Picture Book Review: Firsts and Lasts: The Changing Seasons by Leda Schubert, illustrated by Clover Robin (3/1/2022)

Quick Booktalk 

This nonfiction picture book traces the seasons through the year, focusing on the firsts and lasts that lead from one to the next.

About the Illustrations

The pictures were created using cut paper of different textures, which is layered to create a 3-D effect. The colors are cheerful and playful, which suits the overall tone of the book. 

Story Time Possibilities

This book looks long at first glance, but the text on each page is minimal, so it doesn't take that long to read it aloud. It works well for a number of themes, including seasons, the calendar, the first or last day of school, and saying goodbye. 

Reader's Advisory 

This book ends with spring, so it could work as a read-aloud to welcome spring. It will work best for preschool, pre-K, and kindergarten audiences. 

Disclosure 

I received a review copy of Firsts and Lasts: The Changing Seasons from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: The Library Fish by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, illustrated by Glady Jose (3/22/2022)

Quick Booktalk

Mr. Hughes the librarian finds a fish and brings him to work as the library's new pet. The fish is very happy in his new home, but when it snows one day, and no one comes inside, he starts to worry and hops out of his bowl to go exploring. 

About the Illustrations

The library is presented as a cozy, welcoming place, and the fish is shown to be an endearing protagonist. The illustrations highlight diversity in their presentation of the library patrons. Some wear glasses, one uses a wheelchair, one wears a hijab, and there are varying skin tones and age groups represented. The illustrator also used speech bubbles to show the many different information requests people make at Mr. Hughes's desk. 

Story Time Possibilities

This story is on the lengthier side, which actually makes it perfect for elementary class visits. If I were working in a library doing outreach, I'd build my class visits to promote summer reading around this book, especially this year, when the CSLP theme is Oceans of Possibility. Similarly, for a small group of rising kindergartners or early elementary kids, this would be a good story time choice for library story time as well. 

Reader's Advisory

I have grown cynical about public libraries in the past few years, but this book is a wholesome and fun celebration of libraries that is utterly devoid of any propaganda, politics, or over-the-top hero worship of library workers. It reminds me a lot of other favorite titles like Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson and Bats in the Library by Brian Lies, but it's also different enough that it doesn't just go over the same tired ground. 

Disclosure 

I received a review copy of The Library Fish from Paula Wiseman Books in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: My Very First 100 Words by Rosemary Wells (3/22/2022)

Quick Booktalk

This book is a brand-new collection of nursery rhymes and basic preschool vocabulary lists accompanied by Rosemary Wells's signature illustrations. 

About the Illustrations 

The illustrations in this book are in Wells's original style, not the cartoonish style of the Max and Ruby TV show. The pictures are timeless and appealing to preschoolers.

Story Time Possibilities

When I have used nursery rhymes in story time, my purpose has always been to connect with my audience using something familiar that everyone knows and feels comfortable with. The text of many of the rhymes included in this book has been changed, presumably to make the content more pleasant and/or more inclusive, but the result is that the possibility of everyone reciting the rhyme together from memory no longer exists. I shared some of the rhymes with my older kids (ages 4, 6, and 8) and they were annoyed by the changes. They were especially confused by "Maria had a little lamb." Since there are so many other options for sharing nursery rhymes in story time, I wouldn't make this my go-to choice.

Reader's Advisory

There are some parent-directed notes at the beginning of the book about early literacy that feel slightly more academic than they really need to. The advice isn't bad, but I always bristle when books suggest to parents that their toddlers need to be educated. Being a toddler is itself an education, and there are as many "right" ways to share this book with little ones as there are adults who read to little ones. 

Altered nursery rhymes and heavy-handed advice aside, however, this book is perfect for my toddlers. They can look at it alone, or their older siblings can use it to "teach" them. It is a picture book, not a board book, so its days are most likely numbered, but it will be fun while it lasts.

Disclosure

I received a review copy of My Very First 100 Words from Paula Wiseman Books in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Some Questions About Trees by Tony Yuly (3/22/2022)

 Quick Booktalk

A little girl expresses curiosity about various questions related to trees.

About the Illustrations 

Each page has a white background with clean, simple figures done in mixed media (crayon, collage, etc).  The girl at the center of the book is drawn as a pair of dot eyes, a few lines for hair, a splotch with arms to suggest a shirt and a simple outline of legs and feet. These simple, abstract illustrations suit the thoughtful, philosophical text. 

Story Time Possibilities 

This is a quiet book, filled with rhetorical questions. For some audiences, this will be perfect. For others, it will be an invitation to give increasingly silly responses to questions that don't require any answers. It could fit a few interesting themes, including trees, questions, and nature. I'm considering it to round out a story time plan about trees that could really use a quiet book like this to balance it out. 

Readers Advisory

The title of this book makes it sound like it might include more factual information than it actually does. The text is really more of a poem that invites readers to think creatively about ordinary things than any sort of fact-based narrative about trees. It would be a great book to inspire a class or homeschool writing project. 

Disclosure 

I received a review copy of Some Questions About Trees from Atheneum in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Interrupting Chicken: Cookies for Breakfast by David Ezra Stein (11/9/2021)

Quick Booktalk

Chicken brings cookies to her dad as breakfast in bed, and he begins to read some nursery rhymes, but Chicken can't help but interrupt with cookie-related commentary.

About the Illustrations

Though perhaps they aren;t quite as distinctive as they were in the original Interrupting Chicken, the pictures in this volume are done in the same style as all the others of the series. Fans of the earlier books will instantly feel at home in this one. 

Story Time Possibilities

I find these books difficult to read aloud effectively because of how much is happening on each page. I think to do it well, you'd either have to do very distinctive voices to separate the main text from the nursery rhyme text inside Chicken's book, or you would need two readers. The pictures are also difficult to understand from much of a distance so it might work in a virtual story time or with a very small group, but otherwise, there are better options on the nursery rhyme theme.

Readers Advisory

I flagged a few things in this book that parents might want to know. One is that the story repeatedly identiifes cookies as unhealthy foods. I know a lot of parents don't like to label foods in that way because it can lead to issues with eating. Another thing I noticed this time is how utterly annoying Chicken's interruptions really are. I have five kids, and I don't really want to send the message that interrupting is cute or funny. There is also a lot of obnoxious early elementary school humor that I also prefer not to encourage. 

Disclosure 

I received a review copy of Interrupting Chicken: Cookies for Breakfast from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

Marshmallow Clouds: Two Poets at Play Among Figures of Speech by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek, illustrated by Richard Jones (3/15/2022)

Quick Booktalk

This is a collection of poems inspired by the four elements and accompanied by original pieces of abstract art.

About the Illustrations 

The cover is so appealing, and the illustrations inside have the same vibrant, inviting look. This is a beautiful book to flip through.

Story Time Possibilities

Poetry can always be added to a story time, and I wouldn't hesitate to borrow a poem or two from this book to toss into a preschool or early elementary program. It would be a bit much to read the whole book in one go, but it could be an ongoing read-aloud during a weekly class visit, or the focus of a poetry month display or activity. I am thinking about using it in our homeschool as our daily poetry read-aloud for the summer. 

Readers Advisory

The poems in this collection really demonstrate how to effectively write poetry that does not rhyme, and how to use figures of speech well. Each of these poems is beautifully written, with a calming, gentle, and contemplative tone, and yet wholly accessible to readers who might not be that comfortable with poetry. 

Disclosure 

I received a review copy of Marshmallow Clouds from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

Take Off Your Brave: The World Through the Eyes of a Preschool Poet by Nadim, illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail (3/22/2022)

Quick Booktalk 

This is an illustrated collection of poems by a four-year-old boy.

About the Illustrations

The pictures in this book are fine. There are  diverse skin colors and styles of hair and clothing  and the pictures suit the whimsical tone of most of the poems.

Story Time Possibilities

This is probably not a story time book for most settings. It could work as an ongoing classroom read-aloud, perhaps as part of a project to inspire preschoolers to compose their own poems.

Readers Advisory

I'm a little unclear about the point of this book. It was hard to discern what was so remarkable about this particular four-year-old's poetry that it warranted being published. I think I was expecting more of a Mattie Stepanek phenomenon - a kid who used his poetry to further a particular message of hope duirng a time when he was undergoing great suffering. This ended up being just a collection of four-year-old thoughts, similar to the snippets of dialogue collected by Ruth Krauss, but without the careful curation that makes her books classics. I think the poems are cute, and I'm sure the author is a lovely child, but as a book, I think this only would have worked for me had his poems been included to illustrate how adults can foster a love of language in preschoolers. Otherwise, I prefer to have kids get their poetic inspiration from the great poets, not from their peers.

Disclosure

I received a review copy of Take Off Your Brave from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Tomie dePaola's Favorite Nursery Tales (3/1/2022)

Quick Booktalk 

This collection of stories and poems for young children was originally published in 1986 and has been re-released for a new generation of little ones. 

About the Illustrations 

The gentle, cozy pictures done in dePaola's beloved and instantly recognizable style are the real draw of this book. The tales included can be found almost anywhere, but fans of Tomie dePaola which enjoy his visual interpretations of these old favorites. 

Story Time Possibilities

This collection is worth looking at for a few short pieces to supplement a story time plan. Because there are minimal illustrations per story, it might be tricky to share them with a larger group, but it would be manageable with a small audience. A few of the poems and stories are adaptable for the flannel board, but if the main point of the book is to share dePaola's art, it may not be worth doing so. 

