Picture Book Review: Amy Wu and the Warm Welcome by Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chua (5/3/2022)

Quick Booktalk 

Amy has a new classmate, Lin, who is standoffish with his classmates but chats animatedly in Chinese with his family. Determined to draw Lin out of his shell, Amy invites him to her dumpling party in the hopes of giving her new friend a very warm welcome. 

About the Illustrations

The pictures in this book match the style readers have come to expect from this series. The illustrator makes great use of facial expression to reveal emotion, and there is lots of diversity among the supporting characters. 

Story Time Possibilities

It could be tricky to read this book in story time because without being a Chinese speaker, it would be hard to convey the excited conversation between Lin and his little sister that sparks Amy's plans. It would feel awkward to just point to the Chinese characters and say they were speaking in Chinese, and though the author's note provides the English translations, the story wouldn't make much sense if we heard them speaking in English, either. So that's something to work out ahead of time.  The rest of the book lends itself well to being read aloud, and the theme of welcoming new friends is always a good one to kick off a school year or a story time series.

Reader's Advisory

The pictures of the dumpling party seem to include a same-sex couple (two men) but there is nothing in the text to explicitly describe their relationship. It's unclear which of Amy's classmates is meant to be their child. There is a girl in Amy's class with visible hearing aides, and a boy and a teacher who wear glasses. The back of the book includes instructions for making a welcome banner. The previous Amy Wu titles are Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao and Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon. 

Disclosure

I received a review copy of Amy Wu and the Warm Welcome from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Firsts and Lasts: The Changing Seasons by Leda Schubert, illustrated by Clover Robin (3/1/2022)

Quick Booktalk 

This nonfiction picture book traces the seasons through the year, focusing on the firsts and lasts that lead from one to the next.

About the Illustrations

The pictures were created using cut paper of different textures, which is layered to create a 3-D effect. The colors are cheerful and playful, which suits the overall tone of the book. 

Story Time Possibilities

This book looks long at first glance, but the text on each page is minimal, so it doesn't take that long to read it aloud. It works well for a number of themes, including seasons, the calendar, the first or last day of school, and saying goodbye. 

Reader's Advisory 

This book ends with spring, so it could work as a read-aloud to welcome spring. It will work best for preschool, pre-K, and kindergarten audiences. 

Disclosure 

I received a review copy of Firsts and Lasts: The Changing Seasons from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

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.