Picture Book Review: The Barn by Leah H. Rogers, illustrated by Barry Root (2021)

Quick Booktalk 

Poetic text written in the voice of an old barn recollects the building's long history and describes all that occurs within its walls as well as outside.

About the Illustrations

The illustrations are lovely, making great use of light and shadow to portray the interior of the barn and the surrounding farm. There are some people in a few pictures, but mainly the focus is the architecture, animals, and landscape of a farm. The barn is shown from a number of vantage points during different hours of the day, which helps give a full portrait of all that occurs inside a barn. 

Story Time Possibilities

While the poetic text is enjoyable to read aloud, I would most likely not use this book at story time with young children. It's wordy and very quiet, and though there are animals on many pages, it's not the kind of book that is conducive to a lot of interaction through animal sounds or anything like that. I think its best read-aloud audience would probably be an elementary school class, especially one that is studying farming in some way.

Readers Advisory

Because farms are a popular topic, this book might get checked out from libraries for that reason, but I'm not sure it's what the typical farm-loving picture book reader is looking for, at least in my suburban neck of the woods. I like the book a lot personally, especially Barry Root's artwork, so we will most likely keep this one, but if I were considering purchasing this for a library, I'd be slightly more hesitant. 

Disclosure

I received a finished copy of The Barn from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Wild by Sam Usher (2021)

Quick Booktalk 

A little boy and his grandfather spend their day taking care of a cat who has her own ideas about what she wants to do. 

About the Illustrations 

The pictures in this book depict a cozy home environment that reflects the warmth of the relationship between the characters. The domestic details of the furniture, the boy's toys, and the dishes on the table are appealing, and they contrast nicely with the setting of the end of the book, which the boy and his grandfather discover when they follow the cat outdoors.  

Story Time Possibilities

Though there are some smaller details in the pictures that would not be readily discernible at a distance, there is enough white space on each page, and the figures are generally large enough that I would probably still read this to a small or medium size story time audience. There is just the right amount of text for preschoolers, and the subject matter - looking after a cat and having a bit of an adventure - is perfectly age appropriate for three and four-year-olds. 

Readers Advisory

This is a sweet, gentle story that would be lovely for a grandfather and grandchild to enjoy together. There is also a companion book entitled Free, which stars the same grandpa/grandson pair, but this time with a bird at the center of the action. 

Disclosure

I received a physical copy of Wild from Templar Books in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Dogs Love Cars by Leda Schubert, illustrated by Paul Meisel (2021)

Quick Booktalk 

This picture book lists a litany of things that dogs love, from cars to walks to naps. 

About the Illustrations 

I remember reading some books illustrated by Paul Meisel a number of years ago, and it seems to me that his style has improved since that time. The pictures in this book depict a variety of dog breeds and a variety of human figures as well as vehicles and other objects in the background. While all the figures are cartoonish, there is texture to things like fur, hair, and clothing that give them some interesting texture and nuance. I especially like the two-page spread for "dogs love food," where two large dogs and a cat are leaping up to a dining table. 

Story Time Possibilities

Dogs are a popular story time theme, and this is a decent choice for a Pre-K or Kindergarten audience. It's a bit wordy, and it might be tiresome for someone who is not that fond of dogs, but for dog lovers who can sit through a bit of a longer text, it will be just right. I might also consider throwing this book into a cars story time for a little bit of variety. It doesn't have a lot of car stuff in it, but probably enough that it would work. 

Readers Advisory

We don't have a dog, or spend time with dogs, so for me, this book is somewhat forgettable. For families with dogs, though, I imagine it will reflect experiences they have in their own lives, and perpetuate the good feelings they associate with their canine companions. I will most likely donate this book so our copy can be appreciated by the right readers.

Disclosure

I received a finished copy of Dogs Love Cars from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

Board Book Review: Dinosaur Dance! by Sandra Boynton (2021)

Quick Booktalk

Rhyming text expresses the movements made by a series of dancing dinosaurs, one of whom has no name but is fond of the "cha cha cha." 

About the Illustrations

The pictures in this book are typical of Boynton - playful, fun, and humorous. Each page consists of a colored dinosaur outlined in black against a solid-colored background. The various dance moves performed by the dinosaurs are written in different fonts which add an eye-catching element to each page. 

Story Time Possibilities

Because this board book is oversized, it's ideal for baby or toddler story times. For toddlers, especially, it would be fun to have them move around and act out the dinosaurs' various dances. At my own story times, I have a pretty big age range (sometimes from ages 1 to 9) so this book is a little on the thin side for me, but in a library setting this would be in my regular rotation for sure.  

Readers Advisory

It feels a bit like this book ends abruptly. I thought there was going to be more to the punchline at the end, but then it was just over. In general, though, I think this book will please Boynton fans. My son is 20 months, and he really enjoyed flipping through the pages. 

Disclosure 

I received a physical copy of Dinosaur Dance! from Little Simon in exchange for an honest review.