Rosemary Kiladitis

Better late than never blog tour & giveaway: Chimpansneeze by Aaron Zenz

Posted on November 21, 2023November 21, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Bear with me on the title of this post: I missed a blog tour date, which I’ve been fighting hard against doing since I’ve been rededicating to my blog. But life happens, and sure enough, the 13th came and went with nary a post about this adorable book. I couldn’t let that go, so please, enjoy this hilarious rhyming, cumulative tale of consequences. I give you…

The Chimpansneeze, by Aaron Zenz, (Nov. 2023, Two Lions), $15.99, ISBN: 9781662518225

Ages 6-8

Two friends go for a walk in the beginning of this zany story of cumulative disaster: “A chimpanzee and a kinkajou / took a walk one day through the wild. / The kinkajou spotted buttercups, / so he plucked them up and smiled.” Sounds like a sweet friendship story, right? Hold on: those buttercups that Kinkajou is holding sets off an allergy attack for poor Chimpanzee, who lets loose with a thunderous chimpansneeze that sends poor Kinkajou flying… and then the fun really begins! Filled with rhyming animal disasters that get progressively funnier and wackier, this is a first-class readaloud choice that will keep readers in stitches. Colored pencil illustrations show cartoony animals in various stages of chaotic distress, with flying loaves of bread, poodles slipping in mustard, and so much more. Brilliant wordplay and a catchy rhyme scheme will keep this book in high demand at storytime. A great add to collections and a heck of a feel-good book. The Chimpansneeze is a companion book to Aaron Zenz’s Hiccupotamus (2012).

Aaron Zenz used up forty-nine colored pencils and broke eighty-one pencil tips during the making of The Chimpansneeze. He is the author and illustrator of more than forty-five children’s books. He wrote and illustrated the Amazon bestseller The Hiccupotamus, as well as Chuckling Ducklings, Monsters Go Night-Night, and Little Iffy Learns to Fly. He has also illustrated books written by other authors, including The Spaghetti-Slurping Sewer Serpent by Laura Ripes and Orangutangled by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. He lives with his large family in a small town in West Michigan. Learn more about him at http://www.aaronzenz.com, and follow him on Instagram @AaronZenz.

‘Tis the season, right? This time, I’ve got a TWO BOOK giveaway: One lucky winner will receive a copy of The Chimpansneeze along with its companion The Hiccupotamus, courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. and Canada addresses). Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway here!

picture books

It’s that time of year: I’m Trying to Love Germs

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m Trying to Love Germs, by Bethany Barton, (Nov. 2023, Viking Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593326725

Ages 4-8

As I sit here riding out the first head cold of the season, I’ve got a good read for your STEM and health collections: I’m Trying to Love Germs. The newest book in Bethany Barton’s I’m Trying to Love…series, I’m Trying to Love Germs is all about understanding germs: they’re not all bad! Sure, there are the germs that give us runny noses, bellyaches, and fevers, but there are germs that help us, too! If you like cheese and yogurt, or mushrooms, or use antibiotics when you get sick, you’ve experienced the good kinds of germs. Written in accessible terms with loads of fun, anthropormorphic microbes, Barton uses comic book art, word bubbles, and paneling to teach younger readers about staying healthy, safe, and smart. An excellent first purchase for collections. If you have a science club, consider adding some coloring sheets or worksheets as an extension activity; there are some good ones on Education.com.

I’m Trying to Love Germs has a starred review from School Library Journal.

Fiction, Middle Grade

Historical Adventure: The Adventures of the Flash Gang

Posted on November 17, 2023November 16, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Adventures of the Flash Gang : Episode One: Exploding Experiment, by S.J. Waugh & M.M. Downing, (March 2023, Fitzroy Books), $9.95, ISBN: 9781646033225

Ages 9-12

It’s 1935 and 11-year-old Lewis Carter is homeless and hungry. His scientist father has disappeared and the landlady put him out on the street; now he just has his wits and his dad’s “recipe” – a little something Lewis pulled together from his father’s research. The Recipe is a mixture that, when activated, causes a flash and leaves behind a lingering stink. When he needs to steal some food, he uses the Recipe, leading the newspapers and wagging tongues to make up stories about the villainous Flash Gang. It’s all good for Lewis: who would suspect the quiet, asthmatic kid? Someone knows something, though, because Lewis is kidnapped and his Recipe is taken from him; rescued by a tutu-wearing girl named Pearl Alice Clavell, who seems to think she’s living in a serial movie, Lewis has to figure out what really happened to his father, and what information Pearl may have that can help him. This first entry into a new series reads like a classic adventure serial, with fast-paced banter between hero and heroine and exaggerated baddies aplenty. The Depression-era Pittsburgh setting gives texture to the overall story, and the science-based subplot makes this a fun suggestion for STEM/STEAM reading lists.

awards, Cybils, Graphic Novels

CYBILS progress!

Posted on November 16, 2023November 16, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hi, all!

I’m a Cybils Awards Round One Graphic Novels judge again this year, so I’ve been busily reading my way through over a hundred kid lit and YA graphic novels. There is such great stuff this year! Okay, yeah, every year, but it really seems like it gets better every year. While I’m not going to review every one here, I thought I’d give a preview of what I’ve read so far. If you’re polishing off your book budgets like we are over here (before our politicos take away the money they restored earlier this year… grrrrr…), consider some of these for your collections.

picture books, Preschool Reads

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week and Molly’s Miracle

Posted on November 3, 2023October 30, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Molly’s Miracle: A Chosen Dog, Not a Broken Dog, by w.b. Murph/Illustrated by Luca Mendieta, (Nov. 2023, Wonderbeagmurph Press), $18.99, ISBN: 979-8988246213

Ages 4-7

In honor of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, I’m grateful to former veterinarian nurse W.B. Murph for sharing a copy of Molly’s Miracle with me. The story of a sweet beagle who escapes her abusive family is one of those stories that rips my heart out because it’s based on a true story, but it also makes me feel better to know that people like Murph are out there taking care of these pets. In Molly’s Miracle, Molly endures the insults and the physical abuse from her family until she sees her chance to get away; she’s injured in the process, but she’s out. The only problem is, she has nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Living on the street with an injury that won’t heal, she’s discovered by a kind lady who takes Molly to a shelter where she works. Sadly, Molly’s leg can’t be saved, but Molly is – she is adopted by a blind woman who tells Molly that ““My hands tell me all I need I know.” Cartoon artwork is kid-friendly. Back matter includes some questions for thought and a reminder that having a pet is a big responsibility. A cute additional purchase where pet books are popular. Consider reading and displaying with Belly Rubbins for Bubbins by Jason Kraus and Emma Jackson’s A Home for Dixie for a shelter pet display.

Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads

Blog Tour: The Night Raven by Johan Rundberg / Translated by A.A. Prime

Posted on November 3, 2023November 2, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

I am loving that Amazon Crossing Kids is now translating middle grade novels: first, there was Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup, introducing readers to Kazakhstan folklore. Now, we’ve got a Swedish mystery series that is eerie and atmospheric. Let’s learn a little bit about The Night Raven.

The Night Raven, by Johan Rundberg/Translated by A.A. Prime,
(Nov. 2023, Amazon Crossing Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9781662509599

Ages 10-14

Set in 1880 Stockholm, Mika is a 12-year-old girl living in an orphanage and answers the door one cold, dark night. A teen boy hands her a newborn baby, murmurs something about a “Dark Angel”, and leaves. When Detective Valdemar Hoff shows up, investigating a murder, Mika – already a very observant and smart young woman – knows something is afoot. Hoff, impressed by Mika’s intelligence and ability to notice details, ends up making Mika his unofficial partner. A gritty Scandinavian crime thriller for a middle school audience, Rundberg touches on social issues including corruption and poverty, indifference and privilege; Mika is a girl who knows how to survive, but she’s always hopeful, a light in the bleak winter darkness. The translation is flawless and the novel is perfectly paced, keeping readers turning pages as they’re drawn into Rundberg’s world. I loved this book so much, I already downloaded the ARC for the next book in the series. An excellent add to upper middle grade/middle school collections.

The Night Raven has starred reviews from The Horn Book and Kirkus.

★“This gripping, fast-paced mystery comes together well, with Mika’s deductions based firmly in logic and connections based in her own clear observations…A thrilling and thoughtful period murder mystery.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★“This English translation of Rundberg’s lively historical mystery…is something to celebrate…Joyous, funny, suspenseful, and serious—an unusual and winning combination for middle-grade readers. Let’s hope its three sequels appear in [A. A.] Prime’s English translation, too.” —The Horn Book (starred review)

“ It’s a testament to the authors that none of the solutions comes easily — in any good mystery story, truth is a messy and painful business.” —The New York Times Book Review

Johan Rundberg is an award-winning author of children’s books who lives in Stockholm. He has written picture books, early readers, and middle grade, including Kärlekspizzan, Knockad Romeo, and the series Häxknuten. In 2021, he was awarded Sweden’s most prestigious literary prize, the August Prize, in the children’s and YA category for Nattkorpen, the original edition of The Night Raven, which was first written in Swedish. Nattkorpen was also the winner of a Swedish Crimetime Award in the children’s and YA category. There are now four books in this series published in Sweden.

A. A. Prime (Annie Prime) is an award-winning translator of Swedish literature. She was born in London and traveled the world studying a number of languages before settling in the English coastal town of Hastings. She now works full-time as a translator, specializing in the weird, witty, and wonderful world of children’s and young adult fiction. She holds an MA in translation from University College London and has published more than twenty books in the UK and US. In her free time, she can be found belly dancing, folk singing, horse riding, and sea swimming.

Fiction, Intermediate, picture books

Blog Tour: Jhupli’s Honey Bee Box by Achintyarup Ray and Shivan Choudhary

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Amazon Crossing Kids has a list that gets stronger with every book release! This time around, we have a story originally released in India in 2022:

Jhupli’s Honey Bee Box, by Achintyarup Ray/Illustrated by Shivan Choudhary,
(Oct. 2023, Amazon Crossing Kids), $17.99, ISBN: 9781662514678
Ages 6-9

Jhupli is a child living in India, where she waits and worries about her father when he goes into the jungle to gather honey. There are dangers in the forest, and not everyone who walks in comes out. Why does Baba have to go to the jungle, she asks? He needs to gather honey, he tells her: “We get money by selling all that, and with that money, we buy rice, we buy dal. That’s how we have something to cook”. Jhupli, desperate to keep her father safe, starts looking into a way to keep her father safe, and has an idea: can’t the forest department give people honey bee boxes? She brings her idea to a teacher, who brings it to the honey gathering families and the forest department. Jhupli and the Honey Bee Box is about the love of a child for their father, about resourcefulness, and about the sometimes harsh realities of life in the jungle. Digital illustrations present gorgeous, honey- and grass-colored landscapes. Poignant moments run throughout the book, as when Jhupli stands at the riverbank, waiting for her father’s return, her shadow stretching long behind her. Tender moments show the love between parent and child: Jhupli’s father’s hand holds a piece of honeycomb to her upturned, eager face. A good purchase for picture book collections and for collections where there is an international focus.

“The tender tone and softly smudged illustrations lend the tale a gentle, dreamlike quality sure to delight young readers. A sweet story about harsh realities, laced with hope.” ―Kirkus Reviews

Achintyarup Ray lives in Calcutta, a large city in India, but his mind lies in the village where he spent many early years of his life. He works as a journalist. His passions are reading, writing, and translating the books he loves. He has a special interest in people and the environment. Jhupli’s Honey Bee Box is his first book for children. Follow him on Instagram @achintyarup.

Shivam Choudhary is a visual artist who lives in Chhattisgarh, in Central India. He can mostly be found sitting under a tree, painting pictures; pondering ideas; and chasing sunsets. He tries to observe and absorb the mundaneness of his surroundings and take pleasure in the little joys of life. Follow him on Instagram @bhukkkad.

Early Reader, Non-Fiction, picture books

Lives to learn about: Picture Book Biographies

Posted on October 23, 2023October 21, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Chef Edna, by Melvina Noel/Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera, (Apr. 2023, Abrams), $18.99, ISBN: 9781951836399

