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

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

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny – Detectives Extraordinaire

Polly Horvath

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Fiction

For ages 9 to 12

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picture Book Monday - A review of Croc and Bird

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

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

Croc and Bird

Alexis Deacon

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

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

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

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

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

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

Poetry Friday - A review of Bug Off!

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

Bug Off! Creepy, Crawly Poems

Jane Yolen

Photographs by Jason Stemple

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

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

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

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

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

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

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

The New Issue of the TTLG Journal is online!

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

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

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

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

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

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

-:Bookish Events for May and June:-

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

May is “Get Caught Reading” Month (USA)

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

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

Enjoy!

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

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

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

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

Marissa Moss

Fiction

For ages 8 to 10

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

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

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

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

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

   This is the first book in a new series.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Martha, No!

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

Martha, No!

Edward Hardy

Illustrated by Deborah Allwright

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poetry Friday - A review of Wonderful Words

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

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

Selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Illustrated by Karen Barbour

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 and up

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Above World

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

Above World

Jenn Reese

Fiction

For ages 9 to 12

Candlewick, 2012, 978-0763654177

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A leaf can be...

Laura Purdie Salas

Illustrations by Violeta Dabija

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 7

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Earth Day

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