The Homecoming: The Vandeerbeekers Lost and Found by Karina Yan Glaser

"WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?" LANEY ASKED.

ISA ROCKED HER BACK AND FORTH. "I DON'T KNOW. IT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT, DOES IT?"

When big sister Isa discovers clothes neatly folded and hidden in the storage building in the community garden, she realizes someone has been sleeping in the chilly shed, and she names him the P.M., for "Person of Mystery." Isa secretly begins to leave food there every night, but when six-year-old Laney discovers a secret, everyone in their multi-racial, multi-pet family is soon in on it. Then Isa's twin Jessie overhears a conversation between their elderly neighbor, Miss Josie and her great-nephew Orlando, Jessie's special friend. Orlando is explaining that he didn't call Miss Jessie back because his phone suddenly stopped working. Orlando's mother has disappeared again, and Miss Josie tells Orlando his mother wants him to go back Georgia until she returns, unless...

"UNLESS WHAT...?" ORLANDO ASKS.

"UNLESS YOU WANT TO STAY HERE. WITH US. PERMANENTLY."

Now Jessie guesses who the P.M. is, and of course, the Vanderbeeker kids get involved, as they always do. Their parents find out that Orlando's mother stopped paying rent before she left, and Orlando was evicted. Telling no one, he's kept going to school and sleeping in the garden shed. For one thing, Orlando feels responsible to their formerly reclusive upstairs neighbor, Mr. Beiderman, who is training with him to run in the New York Marathon, and to his friends on the cross-country running team, and he really doesn't want to go back to Georgia to live with another great aunt. But when Miss Josie's elderly husband, Mr. Jeet, takes a turn for the worst and dies, things become even more complicated. Miss Josie learns that she cannot be Orlando's guardian because she has only one bedroom in her apartment, and of course the Vanderbeeker's apartment is full, with ten-year-old Oliver sleeping in what is really a large closet as it is.

It all comes to a climax when, on the day of the Marathon, Jessie finds a note from Orlando, saying he's fulfilled his promise to Mr. Beiderman and doesn't want to burden everyone else and has taken the early bus to Georgia. In a flurry of Vanderbeeker activity, word is passed through the runners in the race to Mr. Beiderman, who makes an on-the-spot decision and then a phone call.

"THAT'S MY TRAVEL AGENT! SHE'S GOING TO GET US ON A FLIGHT THAT LEAVES AT THREE THIRTY. OKAY WITH YOU?" HE ASKS JESSIE.

THE VANDERBEEKERS WERE STUNNED. THEIR NEIGHBOR, WHO ONLY A FEW YEARS BEFORE REFUSED TO LEAVE HIS APARTMENT, HAS A TRAVEL AGENT?

Mr. Beiderman and Jessie make their plane to Atlanta just as the cabin doors are about to be closed, and all's well that ends well for Mr. Beiderman, who does have a second bedroom and decides to become Orlando's guardian, and for Miss Josie, and the Vanderbeekers, who welcome their young friend home at last, in Karina Yan Glaser's fourth book in series, The Vanderbeekers Lost and Found (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020).

And that's just ONE of the plotlines is this latest novel for middle readers from the popular Vanderbeeker series. With a lively family of kids originally ranging in age from five to thirteen, loving parents, and a lively, close-knit urban setting, there's something for a wide range of readers in these upbeat stories of modern family life. (See all reviews here.)

A child once wrote to the beloved children's author Beverly Cleary, sayiing she liked the way her books were "happy-sad," and Karina Yan Glaser's Vanderbeeker stories have that quality, too. And for fans of the Vanderbeeker family, I recommend another series of the adventures of a large family, beginning with The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy.

I'm WHAT? It's Big Brother Time! by Nandina Ahula

MOM AND DAD BROUGHT HOME SOMEONE NEW TODAY. "IT'S OUR BABY!" THEY SAY.

When the boy asked how long Baby is going to visit, they say it'll be forever!

"BABY WILL BE YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND!" THEY SAY.

What? Who knew?

This baby doesn't seem like much of a bargain. He cries loudly. He's a mess most of the time. And sometimes he smells not so good. But he mostly stays put where Mom and Dad put him.

But soon Baby begins to crawl around and knocks over the boy's tallest block towers! The boy complains to Mom and Dad, but they say he'll have to teach Baby the rules.

"YOU'RE THE BIG BROTHER!"

But as time goes on, the new Big Brother gets the hang of his new job. He teaches baby to enjoy hiding in pillow forts and even lets him use his own blankie, since it seems to fit him better. When Big Brother insists on sitting between Mom and Dad on movie night, he finds that if Baby sits in his lap, they can both be in the middle. He teaches Baby how to clean up his big messes. He shows him how to share his toys and his grandparents. When Baby becomes a roommate, he teaches him how to be quiet at bedtime! And when the Big Brother has friends over to play, Baby has to be on his side. After all...

"WE'RE A TEAM!"

In Nandina Ahula's brand-new It's Big Brother Time! (My Time) (Harper Festival, 2021), the sequel to her book, It's Big Sister Time! (My Time), (see review here) older siblings find a new and very important role within the family as they find the responsibilities and fun of being the oldest. As in the previous book, Catalina Echeverri's adorable illustrations show the humor and joy of a growing family.

Playing in Harmony: Clarinet and Trumpet by Melanie Ellsberg

CLARINET AND TRUMPET WERE FRIENDS FROM THE FIRST NOTE.

"TRUMPET, YOU'RE A BLAST!"

"CLARINET, YOU'RE SHARP!"

The two made good music together--until a newcomer marched into the band room.

Suddenly Clarinet realized that she and Oboe had a lot in commen--silvery keys and a reed! Perhaps they should have their own section in the band and hang out together. Trumpet didn't belong with his friend any more, especially when Clarinet squeeked at the fanfare he wrote for her. Trumpet couldn't help but B flat! He started to play with Trombone. French horn tried to hit the right chord by joining with section. Then the Woodwinds invited Flute to play with them!

THAT EVENED THE SCORE!

There was no harmony in the band room until a new guy came swinging in.

It was SAXOPHONE!

He had a reed, but he was brass--a happy hybrid who smoothed the discord and jazzed up the band's sound right away!

"DIG IT!" CROONED SAX.

The percussion instruments, who had been afraid of striking the wrong beat, came out to join in, and all the band was harmoniously and melodiously in tune, in author Melanie Ellsberg's funny and punny, off-beat introduction to the instruments in the band, Clarinet and Trumpet (book with shaker) (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020), a picture-book parable with plenty of wordplay with musical terms and a pitch for cooperation in music and life. With the comic illustrations of artist John Herzog to lighten the mood, this small book offers both social and musical learning for young readers with the just the right rhythm for young readers. An added attraction is the built-in shaker in the book to help young readers join the band. Says School Library Journal, "A lyrical tour de force about individuality, friendship, and community...."

A Child Went Forth.... Eric Carle and The Very Hungry Caterpillar

"There was a child went forth every day,

And the first object he look'd upon, that object he became,

And that object became part of him for the day or a certain part of the day,

Or for many years or stretching cycles of years."

Born in an earlier century, Walt Whitman was not writing about caterpillars or children's picture books, or the now late Eric Carle who died this week, but Eric Carle certainly believed in Whitman's description of how children absorb and acquire a view of their world, taken into and is shaping their world view early on. Ostensibly about a little caterpillar who ate everything he encountered and grew up to become a beautiful butterfly, Carle's best-seller, The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a about how caterpillars become butterflies, but is also metaphor for the child who takes in everything, the "consumer" of this book and many others by Carle and others, that help him or her grow up with a healthy understanding of the beauty and bounty of our world. Our view of how the things work in this world is shaped by every experience we take in, and it is a lucky child who is privileged to make Eric Carle's very human and acute artistic sensibilities a part of his or her maturing mind. We become in part what we see and read, and for that part of it created by Carle, we thank him for his life's work.

Hail and Farewell, Eric Carle.

Growing Season! Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever by Ruth Spiro

Maxine and her goldfish Milton were partners. She invented gadgets with gears and pulleys to feed fishy snack foods to Milton, and he ate them gladly.

Maxine the gismo maker had another friend, Leo, who liked to make things, too, but from a different point of view.

One day Maxine and Leo had the same idea. Spring was on its way and they decided it was time to make a garden. Leo drew a lush and blooming garden as his plan. Maxine's plan was more mechanical. Milton just wanted the garden to have a fish pond, and Maxine and Leo were on board with that!

MILTON GRINNED FROM GILL TO GILL

Despite their different modus operandi, their garden grew as big and full of produce as their expectations. In fact, they were a little too productive! All the animal critters in the area considered their plots as their neighborhood food court--with foods of all kinds for all tastes. Bunnies munched carrots! Raccoons raided the other root veggies, along with squirrels and skunks. Birds ate the fruit and seeds.

Leo and Maxine needed some way to keep the freeloaders out!

"SOMETHING THAT LOOKS GOOD?" SUGGESTED LEO.

Leo designed a bear scarecrow. It was big, but it was too cute. The critters loved it. Then Maxine decided it was time to harden their approach and concocted a scary robotic scarecrow. Maxine wrote code, and Leo sewed. They installed lasers to trip the Robo-eyed klaxens blinking with disco balls. It cleared the critters, but it was a bit too much, even for Maxine!

Maybe the best garden ever is one that is shared with the neighbors, in Ruth Spiro's just published Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever (Dial Books, 2021), detailed in artist Holly Hatam's illustrations. Maxine and Leo compromise, the critters approve the nibbles, and Milton enjoys the beautiful view from his bowl, and all agree theirs is the best garden ever.

Twin Trailblazers: Goodnight, Astronaut by Scott Kelly

I WAS BORN FOR ADVENTURE, A BLUR OF ENERGY TIMES TWO.

Scott Kelly was born a twin, and as little kids, he and his twin Mark fought sleep every night, but their mom said...

blockquote>"DREAM... AND GO ANYWHERE!

GOODNIGHT, MY ASTRONAUTS!"<

In toy helmets made from boxes, the two dreamed of blasting off in their treehouse and from their family boat. They looked up to the stars as they camped in the woods. And when Scott Kelley was grown, he became a Navy pilot, soaring off an aircraft carrier's deck, in a "Tomcat" jet. In Navy scuba gear he explored the ocean floor to learn how to manage in astronaut gear. He trained under the stars above Mt. Everest to get used to thin air. And at last he was ready!

AFTER ALL THE HARD WORK AND DREAMING, I FINALLY LEAVE THE EARTH ON A SHUTTLE CALLED DISCOVERY.

AN ASTRONAUT AT LAST.

From the veteran captain of the Shuttle Endeavor and two-time commander of the International Space Station, living in space for a year, Scott Kelly's brand-new autobiographical picture book, Goodnight, Astronaut (Crown Books, 2021) tells the story of how he and his equally adventurous brother Mark (who has run for public office, perhaps the more dangerous career) realized the double dreams of their childhood in this twin-told tale with illustrations by Izzy Burton.

Since Scott and Mark are identical twins, medical studies of their health in space and back on earth were invaluable to the study of the human body during extended time in space, and the twins were perfect for biological study of the effects of life in space. For more of the Twin Trailblazers, see Scott and Mark Kelly's companion book, Endurance, Young Readers Edition: My Year in Space and How I Got There. Mark Kelly is also the author of the imaginative space adventures, Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story (Paula Wiseman Books) and sequel Mousetronaut Goes to Mars.(Paula Wiseman Books) (See reviews https://booksforkidsblog.blogspot.com/search?q=Mark+Kelly.)

Dreams Can Come True! Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn by Shannon Hale

KITTY THINKS SHE MIGHT BE A UNICORN.

With cardboard and glue, yarn and some poster paints, she creates a just-her-size unicorn horn and with her itty-bitty horn on top of her fuzzy fur, Kitty fancies she had become...

.

But her co-pets, Parakeet and Gecko, beg to differ. She's a cat, they agree. They point out her fuzzy fur and her tiny little tail. They tell her she has soft kitty paws with claws, not hard hooves that prance! Itty-Bitty Kitty puffs out her tail....:

NEIGH! NEIGH!!"YOU'RE A CAT!" SAID PARAKEET.

"THAT'S THAT!" ECHOED GECKO!

<

But that's not that! Just as Kitty-Korn sadly takes off her horn, they hear it...

CLOP! CLOP! CLOP!

"NOW THAT'S A UNICORN!" CRIES GECKO!

And Kitty-Corn is happy to find out that the Unicorn likes her fuzzy fur, tiny tail and her crafted unicorn horn, and they play all afternoon until at last their merging shadows rest together in the setting sun, in Shannon Hale's Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn (Abrams Books, 2021), illustrated in completely unashamed, totally adorable, pink cuteness by artist Leyuen Pham. Fanciful dreams can make for good fun in this book for young unicorn fanciers. Writes Publisher Weekly, "What ostensibly starts out as an almost criminally cute tale of pretend play transforms into something much more: a celebration of claiming and naming one’s identity and having it affirmed by others."

What the World Needs Now. . . : The Kindness Book by Todd Parr

WHAT IS KINDNESS?

KINDNESS IS THINKING ABOUT OTHERS' FEELINGS AND HELPING THEM FEEL GOOD.

There are kind deeds--opening the door for someone, giving food to a food bank or flowers to someone who needs cheering up, or saying thank you, or welcoming someone new.

It can be avoiding doing things that hurt people's feelings or just being there when someone needs not to be alone. Kindness can be NOT doing things like making fun of someone having a bad hair day or sometimes letting people just be themselves. Kindness is saying, "I'm sorry" when you are not kind. Kindness can be just a smile or a wave to someone you know, or someone you don't know. Kindness can be helping plants grow or being nice to animals.

>

DON'T FORGET TO BE KIND TO YOURSELF!

Author-illustrator Todd Parr, the emperor of emotions and professor of feelings, spreads the word in his recent The Kindness Book (Little, Brown and Company, 2019), designed to display the ways to spread good will to all. Parr's signature simple figures delineated with wide black lines show the many ways to be good to others and to ourselves, and are especially in tune for preschool and primary-age youngsters. Share this one with Parr's The Feelings Book.

Taking Turns: My Friend Ben Won't Share by Charles Beyl

I'M CHIP AND THIS IS MY FRIEND BEN.

BEN COMES TO PLAY AT MY HOUSE.

Chip and Ben make a good pair. They like to play the same thing, but with different parts of the job. Chip likes to build big forts and Ben likes to construct the towers inside. Ben likes to make up stories, and Chip likes to draw the illustrations for the stories. And when Dad brings them sandwiches to eat outside, they split the lunch, each eating the part he likes best..

In good weather Chip and Ben play trucks. One sunny day Ben only wants to play with Chip's big truck. He doesn't give Chip a turn to have his truck back.

CHIP WANTS HIS DUMP TRUCK.

Chip grabs the front of the truck, and Ben holds on to the back of the truck. They both pull as hard as they can.

SNAP!

The truck is now in two pieces. Chip doesn't want to play with Ben anymore, and Ben goes home alone.

But soon Chip finds making forts with no towers is not much fun. Drawing pictures isn't so great without a story to put them in, either. Meanwhile Ben wonders who is going to eat the twigs in his sandwiches.

It's time for a truce, in Charles Beyl's My Friend Ben Won't Share (A Chip and Ben book) (Albert Whitman, 2021), and with the judicious use of Duck Tape and the help of Mallard, the two parts of the truck are mended, and now perhaps a bit wiser, Chip and Ben are back on the road again, in this early reader story of a happily mended friendship. Kirkus Reviews writes, "... a pleasingly subtle variation on a familiar theme."

Missing Person Mission: Duck Duck Moose by Mary Sullivan

It's a serene morning on the farm until as frantic girl races up with a disturbing query--

WHERE IS GOOSE?

Oh, dear! Moose takes charge! The tractor is still attached to its trailer, perfect for a missing person search...

GET BIG MOE!

Big Moe is cranked with amid some clunks and pows as Duck and Duck and Moose climb into the trailer and the girl takes the wheel, all with one mission, to find Goose immediately. Bucolic bystanders, Horse and Sheep, point the way they saw Goose go. But soon there's an obstacle--the gate is locked and the key is hanging on the tree, way up there. Leaps and flapping attempts to reach it fail, so Moose tries a totem pole arrangement, with the two ducks on top of each other on top of his head. The top duck stretches high into the tree and ...

BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ!

A swarm of hornets bring them all crashing down in the mud.

THONK! WHACK! STING! STANG! STUNG!

Mission aborted. After soaking in a bubbly bath, the three call it a day, and plastered with bandaids, Goose, Goose, and Moose repair to bed, still sad and without the mysteriously missing Goose.

The Caldecott-winning author-illustrator Mary Sullivan's latest, Duck, Duck, Moose (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021) is a beginning reader full of merry mayhem with onomatopoeic words and obvious affection for the muddled characters' missing friend (who, in the conclusion, shows up with beach bag, surfboard, and a mystified expression at her reception). With controlled vocabulary, visual cues, and plenty of repeated words and phrases, this slapstick story is filled with action and humor, perfect for early readers.

Sullivan's literary output is filled with delightfully humorous picture books that charm young listeners as readalongs, readalouds, or beginning readers: Ball, Treat, Up On Bob, Frankie, and Nobody's Duck. (See reviews here).

Know Thyself! I'm a Hare, So There! by Julia Rowan-Zoch

"HELLO, RABBIT!"

A small rodent with a furry tail cheerfully hails a passing creature from his sentry post on top of a saguaro cactus. But the passerby seems a bit picky about his choice of nomenclature.

"RABBIT? DID YOU SAY RABBIT?"

"I'M NO FLOPSY, MOPSY, OR COTTONTAIL! I'M A HARE! H-A-R-E, CHIPMUNK!"

"I'M A HARE, SO THERE!"

/p>

Hmmm. Two can play at that pedantic game, the little rodent thinks.

blockquote>"TECHNICALLY, I'M A GROUND SQUIRREL," HE POINTS OUT. "BUT YOU ARE A JACKRABBIT."

Jack launches into a lecture on how hares are different from rabbits. They have bigger ears and feet. Newborn rabbits have no fur, whereas hares have a full coat and are born with their eyes wide open and ready to go. They can jump way higher and further than those pipsqueeky bunnies. Jack continues his exposition with a discourse on differences between tortoises and turtles, sheep and goats, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!

Chippie (a.k.a Ground Squirrel) interrupts the disquisition, leaping to Hare's head as a shaggy, howling interloper leaps from behind a rock. Dog? Wolf? Coyote? Who cares?

"GOTCHA, RABBIT!"

It's time for Hare's hind legs to do the stuff that their species is famous for and start leaping, in author Julie Rowan-Zoch's latest, I'm a Hare, So There! (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021), a cleverly paced hare tale with dowright hilarious illustrations and a lot of incidental information about the speciational differences of animals of the Sonorran desert. The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books calls this one "A sneakily educational readaloud."

This most recent picture book makes a good partner with Cece Bell's top-selling I Yam a Donkey! (A Yam and Donkey Book) I Yam a Donkey! (A Yam and Donkey Book) and You Loves Ewe! (A Yam and Donkey Book). (See reviews here.)

Cake Contest! Angelina Ballerina Cupcake Day by Katherine Holobird

ANGELINA WAS SKIPPING HOME FROM BALLET CLASS WHEN SHE SPOTTED A FLYER IN THE VILLAGE SQUARE.

"CHIPPING CHEDDAR BAKING CONTEST COMING SOON!" IT SAID.

Angelina and her mother love to bake together, and when Angelina tells her mom about the contest, they quickly consult their collection of recipes and fix on a favorite--Berry Ballerina Cupcakes. Soon they are off to the market to buy the ingredients, flour, sugar, butter, and delicious fresh strawberries. Back home Angelina assembles their baking implements and mom turns on the over, just as Angelina's little sister comes in and asks to join them in the kitchen. They all pitch in, sifting and stirring, and the cupcakes are quickly in the oven.

While Polly and Angelina practice their twirls, the scent of baking cupcakes fills the kitchen. But just as mom is taking the delicious-smelling pan of cupcakes out of the oven, Angelina has a dismaying thought!

OH, NO! THEY'D FORGOTTEN TO BUY THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE FROSTING!

But the show must go on! With a few pretty ribbons for decoration from her friend Alice, Mother and the three girls are off to the Chipping Cheddar Square for the contest. As usual, Miss Quaver takes first prize, but the consolation prize is that...

... they get to eat the Berry Ballerina cupcakes!

Things are tu-tu delightful for Angelina Ballerina in her latest beginning reader book, Cupcake Day! (Angelina Ballerina) (Simon Spotlight, 2020) from Katherine Holobird. With the signature pastel illustrations of Helen Craig along for the contest, it's a win-win conclusion that ends with tea and cupcakes in the cozy kitchen in this ever-popular series, just right for primary grade readers.

Identity Crisis in Aisle 4! Avocado Asks by Momoko Abe

AVOCADO WAS JUST FINE IN THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE AISLE OF THE SUPERMARKET... UNTIL ONE DAY A SMALL CUSTOMER POINTED AND ASKED...

"IS AN AVOCADO A FRUIT OR A VEGETABLE?"

Suddenly Avocado is in the middle of an identity crisis. He consults the motley mix in the veggie display. He's not leafy like the cabbages, crunchy like a carrot, and none of them have sizable seed right in their middles. He queries the fruits. He's not juicy or sweet, and there's still that pit problem.

THERE MUST BE SOMEWHERE I CAN FEEL AT HOME!

Does anyone have these problems in the meat section? Fish or Fowl?

Nope. He's shaped like an egg, but he's clearly NOT one. He's not cheesy, or spicy. Avocado feels his insides melting into... something like...

GUACAMOLE!

Then he's accosted by a round and rosy, clearly plant-based guy.

He's a TOMATO. He's a fruit but rarely eaten out of hand. He spends most of his time hanging around with the vegetables. He's equally good in cold or piping hot dishes, and he's indispensable in pasta and pizza, appearing in many a soup and salad! He's very versatile! And Tomato and Avocado have a lot in common, often collaborating in their joint concoction--guacamole! They make ordinary fruits and vegetables...

GREEN WITH ENVY!

Momoko Abe's Avocado Asks: What Am I? (Doubleday Books, 2020) is the story of a deliciously delightful identity crisis in the fresh produce section, with the quiet lesson is it's not where you come from but what you can offer, while imparting to young readers a bit of plant science. Author-illustrator Momoko Abe, assisted by her clever artwork, adds the simple message that it not what you are called but what you actually can do that matters. And in the playful spirit of her story, she offers a new botanical brain teaser for young readers: What are rhubarb, mushrooms, horseradish, or coconuts?

Rain, Rain! Go Away! Sunny Side Up by Fiona Woodcock

A bright-faced girl awakes cheerily, ready for a fun day outdoors with Dad.

"I CHOOSE SUNNY-SIDE UP EGGS!"

"GRAPE JUICE? PLEASE!"

But when she raises the shade, the view outside is gray and rainy. Oh, No!

DRIP, DRIP, DROP!

"Into each life some rain must fall" is the old saying. But not TODAY! The girl sheds a few disappointed drops herself as Dad suggests she can imagine some fun things to do inside with him. Mom dashes out to work, umbrella at the ready but not looking too sad about leaving Dad in charge.

And at first the little girl is a good sport. She builds a bird's nest among her pillows. She builds tall castles with her blocks, and then imagines that they are bowling pins that she knocks down with her ball. She crawls under the tablecloth and makes pretend muffins for her stuffed animals. She draws pictures and has a sippy drink in hiding. But the rain is now louder, and she crawls out sadly.

Daddy calls her for a warming lunch of bright red tomato soup and his best grilled cheese sandwich. He proposes a nap. NO!

But a meltdown is averted, and after she naps, the girl paints lots and lots of pictures of birds of all colors in the sunshine. She reads book after book. And then it's time for Mommy to come home.

And as it always does, the sun comes back, dispersing the gray clouds and sparkling in the puddles. It's a good day to play in the park. There are lots of birds wheeling and diving and pecking for worms in the drying grass, and Mommy pushes her back and forth for a long turn on the swings.

All's well when the sun is back and there's spaghetti for supper, in Fiona Wookcock's sunny, new picture book, Sunny-Side Up (Greenwillow Press, 2021) which reminds preschoolers and parents alike that the sun always comes back, if not always just when it's wanted! Artist Fiona Woodcock's cheerful mixed media illustrations affirm that there's always sunshine sometime, somewhere, in the future. "Stippled with subtle textures, the settings always seem on the verge of dematerializing, underscoring the tenuousness of the child’s mood," says Publishers Weekly with admirable insight!

Be Still and Listen: Quiet by Tomie de Paola

Spring is busy. Everything seems to be rushing toward summer. Baby foxes wiggle in their dens, eager to learn to run. Birds are flocking, singing on the wing.

Flowers are blooming. Bees are buzzing, and butterflies are trying out the flowers, looking for pollen and nectar. Rabbits are leaving their burrows and frogs are splashing into the pond. And a grandfather and two children are taking a walk.

"MY, OH, MY," SAID THE GRANDFATHER. "EVERYONE IS IN SUCH A HURRY."

"OUR DOG IS RUSHING AFTER THE BALL," SAID THE GIRL.

And Grandfather is right. The dragonflies are zipping over the the pond and the trees seem to be exercising their half-grown leaves in the breeze.

"LET'S NOT BE SO BUSY," SAID GRANDFATHER.

He leads them to a wooden bench where they sit, one on each side of him. Their dog stretches out beside them and falls asleep with a quiet sigh. Everything seems to grow still in the moment.

Quiet is what they hear. It's as still as the dragonfly perched on a cattail by the pond.

TO BE QUIET AND STILL IS A SPECIAL THING.

In his New York Times best-selling book, Quiet (Simon and Schuster, 2019), veteran author Tomie De Paola reminds us all that mindfulness, the focusing of the mind quietly in the moment, can be a part of being in the outdoors. Excitement, boisterous laughter, running and shouting has its place, but in a child's day, there is much to be said for learning to listen for the quiet spaces in life. In his trademark style of illustrations, De Paola's animal life is busy, some of it perhaps noisy, but he also suggest the quietness of a line of always busy ants, the soundless flight of the butterfly, and the stillness of resting birds, dreaming dogs and his signature doves. Says Booklist's starred review, "Simple, straightforward, and effective, this book gently encourages children to find comfort in their own quiet moments."

Share this one with Deborah Underwood's "many kinds of quiet" in her notable The Quiet Book

Schemework,Teamwork! The Boxitects by Kim Smith

MEG WAS A BOXITECT.

SHE LOVED TO MAKE THINGS OUT OF BOXES. SHE MADE TINY HOUSES, TALL TOWERS, AND TWISTY TUNNELS.

Meg made a castle that dominated the family room. Meg's mom admired her cleverness and creativity, so she signed her up for Maker School, where she could develop her construction skills somewhere else for a while.

AT MAKER SCHOOL THERE WERE BLANKETEERS, SPAGHETTI-TECHS, AND EGG CARTONERS.

But Meg was the only Boxitect in the bunch! She liked that!

She studied at making sturdier structures and more stylish structures. She was in her glory....

Until another student arrived--Simone--who was also into boxitect-ing. And worse of all, Simone believed she was the best boxitect ever. She fancied herself a critic and started giving Meg handy hints to make her consturctions stronger, straighter, and...

LESS BORING...!

Meg retaliated with little technical tips of her own to "help" Simone maker her products prettier.

Forget creativity. This was COMPETITION!

And to make it worse, it was time for the ANNUAL MAKER MATCH! Both Meg and Simon were determined to be on top... but there was one requirement they didn't expect--they had to work together. They agreed to split their construction into two parts: Meg built a tall treehouse and Simone added a towering smokestack to her ship. Their structure got more tottery and preposterous as each tried to make their design the biggest and tallest. And in due course, of course, there was a huge...

CRASH!

Quickly the two realized that they would be the laughingstock of the Makers' Match unless they became a TEAM!

And in the need to work together, the two learned to make something new, to make friends, in Kim Smith's little parable of partnership, Boxitects (Clarion Books, 2020). Youngsters will love author-illustrator Smith's inventive illustrations of the two rivals' contraptions, and love her story of friendship found in mutual interests as well. Writes Kirkus, "Personality and a developmental message successfully combine for STEAM fun."

SAVE OUR PLAYGROUND! Stars of the Show: The Adventures of Allie and Amy by Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson

RING! ALLIE RACED TO GET THE PHONE.

"WANT TO GO TO THE PLAYGROUND?" SAID HER BEST FRIEND AMY. "MEET YOU DOWNSTAIRS IN SIX MINUTES!"

Scurrying down the sidewalk, the two friends come to a screeching halt when they spot the headline on the paper at the news stand.

PLAYGROUND CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

TOWN PLAYGROUND NOT SAFE!

The two girls skim the article until they come to a paragraph that says there's going to be a street fair to raise money to repair the playground equipment. Immediately they start planning an act for the street fair, interrupted by the skateboard boys Dave and Martin careening down the sidewalk, who declare that they are going to be the stars of the street fair teaching kids their daring and dangerous moves.!

HUH! sniff Allie and Amy, replying that they'll have to set up a Bandaid Stand for their customers. The two meet up with their friend Gracie the comic, who says she's signing up to do a comedy act. The three can't wait to start planning their acts, and as they pass the Candy Basket they spot their friend Jasmine juggling Life Savers to get ready for the street fair. But when Amy buys them two bags of Gooby Gobs, Allie announces that her head hurts and the Gobs taste terrible. Suddenly she wants to go home, and when they arrive back at her apartment, her mom finds that she has a fever and calls  Dr. Bogwell.

"SHE MUST HAVE ONE FULL WEEK OF BED REST!" INTONES DR. BOGWELL.

That's terrible news! Can Amy find a way to make a solo act succeed without her best friend? But Madame Lulu the Fortune Teller tells Amy...

"THE SHOW MUST GO ON!"

And go on it does with a little help from their friends and frenemies, in Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson's Stars of the Show: The Adventures of Allie and Amy 3 (QUIX) (Aladdin/Quix Books), and the playground is made safe for all the kids, that is, after they get over the sick bug that Allie gave them all. Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson are the co-creators of the mega-selling Magic School Bus Series, and with the lively illustrations of Jamed Burks, are reunited in this easy-reading series, The Adventures of Allie and Amy.

Chain Reaction! A Small Kindness by Stacy McAnulty

 

IT WAS LIKE A GAME OF TAG.

ALICE SMILED AT LUCAS...

It's a drab day as a group of preschool kids line up in front of the school with their teacher, Ms. Jones. She gives them her best welcoming smile.

As the kids put away their things in their cubbies, Alice passes along that smile, which moves Lucas to give a welcoming wave to Jasmine, who, in the morning circle willingly passes a turn to hold the class hamster along to a patiently waiting Xavier, who returns the favor to Ms. Jones by holding the door to the Art Room.

It's a chain reaction, as one good deed deserves another through the day. Xaxier's gentlemanly act helps Ms. Jones keep her cool and joke with Henry when he spills blue paint on the floor, and as the school day goes on, each child in turn is moved to pass along small kindnesses and helpfulness until all the class is smiling, cooperating, and high fiving. It's a really good day for Ms. Jones' class, in Stacy McAnulty's just published A Small Kindness (Roaring Press Kids, 2021). Artist Wendy Leach moves from an opening sepia page to a soft rainbow of coloration which spreads from child to child to teacher and even the custodian in the hall in a rainbow of good will which continues on the playground until every student is shown in full color, symbolically brightened by small kindnesses, compliments and courtesies, in the spirit of paying it forward that motivates each of them to share.

AND EVERYBODY WON!

A delightful cooperation between author and illustrator makes this a good book for the first day of school or any dreary day that needs a bit of brightening goodwill.

Says Booklist, "A clever visual conceit helps demonstrate the simple power of paying kindness forward in this gentle, encouraging picture book."

A Case of NOT Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due! Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert, Is A Detective Genius by Morag Hood

MY NAME IS SOPHIE JOHNSON AND I AM A DETECTIVE GENIUS.

Having established her bona fides on unicorn-keeping, Sophie Johnson has a new area of expertise (according to her), crime solving. She's got the Sherlock cap and cape and the magnifying glass and she's read lots of books! And like her idol, Sherlock, she has a sidekick, her dog Bella.

THIS IS MY ASSISTANT BELLA. SHE'S NOT A VERY GOOD ASSISTANT, ACTUALLY. I AM DEFINITELY SMARTER.

And for Sophie the case is afoot! Her toy lion's tail is missing. She gets busy putting up flyers proclaiming the dastardly crime and posting a reward. She detains and grills all her dolls and toy animals, but they are all mum, lips sealed! It's a difficult case! But Bella has an acute sense of smell and sniffs out an important bit of evidence--the missing lion appendage. Sophie, however, is too busy interrogating her stuffed suspects to notice.

She is also too absorbed to notice the thieves outside the window, spying on her. While Sophie lectures on crime-stopping, Bella sets a trap for the robbers, rigging a string of pots and pans over the door to intercept the crooks as they enter. Sophie, however, is unaware of the on-going home invasion, focusing on her lecture to her glassy-eyed students, while Bella subdues and ties up the culprits and the policemen arrive to make the arrest.

"BELLA IS NO HELP, NO HELP AT ALL!" Sophie tells her listeners.

Bella receives a well-deserved blue-ribboned VERY GOOD DOG AWARD. Sophie is still oblivious.

"IT'S A GOOD THING I'M HERE. CRIME WOULD BE EVERYWHERE!"

There's plenty of activity going on right under Sophie's nose in the humorous illustrations of artist Ella Okstad, in Morag Hood's third book in her series, Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert, Is a Detective Genius (Aladdin Books). While continuing to rehearse her own press release, the would-be heroine fails to notice as her loyal sidekick hound collars the crooks in this story of Sophie Johnson and her self-proclaimed expertise and genius. Of course, the joke is on Sophie and young listeners will love collecting the evidence for her in this one. The first book in this series is Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert..

Eat It And Be A Pirate, Too! Pirate Stew by Neil Gaiman

The night my mum and dad went out, I said, "We won't be babysat."

They said, "You must not grump or pout!

We're going out

and that is that!

Say hello to your babysitter!"

The brother and sister are not pleased to see their parents all decked out for a Saturday date night, but any further argument is quashed when they see their babysitter.

Right leg a peg, left arm a hook;

He grinned and said, "My card."

It read...

LONG JOHN McRON, SHIP'S COOK.

A cursory inventory of the family's fridge fails to meet Long John's approval, and, joined by a motley crew of assistants, Long John declares that nothing will do but that they make Pirate Stew.

"Pirate stew, pirate stew!

Eat it and you'll be a pirate, too!

All the hearty buccaneers add something to the pot--seeds from the parrot, a slice of plank that was walked, doubloons and haddock, leeks and limes and mermaids tears, all well stirred with a scimitar, and soon the crew and cook dip the steaming stew out into bowls for the maties. They all chow down, a merry crew. But the two kids eschew the magical brew. The brother takes a pass, and his sister nods, "Me, too."

But the crew is still peckish, so Long John McRon raises sails and they fly through the air freely toward a downtown donut shop. The owner says she's closing down for the night, but McRon and his marauders won't take no for an answer.

"Hand over your donuts, hearties. We'll have a donut party!"

And after the crew down their donuts, Long John drops them off at the pub for some grog and rum, and with the weary kids in tow Long Jon McRon flies right back home, just in time to make the kids' curfew. Their parents find them sadly sitting on the floor, surrounded by pirate detritis, crumbs, and an almost empty donut box. And beside them on the counter are the kids' two bowls of Pirate Stew, seemingly still steaming--and their parents, whose dinner was sadly lacking, can't resist some late-night snacking.

And so, my lads and lassies, call that a happy ending or a bad,

From that day on, a Pirate Mom and Dad was what these landlubbers had!

The Newbery Award-winning Neil Gaiman can be counted upon to come up with a fantastical story, told in jolly rhyme, and this one, Pirate Stew (Quill Tree Books, 2020), with its undertones of Peter Pan-style pirates, is certainly an offbeat story. Gaiman's wordsmithery is evident in his rhyming text with its unexpected turns, and illustrator Chris Riddell, winner of the Greenaway Medal, the British version of our Caldecott Award for picture book artistry, makes the most of Gaiman's imaginative setting and gloriously quirky characters in his fanciful drawings. Says Booklist, "Highly enjoyable, with Gaiman’s silly, singsong verses the perfect ingredient for a raucous read-aloud. Riddell’s predictably fabulous illustrations are ablaze with color and detail."

The Year Goes Round: The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons

IT IS SPRING.

Arnold's apple tree is his secret place. It is warm and he sees that there are buds on all the twigs. And soon the buds open to reveal sweet-smelling apple blossoms. He picks a few branches to take home for a bouquet arrangement. Arnold puts up a swing on one of his tree's strongest branches and swings as high as the blossoms. And then...

IT IS SUMMER.

Arnold builds a tree house among the branches, partly hidden among the green leaves that grow thick under the warm sun. Some of the blossom begin to turn into small green apples which grow bigger every day. Arnold juggles some of them. And then their color begins to change. And all too soon...

IT IS FALL.

The hard green apples begin to turn red, and the green leaves turn golden and fall for Arnold to rake, and when he shakes the tree, ripe red apples drop all around him. Arnold collect the apples in baskets and takes them home, where he his parents make apple pies and cider in their cider press. Arnold decorates a few apples for Halloween. And finally...

IT IS WINTER.

The apple tree's branches are bare again, so Arnold makes popcorn strings to decorate it and to feed the birds. When it snows, he builds a snowman under the tree and a snow fort to surround his tree. But one day the snow begins to melt and soon...

IT'S SPRING AGAIN.

Arnold's own apple tree is a literary evergreen, taking youngsters through a study of the seasons for decades, in Gail Gibbons' classic, The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Highly reviewed and enduring, this study of a year in the person of one child and one tree is perfect for preschool and primary students just beginning their study of science as evidenced in the science of the annual cycle of the seasons, illustrated by the author in charming illustrations and a sturdy boy who grows through the year as well. Embedded in the story are a recipe for apple pie and a diagram of how a cider press works. Share this one with Gibbons' companion book, Apples.

Handmade! What Will These Hands Make? by Nikki McClure

Hands make all kinds of things: They can knit a cap for a child, a garden for a community, a bowl to hold fruit, a cake for a birthday party.

A HAT FOR A BABY'S HEAD.

A WALL TO WALK ALONG.

A GATE TO OPEN.

A GARDEN FOR MANY.

There are makers everywhere!

Bakers are makers! Artists are makers, and so are carpenters and stone masons with their tool kits.

Some makers build BIG!

A BRIDGE TO CROSS A RIVER...

A BOAT TO SALE THE SEA...

A HOME FOR FAMILIES...

Some makers make songs, some make paintings, some make bouquets, and some make Teddy bears.

Some make dinner!

WILL THESE HANDS MAKE A SAFE PLACE TO BE?

When you think about it, everyone is a maker and almost everything is handmade! in the sense that hands are used at some point in the process. Nikki McClure's thought-provoking latest, What Will These Hands Make? (Abrams Books, 2020), done in striking handmade cut paper prints, shows people of all kinds making and using their products, with emphasis on the value of what we do and make in our community's life. As Publishers Weekly puts it: "An elegant reflection on the provenance of everyday items."

Arctic Rescue: Pup and Bear by Kate Banks

In a sudden thaw, a lone wolf pup is separated from his pack alone on an ice floe. As the wind blows him further from the land, he jumps into the sea and swims back to the shore. Freezing and exhausted, he falls asleep in the shelter of a snowbank.

HE WOKE TO THE FEEL OF A COLD NOSE.

."YOU ARE A POLAR BEAR."

YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER." SAID THE LITTLE WOLF.

"NO," SAID THE BEAR, "BUT I CAN CUDDLE YOU AND KEEP YOU SAFE."

"POLAR BEARS EAT WOLVES," HE SAID FEARFULLY.

>"NOT THIS ONE!" SHE SAID.

So the little wolf climbed up on the polar bear's wide back and slept warmly with her in her snug den. The next morning she takes him across the tundra and down to the sea to teach him to catch fish and show him the seals, lemmings, the geese and puffins, and a walrus. She washes him clean with her rough tongue and teaches him how to play, rolling head over heels down the snowbanks. Slowly the air grew warmer.

"I AM NOT YOUR MOTHER, BUT I KNOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GO."

And with a last nuzzle, the young wolf walks away into the world, where the he finds other wolves and in time becomes the leader of a pack. And then one day, he comes upon a lost little polar bear, shivering and afraid, all alone.

"YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER," SAID THE COWERING CUB.

"I AM NOT...," SAID THE WOLF. "BUT I CAN CUDDLE YOU AND KEEP YOU WARM."

"YOU CAN STAY WITH ME UNTIL YOU ARE BIG ENOUGH TO BE ON YOUR OWN."

One kind deed deserves another, in Kate Banks beautiful story of a kindness that begets yet another, Pup and Bear (Schwartz and Wade). In lovely language, this charming reworking of the famous fable of care for others tells an emotionally moving story, supported by artist Naoko Stoop's beautifully simple illustrations of the snowy northern landscape that plays an important role in this parable of caring. Share this one with Matthew Cordell's 2018 Caldecott Medal winner, Wolf in the Snow. (Read my review here.)

School Library Journal says, "The lyrical writing makes this a wonderful read-aloud. This story of extraordinary kindness may also prompt a discussion of diverse families."

Be Quiet and Listen! It's So Quiet! A Not--Quite Going to Bed Book by Sherri Duskey Rinker

 

DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, THE SUN DROPS BELOW THE HILL.

THE FARM IS FALLING QUIET. EVERYTHING IS STILL.

When the sun disappears behind the trees around the little farmhouse, it's getting close to bedtime for a little mouse, but Grandpa and his old hound dog already have a headstart on the front porch, Grandpa dozing in his rocker and Hound Dog on his little rug. Inside Mama is trying to move her little Mouse toward bedtime. He has a complaint.

"IT'S TOO QUIET!"

But outside his bedroom the moths' wings slap with a soft SHAH SHAH against the outside light, and the crickets tune up their chirps. As the moon rises, the bullfrogs in the pond warm up their croaks. The barn owl on the chimney hoots a first soft WHOOOOO! The screen door adds to the symphony as the breeze begins to make the screen door squeak and chreak-chreeeaaak back and forth.

Grandpa's doze slips into sleep and he begins to snore loudly in his rocker. The dreaming dog's tail begins to slap the porch floor.

SNORT!

BLOOP! BLOOP! BLOOP!

TIP-TAP TIP-TAP

And then, from far, far away a coyote howls....

A-ROOOO!

Up goes the window. Mouse sticks his head out and yells...

"QUIET! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!"

And finally Mama's words come back to him.

"HUSH! NOT A PEEP!

THE SWEET SOUNDS OF NIGHT WILL WHISPER YOU TO SLEEP."

And so they do at last, in Sherri Duskey Rinker's latest, It's So Quiet: A Not-Quite-Going-to-Bed Book (Chronicle Books, 2021). As in her first hit, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site (Hardcover Books for Toddlers, Preschool Books for Kids) and the books that have followed, (see reviews here), wordsmith Rinker knows how to select words that make the text come alive.

Illustrator Tony Facile's soft palette and easy lines and Rinker's ready rhymes, rhythms, onomatopoeia, and alliteration give this soothing, not-quite bedtime story great appeal as a read aloud for one child or a group which will no doubt enjoy chiming in on all the natural night sounds and coming up with some of sounds that darkness brings to their own houses. This newest picture book is a winner for Rinker!

Don't Feed the Greed! Honey... Honey.. Lion! by Jan Brett

 

 IN AFRICA THE HONEYGUIDE AND THE HONEYBADGER ARE PARTNERS. WHEN IT COMES TO HONEY. THE LITTLE BIRD FOLLOWS THE BEE TO ITS HIVE AND THEN SHE LEADS THE HONEYBEAR THERE TO BREAK IT OPEN WITH ITS BIG STRONG CLAWS.

TOGETHER THEY SHARE THE SWEETS. THAT'S THE WAY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN.

But one day Honeybear wakes up with a greedy plan, to find the honey all by himself and not share any of it with that silly bird! He locates, gulps, and gobbles down several honeycombs. But Honeyguide Bird discovers the glutton and follows him all the way back to his hole, where his full tummy forces him to wiggle and squirm to get inside his den.

HONEYGUIDE FUSSED AND FUMED,"NO FAIR! NO FAIR!"

The next morning Honeyguide has a plan. When Honeybear wakes, hungry as always, the guinea hens, bear, and hippo giggle silently as Honeyguide flies over the pond, low and fast, as Honeybear splish-splashes after her. As he careens into a termite mound, Honeyguide flies over the papyrus and through the scratchy bristlegrass. Wet and itchy, Honeybear huffs and puffs after her, just as Honeyguide fans her tail and dives down under an acacia tree, singing..

"HONEY... HONEY... LION!"

A roaring lion is not exactly the sweet treat Badger was expecting!

BADGER TURNED ON HIS TAIL AND RAN!

Honeybadger's solo honey hunts come to an abrupt end, and he and Honeyguide remain partners to this day, in Caldecott author-illustrator Jan Brett's Honey... Honey... Lion! A Story from Africa (Rise and Shine) (G.P. Putnam's Sons). Jan Brett's African animal characters star in a humorous trickster tale in which her trademark meticulously drafted and colored characters portray the plot, while each page's illustrated borders reveal hints at what comes with the next page turn. Writes Booklist, "This lovely title works equally well for storyhours or for one-on-one sharing."

Stop the Plastic! Rocket Says Clean Up! by Nathan Byron

Rocket's bags are packed, snorkel and all.

"I CAN'T SLEEP TONIGHT, BECAUSE TOMORROW...

ME, MY MOM, AND MY BIG BROTHER JAMAL ARE GOING ON VACATION TO SEE MY GRANDMA AND GRAMPY.

I'LL BE DANCING WITH DOLPHINS AND SURFING LIKE IMANI WILMOT!"

But Imani Wilmot, the famous female surfer, will have to wait. On her first visit to the water, Rocket finds a baby turtle in bad shape, caught up in twisted plastic. Her grandparents run whale watch tours and an animal sanctuary, so Rocket turns the turtle over to her granmmy's care, and the two take off to surf at the beach. It's great, but the endangered little turtle is still on her mind, and looking around at her beloved beach, she is appalled.

"IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS MORE PLASTIC THAN SAND!

I NEED TO CLEAN UP!"

Rocket spreads the word and soon most of the children on the beach join in the cleanup. Even Jamal stops looking at his phone long enough to help! One of the grownups offers to design snazzy seaside critter-themed litter collection bins from some of the plastic. Soon there's a barbeque on the beach to celebrate their joint efforts, and Rocket gets to release the now healthy little turtle to the ocean, in Nathan Byron's happy ending for his newest, Rocket Says Clean Up! (Random House, 2020).

Byron's resourceful little heroine is plucky and charming, and Dapa Meola's illustrations of the sunny Jamaican scene make this an upbeat story which drives home the theme of individual and joint responsibility for preserving those places we all love. Byron appends his list, How You Can Help to help primary readers understand how to help protect our favorite watery places and their creatures.

Share this one with Byron's first book about his science-loving little character, Rocket Says Look Up!

Egg-cellent Book Bonus! There's a Dragon in Your Book by Tom Fletcher

LOOK! THERE'S AN EGG IN YOUR BOOK!

That's a NOVEL surprise!...

But as we know, an egg doesn't stay an egg

It's cracking and ... hatching out a baby dragon--an adorable baby dragon!

TICKLE HER LITTLE NOSE!

A-CHOOO!

OOPS! There's one thing we didn't know. When baby dragons sneeze, they make little sparks fly all over. We have to blow out the little fires and hurry and turn the page!

But when the page is turned, there are little fires there on both pages. And when we turn that page to tamp down the fire, there's smoke escaping under that page.

LET'S USE IMAGINATION. IMAGINE A BIG WATER BALLOON, READY TO POP!

You DID it!

SPLASH!

The little dragon does a great job! The fire is out! Now, how about imagining up a giant ice cream cone for her reward? YUM! But that huge double decker leaves the little dragon sleepy and too full to fly! Oh, NO! How will she get back home?

Where there's a will, there's a way, in Tom Fletcher's latest in the Who's In Your Book? series, There's a Dragon in Your Book (Random House, 2018), another interactive story book with, thanks to artist Greg Abbott, the cutest baby hatchling dragon ever! Set in spot-art style in large figures and colorful text against bright white pages, this book is a cheery imagination workout for toddlers and an easy and fun book for emergent readers as well. For more fanciful brain workouts, see other books in this interactive book series, There's an Alien in Your Book (Who's In Your Book?), and There's a Monster in Your Book (Who's In Your Book?) (see my review here.)

Mooshy Squooshy! The Piggy in the Puddle by Charlotte Pomerantz

SEE THE PIGGY,

SEE THE PUDDLE.

SEE THE MUDDY LITTLE PUDDLE.

SEE THE PIGGY IN THE MIDDLE

OF THE MUDDY LITTLE PUDDLE?

SEE HER DAWDLE, PLUMP AND LITTLE,

IN THE VERY MUDDY MIDDLE.

This can't be good! Piggy in her dainty little bonnet in a muddy puddle seems an anomalie. Whatever is she thinking?

Her brother Billy admonishes her sternly, but she continues to wiggle and giggle with glee, until Silly Billy gives in to his impulse, and joins her for a wallow.

From her tiny tea table, her mother exhorts her:

"FIDDLE FADDLE! GET OUT OF THERE! SKEDADDLE!"

Fuddy-duddy Daddy, in his plushy bathrobe with bar of soap in hand, has his plan.

"WHAT YOU NEED IS LOTS OF SOAP!"

BUT THE PIGGY ANSWERED,

"SQUISHY SQUASHY--NOPE!"

The Pig Family gives in and lets nature take its course, and they all succumb to the wish to wallow very merrily!

In this super silly rhyming story, author Charlotte Pomerantz gives in to a delicious and delightful wallow in deep wordplay with rhyme, alliteration, and shifting vowels that make this one a bit of a tongue twister, aided and abetted by the celebrated illustrator James Marshall, whose stuffy, fin de siecle-dressed pig family revert to their natures and dive way down derry into the so oofy poofy mud. A sheer joy to read aloud and a great giggle getter, this one is a gift to kids and grownups alike.

Mountain Top Experience! Hiking Day by Ann Rockwell

 

TODAY MY MOTHER, MY FATHER, AND I ARE GOING TO CLIMB HICKORY HILL--THE MOUNTAIN I SEE FROM MY WINDOW.

Lacing up her sturiest sneakers and wearing her floppy sunhat, she loads fills her water bottle and stows it in her backpack. After a twenty-minute drive, they arrive at the bottom of the mountain and choose the red trail to follow. The leaves crunch under their feet as they reach the tall trees. Squirrels are stowing away nuts and woodpeckers are tap-tap-tapping the tree trunks for insects to eat.

"YUCK! BUGS!!" THE GIRL AND HER DAD SAY AT THE SAME TIME!

They stop to look at a fat brown toad, blending into the leaves, who greets them with a croak. The trail gets steeper, and Mom worries about finding the trail marker until they spot a porcupine going up a tree and see the blaze of red paint on its trunk. They spy yellow mushrooms and red berries along the trail, which is growing steeper. The girl sees a deer with big antlers leap away vanish among the trees.The girl notices that the trees are not so tall and the trail is stonier than before. Looking up, she can see glimpses of blue sky above. And then...

SUDDENLY THE GROUND IS A BIG FLAT ROCK.

"WE'RE AT THE SUMMIT!" SAYS DAD, "THE TOP OF HICKORY HILL."

"WE DID IT!"

The first mountain to climb is quite an experience, in Ann Rockwell's Hiking Day (A My First Experience Book), illustrated with the detailed and realistic drawings of daughter Lizzy Rockwell, much in the style of her famous father Harlow Rockwell. Getting to the top is a milestone for a young child, whether it's a mountain or the Washington Monument, and this vicarious "first experience" may get young children ready for their own first hike or walk up the mountain. Although they may not "climb every mountain," they will always remember their first climb with mom and dad. Says School Library Journal, "Anne Rockwell knows how to create a narrative that is engaging, soothing, and informative—just right for inquisitive young readers."