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.