Meet Yasmin! (review)

Meet Yasmin!
Author: Saadia Faruqi
Illustrator: Hatem Aly
Publisher: Picture Window Books (August 1, 2018)
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

I've been waiting for a while to get a chance to read Saadia Faruqi's upcoming chapter book, Meet Yasmin!, and I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy from NetGalley.

Oh my gosh, this is such a delightful book, and Yasmin is such a fun and engaging second grader, she absolutely deserves that exclamation point in the title. Yasmin's family is Pakistani (as is the author), so the text is sprinkled with a few words in Urdu that kids will find easy to learn and fun to use. She is perfectly relatable, prone to worry and inspiration at a moment's notice, and her family is warm and supportive and everything you could hope for.

Hatem Aly's illustrations are an absolute delight, and he brings such life and energy to Yasmin and her family and classmates, you'll feel like you're right there with them as she goes through mini-adventures as an explorer, painter, builder and fashionista.

Teachers will love the age-appropriate study guide, with a glossary, recipe, facts about Pakistan, and more.

A wonderful, spirited book with a heroine I hope we meet many times again. Perfect for boys and girls in early elementary school.

Five stars!

Pre-order Meet Yasmin! on Amazon US, or find where you can pre-order it from a local indie bookstore.

My Brother Bernadette (review)

My Brother Bernadette
Author: Jacqueline Wilson
Egmont UK; Reprint edition (February 7, 2011)

Sara always gets lumbered with looking after her little brother Bernard, and summer project at the local school is no different. There’s so much to do—football, judo, trampolining, model car making, computer games, and drama. But all Bernard wants to do is clothes design. Soon all the kids, led by Big Dan, are calling Bernard "Bernadette" and shoving him around. Sara wants to help but is worried she may make it worse. But "Bernadette" is a little boy with big ideas, and he has a plan up his very nicely designed sleeve.

The story is mostly fun, and the characters are good, and the illustrations are friendly, but the story arc doesn't quite live up to the promise. I went looking for a book like this purposefully, which makes it more disappointing that it wasn't as good as I hoped. In my opinion, there are not enough books which question gendered activities (e.g., boys liking to design clothes). While this book does handle that, it winds up with a disappointing ending in that it features a comeuppance which kind of depends on those same gendered expectations.

I recommend this for kids and parents who are looking for stories which challenge gender preferences for toys and activities, but I do wish it were a stronger story arc.

Three stars.

My Brother Bernadette on Amazon US

Jasmine Toguchi, Super Sleuth (review)

Jasmine Toguchi, Super Sleuth
Author: Debbi Michiko Florence
Illustrator: Elizabet Vukovic
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (July 11, 2017)
Borrowed from library.

It's a big weekend for eight-year-old detective Jasmine Toguchi!

She's excited to celebrate Girl's Day-a Japanese holiday celebrating women and girls-with her sister, her mother, and her best friend, Linnie. On Friday, Jasmine's neighbor Mrs. Reese lets the best friends search through her old clothes for the perfect accessories for their Girl's Day outfits. But the clothes are in her garage, which is dark and scary. And Linnie decides to go home early, which is kind of weird. And Jasmine's big sister, Sophie, doesn't seem to want to join in the Girl's Day fun this year, which is kind of confusing. WHAT is going on?


In this entertaining new chapter book series, Jasmine Toguchi stars in adventures which revolve around school and her family and their Japanese traditions. Jasmine is dramatic and imperfect and fun. We get to follow along her adventures, which she describes in grand fashion but which sometimes fall flat. Kids will enjoy her stumbles along with her excitement.

I like that the Japanese traditions shown in the book are integrated well, and don't either take a front row seat or fade too far into the background. They are simply part of Jasmine's life, so we learn about them through her excitement. The illustrations are warm and fun and integrated into the text. 

It's always good to find a chapter book series to recommend.

Four stars!

Amazon

Wilf the Mighty Worrier Battles a Pirate - Review

Wilf the Mighty Worrier Battles a Pirate
Author: Georgia Pritchett
Publisher: Quercus (To be released November 1, 2016)
Advanced Reading Copy provided by publisher

Wilf worries about everything. Peanuts, bears, scorpions, salt water and so forth, but especially Alan, the man next door who keeps trying to take over or destroy the world. Alan worries Wilf so much he has to get a pamphlet with hints about how to not worry. When Alan decides to build a pirate ship with a big gun thingy, Wilf feels so worried he "wanted to knit himself a big woolly hat that went over his eyes so he couldn't see what happens next."

Fortunately for the world, Wilf's worries never get the best of him and he has to take action. We set off on a series of manic "kerfuffles" filled with wild invented words that always make sense in context. It is humor somewhat in the vein of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, but with less toilet talk and more genuine affection by the hero for Wilf's bizarre little sister, for his best friend and pet, Stuart the woodlouse, and for all the random, sometime very random, people he meets along the way. I laughed out loud, and would have happily bought these for my kids if they were even close to the right age.

Highly recommended for young readers, and their older siblings, and especially their parents who get to read along. Since this will not be released until November, I recommend you start with Wilf the Mighty Worrier Saves the World, and pre-order this book so you get it when it is released.

Five of five stars.

Amazon US
Amazon Canada

The Most Magnificent Thing (review)

The Most Magnificent Thing
Author: Ashley Spires
Publisher: Kids Can Press (April 1, 2014)
Digital review copy courtesy of NetGalley

A girl and her dog, both unnamed, set out to make something magnificent. At first, it all seems to be going well, but as the girl tinkers and hammers and measures and the dog pounces and growls and chews, the thing turns out wrong, not magnificent at all. She tries again and again, accompanied by delightful illustrations of both her efforts and her growing frustration until finally she quits.

But after a walk to settle her down, she discovers a wonderful thing about her failures, and learns to turn them into a magnificent thing after all.

I have to say, I liked the book a lot the first time through, but loved it by the second. Even aside from the fun illustrations, this is a story about a girl, a real girl, who tries, gets frustrated and tries again. She doesn't go ask for help. There's no parent or boy who saves her. In a simple and elegant way, she does what she needs for herself. Filled with lively language, full of laughs with a great message, this is a book I'd be happy to give to a young girl or boy.

Five stars out of five.

Available on:

Amazon US
Amazon Canada

My Stinky New School (review)

My Stinky New School
Author: Rebecca Elliott
Publisher: Lion Children's Books (To be released June 19, 2015)
Digital review copy courtesy of publisher via NetGalley

Toby is about to start at a new school, and he is not happy about it. His brother and sister go to daycare and preschool, and both of them seem like so much more fun. While his sister's school "smells of rainbows, paint and chocolate", and his brother's school "sunshine, playdough and bananas", his new school "stinks of pigeon poop, ogre armpits and sadness."

Worst of all, Toby doesn't know how he will make friends. Fortunately, thanks to an alien called Jake and a pirate called Lilly, he manages to make friends without even knowing.

This is a wonderful book for children facing a new school. It is fun and silly in a way that will put kids at their ease, and they will laugh both at how scary school seems and how Toby finds his way to liking it. I can see giving it to my goddaughter who is going to Kindergarten next year.

Five stars out of five!

Unicorn on a Roll (review)

Unicorn on a Roll: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure (Heavenly Nostrils)
Author: Dana Simpson
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (To be released May 26, 2015)
Digital review copy courtesy of publisher via NetGalley

I was not aware of the Phoebe and Her Unicorn comics before I read this collection, but I am certainly a fan now. It reminded me a little of Calvin and Hobbes, if Calvin were a spelling whiz girl who loved nerdy things and if Hobbes were a fashion conscious unicorn with attitude.

What I like best about Phoebe and Marigold Heavenly Nostrils (the unicorn) is that they aren't too perfect or too obnoxious or too smart, but simply real, or as real as friends can be when one is a magical unicorn. They have adventures, friends and enemies, and muddle through life whenever they aren't rollerskating through it. It is wonderful to have a book to give young girls that doesn't put them ornaments, or love interests, or even evil nemeses for the boys in the story. I think quite a few boys might enjoy it as well, though they might not admit it.

My only real issue with the book is that as with many collection of comics, it is better for dipping into than reading whole as there in no particular storyline, simply a series of daily comics. On the other hand, some of them are brilliant, such as Marigold singing Modern Magic Unicorn, her version of Gilbert and Sullivan's Modern Major General.

Four out of five stars. (Available for pre-order now)

Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland (review)

Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland HC
Author: Eric Shanower
Illustrator: Gabriel Rodriguez
Publisher: IDW Publishing (To be released May 26, 2015)

Based on the comic strip by Winsor McKay from the early 20th century, Eric Shanower has crafted an entirely new set of adventures for Slumberland. The illustrations are marvelous and intricate in the style of the illustrations of that era (best know from the Oz books, and are a joy to flip through.

In this series of adventures, King Morpheus' daughter, simply known as the Princess, is looking for a new playmate to replace a long line that have not worked out well. When she sees that one of the candidates is named James Nemo Summerton, she chooses him because of a previous favorite playmate was named Nemo.

Unfortunately, Nemo doesn't want to be known as Nemo, he prefers Jimmy. He doesn't like to play with girls, and especially not the Princess. The adventures range from various of the King's court trying to get Nemo to Slumberland (I especially liked these) to their attempts to get him to stay and play with the Princess.

The story feels a little dated, as I am sure is intended, and I imagine that will intrigue some and irritate others, but I would recommend it for anyone who likes comics and somewhat old fashioned stories.

Four out of five stars.

Nobody!: A Story About Overcoming Bullying in Schools (review)

Nobody!: A Story About Overcoming Bullying in Schools
Author: Erin Frankel
Illustrator: Paula Heaphy
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing (May 15, 2015)
Digital review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley

Thomas is reluctant to go to school, and the reason is Kyle, who taunts and teases and puts down Thomas at every turn. Thomas has other friends, but they are a little afraid to stand up for him because they don't want to become targets themselves. That leaves Thomas feeling even more alone, and if he complains to a teacher, it is only his word against Kyle's.

Things get better when Thomas realizes that being "different" can also mean being unique, and when his friends start standing up for him, Kyle realizes he has been too mean and backs off, so things get better for Thomas

This is a book very focused on a specific anti-bullying message, and it would work very well as a conversation starter or part of a guided discussion. I think that is its primary purpose, so it feels appropriate, but I want to clarify that it is not really a story first with a secondary anti-bullying theme, but rather a focused anti-bullying story. There are excellent resources at the end of the book on how to discuss different parts of the story, how people act and react, and what different points of view there may be.

My only complaint is that there was a moment when it seemed likely that we would get a little more insight into Kyle and what might drive him, and then it seemed underutilized. While the focus should stay on Thomas, any conversation about bullying is likely to include how and why bullies get to be bullies.

The illustrator deserves kudos for delivering this message in illustrations that feel more like a graphic novel than a picture book. I think this broadens the age group who would respond well to the book. I would recommend this for parents and other adults of children from kindergarten through 4th or 5th grade.

Four out of five stars.

Alien Invasion in My Backyard: An EMU Club Adventure (review)

Alien Invasion in My Backyard: An EMU Club Adventure
Author: Ruben Bolling
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (To be released April 7, 2015)
Digital review copy courtesy of publisher via NetGalley.

Stuart Tennemeier, his best friend, Brian Hrznicz, and Stuart's little sister, Violet, (but only because Mom insists!) have a super secret club. Shhh! In their club, they explore, solve mysteries and do other unbelievable things. Or they plan to, but how are three kids going to find mysteries to solve?

