Fresh Picks!

New goodies!

I've been setting aside the new picture books as they've come in for the last month until I had a morning where I could sit down for an hour and read through them. There's wonderful new stuff in there! A nice mix of some silly, some good-for-early-literacy stuff to read to your babes and toddlers, and some terrific stories for slightly older kids.

I do love this part of my job... And sharing them with you! Hurry in and snap up a few of these - I promise you'll thank me later.

Quiet! There's a Canary in the Library, by Don Freeman

Freeman, you will likely know from Corduroy fame, but he has written several other charmers, some of which are being brought back around, including this really cute tale of a young girl in the library. She begins to daydream as she reads a book about animals, and imagines that if she were the librarian, she would have an animal day at the library. She envisions various animals coming in nad how she would greet them, making sure that they knew the rules (gently) and making them comfortable. It's all going swimmingly until a little bunch of mice come in and turn things upside down. Then she enlists the help of the canary to calm everyone down and herd them out of the library. Returning to reality, she takes home a book about a canary. Cute, simple, and introducing library behaviour gently, I will be reading to some classes, to be sure!

Nothing, by Jon Agee

When an antique-store proprietor has nothing left to sell, a rich lady exclaims that she'll take it! Um, okay. so he sells her nothing, and the next day, a few other merchants follow suit. Soon she is mad for nothing, and the trend spreads. Everyone starts getting rid of their things in favour of nothings, and soon, then shops are restocked with abandoned possessions. it doesn't take long for the lady to realize that she does need a few things - like a towel - and out she goes to buy "everything." A funny book in and of itself, this is also a great absurdist look at the cycles of consumerism and trends. What a terrific way to start that discussion!

City Lullaby, by Marilyn Singer, ill. Carll Cneut

A counting book, a book that concentrates on the sounds of the city, a rhyming book, and a book filled with signage. From a literacy perspective, it's rich with material for vocabulary, for phonological awareness, and for print awareness. From a read-aloud point of view, it's fun, bright, and filled with great sounds to roll around in the mouth and try out loud together. It has nice bold illustrations, amusement in the way the urban baby can sleep through all the noise, and the slowly building image of the baby's features come together at the end for an adorable last page. I like this one!

Where The Giant Sleeps, by Mem Fox, ill. Vladimir Radunsky

The author of my very favourite bedtime book (Time To Sleep) brings us a new soft nighttime story, this time filled with magical and mythical creatures and illustrated sweetly but quirkily. In it, she lists off where the giant sleeps, the fairy dozes, and the pirate lays his head. Wizards, goblins, and pixies follow in the soft rhyme about their slumber, but the elves? They are "wide awake- / sewing with all their might, / to make a quilt of moon and stars / to wrap you in... tonight." It's got a lovely rhythm, as I would expect from her, and depending on your child, could become a bedtime favourite.

The Wish, by Elle van lieshout & Erik van Os, ill. Paula Gerritsen

This is one of those books that you can tell at a glance is an import - and it was indeed first published in the Netherlands. In it, we meet Lila, who lives far away from civilisation, tending her own fields and crops. In the springs, sunflowers, in summer, beans, apples for sauce in the fall, and in the winter, she becomes hungry as her applesauce runs out. Wishing on a star, she happily takes the bag of flour she receives and bakes enough bread for a week, and continues to do so through the winter. She was not, the book notes, the type to wish for fancy things or great decadence, though the night before her birthday, she indulges in asking for a little more... but nothing too fancy. A wonderful little story on its own, it also provides a nice example of the idea of enough.

Shoe Shakes, by Loris Lesynski, ill. Michael Martchenko

One of Canada's premiere newer silly poets, Lesynski is perhaps best know for Dirty Dog Boogie, but also brings her storytelling skills to picture book favourites like Boy Soup. (If you haven't heard of her, but enjoy Dennis Lee, you really ought to check her out!) This new book teams her with Robert Munsch's frequent illustrative collaborator, for a book sure to grab the attention of any kid who loves to bring the goofy. This slim picture-book-format book is filled with mostly poems, though one expands into a story within it, mixing the two styles ably. This means that it is found in non-fiction, though, so if you happen to go looking for it and other works of hers, head for the 819's, where she sits alongside other notable poetic nuts from up north, including Dennis Lee and Sheree Fitch.

