Swashby and the Sea

Swashby and the SeaSwashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry, Juana Martinez-Neal
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on May 5, 2020
ISBN: 0544707370
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This is a sweet friendship story between a salty, loner sailor and a socially outgoing little girl who are brought together by the sea.  Swashby, the retired sailor, has his solitary existence interrupted when a little girl and her grandmother, sporting natural Afros and lots of positive energy, move in next door to his peaceful seaside abode.  He tries leaving messages like “No trespassing “in the sand but the sea always seems to remove a few letters turning his messages into welcoming expressions for the girl to read.  His resistance is finally broken when the little girl gets too close to the water and Swashby dives in to save her.  Martinez-Neal’s acrylic and colored pencil illustrations add depth to the sea and personality to the characters and the various seagulls on the beach.

Reviewed by Sheila Dube, Youth Services Librarian

four-stars

every little letter

every little letterEvery Little Letter by Deborah Underwood, Joy Hwang Ruiz
Published by Dial Books on August 4, 2020
ISBN: 0525554025
Pages: 40
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

What a sweet book! In a world where each letter in the alphabet is separated by walls, one lowercase h dares to peek through a crack and meets a lowercase i. They immediately hit it off but the uppercase letters are having none of it. The lowercase letters enlist others and they all persevere and eventually win over the stubborn uppercases and, suddenly, everyone’s world becomes more loving and wonderful. This is a simple idea done well, with adorable illustrations and a lovely message.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

How Long is Forever

How Long is ForeverHow Long Is Forever? by Kelly Carey, Qing Zhuang
Published by Charlesbridge Publishing on April 7, 2020
ISBN: 1580895786
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Mason grumbles that waiting for Nana’s blueberry pie “is taking forever.” Amused—and eager to distract his grandson—Grandpa asks Mason if he knows how long forever is which results in a romp through the fields and stream. Pie is done and waiting is over and Mason reaches some understanding of forever. Forever, he asserts, is how long he’ll love Nana’s pie AND how long he’ll love Grandpa and Nana. Sweet but subtle intergenerational relationship is depicted in story and pictures. On the last page Mason and grandpa are washing the dishes but no mention is made of this. Mason has light-brown skin; his grandparents’ skin is pale. Grandpa has stark white hair and white facial hair; Nana looks less stereotypical, with a blonde bob and red eyeglasses. Good choice for Storytime. Warning: this book might make you hungry for pie but the author provides a link to recipe for one-minute blueberry-cobbler-in-a-mug so you won’t have to wait FOREVER!

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

Love, Sophia on the Moon

Love, Sophia on the MoonLove, Sophia on the Moon by Anica Mrose Rissi, Mika Song
Published by Disney-Hyperion on March 31, 2020
ISBN: 1368022855
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

When Sophia is put in timeout, she decides to runaway to the moon with her cat, Mr. Wubbles. Beginning with a note for her mom,  a back-and-forth letter writing between Sophia and her mom tells the story. The notes are cleverly written and a gentle reminder to kids that parents still love them even when they yell at them. Mom and daughter both have tan skin and straight, black hair.

Note: Author grew up “on an island off the coast of Maine.”

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

One Little Bag

One Little BagOne Little Bag: An Amazing Journey by Henry Cole
Published by Scholastic Press on April 7, 2020
ISBN: 1338359975
Pages: 48
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This is a gorgeously illustrated wordless picture book. It follows the life of one paper bag as it is reused and repurposed throughout one person’s entire life. It begins with a tree and ends in a surprising full circle way. Henry Cole’s illustrations are detailed, and full of character. The book is almost entirely black and white, except for the paper bag. Even though the focus is the bag, there are so many other things wrapped up in this story — family, love, environment, compassion, and more. Highly recommended for readers 3 and up and recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

Emergency Kittens

Emergency KittensEmergency Kittens! by Dave Mottram, Jody Jensen Shaffer
Published by Doubleday Books for Young Readers on January 7, 2020
ISBN: 1984830082
Pages: 32
Genres: Adventure, Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Got a problem? Maybe you need a superhero, or maybe you’d be better off with — EMERGENCY KITTENS! This book pokes fun at traditional superheroes and finds that a cartoonish squad of emergency kittens is much more helpful than someone with superhero strength who may also be wearing tights. Kids will enjoy the silly nature of the story and the high contrast, cartoon-like illustrations will keep them engaged. Recommended for readers 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Nothing in Common

Nothing in CommonNothing in Common by Corinna Luyken, Kate Hoefler
ISBN: 0544774787
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Two neighbors have nothing in common until they notice they both like to watch an old man walking his dog. They still have nothing else in common, but one day they both notice the old man doesn’t have his dog anymore. They both take on a quest to find the dog, and in the process, they find they have much more in common than they previously thought.

This is a sweet story of friendship that reminds us how we’re all connected more closely than we believe. The story is a little metaphorical at times but not so much that kids will be lost. Corinna Luyken comes throught will beautiful and colorful illustrations, per usual. The overall theme of the book is blue and red, and the combinations of those two colors throughout bring the commonalities of the two friends to the forefront. Recommended for readers 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Imaginaries

ImaginariesThe Imaginaries: Little Scraps of Larger Stories by Emily Winfield Martin
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on February 4, 2020
ISBN: 0553511033
Pages: 80
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This book is presented entirely as one sentence per page. Each sentence is handwritten on a scrap of paper, old envelope, etc., and each is accompanied by an illustration that may pair well with the sentence. The sentences aren’t related, and they are a great launching point for letting imaginations run wild. The illustrations are beautiful and really bring the quips to life, though as a writing or art exercise, it would be fun to present the sentences without showing the art. Recommended for readers 4 and up, though this book may be lost on young audiences. Even the youngest readers, however, will love the beautiful pictures.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

If You Were Night

If You Were NightIf You Were Night by Kelly Pousette, Mượn Thị Văn
Published by Kids Can Press on September 1, 2020
ISBN: 1525300148
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

If you were night, what would you do? This book asks the reader a series of questions about what might happen if they were the night. The text is poetic and lyrical, and the paper cut illustrations are beautiful. The entire book has a dark feel to it (color-wise, not dark sinister) which plays perfectly with the night theme. The book is gorgeous but the overall concept will be lost on some younger readers. It does allow for fun conversations that invoke imaginative play. Recommended for readers 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Stand up! Speak up!

Stand up! Speak up!Stand Up! Speak Up!: A Story Inspired by the Climate Change Revolution by Andrew Joyner
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on October 6, 2020
ISBN: 0593301587
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

This book encourages readers to get active in their communities to fight climate change. The book begins with a kid participating in a climate change rally. They then go home and watch the discouraging news about the effects of climate change with their parents. The child is unable to sleep but hatches a plan to get active in local government.

The text is entirely two word sentences that end with the word “up” — write up, speak up, stand up, hands up, etc. The illustrations are black and white with green accents, and are very detailed and busy. This book definitely requires more discussion with young readers as there’s actually quite a bit there. The back pages include more information about young people acting and participating in climate change activism. Recommended for readers 4 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars