Follow That Stench! Something Stinks by Jonathan Frenske

PEE-YEW! CAN YOU SMELL THAT?

NO? YOU'RE LUCKY! HOW STINKY IS IT?

Even if the stink is worse than rotten tuna, moldy cheese, or a sweaty gym sock which has been moldering in the laundry basket for ages, our courageous, self-sacrificing skunk promises to get to the bottom of this malodorous mystery.

Methodically, he moves from room to room. Aha! He spots something suspicious under the bed.

UNDERPANTS!

But these undies smell springtime fresh!

Still it seems as if a stinky cloud is following him everywhere he goes.

"I DON'T MEAN TO BE RUDE, BUT COULD IT BE YOU?"

Nope! The guest passes the sniff test with flying colors. O-k-a-y! The noxious cloud of stinkiness seems to follow Skunk wherever he goes. He's beginning to feel sick from the offensive odor. He waves the white flag of surrender!

"ACCCCK! FORGET IT! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

"THE STINK WINS! I GUESS WE'LL NEVER KNOW," SAYS SKUNK.

Accompanied by his companion odor connoisseur, a housefly, Skunk, cloud of stink still behind him, exits page right, leaving youngsters with a good case of the giggles, in Jonathan Frenske's latest snicker fest, Something Stinks! (Penguin Workshop/Random House, 2021).

Already the owner of a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Medal, for his 2016 A Pig, a Fox, and a Box (Penguin Young Readers, Level 2), author-illustrator Frenske offers this new metafictive title to even the youngest among us, who will appreciate the humor of this character who never guesses that the stench is, as all will guess, right under his nose. And for those with the stomach for stinky storytelling, pair this one with Walter the Farting Dog: Banned from the Beach (See my review here.)

A Photo-Friendly Family? The Worm Family Has Its Picture Taken by Jennifer Frank

MRS. WORM LAY AT THE TOP OF A GIANT DIRT PILE, WATCHING HER CHILDREN PLAY.

SHE HOPED SHE'D ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW SQUIRMY, SLIMY, AND CUTE THEY WERE AT THIS AGE.

Suddenly Mrs. Worm has an idea. She calls a photographer, Mr. Muskrat, and makes an appointment for a family photo!

Her oldest daughter Emma Worm can't wait to tell her BFF, Ellie Chipmunk. Ellie's family has a lovely group photo, all with dazzling, big smiles! Sadly, Emma realizes that her family picture will be bereft of bright, toothy smiles.

WORMS DON'T HAVE TEETH!

Her friend Abigail Cat just has to brag about her day at the beauty salon getting her fur all foofy-foofy for her portrait.

Not an option for the Worm family, thinks Emma.

And her buddy Olivia Butterfly can't help boasting about the rainbow of colors her family flaunt in their photo. Emma realizes that that the grayish-brown of her family is not going to amaze and delight any viewer's eyes. She frets all night.

HOW WAS HER FAMILY GOING TO MAKE THEIR PORTRAIT SPECIAL?

WAIT! They can rent costumes! And what fun all the Worms have trying on fake teeth, hats, wigs, and snazzy clothes! What a family photo this is going to be!

But when they arrive at the photography studio, Mr. Muskrat stops them at the door, claiming that his next appointment is with the Worm family. And Worms do not have teeth. Or hair. Or wild colors. He's right, the Worms all agree. But we all can do one thing really well.

They can spell! And they wiggle and curl and squirm into a clever cursive pose that spells...

CHEERS

All families are different in their own particular ways, in Jennifer Frank's just published, The Worm Family Has Its Picture Taken (Anne Schwarz Books, 2021), in a story that spoofs the competition between families while affirming the unique qualities that each family has. Two-time Caldecott Award-winning artist David Ezra Stein struts his comic illustrative gifts in multimedia drawings that will have kids rolling in the aisles at this one, while perhaps appreciating their own families' quirks and perks. Says Publishers Weekly, "A terrific pairing of new and veteran talent, as well as a gentle but firm nudge for any child who’s felt the pang of familial embarrassment.”

Lean On Me! Nook by Sally Ann Garland

NOOK WAS SMALL AND GENTLE.

SHE LIKED TO SIT WITH HER BACK PRESSED FIRMLY AGAINST SOMETHING SO THAT SHE COULD FEEL SAFE.

Indoors, she chose to sit in corners and in large, pillowy chairs and watch the others play together, and outdoors...

... HER FAVORITE PLACE WAS THE HOLLOW OF AN OLD TREE.

From her comfy spot, Nook watched the other youngsters play alone and with each other. Sometimes they asked her to join them, but she preferred to stay in her safe spot. The others knew that spot was Nook's place.

BUT HER SPIRIT FOLLOWED THE OTHERS WHEN THEY WENT BACK TO PLAY.

But one morning, everything changed. There was a big, grumpy badger sitting in her place against the tree, who snarled out a warning.

"MINE!"

Nook felt terrified, standing all alone, out in the open with nothing around her. But then she heard a strong voice behind her.

"THAT'S NOOK'S PLACE!"

Bear, Fox, Squirrel, and even Mouse stood right behind her, staring at the intruder. Badger refused to budge.

So Squirrel and Fox each took one of Nook's hands and led her off to the middle of the playground to play.

"YOU'RE WITH US!" THEY SAID.

In Sally Ann Garland's sweet story of shyness and friendship, Nook - A Book About Kindness, Inclusion, Confidence, Trust, and Friendship (Sunbird Books, 2021), timid Nook discovers that with friends who "have her back" she is not shy or fearful anymore.

Author-illustrator Garland's theme is a simple one of friendship and safety in numbers, and her appealing artwork, done in textured colored pencil and paint, portrays her timorous but charming little white lop-eared bunny perfectly, a true shrinking violet blooming in the warm light of friendship. It's a hopeful note for all the faint-hearted, which most of us are at some time in our lives, and especially affecting for those retiring preschoolers and primary graders who find it hard to venture right out into the middle of things.

This Land Is Our Land! My America by Karen Katz

They came and they keep on coming.

CHILDREN COME TO LIVE IN AMERICA--FROM MANY DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS.

They come from far and near in airplanes, cars, and ships. They come with family and alone to find a new home.

Tae from South Korea eats rice and kimchi... and now... New York-style PIZZA!

Faduma from Somalia, where it was very hot, came to Minnesota, where she learns that she loves SNOW! Maria from Mexico came to Florida, and now speaks two languages, Spanish AND English.

Samaira came from a big, crowded city in India to live on a farmhouse in Pennsylvania because of her mother's new job. Salim played soccer in Iraq, but in California, he learns that he is really good at playing second base.

MY NAME IS JORI. I CAME FROM SYRIA WITH MY MOM, DAD, AND BROTHER. IT WAS HARD TO GO TO SCHOOL IN MY COUNTRY.

NOW WE LIVE IN TEXAS AND WE GO TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY.

And Anna, whose great-great grandparents came from Sweden in the century before last, knows that they came to Wisconsin and built a log cabin, and all her family, cousins and all, are still there!

There are millions and millions of immigrants in America. Some of them are new here, but most of them, like Anna's ancestors, have been here a long time. Some are indigenous people who came here from Asia many thousands of years ago, some came beginning as early as the sixteenth century, some as recently as this decade. And for all of us... it is home.

THIS IS MY AMERICA.

Today's new young immigrants all come with their own stories just as we "old-timer" immigrants do, if we are lucky enough to know them, in Karen Katz's My America (Henry Holt, 2020). For example, many of our familiar favorite foods today--pizza, pitas, tacos, spaghetti, crepes, fajitas, sushi, even fried chicken, hot dogs, and hamburgers--were themselves immigrants to America. The old "melting pot" is still on the stove, so to speak, and the better these new immigrants do, the better we all will be!

This book for the early years helps small children understand where people come from and their reasons for coming, a major step toward the duties of citizenship. Says School Library Journal's starred review, "This book tells unique and interesting immigration stories from a child’s point of view . . . . Katz’s illustrations are bold and beautiful, and each child is full of expression. Interesting details in these scenes help convey a deeper understanding of their lives."

Be A Friend! Begin with a Bee by Liza Ketchum, Phyllis Root, and Jacqueline Briggs Martin

WHAT'S INSIDE THIS HOLE IN THE GROUND?

ONE QUEEN RUSTY-PATCHED BUMBLE BEE WAITING ALL WINTER LONG.

While in their winter coats animals make their way through the snowy woods above, a future queen bee sleeps quietly, resting up for the coming season's work.

AND HERE'S THE WONDER: HER TINY BODY, NOT EVEN AN INCH, HOLDS EVERYTHING TO CREATE A WHOLE COLONY OF BEES. . .

When the earth begins to warm and seeds to sprout, that one bumble bee creeps up to the surface, spreads her new wings, and flies forth, looking for nectar and pollen to sustain her and the perfect place to make her nest--her colony's nest, where she deposits a lining of wax for the nectar and pollen, lays her eggs and sits on the nest. She shivers as she sits to make heat so that her eggs will hatch and become the larvae which she will feed until they grow into the female workers for her summer hive.

SOME WILL CLEAN THE NEST.

SOME WORKERS FLY TO FIND NECTAR

AND POLLEN TO FEED THE QUEEN.

And late in summer the Queen lays eggs that will turn into male bees and next year's queens, if all goes well.

Autumn and then winter comes. Leaves and seeds fall, flowers and bees die, except for next year's queen...

SHE WAITS FOR SPRING....WITH EVERYTHING SHE NEEDS...

A trio of noted writers, Liza Ketchum, Jacqueline Briggs Martin, and Phyllis Root provide the lyrical but factual narration for Begin with a Bee (University of Minnesota Press, 2021), a picture book that celebrates the beauty of the cycle of life represented by one tiny bee, the earth that supports it, and the bees and other insects that are so critical for the pollination of plants that provides for all life on earth. Artist Claudia McGehee's adds thick black line scratchboard illustrations, in which the trunks and limbs of the woodland trees form Gothic arches, support this reverent view of nature's wonders.

Says Kirkus Reviews, "The real queen in this colony is the striking artwork." A prime purchase for school and public libraries.

Australia's Native Dog! Dingo (Australian Animals) by Grace Hansen

Every kid knows a pet dog when he or she sees one, whether it's a Chihuahua or a Great Dane or a mixed-breed mutt!

But dogs have not always been tame pets, and despite the millions of domesticated dogs all over the globe, they haven't always been friendly helpers and pets for humans. There are other wild dogs all over the world, too, who can reveal a lot about the story of dogs.

In North America there are "wild dogs" also--foxes, coyotes, and wolves--who look a lot like dogs, but are wild, not pets. And on the big continent of Austraila, there are wild dogs, too. They are called dingoes.

DINGOES CAN SURVIVE IN DIFFERENT HABITATS--FROM TROPIC TO DESERT TO ALPINE AREAS.

Dingoes are medium-sized and usually tan or reddish brown, with fluffy tails and upright pointy ears, like foxes. Like many canines, they have white markings on feet, legs, and bellies. Like coyotes and wolves, they can live alone or with a pack who move around together. Like their wild American cousins, they hunt small or medium-sized animals and will also eat plants and fruits when they can get them.

THESE WILD DOGS ARE SMALL AND LEAN--NO MORE THAN FOUR FEET LONG AND 33 POUNDS.

Like their North American wild cousins, dingoes are born in litters of up to ten pups and stay with their mother and her pack until they grow up and learn to find food on their own. Again, like their cousins, the fox, coyote, and wolf, they are versatile hunters capable of surviving in most climates. And if the pack gets too big and there is too much competition for food, some of them may go off and begin their own new pack.

Dingoes are fascinating creatures, easy to mistake for the average dog, but definitely wild and wily, capable of living in a wide range of habitats, in Grace Hansen's Dingo (Australian Animals (Ak)) (Abdo Kids Books,2020). One of the publisher's series on Australian Animals, this non-fiction book for primary graders offers up-close and personal color photographs of this wild dog of Australia, easy-to-read but information-packed pages, backed up by appended sections--More Facts, Glossary, and Index in a well-conceived introduction to non-fiction books for the lower grades, perfect for those first science reports.

For fiction fans, pair this one with Mary Pope Osborne's time-traveling but fact-filled Australian outback adventure, Dingoes at Dinnertime: Magic Tree House, Book 20

Summertime Pail Tale! Blueberry Cake by Sarah Dillard

"BLUEBERRY CAKE?"

Baby Bear and Mama Bear are in the kitchen, and Baby Bear knows just what he wants to eat. But Mama knows what they need to fill that request. She hands Baby Bear a big red bucket.

"BLUEBERRIES."

Baby Bear sets off and makes his way through the woods until he finds a big field of blueberry bushes and fills his red pail with the juicy fruit, only to find the big juicy blueberries are just too tempting. He eats all he can hold and then jumps up to chase a butterfly, spilling the rest of the berries.

Baby Bear tries to placate Mama Bear by filling the pail with fresh-picked flowers, heading back home, and is seemingly surprised and sad that there are no berries in his bucket. At the door Mama Bear gives him THE LOOK--

"NO BLUEBERRIES?"

"NO BLUEBERRY CAKE!!"

Sadly Baby Bear goes to bed cake-less, but when he wakes up at dawn, he knows just what to do to get his blueberry cake. And when Mama Bear comes down to the kitchen, there is the red pail, full to the brink with blueberries. And SOON, there is...

BLUEBERRY CAKE!

Sarah Dillard's brand-new Blueberry Cake (Aladdin Books, 2021) provides a tasteful story with minimalist text and skillfully drawn illustrations that tell the story sweetly for preschoolers and early readers, but with a premise as old as human hunter-gatherers.

The interplay between mother and child is deliciously told with simple lines and facial expressions by author-illustrator Dillard, whose endearing afterword describes happy childhood visits to her grandmother's Maine coast kitchen where blueberry cake was also on the menu. This one is perfect for sharing with preschoolers and primary readers alike. Adds Booklist, "Dillard’s latest picture book shows how much can be done with a limited number of words (blueberry, blueberries, cake, flowers, oh, no, and applesauce), a period, a question mark, and an exclamation point.

For fruitful fall reads, share this one with Robert McClosky's classic, Blueberries for Sal, and taking the hint from Baby Bear's closing request for applesauce, with Gail Gibbons' evergreen The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree.

Bella Noche! Hello, Moon by Julie Downing

GOODBYE, SUN.

The shadows grow long. Sleepy butterflies cling to the underside of leaves. Song birds flit to their nests.

DAY IS DONE.

The animals sense the change, Squirrels seek their dens. Snails creep under fallen leaves. The dog dashes for the open farmhouse door to sleep inside.

But the night animals are ready to go on duty.

MOONLIGHT CALLS. COME OUTSIDE.

Foxes pounce for a burrowing mouse. Owls fly on silent wings. Raccoons chitter when they find fruit with savory seeds. Bugs chomp on juicy leaves, while mice scurry at the shadow of a cruising owl. Baby foxes scamper to the shelter of their den at the flash of lightning and crash of thunder. It's time for these nocturnal creatures to hurry home and catch a catnap before first light.

HELLO DAY! GOODNIGHT, NIGHT!

And as the now wide-awake dog dashes out the open back door, the day begins again with opening morning glories all around, in Julie Downing's just published Hello, Moon (Holiday House, 2021), a hymn for the night and a song for the new day.

In pages wreathed by maple leaves of many colors--yellow green, bright green, and blue-green for the day and lilac, mauve, and deep green for the night, woodland places with the beautiful shapes of vines, toadstools and clover in all kinds of light, author-illustrator Downing marries her gorgeous colored pencil watercolor and acrylic artwork and the rhythm and rhyme of gentle poetry in a lovely tribute to day and night. As Kirkus Reviews advises, "Whether read as Zen nature walk, bedtime story, or gentle science starter, this story begs to be visited again and again."

A Friend In Deed! The Sleepover and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

Fox and Chick are friends. Fox is accommodating to his young friend's ideas, but Chick comes up with some unusual requests. For example, one day Chick goes over to visit Fox and has a strange suggestion.

"FOX, YOU SHOULD THROW ME A SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY TODAY."

Fox logically points out he can't have a surprise party for Chick if Chick already knows about it. So Chick promises to forget all about the party. Fox agrees and tells Chick to come back in the afternoon. Chick asks why he should return then.

"SEE? I ALREADY FORGOT!" HE SAYS.

But Chick doesn't forget that to remind Fox that he wants a party with a chocolate cake with round pink sprinkles and no party hats.

Fox goes along with the plan--so well that when Chick arrives for his party, Fox keeps a straight face.

"WHAT SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY, CHICK?"

"I'M SO SAD! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU FORGOT!" SAD CHICK SNIFFLES.

"SURPRISE! SHOUTS FOX.

The party guests appear at the door with Fox, who proudly holds up a big chocolate care with pink sprinkles! Chick is pleased: he observes that it's exactly what he would want, if it were his birthday, which it's not!

"WELL, THAT IS A SURPRISE," SAYS THE UNFLAPPABLE FOX.

And in Sergio Ruzzier's second beginning reader book in this series, Fox and Chick: The Sleepover: and Other Stories, done in the dry deadpan humor style of the beloved Arnold Lobel's award-winning Frog and Toad are Friends series, there are two more droll tales about these two unlikely friends--"The Sleepover" and "The Hammer," in which the patient Fox plays adult straight man to the hapless noodle juvenile character played by Chick, set in comic frames with speech balloons that entice early readers.

Says Booklist, "In pleasing and often amusing illustrations, Ruzzier motivate[s] beginning readers with the dual reward of verbal and visual humor. Original storytelling with quirky, character-driven humor.

Pair this one with Ruzzier's earlier Fox & Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride: and Other Stories, see my review here.

Today Is YOUR Day, Maisy Mouse! Maisy's Surprise Birthday Party by Lucy Cousins

It's Maisy's birthday, the sun is shining, and she's determined to make her day special. It's a pancakes-for breakfast day!

WHAT A BIRTHDAY TREAT!

Maisy dresses in her birthday best and goes outside to check the mail. There's a letter from Charley, inviting her to his house! Maisy hurries over.

THE DOOR IS OPEN! HOW STRANGE!

Inside, the house is very dark. Maisie fumbles for the light switch...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAISY!"

All Maisy's friends pop out of hiding with presents from each one and...after Maisy opens them all, she thanks each one, and everyone has a turn to play with each present. And then, mysteriouly, all the lights go off again! What's happening?

A BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH CANDLES!

And Maisy makes her wish as she blows out her candles, in Lucy Cousin's brand-new Maisy's Surprise Birthday Party (Candlewick Press, 2021). Author-illustrator Cousins is the master of jolly stories for the toddler tribe, and in this Maisy First Experiences Book, with her trademark folksy black line and bright primary color drawings, she guides the very young through the big event of a first surprise party. Happy Birthday Wishes, Maisy, and Many More!

The Littlest Things: The Rescuers of Tiny Creatures by Curtis Manley

Everyone wants to help little lost puppies or cuddly kittens. Many famous people support saving elephants and rhinos and gorillas. But Roberta cares about really little things--like gnats and bees, millipedes, and spiders!

"I rescue tiny creatures. It's a special job.." A job no one else seems to care about," says Roberta.

Roberta reads books about insects and helps beetles who get stuck on their back. She saves millipedes stuck on hot sidewalks. She removes a baby snail from the radishes in the garden. She tells lost ladybugs to fly away home! But only her cat and her little brother care enough to helps her. At school, the other kids think she is just weird!

"Ms. Williams! Roberta has been picking up worms again," tattles Luis.

"Oh, Roberta, don't touch anything!" said her teacher.

"No one has ever been harmed by earthworm slime," I say, but no one hears me.

But one day when Roberta gets to school, her teacher and all the kids are crowded into one corner of the classroom.

SPIDERS!

Hundreds of tiny spiders have just hatched and are climbing up everything in the room. Nobody knows what to do--except Roberta!

Quickly, Roberta shows them how to make small origami boxes for the spiders and teaches the kids to catch the spiders and take them outside and sit the open box beside the wall at the front of the school. Immediately the little spiders head for the wall and start to climb up the wall to the roof of the school. Ms. Williams gives Roberta the job of explaining why.

"They'll stand on tippy-toes and unfurl their spider silk. And then the breeze will float them away like balloons... to new homes!"

All the kids are wowed as they watch the little spiders soar away on the breeze. Some even want to take their box of spiders to watch from home. And one girl named Maria confides to Roberta that she wants to help her rescue little animals and even bigger animals, like pandas and pangolins, polar bears and elephants.

Author Curtis Manley's latest, The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures (Roaring Brook Press, 2021), has a lot to say about the value of kids who march to a different drummer, and the value to society that such differences in interests can play, especially those interested in science, (even KRAKENS!

Artist Lucy Ruth Cummins, who did the illustrations for the popular pumpkin season story, Stumpkin, (read my review here) adds humor and empathy for the characters in this story, even the millipede, (but maybe not the KRAKEN!) Author Manley also adds an appendix with a picture glossary of tiny critters (and the Kraken) and the directions to make a small origami box with lockable lid.

Writes Publishers Weekly's review, "... both a STEM tale about insects and a lesson in staying true to oneself, as Roberta’s distinctive interest takes her from odd kid out to minor celebrity."

Intruders! The Capybaras by Alfredo Soderguit

The chickens were living on a safe, pleasant island in the swamp.

LIFE WAS COMFORTABLE. EVERYONE KNEW WHAT SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO.

UNTIL ONE DAY... THE CAPYBARAS CAME.

They had long, soggy, swampy-smelling hair. They looked like guinea pigs, only big, BIGGER, MUCH BIGGER! The capybaras made the island instantly feel overpopulated.

But the capybaras could not leave because...

HUNTING SEASON HAD BEGUN.

So the chickens kindly let them stay, but not before they agreed to follow the rules:

1. MAKE NO NOISE.

2. STAY IN THE WATER.

3. STAY AWAY FROM THE FOOD.

4. FOLLOW THE RULES WITHOUT QUESTION.

But one little peeper chick was curious about the littlest capybara. He ran after him and jumped on his back! The little capybara jumped into the water with the chick on his back and swam out into the water! The scared chick called for MAMA!

PEEP! PEE-EEP!

Mama Hen rescues him and reminds him that capybaras are wild animals, and they must keep away from those alien, smelly swamp dwellers.

Fall comes and with it the capybara hunters with their guns and dogs. But one day, on the way back to their nesting house, the little chick is chased by a dog with sharp teeth. It doesn't look good for the chick, until the capybaras turn around and scare the WOOOOFS right out of the dog with their size and show of even more sharp teeth.

So now it's all for one and one for all on Hen Island. The hunters go home empty handed. Hens and capybaras live together happily ever after, in Alfredo Soderguit's little parable of coming together for the common good, The Capybaras.

Using a minamalist art style of black lines with touches of red, illustrator Soderguit's little lesson on living together proves the motto "In union there is strength," and life on the island is good again!

Publishers Weekly applauds, saying, "Featuring a cast of adorable, expressive animals, this is a simple but multilayered tale of overcoming prejudice, learning to question the status quo, and creating community."

Down to the Basics! Line and Scribble by Debra Vogrig

Line and Scribble couldn't be any more different. Line sticks to the ruler, and Scribble never does. Line likes rules, and Scribble doesn't have any!

LINE GOES STRAIGHT BY PLANE OR BY TRAIN.

SCRIBBLE TAKES A RIDE ON THE ROLLER COASTER.

Line is 100% a straight arrow. Scribble meanders. Her shape is always changing, like clouds or fluffy cats.

LINE ELEGANTLY COMBS HER HAIR STRAIGHT.

SCRIBBLE CURLS HER HAIR WITH STYLE!

Line offers Scribble a breadstick. But Line prefers cotton candy!

Can these opposites EVER get together? Will these opposites ever MEET?

Of course they can and do, as every artist will tell you, in author Debra Vogrig's and artist Pia Valentinia's just published, Line and Scribble (Chronicle Books, 2021). Kids love to play "Same and Different," and Line and Scribble certainly provide plenty of fun identifying straight and curvy things in their world, and yet--most things have both qualities! Artist Valentina chooses the colors red and black, executed with smooth and rough textures in a very attractive design that keeps youngsters turning the pages to see what appears next and eager to experiment with their own combinations of straight and curved lines.

School Library Journal says, "A delightful celebration of individuality, creativity, and friendship; a valuable addition to most collections.”

The Grass Is Always Greener on the Other Side: If Only by Mies Van Hout

THE CHILD THOUGHT,

IF ONLY I WERE A BUTTERFLY,

THEN I COULD FLY EVERYWHERE,

Sometimes it seems that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. A little girl watches the butterflies fluttering around overhead and admires their freedom to fly freely. Little does she guess that the butterfly has other wishes. In her case, the butterfly wishes to be a stick insect, almost impossible to see on his tree, inconspicuous instead of flashy! But the slow-moving stick insect longs to zip and zag and whirl across the surface of the pond like the whirligig beetle. But the swift and shifty beetle wishes he could be a firefly with his own spotlight in the night!

THE FIREFLY THOUGHT,

IF ONLY I WERE A BEE,

THEN I'D ALWAYS HAVE FRIENDS TO HELP ME.

But the busy bee secretly longs to be alone sometimes, doing things all by herself, like the spider.

The spider, however, knows that she's a bit off-putting, with her eight long creepy legs and scary fangs!

IF ONLY I WERE A LADYBUG,

THEN EVERYONE WOULD THINK I WAS ADORABLE!

But there's a downside to being cute, as the ladybug longs to be as purposeful and strong as an ant! And while the slow-moving snail envies the ground-covering leaps of the grasshopper, he wishes he had the helicopter-like mobility of the dragonfly, who can even fly backwards!

And whom does the dragonfly envy?...

...Someone who can giggle and sing, play hide-and-seek and count and hop, and think up how to make all kinds of things out of all kinds of things--a kid-- in Mies Van Hout's jolly new picture book, If Only... (Pajama Press, 2021).

The old proverb that says "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride," warns against jealousy of what others are and can do, but for a human child, it's sometimes a good thing to imagine how to turn those wishes into new ways and skills in how to do things. In author-illustrator Van Hout's bouyant and imaginative collaged illustrations, youngsters can learn about backyard creatures, learn to appreciate the abilities of each, and be inspired with the possibilities that being a human child also offers

In its starred review, School Library Journal says, "Spread after spread of exuberantly busy, beautiful life…. A visual delight, this picture book offers openings for conversation about wishes, predictions, and one's own enviable strengths."

Udderly Right! COW SAYS MEOW by Kirsti Call

COW SAYS...

MEOW!

(Copycat! says the boy.)

Clearly dismayed by Cow's all-wrong response, Cat answers in kind, with a "NEIGH," which prompts the boy to observe that the cat is clearly hoarse, after which a Horse comes up with a wild growl.

(I can't BEAR it!) laments the boy.

While this book on its face purports to be teaching animal sounds, the youngest among us may be a bit befuddled, while savvy youngsters will be relishing the humor and beginning to giggle at the wordplay. A bear appears next, who says BAAAAA!--to which our narrator responds...

"Ewe must be confused."

Meanwhile, on the verso page a sheep registers some surprise at the way this seemingly simple book about animal sounds is going, in Kirsti Call's latest, Cow Says Meow (A Peep-and-See Book) (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021).

Author Call's latest is actually a rather sophisticated book, which is indeed about animal sounds, (In another bit of turnabout humor with the book's format, it can actually function to teach animal sounds just fine when read backwards! but also features clever wordplay between its narrators, a boy and girl whose comebacks to the misinformed critters use onomatopoeia in a pun-filled play on words with each page turn, as when Dog clucks, the boy tells him not to get his feathers ruffled.

In what seems like a nursery book with big cut-out eyes on both covers, there's plenty inside to keep primary graders giggling. Striking illustrations by Brandon James Scott provide the interlocutors plenty of openings for visual and verbal humor. With older readers, this book can be used to teach such sophisticated concepts as homophones, onomatopoeia, and puns. Fun as a read aloud for preschoolers and primary graders, this one has a lot of learning going for it!

Share this one with Cece Bell's I Yam a Donkey! (A Yam and Donkey Book) (Read my review here.)

The Wonders of Weiner Dogs: Dozens of Dachshunds by Stephanie Calmenson

THE DACHSHUNDS ARE COMING! THEY ARE ON THE WAY.

WHERE WILL THEY GO ON THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY?

The first solo dachshund is dashing, dressed to the nines in top hat and tux, followed by a duo of weiner dogs in their buns, with all the trimmings! Then come a trio of ice cream cone dachsies with cherries on top, trailed by four regal dachshunds in ermine and crowns.

It's clearly a parade of all kinds of dachshunds, shiny black shorthairs, sleek as wet seals, classy long-hairs with wavy long locks, and game day pooches in helmets and caps, waving shakers and brandishing baseball bats.

EIGHT STYLISH DACHSHUNDS SASHEY THROUGH THE CITY.

IN ALL KINDS OF HATS, THEY'RE SO HANDSOME AND PRETTY.

Then come ten soaring superhero hounds, masked marvels and caped crusaders, followed by eleven prehistoric dino-hunds and a dozen racing dachsies, saddled and bridled to finish the race. Where are they all heading, you ask? For what do they all bark?

It's DACHSHUND DAY down in the park, in Stephanie Calmenson's latest Dozens of Dachshunds: A Counting, Woofing, Wagging Book (Bloomsbury Books, 2021).

In rhyming couplets as bouncy as their subject, and with jolly illustrations of every weiner dog imaginable by artist Zee Persico, this brand-new book has oodles of applications, from teaching counting from one to a dozen, to sorting varieties of adorable dachshunds and all sorts of people who love them for their small size and big personalities.

Young primary students will want to sing along with Calmenson's closing song: "We love dachshunds, short and long. / They are bold, and they are strong. / They are loyal. They are proud. / They may be small, but their barks are LOUD!" Adds Booklist, "Delightful dachshund facts round things off in the back matter".

Share this one with a couple of famous weiner dog picture books, such as Margret and H.A. Rey's evergreen Pretzel (Curious George) and Dav Pilkey's hilarious classic Halloween tale, The Hallo-Wiener.

Chipmunk's Quest! Chirp! Chipmunk Sings For a Friend by James Swenson

CHIPMUNK LIVED ON A ROCK.

MOST DAYS SHE SAT ON THE ROCK, CHIRPING FROM DAWN UNTIL THE STARS SHONE DOWN.

She chirped happy songs, bittersweet songs, and some days her songs were quite sad. Rock was a solid friend, listening faithfully, but what Chipmunk really wanted was a partner to sing songs with her, so one day she took leave of her friend on a quest to find someone to sing.

She met a pinecone who agreed to join rock in their special place, and Chipmunk joyfully carried Pinecone back to Rock's resting place.

BUT PINECONE'S TALENTS, LIKE ROCK'S, WERE OF THE LISTENING SORT.

But Chirp longed, not for another friend to listen, but a friend to sing with her. The quest was long. She met a nice log who agreed to join Rock and Pinecone, but try her hardest, Chirp could not budge Log. Exhausted by her failure, Chipmunk began to sing a bittersweet song. Raccoon heard the beautiful song and agreed to help move Log to Rock's place, but the two of them were not up to the job. But at least Raccoon joined Chipmunk in a sweet but sad song, one that so moved Moose that he came to see who was singing.

And Moose did it! Once he got Log rolling, he rolled all the way to Rock's spot. And now when Chip sings all her songs...

RACCOON AND MOOSE SING ALONG TOO.

In James Swenson's just published Chirp!: Chipmunk Sings for a Friend (Simon and Schuster, 2021), illustrated affectionately by celebrated artist Scott Magoon, finding a friend doesn't necessarily come easily, but while music is good, music with friends is the best.

As Booklist points out, "Nicely phrased and using repetition effectively, the text is strongly in touch with young children’s impulse to befriend inanimate objects that come alive in their imaginations."

Things That Go Bump...: Tiny T. Rex And The Very Dark Dark by Jonathan Stutzman

WHEN I AM INSIDE, THE DARK DOESN'T SEEM SO DARK.

OUTSIDE THE DARK IS VERY VERY DARK. THERE ARE NO NIGHTY LIGHTS TO TURN ON.

AND WHEN THERE ARE NO NIGHTY LIGHTS TO TURN ON, THE GRUMBLES AND NOMBIES COME OUT.

Tiny T. Rex and his brother Pointy are new to this sleeping out business. Mom had told them that if they were brave, they would find a light out there somewhere, but they are not so sure about that.

Is there light inside the stomachs of the Crawly-Creeps? Yikes! They need a plan.

While Dad in his chair is nodding over his newspaper, they sneak back inside and get a string of Christmas lights out of the closet. They hustle back out, put up a tablecloth tent, hang up lights all over the backyard trees, and huddle together, hoping their PLAN works.

WE HAVE MADE A SUPER-BRIGHT NIGHTY LIGHT!

But even Dad's snoring and Mom's crunching a celery snack inside sound like the Crawly Creeps and the Grumbles and Nombies coming after them. Are they brave enough to huddle together and look around for those lights Mom promised?

And the two little dino brothers discover that Mom was right. The stars always come out and the moon always rises, in Jonathan Stutzman's not-too-scary scary story about the things that don't quite go bump in the night, Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark: (Read-Aloud Family Books, Dinosaurs Kids Book About Fear of Darkness) (Chronicle Books, 2020).

Author Jonathan Stutzman's text builds tension cleverly as illustrator Jay Fleck's adorable T-Rex brothers, Pointy and the wee Tiny T., tough it out and fight the fright in their first night sleepout, and young readers will be find reassurance as well.

Share this one during the scary season with Stutzman and Fleck's just published Tiny T. Rex and the Tricks of Treating (Chronicle Books, 2021).

Best Case Scenario! Llama, Llama, Meets the Babysitter by Anna Dewdney and Reed Duncan

Mama Llama has an announcement. She is going out, and Grandma can't come. Little Llama will have a babysitter!

Llama Llama immediately goes right into disaster mode.

"WILL SHE PLAY MY FAVORITE GAME?"

"WILL SHE EVEN KNOW MY NAME?

Will she fix his favorite snack? What if Mama Llama does not come back?

Llama is both SAD and MAD! He makes a plan to be bad!

"I WON'T HAVE FUN!

INSTEAD I WILL RUN!

But when Mama Llama opens the door, he sees a face he's seen before. It's Molly, the girl at the ice cream store who makes his favorite cones. And not only that, but she has brought a bag full of small ice cream cups and toppings to sample. All's well that begins with ice cream sundaes with chocolate sauce and cherries on top! And then, there's kickball in the backyard with Molly, who never gets too tired.

ICE CREAM, READING, HIDE 'N' SEEK,

LLAMA COULD DO THIS ALL WEEK!

And as Mama Llama tells Llama it's time to hit the sack, Little Llama asks when Molly's coming back, in Anna Dewdney and Reed Duncan's just published, Llama Llama Meets the Babysitter (Viking Books, 2021).

Thankfully for youngsters, author Reed Duncan has taken over the late Anna Dewdney's warm and funny rhyming mother-and-son early childhood stories for youngsters yet to come, along with the delightfully expressive illustrations of JT Morrow.

Share this one with another milestone story, Llama Llama Loose Tooth Drama (Viking Books, 2020).

Too Much of A Good Thing? The Bruce Swap by Ryan T. Higgins

There was a forest in front of the little cabin Bruce the curmudgeonly bear shared with three goslings and four mice.

Sure, it's the North Woods, so there are some evergreens around the lake, but Bruce's yard was mostly a forest of signs beginning with the word NO--NO TALKING, NO SWIMMING, NO FISHING, NO CAMPING, NO PICNICKING, NO TRESPASSING...! Bruce was no fun. The mice longed for adventures. The geese just wanted--sandwiches!

ONE MORNING THERE WAS A LETTER IN THE MAILBOX AT 13 GO AWAY LANE!

It was a letter from Bruce's fun-loving cousin Kevin, saying he's coming for a fun-filled vacation. But nobody knew that--because one of the goslings ate the letter. So on the day of fun-loving Kevin's arrival, nobody knew they were about to have guests! Bruce went fishing, leaving a note, but one of the goslings ate that, so nobody knew that either.

So when fun-loving Kevin arrived with outdoor equipment and a bag of sandwiches, the mice and geese thought he was Bruce. But not the party-pooping Bruce they knew. This was a different Bruce.

"ALL OUR WISHES HAVE COME TRUE!" SAID THISTLE.

"WAIT! THIS MUST BE BRUCE'S DOPPELGANGER!" SAID RUPERT.

"DINGLE POOPER?" ASKED NIBB.

But no matter! This version of Bruce was nothing but fun. He gave them all the candy they could eat and then inspired a candy battle. He pulled out a pogo stick and hopped all over the cabin. He ordered endless pizzas. Then he flooded the cabin to make an indoor swimming pool. His rowdy buddies showed up and finished wrecking the cabin, so the party moved outside. Dingle Pooper Bruce taped Rupert to a kite and sent him up for his first flight. The cabin and yard were a dreadful MESS! Since MESS is not fun, fun-loving Kevin and his chums piled into their van and left the premises.

SOME OF THE FUN WAS.... QUESTIONABLE.

"NO MORE FUN! NO, NO, NO! PLEASE!" THE GOSLINGS PLEADED.

THEY ALL WISHED FOR REGULAR BRUCE TO COME BACK!

There's such a thing as too much fun for the mice and goslings, who were actually glad to see the real party-pooper Bruce putt-putting back up the road on his motor skooter, in Ryan T. Higgins' latest in his Mother Bruce series, The Bruce Swap (Disney Press, 2021). (But at least there's plenty of pizza left over!)

Author-illustrator Higgins combines hilarious comic illustrations, oddball family affection, and one of children's literature's greatest grumpy bears in his Mother Bruce series, which began with Mother Bruce (Mother Bruce, Book 1) (Mother Bruce Series, 1)

"A gentle, silly picture book about balancing fun and responsibility," says Kirkus Reviews

On Second Thought.... We Want A Dog by Lo Cole

WE WANT A DOG!

But there are SO many kinds of dogs! It's hard to choose. Lazy? Crazy? Long? Strong? Tall? Small? Frumpy? Jumpy? Choices, Choices!

ONE THAT BARKS? ONE THAT FARTS?

Ummm.....

ONE THAT DROOLS? ONE THAT BREAKS THE RULES?

Er, well, uh...

ONE WITH FLEAS? ONE THAT PEES ON CHRISTMAS TREES?

On second thought--NONE OF THAT! Maybe what we want is. . .

A CAT!

British rhymster Lo Cole's latest, We Want a Dog: (Dog Books, Rescue Pets, Gifts for Dog Lovers) (Sourcebook/Jabberwocky, 2021), lets his penchant for internal rhymes romp, as he describes some of the er, less pleasing behaviors of man's best friend running loose in this witty look at sniffy, whiffy, shedding and shredding canine characters. Cole's irresistible red and black illustrations of pooches, shown spot-art style, and his nifty, nimble language make this short book a joy for young readers to take out for a run. Says Kirkus' starred review, "Lively, rhyming text is perfectly paired with expressive, energetic artwork."

Neighbors: Bird House by Blanca Gomez

 

ON A SNOWY DAY, MY ABUELA AND I FOUND AN INJURED BIRD.

ABUELA TOOK CARE OF IT.

The bird has a broken leg and back at home she bandaged it and put the little bird in an upright bird cage in their living room. The bird seems happy, and the cat is curious. As the little yellow bird's leg heals, Abuela lets it fly around their apartment to keep its wings strong.

IT WAS FANTASTIC!

The cat is fascinated. And Abuela begins to build a little bird house.

And when the bird's leg is healed, Abuela says it is time to let it fly free again. The cat is a bit upset, and the girl is sad, as the little yellow bird flutters up and soars away, soon lost among the tall buildings and the clouds. But Abuela and her granddaughter put up their bird house right away, right beside the door.

SNOW MELTED INTO SPRING.

And one day, when Abuela is watering her flowers on the balcony, the yellow bird returns to check out the new bird house and become their new neighbor....

In author-illustrator Blanca Gomez' newly published Bird House (Abrams Books, 2021), there are many gentle lessons, the nurture of a grandparent for a small child, and the care and the respect for all creatures that share our world. Gomez' meticulous paper collage illustrations are both simple and softly evocative of the theme of this lovely story.

Says Kirkus, "The simple, flowing first-person narrative flits from page to page in a gentle lilting commentary on harmony and respect."

Sharing the Wealth! Nia and the New Free Library by Ian Lendler

For as long as anyone could remember, the Littletown Library had been there. The people stopped paying attention to it. The librarian retired, and nobody noticed....

Finally a tornado passed through and took the old library away with it.

NO ONE QUITE KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH THE EMPTY SPACE.

Someone suggested a skyscraper. Another wanted a parking lot. Nia's idea was different.

"WE NEED TO REBUILD THE LIBRARY."

The mayor pooh-pooh her idea, saying that people just didn't read anymore. The banker thought it cost too much.

A DISTRACTED MOTHER SAID, "MY SON AND I GET EVERYTHING WE NEED ON LINE. I'M LEVEL 10!"

But Nia had a different idea. It took a while, but soon she had written a red wagon full of books. She asked the Grocer.

"THIS IS THE NEW FREE LIBRARY! "WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHECK OUT A BOOK?"

"HEY, YOU WROTE THIS WRONG?" SAID THE GROCER.

Everybody's a literary critic! Nia handed him a pencil and told him to fix the mistake, and he got busy.

"MY SON'S PHONE JUST DIED."SAID THE BUSY MOM. "COULD HE LOOK AT ONE OF YOUR BOOKS?"

A man complained that Nia's Where the Mild Things Are is not the right title.

And when the boy complained that the drawings were terrible, Nia gave him a pencil with a nice new eraser. Another person said Nia'a Sherlock story had the wrong ending, so she told him to write a new one. Everyone found out that writing and illustrating books is hard, but soon Nia has a conspicuous big pile of rewritten books. So the grocer gave her some empty crates for bookshelves. Others thought it would be good to have walls and a roof to keep the books dry. Everyone found some building materials and tool boxes to help.

"A GOOD LIBRARY HAS TO HAVE LIONS IN FRONT" SAID SOMEONE.

Somebody volunteered the lions from the facade of the bank.

"WAIT! WE NEED A LIBRARIAN!" SEVERAL SAID.

Many of them volunteered, a snazzy opening was scheduled, and soon the new library was filled with kids listening to stories and people checking out books and senior citizens learning to use computers.

A LIBRARY IS BUILT BY MANY HANDS!

And in Ian Lendler's just published Nia and the New Free Library (Chronicle Books, 2021), that's how Newtown soon had a fine new library. Artist Mark Pett's humorous caricatures of townspeople sets off wll Ian Lendler's deadpan rewriting of the classic folktale, Stone Soup. " "(A) charming, kid-friendly take on grassroots activism." says Shelf Awareness.

"Grateful Homage: A Day for Rememberin' by Leah Henderson

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was established to honor those who gave their lives fighting in the Civil War. This is the story of the first Memorial Day celebration.

Nine days. Papa up early and gone again. He said important work has to be done--man's work.

Young Eli goes where his papa says he needs to go--to school, learning to count and read. They aren't enslaved anymore, but he knows something important is happening. The men are rebuilding the Old Race Track Building, and finally, on day ten he gets to march off with them, helping to whitewash the fence and columns and get ready for the celebration on the next day.

Dressed in his best, he and the other children carry flags and bundles of flower petals, crosses, and wreaths, singing about "John Brown's Body," singing for the buried Union soldiers who died there fighting for their freedom.

Thousands of hands sprinkle thousands of spring blossoms. The graves become a bed of petals and roses. The flag snaps in the breeze.

Pastors preach sacrifice, abolitionists proclaim freedom. We will never forget those Union soldiers... what they've given of themselves for the priceless gift of our liberty.

Once known as Decoration Day, today Memorial Day is a holiday observed nationwide on May 30, but in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1865, the memorial service for the dead of the Civil War was held by ten thousand newly freed slaves and abolitionists at the Washington Race Track on May 1, 1865, the very first of many days of remembrance across the country.

In Leah Anderson's beautiful commemoration of the first memorial day observation of the Civil War, A Day for Rememberin': Inspired by the True Events of the First Memorial Day (Abrams Books, 2021), is told through the eyes of a young newly emancipated boy who is already learning to read and work with numbers, helping to begin the tradition that became a national holiday as the he meaning of this observation was eventually widened to include victims of all American wars.

Henderson's account is respectful, engaging, and moving, and the Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist Floyd Cooper's monumentalist artistic realism brings the story touchingly to life. With an author's note and historical account of the holiday, The Roots of Decoration Day, Charleston, 1865, a timeline, a list of other cities with claims to the first memorial day celebrations, selected bibliography of books, newspapers, and period journals, as well as videos by PBS and the Hisory Channel, this book is a solid resource for young scholars fascinated by the Civil War.

"An enchanting account of the first Memorial Day, this book is recommended for all," writes School Library Journal.

Hard Science! Rocks and Minerals by Seymour Simon

Breathes there a child with soul so dead who never to himself hath said, "Hey, look at this rock!"

Rocks can be mundane--as common as dirt (from which metamorphic rocks are made), or they can be as breathtaking as gemstones such as emeralds and rubies or the icicle-like stalactites and stalagmites of calcite in your local cave, and they are probably the most common collection items for most kids, common objects that generate those questions of what and why that are the basis of science learning.

Seymour Simon is practically the Dean of science books for school-age readers, and his latest geological non-fiction, Rocks and Minerals (Harper Books), is both solidly informational and beautiful to boot, chock full of eye-capturing illustrations and photographs of rocks and minerals in all their glory. In simple languange, Simon begins with the inner structure of our very rocky planet, defining the crust, mantle, and inner and outer cores, accompanied by a full-page cutaway illustration.

In the principal section of book, Simon follows up with the basic facts about the type of rocks--igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary--describing the history of how they come to be on our planet as well as their characteristics--the rock cycle that creates form, shape, color, density, and cleavage and fraction and their various uses by humans, from precious gemstones for jewelry to slate for blackboards and marble for monuments.

Simon devotes the second part of the book to describing how young proto-geologists--called "rock hounds"--can use the fascinating aspects of rocks and minerals for fun and education, explaning how incidental rock afficionados can develop their collections through a process of taking notes on where each is found, identification, classification, and labeling that may pay off in assignments and school science fair duty. As a solid science writer should, Seymour Simon appends an author's note, glossary, and index. AS he says, "Even a common rock that you find outside your door may have been formed millions of years ago. Every rock and mineral is a part of our planet's long history. You, as a rock hound, are not just a rock explorer, but also an historian."

Publishers Weekly gives this excellent sample of nonfiction science books a solid plug: "Simon includes a substantial amount of detail while still keeping his explanations accessible."

Houdinipus: The Octopus Escapes by Maile Meloy

THE OCTOPUS WAS HAPPY IN HIS CAVE.

The view is one of a kind. Colorful fish swim lazily or dart around, some in schools and some solo. Jellyfish and starfish and mussels are visible from his door. Chilly waves breeze by and some tumble around him and leave messy sand for him to sweep out. Crabs come by for dinner. Everything is great in his life, until...

...something odd floats inside his cave. It's a glove, and he takes it for his own. And since it's empty, he slips inside of it to get out of sight.

BIG MISTAKE!

An arm with five fingers grabs the glove, and Octopus soon finds himself in a tank inside a big glass building called an aquarium. A human with a clipboard stares at him.

SAD GRAY SHARKS WERE IN GLASS HOUSES OF THEIR OWN.

THE HUMANS GAVE HIM TESTS THAT LOOKED LIKE TOYS. THEY TAUGHT HIM TO TAKE PICTURES.

But the octopus missed his cave and all the different fish and the starfish and mussels. He missed everything being different every day.

HE TRIED TO TELL THE HUMAN HE WAS BORED.

But when she doesn't seem to understand, Octopus decided to escape. That night Octopus pushed open the top of his little tank and crawled away.

HE TOOK ONE PICTURE SO THEY WOULDN'T WORRY. HE SQUEEZED UNDER THE DOOR AND DROPPED...

Off the pier he fell into the ocean, his ocean, and swam and swam until he came to...

HIS CAVE.

Octopus hadn't thought his home was special until he was taken away to be studied in an aquarium, but in Maile Meloy's charming "no-place-like-home" story, Octopus uses his smarts and his shape-changing skills to return to his home, sweet home, in The Octopus Escapes (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2021), illustrated in beautiful vibrant paintings by Felecita Sala. Her sly red octopus helps show young readers how intelligent and dexterous octopi can be in this nature story, based on the achievements of real octopi in recent aquarium studies. For more of those great escapes that would make Harry Houdini jealous, see Inky the Octopus: The Official Story of One Brave Octopus' Daring Escape (Includes Marine Biology Facts for Fun Early Learning!).

Join The March! Biscuit and the Big Parade by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

"IT'S TIME FOR THE BIG PARADE! COME ON, BISCUIT!"

The big bass drum leads the snare drummers and the twirling girls down the street. Flags are waving and the spectators are cheering!

WOOF! WOOF!

But Biscuit pulls on his leash. He doesn't want to sit and watch. He wants to be part of the parade. When the firefighters trucks rumble by, Biscuit has to make friends with the firefighters big dog!

RUFF! WOOF! WOOF!

"BISCUIT! YOU CAN'T MARCH IN THE PARADE!"

But just then the clowns come by, led by a fat clown holding a bunch of helium balloons by their strings. The rest of the clowns blow their hand horns. Oooga! OOOOGA!

The big clown is so distracted that he loses his grip on the balloon's strings! Up they all go!

THERE GO THE BALLOONS!

But of couse Biscuit saves the day, jumping as high as he can to catch all the balloons just in time, in Alyssa Satin Capucilli's Biscuit and the Big Parade! (My First I Can Read) (Harper I-Can-Read Books).

It's the season for watching and leading parades--and just the right fun for a puppy hero as he rescues the balloons and marches right along with the drummer in front of the band!

RUM-PA-PA-PUM! WOOF! WOOF!

Whether its a Halloween parade, a Veteran's Day parade, a Championship Game band or the Thanksgiving parade, they are all fun, and it's an especially good time to read a book starring in this popular beginning reader book with a puppy like Biscuit!

Making the Sale: Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima

There was once a house that was an apparent drag on the real estate market--never rented or bought.

WHY? (Could it be the black cat that always sat on the FOR SALE sign?)

"I THINK"... SAID THE HOUSE... "I MIGHT BE HAUNTED."

"IF I AM ON MY BEST BEHAVIOR, NO ONE WILL NOTICE."

But all the spooky signs were there. The house tried to stand quietly and appear habitable, but everything was dusty and draped with spiderwebs. The stairs squeeked and the door hinges creaked. Dead tree branches scratched ominously at the windows. The timbers groaned. Drafty passages moaned. The black cat shredded the curtains and the raven croaked in the tree outside.

But the house had to admit that it liked its familiar noises.

"I'LL JUST HAVE TO FIND PEOPLE WHO LIKE THAT I'M SPOOKY. . . . "A FAMILY WHO WILL HELP THIS HAUNTED HOUSE BECOME A HAPPY HOME."

And when a family of wispy ghosts discover the listing, they and their spooky domicile live hauntingly together ever after, in author-illustrator Jessie Sima's latest, Hardly Haunted (Simon and Schuster, 2021).

It's a happy Halloween habitat for youngsters who like their spooky season stories on the droll side, in which there are different strokes for different spooks--who prefer to be happily haunted and hauntingly happy. Says Publisher's Weekly, "... a lovely twist on finding one’s place in the world, told with a light touch and plenty of ominous onomatopoeia.

Another hit by Jessie Sima which also celebrates the out-of-the-ordinary in her best-selling Not Quite Narwhal. (See my review here:)

Planting Planning! How To Help A Pumpkin Grow by Ashley Wolff

DIG IT! SPADE IT! SEEDS TO SOW!

Gardeners have to plan for the future. It's early spring, with just the first tree blooming, but Farmer Dog is already getting ready to grow pumpkins for the fall.

He has his seeds in a pail and an intriguing assortment of umbrellas in a box and stakes out where his patch will be fenced and tilled. He spades away in his plot, but he is not alone. Curious animals appear, a goat who's been tasting the blossoms on the tree, a gray mouse who watches from a hole in a tree, a duck dunking for tidbits in the pond, a rabbit nibbling weeds, and a crow with a clear interest in seeds--all are drawn closer as the building and tilling continues.

When Farmer Dog raises an umbrella over each planting place to shelter the seeds from the late spring snow, the curious critters come closer. With a knowing eye especially on Crow, the farmer asks...

WANT TO HELP A PUMPKIN GROW?

And all the animals DO! He shows them how to take care of the growing plants, and they are eager to help. Crow steps up to hold the hose as Farmer Dog waters the little plants. Rabbit eats the weeds and Duck pulls them up, while Mouse watches from the fence. Goat helps wind the vines around the fence and stakes so the leaves can get plenty of sunshine and soon the little white pumpkins become big orange pumpkins, still growing in the long days of summer sun.

TWINE THEM, VINE THEM.

WATCH THEM GO!

FILLING UP THE GARDEN--WHOA!

All the animals pitch in to pick and load the pumpkins on a cart, and now it's Goat's turn to show off, as he steps into the traces to pull the load of pumpkins to the kitchen.

PICK THEM! STACK THEM!

OVERFLOW.

And in the kitchen there are soon piles of pumpkin seeds, some to toast and eat and some to save for next year, and there are plenty of golden pumpkin pies all in a row, even a small one for little Mouse. They're all happy they helped to make them grow.

And that's not ALL! There are still enough pumpkins to . . .

CARVE JUST SO

PLACE THEM SO THE CANDLES SHOW.

And what's left now for their pumpkins to do but...

GLOW!

A bright and shining new pumpkin book for the scary season, veteran author-illustrator Ashley Wolff's latest How to Help a Pumpkin Grow (Beach Lane Books, 2021) does it all, with warm rhymes, and fall scenes of a variety of animals adding to the fun of growing and processing pumpkins to share with all.

This new book by the celebrated illustrator of Joseph Slate's classic Miss Bindergarten books for early graders is a real winner, sure to take its turn in the read-aloud rotation of autumn stories, introducing various animals while also working in the themes of pumpkin gardening, cooperation according to abilities, seasonal stories, cooking, and Halloween and Thanksgiving symbols.

While including all these items in the early education curriculum, Wolff also works in a charming visual joke in which she "hides" the little mouse throughout the story: Mouse, visible partially on almost every page, offers some counting fun for sharp-eyed young "readers." All this comes with the warmth of color-saturated acrylic gouache illustrations that glow with the outdoor pleasures of the growing seasons, especially autumn.

Says Kirkus Reviews, "A rhythmic seasonal read-aloud with rich, detailed illustrations." A first purchase for school and public libraries for sure!