Pop by your local public library to see what else is new!

Originally posted on MommyBlogsToronto/Better Than a Playdate.

Mmmmm.... New Books...

Once in a while, when a busload of new stuff comes in, I take some time out of the day to read through it and see if there is new stuff to love. Sometimes, I'm not impressed by much, often there are a few new items I like, but once in a blue moon? There are a stack of new books I would gladly recommend, put out for display, or squirrel home to share with my daughter. This month was once of those times, and I am happy to be able to share a new trove of fresh finds with you. I will totally be bringing a few home to Pumpkinpie.

Previously, by Allan Ahlberg, ill. Bruce Ingman

This book draws on a host of well-known, classic fairy tales, which tends to make the story-savvy child pretty pleased with her ability to pick out the tale from the clues. The basic premise is to walk backwards through tale after tale, with characters running into each other to create the junctions between the stories, and wrapping up with all characters as babies (or tadpoles, or cubs, or trees not yet made into wood, and so on). And last of all? Once upon a time... A fun shared read with a child old enough to pick up the reference and understand the sequencing, this also plays with the narrative sequence in an interesting way that challenges them to think about the expected order of events.

I'm Big Enough Now! by Pamela Duncan Edwards, ill. Rebecca Harry

This book is one that skirts the border of cute and too-cute, mostly thanks to the softer illustrations, but I liked it nonetheless. When a young elephant decides he is big enough to go out into the world and have his own adventures, his mother doesn't try to stop him, but instead gives him enough rope to get into trouble, and then "happens" to be passing by and help him out. By the end of a few such episodes, she invites him to join her on her adventures, and the two have a great time together. At the close of the story, the young elephant decides to wait a while to go out on his own again. I do like how the message (and there is one, to be sure) is given gently, and how the mother lets him come to his own conclusion while still making sure he is safe. Sweet, but loving in tone, it's a nice storytime pick.

Ride 'em, Cowboy, by Stefan Czernecki

This is the perfect read-aloud for the young cowboy-obssessed child. The unusual art consists of photos of what appear to be hand-tooled wooden toys, and has a great simplicity to it, with a real retro child's-toy look. The text is simple, employing cowboy dialect and lots of great sound effects, and has a terrific whoop and holler feel to it. Just right, this one. It made me think immediately of Marla.

Ms. McCaw Learns to Draw, by Kaethe Zemach

Dudley's teacher is most patient, most wise, and helps him to understand things in a way no other teacher has. So when he sees her grow frustrated and give up as she tries unsuccessfully to draw a face in profile, he understands and takes over her role, patiently explaining and showing over and over, until the board is full of faces, and she is ready to try on her own. A lovely ode to good teachers, a nice way of expressing how patience can help in learning a new skill, and a very subtle message about the power of persistence. A really nice book to share with a child in grade 1-3, I would estimate, especially one who may have encountered some frustrations and appreciate seeing that s/he is not alone.

Tire Mountain, by Andrea Chung, ill. Ken Condon

Aaron's mother longs to move away from their corner, where his father's auto repair business has created a pile of tires and the lot across the way lies vacant. Aaron, though, sees beauty in the neighbourhood, and is angry at his mother's search for somewhere better, cleaner. Soon, he is inspired by the "tire mountain" that he loves to climb, his neighbour's garden, and a little girl he knows, and jumps into action. Within a short time, he has turned the vacant lot into a playground and garden for community children and created something of undeniable beauty on that corner. When I first read this, I was trying to figure out what kind of post to put it into - one about moving? About recycling or conservation or community action? It would fit all of those themes, in fact, and I quite like the inspiring message and lovely illustrations in it. Wonderful, and a nice story of community involvement for a slightly older child.

