Word Power: One Word from Sophie by Jim Averbeck

SOPHIA'S BIRTHDAY WAS COMING UP, AND SHE HAD FIVE THINGS ON HER MIND--HER ONE TRUE DESIRE AND FOUR PROBLEMS.

When a girl has yen for a giraffe as her birthday present, she knows she'd better put forth a good case.

The jury is a tough one--her mother, the judge, her father, the business guy, her Uncle Conrad the politician, and Grand-Mama', the mistress of propriety. Most parents say, "Use your words," but Sophia's prolix multimedia presentations, sprinkled with words like quadruped, warehousing, defective, and regulations, for each family member would make a lexicographer beam but cut no ice with the four adults.

Too verbose, loquacious, and effusive are the critiques from her elders!

So Sophie tries a new tack. Instead of hundreds of big words, she tries one small, powerful word.

"PLEASE?"

It seems there will be a giraffe in Sophia's future after all, in Jim Averbeck's One Word from Sophia(Atheneum Books, 2015), and the good news brings forth two more power words.

"THANK YOU!"

Averbeck and artist Yasmeen Ismail make a great combination of co-creators, with the author's sparkling (if erudite) text and Ismail's stylized illustrations that capture Sophia's vivacious personality and the dour expressions of her critics perfectly.

Reviewers loved this clever picture book. School Library Journal says, "Ismail's watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations are childlike in the best possible way—featuring bold colors and faces showing great expressions, Sophia's drawings, a pooping giraffe, and just the right amount of detail." And Kirkus, in their starred review, adds "Tutu-wearing Sophia packs determination, whimsy, and a plethora of strategies to handle a passel of impressive words."

And those impressive words are added in a glossary for kids whose gifts run to the garrulous.

Middle Child Milieu: Matilda in the Middle by Cori Doerrfeld

MATILDA WAS A LITTLE BUNNY WHO LIVED IN A BURROW WITH HER MOTHER, HER FATHER...

AND HER BROTHERS AND SISTERS--HER MANY, MANY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

Matilda loves her family, but her brothers and sisters (over two dozen of them) are so busy that she feels lost in the crowd.

Her mother notices. And one day she tells her middle daughter...

"I WANT TO DO SOMETHING JUST FOR YOU.

SO I SIGNED YOU UP FOR BUNNY BALLET!"

That turns out to be a brilliant idea. Matilda takes to her dance lessons, and after a bit of newbie nervousness, she loves being in a relatively smaller group and resolves to practice at home until she catches up with her class.But practice has its problems in Matilda's crowded household. Releves are doable, but a grand tour jete' is out of the question. There's just no room! But Matilda does the best she can to get through the practice moves, and her teacher, Miss Mileu takes notice.

"MATILDA, MY DEAR, I WANT YOU TO DANCE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STAGE WHERE EVERYONE CAN SEE YOU!"

Matilda is daunted; she has never been the center of attention in her life, but bravely she tries to buck up her courage and practices harder than ever, even though no one in the family seems to know or care about her upcoming recital. But there is a startling surprise in store for her when the Matilda takes center stage as the curtain goes up!

EVERYONE IN HER FAMILY, FROM THE YOUNGEST TO THE ELDEST, WAS THERE!

Middle-child Matilda finds that her place right in the middle of a supportive family is the best place to be as she has her moment in the limelight, in Cori Doerrfeld's latest, Matilda in the Middle: A Bunny Ballet Story (Little, Brown and Company, 2015). Matilda is a determined main character who shows that even a middle child can find a way to stand out in the crowd. With the popularity of both bunnies and ballet coming together in this charmingly illustrated rabbit tale, Matilda is going to be a standout in the well-populated ballet book crowd as well.

Fashionable Foliage: Fancy Nancy and the Fall Foliage by Jane O'Connor

HOORAY!

FALL IS MY FAVORITE SEASON. I LOVE HOW THE FOLIAGE CHANGES COLOR. (FOLIAGE IS FANCY FOR ALL THE LEAVES.)

For a redhead like Nancy Clancy, the colors of the fall leaves are a natural backdrop. She changes into autumnal shades ("fabu" hues!) and heads out to get into the fun of raking up the falling leaves.

Her little sister JoJo and dog Frenchy have other ideas about what to do with the fluffy piles of fall-tinged foliage, but Nancy is in such an ebullient mood that she joins them in a few seasonal dives into the leaves herself.

While Mom and Dad persevere with the raking and bagging, Nancy notices a maple leaf in an arrestingly unusual color--burgundy (fancy for reddish purple) and Ooh-la-la!--the decorative possibilities that present themselves to Nancy's aesthetic side!!

Mom suggests an autumn leaf scrapbook, but Nancy's been there and done that--last year yet! Dad's idea is leaf prints, but that's not quite innovative enough for Nancy either!

I WANT TO DO SOMETHING EXTREMELY CREATIVE!

Always fashion forward, Nancy comes up with a craft idea that combines autumn leaves with the season which follows--a fall foliage wreath for the front door that celebrates autumn and hints at the December holiday to come:

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS!

Jane O'Connor's Nancy always has an eye for fashion and decor, and in her latest celebration of the season, Fancy Nancy and the Fall Foliage (HarperFestival, 2014), she pictures the Clancy clan pitching in to make even yard work an opportunity for family fun. Robin Preiss Glaser and associate artist Carolyn Brand pitch in as well with exuberant illustrations of Fancy Nancy doing what she does so well. Pair this one with O'Connor's top-selling and wryly witty portrayal of an extended family Thanksgiving feast, Fancy Nancy: Our Thanksgiving Banquet.

Frenchy Dog Has His Day: Fancy Nancy: Puppy Party by Jane O'Connor

TOMORROW IS FRENCHY'S BIRTHDAY.

WE ARE HAVING A HUGE CELEBRATION. (THAT'S A FANCY WORD FOR PARTY.)

Fancy Nancy Clancy is a gal for whom almost any occasion is an opportunity for celebration!

So when her dog Frenchy's natal anniversary rolls around, a can of Chow Hound Dog Food with a Milk Bone stuck on top for a candle won't do.

Nancy's mom, ever game, shapes canned dog food into three layers, frosts them with yogurt, and pops in rawhide chews for candles. Nancy sends her handmade invitations to Frenchy's canine (that's fancy for dog) friends--Bree and little Freddie's dog Rusty, Sam's Scamp, and her babysitter Alex and his beagle Buddy.

Frenchy gets beautified with a doggy bubble bath, a blow dry, and a thorough brushing and is the reluctant recipient of a doggy manicure, (fancy for a toenail trim).

Nancy's Frenchy is all set to be the hostess with the mostest, but after they sing "Happy Birthday," she can't resist lunging for her delicious-smelling birthday cake as soon as Mom appears at the door, struggling to keep it upright.

Down come the three layers, and all the guest dogs dive in to help Frenchy divvy up her birthday treat the way dogs do it.

IT'S TOTAL PANDEMONIUM! (THAT MEANS ALL THE DOGS GO WILD).

With her usual elan', Nancy wades in to save the party with a sign that advertises NANCY'S DOG GROOMING CENTER! FREE! FREE! FREE! Mom mops up while Dad hoses down the dogs and Mrs. DeVine, Nancy, and Bree give them all glamour shampoos and combouts as party favors, in Jane O'Connor's inexpensive little paperback, Fancy Nancy: Puppy Party (Harper Festival, 2013), with internal illustrations by Carolyn Bracken. As in most of her adventures, Nancy takes life's lemons and turns them into lively lemonade for all.  For more giggle-provoking canine corralling, pair this one with the similarly themed OLIVIA and the Dog Wash (Olivia TV Tie-in) for plenty of tail-wagging fun.

Tripping the Light Fantastic: Fancy Nancy: Budding Ballerina by Jane O'Connor

I LOVE BALLET.  MY FRIEND BREE AND I GO TO CLASS EVERY WEEK.

WE DO NOT DANCE ON OUR TOES YET. BUT ONE DAY WE WILL.

After class Nancy and Bree show off their new moves to Nancy's family. They demonstrate their plie and their arabesque, and JoJo and even Daddy follow suit. But when Dad attempts a grand tour jete' he lands on his derriere rather than his toes!

Suddenly Nancy has a grand idea! She will open her own school of la dans, Nancy's Dancing Academy!

And in ten minutes Nancy's studio is ready, and la classe is in session. Daddy shows up in shorts and sneakers, apologizing good-naturedly:

"OH! I FORGOT MY TUTU!"

It's all in good fun as Daddy plays Le Buffoon with great humor and elan, in Jane O'Connor's latest little Nancy Clancy story, Fancy Nancy: Budding Ballerina (Harper Festival, 2013), with even Frenchy, Nancy's dog, getting into the act. Fun reading for those budding ballerinas who dote on ballet stories, one which dads should enjoy reading aloud to their en pointe-struck daughters. Pair this one with O'Connor's Fancy Nancy: Puppy Party for a perfect picture book pas de deux.

Tale of Two Kitties: Bits and Pieces by Judy Schachner

For a cat, Tink was an Odd Duck.

Perhaps it was because he had been raised by a grannyman.

Or maybe it was because his brain was the size of a frozen pea.

In her latest cat tale, Bits & Pieces (Dial Books, 2013), author-illustrator Judy Schachner brings back Tink, the tiny kitten cared for by an old tomcat, The Grannyman , who gives him to a family with two little girls to keep. They love their kitty boy to bits and pieces, but they can't help noticing that Tink is, well, a few bites short of a bowlful of kibble.

He tries to eat strange things--a plastic pool noodle, a flip-flop, and even a Slinky--and winds up at the Kitty Klinic, returning home little wiser for the wear, and remembering only the exhilarating vision of the outside world. And when the girls peer into each ear, they confirm their suspicion that their kitty boy has nothing between the ears.  He sits on top of books or newspapers that people are trying to read and leaps into the middle of board games, and even loves to lick the butter in the butter dish while the girls are setting the table.

To give their kitty boy something to keep him out of mischief, the family gives the grown-up Tink his own kitty to raise, and the two become inseparable companions. Still, as the years roll by, Tink never forgets the lure of the outside world, and one day, on his twentieth birthday, he makes his break through the front door, left ajar.

For the first time in his life, Tink was an outdoor cat.

And it felt intoxicating.

But after a pursuit by barking dogs, raucous diving crows, and a chilly and rainy night sleeping inside an old tire, Tink is not so sure about the outdoor life.

"I'm going home now," announced the old boy.

Or so he thought.

For a cat of little brain, it's not an easy thing to find his way home, but Tink's family and his co-kitty love their wandering boy, and after some misadventures in the wild, all's well that ends well. Schachner's illustrations and storytelling style will be familiar to fans of her best-selling Siamese kitty series, SkippyJon Jones, with her curved lines and soft mixed media (a collage of torn paper and smudged watercolor, charcoal, and pastel crayon) and her jaunty narrative. Loving cat owners will recognize their own kitty boys and girls in Tink's eccentricities, and this story of a lost cat with a happy ending is sure to please Schachner's target audience.

'S No Joke! Fancy Nancy: There's No Day Like a Snow Day by Jane O'Connor

OOO LA LA! IT'S A BLIZZARD!

THE RADIO SAYS THAT IT'S THE STORM OF THE CENTURY (CENTURY IS A FANCY WAY OF SAYING 100 YEARS)!

It is 6:30 A.M., and as soon as she finds out that it is definitely a snow day, Nancy is on the phone calling her best friend Bree.

"COME OVER TOUTE DE SUITE!" (THAT'S FRENCH FOR "RIGHT AWAY!")

Nancy already has visions of the whole family zooming down Mt. Everest, the local sledding hill with her and Bree on the lead sled! But then reality intrudes.

"GROWN-UPS DON'T GET SNOW DAYS," DAD SAYS. "THAT'S A SAD BUT TRUE FACT OF LIFE."

Mrs. DeVine is summoned to babysit Nancy, Jojo, and Bree and little brother Freddy, and Mrs. D. laments that her sledding days are over! Alors, the kids have to enjoy their snow day in the front yard where she can supervise.

'S NO joke!

But, of course, the effervescent Nancy has a alternate plan for fancy snow doings. They make snow angels and decorate their wings with pine cones. They build a bunch of royal snow people, raiding Nancy's seemingly limitless collection of accessories to make them the fanciest snow queen, king, and crown prince and princesses, complete with tiaras ever, while Mrs. DeVine rustles up a batch of snowflake cookies in the kitchen. It's not been too shabby a snow day after all. And then...

"IT'S TWILIGHT, WHICH IS A LOVELY WORD FOR WHEN IT'S ALMOST DARK OUT. WE ALL CATCH SNOWFLAKES ON OUR TONGUES."

But the best is yet to come. Mom and Dad return from work, and seeing the sleds still leaning hopefully against the porch, they decide that this is the perfect time for a moonlight trip to Mt. Everest, and soon all the kids are on board for an epic run down the moonlit hill.

"SOON WE ARE ZOOMING DOWN THE HILL AT SONIC SPEED (THAT MEANS REALLY, REALLY FAST!)"

It's a snow day to remember in Jane O'Connor's timely Fancy Nancy: There's No Day Like a Snow Day (Harper, 2012), which comes with (yes!) STICKERS with which to fancy-up an extra page of snow people just ready for accessorizing. There's no day like a snow day with Fancy Nancy on board the sleigh.

Gonna Be All Right! : Every Little Thing by Bob and Cedella Marley

RISE UP IN THE MORNING, SMILE WITH THE RISING SUN.

A big smile goes a long way in this world, and this kid has that! He bounces up and into his day with exuberant energy, and with three little birds to follow him wherever he goes, it’s easy to sing.

“EVERY LITTLE THING
WILL BE ALL RIGHT!”

Not that everything goes just like he wants it! He sets out to bake a cake, with messy results. His soccer game has its ups and down, but with hugs from his parents and empathy from his friends, it all turns out well, and as he waves to the setting sun, his mom and dad assure him everything is all right with them.

SETTLE DOWN, SWEET CHILD, AND GO TO SLEEP.

Cedella Marley, Bob Marley’s oldest child, adds to the picture books based on her father’s songs, with the help of artist Vanessa Brantley-Newton’s spritely illustrations of her eternally optimistic main character in her latest tribute, Every Little Thing: Based on the song 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley Chronicle Books, 2012). Cedella’s earlier top-selling adaptation of one of Bob Marley’s songs, is One Love.

Once in a Lifetime: One Special Day by Lola M. Schaeffer

SPENCER WAS A BOY.

HE WAS STRONG.

Parents drive away, leaving Spencer for a visit to his happy grandmother's farm, a place just meant for boyhood adventures. Spencer revels in his outdoor fantasies, pulling a branch down to pick ripe apples with a bear, tall and strong enough to greet a giraffe from a treetop, fast enough to outrun a friendly horse, and wild and free enough to outrace a tiger.

But there's another reason for Spencer's visit to Grandmother's besides a chance for outdoor pretending.

Spencer's parents return, and his mother is hugging a small bundle, a baby!

Spencer is not just strong, fast, tall, and wild--he's...

A BIG BROTHER!

And Spencer the strong and wild can also be quiet and gentle, as he settles down to hold his new baby brother on his lap for the first time.

Lola Schaeffer's newest, One Special Day (A Story for Big Brothers and Sisters) (Hyperion, 2012), makes great use of the sweet and lovely illustrations of Jessica Meserve, which follow this family through the events of one very special day, closing with Spencer cuddling the new baby on a picnic cloth in the woods while his fantasy animals watch quietly from the trees and Mom, Dad, and Grandmother smile with happiness. A nicely insightful entry into the new-baby genre.

Diaper Derby: Catch That Baby! by Nancy Coffelt

TIME TO GET DRESSED NOW, RUDY!

Them's fightin' words, Ma'am. At least if you're toddler Rudy, just out of his bath and sleek and slippery as a seal. Before Mom can slap a Pamper on that cute little patootie, Rudy is off and running, and the race is on.

Of course it's advantage, Rudy as he dashes through the house, under tables, over tables, behind furniture, eluding everyone in the family, hustle, bustle scoot--Dad, siblings, grandparents, even an perky pup who joins in the pursuit after him. Rudy even taunts his pursuers with gleeful giggles and his own liberty battle cry:

NUDIE RUDY!

Everybody gets the giggles as Rudy continues to give them the slip. Where did that baby go? Buddy the dog is pressed into service as their own search-and-rescue hound.

WAIT! HAS BUDDY GOTTEN TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS MYSTERY?

Buddy points the way to Rudy's room. Is the diaper derby in the home stretch at last?

It's a familiar family scenario, that fleeing just-bathed baby, but Rudy gets the last and best laugh as he emerges from his room, having attired himself in a Rudy-mental way--his shirt on his legs, socks on his hands, and his pants on his head, as he victoriously crows...

"CUTIE RUDY!"

In Nancy Coffelt's latest runaway romp, Catch That Baby!, (Simon & Schuster, 2011) her brief text is charmingly augmented by the illustrations of artist Scott Nash, who coyly figleafs the runaway nude modestly while letting this "nekkid baby" have his fun run with his adoring family. This one belongs right up there with the rubber duckie as a bathtime classic.

Tinsel Time! Fancy Nancy-Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O'Connor

OUR HOUSE NEVER LOOKS FANCY, EXCEPT...

TA-DA! AT CHRISTMAS TIME.

The repentent Scrooge would have approved of the way Fancy Nancy Clancy keeps Christmas. If anyone knows how to "make merry" at Yuletide, it's our favorite glitzy girl.

Author Jane O'Connor and illustrator Robin Glasser open their first Santa season story with the whole Clancy family, including Frenchy the dog, togged out in a Christmas tree toboggan and green and red striped leg warmers, hanging the outdoor lights, decorating the mailbox, and wrapping the entire house in a a bright red ribbon and bow.

Then it's off to Bruce's Spruces to take delivery of their tree. Nancy loves adorning their spruce with all the trimmings, including family heirlooms, ("that's fancy for old and very valuable"), ornaments from Grampa's childhood. And, of course, there has to be plenty of sparkle!

"You can't have too much tinsel!" Nancy says.

Nancy throws herself into Christmas Eve fun, wrapping gifts, making cookies with sprinkles, singing carols for Mrs. DeVine and her posh pet papillon, setting out treats for Santa, and all her other family traditions. But the most difficult custom requires waiting for Grampa to arrive to help trim their tree. With all her savings, Nancy had bought an elegant tree topper back in late summer, and she has been waiting so long to see it adorning the tip of her Christmas tree. And what is keeping Grampa? Nancy paces. She and her sister peer out the darkening windows. Finally, Nancy postulates a miniscule change from custom.

We pleaded with our parents. (Pleading is like begging, only fancier.)

"Please, please, pretty PLEASE! Can we just put up the tree topper NOW?"

And with no foreshadowing of the coming disaster, Mom and Dad relent. Nancy is overjoyed with the way her treetop decor looks. "Ooh La La! Everything it says on the box is true! It spins. It flashes on and off and changes color!" she exults.

Excited, Nancy decides to give her dog Frenchy her gift right then. But a tug-of-war ensues when Frenchy gets her teeth into the stretchy pull toy, and she falls backward into the tree. The brand-new topper smashes into pieces.

"I am devastated, which is upset, only a zillion times worse."

Grampa arrives just then at the scene of the disaster, but he has some wise advice:

"When life gives you cracked eggs, make eggnog!" he says.

And soon Grampa, Nancy, and her little sister are "improvising," a fancy word for being creative--making a new ornament for the tree top from whatever materials they have, and seeing it atop the tree, Nancy is very pleased with their product.

"It's going to be an heirloom," Nancy explains to her little sister.

"JOYEAUX NOEL, EVERYBODY!!"

Author Jane O'Connor slips a powerful little lesson in handling unforeseen crises into the latest in her best-selling picture book series, Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas, and Robin Preiss Glaser's splendiferous illustrations are sparkling and exultant--everything that a Christmasy Fancy Nancy should be. This one should come with the tag "OPEN BEFORE CHRISTMAS!"

Days with Dad: It's the Best Day Ever, Dad! by Brooke Shields

Is there a perfect dad anywhere in the world?

Well, there's definitely one--just in time for Father's Day--in Brooke Shields' newest picture book, It's the Best Day Ever, Dad! And, apparently, it's not because he's well rested!

Violet and I wake Daddy up by playing music and doing a dance. We call ourselves the Alarm Clock Girls.

Does Daddy roll over and give Mom a nudge to take over her dancing daughters? Nope, not this dutiful dad. He sneaks out of the bedroom to let his wife get her day of rest, stirs up shaped pancakes, and whisks the girls out to the dog park, where he teaches the older daughter to throw a Frisbee like a pro, with a warm "Good throw, Frankie!"

Then, after a stop for ice cream, Dad takes the girls home, puts little Violet down for her nap and joins Frankie on the couch for a little father-daughter B-ball-watching. "Defense, defense," Frankie cheers, while Dad slips into a much needed sofa nap. Then when Violet is up again, the three go outside and chalk up a home-designed hopscotch game on the driveway, one that even Darla the dog manages to enjoy.

Lots of hopping builds up a bit of an appetite, so it's up to the girls' bedroom where Frankie and Violet set up the Sister Cafe, where the girls dress up in heels and toe shoes, tutus and tiaras, while Dad cheerfully dons beads and a boa for a full-dress tea party.

Dad just has time to turn into the tickle monster as he oversees the cleanup of the tea parlor before heading down to the kitchen, where he and Mom are the lead cooks on a SUPER DUPER SPAGHETTI SURPRISE created by the FIVE FAMOUS CHEFS. Spreading a plaid blanket on the grass outside, the whole family has a moonlit picnic supper to wind up a wonderful day.

"Wow. We had the best day ever, Dad!"

Dad kisses me goodnight and says, "Tomorrow we'll go to the beach!"

Cori Doerrfeld's jaunty daddy and his delighted daughters bounce through her illustrations of their perfect day in Shields' tribute to this paragon of papas. It's the Best Day Ever, Dad! is fun for daughters who dote on their dads, and, we hope, an inspiration to fathers everywhere.

Pup's-Eye View of Christmas: A Very Marley Christmas by John Grogan

"Tree's up!" called Daddy.

"Sniff, sniff, sniff," went Marley. Christmas had come early!

"Finally, my own indoor bathroom!" Marley thought.

"Waddy wee wee!" Baby Louie screeched.

This all-too-likely homey holiday vignette is brought to us by John Grogan's new picture book, A Very Marley Christmas, based on his family's adventures with their exuberant Lab Marley.

Christmas is coming, and Cassie and Baby Louie want everything to be perfect. Mommy and Daddy are doing everything they can to get the house ready for Santa's visit--despite the energetic participation of their puppy Marley. Marley pulls the ornaments and decorations out of the big green storage tub and decorates himself and the floor in puppy style, "unwraps" the presents, plays tug-of-war with the tree as Dad tries to drag it into the house, pulls the lights off the tree and gets tangled therein, and bravely fights a tooth-and-nail battle with Cassie's "dangerous," snakey-looking paper snowflake chain. The Grogans finally manage to restore order and get it together for the big day, but there is still one important thing missing from their holiday preparations--snow!

"C'mon, snow; let's go!" Cassie said.

"Ya ya zo! Eek oh!" Baby Louie said.

"Aroof!" Marley said.

The Grogans persevere in their preparations, re-wrapping the gifts, baking the Santa cookies, and perpetually re-draping the tinsel despite Marley's contrarian concept of holiday decor, until at last they have done all they can to prepare for Santa's arrival.

At last everything was just right. Everything except for one thing. The most important decoration of all was still missing.

It is Christmas Eve, and the fluffy white stuff has not arrived. "No zo," Baby Louie sighed.

But after all, this is a Christmas story, and we know what Marley discovers the next morning as the kids come downstairs. Burrowing through the drapes, Marley is the first to see what is waiting outside for them. Cassie opens the front door and Marley barrels outside into the surprisingly cold white stuff. Covered in wet snow, he whirls back inside, where, shaking vigorously, he gives the family, the tree, and the waiting gifts a doggy-delivered snowfall all their own.

"Zooey zooey zo zo!"

"Good bow wow, Waddy!" said Baby Louie.

A Very Marley Christmas follows Bad Dog, Marley!, Grogan's 2007 picture book adaptation of his best-selling memoir Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog. Marley's misadventures are also out in an easy reader series beginning with Marley & Me: Meet Marley (I Can Read Book 1).

And just in time for the finale of the holiday season there is, of course, the family flick Marley and Me, starring Jennifer Anniston and Owen Wilson, opening, as we say, in movie theatres everywhere on December 25. The movie's trailer can be seen here.