Four 2012 Picture Books

Jangles. David Shannon. 2012. Scholastic. (October) 32 pages.

When the sun goes down and the weather's just right, Big Lake gets smooth as glass and a thin mist whispers across it. That's when you might catch a glimpse of Jangles. My father told me lots of stories, but my favorite was about a giant trout he saw when he was a kid. I still remember sitting with him in front of the big stone fireplace at the cabin. He pulled out a dirty green tackle box and shook it a couple times so it rattled. Then he told me this story....

My review: I found this one dark and creepy. The author probably wasn't going for scary-creepy-dark-and-disturbing, I think I brought that along with me. But there *was* something disturbing about the art to me. I can't help that. The text of the story itself is fantastical. It is a celebration of storytelling, perhaps. Not that I exactly appreciated the subject of the storytelling: the big fish that always, always gets away. I can see this one appealing to fish enthusiasts. For boys who love going fishing with their fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, etc. But for me, it didn't appeal at all.

Read Jangles
    •    If you love fishing
    •    If you love tall tales
    •    If you love books that celebrate fathers telling stories to their sons

Bailey at the Museum. Harry Bliss. 2012. Scholastic. (September) 32 pages.

Today is the school trip. Bailey is excited.

My review:  I believe this is not the first picture book starring Bailey. Anyway, Bailey is a dog in Mrs. Smith's class. (His classmates are all human.) He is very, very, very excited to be going to the museum. As are most of the other students. But Bailey has a way of getting into trouble--more trouble--than the other members of the class. He gets into so much trouble that he has to have a new partner for the day, a guard.

Read Bailey at the Museum
    •    If you like silly picture books starring trouble-making dogs.
    •    If you like picture books about field trips and museums.

It's Duffy Time. Audrey and Don Wood. 2012. Scholastic. (October) 40 pages.

Oh no!
Duffy overslept!
The air smells like breakfast.
Duffy races into the kitchen and asks for a bite to eat.
"Not yet," his mistress says.
"It's time to go out and potty."
So Duffy does.
Waiting at the door in the warm sunshine makes Duffy sleepy, so he takes his before breakfast nap.

My review: This one was very, very cute. I think for dog-lovers especially, it will be a must read. This book celebrates dogs and their doggy habits. What does Duffy love? Well, Duffy does love playing. And he does love eating. But most of all Duffy loves to take naps. He takes before breakfast naps, after breakfast naps, midmorning naps, early afternoon naps, etc. The text is just fun. And I'd definitely recommend it for those that love dogs.

Read It's Duffy Time
    •    If you love dogs
    •    If you love naps
    •    If you love Audrey and Don Wood

Tabby McTat: The Musical Cat. Julia Donaldson. Illustrated by Axel Scheffler. 2012. Scholastic. December. 32 pages.

Tabby McTat was a busker's cat with a meow that was loud and strong. The two of them sang of this and that, and people threw coins in the old checked hat, and this was their favorite song: "Me, you, and the old guitar, how perfectly, perfectly happy we are. Meee-ew and the old guitar, how purrrr-fectly happy we are."

My review: I do love cats. And I do love music. But oddly enough this picture book about a musical cat just didn't work for me. It was definitely an almost book for me. Tabby McTat becomes distracted one day by an oh-so-lovely cat with green eyes. He becomes so distracted that he doesn't notice that Fred, the busker, has been robbed and in the process of chasing the thief, he breaks a leg and has to go to the hospital. Later when he is somewhat less distracted and ready to return to his work, Fred is gone. He thinks Fred has left him, abandoned him. So he finds a new home  (with his lady friend) and in due time three kittens are born. Meanwhile, part of him still misses Fred. And this missing-Fred grows and grows until he decides one day to leave his new family and go in search of his old. He does find Fred, but, he also finds that the musical life is no longer for him. However, one of his kittens, seems to be a perfect match for Fred.  This one was so odd! And slightly disturbing in some ways!

Read Tabby McTat

    •    If you like/love cats
    •    If you like/love music, traveling musicians

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Four 2012 Picture Books

Maudie and Bear. Jan Ormerod. Illustrated by Freya Blackwood. 2012. Penguin. 48 pages.

"I need some exercise," said Maudie.
"Fresh air would be nice," said Bear.
"How about a bike ride?" said Maudie. 
"Let's go," said Bear. 
"One moment," said Maudie. "I need my sunglasses."
Soon Maudie came back with her sunglasses.
"Ready?" asked Bear.
"One moment," said Maudie. "I'll fetch our hats."
"Ready?" asked Bear.
"One moment," said Maudie. "I need my scarf."

 Maudie and Bear is a picture book with five individual stories starring Maudie and Bear. The first story, "The Bike Ride" is about the two getting some "exercise" in on a nice day. Readers will probably notice that it's Bear doing the exercise and Maudie having all the fun. The second story, "Home Sweet Home," has a moody Maudie taking on the role of Goldilocks. It is an odd story, in my opinion, and I'm not quite sure what to make of Maudie's moodiness at the end of the story. (Has she learned anything or not?) "The Snack" stars a demanding Maudie and an ever-patient Bear. Her contribution to the big snack is gathering dandelions. Bear's is to prepare all the food. But not just prepare any food. Certain foods in certain ways. And the table has to be just so, etc. This story probably is my least favorite. It's one thing to ask for a snack or meal--it's another to be so perfectionist about it. What really bothers me is that after all this work, SHE DOESN'T EVEN EAT IT. "Making Up" stars a sensitive and moody Maudie. When Maudie is dancing, Bear got the giggles. Bear does apologize for laughing, but Maudie stomps off mad anyway. How long will she stay mad? And what will Bear have to do to make it up to her? The fifth and final story is "Telling Stories." In this one, Maudie gets upset with Bear for falling asleep when she is telling a story. This one may just be my favorite of the five.

"Bear," said Maudie, "let's both sit in your big chair while you tell me a story."
"Certainly," said Bear.
So Bear told Maudie a story.
"That was a good story," said Maudie. "Now I will tell you a story. Once upon a time, long, long ago and far, far away..."
Bear closed his eyes.
"Bear!" said Maudie. "Do not go to sleep while I am telling you a story."
"I am not asleep," said Bear. "I am listening with my eyes shut."

I enjoyed some of the stories in this picture book, but not all five. Maudie can be a brat, at times, highlighting how children can be self-centered or self-absorbed. But I saw something more than that in Maudie too. Is this truly a book about friendship? Or is it a book about the parent-child relationship?

This one was originally published in Australia.

Read Maudie and Bear

• If you're looking for books about family or friends
• If you're looking for picture books with multiple stories
• If you're looking for books that highlight the different emotions kids experience 
• If you're looking for international picture books

Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat. Susanna Reich. Illustrated by Amy Bates. 2012. Abrams. 40 pages.

Minette Mimosa McWilliams Child was a very lucky cat, perhaps the luckiest cat in all of Paris. Day and night she could hear the bells of Sainte-Clotilde tolling the hour. And day and night she could smell the delicious smells of mayonnaise, hollandaise, cassoulets, cheese souffles, and duck pates wafting from the pots and pans of her owner, Julia Child. But life had not always been like this for Minette. Oh no, not at all.

I really enjoyed Minette's Feast. This picture book shares with readers the story of Julia Child's time in Paris through the eyes of a cat. A cat who mostly preferred mouse or bird--but could sometimes be tempted by the treats of her owner, Julia Child. While Bon Appetit! spans Julia's whole life, this one is more focused on a specific time and place. I love the glimpse of French culture--the sprinkling of French words. I do enjoy the cat's perspective, for the most part. Though this cat is a little too obsessed with mice! I really enjoyed the illustrations as well. I thought she did a great job of capturing Julia and Paul, and, of course the many many moods of the cat.

Read Minette's Feast

• If you love cats
• If you love Julia Child and/or cooking
• If you are looking for picture books highlighting French culture

Just Because You're Mine. Sally Lloyd Jones. Illustrated by Frank Endersby. 2012. HarperCollins. 32 pages. 


Little Red Squirrel and his daddy were playing in the big wood. "Daddy!" shouted Little Red Squirrel. "Look at me!" And he scampered off. First Little Red Squirrel showed his dad his Super Fast Running. He  ran between the two elm trees, racing as fast as he could, faster than the wind. "Little Red Squirrel," his daddy called after him. "Did I tell you today that I love you?" 
"Because why?" asked Little Red Squirrel. (He was spinning now, faster and faster, round and round in circles. "Daddy," said the spinning Little Red Squirrel. "Do you love me because I'm fast?" (Then he fell over, of course, because he was so dizzy.)

While I have seen people comparing this one to the Love You Forever, I'm not sure that's a fair comparison. To me, it feels more like Guess How Much I Love You. Will it please every reader? Of course not. Some people do not like their picture books so sweet and sugary. (It does remind me of the Mr. Rogers' song "It's You I Like.") But I did enjoy certain aspects of it. I did like the message that a parent's love is unconditional. It's NOT based on performance. It's not based on beauty or talent or skill. I do think this one would be a great one for Christian families illustrating the Father's love for his children--the spiritual concept of adoption or even election.

Read Just Because You're Mine

• If you like super-sweet, affectionate books about the parent-child relationship
• If you are looking for picture books with the theme of unconditional love

Z is for Moose. Kelly Bingham. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinksy. 2012. HarperCollins. 32 pages. 

A is for Apple
B is for Ball
C is for Cat
D is for Moose
Moose? No. 
Moose does not start with D. You are on the wrong page. 

Z is for Moose may just be my favorite of the picture books I'm reviewing today. It is fun and playful and would be great to read aloud! It is one of the best alphabet books I've read in years!!! In this one, Zebra is the boss of the alphabet book. Zebra has a clipboard and knows exactly how things should go. But Moose, well, Moose has ideas too. And he doesn't want to wait around for the letter M. Beginning with the letter D, Moose is pretty insistent that he be a part of every page of this one!!! Not everyone is happy about this, of course, the Queen looks quite startled!!! Will Moose get a proper turn?

I just loved, loved, loved Z is for Moose!!! I would definitely recommend it!

Read Z is for Moose

• If you want to laugh!
• If you enjoy funny alphabet books!
• If you're looking for a Moose to love!

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Two 2012 Picture Books

And Then It's Spring. Julie Fogliano. Illustrated by Erin E. Stead. 2012. Roaring Brook Press. 32 pages.

First you have brown, all around you have brown 
then there are seeds 
and a wish for rain,
and then it rains
and it is still brown,
but a hopeful, very possible sort of brown,

A little boy is waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting for spring. He's waiting patiently--for the most part--for the seeds he planted to sprout. He's waiting for the world to change from brown to green...

This one is a nice read. I enjoyed the story, really enjoyed some of the writing. And the illustrations are nice. Some of the details are quite nice! For example, following the various animals from spread to spread--the dog, the rabbit, the turtle, etc. And I appreciated how spring came when he wasn't looking for it--looking for it so anxiously that is.

Read And It's Spring

• If you're looking for a picture books about spring, about the changing of the seasons
• If you're looking for picture books about gardening, planting seeds, nature, etc.
• If you're looking for books about patience

Baby Bear Sees Blue. Ashley Wolff. 2012. Simon & Schuster. 40 pages.

Deep down in the den, 
Baby Bear wakes up.
He yawns and blinks
and stretches his stubby legs.
In the den's dark wall,
an opening slowly fills with light.
A glow creeps in.
"Who is warming me, Mama?"
asks Baby Bear.
"That is the sun," Mama says.
Baby Bear sees yellow.
At the mouth of the den,
leaves dance on a twig.
"Who is waving to me, Mama?"
asks Baby Bear.
"That is the oak," Mama says.
Baby Bear sees green.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Ashley Wolff's Baby Bear Sees Blue!!!! It may just be one of my favorite, favorite books of the year. Readers meet Mama Bear and Baby Bear. Readers share in the experience as Baby Bear experiences the wonder of the world for the very first time. It's a book that celebrates life, celebrates nature, celebrates beauty, and, of course, showcases COLORS.  (I believe it also does a good job with the five senses.) Baby Bear is very, very curious. He asks his Mama lots of questions; there's a pattern in this one, a use of repetition, which I definitely appreciate. I think children will be able to anticipate and participate in this one--especially after they hear it a time or two.

Loved the writing and the illustrations!!! This is one I'd definitely recommend.

Read Baby Bear Sees Blue

• If you're looking for picture books about spring, about changing of seasons,
• If you're looking for picture books that celebrate nature, beauty of creation/nature
• If you're looking for a concept book about colors
• If you're looking for picture books that celebrate curiosity and the asking of questions
• If you like books about bears

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Books That Celebrate Playing

My Dad is the Best Playground. Luciana Navarro Powell. 2012. Random House. 26 pages. [Board Book]

My dad is the best playground, the most fun of all. 
He's the highest swing and a great climbing wall.
Dad is the longest tunnel I've ever crawled through.
Monkey bars, seesaw, and a bouncy trampoline, too.

These two little ones just LOVE their Dad. He does make the best playground, after all. Where big sister goes, baby soon follows, as you'll notice as you read this fun and playful new board book by Luciana Navarro Powell. The text is fun, playful, spirited, definitely matching the energy of the characters. The rhyming works for me, for the most part. I would definitely recommend this one!

Higher! Higher! Leslie Patricelli. 2010. Candlewick Press. 30 pages. [Board Book]

Higher! Higher!

How high can a father push his little girl on the swings? Read Leslie Patricelli's oh-so-delightful book Higher! Higher! and see for yourself. A little imagination goes a long, long, long way you'll see. For she goes higher and higher and higher, and she just might make it all the way to outer space! The illustrations are at the heart of this one, it is in paying attention to the illustrations that you'll find delight. The text of this one is extremely simple: just one word "Higher!" repeated again and again and again...as one little girl has a very fun time playing with her Dad. 

Faster! Faster! Leslie Patricelli. 2012. Candlewick Press. [Picture Book]

Faster! Faster!

I really LOVED Leslie Patricelli's Higher! Higher! I've loved all her baby books really. Faster! Faster! is no exception. In this playful follow-up, readers see a little girl and her Dad at the park once again. She wants a ride on his back, this time. (The swings are occupied, did you notice?!) She wants him to go faster! faster! Can Dad go faster than a dog chasing a ball? faster than a rabbit? faster than an ostrich? faster than a horse? Read for yourself and see!!! Just how long can he keep up this fast pace?! It is imaginative, fun, playful, spirited. And very, very simple!!! 

Read My Dad is the Best Playground; Higher! Higher!; and Faster! Faster!

• If you've got little ones, energetic little ones that love to play and bounce and imagine
• If you're looking for books that encourage play, time spent with Dad
• If you're looking for fun books to read out loud
• If you're a fan of Leslie Patricelli

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

A Book of Cheerful Cats and Other Animated Animals

A Book of Cheerful Cats and Other Animated Animals. J.G. Francis. 1879/1903* Century Co. New York. 45 pages**

Some Cat-land fancies, drawn and dressed
To cheer your mind when it's depressed

I am participating in Literary Odyssey's Victorian Celebration, and I thought it would be great fun to see what types of picture books and story books would have been available at the time. This one was first published in 1879, and it went through a LOT of reprints. The edition they have online was the 1903 reprint.

A Book of Cheerful Cats and Other Animated Animals is an interesting collection of poems, drawings, stories, and sketches. While most of them feature cats, not all of them do. In fact, my particular favorite is the "Study of Hedgehog Stealing An Apple." This one does have a table of contents, by the way. To give you some idea of what to expect, here are a sample of pieces: "Some Fun With a Toy Spider," "The Tea Party," "The Giraffe Ride," "The Bicycle Ride," "The Lion in the Barber-Shop," "The Spring Curtain," "Story of the Catnip Ball," "Coasting Cats," "The Cat-o'-nine Tails."

Here are some of my favorite pages:

Bicycle Ride, page 15

"Oh, dear Papa!" three children cried.
"You promised don't you know?
That next when you should take a ride
All three of us should go."
"I Did," that father said, "You know
I never speak at random.
So get your roller-skates. We'll go
Off in a tearing tandem!" 

Study of Hedgehog Stealing Apple, page 16

 And here is my personal favorite, the one about the hedgehog and the apple!!!

I also found "Spring Curtain. A Drama In Five Acts" to be a lot of fun!!! This one is about courtship, if you will. Which tom cat will she choose? And will the rival get his revenge?




The book does exactly what it promises--it seeks to amuse, to charm, to delight. It shows cats being cats, for example.

Read this picture book of rhymes and stories online.

Read A Book of Cheerful Cats

• If you love cats, love reading about cats, love looking at vintage drawings of cats
• If you like historical picture books, vintage picture books
• If you like the Victorian period

*1879, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1890, 1892, 1903
**It is really hard to say how many pages this one has. There are 45 numbered pages with illustrations and/or text. However, there are a LOT of blank pages.

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Four Picture Book Biographies

Here Come the Girl Scouts!: The Amazing All-True Story of Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low and Her Great Adventure. By Shana Corey. Illustrated by Hadley Hooper. 2012. Scholastic. 40 pages.

Daisy was a girl with gumption. Daisy grew up in Savannah, Georgia, at a time when proper young ladies were supposed to be dainty and delicate. But Daisy came from a family of pathfinders and pioneers. She wanted adventure and excitement! Delicate? thought Daisy. Bosh! How boring! 

There was so much to love about Shana Corey's picture book biography of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts. I loved the text. It was informative, true, but very kid-friendly.

Daisy and her friend Professor Walter Hoxie worked together to write a handbook for the Girl Scouts. The girls read the book and learned all sorts of interesting things such as: How to find the time by the stars or by the sun, how to cure hams, how to secure a burglar with eight inches of cord, how to brush your teeth if a crocodile takes your toothbrush, how to stop a runaway horse, how to get the skin off a sardine. 

I loved the illustrations, thought the style was great! I loved the quotes on each spread, the author's note reveals that many of these quotes come from the very first Girl Scouts Guide published in 1913. Overall, I thought it was very well done! Interesting, informative, relevant, and just fun!

Read Here Come the Girlscouts!

• If you're interested in learning more about the Girl Scouts, and the founder of the Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low
• If you are looking for great biographies to share with children
• If you are looking for a book that highlights the contribution by women to society

Those Rebels, John and Tom. By Barbara Kerley. Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham. 2012. Scholastic. 48 pages.

 The true story of how one gentleman--short and stout--and another--tall and lean--formed a surprising alliance, committed treason, and helped launch a new nation. When John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were young, they were very different. John skipped school to fly kites and shoot marbles. He loved swimming, hunting, wrestling--and the occasional boxing match, just for kicks. Tom didn't skip school. He skipped recess--to study Greek grammar. He loved dancing, playing the violin, and reading all the books in his father's library. When John and Tom grew up, they were even more different.

I definitely enjoyed this one. While this one isn't my favorite, favorite picture book biography by Barbara Kerley, I still think it's a great book. (I happen to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE The Extraordinary Mark Twain and What To Do About Alice.) I think the book is informative--there is so much information included for a picture book--but avoids being boring. I think the narrative is strong, which is what it needs to be if you're going to hold a reader's attention.

And then there were all those taxes! A tax on sugar. On coffee and tea. On glass, on pain, and on calico cloth. Newspapers, contracts, even decks of cards! King George and his government taxed them all. They thought America was nothing but a big fat piggy bank to be turned upside down and shaken for coins. And so, in the fall of 1774, a group of Americans planned a meeting in Philadelphia--a Continental Congress--to figure out what to do about it. Something had to change!

I also enjoyed the illustrations by Edwin Fotheringham. Overall, I thought this was a good book about two of the founding fathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, a good introduction to the Declaration of Independence. The book does not try to tell every little thing about each man, instead it focuses on how their friendship and cooperation helped lead the way to freedom. By showing that two men--men who held very different ideas on many subjects--could come together with a common goal and accomplish quite a bit!

Read Those Rebels, John and Tom

• If you're looking for picture book biographies to share with young children (K-3?)
• If you're looking for patriotic picture books to celebrate America, the fourth of July, etc.
• If you're looking for strong values--friendship, cooperation, teamwork, compromising, listening, etc.
• If you're a fan of Barbara Kerley

Just Behave, Pablo Picasso! By Jonah Winter. Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Scholastic. 48 pages.


One day the world is a peaceful, lovely landscape painting....
The next day--BLAM!--Pablo bursts through the canvas, paintbrush in hand, ready to paint something fresh and new. 

Just Behave, Pablo Picasso is quite an introduction to the artist. It is very creative in its telling, it almost feels too fun to be truly nonfiction. (If that makes sense!) I think it's written in such a way that it will appeal to young readers, it definitely has more of a storybook feel to it. It does cover at least a handful of Picasso's periods as an artists--his styles, moods, techniques, etc. His blue period, his rose period, cubism, etc. It discusses how his art was "received" by the world, by the critics, it discusses how this didn't really have an effect on him, how he did want he wanted, when he wanted, and didn't let anyone tell him what to paint, or how to paint.

All anyone wants is for him to keep painting the same old picture, over and over. Well, guess what? He doesn't want to, he doesn't have to, and he's not going to! HAH! Back in his studio, Pablo starts working on something even more outlandish than his last painting. "Why can't you keep painting beautiful pictures?" asks his wife. "Why can't you keep making art that makes sense?" "The world today doesn't make sense," says Pablo. "Why should I make pictures that do?" And sure enough, much of the world around Pablo doesn't make sense. Everything is changing all the time. New things are being invented: cars, airplanes, telephones, bombs. "But Pablo," says a fellow artist, "your new painting doesn't look real." "Everything you can imagine," says Pablo, "is real."

 I liked this one. I thought it very creative. I thought it would probably make the best read aloud out of all of the picture book biographies I'm reading today.

Read Just Behave, Pablo Picasso

• If you're looking for a kid-friendly, reader-friendly introduction to the artist Pablo Picasso
• If you're looking for art-appreciation picture books

Bon Appetit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child. Jessie Hartland. 2012. Random House. 48 pages. 

She bubbled over with effervescence, spoke as if she had marbles in her mouth, and gleefully hammed it up in front of the camera. 
She joined a spy mission during World War II...and later moved to Paris and learned to cook. She wrote a classic French cookbook that still sells oodles of copies. She created and starred in a pioneering TV show loved by millions. How did a gangly girl from Pasadena do it? This is her story.

I really, really, really wanted to LOVE Bon Appetit! I did. But it didn't quite work for me. On the one hand, I really appreciated the amount of information. Julia Child was a very INTERESTING and FASCINATING character, in many ways, one-of-a-kind. And this book is great at capturing that. This isn't just a book highlighting her life, here we get details big and small. But, on the other hand, this one was so very, very, very busy. The way this one is presented makes this one a challenge to read--a challenge to read to yourself, I couldn't imagine trying to read this one aloud to someone else. The design was just very cluttered, very busy. I never knew if I was supposed to read left to right, or up and down. (Some pages were more confusing than others.) There was just a lot of text, a lot of information to be absorbed or processed. And the art was fun, in its way. There is something charming about it. But. There was something about this one that made it an almost for me. I do think this one is for an older audience as well.

Read Bon Appetit

• If you're a fan of Julia Child
• If you're looking for children's books about cooking
• If you want a little French--okay a LOT of French in your picture book
• If you're looking for a quirky picture book biography

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Picture Books for Librarians

Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile. Gloria M. Houston. Illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb. 2011. HarperCollins. 32 pages.

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this picture book. I just LOVED it. And I think you may just love it too. This picture book is based on a true story, based on a librarian that the author loved and admired as a child. The heroine of this one is Miss Dorothy, a true librarian if ever there was.  

Here's how it begins:

When Dorothy was a young girl, she loved books, and she loved people, so she decided that she would become a librarian. She would be in charge of a fine brick library just like the one where she checked out books in the center of the town square in her hometown in Massachusetts. So she went to Radcliffe College, where she read almost all the books in the big school library. There she went to the library school, where she learned all the things a good librarian should know. 

I knew from the first sentence on that this would be my kind of book. Miss Dorothy went to library school, graduated, married, but she never became a librarian in a big brick library. No, the community she served, the community she loved, didn't have a nice, fine, big library building made of bricks. They didn't have a building for the library at all! But that didn't stop Miss Dorothy from her dreams. The important thing isn't the building itself, it's in the bringing books to people, connecting the right books with the right readers at the right time. It is in the sharing and loving of books. Miss Dorothy's library was--for many years--a bookmobile.

And sitting straight and tall, she drove the bookmobile over high hills and through narrow valleys, taking books into every school yard and to visit every farm, post office, grocery store, church yard, and parking lot. She stopped at the Tar Heel mica mill, and she parked at the courthouse steps at lunchtime whenever court was in session. If her readers could not come to the bookmobile, Miss Dorothy took books to them. When elderly Mrs. Maumey had read all her books, she hung her husband's red flannel drawers on the line, and Miss Dorothy climbed the hill with more books to share with her reading friend. 

The book chronicles her life in the community and the valuable service she provided to young and old alike. I LOVE the illustrations.

Read Miss Dorothy And Her Bookmobile

• If you're interested in reading historical picture books based on true stories
• If you're interested in books set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or, books with a small town, small community feel
• If you're a book lover looking for a book that captures the wonder of books, of reading, of librarians, of libraries, etc.

The Lonely Book. Kate Bernheimer. Illustrated by Chris Sheban. 2012. Random House. 40 pages.

The Lonely Book by Kate Bernheimer is another picture book that I discovered today. Like Miss Dorothy And Her Bookmobile, it celebrates the joy of reading, the wonder that can be found in books, in storybooks, the value of libraries and librarians. The Lonely Book is not about a librarian, however, it is about a book. It is even told from the book's perspective. (The book is happy, sad, lonely, etc.)

Here's how The Lonely Book begins:

Once there was a brand-new book that arrived at the library. It was green with a yellow ribbon inside to mark its pages. On its cover was a picture of a girl in the forest under a toadstool. The book found itself in the front of the library where the newest books were always placed. The library was busy every day with children looking for books about everything in the world, and the moss-green book about the girl in the forest was often chosen and taken home. Whenever the book was returned, it was placed back on the shelf where the newest books lived. There was a long list of children waiting for the book, and it hardly ever slept at the library. As is the custom in libraries, after a time the book was moved to the children's section, along with other well-loved books that were no longer new. But the book was still taken home often, and so it was still happy.

This picture book chronicles the life of this particular book, of this particular book in the library setting. Readers get to meet a special young reader who takes extra-special delight in this old and tattered book. She loves it only to lose it, it seems. For when she goes to check it out again, it's no longer on the shelf, no longer part of the library's collection. But where did the book go? Well, some might have guessed it went to the basement to wait for the next library book sale...where it might just find a new home...with a special little girl....who loves it ever so much....even if it is missing the last page.

I love the illustrations. I love the text. You can see some of the spreads of the book here. This book reminds me--in a good way--of The Velveteen Rabbit and the Toy Story films. In that it is a story about how being beloved is special and wonderful and in some ways better than being brand new and perfect. It, of course, reminded me of picture books that I have loved, loved, loved that much. How about you, what books have you LOVED?

I do think these two are probably more for adult readers than actual children. 

Read The Lonely Book

• If you love books, if you love reading, if you love reading books about reading books and loving books.
• If you love libraries
• If you love books that show the wonder of storytelling, of words, of stories. This one is all about getting lost in the wonder of a wonderful, fantastic story and wanting to stay there, of wanting to experience the wonder again and again and again and again and again.

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Three Green Picture Books

Green. Laura Vaccaro Seeger. 2012. Roaring Brook Press. 40 pages.

forest green
sea green
lime green
pea green

 Now this is a book that would cheer Kermit up. Laura Vaccaro Seeger's newest picture book celebrates the color green in all its varying shades. It's also a celebration of nature and of art. Each spread has the potential to wow readers. It's almost something you have to see for yourself to believe. You might not think a book about the color green would have wow potential. And it may not wow everyone, I know. Reading is subjective. But. This is a great concept book that you can spend some time with. You can get some idea of how brilliant it is by watching this video.



Read Green

• If you are looking for fun, creative concept books
• If you are looking to celebrate art, colors, nature, etc.

Jonathan and Martha. Petr Horacek. 2012. Phaidon Press. 32 pages.

