Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I Don't)
RSS-- School Library Journal, 02/01/2010
From the February issue
BOTTNER, Barbara. Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I Don’t). illus. by Michael Emberley. unpaged. Knopf/Borzoi. Mar. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-84682-3; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-94682-0. LC 2009002305.
PreS-Gr 2–All children need a librarian like Miss Brooks. Her love for reading flows from every fiber of her lanky, quirky self. When not happily immersed in one of the colorful choices from the mountains of books surrounding her, she is dressed as Babar, a Chinese dragon, or a groundhog–her puppet-clad arm popping through a hole on the page. She shares stories with a diverse group of young people, and all are captivated–except for one. This first-grade narrator believes Miss Brooks is a little too enthusiastic–to the point of being "vexing." During Book Week’s student presentations, the overall-clad girl with large, round spectacles and a woolen beanie finds the other kids’ books "too flowery. Too furry. Too clickety. Too yippity." When her mother observes that she is as "stubborn as a wart," interest is aroused, Shrek is discovered in the pile supplied by the librarian, and the transformation begins. An ogre costume and stick-on warts for the whole class complete the conversion to bibliophile. Children will delight in Emberley’s spirited watercolor and ink renderings of literary favorites from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to a Wild Thing. Bottner’s deadpan humor and delicious prose combine with Emberley’s droll caricatures to create a story sure to please those who celebrate books–and one that may give pause to those who don’t (or who work with the latter).–Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
