Format: Picture Book Fiction

Rocket Says Look Up!

Rocket Says Look Up!Rocket Says Look Up! by Dapo Adeola, Nathan Bryon
Published by Random House ISBN: 1984894420
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Rocket is a little girl obsessed with the night sky and outer space. She can’t stop talking about it and wants the world to share in her enthusiasm. The Phoenix Meteor Shower is coming right up, and Rocket passes out flyers to all her friends and announces it at the local grocery store. All of this is much to the embarrassment of her older brother, Jamal. Can she get him to stop looking at his phone and look up?

This book is great for any family that has a child who is obsessed with a particular topic, especially if it’s space. It will inspire families to go out and look at the night sky. It could also be a sneaky way to get someone to spend less time on their phone. The illustrations are adorable. Rocket’s family has a mom and a brother (no mention of a father) and they are all dark-skinned. Background characters have a variety of skin tones and some wear turbans. Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Samantha Cote, Windham Public Library, Windham

five-stars

Pete The Cat: The Great Leprechaun Chase

Pete The Cat: The Great Leprechaun ChasePete the Cat: The Great Leprechaun Chase by James Dean
Published by HarperCollins on January 15, 2019
ISBN: 0062404504
Pages: 24
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

Pete the Cat gets a brilliant idea of starting a leprechaun chasing business. Friends approach him to ask for help related to different problems that they are having, and Pete follows the rainbow to its end to find Clover, a leprechaun. Most of the time Clover evades him, singing a new song each time. Does Pete need the leprechaun for luck and to help his friends, or was it inside him all along?

The storyline doesn’t rise to the excellence of previous Pete the Cat books, but is a serviceable St. Patrick’s Day book if you need more in your collection. Additionally, it would fill the needs of your most ardent Pete the Cat fanatics. The illustrations are typical of a book in this series: simplistic and full of color. A poster, stickers, and 12 St. Patrick’s Day cards are included.

Reviewed by Samantha Cote, Windham Public Library, Windham

two-stars

Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas

Piranhas Don’t Eat BananasPiranhas Don't Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey
Published by Scholastic Press on July 9, 2019
ISBN: 1338297139
Pages: 24
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Though the title will make you want to mispronounce piranha so that it rhymes, this story is a rollicking good time for toddlers.  The front of the book defines piranhas as South American meat-eating fish who will eat anything, even “little children who’ve actually been pretty good.”  Brian the piranha offers his friends a number of different fruits and vegetables to try, but they insist that they won’t, and instead share a part of the body that they love to eat that happens to rhyme with said fruit or veggies.  Peas vs. knees. Plums vs. bums. Brian won’t give up and finally convinces his friends to try some fruit. In the end, though, they still prefer their meat. This book has many chances for audience interaction and using fun voices.  Perfect for a toddler storytime. It would also work well for parents trying to get their kids to try something new. Recommended for ages 3-8.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library

five-stars

Rain makes applesauce

Rain makes applesauceRain Makes Applesauce by Jerry Pinkney, Julian Scheer, Marvin Bileck
Published by Holiday House on December 10, 2019
ISBN: 0823443612
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This is a “restored edition” of this classic book with an introduction by Jerry Pinkney. Given this book is decades old and already recognized as excellent, I’ll keep my review short. The text is full of silly talk, and the gorgeous watercolor illustrations are exquisitely detailed. You can find something new in them with each reading. The repetitive text makes it a good selection for story time as the kids could finish each page with the “and rain makes applesauce” refrain. This book is best for PreK-1st grade. The introduction, what makes this edition unique, is wonderful and talks about the impact this book has had on Pinkney’s art and illustration career.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

Fergal and the bad temper

Fergal and the bad temperFergal and the Bad Temper by Robert Starling
Published by Imprint on April 30, 2019
ISBN: 1250198623
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Fergal is a nice dragon, but when someone tells him what to do, he gets really fiery. He has a hard time processing his anger, and it gets him into trouble all over town. When Fergal’s mom helps him find a coping strategy that works, he finds there are more fun things to do with his fire.