Jonathan was lonely. He lived on the left side of the tree. Martha was lonely, too. She lived on the right side of the tree. One day a big, juicy pear landed on the ground. Jonathan wanted to eat the pair. Martha wanted to eat the pear, too. Jonathan nibbled from the left. Martha nibbled from the right. They nibbled and they nibbled. And this is how they met!

What can I say about Jonathan & Martha?! These two worms did not always get along. When they first met, they did NOT like each other and did NOT want to share. But after their tails got tangled together in a great, big knot making them one, they learn--the hard way--how to share, how to get along, how to work together. Soon, they begin enjoying each other's company. But even so, being a worm isn't always easy. A worm's life can be quite difficult...

This is a very odd little picture book, in a way, with a twist or turn that makes it slightly disturbing. Sure it won't disturb every single reader. And sure it's realistic enough. But. For those who are most sensitive, it may be a bit too odd. Still, I couldn't help loving the bright, bold colors! There is something playful about the art and text in this one.

Read Jonathan & Martha

• If you're a fan of Eric Carle
• If you like playful, fun, original picture books
• If you're looking for a book on sharing

Into the Outdoors by Susan Gal. 2011. Random House. 40 pages.

We're going camping! Leaving the city down in the valley, we head up the mountain. We drive over a bridge and under the towering trees. At last we arrive in the great outdoors. We pitch our tent among the trees and set off along the hiking trail. The trail winds around the lake...and across a sparkling stream.

At last a concept book about prepositions that does not feel like work. I just love Susan Gal's Into the Outdoors. Here we have a completely natural-sounding story that celebrates a family camping trip, that celebrates nature and spending time with one's family in the great outdoors. I also happen to love the illustrations!

I have also enjoyed two previous books by Susan Gal, Please Take Me For a Walk and Night Light.

Read Into the Outdoors

• If you are looking for camping books, camping-themed picture books to share with your little ones.
• If you are looking for a book that celebrates nature, the great outdoors, the woods, etc.
• If you are a teacher looking for a good concept book to illustrate prepositions; OR perhaps looking for a good book to illustrate storytelling. This could be used, perhaps, to model how to write descriptively and in sequence. 

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Two 2012 Picture Books

A Hen For Izzy Pippik. Aubrey Davis. Illustrated by Marie Lafrance. 2012. Kids Can Press. 32 pages.

Shaina perched on the porch with her eyes shut and listened. Mama's sewing machine chattered in the kitchen. Baby Pinkus pounded a pot. Grandpa whistled an old-time tune. In the market across the road, a nanny goat bleated. A truck puttered past. A cuckoo cooed from Mr. Fine's clock shop. Shaina wished she could still dust for Mr. Fine. She wished she could help the other merchants, too. But people had little to spend these days. There were few shoppers in the market and fewer jobs to do. Times were tough. 

 Can a chicken bring a whole town good luck? It can if it is Izzy Pippik's chicken. One day a crate falls from a truck, a hen is inside. Shaina, our heroine, knows the hen doesn't belong to her, it has an owner already. But she knows that she can take care of it for Izzy Pippik in the meantime. She knows that he will be back for it sooner or later. But taking care of a hen isn't that easy, not when the hen keeps having chicks, who keep having chicks, who keep having chicks. Because these chicks belong to a hen who belongs to someone else, all these new chicks belong to Izzy Pippik too. Soon it takes a whole town to "care" for the chicks/chickens. (Some people in town which Shaina was a little less bossy in insisting that these chickens are not to be eaten.) And soon this flock of chickens is gaining attention for the whole town, people are coming to look and see for themselves. Will Izzy Pippik ever come back to town?

I definitely liked this one! 

Read A Hen for Izzy Pippik

• If you like folk tales
• If you like (quaint) small towns
• If you like a good lesson or two in your picture books
• If you like determined, responsible heroines

Good Night, Laila Tov. Lauren Snyder. Illustrated by Jui Ishida. 2012. Random House. 32 pages.

The sun was up. The day was bright!
It filled our room with yellow light.
It woke us both, so right away...
We grabbed our things, were on our way.

Nature is celebrated in a family camping trip in Laurel Snyder's newest book, Good night, laila tov. (Laila tov means good night in Hebrew.) The first night of camping sees this family at the beach and loving it. Laurel Snyder's rhymes capture the enthusiasm of the trip so well:

The sand was hot. The waves were wide.
Tall grassed swayed. The salty air
Was soft and still and everywhere.
And the waves whispered...
Good night, laila tov...

The second night of camping sees the family setting up in a field (or meadow). Here readers see the family planting trees together. Again the love of nature is evident. We see a joyful family together living and loving nature, thankful for the beauty around them. The illustrations complement the text quite well, for they are beautiful.

Read Good Night, laila tov

• If you're looking for a book that celebrates the beauty of nature, of the natural world
• If you're looking for a camping book
• If you're looking for a family book 

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Smiley Book of Colors

The Smiley Book of Colors. Ruth Kaiser. 2012. Random House. 32 pages.

 The Smiley Book of Colors highlights some of the photos collected for the Spontaneous Smiley Project. It is also meant to be a concept book. The smiley faces are arranged or sorted by color.

The good news? The photos used in the book are engaging and interesting. While not every reader will "love" the photographs, I think they provide enough interest to make this picture book appealing--at least making it worth a browse. (I admit some of the pictures are a bit creepy looking.) The end papers provide further interest.

The bad news? Well. To be honest. I found the text a little lacking despite the boasts of the publisher's description: "Readers of all ages will appreciate the witty rhyming text, and its inspirational message about choosing happiness."  Granted, I am a bit picky when it comes to rhyming texts. And I admit that I can be hard to please when it comes to rhyming verses--if they don't have rhythm, if they don't have good flow, if they feel too forced or are too over-the-top with sentiment, then I have a hard time getting past it. 

Smile! Be happy!
It's contagious--
Like the good feeling you'll get
From these smiley-filled pages.

You'll find smileys
Wherever you turn....
We've found that happiness
Is something you learn.

Decide to notice,
And smileys appear.
You'll giggle! You'll laugh!
You'll grin ear to ear!

Smile! Be happy!
You get to pick--
When something is icky,
Do you focus on ick?

The text didn't bother me horribly at the first. But by the end of this one, I was tired of it. Some verses or stanzas really annoyed me. Of course, it is all subjective. And I suppose there may be readers out there of various ages who don't mind the text and may even like it.

Read The Smiley Book of Colors

• If you love looking at photographs OR taking photographs. The camera lens is used creatively to see the world, and it may inspire you to take your own photographs and start your own project. 
• If you are looking for a quirky color-concept book.
• If you like bright, sentimental rhyming books with a positive outlook.

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Duckling Gets A Cookie

The Duckling Gets a Cookie. Mo Willems. 2012. Hyperion. 40 pages.

I really enjoyed this latest picture book starring Pigeon. As long as I remember that Pigeon is Pigeon and Piggie is Piggie, I really, really love it. The moment I start to compare my love for Pigeon with my LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, OBSESSIVE LOVE with Elephant and Piggie, I start to question how much I care for Mo Willems' other series. (For me, there's just no comparison.) I do think the Pigeon books have to grow on you. If this is your first and only introduction to Pigeon, well, you may not "get" it. And you may not understand why Pigeon is so Pigeon-y. He definitely has a quirky personality that just somehow fits him so well. So the books are best read in combination so that readers can get the full Pigeon experience. (This may not be the one to start with either.)

Anyway, in this adventure, Pigeon is OH-SO-JEALOUS that this cute little duckling (cute and little being my adjectives) has gotten a cookie--with NUTS--just by asking politely. Why doesn't Pigeon ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever get what he asks for?! Why?! He is the "asking-est" pigeon around. So why does the Duckling get a cookie?!

Anyway, readers soon learn the truth--or is it the truth?--the Duckling wanted to give this cookie to Pigeon.

I definitely thought this one was fun and playful. I do think that this one is best appreciated by those who already know Pigeon. But this could always be a good opportunity to introduce little ones to the whole series.

Read The Duckling Gets A Cookie

• If you're a fan of Pigeon
• If you're a fan of cookies--with or without nuts
• If you're a fan of Mo Willems
• If you're looking for playful, quirky picture books

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

A Handful of 2012 Picture Books

Dinosaur Thunder. Marion Dane Bauer. Illustrated by Margaret Chocos-Irvine. 2012. Scholastic. 32 pages.

When lightning flares in the faraway sky
and clouds growl like lions waking...
...big brother Chad dances a dance right in the middle of the room. 
"A storm is coming. A storm is coming!" Chad shouts.
Brannon looks for a place to hide.

Brannon is SCARED of storms. He is truly scared of the loud, loud thunder. And storms make him want to HIDE. Each family member tries to coax him out of hiding, tries to calm his fears and reassure him. But one person can succeed where others can't. His big brother, Chad, knows JUST what to say to get his brother excited about storms. Can you guess what Chad compares thunder to?!

Read Dinosaur Thunder

• If you've got a little one of your own that LOVES dinosaurs and HATES thunder. If your little one is scared of thunder and scared of dinosaurs, well, this wouldn't be the one for you. 
• If you've got a dinosaur-lover that is always looking for just one more book about dinosaurs. (Or maybe that is you who are looking for a new book)
• If you like imaginative picture books

Zoe Gets Ready. Bethanie Murguia. 2012. Scholastic. 40 pages.

On school days, soccer days, and rainy days, someone else always chooses what Zoe will wear. But today is Saturday, and that means Zoe gets to decide. 

I absolutely LOVE AND ADORE Zoe Gets Ready by Bethanie Murguia. I do. I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Zoe!!! She's cute and adorable, and I can completely understand why this pig-tailed cutie is having such a tough time choosing just what to wear on this particular Saturday. (My personal favorite would probably be the purple dress. "I might have a twirling day, a dizzy, whirling day. I'll spin and spin till I'm as light as a feather.") Everything about this picture book is just right. It's just one of those oh-so-perfect, oh-so-true-to-life books that just gets it. 

Read Zoe Gets Ready

• If you've got a child like Zoe who LOVES to pick out her own clothes, who LOVES to "organize" her own clothes, who makes a non-messy mess just like Zoe!
• If you love fun, playful books that celebrate the simple joys of daily life

Jungle Run. Tony Mitton. Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. 2012. Scholastic. 32 pages. 

Here come the animals, one by one, 
all getting ready for the Jungle Run. 
Cub turns up to take her place, 
but the others say, "You're too small to race." 

The smallest of them all, Cub, shows she's got what it takes to win it all in this new picture book by Tony Mitton. Not one of the jungle animals--at least the jungle animals in the race--take Cub seriously. She's too small to be competition. There is no way she could win, no way at all. Yet as the runners encounter one obstacle after another on their race course, Cub proves that she belongs.

There is something cutesy about The Jungle Run. Perhaps the cartoonsy art, perhaps the rhyming, for me it didn't quite work. Picture books are so subjective. There are picture books that you read once, and picture books that you read dozens and dozens of times. For me, this was a one-timer. It's okay. It's nice enough. But there's nothing oh-so-magical about it.

Read The Jungle Run

• If your little one LOVES jungle animals; this one has hippos, zebras, elephants, rhinos, and, of course, a lion cub. 
• If you're looking for a rhyming book with plenty of encouragement for small ones that are getting overlooked by others.

Pluto Visits Earth! Steve Metzger. Illustrated by Jared D. Lee. 2012. Scholastic. 

It was a quiet day in the universe when Pluto got the news.

Do planets have feelings? Well, in Steve Metger's Pluto Visits Earth! they do. Especially Pluto who is very, very, very mad (and I imagine sad) to learn that he is no longer considered a planet. He feels every bit as much a planet as he always has. And he's going to let everyone know just how unfairly he's been treated. (He talks to the planets along the way, and some moons, too, I believe.) What can make him accept his "new identity"? Perhaps some kindly spoken words by a child.

I am not a fan. I am sorry. I'm just not a fan of personifying objects and things. (Granted, I can take talking animals on occasion, but I've got to draw the line somewhere.)

Read Pluto Visits Earth!

• If you've got a big imagination and are looking for fictional treatment of the planets of the solar system

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Four 2012 Picture Books

No Go Sleep. Kate Feiffer. Illustrated by Jules Feiffer. 2012. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages. 


One night when the stars were out and the moon was bright, a baby said, "No go sleep!"
And the baby's mommy said, "It's time for you to close your eyes and think sweet thoughts."
And the baby's daddy said, "Put your head down and fall fast asleep."

This one has a good premise, a familiar premise, true, but a good one. The family that stars in Kate Feiffer's No Go Sleep! has a baby that refuses to go to sleep. It begins,

"One night when the stars were out and the moon was bright, a baby said, 'No go sleep!'
And the baby's mommy said, 'It's time for you to close your eyes and think sweet thoughts.'
And the baby's daddy said, 'Put your head down and fall fast asleep.'"

If you're expecting the baby to ...moreThis one has a good premise, a familiar premise, true, but a good one. The family that stars in Kate Feiffer's No Go Sleep! has a baby that refuses to go to sleep.  

If you're expecting the baby to say "No Go Sleep!" in response, to keep up the fight, the battle, then you may be disappointed (like I was) with the direction this one goes next. For instead of this being a family-focused bedtime battle (or fit), this one goes to nature....yes, nature.

For don't you know that the sun, the moon, the stars, a passing car, some birds, some frogs, some bunnies, some sheep, a front door, a goldfish, some shoes, a doll, a teddy bear, a tree, and an owl have a role to play in getting the stubborn baby down to sleep?! Each has something to say, even if it is only tweet, tweet or beep, beep, beep, etc.

I found the book to be very strange, very odd. Perhaps if it had only been personifications of nature, of the animal kingdom, talking then it might be okay. Not necessarily for me--but still okay. But to have shoes and a front door, etc.?! Well, it's just too weird for me.

The focus of this one seemed to be on EVERYTHING BUT THE BABY. Which I found odd... 

Read No Go Sleep

• If you're a fan of bedtime books
• If you like an odd twist or two to your bedtime reading with your little one
• If you're a fan of Kate Feiffer

Too Princessy! Jean Reidy. Illustrated by Genevieve Leloup. 2012. Bloomsbury. 32 pages.

