Great Big Things

The illustrations and simple text were the first things that attracted me to this book. It starts out with a view from space and the words, “The world is full of great big things:”. It goes on to show really big things: a canyon, billions of stars, the wide desert. And then it focuses on one mouse who travels throughout the book in the wind, on a massive train, through a forest, with only a crumb and at the end reaches another mouse and gives them the crumb. The message is that great big things are very small when you go through them for someone you love.

Winter Dance

A fox sees a snowflake floating through the air and wonders what he should do because winter is coming. Each animal that the fox meets gives suggestions based on what they do to get ready for winter. The squirrel gathers, the bat hangs by its toes and goes to sleep, and the snowshoe hare turns white to match the snow. Each time the fox says, “That won’t do for me.” At the end, the fox meets another fox and they dance in the snow. The text is engaging as well as informative about animal behavior. The illustrations are beautiful and work with the text to create a soft tone reminiscent of winter snowfall.

And the Robot Went

A Nosy Fox opens a box to find robot parts inside. Different characters come along to try to make to robot work, but are not successful. “the Eager Beaver pulled the lever, the Wicked Witch flicked the switch…” After each character does something to the robot, the robot makes a noise. Finally a child comes along and takes charge, directing the animals what to do to create the robot.

The text is cumulative and rhyming. The onomatopoeia and illustrations contribute to the chaos that is going on. The confusion and chaos continues, as the last line states “and the robot went.” and he walks off into the sunset.

How Is Chocolate Made

This text gives an overview of how chocolate is made. Two to three sentences are on a page and each two page spread includes a photograph related to the text on the page. The text includes many informational text features including words in color, a map, glossary, and an index. There is also a code for abdokids.com which has a video, activities and links to other information about how chocolate is made.

No Tooting at Tea

As a young girl goes over the rules and manners for attending a tea, she is continuously interrupted by a toot. They go through the suspects and the reasons why they could not of tooted. “Owls don’t toot, they hoot.” She decides to cancel her tea party since no one will tell her who keeps tooting and as she walks back to the house, she discovers that it is the teakettle. They decide to have the tea and then the young girl toots. There is an afterword about how to make tea and what to include at a tea party.

Plankton is Pushy

Plankton happens upon Mussel and says hello. Mussel does not reply and Plankton feels that Mussel is being rude. Plankton goes on to explain that Mussel should reply, yet Mussel remains silent further frustrating Plankton. When Mussel finally opens, Plankton can’t hear him, so he gets closer and closer until… SNAP! Mussel closes over Plankton. The entire story is told as a one sided conversation and from the point of view of Plankton. The illustrations give us clues to how Plankton is feeling.

Karl, Get Out of the Garden!

A picture book biography about the man responsible for developing the scientific classification and naming system used throughout the scientific community today.  The water color illustrations do a good job of evoking the time period (1700s) in which Karl Linne, aka Carolus Linnaeus, lived and worked.  The book shares his early love of plants and insects, his confusion as he began his medical studies and found so many different names used for the same plants, the wrath he faced from other scientists who found him presumptuous in declaring his own name for things, and the eventual fame and fortune he received (even being knighted) when his ideas caught on.  Final information pages in the back share how his system has needed to grow and adapt as new scientific knowledge grows.

Willow’s Smile

It’s okay, but I thought a bit flat.  It’s basically a story about a girl who feels like she can’t always summon a smile when she wants, and she’s worried as picture day approaches.  When she’s assigned to be the photographer’s assistant, she gets the job of bringing out everyone else’s smiles.  When it’s her turn, they all join forces to return the favor. Smiles all around.

Daddy Long Legs

It’s cute. It’s kitschy. It’s got vintage, graphic illustrations that are reminiscent of picture books of the past.  On the way to school, Matthew’s father’s car has trouble starting.  As dad drops him off at Kindergarten, the what-ifs begin.  Matthew begins by asking what if the car doesn’t start when it’s time for dad to come get him, and then for every answer dad has to offer, Matthew has a new what-if question, exposing his fear that dad might not make it back.  But in the end, dad assures him that if all else fails, he will run on his own two legs back to Matthew’s side.

Before You

It reads like a poetic love letter.  It feels like it has romantic overtones, but could also be read aloud as a parent reading to a child.  It’s a series of, “I was a flower with no pot. I was a polka with no dot….” etc. etc. etc. And then a series of all the things the listener brought to the reader’s life. It ends by asking, “What took you so long?”

This & That

It’s a book that would be a great tool for interactive story-telling, or as a writing prompt.  In a lot of ways, it’s a story that never really comes out and tells a story.  An adult and a child mouse travel through a series of illustrations with a lot of rhyming and repeating text saying, “I’ll tell you a story of this, and I’ll tell you a story of that. I’ll tell you a story of…” but those stories are never so much told as suggested.  The illustrations definitely add to the meaning of the text.  Careful observation reveals clues in each illustration leading into the next.

