Tag Archives: animal fiction

I am Not Happy!

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Written by Caroline L. Perry & illustrated by Sydney Hanson

You may think you see a seemingly cheerful, smiling rodent. But, you would be wrong! The quokka, an Australian marsupial, is much more complex than that. And, the main character of the this delightful picture book does his best to show a (seemingly) grumpy frog that truth through a variety of examples. Dropped his ice cream? He may look happy. But, nope, definitely not. Someone stepped on his tail? Nope, he’s not happy even though he’s smiling. And, people don’t seem to understand that they shouldn’t wake him up for selfies. He’s nocturnal, for goodness sake! Fortunately, he finds a newspaper with an article stating that quokkas are not, in fact, the happiest animals. Now, he’s happy! But, the grumpy from? That frown is just the way he looks and it doesn’t mean he feels that way. Wait, didn’t we just read a story like that?

This wonderfully hilarious picture book introduces a rather misunderstood Australian animal in a way that makes learning fun. Accompanying illustrations are somewhat cartoon like and so good! The text is very accessible, with a sentence or two per page and there is a very informative author’s note at the end that describes the quokka in more detail, including its vulnerable status as a species and what we can do to help it, including leaving it alone and not bothering it for a selfie like in the story! This would be a great book to share when teaching about conservation and boundaries with human-animal interactions. Highly recommended.

Snowy Owl Rescue

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Written by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Illustrated by Natasha Donovan

Michael is on his way to the soccer field for some solo practice, when he is nearly hit by something. Jet, the “bird nerd” sister of a fellow soccer player, is nearby and explains that it is a snowy owl. They have a wealth of knowledge about birds and shares with Michael, who finds himself growing interested in this magnificent creature. When he goes back to the field the next day, the field is overrun by birders, who want to see this bird themselves. Jet gets his attention and asks for help to take the owl, who is now looking very ill in a cardboard box, to a bird rehab center some distance away. They sneak past the crowds and enlist the help of another young bird enthusiast, who loans them a motorized bike. Through a snow storm and dark woods, they manage to deliver the sick owl to the vet at the rehab center. Their parents find them there and the owl is saved. The story ends with the owl release and Jet and Michael successfully reaching out to the school principal about the dangers of rat poison, which poisoned the rat that the owl ate and was, in turn, poisoned as well.

This satisfying story packs a lot into 135 pages and does so very seamlessly. Characters are realistic and their interactions make sense. Jet comes through as younger, stubborn and passionate about birds and conservation while Michael is focused on soccer and following the rules, struggling at times with their trajectory but slowly building a great deal of empathy and respect for Jet’s ideals and gaining an insight into the world around him. The writing moves us through the story at a good pace and the black and white illustrations are a nice addition without overpowering the words. Add this to your collection for those readers that enjoy animal stories with a good dose of adventure along the way.

Baby Ballena

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Written by Ben Gundersheimer (Mr. G) and illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero

Baby whale Juana is swimming in the warm waters of Mexico. At just one day old, she is already ready to embark on a migration to the icy waters of Alaska for the summer. Juana, her mom and other relatives in her pod travel north, noting the changing scenery along the way. They spend their summer happily eating krill and loving life. As the season changes, they turn and make the long trip back to Mexican waters, where a new calf, Juan, is born. They will stay there throughout the winter and migrate north again in the spring.

Short, accessible sentences in both English and Spanish tell the story of a 10,000 mile migration that occurs every year for these magnificent animals. The words are almost lyrical in their cadence, which are enhanced by the wonderful illustrations done by Marcos Almada Rivero. While this is a fictional piece, young readers are exposed to the basics of migration, whale size, behavior and habitat. An author’s note at the end explains Mr. G’s inspiration of the story and a few more facts. Highly recommended.

Cupig Saves Christmas

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Written by Claire Tattersfield and illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr.

Cupig loves Love. She also loves Christmas. So, when Santa falls sick and makes an emergency call for help, she knows she’s the right one for the job. After a short briefing, the Santa substitute (still wearing her heart-festooned underwear) sets off to deliver gifts. Unfortunately, she perceives the typical Christmas cheer (decoration, lights, cookies & milk, etc.) as hazards that must be fixed and proceeds to take care of everything. With all the decoration dismantling and food safety protocols maintained, she forgets to leave the gifts at all the homes she visits. Upon her return to the North Pole, Santa explains her mistakes and she promptly returns to all the houses to fix her fixes. She also leaves gifts, thank goodness. On Christmas morning, she opens her gift, a lovely pair of Christmas underwear and understands that giving is a wonderful way to show love, too!

Cupig is a very confident hero, who is willing to acknowledge her mistakes and fix them. Rhyming text and bright collage illustrations make this a fun new holiday read. Recommended.

What Medicine Can Do

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Written by Gabrielle Balkan and illustrated by Alberto Lot

Raccoon feels ITCHY! Luckily, his great-grand raccoon knows what to do. He asks Raccoon to describe his symptoms and tells him he has rash. Raccoon panics a bit and wonders if he’ll need to get a new leg, move to Alaska or wear armor. Luckily, his great-grand raccoon has some medicated lotion and fixes him right up. Whew! Then, Raccoon’s friend, Fox, feels icky and we check the symptoms. Fox panics – does he have an enemy making him feel bad? Who can he blame? This is a little tougher and requires a visit to the doctor, who can give him antibiotics for strep throat and he feels better. Lastly, Fox’s baby sister visits the doctor for a well baby check and gets a vaccine, medicine to prevent illness.

