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A Review in Reverse
Engaging and entertaining, Otto Grows Down is hard to deny.
The artwork doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is a worthy match for a story that does the same. Similar to the recent The Very Hungry Dinosaur, Scott Magoon’s (Rabbit & Squirrel: A Tale of War & Peas) illustrations exude a deceptively simple, childlike quality.
Plot-driven and genuinely funny (there is a bathroom scene that had me absolutely disgusted, yet laughing out loud just the same), youngsters will be drawn in from page one. This title’s usefulness in a read-aloud setting is clear.
Will Otto be able to set things straight before he ceases to exist? But it doesn’t work. His birthday wish is for things to go back to normal. When his 5th birthday arrives, Otto has had enough. But time keeps going backward. Immediately, time and events start moving in reverse – un-blowing out the candles, walking backwards – and it isn’t long before Anna is out of the picture. Amazingly, he gets his way. Upstaged at his own b-day bash, Otto blows out his candles wishing that little sis were never born. One week before Otto’s 6th birthday, his little sister Anna steals his thunder by being born. The story begins with an easily relatable set-up.
A solidly above average release that is sure to be a read-aloud success. Funny, clever, and sporting a subtle moral that doesn’t thwack young readers on the head. Otto Grows Down takes this theme, adds a bit of time-in-reverse craziness, and comes out a winner. Excitement, anticipation, and the ever-so-familiar resentment are a few of the mixed feelings that spring from such an event. Plenty of kids have a hard time adjusting to a new sibling.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Also reviewed by Literate Lives, Books Upon a Wee One’s Shelf.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
So how’s your electricity section doing? Oh, pretty well you say? Anything in there for the K-2 set? You’ll get back to me? Look, let me save you some embarrassment and just suggest something that might help.
Oscar and the Bird: A Book About Electricity capably joins the other titles in the Start with Science nonfiction series. The basic vocabulary and storybook format make this book accessible for younger readers. A complex concept in a package that kids will be able to understand, this title is ripe for classroom connections.
Gray and white cat Oscar is a curious feline. When he comes across a tractor with its windshield wipers on, Oscar can’t help but wonder how the wipers are able to move. A brown bird flies down just in time to supply the answer: electricity. The two talk about the tractor battery that makes it all possible. Oscar’s questions soon lead to more big-picture concepts, like how circuits work and where electricity comes from.
What’s old is new again. The crisp, outline-free illustrations have a retro look that clearly illustrate the concepts covered. Soft blues, greens, reds, and yellows cover each two page spread.
A clear, concise little title that serves its purpose well. Good to have on hand.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Check out the Nonfiction Monday roundup at Tales From the Rushmore Kid.
Also reviewed by Moss Green Children’s Books.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
There’s something about the taming of wild beasts that has staying power in children’s lit – you’ve heard of Where the Wild Things Are, right? I can understand why – it’s a role reversal. Rules are so often imposed on youngsters, it only makes sense that they would enjoy a story where the kid gets to call the shots, besting the monster. And such is the case with The Super Hungry Dinosaur. But don’t let my (possible over-) analysis cloud the picture – this book is charming as all get out, and kids will approve – especially in a read-aloud setting.
Hal and his dog, Billy, are minding their business in the back yard, when they are surprised by an unexpected guest. The titular Super Hungry Dinosaur breaks down the fence and is looking for food. The dino first tells Hal that he will be lunch, but the curly-haired boy is sharp and explains why that is not a fair choice. Rebuffed, the dinosaur suggests other family members (each suggestion denied by Hal) until the line is crossed: the dino wants to eat Billy. Hal takes a stand, taming the beast and feeding him, sending the green dinosaur contentedly on his way.
The artwork, created by Leonie Lord, sets a jovial mood. Crayonlike in texture and childlike in form, Lord creates sunny pages that are a delight to lay eyes on. The two-page spread is nicely utilized, showing the full size of the dinosaur. Spreads are also occasionally split into thirds horizontally, providing three narrow strips to continue the story. This is Lord’s first children’s book, and I look forward to more in the future.
Appealing in story and artwork, The Super Hungry Dinosaur will do pretty well for itself in collections far and wide.
Review copy provided by the publisher
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
Children’s Book of Art
DK Publishing
ISBN: 9780756655112
$24.99
Grades 4-7
In Stores
Really, kids are in prime position to be turned on to the wide world of art. If they don’t already draw for fun, classroom crafts, “draw a picture” assignments, and weekly art class ensure that elementary-aged youngsters are getting creative on a daily basis. Children’s Book of Art proves to be a well-organized, able introduction to the noteworthy names, styles, and works that form the basics of artistic knowledge. A solid overview of a topic that kids are ready to dig into.
Split into three general sections (Early Art, Modern Art, and Sculpture), the book covers a wide swath of territory. Beginning with the who, how, and why of early cave paintings up to Damien Hirst’s installation art, each time period and style of art is given its due. The book consists of “gallery” pages (showing the use of different artistic elements), “artist profiles” (detailing the life and work or individuals), “how did they do that” sections (which provide instructions for working with different media), and “art style” spreads (covering significant art movements). The range is impressive.
Easy on the eyes, as an art book should be. Large images of well-known (and some more obscure) artwork pop up everywhere. Page layouts often teach, showing readers how different styles of art are created. Artist biographies run down the side of pages, time line style, hitting important events and highlighting influences.
Useful for fact-finding students looking for artist info as well as those simply interested in learning more, Children’s Book of Art effectively (and entertainingly) serves both audiences.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Check out the Nonfiction Monday roundup at Books Together Blog.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
Four score and seven zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
As much as this amateur Abe Lincoln impersonator hates to say it, history often has the unfortunate reputation of being boring. Unfairly pigeonholed, I say! While there are plenty of picture books featuring historical settings, there aren’t many that deal with the importance of preserving the past. Allow Imogene’s Last Stand to help fill the void. Credit is due to Candace Fleming (The Lincolns) and illustrator Nancy Carpenter (17 Things I’m Not Allowed to do Anymore), who have created a story about the importance of history that is a delight to read.
Ever since she was very young, Imogene Tripp has been an historical enthusiast. When she sees an opportunity to revive the long ignored Liddleville Historical Society, Imogene seizes it with enthusiasm. After putting her all into cleaning and organizing the old house, she discovers that it is to be torn down, by order of the mayor, to make way for a shoelace factory. Imogene tries to save the Society, but her attempts fail until she makes a discovery that changes minds and just might put Liddleville on the historical map.
Sharp and resourceful, Imogene is the quintessential spunky protagonist. She infuses history into everything she does, often quoting the words of famous Americans. Extra credit points are earned as an explanation of each quote is provided on the book’s endpapers.
It’s difficult to deny the “after-school special” vibe going on. When a feisty youngster fights back against an unsavory developer, the comparison is an easy one to make. However, through humor and appealing characters, the story doesn’t give an ounce of tiresome familiarity.
Carpenter uses pen, ink and digital media to create images that wonderfully match the text. Liberal use of two-page spreads make this book well suited for read-aloud settings. The soft, inviting tones and a drawing style that blurs the line between detailed and doodled will subtly engage young readers.
In the words of 100 Scope Notes,
“An entertaining and undeniably charming read, Imogene’s Last Stand has my endorsement!”
Review copy borrowed.
Also reviewed by Bri Meets Books.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
Christopher Columbus was a great man who overcame the odds to bravely discover North America.
How do you feel about the above sentence? Pretty simplistic, right? You and I know there’s a whole lot more to Columbus’ story. That sort of broad-brush statement-making can be dangerous. Take John Brown, for instance. Madman you say? Crazy idealist? Not so fast. In John Brown: His Fight for Freedom, author/illustrator John Hendrix offers us a profile that reveals the good and the bad of this early abolitionist. I can’t remember seeing a more nuanced picture book take on a controversial historical figure.
John Brown was an abolitionist to his core. In the 1840s and 50s, at a time when some thought slaves should be free, Brown wanted more: equality. He lived and died for the cause. After creating a reputation as a madman fighting to make Kansas a free state, he set his sights on a more dangerous plan. Brown saw the capture of weaponry at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia as key to his mission of ending slavery. Brown and his men began the raid, but things didn’t go as planned, leaving Brown trapped. Outnumbered and alone, he was captured and put on trial for insurrection, conspiracy, and high treason – crimes he was eventually hanged for.
As Hendrix explains in the Author’s Note, great care was taken to capture the complexity of Brown and his actions. Long misunderstood, recent research on the man has brought with it new attitudes on his fight. Says the author:
[Though] the United States hanged him as a traitor, I feel we must not dismiss him as a madman. Terrorists crave distruction and turmoil, and the seed of John’s rebellion was compassion.
This book is an important step in presenting these views for young readers.
Vivid, detailed, bold, memorable – Hendrix works wonders here with pen & ink and acrylic washes. Earth tones are rendered in crystal-clarity, providing a crispness that makes some other books seem out-of-focus in comparison. Hand-lettered passages pop up intermittently, highlighting important elements of the story. The result is a book that feels like a statement. The image of a battered, resolute Brown in the gallows will stand out as one of the most memorable children’s book images of the year.
A beautifully candid take on a man who’s life has been misunderstood, John Brown: His Fight for Freedom is a picture book biography that deserves to be seen. Make room on the shelf.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Check out the Nonfiction Monday roundup at Jean Little Library.
Visit the John Hendrix website.
Also reviewed by TheHappyNappyBookseller.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
Also reviewed by A Fuse #8 Production, Becky’s Book Reviews, educating alice.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
Comics created using Bitstrips.
Call it lyrical, call it rhythmic – few things can split a picture book crowd like poetic text.
Where do you stand?
Some see it as a perfect way to expose young readers to the beauty and flexibility of language, while others see it as (in some cases) ignoring children’s sensibilities in an attempt to appeal to critics and parents (who, after all, are the ones purchasing the book). While I tend to side with the former, I have to admit that occasionally, poetic text can be a barrier to entry for beginning readers. That may be the case with Only a Witch Can Fly, and it’s too bad – the artwork is fantastic. A simple story with just enough of a poetic complexity to keep the debate going.
