Category: Book Reviews

Wintercake

WintercakeWintercake by Lynne Rae Perkins
Published by Greenwillow Books on October 15th 2019
ISBN: 0062894870
Pages: 48
Goodreads
five-stars

Thomas, a furry animal (perhaps a groundhog?), has misplaced the bowl of dried fruit he needs to make his holiday cake. His bird friend, Lucy (perhaps a cardinal), flies off in a snowstorm to help him, and mistakenly identifies a thief. All comes round right in the end. I enjoyed how the tension ebbs and flows throughout the story with much depth. The illustrations are glorious and some of the ones with speech bubbles are my favorite. This is a delightful story of friendship, community, stories, and cake. A wonderful addition to holiday books that focuses more on a solstice celebration rather than Christmas. Good readaloud for primary age.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library, Liberty

Reviews: Perkins’ art, with its warm yellows, opulent blues, and soft browns of wintry forest and cozy dens, nicely complements the fine narrative arc. This could simply be a splendid holiday tale: There is cake, after all, and there are both connection and community. But the different colorings of the animals’ coats combine with light-feathered Lucy’s false, if unspoken, accusation of innocent, dark-brown Tobin to offer an allegorical storyline for readers who care to pursue it.

Cozy—and potentially provocative. (Picture book. 4-8) Kirkus, July 2019

Starred Review: A first-rate example of a longer picture book for elementary-age readers and listeners. School Library Journal, October, 2019

 

five-stars

Rescuing Rialto: A Baby Sea Otter’s Story

Rescuing Rialto: A Baby Sea Otter’s StoryRescuing Rialto: A Baby Sea Otter's Story by Lynda V. Mapes, Alan Berner
Published by Roaring Brook Press on April 9th 2019
ISBN: 1250147646
Pages: 40
Genres: Informational
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

A photojournalist tells the true story of Rialto, a rescued baby sea otter found stranded at Olympic National Park in northern Washington. There are few animals cuter than a sea otter! The text is interesting and readable. Along with the rescue effort the reader learns much about sea otters including their human-caused near extinction and come back. The photographs documented the text but their quality lacked clarity, at times. A nice addition for any library’s marine animals and animal rescue information. Positive depictions of female scientists throughout.

Reviewed by Barb rehmeyer, Liberty Library, Liberty

four-stars

Rocket Out of the Park

Rocket Out of the ParkRocket Out of the Park by Andrea Cascardi, The Jim Henson Company
Published by Candlewick Press on April 2019
ISBN: 1536203122
Pages: 48
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

Apparently Dot is a popular animated preschool series about “an 8-year old inquisitive and exuberant tech-savvy girl who launches herself into adventures and fearlessly sets about solving problems,” but I was not familiar with it. In this story, Dot is at the Creative Fair where she and her friends are making fizz-powered rockets. Dot is intent on making her rocket the fastest of them all with no decorations to weigh it down while her friends have other goals. All turn out to be the “best” rockets. While I liked the concept, the vocabulary seemed too challenging for an early reader. I am not sure what audience this book would appeal to as the concepts seems more for 8-10 year olds but the book format seems for 6-7 year old. The author really missed an opportunity to include plans or directions for kids to make their own rockets.

Reviewed by Liberty Library, Liberty

two-stars

Wacky Inventions Throughout History: Weird inventions that seem too crazy to be real!

Wacky Inventions Throughout History: Weird inventions that seem too crazy to be real!Wacky Inventions Throughout History: Weird Inventions That Seem Too Crazy to Be Real! by Joe Rhatigan, Celeste Aires
Published by Walter Foster Jr. -- Quarto Library on 2019
ISBN: 9781600588006
Pages: 32
Genres: Informational
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

One of the books in the “Wacky Things” series. This book describes some wacky inventions that seem too crazy to be true but are. The entries were entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny, at times, such as an alarm clock bed that tips the sleeper onto the floor to wake him up. In addition to the brief description of the invention, there is also a short vignette of a historical nature. I learned through research for reviews that this seems to be an updated edition of 50 Wacky Inventions Throughout History, which is actually a spinoff of Inventions That Could Have Changed the World but Didn’t (2015) all by the same author.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library, Liberty

four-stars

The Scarecrow

The ScarecrowThe Scarecrow by Beth Ferry, Eric Fan, Terry Fan
Published by HarperCollins on September 3rd 2019
ISBN: 0062475762
Pages: 40
Goodreads
five-stars

“The Scarecrow” is a beautiful and tenderhearted  story  about friendship and needing a friend.

A scarecrow in a farmer’s field stands lonely and forlorn.  Some of the smaller creatures are even afraid of  Scarecrow as he stands alone, through the seasons,  in the snow covered field.  One day a small crow drops to the ground right in front of Scarecrow. Is it  injured, does it  have a broken wing, wonders Scarecrow?  Scarecrow  bends low to save the tiny crow, scooping him up and tucking him into a pocket near his heart of hay.  He then sings him the sweetest lullaby.  When the day comes that his friend takes flight again,  Scarecrow is again sad and  wishes that he didn’t have to stay tethered to his post.  But when spring finally returns, after a long, lonely  winter, Crow reappears  followed by another crow!   Soon a nest of eggs appear in Scarecrow’s pocket. When  the new baby crows are old enough to fly away,  Scarecrow  finds himself lonely  once again – until the  day that  one of the fledglings returns to build  a new nest!

A beautifully written  story about kindness  and the enduring  bonds of friendship.  This lovely story  exemplifies  the appreciation and the love that is fostered when  helping  a friend in need,

All ages will benefit from this story of kindness, love and friendship. For use anytime!

 

Reviewed by Connie M. Smith

 

five-stars

Ghost Cat

Ghost CatGhost Cat by Kevan Atteberry
Published by Neal Porter Books on June 11th 2019
ISBN: 0823442837
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

“Ghost Cat”  is a quietly, haunting picture  book about “moving on.” A boy once had a cat that has now passed away.  But,  still, on occasion,  the boy catches glimpses of his cat following him around the house.

“I’ve only seen it out of the corner of my eye, but I think it’s a cat.  I know because I used to have one.”

In fact, at times, beyond catching glimpses of his former pet, the boy can also feel the weight of the cat on his bed,  and even hear  him playing with cat toys  in the house. One day the boy sees the cat sitting by the door, and after a few minutes,  “. . . it (the ghost cat)  ” . . . turned and leapt right through the door.”  Much to the boys’ surprise, when he opens  the door, there is a kitten sitting on his doorstep – just waiting to be claimed.

Soft colors, with boldly delineated characters and expressions.  This book serves as  wonderful metaphor for letting things go of  things one cannot change (the ghost cat leaving) and being ready and willing  to open  the door to  new possibilities.

Could be used to share after loss.   A lesson for folks of any age,

Reviewed by Connie M. Smith 

five-stars

Secret Soldiers

Secret SoldiersSecret Soldiers by Keely Hutton
on June 11th 2019
ISBN: 0374309035
Pages: 320
Goodreads
five-stars

This historical fiction novel takes place during WW1. Thomas lies about his age because he is desperate to find his older brother who is missing in the war. Thomas and other underage boys end up working in the tunnels beneath the battlefield on a dangerous secret mission on the Western Front. These young soldiers form a lasting bond in spite of their different social classes and reasons for enlisting. The character development of the four main characters is excellent. It is a gripping story that vividly describes the horrors of life and death in the tunnels and trenches. The author’s note reveals that more than a quarter of a million underage British boys served in this war. I highly recommend this novel for readers age 12 and up. Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish

five-stars

Bernard Pepperlin

Bernard PepperlinBernard Pepperlin by Cara Hoffman
Published by HarperCollins on September 17th 2019
ISBN: 0062865447
Pages: 224
Goodreads
four-stars

Bernard, the dormouse from Alice in Wonderland, suddenly finds himself in New York City. He is befriended by a cat, a lizard, and others who are attempting to stop a gang of evil weasels called the Pork Pie Gang who are planning to stop time. It is an action filled story of friendship and teamwork that includes a variety of creatures from pets to tap dancing cockroaches. This well written fantasy will delight readers with its imaginative plot. The black and white illustrations add to the charm. I recommend this for readers ages 8-12. Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish

four-stars

The Potter’s Boy

The Potter’s BoyThe Potter's Boy by Tony Mitton
Published by David Fickling Books on February 26th 2019
ISBN: 1338285394
Pages: 256
Goodreads
four-stars

Ryo, the son of a potter, is determined to become a warrior after witnessing Akio singlehandedly defeat a group of bandits that attacks Ryo’s village. Akio is a monk warrior with the legendary Hidden Ones. When Ryo turns thirteen he leaves his family and village to train with a hermit. After his training with the hermit he is taken to the Hidden Ones for the next part of his preparation to become a warrior. His training with the Hidden Ones involves working in a small group. Each member of the group has their own strength. A sudden tragedy takes place that forces Ryo to change the direction of his life. This is a story of mindfulness and listening to your inner voice. It is well written and thought provoking. The plot moves quickly and will keep readers engaged. I highly recommend this for readers age 10 and up.  Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish

 

four-stars

The Dog Who Lost His Bark

The Dog Who Lost His BarkThe Dog Who Lost His Bark by Eoin Colfer, P.J. Lynch
Published by Candlewick Press on September 10th 2019
ISBN: 1536204420
Pages: 135
Goodreads
four-stars

This is a story about a puppy who has been mistreated and left on a trash heap. Patrick has always wanted a dog, but his father is allergic to them. Patrick is living at his grandfather’s home with his mother for the summer. His mother has told him that his musician father is working in Australia which is not the entire truth. Patrick is now able to adopt a dog from a local animal shelter. He is drawn to the lonely and scared puppy that was dumped. He names it Oz. Oz requires a lot of patience. The boy and the puppy help each other through each of their difficulties. This heartwarming story about trust, family issues, and friendship is realistic. At times it is sad, yet is also hopeful. The soft black and white illustrations go perfectly with the well written text. I highly recommend this for children ages 7-10. Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish

four-stars