WORDS SET ME FREE: THE STORY OF YOUNG FREDERICK DOUGLASS by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass. Illustrated by James E. Ransome. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN 9781416959038. $16.99. Ages 5-9.

It is never too early for a child to start learning history and about the past that has helped to shape our nation and make it what it is today. Words Set Me Free is a picture book adaptation of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an influential book everybody should read at some point in their life. This picture book is a great way to educate and inspire an early interest in reading the full book.

As far as picture books go, Words Set Me Free is rather wordy and lengthy, and is a book that beginning readers should probably read alongside an adult, so that they can be sure to be able to understand all of the text, and be able to discuss the issues the book addresses. This book could never be taken as light reading. The author is not overly graphic when discussing the hardships of being a slave, but she also does not mince words, nor hide the fact that life was cruel for Frederick.

The illustrations, done as very realistic paintings, also portray the truth of the subject matter without being too explicit or scary. For example, in one part of the book, Frederick’s master finds out that his wife is teaching Frederick his letters and becomes very angry. Instead of depicting Frederick being punished by his master, the illustrator painted a silhouette of the master in an angry pose, with a scared young Frederick cowering below. This way, the master’s disapproval and Frederick’s fear are portrayed, but with subtlety.

One thing I find interesting is how the author chooses to end the book. Obviously, this picture book only portrays a snippet of the actual events detailed in the full Narrative, but the book ends with an epilogue where Frederick forges a letter in his master’s name that seemingly will win him his freedom. But when you read the author’s note on the next page, you realize that it is much later on in his life that Frederick actually becomes free. I suppose it could just be that the author simply did not wish to prolong the story, but still wanted to end the book optimistically.

Other than introducing American history, I think that the best themes of this book are about perseverance and the power of words and reading and how they can change your life. For children who do not really enjoy books, that is a powerful lesson in the importance of reading and of not giving up.

Joyce Myers

I LIKE OLD CLOTHES by Mary Ann Hoberman

Hoberman, Mary Ann. I Like Old Clothes. Illus. Patrice Barton. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Text Copyright 1976. ISBN 978-0-375-86951-8. $16.99.

Mary Ann Hoberman originally published I Like Old Clothes more than 30 years ago, but the simple and delightful story is just as relevant today. Told in rhythmic rhyme that just begs to be read aloud, I Like Old Clothes follows a small girl who documents her affinity for hand-me-downs. She loves patched-up, worn old sweaters, shirts with other people's names on them, and "once-for-good clothes, now-for-play clothes."

The little girl rhymes her way through what she loves about old clothes -- the fact that they tell a story. Who wore these before me? the little girl wonders. She daydreams about what games the clothes have won, what parties they've been to. I Like Old Clothes makes a case for appreciating vintage artifacts and letting your imagination tell you the story of where the clothes were and will be.

The illustrations tell just as much of a story as the words. Barton's textural sketches work well with the idea of fabric and clothing, as every illustrated setting has some element of of pattern overlaid on it. Green grass has a hint of a vine pattern, the squares of a floor hint at plaid, the sky is just-this-side of polka-dot or gingham. The little girl's enthusiasm for old clothes comes through in her illustrated expressions and her bouncing movements.

With its drawings rich with texture and its story of how-clothes-are-more-than-clothes, this book would be perfect for a budding fashion designer, fashionista, or any creative child.

Jill Coste

! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld

Rosenthal, Amy Krouse and Tom Lichtenheld. ! Exclamation Mark. New York: Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 978-0-545-43679-3. $17.99.

An exclamation point, after all, stands out, doesn’t it? So, if you’re a little exclamation point kid, you have to find your mojo, which is just what this little one does. Surrounded by friendly but markedly different periods, the little point can’t fit in. In fact, he’s “flummoxed” (I would recommend this book if only because the authors used this word!). Ah, but exclamation boy meets a question mark as unlike the others as he is, and voila. The charming “Who am I?” story is told in energetic prose and illustrated by personified punctuation drawn with a lot of dash. Both satisfying and funny, ! is a grammar tale that exemplifies the continuing collaborative excellence of Rosenthal and Lichtenheld.