Water Boy, by David McPhail

McPhail's books frequently feature dreamy, imaginative scenarios and images, and this newest is no exception. In it, a boy is told that he is made of mostly water, and becomes fearful that he will wash or leak away into nothing, until he begins to befriend water and find that, being one with it, he is able to control it and ultimately, help to restore it from a polluted state. This book is beautiful, strange, and a lovely one to share with a child who loves water or enjoys flights of fantasy.

Cottonwool Colin, by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

Colin is the smallest in his litter of mice, unlike his robust siblings, and his mother worries overly about his safety. For the longest time, she keeps him indoors, where he cannot get hurt or catch a cold, until she tries wrapping him in a bundle of cottonwoll to protect him when he leaves the nest for the first time. Rather than helping, the fluffy white layer attracts all sorts of trouble, and he survives quite nicely once it is gone. It ends with him insisting on going out without, and notes that while he did get scared and hurt at times, it was totally worth it. These longtime collaborators have created a funny little gem in this book, and yet managed to slyly tuck in a message for mothers without losing the book's amusement factor - what a great feat!

The Magic Rabbit, by Annette LeBlanc Cate

When a magician and his rabbit get separated, they are both devastated, for they are best friends as well as working companions. We follow the bunny until he picks up a trail that leads to their reunion. This book is spare in words, leaving much to wonderful, kinetic illustrations rendered in sepia-toned black-and-white with the sole exception of the magician's yellow stars. The effect is, well, magical. Not to mention that I always love a good tale of friendship.

Originally posted on MommyBlogsToronto/Better Than a Playdate.

Gone Fishin' (Ice Fishin', It Would Seem)

I'm taking some March Break respite this week, but I though I would leave you with a pair of fun new books I found recently and wanted to share with you. (And when I say new, it's likely to be 2006-7, just so's you know.)

Chicky Chicky Chook Chook, by Cathy MacLennan

This one makes me think of my darling Mrs. Chicky every time. (If you don't know her, you should - she's kind of an honorary MBTer, but lives too far away to join the fun for real.) Anyhow, apart from reminding me of Chicky Chicky Baby, this book is the kind of crazy, silly nonsense that makes even the most staid of parent don their silly hats and voices and run amok. The language is all about sound, lending itself perfectly to bolstering the teaching of phonetics: Sunny, sunny, hot shine. Snuggle, snuggle, sleepy shine. Lazy... dozy. Snoozy...woooooozy. This all blends with the animals and their actions in a manner both descriptive and romping. The paintings are unusual, too, with soft-edged blobs of colour, bold splashes and lines, and details that cross cute and amusing, all splayed out across pages of brown paper. Really, it's a fun trip through this book.

The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians, by Carla Morris, ill. Brad Sneed

Melvin was a library kid, one of those ones who hangs around a lot and gets to know the librarians, without being a nuisance - the ones we librarians think are kind of neat, actually. The ones who are curious, who talk to grownups, and who like to share. The librarians in his library love Melvin, and help him in his hobbies, his school projects, and his role in the school play. They help him prepare to win the spelling bee and the science fair, and to be on a Tv trivia show for kids. He worked there in high school, wrote them letters from university, and one day, joined them, helping a new little curious boy identify his grasshopper (a redlegged grasshopper, to be exact). This book captures the joy we take in looking stuff up, in encouraging curiosity, and in seeing kids learn to think for themselves. In short, every blissfully nerdy thing about librarians and the kids we love the best is laid bare here by the author, a librarian herself, and dressed up in fun illustrations for sharing. My only quibble with this? What library has three librarians, all on the desk at the same time, and all with time to help a kid sort his baseball cards?

Find great stories and a ton of March Break fun at your local library this week!

Originally posted on MommyBlogsToronto/Better Than a Playdate.

Fresh Finds

It takes a while for a book to work its way from publisher to distributor to acquisitions to processing to the branches of a large organization like the one I work for. Sometimes, by the time I'm seeing a book, it's a good 6, 8, 12 months old. But even so, even if they are really a year old, the new books are always a bit of a thrill. Usually I haven't seen them before, even if they are from, say, 2006, as most of these are. These are some I've found and enjoyed over the last 6 months, most of which have gone home to Pumpkinpie, too.

The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians, by Carla Morris, ill. Brad Sneed

Melvin practically grew up in the library, encouraged in his curiosity and helped in his homework by a trio of enthusiastic librarians. they show him how to research, how to classify, how to organize, and how to project his voice for the school play. His successes were celebrated, and he had a job there after schol. When he left for college, he kept in touch. and one year, when another boy came into the library and loved it as Melvin had, the new librarian - Melvin - helped him out. This is a cute book, well-illustrated, and a loving homage by and for a children's librarian. My only quibble is to wonder what library has the resources to have three librarians in at the same time? Still, it is fiction...

I Am Pangoo the Penguin, by Satomi Ichikawa

Danny loves Pangoo the penguin, and takes him everywhere with him. Meals, playtime, to bed, even to see the penguins in the Central Park Zoo. When Danny's birthday nets him a boatload of new animals, though, Pangoo is left alone for the first time, and decides to join the penguins in the zoo, where perhaps he belongs. As he talks with them, though, it is clear that he is not like them, and he is lost, until Danny comes looking for him, and they are reunited. So sweet, this is, and a little poignant, with lovely illustrations that straddle modern and more classic styles.

Vote for Duck, by Doreen Cronin, ill. Betsy Lewin

We met Duck a few years back in Click, Clack, Moo, which quickly spawned a spate of follow-ups, but this is by far the best. Here, Duck decides he is unhappy with the management of the farm, and takes matters into his own hands, running to be in charge of the farm. He discovers that runing a farm is hard work. Sohe decided to run for Governor, instead. Which is also hard work. As is running the country. So Duck returns to the farm, where he begins work on his autobiography. Funny, although very American, as you will note right away, with the inevitable cover-judgment.

Gingerbread Girl, by Lisa Ernst Campbell

After the disappearance of the gingerbread boy, the lonely old man and woman decide to try their luck again, this time with a girl. A girl who overhears them rehashing the story of her former brother, and decides that things will be different when she escapes. And indeed, it is, especially for the fox. I have mixed reactions to this fairy tale take-offs. Sometimes they are kind of crummy, like the author couldn't come up with their own thing, but sometimes, they are sly and smart, fresh and funny, taking up where the original left off and adding their own twist. This is a fun one, and a great story for sharing with a kid you know is familiar with the original. Try pairing it with Richard Egielski's Gingerbread Boy (my personal favourite, and one that sticks to the old story - this just doesn't work if the Boy wasn't eaten, sorry).

Around the House the Fox Chased the Mouse, by Rick Walton, ill. Jim Bradshaw

This is the simplest of stories, with a fox chasing a mouse all around the farm, but it's the pictures that make it fun in bod, cartoonish style. The book is really about teaching prepositions, but manages to avoid being teach-y. Instead, it reminds me a bit of Pat Hutchins' classic Rosie's Walk, minus the sly, unsaid humour.

Alphabetter, by Dan Bar-El and Graham Ross

"Alberto had an alligator, but he didn't have a bathing suit." And he wanted to go swimming. And each kid, from A to Z, has something, but not what they need, until they all trade one letter up, and everyone's problems are solved. Seems contrived? Actually, it's packed with funny little details, and the message of cooperation is barely a footnote. I quite liked it, but I think it would work better for a child of at least 4 or 5, as Pumpkinpie (my test subject) totally didn't get it.

The Queen's Feet, by Sarah Ellis, ill. Dusan Petricic

The queen's feet were not obeying at all. In fact, they were starting to cause real trouble, refusing to wear proper, queenly shoes, doing high kicks at royal balls, and even kicking a neighbouring king in the shin. Something had to be done, and a compromise was struck. This book is silly and irreverant and made me laugh out loud at the antics of the feet, and I appreciated that the ending is satisfactory, without breaking the spirit of the feet. I was awfully tempted to pair this with Babette Cole's Princess Smartypants for a post on When Royalty Goes Wrong, but thought I'd rather give it to you today than make you wait.

Originally posted on MommyBlogsToronto/Better Than a Playdate.

