Rover and Speck: Splash Down!

October 10, 2023October 10, 2023

Rover and Speck: Splash Down! by Jonathan Roth
Series: Rover and Speck #2
Published by Kids Can Press on October 3, 2023
ISBN: 1525305670
Pages: 104
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Book #2 in the Rover and Speck series. Roth blends story and science facts in a splendid action-packed graphic novel. In this episode, interplanetary space explorers Rover and Speck set out on a dangerous mission to visit the unexplored Planet K2-18b. They splash down on the watery surface and soon find themselves inside a blubber beast. As a bonus, illustrated science fact boxes containing background information about marine biology, underwater creatures and other relevant science topics and jokes appear throughout the story. The book ends with an art lesson from Rover and Speck. Recommend it to kids who like science and sophisticated humor.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Peekaboo Pumpkin

October 10, 2023

Peekaboo: Pumpkin by Camilla Reid, Ingela P. Arrhenius
Series: Peekaboo #8
Published by Candlewick Press on July 4, 2023
Pages: 8
Genres: Humor
Format: Board Book
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

One of 9 books in the Peekaboo series. Push, pull, and slide the interactive pages of this Halloween themed book. Bold and simple graphic designs will appeal to toddlers. Most of the clever elements are fairly simple to implement and will likely hold up better than most interactive books. The mirror at the end will surely appeal to youngsters. Simple enough that an older child could easily share it with a little brother or sister.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Together With You

October 10, 2023October 10, 2023

Together With You by Jarvis, Patricia Toht
Published by Candlewick Press on February 14, 2023
ISBN: 1536223514
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

A sweet, tender story about the love between grandparent and grandchild takes the reader on a walk through the seasons. The relationship between the grandmother and grandson shines through in both the illustrations and words. The rhymes flow well and are read easily. So much so that when I finished it and saw it was described as a rhyming book, I had to go back and check to see that it was so. The poetic texts details and invites readers to reflect on the sites, tastes, sounds and feels of each season – spring rainbow, a chilly ice pop in summer, fleeces and sweaters in autumn, and hot cocoa and peppermint tea in winter. A perfect bedtime story to let a child know they are loved. This active Grandma is pretty cool, too!

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike

October 10, 2023October 10, 2023

Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike by Dashka Slater, Laura Hughes
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536215678
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Kayla has outgrown her bicycle with training wheels, nicknamed “the pink pony.” Daddy takes her to a store and she picks out a blue two-wheel bike that she names “Wild Blue.” When she tries to ride Wild Blue, she is thrown again and again. Kayla climbs back on and eventually tames Wild Blue in this endearing story about learning to ride a bike. The clever metaphor that exists in the girl’s imagination of taming a wild stallion is effective. The illustrations depict Wild Blue as both a horse and a bicycle. Kayla sometimes wears a cowboy hat and other times a bicycle helmet. Her perseverance rings true despite her setbacks. When daddy says at the end, “Looks like you tamed that bicycle,” she responds, “Nope. She’s still wild! But so am I.” I like her spunk!

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Kaboom!

October 10, 2023October 10, 2023

Kaboom! A Volcano Erupts (-) by Jessica Kulekjian, Zoe Si
Published by Kids Can Press ISBN: 1525306499
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

The story of a volcanic eruption told from the point of view of the volcano. The volcano’s voice is quite poetic – “A little whisper hisses through my magma chamber.” And “My bubbles boil, pop and burst. I shout … “KABOOM!” The cartoon illustrations of a volcano, especially the one that looks like he is trying not to vomit, are amusing. The aside narrations from a red bird are displayed with speech bubbles and offers more scientific explanations. e.g. “Pee-ew! Hot stinky gases beneath the volcano push melted rock, called magma, into a pool known as the magma chamber.” The playful tone of this informational book makes it a good choice to read aloud, although I would read the volcano’s story through, and then go back and read the red bird’s more scientific additions. The four pages in the back also add scientific facts: Phases of Volcanoes, Anatomy of a Volcano, Common Types of Volcanoes, and Author’s Selected Sources. Overall, a splendid introduction to volcanoes for kindergarten – third graders.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

I Am Hungry

October 10, 2023October 10, 2023

I Am Hungry by Michael Rosen, Robert Starling
Published by Candlewick Press on July 11, 2023
ISBN: 153622510X
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
two-stars

