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.
Written by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Mark Teague
Bat, Cat and Rat are a trio of great friends, who make Fall the most fun time of year. Three (and a half) short stories relate their autumn adventures, which involve leaves, pumpkins and Halloween. Through the text and illustrations, the reader comes to realize that these three friends have very different personalities. Cat is very serious, Rat is silly and Bat is a problem-solver. They work well together, with some typical bumps along the way, and always end up on a positive note.
Text is simple and accessible to new readers and Teague’s signature cartoon-like characters add to the story with their expressive features. The illustrations, rendered in acrylics, are warm and invite the reader into the book.
This is the fourth volume in the Bat, Cat & Rat series and is a great addition to updated collections. Beginning readers will enjoy the ride along with these three sweet friends. Recommended.
Written by Ellen Potter and illustrated by Sara Cristofori
Cordelia and Isaac receive a message via carrier pigeon from their friend, Fenton (a rat), asking for their help in Central Park Zoo. A mysterious creature is scaring the animals. This time, the sea lions saw the scary creature with glowing white eyes and the with pointy ears and a bushy tail. Cordelia offers to catch it. They meet Viola, the Central Park Zoo groundskeeper , and tell her all about it. She solves part of the mystery by telling them that the sea lions must have seen a coyote, the same one that has been spotted all around Central Park. She also shares that it is lonely, because it doesn’t have a pack. Cordelia and Isaac vow to help. They want to question other animals and decide to enlist Fenton’s help asking the dogs in Central Park if they know anything. After all, Fenton know s how to speak dog language. Princess Cha-Cha leads them to the coyote’s den after Fenton helps her dodge her owner by being chased by other dogs. They locate the coyote, named Ghost, and decide that the best way to help him find his pack is to take him to Viola. How to do that? Dress him up in Princess Cha-Cha’s spaghetti and meatball outfit and join a parade with dogs and baseball players. All goes well until the dogs realize that Ghost is a coyote and things get a dicey. Cordelia asks the dogs (through Fenton) to help Ghost find his pack – first, by protecting him from an approaching dog catcher. The dogs rally round Ghost and chase the dog catcher away and the parade resumes. Cordelia, Isaac, Fenton and Ghost finally make their way to Viola, who promises to help Ghost and plans to take him to a wildlife rehabilitation center where he can get the help he needs.
Cordelia, Isaac and Fenton end the day in the tree house in Central Park for a sleepover. Shakespeare, the squirrel, tucks them in and Cordelia thinks about her next adventures, knowing that wherever they take her, she’ll always come home to Central Park and the Squirrel that raised her.
This sweet story is the third in a series, Squirlish, about an intriguing young girl that lives in Central Park, knows squirrel language and helps her animal friends whenever they ask. This is a great book for younger readers that are moving into chapter books that are a little longer. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the story and chapters are short. Kids will love that Cordelia is not only a friend to animals, she can also speak to some of them! How cool is that? Add this to your library. It won’t stay on the shelves very long. Highly recommended.
written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell and illustrated by Henry Cole
Roy and Silo are a penguin couple. They build a nest of rocks together just like the other penguin couples at New York’s Central Park Zoo. But, unlike the other penguin pairs, they cannot produce an egg – they are both males. They try to hatch a rock, which doesn’t result in a chick. Their keeper, Mr. Gramzay, solves that problem by giving them another couple’s second egg to hatch (penguins will only hatch one egg, but sometimes lay two). Little Tango hatches and is loved by her parents.
This story is based on a true occurrence at the Central Park Zoo, where Roy, Silo and Tango made their home for many years. This is a gentle reminder that there are loving, diverse families in the world and acceptance of those differences is natural. In this case, it is a family of a tiny penguin chick and her two loving fathers, who “knew just what to do” as they take care of their adopted offspring.
Accompanying illustrations are softly hued watercolors and add to the gentleness of the story. Originally published in 2005, this book is still fresh and necessary. It is a very organic approach to tolerance and the notion that diverse families exist everywhere, even in a penguin colony. New additions include educator notes and afterward by author Eliot Schrefer. Highly recommended.
This is a collection of six stories about three good friends – Bear, Moose and Beaver. The stories are full of kindness, humor and friendship. Bear hugs everyone and everything, Moose is pretty anxious and Bear is laid back to the point of carelessness (especially when he’s cutting down trees). The collected works are cleanly illustrated and the text is fairly simple, making them perfect for young readers, who will enjoy the silliness of these three endearing pals.
