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

I AM DIFFERENT! CAN YOU FIND ME? by Manjula Padmanabhan

Padmanabhan, Manjula. I Am Different! Can You Find Me? Watertown: Charlesbridge, 2011. ISBN: 9781570916403. $7.95

I Am Different! Can You Find Me? is a collaboration with numerous native speakers and language experts covering a breadth of languages from Arabic to Sign Language. Not only is "Can you find me?" written in each language, it is accompanied by a phonetic spelling of the phrase, short facts about the language, and an illustration that has one thing different from everything else. Manjula Padmanabhan has written a book that delights in differences and celebrates the sounds and flavors of different languages and voices.

There were several happy discoveries as I made my way through this book. For example, I was surprised to find out that the Hawaiian language has only twelve letters; at the same time, "'Hiki iā 'oe ke 'ike ia 'u?" was one of the more difficult translations. The musicality of Nhuatl's "Hueli tinechahci?" (Weh-lee tee-netch-ah-see) lingers in my mind. I'll be honest that it was a relief to come across Spanish's "¿Me puedes encontrar?" I'm also glad that there are "cheat sheets" at the end of the book identifying the item that's different in each picture. Overall I did pretty well, but I struggled with the Gullah illustration.

Take your own adventure through I Am Different! Can You Find Me? and find out what language "cheetah," "pajamas," and "shampoo" come from. And I think you'll be surprised to find out where "boondocks," "cooties," and "yo-yo" come from. Finally, give American Sign Language a go and see if you can find more words of your own to sign and say.

Stephanie Ashley

ALICIA Y GRETA: UN CUENTO DE DOS BRUJAS by Steven J. Simmons

Simmons, Steven J. Alicia ya Greta: Un Cuento de dos Brujas. Illustrated by Cyd Moore. Translated by Teresa Mlawer. Waterton: Charlesbridge Publishing, 1999. ISBN 978-0881061338.

Alicia y Greta is a wonderful story. Translated into Spanish from the original in English, Alice and Greta: A Tale of Two Witches, the story follows two witches who attend the same school. They both learn magical spells, but they start using them in different ways. The witches have different perspectives on the things they learn and see, which are ostensibly the same.

It is a good story to share with students about the type of decisions they make. Everybody is given the same lesson in school and in life, but how people interpret and use their lessons can be very different. It is up to us to make decisions. The book is amazing because it specifically states what the consequence will be for making a bad decision. In the story the teacher states that whatever you decide to do with your magic will come back to you. A second lesson is to pay attention to instruction. You cannot be distracted because you may miss a very important critical instruction, which Greta did.

The language is beautiful and descriptive. The illustrations are colorful and vibrant. The story is full of verbs and adjectives which can easily be transferred to a lesson. For a lesson on introducing verbs, a read-aloud might be a good option, so that students can listen with the objective of identifying and writing down the verbs. Additionally, the spells in the book use a lot of rhymes, which can be used for a poetry lesson. At only 29 pages, the book is short and very fun to read. You can definitely keep the attention of your students.

Irina Flores Romano


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.

PIPPO THE FOOL by Tracy Fern

Fern, Tracy E. Pippo the Fool. Illus. Pau Estrada. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2009. Ages 4-7

Renaissance Florence has announced a contest to see which architect can design the best dome for the cathedral, and Filippo Brunelleschi is very excited. Called “Pippo the Fool” by the townspeople, Brunelleschi is a talented goldsmith but wastes time “designing peculiar machines and sketching outlandish structures no one wanted to build.” This extraordinary contest is perfect; it could be his chance to shake of the title of “fool” and show the city his “genius.”

When his plans are laughed out of the contest without a fair and thorough examination, Pippo sets out to prove that his designs can work, building a scale model of his dome. No one can dispute its beauty, architectual prowess, and craftsmanship, and he scores the win. In building the actual dome, however, Pippo must work with Lorenzo, his bullying arch-nemesis, and he considers quitting on that basis alone. He realizes, however: “I would truly be a fool to allow my pride to be bigger than my dome”--a valuable lesson about cooperation. Pippo does all the work while Lorenzo does nothing. But one day, while Pippo stays home sick, the judges realize the inept Lorenzo has no idea what's going on with the dome, and he is fired immediately!

Fern includes excellent detail, particularly after Lorenzo's canning: “[Pippo's] head stopped hurting, his back stopped aching, and he ate a nice veal chop, a handful of plump figs, and a wedge of cheese.” Finally, when the dome is completed, the townspeople hail Brunelleschi as “Pippo the Genius,” and he can breathe a sigh of happiness. “Finalmente,” he says, “a nickname perfect for me.” Having self-confidence all along allowed him to push pash his opposition and succeed in building his dreams.

The author's note in the backmatter expands the more complex history behind the simplified plot. Older readers or parents might find it historically interesting. The illustrator's note documents her extensive research of Renaissance artists, their quirks, and their work.

The illustrated Pippo is shorter and smaller than most of the other characters, as if he is the runt of the city, and perhaps appealing to kids who find themselves picked on for size. He often appears with a cat, curled up asleep wherever Pippo is working or presenting. Lorenzo, his enemy and opponent, however, is large and obnoxious, much like the villain from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

The framing pages at the beginning and end of the story depict a country landscape, which I found ironic since the entire story takes place within the city of Florence, and the plot revolves around building, not countrifying the land. However, the country landscape situates the story within the city of Florence, which would have been surrounded by miles of rural farmland.

Overall, the art strongly reminds me of that of Tomie de Paola, particularly in works like Tony's Bread or Strega Nona. The faces are wide and expressive, and the pages are filled with rich color. Pippo the Fool is not only an approachable, enjoyable work of storybook history, but also a nice work of art. Definitely a keeper for the family book collection.

Reviewed by Marisa Behan

THE GOLDEN BULL by Marjorie Cowley

Cowley, Marjorie. The Golden Bull. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-58089-181-3. $15.95. Ages 10-14. 

Marjorie Cowley gives you little buildup before plunging immediately into the issue: A drought has come over Mesopotamia and Jomar and his sister Zefa must leave their farm and family to travel to Ur. Without food, the family has no choice but to send them away. Jomar’s father has arranged an apprenticeship for him with a goldsmith, but twelve year old Zefa must find other work—she’s not part of the arrangement.

Like many historical fiction novels for young readers, child characters are forced by dire circumstances into adult roles: Jomar, as the older sibling, bears the responsibility both to protect his sister and to find her work in the city. Zefa, however, proves herself a responsible young woman, saving them on multiple occasions with her compassion, bravery, and musical ability. The story truly belongs to Jomar, however, as he learns to care for his sister, to thank those who sacrifice for him, and to act with understanding and wisdom. Ultimately, it is the genuine self-sacrifice and honesty of both siblings that saves them from harm in the big city of Ur.

Cowley’s writing is filled with historical details about the social structure, city design, government, religion, and trade of ancient Mesopotamia, even describing the earliest application of the written word—as receipts! The author’s note at the end also includes historical information, describing the religion of Mesopotamia and the means by which scholars study this ancient society.

As a history teacher, I’m pleased to include this book in my collection of young adult historical fiction. Cowley’s work is engaging and historically accurate, a wonderful combination for budding (or not-so-budding) historians!

Marisa Behan