In this Halloween-themed story, the action begins after the trick-or-treating is over. After changing out of her witch costume and heading to bed, a dark haired girl is struck by an urge – to see if she can fly as real witches do. Grabbing her broomstick and heading outside with little brother and black cat following, the girl tries her luck. After a stumble, and some encouragement from her brother, the witch-in-training gets it right, flying into the night sky and leaving her father gaping at the window.
McGhee utilizes a 12th century French poetic form known as sestina to tell the story. The results may be too abstract for some youngsters to tackle by themselves. While repetition is present (a good thing for kids), there are elegant flourishes that may be lost on some.
Taeeun Yoo’s beautiful linoleum block print illustrations make the story accessible. I challenge you to find these images as anything less than amazing. In a way, block print is the opposite of drawing. Where artists usually draw lines first and fill them in, block prints color things in and leave the lines invisible. Yoo works with green, orange, brown, and black, to create spread after spread of memorable images.
While Only a Witch Can Fly has a poetic essence that may split audiences, the story still comes through thanks to beautiful artwork.
Review copy provided by publisher.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
The rise of the journal format has been swift and, by my estimation, successful. Taking a story and telling it in the form of a hand-written account makes sense for two reasons:
1. It takes said story into the first person, adding an immediacy that draws readers in.
2. Journals provide an opportunity to add richness to the text through illustrations, photographs, and other bits of non-text miscellanea.
The reasons above also explain why the journal format is a perfect fit for nonfiction. Following the wagon-wheel ruts of 2008’s How to Get Rich in the California Gold Rush, How to Get Rich on the Oregon Trail takes an historical event and gives it the journal treatment. If your nonfiction section is in need of an Oregon Trail update (and, really, is there one that isn’t?), this is a title you will want to seek out.
While the facts are accurate, the characters are fictional. In April of 1852 the young William Reed sets out with his family for the land and opportunity of the West. William, an aspiring writer, arranges to send his accounts of the trip back home to be published in the newspaper. Plans are set, finances are in order, supplies are acquired. The journey begins and the hardships the Reed family has heard about become reality. Scarce food and water, disease, and treacherous terrain combine to make the going tough. It isn’t long before their financial situation is looking grim. When their oxen are stolen, William and his older brother create the “Reed Brothers Ferry” and quickly learn that there is money to be made on the trail if you’ve got the will to seek it out. Four months after beginning, William and his family arrive in Portland, eager to settle in and begin life anew.
As laid out in the table of contents, each two-page spread is dedicated to a stop on the journey. These chunks prove quite manageable and will work well for young readers.
The way I see it, you can go two ways with this format – you can keep things ultra authentic, or you can make it modern. Oregon Trail goes the latter route. Presented as a current-day publication of an original journal, the overall look does not smack of 1852. While original photographs and maps are in the mix, the illustrations and layout provide an updated feel.
Engaging in format and boasting enough detail to give a sense of the journey that so many families made, How to Get Rich on the Oregon Trail should satisfy young history buffs and student fact finders alike.
Check out the Nonfiction Monday roundup at the outstanding Bookends blog.
Also reviewed by Kidliterate, Great Kids Reads.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
Although many (many) celebrities might beg to differ, writing children’s books is hard work. Limited vocabulary and limited space add to the difficulty of creating a story that (and this is the biggest challenge of all) will resonate with youngsters who are just learning how to read. There are scores of contrived, dull picture books that stand as a testament to the challenges of the medium. But occasionally, a picture book comes along that is so wonderfully pure that it makes you understand why some believe authoring a kids book is cake. Peter McCarty’s (Hondo & Fabian) Jeremy Draws a Monster is this sort of book. A simple, beautiful book that will join the well-populated ranks of Books about Imagination with gusto.
Too shy to go outside and make friends, Jeremy decides to create some company in the safety of his bedroom. Using a blue pen, he sketches a giant, horned monster. It isn’t long before the rude beast begins to get demanding. Food, music, board games – Jeremy has trouble keeping up with the requests. When the monster comes home late and commandeers Jeremy’s bed, the boy decides that it is time for his guest to hit the road. He hands the monster a ticket and a suitcase and shows him to the bus stop. After the bus speeds off Jeremy is by himself in a place he never has had the courage to go – outside. When a group of neighbors ask him to play, Jeremy decides to take them up on the offer.
Although it includes a monster, noise and bluster don’t dominate the book. The plot has a wonderful pacing that slowly builds, with a conclusion that young readers might expect, yet not see coming. While it won’t slay readers with action or huge laffs (as we librarians are so often drawn to during story time), this one should work well in a read-aloud setting. I can see kids putting themselves in Jeremy’s tiny, tiny shoes (well, socks actually) pretty easily.
Against the pure white backdrops that help to express Jeremy’s self-imposed isolation, McCarty’s pen & ink and watercolor illustrations vibrantly assert themselves.
I’m guessing this will be one of those books that critics, parents and kids will all like – it’s a big-tenter to be sure. Here’s hoping plenty of people crowd in.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
