to tell you about another new book that Sourcebooks is promoting. Just like The Warrior Sheep go West, this book has a hero who is rather usual. Actually, he is VERY unusual.

Sally’s Bones

MacKenzie Cadenhead

Illustrated by T.S. Spookytooth

Fiction

For ages 9 to 11

Sourcebooks, 2011, 978-1-4022-5943-2

   After her mother dies, Sally Simplesmith’s life takes a very decided downward turn. Her father is withdrawn, and she is terribly lonely and quite angry as well. How could her mother leave Sally here all alone?

   When her old toddlerhood friend, Viola Vanderperfect, comes back to live in Merryland, Sally dares to hope that she will at last have a real friend, someone she can talk to about her problems. Sally soon finds out that Viola is a truly horrible stuck up little snob. Instead of refriending Sally, Viola does her best to make Sally’s life as miserable as possible.

   When her mother lay dying, Sally made a deal with her. Sally would “live every stupid day to the fullest,” and in turn Sally’s mother (dead or alive) would give Sally “whatever I want to make things right.” Sally has done her best keep her promise and it has all been a miserable failure. Now she feels her mother owes her since Sally has kept her side of the deal. Desperately unhappy, Sally goes to her mother’s grave in the cemetery and she tells her mother to “Give. Me. Death.”

   What Sally’s mother gives her is a dead dog. Literally. She gives her a little dog who is all bone and very little skin. At first, Sally is appalled, but she soon discovers that the little dog, even though it has no eyes, no flesh, and no fur, is an uncommonly clever and loving little thing. Soon the dog, Bones, is her best friend and steadfast companion.

   At last life is starting to look up for Sally, but, of course it does not stay that way for long. Something or someone is out to ruin what little happiness Sally has.

   In this decidedly odd and charmingly quirky book, readers will find out that love really can overcome death. In certain situations. It is hard not to feel pity for Sally, who so desperately wants a friend, and who finds one who is so unusual that he gets into trouble almost immediately.

   Readers who like tales that are strange, a little dark, but that have a happy ending will truly enjoy this title.

 Being a big dog fan, I decides to write to the Merryland Dog Pound to see if they have any dogs like Bones available for adoption. This is the letter that I got in response:

Dear Ms. Marya Jansen-Gruber,

Thank you for your interest in adopting a dog from the Merryland Dog Pound. We regret to inform you that, despite news reports to the contrary, we do not have any lovably lively but lifeless canines currently available. While the rumor is true – there is a living, breathing skeleton dog that goes by the name of Bones gallivanting all over town – he belongs to a girl named Sally Simplesmith and, as far as we know, he’s one of a kind. (And thank goodness for that! One petrified pooch is plenty.)

Might we interest you in a cocksure cocker or dashing dachshund? Perhaps a prancing poodle puppy? Or is a marvelous mutt more your style? No? Well, if you’ve got your heart set on a canine cadaver, I’ll tell you what I know. (Though if you ask me it’s your funeral.) As a breed I must warn you that the dearly departed doggie has a history of alleged criminal behavior. Though my colleague the Dog Catcher hasn’t been able to make anything stick, he assures me it won’t be long before he sends that spirited skeleton to Sing Sing! Still, there are some who consider the bloodless hound adventurous and clever, loyal and kind – like Sally. She never even had a friend before Bones showed up and now they’re practically Merryland royalty!

So, if it’s a life of dog treats and danger you want, go ahead; keep looking for a skeleton dog all your own. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Sincerely,

Ida Tolljyah

Adoption Coordinator, Merryland Dog Pound

I guess I need to hang out in the local cemetery and maybe I will find the dog I am looking for there.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and fifty

Many little children love to hear stories about what they were like when they were babies. "Did I cry a lot?" "Was I cute?" "Were you glad I was born?" are just a few of the questions they like to ask. They like to hear about how they rocked by one parent, or sung to by another. They laugh when they hear about how one of their parents drove around for hours with baby in the car seat just to get baby to stop crying.

In today's picture book, you will meet two new parents who discover that sometimes you need to be creative when you have an unhappy baby in the house.

Cinnamon Baby

Nicola Winstanley

Illustrated by Janice Nadeau

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Kids Can Press, 2011, 978-1-55337-821-1

   Miriam is a fabulous baker who makes all kinds of breads in her little bakery. Every day she ends her baking by making cinnamon bread. While she kneads the raisins into the dough, Miriam sings so that “the smell of cinnamon and the sound of her beautiful voice rose together and curled through the air.”

   One day Sebastian is going past the bakery when he hears Miriam’s lovely voice. He immediately goes inside the shop and buys a loaf of cinnamon bread. After buying a loaf of the wonderful bread every day for a year, Sebastian asks Miriam to marry him.

   Soon the happy couple have their first child, a baby girl with “big brown eyes and dusky skin.” At first all goes well, but then the baby starts to cry, and though they try everything they can think of, Miriam and Sebastian cannot get their daughter to stop crying. The baby is not sick, so what is upsetting her so?

   In this delightful picture book, a lyrical text is paired with multimedia art to give readers a story that is unusual and a joy to read. The tale explores the special connection a baby has with her mother. Children and parents connect on many levels, and in this book we discover that babies are soothed when all their senses are engaged by things that that make them feel loved and safe.