THE UGLY DUCKLING DINOSAUR by Cheryl Bardoe

Bardoe, Cheryl. The Ugly Duckling Dinosaur: A Prehistoric Tale. Illustrated by Doug Kennedy. New York, NY: Abrams Books, 2011. $16.95. ISBN# 9780810997394. Ages 4-8. Picture book—fiction.

Of the many different retellings of fairy tales I have ever read, this one is one of my favorites. This reinterpretation of The Ugly Duckling is set during prehistoric dinosaur times and features the ancient ancestors of today’s ducks as the duck family and a baby Tyrannosaurus Rex as the ugly duckling. The resemblance between a duck and a dinosaur is so different that you have to wonder how a T-Rex egg even ended up among duck eggs, but this ridiculousness is part of the charm of the story.

The author’s narration of the familiar fairy tale is enjoyable and easy to follow, but it is really the illustrations that make the book what it is. Many of the illustrations made me laugh because it is not often that you see a baby T-Rex trying to act like a little duckling. My favorite illustration features the T-Rex’s duckling “siblings” following after their mother, waddling into the water, while the T-Rex clumsily clomps behind them with a gait that could never be mistaken as a duck waddle. Another hilarious illustration shows the ugly duckling trying to fit in by disguising himself with feathers.

Dinosaur lovers will enjoy the glimpses of a variety of dinosaur creatures the baby T-Rex meets up with on his quest to find his place in the world. These other featured dinosaurs include, Pteranodons, Stegosauruses, and Deinoychuses. The author’s note page features more detailed information about various dinosaurs with more scientific images for those readers who wish to learn more.


Joyce Myers

EDWIN SPEAKS UP by April Stevens

Stevens, April and Sophie Blackall. Edwin Speaks Up. New York: Schwartz & Wade, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-375-85337-1.

You might say that the text supplements the illustrations in this picture book—the pictures tell as gripping and more truthful a story than the actual words. Whenever Edwin, the little baby of this lemur family (or similar such creature), speaks up, not a member listens to him despite his insightful observations and reminders. Granted they just happen to be mixed up in all sorts of garbled "baby-speak" ("Figbutton noo noo POCKY BOOKY froppin ROOF" clearly indicates that the mom's pocketbook is on the roof of the car, right?). But in this wild excursion to the grocery store, Edwin is the "silent" hero among his whole family, the only one observing where lost items go, where lost grocery carts get switched, and finally where to find the missing but supremely important sugar that everyone else has forgotten.

Reading this book with a child would be immense fun; it invites the child to look for the interaction between the story and pictures. A keen eye can seek out and notice all the action going on in the illustrations and compare that to the oblivious nature of Edwin's mom and siblings in the text. Does anyone else know where mom's pocket book is? Nope, only Edwin. Who tries to call and point out to mom that she has switched grocery carts? Only Edwin. The reader finds out how observant and versatile Edwin is with every page. The retro style of the illustrations—colorful and with a 50's flair—belie their complexity, an intricacy the derives from the watchful eye of young Edwin.

This was a delight to read, and young readers will get great pleasure from decoding the silliness of the grown-ups and big kids compared to the intelligence of the little baby.

Alya Hameed

TABBY MCTAT THE MUSICAL CAT by Julia Donaldson

Donaldson, Julia. Tabby McTat The Musical Cat. Illus. Axel Scheffler. London: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2009. ISBN 978-0-545-45168-0. $16.99 US /$18.99 CAN.

Tabby McTat The Musical Cat is the story of a cat and his master, a busker named Fred. They enjoy singing songs and collecting money from people on the street.

The story starts out happy and ends happy. However, the ending is not completely happy; Tabby McTat does not go back to his wife and her owners Prunella and Pat. The story is happy in that Tabby McTat is reunited with Fred. I thought the story was sad in that Fred and Tabby were trying to find each other but were unable to do so. Also, Fred breaks his leg when he chases after the thief.

Tabby McTat The Musical Cat uses a lot of rhyme. For example, “this and that” rhymes with “old checked hat.” “Sat” rhymes with “cat.” “Chat” rhymes with “cat.” “Chase” rhymes with “lace.” “Head” rhymes with “bed.” “Black” rhymes with “back.” “Old Fred” rhymes with “hospital bed.” “Pat,” “mat,” “flat,” and “bat” rhyme, so do “Grew” and “mew” and “tabby-gray fur” and “very loud purr.” “Susan and Soames” and “very good homes” rhyme, as does “Tabby McTat” and long-lost cat!”

In addition to rhyme, Tabby McTat The Musical Cat uses repetition. For example, on the first page of text “perfectly” is repeated three times, although the last time says “PURRR-fectly.” When the thief enters the story, “it” is repeated. When Tabby McTat is separated from Fred, “on” is repeated.

The author is also alliterative. The third sentence of the first page reads: “The two of them sang of this and that.” Fred eats bacon and bread; bacon and bread both begin with “B.” When Tabby McTat meets Sock, Sock is described as “A gorgeously glossy and green-eyed cat.” When Sock and McTat talk, it’s described as a “cat-to-cat chat.” When the thief steals the hat, there is a ton of words beginning with “H”: “had,” “his,” “hat,” and “he.” When Fred pursues the thief, the author uses the words “chase” and” crash” and “broke” and “banged.” Sock’s owners are named Prunella and Pat. McTat enjoys pouncing on Pat.

Overall, I thought Tabby McTat The Musical Cat was a good picture book. I liked the interaction between the cats and their owners. As the daughter of a musician, I also liked the musical aspect of the story.

Carly Krewitsky

THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN by Jon Agee

Agee, Jon. The Other Side of Town. New York: Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-16204-3. $17.95.

Jon Agee's whimsical book tells the story of a New York City cab driver who picks up an unusual fare. An odd little man, dressed in a strange green onesie-like suit with a pink tuft on the cap, directs the cab driver to take him to "Schmeeker Street," to which the cabbie responds confusedly, "You mean Bleecker Street?" No, the little man means "Schmeeker" street, which is one of the main roads on The Other Side of Town.

As the cabbie drives the man through the Finkon Tunnel during mush hour, the duo repeats the same game of words. The man says "nog lights," the cabbie says "fog lights?" The man says "Snooklyn Bridge," the cabbie says "Brooklyn Bridge?" And so on and so forth. There is little variation in the way the story is told, and when reading it, the repetitive conceit gets a little old. However, I can imagine that reading it aloud with an enthusiastic child would be a riot.

A caveat, though: that child would need to be familiar with New York City landmarks and lingo. This book, while charming and quirky, might have a limited audience due to how specific it is to New York. For children who live in New York or are particularly familiar with the city, this book would be a very fun way to talk about both real landmarks and nonsense at once.

Jill Coste

THE VELVETEEN RABBIT by Margery Williams

Williams, Margery. The Velveteen Rabbit. Illus. Gennady Spirin. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-7614-5848-7. $17.99.

Margery Williams' classic The Velveteen Rabbit is typeset with lush, ethereal illustrations by Gennady Spirin in this 2011 version. The Velveteen Rabbit, originally published in 1922, tells the story of the plush toy bunny who longs to become Real. New to the nursery, he is shy and sensitive, and he feels inferior to the snobby wind-up toys. The Skin Horse, old and wise and part of the family for two generations, assures the rabbit that it's much easier for beloved stuffed animals to become Real, because they are durable, and becoming Real takes a long time.

The sweet little velveteen rabbit soon becomes the Boy's favorite toy, and over time, the rabbit becomes shabby, worn, well-loved, and, yes, Real. The rabbit's joy is palpable when the Boy exclaims to his mother "He isn't a toy. He's REAL!" But as we learn in life, good things often come to an end. When the Boy is stricken with scarlet fever, the rabbit is discarded with the other germ-laded sheets and toys. Separated from his Boy and crying softly, the rabbit is visited by the Nursery Fairy, who turns him into a real rabbit. But even as a live critter, the rabbit doesn't forget his Boy.

The story's poignant lesson about loss and enduring love is just as powerful as ever in this 2011 edition. Spirin's illustrations evoke the 1922 setting that Williams would have envisioned as she was writing. The little rabbit's face is expressive, and the images of the Boy walking around with Rabbit tucked under his arm or snuggled in bed are wholesome and representative of the affection a child can have for a toy. Additionally, there's an almost air-brushed quality to the illustrations that creates an almost dreamlike atmosphere that perfectly complements this classic, heart-breaking/heart-warming story of magic.

Jill Coste

RIVER SONG by Steve Van Zandt

Van Zandt, Steve. River Song. Illus. Katherine Zecca. Nevada City: Dawn Publications, 2007. ISBN: 978-1-58469-094-8, $9.95.

"Blurp-ah pa-shoosh rumbly pound / A white rapid river makes a wonderful sound..."—so goes the refrain of River Song with the Banana Slugs String Band. See, the book comes along with a CD, and after reading the book through once, and then twice, I thought sticking it in the player was the perfect solution—entertain the little one and get some work done. Not the case. Nope, she wanted me to sing along.

So, "blurp-ah pa-shoosh rumbly pound / A white rapid river makes a wonderful sound" as it travels from high in the mountains on the short days of Winter and down "steep canyon walls that echo with wren's call." Its song continues as it goes through glens, past a Summertime farm, and carries families in their water-tubes along. Finally,  "it rolls and it rolls right past me"...and into the sea. Upon reaching the sea, the water evaporates back up into the sky, and the water cycle begins again.

This is another fine example of the Dawn Publication's books that seek to share nature with children. And, as with the others, it succeeds. Part of what makes River Song so charming, though, is the accompanying CD of the Banana Slug String Band (you might check out additional materials and curricula at www.bananaslugstringband.com). This is a great way to introduce the water cycle, draw attention to Earth Day, or just celebrate the wonder of our natural world.

Reviewed by Stephanie Ashley

EAST DRAGON WEST DRAGON by Robyn Eversole

Eversole, Robyn. East Dragon, West Dragon. Illus. Scott Campbell. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster), 2012. ISBN: 978-0-689-85828-4. $16.99.

“West Dragon thought East Dragon was a snob. East Dragon thought West Dragon was a slob... they were a little afraid of each other because they didn’t know who was bigger, who was fiercer... so they kept a world between them, just in case.”

In this classic tale of clashing cultures, East Dragon, West Dragon artfully weaves a story of two contrasting dragons -- one who lives in a land of palaces, emperors, and geishas, and one who lives in a land of caves, kings, and knights. The dragons have never met before and happily live in their own worlds, until one day when everything goes wrong and their sides of the sea meet. What will happen when these fierce forces come face-to-face? With intricate and whimsical watercolor illustrations that will enchant you, East Dragon, West Dragon is filled with action that will take you on an adventure!

Jenny Weisenborn

A GOLD STAR FOR ZOG by Julia Donaldson

Donaldson, Julia. A Gold Star for Zog. Illus. Axel Scheffler. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic Inc.), 2012. ISBN: 978-0-545-41724-2. $16.99.

In Madam Dragon’s school, young dragons learn all the skills necessary to become a great dragon -- how to fly, roar, breathe fire... even how to capture a princess! “Zog, the biggest dragon, was the keenest one by far. He tried his hardest every day to win a golden star.” Klutzy and endearing, Zog tries his best to be the best and encounters many mishaps along the way. Throughout his years of school, Zog makes a special friend, a friend who may be the key to his success one day.

The text flows through fun and humorous rhymes, and the rich illustrations are bold and vibrant, filling every square inch of the page. An uplifting story that makes you want to read it again and again, A Gold Star for Zog is a whimsical tale with a twist!

Jenny Weisenborn

WADDLES by David McPhail

McPhail, David. Waddles. New York: Abrams, 2011. ISBN: 9780810984158, $15.95.

"Waddles waddled like a duck.
              But he was not a duck.
                          Waddles was a raccoon. A very round raccoon. And he was always hungry."

So begins the story of Waddles and a very special year with some very special friends. Open the book, turn to the title page, and I guarantee you will fall in love with Waddles—carrying a half-eaten piece of pizza and all. This is certainly not a book about healthful eating habits (though Waddles should be praised for putting food back in the trashcan when he's done with it) but it is a book about friendship and loyalty.

While Waddles is not a duck, his best friend, Emily, is a duck. Emily and Waddles spend  a lovely Spring together. Emily does her best to encourage a better diet, but Waddles "prefer[s] half-eaten sandwiches or cake." Their days together change when Waddles finds Emily sitting on her nest. She explains that she needs to keep her eggs safe and she won't be able to join Waddles on his adventures. Waddles stays with her, but when he realizes that she won't be able to go get food, Waddles offers to sit on the nest.

As Waddles stands post, the themes of loyalty and bravery enter the story. No matter what happens, Waddles won't abandon Emily's eggs. Fortunately, everything works out okay and the ducklings are born. Before Waddles realizes it, though, Summer has come and gone and Fall has arrived. Waddles doesn't like what happens next, but true friendship sometimes means letting go—and, just maybe, saying hello again!

Reviewed by Stephanie Ashley

KAZAAK by Sean Cassidy

Cassidy, Sean. Kazaak! Markham, Ont.: Fitzenhenry & Whiteside, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-55455-117-0. $18.95.

Kazaak! is the story of two porcupines named Spike and Rupert. Spike is quite the ingenue when it comes to having quills; Rupert, though, is an old pro. Rupert excitedly shows Spike all the wonderful things that quills can do. Most marvelous of all, however, is the way that, with a flick of a mighty tail, a porcupine can kazaak pretty much anything. You can kazaak fruit and let the yummy juice drip of your quills into your mouth. You can kazaak a tree and use it to help you climb up. The most important thing that kazaaking allows you to do? Scare off Bear.

Unfortunately, things don't go so well for Rupert and Spike when they encounter Bear in the woods. Rupert has spent so much time showing Spike what quills can do and kazaaking here and kazaaking there that all his quills are gone! A little quick thinking on the part of Spike, though, saves the day!

The final few pages of Kazaak! end with some information about porcupines—where they live, what they eat, and what their tracks look like. Additional statistics are shared about quills—for example, an average porcupine has 30,000 quills and if you were to draw all 30,000 quills at a rate of two quills for every second, it would take four hours to finish. Speaking of drawing, a final activity provides a diagram of how to draw a porcupine.  It's a good book, though I did feel a bit sorry for Bear when everything came to an end.

Reviewed by Stephanie Ashley

BUZZ by Eileen Spinelli

Spinelli, Eileen. Illus. Vincent Nguyen. BUZZ. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-4169-4925-1, $15.99 

BUZZ. I can probably recite every word of BUZZ. The reason? My niece loves it. Fortunately, it's a cute book and I rather like it myself. Eileen Spinelli has set the story in response to the scientific statement that "aerodynamically speaking, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble doesn't know it, so it goes on flying anyway." She switches it around a bit, though, and the story explores what might happen if a bumblebee did find out that she couldn't fly.

BUZZ centers around three main characters: Buzz, Snail, and Old Owl. All three live a happy existence and Buzz especially loves being able to fly over fields of clover, trees, and Snail's briar. Old Owl is lovable in his stereotypical aloofness and Snail is kind—especially when Buzz, devastated upon seeing a news article reporting the scientific findings, can no longer fly. Unfortunately, this happens right when Buzz needs to fly the most. Old Owl is in great danger and only Buzz can save him—if she could fly. Alas, she can't, and Buzz has to come up with another way to save Old Owl.

This book is more than just a sweet little story and pretty pictures; it poses the question: "What will you do when someone says you can't succeed?"

As a side note: I tried out a fun reading development technique (which is appropriate for any illustrated book a child knows well) that was a great success. I asked my niece if she wanted to write the story of Buzz. She excitedly said yes, so I pulled out a piece of paper. I asked her to look at the pictures and tell me a story of what happened. There was a lot of "Buzzy, buzzy, buzzy Buzz!" but it was worth every single reading to watch a three year-old, clutching a few pages to her chest, proudly proclaim: "I'm an author! I writed a book!" Did she put pen to paper? No. But she is beginning to associate the act of writing and words and the creation of written narrative. Who knows, one day she might write her very own book for someone else to review!

Reviewed by Stephanie Ashley

THE TREE IN THE ANCIENT FOREST by Carol Reed-Jones

Reed-Jones, Carol. The Tree in the Ancient Forest. Illus. Christopher Canyon. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications, 1995. ISBN: 1-883220-31-9. Author recommends this for ages 4-10.

Summary:
A nature awareness book, this richly colored picture book is written in the literary form of cumulative verse. This form is best known from the verse The House that Jack Built. By using this form, the author emphasizes the theme of interdependence in an ancient forest. Reed-Jones is also a music teacher and she uses rhythmic, repetitive verse, and word cadence to engage readers in the vocabulary and overall theme of interdependence in the book.

Throughout the pages readers repeat phrases about the 300-year-old tree that grows there, and the other life in the ancient forest. A squirrel, a marten, underground truffles, voles and mice and an owl are all characters.

Illustrations done in acrylic include deep greens, blues, browns and oranges. The perspective of the images is complex and holds readers’ visual interest. Paintings are of the tree above ground as well as from underground so that soil layers, roots, and habitat of underground animals is visible and detailed, and alternates from this to depictions of habitats of animals that live in the treetops and on the forest floor.

At the back of the book is a list of entries for the animals and plants mentioned in the book. These entries include information about habitat, diet, size and other simple scientific background descriptions. Also included at the back of the book is information about the importance of the ancient forest and descriptive information about its characteristics.

With the re-emergence of the importance of high quality, literary informational texts in schools across the country, this title is a welcome addition to a read aloud classroom collection, especially for lessons about science.

Reviewed by Linda Salem

DO ANIMALS HAVE FEELINGS TOO? by David L. Rice

Rice, David L. Illust. Trudy Calvert. Do Animals Have Feelings Too? Nevada City: Dawn Publications, 1999. ISBN-13: 978-1584690047. Price: $8.95.

"Do animals have feelings?" so begins a thought-provoking, curious, and entertaining read. The format of the book is rather straight-forward. Each section starts with a definition of a feeling or characteristic that is normally attributed solely to humans. Next, short examples of animals exhibiting what appear to be said attribute are shared. Finally, readers are asked to reflect on the accounts and decide for themselves whether they are worthy examples of characteristics such as joy, helpfulness, deceitfulness, and compassion. Each sections ends with a prompt that elicits introspection and the reader is invited to come up with his own observations or her own opinions.

But the stories that Do Animals Have Feelings? shares are anything but straight-forward and mundane. I often found myself shaking my head in wonder, smiling, feeling just a little misty-eyed, and asking myself, "Can this be true?"

If I were forced to select only two favorites, they would be the story about two chimpanzees named Sherman and Austin in the Communication section and the Rhesus Monkey covered in Cleverness. The rhesus, using a banana and a moose (yes, a moose), manages to escape from a monkey enclosure not once or twice but three times! Sherman and Austin's communication via computers and corresponding English symbols is fascinating. There are less flashy but all the same astounding examples of Compassion, Grief, and Joy.

Rice does not directly cite the stories, but he does list the sources for each in the back of the book. I think this is a great resource for the older reader to dig a little bit deeper and evaluate the primary sources on their own. I know that I am certainly curious.

This is the second book I have read from Dawn Publications, and I have to say that I am impressed. I will definitely keep an eye out for additional titles to add to my library documenting some of the natural wonders of our world.

Reviewed by Stephanie Ashley

POLAR SLUMBER by Denis Rockhill

 

Rockhill, Denis. Polar Slumber. Green Bay: Raven Tree Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0-974199-28-3, $16.95. Ages: Picture Books (Pre-school to Grade One). Bilingual text also available.

Polar Slumber is the perfect bedtime story. A young child ventures out into freshly fallen snow. Warmly bundled in a knitted sweater, scarf, and mittens she forms a large snowball. Rather than make a snowman, though, she shapes a polar bear's snout.

That night, as she falls asleep, her playful, outdoor imaginations of the day seep into the warmth of slumber. She is invited by a mother and baby polar bear—her "gentle, furry friends"—to "explore the northern beauty on [a] moonlit arctic journey."

All along, she is watched over by the mama and baby polar bear as a snow owl swoops overhead and she pets an adorable, large-eyed seal and runs her hands over a wolf pup. They travel until their "eyelids grow heavy...[and they] snuggle together" as her soft covers morph into a polar bear or perhaps the polar bear morphs into her soft covers.

From what I can tell, Denis Rockhill is both author and illustrator of Polar Slumber and he competently fulfills both roles. The knitted texture of the young girl's clothes and blanket nicely offset the delicate, peaceful feel of the wintery blue and white of the arctic animals and surroundings. An additional curious feature worth mentioning is what appears to be an alternative story along the bottom of every other page. Done in graphite, it adds yet another dimension to a lovely book.

Stephanie Ashley

INFINITY AND ME by Kate Hosford

Hosford, Kate. Infinity and Me. Illus. Gabi Swiatkowska. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda, 2012. ISBN 0-7613-6726-0. $16.95.

I like books that show children as intelligent speculators about the nature of existence and our place in it. For children certainly think deep thoughts, especially when, like this narrator, they look up at the stars and feel very small. It’s a significant moment when our egos open to the fact that it’s not all about us after all, and the concept of infinity surely puts us all in our places.

From the moment one opens the first page, this book is special. The little girl telling her story begins with her new red shoes. Too excited about them to sleep, she goes outside to sit on the lawn and is confronted with the “huge and cold” night sky and its seeming ”infinity” of stars. She spends the next few days sounding out friends and family about their conception of infinity. The answers she receives give readers much to think about, and they also give illustrator Swiatkowska full range for her extraordinary artistic range. Her illustrations are a really brilliant variety of techniques and textures, juxtapositions, swirls, and frames. And there’s an affectionate substory about the narrator’s Grandmother complimenting her at the story’s end on her lovely red shoes.

Alida Allison

KALI'S SONG by Jeanette Winter

Winter, Jeanette. Kali's Song. New York: Schwartz & Wade, 2012.ISBN: 978-0-375-87022-4. $16.99. Ages 4-8

Whenever I finish a Jeanette Winter book, I find that I have just a bit more faith in the human being and society, so I was very excited to see Kali's Song. I am glad to say that I was not disappointed. In fact, I found myself smiling when I finished Kali's Song because of the warmth expressed in the central characters' relationships with each other and the community's respect for the importance of art and the artist. This book is a reminder of the power of art, in this case music, and how it can change people's actions and possibly even history.

Set thousands and thousands and thousands of years ago, this is a story about a little boy, Kali, who finds that he has a very special gift and doesn't have to be like everyone else. Like all the young boys that Kali knows, he is groomed to become a great hunter. His father gives him a bow and arrows, and his mother encourages him that it won't be that much longer before he can join the men to kill the animals—if he practices every day.

Kali finds that it's not practicing to hunt that brings him joy, but it's something else entirely. It's the sounds his bow makes when he plucks the strings and puts the bow to his mouth. Kali is not the only one mesmerized by the sounds he makes. Every day, animals "listen and are still" and "birds listen and are still" and "the stars come close to listen" as Kali plays. And every day when his father asks, Kali says that his practice went well.

The day of the big hunt arrives and Kali takes his bow and arrows and joins the other men and boys. When they reach the animals they are hunting, however, Kali sees the magnificent herd of mammoths below them and forgets all about the hunt. He is so filled by the music he hears within himself in response to their beauty that he puts down his arrows, lifts up his bow, closes his eyes, and begins to play. When he opens his eyes again, all the mammoths are surrounding him. The other hunters are so amazed at the sight of mammoths gathering around one little boy and moved by the beauty of Kali's music that they put down their bows and arrows. They declare Kali to be a shaman, because "only a shaman can do this." From then on, Kali plays a very important role in the community and they look to him for guidance. To the very end, "every evening, even when he was a very old man, Kali went to the hills with his bow, closed his eyes, and played his bow-harp until the stars came close to listen."

Like all of Jeanette Winter's books thus far (see Biblio-Burro and Wangari's Trees of Peace), I enjoyed Kali's Song. There is not an unnecessary word on each page, and yet it is full and lyrical. Similarly, there is not an unneeded line in any picture. Winter is a consummate artist—both author and illustrator. The colors used are predominantly browns, grays, greens, blacks, and deep reds—certainly appropriate choices for a community and culture closely associated to nature. Despite the careful thought that must have gone into her illustrations, I must admit I missed her bright, embroidery-like designs that were replaced with almost all textured paper and ink.

One thing that was absent from Kali's Song was the brief background at the end of the text. Kali is certainly no actual individual; nonetheless, a few notes about the possible setting and other emerging forms of music would have been nice. That, though, is from an adult's perspective, and I don't think there's a four year-old or eight year-old out there who is going to throw a temper-tantrum at the lack of a lecture on pre-historic, ancient human history! This book is definitely staying in my library and I can't wait to continue adding to my Jeanette Winter collection.

Stephanie Ashley

WHY DO I HAVE TO MAKE MY BED? by Wade Bradford

Bradford, Wade. Why do I Have to Make my Bed? Or, a History of Messy Rooms. Illus. Johanna van der Sterre. Berkeley: Tricycle Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-1582463278. 

“Why do I have to make my bed?” whines the modern little boy to his mother. After all, he already did the dishes and straightened up his video games. And besides, a bed is just going to get messed up again. “That reminds me of a story about your grandmother,” says the boy’s mom. The grandmother asked the same question and listed off the chores of her generation. And in answer to the grandmother as a child, HER mother says, “That reminds me of a story…” This conceit continues through the entire book, all the way back to prehistoric times.

Each generation is accompanied by illustrations of the historic chores being done – from dusting the loom to patching Father Viking’s war wounds – and the various beds being ignored – from quilts to caribou hide. The illustrations are colorful and cartoonish, with the same amusing “chores are boring” face on generations of children. The illustrations depict little details that color each era, like the metal spinning top and the old Victrola in 1911, or the patchwork quilt and ragdoll in the pioneer section.

It’s interesting to read about the chores throughout centuries – there’s even a list at the end of the book that goes into further description of ancient chores through present day. The book is overall a brief, fun, and colorful history lesson for young readers. It’s a charming concept, but the repetition of “that reminds me of a story” becomes a little tiresome, and the apparently timeless reason for making a bed (“because mom said so”) is not necessarily a convincing one.

Or maybe that just didn’t work on me. I still don’t make my bed. I mean, I’m just going to mess it up again anyway.

Jill Coste

MARY'S PENNY by Tanya Landman

Landman, Tanya. Mary’s Penny. Illus. by Richard Holland. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-7636-4768-1. $15.99 US

In a time long ago, an old farmer faces a dilemma: which of his two sons will inherit and run his farm? He proposes a challenge: the son who could, with one penny, buy something that will fill the whole house would inherit the farm. But the old farmer has forgotten something very important: his daughter Mary! When both sons, Franz and Hans, fail to complete the challenge, Mary asks for her penny, and she succeeds, filling the house with “light and knowledge and music and joy.”

Landman’s retelling of the feminist fable uses a beautifully traditional folk-style voice, perfect for reading aloud. Holland’s illustrations, made in mostly cut-paper mixed media, are whimsical and child-like. The two brothers, one beefy and one brawny, are portrayed almost as caricatures, and Holland’s manipulation of scale keeps the reader just enough off-balance so as to evoke whimsy, as if the characters are floating through their own landscape.

Mary’s Penny is a beautifully told text with a great message, perfect for school or family.

Marisa Behan

I'M NOT by Pam Smallcomb

Smallcomb, Pam. I’m Not. Illus. Robert Weinstock. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-375-86115-4. $15.99 US/$17.99 CAN. Ages 4-8

This book is NOT: boring, dull, or confusing. It’s NOT lacking in color, in humor, or in story quality. It IS a captivating story of two friends who celebrate each other for all that they are, and all that they are not, as long as they remain good at being friends!

Evelyn is many things that the narrator is not: mysterious, enthusiastic, fashionable, excitable, and artistic. But the narrator is many things Evelyn is not: good at spelling, at karate, at sleeping in the dark, and at baking cookies. But both girls are good at being the other’s friend!

The illustrations are colorful and playful. Evelyn is a bright green dinosaur with ever-changing fashion accessories. The narrator is a brown dinosaur with a single pink bow. The two dinosaur friends bounce their way through a world of geese, snakes, octopi, walruses and other dinos. They put on funny costumes and fly through the air. Implausible perhaps, but fun and interesting to look at! With its positive message and fun illustrations, I’m Not is a wonderful book for classroom read-alouds or birthday gifts!

Marisa Behan

CLOUD TEA MONKEYS by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham

Peet, Mal and Elspeth Graham. Cloud Tea Monkeys. Illus. Juan Wijngaard. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2010. 978-0-7636-4453-6. $15.99 US/$20.00 CAN. Picturebooks, Ages 4-7

Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham, in collaboration with Juan Wijngaard, have created a masterpiece of story and art. Tashi, a little girl in a tiny village, accompanies her ailing mother to work on the tea plantation each day, but while the women pick tea, Tashi plays with the monkeys. Finally her mother’s illness keeps her from work, so Tashi tries to pick in her place, but she can’t reach the top of tea bushes! When she shares her woes with her friends the monkeys, they steal the giant basket and disappear into the mountains, returning with a full basket of tea. And this tea isn’t just any old tea – it’s CLOUD TEA – out of reach of ordinary men. Tashi’s rare success is rewarded with enough gold from the Royal Tea Taster to pay her mother’s doctor, to keep her mother out of the fields, and to feed the monkeys!

The prose, particularly the descriptive language, evokes the rhythm and pattern of a traditional fairy tale, as does the ambiguous setting. The illustrations are lush, with vibrant green foliage, deep blue night skies, luminous shadows filtering through the forest, and glowing faces of the characters.

Cloud Tea Monkeys is a beautiful book, a bedtime bookshelf treasure.

Marisa Behan