Preschool to Grade 4: January 2012 

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January 1, 2012

CLINE-RANSOME, Lesa. Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass. illus. by James E. Ransome. unpaged. bibliog. chron. CIP. S & S/Paula Wiseman Bks. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-5903-8. LC 2011013323.
Gr 2-5 –This powerful, eloquent first-person narrative provides a moving account of Douglass’s early life. Born and raised on plantations, he spent his formative years in Baltimore in the 1820s and ’30s. His thirst to learn to read never waivered; he practiced writing with a brick and a lump of chalk, copying the letters of poor white children and stealing a copybook from his master’s son. At 12-years-old, Douglass bought his first newspaper with tips he had earned. He copied words like “liberty,” “justice,” “freedom,” and “abolition” and was inspired. Though this account ends with a hopeful plan to escape, an author’s note reveals that he was unsuccessful but that he did escape in 1838 to New York, where he began his new life as an abolitionist leader. This talented team has created a concise, accessible, beautifully illustrated book based on Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass . Rich acrylic and oil paintings depict plantation life (poorly clothed slave children kneeling before troughs, devouring cornmeal mush like livestock) and the strong emotions of the people (a young Frederick being transported with hands tied behind his back, lest he escape). This handsome volume is recommended for slightly older audiences than William Miller and Cedric Lucas’s Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery (Lee & Low, 1995).–Barbara Auerbach, PS 217, Brooklyn, NY

CORDELL, Matthew. Another Brother. illus. by author. unpaged. CIP. Feiwel & Friends. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-312-64324-9. LC 2011001135.
PreS-Gr 3–In the beginning, it was Mom, Dad, and Davy. For years, the little sheep basked in the love of his small family. Then along came Petey, then Mike, and then Stu. The formerly close-knit family eventually becomes a mob, and Davy is stuck with “12 WHOLE BROTHERS,” who nightmarishly copy his every move. Dad explains to Davy, “When they get older, your brothers will have their own interests. Then they won’t copy you.” It takes a while, but his father’s prediction eventually comes to pass, much to Davy’s chagrin. The pen-and-ink and watercolor artwork is filled with humorous detail. Think Richard Scarry’s warmth and scale, with a minimalist approach to setting. The psychology of the oldest child is well chronicled here. With a delightfully fulfilling ending, Davy (and readers) realize that being the one and only sometimes means being alone, and lonely. The story is a great way to discuss life as a half-empty or half-full vessel, and the very human struggles of sibling rivalry.–Sara Lissa Paulson, American Sign Language and English Lower School PS 347, New York City

DUNREA, Olivier. Gideon. ISBN 978-0-618-43661-3.
–––– . Gideon & Otto. ISBN 978-0-618-43662-0.
ea vol: illus. by author. unpaged. Houghton Harcourt. Feb. 2012. Tr $9.99. LC number unavailable.
PreS–Gideon is a “small ruddy gosling who likes to play. All day.” This fun-loving, feathered fellow explores the farm and engages in such activities as “chase-the-piglet,” “find-the-eggs,” and “tag-the-mole.” His mother calls, but Gideon keeps replying, “No nap! I’m playing!” After climbing to the top of a haystack and snuggling down in the straw, sleepiness wins out. In Gideon and Otto, children meet the gosling’s favorite friend. When the toy octopus goes missing, a search of the leaf pile and pond ensues. Otto’s triumphant return is on the back of a turtle. Dunrea’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations capture Gideon’s ebullient personality–feathers fly when he is racing to his next adventure, and his beloved stuffed toy is tucked under his wing when he is quietly reading a book. With their pitch-perfect texts and charming characters, these stories are ideal for toddlers.–Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

EVANS, Shane W. We March. illus. by author. unpaged. CIP. Roaring Brook/A Neal Porter Bk. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-539-1. LC 2010046862.
PreS-Gr 3–It is the remarkable simplicity of this book that makes it so outstanding. The members of an African-American family rise and set off to church to pray and then take part in a march for freedom. But this is not just any march; it is the historic March on Washington in 1963. Readers follow this family as Evans’s palette shifts from morning grays and blues to lighter and more hopeful hues of yellow and bright green as Dr. King delivers his magnificent “I Have a Dream” speech. The contrast between the conciseness of the writing and the grandness of the story gives the book a powerful punch. Young readers will now have a book celebrating the March on Washington that they can read, while older readers will be drawn to the beauty of this well-told and superbly rendered book. A must for every collection.–Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

