Review: Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers

Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein Harper, 2012,  Ages 8 to 12

12-year old Riley Mack is the leader of a band of unsung local kid heroes who look for trouble, but instead of making it, they try to solve and correct it. His mom works at the bank for Chuck “Call me Chip” Weitzel who along with the Chief of Police are the real criminals, which put Riley and his merry band to work solving crime big and small. Since the Chief of Police thinks Riley is nothing but a troublemaker, Riley must come up with clever solutions to problems like who is stealing things from kids at school and how to prove the Chief’s mother is in on the job. Told with great humor and characters you want to get to know better, Riley Mack puts cool into doing good and standing up for the little guy.

Book Review : THE ISLAND HORSE, a children’s novel

The Island Horse by Susan Hughes

Kids Can Press, 2012, Ages 7 +

Ellie and her dad live on the coast of Nova Scotia during a time long ago. She is content with her best friend Lizzie and her dreams, stories, and drawings of wild horses. So, when the only job her father can find is to patrol and rescue on the remote Sable Island, Ellie is devastated. The only saving grace is that there are real wild horses on the island. The descriptions of Ellie connecting to one of the wild horses are the stuff dreams are made of. When she discovers the horses may be in danger of being captured, she and her new friend find a way to save some of them, including Elli’s special horse. An endearing, engaging novel for young readers who have moved past easy readers but are not yet ready for longer fiction.

Book Review of THEN AGAIN by Diane Keaton

Then Again by Diane Keaton

Random House, paperback edition, 2012

A New York Times Bestseller for a very simple reason: It’s fantastic! This is not the usual memoir of a Hollywood movie star and star-studded parties, but much better instead a subtle and loving look at being a daughter to a mother and a mother later in life than most. Diane’s thoughts about the happy and sad, hard and providential particular times of her life are woven with the words of her mother’s journals in a marvelous way that gives meaning not only to the words on the page, but the spaces between. Diane is real and her mother-daughter collage takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery right along with her. Moms and daughters: this one is for you! New features in the paperback: A new afterword by Diane, and a conversation about the book between Diane and Anna Quindlen.

Review: Little Treasures: Endearments from Around the World

 Little Treasures: Endearments from Around the World by Jacqueline K. Ogburn, illustrated by Chris Raschka, Houghton Mifflin, 2012 Each page is devoted to a country and the sweet things that parents and family members call children. The foreign language term, “Mon petit chou (mon pe-TI SHOO)” follows the English, “my little cabbage.” Endearments from countries on nearly every continent are given next to Chris Raschka’s great childlike drawings. Nicely done.

Review: A Stick is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play

A Stick is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by LeUyen Pham, Clarion, 2012 From walking the edges of the curb as a balance beam to splashing in puddles to being the first one outside on a summer morning, easy poems show the joy in the simple pleasures of playing outside. A stick, in the title poem, is a perfect example of how children need only their imagination to become a king or create magic with a wand. The colorful pictures only add to the sheer fun of it all.

New Children’s Book: How to Babysit a Grandpa

How to Babysit a Grandpa  by Jean Reagan, illustrated by Lee Wildish

Knopf, April 2012

Babysitting a grandpa is fun–if you know how. When mom and dad leave, be sure to reassure grandpa that they will come back, and then make him feel better with a snack. The list of “Snacks for Grandpa” includes ice cream topped with cookies and cookies topped with ice cream, among other things. From playing to naptime (for grandpa) to cleanup, the advice covers it all. The illustrations are particularly charming, and don’t miss the lizards and the cat that find their way into most situations. A book to warm your heart and make any child long for a grandfather to babysit!

Review: The President’s Stuck in the Bathtub

The President’s Stuck in the Bathtub: Poems About the Presidents by Susan Katz, illustrated by Robery Neubecker, Clarion, Feb. 2012 Quite an accomplishment! A poem for every President of the United States, from “Where Didn’t George Washington Sleep” to “Yo Mama,” in honor of Barack Obama. Each poem and tidbit that follows enlightens readers of some unusual or unknown fact about the presidents. For example, did you know that Benjamin Harrison was afraid of electrical shocks so he asked an electrician to stand by to turn the lights on and off.  Find out who had the phone number “1″ in “The President’s on the Phone,” and see if you can figure out which President gave such a boring speech that even he said that those thirty-two minute were the longest hour and a half of his life. It’s all great fun paired with often minimal, wacky illustrations. Is there a better way to learn about the Presidents? Can’t think of one. Oh, and do you want to know which President was really stuck in the bathtub?

Book Review IDEALLY, MR. FISH

Ideally, Mr. Fish by Erin Bonham, illustrated by Robb Swanlund

A lonely Nanette longs for a pet that she can play with but alas, is only given a fish. After a series of wishes, the fish grows and talks, but Nanette comes to see that Mr. Fish has become a fish out of water, so to speak (sorry, couldn’t resist that one) and she wishes him small again. But all is not lost as she meets a lonely boy in the process and they become friends.

The watercolors are expressive, uncluttered, add immeasurably to the story, and are reminiscent of Harry Bliss’s young girl in Don’t Forget to Come Back. The pictures are light, and the muted colors work well. The the fish cooking is my favorite. I’m looking forward to what comes next from this debut children’s illustrator.

Top 2 Books for Babies 2011

Yawn by Sally Symes, illustrated by Nick Sharratt, Candlewick

Baby Sean gave a yawn and started the whole chain of yawns from cats and bunnies to bees and elephants. Each board book page has a circle cut out over a black background for a yawn. What’s even more fun is the guessing game on each page as Sean hands off his yawn to a scruffy, fluffy…and so on until baby and all his stuffed animals are in bed. Bright, colorful pages with large images are perfect for babies and toddlers.

Welcome to the World by Valerie Wyatt, photographs by Lennette Newell, Kids Can Press

A small hardcover with big and close-up photos of irresistible baby faces; the text talks to baby about the sights and sounds and feelings coming ahead in exploring the world. The language is simple enough for babies, but lyrical as well which makes it a joy to read aloud and gives babies the variety of sounds that help them learn language: You will see hight chase dark, as clouds pass by. Beautiful.

Sweet and Touching New Children’s Book: THE SCAR

The Scar by Charlotte Moundlic, illustrated by Olivier Tallec, Candlewick

A young boy tells us firsthand about the death of his mother and the range of emotions he experiences in the days that follow. He fears he will lose her altogether as his memory fades, but when he scrapes his knee he hears his mothers voice clearly. To keep from losing the sound of her voice, he tries to keep his sore from healing but by the time the scab fades into a scar, he comes to a deeper understanding. Airplanes fly over him in his dreams, which some say symbolize overcoming obstacles. Acrylic and pencil pictures are minimal, but perfectly accompany the narration. Backgrounds of white and deep red rouse conflicting feelings of anger and sadness, matching the swiftly changing emotions of the boy.  For children who have lost someone close to them, this story will put words to confusing feelings and help them realize that there are others who understand. Beautifully done from start to finish, and an important book that I hope will stay around for many years to come.