Picture Book Review: Would You Come Too? by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Diana Sudyka (4/5/2022)

Quick Booktalk

Two children exploring nature ask readers if we'd like to join them. 

About the Illustrations

I requested this book based on the author, whose previous work I have loved. The text is fine, but the illustrations are hugely disappointing. The figures look oddly bloated and stretched, as though their bodies have been altered in Photoshop. Though the colors and the concepts for some of the pages are interesting, the tone of the pictures didn't match the tone of the text, and it made the whole execution feel sloppy. 

Story Time Possibilities

Because of the rhyming text, this book would be a pleasure to read aloud. I'm just not sure how well the pictures would be received, and I'd probably be more likely to choose a title with strong writing and illustrations. 

Reader's Advisory

Liz Garton Scanlon is also the author of All the World illustrated by Marla Frazee, Think Big illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton and Another Way to Climb a Tree illustrated by Hadley Hooper, and co-author with Audrey Verdick of Bob, Not Bob illustrated by Matthew Cordell. I have enjoyed all of these, and this book being a bit of a let-down feels like a fluke. I still recommend this author's work.  

Disclosure 

I received a review copy of Would You Come Too? from Beach Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Oceanarium by Loveday Trinick, illustrated by Teagan White (4/5/2022)

Quick Booktalk

Oceanarium is the latest title in the Welcome to the Museum series, and in nine galleries, it explores marine life. 

About the Illustrations

The pictures are the real draw of this book. The endpapers instantly immerse the reader in the world of the ocean and the detailed illustrations inside depict the vast diversity of the creatures who live in it. Each illustration is labeled so that readers can identify the different species shown, and there is a key provided that gives quick facts about each plant or animal. In my house, the pictures have been enjoyed by ages 2 to adult. 

Reader's Advisory

This is a nonfiction resource that theoretically could be used as a reference book, but which works much better as a coffee table book that everyone picks up and looks at casually. There is so much information in this book that it would be hard to digest it all at once, but it is divided into small sections that can be taken in one or two at a time. The reading experience really does mimic a visit to a museum, in that readers can visit the galleries in any order and still understand what's going on. My science-loving 8-year-old is my target audience for this book, but we're all enjoying it. 

Disclosure

I received a review copy of Oceanarium from Big Picture Press in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Princess Charming by Zibby Owens, illustrated by Holly Hatam (4/19/2022)

Quick Booktalk

It's not easy being a princess, and Princess Charming has yet to discover her special talent, but she is determined never to give up. When a celebrity comes to the castle, Princess Charming thinks this might be her time to shine, but her dog, Luna, might have other plans.

About the Illustrations

The pictures for this book are largely group scenes, catching Princess Charming in the middle of  catastrophic attempts to find her special ability, and showing the reactions of others.The illustrator also works in animation, and this is definitely evident in her style. 

Story Time Illustrations

The first-person point of view makes this feel like a natural read-aloud. The story dragged a bit for me in the middle, but readers who love princess books probably won't mind a few extra pages about this character, so that's unlikely to be a problem for kids. There is also a really fun twist at the end for kids who know their fairy tales. In terms of themes, this could work for fairy tales, princesses, castles, trying new things, and perseverance. 

Reader's Advisory

The author of this book is the host of the podcast Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books, and this is her first picture book. I wouldn't quite put it in the category of a celebrity-authored picture book, but it does seem to lack something in the same way that kids' books by celebrities often do. It just doesn't feel quite polished. I will probably go ahead and let my kids read it because there certainly isn't anything objectionable in it, but it's not one we will be keeping for the long haul. 

Disclosure

I received a review copy of Princess Charming from Flamingo Books in exchange for an honest review.

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.