Fresh Fodder

Every week or two, a library receives a box of new materials. It will be a mix, containing books, DVDs, books on tape, CDs for children, teens, and adults. It's often taken a while to wind its way through the paths of pubisher to distributor to library, through processing, and out to the branch. But it is always a little thrill to see what's in there. Today, to atone for my scant blogging while on holiday recently, I share a few new finds with you, ones that have just hit the shelves and are still all fresh and shiny.

17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do any More, by Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter

This hilarious gem stars a kid full of creativity and bright ideas. Too bad they all get her into trouble. Was stapling her brother's hair to his pillow so wrong that she shouldn't be allowed to use a stapler anymore? In the course of one school day, she is disallowed from doing reports on beaver, dedicating reports to beavers, telling everyone she owns 100 beavers, setting Joey Whipple on fire and showing him her underpants, and walking backwards, either to or from school. Sheesh. This kid is totally being stifled by grownups lacking in imagination! (Probably for kids about 5-8 years old.)

My Book Box, by Will Hillenbrand

This simple, toddler-friendly book is great fun, and a terrific starting point for discussing possibilities and engaging in creative play. It asks, quite simply, "What can I do with a box?" A few fun possibilities are illustrated by an elephant and frog playing together, until they hit upon the idea of a book box, which they can take everywhere so they always have something to read.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? by various artists

The time-worn joke is answered by a stellar lineup of 14 children's authors/illustrators, each afforded their own two-page spread. Many answers are entirely visual, setting up a scene that makes one side clearly preferable for one reason or another, while a few have added a verbal answer as well (Because the light was green!). The whole colection is funny, and great to share with a child just getting into the age of jokes or one firmly in command of his comedy routine (say 4-8 years).

Belinda and the Glass Slipper, by Amy Young

Belinda, the ballerina with enormous feet, was introduced to us in Belinda the Ballerina, in which she overcame them to become a star. When Belinda wins the part of Cinderella from an ambitious new dancer, the younger, smaller-footed Lola is not amused. Lola, in fact, locks Belinda in a closet and takes to the stage in her role! A fellow dancer finds her, helps her get ready, and she comes on in time to steal the show at the ball. A fun book for fans of ballet, and a talking point for jealousy, if it happens to be rearing its ugly head.

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People To Freedom, by Carole Boston Weatherford, ill. Kadir Nelson

I am a sucker for tales of people with strong convictions and the courage to back them up, and Harriet Tubman is no exception, getting me right in the heart. In this version of events, Harriet converses with god, who guides her and lends her strength as she runs away, and helps others escape along the Underground Railroad. The language is poetic, the paintings stunning, and Harriet's faith deeply expressed. Absolutely lovely, and a powerful tale of courage for an older child (I'd say 7 or over).

Who Am I? Yoga for Children of All Ages, by Jane Lee Wiesner, ill. Annie White

I am someone who is skeptical of yoga for children, in general. Perhaps because yoga is a bit too crunchy for me, perhaps because it seems like putting an adult thing on children. Yet, for all my cynical nature, when I opened this book, I was delighted. Simple illustrations show a child in many basic yoga poses set against the object that inspires them. I reach like a giraffe. I point like a triangle. I grow like a tree. All of the poses and ideas are chosen to be accessible for children, and the book could be used as a game of imagining to make the forms fun for children. Further information is given in the endnotes for parents who want to explain in more depth, as well. I am in fact, to my surprise, liking this so much, I am going to take it home to Pumpkinpie this week!

Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry, coll. Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, ill. Polly Dunbar

This fantastic collection of first poems is 100 pages of fun for the very young. Poems are short and bouncy, and authors range from more classic (A.A. Milne, Hilaire Belloc) to more modern and silly (Colin McNaughton). The topics are pitch perfect for young kids - family, pets, seasons, nature, bedtime, eating, and more - and divided in the index into headings. The illustrations hit a fun, light note - sweet without being saccharine. This one I love so much I am planning to get my own copy.

These and other delightful new books are available through your local library!

Originally posted on MommyBlogsToronto/Better Than a Playdate.