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?

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.

Children’s Book Review Clementine by Sebastian Loth, NorthSouth

Clementine is a little snail whose shell glows orange like the clementines on her tree in the low sun of fall. She loves balls, balloons, even tires, all round things, but especially the moon. She loves it so much that she decides to fly there, and her friend, through trial and error, helps launch her into space. The pages fold out into a beautiful four-page spread to show what comes as a great surprise to Clementine, the round earth. She makes it home safely and she is comforted by her new sense of the round world on which she lives. Beautiful, richly colored,  great illustrations accompany a lovely, current and yet timely story. You’ll fall in love with Clementine.

A Great New Children’s Book to Help Kids Deal with a Common Life Issue

Poindexter Males a Friend by Mike Twohy, Simon & Schuster, May 2011

Poindexter was a very shy pig, we learn from the first page. What he wants and what he is comfortable doing are sometimes two different things, until a very shy turtle comes along. In the library, where Poindexter is comfortable and where he is accepted for who he is by Mrs. Polen, the librarian, Poindexter reaches out to help a shy turtle learn to make friends by demonstrating the steps in a book. In the process of helping someone else, Poindexter helps himself and makes a new friend of a kindred spirit.

This is a great example of how a children’s book can help children learn more about themselves and how to build their own skills through storytelling and pictures. In the process of reading about how Poindexter and the turtle learn to become friends, readers learn the same steps. But make no mistake, Poindexter Makes a Friend is first and foremost a well-told story, and not a didactic teaching tool.

Watercolor and ink pictures range from up-close portraits of the adorable pig and turtle to full two-page spread detailed and lively scenes. A perfect accompaniment to a fantastic, sweet, uncluttered story.

Watch Me Grow

Watch Me Grow: A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City by Deborah Hodge, photographs by Brian Harris, Kids Can Press, 2011

OK, so now I’m hungry for fresh vegetables. This delicious book is full of taste-tempting photos showing how to grow luscious vegetables with just the right amount of descriptive text. Explaining that food can grow nearly everywhere in a variety of kinds of urban gardens, the reader is challenged by questions such as, ”As you wander through the city, look carefully. Where do you see food growing?”   From seed to preserving to eating, this colorful book celebrates fresh local food whether you are able to grow it yourself or go to a farmer’s market to buy it, with kids helping every step of the way. A great stand-alone sequel to Up We Grow about small farming from the same author and illustrator.

How Do You Hug a Porcupine?

How Do You Hug a Porcupine? by Laurie Isop, illustrated by Gwen Millward, Simon & Schuster, July 2011

Told in delightful-to-read aloud rhyme with wonderful, full pictures, this one is a winner on all counts! While trying to solve the dilemma of how to hug a prickly porcupine, a young boy sees how other children hug a wide variety of other animals from a horse to an ostrich. You can surely hug a pig by spreading your arms extra big; you can even hug a giraffe with a climb, but the question repeats, “How do you hug a  porcupine?” The boy is determined to figure it out, and after scratching his head, putting on a catcher’s mask and gear, donning himself in a box, his persistence pays off.

What? You didn’t think I was going to give away the ending, did you?

Toddlers and young preschoolers AND the adults reading to them will enjoy this book over and over. I loved it.

Up We Grow: A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm

Up We Grow: A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm by Deborah Hodge, photographs by Brian Harris
Kids Can Press, 2010
Reading this book is taking a visit to a small, sustainable farm in each season through the eyes of a child. In spring, baby animals are born, the land is prepared, and children help plant seed potatoes. Summer is a time of sunshine, bounty, work and joy. Harvest brings honey, fruits, vegetables, and a trip to the farmer’s market. Find out what happens on a farm in winter. The text is simple and easy to read. The photographs show everything from a stalk of wheat up close to the gears of a tractor to the many people and animals and crops on the farm. A wonderful celebration of small organic farming!