The Greatest Escape! Houdini and Me by Dan Gutman

I WAS BORN IN HARRY HOUDINI'S HOUSE.

(You don't have to believe me. If it wasn't me, I wouldn't believe me either.)

Not only does eleven-year-old Harry Mancini live in the Great Houdini's house on West 113th Street in New York City, but he's a real admirer of the great illusionist and escape artist. His best friend Zeke thinks he's a bit weird. Kids who talk about a magician who died in the 1920s who don't have smart phone, or even a flip phone, are just weird. But when Zeke discovers Harry has never even heard of flattening coins under trains, he figures that's one thing he can introduce ti his friend.

Zeke takes Harry down to the Freedom Tunnel where trains pass and shows him how to put his ear on the track to hear the vibrations of the approaching train. Quickly they put their coins on the track, but as they see the train's headlight in the distance, Harry discovers one shoelace is caught in the tracks. Zeke tries to help, but finally tells Harry to roll off the track and let the train cut the shoelace as it rolls by. The last thing Harry remembers is the roar of the train and hitting his head on something.

Harry wakes after several days of unconsciousness, feeling a bit dazed, in the hospital, surrounded by flowers, get-well-cards, and gifts, and when he goes home he finds an intriguing small box with a big ribbon. Amazingly, inside there's an old-fashioned flip phone from the 1990s. It doesn't work and there's no charger enclosed, so Harry puts it in a drawer until he can ask his mother about it. But that night he gets an incredible text message....

"YOU COULD HAVE ESCAPED--"

--From Harry Houdini. At least, that's who he says he is. The messages show real knowledge of Houdini trivia that even Google doesn't know, and Harry is almost convinced that he's talking to the real (albeit DEAD) Great Houdini.

And then Houdini's text messages ask him to help him escape death itself by doing the famous Metamorphosis trick in which young Harry will change places with the Great Houdini for an hour. It's an offer he can't refuse....

. . . but should. Harry Mancini, in the body of Houdini, finds himself in 1925, forced to escape from a straitjacket dangling twenty stories over a busy street. So far, he's not enjoying his life in the roaring twenties!

Houdini finds himself, in the body of eleven-year-old Harry Mancini, wandering around a modern version of New York, looking for the now non-existent theaters where he worked as a magician. His offers to prove he is the Great Houdini by swallowing needles just get him detained by a policeman and handcuffed.

"HANDCUFFS?" SAYS HOUDINI, A SMIRK ON HIS FACE. "REALLY?"

In his latest, Houdini and Me (Holiday House, 2021), Dan Gutman returns to the time-traveling formula of his best-selling Baseball Card Adventures in which this middle-grade protagonist has an eye-opening encounter with his hero, Harry Houdini, who tries to use him as a way to achieving his greatest boast, to escape from death itself. Like his mega-popular Babe & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure, Roberto & Me (Baseball Card Adventures) and Ted and Me,(Baseball Card Adventures), Dan Gutman's novels bring humor, fast-moving adventures, and insight into both the strengths and flawed characters of his celebrity subjects. This novel does the same for Houdini, the arrogant master illusionist. Gutman's talents for funny, snappy dialogue are also on view in the hilarious exchanges between Harry Mancini and his friend Zeke aimed at middle grade readers.

Says Kirkus Reviews, "Humor and tension make this an appealing page-turner. . . . Funny, scary in the right moments, and offering plenty of historical facts."

See You In My Dreams! Arno and His Horse by Jane Godwin and Felicitia Sala

Arno had a horse,

It was brown and it was black.

He took it with him everywhere,

but did he bring it back?

Arno's siblings and friends turn out to search for it with him. They look for out around the house, and in their favorite tree, and as far as they can see around the house. They wandered down the road through the bush. They retraced their steps--at the store--at the playing field, and right to the bottom of the games equipment box.

"Okay! We're done! That's that!" said dad.

But Arno just cannot give up on his horse, its big eyes and and gentle face, the way it felt just right in his hand. It reminded him of the times past when Grandpa had been there to tell him about riding his horse long ago. In his dreams he is there to ask his Grandpa. . .

"Can you see it, Grandpa? Can you bring it back to me?"

And dreaming of walking in the moonlight, guided by his grandfather's hand, he finds his horse, just where he'd left it, stabled under the roots of a tree, in Jane Godwin's Arno and His Horse (Scribble Press, 2021). In this imaginative tale Arno feels as if he is led back to the toy his grandpa had made him, and indeed, he finds it there himself, in Godwin's gentle story, told in rhyming verse and with a wistful but happy ending that is supported by artist Felicita Sala's dreamy illustrations, a wish fulfillment fantasy.

Says Booklist, "Besides offering an Australian setting and suggesting the boy's powerful connection with his grandfather, the book communicates a strong sense that something magical has happened". . . .

Come With Me! I'll Meet You In Your Dreams by Jessica Young

I'LL HITCH A RIDE ON MOONBEAMS,

AND MEET YOU IN YOUR DREAMS.

ADVENTURES WAIT FOR FOR YOU AND ME.

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SEE...

In a series of fantasy adventures between both mother and child and father and child, Jessica Young's lyrical poetry, parenthood is portrayed in gloriously lovely paintings by artist Rafael Lopez, swirling and flowing forward through the pictorial passage from infant in arms to full adulthood. In parallel verse a series of imaginative scenes show a parent leading the child, both a girl and a boy, as they mature and their parents grow older.

I'LL BE THE LIGHTHOUSE, AND YOU'LL BE THE SHIP...

WE'LL BE TWO STARS TWINKLING BRIGHT.

Author and illustrator combine to set up lovely metaphorical adventures as the child learns and grows and parents grow older. The parents promise to be there through it all, until...

"YOU'LL TRAVEL PLACES I CAN'T SEE--"

Young's I'll Meet You in Your Dreams (Little, Brown and Company, 2021) is an inspiring book for new parents and an imaginative story that reassures children that their parents are also on that long and important journey with them. Writes Publishers Weekly, "As the children strike out on their own, the text nods to differing life paths... in a bedtime fantasy of love, possibility, and acceptance."

Tall Order! Go Be Wonderful! by Donna Gephart

WHEN DAISY WAS BORN, DADDY HELD HER CLOSE AND WHISPERED, "GO BE WONDERFUL."

AND SHE WAS.

A challenge to be wonderful is a tall order. But Daisy did all the baby things well. She cried and slept and ate, and inevitably, she came through. . . .

SHE WENT POO.

She giggled when Daddy played Peek-A Boo--every time, until one day she was one year old, and mommy sang...

"GO BE WONDERFUL!"

She gave her dog, Mr. Bonkers, a ride in her new truck, and dressed him up in a funny party hat, and performed in the pot-and-pan band for the party goers. On her second birthday, she got smooched by grandparents and fed Mr. Bonkers, and refused to go to bed until. . .

. . . after six drinks of water and seven stories and a big sloppy kiss from Mr. Bonkers, who was all too willing to sleep with her, she went to sleep!

And to celebrate her third birthday she finally rose to the challenge and used the potty!

Her fourth birthday was a piece of cake. She raked leaves and jumped into them with Mr. Bonkers.

Daisy met all requirements, hitting all the right marks to be wonderful. And then it was time to start to school! Everyone in the family--her parents and grandparents, three uncles and her neighbor, Ms. Myrna-- were all there with the same expectation.

DAISY WASN'T SURE SHE'D BE WONDERFUL AT SCHOOL!

What if she didn't know where to put her lunchbox? What if nobody would be her friend? What if she was homesick for Mr. Bonkers and cried in front of everyone?

WHAT IF SHE GOT LOST ON HER WAY TO THE BATHROOM?

Being wonderful is a tall order, but Daisy is well on her way, even on the first day of school, in Donna Gephart's brand-new birthday girl book, Go Be Wonderful! (Holiday House, 2021). In this exuberant celebration of the good times, the wonders of early childhood, author Gephart's gentle narration and artist Francesca Chessa's bright illustrations show the wonders of growing up in a warm family and neighborhood setting that nurtures childhood to be as wonderful as they can be.

Sleep In, Mr. Sandman! The Nice Dream Truck by Beth Ferry

YOU MIGHT HEAR A TUNE, YOU MIGHT BE IN LUCK.

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YOU MIGHT GET A VISIT FROM THE NICE DREAM TRUCK....

GET READY FOR BED, SERVING UP DREAMS . . . IN YOUR HEAD.

Driven by an appropriately starry-eyed driver, the dream truck serves up sweet dreams about summer or snow time fun, plenty of puppies, gumdrop dragons or scary hairy monsters.

MAKE UP YOUR MIND.

HOLD OUT YOUR BOWL AND GET READY TO FIND

A DISH FULL OF DREAMS THAT WAS SCOOPED JUST FOR YOU

BY THIS MAGICAL PAIR WHO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE.

In her latest, The Nice Dream Truck (Harper, 2021), best-selling author Beth Ferry likens going to sleep to meeting an ice cream truck with delicious sweet dreams for any taste, all done up in tasty rhyming text and inviting light and airy illustrations that float across delish double-page spreads by artist Brigette Barrager.

From Eugene Field's classic sleep-inducing sailing ship in Wynken, Blynken, and Nod to Sherry Duskey Rinker's Steam Train, Dream Train (Easy Reader Books, Reading Books for Children), the author serves up a yummy modern metaphor for a dish of sweet dreams from the bedtime frozen goodies truck--not just frozen treats but all the kinds of tempting future daring deeds and adventures for youngsters who board their favorite food truck for a glorious good night!

So take a break and sleep late, Mr. Sandman, and leave the driving to us! Sweet dreams to all and to all a good night!

Puns School Library Journal, "The Nice Dream Truck has something perfect to dish up for every dreamer."

A Boy's Best Friend Forever! Lenny and Wilbur by Ken Wilson-Max

LENNY AND WILBUR ARE THE BEST OF FRIENDS.

Wilbur sits when Lenny tells him to. He lets Lenny give him a warm bath with plenty of suds and a goatee of bubbles!

And when Wilbur's all clean and rinsed, he shakes and gives Lenny a bath!

The two eat lunch together. Lenny doesn't share from Wilbur's bowl, though.

They sing "Old MacDonald" together. Wilbur gets to do the "WOOF WOOFs" here and the "WOOFS WOOFs" there!

And when they are all tired out...

BEST FRIENDS REST TOGETHER!

Ken Wilson-Max's latest addition to his charming series, Lenny and Wilbur (Kane Miller, 2020) has owner Lenny and pet Wilbur just hangin' out and enjoying doing ordinary things together. Wilbur is the sort of big, companionable dog who makes people want to shake his paw and say, "You're a good dog, Wilbur!" Lenny is a good owner, too, giving his dog a nice warm bath and singing songs with Wilbur's cooperation, including soloing on the WOOF-WOOF passage, and young readers will find this one an easy one to breeze through. Share this one with Ken Wilson-Max's search-and-rescue romp, Where's Lenny?

Sleep! Sweet Sleep: Click, Clack, Good Night by Doreen Cronin

IT WAS NIGHTTIME ON THE FARM. EVERYONE WAS TIRED.

Farmer Brown was drowsing in his chair. The cows were weary. The sheep were sleepy. The chickens were snoozy. Everyone was ready to hit the hay (real or metaphorical), for the night. Everyone is ready, except. . . one.

DUCK IS NOT READY FOR BED.

Farmer Brown sings some lullabies. He reads Duck a story and discusses the editorials in the newspaper, turns on the white noise, puts on a shadow puppet show on the wall, turns off the light, and is soon sound asleep.

DUCK IN THE DARK IS WIDE AWAKE.

Duck tries to curl up with the cows, but the cow stalls are too crowded. He tries stretching out with the sheep, but their wool is too soft. The nightlight in the chicken coop is too bright. Duck goes outside the barn, where the moonlight is just right and settles down by the pond.

"BA BURP! BA BURP!"

"CHIT CHAT CHITTER! CHI CHAT CHITTER!"

The frogs in the pond and the bats in the tree above it are wide awake, and now so is Duck.

Duck relocates his nocturnal activities to the farmhouse. He knows where Farmer Brown keeps the sandwich makin's and the hot sauce, so he fixes himself a cheese on whole wheat with a spicy spritz for a midnight snack. Now that his stomach is full, Duck begins to think about turning in. And he knows just the right place.

FARMER BROWN'S MATTRESS IS FIRM, HIS PAJAMAS ARE SOFT, AND DUCK CLOSES HIS EYES AT LAST.

Everyone on the farm, even Duck, is now deep in dreamland--except for Farmer Brown, in the Caldecott-Award winning Doreen Cronin's Click, Clack, Good Night (A Click Clack Book) (Atheneum Books, 2020). Winner of the Caldecott Award for the first book in this series, Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type, illustrator Betsy Lewin's endearingly droll farm animals and long-suffering Farmer Brown are in good form in this tenth book in the series starring the quirky insomniac quacker, Duck.

Boasts Kirkus Reviews, "Bucolic bedtime done right."

For more down-on-the-farm fun by Cronin, Lewin, and Co., see all my reviews here

Haste Makes Waste! Bear Can't Wait! by Karma Wilson

It's a fine sunny day, but the Bear is in a fidget as he ties a festive bowtie and paces to and fro.

"WHY IS TIME SO SLOW?"

What's all this fluster and guster about?

BEAR CAN'T WAIT!

Into Bear's cave, Badger brings a bucket of fresh-dug carrots for the cake. Badger brings berries and confetti. Raven comes in with a candle, and Owl flutters in with fresh flowers.

BEAR FRETS AND HE FIDDLES.

HE WIGGLES AND HE TWIDDLES.

BEAR... CAN'T... WAIT.

But Racoon bakes up the carrot cake, while Mole and Mouse stir up the frosting. But then, Bear just has to help!

"LET ME DO THE CAKE

AND HE TRIPS BY MISTAKE!

With a splat! Bear squashes the cake flat, all just because Bear couldn't WAIT!

Mouse takes charge, ordering Bear to hustle his bustle. The party starts in an hour!

"GET MORE CARROTS, HONEY, AND FLOUR!"

Haste makes waste, all right, but moving fast sometimes saves the day and this time...

. . . BEAR DOESN'T WAIT!

All's well, as the finishing touches on the second cake are done just in time fpr the birthday boy, Hare, to hop in for the surprise birthday party, in Karma Wilson's tenth book in her best-selling series, Bear Can't Wait (The Bear Books) (Margaret K. Elderry Books, 2021). Artist Jane Chapman outdoes herself in her gloriously charming illustrations of kids' favorite forest friends and their favorite host with the most, Bear.

Karma Wilson's plots, told in jolly quatrains as they are, also skillfully focus on Bear as he takes on some of the sources of strong early childhood emotions and getting by with a little help from his friends. A must-have for collections for preschoolers who can't wait (and who among them can?) and perfect for early readers who want to read their favorite ursine character's latest story.

Dressup Day! Fred Gets Dressed by Peter Brown

A chubby toddler, Fred is up early one weekend morning... and...

FRED IS NAKED.

HE ROMPS AROUND HIS BEDROOM AND JUMPS ON THE BED.

Fred admires his image in the mirror.

FRED MAY NEVER GET DRESSED!

The dog is up, and he and Fred crawl across the rug and out of Fred's room. Fred leads the way into his parents' closet, where the possibilities are intriguing.

Dad's clothes are boring, with browns predominating. They are hard to put on and do nothing for him. He looks on Mom's side of the closet. There's a lot of variety there--dresses, long and short, in many colors, shirts, some tight, some loose, some long, some short. And there are also skirts, dresses, and pants of all lengths and colors, plus scarves and necklaces and bows and headbands. Hmmmm!

IT MIGHT BE MORE FUN TO DRESS LIKE MOM.

It all fits pretty well. Fred selects a hot pink sleeveless shirt which comes down to his knees and some backless sandals with two-inch heels. He wobbles, but he manages to make it to Mom's dressing table.

HE THINKS ABOUT MOM'S DIFFERENT STYLES.

Sometimes she has big, poofy hair and sometimes it's straight. Sometimes it's over just one shoulder. Sometimes she has a topknot. Somedays she wears lots of bracelets and sometimes big earrings.

Fred brushes his hair and tries on a necklace and bracelet.

BUT WHAT ARE THESE THINGS FOR?

Fred makes a nice bright hot-pink swoosh on his cheek with Mom's lipstick, and he's done, just in time for him to greet his surprised parents.

Oh, what the heck! Mom and Dad smile and decide to make it DRESSUP DAY for the whole family!

Mom and Dad get into the act, with makeup for all, even the dog, who also shares some blush and the pink bow set with Dad, and Mom gets a pink mani to match Fred's pink pedi, in noted author-illustrator Peter Brown's latest, Fred Gets Dressed (Little, Brown and Company, 2021).

Although most such invasions into parents' closets and especially tot experimentations with mom's makeup tend to end with at least a bit of grownup grumpiness, this one ends with some jolly family fun that will have preschoolers in giggles, especially the closing page which reveal that Fred forgot to er, address dressing his bottom. Best-selling author-illustrator Peter Brown's newest is a charmer, an adorable fun read for parent and child. Says Publishers Weekly, "Brown draws the scene as a parent-child stand-off, an ominous beat that seems to suggest potential conflict. But a page turn reveals smiles and everyone—-down to the family dog—-getting into the dress-up game."

The Ways of Water: Blue Floats Away by Travis Jonker

LITTLE BLUE LIVED NEAR THE NORTH POLE WITH HIS PARENTS.

THEY WERE VERY CLOSE.

But life for a floating iceberg has its ups and downs along with the temperature.

And one day, with a CRACK! Little Blue finds himself separated from his parents and floating away in the cold blue sea.

"I'LL BE BACK SOON," HE CALLED, BUT HE WASN'T SO SURE!

Little Blue wasn't quite alone for long. Soon he sees exciting new things--dorsal fins cutting through the icy water. And after some time, he sees more new things, beautiful things--swift sailboats that sped past him. At first he doesn't notice the the ocean is growing warmer and he is beginning to shrink, faster and faster.

SOMETHING UNPLANNED BEGAN TO HAPPEN.

Little Blue melts into the big blue ocean. But then, something new began to happen. He's rising up and up into the sky as tiny droplets which meet and meld together, and Little Blue becomes a cloud, floating northward among some new friends, the seabirds and the sailboats who teach him about the directions, north, south, east, and west. The air begins to grow colder and colder, and snowflakes drop from him into the icy sea. And then....

LITTLE BLUE SEES---HIS PARENTS!

Savvy second graders will recognize that Travis Jonker's Blue Floats Away (Abrams, 2021) is the story based that favorite anchor of primary grade science, the mighty Water Cycle, as seen in the northern hemisphere--a concept that rules much of physical science and earth science. In this beguiling story of a charming little iceberg from his calving from his parental iceberg near the North Pole through the physical process through all of earth's water goes, primary grade students get the whole story. Artist Grant Snider's cute little iceberg and his journey from ice to condensation and precipitation, from solid to liquid to gas and back again, sweetly reinforces the science lesson at the root of Travis Jonker's story. Author Jonker also appends an author's note, uniting the changes in state involved in the water cycle and its relationship of rapidly melting ice to with climate change and how young students can become part of the solution.

As School Library Journal adds, "There are other books about the water cycle out there but the journey of the individual character and his wonder at the voyage brings an empathetic element that will engage young readers.

Dino Etiquette: How Do Dinosaurs Show Good Manners by Jane Yolen

Some dinosaurs have manners--BAD MANNERS!

Do they belch loudly at the table and throw food at each other,or spit half-chewed broccoli on the floor?

At the library, do they yell and throw books around the stacks?

On the playground, do they push each other off the top of the tallest slide? Do they sass their mothers when they're caught making mudpies in the bathtub?

NO! THEY DON'T!

THEY'RE NEVER THAT CRUDE,

AND TRY NOT TO BE RUDE!

Dinosaurs are the very picture of politeness and the essence of etiquette.

They always say "Please" and "Can I help you with that?" "You can go first. I can wait till you're done." They share toys at play and when they go, say, "Thanks, everyone!"

GOOD MANNERS GALORE, MY POLITE DINOSAUR!

Heaven knows, dinosaurs and kids need to mind their manners wherever they go, in the latest in their best selling series, How Do Dinosaurs Show Good Manners? (Blue Sky Press, 2020). With the Caldecott-winning artist Mark Teague on board with his jolly illustrations of human parents and assorted recalcitrant dino offspring, kids are off for a rhyming good time from notable author Jane Yolen. As always, illustrator Teague uses a variety of esoteric dinosaur "children" just for those geeky youngsters who pride themselves as experts at spotting various species of large prehistoric beasts to add to their paleontological vocabularies. (See the backmatter for dinosaur names in order of appearance)

Save the Amazon! Zonia's Rain Forest by Juana Martinez Neal

EVERY MORNING THE RAIN FOREST CALLS TO ZONIA.

EVERY MORNING ZONIA ANSWERS.

Answering the call of the green wilderness, Little Zonia leaves her mother caring for her new baby brother, and following a beautiful azure butterfly, she goes out into the great green forest to greet her friends.

She says "Good Morning" to the two-toed sloth mamas hanging upside down from a branch and stops to speak to the scarlet Andean Cock of the Rock birds. She greets her favorite coati, and catches a ride on the back of the jaguar going her way. She smiles at the funny pink Amazon dolphins swimming by, and promises to introduce the giant anteater children to her little brother. Fearless Zonia greets the spectacled caiman crocodile, hangs from a limb beside a boa, and enjoys quiet time resting with pair of passing turtles. Zonia has no fear of her friends of the forest.

But as she heads back for home, she sees something dreadful--a clear-cut area, empty of green life and punctuated by the splintered stumps of once-tall trees.

FRIGHTENED, SHE RUNS THE REST OF THE WAY HOME.

Suddenly Zonia feels that instead of providing for her, the forest needs her help to survive, in Juana Martinez Neal's Zonia's Rain Forest (Candlewick Press, 2021). A book with truly lovely illustrations, the 2018 Caldecott Honor Award-winning author-illustrator's latest is a plea for all peoples to answer the call of the failing rain forests of the Amazon and the rest of the world. The contrast between Zonia's idyllic life in the forest and a devastated land devoid of its riches, dooming the rest of the climatic world, carries a strong message to youngsters. A beautiful work of picture book illustration, this newest also includes backmatter with a translation of the story into Zonia's language, Ashaninka, Facts about the Amazon and the Ashaninka people, a picture glossary of the Zonia's animal friends, and a section listing the major threat to the Amazon region.

Writes Kirkus Reviews, "Sweet illustrations done on handmade banana-bark paper depict a spunky and happy brown-skinned child with high cheekbones and long black hair flying in the wind."

Juana Martinez Neal is also the author-illustrator of Alma and How She Got Her Name. (Read my review here.)

Falling Apart: Stick With Me by Jennifer Blecher

Izzy and Phoebe had been best friends since their moms used to plop them down on the floor with squeeky toys so they could have some mom-talking time. But since mean-girl Daphne came into the picture, it seems Phoebe has no time for anyone else, certainly not Izzy. And to add to her gloom, there are those low-voiced conversations between her Izzy's mom and dad, always about money. Or not enough of it.

So much for Best Friends Forever and Happy Ever After.

Then Mom announces she's signed up with "Vacation Rentals" to make some extra money, and Izzy learns that Mom is "decorating" the upper floor of the garage, not to rent out to people to stay in while they visit nearby Boston, but for her family to stay in while the vacationers take over the house. Mom is thrilled with her first rental, a couple with a preschooler who need surgery in nearby Boston, and Mom adds, they have a daughter just Izzy's age who is a serious ice skater. Mom points out that Izzy used to love skating. And that's not all! For winter break, she's signed up Izzy and the skater for Theatre Camp together, where Phoebe and Daphne will doubtless be the leading ladies. Thanks, Mom, Izzy thinks.

The idea of staying in a small-town bed-and-breakfast doesn't please Wren either. She NEEDS the school break to prepare for the regionals, to work on her double lutzes with her trainer every day, not play "Let's Put On A Show" with a bunch of strangers. But at the first day of drama camp, Izzy and Wren hit it off; Wren is sharp enough to recognize Phoebe and Daphne's mean-girl tactics right away, and Izzy agrees to show her the local pond that may be frozen over enough for skating. Still, it's tense time for both families, and, with the example of her ex-BFF, Izzy is slow to warm to the purpose-driven Wren, who's not exactly thrilled with spending her practice time in a town too tiny to have an ice rink. And when she quarrels with her parents and with Izzy, Wren decides to take things into her own hands, and skates in hand, slips off in the twilight toward Willowy Pond.

Wren reached her left toe pick into the ice. It went deeper than she expected. The crack ran from the entry point of her toe pick to a few feet away. She lowered her body to the ice to distribute her weight. Its cracks splintered and grew. But it held. For now.

Wren didn't have a phone. Maybe her mom would call her name and realize she wasn't home. Or maybe not.

That was only half the problem. The other half was that nobody knew where she was.

But when Izzy hears that Wren is missing, she knowsinstantly where she must be.

A friend in need is a friend indeed, in Jennifer Blecher's taut tale of friendship found, as Izzy manages to get her new friend to safety, in Stick With Me (Greenwillow Books, 2020). Author Blecher is skilled with writing about the ups and downs of tweener novels, and this one appeals especially to the troubled re-alignments of friendship that middle graders face.

Says School Library Journal, "Blecher has a clear gift for writing about young girls who live on social margins, and the particular struggle of wanting to belong while staying faithful to one's self. Izzy and Wren are relatable heroines with flaws, impulses, and dreams that will resonate with young readers."

Apex Predator In Training: Regina Is NOT a Little Dinosaur by Andrea Zuill

Mama Raptor is off on her daily prowl to bring home the groceries for her little Regina, and with a kiss and nose bump, she tells her youngster to stay in the nest.

"BE MAMA'S GOOD LITTLE CARNIVORE," SHE SAYS.

But Regina has faith in her predator powers. She's good at camouflage and has an uproarious ROAR! As soon as Mama is out of sight, she sets out to prove her hunting skills. Soon she spots something long and pointy and not too big in the undergrowth. She goes for it with her biggest CHOMP!

OUCH! ROARS A FULL-GROWN TRICEROTOPS ON THE OTHER END OF THAT TAIL. OOPS!

"SORRY ABOUT THAT!" SAYS REGINA.

After taking a short nap, she waits for more promising prey, until she spots the tail of a big ankylosaur as he grazes happily. Her first great predatory leap doesn't get her very far up the tail, so she chooses stealth. Sneaking up onto its back, she takes a fierce bite of one of its armor plates, but it proves too tough for her little fangs!

"SORRY KID," HE LAUGHS. "THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK!"

Whoa. Has our mighty predator bitten off more than she can chew???

WHAT IF SHE HAS TO SPEND HER LIFE AS (gasp!) ... A HERBIVORE?

But, LOOK! There something with silky hair on his back and tail. He looks tender! But he seems to think SHE is HIS dinner. It's the latest clash of the titans--dino vs. toothed mammal! YIKES!

Being an apex predator in training is no walk in the park for little Regina, in Andrea Zuill's latest humorous picture book, Regina Is NOT a Little Dinosaur (Schwartz and Wade, 2021). There a sweetness in the little predator's cheerful tries to live up to the expectation of her species, which, along with the loving relationship with Mama Dino, makes this funny story of a baby dinosaur whose toothy mama arrives just in time. This one aptly shows off this author-illustrator's skill in creating books for young readers. Little Regina's relieved and hearty "HI, MOM!" speaks volumes about mothers and daughters.

Writes Booklist, “Regina’s expressions are priceless… her emotive eyes flashing with glee, rage, or panic in turn. Young readers (and their adults) will laugh out loud at the relatable protagonist and her adorable antics.”

Other insightful and funny stories by Andrea Zuill include her first book, Wolf Camp (see my review here) and her latest hit, Sweety.

Woolly Bully! SHEEPISH (Wolf Under Cover) by Helen Yoon

SHHH! I'M PRETENDING TO BE A SHEEP!

A wolf in an obviously homemade woolly costume siddles his way into the school playground of little lambs who, although of, er, tender years, are smart enough to recognize the big kid with the long shaggy tail and pointy ears in line in the cafeteria. The wolf's menu aspirations are for roast lamb, and despite the savviest young sheep cowering under the tray line, he thinks his disguise is perfect. He decides to bide his time, ingratiating himself by chowing down on okra, and helping do up the lunchroom dishes and baking the bread in the kitchen, all the while dreaming of roast lamb, kabobs, and lamb-burgers.

"NOBODY SUSPECTS A THING!"

The wolf even reads the little lambs bedtime stories, and as he joins them in the dormitory, his plan is almost complete--until one sweet little lambkin gives him a bedtime kiss. AWWWWWW! So sweet!

"NOPE! I CAN'T DO IT!"

Will the wolf give up drooling over lamb stew and take up schooling with the little lambs in Helen Yoon's latest, Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover) (Candlewick Press, 2021)? It's the classic "wolf in sheep's clothing" tale, with a twist, in which the big, would-be bad wolf finds that he actually likes living with the sheep. Can this villain really make the switch and go vegan? Noted author-illustrator Helen Yoon has another laugh-out-loud fractured folktale about everyone's favorite storybook woolly bully, a villain turned into an old vegetarian softie! Says Booklist's starred review, "Amusing and endearing in equal measure, the detailed mixed-media illustrations use light beautifully in the outdoor scenes and effectively in the cafeteria-line picture, where the wolf’s shadow reveals his identity."

Homeschooled! Smart George by Jules Feiffer

George is a feisty pup who'd rather do anything than learn his math. Mom is determined that her pup will learn his number facts, period.

George's mother gives it a try.

"ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS WHAT, GEORGE?"

But George knows exactly how to avoid that question....

"FIRST YOU HAVE TO FEED ME."

Now Mom comes up with another question--about the sum of two plus two!

George counters with another guilt trip. He needs to be walked! Mother complies, holding on to his leash, and poses another problem--three plus three.

George feigns fatigue and announces that it's time for his nap! No mother can turn down that plea!

But there's no escape for little George. His nap is a mathematical nightmare, with a row of trees which force him to count their trunks: one plus one, two plus two, two plus three.... George suggests that they call it a day. But the trees seeming go on endlessly and the count just keeps increasing.

A cat appears, and George makes the excuse that a cat is to be chased whenever one appears, but the cat is in cahoots with the trees, making George count the trees they pass all the way up to eight!.

"MOM! WILL YOU COME WITH MY LEASH AND PULL ME OUT OF THIS DREAM!"

But a bunch of substitute teachers appear. A big round sow says there's no way out until he counts to ten. Backing her up is a big, brown cow.

"WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE A COW IF I DON'T BELIEVE A PIG?"

But even George's vet turns up in the woods. George doesn't want a shot. He wants his mother!!!

"MOTHER! WILL YOU COME WITH MY LEASH AND PULL ME OUT OF THIS DREAM?"

But when Mom appears, George realizes that he HAS learned to add up trees--in his sleep--all the way to ten. (Maybe there IS something to this sleep learning after all! He passes the counting test with flying colors on his walk home, in noted author-illustrator Jules Feiffer's, er, addition to his much-loved series, Smart George (Harper Collins, 2020). Kids will giggle at George's futile attempt to escape arithmetical instruction, and the smart-alecky calculating cat who "dogs" his math lesson all the way home. Feiffer's wiggly blackline drawings are as quirky and quixotic as always in this latest George story. Pair this one with Feiffer's companion book, Bark, George.

Tasty Tale: Toasty by Sarah Hwang

Toasty was a well-browned piece of bread who had an unusual affection for dogs.

HE LOVED WATCHING THE DOGS PLAY OUTSIDE. HE LOVED HOW THEY BARKED AND RAN WITH EACH OTHER IN THE PARK.

Toasty wanted to be like them, but dogs had four legs, and when he got down on all fours, he could only see the ground. Dogs slept at night in dog houses, and Toasty spent his nights in a toaster slot. Dogs were furry, and he was a slice of bread.

AND WHEN TOASTY ROLLED IN A PUDDLE, HE ENDED UP SOGGY.

But Toasty had one canine trick: He could bark!

So one day, Toasty slipped out the mail slot with a red ball and took it to the dog park for the dogs to chase with him. Predictably, the dogs, being dogs, were more interested in Toasty as potential food than as a playmate! Thinking quickly, Toast leaped on top of a picnicking girl's sandwich and blended in with the bread. The dogs were flummoxed, but the little girl was delighted to hear the extra slice of bread on her sandwich barking!

"I'VE ALWAYS WANTED A DOG, SHE SAID. "BUT I'M ALLERGIC!"

And Toasty was just the pet she needed! WOOF!

All's well that ends with a perfect pet! In this tasty tale, author-illustrator Sarah Hwang breaks the old parental dictum, "Don't play with your food!" in a savory picture book romp, Toasty (Margaret Ferguson Books, 2021). Joining the recent spat of food characters, such as Peanut Butter and Cupcake and Peanut Butter and Jellyfish (Turtleback School and Library Binding Edition) (I Can Read!: Level 1), Hwang's charming and versatile hero is delicious fare for the picture book crowd.

Says Publishers Weekly, "Toasty becomes the toast of the dog park. Newcomer Hwang’s quirky plot has the meandering joy of a small child’s storytelling logic."

GOTCHA! Hungry Plants! by Mary Barton

 

EVERYTING IS QUIET IN THE BOG. OR ALMOST EVERYTHING.

A TINY BLACK FLY BUZZES AROUND, LOOKING FOR FOOD.

And nothing is so appealing to a fly as the sweet scent of sugary nectar. And that smell is coming from a small, odd plant growing low to the moist ground. The fly circles round, coming lower and lower, until it's tempted to land and investigate. But it's the last landing he'll ever make!

SNAP!

That fly has just encountered one of the strangest plants known--a flesh-eating plant. It sounds like something from a horror movie, but it's a carnivorous (meat-eating) plant, the Venus flytrap. And plants that trap animals to eat have been around at least as far back as the days of the dinosaurs. Not so dependent on good soil and available moisture, they have thrived during the many climatic periods Earth has known. Unfortunately, the Venus flytrap takes several days to digest one fly, so they have never become hugely successful as pest-eliminating houseplants.

Among the types of carnivorous plants included in this non-fiction book is the bladderwort which grows in shallow water, blooming prettily above the water level, but with special hair-trigger pouches below the waterline which suck in tiny water creatures that are unfortunate enough to touch it. The lovely green spiraled pitcher plant has nectar at its base and works like the twisty slide at the park to whiz unfortunate insects around and around and down, where they become "plant food." Some giant ones in Borneo are large enough to swallow up a greedy frog or bird. The sundew, a favorite discovery of Charles Darwin, attracts insects with sticky bubbles on its long leaves, which can roll up to pull the insect down to its "stomach" for digestion. Luckily, there are no carnivorous plants big enough to consume humans, except perhaps in horror comic books; even the giant pitcher plant draws the line at smallish rats. But these endangered survivors of eons of earth time are usually seen today only in botanical gardens, where if young readers are there at the right moment, they may get to see feeding time in the carnivorous plant zoo.

There are more fascinating facts about animal-eating plants to read about in Mary Batten's beginning chapter non-fiction book, Hungry Plants (Step-into-Reading, Step 4) (Random House), with plenty of elegant nature illustrations by artist Paul Miracha, for those young readers who like to read about "real stuff."

The Ramble Shamble Children by Christina Soontornvat

DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, PAST THE LAST CURVE IN THE ROAD,

FIVE CHILDREN LIVED TOGETHER IN A RAMBLE SHAMBLE HOUSE.

The big sister, Meera, tended the vegetable garden, the twins Locky and Rooze kept the crows out of the carrot and pea patch, Finn fed the hens and collected the eggs from the chicken coop, and little Jory the baby played in the mud puddle. There was always work to do, but the children shared the jobs, and at night they all piled into Meera's bed to listen to the stories she knew about dragons, giants, and all sorts. But then, in a ramble in the attic, they found an old book with a picture of a well-kept house and garden.

"OH, SO THAT'S WHAT A PROPER HOUSE AND GARDEN LOOKS LIKE!" SAID MEERA.

The next morning the children set to work. They placed a wreath on the freshly painted red door. Finn propered up the chicken coop with a porch and some pink paint. They tidied up the garden, replacing carrots with roses. They spiffed up the mud puddle, much to Jory's displeasure. And the place did look more... well, proper.

BUT THINGS WERE NOT QUITE RIGHT.

The hens were unhappy and laid their eggs in the children's shoes. There were no peas and carrots for a proper supper, and the roses were too thorny to pick. And little Jory, without a messy daily dip in the puddle, was missing.

A proper search party found Jory deep in the woods, happily dabbling in a nice new puddle.

So the children un-propered the house, un-spiffied the hen house, and un-tidied the garden, and re-muddied the puddle. All was well again.

And by bedtime the ramble-shamble house was a happy home once more, in Newbery-winner Christina Soontgornvat's latest picture book fantasy, The Ramble Shamble Children (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021), illustrated in fanciful folkloric style by noted artist Lauren Castillo. This story joins the like of Gertrude Chandler Warner's series, The Boxcar Children Bookshelf (The Boxcar Children Mysteries, Books 1-12) and Astrid Lindgren's redoubtable Pippi Longstocking, who seem to function properly, thank you, in a parentless family. In a starred review, School Library Journal says, “No need to ‘proper up’ anything about this winning title. Soontornvat and Castillo have produced a charming tale of ‘ramble shamble’ delightfulness."

WARNING! Child in Charge! Lights Out, Leonard! by Josh Pyke

LEONARD WAS NOT AFRAID OF THE DARK.

THAT WOULD BE SILLY.

It's not the dark. No, it's those denizens of the deep dark of his bedroom that give Leonard the willies!

"THERE'S A THREE HEADED, EIGHT-ARMED TWELVE-LEGGED, HAIRY, SCARY-FACED CREATURE IN THE CORNER! PLEASE, LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON!"

Mom agrees to leave the lights on for five minutes, while she goes downstairs to settle down with Dad on the couch in front of the TV. Leonard is half-asleep when Dad comes up to switch off the light for what he hopes is the final lights-out of the night.

"NO!"

Leonard tells Dad about the scaly-waily critter waiting in the corner and begs him to leave the lights on. Dad gives him another five minutes of light and goes downstairs to put on the teakettle. After a while, both parents peek in to check on Leonard. His eyes are closed and he looks like he is asleep, but when Mom switches off the lamp, Leonard pops up, claiming there is a bat-winged, fangy beast now holding down the designated monster spot in that corner.

The lights stay on all night. Leonard's mom and dad grow tired of the nightly routine. But like it or not, Leonard's monsters make their appearance every night, and his light stays on, a beacon to the whole neighborhood.

But one day there is a mysterious but intriguing book on his bed, HOW TO FRIGHTEN MONSTERS. On the last page is a tear-out poster, sharing a list of some little-known monster repellants:

1. MINTY BREATH. (Shrivels monsters to dust)

2. TIDY BEDROOMS (Offers no place to hide)

3. TEDDY BEARS, ETC, (Eject foes through ceiling)

4. GENTLE MUSIC (Dries up monsters like old playdough)

5. PARENTAL KISSES (Produces a parental spit force-field that sucks monsters away, never to return)

Empowered, Leonard makes a proud poster for his bedroom door:

BEWARE OF THE CHILD

And now the lights go out every night at bedtime, right after Leonard gets a big, juicy bedtime kiss from Mom, in the illustrations Josh Pyke om this jolly bedtime tale of the things that go bump in the night. Not since the classic book by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are took back the night and outsmarted his monstrous nemeses has there been a bedtime story quite like this one--author Josh Pyke's empathetic tale of the bedtime terrors, Lights Out, Leonard. (available from Amazon). Artist Chris Nixon provides just the right shadowy deep blue and charcoal black background illustrations, contrasted with the burnt orange of little Leonard in his foxy pajamas, perfect companions to this clever story of weary parents and vanquished nighttime bugaboos. Let there be light for all the Leonards who need it in the night!

Not Your Kind of Day at the Beach? Seaside Stroll by Charles Trevino

SCRUFFY SHOES, SOCKS, SWEATER... SCRATCHY, SILLY SCARF.

STEP, STEP, SIDESTEP... SNOW.

What is mom thinking? A walk on the beach with snow mixing with the sand?

But the gulls are the same, wheeling in circles, and the sand is still cradling shells and smooth stones, and green seawead that was left there by breaking waves. There are the little red crabs creeping out of their holes. And there are sandpipers to chase down the beach

But careful! With a stumble the girl in the silly scarf drops her doll into a tidal pool! As she reaches for it, a wave pays a surprising, unexpected visit.

SOPPING SHOES, SOCKS, SWEATER, SALTY, SILLY SCARF!

SNIFFLE, SNEEZE!

It's time for a scamper for home and a hot shower, a steaming supper, and a bedtime story, about red crabs!.

It's just another lazy day at the beach--sort of--in Charles Trevino's latest, Seaside Stroll (Charlesbridge, 2021). It's not the usual steamy and sunny beach expedition, but one that celebrates the wintry beach, still alive and with wonders, in the textured illustrations of Maribel Luchug, who captures the surprises of the chilly surf.

Says Booklist, "... just the thing for a wonderful, wintery read-aloud."

Looking for Love In All The Wrong Places! Tiny City, Big City by Tim Miller

Nothing is so lost as a very small kitten in the big city. The sidewalks are owned by lots of legs, gazillions of feet, all trying to get where they are going. The streets are full of swishy, honky cars, all trying to get where they are going. Speedy kitty dodges among the shoes and crosses streets, hiding from the shrill, clanging firetruck and yowling back at a trio of barking dogs, pulling at their leashes.

He climbs on top of one of the library lions, eluding the dogs.

BRAVE KITTY.

Between one stone lion's sun-warmed paws, he takes a catnap.

But even brave kitties get hungry, and a fishmonger makes him a lunch of sardines. Kitty chases the pigeons, who scold him for interrupting their lunches on the sidewalk, until snow begins to fall. As the sidewalks turn white with a light snow, the sun sets, and the kitty sits down with the people listening to a street jazz band play.

SINGING KITTY

The crowd applauds the kitty, and as one boy strokes his head, he purrs.

And soon there's a kind family with one newly contented calico kitty, in Tim Miller's loving story of a formerly homeless kitty with a new home, Tiny Kitty, Big City (Balzer and Bray, 2021). Miller's simple, childlike blackline illustrations appear spot-art style on otherwise white pages, or fill colorful double-page spreads with Where's Waldo-type crowd scenes, where savvy kids will spot the boy who finally takes Kitty home. In a celebration of the sights and sounds of city life, author-illustrator Miller's brief text and beautifully simple illustrations tell the old story of a lost and found kitten, a tiny creature who finds loving care in the midst of the busy city. Says School Library Journal, "This clever book will appeal to all children, as adventure, beginning reader, or even as an inviting cityscape to pore over."

Don't Bet with Mother Nature! Can You Survive Storm Chasing? An Interactive Survival Adventure by Elizabeth Raum

If you think you can outwit Mother Nature, think again.

But if you love wild storms of all types, you are in the right place. North America is probably one of the best places for observing storm phenomena, with tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods, and blizzards galore. But if you have no experience with tornadoes, think twice aoout driving storm-chasing vehicles for your summer job!

If you are a meteorology student who is fascinated by big storms, you need to experience them. But first you must to survive them!

In Elizabeth Raum's Can You Survive Storm Chasing?: An Interactive Survival Adventure (You Choose: Survival) (Capstone Books), you get to take on extreme storm conditions and try to live to tell the tale. There are many ways storms like tornadoes, blizzards, flash floods and super-storm hurricanes can win, and only a few ways to survive by your wits. And you get to learn how you DO that!

You've always been amazed by weather. In high school you read books about weather and watched the Weather Channel, and when it's time for college you chose Central Michigan University' meteorology program. You have one more year of college when you spot a flyer on the college bulletin board.

SUMMER JOB OPENING

WANTED: VAN DRIVER FOR WILD TORNADO TOURS!

Your new boss Steve tells you, "We find them and get as close as we can. But safety is important, too. With this equipment we can track storms and avoid getting hurt!"

They head for Minnesota, where there is a supercell forming. It's a big one!

Steve orders you to pull over in a good spot to watch the storm go by, but s1uddenly a wall cloud forms which begins rotations and a funnel cloud appears, twisting and turning and heading your way. While the rest of the group run for the empty field, Phil asks for time for one more picture.

You tell him "thirty seconds," but by that time you have only two choices--run for the open field beside them or for the shelter of the big-box building supplies warehouse. You choose to sprint for the shelter of the building and crawl under the nearest counter. You miss seeing the tornado up close and personal, and sadly you'll never get a chance to see another one, since Steve had not yet told you that long-span roofs tend to collapse in tornadoes. Yikes!

But don't dispair! You still have a chance to save yourself from a mega hurricane storm surge that has you ascending to an attic or seeing your car turn into a submarine in a flash flood.

Not every storm chaser makes bad choices, however, and in addition to cliff-hanging prose, Elizabet Raum's book offers good advice on how to be prepared for disastrous weather, whatever and wherever it may be. There's also quite a bit of substantial learning about extreme weather as well in this middle-readers' delight in the tried-and-true format of choose-you-own-ending books. With built-in information about staying safe in weather emergencies, case histories, an appendix with a safety quiz, glossary, bibliography, and informational web sites and index, middle readers will find this one both a page-turner and a guide to surviving "the big one."

Group Garden: Thank You, Garden Liz Garton Scanlon

GARDEN NEW.

WORK TO DO.

In a community garden there are four garden plots, centered by a big table, providing a place for a variety of people to plant their own garden--a plumpish grandmother with two playful kids, an aproned mom with more kids, a dad with yet more kids, and lots of holes to be dug--tiny holes for seeds from a packet, medium holes for tomato seedlings, and larger ones for leafy greens and lettuce and cabbage heads. Even critters turn up--a frog, a worm, and busy bees, each with garden work to do, too.

GARDEN DIG AND GARDEN PLAY.

GARDEN FILLING UP THE DAY.

There's dirt and sprinkles of water that kids discover make--MUD! And then there's the long wait for earth and sky and water and love to do its thing!

Sometimes it's rainy, then hot and dry, but all the time gardens soak up the sky.

And the garden grows, along with the kids, and finally between them fills the table with its products. It's done it's best!

GARDEN, YES!

The allegorical experience of growing food with and for others is told in soft couplets, each one beginning with the word "GARDEN," in the award-winning author Liz Garton Scanlon's latest, Thank You, Garden. The figurative artwork by Simone Shin testifies to the symbolic aspect of this picture book about one of the humans' oldest survival skills. Beginning with empty holes and concluding with a group feast, this salute to spring and the growing season has a primitive feeling to it, showing what humans do: work together, produce products of their shared labors, and enjoy the festive flowering and fruits of it all together.

Share this one with Scanlon's Caldecott book, All the World (see my review here).

For the Dogs! I Am Not A Dog Toy by Ethan T. Berlin

"HELLO! I'M GOING TO BE YOUR MOST FAVORITE TOY EVER!"

Teddy Bear pops out of the beribboned birthday box, ready to be the Birthday Girl's best toy ever.

"WE'RE GOING TO BUILD FORTS AND FIGHT DIFFERENT BAD GUYS! ISN'T IT COOL?"

But his presumed new owner is underwhelmed by his big plushy smile and a vest equipped with thirteen pockets. She tosses him over a shoulder, into the dog's water dish as she walks away. But her big shaggy dog sees potential in Teddy!

"YOU'RE GOING TO BE MY MOST FAVORITE TOY EVER!"

"I'LL CHEW YOU! AND LICK YOU! AND CHEW YOU!"

It's not a pretty picture. Teddy protests that a bear with a multi-pocketed fancy vest is not a dog toy. Dog toys are soggy with dog drool, ratty, and disgusting. He and his natty vest are meant for better things. But it's not to be!

With a disdainful look, the Birthday Girl tosses him off her her bed and into the black hole of unwanted toys next to the wall. It's total rejection down there, where broken or unloved toys go to collect dust.

"THIS KID IS SO BORING!" DECLARES TEDDY.

Maybe being slung around by an ear by a dog isn't so bad after all, Teddy muses. Maybe he needs to re-think this whole thing!!

And Teddy decides maybe he's cut out to be a DOG TOY after all!

Everybody's got attitude in Ethan T. Berlin's just published I Am Not a Dog Toy (Random House, 2021), from the spoiled kid who disdains the birthday gift someone gave her to the shunned toy Teddy who thinks his many-pocketed vest makes him an elite super toy, and the lop-eared dog who thinks dog doings are the most fun ever. While the supercilious Birthday Girl and the fancy-dressed Teddy Bear get their comeuppance, author Ethan Berlin's dialogue and hi-jinks between Dog and Teddy are hilarious, and artist Jared Chapman's googly-eyed Teddy and go-go pooch who loves everything make a perfect comic pair and, as intended, steal the show. This one is a charmingly-paced parable and a killer-diller read-aloud all in one.

Says School Library Journal, "Featuring one of the most thoughtless heroines seen in recent picture books, this sneakily adorable tale may offer readers a glimpse of their own behavior in their rushes to judgement over potential playmates and friends."

A Mutual Friend! Best Friend in the Whole World by Sandra Salsbury

ROLAND LIVED DEEP IN THE WOODS ALL BY HIMSELF.

Although he is alone, Roland is nattily dressed and keeps himself busy by drawing his woodsy scenery, dancing to music on his tabletop Victrola, and refreshing himself by brewing an occasional pot of tea.

BUT SOMETIMES HE WAS LONELY.

So for an occasional scene, he leaves his cozy home in the base of a big tree for a walk in the woods, quietly seeking...

. . . A FRIEND!

And one day Roland spots a face--a pinecone with two twig arms and... sad eyes! He looks like he needs a friend, too! So Roland takes him home and names him Milton. Milton seems to enjoy drawing and music and a nice cup of tea at times. Roland is happier than he has ever been, until. . . walking one day with Milton, he sees a poster clipped to a big tree.

MISSING!

POPKIN

BROWN

POINTY

QUIET

And there in the middle is a drawing of a pinecone named Popkin, who looks a lot like Milton! Roland is worried, but he consoles himself that Milton's name is not Popkin!

And the next day he finds another poster on a tree, with a drawing of the missing Popkin, last seen at a big log by the lake. And there's another, saying the missing friend loves puzzles, baking, and lemonade! That couldn't be Milton, could it? But the next day there are too many sad posters to miss. Milton IS his best friend, but Roland knows what he has to do. . . .

Sadly, he takes Milton to the little house in the big log by the lake, to a lonely little cat, who joyfully recognizes her best friend!

And lonely Roland learns he's not lost his best friend! He's found a new one in Sandra Salsbury's just published Best Friend in the Whole World (Peachtree Books, 2021). There's plenty of future friendship ahead--with tea and baked goods, and their new mutual friend, in this lovely story that promises no more loneliness. Author Salsbury's poignant text is well written and perfectly paced with illustrator Salsbury's elegantly simple artwork, moving the story along perfectly with each page turn.

"Life lessons gently told," says Kirkus Reviews.

Forever! Together by Charles Fuge

WHEN WE'RE TOGETHER, WE DON'T MIND THE COLD.

WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE EACH OTHER'S WARM HAND TO HOLD.

A spritely and jolly pair is this mother and baby polar bear. In a world of snow and ice sculpture that seems to go on forever, they slide down their own icy slopes and curl up in their snowy den. Everywhere they go they share as a pair.

Do they need tropical islands, warm breezes, silver sands, and palm trees? NOPE!

They build snow bears and throw snowballs by day and at night curl up in their cave, together, just right!

FOREVER!

In his warm and loving Together (Doubleday and Company, 2020), author-illustrator Charles Fuge offers the reassuring message to youngsters that they will always be loved. His arctic scene is rounded and friendly, done in lovely blues and whites, and closing in a cozy cuddle in the bears' snug ice cave. As Kirkus Reviews says, "Fuge remains unexcelled in depicting animal figures of extreme, relentless adorability!"

Only the Lonely! The Big House and the Little House by Yoshi Fujishima

ON A GENTLE SLOPE ROSE A LONG, LONG ROAD. AT ONE END WAS A LITTLE HOUSE, STANDING ALONE.

AT THE OTHER END OF THE ROAD WAS A BIG HOUSE, SURROUNDED BY TREES.

In the little house lives Mouse, who goes down the hill to work every day in the town bakery. In the big house lives Bear, who goes up the the hill each day to work in the forest. Both of them are lonely but they never meet during the week. But one Sunday they both decide to do something different. Mouse walks up the hill toward the forest. Bear starts downhill toward the town. They pass on the road but Bear's steps are so long and Mouse is so small that they don't even see each other. And when they reach their destinations, Mouse feels even more alone when he sees the happy piknickers in the woods, and Bear sees that he is the only one not shopping with friends or sharing a snack at an outdoor restaurant.

Both of them head back to to their houses, feeling more lonely than ever. But this time the two cross paths in front of Bear's house.

"HELLO!" SAYS MOUSE.

HELLO!" SAYS BEAR. "I LIVE HERE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A CUP OF TEA?"

The two have a wonderful conversation and agree to meet for tea at Mouse's house on the following Sunday. But when Bear strikes out for Mouse's little house, a terrible storm strikes. The road floods, and Bear fears that Mouse's little house will be washed away.

"HOLD TIGHT, LITTLE MOUSE, I HAVE AN IDEA!"

And Mouse is lucky that his new friend Bear is big and strong enough to re-locate Mouse's tiny house under a sheltering tree right beside his own, where they can meet for tea anytime, in Yoshi Fujishma's sweet story of friendship found, The Big House and the Little House (Levine Querido, 2021). Emiko Fujishima's simple pastel illustrations add to the charm of this a cheery tale that says that an unexpected companion may be right under your nose, waiting for a simple invitation. "Tender and companionable," says Kirkus Reviews.

The Norsemen: Explorers, Traders, and Warriors: Life As A Viking by Allison Lassieur

From ghoulies and ghosties

And long-leggedy beasties

And things that go bump in the night,

Good Lord, deliver us!

And to that earnest prayer from the Dark Ages might be added Viking raiders. Their narrow longboats, capable of crossing oceans and sailing up shallow rivers, were the scourge of the coast of eastern Europe, making sudden attacks on cities and villages, monasteries and village churches alike at will. What was with those guys?

The population of Scandinavia had grown, the growing season for farmers was short, and fertile land was mostly taken, forcing young men to take to the sea and, in blitzkrieg attacks, loot the people along the shores of the North Sea. When they went bump in the night, it was bad! But for those Norse warriors, life also was, as the saying goes, "nasty, short, and brutish."

The narrow wooden Viking longship heaves and creaks beneath your feat as you sail away from your homeland. You carry only clothing, some food, and your armor and weapons.

There isn't much left for someone like you. Is that land you see? What adventures await you?

In Allison Lassieur's Life as a Viking: An Interactive History Adventure (You Choose: Warriors) (Capstone Books), a young would-be warrior sails south in a dreki (dragon) boat, indentured to his leader-captain, in this choose-your adventure book for young readers which boasts three complete story lines, 51 choices, and 24 potential plotlines not all of them with happy endings for their character. But with this young Viking, the reader gets to experience vicariously some of the significant events of this historical period--beginning with the bloody raid and looting of the rich monastery of Lindisfarne in 793, in which not only gold chalices, but also priceless illuminated manuscripts were taken or destroyed, the capture of the town of Dublin in Ireland, the conquest of Eoforwick, now the city of York (or Jorvik), the battle and death of the Saxon king Aethelred, and the treaty with his successor Alfred (the Great) who agreed to give the Vikings half of the Saxon lands to be called the Danelaw, the deaths of the Viking leaders, Halfdan, Ubbi Ragnarsson, and Ivar the Boneless, the defeat of the Viking Harald Sigurdsson at Stamford Bridge by the Saxon king Harold Godwinson, and the death of that last Saxon king, by the Norsemen of France led by William the Conqueror (known as the first Norman king of England) whose successors ruled England for centuries.

Young readers who choose this book to share the adventures of their Viking alter ego will learn a lot of history along the way to spark continuing interest, and although the putative hero winds up dying in at least half the scenarios, they will get some understanding of the big events of the period and how it shaped the modern world. Far more than cartoon characters welding axes, the Vikings were  explorers, traders, navigators, and makers and keepers of  a significant part of European history. Author Lassieur provides an appendix with a timeline, glossary, bibliography of books and websites, and  an index to help readers see the big picture and polish up those reports.