Format: Picture Book Fiction

Mixed: A Colorful Story

Mixed: A Colorful StoryMixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung
Published by Henry Holt & Company on July 3rd 2018
ISBN: 1250142733
Pages: 40
Goodreads
five-stars

With a firm belief that we can never have enough books that offer a message of acceptance and civility, this picture book is a gem. Using the very simple concept of primary colors, Chung weaves a story that illustrates how separation and division takes its toll on people’s happiness.

First there are the Reds, Yellows, and Blues, and everyone gets along. One day a Red decides that they are the best color, much to the shock of all Yellows and Blues, who cannot agree. The once-harmonious land is now divided into three separate sections and no one mixes. Then a Yellow notices a Blue and the two decide that they do like one another enough to mix. Enter Green, one part Blue, one part Yellow, one part all her own. Slowly, the mixtures become more common until there are too many colors to live in separate sections and everyone embraces the rainbow. This book does what excellent picture books do, distills a complex issue into an understandable visual that any child can grasp (perhaps adults should read more picture books?!).  Chung’s color dot illustrations convey meaning and emotion while managing to be adorable. This will have wide circulation appeal and will make a wonderful read aloud. Highly recommend.

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

five-stars

Write to Me: Letters from Japanese Children to the Librarian They Left Behind

Write to Me: Letters from Japanese Children to the Librarian They Left BehindWrite to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind by Cynthia Grady, Amiko Hirao
Published by Charlesbridge Publishing on January 9th 2018
ISBN: 158089688X
Pages: 32
Goodreads
four-stars

Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind by Cynthia Grady and illustrated by Amik oHirao is narrative nonfiction for children ages 6 through 10. Grady researched postcards of librarian Clara Breed to and from the Japanese American children (her former public library patrons) who were imprisoned in internment camps during WWII. She selects just enough details and letters from the children to make a compelling story of both shame on America for locking these children up and hope for the world through acts of goodness continued during the war. The San Diego children’s librarian gave the children postcards with postage included so they could write to her, and they did throughout the war years. She also sent them books, seeds, and craft supplies. She visited them in the prison/internment camps and spread the word through radio,  newspaper, and magazine articles. At the end of the book there are five pages of additional information including sources, bibliography, selected dates, and credits. Illustrator Amiko Hiraw is herself a Japanese American, and her pastel colored drawings add a softness to this true tale.  Recommended by Margy Soule Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, Maine

four-stars

Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian

Lyric McKerrigan, Secret LibrarianLyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian by Jacob Sager Weinstein, Vera Brosgol
Published by Clarion Books on September 4th 2018
ISBN: 0544801229
Pages: 40
Goodreads
five-stars
Recommending this title to the Cream of the Crop committee for consideration. This is a picture book graphic novel that will inspire future super heroes in grades 1-3 to read and save the world with the power of books. Dr. Glockenspiel has escaped and demands “one billion trillion dollars” from the world or he will release an army of giant moths to destroy the world’s books. Only Lyric McKerrigan, secret librarian has the special disguises and the perfect book to match each situation. She is able to break into the evil doctor’s fortress, evade the henchman, save the other super heroes and pull the giant moths into a story time; allowing her to thwart Dr. Glockenspiel’s evil plan. Brosgol’s comic illustrative style captures the darkness with purple tones, the superhero powers in bright yellows and oranges while introducing young readers to the comic book layout. Some pages are in frames of action and others are full page illustrations that show intense energy with singular setting identifiers that will keep readers from being overwhelming with background items. Older readers will enjoy the humor of the different book titles that Lyric Mckerrigan distributes to meet the various needs of the moment. This adds a level of sophistication in the many illustrative details that enhance the text.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library, Springvale

five-stars

Giraffe Problems

Giraffe ProblemsGiraffe Problems by Jory John, Lane Smith
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 1524772038
Pages: 42
Goodreads
four-stars

Giraffe Problems by Jory John and illustrated by Lane Smith is a tale of a giraffe who learns to accept his long neck with the help of an understanding turtle. Like the author’s and illustrator’s earlier Penguin Problems, this work is quirky. The illustrations are done in quiet tones of browns and neutrals much like a giraffe’s natural colors with olive greens for the turtle. There is one fold-up page that emphasizes the giraffe’s height. Giraffe longs to have a neck that is like everyone else; the turtle feels limited by his physical shortcomings too. Together they learn to like themselves and enjoy their new friendship. This is a quietly humorous and unexpectedly sweet tale of two friends who gain a new perspective on life and on themselves. Recommended for children ages 4 – 8. Margy Soule, Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, Maine.

four-stars

The Secret Life of Little Brown Bat

The Secret Life of Little Brown BatThe Secret Life of the Little Brown Bat by Laurence Pringle, Kate Garchinsky
Published by Boyds Mills Press on September 11th 2018
ISBN: 1629796018
Pages: 32
Goodreads

The Secret Life of the Little Brown Bat by Laurence Pringle and illustrated by Kate Garchinsky is a narrative nonfiction for children five through eight. This is a true life, compelling tale of survival by a young bat and his mother. Although he gives a name to the bat, Pringle avoids anthropomorphism as he tells of the actions of the bat’s first year of life in a hollow tree with his mother, in an abandoned barn with other young males, and in a cave for the winter. There are natural adventures as he first flies, catches insects, leaves his mother, and avoids being eaten himself .Pringle manages to include lots of information about the little brown bat’s body and flying ability within the narrative. In the three pages of small print information at the end of the book, readers and listeners learn that about 90%of brown bats in eastern North America have died from a fungus over the past ten years. The book concludes with a glossary. The illustrations are impressionist swirls of color highlighting the flying ability of this agile mammal. Since many primary age children have a hard time understanding that paintings can be informational “real” books, librarians, teachers, and parents may need to promote this book.  It would be a great read-aloud and is highly recommended for ages 5 through 8.
Margy Soule, Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick.