This is a great book about big emotions and how to process them. Anger is a real and common emotion for kids, and learning coping mechanisms is so important. This book is an accessible and fun way to help kids with this process. The colorful illustrations really bring Fergal’s emotions to life, and add an element of humor to the story. This book is best suited for Pre-K to 1st graders, and it would be a great read aloud for a story time about feelings and emotions. It could also be used for an older child as a one-on-one share to spark discussion about processing anger.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Why?

Why?Why? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Published by Neal Porter Books on August 13, 2019
ISBN: 0823441733
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Rabbit is always asking Bear, “Why?” Bear almost always has an answer. The beautiful watercolor illustrations in this book are crucial to understanding what Rabbit is asking Bear about. Each page simply has the words, “Why?” followed by Bear’s one sentence answer, “Because…” This book is a great explorartion of why we do some things, and why certain things just happen. Why do we fall? Gravity. Why does my belly hurt? Because I ate too much. Young kids will stay engaged with the simple and clear text, and there are plenty of opportunities for more discussion about why things happen. This book would be a great read aloud and would be good for a younger kids’ story time. It is best for PreK-K but could also be used for very early readers. Overall, it’s a sweet story of exploration and friendship.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Stardust

StardustStardust by Briony May Smith, Jeanne Willis
Published by Nosy Crow on February 12, 2019
ISBN: 1536202657
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

A little girl dreams of being a star, but she always seems to take the back seat to her older sister. No matter what she does or how hard she tries, her sister always seems to do it better and get all the attention. Her grandfather tells her a story about how the stars were made and how each star shines in its own way. This book attempts to encourage kids to be themselves and do what makes them shine. It just misses the mark. The story rambled too much, and the end is confusing, abrupt, and just doesn’t quite work. This book would be best for PreK-2 grade and would be best shared one-on-one.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

two-stars

I knew you could do it

I knew you could do itI Knew You Could Do It! by Nancy Tillman
Published by Feiwel & Friends on October 15, 2019
ISBN: 1250113776
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

This is a typical Nancy Tillman style book — whimsical, magical, colorful, vibrant illustrations combined with rhyming text designed to build up young children. The rhyming in this one felt pretty forced, however, and it just didn’t move me like I wanted it to. I was really hoping for a book to recommend to parents to help with kids’ confidence, and it just falls a little flat on that front. The illustrations are the best part of this book. There are several nods to classic fairy tales and fairy tale characters, and the colors are brilliant and crisp. This book would be best for PreK-2 grade and is best for one-on-one sharing.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

two-stars

A fox found a box

A fox found a boxA Fox Found a Box by Ged Adamson
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on October 29, 2019
ISBN: 1984830538
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

One day, Fox found a box — only his box is actually a radio. Every day, Fox and his forest friends danced to the music from the box. One day, the box stopped singing. It was only then that the animals really began to listen to the music all around them in the forest.

This book has a good message about music appreciation, and it opens up opportunities for discussions about how music is everywhere.The colorful, simple watercolor illustrations support the story well and don’t distract from the overall message. This book would be best for Pre K – 1st grade, and would be a great read aloud. It would make a wonderful story time where you then make music with ordinary objects.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Raj and the best day ever

Raj and the best day everRaj and the Best Day Ever by Sebastien Braun
Published by Templar Books on April 9, 2019
ISBN: 1536205702
Pages: 34
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Raj and his dad are planning what’s sure to be the best day ever — a trip to the library, to the farm, the art gallery, a café, and finally a bus ride home. When they go to check out their library books, his dad realizes he’s forgotten his wallet. Raj is sure the day is doomed, but rather than letting this (and the now pouring rain) ruin their day, he and his dad get creative.

This book is a really great exploration of all the fun things you can do without spending money. I love the creativity that both Raj and his dad show in the ways that they check things off their list — making their own art at the park instead of going to look at pictures in a gallery, for example. The illustrations are brightly colored and very detailed. It’s the sort of book where you may discover some new witty illustration with each subsequent reading. I also love that the entire story is Raj and his father — it’s not as common as mother/child stories so it’s a refreshing and inclusive change. This book would be best for Pre-K – 1st grade and could be a good read aloud with an older group.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars