Octopus Shocktopus!

Octopus Shocktopus!Octopus Shocktopus! by Peter Bently, Steven Lenton
Published by Nosy Crow on August 9, 2022
ISBN: 1536223964
Pages: 32
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

A bright orange octopus is found on the roof of a home located in a seaside village. Perhaps not snugly like a teddy bear or soft like the household cat, an octopus is a cool outdoor pet. Long arms are used for playing games, hanging laundry, and painting fences. Bently’s rhyming text is action-packed and funny while being poetic (though a little forced in places). Lenton brings the visiting octopus to life with his use of facial expressions; there is no doubt how the visitor feels about the children who live in this charming seaside village.  While most of the pages represent the blue and green natural environment, there are brilliant pops of color like the fantastic double-page spread showing an octopus Christmas tree. This would make a fun read-aloud. Youngsters and adult readers are sure to enjoy this laugh out loud humorous new title as they imagine a marine animal being stuck on their roof.

Reviewed by Jan Hamilton, retired children’s librarian

five-stars

Granny and Bean

Granny and BeanGranny and Bean by Karen Hesse, Charlotte Voake
Published by Candlewick Press on September 27, 2022
ISBN: 1536214043
Pages: 32
Genres: Adventure
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

A beautifully illustrated picture book that follows the simple yet lyrical text expected from author Hesse. Regardless of the gray sky, Granny and Bean enjoy a near perfect walk on the beach and readers are drawn in to their magical beach walk. The text is bold and easily read. Illustrator Voake’s choice of bright primary colors bring the characters to the forefront in each illustration, and even within all the gray, there is constant movement on each page. Newly arriving beach walkers are interesting with their colorful umbrellas and dogs but it is the birds who steal the show. Add this to primary school media centers and to public libraries, particularly those within driving distance of a loved beach though land-locked communities would benefit from placing this book on their shelves.

Reviewed by Jan Hamilton, retired children’s librarian

five-stars

My Brother is Away

My Brother is AwayMy Brother Is Away by Sara Greenwood, Luisa Uribe
Published by Random House Studio on October 11, 2022
ISBN: 0593127161
Pages: 40
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This heartfelt picture book is based on the author’s personal experience of growing up while having a brother who was incarcerated. The young girl in the story reflects on the challenges and emotions of having her brother away from home. She fondly remembers the times before he was sent away when they would do things together like flying kites, listening to stories at bedtime, or riding on his shoulder in the moonlight. It was tough for her at times when people wanted to know where her brother was. Or when they talked about the bad thing that he did. The story never reveals any details about what her brother did.

The story closes with a much anticipated trip to visit her brother in prison, and ends on a hopeful note, with her brother’s love still as strong and her realization that other families are going through the same experience as her family. The author’s note provides background information on her experience with her brother in jail from the time she was in first grade to eighth grade.

A powerful story that will be helpful for anyone going through this themselves. The illustrations, rendered in Photoshop, are soft and muted throughout with the exception of the times when the young girl is remembering her brother. In these pages, the palette is bright and joyful. Aimed at readers aged 4 to 8 , this picture book will also be of interest to older readers and adults. A strong addition to both school and public libraries as there may not be many picture books on this subject.

Reviewed by Terri Bauld, Children’s Librarian, Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library.

four-stars

I Love You All Year Round: Four Classic Guess How Much I Love You Stories

I Love You All Year Round: Four Classic Guess How Much I Love You StoriesI Love You All Year Round: Four Classic Guess How Much I Love You Stories by Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536228540
Pages: 72
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This new take on the classic Guess How Much I Love You story does not disappoint! I Love You All Year Round is a picture book split into four short stories based on the seasons and follows Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare as they play and learn together. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and calming and show the love between the two characters. This would be an nice addition to any bookshelf. This book is perfect for preschool/kindergarten age kids and would be an amazing bedtime read aloud.

Reviewed by Erin Scott, MSAD 75, Woodside

four-stars

Tell the Truth, Pangolin

Tell the Truth, PangolinTell the Truth, Pangolin by Melinda Beatty, Paola Escobar
Published by Anne Schwartz Books on October 18, 2022
ISBN: 0593180135
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Pangolin accidentally breaks the Queen’s swing, and, not sure what to tell her, seeks advice from his friends in the castle (a badger, goose, cat, fox, and pug). They all come up with increasingly outlandish excuses, and he does not know what to do. Ultimately, he does the right thing and tells the Queen the truth. She forgives him and they fix the swing together. It’s a gentle story with simple text, and is a fine vehicle for a theme of truth-telling, but the best part are Escobar’s digital illustrations, which are colorful, detailed and gorgeous, filling each page. Recommend for grades K-1.

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library

four-stars

Namaste Is a Greeting

Namaste Is a GreetingNamaste Is a Greeting by Suma Subramaniam, Sandhya Prabhat
Published by Candlewick Press on October 11, 2022
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Namaste has always been associated with the practice of yoga but it has many meanings. It is a word for mindfulness, to take in all that is around. The author explores the word through the eyes and feelings of a little girl going on errands with her grandmother. Namaste is the greeting she hears all along the way. It has many meanings: I bow to you, I recognize your value, it is silence, it is a word that calms your heart. It is a bond. The text is simple and quiet but is complimented with big, bright illustrations that bring the spirit of the word to the youngest readers. You don’t have to practice yoga to understand that this is a word like “aloha” or “shalom”, a word with many meanings. As libraries seek to accommodate a more diverse readership, this is a good choice.

Reviewed by Kathy George, retired children’s librarian

four-stars

Finding Fire

Finding FireFinding Fire by Logan S. Kline
Published by Candlewick Press on September 6, 2022
ISBN: 1536213020
Pages: 40
Genres: Adventure
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

A breathtaking wordless book filled with oil paintings that details the  discovery of fire during the ancient stone age era. A cave family loses fire after their bonfire one night. Everyone is saddened over the loss and does not know how to get the fire back. A brave young boy volunteers to leave his secure family to discover fire. Readers will follow the young boy on his journey and will be captivated by the landscapes he sees. They will also fall in love with the companion he befriends on the way, and readers will hold their breath at all the crazy obstacles he needs to go through to discover fire. Young readers ages 5 through 8 or fans of the DreamWorks Animation movie, The Croods, will gravitate towards this amazing picture book.

Reviewed by Brandon Dyer, Auburn Public Library

five-stars

Ruffles and the Teeny, Tiny Kittens

Ruffles and the Teeny, Tiny KittensRuffles and the Teeny, Tiny Kittens by David Melling
Published by Nosy Crow on October 4, 2022
ISBN: 1536227463
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Ruffles the dog just wants to have a normal day of playing with his toys, digging holes in the backyard, and sleeping on his dog bed with his blue blanket. Unfortunately, a group of orange tabby cats disrupts Ruffles’s day by taking his belongings and not leaving him alone. Ruffles and the kittens must figure out how to live with each other and be respectful. With illustrations drawn by pencil and transferred to color, digitally, the author uses humor to visually show young readers how to be respectful to one another and create friendships. Recommended for readers 4 years old and up.  Would be great for a story time about sharing and friendship.

Reviewed by Brandon Dyer, Auburn Public Library

four-stars

This Story is Not About a Kitten

This Story is Not About a KittenThis Story is Not About a Kitten by Randall de Sève, Carson Ellis
Published by Random House Studio on October 4, 2022
ISBN: 0593374533
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This story is not about a kitten, but it is about a community that values the life, and quality of life, of one small, abandoned kitten. Told through repetitive rhyming verse and bright, realistic brush strokes, the young reader will be engaged by the diversity and compassion of a group of neighbors who rally around saving a lost kitten and finding it a safe home. A good read-a-like for fans of Jan Brett’s The Mitten and Lucille Colandro’s There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Bat, librarians may discover that Randall de Seve’s This Story Is Not About A Kitten will make a perfect addition to the Collaborative Summer Library Program’s 2023 theme, All Together Now.

Reviewed by Lynn Harlan, Brewer Public Library

five-stars

Blue Bison Needs a Haircut

Blue Bison Needs a HaircutBlue Bison Needs a Haircut by Scott Rothman, Pete Oswald
Published by Random House Studio on October 18, 2022
ISBN: 0593428161
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals, Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Blue Bison Needs a Haircut is both the title and an excellent summary of this Rothman and Oswald picture book collaboration. Bison has a bit of trouble finding a place to get his signature haircut, and though friends and family try to assure him he looks great, he doesn’t truly find peace until his sister buzzes all his hair off with a lawnmower, unexpectedly giving him his new favorite look.

This book’s illustrations and text pair very well together, and the illustrations are engaging, dynamic, and expressive. The text is funny and has a few big words for kids to puzzle over, but otherwise the book flows well and the conclusion is both funny and a relief! This book would do well for a broad range of early readers, anywhere from K-3rd grade.

Reveiwed by Mary Randall, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

four-stars