Jangles: a Big Fish Story by David Shannon

            David Shannon, award winning author and illustrator of the NO, DAVID! Books, spins the whopper of all fish tales in Jangles, a Big Fish Story. The narrator tells us a story that was told to him by his father when he was a boy, about a mysterious gigantic trout which swims in the lake. The fish is named Jangles, because he has so many fishing lures and hooks stuck in his mouth that you can hear him coming, because they all clinked and clattered as he swam. The narrator’s father spins a yarn about an encounter he had with this huge fish one night when he was all alone in the middle of the lake, and how the fish took him down to his secret and magical lair, spoke to him, and told him tales of the time long ago before humans inhabited the earth. Lest one would be tempted to not believe this fanciful tale, the narrator, then shows us proof.

            What fisherman, child or adult, hasn’t dreamt of catching “the big one?” This story was captivating. I found myself enthralled with this tall tale, and drawn into the magic of the fish’s story. The beautiful oil paintings set the mood for the story, from the stunning colors on the ancient rainbow trout, to the colorful lures stuck into his mouth. Detailed pictures showed lifelike expressions on the faces of the characters, and background colors call emphasize to the action on the pages. For example, the background was red, when a foolish fisherman accidentally blew up his boat with dynamite, and cool, dark and mysterious when Jangles was pulling the narrator’s father through the water to his cave. I highly recommend this story. Children and adults both will love it.

Book jacket downloaded from barnesandnoble.com.

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Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break if You Want to Survive The School Bus

by John Grandits

        It was the first day of school, and Kyle’s first time to ever ride a school bus. Last year, his brother James rode the bus, but Kyle’s mom walked him to school. This year, James gets to walk, while Kyle rides the bus. Will he be able to remember the ten rules James told him to never forget if he wants to survive on the school bus? If he doesn’t follow all of them, James said he might get pounded! Kyle is nervous, and it doesn’t help that there’s a scary dog on the corner right where the bus stops. On the way to school, Kyle has already broken several of the rules, met the school bus bully, and had to sit by a girl. Will he make it home without getting pounded? When he does get home, Kyle has a new rule tell his brother: never pay attention to your brother’s list of rules!

          What a funny book! Anyone who has ever ridden a school bus will be able to relate to Kyle’s fears. John Grandits did an excellent job capturing the worries of the new kid on the bus in a humorous way. Michael Allen Austin captures the mood and energy of the story with full-page  acrylic  illustrations which add depth, meaning, and lots of laughs to the story. Austin has skillfully captured Kyle's vivid imagination in in the lifelike paintings. For example when the text says that Kyle feels like “a zebra at a lion party," the illustrations show Kyle as a zebra in boy’s clothes and lion’s tails and feet hanging off of the bus seats. John Grandits is an award-winning book and magazine designer.

Book jacket source: barnesandnoble.com

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Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie

by Julie Sternberg

        Eleanor is sad. Her parents have some difficult news to share with her. She thinks it might be as bad as when her mom lost her hamster, but it is worse. It’s “as bad as pickle juice on a cookie.” Eleanor’s babysitter Bibi is moving away. Bibi has been Eleanor’s first and only babysitter, and she can’t imagine what she will do without her. At first, Eleanor’s mom spends some time at home with her, but she has to go back to work eventually, and Eleanor has to get a new babysitter. To top that off, she is nervous about starting third grade. Eleanor soon discovers that her new babysitter, Natalie, is not so bad. She isn’t Bibi, but she likes to play board games and do fun things with Eleanor. When school starts back up, and Eleanor’s best friend Pearl comes back from vacation, she finds out that third grade might just be fun. Natalie is a pretty cool second babysitter, and best of all, Eleanor just got a letter from Bibi.

          This is a cute and sensitive book about a time of loss in a young girl’s life. Julie Sternberg handles it with just the right light touch. Any child who has had a friend or adult friend in their life who moved away will relate to it. The realistic fiction story is written in verse, with short words and lines as an eight year old might write. It is illustrated with black and white drawings which perfectly capture the mood of the text. This is an ideal beginning chapter book for young readers. Julie Sternberg has also written Like Bug Juice on a Burger.

Book jacket source: amazon.com.

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Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade

by Melissa Sweet

            Anthony “Tony” Fredrick Sarg loved to figure out how to make things move. He loved it so much that when he grew up, he became a puppeteer and made marionettes: puppets whose movements were controlled from above with strings. Tony moved to New York City and his marionettes began performing on Broadway, where they caught the attention of Macy’s Department store. Tony started designing mechanical marionettes for Macy’s display windows, and eventually became the person behind the floats in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In Balloons over Broadway, Melissa Sweet tells us how it all happened.           

          Melissa Sweet is author and illustrator of Balloons over Broadway. She has designed illustrations in this book which are gouache (a type of watercolor painting), collage and mixed media. There are layers of interesting detail on each page from cover to cover. Newspaper clippings and pictures of the many puppets made by Tony Sarg are shown, as well as and diagrams of marionettes.  The book is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, and contains an author’s note and a bibliography page. Balloons over Broadway was the 2012 Robert F. Sibert Medal Winner and Winner of the 2012 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award. I truly enjoyed reading about the man who is responsible for the creation and inspiration of the awesome balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Book jacket source: Library website.

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Postcards from Camp
by Simms Taback

     This funny book brought back memories of a popular song from my childhood which started with the lines “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah, here I am at Camp Grenada.”  The main character of this picture book, Michael Stevens, has to attend summer camp at Camp Woodlands. Michael begins the dialogue with a note to his father saying he will go because his dad wants him to, but he knows he won’t like it. The story is told through amusing postcards and letters exchanged by Michael and his father, in which Michael details the horrors of summer camp. The first post card contains a drawing of a one-eyed, 8-limbed alien who Michael claims is his counselor. It also contains a desperate plea from Michael for his father to come and rescue him. Not to be outdone, Michael’s father responds with a post card detailing the horrors of  hot, crowded New York City, and encourages Michael to enjoy camp because it will get better once he makes new friends. The back and forth post card conversations throughout the book, show that his father’s predictions were accurate: by the end of summer camp, Michael has made new friends, had a great time, and can’t wait to come back next year.

   I had a great time reading this book, and think that kids and adults will both be entertained by reading it. The pictures of the hand-made post cards are bright and colorful. Interactive features such as the fold-out supply list and actual envelopes with removable letters make this story even more interesting to the reader. Simms Taback is both the author and illustrator of this funny book. He has illustrated and at times authored many other children’s books. His repertoire of awards includes I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly for which he won a Caldecott Honor Award Medal and a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book.

Book Jacket source: barnesandnoble.com

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Bake Sale
by Sara Varon

          Cupcake is the main character in this rather unusual graphic novel, whose characters are all types of food: pastries, fruits, and vegetables. Cupcake, owns a bakery and coffee shop, and his best friend is Eggplant. The main part of the plot begins when Cupcake’s friend Eggplant expresses a desire to go visit his Aunt Aubergine who lives in Istanbul, Turkey. Eggplant's Aunt works with a famous chef named Turkish Delight. When Eggplant suggests that Cupcake come with him, Cupcake is excited and begins working hard to raise money so that he can go with Eggplant to Istanbul and meet his idol. Unfortunately, just when Cupcake earns enough money to go on the trip; Eggplant gets laid off and won’t be able to go after all. Now Cupcake has a difficult decision to make: will he put his friend first and give him the money to go visit his aunt, or will Cupcake go meet his idol and leave his friend at home?

          At 158 pages, Bake Sale does not meet the normal picture book qualifications, but the cartoon illustrations make it appealing to younger children and a major portion of the story line is told with pictures. The reader must pay close attention to both the text and the pictures in order to understand the plot. The highlights of this story are the lessons it teaches about friendship, the humor of personified food, and the delicious looking recipes. It is quite obvious that Sara Varon is fond of baking. Throughout the book, and at the end, Cupcake’s recipes are shown in great detail. Sara Varon is also the author of Robot Dreams, Chicken and Cat, Chicken and Cat Clean up, and Sweaterweather.

Book jacket source: library

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 Just Being Audrey

 by Margaret Cardillo 

     Audrey Hepburn will long be remembered as an actress in such movies as My Fair Lady, (one of my personal favorites), Funny Face, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but what about the rest of her life? In Just Being Audrey, Margaret Cardillo introduces the reader to Ms. Hepburn’s behind-the scenes personality. I was vaguely aware that she was a supporter of UNICEF, but did not know the story behind that commitment, nor did I realize that she grew up in WWII war torn Europe. As a child, Audrey dreamed of being a ballerina, though she was considered too tall and gangly for such a career. Her mother’s advice “Others matter more than you” and “you must always be kind”, is advice that characterized Audrey Hepburn’s life. This picture book biography traces Audrey Hepburn’s life from childhood, through her appointment as the Goodwill Ambassador to UNICIF, to her death in 1993 and tells the impact she had on those who met her or watched her in the movies.

            This is the first children’s book written by Cardillo, who was formerly a children’s book editor in New York City. I enjoyed reading Just Being Audrey. Even though I was familiar with the actress, I still learned a lot. I found the straight forward commentary to be both educational and entertaining.  This picture book biography is a superb book to share with children who need good role models to follow. The soft pastels created by Julia Denos capture the personality and expressions perfectly. Her unique sense of style and influence on fashion are portrayed in these detailed paintings. I consider this to be a book well worth reading. It would be very useful for introducing the biography genre. A timeline of Audrey Hepburn’s life and a bibliography are included at the end of the book.

Source of Book Jacket: Library

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Hamster Magic

by Lynne Jonell

            What child hasn’t imagined what life could be like if they could magically be someone or something else for just a little while? Celia Willow gets the chance to find out. As the baby of the family, Celia wishes she could be bigger.  Celia, her big sister and two big brothers have moved away from all of their friends in the city to go live in the country for a year, and it is hard on all of them. They would like to have a dog for a pet, but first they have to prove that they can be responsible with a small pet, a hamster. Unfortunately, things keep happening and they are now on their third hamster, who has just escaped. The children finally catch Hammy the third, only to discover that he has magical abilities. While they are trying to decide on a wish to be granted, (Hammy the third will only grant them one wish), Celia accidentally wishes to be bigger. All of a sudden, her older siblings now have a furry, very large hamster for a sister. They have only until morning to turn her back in to a little girl before their parents find out.

            This is a Stepping Stone book, perfect for younger readers who like their animals to be just a little magical. I found the story to be charming, and a very quick read. It is a good lesson in being careful what you ask for, and a good example of siblings working together to solve a problem. The black and white illustrations, by Brandon Dorman, do an excellent job of capturing the expressions of the characters. The look of distress on Hammy the Third’s face and the way he braced his paws against the door opening when Celia tried to put him back in his cage reminded me of my cats when I put try to put them in a cage to take them to the vet. Young readers will be able to imagine what it would be like to be a giant hamster when they look at the illustration of Celia in hamster form, leaping from the furniture and stuffing her pouches with fruit. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to my students who are animal lovers. Its honors include Junior Library Guild selection, Minnesota Book Award nomination, and Texas Bluebonnet Award 2012 -2013 nomination.

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Book jacket image downloaded from barnesandnoble.com

          

Clever Jack Takes the Cake

 by Candace Fleming

     This original fairy tale has a familiar theme. Jack, a poor boy, accidentally received an invitation to the princesses’ 10^th birthday. Unfortunately, Jack’s mother informed him that he would not be able to go, because he did not have a gift for the princess or the money with which to buy one. However, as indicated in the title, Jack was clever and did not let this discourage him. Jack decided to bake a cake for the princess. He bartered, bargained and traded until he had the ingredients for the cake, and even made the candles himself. After baking and decorating the cake, Jack headed off to the princesses birthday party, only to be met with a series of misfortunes along the way. He had to go through a scary forest, encountered a flock of blackbirds, a dancing bear, and a troll. Did Jack arrive at the princesses’ party with the cake intact? No, but he still had a gift to give her. Jack is an optimistic hero who looks on the bright side even when everything that can go wrong, does.

            This fairy tale might have a familiar theme, but it is well worth reading. I found that the word choices and pictures drew me into the engaging and humorous story and invited me to go along with Jack on his journey. The detailed gouache and pencil illustrations by G. Brian Karas added depth and meaning to the text. For example, although the text does not state that Jack’s invitation was a mistake, the illustration on the inside of the book cover shows the invitation blowing out of the messenger’s bag as he rides past Jack’s tiny cottage. Later in the tale, darker tones in the pictures of the dark woods Jack walked through, make the reader wonder what is about to happen. I highly recommend this story as a read-aloud for young children. There are some great places for dramatic narrating in this story. Clever Jack takes the Cake, received four starred book reviews and was named a Best Book of the Year by Booklist, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and the Bank Street College of Education.

Source of book jacket image: barnesandnoble.com.

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Looking At Lincoln

 by Maria Kalman

 

            Maria Kalman narrates this book from the perspective of a young girl wondering about our 16th president. While walking in the park, the girl noticed a man who looked familiar. Later, when the girl looked at a five dollar bill, she realized that the man reminded her of Abraham Lincoln, so she went to the library to find out more about the 16^th president of the United States, and became “lost in the photos of his unusual face.” This is the starting point of this educational and entertaining book. The author combines factual information with whimsical wonderings written as a child might state them. Well-known, facts about slavery and the Civil War are combined with lesser known information about Abraham Lincoln’s love of vanilla cake and apples. I thought Kalman did an excellent job showing the private side of Abraham Lincoln as a son, father, and husband, at the same time as she showed him as the public figure of our president who worked to abolish slavery and keep the country united.

            The colorful gouache, (opaque water colors mixed with gum), drawings in this picture book biography invite the reader or listener to join with the author as she imagines what Abraham Lincoln must have been like. I found this book to be an excellent choice for a read-aloud with 1^st through 5^th grade students this summer. The students compared their height to that of Abraham Lincoln. They laughed when we read the part where Kalman wondered if Abraham Lincoln and his wife had nicknames for each other, “Did she call him Linky? Did he call her Little Dumpy?” They were distressed to read that he had been assassinated and wanted to know what happened to John Wilkes Booth. I found the book to be full of factual information written in a way that elementary school children could understand it, and highly recommend it. I will be adding “Looking at Lincoln” to my personal classroom library.

Source of book jacket image: library website

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