Month: November 2015

Shark Detective!

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Image Credit: Balzar + Bray (HarperCollins), Jessica Olien

Image Credit: Balzar + Bray (HarperCollins), Jessica Olien

Shark Detective is one of my favorite picture books for 2015. It’s a relatively simple story but sometimes simple is the most difficult to pull off. Olien’s shark tale makes me smile every time I read it; there’s something very endearing about Shark and his desire to become a detective. He’s a gentleman and has everyone’s best interests in mind, even when they are less than understanding about his sharky appearance.

Shark lives a lonely life in a hotel room where he dreams of being a big time detective. He gets his break when he notices a “Missing Kitty” poster on the street and decides to put his skills to the test. Shark doesn’t take this mission lightly; he does plenty of thoughtful research to solve the mystery and even makes a friend along the way.

Olien’s bold digital illustrations are great. I love the extra attention to detail with her characters’ expressions. Shark Detective is not only smart; it’s also a cute story about determination and friendship. I’m really hoping there will be a sequel because I’m anxious to see what case Shark Detective will sniff out next!

Recommended for: All ages
Great for: Friendship, Humor, Discussion, Sharks, Animals, Mystery, Community
Book Info: Shark Detective by Jessica Olien, 2015 Balzar + Bray (HarperCollins), ISBN: 9780062357144

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Flotsam

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Image Credit: Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin), David Wiesner

Image Credit: Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin), David Wiesner

I’ve mentioned earlier how much I love a bold line and simple images that “pop.” Well, I also love DETAILED illustrations. David Wiesner is a master at storytelling through skilled detail. I love his book Flotsam and it’s very easy to see why this book won the 2007 Caldecott Medal.

Image Credit: Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin), David Wiesner

Image Credit: Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin), David Wiesner

This book is wordless. The lack of words encourage imagination and the illustrations have so much packed into them that you can come up with various interpretations of what’s happening. Keep staring at the gorgeous watercolor illustrations and you will find something new each time.

In Flotsam, a curious boy enjoys a day at the beach when suddenly, a huge wave knocks him over and washes up an old underwater camera. Inside he finds a roll of film, gets it developed and what he discovers is pretty amazing; a mechanical fish, a hot-air-ballon-puffin fish and more! Has he discovered the secrets of the ocean?? Each photo is even more fantastic than the first. Perhaps the coolest discovery is a portrait of every child that’s found the camera taking a photo with the portrait photo found before. I love this aspect of the book because we see children from all over the world and throughout time, who, like the young man in the story, discovered the wonders inside the camera. If you have a child with a vivid imagination, they will enjoy this book because it encourages fantasy and creativity.

Recommended for: All ages
Great for: Creative Thinking, Storytelling, Discussion, Diversity, Cultural Diversity
Book Info: Flotsam by David Wiesner, 2006 Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin), ISBN: 9780618194575

So Much

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Image Credit: Candlewick Press, Trish Cooke/Helen Oxenbury

Image Credit: Candlewick Press, Trish Cooke/Helen Oxenbury

My mother found this book for me at a thrift store and I’m so grateful she did! Trish Cooke is Afro-Caribbean from the UK and not only does the book show a loving family of color but she uses Afro-Caribbean English to write the story. I also really like her book Full, Full, Full of Love. The beginning of So Much has a nice rhythm that’s great for little ones to follow. Another thing I love about this book is that it’s illustrated by the great Helen Oxenbury.  Oxenbury and Cooke create a lovable story about a little baby and his family that loves him SO MUCH.

So Much begin with the baby sitting with his mom, simply enjoying the day, then the doorbell rings and another member of the family arrives. Each time someone new comes, they say they want to squeeze the baby, kiss the baby, so much! The father comes home tired from work to a house full of love.  There are some negative reviews online for this book’s “bad grammar.” I don’t think those reviewers took the time to research the author’s background or simply didn’t care. I love the addition of Afro-Caribbean English because 1). It is different and 2). Cooke is sharing her culture with her readers.