All three scenarios are beautifully presented and explained through simple text and bright, energetic illustrations. Unfamiliar words are bolded with an accompanying glossary in the back of the book. In addition to the medicines described, there are additional health tips to alleviate symptoms. For example, Raccoon can take a baking soda bath or use a cool washcloth to alleviate the itching.

This book does a fantastic job of demystifying medicine and when and why we use it. Readers will recognize their own emotions and fears in the animal characters as they navigate through their medical issues with the help of the caring adults around them. So many questions are answered clearly and succinctly, with a bit of humor along the way.

Highly recommended for library collections. And, show this to your school nurse – she’ll want her own copy!

The Museum of Willa and Wade

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written by Judith Henderson and illustrated by Sara Sarhangpour

Willa the ostrich and Wade the penguin discover a shiny golden button on the ground and proceed to gather more treasures (a rock, toy dinosaur, artwork by Wade) for a museum (a box). They are so excited about their collection that they invite the other animals to their museum (Museum of Willa and Wade – MOWW). The Grand Opening of MOWW was a success, especially the snacks. And, would it be possible to borrow a rocket ship for the MOWW? Hmmmm..

This simple story of enthusiastic friends, imagination and a few treasures is wonderful. Add in the bright and bold illustrations and you have a winning combination. Readers will enjoy this book and look forward to Book #3 in the Willa and Wade series. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long! Recommended.

I’m Longer Than You! An Epic Contest of Measurement

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by Caroline Fisher

Who would have thought that a picture book about measurement could be so fun? Blue Whale and Supersaurus are arguing over which of them is longer. Inchworm comes in and offers to help with the winner buying lunch. It takes inchworm (who is an inch long) 12 hours to measure Blue Whale, who is 1,300 inches long. Inchworm can’t measure Supersaurus, because he has to go into his cocoon. So, in comes centipede (who is a centimeter long) and he measures Supersaurus. It also take 12 hours and Supersaurus is exactly 3302 centimeters long. Wait! What does that mean? Dragonfly saves the day by doing the math and determines that the two behemoths are the same length!

This wonderful melding of math and science into a picture book is hilarious and educational. Readers learn the difference between the customary and metric systems as well as some cool science and end with some little known math terms (check out “zeptosecond”). Accompanying illustrations are cartoon-like and fun. Buy this book and start measuring. Your students will love it! Highly recommended.

Bear Feels Sad

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Written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman

Bear is SAD! All of his friends are off doing other activities, like digging holes and writing poetry and he is alone and lonely. He eats a snack. But, just doesn’t taste the same without friends. He builds a fort and it isn’t fun either. Bear decides to take a walk to pass the long, dreary hours and discovers a field filled with lovely flowers. He find the perfect flower for Mouse and then picks a bouquet of flowers for his friends. He doesn’t feel quite as sad as he walks home to his den with his flowers. Bear hears his friends as he nears his den and they are there to give him gifts from their day. He hands out their flowers and they listen to Raven’s poem. And, Bear is GLAD to be with his friends.

Karma Wilson is the author of several books about Bear and his friends and each rhyming story is more lovely than the one before it. These woodland creatures care for each other and share a wonderful, friendship. This story is a testament to that friendship. The rich, bright colors of the accompanying illustrations are perfect and convey Bear’s melancholy to happiness shift in a natural way. Add this to your library collection!

Wake Up, Moon!

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By Lita Judge

After a winter storm, Squirrel awakens his friends for a fun romp in the new snow. Squirrel, along with Fox, Owl and Bear, take advantage of the clear moonlit night and play together. They slide and glide and build a snowy bear. They smile and laugh and play some more. Finally, the friends become drowsy and return to their woodland homes to sleep, cozily snuggling in for a well-deserved snooze.

The text is simple and rhythmic and the watercolor/colored pencil illustrations add personality and fun to the animal friends at play. Their friendship is noted and their exuberance is clear. Such a lovely book! Recommended.

Cold

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written by Tim McCanna and illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki

What is “cold”? It is many things – a desert at night, a bat-filled cave, a deep ocean or a meadow with snowflakes falling. it is a feeling and a promise. And, it is a place where animals and humans live and can thrive.

Told in eloquent rhyming prose and accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, the concept of “cold” is described in a way that draws in the reader, who can imagine the feeling of being cold as they turn the pages. The story is calm and the detailed illustrations convey that gentleness in a beautiful manner.

Explanations of cold and climate change are added to the end, giving some good scientific information in short, accessible paragraphs. Why we have winter and how animals are adapted to the cold weather is clearly noted. The notes on climate change are concise and factual and the empowering suggestions for helping to fight it are realistic for kids and their adults.

This book will be a great addition to your library as a sweet wintertime read aloud as well as a start to a winter weather or climate change lesson. Highly recommended.