tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7790330403024219852020-02-28T13:03:30.200-08:00Young BooksRebecca Young has been reviewing children's books for more than 20 years. Tune in weekly for book recommendations for children of all ages.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-35503394786543621882013-07-10T19:47:00.001-07:002013-07-10T19:59:18.659-07:00A family struggles to hold fast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bUItZcPqL5M/Ud4TEkCJLUI/AAAAAAAAAwo/4DK3PxTm080/s1600/HoldFast+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bUItZcPqL5M/Ud4TEkCJLUI/AAAAAAAAAwo/4DK3PxTm080/s400/HoldFast+(1).jpg" width="262" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><i style="background-color: #cccccc;">Hold Fast</i></span></span></h3><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px;">By Blue Balliett</span><br /><span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px;">Scholastic</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">288 pages,&nbsp;</span></span><span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px;">$17.99</span></div><span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">ages 8 and up</span></span></div><span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">With her newest novel, Blue Balliett warms the heart, even as she's breaking it.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><i>Hold Fast</i> is the story of a family striving for something better. Dashel Pearl works as a page in the Chicago Public Library. He and his family – wife Summer, daughter Early, young son Jubilation – live in the biggest apartment they can afford, one room in a former gang neighborhood. But they have their eye on a home like the pretty two-story house in their neighborhood. That's what Dash is working toward.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">They hold fast to the dream, but their tiny apartment is warm and cheerful. And they all share a love for words and the rhythms of Langston Hughes ("Hold fast to dreams ...).&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">It's a happy life and a happy family – u</span><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">ntil the day Dash disappears. He's not the type to run out on his family and we soon find out that there's mystery and criminal activity involved. A scary event takes place and the family is forced into the shelter system.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">Summer becomes more wrecked as the weeks mount that Dash is missing. Jubie's only 5. So it falls to Early Pearl to use her brains, heart and resourcefulness to try and save her family – and maybe some other homeless kids in the process.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">Balliett's writing is nearly poetic, but the pace of the story never lags either. There's enough mystery and excitement to keep kids reading. There's also enough reality to teach them a a bit about how some families struggle or to resonate with those in similar situations. A little education on words and Langston Hughes is an added bonus.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">-Rebecca Young</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-18771125421138903562012-04-06T16:58:00.000-07:002012-04-06T16:58:47.809-07:00A to Z hilarity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UQhV7qmq0jc/T396TzEGcmI/AAAAAAAAAsA/0nMeSnMrBPE/s1600/Z-is-for-moose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UQhV7qmq0jc/T396TzEGcmI/AAAAAAAAAsA/0nMeSnMrBPE/s400/Z-is-for-moose.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ready for a riotous read-aloud? When they hear the title: "Z is for Moose," youngsters will indignantly&nbsp;declare "no it's not!" Soon, however, they'll be laughing at the antics of this alphabet interloper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Zebra, wearing a black-and-white striped referee shirt, is the director of an alphabet show. It's clear Moose is a most eager player as early as the endpapers, where he's shown gleefully lifting up the purple curtain to peek at the reader/audience.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />He restrains himself for a few pages. But then, Duck is shown nudged to the background and Moose happily stands beneath the banner: "D is for Moose." &nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Zebra gets mad. Moose bumbles in and out of the next few pages asking: "Is it my turn yet?"&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The real trouble begins on the "M" page when Moose discovers that Zebra has used Mouse instead.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He goes ballistic, smashing Pie, knocking over the Queen in her throne, scaring off Owl. He grabs a crayon and commits acts of grafitti, until Zebra puts his body in between Moose and the other actors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Moose's rage turns to sobs. Zebra softens and there's a sweet surprise ending. We find out that Z really can be for Moose – "Zebra's friend, Moose."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hilarity, a tender message about friendship, marvelous illustrations – this one's a winner.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kelly Bingham wrote <i>Shark Girl</i>, which was named a Best Book for Young Adults. Paul O. Zelinsky has illustrated a long list of picture books, including <i>Rapunzel</i> (won the Caldecott Medal); <i>Rumpelstiltskin</i> and <i>Hansel and Gretel</i> (both Caldecott Honors); <i>Swamp Angel</i>, and the classic interactive book <i>The Wheels on the Bus</i>.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">– Rebecca Young</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-64327455623084887732012-01-23T14:43:00.000-08:002012-01-23T14:43:19.145-08:00Gantos! Raschka! Whaley! More!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rAlUY7gZXPw/Tx3fx9oOdfI/AAAAAAAAAqw/SYgTQbWdJM4/s1600/daisy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rAlUY7gZXPw/Tx3fx9oOdfI/AAAAAAAAAqw/SYgTQbWdJM4/s200/daisy.jpeg" width="190" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_j_UWTvNDLM/Tx3fyJyGIjI/AAAAAAAAAq4/exQuh_WX4HA/s1600/dead+end.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_j_UWTvNDLM/Tx3fyJyGIjI/AAAAAAAAAq4/exQuh_WX4HA/s200/dead+end.jpeg" width="139" /></a></div>Here are a couple of good articles recapping the results of the children's book awards announcements this morning. I've been with 4-year-olds all day, but I look forward to sitting down a bit later and reading over all this more carefully.<br /><br />From <i>The New York Times</i>:<br /><span class="timestamp published" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #a81817; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;" title="2012-01-23T09:08:40+00:00"><span class="date" style="color: grey; font-size: 1.1em;">January 23, 2012,&nbsp;<em style="font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase;">9:08 AM</em></span></span><br /><h1 class="entry-title" style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.083em; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tale of Comic Adventures Wins Newbery Medal</span></h1><address class="byline author vcard" style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-top: 2px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">By&nbsp;<a class="url fn" href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/author/julie-bosman/" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase;" title="See all posts by JULIE BOSMAN">JULIE BOSMAN</a></span></address><div class="entry-content" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 15px; margin-top: 15px; text-align: left;"><div style="font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;">A sly, gothic and quasi-autobiographical tale of a boy who is grounded by his parents and sent to type obituaries for a neighbor, leading to a string of comic adventures, won the John Newbery Medal on Monday for the year’s most outstanding contribution to children’s literature ...</div><div style="font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/23/caldecott-and-newberry-prizes-to-be-awarded/">More</a></div><div style="font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;">From <i>School Library Journal:</i></div><div style="font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;"></div><h1 style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">*UPDATED* Gantos, Raschka Awarded Newbery, Caldecott</h1><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font: normal normal normal 11px/15px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;">By&nbsp;<em>SLJ&nbsp;</em>Staff&nbsp;<dti:else><br />January 23, 2012&nbsp;</dti:else></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font: normal normal normal 11px/15px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">This story was updated at 2:45 PM.</strong></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font: normal normal normal 11px/15px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;">The audience roared its approval this morning in Dallas after hearing that author&nbsp;<a href="http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/893377-312/dead_end_in_norvelt_wins.html.csp" style="color: #133b61; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jack Gantos</a>'s&nbsp;<em>Dead End in Norvelt</em>&nbsp;(Farrar) won the Newbery Medal and Chris Raschka's&nbsp;<em>A Ball for Daisy</em>&nbsp;(Random/Schwartz &amp; Wade Bks) nabbed the Caldecott Medal. Raschka's book was a favorite going into the American Library Association's (ALA) Youth Media Awards this morning...</div><div style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font: normal normal normal 11px/15px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><a href="http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/893406-312/updated_gantos_raschka_awarded_newbery.html.csp">More</a></div></div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fINICAhLZGg/Tx3iK_H9-AI/AAAAAAAAArA/W-HYn6WpbrM/s1600/where+things.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fINICAhLZGg/Tx3iK_H9-AI/AAAAAAAAArA/W-HYn6WpbrM/s200/where+things.jpeg" width="132" /></a>-Rebecca YoungUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-71044558809122310082012-01-22T20:53:00.000-08:002012-01-22T20:58:39.207-08:00Who will win?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u7FatcSt4pY/Txzh6BgJ52I/AAAAAAAAAqQ/ZeptYkLc8bw/s1600/caldecott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u7FatcSt4pY/Txzh6BgJ52I/AAAAAAAAAqQ/ZeptYkLc8bw/s320/caldecott.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-huowuk4MQGE/Txzh6anMBwI/AAAAAAAAAqY/_43UGb3xuwY/s1600/nmedal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-huowuk4MQGE/Txzh6anMBwI/AAAAAAAAAqY/_43UGb3xuwY/s320/nmedal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Monday morning is a big one in the children's book world. It's when all the major U.S. awards for young people's literature – including the Newbery and the Caldecott – will be announced at the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting.<br /><br />Tonight might be a restless one for authors and illustrators. A number of them will be receiving a pre-dawn phone call with the news that their book has won an award. Unlike other awards we're familiar with, there are no lists of nominees. The committees for each award consider every book in that category published in the past year.<br /><br />The ALA meeting is in Dallas this year and the award announcements begin at 7:30 a.m. Central Time. That's 5:30 my time. The ALA website runs a live feed and normally I'd be at my computer watching it. Last year I posted pretty quick updates as awards were announced. But this year, believe it or not, I have something else I have to do at that time. &nbsp;I'll try to get the word out as soon as I can, though. If you're crazy like me you can go <a href="http://www.webcastinc.com/client/ala-webcast/">here</a>&nbsp;and watch it yourself. I'll warn you, though, the librarians won't be wearing couture.<br /><br />Each year there's a great deal of speculation over who will win the Newbery Medal, for distinguished contribution to children's literature, and the Caldecott Medal, for the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. There are mock Newbery and Caldecott votes by adults and children and everyone has fun making predictions.<br /><br />Then the committees make their decisions (already made by now) and often the winners are a &nbsp;complete surprise.<br /><br />Once in a while, not so much. Jerry Pinkney's Caldecott in 2010 for&nbsp;<i>The Lion and the Mouse</i>&nbsp;surprised no one. But last year when Clare Vanderpool won the Newbery Medal for&nbsp;<i>Moon Over Manifest</i>, it took weeks for libraries that didn't have the book to get it because her publisher was taken off guard and had to print more copies.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4FN9Y8wKd8A/TxzmZU3iBVI/AAAAAAAAAqg/DQlpDvv7fuo/s1600/ok+for+now.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4FN9Y8wKd8A/TxzmZU3iBVI/AAAAAAAAAqg/DQlpDvv7fuo/s1600/ok+for+now.jpeg" /></a></div>This year the book I've seen mentioned most often as likely for the Newbery Medal is <i>Okay for Now</i>, by Gary D. Schmidt. I read it a couple of weeks ago and it is indeed a special book.<br /><br />Life is tough for Doug Swieteck, a minor character in Schmidt's Newbery honor book <i>The Wednesday Wars. </i>It's the summer of 1968 and his family has moved to tiny Marysville, N.Y. Doug calls it "the dump" and makes up his mind to be miserable. We soon learn he might have good reason for the lousy attitude. One big brother is in Vietnam, the other bullies him and his dad's a drunk. But as Doug begins to grow on us, the town begins to grow on him. He discovers Audubon prints in the library and a librarian who helps copy the prints and realize a talent as an artist. He meets a cool girl whose dad gives him a Saturday job. And once school starts, he finds teachers who offer him some desperately needed academic help.<br /><br />The plot is lively, featuring humor and heartbreak, baseball and the first moonwalk. The characters, both major and minor are terrific. Doug is a winning protagonist. But even the people you hate at first get under your skin by the end.<br /><br />We'll know by tomorrow if Gary Schmidt has won a Newbery Medal or another Newbery Honor.<br /><br />-Rebecca Young<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-28412200192691728202011-12-31T20:24:00.000-08:002012-01-01T10:32:05.659-08:00Beware those origami dragons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SX8BHWhvucw/Tv_cmylsI8I/AAAAAAAAAps/ddyJBtdPYYo/s1600/unwanteds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SX8BHWhvucw/Tv_cmylsI8I/AAAAAAAAAps/ddyJBtdPYYo/s320/unwanteds.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>"<i>The Hunger Games</i> meets <i>Harry Potter</i>," a clip from Kirkus Reviews trumpets on the cover of &nbsp;Lisa McMann's new book <i>The Unwanteds</i>. Those are a couple of mighty big book jackets to fill, but after reading this dystopian fantasy, I can see the reviewer's point. I didn't pick up the book based on that blurb, but on the rave review from a fifth grader at my school.<br />As the novel opens, a group of 13-year-olds are set to be "purged" from the land of Quill. This is an event that happens yearly. The young people are divided into three groups. The Wanteds, those deemed the strongest and most intelligent, will be sent to university. The Necessaries, judged to be average but harmless, are kept to perform menial labor. The Unwanteds, children who have been caught expressing hints of creativity, are sent to their deaths.<br />We discover by Page 20 (it's also on the book flap, so I'm not spoiling anything) that instead of being eliminated this year (and for many years) the Unwanteds have been saved by magician Marcus Today. He brings them to&nbsp;Artimé,&nbsp;his wondrous haven, where creativity is encouraged and nurtured.<br />The tale focuses on a pack of boys and girls. Alex, who's the Harry Potterest of the bunch, was purged because he drew in the mud. His artistic talent flourishes in&nbsp;Artimé. He's also a twin, but his brother is a Wanted. That provides Alex with intense heartache and sets up danger later on.<br />Sticking with the Harry Potter/Hunger Games theme, Lani is a bit of a cross between Hermoine and Katniss.<br />Quill is a gray, dreary protectionist state run by the evil High Priest Justine. Justine has cut Quill off from all contact or trade with any other people, so the infrastructure and machinery is decrepit.<br />But Mr. Today and the other leaders of&nbsp;Artimé (who include animals and magical creatures) are convinced that their community will be discovered one day and a battle is inevitable. The children receive magical trainingto prepare<br />The weapons are quite wonderful. They're based on the artistic talents of the children and teachers. Origami dragons burst into real flame when they hit their targets. Clay balls coat their victims rendering them unable to move. Actors can recite soliloquies that make their victims feel magical daggers plunge into their chests. Most of the weapons are meant to slow the enemy, not kill.<br /><i>The Unwanteds</i>, while not as complex as Harry Potter, is a good bet for 9- to 12-year-olds who are on their umpteenth reading of the Potter books and need something fun and fresh. It's also a good choice for those tweens who hear the Hunger Games hype and aren't ready for the stark violence of that series. This is a far gentler read. <br /><i>The Unwanteds</i> is the first in a series.<br /><br />Here's a cute <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZYu-eXBtvk">video</a> of Author McMann talking to Max Burkholder – Max on <i>Parenthood</i> – about the book. He "really, really, really loved it."<br /><br />-Rebecca YoungUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-88155200922034713052011-12-07T13:31:00.001-08:002011-12-08T11:40:31.251-08:00The Muppet master<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qwtiTp2RFW4/Tt_eESVu1uI/AAAAAAAAApY/UH1u_z5T2EE/s1600/jim+henson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qwtiTp2RFW4/Tt_eESVu1uI/AAAAAAAAApY/UH1u_z5T2EE/s320/jim+henson.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>In his rave <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-muppets-20111121">review of <i>The Muppets</i>,</a>&nbsp;Rolling Stone movie critic Peter Travers points out that Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the other Muppets haven't had a new screen presence in many years. "So the challenge Disney has with The Muppets is to show a new generation what the fuss was all about," he writes.<br />His verdict: "Slam-dunk."<br /><br />No doubt many of you have taken the kids to <i>The Muppets</i> Movie, or plan to do so over winter break. I went on Saturday and I loved it enough that I might go again with my big kids when they get home for the holidays.<br /><br />The kids who love the movie and through it are reintroduced to Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie Bear and Animal happily have a canon of older Muppet films to discover now. They also surely grew up on Sesame Street and know the Muppets in that way.<br />In the midst of Muppet mania, youngsters should know about the creative genius behind the beloved characters.<br /><br />So after you see the movie, track down a copy of Katherine Krull's<i>&nbsp;Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played With Puppets –</i>&nbsp;a terrific new picture book biography with expressive paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher.<br /><br />Henson grew up in a big old farmhouse along the Mississippi River. He had a bucolic childhood with his brother Paul, Krull tells us.&nbsp;With no TV, entertainment was of the imagination-stretching variety. The boys fished, swam, watched fireflies, sang, told stories, watched wildlife and daydreamed. Jim filled notebooks with imagined creatures.<br /><br />At age 13, Jim had his first cartoon published and at age 16, he had &nbsp;job on a television puppet show. By college he had his own TV show starring a puppet named Sam.&nbsp;Krull recounts the creation of Kermit and other Henson and his future wife Jane Nebel began calling their puppet creations Muppets - a combination of puppet and marionette.<br /><br />Krull also describes Henson's life changing moment - the day Joan Ganz Cooney brought him in on the ground floor of her new educational television show for preschoolers. That was&nbsp;<i>Sesame Street,</i> of course.<br /><br />Not just a story for Muppet-lovers, it's also an inspirational tale for anyone who has a different vision that the typical.<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-54952482458365267262011-10-28T19:34:00.000-07:002011-10-28T20:18:02.016-07:00Not too scary<data:post.body></data:post.body><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Each year there are new Halloweenish books, but as a school librarian I find myself returning to a few favorites to read aloud to my primary-grade students. (I work at an independent school where we can still celebrate Halloween.)&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><div class="p1"><br /><div class="p1"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KhGwscULUyQ/TqtpFR2rx9I/AAAAAAAAAoc/rZG-X2jNdwM/s1600/room+on+the+broom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KhGwscULUyQ/TqtpFR2rx9I/AAAAAAAAAoc/rZG-X2jNdwM/s200/room+on+the+broom.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Room on the Broom</i>&nbsp;is such fun as a read-aloud that I can read it three times in a row, to my PreK class, my kindergartners and my first graders and not get weary of the bouncy rhyming text. I can read it three times the next week, too, and have just as much fun, oh, the kids do too. The writer of&nbsp;<i>Room on the Broom</i>&nbsp;($6.99, Puffin) is Julia Donaldson and the illustrator is Axel Scheffler, a magical pairing that has graced a number of other picture books as well.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I always warn the littler ones that there's one part that's a little scary. And they usually tell me at the end: "That wasn't scary!"</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The witch isn't a bit menacing. She has a cat and a black hat, but she also has "long ginger hair in a braid down her back." And when three helpful creatures ask in succession: "Is there room on the broom for a dog/bird/frog like me?"</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The text is packed with delightful repetition. Three times, the witch loses something, hairbow, hat, wand. Three times, the broom lands for a search. Three times one of the aforementioned animals helps find the missing items.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Listeners will soon be delightedly repeating this refrain as the broom takes off with new passenger and recovered item: "...and whoosh! they were gone."</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The broom breaks and a threatening red dragon enters the picture. No big spoilers here, but there are a couple more exciting and funny twists before everyone whooshes! off on a new broom.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xwpDlWB4to/TqtuzEWUmAI/AAAAAAAAAok/WncD40eh61Q/s1600/boobunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xwpDlWB4to/TqtuzEWUmAI/AAAAAAAAAok/WncD40eh61Q/s200/boobunny.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>B</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>oo Bunny</i>, by Kathryn O. Galbraith, ($6.99, Sandpiper) is&nbsp;perfect for preschoolers who might be approaching Halloween with a bit of trepidation.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The tale starts with one nervous little bunny out trick-or-treating for the first time.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Jeff Mack provides marvelous, vivid illustrations.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On the opening page, there's a small white rabbit on a mostly black background, just a bit of violet-blue sky peeking between the trees. The bunny's eyes are wide; he clutches a pumpkin-shaped treat holder.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The first words: "One shy bunny. One dark night."</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The shadows are full of spooky sounds and movement. In a moment of panic, the white bunny crashes into an equally terrified scared brown bunny.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"One bunny quivers. One bunny shivers."</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tentatively, they join forces and together they are just brave enough to try trick-or-treating at one house.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">That teamwork results in treats, a new friendship and huge leaps of confidence - literally.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The bunnies are shown bounding exuberantly over the last few pages.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Two giant hops. One loud Whoooooo!</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Two bunnies giggle. 'Whooo-booo to you!'"</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mack's vivid blues, violets, pinks, greens and black are unexpected and effective.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It's a story that will hit home with many a toddler and preschooler. Halloween is often scary before it's fun</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The costumes for the two bunny characters - green mask and cape and bumblebee - are adorable and preschool-appropriate. Their faces are equally adorable and expressive.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I38ovTQy9NQ/Tqtjh5SYP2I/AAAAAAAAAn8/SMHUgFs7ANY/s1600/witchkids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I38ovTQy9NQ/Tqtjh5SYP2I/AAAAAAAAAn8/SMHUgFs7ANY/s200/witchkids.jpg" width="163" /></a></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In&nbsp;<i>The Witch's Children,</i>&nbsp;by Ursula Jones, illustrated by Russell Ayto, (Orchard Books) humor and sweetness trump horror.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Look out," cry the pigeons, as they spy the witch's three cute kids entering the park on a windy day. Pigeons flutter into the trees; foxes run, squirrels scurry. They've had experience with these youngsters before.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It's fine until a little redheaded nonwitch named Gemma needs help. Her sailboat has blown into the middle of the pond. The eldest child helps out by changing Gemma into a frog so she can swim out to her boat. Good solution until she wants to be Gemma again. He doesn't know that part of the spell.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Then the middle child tries to fix things by changing the ice cream lady into a princess who kisses the frog. Only now Gemma is a prince. Pretty soon pigeons are footmen and trees are a castle.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Chaos rules until the youngest witch child pulls out the only bit of magic she knows.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Mommy!" she bellows across a double-page spread.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The lovely witch mama swoops in on her broom, sets the park to rights, and mama and children fly off to eat cake on their roof.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This never fails to charm my 4- to 6-year-old audiences. The bad news - <i>The Witch's Children</i> appears to be out of print in the U.S. You can still get it in libraries, used - or as a paperback through AmazonUK, where it's not terribly pricey.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0lpzZZ4Y2Bs/TqtkR6Ox8KI/AAAAAAAAAoM/kxHvGfA0MM8/s1600/walkingstick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0lpzZZ4Y2Bs/TqtkR6Ox8KI/AAAAAAAAAoM/kxHvGfA0MM8/s200/walkingstick.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Witch's Walking Stick,</i>&nbsp;written and illustrated by Susan Meddaugh ($16, Houghton Mifflin) is a sweet- natured, Cinderella-like story in which a good girl triumphs over her cruel elder siblings and a nasty, has-been witch.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On a walk through the woods, the elderly witch is left fuming when a playful dog grabs her magic walking stick and runs off. Over the years, the witch used the stick for thousands of evil wishes. Its magic is nearly gone, but she still enjoyed her nasty little tricks, such as turning squirrels into goldfish.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On the run from her miserable life, young Margaret meets the witch, who's concocted a ruse. She's just a wobbly old lady who needs her walking stick. She'll give Margaret a reward to bring it back.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Margaret is sweet, but smart, too. She figures out the secret of the stick and borrows it to make her life a little better.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">By the time the witch gets her stick back, Margaret's siblings have learned a lesson, the little girl no longer sleeps on straw, the magic is used up and the dog has a home. The illustrations are simple and expressive.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_wcJY76vI6k/TqtksUYQ7YI/AAAAAAAAAoU/C9bgB4W5iTI/s1600/pumpkinpie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_wcJY76vI6k/TqtksUYQ7YI/AAAAAAAAAoU/C9bgB4W5iTI/s200/pumpkinpie.jpg" width="157" /></a></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The Perfect Pumpkin Pie,&nbsp;</i>written and illustrated&nbsp;by Denys Cazet ($17, Atheneum) is a hilarious, slightly scary ghost tale about Mr. Wilkerson, a grumpy, impatient old man who drops dead on Halloween night as he's just about to bite into his wife's perfect pumpkin pie. I save this for at least second grade.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mrs. Wilkerson buries him in the backyard and moves away. On another Halloween night, the new residents of the Wilkerson House, Jack and his grandmother, are baking a pumpkin pie when a ghostly white wisp rises in the yard.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkin pie! I must have one before I die!" the cranky ghost moans. "It must be perfect or a ghost I'll stay, and haunt this house and never, ever go awaaaaaaaay!"</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Grandma invites him in, but he's a picky ghost and her first pie is far beneath his standards. He returns again and again, providing opportunities for funny repartee between ghost and grandma, who gives back just as good as she takes. It's a great read aloud with swirly, wild watercolor-and-pen illustrations. Children will enjoy joining the ghost's refrain. There's also a surprise ending.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="p3"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Reviews of Boo Bunny, The Witch's Walking Stick and The Perfect Pumpkin Pie originally appeared in The News Tribune.</span></i></div><div class="p1"><i><br /></i></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">-Rebecca Young</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-85299217199746390212011-09-26T15:58:00.000-07:002011-09-26T16:00:02.492-07:00Monday Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WI31PErp3-0/ToD7-D5TU8I/AAAAAAAAAnA/NQYWNF3TzXw/s1600/MondayOneDay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WI31PErp3-0/ToD7-D5TU8I/AAAAAAAAAnA/NQYWNF3TzXw/s320/MondayOneDay.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Monday Is One Day</i></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Arthur A. Levine</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Art by Julian Hector</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scholastic, 28 pages</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">$16.99, ages 3 to 8</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's Monday – a dreary rainy Monday where I live. For many 9-5 work-a-day folks it's the start of a long stretch until they can look forward to the long family days of the weekend.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the jacket flap, that was in Arthur Levine's mind when he developed the concept for his comforting and charming&nbsp;<i>Monday Is One Day, </i>which opens with the line: "The hardest part of going to work is being apart from you."</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So "let's count the days till we're both at home."</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each day is marked by something special, puddle stomps, playing with a toy T. rex, helping dad pick out a special tie. Then it's the weekend and time for fun.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hector's bright illustrations have a retro feel, but there's nothing retro about the families he depicts: multiracial, grandparents caring for a child, single mom, gay dads.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-59289384010158133692011-05-29T10:46:00.000-07:002011-05-29T10:48:28.005-07:00Books will always be valuable | SoundLife - The News Tribune<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJOaUc_ja1k/TeKGvJWBAyI/AAAAAAAAAeg/U9sETEKy7ek/s1600/Junonia-hc-c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJOaUc_ja1k/TeKGvJWBAyI/AAAAAAAAAeg/U9sETEKy7ek/s200/Junonia-hc-c.jpg" width="157" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfQ4mhphaJU/TeKGxamEyoI/AAAAAAAAAek/SB20jNf3R3o/s1600/three+bears.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfQ4mhphaJU/TeKGxamEyoI/AAAAAAAAAek/SB20jNf3R3o/s200/three+bears.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-69bVNxVxrBI/TeKG0NoaRyI/AAAAAAAAAeo/tYIbRKNOgys/s1600/queen+of+the+falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-69bVNxVxrBI/TeKG0NoaRyI/AAAAAAAAAeo/tYIbRKNOgys/s200/queen+of+the+falls.jpg" width="137" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/05/29/1684709/books-will-always-be-valuable.html">Books will always be valuable | SoundLife - The News Tribune</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-27627346727947819982011-03-20T09:45:00.000-07:002011-03-20T10:04:13.511-07:00My spring reviews in The News Tribune<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cNY6PGzgzlI/TYYzW7RViVI/AAAAAAAAA1k/hAb_NgW-ZN0/s1600/Planting_the_Wild_Garden.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 174px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cNY6PGzgzlI/TYYzW7RViVI/AAAAAAAAA1k/hAb_NgW-ZN0/s200/Planting_the_Wild_Garden.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586208856760224082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qjggdy3GaJ4/TYYzWq45n7I/AAAAAAAAA1c/rmqJEddTDoU/s1600/spring%2Bis%2Bhere.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 180px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qjggdy3GaJ4/TYYzWq45n7I/AAAAAAAAA1c/rmqJEddTDoU/s200/spring%2Bis%2Bhere.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586208852362764210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0eD-klQ63lE/TYYzWflP1EI/AAAAAAAAA1U/qSp9MaoE2YA/s1600/LittleWhiteRabbit-hc-c.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0eD-klQ63lE/TYYzWflP1EI/AAAAAAAAA1U/qSp9MaoE2YA/s200/LittleWhiteRabbit-hc-c.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586208849327543362" /></a><br /><br /><div class="storyhed" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; padding-bottom: 5px; "><br /></div><div class="storyhed" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; padding-bottom: 5px; "><br /></div><div class="storyhed" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; padding-bottom: 5px; "><br /></div><div class="storyhed" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; padding-bottom: 5px; "><br /></div><div class="storyhed" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; padding-bottom: 5px; "><br /></div><div class="storyhed" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; padding-bottom: 5px; "><br /></div><div class="storyhed" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; padding-bottom: 5px; ">8 new books kids will love</div><div class="storysubhed" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 12px; ">For spring: Topics range from bunnies to baseball</div><div class="byline" style="font-size: 11px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; ">REBECCA YOUNG; STAFF WRITER</div><div class="updates_timestamp" style="font-size: 10px; text-decoration: none; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-transform: uppercase; ">LAST UPDATED: MARCH 20TH, 2011 12:32 AM (PDT)</div><div class="storytext" id="storyBody" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none; "><p style="margin-bottom: 15px; ">The crocuses are out. Daylight-saving time has arrived again. It’s time to read about bunnies, gardens, baseball and the like in eight terrific new children’s books.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 15px; ">“Little White Rabbit” by Kevin Henkes: This book tells the story of a small bunny bursting with imagination and curiosity. As he explores, he muses. He hops through tall grass and wonders what it would be like to be green. On the next glorious two-page spread, the bunny and nearly everything around him – frog, cricket, lily pad, grass – are green. He hops beneath butterflies and “wonders what it would be like to flutter through the air.”</p><p></p></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Read more: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/03/20/1592450/8-new-books-kids-will-love.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/03/20/1592450/8-new-books-kids-will-love.html</span><br /></a></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/03/20/1592450/8-new-books-kids-will-love.html"><br /></a></span></span></div><p style="margin-bottom: 15px; "></p>Halley Griffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07829881845880035621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-62555032166563959532011-02-07T11:16:00.000-08:002011-02-07T11:21:04.951-08:00I did not know this<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TVBE2GMVJfI/AAAAAAAAAdU/M3LHtZA0CRY/s1600/JamesFrancoBetsyFranco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TVBE2GMVJfI/AAAAAAAAAdU/M3LHtZA0CRY/s320/JamesFrancoBetsyFranco.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TVBE2GMVJfI/AAAAAAAAAdU/M3LHtZA0CRY/s1600/JamesFrancoBetsyFranco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #36312c; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(ABC photo/Carol Kaelson)</span></span></div>You can learn interesting stuff by reading <a href="http://hboutofbox.blogspot.com/">children's literature blogs</a>. The very famous actor James Franco ("127 Hours") is the son of very fine children's book writer/poet Betsy Franco (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Birdsongs-Betsy-Franco/dp/0689877773?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Birdsongs</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0689877773" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bees-Snails-Peacock-Tails-Naturally/dp/1416903860?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Bees, Snails, &amp; Peacock Tails</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mathematickles-Betsy-Franco/dp/0689843577?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Mathematickles!</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0689843577" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Curious-Collection-Cats-Betsy-Franco/dp/1582462488?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">A Curious Collection of Cats</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=1582462488" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />). Betsy Franco played his mom on "General Hospital." I've reviewed her books for The News Tribune. Maybe everyone knew this but me, but in case you didn't I'm clueing you in.<br /><br />That lends a bit more credibility to the publishing of James Franco's book of short stories <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Palo-Alto-Stories-James-Franco/dp/1439163146?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Palo Alto</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=1439163146" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Maybe he's not just another celebrity author; maybe he has the writing gene. I don't know, I haven't read it. Has anybody else?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Birdsongs-Betsy-Franco/dp/0689877773?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Birdsongs" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0689877773&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0689877773" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bees-Snails-Peacock-Tails-Naturally/dp/1416903860?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Bees, Snails, &amp; Peacock Tails: Patterns &amp; Shapes . . . Naturally" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=1416903860&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=1416903860" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Curious-Collection-Cats-Betsy-Franco/dp/1582462488?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="A Curious Collection of Cats" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=1582462488&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=1582462488" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mathematickles-Betsy-Franco/dp/0689843577?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Mathematickles!" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0689843577&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0689843577" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #36312c; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-5729085523034396042011-02-05T00:21:00.000-08:002011-02-05T00:21:12.090-08:00Mirror, Mirror<!--StartFragment--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Jeannie-Baker/dp/0763648485?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Mirror" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0763648485&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0763648485" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Jeannie-Baker/dp/0763648485?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Mirror</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0763648485" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="MsoNormal">By Jeannie Baker</div><div class="MsoNormal">Candlewick, 40 pages</div><div class="MsoNormal">$18.99, ages 4 to 8</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Two books. Same title. Published the same year. Both thought-provoking. </div><div class="MsoNormal">The resemblance stops there.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Jeannie-Baker/dp/0763648485?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Mirror</a>&nbsp;by Jeanne Baker tells the story of a day in the lives of two families, one in Australia, the other in Morocco<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0763648485" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, North Africa.</div><div class="MsoNormal">You open the book to find two books in one.&nbsp;The Australian story reads from left to right, the Moroccan tale from right to left. Each nearly wordless tale begins in a cozy home, follows the father and son out on a shopping trip, then back home with their purchases. Not surprisingly there are many differences between the two cultures, but Baker has also made the two stories artfully mirror one another, both in broad concepts and in smaller details that readers will enjoy spotting.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some scenes that at first glance appear worlds apart, on closer examination and discussion reveal fascinating similarities. The Australian father and son travel through traffic and construction to get to the hardware store. The Moroccan boy and his dad travel by donkey through desert and mountains to get to the village marketplace. But both routes are circuitous. One of the purchases the Australian boy and dad make is a "magic carpet" (made by the Moroccan family). Selling the carpet enables the other family to buy a computer (perhaps from a computer store pictured in the Australian city). At the end of the day, the Australian boy and his family sit on the carpet in front of a fire. He's drawn a picture of them flying off on together on a magic carpet over sand dunes and palm trees. The Moroccan boy and his dad and other family members are gathered around the new computer looking at Morocco surrounded by many other countries on a globe. So both families are transported by their purchases.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Baker's illustrations are beautiful and detailed collages.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Suzy-Lee/dp/193473439X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Mirror" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=193473439X&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=193473439X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Suzy-Lee/dp/193473439X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Mirror</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=193473439X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="MsoNormal">By Suzy Lee</div><div class="MsoNormal">Seven Footer Kids, 48 pages</div><div class="MsoNormal">$15.95, ages 4 to 8</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This is another wordless "Mirror," but packed with powerful emotions and darker overtones than the first. A little girl hunches sad and and alone in a corner, then she discovers her reflection. At first she's shy, then goofy, then delighted. Dancing ensues, becoming ever more exuberant. There's a lovely spread, wild with lyrical swirls of black, yellow and orange. But then what's happening? The two images merge and disappear into the fold. After two blank pages they're back, but they are now moving independently. There's anger. For the first time the mirror becomes visible. Glass shatters. The girl is miserably alone again. Children will be puzzled, but that's clearly Lee's intent. There is much to discuss here. The low-key color scheme – mostly black, with touches of yellow and orange, and abundant white space, reinforces the deceptively simple story and complex emotional content.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-80422599290718351912010-12-22T13:01:00.000-08:002010-12-22T13:01:45.887-08:00Christmas flights of fancyEach year it seems there is a snowstorm of new Christmas books from publishers. Many are forgettable, but always there are some destined to stick around to become favorites. I included two (and one for Kwanzaa) in my News Tribune reviews linked below. Here are two more I didn't have space for.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Giant-Steve-Light/dp/076364692X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="The Christmas Giant" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=076364692X&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=076364692X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Giant-Steve-Light/dp/076364692X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">The Christmas Giant</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=076364692X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />By Steve Light<br />Candlewick, 32 pages<br />$15.99, ages 4 to 8<br /><br />Humphrey the giant and Leetree the elf are best friends who live and work for Santa at the North Pole. Their regular job is making wrapping paper. Humphrey handles the big rolls, while Leetree is in charge of detail work. Kids will enjoy the invention here. The elf a paint-dipped tricycle to stripe one roll of paper and walks wearing Christmas tree stamps to decorate another.<br /><br />This year, Santa (who comes up to Humphrey's knee) gives the pair a special assignment – growing the holiday tree for Christmastown. They're excited and take the job seriously. All goes well until it's time to bring the big tree to Christmastown. Then a big mishap forces the friends to come up with a creative Plan B.<br /><br />Light's pen-and-ink and pastel illustrations have the look of wood cuts. They add to the considerable charm of a tale that celebrates friendship, creativity – and, of course, Christmas.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Sky-Blue-Richard-Egielski/dp/0545213428?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Captain Sky Blue" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0545213428&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0545213428" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Sky-Blue-Richard-Egielski/dp/0545213428?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Captain Sky Blue</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0545213428" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />By Richard Egielski<br />Scholastic, 32 pages<br />$17.95, ages 4 to 8<br /><br />Rarely is a Christmas story packed with so much action.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Sky-Blue-Richard-Egielski/dp/0545213428?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Captain Sky Blue</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0545213428" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />&nbsp;begins beneath the Christmas tree when Jack meets "his best toy pal," a pilot named Sky and together they build an airplane kit that Santa brought. Quickly the the tale leaves the living room as airborne adventures begin. At Jack and Sky are together, but soon there's a "MAYDAY!"<br /><br />Sky's plane is wrecked. He bails in a parachute, blows far from home into the ocean. A whale, iceberg and North Pole trip later, he helps pilot Santa's sleigh through another emergency and lands back at Jack's in time for the next Christmas.<br /><br />Caldecott Medalist Egielski's illustrations are big, bold and exciting. He sprinkles the text with lots of colorful pilot lingo, such as "goon up" (screw up) and "boards out" (brake flaps extended). There's a glossary on the endpapers, but it's fun to read the story aloud once first and see if you can guess what's going on.<br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=076364692X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-82604330282253415742010-11-28T09:44:00.000-08:002010-11-28T09:50:36.190-08:00Kid-friendly books make great gifts | Books - The News Tribune<a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/11/28/1442629/kid-friendly-books-make-great.html"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/LMNO-Peas-Keith-Baker/dp/1416991417?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ling-Ting-Not-Exactly-Same/dp/031602452X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Ling &amp; Ting: Not Exactly the Same!" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=031602452X&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=031602452X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=1416991417" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=1442408227" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=1442408227" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Comet-Rosemary-Wells/dp/076363722X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="On the Blue Comet" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=076363722X&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=076363722X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nic-Bishop-Lizards/dp/0545206340?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Nic Bishop Lizards" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0545206340&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0545206340" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/11/28/1442629/kid-friendly-books-make-great.html">Kid-friendly books make great gifts | Books - The News Tribune</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-38518617419917149322010-11-23T14:32:00.000-08:002010-11-23T14:32:36.967-08:00The pie time of year<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ugly-Pie-Lisa-Wheeler/dp/0152167544?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Ugly Pie" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0152167544&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0152167544" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ugly-Pie-Lisa-Wheeler/dp/0152167544?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Ugly Pie</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0152167544" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />By Lisa Wheeler<br />Harcourt, 32 pages<br />$16, ages 4 to 8<br /><br />Not sure if it's close to Thanksgiving in Ol' Bear's woodland neighborhood. but whatever the calendar says, he wakes up this day with a powerful hunger for pie – "not just any pie. Ugly Pie." A check of kitchen reveals that the only ugly ingredient he has on hand is molasses, "so with a heap of hope and a hitch of his britches," he sets off to visit his neighbors.<br /><br />Outside each house, a pleasing repetition comes into play. Ol' Bear's nose twitches and he says. "My-oh-my--oh-my. Do I smell Ugly Pie?"<br />Each neighbor has just baked another kind of beautiful pie – pumpkin, rhubarb, honey – and offers Ol' Bear a piece, but he's set on Ugly Pie. So the friends instead offer up whatever ugly ingredients they can scare up – wrinkled red raisins, sour green apples – and Ol' Bear continues his search.<br /><br />As he walks he continues to sing a song that grows with each stop:<br />"Ruby raisins – not too dry,<br />sweet molasses, my-oh-my!<br />But I'm still itchin',<br />sniffin, wishin'<br />for some Ugly Pie!"<br /><br />Eventually he realizes he's got exactly the right collection of ugly ingredients for a perfect Ugly Pie and commences to "a-choppin' and a-mixin.'"<br /><br />The friends smell his pie and he's happy to share.<br /><br />The rollicking text makes for a delightful read-aloud. (Maybe best not to be hungry when you do.) Wheeler's watercolor, acrylic and collage illustrations are enchanting. Ol' Bear is an endearingly rotund fellow. A great round belly bowls out between his red plaid shirt and blue jeans. He's no doubt gearing up for hibernation season. Children will enjoy following his journey through his neighborhood and spotting the small woodland creatures that abound.<br /><br />Wheeler includes a recipe for Ugly Pie, which sounds delicious. I think I'll try it for Thanksgiving.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-27076794140430424052010-10-30T17:33:00.000-07:002010-10-30T17:39:54.762-07:00BOO!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0545046513" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ant-Honey-Bee-Halloween-Candlewick/dp/076362585X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Ant and Honey Bee: A Pair of Friends at Halloween: Candlewick Sparks" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=076362585X&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=076362585X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/AlphaOops-H-Halloween-Alethea-Kontis/dp/0763639664?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="AlphaOops: H is for Halloween" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0763639664&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0763639664" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bones-Steve-Jenkins/dp/0545046513?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Bones" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0545046513&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0545046513" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />Here are three good new Halloweenish books to help celebrate a holiday most beloved by children.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ant-Honey-Bee-Halloween-Candlewick/dp/076362585X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ant-Honey-Bee-Halloween-Candlewick/dp/076362585X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Ant and Honey Bee: A Pair of Friends at Halloween</a><br />By Megan McDonald<br />Illustrated by G. Brian Karas<br />Candlewick Press, 44 pages<br />$14.99, ages 7 to 10<br /><br />This charming early chapter book tells the tale of two pals working to come up with a complementary pair of Halloween costumes. Ant has decided their usual pilgrim garb is too boring and itchy. They run&nbsp; through a series of ideas then come up with a brilliant one - a washer and dryer. A creative frenzy ensues, with cardboard boxes, cotton balls, toilet paper, ketchup and a pilgrim dress all put to use.<br /><br />The third and last chapter - Trick or Treat - is laugh-out-loud funny as Ant and Honey Bee try to walk in their big boxes and their friends guess what they are. "A pair of dice." "Two chunks of Swiss cheese." "A couple of ice cubes." Ant and Honey Bee are frustrated – and to make matters worse it starts to rain.<br />They decide to go to their friend Cricket's house and as they are walking up the front steps, they discover that the rain has turned their cardboard costumes into a perfect beehive and anthill.<br />Whimsical illustrations by the talented G. Brian Karas complement a terrific &nbsp;story that&nbsp;celebrates friendship, creativity and resilience.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Kontis-Alethea-Author-Hardcover/dp/B0041JIT9A?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/AlphaOops-H-Halloween-Alethea-Kontis/dp/0763639664?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">ALPHA OOPS! H Is for Halloween</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0763639664" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />By Alethea Kontis<br />Illustrated by Bob Kolar<br />Candlewick Press, 32 pages<br />$15.99, ages 4 to 8<br /><br />This sequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/AlphaOops-Day-Z-Went-First/dp/0763627283?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">AlphaOops!: The Day Z Went First</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0763627283" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />&nbsp;revisits a theatrical troupe made up of letters who can't seem to keep themselves straight. This time the show is about Halloween and the letters dramatize word such as "witch," "vampire" and "goblin." But "a" for "apple" can't go on stage first because in a Halloween show, "H" must be the star of the show. &nbsp;After that, it's hard to make sense of who and what will appear on stage next.<br /><br />But youngsters will love it all, as illustrated with vivid digital art by Bob Kolar, and with humor and interest added by side dialogue from the letters.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bones-Steve-Jenkins/dp/0545046513?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Bones</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0545046513" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />By Steve Jenkins<br />Scholastic, 32 pages<br />$16.99, ages 7 to 10<br /><br />"Bones: Skeletons and How They Work" isn't strictly a Halloween book, but Steve Jenkins is one of the finest of all nonfiction book creators for younger children and I try not to miss a chance to let people know about him. (One favorite: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Actual-Ribbon-Nonfiction-Award-Awards/dp/0618375945?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Actual Size</a>.)&nbsp;<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0618375945" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />His illustrations are cut or torn paper and they are astounding in their beauty and ability to capture their subjects. His prose is simple, yet vivid and packed with fascinating information, just right for its intended audience.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bones-Steve-Jenkins/dp/0545046513?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Bones</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0545046513" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />&nbsp;is a visual look at human and animal skeletons. Some spreads lay out various skeletal parts side-by-side, making it clear how an arm or forelimb, for example, is adapted to how a creature uses it. Another spread takes one bone, the femur, and explains why in a bird it is thin and hollow and in land animals it is often the longest bone in the body. Three exceptionally cool foldouts show an entire python skeleton; many skulls compared, and a human skeleton – after first showing every human bone unassembled.&nbsp;And there's much more.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-40518166865766762702010-09-12T13:01:00.000-07:002010-09-12T13:04:33.265-07:00New reviews in the News Tribune<a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Rocket-Learned-Read-Hills/dp/0375858997?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="How Rocket Learned to Read" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0375858997&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0375858997" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindergarten-Diary-Antoinette-Portis/dp/0061456918?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Kindergarten Diary" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0061456918&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0061456918" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Busing-Brewster-Richard-Michelson/dp/037583334X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Busing Brewster" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=037583334X&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=037583334X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Word-Builder-Ann-Whitford-Paul/dp/1416939814?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Word Builder" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=1416939814&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=1416939814" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />... and more<br /><br />Here's the link:<br /><a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/09/12/1338044/new-childrens-books-for-start.html">http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/09/12/1338044/new-childrens-books-for-start.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-28138464656140183632010-09-08T15:55:00.000-07:002010-09-08T15:55:42.332-07:00From School Library Journal<span><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0439023513" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mockingjay-Final-Book-Hunger-Games/dp/0439023513?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0439023513&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0439023513" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><br /><span></span>YALSA's List of Readalikes For 'Mockingjay' <br /><br />By SLJ Staff August 30, 2010 <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0439023513" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><br /><span></span>If your kids are wild about Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games (2008)--including Mockingjay (2010, both Scholastic), the newly-released final book in the trilogy--there are plenty of other titles with similar themes that are sure to help librarians, parents, and educators keep teens reading.