FITZSIMMONS, David. Curious Critters. photos by author. unpaged. glossary. CIP. Wild Iris. 2011. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1936607-69-3. LC 2011925529.
K-Gr 3–This collection of amazing close-up images on stark white backgrounds is a stunning introduction to the animals’ unique beauty. No one could resist lingering over the sharp details in these vibrant photographs. Facing portraits of the American bullfrog and the American toad highlight the differences between the moist-skinned frog and the dry toad. The humorous, first-person text implies a rivalry involving toads and warts versus frogs and princesses. One spread features a face-off between two very different predators–a perfectly coiled black-and-gold fox snake and an Eastern screech-owl. The Virginia opossum looks directly into the camera and grabs viewers’ attention. The tiny mites hitching a ride on the red flat bark beetle are nothing short of amazing. A concluding two-page section provides a brief paragraph on the natural history of each animal and insect. An interesting spread presents overlapping life-size silhouettes of each creature comparing their actual sizes. Each one is numbered and color-coded as a test to identify the individuals and their groupings. The sophisticated photography and lighthearted narrative combine in an intriguing introduction to some of the inhabitants of the natural world.–Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA

FOGLIANO, Julie. and then it’s spring. illus. by Erin E. Stead. unpaged. CIP. Roaring Brook/A Neal Porter Bk. Feb. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-624-4. LC 2010049379.
PreS-Gr 2–The lowercase letters in the title and the theme immediately bring to mind “in just spring” by e. e. cummings. That association continues while experiencing the book’s economy of words and construction as a single, lyrical rumination (one initial capital letter; one concluding period). If that earlier poem celebrates the fullness of the season, this one re-creates the moment before--the faith-hope-doubt-worry stage that a gardener experiences after planting: “First you have brown,/all around you have brown….” A bundled and bespectacled boy, his dog, a rabbit, and a turtle, all sporting red knit hats, survey the barren soil, bare trees, and dried stalks. Stead’s warm, finely textured scenes, printed from wood blocks and enhanced with pencil, are imbued with realism and quiet humor. The second-person narrative and immediately recognizable emotions pull readers close, as do the delicate details and nuanced expressions that grace the interplay between the characters and their subtly changing surroundings. Fogliano takes seriously the concerned flights of fancy a child conjures while enduring the interminable progress of a seed: “…maybe it was the bears…/because bears can’t read signs/that say things like/ ‘please do not stomp here–/there are seeds/and they are trying….’” Children will intuitively relate to both the agony of anticipation and the effort of growing. This seemingly real-time experience of getting to green is a droll, wistful ode to the stamina behind wanting, will, and perseverance.–Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library

HOPKINSON, Deborah. A Boy Called Dickens. illus. by John Hendrix. unpaged. CIP. Random/Schwartz & Wade Bks. Jan. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86732-3; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96732-0. LC 2010048531.
Gr 2-5–Dickens wrote so many stories about young boys wending their way on the streets of Victorian London that readers might wonder what his own childhood was like. This book tells the story of his early years spent working in a boot-blacking factory to help support his family while his father was in debtor’s prison. Although the 12-year-old’s life was dismal and dreary, he dreams of something better and keeps his hopes alive by reading and making up stories. Hopkinson’s engaging text invites readers to experience the story with her: “Come along, now. We are here to search for a boy called Dickens.” Although the book has only a few paragraphs per spread, it is full of well-crafted description and detail. Hendrix’s acrylic, ink, and pencil illustrations capture the moods of the text. His London landscapes are busy and brimming with smoky atmosphere. Although the backgrounds are dreary, the people are cartoonish, which lightens the tone of the narrative. Hopkinson ends with a brief statement explaining which parts of the story are based on fact, and which are fictionalized. This is a great introduction to Dickens and a possible replacement for worn-out copies of Diane Stanley’s Charles Dickens: the Man Who Had Great Expectations (Morrow, 1993), which covers more of Dickens’ life, but is, sadly, out of print.–Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT

KALMAN, Maira. Looking at Lincoln. illus. by author. unpaged. bibliog. notes. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Bks. Jan. 2012. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-399-24039-3. LC number unavailable.
Gr 2-5–With a breezy conversational style, thick lines, and vivid bulky colors, Kalman provides a unique introduction to our 16th president. She begins by drawing attention to Lincoln’s tall stovepipe hat, the appearance of his face on the $5 bill, and the many (more than 16,000) books written about him. As the narrative continues, the author integrates information about Lincoln’s impoverished childhood, study of law, election as president, Gettysburg address, Emancipation Proclamation, and murder in 1865, while also addressing fascinating lesser-known facts–his run-in with a donkey, favorite kind of cake, and the name of his dog. With each spread, readers will discover unusual and varying visuals: splashy pinks during cherry-blossom season in Washington DC, solemn portraits of Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass, a bullet-ridden uniform of a Civil War soldier, the boy Abe reading by the fire, and a riderless horse with boots on backward signaling Lincoln’s death. In an effective and memorable ending, Kalman closes with a Lincoln quote: “…With malice toward none, with charity for all,” setting the words against a view of the Lincoln Memorial. A list of sources and appended notes add breadth to the presentation. This is a great read-aloud for younger children with lots of possibilities for discussion and a jumping-off point for older readers to motivate their research. Regardless of the number of Lincoln books already on the shelves, librarians will want to add this captivating book to their collections.–Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA

ROSENSTOCK, Barb. The Camping Trip That Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks. illus. by Mordicai Gerstein. unpaged. bibliog. CIP. Dial. Jan. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3710-5. LC 2011021927.
Gr 1-4–Theodore Roosevelt (Teedie) and John Muir (Johnnie) both held important positions–Roosevelt was the youngest President of the United States, and Muir was a world-famous naturalist. In 1903, Roosevelt read of Muir’s Sierra Mountain adventures and heard his plea for the government to save the mountain forests. Muir’s response resulted in a meeting between Teedie and Johnnie, an adventure of only four days that traversed the wonders of the Yosemite Valley and established an understanding and respect between the two. Based on an actual event in which Roosevelt “dropped politics” and persuaded a reluctant Muir to camp with him, the book presents a fictionalized account of the shared experiences of these two strong-willed personalities that resulted in the addition of 18 national monuments and double the number of national parks. Gerstein’s richly colored paint and detailed pen drawings heighten readers’ vision of an expanded horizon on the full spreads. Turn the book lengthwise to accommodate the sequoia giants’ full height, and back again as tiny vignettes fill the night sky in tales above lingering campfire shadows. Impressions of the wilderness emphasize the grand impact of the event, detailed by an author’s note (bibliography and references to the Yosemite Research Library, John Muir National Site, and University of the Pacific Library are included). In interpreting and recording both personal relationships and the historical impact of the meeting, this offering makes a little-known bit of history accessible for younger readers, and encourages further research.–Mary E lam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

STOEKE, Janet Morgan. Pip’s Trip. illus. by author. unpaged. (The Loopy Coop Hens Series). Dial. Jan. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3708-2. LC number unavailable.
PreS–The clueless chickens from The Loopy Coop Hens (Dial, 2011) return. Spying the farm truck, Pip decides she wants to go for a ride and see the wide world; Midge and Dot aren’t so sure. Pip climbs into the bed of the truck, but she doesn’t reckon on the loud noise, shaking, and general scariness that occur when the truck’s engine starts. She covers her eyes and endures, thinking she’s moving, only to be assured by her friends when she climbs out that the truck hasn’t budged at all–the farmer was only repairing the engine. She and her fellow hens sit in the stationary wheelbarrow instead, because, she explains, “everything I want to see is right here.” With thick black lines and bright colors, Stoeke’s whimsical illustrations bring the charming characters to life. The economy and humor of the text combined with a lovely message make this book a winner.–Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

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