Dear Flyary

In this cross between a Dr. Seuss and George Jetson world where numerous diversified multiple body part (eyes, ears, mouths, arms, noses) beings live and work together, a young boy(?) receives his first flyary (diary) from his oldpop (grandfather) for his dropday (birthday). He is to use his flyary to scrib (write) about his first spaceship. The plot then revolves around his four trips to “Wurpitz Hoolo’s Spaceship Repair, Wash and Fillerup Station”.

The reader must decipher the space-age talk, often derived from synonyms we use today, but sometimes only by context clues, before the reader is off to discover the plot. I found the space-talk, though clever, makes this a slow read. How many young readers will be willing to read it several times to get to the actual story?

My Plate and You

It’s got large, full-color photos for visual appeal, and it’s purposely written simply for early readers, but when each two-page spread is dedicated to a different food group, and only has 2-3 sentences to say about it, the information provided is so skimpy it hardly seems to justify the price.

It’s Duffy Time

A sweet book for dog-lovers, it tells the story of Duffy’s day, from his own perspective, hitting such highlights as his before breakfast nap, his after breakfast nap, his late morning nap, etc.  Not surprisingly, when the day ends snuggled up for a bedtime story, Duffy doesn’t find himself to be the least bit sleepy. The fun illustrations are full of personality, and bound to make dog lovers go, ahhh… Clocks scattered throughout the book tracking the time of day could be used for math practice for kids learning to tell time.

Bailey at the Museum

Kids will be drawn to the cartoon illustrations full of characters which they already know from other Bailey books.  Obviously the book is not going for believability — Bailey is a dog who walks upright and attends school like just another student in the class.  At the museum his canine instincts raise their head when he climbs on the dinosaur bones and has to be told they’re not a snack.  It’s cute I guess, but I can’t claim to be a huge fan.

Sacajawea of the Shoshone

I like the concept behind the series, and it’s got a reasonable amount of information contained in the text, but I was disappointed by the visuals in the book: besides using an over-all drab color scheme, it missed many opportunities to offer pictorial support for the text (e.g. right next to the paragraph that says she was born “near the Salmon River in Idaho” is a map that labels neither the Salmon River nor Idaho; when telling the story of load their buffalo-hide tepee onto a travois to go to the hunting grounds where she was kidnapped while picking berries with her mother, the photo on the page is of berries — a concept most students will be well-familiar with, instead of a travois). It’s adequate, but I think there’s better available.

Monkey: a trickster tale from India

This beautiful, vibrant book is the last we’ll have from this talented author-illustrator who passed away last year.  Monkey wants to cross the river to reach a tree of ripe mangoes, and Crocodile wants to eat Monkey’s heart.  No matter how Crocodile tries to trick Monkey, Monkey always outsmarts him, coming to the conclusion in the end that though Crocodile’s teeth may be sharp, his mind is dull.  A worthy addition to a library’s folktale section, to place along side McDermott’s other work.

No Jumping on the Bed!

This is a 25th anniversary re-illustrated update of Tedd Arnold’s first picture book by the same title, telling the tale of young Walter, who lives in a tall apartment building and learns the hard way that perhaps he should have listened to his father when he was told, “No jumping on the bed.”  Instead, Walter jumps so vigorously that he proceeds to crash through the floor of his bedroom, into the apartment below, continuing to fall clear through to the basement, collecting startled neighbors to fall with him through each floor along the way.  If you don’t already have this classic, it’s fun, and a worthy selection for the library, but to be quite frank I preferred the original illustrations, so if you’ve already got the older one, you don’t need this one, too.

All for Me and None for All

Gruntly is a hog in every meaning of the word.  His friends are sick of his greedy grabs for everything around, but he learns his lesson at the town treasure hunt — Gruntly is so greedily determined to get to all the treasure first and keep it all for himself that he never stays long enough to hear or read the end of the clues, but jumps to conclusions and heads off at full speed in the wrong direction.  When he does finally catch up to his friends, he is moved by the recognition they all left his portion for him, that he ended up sharing in the end.  Is it believable that one would change their ways so easily? No.  But it’s not aiming for believability, but for making a point, which it does admirably.  Students will be drawn to the familiar illustrations from other books by this pair, and they will delight in using the rhyming clues to make predictions about what mistakes Gruntly makes.  A worthy choice.

Martin de Porres: the rose in the desert

What a beautiful book!  The illustrations strike one first, rich in color and evocative of the time and place and mood of the story.  The story is equally beautiful – that of a boy ostracized since birth, as the illegitimate child of a mixed-race, mixed-class relationship.  Though left without a standing in the society in which he lives, Martin continuously responds in kindness and compassion to all those around him, including those who ostracized him, becoming known as a great healer sought by all.