I am bored! 
Too jolly, too jumpy,
Too diggy, too dumpy! 
Too piecy, too blinky,
Too bangy, too plinky.

Jean Reidy is back with another in her series. The first, Too Purpley, was about a little girl who had NOTHING to wear. She was just not happy with ANYTHING in her closet. The second book, Too Pickley, was about a little boy who was a very, very, very picky eater. The third book, Too Princessy!, is about a little girl who is so very, very bored that she just can't find anything to do. Even though she is surrounded by toys. No, nothing is satisfying her today. This one has a fun but slightly predictable twist to it. (Can you guess what she ends up playing with?)

Read Too Princessy!

• If you're a fan of Jean Reidy, if you're a fan of this series
• If you have a drama queen of your own to share it with

Animal Masquerade. Marianne Dubac. 2012. Kids Can Press. 120 pages. 

Come one, come all to the animal masquerade. Disguises are a must!
The lion didn't know how he should disguise himself...as a cat? as a chicken? as a toad? As...
An Elephant!
The elephant went disguised as...
A parrot.
The parrot went disguised as...
A turtle.
The turtle went disguised as...
Little Red Riding Hood.
Little Red Riding Hood went disguised as...
A chocolate cake.
Uh-oh! The bear has quite a sweet tooth.
Be careful, Little Red Riding Hood!
But the bear was much too slow.
He was a real slowpoke.
So the bear went disguised as...
A snail.
The snail went disguised as...
A tiger.
The tiger went disguised as...

If you're looking for an incredibly silly book, give Animal Masquerade by Marianne Dubuc a try. I think this one has potential, but that potential isn't without risk. It will be hit or miss. Readers will either find the book incredibly funny--causing smiles and giggles--or they won't. (My personal favorite is the porcupine who went disguised as a wiener dog.) If the book was bigger, it might be fun to read aloud to a group. But since it's so small, it would probably be best for sharing with just one child at a time. (Even kids who don't read might find the pictures amusing enough on their own.)

Read Animal Masquerade

• If you are looking for picture books translated into English; This one was Au carnaval des animaux.  
• If you like silly animal books

All for Me and None for All. Helen Lester. Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. 2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages.

Gruntly was a ball hog. Not only did he refuse to share his toys with Hampshire and Berkshire, but he helped himself to theirs. Gruntly grabbed Yorky's shoes even though he already had far more shoes than feet. And it got worse. Gruntly constantly snuck up on Woolworth and Cluck to gather more fluff and feathers so he would have the poofiest pillows. If there was a something, he wanted it all. All for himself.


When possible, always give picture books a second read. Sometimes what doesn't impress the first time through grows on you by the second. Not always. But in the case of All for Me And None for All, I am very glad I decided to give it another try. Gruntly is NOT fun to be around. He is greedy and selfish and oh-so-obnoxious. Can he be taught a lesson?

All for Me and None for All is a message book. No doubt about it, this one is all about teaching Gruntly (and presumably the audience) a lesson in manners, in how to behave. Don't be selfish. Don't take more than your fair share. Don't take it all. Share.

Read All for Me and None for All

• If you like picture books with a message or lesson
• If you like picture books about pigs (and who doesn't?)

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Two on Compassion

My Heart Will Not Sit Down. Mara Rockliff. Illustrated by Ann Tanksley. 2012. Random House. 40 pages.

Kedi hurried down the dusty path, her bare feet moving the call drum's quick, sharp beat. She did not want to be late to school. She wanted to get a good seat, close to Teacher. All the children liked to sit near Teacher, so they could look at his strange black shoes and watch the way his yellow mustache turned up when he smiled. But teacher was not smiling today. He sat on a log, holding a paper, looking sad. "Bad news from America," he said. "The Depression is getting worse."

Oh, how I loved, loved, LOVED My Heart Will Not Sit Down. This picture book which is based on a true story just had me at hello. It was simply beautiful and touching. I wouldn't necessarily say that it has to bring readers to tears. Though if you amended it to sensitive readers, it might just hold true. This one makes me emotional just talking about it--or should I say gushing about it?!

The heroine of this historical picture book is a young girl named Kedi. When her beloved teacher tells of "his village" (New York City) experiencing much hardship due to the Depression, "her heart stood up for them in sympathy" for she knows what it is like to be hungry, to be without. The book shows Kedi on her quest. She is telling practically everyone, urging them to stand up with her, to do something, to help. But at first she doesn't seem to be making an impact on her audience. How can the villagers make a difference, how can they help people who live far away "across the great salt river"? But Kedi was heard. And starting with her very own mother, people are showing they do care.

My Heart Will Not Sit Down is the story of how one African community raised $3.77 to send to New York City to help feed the poor. 

I loved everything about this one!!! I definitely recommend it!

Read My Heart Will Not Sit Down

• If you're interested in great picture books
• If you're interested in books based on true events
• If you're interested in showcasing compassion and generosity
• If you're interested in stories with great depth, stories with the power to touch the heart

14 Cows for America. Carmen Agra Deedy. In collaboration with Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah. Illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez. 2009. Peachtree. 32 pages.

The remote village waits for a story to be told. News travels slowly to this corner of Kenya. As Kimeli nears his village, he watches a herd of bull giraffes cross the open grassland. He smiles. He has been away a long time.

If I'd read 14 Cows for America first, perhaps, I could stop myself from making comparisons between the two books (My Heart Will Not Sit Down). They do have a few things in common. Both books illustrate compassion and generosity. Both show that you don't have to have "a lot" to give something back, to make a difference in the world. Both have African settings. Both are based on true events.

14 Cows for America is set after 9/11. It is about one community responding to the tragedy by giving something that means the most to them. To this community, it is cattle. It is the story of how they arrange to give these 14 cows to the American diplomat in Nairobi. There are passages in 14 Cows for America that are beautifully written--or crafted. "Because there is no nation so powerful it cannot be wounded, nor a people so small they cannot offer mighty comfort." But the real strength of this picture book is in the illustrations.

Personally, I love My Heart Will Not Sit Down more than 14 Cows for America. But both books are good books.

Read 14 Cows for America:

• If you're interested in great picture books
• If you're interested in books based on true events
• If you're interested in showcasing compassion and generosity
• If you're interested in stories with great depth, stories with the power to touch the heart

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Three 2012 Picture Books

George Washington's Birthday: A Mostly True Tale. Margaret McNamara. Illustrated by Barry Blitt. 2012. Random House. 40 pages.

When George Washington went to sleep Friday night, he was six years old. When he woke up on Saturday, he was seven. It's my birthday, he thought. Happy birthday to me. 

The premise of this fictional picture book starring a young George Washington is simple. It imagines one day in his childhood. It asks two questions: What was George Washington like as a young boy--say, a seven-year-old boy--and what was his home life like, how would his birthday have been remembered?

In this picture book, George Washington gets more than a little grumpy when his family seems to forget his birthday. If only there was a way for everyone to always, always remember it.

Read George Washington's Birthday

• If you like fictional picture books based on real people (though so much of this one is fictional)
• If you like historical picture books
• If you are teaching George Washington in your classroom and other books are too wordy.