The cover illustration of a very hungry squirrel is attractive. Unfortunately, the list of all the items he eats starts out sensibly – a warm roll, popcorn in a bowl – but morphs into nonsensical items, such as a very bad dream, a nasty fright, a dark and stormy night, and finally, “me?” It seems the items were chosen just because they rhymed and not because they were clever. The cute squirrel character who caught my eye on the cover, does remain adorable throughout the book.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Witch & Wombat

October 10, 2023October 10, 2023

Witch & Wombat by Ashley Belote
Published by Random House Children's Books on July 4, 2023
ISBN: 0593569636
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Wilma, a young witch, cannot wait to get her first cat, but when the pet store is out of kittens, Wilma brings home a wombat! Even though both Wilma and Wombat try to make Wombat into a cat, they fall short, much to the reader’s delight and hilarity. But when Wilma opens her mind, she discovers that Wombat is a very good companion. The digitally rendered, colorful illustrations are graphic novel-like and peppered throughout with speech bubbles. This tale encourages readers to tale that encourages readers to accept ourselves and embrace what makes us different. It’s delightful and will be a good story time selection.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

On Air with Zoe Washington

October 10, 2023October 10, 2023

On Air with Zoe Washington (Zoe Washington, #2) by Janae Marks
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on February 14, 2023
ISBN: 0063212315
Pages: 293
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

The sequel to Cream of the Crop nominated book, From the Desk of Zoe Washington. Now that Zoe has seen her biological father exonerated and released from prison, she wants to get to know him better. She starts her own podcast to spread the word about people who’ve served in the prison system. She also hopes that her podcast will raise some money. There is a diverse cast of characters with different experiences in this engaging coming-of-age story.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

The Tree and the River

October 7, 2023

The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker
Published by Candlewick Press on March 14, 2023
ISBN: 1536223298
Pages: 32
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
In Aaron Becker’s latest wordless book, we watch an interaction unfold between nature and the growth of civilization. What starts as a house built and populated by one family becomes two communities (one red, one blue). As it evolves, the settlements become walled fortresses, and eventually grow into steam-punkish cities. Through this transformation, the natural world is subsumed but eventually has the last word (or image, in this case). It feels like a fantasy but reads like a fable, a cautionary tale about taking from the land without giving back.

Becker’s line drawings (created with pencil, gouache, and digital paint) tells the story of The Tree and the River, with his award-winning expertise. Each detailed, full-bleed, double-spread image tells the story of that moment, but with the continuity and detail that creates a through-line for attentive readers. This is a book designed to provoke thought, questions, and critical thinking. It is a wonderful book for one reader to pore over slowly, page by page, or for a class “read-aloud”; it could work with a middle school social studies class learning about the elements of civilization.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MLIS Young School Librarian, Saco ME

A is for Australian Reefs

October 7, 2023

A is for Australian Reefs by Frané Lessac
Published by Candlewick, Candlewick Press on June 13, 2023
ISBN: 1536228303
Pages: 48
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction, Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
Many alphabet books are done in service to an interesting subject that doesn’t bear up well under the pressure of having to come up with a compelling entry for each letter of the alphabet. A is for Australian Reefs is a marvelous example of an alphabet book that is delightful in its own right and has fascinating and factual entries for even the most challenging letters (looking at you, xanthid crabs!). The book is well-organized; within the alphabetical order, the author has carefully selected entries that take the reader from the big picture (A is for Australian Reefs, B is for Biodiversity) to individual species and subspecies.

Each full-bleed two-page spread illustrated entry starts with a prominent image of the letter (which contains a depiction of the exemplar for the entry), a broad overview of the entry subject and a number of interesting detailed facts within each entry on the subject, many focused on the important role many species play in balancing the ecosystem. Did you know that “sea cucumber poop contains several substances that fertilize coral, helping it grow”? The illustrations are realistic and whimsical, drawing the reader from fact to fact to fact.

Readers between ages of 7-10 who love browsable nonfiction and are interested in ocean life will find this a terrific read. This beautiful book is specific to Australia but wider issues like conservation and coral reef protection are included. Teachers looking to discuss nonfiction or conservation and ocean life could introduce the text to students by reading the generalized entries at the top of each page, and simply browsing the illustrations. Highly recommended.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MLIS Young School Library Saco, ME