<br /><br />While Mockingjay brings an end to the story of a dystopian society in which teens are forced to participate in televised fights to the death, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has a list of books that are sure to capture the attention of Katniss and Peeta fans. ...<br /><br />Here's a link to the full story:<br /><br /><br />http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/886522-312/yalsas_list_of_readalikes_for.html.cspUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-32668039930578216942010-08-13T16:06:00.001-07:002010-08-13T16:06:48.072-07:00The strong<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquitous-Celebrating-Survivors-Joyce-Sidman/dp/0618717196?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0618717196&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0618717196" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquitous-Celebrating-Survivors-Joyce-Sidman/dp/0618717196?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0618717196" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />Poetry by Joyce Sidman<br />Illustrations by Beckie Prange<br />Houghton Mifflin, 34 pages<br />$17, ages 5 and up<br /><br />Starting with the impressive word in the title and the gorgeous cover, Sidman and Prange's new book is a stunning tribute to some forms of life on earth that we might take for granted, but that have outlived us &nbsp;by millions (in one case billions) of years. And they continue to thrive.<br />Whether tiny – bacteria, mollusks, lichens, beetles, diatoms, ants, grass – or bigger – squirrels, crows, sharks, coyotes – each gets the same grand treatment. &nbsp;There's a double-page spread containing a poem by Sidman, maybe humorous, maybe lyrical, usually informative – and capturing its subject perfectly.<br />Squirrel's "Tail Tale," for example, is one long breathless, unpunctuated sentence. "Ok, your brains are big while ours are the size of walnuts which we love to eat by the way with teeth that can chew through any sort of bird feeder you care to erect ..."<br />On the right-hand page of each spread is a prose explanation, also by Sidman, and as elegantly written as the poetry. There we also learn family name and length of time on earth, plus much more. (For squirrels, it's family Sciuridae, from the Greek skiouros, meaning "shade-tail" and they're 36 million years old.)<br />The text is graced, surrounded and uplifted by Prange's linocut illustrations, handpainted with watercolors.<br />The last spread is reserved for humans, perhaps as a point of comparison. As Sidman writes: "Humans have been on earth only a tiny fraction of its history, but in this short time we have become one of the most dominant species of the planet." It's not a predictable diatribe about how destructive we are, though, but a thoughtful essay on why that statement is true. And her human poem, titled "Baby," is a charmer.<br />The book includes a fine glossary, author's and illustrator's notes, and an amazing illustrated timeline inside the front and back covers. Prange uses the image of coiled colored string to illustrate when various forms of life appeared on earth. It's remarkable to see how long it was after the earth formed before bacteria appeared – and how very much longer after that before there were mollusks.<br />Sidman and Prange are also the creators of the Caldecott Honor book&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Water-Boatman-Caldecott-Ribbon-Nonfiction/dp/0618135472?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-27976873064809060272010-07-06T07:53:00.000-07:002010-07-06T07:57:41.076-07:00When friends visit<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brown-Rabbit-City-Natalie-Russell/dp/0670012343?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Brown Rabbit in the City" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0670012343&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0670012343" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brown-Rabbit-City-Natalie-Russell/dp/0670012343?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Brown Rabbit in the City</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0670012343" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="MsoNormal">By Natalie Russell</div><div class="MsoNormal">Viking, 28 pages</div><div class="MsoNormal">$16.99, ages 4 to 8</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">When Brown Rabbit visits his friend White Rabbit in the city, she’s so excited to show him around on the first day, rushing from shop to gallery that she doesn’t notice his energy level is not matching hers. She takes him to a party that night and while she’s dancing, he slips out. When she finds him eating carrot cake at a café, and apologizes, he tells her that he really came to see her. The next day she takes him to a quiet garden where they enjoy the whole day together. A tender story about communication and friendship that adults might heed as well.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">A note: I've been absent from the blog for a couple of weeks and I wanted to offer a quick explanation. I've been studying frantically for a math placement test so that I can take a statistics class without taking (two!) algebra classes first. The statistics class is a requirement for a not-math related grad school program I'm hoping to start in the fall. This cramming should be over in a week or so and I can put down the algebra books. Believe me, I'd much rather be reading kids' books!<br /><br />-Rebecca Young</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-32131654762456034712010-06-20T13:08:00.000-07:002010-06-20T13:08:09.709-07:00Happy Father's DayI'm posting a little last minute, but we should celebrate dads tomorrow, too, and every day!<div><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dad-Pop-Ode-Fathers-Stepfathers/dp/0763633798?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Dad and Pop: An Ode to Fathers and Stepfathers" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0763633798&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0763633798" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dad-Pop-Ode-Fathers-Stepfathers/dp/0763633798?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Dad and Pop: An Ode to Fathers and Stepfathers</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0763633798" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />By Kelly Bennett<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0399247246" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />Illustrated by Paul Meisel<br />Candlewick Press, 36 pages<br />$15.99, ages 4 to 8<br /><br />This sweet book demonstrates that love is not finite; a kid can love her stepdad without being disloyal to her original father. It doesn't say that in so many words, just fun pictures and simple, comparative words.<br />"To meet them, you'd think Dad and Pop were as different as two fathers could be."<br />One takes pictures, one naps. One's into gadgets; the other likes plants. One plays sports with the girl; the other plays board games with her. They both love music, but the pictures show that one likes classical and the other rock. They both like biking, one motorcycles, the other pedal-powered.<br />But "in the most important way they are exactly the same – they both love me!" the girl declares.<br />It's a great book for kids that aren't in traditional two-parent families.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stars-Above-Us-Geoffrey-Norman/dp/0399247246?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Stars Above Us" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0399247246&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0399247246" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stars-Above-Us-Geoffrey-Norman/dp/0399247246?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Stars Above Us</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0399247246" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />By Geoffrey Norman<br />Illustrated by E.B. Lewis<br />Putnam, 32 pages<br />$16.99, ages 4 to 8<br /><br /><!--StartFragment--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal">Not all children have their daddies nearby this Father’s Day. Some are far away in dangerous places as in Stars Above Us, a tender father-daughter story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>As the story begins, Amanda’s father helps her deal with her fear of the dark by taking her outside at night and showing her nighttime magic – stars and fireflies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Then he glues glow-in-the-dark stars to her ceiling to bring some of the magic indoors. When he’s shipped off to the other side of the world with the military, she looks up at the North Star on the ceiling – their star – and wishes for it to bring him home soon. Before he does come home, Amanda and her mother prepare a celestial surprise for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Despite a little clunky writing, this is a comforting story for youngsters in similar situations. And it’s beautifully illustrated by E.B. Lewis.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Father-Knows-Names-Things/dp/1416948953?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="My Father Knows the Names of Things" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=1416948953&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=1416948953" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Father-Knows-Names-Things/dp/1416948953?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">My Father Knows the Names of Things</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=1416948953" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="MsoNormal">By Jane Yolen</div><div class="MsoNormal">Illustrated by&nbsp;<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stéphane Jorisch</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Simon and Schuster, 32 pages</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">$15.99, ages 4 to 8</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s a wonderful thing to be a parent who knows it all. Enjoy it. It lasts until your children are about 10 if you’re lucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>A lilting new tale by veteran kids author Jane Yolen celebrates that charmed time. The young protagonist’s dad seemingly knows the name of everything, dogs, cheeses, birds, seven shades of blue, human bones, cats, candies – and which soaps make you cleanest. Best of all, “he points out everything we see and teaches all the names to me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Sweet with lively, happy illustrations by&nbsp;<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 15px;">Stéphane Jorisch</span>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Daddy-Was-Just-Like/dp/0399252584?