Very Little Sleeping Beauty

I’m sorry, but I didn’t find any redeeming qualities in this book.  I didn’t find it funny.  I didn’t find it clever. I didn’t find it interesting. It’s about a toddler who isn’t sleepy at bedtime, and her dad gives into whatever she demands, whether or not it makes any sense at bedtime.  Then she finds her Aunty Fairy who gives her a birthday present a day early — a spinning wheel.  She doesn’t prick her finger, but she does break it and then throw a tantrum. By the time she finally falls asleep, she sleeps right through time for her birthday party the next day, and none of her guests can wake her up.  By the time she finally does wake up, she declares it’s time for a pajama party.  Basically I found it to be the story of a spoiled brat who expects the whole world to revolve around her whims.

Becoming a Frog

It’s your basic life-cycle-of-a-frog book, but it’s a very well-done version for young readers.  The text is direct and simple yet doesn’t lack substance in its simplicity.  The large color photos do an excellent job of supporting the text.  It’s got an excellent binding, and all the usual non-fiction text features.

The Way Home in the Night

Visually, it’s a really cool book.  The illustrations use light and shadow to great effect as the story tells of a little rabbit being carried home through the city at night, describing all he sees in the windows they pass, and what he wonders about his neighbors.  But you need to be careful about your patron population if you’re going to choose to put it on your shelves.  I really like most of the book, except the last sentence: “But every night, we all go home to bed.”  I’ve worked too long with kids in poverty to believe this to be true, and I worry about the child reading it who doesn’t get to go home to a bed every night.

Circulos

It’s fine for what it is, but it’s very limited in the information it provides.  Strictly a concept book for the very youngest students.  One or two sentences per page is accompanied by color photos of places in our lives where circles are found.  The circles are highlighted in each photo to make them stand out.  It does have an excellent binding and all the basic non-fiction text features (in a very limited fashion).

The Lost Causes

Written in the third person point of view, The Lost Causes tells the story of five teens who are just that: lost causes. Or so their parents, teachers, and counselors describe them as such. One is a rich depressive, another has OCD, one is a hypochondriac, another a drug abuser, and there is athlete with serious anger management issues. All are chosen for intensive group therapy because other options have been exhausted. The reader is surprised when they are tapped by the FBI to help with a murder investigation and help find the killer whose grisly crime has turned their small town upside down.

The teens think they are assigned to a therapy group, but in fact, the beverage the therapist (actually an FBI agent) gives them is a dangerous serum that erases their teen past problems and unlocks a psychic ability within each of them. Suddenly, Z can hear other people’s thoughts, Andrew becomes a genius, Justin can throw people off with his mind, Gabby can see people’s past by touch, and Sabrina can see dead people. Their new powers will help them uncover clues and follow leads that have eluded the authorities. Their outsider status gives them the perfect cover.

Their earlier problems have vanished, but their new freedom comes with a price, as the same traits that make them excellent investigators also make them vulnerable. As they close in on the murderer, they expose a larger conspiracy that puts them directly in harm’s way and makes them wonder if there is anyone at all that they can trust.

The Lost Causes is a page turner that mingles science fiction with mystery, and ends with a completely unexpected cliffhanger that will leave the reader longing for a sequel.

Sabotage: The Mission to Destroy Hitler’s Atomic Bomb

Neal Bascomb, author of The Nazi Hunters, presents another griping true story of spies and survival as Norwegian commandos sabotage Hitler’s industrial fortress at Vemork, on a mission to prevent that Nazi’s from using their own nuclear bomb.

Using alternating perspectives of the Germans and Norwegians, Bascomb tells the story of the Nazis invasion and occupation of Norway, the martial rule they impose upon the Norwegians, and the Nazi’s production of “heavy water”, the essential ingredient for the weapon that could end World War II: Hitler’s very own nuclear bomb. The story reveals how the Allies discover the plans for the bomb, how a British operation fails to destroy Vemork, and how a band of young Norwegian commandos take on the mission. The reader is intrigued and anxious as these young men, armed only with their skis, explosives, and tremendous courage, survive months in the bitter cold wilderness, elude a huge manhunt, and carry out two dangerous missions.

This story of WWII espionage will appeal to teens who enjoy historical fiction, military works, and narrative nonfiction. Bascomb uses primary source documents including journals, diaries, and first hand interviews. He also includes photographs and maps which add authenticity and drama to this story. Teachers will appreciate the exhaustive 29 page bibliography.

The Negro Leagues: Celebrating Baseball’s Unsung Heroes

The Negro Leagues: Celebrating Baseball’s Unsung Heroes by Matt Doeden is written in a simple, easy to understand format with lots of pictures, however, the issues are very complex.  At a time in history when baseball leagues were segregated by the color of one’s skin,  Doeden details some differences between the better-known baseball leagues where all players had light colored skin and the lesser known “negro leagues” where most players were of African American descent and the records were by word of mouth rather than written down.  It illustrates the difficulties of playing as people of African descent, yet the black community overcame many of these difficulties to produce interesting games and outstanding players.