An A to Z of Fairies

Given how popular fairies always are, as well as ABC books, I’m surprised this hasn’t been done before.  It had a good variety of words for the alphabet, selecting from a wide range of fairy lore, each accompanied by a rhyming quartet, just enough to give a touch of explanation, and perhaps encourage enthusiasts to seek further information. The illustrations are charmingly drawn, including a human boy and girl and three fairies that continue throughout the book, along with page-specific illustrations that are supportive of the text.  My one criticism of the book, keeping it from earning an R* rating, is that there’s something jarring about the color-scheme used in the illustrations – too many clashing colors are visually off-putting.

Monster Mash

What a fun book!  The text is the lyrics from the classic Halloween song by the same title.  The illustrations are fabulous — hitting just the right note between creepy and silly.  Songs are known to be great tools for emergent readers, with repetitive words and rhythm to help them predict, and this one is just so fun, I think it will be a holiday favorite even with older kids.  Highly recommended.

Edgar Allan Poe’s Pie: Math puzzlers in classic poems

I debated about whether to give this book an “additional purchase,” or a “not recommended.”  Since I really wished I could recommend it, I decided “additional purchase” was the compromise rating.  Each two-page shares a twist on a classic poem (“based on the poem…by…), in which a mathematical puzzler (or two) has been tucked.  It’s clever and fun, and the answers are provided, along with one way to show the work.  My reason for not recommending may seem overly persnickety to some, but mathematics is discipline all about precision, and there are several spots in the book where it lacks precision, either in the answer or the way it states the question.  It states that 1/9=0.11111 instead of 0.111… or using the repeating mark over the 1.  In one poem it describes the size of a garden as “eight by two” without labeling the measurements (feet, meters, yards…?), and yet the answer to the perimeter and area are stated in feet/square feet.  One poem asks readers to figure the number of teeth a shark has — after telling us how many were in the first row, and that there are four additional rows of teeth, it asks, “if each of those had half as many. How many teeth would equal plenty?” (okay, I just noticed lack of precision in punctuation as well, as that should have been a comma instead of a period at the end of that dependent clause) — Is that each row having half as many as the first row or half as many as the preceding row?  Another states that someone is being eaten “by a hippo-po-tah-tum at 4 percent per bite.”  Figuring out how many bites it would take is straightforward enough if one assumes the size of the bites stays constant, based on the percentage of the original size of the person, but significantly more complicated (not to mention gruesomely, unendingly torturous for the poor victim) if each bite is 4% of what’s left after the last bite.  As I said, I recognize that my criticisms of the book are highly nitpicky, and if they don’t bother you, you might still want the book, but math really is a subject all about precision, and though clever and fun, precision is missing several times.

Mountain Lions

Mountain lions are known under many names, most common are cougar and puma.  This big cat lives in a large range from western North America to most of South America.  Readers learn about hunting techniques and characteristics which distinguish this cat from other large cats.  Details about mountain lions cover physical features, habitat, diet, and raising their young.  Although not endangered, these wild cats still face risks.  Living in proximity to people cause most deaths.  Disease is rare.  Colorful, detailed photographs taken in the mountain lion’s natural habitat are well balanced with well-written, descriptive text.  Words to know are in color and bold font.  The definition is at the bottom of the page as well as in the glossary.  Many fact boxes offer interesting asides.  Recommended books for further reading and the facthound internet site are similar in reading level and information provided.  Index included.  Great choice for reports.

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature

Stunning! Fabulous! Amazing!  The simple text is almost poetical as it describes a spiral as a snuggling shape, a growing shape, a strong shape, a clever shape, and the gorgeous illustrations on each page depict examples from nature where spirals are found in the context described in that bit of text.  Labels tucked cozily in among the illustrations offer scientific vocabulary for further investigations.  Informational blurbs in the back offer more detailed explanations of how/why spirals serve the entities described in the main body of the book.  Highly recommended.  Though a picture book intended for young audiences, I could see it finding purpose in high school geometry, art, or biology classes.

Healthy Foods from A to Z / Comida sana de la A a la Z

The unifying gimmick running through this book is photographs of silly faces made from healthy food.  This may be the first bilingual ABC book I’ve encountered.  With each page dedicated to a letter of the alphabet, the perimeter of each page lists (next to illustrative photographs) healthy foods that start with that letter of the alphabet in either English or Spanish (or both, in the case of banana).  In capital letters next to each photo is the word for that food in the language that starts with the applicable letter; underneath, in parentheses and italics, is the translation of the name of the food.  There seems to be a good mix of how many are labeled primarily in English, and how many primarily in Spanish.  It is left to the reader to determine which language is represented by the primary label, and which by the secondary label.  In the center of each page is a large photo of a silly face created by the foods around the edges.  The back of the book includes informational blurbs on each of the featured foods, project ideas, and instructions for creating one’s own silly face.  A fun and creative approach to introducing students to perhaps unfamiliar foods.

Anda en bicicleta con cuidado / Ride Right

If your collection needs a book on bicycle safety, I suppose this will fit the bill.  The text, presented in both English and Spanish, is simple and straightforward, telling of a young boy who receives a bicycle for his birthday, and all the precautions he takes to learn to ride it safely.  The illustrations are bright and cheerful and support the text.  Scattered throughout the book are text boxes highlighting and explaining particular safety tips.  Not exactly stimulating reading, but it serves a purpose and does it well.

