Picture Book Review: Barn at Night by Michelle Houts, illustrated by Jen Betton (2021)

Quick Booktalk

Simple text and warm illustrations show young readers all that happens in a barn at night.

About the Illustrations 

The pictures make beautiful use of light and shadow to contrast the cold winter temperatures outdoors with the cozy warmth of the animals in the barn. The illustrations also show the child reader all the work that needs to be done on a farm, both on ordinary days and the extraordinary ones where new baby animals are welcomed to the barn. There is a sense of quiet calm on every page that helps capture the solitary feeling of being awake when much of the rest of the world sleeps.

Story Time Possibilities

The poetic text of this book begs to be read aloud, and it's a perfect length for the preschool and kindergarten audience. I like that it puts a different spin on the old farm theme by focusing on actual farm work rather than the usual topic of animal sounds or baby animal vocabulary. Other story time themes that would work with this book are nighttime, winter, fathers and daughters, and horses. 

Readers Advisory

This book has much in common with Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and is a good read-alike for kids who love that book. I also really appreciate that the book makes it possible for me to teach my kids, who have only ever lived in an urban area, what life is actually like on a farm.  The story really shows the hard work of farming as a positive and joyful thing. The story's gentle and quiet tone also makes it a great naptime or bedtime read-aloud. 

Disclosure

I received a finished copy of Barn at Night from Feeding Minds Press in exchange for a positive review.

Picture Book Review: When I See Red by Britta Teckentrup (2021)

Quick Booktalk

In first person a little girl relates both the intense redness of her anger and its eventual blowing over. 

About the Illustrations

The pictures are abstract to represent the emotion of anger. The tumultuous swirls and splatters are the perfect accompaniment to the character's descriptions of her rage. The girl's facial expressions further drive home the fire of her anger and its physical impact on her. The pictures will certainly speak to any child who has ever felt angry. 

Story Time Possibilities

This would work for a feelings theme, depending on the audience. For some kids, potentially the emotions of the book would be too intense, but for others, they would be satisfying to experience on the page in preparation for experiencing them in reality. The illustrations would work great for a story time or classroom audience.

Readers Advisory

I'm not 100% on board with the way this book portrays anger as a source of strength and safety. Sometimes that is the case, but my kids' anger is often unproductive and their screaming and carrying on needs to be reined in, not celebrated. This book seems to suggest that all anger is righteous anger, and I don't think that's exactly correct. 

I was reminded of Molly Bang's When Sophie Gets Angry - Really Really Angry, which I think places less of a value judgment on anger and simply focuses on the experience of feeling angry and then having the anger subside. I don't necessarily think one book is objectively better than the other. but they serve different needs and both can be valuable depending on the child and the circumstances. 

Disclosure 

I received a finished review copy of When I See Red from Prestel in exchange for an honest review. 

Picture Book Review: The Day Time Stopped by Flavia Ruotolo (2021)

 
Quick Booktalk

One day time stops for a moment, and children around the world are frozen in their current activities just long enough to give us a quick glimpse of what's going in each time zone. 

About the Illustrations

The cover illustration doesn't really sell this book, but the interior ones are more appealing. The images are mostly made up of blob-like shapes which have a very fun and childlike feel. Most of the pages have white backgrounds, so despite the fact that the book is small and square the figures would stand out very well in a story time for a larger group. 

Story Time Possibilities 

Time is a fascinating concept to kids in early elementary school and this book makes it easier to understand time zones in a concrete way. By showing what kids are doing all around the world at one moment in time, kids can personalize other parts of the world in a way that makes it easier to think globally.

Readers Advisory

There are already quite a few books on this same subject, including At the Same Moment Around the World by Clotilde Perrin and the vintage book Follow the Sunset by Herman and Nina Schneider. Still, I like this one and will be keeping it in our homeschool collection for the next time we talk about time zones in our science curriculum. It's just a simple and relatable book that explains a difficult concept very well. 

Disclosure

I received a finished review copy of The Day Time Stopped from Prestel in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Never Grow Up inspired by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake (2021)

Quick Booktalk

Illustrated by Quentin Blake, this rhyming book is a tribute to the work of Roald Dahl.

About the Illustrations

If you like Quentin Blake, this book will not disappoint. His signature style is on every page of this book, portraying all the experimentation, exploration, and energy of childhood. 

Story Time Possibilities

The rhythm and rhyme of the text in this book beg to be read aloud, but the content isn't for every family. This book celebrates misbehavior and disobedience in a way that runs counter to a lot of parents' plans for discipline. Though the message that we should maintain childhood wonder throughout our lives is a good one, it seems to be accompanied by the idea that we should also continue to behave as children forever, which is not something I really want to teach my kids.

Readers Advisory  

This book is not written by Roald Dahl, and that is obvious. It does have a similar tone and point of view to his work, but it's just not as charming or original. I think the appeal of this book is largely to adults who are strongly in touch with their inner child and perhaps have a persona when they work with kids that reflects that. I could see kids enjoying hearing this book-length poem, but I would hope it would be used only as a means of opening the door to Roald Dahl's actual books.

Disclosure 

I received a finished review copy of Never Grow Up from Viking in exchange for an honest review.