Posted in picture books

Blog Tour and Giveaway: My Grandma’s Photos

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The latest children’s book to hit American shores, courtesy of Amazon Crossing Kids, is the beautiful and poignant My Grandma’s Photos, originally published in Turkey in 2019.

My Grandma’s Photos, by Özge Bahar Sunar/Illustrated by Senta Urgan,
Translated by Amy Marie Spangler
(Jan. 2022, Amazon Crossing Kids), $17.99, ISBN: 9781542031158

Ages 5-8

Seen through a child’s eyes, My Grandma’s Photos is the story of an aging grandmother, a grandchild, and a group of old photos that transports Grandma from her chair back into her robust, joyful life. She takes Ali, her granddaughter, into this beautiful world with her, and Ali sees her grandmother’s life unfold before her eyes: family picnics, climbing trees, becoming a master seamstress, falling in love and marrying Ali’s grandfather. It’s beautiful and moving; at moments, it brings on the tears, but they’re cleansing, renewing. Grandma lives her life once again and Ali finally sees her grandmother’s vibrant, full life as she’s never done before.

 

Senta Urgan’s artwork captures the essential moments, using pastels and collage to create living photos that exist outside the borders to reach out and draw both Grandma and Ali into their world. The artwork is the heartbeat to this fantastic story; Urgan uses real photos and illustrates a world around them, blending them together with photos and sketches, to create a dreamlike landscape where readers can play along with the characters. An essential story to have on hand to give to readers who may have aging family members.

 

 

“A gentle book about remembering, as well as grieving, a life well lived.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“This depiction of a tender, loving relationship is touched with magic, and Ali’s participation in his grandmother’s experiences brings them both much joy.” ―Booklist

“[A] beautiful, heartfelt story about loss and love.” ―School Library Journal

One lucky winner will receive a copy of My Grandma’s Photos, courtesy of Amazon Crossing Kids (U.S. and Canada addresses). Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

Amazon Crossing Kids aims to increase the diversity of children’s books in translation and encourage young reading from a range of cultural perspectives.

Özge Bahar Sunar is a former teacher turned children’s author. She has written multiple picture books, including the bestselling The Hedgehog and the Exhibit, illustrated by Ceyhun Şen, which was translated into seven languages. Sunar lives with her two children in Antalya, Turkey, where she loves to think up new stories while hiking in the wild. Find her on Instagram @ozgebaharsnr.

Senta Urgan is a graduate of Mimar Sinan University, where she studied sculpture. Since 2010 she has been illustrating books for children, including picture books and novels, and also works as a graphic designer. She is the founder of the brand Mala Hermana Handmade, where she exhibits her illustrations and ceramic art. Find her on Instagram @toporulkesindekikes.

Amy Marie Spangler is a cofounder of Istanbul-based AnatoliaLit Agency, and a commercial and literary translator with numerous books and short stories to her credit. Find her on Twitter @Amy_Spangler.

Posted in gaming, Graphic Novels, Non-Fiction, Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Jon Chad’s graphic novel history of Pinball is great for gamer historians

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball, by Jon Chad, (Feb. 2022, First Second), $24.99, ISBN: 9781250249210

Ages 10+

Before there was Atari, there was pinball. The first pinball machine made its debut around 1930 and captivated players from the beginning: so much that banned for being a “racket that fleeces children” and drive them to petty thievery”. In 1976, champion player Roger Sharpe played the game in a Manhattan courtroom to prove that pinball was a game of skill, not chance. Graphic novelist Jon Chad ‘s (Science Comics) graphic novel Pinball is the graphic history of the game, tracing its roots back to the Court of King Louis XIV, through its scandalous era in the 1930s, and renaissance in the 1970s, all the way up to the present day. It’s like Science Comics and History Comics, all put together in great volume. Jon Chad examines not only the artwork and cultural significance of the game – gaming fans, and pinball fans in particular, know all about the collectible, incredible artwork that went into the back glass and the game floor itself – but the physics of the game, and what makes it a game of skill.

Jon Chad’s artwork is colorful, filled with movement and amazing detail. He writes with expert knowledge and a true love of the game. This is an essential purchase for nonfiction graphic collections and anyone with a gaming collection.

Read an interview with Jon Chad at ComicsBeat, visit his author webpage for more comics and teaching resources, and have your own pinball/STEM program with these PBS Kids instructions or this pizza box pinball PDF from the UK’s Science Museum Group.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Welcoming the New Year with a blog tour: Playing with Lanterns

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hi, all! I hope you all had a happy and healthy holiday season and are ready for a hopeful New Year. I’ve been sick (not THAT one, just an awful cold) for the last few days, so my triumphant return to blogging has been waylaid a bit, but I’m back, medicated, and rested.

My first post of the New Year is also about a New Year: Lunar New Year! Playing with Lanterns is a new book from Amazon Crossing Kids, translated from Chinese, about a group of children and their special New Year lanterns.


Playing with Lanterns, by Wang Yage/Illustrated by Zhu Chengliang,
Translated by Helen Wang, (Jan. 2022, Amazon Crossing Kids),
$17.99, ISBN: 9781542029841
Ages 4-7

Zhao Di and her friends are so excited to celebrate Lunar New Year! They run, dance, and play together, waving their colorful lanterns each night until the last night – the 15th day of the New Year – when they smash their lanterns! But Zhao Di doesn’t want to smash her lantern just yet. That would mean the New Year celebrations are over, after all; or what if it’s not the right time yet? That would bring bad luck!

Originally published in China, Playing with Lanterns is such a wonderful winter story about childhood and tradition. Back matter includes an author’s note about the tradition of smashing lanterns, and the story reads at times like verse, at times like a folk tale, creating a wonderful atmosphere for readers and making this a great readaloud choice. Colorful artwork decorates the text and sets warm atmosphere in the middle of winter, with colorful lanterns, clothing, warm fires, and cheery homes. For a colorful lantern craft that can easily transition into a grab-and-go, visit First Palette.

 

“A colorful wintry tale ushers in Chinese New Year over two weeks…A charming illustration of childhood memories during the holiday season.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Quiet, elegant passages stud the text…Tenderly detailed gouache paintings by Zhu render the children as small, patterned bundles frolicking against expanses of snow…A quiet celebration of a Northwestern Chinese tradition.” ―Publishers Weekly

Wang Yage was born in Shaanxi, a central and historical province of China, where the custom of playing with lanterns was once a popular Chinese New Year tradition. A doctor of classical Chinese literature, she teaches at the University of Tibet. Playing with Lanterns is her first picture book. First published in China, the book made the prestigious White Ravens international book list.

Zhu Chengliang is an award-winning Chinese illustrator. Born in Shanghai and raised in Suzhou, he studied at the Department of Fine Art, Nanjing University, and has worked as an author, illustrator, editor, and designer. He was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2016, which is the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children’s books. His books have been named one of the Ten Best Illustrated Books by the New York Times and to the IBBY Honor List.

Helen Wang is a writer and translator from the UK. In 2017 she was given a Special Contributor of the Year honor as part of the Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Awards for her work in bringing Chinese children’s literature to English-speaking audiences. Wang has translated novels, picture books, and graphic novels, including Cao Wenxuan’s Bronze and Sunflower, which won the Marsh Christian Award for Children’s Literature in Translation.

 

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Playing with Lanterns, courtesy of Amazon Crossing Kids (U.S. and Canada addresses). Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

Amazon Crossing Kids aims to increase the diversity of children’s books in translation and encourage young reading from a range of cultural perspectives.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Setting the tone for a new year: A Hundred Thousand Welcomes

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A Hundred Thousand Welcomes, by Mary Lee Donovan/Illustrated by Lian Cho (Oct. 2021, Greenwillow Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9780062877727

Ages 4-8

Welcome! Readers travel to homes all over the world to share food and friendship in A Hundred Thousand Welcomes, being greeted in with a hearty “Welcome!” in 14 different languages. Each welcome includes a phonetic pronunciation to allow for readers to learn and share greetings with one another and spread a message of empathy, unity, and hope for a better world. Families greet one another and invite them to sit at tables together; a note from the artist explains her inspiration: “Food is something that joins us across cultures”. Warm colors and rhythmic verse send a wonderful message to all as people come together to share food, their cultures, and their homes. Reading this book today gives me hope for the holiday season and for a new year. Back matter includes a pronunciation guide, notes form the author and artist, and information about the languages featured in the story. Publisher HarperCollins includes A Hundred Thousand Welcomes discussion prompts and extension activities in a home and community teaching guide.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Welcoming Winter: Winter Lullaby

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Winter Lullaby, by Dianne White/Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, (Dec. 2021, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536209198

Ages 3-8

I’ve been on a bedtime story kick lately; I must be missing the days I put my own littles (not-so little now) to bed with a story or 3… or 4. This latest lullaby centers on Small Bear, who doesn’t understand – despite the snow falling to the ground! – why he has to get ready to sleep the winter away. After all, he’s seeing other friends running around, like Mouse, Skunk, and Hare; why can’t he stay up? Mama patiently explains each time that each of the animals is preparing for their own winter nap, whether they are gathering food or finding a warm, comfortable spot to bed down. She soothes Small Bear’s frustration by promising that they’ll wake up to a beautiful, green spring, and they’ll spend brighter, warmer days at play. But for now, it’s time to dream. Kids and caregivers alike will recognize Small Bear’s resistance to bedtime, and pointing out the injustice of having to go to sleep while other kids get to stay up. Rhyming couplets add a soothing cadence to a readaloud, and the digital artwork has gorgeous texture, using cool and warm winter colors to bring the story to life. Different sized fonts alert readers to the change between Mama Bear and Small Bear’s dialogue. Mama and Small Bear are playfully affectionate. Illustrations and verse teach readers about various animal homes as we see skunks bed down underground, hares sleeping in a hollowed out tree, and badgers snuggling in their dens. Pair with the humorous Hush Up and Hibernate! by Sandra Markle (2018) for a hibernation storytime or lesson. Author Dianne White has an activity kit for Winter Lullaby available on her website.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Don’t miss Tracey Baptiste’s Looking for a Jumbie!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I have been a fan of Tracey Baptiste’s Jumbies series since the first one hit shelves in 2015. They’re such a rich, spooky mix of Caribbean folklore and horror, with smart characters and fantastic pacing: every kid in my library knows that if they ask me for something scary, they’re going to get a Jumbies book handed to them. Fast forward six years, and Tracey Baptiste has a Jumbies picture book, so that I can start getting my itty bitties into all things Jumbie. Start them early, right?

Looking for a Jumbie, by Tracey Baptiste/Illustrated by Amber Ren,
(Sept. 2021, Balzer + Bray), $17.99, ISBN: 9780062970817
Ages 4-8

Naya is a little girl who just knows jumbies are real, even if her Mama says they only exist in stories. Naya heads off, Going on a Bear Hunt-style, to find some, and makes some… interesting friends along the way. Repeated, familiar phrasing that may remind readers of the classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt runs throughout the book as Naya meets a new friend to join her quest: “We’re looking for a jumbie. We’re going to find a scary one”. She meets several interesting characters in the woods, all who seem to meet the characteristics of well-known jumbies (especially for older siblings and parents who’ve read the novels!), but they don’t seem terribly mean at all. They all manage to convince Naya that they’re not the monsters she’s looking for, and join her quest. Vibrant digital illustrations are colorful and eye-catching, and Naya, a young girl of color, is a brave heroine who forges through each spread. Jumbies are a friendly a group of monsters, and while Naya provides informational descriptions of these spooky monsters, the colorful group are very friendly and cartoon-like in appearance. Looking for a Jumbie could be a wonderful story to read at bedtime to kids who may be worried about things that go bump in the night, as jumbies offer practical reasons for their appearances that have nothing to do with being a monster. No nightmares here! I love, love, love this book.

Tracey Baptiste offers a field guide to jumbies on her website, along with further resources on her Jumbies novels for anyone interested in learning more.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Uncategorized

Books for Animal Lovers

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Fox and the Forest Fire, by Danny Popovici, (Aug. 2021, Chronicle Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781797202822

Ages 5-8

A boy and his mom move to a home on the edge of a forest. While the boy isn’t thrilled at first, he grows to love his new home after forming a friendship with some of the local forest animals, including a friendly fox. When he discovers smoke on the horizon one morning, he rushes home to tell his mother, and they evacuate. When they finally return home, they see the destruction that the fire has caused, but he knows they will rebuild. After all, “the forest knows what to do after a fire. And so do we. A realistic story of something most of us only see and hear about on the news, The Fox and the Forest Fire is written by former forest firefighter Danny Popovici, who talks about his experience as a firefighter in an author’s note; he also provides more information about wildfires and the havoc they wreak on the local wildlife and their home. He tells a sensitive, powerful story filled with friendship and hope as the boy and his mother look to the forest animals for inspiration as they rebuild their lives after the fire. For those of us who have only read about wildfires, or seen them on the evening news, Popovici approaches his topic with sensitivity but packs an emotional punch for readers. Have books like NatGeo Kids’s Extreme Wildfire and direct kids to resources like Tree Removal’s section on wildfires, Smokey the Bear’s page on wildfires, with games and coloring sheets, and Surfing and STEM’s Wildfires Emergency Plan worksheet set from TeachersPayTeachers.

Publisher Chronicle has a free educator’s guide with insightful discussion questions and extra resources. Danny Popovici’s website has more of his illustration work available.

 

Farm Lullaby, by Karen Jameson/Illustrated by Wednesday Kirwan, (Oct. 2021, Chronicle Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781452181035

Ages 3-5

All is quiet around the farm as animal families settle down for the night. Farm Lullaby is gentle, loving bedtime reading, with Golden Book, retro-feel illustrations of farm animals settling in with their babies for the night, set to rhyming couplets: “Neigh-a-bye lullaby / Slowly swaying rock-a-bye; Nuzzle nose, breathing deep / Plodding, nodding off to sleep”. Horses, cows, sheep, pigs, all gather together to bed down for the night as silhouettes of human families get their little ones ready for bed. An owl keeps watch overnight. Endpapers present a field of ducklings by day and by night. A tender story to relax the littles and send them off to sleep while encouraging cuddle time between parents and children.

Perfect for lapsit and pajama storytimes. TeachersPayTeachers has some fun, free printables to have handy for farm animal storytimes, including a mini-book of animals and their sounds from Tea Time Monkeys and Renee N’s farm animals count and read mini book.

 

 

 

A Cub Story, by Kristen Tracy/Illustrated by Alison Farrell, (Sept. 2021, Chronicle Books), $9.99, ISBN: 9781452174587

Ages 0-3

Follow a bear cub through a year in this lovely board book that shows readers a little one’s place in the big world. To some, cub is big. To others, he’s quite small. He may eat a lot compared to a hedgehog, but very little, compared to a moose. He plays, explores, and looks for food alongside other animal friends, and in doing so, educates little readers about bears and the seasons. Mixed media illustrations in muted colors show Cub frolicking in a verdant springtime forest; playing games in the summer; fishing in the fall, and hunkering down with his family in their den, ready to hibernate through the winter. Text is informational but presented in short, readable sentences that give toddlers and preschoolers enough information to delight them and let them engage in imaginative play. Pair this one with Farm Lullaby and Dianne White’s Winter Lullaby for a cuddly bedtime storytime.