Happy Birthday, Tree! A Tu B’Shevat Story

The illustrations a re bright and cheerful and inviting.  The book begins with note Tu B’Shevat as a Jewish holiday, describing some of the customs there of, and comparing it to Arbor Day.  The story tells of Joni and her friend, Nate trying to figure out what to do for Joni’s tree to celebrate its birthday.  In the end it comes down to making a promise to always be good to the trees of the world.  A good book for making an environmental care-taking point, but a bit pedantic as a story.

Colonial Traditions

Colonial Traditions is one of the books in a series about colonial life from the 1600s to 1776.  Beginning with a labeled map of the 13 original colonies, each chapter is focused on one aspect of life.  Because all work, farming, building, cooking, and sewing, had to be done by hand, this book lends a variety of perspectives of the work needed to be successful in a new land.  It touches on slavery and Native Americans but does not go into much detail.  Bolded words are defined on the page as well as in the glossary.  Many “Did You Know” bubbles provide additional interesting facts.  Simple and colorful illustrations are well-placed within the text.  Two companion books, one by Verna Fisher, provide projects and activities that can be paired with the whole series on Colonial America.  These books provide a realistic look at life of a colonist in the 1600-1700s.  Other books in the Colonial series include: Clothes, Food, Homes, Jobs, Families, Farms, and Towns.  Recommended for elementary school libraries.

Biggest, Baddest Book of Beasts

Beasts are described as wild animals and are divided into chapters depending on features.  Aimed toward reluctant readers, the photographs are large and the text minimal.  Most photos show only the head so all animals appear to be the same size.  The page layout and muted background color choices are pleasing.  Basic information may lead to further investigations.  Some words are in bold font but not all are found in the glossary.  The word “bounce” is defined but “crustacean” is not.  There is a short true/false quiz at the back.  No index or recommended books or websites for further information are included.

Back-to-School Rules

The illustrations are kind of fun, and there might be some teachers who’d like to use it at the beginning of the school year, but really the text is just one long rhyming list of things not to do.  And then at the end it finally says, do have fun.  Really its kinda tedious.

Victricia Malicia, Book-Loving Buccaneer

I like it! I like it!  The illustrations are bright and engaging and humorous.  The rhyming story tells of a young girl growing up in a family of pirates, yet longing for the life of a landlubber.  (I particularly like the side-step of stereotypes that makes her mom the Pirate Captain and her dad the cook.) Despite not quite fitting in on board, Victricia’s eccentricities manage to help save the ship from the clutches of a sea serpent, and she is rewarded by finally getting her wish of being put ashore, where she opens a bookstore (no pillaging or plundering books).  Her family and friends come by to visit, and become “the world’s first seafaring librarians.”

The Prince and the Sphinx

On the one hand, with recent interest being generated by Rick Riordan’s books, it’s nice to have a book in the genre of Egyptian mythology, but I really wish it was better.  The telling of the story seems a bit bland, and the quality of the illustrations is inconsistent — some are quite strong, and some are a bit flat in the characters’ expressions.

Snorp, el monstruo de la ciudad / Snorp, the City Monster

Ack! Translation creates enough problems when a story written in English is poorly translated into Spanish.  But this story is designed/intended to be a bilingual story.  If a writer has such a purpose from the start, it seems reasonable to expect her to write story that works in both languages.  This one does not.  It tells of the story of a creature with an exceptionally long tongue that won’t fit in his mouth, and the troubles this causes:  when he orders ham and cheese, the waiter brings him a hat a sheep.  That works in English (stick out your tongue and try saying the words, and it’s a reasonable mistake).  The Spanish words in the translated portion of the book sound nothing alike — this would in no way be a reasonable mistake.

Trucos en la Patineta/ Skate Trick

I will say this for the book:  it uses lots of simple, repetitive language, which is good for emergent readers.  But the story opens by introducing the robot character, listing several special tools this robot has, and stating, “He uses the tools to help his best friend, Rico.”  The problem is that robot never uses a single one of those tools to help his friend.

Como mides el tiempo? How Do You Measure Time?

I don’t like it. I found several places where it over-simplifies information, sometimes unnecessarily vague, and sometimes less than accurate.  When asking the question, “How long will one month take?” instead of saying about thirty days, it just says that a month is longer than a week but shorter than a year.  On the next page it states, “People around the world measure time the same way,” before going into describing seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years.  But there are plenty of places in the world where people live in remote areas without access to detailed timekeepers, where time is still measured much more vaguely. On the next page it states that “Clocks measure seconds, minutes, and hours,” yet not all clocks measure seconds. On the next page it describes a calendar by stating that, “Each month gets a page.”  Yet lots of calendars show a year or a week on one page.  There are better time book available.  Choose something else.