Oxenbury’s gouache illustrations are lovely; her paintings depict movement and joy and love. I especially love the pages where the family is crowded together, dancing and having a good time because it reminds me of my family. I also love how 90s the illustrations are; there are lots of sneakers, baggy shirts, caps and funky prints (This book was first printed in 1994!). In the author/illustrator notes at the back of the book, Oxenbury says that this book was the first time she had to illustrate only humans (none of her signature animals at all) and that it was a challenge. I think she did an excellent job and if you look closely, the baby’s teddy bear has great expressions! I think you will enjoy this book so much!

Recommended for: Toddlers and up
Great for: Family, Diversity, Cultural Diversity,
Book Info: So Much by Trish Cooke/Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, 1997 Candlewick Press, ISBN: 9780763602963
*Note– This book is possibly out of print. If you can’t find it at a bookstore, check at your local library, used bookstores and online.

It’s Picture Book Month!

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Image Credit: picturebookmonth.com, Joyce Wan

Image Credit: picturebookmonth.com, Joyce Wan

A whole month to celebrate picture books?? I’m on it!  🙂

In case you didn’t know, Picture Book Month is an international effort founded by author and storyteller Dianne de Las Casas. Every day on picturebookmonth.com, an illustrator and/or author will post an essay about the importance of picture books! Picture books help spark creativity in children, encourage storytelling and they are beautiful.

Check out this awesome post by LeUyen Pham:  Why Picture Books Are Important by LeUyen Pham

In addition to this site, I also recommend the book Show Me A Story: Why Picture Books Matter. Leonard S. Marcus interviews 21 amazing picture book authors/ illustrators. I’ll most likely formally review this book in the near future.

Happy Reading!

Specs for Rex

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Image Credit: Bloomsbury, Yasmeen Ismail

Image Credit: Bloomsbury, Yasmeen Ismail

I remember when I started wearing glasses in the 8th grade. I wasn’t too thrilled about having a pair of weird things on my face all the time. Most of us have gone through a stage in our life when we didn’t like something about our appearance. In the cute picture book, Specs for Rex, Rex is SUPER DETERMINED to get rid of his bright red glasses.

Rex tries every way possible to hide his new glasses. He even puts them in his jelly sandwich at lunchtime! During Art time, he makes a mess painting his glasses in order to turn them into sunglasses. Thanks to his teacher, he gets a boost of confidence when he realizes just how helpful brand new glasses can be. Ismail’s vivid watercolor illustrations are great; they’re perfect for portraying Rex’s messiness while he romps through his classroom. This is a great book for children who are feeling a little self conscious. It reminds them that it’ll all work out in the end!

Recommended for: Kindergarten and up
Great for: Colors, Friendship, Confidence, Classroom, Community, Discussion, New Glasses
Book Info: Specs for Rex by Yasmeen Ismail, 2014 Bloomsbury, ISBN: 9781619637108

Exciting News! Diverse Book Flyer

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I woke up this morning to some super exciting news. We Need Diverse Books is teaming up with Scholastic Reading Club to produce a special book club flyer featuring more than 75 diverse books!!   🙂 🙂

This is more of what we need. Book fairs and book clubs are the first opportunity for many kids to own books; especially if they are from low income neighborhoods. Many people don’t realize how going to a bookstore can be a luxury for many families. This collaboration is a big step towards getting these books into the hands of children who need them!  I’m extremely excited about the potential this collaboration has to spread awareness of the diverse titles that are already out there.

I also really hope the list of books includes good Native American books because that demographic is largely overlooked and underrepresented. I can already think of two good ones for the target age of this project (4th-8th grade): Eagle Song and On This Long Journey, the Journal of Jesse Smoke, a Cherokee Boy, the Trail of Tears, 1838, by Joseph Bruchac.

Follow this link to read more about this announcement! Parents and teachers, keep an eye out for the book flyer coming to your schools soon.

Update: Click here for a PDF of the book flyer! Check out all the great titles!

Everyone Loves Bacon

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Image Credit: Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan), Kelly DiPucchio/Eric Wight

Image Credit: Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan), Kelly DiPucchio/Eric Wight

Recently the World Health Organization said we should limit the amount of bacon we eat because it (and other processed meats) can lead to cancer…But guess what? We can still READ about bacon!!

