ReFoReMo Day 9 Book Reviews

BOB AND JOSS GET LOST! by Peter McCleery

What happens when two friends get bored? They decide to take a boat trip. Bob warns that they will get lost. Joss is convinced they won't. But, of course, they do. They are also shipwrecked on what appears to be a deserted island. But, is it?

STARRING CARMEN! By Anika Denise 

 

Carmen is the star of all of her shows. She is the writer, producer, artist, actress, singer, dancer, etc. She does it all. When her brother begs her for a part in the show, she always gives him one, but she makes sure to give him a non-speaking part. She employs her parents as her audience.

Although the parents are very supportive of Carmen and her efforts, after a while, the parents need a little break. And, her brother decides he wants to do something different, too. What happens when her brother puts on a show instead? Will Carmen stay in the shadows?

THIS IS NOT A NORMAL ANIMAL BOOK by Julie Segal-Walters

As the title implies, this is NOT a normal animal book or a normal book about animals. Rather, it is an offbeat look at how picture books are created. One part of the text reads: "This is a cat." It shows the picture of a black and white cat. Then the text goes on to read: "If the cat laid an egg..." When you turn the page, it says, "... it would be a hen. But, there is a picture of a cat looking like it's about to lay an egg. Cats don't lay eggs; hens do. On the next page, the text reads, "A Hen!" The illustrations show a hen who has laid an egg. This interaction between the text and the illustrations shows how important it is for them to work together to convey the true meaning of the story. And, this interaction is continued throughout the rest of the book.

WHOBERT WHOVER, OWL DETECTIVE by Jason Gallaher

Our local library doesn't have this book, so I haven't had a chance to read it. If I do, I will add my review at a later date.

WOLFIE THE BUNNY by Ame Dyckman

When the bunny family adopts a baby, they adopt a baby wolf and not a baby bunny. The parents are head over heels in love with their new baby, but little Dot is not too sure. She is always warning them of the dangers of having a wolf in the house. But, as Dot spends more time with her baby brother, she realizes he might not be so bad after all. When his life is in danger, will Dot be able to save the day?

This is a great take on the age-old subject of sibling rivalry.

RefoReMo Day 8 Book Reviews

A HUNDRED BILLION TRILLION STARS by Seth Fishman

Author Seth Fishman introduces the concept of number, really, really, really big numbers, like the idea that there are a hundred billion trillion stars in the universe and there are about ten quadrillion ants on the planet. Now, those numbers are big!

This is a great book for teaching kids about big numbers. The imaginative illustrations by Isabel Greenberg are the perfect accompaniment to the text. The author also provides an Author's Note in the back of the book with more information about numbers.

ANOTHER WAY TO CLIMB A TREE by Liz Garton Scanlon

Lulu loves to climb trees. There is not a tree around that she can't climb. She feels a special closeness to the trees. But when she is sick and can't climb a tree, she wonders if the trees miss her. Maybe the birds do, too. She longs to climb a tree, even while she is stuck indoors. But, how can she do that? Spoiler alert: She figures out a way!

CHARLOTTE THE SCIENTIST IS SQUISHED by Camille Andros

Charlotte is a scientist. She is also a rabbit and she lives in a house with lots of other rabbits, so many of them that she has no room for all the equipment she needs to run her experiments. Since Charlotte is a scientist, and scientists use the Scientific Method to solve problems, she decides to follow that procedure to solve her problem. First, she states the problem: "How can I get some space around here?" Then, she forms a hypothesis: "If I get rid of my brothers and sisters, I will have room to be a scientist." But, that's not easy to do. So, Charlotte must find another way to get more space.

And, she does. She finds more space on her own planet in outer space. Now she has lots of room. But, she also has another problem. She is very lonely. How can she solve that problem and still have space for her experiments?

Author Camille Andros provides an explanation of the Scientific Method at the end of the book, using Charlotte's methods as examples of how the Scientific Method works.

CHIBI SAMURAI WANTS A PET by Sanae Ishida

Chibi Samurai's friend, Little Kunoichi, has a pet, a "super-duper ninja bunny." Chibi thinks his friend's pet is so special, that he wants a pet, too. So, Chibi goes on a quest to find the perfect pet. Will it be a giant salamander? No, it's too strong. How about a tanuki, a magical creature that can turn into anything? No, the tanuki turns into a car and drives away. Chibi keeps looking for the perfect pet, rejecting a monkey and a squid and others. Will he finally find the perfect pet for him?

In addition to having a few Japanese words sprinkled throughout the text, there is a page in the back of the book with facts and trivia about different animals and also about things that are Japanese.

DAZZLE SHIPS: WORLD WAR AND THE ART OF CONFUSION by Chris Barton

During WWI, ships in both the British and American fleets were being hit in large numbers by enemy torpedoes. In an effort to confuse the enemy, the ships were painted in bold colors with crazy patterns. The idea was the brainchild of a British lieutenant-commander named Norman Wilkinson. He thought that painting the ships would make them harder for the enemy to determine the ship's speed and direction. The process was called "dazzling"; hence the name of the book.

There are four extra pages in the back of the book with more information about these ships. There is an Author's Note, an Illustrator's Note, a Timeline about events in WWI, and some photographs.

GREAT BIG THINGS by Kate Hoefler

Minimal text by Kate Hoefler and wonderful illustrations by Noah Klocek convey the size of "great big things" like mountains and the ocean and the forest as a small, small mouse braves all big obstacles to reach his love.

I WON'T EAT THAT by Christopher Silas Neal

Cat is hungry but he doesn't want to eat his dry, dull cat food. So, he goes in search of something better to eat. Turtle offers him worms. Cat doesn't want those, either. Fox eats rabbits, but Cat doesn't want those, either, or the ants that Chimp enjoys. So, what will Cat eat if he won't eat those things? The ending has a great little twist to it.

Author/illustrator Christopher Silas Neal serves up the perfect combination in this delightful book that all kids will relate to.

NIMOSHOM AND HIS BUS by Penny M. Thomas

Nimoshom was a bus driver. He was a Cree Indian. Nimoshom means "my grandfather" in Cree. While he was driving the bus, he would sometimes tell silly stories. He always said, "Tansi," when he picked someone up, since tansi means "hello" in Cree. He taught the children other words like "Api" (sit down) and "ehe" (yes).

This isn't so much a storybook as it is a book about how someone from one culture can influence someone from another culture. In this instance, the book serves to teach readers some basic words in the Cree language. The author includes a glossary of the words in the back of the book.

SHELTER by Celine Claire

When a big storm is coming, all the creatures in the woods take shelter - the rabbits, the squirrels, the birds and the foxes. All the creatures have a shelter except for the two bear brothers.

When the storm hits, the bears are left out in the cold. They knock on the other creatures' doors, but no one will let them in, even when they offer to share their food. The foxes don't open their den, but little fox goes out and gives them a lantern so they will at least have light.

The bears wander around for a while until it starts snowing. Then, they use the snow to build a shelter for themselves. When the roof collapses on the fox den, the fox family goes running. They look for new shelter and they find it with the bear brothers.

SING, DON'T CRY by Angela Dominguez

Every year, the children's Abuelo (grandfather) visits his family. When he comes, he brings his guitar. He sings songs with the children and shares his memories. He spreads the idea that whenever you're feeling scared or sad, you should sing instead of cry and that will make you feel better.

This story was inspired by author Angela Dominguez's grandfather. He made his family realize that whenever they were singing together would experience true happiness.

