Preschool to Grade 4

By Staff -- School Library Journal, 12/1/2006

Fiction

PreS-Gr 3–When Banjo Cannon sits down to dinner, his sausage (named Melvin) jumps off the plate and runs away. The kitchen furniture, cutlery, peas, French fries, carrots, the famished boy, and his parents follow out the door in “Gingerbread Man” fashion. The chase continues down the street and through a park where a duck eats Paul the pea, two fries sail away in a toy boat, and a picnicking family grabs the fork and knife. Just when Banjo catches up with Melvin, his mom yells, “Don’t eat that, it’s been on the ground!” The surreal adventures are relayed in a droll, conversational style with casual asides (“Now here’s the exciting part, the unbelievable part–though it is all true”). Ingman’s acrylic illustrations, done in muted tones, combine detailed panoramic scenes and fully fleshed-out characters with pen-and-ink outline sketches. The naive drawings of the stick-legged sausage and his fellow runaways will elicit giggles. This fast-paced yarn is full of kooky charm.–Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

PreS-Gr 4–In this hilarious book, a monkey’s craving for a banana turns the streets of a busy city upside down. The mostly wordless tale is told through rhyming street signs and delightfully detailed watercolor paintings. On the first spread, a juggling performer, dressed in a motley jester’s costume, watches as his wild-eyed monkey runs away. The creature heads down the street and bounds into a bin filled with bananas. While the grocer rails at the monkey’s owner, the animal runs across the street clutching his prize. Next, it tosses the peel onto the sidewalk near a trash-can sign that reads, “Please Put Litter in Its Place” as a motorcycle sputters past with two tough-faced riders. After pulling over under another sign (“No Parking in This Space”), the pair dismount, and, of course, the driver slips on the peel. When this and future mishaps occur, suspense, thrills, chaos, and comedy result. Readers will soon understand that all of the background characters–small figures holding cell phones, Rollerblading, pushing baby carriages–will soon be drawn onto center stage. The book ends with an aerial map of the city block and a key identifying the locations of the signs, allowing kids to retrace the action. A glorious escapade packed with child appeal.–Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY

PreS-Gr 2–A fictionalized introduction to “the Father of European Painting.” Mario, an exuberant boy, visits the artist as he works on his fresco Nativity in Padua. He asks many questions and eagerly volunteers assistance. Although Giotto declines his offers of help, he patiently explains his work and style. When the artist is at a loss about how to fill the sky, Mario suggests angels. Not only does Giotto take his suggestion, but he also uses the energetic child as his model. The gentle text is matched by light, airy colors and feathery movement in the art. The cherubic Mario is full of life and will seem very real to readers. Children will probably not understand the factual information, but they will appreciate the story. This is a good addition for libraries that circulate other art stories such as Laurence Anholt’s Degas and the Little Dancer (1996) and Camille and the Sunflowers (1994, both Barron’s). Endnotes about the artist and frescoes are appended.–Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH

Gr 1-3–As in the author’s Princess Prunella and the Purple Peanut (Workman, 1995) and Rude Ramsey and the Roaring Radishes (Bloomsbury, 2004), sophisticated wordplay drives this story. Bob was abandoned beside a beauty parlor as a baby. Raised by three dogs, he “barked when bothered” and would “bound behind bushes or burrow under benches.” A block away, Dorinda has problems of her own. Dumped on distant relatives when her parents disappeared, she has lived a Cinderella-like existence, “dealing with dirty dishes in a disreputable dive.” When Dorinda meets up with Bob, she teaches him how to talk, and together they thwart the advances of a “bewildered buffalo” wrongly labeled a begonia by a “bungling bureaucrat.” The simultaneous exploits of the characters are shown in Petricic’s line drawings. Color is used to great effect–Bob’s scenes have a muddy gold wash and Dorinda’s are rendered in purple. The witty, albeit ridiculous plot plays not only with language, but also with fairy-tale conventions. However, despite the happy ending, the relentless alliteration becomes tiresome.–Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

PreS-Gr 1–An entertaining alphabet book with a twist. Twenty-six children are ready to take part in an activity but cannot because each one is missing a crucial item. However, the youngster on the next page has it. For example, “Alberto had an alligator, but he didn’t have a bathing suit. Benoît had a bathing suit, but he didn’t have a clarinet.” Guess what Cara has. The humorous acrylic-and-collage pictures are bold, and the bright, crisp colors show up well against white backgrounds. Alberto’s alligator wears swim goggles and jumps off a diving board, while the poor boy standing on the raft is dressed only in a barrel. The capital form of the letter is featured in the upper left corner; there is also another letter hidden somewhere on the page, which makes this title a seek-and-find as well as a concept book. The ending unites the children and the item they each need plus a bonus: friends. For another alphabet book in which children are connected through the letters, see Anita Lobel’s Alison’s Zinnia (HarperCollins, 1990). A fun way to learn the alphabet.–Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI

Gr 2-4–Holbrook the lizard is a misunderstood artist. His happiness depends on his ability to hold a fine paintbrush in hand, to marvel over the vast array of paints, and to let his imagination soar. But the folks in the desert town of Rattler’s Bend think his paintings are just “squiggles,” and that it’s time to get a real job. Then an opportunity arises that will really measure his worth as an artist. Leaving the comfort of home, he embarks into the unknown where he enters a painting competition in Golden City. The place is full of renowned animals, and the best of the best have come to view the work of the most talented artists. When he arrives, Holbrook is struck by the strangeness of city culture and the creatures inhabiting this unknown world. When he shows his painting Starry Sky, he encounters a host of unsavory creatures and must rely on newfound friendships and smarts just to stay alive. This delightful marriage of takeoffs of famous personalities (Margot Frogtayne, Enrico Escargot) and storytelling techniques yields an amusing cast of rich characters. This is a fun adventure that will capture the imagination of beginning chapter-book readers.–Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FL

K-Gr 2–Little Otter lives with his mother “on the edge of the big, blue sea.” He is safe and secure in their scenic bay, until his mother must go in search of food. Left on his own, the youngster soon becomes bored and begins to float away, looking for company. He encounters a pelican, some sea lions, and a whale, who all ask the same question: “Why are you all alone?” When he explains his situation, the animals promise to search for his mother and send her back to him. Lost and alone in the middle of the “big, cold sea,” he cries out for his mother, and she rushes to his side. He learns to dive and vows to never “float away again.” The uncomplicated text has simply constructed sentences, and soft watercolor illustrations feature adorable otters and other sea creatures with endearing faces and expressive eyes. A sweetly satisfying story about overcoming fears and asserting independence.–Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA

Gr 3-5–Sixth-grader Zibby has worn one of Sarah’s shoes and one of her own, and vice versa, since the girls were in second grade. But now her friend only wants to hang with the girls who are focused on lip gloss, hair, and boy-watching instead of playing tetherball or other sports. Outspoken Zibby lets them know what she thinks about their interests; she joins the boys for soccer, and they accept her once she makes a goal. She takes her experiment further and decides that Sarah’s shoes are too girly for her. She wears her older brother’s T-shirts and tries to burp the alphabet. Eventually, Zibby misses her friend, reaches out to her, and learns to show regard for others’ feelings by tempering what she has to say. Although the story has its charms, the protagonist seems young and impulsive, her parents provide the wisdom of 1950s family TV shows, and the other children aren’t well developed.–Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA

K-Gr 2–During the five years that the McVities have owned Judy, they’ve lost sight of the fact that she is a canine. They feed her human food, dress her in clothes, and send her to kindergarten. This leads to difficulties–the pup wants to please her “parents,” but she feels best when she is being treated like a dog by others in the community. At her sixth birthday party, adults try to tell the couple the truth about their “child,” whose secret wish for them is fulfilled nine months later. The cartoonish illustrations have lots of vibrant color. Judy’s feelings show on her face–her big, contented grin is one of the best parts of the book. However, whether children would find Judy’s plight humorous or would understand why her “parents” are so obsessed with making her a child is unclear.–Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ

K-Gr 3–Based on Jeff Brown’s original story (HarperCollins, 1964), this oversize picture book condenses some of the adventures of the ever-popular character who was flattened by a bulletin board. Ending up four feet tall, a foot wide, and half-an-inch thick, Stanley discovers that being flat is not only novel (he can slip under cracks), but also exciting. He is mailed off to California in a large envelope; he can be flown like a huge kite; and one night, disguised as a shepherdess, he hides in a painting in the art museum and foils some thieves. Full-page, cartoon illustrations in watercolor and crayon enhance the story while remaining true to the original. This version of an old favorite will introduce a beloved character to a new generation of younger children. It should have wide appeal.–Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY

PreS-Gr 2–This modern tall tale, told with a finely tuned bluegrass twang, is a fresh and lively paean to intergenerational love. When Owen’s granny learns that he goes “wiggly, jiggly,/all-around giggly,/and tip over tumble/for bluegrass music,” she packs up her banjo, puts on her “thousand-mile shoes,” and heads out on foot for a visit. As she overcomes great distances and seemingly insurmountable geographical obstacles through the magic of her melody, the child waits excitedly for her arrival. The heartwarming conclusion brings the two together, dancing in the glow of the sun and to Granny’s rendition of “Owen’s Song” (lyrics and music are included). Root’s fluid artwork brings warmth, movement, and color to the rhythmic text. The intrepid, sneaker-wearing woman and her young grandson have expressive faces, and the natural landscapes are painted with a mix of realism and whimsy. This is an up-to-date story with family members separated by distance and a dynamic grandmother with vim and vigor. However, the narrative’s cadence and traditional structure make the tale feel timeless.–Tamara E. Richman, Somerset County Library System, Bridgewater, NJ

K-Gr 3–This story, set in Calcutta, is based on a real person. Noor Nobi sews clothes to support his three children. When they are lost in an accident, he is overwhelmed with despair and unable to work. Weeks later, while walking through the market, he notices the cages crammed with birds, and he longs to free them. With the little he has in his pocket, he buys one of them and releases it in the shade of a banyan tree. Resolved, he works harder than ever before to earn money to buy more birds. With a new mission in his heart, he returns the next week to purchase as many as he can, nursing the frail ones back to health so he can set them free. The author includes background information on Noor Nobi and photographs of her visit to India and to the tailor’s workshop. Spectacularly illustrated in gouache, this story of grief turned to compassion is lovely to look at and elegantly told.–Alexa Sandmann, Kent State University, OH

K-Gr 2–When his friends ask him what he will be for Halloween, Korean-American Kimin tells them that he will be his grandfather. The children don’t think that it will be very exciting to dress as an old man, but the boy knows better. Before he died, his grandfather had been a famous mask dancer in Korea, and Kimin has two boxes of costumes, photos, and memorabilia from his career. He picks a mask that had scared him years before when he had visited his grandfather and shows his friends some dance moves as they go trick-or-treating. The children go to his house and all end up dancing and looking at the beautiful masks. The illustrations in muted fall colors enhance the story beautifully, and include endpapers with the stylized masks depicted. This is an evocative look at a Korean tradition and an interesting intergenerational and multicultural story for Halloween.–Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA

K-Gr 5–“Help! Help! There’s an elephant in my house!” cries George as he runs down the street. This pronouncement is greeted with skepticism and giggles from his neighbors. Reluctantly agreeing that he must be dreaming, he returns home to find that the not-so-imaginary visitor is asleep on the bed and, during the next few days, it proceeds to take over the house. George, who would rather believe his friends than his own eyes, suffers in silence. Eventually, they come to visit, and although no one can fail to notice the enormous pachyderm sunbathing in the yard, each of them refuses to admit it for fear of being ridiculed. The truth is revealed when the elephant’s trainer spots his beloved Shiraz and explains that the animal had run away from the circus. George feels much better knowing that he is not nuts after all, and his best friend apologizes for not believing him. And yet, when a pink poodle carrying a suitcase wanders by asking for directions to the train station.... The scribbly, mixed-media artwork suits this deceptively simple story perfectly. Children will be amused by the elephant, drawn far out of proportion to its surroundings. This thoughtful allegory can be an excellent starting point for discussions of fact versus fiction, faith and trust, and self-confidence versus peer pressure.–Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

