Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Jumper treats readers to a spider’s world

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Jumper : A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider, by Jessica Lanan, (Apr. 2023, Roaring Brook Press), $19.99, ISBN: 9781250810366

Ages 4-8

Have a look at a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider in this informative and playful story that is sure to capture readers’ hearts. Jumper is a spider in a community garden frequented by people and animals in the neighborhood. Driven by a thought-provoking narrative that asks questions – “What if you were very small?” “What if you could sense tiny vibrations through your elbows and knees?” “What if you could jump five times your body length?” – and responds with all the ways Jumper moves, feels, or jumps, giving readers the chance to think about how they experience their world and how Jumper experiences her world. Ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations  use shifting perspectives to move from close-ups of Jumper as she hides from a wasp or avoids a chickadee, to aerial views that capture large spreads, including a fold-out in the middle of the book. Back matter includes noteson spider physiology and behavior, a glossary, and notes on finding and identifying spiders. Superbly illustrated and written to inform and delight an audience, Jumper is an essential for collections. Pair this with Bethany Barton’s I’m Trying to Love Spiders (2019) for a fun, spidery STEM storytime.

Jumper has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and School Library Journal.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Farm Boots teaches kids about the seasons on the farm

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Farm Boots, by Lisl H. Detlefsen/Illustrated by Renee Kurilla, (March 2023, Feeding Minds Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781948898119

Ages 3-6

An enjoyable rhyming look at farming and the seasons using the different boots farmers and farm workers use for different tasks at different times of the year. Colorful pages show diverse families lacing up work boots, slipping on rubber boots, and getting ready for a day of work and play. Rhyming verse keeps the story fun and upbeat – “On rainy days, / use boots for puddles. / Feed newborn friends, / get cozy cuddles” – as the seasons progress. Young farmers help milk cows, show their prized animals at fairs and ride horses and muck out stables, harvest pumpkins and cranberries, all showing off the many different types of boots it takes to get the jobs done. Short sleeves give way to sweatshirts and flannel, then puffer jackets and hats, back to rolled-up jeans and t-shirts; farm chores go from outside chores to keeping sheep safe and warm in a barn, sipping cocoa, and harvesting a tree for the holidays. Back matter includes an illustrated glossary of the different types of boots appearing in the story, with descriptions to provide further context. A fun readaloud for all that pairs well with books like Clothesline Clues to the Jobs People Do (2012) by Kathryn Heling, Deborah Hembrook, and Andy Robert Davies and Julia Cook’s What Shoes Will You Wear? (2014).

Download an educator guide and coloring sheets at Feeding Minds Press’s website. Add some farm coloring pictures from JustColor.net for a fun storytime extension activity.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Holiday Reads: Eight Nights, Eight Lights by Natalie Barnes & Andrea Stegmaier

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

How was everyone’s Thanksgiving? I hope all who celebrate had a wonderful gathering. Now, it’s time for the winter holiday to kick into high gear! Here’s my first pick for holiday books this season: Eight Nights, Eight Lights.

Eight Nights, Eight Lights, by Natalie Barnes/Illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier, (March 2023, Kane Miller), $14.99, ISBN: 9781684644414

Ages 4-8

A thriving community celebrates Chanukah and readers enjoy each night through a new set of eyes in this story that explores the feeling of community, history, and embracing differences. A young boy named Max rushes home with his grandfather to light his family’s heirloom menorah; a young girl named Lara, alongside her father, shares homemade jelly donuts with neighbors. Families welcome visitors, share food and play games, give gifts, and gather at the synagogue for the story of Chanukah. Children think upon the Biblical king’s determination to force the Jewish people into giving up their religion in mature pondrance: “People can be scared when they see differences in other that they don’t understand. But we are all different… that’s what makes everyone special”. Songs and fireworks close out the last night of the celebration. Sharp-eyed readers may notice Christmas trees in the street scenes, a nod to two dovetailing holidays. Note the London Eye in the background on the final spread – Eight Nights, Eight Lights was first published in Great Britain in 2022. A helpful guide to the menorah on the verso gives readers more context, and endpapers feature menorahs on a background of blue. A great introduction to the holiday for readers.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Manolo and the Unicorn embraces the magic

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m pushing to get my review TBR read and posted by the end of the year. Stay with me! Today, I’ve got a gentle story about magic and our world through a child’s eyes: Manolo and the Unicorn.

Manolo & the Unicorn, by Jackie Azúa Kramer & Jonah Kramer/Illustrated by Zach Manbeck, (Apr. 2023, Cameron Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781951836528

Ages 5-7

Manolo is a young boy who dearly loves unicorns. His belief infuses his world with magic and wonder, communicated by Manbeck’s gentle, colorful illustration, using deep and soft color to create soft lighting around Manolo and his world, making unicorn shapes out of nature. A teacher announces a school project, where everyone will dress like their favorite animal in a Wild Animal Parade, and Manolo’s desire to be a unicorn brings laughter and derision, turning his world to sepia. The magic has been leeched from Manolo’s world until he encounters a unicorn after all, bringing deep greens and blues back to life. The unicorn inspires Manolo to share his magic with his friends, bringing color and magic to their worlds. A story that assures readers that there is magic left in our world, Manolo & the Unicorn brings surreal and beautiful illustration, paired with a narrative that reaches in and encourages the spark in each of us to endure. A gorgeous story for readalouds and picture book collections. Pair this with Bethanie Deeney Murguia’s Do You Believe in Unicorns? for a fun, unicorn-centric storytime. Don’t forget to print out unicorn masks for your storytime circle!

Manolo and the Unicorn was an Indie Next pick.

Posted in picture books

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

Posted on 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!

Posted in picture books

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

Posted on 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.

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade

Historical Adventure: The Adventures of the Flash Gang

Posted on 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.

Posted in awards, Cybils, Graphic Novels

CYBILS progress!

Posted on 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.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week and Molly’s Miracle

Posted on 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.

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads

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

Posted on 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.