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Your Daddy Was Just Like You" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0399252584&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0399252584" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Daddy-Was-Just-Like/dp/0399252584?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Your Daddy Was Just Like You</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0399252584" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="MsoNormal">By Kelly Bennett</div><div class="MsoNormal">Illustrated by David Walker</div><div class="MsoNormal">Putnam, 32 pages</div><div class="MsoNormal">$16.99, ages 3 to 8</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Grandma’s tells this story to her grandson. It’s divided into vignettes from her son’s babyhood to boyhood, each ending with the refrain, “just like you.” </div><div class="MsoNormal">“Most days your daddy was my sweet boy. But some days he turned into a wild thing. … He fumed. And fussed. On those days, your daddy was sent to TIME-OUT . Just like you.” </div><div class="MsoNormal">It ends sweetly with grandma kissing the dad’s cheek and saying the dad is still her baby. (That part’s reminiscent of “I’ll Love You Forever,” without the super-ick factor of the mother crawling through her son’s window in the middle of the night.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Children love hearing true stories about when their parents were little. This can serve as a jumping off point. Great pictures by David Walker.</div><!--EndFragment--> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-12675270610453805242010-06-13T08:01:00.000-07:002010-06-13T08:03:04.917-07:00In The News Tribune<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sleepover-Grammas-House-Barbara-Joosse/dp/0399252614?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Sleepover at Gramma's House" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0399252614&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0399252614" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Countdown-Deborah-Wiles/dp/0545106052?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Countdown" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0545106052&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0545106052" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Clean-Hippopotamus-Unusual-Partnerships/dp/0547245157?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0547245157&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0547245157" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Boomer-Shutta-Crum/dp/0618618651?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Thunder-Boomer!" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0618618651&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0618618651" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pigs-Make-Sneeze-Elephant-Piggie/dp/1423114116?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Pigs Make Me Sneeze! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=1423114116&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=1423114116" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0547044038" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><br />My column on summer reading recommendations for all ages is in today's paper:<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px; white-space: pre;"><a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/06/13/1224771/summer-reading-for-young-minds.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/06/13/1224771/summer-reading-for-young-minds.html</span></a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-18221756444909857972010-06-04T14:19:00.000-07:002010-06-04T14:25:22.514-07:00John Grisham - celebrity authorThis is how most review copies arrive:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TAluQf4U7II/AAAAAAAAAbg/hyhXcYPxBhw/s1600/plain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TAluQf4U7II/AAAAAAAAAbg/hyhXcYPxBhw/s320/plain.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This is the snazzy packaging that adult superstar author John Grisham gets for his first children's novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Theodore-Boone-Lawyer-John-Grisham/dp/0525423842?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer</a>:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TAluqF8DvNI/AAAAAAAAAbo/J01URNI7lFc/s1600/grisham2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TAluqF8DvNI/AAAAAAAAAbo/J01URNI7lFc/s320/grisham2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TAluqF8DvNI/AAAAAAAAAbo/J01URNI7lFc/s1600/grisham2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">Inside with the book, a bit of swag:</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TAlsI47mCeI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/F1Zi1bn-fQw/s1600/P1000276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TAlsI47mCeI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/F1Zi1bn-fQw/s320/P1000276.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I haven't read it yet, but I'll try not to let the packaging influence me. Blue <i>is</i> my favorite color, as my children will attest if they ever try to choose the blue game piece before I get to it.<br /><br />Once more for comparison:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TAltJSXlwwI/AAAAAAAAAbY/jrm-pQp1ucc/s1600/grisham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/TAltJSXlwwI/AAAAAAAAAbY/jrm-pQp1ucc/s400/grisham.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />-Rebecca YoungUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-27440745836069570962010-05-27T20:19:00.000-07:002010-05-27T20:19:45.691-07:00Who do you choo-choose?<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shark-vs-Train-Chris-Barton/dp/0316007625?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Shark vs. Train" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=0316007625&amp;tag=yooboo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=bil&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0316007625" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shark-vs-Train-Chris-Barton/dp/0316007625?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Shark vs. Train</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0316007625" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />By Chris Barton<br />Illustrated by Tom&nbsp;Lichtenheld<br />Little Brown, 36 pages<br />$16.99, ages 4 to 8<br /><br /><br />Who would have thought two such wildly different infatuations of childhood could be successfully teamed as costars of a book?<br /><br />But from the eye-grabbing front cover to a fun back cover, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shark-vs-Train-Chris-Barton/dp/0316007625?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=yooboo-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969" target="_blank">Shark vs. Train</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=yooboo-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0316007625" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is a kid-pleaser, which actually provides a few opportunities for discussion along the way.<br /><br />That said, I would have done one piece of editing at the very beginning. The premise is this: Shark and Train are toys that two boys pull out of a toy box. The toy box scene happens just before the title page, which looks like the cover with a few extra words. "SHARK VS. TRAIN: Who will win?"&nbsp;Then there's some cartoon bubble trash talk: "I'm going to choo-choo you up and spit you out," etc.<br /><br />My editing suggestion would be to save the "reveal" that Shark and Train are toys. As the story ends now, the boys are called for lunch and the toys are tossed back into the toy box. A great ending if we didn't know they were toys all along. I read the story this way at my school, starting with the title page. You can, too.<br /><br />So there's the title page, then straight into a hilarious rush of contests. Who <i>will </i>win? "That depends on if they're in the ocean," Barton writes, accompanied by a great picture by illustrator Tom Lichtenheld. All his pictures are terrific. In this one, Shark is grinning nastily as Train sinks toward the sandy ocean floor, his cheeks puffed with the effort of holding his breath.<br /><br />But on the next page they're racing on railroad tracks.<br /><br />The scenarios get ever-goofier - seesaws, hot-air balloons, marshmallow roasts, burping contests, basketball. Children will chortle and you can talk about why and how Shark or Train is winning this or that competition. At the carnival, which ride draws a bigger crowd, Train or Shark?<br /><br />Soon the contests grow difficult or impossible for either to win, and eventually they get downright scary, nudging Shark and Train onto the same team.<br /><br />The back cover contains a "Meet Shark and Train" feature full of fun facts, such as favorite colors (blood red and coal black) and statements by the contestants.<br /><br />The day I read this at school, children from two different classes said "read it again," as soon as I was finished. And later, a boy in a class I hadn't read it to found it on my chair and tried to check it out. He wasn't happy when I told him he couldn't because it wasn't a library book.<br /><br />-Rebecca Young<br /><br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-779033040302421985.post-30998299994191423942010-05-16T11:01:00.000-07:002010-05-16T11:02:39.196-07:00In The New York Times<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/S_Ay9qdwa0I/AAAAAAAAAaw/mvm0H2fxY28/s1600/kids-cover-sfSpan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_K3qLeHDWSL4/S_Ay9qdwa0I/AAAAAAAAAaw/mvm0H2fxY28/s400/kids-cover-sfSpan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The New York Times publishes two terrific special Children's Books sections each year.<br />The spring section came out today:<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2010/05/15/arts/artsspecial/index.html">http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2010/05/15/arts/artsspecial/index.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0
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