Kelly DiPucchio’s latest book, Everyone Loves Bacon, is a hoot. Bacon is full of himself. He’s a hot-shot with an ego issue. He knows that everyone loves him; how can they not? He’s amazing. He has tons of adoring fans (including Pancake) and even a few enemies (French Toast is one). He’s the life of the party BUT Bacon makes a big mistake. He starts to forget about his friends when his popularity goes to his crispy head. You can’t forget about your friends Bacon!

Eric Wight’s illustrations are wonderfully retro and bright. The story takes place at an old school diner so we get to see the old diner tables, glass straw dispensers, mini coin jukeboxes and all the nostalgic goodness of greasy spoon living. Also, I’m a sucker for cute illustrations, especially cute food with faces. Ugh! They get me EVERY time. I really love this book with all its puns and silly humor and I hope you will too.

Recommended for: All Ages
Great for: Humor, Discussion, Morals
Book Info: Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPucchio/Illustrated by Eric Wight, 2015 Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan), ISBN: 9780374300524

Where’s Walrus? and Penguin?

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Image Credit: Scholastic, Stephen Savage

Image Credit: Scholastic, Stephen Savage

I picked this book up to review and then I looked at the author and these were my thoughts “Oh I like this one a lot, let’s review it…OMG it’s Stephen Savage. No wonder I like it!” I previously reviewed his book Supertruck which is about a garbage truck with a secret identity. His most recent book however is about adventurous zoo animals. I love the endpaper. I’ve mentioned before how much I love endpapers… 🙂

Look at the beauty

Look at the beauty

On a rainy day at the zoo, Walrus and Penguin make a break for it. Mr. Zookeeper searches for them throughout the city but they’re just too clever at blending in. This is a silly book that’ll provide lots of chuckles for you and your child. You’ll enjoy searching for Walrus and Penguin on each page. There’s room for discussion and storytelling because the story is wordless. Savage’s signature simplistic, bold digital illustrations are great. If you love this one, be sure to check out the original book, Where’s Walrus? because it’s just as awesome!

Recommended for: Toddlers and young readers
Great for: Storytelling, Colors, Animals, Humor
Book Info: Where’s Walrus? and Penguin? by Stephen Savage, 2015 Scholastic Press, ISBN: 9780545402958

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker

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Image Credit: Abrams, Robbie Robertson/David Shannon

Image Credit: Abrams, Robbie Robertson/David Shannon

November is Native American Heritage Month and to kick off the month right, I’m paying homage to a place that’s special to me. I attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and the campus sits on Cayuga land. The Cayuga are one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). I learned a lot from Haudenosaunee people and I love their land (it is gorges up there). So the first book I’ll review to celebrate this month is an AMAZING new picture book called Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson and illustrated by David Shannon.

This book tells the story of how the warring nations of the Haudnosaunee came together in peace. Hiawatha is a sad man with anger in his heart because the evil Onondaga Chief Tadadaho killed his wife and children; he is hell-bent on revenge. One day, a man called the Peacemaker comes and tells Hiawatha that he needs him to carry his message of Peace, Power and Righteousness to all the nations. Hiawatha has to look inside himself to realize the power of forgiveness.

This story will be familiar to some readers and brand new to most but what shines about this book is not only its powerful message, but that it’s by a Native American author (Robertson is Mohawk and Cayuga) and Shannon’s oil paintings are beautiful. There are many books about Native peoples by non-Native authors; some are well researched and are respectful but many are not. Robertson tells his people’s story and that in and of itself gives power to this book. David Shannon worked with Robertson to create bold illustrations that carry the power of the story. They are so very strong. This book will appeal to artists, lovers of Native Studies and history, and any child or adult who craves a great story.

Recommended for: All ages, especially 4th grade and up
Great for: History, Native American Heritage Month, Cultural Diversity, Discussion, We Need Diverse Books
Book Info: Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson/Illustrated by David Shannon, 2015 Abrams, ISBN: 9781419712203