Review: A New Home by Tania de Regil

978-1-5362-0193-2

$16.99

But I’m not sure I want to leave my home.
I’m going to miss so much.

Moving to a new city can be exciting. But what if your new home isn’t anything like your old home? Will you make friends? What will you eat? Where will you play? In a cleverly combined voice — accompanied by wonderfully detailed illustrations depicting parallel urban scenes — a young boy conveys his fears about moving from New York City to Mexico City while, at the same time, a young girl expresses trepidation about leaving Mexico City to move to New York City.

As both a military town and an almost-border town, the topic of moving to a new home - often a new country - is HUGE here. I know we are not alone in that, though, and I am sure this book will have universal appeal.

I love the way it is set up: On the very first pages the characters each speak of where they are moving, then the rest is, as the description says, a combined voice: both children could be saying the exact same things about where they live now and what their worries are. Side by side illustrations offer enough similarities and differences to have children poring over them for hours.

A must-have for any children's library, and definitely a must-read for any family planning a move. I will be adding it to my 'recommended reading' list for moving, and will be sure to point it out during PCS season!

Review: Smile - How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry) by Gary Golio and Ed Young

978-0-7636-9761-7

$17.99

Once there was a little slip of a boy who roamed the streets of London, hungry for life (and maybe a bit of bread). His dad long gone and his actress mother ailing, five-year-old Charlie found himself onstage one day taking his mum’s place, singing and drawing laughs amid a shower of coins. There were times in the poorhouse and times spent sitting in the window at home with Mum, making up funny stories about passersby. And when Charlie described a wobbly old man he saw in baggy clothes, with turned-out feet and a crooked cane, his mother found it sad, but Charlie knew that funny and sad go hand in hand. With a lyrical text and exquisite collage imagery, Gary Golio and Ed Young interpret Charlie Chaplin’s path from his childhood through his beginnings in silent film and the creation of his iconic Little Tramp. Keen-eyed readers will notice a silhouette of the Little Tramp throughout the book that becomes animated with a flip of the pages. An afterword fills in facts about the beloved performer who became one of the most famous entertainers of all time.

It's interesting how historical characters sometimes seem to see a surge of popularity in children's books. I don't know that I remember seeing any about Chaplin in the last 15 years, but we currently have three on our "new books" shelf! 

I also discovered recently that most, if not all, of Chaplin's films are in the public domain - this means you can have a movie fest without having to pay for a performance license! We are actually planning one in our little community next month.

Golio's and Young's work is a very readable biography starting in Chaplin's childhood and ending with the beginning of his career in the United States. It does not shy away from his difficult beginnings - extreme poverty, largely due to his mother's poor health, and landing them at one point in the poorhouse. Now there's a topic that will take some class discussion time! The sad parts are balanced with happy moments, however: as Golio writes, "And Charlie began to understand/How Funny and Sad went hand in hand."  Always along the way we can see what Chaplin earned from each situation, and how he was able to use it later.

The afterward mentions a bit more about Chaplin's film and composing career, but does not mention his politics. Older children may find parts of that interesting - and perhaps be a bit outraged by the backlash that resulted in his cutting ties with the United States for many years!

If you can't guess from the cover art, the illustrations are eye-catching throughout. A mix of collage, muted ink, and paper cutting. People are shown with few to no facial features, and often simply in silhouette, yet the illustrations as a whole convey deep feeling.

Overall an engaging and attractive addition to your picture book biographies!

Review: Two Tough Trucks by Corey Rosen Schwartz, Rebecca J. Gomez and Hilary Leung

978-1-3382-3654-5

$17.99

Two trucks off to school for their first day of class.
One riding the brakes. One hitting the gas.

Mack and Rig couldn't be more different.
One loves the fast lane. The other, the off-ramp.

But when they're forced to pair up on their first day of school, can Mack and Rig figure out a way to get along and learn what it really means to be a tough truck?

Our little country school only has two classrooms - one for Kinder through 2nd grade, and one for 3rd through 5th. With tiny classes, kids kind of have to learn to get along with each other despite differences (one of the things we love about it!)

Trucks are a universal way to get kids' attention, and this simple story of individual strengths and working together gets the message across. Mack and Rig may remind children of Lightning and Mater in the movie "Cars", or they may think about "Little Blue Truck," if they have read that. An easy rhyme pattern and lots of action make it a read-aloud that is sure to hold children's attention. Mack and Rig are the clear focus of each illustration, often taking up the whole page - easily visible from the back of the room!

Guest reviews:

Logan (8): "It was bad that they at first sort of didn't like each other. The blue truck thought the red truck was bragging. It was good that they started helping each other."

Sheridan (9): "What was BAD was that the blue truck didn't want to go to school, and that is bad because school is COOL and AWESOME! What was good is that he started to like school because he felt better at school and he did the track thing and he could go backwards."

**Publication date September 17, 2019, so order it now!

Review: The Day the Universe Exploded My Head by Allan Wolf and Anna Raff

978-0-7636-8025-1

$17.99

The universe poured into me. 

My brain was overloaded. 
It smoked and glowed red-hot. 
And then 
it actually exploded. 

Ever wonder what the sun has to say about being the closest star to Earth? Or what Pluto has gotten up to since being demoted to a dwarf planet? Or where rocket ships go when they retire? Listen closely, because maybe, just maybe, your head will explode, too. With poetry that is equal parts accurate and entertaining — and illustrations that are positively out of this world — this book will enthrall amateur stargazers and budding astrophysicists as it reveals many of the wonders our universe holds. Space travelers in search of more information will find notes about the poems, a glossary, and a list of resources at the end.

While the facts contained are interesting, it would have done better as prose - or, at least, as non-rhyming poetry. Wolf frequently makes use of questionable grammar to make things 'fit' "I'll tell you what the real facts is", and it doesn't really work - the rhythm is 'off' too often to make it a manageable read-aloud ("Mercury" was a notable exception.)

If you can find a way to read them without getting tripped up, though, some like "A Moon Buffet" might be useful for learning the names of other moons, while several poems-in-parts, beginning with "Shooting Stars," could be used as an introduction to reader's theatre or performance poetry.

"Black Hole" gives an example of concrete poetry. Each planet has its own poem, with equal parts facts and personification. These could be used to teach fact vs. opinion, something I noticed my son's third grade class is working on right now.

In short, I see this being quite useful in a classroom setting, although not as a read-aloud, and I am not sure if individual readers would be thrown off by the changes in rhythm. My own kids were a bit noncommittal about it. (Sheridan (9) in particular was intrigued by the multi-part poems, but I saw her skipping through the others.) If you are planning a unit on space, I would pick it up, but I wouldn't call it a must-have otherwise.

Review: Future Astronaut by Lori Alexander and Allison Black

978-1-338-31222-5

$8.99

Ground control to Major Baby:

Could you be an astronaut?

So, recite with me boys and girls: what are Miss Ami's pet peeves about board books?

- too much text

-busy pictures

- concepts not developmentally appropriate

Future Astronaut does a pretty good job of missing my pet peeves - I would give it a 4 out of 5 in that regard! The main text is brief and relateable. The tasks of an astronaut are compared with baby's developing skills and interests. Astronauts work in tight spaces? Babies LOVE small spaces - the accompanying illustration shows two cuties in cardboard boxes.

All of the illustrations are bright, and while there can be a bit going on it isn't overpowering. The main focus is the person or people in each picture, and their overlarge eyes immediately draw the focus. 

A "fun fact" section at the back gives some interesting information (no crackers allowed in space!), but I don't know that it would mean much to the intended age group.

Overall very cute, age appropriate, and fun for parents who are wondering what this little person they created will grow up to be! This is the first in a series, with "Future Engineer" coming out next week, "Future President" in January, and "Future CEO" in May. I can easily see these being given as gifts to new babies, or at first birthdays!

Review: Angry Cookie by Laura Dockrill and Maria Karipidou

978-1-5362-0544-2

$16.99

Oooohhh . . . not you again!
AGGGHH It’s so bright! . . . Close this book this very second, you nosy noodle! 

Cookie has woken up on the wrong side of the bed and is very angry. You want to know why? Well, you’d have to keep reading to find out, but now Cookie’s calling you annoying and telling you to mind your own business. If by chance you do stick around, you might hear about a certain roommate’s terrible musical skills, why you should never let your barber try out a “new look,” how it’s impossible to find a hat that fits a cookie, and why an ice-cream parlor that’s out of your favorite treat can be a source of desolation. Then there’s the matter of a hungry bird who tries to snack on you. . . . Propelled by quirky humor and woes that every young child can relate to, Angry Cookie suggests that sometimes the best way to cheer up a grumpy lump is simply by being there — and lending your ears.

We've all been there, right? The bad haircut? The annoying song? The bird trying to eat you? Well okay maybe not that part. My kids were right with him on the spicy toothpaste, though! They also enjoyed the subtle humor in the illustrations - for example, when Cookie complains that they don't make hats for cookies...while walking past a carrot, sugar cube, candy cane, and several berries, all wearing...hats.

A light-hearted take on handling bad feelings, on being a good listener, and on letting someone else in on what's bothering you. Keep a copy in your elementary classroom, and bring it out often for a read-aloud!

Review: Hair! Animal Fur, Wool and More by Marilyn Singer and Julie Colombet

978-1-5124-4915-0

$26.65

Why are humans and other mammals covered in hair, and why are there so many different types of it? Vivid photographs paired with a duo of quirky, illustrated hair guides serve to illuminate fascinating facts about mammal hair: why it exists, what it’s good for, and more. Readers will learn about different types of animal coats, such as fur and down, and explore the many different forms guard hairs take, such as the quills on a porcupine.

Did you know that you had a mustache before you were born? That the zebra's stripes help protect it from biting flies? And, what's a pelage?

This book will teach you everything you never knew you wanted to know about hair! Types of hair, patterns, uses, hairless animals, keeping hair clean, whiskers (humans have those, too! sort of), and more. The conversational text comes in small chunks, set among bright photographs, many offering close-ups. A bird and a dog (I think) offer commentary and definitions of terms throughout. Books and web sites for further reading are offered at the end. A fun addition to any elementary library.