This book also may help you to understand current controversies in the media.  We now view multiracial teams and players are recognized based on their ability to play, rather than the color of their skin.  However, it is the black team members who are silently protesting the national anthem at football games as black members of society are still not treated equally in our communities.  Unfortunately, white commentators and politicians fail to understand what they are protesting.

The book also illustrates the outcomes of integrating the baseball teams as the negro teams disintegrated as their best players joined the integrated teams. This can help us understand the current controversy of integrating Boy Scouts and allowing girls into their organization.  Will allowing girls into Boy Scouts lead to a weakening of Girl Scouts as it draws away the most involved supporters, families, and girls?

If a library doesn’t have a good text already covering this topic, The Negro Leagues: Celebrating Baseball’s Unsung Heroes fits the bill as an additional purchase.

One Whole and Perfect Day

One Whole and Perfect Day, written by Australian YA award winning author Judith Clark, tells the story of Lily, who wishes she could be like the other girls at school. But doesn’t know how she can be, what with her embarrassingly eccentric family, who she considers “freakish”. Lily has never even met her father, who returned to America before she was born. Lily laments that she is the only sensible person in her family, and with her home responsibilities, she doesn’t has time to hang out with friends.

Lily’s anxiety increases when her grandmother, who has an invisible friend, invites the whole family to a party. Lily doubts that they will make it through the day. She worries that her mother will bring some strange person from her work. Lily worries about what her racist grandfather might say, or how the family can attend when the grandfather has disowned her brother.

Compounding her anxiety, the day when she made eye contact with Daniel Steadman, she felt woozy inside. Could that be love? If it is, she isn’t sure she likes the feeling. As the party approaches, all Lily can hope for is one whole and perfect day.

This book is full of satisfying coincidences and serendipitous occurrences. It’s also fun to read the Australian dialect / dialog.

Rivers o Sunlight: how the sun moves water around the earth

The illustrations are cool and colorful and inviting, but there are other books that convey the information and concepts of this book better.  This book is written in first person, from the voice of the sun.  But it rambles a bit in its explanations and doesn’t connect all the necessary dots.  The subtitle is “how the sun moves water around the earth.”  Several times it describes roles played by “my winds.”  Now I have enough of a science background to understand the role of the sun in creating the convection currents in the air which are our winds, but this book didn’t offer any connective tissue for young readers as to why the sun could claim power over the winds.

Animals Do, Too! How they behave just like you

A good description of many animals’ behaviors that resemble those of humans.  Drawing the similarities with familiar human behaviors gives young readers a connection to relate to the different animals, but the book goes on to explain why those animals behave as they do, which may vary from human motivations:  humans may dance simply for the fun of it, but for honey bees this is a means of communication.

Technology During the Korean War

This strikes me as a book that started with a title, as the publisher decided they wanted to write a series about the technologies of the different wars, and then they sat down to write this one and realized they didn’t have a whole lot that was specific to the topic to write.  It gives a good overview of the war in general, and it does point out that this was the first time helicopters were used as ambulances, but most of the technology used during the korean war  had also been used in WWII.  It does have a good binding and photos from the time as illustration.  It’s also guilty of including one of those inferior timelines on which the spacing of the line has absolutely no relation to the passing of time.

The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!

It’s a story about taking things too far, about sticking to your guns, and about a community rallying together to stand up to a tyrant.  The village of La Paz started out as a place where everyone sang all the time, but when the noise became too much to take, they hired a mayor who instituted such rules as to make the village completely silent.  The mayor finally met his match in a rooster who found such joy he could not help but sing.  One by one the mayor took away all the things that were giving the rooster joy, but there was always something more worth singing about.  When the mayor finally threatened to turn the rooster into soup, the rooster insisted that a song would never die as long as there was someone to sing it, at which point the entire village joined together to take up the rooster’s song and drive away the bullying mayor.

How Do Dinosaurs Choose Their Pets

If your students are fans of the rest of this series, they’ll enjoy this one, too.  It’s got the same rhythm and rhyme, and the same colorful, friendly-looking dinosaurs engaging in everyday human activities, in this case deciding how to choose a pet.  It offers up all sorts of silly options involving smuggling non-pet-like animals out of the zoo before suggesting that a dinosaur would never do such a thing, but instead would choose a harmless critter from a farm or shelter or pet store to love.  A good mix of fanciful imagination and everyday kid issues.

Now You See The Now You Don’t: poems about creatures that hide

Different formatting could have made a big difference for this book.  The illustrations are cool.  Animal camouflage is always a topic of interest.  Poetry doesn’t seem like the most natural genre for the topic. There are information pages in the back of the book with informational paragraphs about each of the animals in the book, but too many students ignore the back-of-book information.  This book would have been stronger if the information had been included in side-bar blurbs right alongside the poems in the main body of the book.