The Story of a Book by Joy McCullough and Devon Holzwarth
Review copy provided by Atheneum Books for Young ReadersPublished 8/29/2023
Colorful, whimsical illustrations and concise text in the second person sing the praises of books as comforting companions, educational tools, and portals to magical lands. Story time presenters will like this one for National Library Week and other book-themed celebrations. In our home library, it's less useful because my kids are already sold on reading and we have a variety of books about books already. I did enjoy the nod to used book sales, since that's where most of our books come from, but I wasn't particularly wowed by the book overall.
There's Always Room for One More by Robyn McGrath and Ishaa Lobo
Review copy provided by Paula Wiseman BooksPublished 8/29/2023
This is the story of a table to which a little girl named Clare is very attached. When the table is replaced with a larger one to accomodate Grandpa moving in, Clare has a lot of big feelings about it, but her family helps her realize that they can create new memories to go along with the new piece of furniture. The illustrations in this one are definitely kid-friendly in their depiction of Clare, her family, and her neighbors. I liked the cozy feel of the family home and the sense of community evoked by the scenes with neighbors, but the plot fell totally flat for me. I just didn't buy that anyone cared this much about a table.
Flashback to the . . . Chill 2000s! by Gloria Cruz and Sarah Rebar
Review copy provided by Simon Spotlight
Published 8/29/2023
An easy reader companion to previous titles about the 80s and 90s, this book covers Y2K, Uggs, iPods, Netflix's mail service, Heelys shoes, Blackberries, and more. I was in my 20s in the 2000s, so I didn't have the same nostalgia for some of the childhood items as I did in the books from my own eras, but this was still entertaining to read. I'm not convinced kids will get a perfect sense of life in the 2000s, but kids with parents about ten years younger than I am will get a kick out of sharing this with their children.
Ten-Word Tiny Tales to Inspire and Unsettle by Joseph Coelho
Published 9/12/2023
Joseph Coelho has written a collection of ten-word stories which have been illustrated by a host of diverse artists. This is a clever concept for a book, and I enjoyed seeing each illustrator's interpretation of the author's micro-stories. I also love the back matter with suggestions for writing and expanding upon ten-word stories.
I'm Going to Build a Snowman by Jashar Awan
Review copy provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young ReadersPublished 9/19/2023
A little boy depicted in paper-cut illustrations wakes up one morning to snow and suits up to head outside and build a snowman. He dreams of the best snowman ever and though what he creates is not exactly perfect, the boy finds joy in it anyway. I have to admit to not understanding why we need this book when The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is still popular and in print. This book is so similar in subject matter that it invites comparison, and there is honestly no contest. I also felt weird about the mom taking the cell phone photo at the end. It took me out of the mood of the story.
Tacos by Frank Asch
Review copy provided by AladdinPublished 9/19/2023
Frank Asch passed away in 2022, and this a new posthumous title. I requested this review copy based on feelings of nostalgia about this author's Happy Birthday, Moon, which I read as a kid, but this one did not live up to my expectations. The story felt disjointed and simplistic and the illustrations felt oddly sterile and outdated, but not in the charming way that makes me want to read most vintage books. The book also had a lot less to do with tacos than the title suggestions, althought librarians who have been looking for something to pair with Dragons Love Tacos might be able to make good use of this title in story time.
Don't Worry, Wuddles by Lita Judge
Published 9/26/2023
In the tradition of stories like Jan Brett's The Mitten and Dr. Seuss's Thidwick the Big-hearted Moose, this barnyard tale follows Duckling as he slowly gives away bits of Wuddles the sheep's wool to warm his friends during the upcoming cold weather. The animal faces in the illustrations are all very impish and adorable, and though the ending doesn't quite solve the problem of Duckling taking wool without permission, it was unexpected and did make me laugh. The first-person narration from Duckling, who lacks any self awareness at all, would be great fun to read aloud, especially to kids in elementary grades who understand irony.
365: How to Count a Year by Miranda Paul and Julien Chung
Review copy provided by Beach Lane BooksPublished 9/26/2023
This counting book emphasizes the number of days in a year by counting things like 365 nights, 52 weekly baths, 12 monthly trips to the mailbox for magazines, one yearly birthday celebration, and so on. While I think kids like this kind of trivia, I didn't quite feel like it was enough to sustain a whole book. There are also multiple instances of comments about underwear and using the bathroom that grated on my nerves. In a library setting, I might consider throwing this into a calendar-themed story time just for a change of pace. It could also be interesting to use in a classroom where counting the days is part of the daily routine.
A Stone Is a Story by Leslie Barnard Booth and Marc Martin
Review copy provided by Margaret K. McElderry BooksPublished 10/3/2023
Textured watercolor illustrations and very minimal text portray the journey of a stone over many years of our Earth's natural history. In our homeschool, we cover natural history and prehistory during kindergarten and again in first grade, so having a simpler book to go along with that topic can sometimes be nice. My almost-6-year-old read the book and complained it was too short, but she has younger siblings who will be 4 next year and might like it then so I might hang onto it. I like the way the illustrations hint at things like the dinosaurs and cave people, which can invite deeper discussion, and the back matter about the types of rock was very informative.
Splash Goes the Whale by Matthew Van Fleet
Review copy provided by Paula Wiseman BooksPublished 10/3/2023
This novelty book by Matthew Van Fleet includes a pull tab to make the title character's tail swish back and forth, which is the main reason it appealed to me. My son is really into ocean animals and I knew this feature would be exciting to him. The story itself is an alphabet book listing a series of animals starting with each letter of the alphabet who serve to the whale foods starting with their respective letters, all of which are labeled with capital letters. The final spread shows a pop-up with a dessert for every letter, with the letters in lowercase. Though the concept of this book is not particularly original, it will be fun for a preschooler learning his letters to flip through and enjoy. I plan to save my review copy to give my son for Christmas.