Never fear, they find a mystery and it is a whopper. I can't tell any details because it is super secret, but trust me when I say there are robots, aliens and world-saving involved. All before dinner!

Written as a comic book/case book, this promises to be an absolutely wonderful series of stories for the elementary crowd if this first installment is any indication. I would strongly recommend this for second through fourth graders.

Five out of five stars!

The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Mermaids (review)

The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Mermaids
Author: Ammi-Joan Paquette
Publisher: Tanglewood Press (February 7, 2012)
Digital review copy courtesy of publisher via NetGalley

This is a follow up to a book (which I have not read) called The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies which received a fair amount of attention. It is a combination story/activity book meant to encourage little children to look and listen and notice when they go to the beach. There is a good mix of fact and whimsy mixed in, with ideas that sound like fun such as making mermaid shapes in the sand much the way you make snow angels in the winter.

The illustrations are a slightly jarring mix of real photographs of children and mermaids illustrations. Part of me likes it, and part of me wishes they had stuck to photographs. I hesitate to make too much of this, as I am sure there are kids who would enjoy this mix, but the effect didn't quite work for me.

I would recommend this for very small children planning a trip to the beach.

Three stars out of five.

Missing Jack (review)

Missing Jack
Author & Illustrator: Rebecca Elliott
Publisher: Lion Hudson (Feb. 20, 2015)
Digital review copy courtesy of publisher via NetGalley

Toby was sure that his cat, Jack, was the best cat in the whole world. He wasn't snooty, he was very friendly, and he didn't scratch even when Toby's little brother pulled his whiskers. Best of all, he was never boring, and bounced around like a Lion who was king of the jungle. But Jack got older and slowed down, and finally he died. Toby isn't sure he'll ever get over Jack's death, but then he meets Humphrey. Humphrey is awesome, and finally Toby realizes that he doesn't have to forget Jack in order to welcome Humphrey.

This is a lovely book with wonderful illustrations, and perfect for any young child dealing with the death of a pet, or even a pet who is growing older. I would strongly recommend it for children from two years up to Kindergarten.

Five of five stars!

The Night Horses (review)

The Night Horses
Author: Anaka Jones
Publisher: CreateSpace (February 26, 2013)
Digital review copy courtesy of publisher via NetGalley

It is an unusual thing to find a self-published picture book, especially one created by a sixth grader, and still be able to recommend it, but Anaka Jones is clearly a talented young lady.

In the first part of this lively, colorful story, it is daytime and the horses trot and eat and do normal things, but at night time they get the disco ball out and things get more wild. Children will enjoy the colorful illustrations and the funny things that the horses and other animals do at night(including a small mouse who kids will search to find on almost every page).

I would definitely recommend this for young children 3-6 years old. I was glad to see it is available both in print and digital form, as this would be one I would want to hold in my hands.

Four of five stars.

The Bunk-Bed Bus (review)

The Bunk-Bed Bus (Janet and Sam Book 1)
Author: Frank Rodgers
Publisher: Hungry Horse (March 1, 2015)
Digital review copy courtesy of publisher via NetGalley

An absolutely delightful story of Janet and Sam and their wonderful Granny who never believes she is too old to do what she wants, and never stops trying new things. She jogs in a tracksuit she knitted herself, she learns to work with wood and make shelves, and she's never afraid a new challenge.

When grumbly next-door neighbor Mrs. Grimbly-White mentions an art exhibition and dismisses Granny as "too old" to be artistic, Granny puts her mind to it and makes an amazing Bunk Bed Bus, much to the delight of all the children in town.

I strongly recommend this for preschool and early elementary children, and also to their parents, teachers and librarians to read aloud or along with.

Five stars out of five!

A Tale of Two Daddies/A Tale of Two Mommies (review)

 

A Tale of Two Daddies
A Tale of Two Mommies
Author: Vanita Oelschlager
Illustrators: Kristin Blackwood (only Daddies) and Mike Blanc (both)
Publisher: VanitaBooks, LLC (Daddies: Oct 22, 2013, Mommies: Sep 25, 2013)
Digital review copies of both courtesy of publisher via NetGalley

These two delightful books each take the same general approach in that one child is asking the other about her two daddies or his two mommies. With fun rhyming questions and answers, each book would be perfect for a child either learning to address the questions he/she might have about his/her own parents, but also for other children learning acceptance and understanding. The primary message is that parents are parents, each an individual who might like to cook or tell scary stories, and that parents love their children.

The easy going style is ideal for helping to normalize a situation which is increasingly normal. There is nothing judgmental or preachy on either side, just kids asking each other fun questions about their families. Excellent additions to any classroom, library or social work resource center, and a great pair of books for parents whose kids may have questions about friends, relatives or their own families.

Five stars out of five.

Luna's Red Hat (review)

Luna's Red Hat: An Illustrated Storybook to Help Children Cope With Loss and Suicide
Author: Emmi Smid
Bereavement specialist: Dr. Riet Fiddelaers-Jaspers
Publisher:  Jessica Kingsley Pub (To be released April 21, 2015)
Review copy courtesy of publisher via NetGalley

Luna's Red Hat is a beautifully illustrated and written book about a young girl grappling with her feelings after her mother's suicide.It is the one year anniversary of her mother's death, and she and her small brother and father are having a picnic. Luna wears her mum's red hat, but feels she cannot smile, because "Today is not a day for smiling" and cannot laugh, because "Today is not a day for laughing."

When Luna's father says she looks like her mum, Luna throws off the hat in anger and says, "I am nothing like Mum!" Her father helps her by accepting her anger, and helping her answer questions about why her mother would do this, and understand that it wasn't Luna's fault or his fault or even her mum's fault. He explains that she had an illness inside, and sometimes the doctors cannot help. Finally, he helps her see that they can celebrate the good times with her mother even when sad that she is no longer there.

Written for children 6 and older, the book is lovely and appropriate for this special need. It also contains a section at the end by bereavement specialist Dr. Riet Fiddelaers-Jaspers on more ways to help a child in this sad and difficult situation.

Five out of five stars.


I have added a new category to this blog which I call Self-Help. These are books which help children cope with difficult feelings and situations. Both yesterday's Peace, Bugs, and Understanding and this book will be included, with more books added over time. I hope these can be a resource for librarians, social workers and parents who need books to help children with specific situations. Click on the Self-Help tag at the bottom of the post for all books in the category.

Peace, Bugs and Understanding (review)

Peace, Bugs, and Understanding: An Adventure in Sibling Harmony
Author: Gail Silver
Illustrator: Youme Nguyen Ly
Publisher: Plum Blossom Books (December 9, 2014)
Received in digital form from the publisher via NetGalley.

Lilly is having a picnic, but her little sister, Ruby, keeps ruining things. But just as Lilly starts to snap, her father hands her a special old book, a journal kept by his own grandfather. Lilly gets lost in the story of how her great-grandfather, Lanh, struggles with his own sister, and how he meets a strange frog who is his Anger. Lanh learns that he must soothe his Anger, and search for his Metta, or "loving kindness." I find the latter term a little jarring, but I can see that it would be useful to have a word for this to use with a young child.

Lanh learns to calm himself down and focus on wishing for the happiness of another, in this case his sister. Lilly sees herself in the story, and realizes that she, too, must soothe her anger and focus on wishing for the happiness of her little sister, who doesn't mean to break things or cause trouble.

The lovely watercolors by Youme Nguyen Ly project a sense of calm that works beautifully with the message. I think this would be a very helpful book for parents of young children or for pre-schools.

I would recommend this for children in pre-school through second grade, but especially to be read with an adult.

Four out of five starts.

