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

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

ZITFACE by Emily Howse

Special Feature: Review by a High School Student

Howse, Emily. Zitface. Tarrytown, New York: Marshall Cavendish Children’s, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-7614-5830-251699. $16.99 US.

Zitface, by Emily Howse, describes the challenges and phases a teenage girl has to go through – for example, boys, heartbreaks, and changes in her body. The main character, Olive Hughes, is going through a really hard time dealing with school, boys, and her career – acting. But something worse pops up: acne, and not just a bit. Olive’s outbreak is severe. Before the acne, she has a boyfriend and a job, and every girl wants to be her. When her luck runs out, though, she gets dumped, fired, and made fun of. Yet she ends up happy being who she is and not caring what other people think of her.

To me this is a good book because, even though teenage girls go through all of these changes, Olive sees the bright side in everything, and this book actually teaches lessons on how to handle specific problems. I would definitely recommend it to another girl because it might help in whatever problems she’s going through.

Carmen Herrera, 9th Grade, 14 years old

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

Review: HOW TO HUG by Maryann Macdonald

Macdonald, Maryann. How to Hug. Illustrated by Jana Christy. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2011. ISBN 978-0-7614-5804-3. $16.99. Ages 3-8.

How to Hug does not really have a storyline, but is rather a lighthearted “how to” guide on, as indicated in the title, giving and receiving hugs. Done in watercolor using a pastel palette, the heartwarming pictures feature children interacting with various friendly animals, such as kangaroos, penguins, koala bears, and elephants. Playfully, the book instructs children on how not to hug—not too tightly, not too long. And hugging someone who is angry, or prickly like a porcupine, is not advised. Many “proper” ways to hug are illustrated as are the responses one might receive, such as bear hugs, sandwich hugs, hugs in return, and kisses on the cheek.

While the book may not have a major lesson or plot, parents will enjoy reading it to their children; it leaves an affectionate feeling. The simple text is also suitable for children in kindergarten or first grade who are learning to read, as the words are easy. My six-year-old niece had a wonderful time figuring out how to read all the words by herself; she proceeded to read the book out loud several times to different family members.

Joyce Myers

Review: GOODBYE SHEEPIE by Robert Buleigh

Buleigh, Robert. Goodbye Sheepie. Illus. Peter Catalanotto. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Children, 2010. ISBN: 0-7614-5598-1. $16.99, Ages 3-7

For any family struggling to deal with the loss of a pet, I’d highly recommend Robert Burleigh’s Goodbye Sheepie. The story of the passing of young Owen’s best canine friend, Sheepie, is told with grace and sensitivity. When Sheepie dies, Owen and his father bury the dog’s body, speak some final words and create a homemade grave marking. Owen’s father treats his son’s grief with understanding and compassion, teaching Owen (and the reader) that, although Sheepie will never come back, he will always be a part of their happy memories.

Peter’s Catalanotto’s illustrations, done in watercolor and gouache, are soft and colorful, evoking the blurry sadness that accompanies death.

Marisa Behan