K-Gr 3–“Betty Lou Blue had the world’s biggest feet. Whackety, thwackety, flappety feet.” Being different isn’t easy, and the other kids often tease the doe-eyed child. “'If those feet were wings,’ they would yell, 'you could fly!’” Although her mother tries to reassure her, telling her that everyone’s perfect and “each living thing has a reason to be,” Betty Lou doesn’t believe her. Then one wintry day finds her tormentors trapped in waist-deep snow, and the youngster is conflicted about helping them. During this internal struggle, her mother’s words of wisdom come to mind: “…everything’s ugly/that’s done out of spite;/But you can be beautiful doing what’s right.” Although the message is predictable and the language almost too nice, the sophisticated city background and mixed-media illustrations with odd perspectives strike a balance. A fun seasonal selection and a great starting point for conversations about bullies and choosing to do the right thing.–Piper L. Nyman, formerly at Fairfield Civic Center Library, CA

Gr 1-3–When a diamondback terrapin lays 10 pink eggs in Maggie’s backyard sandbox, the resourceful girl seeks help from local experts and agrees to become a turtle-sitter. She and her mother wait for the babies to hatch and then care for them until it’s time to set them free in their ocean habitat. The author’s information is correct but her prose is awkward and lacks drama. The illustrations are average in quality and often don’t accurately reflect the text. For example, Mama Turtle is described as having “sharp black claws,” but Schongut depicts them as white in every instance. Also, in a spread in which Curtis describes the differences among the nine hatchlings, the picture portrays them as nearly identical. Back matter includes a craft, but the instructions are poor, and the activity is unlikely to engage kids.–Daisy Porter, San Jose Public Library, CA

PreS-Gr 3–A variation of a Louisiana song with a twist–each day a new food is served as a faceless assortment of children come one by one to the table. Eventually, there are seven, with seven different dishes in front of them, a cat and dog underneath the table waiting for scraps, and a grandmotherly figure overseeing everything. Back matter includes a description of each dish and a recipe for Monday’s red beans and rice. The simplicity of Kadair’s bold, bright collages fits the text perfectly. The oblong format of this offering, with the words on the left-hand page and the illustration opposite, works well as the table gets pretty crowded at the end. A pleasing addition to Louisiana lore and a fun, light note for a unit on the state.–Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA

Gr 1-4–This book’s handsome cover features two flying fork-tongued beasts, a backdrop of touchable green scales, and leather-toned edges. Inside, dramatically illustrated spreads introduce five dragon tales: “Saint George and the Dragon”; a Chinese legend telling how four compassionate dragons transformed themselves into crop-saving rivers; the story of young Maud and her out-of-control pet wyvern; the elderly Beowulf’s last battle with the Fire Dragon; and a Japanese tale about a sea dragon princess. Throughout, colorful, three-dimensional creatures pop up to uncurl a snakelike body, rear an awe-inspiring head, or stretch their mammoth wings. The focus is on the art and kinetic paper engineering as the tales are briefly–and sketchily–retold. While readers will devour the action-packed illustrations, the superficial text will leave them hungry for more substantial storytelling. An additional purchase for display purposes or perhaps for classroom presentations.–Joy Fleishhacker,School Library Journal

Gr 1-3–Hubert, who looks like a cross between an elephant, a pig, and a goat, lives on Farmer Jake’s Processing Farm with many other “pudges”–all of them waiting to be carted off to the meat factory. Hubert manages to escape this fate and runs off to the jungle, where he meets wild animals and eats as much as he wants–eventually becoming big enough to give the elephants “pudgeback rides.” But still sad about the friends he left behind, he leads the jungle animals on a rescue mission, frees all the pudges, and persuades the farmer to change careers. Jake joins a health club, loses his belly, marries his trainer, and opens a tofu hot-dog factory, where the pudges help out and are paid in cobwebs (their favorite food). Everyone lives happily and healthily ever after. The illustrations vividly portray Hubert and the pudges’ adventures, relying mainly on greens, pinks, and yellows. This is clearly a message book and it’s not always logical. Purchase only if you’re desperate for picture books on vegetarianism.–Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA

Gr 1-5–Using a lively version of the children’s song “This Old Man,” this book introduces famous African-American jazz musicians as it counts to nine. Louis Armstrong is number 1. “This jazz man, he plays one,/He plays rhythm with his thumb,/With a Snap! Snap! Snazzy-snap!/Give the man a hand,/This jazz man scats with the band.” The illustrations give clues to the performers, and the end matter has a biographical sketch for each one. In the final spread, all of the musicians are together, taking bows: “These jazz men make one great band!” The energetic collage illustrations introduce the action by picturing bold striped curtains encompassing an empty stage set up with jazz instruments; each performer’s subsequent spread has striped borders. Onomatopoeic words spill across the pages in imitation of the music’s sounds. The book is fun for jazz aficionados and neophytes alike. Children will enjoy the sounds and illustrations and sing along without needing to know more.–Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA

PreS-Gr 1–Mildly appealing artwork can’t save this saccharine and unimaginative story. Sunny the squirrel is sad when her friend Millie, a marmot, leaves her to hibernate for the winter. One day, Sunny makes a snowman that sings, tells stories, and becomes her friend. Then spring comes, and Fred melts, but Millie awakens and returns. Sunny is happy because she now has two friends–one for each season. The full-bleed, mixed-media artwork is saturated with color, and the animals–dressed in human clothing–while a bit on the cute side, are appealing. The textured backgrounds and rich colors work well to bring the seasons alive, and the animals’ faces are quite expressive. Unfortunately, the text is trite and awkward, laden with stilted dialogue. For a more successful take on a friendship put on hold when one character hibernates, go with Paul Stewart’s A Little Bit of Winter (HarperCollins, 1999).–Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT

K-Gr 2–One morning, a boy awakens to find that everything is literally “odd.” The numbers on his clock read 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11; his shirt has three sleeves and his dog has five legs. There are many other strange things for readers to spot on each page, and not just numbers. On one spread, the boy’s mom is wearing a fire hat and a tutu, and there is a banana tree with a toucan and snake by the front door. Rhyming text flows smoothly, “I bounced on polka dot/bus number NINE,/thinking my class in/school would look fine.” However, when the boy arrives at school, things are just as strange. In math class, the teacher explains that even numbers are found between odd, and the boy is relieved to know that things might get back to normal. The next morning, the dog has four legs, and both his shoes are there. But then the boy realizes that his bedroom has six doors and his mom has two heads. The colorful, busy spreads have child appeal, and independent readers can pore over the pages, trying to spot all the out-of-the-ordinary things. While not a first purchase, this odd addition might be fun for some collections.–DeAnn Okamura, San Mateo County Library, CA

Gr 3-6–In a series of free-verse poems, 12-year-old Fletch talks about his family’s move from Massachusetts to Ohio. While many books deal with the experience of being a new kid in town, few focus in such depth on what was left behind. To be inside his skin, through the sadness of packing, giving things away, doing things one last time, and realizing that other family members are hurting is no small thing. When the movers go, “The house feels way too big./Hard to believe that we had/enough stuff, enough love,/to fill all these empty rooms.” Like shards of glass, Emery’s pencil drawings with their watercolor washes mirror the loss and longing in these poems. Fletcher’s carefully chosen images–the new house feeling like a stiff new sweatshirt, a glass doorknob reflecting rainbows of light, and two leaves from the old yard mingling in the new leaves–are all right on target.–Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

Gr 1-3–Uninspired storytelling, stiff language, and awkward transitions mar this story about young actors on the Elizabethan stage. Sam and his mother have just moved to London, and the lad needs a job. With stars in his eyes, he visits the Globe Theatre and finds work as an actor. Sam’s roles are all relatively small, until one lucky day when the voice of the actor playing Juliet begins to break. Sam quickly learns the part and brings down the house. Francis states that all of the female characters in this era were portrayed by boys, but neither the book’s illustrations nor its text effectively makes this point. This problem stems, in part, from the fact that the artwork is often out of sync with the action in the text. Where it reads, “Sam stared in the mirror. He smiled at his reflection, picked up the hem of his dress and went out on to the stage,” the accompanying artwork is a sterile, uninteresting depiction of the theater’s exterior. It’s a wasted opportunity to convey Sam’s transformation as an actor. The book has six largely irrelevant cityscapes, many of which are spreads, but few of which make a contribution to the story.–Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC

K-Gr 4–This hilarious, oversize picture book integrates challenging math concepts and environmental concerns into a clever narrative. On New Year’s Day, a family receives an anonymous package containing a penguin. The young narrator chases the bird around the house as it runs amok and knocks over lamps and furniture. His sister, Amy, finds a note, “I’m number 1. Feed me when I’m hungry.” Just as the message implies, there are more to come; by the end of the year, 365 in all. “Penguins, penguins everywhere./Black and white and in my hair,” sighs Amy. As they arrive, readers must recall the number of days in each month–by the end of February, they are calculating the number of penguins in all. Then Father decides to organize them, first into four groups of 15, later in boxes by the dozen, and, finally, into a cubic formation. By summer, the heat, noise, and smell are unbearable. On New Year’s Eve, ecologist Uncle Victor arrives and the mystery is solved. The engaging story is illustrated in a flat retro design with a palette dominated by orange, blue, gray, and black and white. The comical birds watch TV, dance with their teenage “sister,” and eat everything in sight. The text provides endless opportunities for word problems, and units on penguins and global warming will never be the same.–Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools

PreS-K–Bug-eyed pilgrim ants board a ship to a new land. After a stormy ride, they arrive and give thanks. Superimposed on the full-page, color illustrations are short rhyming sentences in dialogue, such as “'Peek out,’ said Scout. 'Oh no!’ said Joe.” This sentence structure gets old quickly, and much inferring is required to understand the Thanksgiving theme behind the limited text. Most kids will soon get bored with this book. Bethany Roberts’s Thanksgiving Mice! (Clarion, 2001) has a better story.–Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX

Gr 1-5–This elegant picture book recounts a legend involving the painter Han Gan, who lived in China 1200 years ago. Though he came from a poor family, his talent was recognized early and he won acceptance to the academy for official painters. The young man loved to draw horses, and he always drew them tethered, as he warned, “my horses are so alive they might leap right off the paper.” One night, a great warrior visited him and asked him to bring to life a valiant steed. The artist was frustrated with his attempt, but as he tried to destroy the painting in the fire, the horse came to life and rode away with the warrior on its back. The great horse did not need to eat, drink, or sleep, and was invincible in battle, until it took pity on its vanquished foes. The steed threw off its rider and returned to be part of a painting on the wall of Han Gan’s home. The tale is crisply and concisely told. The double-page illustrations are dominated by strong browns, blacks, and reds, and are painted directly on silk in the style of Han Gan. The oversize art underscores the tale’s drama and epic scale with plenty of period detail, balanced with large open areas. Altogether, this is a masterfully told picture book, and one whose timeless message will resonate with many readers.–Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

K-Gr 3–Felissima Cat, an artist, and her fellow London felines take a nocturnal visit to an art gallery and discover a paucity of cats in famous paintings. Returning to her studio, she repaints Van Gogh’s Chair, de Hooch’s The Courtyard of a House in Delft, and Rousseau’s Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!), adding the “missing” cats. Her friends are pleased and applaud her improvements, and Felissima soon becomes a celebrity. She travels to other great museums of Europe and repaints more works, including the Mona Lisa. As her fame grows, she misses her privacy and she begins to think about why cats weren’t in the original works. She realizes that the independent creatures have “CHOSEN NOT TO BE IN THEM.” Felissima explains this to her fans and goes back to her London studio to work on her self-portrait. The text is sophisticated and artsy, yet easy to understand. Well-chosen words and smooth pacing follow the feline’s travels, thoughts, and feelings. Done in a combination of pencil, oil pastels, acrylics, and Photoshop 7, the illustrations create a unique artistic atmosphere for this adventure. Bright colors and smooth surfaces give a luminescence to the pages as the cats creep through the streets of London and Felissima looks out over Paris from a rooftop. Photographically designed city skylines, museum interiors, and paintings fit smoothly with the manually created elements. Cool cats and artists will certainly appreciate this tale. The writing style and vibrant illustrations work well for individual reads and group presentations.–Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH

Gr 3-4–This installment about the Freshwater family moves from the previous picture-book format to a beginning chapter book. Readers who have followed this series will be happy to learn that motherless Elvira gains a loving stepmother when her father marries the Widow Aiken. She isn’t happy about it at first, though. When her brother breaks his leg just before harvest time, she suggests to her father that the widow and her sons could trade work with the Freshwaters. Life isn’t easy in the Michigan woods of the 19th century, and in Elvira’s eyes, this is just a business deal to get things done. Although she doesn’t intend to let anyone forget her late mother, the girl eventually sees that the woman and her sons would be a wonderful stepfamily. Her stepmother reinforces the point when she teaches Elvira to read. Himler’s full-page pencil drawings help to set the period. They show the Widow Aiken as not especially pretty, but gently kind. The dialogue in dialect may be a little hard for newly independent readers to follow, but they will relate to Elvira’s first-person narrative. Consider this a well-written story for those who aren’t quite ready for the longer novels of Laura Ingalls Wilder.–Pat Leach, Lincoln City Libraries, NE

PreS-K–A young boy enters a scary old house, goes up the scary old staircase, opens a cupboard in a scary old room, and finds a scary old mouse. In this leveled reader, new words are introduced in a running bar at the top of the pages. It distracts from the full-page, computer-generated illustrations and the story. Students will not revisit this book once they find out what is in the scary old house.–Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX

PreS–Poppa Bombola has misplaced his daughter–he is sure he put her somewhere safe, but he doesn’t know where. He searches everywhere, asking each animal in turn if it has seen her. Youngsters will immediately note the missing child in a backpack on her father’s back. In the end, the child crawls out, and the man thanks all of the animals for their help. While there is very little story here, and the meter and rhyme occasionally falter, the silly premise and predictable text will keep preschoolers entertained. The brightly colored cartoons really carry the day here. Scruffy Poppa busily searches high and low as the delighted toddler goes along for the ride. The refrain of “Oh, where’s my darling daughter?” will have young listeners chiming right in. Libraries looking for patterned rhymes, father-daughter titles, or farm-animal books will find that this slight but sweet effort fits the bill.–Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT

PreS-Gr 1–Oliver and Emily Boxwood, bunny siblings from a popular line of greeting cards, figurines, etc., are thrilled to wake up on “a snow-down-your-neck day, a play-till-your-toes-are froze day!” After school is canceled, they set off to Windy Hill to try out Oliver’s new red toboggan. With youthful enthusiasm and single-minded focus, the bunnies are oblivious to the fact that many animals’ homes were damaged in the storm. Oliver has a hard time sharing his prized sled, and Emily grumpily retaliates, pelting him with snowballs from her frozen fortress. At lunch, their mother’s gentle reminder that “Sharing is a special pleasure…Giving makes for twice the treasure….” sinks in and they rise to the occasion by assisting the squirrels to rebuild their home. While the message is a bit heavy-handed, the characters’ realistic emotions and the credible nature of the sibling relationship temper the point. The heavy, embossed pages with blue filigree borders nicely frame the Victorian-style watercolor illustrations that are nostalgic and endearing, making this title a good choice for cozy lap reading.–Piper L. Nyman, formerly at Fairfield Civic Center Library, CA

K-Gr 3–The eponymous, self-assured ruler of the playground can do it all: play basketball, tennis, and soccer; run sprints; score at handball and stickball; jump rope; and build the best sandcastles. She does not hesitate to say so, and she is shown as just a little larger than life. But on the last page, she meets her parents, who are waiting on their stoop for their little girl to come home before it gets dark. Written in rhyme and delivered with lots of sass, this empowering story is sure to appeal to those who can celebrate their own special gifts. The rhyming can be bumpy at times and a little forced, but the salute to girl pride is strong throughout. Morrison’s paintings are an ideal match for the text. His elastic-bodied figures are graceful and brazen, reminiscent of his illustrations for Brenda C. Roberts’s Jazzy Miz Mozetta (Farrar, 2004). The pages spin with movement and action. Despite a few flaws, this book is a worthwhile purchase. There can never be too many books to help children recognize and be proud of their strengths.–Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME

PreS–While walking in the woods one autumn morning, Little Bear and her mother find many treasures. The small cub discovers a glittering stone, a wild rose, a blue butterfly, and a feather caught in a spider’s web. She declares each item to be “the most precious thing in the whole wide world,” but each time, her mother insists that a more precious article remains to be found. Of course, that special object turns out to be Little Bear herself. The plot is not a new one and the ending is predictable, but getting there is fun, and toddlers will enjoy pointing out the “precious things” on each page. The illustrations–mostly pastel with a judicious use of jewel tones–contribute to the feelings of warm sunshine and mother-daughter bonding created by the text.–Daisy Porter, San Jose Public Library, CA

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