ReFoReMo 2018 Day 7 Book Reviews

HOW TO READ A STORY by Kate Messner

To read a story, you must first select one. That's Step 1. "Find a story. A good one. It can have princesses and castles, if you like that sort of thing, or witches and trolls. (As long as they're not too scary.)" Once you've finished with Step 1, you go to Step 2: "Find a reading buddy." You are advised to select a story you both agree on. "If you don't agree....go back to Step 1. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find just the right book." If you follow all 10 steps, you are sure of a satisfying read!

IF YOU PLANT A SEED by Kadir Nelson 

If you plant a tomato seed or a carrot seed or a cabbage seed, your garden will sprout tomatoes, carrots and cabbage. If you plant a seed of selfishness, you will soon have big problems. But, if you plant a seed of kindness, the kindness will grow and grow and grow.

The minimal text (I counted 80 words) and the glorious illustrations by author/illustrator Kadir Nelson create a sentiment that is so much bigger than the sum of its parts.

LOVE by Matt de la Pena

Like other books that have been highlighted in this year's edition of 2018, this is not a storybook. Rather, it is a celebration of the many ways we can experience love in our lives. The book starts with a baby experiencing the love from his parents and ends with telling the reader that when the time comes for them to leave home, they can take the love with them.

WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN by Jodi Moore 

Imagination is a wonderful thing. A young boy builds a perfect sand castle on the beach. As soon as he's done, a dragon moves in. The two spend their afternoon playing on the shore, wading in the waves, flying a kite, and doing other wonderful things while both mom and dad are not paying much attention.

The boy wants to share his dragon adventures with his parents, but of course, neither one of them believe him. That's when trouble starts as the boy and his dragon vie for the parents' attention. Young children will love the naughty antics of the young boy and parents will identify with him, too.

YOUR ALIEN by Tammi Sauer

"You'll be looking out your window when something wonderful comes your way. You will want to keep him." So begins this story of a little boy who takes in an alien who has crash-landed in his back yard.

He tells his parents about his new friend, but they are too busy to notice what he is saying. He takes his alien to school; all his friends think the alien is great. His teacher thinks she needs new glasses.

Everything seems to be going well until it is time for bed. That's when the little boy realizes the alien misses his family, much the same way the little boy would miss his if the situation were reversed. Can the little boy help the alien find his way back home?

ReFoReMo 2018 Day 6 Book Reviews

COME WITH ME by Holly M. McGhee

When a little girl is terrified by all the terrible news she hears about what is going on in the world, she asks her Papa what she can do to make things better. He says, "Come with me." Together, they go out and meet people, offering a smile and a kind word to everyone they can. She learned that even a small kindness can make a difference.

When she asks her mother what she can do, her mother says, "Come with me." Together they go to a market where they see people from many backgrounds and cultures. She learns not to be afraid of people who look different than she does.

Then the little girl prepares to go out into the world by herself. Her neighbor wants to come, too. She says to him, "Come with me." Together they start drawing pictures on the sidewalks with chalk. Others join them and she learns that she can brighten her world with just a bit of chalk.

Minimal text and expressive illustrations convey a message of hope in a world that might otherwise seem to have goon crazy.

MALALA'S MAGIC PENCIL by Malala Yousafzai 

When Malala was young she believed in magic. She dreamed of a magic pencil, one she could use to draw beautiful dresses for her mom to wear, as well as a proper ball to play with for herself and her brother. She would use the pencil to draw a world where everyone was treated equally. She would also use the eraser to eliminate the smells in her neighborhood.

When she got older, she quit dreaming about a magic pencil. Instead, she decided to work hard in school. When the girls in her school were threatened, she spoke out. The Taliban tried to kill her for being so vocal, but they didn't succeed. Instead, they made her more determined to change the world and make use the magic of the written word.

Malala writes a letter to the reader that is included in the back of the book. There is also a page of biographical information about this remarkable young lady.

MAYBE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell

Mira loved to draw, paint and color. She turned blank pieces of paper into colorful art. Then she gave away her artwork to people she met around her neighborhood. She even posted some of her art on the walls around her.

One day, she met an artist who said he painted on walls. He invited her to join him to paint a mural. As they painted, more people joined in. Soon, the whole neighborhood was involved and the gray walls around Mira's neighborhood were filled with color and life.

Mira is a fictional character but the story is based on the real-life events of Rafael and Candice Lopez who transformed the East Village in Sand Diego, California from a drab landscape into a vibrant, colorful one.

The book is illustrated by Rafael Lopez, the artist mentioned in the end of the book.

 

THE WATER PRINCESS by Susan Verde  

When Gie Gie plays, she pretends she can tame wild dogs with her song, make tall grass sway when she dances and she can make the wind play hide and seek. But when her family needs water, she can't make the water come to her. She must go to it.

Every day she and her mother make the long walk to the well for water, along with hundreds of other villagers. They bring the water back in large jugs on their heads, just enough water for one day. The next day, they have to do the same thing again. Will she ever be able to find a way to make the water come to her and her village?

Additional information in the back of the book explains what it's like to live in a place without running water and what is being done to bring water to everyone.

ReFoReMo 2018 Day 5 Book Reviews

CARING FOR YOUR LION by Tammi Sauer

If you ever get a lion, or perhaps BEFORE you get a lion, you should read this book. Author Tammi Sauer offers 14 sensible steps to follow while caring for your beast. Step 1 says, "Take a deep breath. Then carefully open the crate." That sounds like sound advice, don't you think? The illustrations by Troy Cummings add great depth and humor to the text.

HOW TO READ A STORY by Kate Messner

To read a story, you must first select one. That's Step 1. "Find a story. A good one. It can have princesses and castles, if you like that sort of thing, or witches and trolls. (As long as they're not too scary.)" Once you've finished with Step 1, you go to Step 2: "Find a reading buddy." You are advised to select a story you both agree on. "If you don't agree....go back to Step 1. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find just the right book." If you follow all 10 steps, you are sure of a satisfying read!

IF A T-REX CRASHES YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY by Jill Esbaum

It might sound like fun if a T-Rex crashes your birthday party, but you might run into some problems if that happens. For instance, a T-Rex is verrrrryyyyy big and he takes up a lot of room. He will knock things over and make a mess, even if he doesn't mean to. A T-Rex will get mad when he doesn't get to blow out the candles or open the gifts. And, it's really hard for a T-Rex to play hide-and-seek. This is a fun story with a bit of a twist at the end.

IF YOU PLANT A SEED by Kadir Nelson

If you plant a tomato seed or a carrot seed or a cabbage seed, your garden will sprout tomatoes, carrots and cabbage. If you plant a seed of selfishness, you will soon have big problems. But, if you plant a seed of kindness, the kindness will grow and grow and grow.

The minimal text (I counted 80 words) and the glorious illustrations by author/illustrator Kadir Nelson create a sentiment that is so much bigger than the sum of its parts.

WHAT TO DO WITH A BOX by Jane Yolen

What can you do with a box? You can use it as a library, a castle, a reading nook, a boat, a race car and many other things. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Author Jane Yolen uses rhyming verse to expound the jobs any child feels when they have a box, a box they can do anything they want with.

ReFoReMo Day 4 Book Reviews

FLOAT by Daniel Miyares

A wordless book depicts the day a young boy makes a paper boat and goes out in the rain to launch it down the street. He is having a good time until the wind blows the boat away faster than he can keep up with it. The boat sails through a culvert and is ruined. Will the young boy's day now be ruined or will he find a way to make things better?

I not usually a big fan of wordless picture books. I realize that a book that tells a story ONLY through pictures is the pure definition of a "picture book," but so often, I find it difficult to really get into the wordless "story." Not this time. Daniel Miyares does a great job of "telling" a story, from beginning to end without the use of a single word.

The front matter of the book includes the folding directions to make a paper boat. The back matter includes the folding directions to make a paper plane.

I WISH YOU MORE by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

This isn't a story book. It isn't about dogs or baseball or parties. This is a feel-good book that will make your heart glow with joy.

Expressive illustrations, by Tom Lichtenheld, perfectly capture the joy and loved expressed in the text. The first two lines of the book are: "I wish you more ups than downs (with an illustration of two kids flying a kite). I wish you more give than take (with an illustration of two kids sharing a piece of fruit). This pattern continues throughout the book, and you will be smiling by the time you get to the last page.

KING JACK AND THE DRAGON by Peter Bentley

Jack, Zack and Caspar built a castle in the back yard with sticks and blankets and a cardboard box. Jack is the king and the other two are knights. The three play together all day fighting off dragons. They are prepared to spend the night in their castle, but then a giant comes along and takes Zack away. That leaves Jack and Caspar. They are prepared to spend the night by themselves, but then another giant comes along and takes Caspar to bed. That leaves Jack by himself. He is prepared to spend the night by himself until something with four feet comes for him. What is it? What is his fate?

The story is written in rhyme. The illustrations by Helen Oxenbury are somewhat reminiscent of those from WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

RAIN by Sam Usher

It's raining when a young boy wakes up. He wants to go outside and play in the rain. But, his granddad says, "Perhaps it's best to stay indoors." So, the young boy waits and waits and waits but it doesn't stop raining. He tells his granddad that he wants to go out in the rain. Again, his granddad puts him off. It finally stops raining and Granddad tells him to hurry and get ready. Granddad needs to mail a letter and he wants to do that before it rains.

So, they put on their rain gear, grab their umbrellas and head out the door. Sure enough, it starts raining before they make it back home. What will Granddad to, now that he's stuck out in the rain?

THE WAY BACK HOME by Oliver Jeffers

When a boy finds a plane in his closet, he decides to take it out and fly in it. Up, up and away he goes, until he runs out of gas and gets stuck on the moon. While trying to figure out what to do, a Martian crash lands his spaceship on the moon. the two figure out a way to help each other fix their flying machines so they can both go back home. But, will they ever hear from each other again?

ReFoReMo 2018 Day 3 Book Reviews

Today's list of books is a long one:

A PERFECT DAY FOR AN ALBATROSS by Caren Loebel-Fried

This is a creative non-fiction story about the albatross, told from the perspective of a female bird. The bird tells about her life in a narrative fashion. Many interesting tidbits are embedded in the text. The back matter provides three additional pages of information about these fascinating birds.

BEST IN SNOW by April Pulley

Minimal rhyming text and beautiful photos combine for the perfect picture book about snow. Two pages of back matter explain the concepts of snow mentioned in the text.

FINDING WINNIE: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick

This wonderful book was written by Lindsay Mattick, the great-granddaughter of Captain Harry Colebourn. Captain Colebourn, a vet, was on his way to tend to the soldier's horses during the war, when he came upon a man with a bear cub. The captain bought the cub and named her Winnipeg, calling her Winnie, for short. He trained her and she became the mascot for the Second Canadian Infantry Brigade. When the troops were sent out to fight, Capt. Colebourn had to leave Winnie behind. He was in  England at the time, and he drove Winnie to the London Zoo, where she lived out the rest of her days.

She became a favorite attraction at the zoo. One day, little Christopher Robin Milne went to the zoo with his father. Christopher Robin fell in love with Winnie. He and the bear became great friends. Christopher Robin had a stuffed bear at home that he named Winnie-the-Pooh. His father, A.A. Milne, wrote great stories about the adventures of Christopher Robin, Winnie-the-Pooh and their friends in the Hundred Acre Woods.

Mattick writes the story in a refreshingly creative way. She begins by having a young boy curling up with mom while mom reads the story. The little boy keeps interrupting the mother as she reads, as children often do. In this manner, Mattick tells the story of how Winnie-the-Pooh became famous.

I TOOK THE MOON FOR A WALK by Carolyn Curtis

A young boy imagines that he is taking the moon for a walk one night when the moon is shining bright. The rhyming verse, repetition and kid-friendly illustrations create a book that any child will love and appreciate.

Two pages at the end of the book give facts and information about the moon. One page is headed "The Mysterious Moon" and the "The World at Night."

IMANI'S MOON by JaNay Brown-Wood

Imani lives in Tanzania in Kenya and is part of the Maasai tribe there. She is small for her age and her peers are always making fun of her size. Imani's dream is to touch the moon. She tries several ways to make that happen. When she succeeds, she is given a moon rock to take back to her mother.

Author JaNay Brown-Wood not only tells a lovely tale, she includes an Author's Note in the back of the book that provides more information about the Maasai culture and people.

LISTEN TO OUR WORLD by Bill Martin, Jr. & Michael Sampson

Each morning, Mama wakes her children up and tells them to listen to their world. Their world is filled with wonderful sounds from the parrots in the rain forest, Gila monsters in the desert, eagles in the wilderness, monkeys in the jungle, as well as other animals.

This is both an entertaining and an educational look at the world around us, as the illustrations, by Melissa Sweet, show each of the animals in their natural habitats. And, the end matter of the book includes a section called Facts About the Animals in the Book, with a bit of trivia about each animal mentioned in the text.

LOCOMOTIVE by Brian Floca

Hop aboard the train and travel across the country from East to West, as the mighty steam locomotive goes across the country. Share the experiences of the people on board as they make the long trek across the country.

This book is chockfull of information about the history of the railroad industry. Not only is a great deal of information woven throughout the text, more details are provided in the back of the book in a section called "A Note On the Locomotive." The author also includes a lengthy list of resources that he used when writing the book. Even the end pages provide maps and pictures at the front of the book, and a detailed drawing of a locomotive at the end of the book.

MORE-IGAMI by Dori Kleber

Joey likes things that fold, like maps and accordions. When he first saw a crane made out of folded paper, he was fascinated and wanted to learn how to make one for himself. He was told it would take a lot of practice and patience to be an origami master.

Joey practices and practices making cranes. He uses all kinds of paper, like construction paper and notebook paper, and his homework papers and his sister's sheet music. His folding mania becomes a nuisance until he finds an acceptable and creative outlet for it.

QUICK LITTLE MONKEY by Sarah L. Thomson

Little monkey loves flying through the trees in the jungle, safe on Papa's back. But when he falls off and goes down, down, down, will he be able to get away from the hungry lion or the terrifying snake?

Author Sarah L. Thomson provides an Author's Note at the back of the book that explains the story is about pygmy marmoset monkeys. She gives a few facts about these interesting creatures that will be sure to interest youngsters.

  

SOME PETS by Angela DiTerlizzi

Author Angela Diterlizzi will put a smile on your face with her poem about pets, all kinds of pets. Illustrator Brendan Wenzel will put a smile on your face with his colorful, expressive and very kid-friendly text.

The back matter at the end of the book is a section called "What's the Pet?" It names all of the animals that are highlighted in the text.

THE ALLIGATOR'S SMILE by Jane Yolen

Just about everything you always wanted to know about alligator's is included in this great little book. Author Jane Yolen combines unique poems and text boxes to describe the different aspects of an alligator - its size and shape, its nesting habits, what it eats, its longevity, etc. Each poem is accompanied by a short blurb that provides more detail about a certain aspect of an alligator. More Gator Facts, a Glossary and a list of additional resources are found at the back of the book. Photos by Jason Stemple make this a great book for anyone who is interested in alligators.

THUNDER UNDERGROUND by Jane Yolen

How many things do you think about that are underground? There are basements and animals and tree roots and buried treasure and all sorts of wonderful things under the ground. Author Jane Yolen uses verse to interest children in what lies under the ground.

The back matter at the end of the book gives more information about all the under ground things that are mentioned in the text.