A Cub Story has a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

 

 

 

Hornswoggled! A Wacky Words Whodunit, by Josh Crute/Illustrated by Jenn Harney, (Nov. 2021, Page Street Kids), $17.99, ISBN: 9781645672845

Ages 4-8

Finishing strong with a funny book that plays with language and invites readers to unleash their inner Poirot and Miss Marple! Deer wakes up to a shocking discovery: one of his antlers has been replaced with a tennis racket! He’s been HORNSWAGGLED! When Deer heads over to tell his friend Catfish what’s happened, Catfish puts on her glasses to discover that someone’s replaced her glasses with donuts! What a load of CODSWALLOP! Someone is taking everyone’s stuff and replacing them with the wackiest items, causing a big stir! Luckily a helpful armadillo is there to let us know what all these funny-sounding words are, and teach kids a bunch of new animal-based vocabulary words. Will they catch the thief? Who else will fall victim? Readers will love the hilarious story and have a blast trying to figure out who’s behind the crime spree… keep an eye on the endpapers for some clues! Digital artwork creates cartoony animals with bold outlines and hilariously expressive facial expressions. Absolute fun, a must for storytime and language collections. Make up some flash cards – make it fun by having a volunteer hold up cards during the storytime, just like Armadillo!

Author Josh Crute has a Hornswoggled activity kit free for download at his website, including a word meaning activity.

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Welcoming Winter: Where Snow Angels Go

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Where Snow Angels Go, by Maggie O’Farrell/Illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, (Nov. 2021, Candlewick Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781536219371

Ages 7-10

A little girl named Sylvie discovers that she has a wintry protector when she catches a snow angel in her room one night. The angel reveals that snow angels are created when people make them in the snow; though the snow may melt and evaporate, the snow angels are ours forever, always watching over us. The angel has come to wake Sylvie’s mother up, because Sylvie is ill, but Sylvie won’t remember this interaction when she awakens. That doesn’t happen, though; Sylvie remembers and when she recovers, tries to make her angel reappear, putting herself in dangerous situations in order to force him into saving her. But it’s only when she really needs him that he returns to save her – and then Sylvie tasks herself with getting all of her friends and family to make their own snow angels, so they have someone looking out for them. It’s a warm, contemporary tale perfect for Christmas and for seasonal readings, with a touch of winter magic. Watercolor spreads give an otherworldly touch to the angel and the season. It’s a lengthy picture book but can easily be read over the course of two or three sittings. An activity kit invites readers to decorate their own snow angel’s wings, and color in decorative snowflakes.

Posted in Uncategorized

A quick update

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hi all, a quick note because I know posting has been a little erratic. I’m still working on getting atop my review piles, and I’m taking the ups and downs of holiday season during a pandemic surge as best as I can mentally. Some days, I may just not be able to post, and some days, I may post all the things. I appreciate every author, illustrator, publisher, and publicist that has sent books my way, and I do love reading and talking about all your books. I may be putting some booktalk videos up, to be able to chat up some of these great books at a quicker pace than writing and posting.

Having said all that, I hope you all are having a wonderful winter season with those you love. Please stay safe, and all my love and best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Posted in picture books

The Girl Who Could Fix Anything – Great STEM Bio!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Girl Who Could Fix Anything: Beatrice Shilling, World War II Engineer, by Mara Rockliff/Illustrated by Daniel Duncan, (Sept. 2021, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536212525

Ages 5-9

Beatrice Shilling, a British World War II engineer, gets her time in the spotlight in this picture book biography. As a child, she “wasn’t quite like other children”, preferring tools and tinkering to usual childhood pursuits. After working for another female engineer as an apprentice, she went to school for engineering and eventually landed a position at the Royal Aircraft Establishment… to write handbooks about plane engines, not to work on them. Eventually, she did get to work on engines, and when World War II broke out, Beatrice was put in charge of a team that traveled to airfields and demonstrated winterizing planes to fighter pilots. She went on, with her team, to figure out an engine problem that fighter planes encountered during a dive, saving countless lives. Another great story about a female figure in STEM, The Girl Who Could Fix Anything tells Beatrice Shilling’s story; Daniel Duncan adds humorous reactions to Beatrice’s being “othered” as a woman in a traditionally “man’s field” and brings thrilling air fight moments to life to add some excitement. Beatrice is drawn as a determined, thoughtful woman, while men around her don’t always quite seem to know what to make of her. Endpapers show a variety of airplane parts, blueprint style. An author’s note and additional resources make up the back matter.