Ages 5-8

Have you ever heard of Chef Edna Lewis? You will now. Raised in Freetown, Virginia, in a town founded by her grandfather and other freed slaves, Chef Edna grew up on a farm and cooked with her mother, Mama Daisy, learning to measure out ingredients with coins: “A quarter’s worth of baking powder. A dime’s worth of salt”. She eyeballed, listened, and watched as her meals took shape; as her community gathered ’round to enjoy food together. But her parents passed, and Edna headed to New York to find work to help support her family; she took jobs answering phones and as a seamstress, making beautiful clothes for movie stars, but her real talent lay in creating food to bring people together, just like her life in Freetown. Eventually, that is exactly what she did: beginning with dinner parties and catered events, word spread and Edna’s Southern meals generated buzz and gained popularity, and Miss Edna eventually became Chef Edna, co-owner of an Upper East Side restaurant in Manhattan, where luminaries of all stripes came to eat Southern food. Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honoree Cabrera creates gorgeous spreads with deep colors to evoke the clean feeling of a country kitchen and the warmth of a family gathering. A spread showing Chef Edna’s Manhattan clientele reveals some familiar faces, including Salvador Dalí and Eleanor Roosevelt; older readers who recognize certain celebrities will enjoy the secret reveal and can clue younger readers in. Back matter includes an author’s note, a biscuit recipe, and further sources for more reading. The cover is a beautiful illustration of Chef Ednea holding a table full of people in her arms, illustrating the connection between food and community. Endpapers bookend her life, showing a farm and a woman wearing a colorful floral dress, holding a bag of fresh food and flowers, crossing a street in the city. A wonderful celebration of a life well-lived, Chef Edna is an excellent add to picture book biographies.

Visit the Edna Lewis Foundation for more information about Chef Edna, her books, and a scholarship in her name that funds study for young, upcoming Black chefs.

The Fire of Stars : The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of, by Kirsten W. Larson/Illustrated by Katherine Roy, (Feb. 2023, Chronicle Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781452172873

Ages 6-9

This picture book biography on astronomer and astrophycsicist Cecelia Payne charts the birth of a star with Payne’s rise – also the birth of a star, albeit in the astrophysics and astronomy fields. Born in the English countryside and moved to London at an early age, Cecelia Payne is fascinated with nature and science. Pencil and ink illustrations, digitally colored, show Payne as she grows from curious child to focused, science-mined young woman, alongside the celestial creation of a star; the descriptive text mapping to moments in Payne’s life. After graduating Cambridge, Payne traveled to America, where she ultimately discovered that stars are composed mostly of hydrogen and helium. Back matter includes more about Payne and being a woman in the sciences and a deeper dive into the panels illustrating a star’s creation. There is also a timeline of Payne’s life and a bibliography. It’s a beautifully illustrated book that marries its subject with the phenomenon she helped further define. An excellent selection for STEAM and STEM collections and biography collections.

The Fire of Stars has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Kirkus. Learn more about Cecelia Payne at Physics World, the American Museum of Natural History, and Britannica.com.

The Queen of Chess : How Judit Polgár Changed the Game, by Laurie Wallmark/Illustrated by Stevie Lewis, (July 2023, Little Bee Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781499813067

Ages 6-9

As a child, Judit Polgár watched her parents teach her older siblings to play chess; at the age of five, it was her turn to learn. The Queen of Chess, the picture book biography of chess prodigy Polgár, chronicles her rise and dedication to the game. Stevie Lewis beautifully communicates Polgár’s intensity, beginning with the cover illustration, where Polgár stares intensely at a chessboard – and possibly, the reader? – hands folded in concentration. The Queen of Chess is a love letter to chess without necessitating knowledge of the game. Wallmark tells the story of Polgár’s passion for the game and determination to attain the rank of grandmaster; Lewis creates illustrations that communicate both Polgár’s intensity and her joy: she smiles as she and her sister go over patterns and play “blind chess”, where they sat back to back, announcing their moves to one another. Wallmark writes of Polgár’s “ferocious” and “fearless” game while noting that checkmating her opponents made her giggle and smile. Lewis captures a moment where Polgár lies on her bed, holding a book on chess positions, smiling with her eyes closed. Polgár wrote copious notes on her opponents and is well aware of the mental game involved in chess. Her determination won her medals and championships and made her the youngest grandmaster in history at the age of 15. The Queen of Chess will inspire and excite readers, possibly introducing another generation to the game. Back matter includes a timeline of Polgár’s life and a note on the mathematics of chess. An excellent choice for biography collections.

Visit the Judit Polgár Chess Foundation for more information on supporting chess programs for children. Judit Polgár’s website includes fun facts, photos, and appearances. ChessKid is a site that includes teaching materials for children who want to learn chess.

picture books, Preschool Reads, Uncategorized

It’s a Small World after all…

Posted on October 20, 2023October 19, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Now more than ever, kids need – we ALL need – books with diverse points of view, and books that introduce readers to different cultures. Here are a couple I’ve enjoyed.

Sari-Sari Summers, by Lynnor Bontigao, (Apr. 2023, Candlewick Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781536226140

Ages 4-7

Nora loves visiting her Lola – her grandmother – in the Philippines, where she also helps at her Lola’s sari-sari store. The store has everything, from candy to hair clips, mung beans to toys, and Nora cleans, organizes, and helps measure out dry goods for Lola’s customers. When a heat wave hits and Lola’s customer base dries up, Nora comes up with a creative idea: use the ripe mangoes in the tree outside the sari-sari store to make ice candy! Together, grandmother and granddaughter save their business in the yummiest of ways. Sari-Sari Summers is a warm intergenerational tale that introduces readers to Filipino culture with a great relationship between a grandparent and grandchild. Omniscient narration keeps the story’s pace while word balloons add new vocabulary and context to the tale. Digital illustrations show bright, warm colors; the endpapers show gold mangoes over a Lola’s green tablecloth. Nora delights in her job at the store, pictured smiling at the shelves of products and displaying childlike determination as she measures beans into a customer’s bag, one eye squinted closed and her arms tightly drawn in to prevent spills. Back matter includes a recipe for a tasty ice candy recipe that readers can make with their grownups. Delightful and upbeat, this is a great addition to storytime collections. Download Teacher Tips from publisher Candlewick’s webpage.

Education.com has a Philippines flag coloring page to hand out as an extension activity. Raise Curious Kids has a whole Philippines preschool unit with facts, crafts, and videos.

Rivka’s Presents, by Laurie Wallmark/Illustrated by Adelina Lirius, (July 2023, Random House Studio), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593482070

Ages 4-8

Rivka is a young Jewish girl living in the Lower East Side in 1918, the year of the Great Flu. Although Rivka wants to go to school, her father is ill and her mother must work; Rivka has to stay home and watch her baby sister, Miriam. To pass the time, Rivka turns to her neighbors to help her learn: from the grocer, to read and write; from the tailor, mathematics; from elderly Ms. Langholtz, who is studying for citizenship, Rivka learns about America. She trades chores for knowledge, and when her father is feeling better, Rivka’s family and neighbors have a celebration in store. A moving story about an immigrant community and how everyone watched out for each other, Rivka’s Presents touches on the impact that the Great Flu of 1918 had on an immigrant community, while providing a slice of life look into day-to-day life in the Lower East Side. Mixed media provides color spreads of tenements and pushcarts; of families living in one room and of small businesses who knew their neighbors by name. After every lesson, a spread shows Rivka, framed by her window, practicing what she’s learned, embracing the joy that learning inspires. While in color, illustrations appear to have a sepia overlay, giving a vintage feel to the artwork. Endpapers show a colorful mix of flowers, packages, letters, and numbers. Back matter includes an author note on 1918 and the Lower East Side and a glossary of English and Yiddish words that show up in the story. A wonderful look into a difficult time, Rivka’s Presents is an excellent addition to collections. Author Laurie Wallmark and Illustrator Adelina Lirius created a teachers guide, available at Wallmark’s website.

To talk to kids about tenement life and the Lower East Side, the best place to go to is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. They’re one of my favorite museums. The National Archives has great resources about life on the Lower East Side, as does the Jewish Women’s Archive.

Early Reader, Fiction, picture books, Preschool Reads

Garrrrr! Pirate Pearl needs Potatoes!

Posted on October 19, 2023October 19, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Potatoes for Pirate Pearl, by Jennifer Concepcion/Illustrated by Chloe Burgett, (Sept. 2023, Feeding Minds Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781948898157

Ages 4-8

Pirate Pearl and Petunia, her trusty parrot sidekick, sail the seas aboard the Jolly Oyster, but there’s a problem: all they have to eat is hardtack, and Pirate Pearl is sick of it! They make land and set off to find some better food, only to encounter Farmer Fay, who teaches Pearl all about potato farming. This informative, fun adventure uses pirate puns and bright, playful illustration to instruct learners on how to plant, grow, and harvest potatoes – and all the delicious ways to enjoy them. At the end of the day, Pearl and Petunia set sail, having made a new friend, and with a new food that’s just as easily grown on her ship as it is in Farmer Fay’s field. Back matter includes potato facts and recipes, with a heads-up from Pirate Pearl herself about having an adult help with any preparation and cooking. A charming and informative story for kids, and a great accompaniment to a STEAM or gardening program or lesson. Download a free activity kit from publisher Feeding Minds Press.