10 Hungry Rabbits. Counting & Color Concepts. Anita Lobel. 2012. Random House. 24 pages.

Mama Rabbit was sad. "I have nothing to put in my soup pot for dinner," she sighed. "But. Mama," whined ten little rabbits. "We are very, very, VERY HUNGRY!" "There is the garden," said Papa Rabbit. "You are sure to find good things for Mama's soup pot there." Ten little rabbits agreed, and off they hopped.

This concept book presents colors (purple, white, yellow, red, pink, orange, brown, blue, green, and black) and numbers (one through ten). The "story" in this one is that a family of rabbits is foraging in the garden looking for things to add to the family's soup pot. Each rabbit is successful, though some more successful than others. (I'm not sure I'd personally want to add blueberries to a soup, especially if the soup had cabbage.)

Read 10 Hungry Rabbits

• If you are looking for a counting concept book to share with young ones
• If you are looking for a color concept book to share with young ones
• If you want to encourage a love of vegetables
• If you like reading bunny stories

Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur: A First Book of Manners. Judy Sierra. Illustrated by Tim Bowers. 2012. Random House. 40 pages

You're shopping at the grocery store.
Surprise!
You see a dinosaur.
This doesn't happen every day.
So, what are you supposed to say?


Hello. I'm pleased to meet you.


Imagine that the dinosaur
Is standing by a bathroom door.
You have to pee! She's in your way.
Quick! What's the proper thing to say?


Excuse me.


Commotion in the produce aisle!
The dinosaur upsets a pile
Of apples, and they roll away.
If you pick them up, what will she say?


Thank you.

This book surprised me. It really, really surprised me. Why? Well, I'm not a big fan of dinosaur books. In fact, I typically avoid reading them completely because I just don't want to bother reading them, and if I read them, I feel like I should say something about them. And also because I'm not a huge fan of Judy Sierra's rhyming. At least I'm usually not. So I liked this one. I really liked it. I'm not saying I love, love, love it or anything. I'm not saying that I could gush about it for hours or anything. But. I liked the narrative format. I liked how it was all pretend: suppose this, suppose that. I liked how it was addressed straight to the reader: what would you do, what would you say, etc. I liked how sometimes readers were asked what they should say, and sometimes asked what the dinosaur should say. It was a playful concept book.

Read Suppose You Meet A Dinosaur

• If you're a fan of dinosaur books
• If you're looking for concept books that teach manners
• If you're a fan of Judy Sierra
• If you like silly, imaginative stories

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Balloons Over Broadway

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade. Melissa Sweet. 2011. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages.

From the time he was a little boy, Tony Sarg loved to figure out how to make things move. He once said he became a marionette man when he was only six years old. 

Balloons Over Broadway is a picture book biography of Anthony "Tony" Frederick Sarg. Perhaps a more apt description would be a picture book about Tony Sarg and his larger-than-life hobby. True, his hobby of making things move--marionettes especially--didn't start out big or larger-than-life. But by the end, when he was making-designing balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, well, it doesn't get much bigger than that!!! I found this nonfiction book to be oh-so-fascinating. I just LOVED how detailed it was.

Balloons Over Broadway won the 2012 Sibert Medal and the 2012 Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children.

Read Balloons Over Broadway

• If you love reading fascinating nonfiction, even in picture book format.
• If you love picture book biographies or picture books for older readers.
• If you love watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
• If you love history.

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Pink, More Pink, Even More Pink

Pinkalicious. Victoria Kann & Elizabeth Kann. 2006. HarperCollins. 40 pages.

It was a rainy day, too wet to go outside. Mommy said, "Let's make cupcakes! What color do you want?"
"Pink!" I said. "Pink, pink, pink!"
Mommy put in some pink. 
"More!" I cried. "More, more, more!"
I gobbled up a couple of cupcakes while Mommy and I frosted them. They were so yummy--they were Pinkalicious! 

The star of Pinkalicious just LOVES the color pink. And in this first adventure, she is delightfully munching pink cupcakes. To her surprise--to everyone's surprise--eating so many pink cupcakes turns her to varying shades of pink. But when is enough enough?

I liked this book. I did. It was fun. It was clever. And I liked her little brother, Peter, too. I liked this one the best of all the series.

Purplicious. Victoria Kann & Elizabeth Kann. 2007. HarperCollins. 40 pages.

I was in art class, painting a picture.

In Pinkalicious' second adventure, she learns that kids can be very mean and bossy. It's no secret that the star of this book LOVES the color pink. So when the girls in her class tell her that pink is only for babies, well, it upsets her. She just CAN'T like black like all the others. It's black. But after a few days of this nonsense, she feels that pink is a lonely color.  Will the new girl--who loves purple--cheer her up and cure her blues?!

Goldilicious. Victoria Kann. 2009. HarperCollins. 40 pages.


I was putting flowers on the mane of my pet unicorn. "Pinkalicious, why are you dropping flowers on the rug?" asked Mommy. "I'm not dropping flowers. I am getting Goldie ready for the Unicorn Ball," I said, prancing around the room.
"What unicorn? I don't see any unicorn," said Peter.
"She's right here and she's not ANY unicorn, she is my unicorn. Her name is Goldilicious, Goldie for short. Oh, Goldie--you shouldn't have done that on the floor! You know better. Just neigh when you need to go potty. I'm sorry, Peter, but you are stepping right in it," I said.

This is the third picture book starring Pinkalicious. In my opinion, it is probably the weakest of the series. In this adventure, readers learn about Pinkalicious' (imaginary) unicorn, Goldie. Readers see the two have some adventures together. But these adventures aren't without their difficulties. Peter sees to that. (I would have liked this one more if it hadn't talked about wizards, casting spells, and crystal balls.)

Silverlicious. Victoria Kann. 2011. HarperCollins. 40 pages.


I had a wiggly tooth. It had been wiggling for days. 


In this adventure, Pinkalicious loses a tooth. But not just any tooth. She loses her sweet tooth. Ever since she lost this tooth, she's not been able to enjoy anything sweet. Her family has also noticed how losing this tooth has made her CRANKY and ungrateful. Can Pinkalicious learn her lesson and become a sweet little girl again?

I also read three I Can Read books starring Pinkalicious. I read Pinkalicious: Pink Around the Rink, Pinkalicious School Rules!, and Pinkalicious: Pinkie Promise. I found I actually preferred these early readers to some of the picture book sequels. For example, in School Rules! is an early reader about Goldie and Pinkalicious. Having her imaginary unicorn with her during the school day may help her behave herself because she's having to show him all the rules. Pinkie Promise shows Pinkalicious successfully resolving a conflict with her best friend. She promised her friend that she wouldn't use all her pink paint--she was borrowing her friend's paint--but not only did she use all the pink paint, she also used most of the red and white too. But there is hope for the friendship yet... And in Pink Around the Rink, Pinkalicious turns her new boring white ice skates into one-of-a-kind skates with the help of a pink marker...

Read Pinkalicious (and all its sequels)

• If you are looking for a fun series to read aloud to little girls
• If you love the color pink, cupcakes, unicorns, etc.
• If you are looking for sweet picture books with family-friendly messages and themes 
• If you like enthusiastic narrators

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews