Month: September 2019

It’s Me

It’s MeIt's Me. (Catwad, #1) by Jim Benton
Series: Catwad #1
Published by Graphix on March 26th 2019
ISBN: 1338326023
Pages: 128
Goodreads
three-stars

Sketch comedy with cats at its finest. Benton’s latest character is a grumpy, blue cat named Catwad whose best friend is a dim-witted cat named Blurmp. The two are an unlikely duo (think Odd Couple but in brighter-than-life cartoon-cat form) and when Blurmp gets an idea, hilarity follows as Catwad (over)reacts. In short vignettes of vivid color and prolific exclamation points, Catwad tries in vain to feel a tiny bit of the ignorant bliss experienced by Blurmp. There are many jokes that fall under the category of bathroom or gross-out humor, but since Captain Underpants has paved the way, kids will love this. The word dumb is also thrown around a bit. Some of the humor will go over the heads of younger readers and some of the humor might be too juvenile for older readers, but for the elementary-aged sweet spot, this book in the hands of a more reluctant reader may have you scrambling for Book 2 (coming soon!). Readers of Bird & Squirrel and Dog Man as well as fans of Grumpy Cat will eat up this graphic novel.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

three-stars

Remarkably You

Remarkably YouRemarkably You by Pat Zietlow Miller
Published by HarperCollins on February 5th 2019
ISBN: 006242758X
Pages: 32
Goodreads
four-stars

The team of Miller and Barton is the perfect duo to deliver the message of this book and in this style. The message is clear, told in lovely, lilting rhyme – we all have different interests and strengths and styles, so be who you are and give you to the world – and the images are sweet and lovingly rendered in digitally-colored pencil sketches. The book is an upbeat celebration of what makes us unique and the importance of sharing that with others in a kind and respectful way. There is nothing new offered here though the page in which the children are out-of-the-box combinations like “a swimmer who knits” or a “mutt-loving cat cuddler” is particularly engaging. This is the “Oh, the Places You Will Go” for the modern pre-school set and it will be a favorite read-aloud for parents who can always use a hand encouraging their child to be who they are despite the noise of the world. And children will be captivated by the rhyme but with no clear directions about how to be exactly who you are, they will move on to the next book. A solid purchase that will circulate well.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

four-stars

I Need a Hug

I Need a HugI Need a Hug by Aaron Blabey
Published by Scholastic Press on December 26th 2018
ISBN: 1338297104
Pages: 24
Goodreads
four-stars

This book was published in Australia in 2015, but this is the first American edition. If you have Pig the Pug fans in your library, they will recognize and enjoy Blabey’s eye-popping creatures and humorous touch. Porcupine needs a hug, but who would hug a prickly creature like that? Not a rabbit or a moose or a bear, but that snake looking for a kiss? Yes, indeed. With simple rhymes and clear, bright illustrations, Blabey shows that sometimes you have to find the right friend to give you what you need. The biggest fault of the book is that it is incredibly brief. It would have been nice to get a few more animals to say no to build up the suspense a bit more as a read-aloud, but even the littlest of readers will understand the idea that friendship can come from unlikely places.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

four-stars

Unstoppable Me

Unstoppable MeUnstoppable Me by Susan Verde
on July 23rd 2019
ISBN: 0374307385
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

Susan Verde has perfectly captured the energy of that child that cannot sit still, the one in perpetual motion. And rather than showing everyone around that child with exhausted faces and hands thrown up in the air, the book shows how this energy can be used for good and celebrated and lived with (the parents calmly eating dinner while their little embodies sound and motion is priceless). Kids who are high energy will love the normalizing of this state of exuberance and parents of this/these kid(s) will nod their heads in recognition and understanding of what it is like to live with a small human who is bouncier than a rubber ball,  faster than a speeding train, and  louder than a marching band. Joyner’s illustrations focus on one boy but locate him within a diverse community of children and adults who seem happy to have his zest for life in their lives. This book would make a wonderful read-aloud and the cover, with the boy, arms outstretched to embrace the world in all of his vigor and joy, invites the reader to open the book and meet him. Highly recommend.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

five-stars

Coming Up Clutch: the Greatest Upsets, Comebacks, and Finishes in Sports History

Coming Up Clutch: the Greatest Upsets, Comebacks, and Finishes in Sports HistoryComing Up Clutch: The Greatest Upsets, Comebacks, and Finishes in Sports History by Matt Doeden
Published by Millbrook Press (Tm) on August 1st 2018
ISBN: 151242756X
Pages: 64
Goodreads
three-stars

Full of vivid photos and engaging writing, this book filled with exciting moments in sports will appeal to upper elementary and middle grade sports enthusiasts. Cycling through a series of upsets, comebacks, chokes, and clutch performances, Doeden covers many sports and many performances from 1919 to 2017. He also ponders the science of “clutch” and the reality of its existence offering a pro and con viewpoint. No matter if it truly exists, there are plenty of thrilling moments in sports when a person steps up and carries her/his team to a victory and that alone will cause people to continue to turn on that game, show up to that stadium, and debate that one key moment where the tide was turned.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

three-stars

Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps Conservation

Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps ConservationEavesdropping on Elephants by Patricia Newman
Published by Millbrook Press (Tm) on August 1st 2018
ISBN: 1541515714
Pages: 56
Goodreads
five-stars

“I see my responsibility as being able to listen,” says scientist Katy Payne. As part of the Elephant Listening Project, Katy has listened to African Forest elephants for years. She knew that eavesdropping  could help scientists protect these important species.”

Katy Payne had listened to whales for some fifteen years . When she got back to Oregon, she was sitting in the elephant barn at the Washington Park Zoo in Portland, listening to the elephants. She wondered if these creatures communicated as whales did, using infrasound – sounds too low for humans to hear. The scientist in Katy had to know. Thus, the Elephant Listening Project was created and still works to study the calls of forest elephants. This middle school book examines the plight of the architects of the forest. It is filled with information on this key species. One third of the African rain forests come from the seeds dropped by elephants. Their daily activities help the forest flourish.  Could this information on the way they communicate help protect them, could the combination of sound and behavior help scientists decode what elephants are saying to each other? The information is still being collected today. This book of 56 pages is filled with photos supporting a clear, concise text. It also includes QR codes to allow the reader to see and hear the forest elephants.  This is a must for collections on conservation of both forests and species.

Reviewed by Kathy George, Gray Public Library, Gray

five-stars

The Magic of Letters

The Magic of LettersThe Magic of Letters by Tony Johnston, Wendell Minor
Published by Neal Porter Books on April 23rd 2019
ISBN: 0823441598
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

When an award winning author meets an award winning illustrator, the end result is magic! Tony Johnston introduces the reader to the wonder of letters and the magic and power letters have. Beginning with letters, she suggests that the reader say them until they become friends.Then put them together to create powerful words, magical words ,enchanted words. Finally, by putting words together, you can read anything or write down your deepest thoughts. Minor’s illustrations are large and colorful and support the power and feelings that letters possess. An award winning combination have created a book that will engage and excite both  the reader and the listener to explore the value and beauty of words. Use this in those early days of the school year, to those beginning the reading journey and to those who wish to remember the excitement of the power of words. Good for K- 3.

Submitted by Kathy George, Gray Public Library, Gray

 

five-stars

It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity

It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender IdentityIt Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book about Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn, Noah Grigni
Published by Henry Holt & Company on June 4th 2019
ISBN: 1250302951
Pages: 40
Goodreads
five-stars

It Feels Good to Be Yourself is an informational picture book written by Theresa Thorn and illustrated by Noah Grigni which introduces the concept of gender identity to young children by showing four different children–brother and sister, Ruthie and Xavier, as well as their friends Alex and JJ. Ruthie is a transgender girl and Xavier is a cisgender boy. They both have brown skin, hair, and eyes, and appear to have a black mother and a white father. Alex is non-binary and has blue hair and freckled skin. JJ is also non-binary, with short, brown curly hair. They also use a wheelchair.

Thorn introduces the words transgender, cisgender, and non-binary with simple definitions that tie concretely into one of the four characters shown. Thorn uses language that is digestible even by young audiences but doesn’t talk down to readers or compromise the meaning of what she is describing. Thorn goes on to describe a little more about how genders are assigned and how a child might come to realize that their identity is different or the same to what they have been told to that point in their life. Throughout, Thorn reassures readers that whatever they identify as, however, they express themselves, and however much it all changes, it still okay and that they will be loved no matter what.

The text is accompanied by Noah Grigni’s watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations, which bring diversity on each page with bold color and lines. The bright color they use invites readers into the story to explore a variety of different ways to express themselves.

The backmatter includes helpful terms to known, a note about pronouns, resources in the form of books for kids, book for adults, documentaries, and organizations/helplines. Both Thorn and Grigni provide a note to readers in the back.

The subject of this book is critical and the execution is sublime. Essential for all libraries.

Reviewed by Sarah Cropley, Scarborough Public Library. 

five-stars

Hum and Swish

Hum and SwishHum and Swish by Matt Myers
Published by Neal Porter Books on June 11th 2019
ISBN: 0823442861
Pages: 40
Goodreads
three-stars

Hum and Swish is a simple, quiet book about a little girl with pale skin and brown hair. Jamie and her family are at the beach. Jamie is creating a sandcastle project and everyone keeps asking her questions. Finally, a woman comes to sit near Jamie and paint and doesn’t ask her any questions.

The story seems very simple on the surface, opting to show most of what is happening with the illustrations, rather than the text. The acrylic and oil paintings bring a beach-y ocean feel, with brush strokes demonstrating the swish of the ocean waves. Many children might need help articulating what the story is “about” but the illustrations give a lot for children to explore.

Recommended.

Reviewed by Sarah Cropley, Scarborough Public Library. 

three-stars

Spin

SpinSpin by Lamar Giles
Published by Scholastic Press on January 29th 2019
ISBN: 1338219219
Pages: 400
Goodreads
four-stars

This book is about the music and the mystery. Kya and Fuse are the first people to find DJ ParSec after she has been murdered. Both girls had complicated relationships with their friend Paris (DJ ParSec) and now they must find out who killed her to clear themselves. Told through flashbacks and alternating, first-person narratives, readers learn that DJ ParSec is on the brink of making it big, but she has secrets to hide just as Kya and Fuse. Topics such as media bias and racism add thought-provoking content to the mystery. This book will find fans with readers of thrillers and the short chapters make this a good choice for reluctant readers, and the music references also make it a fine choice for music fans. With many references to rap artists like Biggie and Tupac (and even old-school Queen Latifah) this book will create a running playlist in the reader’s head. Edgar Award-winner and founding member of We Need Diverse Books, Lamar Giles, brings to life young, female, Black women in the world of hip-hop. The voices of Kya, Fuse, and Paris need to be on the shelves of all libraries serving young adults.  For Grades 8 and up. 

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School

four-stars