Quiet Wyatt

Quiet WyattQuiet Wyatt by Tammi Sauer
Published by Clarion Books on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 0544113306
Pages: 32
Goodreads
four-stars
Wyatt is a quiet guy, perfect for being a tree in the school play, a model museum visitor and ninja at camp. Wyatt’s quiet nature is tested when he is paired with Noreen, his complete antithesis, during a school field trip. Noreen’s loud and confident manner provides comic situations as her enthusiasm overrides her common sense, something that quiet Wyatt must provide in a loud way. In the end, their new friendship compliments their differences. Howard’s brightly colored and stylized cartoons show action, expression and the understated humor of the text. Perfect for the story time crowd and reassuring a young one who is known to be quiet.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

four-stars

Rosie’s Glasses

Rosie’s GlassesRosie's Glasses by Dave Whamond
Published by Kids Can Press on September 4th 2018
ISBN: 1771389915
Pages: 32
Goodreads
three-stars
In this wordless picture book, a grade school aged girl, assumed to be named Rosie based on the title of the book, wakes up late, gets ready for school, sits through dreary classes and walks with her father who is on the cell phone through the park. All of the illustrations are in black, white and greys conveying a sad Rosie with a grey rain cloud above her hear and irritating situations in a busy street where buildings bend low and dark clouds. When Rosie notices a butterfly in bright colors and follows it to a pair of glasses, she puts them on and everything appears in bright colors and the irritations and sadness displayed in all the background illustrations are resolved. Her new daily routine is still loud and busy, but in color and everyone on the busy street is smiling, giving, and sharing.

When Rosie accidentally drops the glasses in the river, it takes her happy dog to draw her back into the colorful/positive world, leaving the glasses for the next sad child to find. This picture book provides an illustrated way of describing either depression or point of view. It is left up to those sharing the reading experience to distinguish it’s use.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Springvale Public Library

three-stars

Play

PlayPlay by Jez Alborough
Published by Candlewick Press (MA) on June 12th 2018
ISBN: 0763695998
Pages: 32
Genres: Humor
Goodreads
three-stars

Play by Jez Alborough is the sequel to Hug. (Alborough is also the author of Where’s My Teddy.) Once again baby chimp Bobo and his mother have a brief adventure told through one word speech bubbles and bold, colorful illustrations. Bobo wants to keep playing at bedtime. He plays with a giraffe and then a turtle before finally snuggling down with his mother after dark. Children 2 through 5 will sympathize with this young chimp’s love for life,  his unwillingness to stop playing until dark,and his love and need for his mother. While not quite as successful as Hug,youngsters who enjoyed Bobo’s first story will welcome and enjoy this sequel.  Recommended for libraries where Hug is popular.  Margy Soule, Coffin Elementary School , Brunswick.

three-stars

Flip Flap Ocean

Flip Flap OceanFlip Flap Ocean by Axel Scheffler
Published by Nosy Crow on June 12th 2018
ISBN: 978073699420
Pages: 28
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Twelve different creatures from the sea are featured with rhyming descriptive text and colorful illustrations. Readers are asked figure out what sea creature is on each page. Next readers can utilize the split pages and create their own creature by combining various tops and bottoms. By doing so, over 100 made-up creatures can be imagined. When readers mix and match the pages, the names of the creatures, the illustrations and the rhyming descriptions change. Who has heard of an Octab? A made up creatures that is a combination of a crab and an octopus. Or perhaps a shurtle--a mix of shark and turtle? What fun! The book format is sturdy with spiral binding and heavy card stock papers. The Illustrations done in ink and watercolor are rich in color, sweet, yet playfully accurate. An entertaining book for toddlers and early readers.

Reviewed by Terri Bauld, Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library

three-stars

Grace for Gus

Grace for GusGrace for Gus by Harry Bliss
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on February 6th 2018
ISBN: 0062644106
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

Grace for Gus by Harry Bliss (author of Bailey) is a wordless graphic novel for ages 6-9. A young girl’s teacher encourages the class to contribute to the fund for a second pet guinea pig. Our young heroine does just that. Set in New York City, the girl sneaks out of her apartment after dinner and spends the night playing a violin in the subway station, sketching caricatures in the park, and performing acrobatic tricks in the subway train. All these creative efforts earn lots of cash that the girl proudly brings to class in the morning. All through the night, the girl’s pet cat keeps follows her; the city is friendly and full of people. There are famous characters and people dotted throughout the book, some of whom adults will recognize more than children such as Woody Allen, Trump, and Andy Warhol. Bliss’ comic panel illustrations are full of other details that young careful viewers can enjoy discovering. Youngsters will get a glimpse of big city life as they follow the all night adventures of one creative, caring girl. Recommended by Margy Soule, Coffin Elementary School in Brunswick.