Readers Advisory

This book would be a great start to a child's library. As such, it would be a great gift for a baby shower, baptism, or first birthday or Christmas. Though the book is from the '80s, it doesn't have an outdated or cheesy feel. The text and art both feel timeless. For parents like me who grew up with Tomie dePaola, it could have the added benefit of stirring up pleasant childhood memories, but the book also holds up well enough on its own without needing to appeal to nostalgia. 

Disclosure

I received a review copy of Tomie dePaola's Favorite Nursery Tales from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Acorn Was a Little Wild by Jen Arena, illustrated by Jessica Gibson (3/15/2022)

 

Quick Booktalk

A free-spirited acorn lives every experience to the fullest - even being planted underground and changing into an oak tree.

About the Illustrations 

This book's autumnal color scheme and earthy textures bring to life the backdrop of the natural world against which cartoonish Acorn and his squirrel neighbors live. Though the story is fantastical, light and color work together to immerse the reader in a realistic forest environment.

Story Time Possibilities

This is a very contemporary and conversational book, and it's the exact kind of thing I loved to read aloud during class visits when I worked in the library. It can stand on its own as a single read-aloud or it would for a whole host of themes: growth, trees, fall, having a positive attitude, forests, and even squirrels. Potential books to pair with it include Ol' Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein, Fall is Not Easy by Marty Kelley, and the Pete the Cat series. 

Readers Advisory

The tone of this book is not quite irreverent, but it's not a tame, gentle text either. The author uses slang phrases like "so chill" and there is one reference to fox urine. I have less of a problem when animal bodily functions are mentioned in a natural setting than when books include human-based toilet humor, so I didn't judge this book harshly for this one detail. My kids don't really know what "chill" means but I think they can figure out from the context.

Disclosure 

I received a finished copy of Acorn Was a Little Wild from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Here We Come! by Janna Matthies, illustrated by Christine Davenier (3/15/2022)

Quick Booktalk

A small boy playing a flute begins an evening parade, inviting human and anthropomorphic animal friends to join him with musical instruments and other methods of making noise. 

About the Illustrations

The illustrations use a lot of blue and white to create the effect of moonlight on the nighttime parade. Each figure is drawn with light, playful strokes that suggest their various movements as the parade processes. The reader can almost feel the rhythm of the text in the postures of the figures. 

Story Time Possibilities

The text in this book begs to be read aloud, as it uses a lot of onomatopoetic expressions and repetition that lend themselves well to spoken performance and audience participation. I read it to a group that included someone of every age from infant up to 10 years old, and everyone liked it. The ending, which seems to lose the main thread of the story, was a bit confusing, but not to the point that the kids didn't enjoy it. 

Readers Advisory 

This book feels very similar to We're Going on a Bear Hunt. It also reminds me a lot of some other books I've received for review in the last year or two, like Ear Worm by Jo Knowles and The More the Merrier by David Martin, as well as the recently released Would You Come Too? by Liz Garton Scanlon. Christine Davenier is a long-time favorite illustrator of mine. She also did Early One Morning by Mem Fox. 

Disclosure

I received a review copy of Here We Come! from Beach Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: I Love You, Mouse by John Graham, illustrated by Tomie dePaola (3/29/22)

Quick Booktalk

A young boy expresses his love to a series of animals, imagining how he would show affection for each one if he were a member of their species, too. 

About the Illustrations

The artwork in this book is done by Tomie dePaola in his instantly recognizable signature style. His animals are not strictly realistic, but their warm, kid-friendly features hint at their animal characteristics. On each spread, the boy appears on the right, and the animals on the left. 

Story Time Possibilities

I read this at story time this week, and I made it a bit interactive by asking the kids to make a sound appropriate to each animal after I read each spread. This was a great success, and even the oldest kids (ages 6, 7, 8, and 10) got into it. For the rabbit page, I asked them to make a rabbit face. For the page at the end with the little boy being put to bed by his dad, I asked them to say, "Shhhh," which quieted them down to transition into the next book. I paired the book with "When Cows Get Up in the Morning." It also would have worked with something like "Old MacDonald" or with "Goodnight" by Laurie Berkner. In addition to the typical animals theme and the noisy theme for which I used it, this book could be good for a toddler-appropriate Valentine's Day story time. 

Readers Advisory

As far as I can tell, this book is the original 1976 text with the same illustrations, except the pictures are now colored and not just black and white.  The text and artwork don't seem to have been updated in any way in terms of content, and the story has an overall timeless feel.  My 2-year-old son who is really interested in animals took a special liking to this book. He's very fond of the owl page. He seems to be the ideal target audience. 

Disclosure 

I received a review copy of I Love You, Mouse from Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.