Format: Picture Book Fiction

Who Will You Be?

Who Will You Be?Who Will You Be? by Andrea Pippins
Published by Schwartz & Wade on April 7, 2020
ISBN: 1984849484
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This book is a celebration of family. It asks the reader, who will you become? Will you be like your daddy, your cousin, your grandma, and so on. Even if children are adopted, this book will resonate because it focuses on personality traits and not physical attributes. Will you be curious, bold, compassionate, grateful?

The illustrations are simple, colorful, high contrast, and compliment the story well. The family depicted is diverse racially as well as in familial make up giving the book a more inclusive feel. It mentions more family members than the traditional family unit. Recommended for children 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring

Goodbye Winter, Hello SpringGoodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Pak
Published by Henry Holt & Company on February 18, 2020
ISBN: 1250151724
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

This is another installment in the series of books by Pak examining the shift in the seasons. Here, a boy and his dog explore the many ways that things change from winter to spring — snow melts, mud appears, the light is warmer, etc.

It is a sweet exploration of the natural world around us, and a welcome addition to library collections, especially if the previous books like this circulate well. Pak’s illustrations are subtle but effective. I love his use of color and how it becomes much warmer as the book moves more towards spring. Recommended for children 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Frog and Toad: Little Book of Big Thoughts

Frog and Toad: Little Book of Big ThoughtsFrog and Toad: A Little Book of Big Thoughts by Arnold Lobel
ISBN: 0062983415
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

I love Frog and Toad, so I was excited to see this book. It is a collection of quotes from the beloved and timeless Frog and Toad series of early readers. It captures some of Frog and Toad’s good times and is a great reminder of why the books are so great.

The premise of the book is to highlight things that make great friends great. If your kids haven’t ever read the Frog and Toad series, they may be confused with this book. It feels a bit more like a book someone would gift to an adult as a reminder of their friendship than a picture book written for children. This is definitely an additional purchase for larger libraries. Recommended for kids 4 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Frog and Toad: A Little Book of Big Thoughts

Frog and Toad: A Little Book of Big ThoughtsFrog and Toad: A Little Book of Big Thoughts by Arnold Lobel
ISBN: 0062983415
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

I love Frog and Toad, so I was excited to see this book. It is a collection of quotes from the beloved and timeless Frog and Toad series of early readers. It captures some of Frog and Toad’s good times and is a great reminder of why the books are so great. The premise of the book is to highlight things that make great friends great. If your kids haven’t ever read the Frog and Toad series, they may be confused with this book. It feels a bit more like a book someone would gift to an adult as a reminder of their friendship than a picture book written for children. This is definitely an additional purchase for larger libraries. Recommended for kids 4 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Sunny

SunnySunny by Celia Krampien
Published by Roaring Brook Press on February 11, 2020
ISBN: 125031660X
Pages: 40
Genres: Adventure
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Sunny sees the good in situations where others simply complain — the rain, being carried away by a strong gust of wind, being late to school, etc. This is a sweet book about making the best of otherwise unfavorable situations. I love the positive message in this book, but I love even more that it shows that it’s ok to cry when you need it. The illustrations are fairly monochromatic with yellow highlights — Sunny’s umbrella, for example. This is a great book to share with kids of all ages as the message is a really good one. Recommended for kids 2 and up and for consideration for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

five-stars

Summer Song

Summer SongSummer Song by Kevin Henkes, Laura Dronzek
Published by Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins on April 7, 2020
ISBN: 0062866133
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

The last in Henkes’ season series is both striking in eye appeal and language.  Beginning with an invitational poem printed on the jacket this story engages young readers.  The writer and illustrator demonstrate that obviously summer is a time of color, music, wonder, and adventure.  Importance is placed on green growing plants but other colors of the season are not ignored.  Readers may find themselves whispering as a youngster lays quietly in the grass listening to small creatures. Yet on the following two-page spread children will fly around the room following imaginary fireflies.

Summer Song is a very pleasing story of our natural environment complete with many animals.  This reader is captivated by the adorable white cat.  Which creature will other readers fall in love with? The illustrations are wonderful, perfectly matching the text as they flow across the pages.  As a librarian I looked for concept books that explored the seasons.  I am glad to add this title to my favorite list of seasonal books where In the Middle of the Fall stands at the top.  Add to all public libraries and to K classrooms and primary media centers.  Also purchase for pre-schools and day care centers where seasonal changes are introduced.

five-stars

I Dream of a Journey

I Dream of a JourneyI Dream of a Journey by Akiko Miyakoshi
on March 3, 2020
ISBN: 152530478X
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

This book follows a hotel keeper and his life of solitude. All day, everyday, the hotel keeper meets people who travel far and wide, yet he spends all his days in the hotel only hearing their stories of adventures. At night, he dreams of traveling to far off places and of being free to explore. The book ends with the hotel keeper pondering packing his suitcase and leaving one day. How would his absence affect the people who expect him to be in one place all the time?

The melancholy tone combined with the greater implications of the hotel keeper’s impending departure lends itself more to an adult audience than the intended readers. Kids will enjoy the beautiful and whimsical colored pencil illustrations, but the greater subtleties of the story will be lost on them. Recommended for kids 6 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

What’s That Noise?

What’s That Noise?What's That Noise? by Naomi Howarth
ISBN: 1536213527
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

Magnus, an Arctic seal, wakes up one morning to a strange rumbling sound. He traverses the Artic landscape asking various animal friends along the way to help him figure out the source of the rumbling. Turns out, Magnus is hungry!

This picture book exposes kids to different animals found in the Arctic, but that’s about the only redeeming feature of it. The story is just uninspiring. The illustrations are colorful and fun. There is information at the back about the animals encountered in the story for kids who want to learn a bit more. Recommended for kids 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

two-stars

Dirt Cheap

Dirt CheapDirt Cheap by Mark Hoffmann
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on April 21, 2020
ISBN: 1524719943
Pages: 40
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Birdie wants a new soccer ball, but she doesn’t have the money to buy one. She decides to try selling things to make some money. When no one wants her stuff, she opts for selling dirt.

This is a charming and funny story about working hard to achieve a goal. Birdie also works through some different ways to make 25 cents (the cost of her dirt) so it’s a good opportunity for working in some math practice. The narrator talks to and with Birdie, but different fonts make it obvious who’s speaking. The illustrations are bold with exaggerated features and expressive faces. Recommended for kids 4 and up, this could be a fun one for a small story time group as well. A second purchase for larger collections.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars