Picture Book Review: Ada and the Galaxies by Alan Lightman and Olga Pastuchiv, illustrated by Susanna Chapman (2021)

Quick Booktalk

When visiting Ama and Poobah in Maine, Ada falls in love with many aspects of the natural world, but most all of with the stars. 

About the Illustrations 

The most prominent feature of the pictures in this book is texture. Susanna Chapman makes it possible to imagine how various pieces of nature - from waves, to nests, to pine needles, to shells - might feel.  Photographs taken by the Hubble telescope are also used on a few pages to supplement Poobah's explanation of galaxies, and his and Ada's speculation that there might be life somewhere out in space.

Story Time Possibilities

Space is one of my favorite story time themes, and this book is a strong addition to my list of books on that topic. Despite the fact that one of the authors is a PhD in theoretical physics, everything covered in the book is simplified perfectly for the child reader. The dialogue also flows very naturally and is pleasant to read aloud. My story time audience might be a tiny bit young for this one, but if I decide to use it at some point, I'd love to pair it with How to Be on the Moon by Viviane Schwarz.  

Readers Advisory 

As a reader who prefers to learn facts through fiction, this book really appeals to me. The story of Ada's visit to her grandparents is a very comfortable vehicle for introducing the math and science associated with understanding galaxies. The straightforward two-page spread of back matter does a great job of contextualizing the story and encouraging readers to explore further. I was pleasantly surprised by how well-done this book is.

Disclosure 

I received a finished copy of Ada and the Galaxies from MIT Kids Press in exchange for an honest review.

Board Book Review: The Sun Shines on the Sea by Michael Slack (2021)

Quick Booktalk  

This simple nonfiction text introduces the food chain of ocean creatures. 

About the Illustrations 

The pictures in this book are caricatures of various sea creatures, made cartoonish by their large round eyes. Some pages have lift-the-flap features showing what each animal has recently eaten. There is also one wordless spread where the illustrations provide the story's sole moment of suspense. Will the whale eat the shark? (No, of course not; whales eat krill.)

Story Time Possibilities

I'm all for reading nonfiction to even very young children, and I think this book in particular is entertaining enough outside of its informational content to work as a strong read-aloud. I would not expect a toddler to actually learn anything explicit about the food chain, but the structure of the book is very toddler-friendly, as are the pictures. Even the lift-the-flap elements are infrequent enough that showing them to a story time audience would not be unduly difficult. I'm most likely going to try using this at a story time in the future.

Readers Advisory 

Unlike many other nonfiction books aimed at babies and toddlers, this one isn't just an info-dump dressed up with pictures of babies. The text in this book is simple and straightforward, and the predictable structure in which one animal eats another on every page is well-suited to the interests of toddlers. For kids with an interest in under-the-sea creatures (like my shark-loving 18-month-old son) this is a guaranteed hit.

Disclosure

I received a finished copy of The Sun Shines on the Sea from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Maybe... by Chris Haughton (2021)

Quick Booktalk

Three little monkeys are warned by their grown-up not to go down to the mango tree because there are tigers down there. The monkeys, thinking they know better, disobey and visit the mango tree anyway. 

About the Illustrations

The pictures in this book all have a red background and most of the time, only monkeys, mangoes, and trees appear against it. The monkeys have large white eyes with black pupils, and bodies of dark blue and green. The tigers, when they appear in the background, are depicted using a dull red color that hides them from the monkeys. When they come out to attack, they are orange with black scribbles making up their features. The illustrations depend largely on facial expression and body posture to tell their piece of the story. Kids will delight in knowing the tigers are present before the monkeys notice them and the visual drama when the tigers finally pounce makes for a very exciting and satisfying climax to the book.  

Story Time Possibilities

This book could probably work for story time, provided the performer points out the tigers when they appear in the background, as they are the only piece of the pictures that may not be noticeable at a distance.  Otherwise, this book suits a plethora of themes: monkeys, the jungle, fruit (mangos), tigers, danger, obedience, and even foolishness. The fact that the ending is left open and the monkeys obviously don't learn their lesson also makes it a good book for sparking discussion with preschool and even early elementary audiences.

Readers Advisory

This book attempts to teach its monkeys a lesson, but they are unwilling to learn. Thankfully, the reader is probably not so foolish and will disagree with the monkeys' future plans as suggested by the final pages of the story. The book is funny, but the lesson about listening to adults and appreciating possible dangers also comes across well and will likely be taken seriously by young readers. I didn't like this book quite as much as this author's Shh, We Have a Plan but the tone in both books is very similar and fans of one will enjoy the other. I read this book to my three oldest kids, ages 3, 5, and 7, and they all enjoyed it and all agreed that the monkeys were not very wise.

Disclosure

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

Picture Book Review: Good Night, Good Night by Sandra Boynton (2021)

Quick Booktalk 

This longer version of the popular The Going to Bed Book is the original 1985 hardcover version with new drawings by the author. As in The Going to Bed Book, several animals are on a boat and they go through their bedtime routine which is described in rhyme. 

About the Illustrations 

The pictures have been changed from the original board book, in that colors of certain things have been altered, certain figures have been placed differently on the page, and there are several additional spreads that are found only in this longer version. There is noting substantively different about the pictures that have simply been altered; the additional illustrations add in a scene showing the characters' sleeping arrangements and the music to sing along with two bunnies who perform a lullaby.

Story Time Possibilities

This is a great read-aloud, but it's important to figure out how to sing the lullaby before sharing it with an audience. The notes are easily picked out on a piano and the tune is not hard to learn, but it would not be ideal to go into a story time without having worked out the tune ahead of time. Otherwise, this is pretty much a guaranteed story time hit. Boynton is beloved for books of this type, and having this nice full-size version to add into a story time repertoire will be a boon for most libraries and classrooms. I will most likely use it in a night-time themed story time at my house this fall. 

Readers Advisory

This book makes the mundane bedtime routine look like fun. The images of the characters rushing around to prepare for sleep are filled with fun energy, but when the characters begin to yawn and get into bed, the mood shifts in a way that can really help little ones make the transition to bedtime. It's an excellent bedtime story and an all-around excellent picture book for Boynton fans to appreciate anew.

Disclosure 

I received a finished review copy of Good Night, Good Night from Little Simon in exchange for an honest review.