Rosemary Kiladitis

The Smurfs Celebrate the Olympics

Posted on June 25, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Smurfs Olympic Special, by Yvan Delaporte & Peyo, (June 2024, Mad Cave Studios), $3.99, ISBN: 601947046061 – 00111

Ages 7-10

This is another single comic book release – I know, I don’t normally do these – coming out tomorrow (New Comic Book Day, y’all!). Papercutz/Mad Cave releases this 1979 Smurfs story to celebrate the Olympics, so you may have seen or read this before. Hefty Smurf loves sports, and creates his own Smurf Olympics to get the others to play along with him. The top prize is a kiss from Smurfette, so all the other Smurfs are in: the only problem is that no one wants Hefty on their team! Hefty makes his own team, which causes a lot of uproar and leads to a lot of laughs. If you have budget money that you can use to pick up a few issues of this one, and you have readers who enjoy the Smurfs, it would be a fun way to start talking about the Summer Olympics, which start next month. It’s a 32-page story, and with some adhesive covers to keep the comics safe, you can put these into circulation (check with your catalogers first, though).

Mad Cave included some coloring pages this time around, so make sure to print up and put some out.

Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Three generations of women tell their stories in Age 16

Posted on June 24, 2024June 22, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Age 16, by Rosena Fung, (July 2024, Annick Press), $24.99, ISBN: 9781773218335

Ages 12+

Fung’s story reminds readers that 16 isn’t always sweet. Set in three areas of the world in three different decades, Age 16 tells the stories of a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter at age 16: In 1954, Mei Laan dreams of getting out of Guangdong, China. An arranged marriage may be her ticket to Hong Kong, and a better life. In 1972, 16-year-old Lydia wants desperately to dance and enjoy her life. Her critical mother never looks on the bright side of anything, and it’s hard not to be brought down by her harsh criticisms, particularly about her weight. Maybe if she heads to Toronto, things will be better? In 2000, 16-year-old Roz lives in Toronto, struggles with her weight and self-image. When her mother lets her know that her grandmother is coming to visit, Roz is taken aback – her mom and grandmother aren’t that close. When Mei Laan arrives, dour and full of criticism, everyone feels off-center. Through flashbacks, readers understand each woman’s struggles; through conversations and interactions, the characters ultimately peel away the layers of emotion and trauma. Age 16 brings home how some issues facing women never seem to change, while new challenges constantly emerge: physical beauty and value is a major theme running through the book, with Mei Laan constantly commenting Lydia’s, and later, Roz’s weight; Mei Laan’s own value to her family is through her marriageability. Both Mei Laan and Lydia are single mothers; Mei Laan uses this as another point of judgement against Lydia. Roz stresses about her body image, where Lydia embraces a more free, accepting attitude; most likely as protection and pushback against her mother. Rosena Fung skillfully blends three individuals across three generations to tell a powerful story about women and generational trauma. She tells each character’s story in a different color, allowing for a smooth change in narrative that won’t disrupt the reader. Mei Laan’s story is told with a green-blue wash; Lydia’s, in an orange wash, and Roz, in a purple wash. The illustration work is bold and filled with pop cultural details that will enhance reading. Back matter includes historical notes and resources for further reading. Age 16 is indispensible reading and belongs on every library’s bookshelf.

Age 16 has a starred review from Publishers Weekly and is an Indie Next choice. It is also one of Ms. Magazine’s Most Anticipated Feminist Books of 2024.

Animal Fiction, Graphic Novels, Tween Reads

Jump in the Time Machine, Biker Mice from Mars is back!

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

I usually post more about graphic novels and collected trade paperbacks, but I could not resist when I saw the latest email from Oni Press – Biker Mice from Mars – which readers of a certain age (and those with kids of a certain age) may remember from the early ’90s animated show and video game – is back! Brought back as part of the Nacelle Verse, Biker Mice joins other vintage TV series in a shared universe. Other titles include Robo Force, The Great Garloo, Sectaurs, and Power Lords. My eldest was a Biker Mice fan when he was little; he even had the game for his Nintendo DS. What a trip in the time machine, right?

From the press release: “Best friends Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie were just three anthropomorphic, motorcycle-riding mice who called Mars home . . . and were always bad to the bone. But when the ruthless Plutarkian races stage a mass invasion to strip their planet of its precious resources, their antiauthoritarian streak is going to turn into a full-blown insurgency. Only the Biker Mice from Mars can prevent the mass destruction of Earth’s nearest neighbor . . . and the freedom of our entire solar system may just hang in the balance.

Leading into the upcoming animated series by executive producers Brian Volk-Weiss, Cisco Henson, Matt Kravitsky, Michael Goodman, Gavin Hignight and Matt Lawton from Nacelle Company, Maximum Effort’s Ryan Reynolds, George Dewey, Kevin Hill and Ashley Fox, as well as Fubo’s David Gandler and Pamela Duckworth, the summer’s most anticipated return pushes the action into the red as a never-before-told chapter of Biker Mice history stands revealed!

Featuring covers from adrenaline-racing artists Dustin Weaver (Avengers, Paklis.) Juan Gedeon (DC: The Jurassic League), Roger Cruz (X-Men: Age of Apocalypse), Ramon Villalobos (Nighthawk, America) and Francis Portela (Green Lantern), the first shot in the Biker Mice’s “Mars War” starts here on July 17th, only in BIKER MICE FROM MARS #1!”

Learn more about Oni Press’s Nacelle Verse comics here.

Biker Mice from Mars #1 releases on July 17th. I’m telling you, keep an eye out for a collected trade somewhere down the line; if you have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans, introduce them to this. Check out some of the covers and interiors here.

Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Intermediate

This Book Will Self-Destruct! Can you help save the day?

Posted on June 21, 2024June 20, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

This Book Will Self-Destruct (Agent Harrier), by Ben Sanders, (May 2024, Kane Miller), $14.99, ISBN: 9781684648979

Ages 6-10

A new graphic novel series starring a dog – or is he a wolf? – secret agent, This Book Will Self-Destruct is loaded with puns and breaks the fourth wall, making sure that readers can share in the fun. Agent Woof – ahem, Wolf – Harrier gets a call from his spy boss, Top Dog, with a critical message: the book is going to self-destruct unless Harrier can stop it! With the Narrator by his side, Harrier sets out to unravel the threads and find the bomb before the book goes boom. There’s something really odd about the Narrator, though, so Harrier will need help from readers to unscramble some clues. Readers will laugh out loud at the back-and-forth between characters, and the stark red and black illustration work makes everything pop against the stark white pages. Harrier is a fun character and his mission is easy enough to follow for newly confident readers moving on from picture books and easy readers. Endpapers show an inside view of Harrier’s briefcase, filled with all sorts of punny spy goodness like a “gadget watch: for everything except telling the time”, “Truthing Gum: one stick for sticky situations”, and a glass eye: “just because”. This is the first in a new graphic novel series, so get in on this from the beginning. The book includes a fun poster; if you’re buying this for your circulation, hang it up and promote the series!

picture books, Preschool Reads

Measuring Me tallies our numbers

Posted on June 21, 2024June 20, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Measuring Me, by Nicola Kent, (March 2024, Kane Miller), $19.99, ISBN: 9781684647873

Ages 4-8

We are made up of all kinds of numbers, and Measuring Me is a great place to start when explaining some of those numbers to young learners. Using an “average five-year-old child in the Western World”, we learn that kids featured in the book are as tall as about 10 tin cans, with the ability to smell about 50,000 different smells, and with enough energy to power a light bulb. Using our bodies as a measuring stick, Kent gives readers information they can visualize, allowing them to play with numbers and their place in this world. Kids will develop a comfort with numbers and their own bodies through the fun facts and pictures. Colorful illustrations look child-drawn and feature an inclusive and diverse group of kids illustrating concepts. Endpapers feature a ruler running along the side of the page – inches in front, centimeters in back – with a wealth of items that appear throughout the book. Playful and easy to read, kids will love coming up with ways to use the world around them to come up with new ways to measure: how many board books high are you? Do you weight as much as a frozen turkey? There is a lot of fun to be had here; readers will want to come back to this one. The book comes with a double-sided height chart inside, measuring – you guessed it – with tin cans, and fun facts like, “A giant panda’s shoulder height is almost equal to seven cans”. One side is colorful and includes the fun facts; the other side is black and white, letting readers color in their own cans and fill in personal information to make it a keepsake. If you’re using your copy in the library or a classroom, you can include the height chart as part of a storytime and have readers see how they measure up.

picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Zoom off to bedtime with Sleep Little Dozer

Posted on June 21, 2024June 20, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sleep, Little Dozer, by Diana Murray/Illustrated by Cleonique Hilsaca, (June 20245, Random House), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593119044

Ages 2-6

It’s been a full day for Little Dozer, but when Papa tells him, “Let’s roll! Time for bed!”, Dozer is concerned: Mama is working late! How will Dozer fall asleep? No worries: Papa knows the routine. This sweet rhyming bedtime story is just what a child needs when a parent is working late or traveling and another parent – maybe not the usual parent or caregiver – is left to handle bedtime. Papa Dozer is a large bulldozer with a bushy mustache; Little Dozer is a tiny bulldozer. The vehicles all have bold, friendly expressions and colors are soft, gentle, wonderful for bedtime. Much of the story is Papa’s bedtime rhyme, which Little Dozer chimes in on; it’s relatable to kids who have their bedtime routines down pat. Visions of numbered jeeps fill in for a human child’s “counting sheep”, and various vehicles bed down for the night as Dozer struggles with anxiety over not being able to sleep without Mom. Endpapers show truck-shaped clouds against a night sky. A very cute and comforting story that vehicle fans will ask for at bedtime, and a good addition to collections.

Pair with Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Steam Train Dream Train, both by Sherri Duskey Rinker, for a fun pajama storytime.

picture books, Preschool Reads

The Paw-sibilities are endless! This Little Kitty in the Garden

Posted on June 19, 2024June 18, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

This Little Kitty in the Garden, by Karen Obuhanych, (Jan 2024, Knopf Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593435175

Ages 3-7

Obuhanych spins a delighful rhyming tale about cats and gardening. Endpapers bring readers in with dirty kitten paw prints over bright colored leaves; the verso and recto pages show a cheerful garden with a marmalade cat peeking up from the leaves. Five kittens are ready to “help” their people garden today, and immediately set to rummaging through the tools and starter plants. They play in the garden, sneezing at pollen and poking at various flora and fauna as their humans work around them. When everything has been planted and cleaned up, the exhausted helpers take a nap in the garden bed. Cat lovers will want multiple reads of this sweet and silly story. Mixed media illustration is bold, bright, and textured. A playful story that will make anyone reading it or listening to it happy.

This Little Kitty in the Garden is a companion to Obuhanych’s 2023 book, This Little Kitty. You can see more of Obuhanych’s artwork at her website.

picture books, Preschool Reads

Harold the Iceberg is back!

Posted on June 19, 2024June 18, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Harold the Iceberg is Not a Super Food, by Lisa Wyzlic/Illustrated by Rebecca Syracuse, (June 2024, Feiwel & Friends), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250877802

(Ages 3-6)

Harold the anxiety-ridden iceberg lettuce is back, and he’s still stressed out: this time, because he can’t match up to Kayla, who’s clearly a SUPER food: she’s “tall and strong, with glorious full leaves” and everything just seems effortless for Kayla! Harold is so quick to be down on himself, but his friends come to the rescue and let him know that he does great things, too: he helps his friends, whenever they need him, and if he wants to do more, there’s always ways to help. Once again tying in themes of social awareness, Harold’s friends enourage him to volunteer at a charity event. Digital illustrations are bold and bright, with expressive faces that are both sensitive and cheerful. Back matter includes “Harold’s Tips for Helping Your Community”, offering readers ways to get involved with their community, from donating used clothes and toys to picking up litter. Endpapers display a spreaad of food labels. A fun additional purchase, especially where the first book did well. Download a Harold The Iceberg Activity Kit to share!

Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books

Else B. in the Sea: A Naturalist’s Picture Book Biography

Posted on June 19, 2024June 18, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep, by Jeanne Walker Harvey/Illustrated by Melodie Stacey, (June 2024, Cameron Kids), $19.99, ISBN: 9781949480283

Ages 5-8

Scientific artist Else Bostelmann’s story begins in 1930, when she ventures into the sea off the coast of Bermuda to discover the world underwater. Charged with painting what scientist William Beebe may have seen from his bathysphere, Else discovers an entire world below; fascinated, she dedicated herself to finding ways to accurately depict the colors and sights she encountered. Using a microscope, Beebe’s notes, and her talent as an artist, she brought these creatures to life on the page. Harvey tells Bostelmann’s story in verse, with Stacey’s watercolor, gouache, pastel, and pencil illustrations giving new life and bringing a new audience to Bostelmann’s work. Stacey captures Bostelmann, clothed in her red swimsuit and diving helmet, sitting underwater while Harvey explains the process: “Her weighted palette with dabs of apint / and attached brushes / floated within reach”. Back matter includes an author’s note, photos, and samples of Else’s paintings, with notes on the underwater color spectrum and sources for more reading. An excellent addition to picture book biographies and artist collections. Else B. in the Sea has a starred review from Booklist.

The Smithsonian Magazine has an article on Bostelmann. Author Jeanne Walker Harvey has a variety of free downloadable resources to extend a lesson or reading of Else B. in the Sea available on her website.

Intermediate, Non-Fiction

Dogs Do Science: a graphic nonfiction series for intermediate readers

Posted on June 18, 2024June 17, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

This is such a fun series with recurring characters and fun, smart science know-how. For readers that may be a little young for Science Comics, Dogs Do Science fits the bill nicely. Read on for more.

Dogs Do Science: Sound, by Anna Claybourne/Luke Séguin-Magee, (March 2024, Kane Miller), $12.99, ISBN: 9781684647804

Ages 7-10

Meet Professor Pooch: a learned and fluffy Bichon Frisé, they’re also the main character fo the Dogs Do Science graphic novel series. In Dogs Do Science: Sound, Professor Pooch is here to explain how sound works, using dogs and their superior hearing as examples for readers. Explained through a series of graphic novel sections featuring different breeds of dogs, readers will love the fun comics and easily understandable explanations of sound: why do dogs go berserk when the postman arrives? Why do our dogs come running when we think we’re shaking that food quietly? Why do chihuahuas have that sharp little bark? It all comes down to science! (By the way: tiny dogs have tiny vocal cords, hence the squeaky barks.) A “Sound Roundup” and pop quiz in the back matter help summarize and test readers’ knowledge. Cartoon illustrations keep things moving.

Dogs Do Science: Forces, by Anna Claybourne/Luke Séguin-Magee, (March 2024, Kane Miller), $12.99, ISBN: 9781684647798

Ages 7-10

This volume is all about force: “pushes, pulls, and other forces make things move – or stop, or change direction, or fall over”, as Professor Pooch puts it. A trip back in time with Dr. Whoodle the Poodle introduces readers to Sir Isaac Newton and a discussion on gravity; other comic strips teach readers about centrifugal force, air pressure, and intertia. A section called Spot the Spaniel’s “Spot the Difference” offers a fun activity where readers can search before and after pictures for signs of gravity. A “Force Roundup” and pop quiz summarize and reinforce readers’ knowledge.

Dogs Do Science: Light, by Anna Claybourne/Luke Séguin-Magee, (March 2024, Kane Miller), $12.99, ISBN: 9781684647811

Finally, we have Light, which starts off with the bright shiny thing that comes through the windows and wakes our dogs up every morning… and sometimes, shiny things blink outside the window. Professor Pooch and their amusingly dull Doberman assistant are here to help, shedding light on the mysteries behind shadows, reflections, and how dogs see colors differently from humans. A recurring “Dogs in Space” comic takes how light travels in space. Spot the Spaniel has a fun shadow matching activity, and Professor Pooch’s Light Roundup and Poodle’s Pop Quiz complete the volume.

All in all, the Dogs Do Science series is fun, and works well with graphic novel collections where nonfiction is helpful and popular, aka History Comics and Science Comics.