Alida Allison

GOING APE! by Eduardo Bustos

Bustos, Eduardo, and Lucho Rodriguez. Going Ape! New York: Tundra, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-77049-282-0, $9.95. 

Did you know that there are more than two hundred species of primates in the world and, except for humans, they are known as apes? Did you know that the Gibbon is the fastest mammal that lives in trees and cannot fly? Or that the Macaque can swim more than half a kilometer (a third of a mile for those of us in the US)? Or that the Allen’s Swamp Monkey has webbed feet? How about the fact that Orangutans, my favorite ape of all time, live with their mothers for seven years?

Well, not only is all of this true, there are many more facts to be learned about apes in Bustos and Rodrigeuz’s book. Originally written in Spanish, Going Ape!’s colorful and straightforward illustrations nicely complement its easily accessible text. This is an excellent book for the beginning reader—the text is large and, excepting the names of the apes, there aren’t too many multi-syllabic words. For those in San Diego, or anyone who lives near a zoo, this would be a very useful book to read in preparation for a zoo trip. As a final note, the large illustration of each ape’s face would serve as a neat template for a mask and there's a pretty cool poster with all the different ape faces on the backside of the cover!

Reviewed by Stephanie Ashley

A SWIM THROUGH THE SEA by Kristin Joy Pratt

Special Feature: Review by a Middle School Student

Pratt, Kristin Joy. A Swim Through the Sea. Nevada City: Dawn Publications, 1994. ISBN-13: 978-1883220044. Price: $8.95

Open the book, read the first sentence—"If Seamore the seahorse, who lives beneath the sea, one day went exploring, what do you think he'd see?"—and get ready for a colorful ABC journey through the ocean and sea. From admiring "amiable Angelfish in appealing apparel" to discovering "a dozen delightful Dolphins diving up and down" to ogling "an odd-looking Octopus" and examining a "Xiphosuran, exhibiting an excellent example of an exoskeleton," Seamore will lead you through a beautiful undersea world.

This is a lovely book—Pratt's story-line is creative and a delight to read, her water-color illustrations are worthy of framing, and the easily accessible scientific information she shares in prose form provides an excellent first introduction to diverse undersea life. There is something else that sets A Swim Through the Sea apart from other books; Pratt wrote it and another, A Walk in the Rainforest, before graduating from high school. Pratt has gone on to write several other books (Salamander Rain: A Lake & Pond Journal and Saguaro Moon: A Desert Journal) and if they are anything like A Swim in the Sea, I know I will enjoy each word. Environmental awareness is a beautiful thing and this book made me treasure nature all the more.

Reviewed by Stephanie Ashley

EMILY AND CARLO by Marty Rhodes Figley

Figley, Marty Rhodes. Emily and Carlo. Illus. Catherine Stock. Watertown: Charlesbridge, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-58089-274-2. $15.95

Emily and Carlo is the story of a shy, smart young woman and her closest companion. It begins in 1849 in Amherst, Massachusetts, where sad Emily is given a large, black Newfoundland puppy. Emily names the dog Carlo, and with him "by her side, Emily [has] the confidence to explore the world around them." In fact, Emily takes Carlo everywhere and, during the sixteen years she is accompanied by her "shaggy ally," they are only apart for a few months when Emily has to go to the city for health reasons. The time does come, though, when Carlo can no longer be there. Following his death, Emily writes a heartbreakingly short letter:

Carlo died.
E. Dickinson
Would you instruct me now?

As a dog-lover and someone who has been closely accompanied by my own "shaggy ally" of nine years, Romeo, this story deeply resonated with me. The text itself is carefully thought out; Marty Figley has aptly integrated historical research, quotes from Emily Dickinson's own material (indicated by italics), and a bit of creative imagination to construct a memorable read. My enjoyment was only furthered by Catherine Stock's beautiful watercolor illustrations. There is a lovely combination and interplay of closely detailed work and broad, pastel, splashes of color. This book might seem light and whimsical, yet it adds substantive value to an aspect of Emily Dickinson that I was not aware of. This is an excellent early introduction that makes a complex and often mysterious author that much more identifiable for readers.

Stephanie Ashley

SOPHIE'S LOVELY LOCKS by Erica Pelton Villnare

Villnare, Erica Pelton. Sophie’s Lovely Locks. New York: Marshall Cavendish. ISBN # 0761458204. Ages 5 -8.

Sophie is a very pretty little girl with long, flowing blonde hair, the kind of hair that other little girls might envy. (Full disclosure: as a redhead with frizzy-crazy curls, I desperately wanted long, sleek blonde hair as a kid, so I might be projecting a little on what other kids want.) Sophie prances around in sweet illustrations with her hair in different styles, telling us how much she loves her long hair. But pretty soon, Sophie’s hair is causing her trouble – it’s getting snarled and caught in her brush, and she struggles to keep it out of her face. Soon enough, she realizes the best option is to cut her hair.

At first I thought this was going to be a standard book with a simple lesson about not being vain, but it takes a more meaningful turn. After Sophie gets her hair cut, she decides to donate her hair to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for young cancer patients. Sophie muses that “two girls with short hair are better than one with none.” The last page of the book is a listing of resources for hair donations and an explanation of what the organizations do. What started as a book about a girl with pretty hair turned into a guide for giving to others.

I love that this book makes apparent that there is a wonderful thing girls (and women and men) can do with their hair when it’s cut. I didn’t know what Locks of Love was when I was child, and I’m glad a book like this exists to show kids that this option is available. It’s certainly not a deep look into the lives of children afflicted by cancer, but it’s a nice introduction for kids to see that the simple decisions they make – such as cutting their hair – can help others.

Jill Coste

THE TREASURE ON GOLD STREET by Lee Merrill Byrd

Byrd, Lee Merrill. The Treasure on Gold Street. Illustrated by Antonio Castro. Translated by Sharon Franco. El Paso: Cinco Puntos Press, 2003. ISBN 0-938317-75-X. $16.95. Bilingual Early Reader.

The Treasure on Gold Street is a realistic fiction bilingual children’s book. In the book, we meet a little girl named Hannah who tells us about her life growing up on Gold Street and a valuable life-lesson she learns from her mother and father. In this story, Hannah introduces us to her family, her neighbors, and her friend Isabel. Isabel is an adult with mental retardation who lives with her mom, Bennie. Isabel and Hannah love to do a lot of the same things like walking down the street, playing, and reading. Isabel is definitely a special person in Hannah’s life. On Isabel’s birthday, Hannah finds out that Isabel is also a special person in her mother’s life and comes to understand why her parents always say, “Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold.”

This bilingual children’s book was originally written in English and translated into Spanish. Each page is filled with very colorful and detailed illustrations that depict the narrative text of the story to support the reader’s predictions, questions, clarification, and summarization. This book is easy and clear to read thanks to its legible font size and simple word choice. The Treasure on Gold Street is rich in conversational dialogue between the characters and first-person narration by the main character. Within the dialogue found in the English text, the author uses a few Spanish words without providing specific or immediate translation for those words; however one can deduce the meaning of those Spanish words using the context clues from of the surrounding sentences.

This is a great read aloud book for children in grades K-4th. With this book, children are exposed in a sensitive way to the fact that people are different and that some people have special needs such as mental retardation. This book lends itself beautifully to teaching young children many valuable life-lessons about kindness, friendship, and appreciation. I would recommend The Treasure on Gold Street to both adults and children alike.

Reviewed by Vanessa Polanco


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY / NO TIENE QUE SER ASI by Luis J. Rodriguez

Rodriguez, Luis J. It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way: A Barrio Story/No tiene que ser así: Una historia del barrio. Illus. Daniel Galvez. San Francisco: Children’s Book Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-0-89239-161-5. $31.19. 


Luis J. Rodriguez is a bestselling author, journalist, poet, and an ex-gang member dedicated to helping children stay away from gangs. He conducts workshops, readings, and talks in prisons. Rodriguez has published more than a dozen books all related to changing the lives of children. He also was interviewed on NBC-LA’s “Nonstop News LA” with Collen Williams about his most recent book It Calls You Back: An Odyssey Through Love, Addiction, Revolutions, and Healing.

I liked It Doesn't Have to be This Way because of its main character: a boy named Monchi who could be involved in serious problems had he not finally made good choices in his life. Throughout the story, the reader sees Monchi makes some bad choices until a tragic event changes the course of his life. The words Monchi's uncle Rogelio says to him, “It doesn’t have to be this way,” express the difficult but necessary decision Monchi makes to change his life after his cousin Dreamer almost dies in a gang-related shooting.

The main objective of this book is to advise students of the consequences when teenagers are involved in gangs. The moral message in the story is that people always have a choice to decide to act in their own benefit or to act in ways that benefit others around them. The author uses simple language to explain to children how easy it is to be involved in gangs and how important it is to analyze all perspectives in our decisions. The most important points conveyed are to pay attention to those who are our real friends, to learn how to decide the best course of action for ourselves, and to appreciate when someone wants the best for us.

In my opinion, this book is an excellent tool to explain to students the consequences of being part of a gang just to fit in where they live. The book narrates the story in two languages, English and Spanish. The language used through the book and the pictures in it clearly depict the real situations some children face in order to be accepted in their social context. I highly recommend this book to all educators who wish to promote informed decision-making in their students. The author uses real language and describes the atmosphere.

Martha Graciela Salmeron


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.

CELEBRA HANUKKAH CON UN CUENTO DE BUBBE by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy

Ada, Alma Flor and F. Isabel Campoy. Celebra Hanukkah con un cuento de Bubbe. Illus. Mariano Epelbaum. Miami: Santillana USA Publishing Company, Inc., 2007. ISBN 1-59820-122-0. $11.95.

Categories: K-6 Social Studies/Language Arts/Math; Family, Food, Generosity, Multicultural, Myths and Legends, Expository Text, Dialogue, Character, Parts of a Story, Number Sense.
More info: www.santillanausa.com

Renowned children’s book authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy take us around the Hanukkah table at Bubbe’s (Yiddish for grandma) house where three siblings learn about generosity as they are each tempted by the golden fried latkes laid out before them. In true culturally Jewish fashion, Bubbe tells a traditional Hanukkah tale of two brothers during the time of Jewish slavery that mirrors the generosity the children are displaying to one another. The first part of the book is written in dialogue as it tells its story.

Originally written in Spanish, this book also has an English translated version available. Older readers could work on translation skills by analyzing the text of both copies. For both versions, Mariano Epelbaum provides bright and inviting illustrations, with many clearly articulated details ripe for student questioning. Translations for Yiddish words are provided at the bottom of each page where they are used in a text size that may require teacher assistance depending on the age.

The second part of the book reads as expository text about the aspects of Hanukkah. It has much more of a textbook quality in that it features photographs in place of Mariano Epelbaum’s illustrations. Readers may want to know that the majority of the photographs are of Ashkenazi Jews, in other words light skinned, as opposed to providing the reader with a more representative picture of multicultural Jewish identity. Even with this critique, however, this seems to be the only children’s book about Hanukkah written in Spanish in current circulation. The section on the dreidel game can also be easily converted into a collaborative math lesson on number sense. In the end of this informational section, a variety of other winter holidays that feature lights are presented. This can be used to encourage multicultural dialogue and further analyzed with the use of a Venn diagram.

This book is perfect for K-6, depending on the intention of instruction. Social Studies topics of family, food, generosity, and multicultural awareness can all be easily addressed. Language arts in either English or Spanish, depending on the copy, can cover myths and legends, expository text, and elements of a story. As mentioned earlier, math lessons on number sense can also be found within these pages. It is also simply an entertaining read for learners of all ages who would like to learn more about the Hanukkah holiday.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Aspen Shirley-Dancoff


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.

¡CATAPLUM! by Philippe Corentin

Corentin, Philippe. ¡Cataplum! Trans. Anna Coll-Vinent. Sant Joan Despi, Barcelona: Editorial Corimbo, 2006. ISBN: 84-8470-235-9. $27.65. 

¡Cataplum!, a story about a hungry, lonely wolf and the bunnies who fear him, was originally written in French in 1994 and translated into Spanish by Anna Coll-Vinent. The word choice in Spanish that she uses to translate I believe is a bit difficult to understand, but it is an accurate one. These are not your everyday Spanish words that we are used to hearing. This book is meant for kindergarten, so in order for students to understand some of the Spanish words there will have to be some vocabulary review. The illustrations in the book are good quality. They are not realistic at all, but for those students that are still acquiring language and learning to understand it, the illustrations do a good job of telling the story. They are very explicit in showing what the text is telling.

¡Cataplum! is told in present tense and takes place in the forest. The characters in the book include the wolf, who is portrayed as the bad guy, and the colony of bunnies. The wolf is automatically portrayed as mean because he is hungry, but in reality he would like to be nice. He has no friends, though, because the bunnies are afraid of him and always hide from him. On his birthday, he wonders if anyone will remember. He goes to the bunnies tunnel to find food and learns that the bunnies are all gone. As the wolf searches the tunnel for food, the story goes back and forth in describing what a bad wolf he is to how he is nice and would like someone to play with. He keeps searching the tunnel until he slips and falls down the stairs, hence the title Cataplum! And there he finds that all the bunnies have gathered to sing him happy birthday. He is caught by surprise because he never thought they would do something like that for him.

This story could be used in correlation with a kinder social studies lesson that focuses on being a good citizen. It has a good storyline, and students will easily grasp the concept of how a good citizen should act, and they will also learn that a character’s behavior in a story has consequences.

I recommend using this book to teach about good citizens of the community or just as a fun read. As I stated before, this book has a story line that is easy for students to understand and follow.

Reviewed by Annette Gutierrez


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.

OUR FARM by Maya Gottfried

Gottfried, Maya. Illus. by Robert Rahway Zakanitch. Our Farm. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. ISBN 978-0375861185. Ages 5 and up.

The first page of the book tells us “All of the happy animals in this book live now (or once did) at Farm Sanctuary, a shelter for farm animals, where their only job is to enjoy life and be loved.” In the following pages, each farm animal “writes” about itself, giving the reader an informative and charming story about its life at Farm Sanctuary. Wise old Maya the cow, also known as “Grandmama Moo,” waxes poetic about “the sweetest patch of grass,” Mayfly the rooster talks about keeping the hens safe, and JD the piglet joyfully announces that he loves to run… except when it’s time to eat. A dozen other animals follow, each with its own tale about how it spends its day. The illustrations that accompany the animals’ stories are a cross between rough sketch (complete with grid lines and pencil marks) and completed painting, with one or two full-color images enhanced by etchings of other animals. The ultimate result is a book that feels comfortable and familiar, like these animals really are speaking out loud while someone sketches them.

The book closes with a note for grown ups about the Farm Sanctuary, which was founded in 1986 as an antidote to factory farming with unsavory conditions for the animals. This is certainly a book with an ideology, but the message is a touching one, and animal lovers will find much to coo over in both the illustrations and the writing.

Jill Coste

SEE ME GROW by Penny Arlon and Tony Gordon-Harris

Arlon, Penny and Tony Gordon-Harris. See Me Grow. New York: Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 978-0545345132. Ages 5 and up.

Part of Scholastic’s “Discover More” line of books, which all come with a link and a code to read more and learn more from a downloadable digital book, See Me Grow shows the baby stages of several different kinds of animals. The first page outlines what makes the book a good choice for young readers – picture sequences, small words, and short sentences. What follows are 12 different kinds of animal babies and interesting trivia about each. The child reader will learn that baby bunnies are called kittens, that a foal can stand up and walk around within minutes of being born, and that baby birds are born blind, among other tidbits. Oddly enough, while puppies get a section, there is no mention of those other kittens, those of the feline variety.

This is a simple, easy-to-read book with straightforward facts. It’s a good start for a basic knowledge of baby animals. There is no mention of how babies are made, only that they come from either eggs or tummies. There are plenty of full-color photographs of cute baby animals along with fascinating shots of fish eggs and shark-egg-pouches. A nice little book for a kid who wants to know more about baby animals.

Jill Coste

LIBRARY MOUSE: A WORLD TO EXPLORE by Daniel Kirk

Kirk, Daniel. Library Mouse: A World to Explore. New York: Abrams, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-8109-8968-9. $16.95 US, $21.95 CAN. Ages 5 - 7.

Every person has that friend who plunges headlong into life, approaching all obstacles with a no-holds-barred fearlessness. For Sam, the library mouse who lives behind the children’s reference books, that friend is Sarah. The tug-of-war between Sam’s pragmatic reluctance and Sarah’s enthusiasm forms the impetus for their adventures. Each time Sarah hurtles herself clumsily into adventure, Sam points out the danger and encourages her to do more research first. She pushes his boundaries to help him “see the world without ever leaving the library.”

The story models some wonderful viewpoints about libraries, particularly the idea that libraries, and by extension, books, can be fun. In addition to the benefit of simply meeting a new friend, the pair learns to make their research a reality by dressing up and play-acting the reference books. Also, since the two mice do so much “traveling” through their research, the story demonstrates the potential of books to transport the reader to new worlds.

Kirk’s illustrations employ dense, opaque colors that often fill the page. The library books, all very brightly colored and complete with call number stickers, look inviting and sturdy. Flipping through the pages, I want to pull them off their shelves to look at the covers! The mice have lifelike fur, interesting facial expressions, and colorful outfits. The library posters, upon closer examination, feature the mice themselves, as well as other whimsical critters.

Used by a teacher, this book could be an excellent introduction to a trip to the library (…or the internet), perhaps to inspire students to bring “reference” to life.

Marisa Behan

Special Section: Princesses in Pink - PRINCESS HYACINTH and PINKALICIOUS

• Heide, Florence Parry. Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated. Illus. Lane Smith. NY: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-375-84501-7. $17.99. Ages 4 & up.
• Kann, Elizabeth, and Victoria Kann. Pinkalicious. Illus. Victoria Kann. NY: HarperCollins Children's Books, 2006. ISBN: 978-0-06077-639-8. $17.99. Ages 5 & up.

Girlie princess books are a dime a dozen these days, and the majority of them are just plain awful. You know the picture books that I am talking about, the ones that are wrapped in shiny pink covers, doused with glitter, and contain computer-generated illustrations and terrible stories. Factor in the multi-billion dollar, and increasingly permeating nature of the Disney Princess industry, and you’ve got a full-fledged princess plague on your hands.

An example from this nightmare of a genre, even though it is not exactly a “princess” book, is the Pinkalicious series, by Elizabeth and Victoria Kann. These books are extremely popular with young girls, but for all of the wrong reasons. The illustrations are too much to handle (think if Lisa Frank and Barbie had a Candy Land themed acid trip), and the story lines are sub-par to say the least. The bottom line is there are so many better picture book options for young girls, even books about princesses Case in point: Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated, written by Florence Parry Heide and illustrated by Lane Smith. 

Princess Hyacinth is the perfect counterattack to the Princess Problem. As a fabulous new take on the classic fairy tale, with amusing language and gorgeous illustrations to boot, it is no surprise that this picture book has been nominated for the 2011-2012 California Young Reader Medal.

Children devour this story for its stubborn, adventurous, and relatable heroine, a young princess who only desires to go outside to play. While parents appreciate the text for its elevated language, which is entertaining and challenging but not too advanced to go over a young reader’s head.

 Princess Hyacinth is the ideal book for reading out loud as well. Little ones sit on the edge of their seats, hanging on every word of the tale of poor Princess Hyacinth, the girl who floats. Her mom and dad (the King and Queen), make her wear a very heavy crown strapped under her chin, as well as a very thick robe, and even weighty socks that have little golden pebbles sewn into them, to keep their royal daughter on the ground. For if Princess Hyacinth doesn’t wear her princess clothes she just floats up, up, up.

 But Princess Hyacinth wants to float around outside! She is tired of dragging herself around the castle, and spending her days looking longingly at the children playing outside on the palace grounds (while she sits in her swimsuit, strapped down to her chair). Needless to say, Princess Hyacinth is “terribly, horribly, dreadfully bored,” so one day she decides to take matters into her own hands and do something about it…

Heide’s use of dramatic, yet playful, language (“alas and alack!”) is part of what makes this book so enjoyable. As Princess Hyacinth floats, kids love to hear how she “whirled and she twirled, she swooshed and she swirled, she zigged and she zagged and she zigzagged. She zoomed and caroomed and cartwheeled.” This type of creative, yet elevated, language draws young readers further into a story, and increases their vocabulary with new words and expressions.

Heide’s story is brought to life with Lane Smith’s phenomenal illustrations. Smith’s pictures are whimsical and sweet, but relatable too. For example, Princess Hyacinth doesn’t look like a Barbie-doll princess, but rather a cute little 8-year-old girl. Smith’s work is colorful, but it does not attack the eye, and there are plenty of things to look at on each page (such as the different animal-shaped topiaries on each page). The book also makes illustrations of the text itself, using different colors, fonts, and sizes to make the text playful. For example, when Heide writes that Princess Hyacinth floats “up, up, up,” the line of text itself floats up, up, up the page.

Unfortunately, our society’s obsession with pink, glittery, princesses will probably only get worse before it gets better. But there is no need to despair over the Princess Problem, as long as there are still intelligent, and entertaining, books like Princess Hyacinth to counteract the jarringly pink, computer-generated, monstrosities.  

Caitlin Kennedy

HOW TO TEACH A SLUG TO READ by Susan Pearson

Pearson, Susan. How to Teach a Slug to Read. Illustrated by David Slonim. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2011. ISBN 978-0-7614-5805-0. $16.99. Ages 5-8.

How to Teach a Slug to Read is a playful instructional ten-step guide addressed seemingly from a little boy to a mama slug on teaching her child slug to read. Some of instructions parallel what any parent or teacher would do to teach a child to read, such as putting labels on objects around the house, or helping the child sound out words, while other instructions are more slug related, such as having the mother slug tell the little slug to climb a rock so that he can see the pages of the book better.

My favorite parts of the book are within the side story found through the illustrations. The side story features parodies on other popular picturebooks. For example the little slug chooses to learn how to read from the book, “Rhymes from Mother Slug” rather than Mother Goose, and features clever spoof rhymes including:

Mary has a little slug,
His skin was smooth as silk,
She dressed him in a satin shirt,
And fed him bread and milk.

These parodies exist throughout the illustrations. Children and parents alike will enjoy finding and seeing these spins on other classic beloved picturebooks.

Joyce Myers

LUCKY: THE TALE OF A TREE by Richard Hawkins

Hawkins, Richard. Lucky: The Tale of a Tree. Illus. Deb Hoeffner. Los Angeles: Worldway Productions, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-578-09089-4. $14.95. Ages 5-12

Lucky, by Richard Hawkins, examines Christmas rituals from the point of view of the Christmas tree. A fir tree is plucked from his dull life in the forest clearing to the hustle and bustle of a Christmastime family home, where people call him “perfect,” decorate his branches, show him off to friends, and lay presents at his feet. He listens to the Christmas Eve stories and shares the joy of the children. But he begins to worry when they talk about “taking down the tree!”

Hawkins’ exquisitely told tale addresses the issue of life and death by subjugating the problem into the perspective of the fir tree who, after New Years, slowly withers away in the backyard, gently passing away in peace, having had his “days of glory.” Hawkins captures the wonder of a child, the ennui of a teenage girl, the gentle patience of their parents, and the rituals of an American Christmas, all from the perspective of this tree, ironically named “Lucky” by “Scraggly,” the old, wise fir growing in the backyard.

Hoeffner’s pencil illustrations are beautifully done, filled with emotion and detail. I was surprised to find the black and white, though, at my first turn through the book. I like the use of pencil for its detail, and artificially bright illustrations would overwhelm the narrative. But the grayscale printing lends a somber tone to the text that may or may not be the most engaging to young kids. I kept thinking that the book in my hand was a grayscale printing of colored pencil art, and had to remind myself that it was supposed to be like that!

Overall, though, I loved the story. Hawkins and Hoeffner have created a wonderfully unique Christmas story—an impressive achievement in a market largely over-saturated with Christmas stuff. I would definitely recommend this book for any family with a Christmas tree!&

Marisa Behan

MUDKIN by Stephen Gammell

Gammell, Stephen. Mudkin. Minneapolis, NM: Carolrhoda Books, 2011. ISBN 978-0-7613-5790-2. $16.95. Ages 5-8.

What child doesn’t love playing in the mud? Mud even  offers endless possibilities for adventure in the imagination. Mudkin is an almost wordless picturebook about a girl’s adventure one afternoon after a rainstorm. On this fantastic day, the girl meets Mudkin, a creature of earth and fantasy who makes the girl a queen, dressing her in fine mud apparel, and whisks her away to a castle where she meets her mud subjects. It’s a glorious afternoon there, but then the rain returns. The girl must return home, although she will never forget her subjects, nor ever stop being their queen. 

Mudkin is a strong reminder that you can present children with all the toys in the world, but nothing beats the imagination and nature. Gammell’s illustrations are marvelous in depicting what is going on in the girl’s head better than any words could. Mudkin looks like a blob with knobby arms and legs and an onion shaped head. The things Mudkin then creates out of the mud are incredible, including a mud crown and robe for the queen, a wonderful mud carriage, and castle. In the few words and dialogue featured in the book, the girl talks to Mudkin and her subjects. While her speech is in text,  what the mud creatures speak are lines of mud, leaving it up  to the reader to infer what they are saying. Not only is this book a story about a child’s imagination, it requires readers to use their own imagination to interpret the story. It is a clever and beautiful book.

Joyce Myers

Review: HOW ROCKET LEARNED TO READ by Tad Hills

Hills, Tad. How Rocket Learned to Read. New York: Schwartz & Wade, 2010. ISBN 0-375-85899-4. $17.99 US/$20.99 CAN

Rocket, a black and white spotted dog, has no interest in learning to read. He simply wants to nap under his favorite tree! But a little yellow bird’s clever use of suspense propels Rocket to want to learn to read. The story follows Rocket’s experience as he learns his letters, sounds out words, spells new words, and finally, reads on his own.

The book has a well-balanced mix of easy spelling words like “dig,” “wag,” “sun,” and “melt,” and more difficult story words. The text is far enough above a beginning reader’s instructional level that it would need be read to the child, but includes many spelled-out words, so the child participate in the story-telling as well.

The author has an ironic sense of humor. For example, when Rocket learns that napping is not allowed at school, he moves his nap to a nearby bush. Many reluctant students may identify with Rocket’s impulse!

Hills’ illustrations are bright and cheerful. Each page is filled with bright outdoor colors, and the changing of the seasons is beautifully represented, particularly Hills’ depiction of “mud,” the harbinger of spring. Rocket’s facial expressions, while simple, are unfailingly endearing. Overall, the story is delightful, both for reluctant and eager early readers.

Marisa Behan

Review: JIM HENSON, THE GUY WHO PLAYED WITH PUPPETS by Kathleen Krull

Krull, Kathleen. Jim Henson, The Guy Who Played with Puppets. Illus. Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. NY: Random House, 2011. ISBN 0-375-85721-8. $16.99.

When the power went out in San Diego County on Sept. 8, I picked a book to read while the sun was going down. Krull’s warm biography of the remarkable Jim Henson did not disappoint. It’s the story of a person who knew exactly what he wanted to do, did it, and pleased the world with his genius for puppetry.

Henson was very successful with the Muppets early on; by the time he’d left college, he’d had a local TV show for years and had performed in multiple venues. Thus, when he got the call from the visionary Sesame Street producer Joan Ganz Cooney, after giving it some thought he was ready to go. The rest, as they say, is history. Kermit (named after a childhood friend of Henson) the Frog, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie appeared on TV in late 1969 and have been on air ever since. The first episode of Saturday Night Live was begun with the Muppets, and a year later The Muppets Show became “the most popular puppets in history”…. watched by “as many as 235 million people each week” (32). The Dark Crystal and The Labyrinth remain movie cult classics.

Henson was 53 when he died, and as one fan who remembers the shock and sadness of that, and both my sons' sheer enjoyment of Sesame Street, I am glad such a fine biography for young readers has been published. Johnson and Fancher each illustrates a highlight of Henson’s life, showing him roller blading with his family or doing Kermit in front of a mirror. The final painting, of the huge crowd at Henson’s funeral and the jazz band that played, is a perfectly-chosen closing image.

Alida Allison