In today's rundown, I'm catching up on picture books I received for review that were published at the end of 2022.
Concrete by Larissa Theule, illustrated by Steve Light
*Review copy courtesy of Candlewick PressWriting: This informational book discusses the history and scientific properties of concrete. The text is substantial enough to convey some solid knowledge about the development and uses of concrete, but it's also not overwhelmingly wordy or complicated.
Illustration: Steve Light's illustrations elucidate the processes and historical events covered by the text. Speech bubbles incorporated into the pictures also give context and vocabulary help when needed. The detailed illustrations provide lots to pore over for science-minded kids.
Content: This is a good combination of history and science, without any agenda or politics. It will be useful when we come around to materials and building again in our science curriculum.
Overall: This isn't quite a story time book, but I would read it aloud to a preschooler or leave it with an early elementary schooler to read independently. It's a well-written, well-illustrated nonfiction title.
Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco, illustrated by Priscilla Tey
*Review copy courtesy of Candlewick PressWriting: Poems showcase the role of math in the home and at school, during summer, and in our own minds. The poems mostly rhyme, and they are filled with allusions to mathematical concepts.
Illustration: The pictures are cartoonish and wacky, and they create an appropriately light-hearted atmosphere for these clever and funny poems. I don't especially like them, but they do suit the mood of the book.
Content: These are mostly poems for people who already know a little bit of math, rather than poems for teaching math. I could see a math teacher using them for a poem of the day type activity, especially since so many of them are about life at school. I didn't find anything objectionable in the book at all.
Overall: This is a fun title for math lovers that can also be enjoyed by poetry lovers. My kids enjoyed hearing it read aloud.
Symphony for a Broken Orchestra: How Philadelphia Collected Sounds to Save Music by Amy Ignatow, illustrated by Gwen Millward
*Review copy courtesy of Walker Books US
Writing: In simple prose sprinkled with onomatopoetic expressions of the sounds made by musical instruments this book relates the true story of how Philadelphia musicians of all ages put on a concert performed by broken instruments that led to the repairs of hundreds of instruments that the Philadelphia schools had not been able to afford.
Illustrations: The pictures are cartoonish and abstract, which means the portrayal of the instruments is also slapdash and not true to the way they are really held or played.The font used for the speech bubbles within the pictures looks very messy and unpolished, and in general the illustrations feel very busy and incohesive. The pictures do portray a diverse group of city people.
Content: This is a pretty obscure topic to write a picture book about. It will definitely appeal to kids in Philadelphia, and I think it has some interest for kids who like music in general, but it's not the kind of incident people are clamoring to read about. I also have some qualms about the "everything that's broken is beautiful" message. Beauty can sometimes grow out of brokenness but music played on a broken instrument is inferior music. I also just feel weird about a book for kids that is essentially one long ad for supporting a specific non-profit, and which doesn't hold public schools responsible for their failings.
Overall: I didn't even let my kids look at this one. I found it forgettable and I will be donating my copy.
Henry's Pizzas by Robert Quackenbush
*Review copy courtesy of AladdinWriting: In understated prose, this story relates what happens when Henry the Duck has a birthday and everyone he knows sends him pizza. The writing is very straightforward and not at all flowery, but this works well to balance the humor depicted in the pictures.
Illustrations: Bold colors and classic-looking figures characterize this illustrator's style. Facial expressions and other physical movements carry the comedy of the story, especially when too many pizzas makes for a household disaster.
Content: Pizza is a big favorite in my house, and there are never enough picture books about it! This book is a pleasant throwback to days when picture books weren't burdened with grown-up messages.
Overall: This reminds me of The Doorbell Rang. It would also pair up nicely with Hi, Pizza Man. It's a keeper. I think I might give it to my son as a gift for his upcoming third birthday.
Dark on Light by Dianne White, illustrated by Felicita Sala
*Review copy courtesy of Beach Lane Books
Writing: This is the third book White has written in this loosely connected series, which started with Blue on Blue (illustrated by Beth Krommes) and continued in Green on Green (illustrated by Felicita Sala). Rhyming poetic text describes the setting of the sun and the way the natural world looks by moonlight and flashlight after the sun goes down. The text gets a 5-star rating from me.
Illustrations: Blue on Blue is one of my favorite picture books, and I really missed that art style in this book. The figures' faces in Dark on Light strike me as odd and awkward. I did like the use of color and shadow to depict the nighttime atmosphere.
Content: This is a family story starring three kids and their mom and dad. It reminds me a little of The Moon Jumpers, but without that classic feel. It would be a cozy bedtime story.
Overall: The writing is great as always, but I would have preferred another illustrator.
All Through the Night: Important Jobs That Get Done at Night by Polly Faber, illustrated by Harriet Hobday
*Review copy courtesy of Nosy Crow
Writing: This story, narrated by a child whose mother works nights, lists all the many jobs that are done while most of us are sleeping. Each page provides the name of a worker and a quick, easy-to-understand description of his or her job.
Illustrations: Most of the detail in this book is in the pictures. The illustrator depicts a variety of workplaces, from an office building and a store, to a theater and a hospital. Lots of shades of blue keep the reader grounded in the nighttime setting, and contrasting colors highlight the work being done by each character. There are also some small stories told in the pictures that are not mentioned in the text, which will reward eagle-eye readers who notice particular vehicles pages before they come into the story.
Content: This is a fun twist on the community helpers theme. Each job's importance is made clear, and there are a variety of jobs as well as a variety of people.
Overall: I prefer this over Night Job, which my kids have loved much more than I do. It's really an additional purchase for most libraries and probably most homeschools, but the novelty of the topic is perfect for preschoolers.
Hush, Little Hero by Annie Bailey, illustrated by Dawn Lo
*Review copy courtesy of Little Simon
Writing: Rhyming text lulls a little superhero to sleep at the end of a long, busy day. The rhythm is fine, but the rhymes are predictable, and there is no figurative language or artistry that really stands out. It feels very generic, and not even that specific to the superhero theme.
Illustration: The cover suggested a sweetness to the pictures, but inside the book they are much more chaotic, with bright blinding colors and sloppy lines. There isn't much superhero imagery to entertain kids who are here for the heroics.
Overall: This was pretty forgettable, and it doesn't really have the calming effect of the kind of book I normally think of as a good bedtime story. In a library, I might add it to the rotation for pajama story time, but I don't think it will become a favorite in our home.
Fuzzy Furry Ouch by Cree Lane + Amanda Jane Jones
*Review copy courtesy of Little Simon
Writing: This book follows a pattern throughout, where there are three pages in a row with only a single word or phrase on them, followed by one page with a single sentence. The individual words are adjectives like squishy, slick, scaly, etc. and they describe a particular scene, such as eating pancakes or picking flowers, and they caution against touching things like hot stoves and cacti, as well as rain water without the proper clothing on.
Illustrations: Some of the pages include touch-and-feel elements and others do not. I think it's confusing for little children to have a peach described as fuzzy that actually feels fuzzy and then a caterpillar described as furry that just feels like smooth paper. Same with rough and rocky, and squishy and sticky.
Content: This book is strange and disorganized. The cover say it's a "do not touch" book but it wasn't readily apparent what that means. Not having touch-and-feel elements for every picture only added to the confusion. It's a visually appealing book for babies and toddlers, but it doesn't have a clear purpose.
Overall: I feel like this book needed more editing or maybe even a note to parents about how to use it. As it stands, it's confusing and odd and I stuck it in the donation pile.