Fairy Tales for Young Readers (review)

Fairy Tales for Young Readers
Author: E. Nesbit
Publisher: Dover Publications (Jan. 14, 2015)
Review copy courtesy of NetGalley

When I was young, I remember reading and listening to a few of the wonderful children's books by English author, E. Nesbit, so I was intrigued to see that a book was being republished of her classic fairy tales interpretations. I expected to enjoy them, but I had forgotten what an influence she had been on writers such as P. L. Travers (Marry Poppins), C.S. Lewis (Narnia books) and J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter books), all of whom echo at times her wry, clever humor. I recommend that parents read these aloud to their children, as there is as much for adults to enjoy as for the children, and both will delight and laugh in the imagery and wit.

As I read through the stories, I kept stopping and reading passages to my wife, so I thought I'd share a couple that I shared with her.

From the middle of Cinderella:

For in those days shoes were not sold ready-made in shops, but were made specially to fit the people who were to wear them. And besides, the glass slipper was magic, and so had too much sense to have fitted any one but its owner, even if the country had been full of shops selling Rats' Ready-made Really Reliable Boots.

From the beginning of Jack the Giant-Killer:

In the long-ago days of King Arthur, who invented round tables, there was a sort of plague of giants in the West Country-just as nowadays there are plagues of wasps, and mosquitos, and millionaires, and the giants threatened to spread, like other plagues, till they had eaten up all the nice, proper-sized people in England.

While a few words may seem unfamiliar or antiquated, by and large the stories are timeless and charming. I strongly recommend these to both adults and children. They will remind you that children's literature can be so much richer than Captain Underpants without being boring or irrelevant to modern children.

Five out of five stars!

My Grandma's a Ninja (review)

My Grandma's a Ninja 
Author: Todd Tarpley
Illustrator: Danny Chatzikonstantinou
Publisher: North South Books (March 1, 2015)
PDF review copy courtesy of NetGalley

What would you do if your grandma was a Ninja? Ethan thinks it's cool at first when they zipline to school and Grandma teaches the other kids karate lessons. But thinks take a turn for the worse when Grandma deflates the soccer ball and ruins soccer practice. Ethan isn't so sure about having a ninja Grandma, but everything works out well as Ethan learns a few tricks from Grandma, and she takes a bit of advice from him.

The illustrations are delightful, and add a lot to the story. Kids will laugh as they see Grandma fly through the air and do somersaults, and the ending illustration only adds to the fun.

A lively and entertaining book for first and second graders. I would definitely recommend this to both boys and girls who like fun and humor.

Four out of five stars.

Kikoo and the Land of the Shimmers (review)

Kikoo and the Land of the Shimmers - Book One

Author: Suresha Hill
Publisher: First Edition Design Publishing (Feb 19 2015)
Review copy courtesy of NetGalley

I recently joined NetGalley, and was looking for new children's books to try. Kikoo and the Land of Shimmers attracted my attention because of my interest in multicultural books, as well as the fact that a review copy was available without requiring approval.

In this story, Kikoo and his dog, Boonie, discover that Kikoo can travel to a land called Terraauck, descibed as "right next door to where you dream." In this land, Kikoo has a mentor who will teach him what he needs to know. Pretty quickly, he needs to know how to get back to the regular world, where some boys are stealing his bike!

I found that I liked the story when it was more concerned with getting Kikoo's bike back, but less so when it was in Terraauck. The magical realism of the early part of the story was promising, and the lesson Kikoo learned about helping himself by helping others was a good one. Unfortunately, the magical part was a little clumsy. One problem might be that the book is the first in a series of stories, and the author needed to get past the explanations, but I think the story could have been more smooth. While the digital version did not include all the illustrations, some were at the end, and were interesting though a little amateurish. It also should be noted that the multiculturalism is mostly reflected in the names, illustrations and descriptions of people, not in any deep sense in the story or interactions.

I would recommend this book for first through third graders who like dogs and magic.

Three out of five stars.