Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Intermediate

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

Posted on 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!

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Measuring Me tallies our numbers

Posted on 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.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Zoom off to bedtime with Sleep Little Dozer

Posted on 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.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

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

Posted on 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.

 

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Harold the Iceberg is back!

Posted on 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!

 

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books

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

Posted on 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.

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction

Dogs Do Science: a graphic nonfiction series for intermediate readers

Posted on 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.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Building a Beak showcases STEM with a heart

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Building a Beak: How a Toucan’s Rescue Inspired the World, by Becca McMurdie/Illustrated by Diana Hernandez, (June 2024, Page Street Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781645678687

Ages 4-8

Based on the true story of an injured toucan and the people who helped her, Building a Beak is a touching story of cruelty and empathy. In the Costa Rican treetops, a toucan later named Grecia went about her days and nights until someone – still unknown – caused her to fall and break her beak. Rescuers found her and brougt her to a veterinarian, who determined that without the beak, Grecia would not be able to eat, sing, bathe, or balance. Grecia’s plight went public, prompting activists from all over to push for the passage of animal welfare law 18,298, making it illegal to harm wildlife. Engineers created a blueprint for a 3-D printable beak, successfully attached during a delicate surgery. Grecia’s story is an uplifting tale of human kindness while bringing to light the problems with animal cruelty and how devastating a thoughtless act can be. Humanizing Grecia goes a long way here, from naming the toucan to McMurdie’s providing an inner dialogue for her. Hernandez’s illustrations show brown-skinned scientists, animal rescuers, and activists coming together not only for Grecia’s sake, but the sake of the planet. An author’s note, timeline, and bibliograpy make up the back matter. A strong addition to STEM/STEAM collections.

There are some good Grecia resources available online, including this article from Costa Rica Ricos. Visit Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center’s webpage to learn more about the center where Grecia recovered and lived after the attack. My Dear Journal has a fun toucan paper plate craft for a post-storytime or extension activity.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Wheels and Springs and Moving Things: School of Monsters talk work

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Wheels and Springs and Moving Things!, by Sally Rippin/Illustrated by Chris Kennett, (May 2024, Kane Miller), $12.99, ISBN: 9781684649211

The Australian School of Monsters chapter book series arrives on American shores with a rhyming picture book/seek-and-find adventure. Each character in Wheels and Springs and Moving Things! introduces readers to a member of their family, offering rhyming clues to their jobs: can you figure out what they do? Spreads alternate between clues and a solution, featuring the occupation and related vocabulary. Frank’s Dad, for instance, is a farmer: clues include “My dad digs the earth to plant seedlings and trees, / which grow into homes for the birds and the bees”. The following spread shows Frank and his father in a tractor and trailer; Frank exclaims, “He’s a farmer!” and readers are treated to a spread filled with farm-related vehicles and equipment, all labeled for expanding vocabularies. The monsters are adorably kid-friendly, colorful, and sport cheery expressions. Additional activities, including seek-and-find challenges, await readers at the end of the story. Endpapers sport bats with different occupations fluttering about: one wears an astronaut’s helmet; another carries a letter. It’s a fun addition to collections where Where’s Waldo and other seek-and-find books do well.

Author Sally Rippin’s website includes a School of Monsters activity pack and parent pack, available for free. Publisher Kane Miller also has a special page dedicated to Rippin, a 2024-2025 Australian Children’s Laureate!

Posted in Fiction, Intermediate

A new Nate the Great adventure!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Nate the Great and the Star Spangled Parrot, by Andrew Sharmat/Illustrated by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov, (June 2024, Delacorte Press), $14.99, ISBN: 9780593805558

Ages 6-9

Nate the Great’s back on the case, and this time it’s a double whammy: first, his friend Pip asks for Nate’s help locating his drone parrot, Penelope. The next day, his friend Claude asks for help finding his “brand new” friend, a drone named Baxter. It’s up to Nate to put the pieces together and figure out where the drone went, and get it back to the original owner. Andrew Sharmat, son of the original Nate the Great author Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, turns in another fun whodunit with Nate’s trademark wry sense of humor and keen ability to figure out a mystery. The hardcover-bound edition will hold up to multiple reads and circulations, and the color illustrations will keep readers engaged and delighted. The story centers on a July 4th picnic, so add this to your July 4th displays, too.

Want an activity to extend reading? SuperTeacher Worksheets has character matches and word searches for free! Want to incorporate Nate the Great into Summer Reading? Create your own detective mystery (it can be a scavenger hunt; I love those) and invite your sleuths to help!