Out of Eden

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - New Gloucester, New Gloucester, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 1, 2014

Review

Stony and his family head to New Hampshire for a short vacation but before leaving their path crosses with that of Leopold and Abraham, serial kidnappers and killers. The family is ultimately caught and held captive tied to trees in a remote area of the forest. This extremely dark and creepy story will appeal to many older readers who are fans of the macabre and stay with them long after they read the last page. The book is not very long which will also be of interest to reluctant readers who are drawn to the genre.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Johnson, Peter

Publisher: Namelos

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: grades 7-9, grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781608981601

Price: 18.95

Richard Scarry's Best Bunny Book Ever!

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - retired, New Gloucester, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 1, 2014

Review

A collection of three bunny stories originally published separately over fifty years ago which still entertain readers today. This book contains: Naughty Bunny, Bunnies (formerly titled The Bunny Book), and The Bunny Book by Patsy Scarry. Young readers will delight in the stories of the cute, cuddly bunnies shown through beautifully timeless illustrations. A good addition for any collection whose copies are sure to be well-loved and worn out.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Scarry, Richard

Publisher: Golden Books / Random House Children's Books

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780385384674

Price: 6.99

Where's My Tushy?

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - New Gloucester, New Gloucester, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 1, 2014

Review

One night all the tushies decided to "high-tail" it out of town. Clad in geometric-patterned boxers and lacy panties, the tushies escape the confines of pants and skirts and head to the beach. The surprised tushy-less citizens are shocked and find out how hard it is to wear clothes, sit, or live their normal lives. Eventually the tushies return and everyone is happy again. The concept and illustrations are laugh-out-loud funny. This would be a great read-aloud sure to bring down the house.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Aronson, Deborah

Illustrator: Stevanovic, Ivica

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool, grades k-3

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781467711975

Price: 17.95

Tippy and the Night Parade

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - New Gloucester, New Gloucester, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 1, 2014

Review

Tippy is getting ready for bed but her room is a mess and she doesn't know why. There are animals, leaves and sticks, and bits of this and that everywhere. Her mom helps her clean it up and tucks her in to bed, warning her to not let her room get so messy again. While she sleeps, Tippy walks about having many great adventures and ends up back in bed with another messy menagerie, much to her mom's dismay. This Toon Book, a graphic novel for early readers, introduces the concept of following the action and dialog from one panel to the next and gleaning bits of the story from the pictures themselves a transferable skill to be used with graphic novels as the reader grown up. The monochromatic illustrations are full of action and humor and will be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Carre, Lilli

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Toon Books/Candlewick

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781935179573

Price: 12.95

I Love Dogs

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2015

Review

As a little boy ventures through the park, he celebrates his love of all dogs as he encounters and admires each and every different sort of dog. Dogs of various sizes, breeds, colors, energy levels, and behaviors fill the pages, sure to delight readers of any age. The boy makes his way through the park and arrives at a pet store where he adopts a dog of his own. The bright illustrations captivate the reader's attention and can be poured over to discover each and every detail of the dogs, their owners, and the situations the boy stumbles upon. Younger readers will be able to identify the dogs without even reading the words. The illustrations are realistic enough to clearly convey the descriptions of the dogs while, at the same time, with an air of whimsy such as to not be taken too seriously. This would be great for storytime, a lap-sit, or to just read independently. Students could use this as a writing prompt to describe their favorite, most creative, or imaginative dog. This would also be good for sparking a discussion on pet adoption and finding the right dog for a family.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Stainton, Sue

Illustrator: Staake, Bob

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books/ HarperCollins Publishers

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780061170577

Price: 14.99

Just So Stories: for Little Children, Volume II

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2015

Review

This is the second volume of Kipling's timeless tales Wallace has taken on with beautifully detailed and imaginative illustrations. Written over a century ago, the stories of 'why things are the way they are' all around the world will delight new generations of readers for years to come. The short stories are perfect read-alouds and students could come up with their own illustrations to accompany the text. The illustrations were created with watercolors, pencil crayons, pastel pencil, and chalk and take on an ethereal or dream-like quality with delicate colors which open up the reader's imagination. These illustrations might give the stories a new lease on life and appeal to a wider audience, as the original volumes were illustrated in black and white. At the end of the book, after the six stories, the illustrator includes notes on each story and the illustrations he created. He explains the choices he made, makes connections within and between the stories, and helps readers further understand Kipling's writings and intentions.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Kipling, Rudyard

Illustrator: Wallace, Ian

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Groundwood Books/ House of Anansi Press

Book Type: Picture Book Fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy,folklore

Audience: all ages

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781554982134

Price: 19.95

The World According to Musk Ox

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2015

Review

The third zany adventure of two unlikely companions. Musk Ox and Zebra travel the world exploring each continent, reveling in the notable characteristics of each location. After each stop, Musk Ox adds a new sticker to his trunk, reminding readers where he's been. As with the other books on the alphabet and counting, this one explains the concepts clearly but with great hilarity, sure to entertain readers young and old. In true form, Musk Ox annoys Zebra to no end, which is the basis of the book's humor. They banter back and forth, sometimes throwing insults, sometimes spewing facts, but always creating gales of laughter. This would be a great introduction to a study of the continents. Each continent has one clearly marked fact on an easily-identifiable "Hysterical Marker," along with other facts the two travelers point out, and the continent's location is identified on Zebra's globe.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Cabatingan, Erin

Illustrator: Myers, Matthew

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Neal Porter Books/ Roaring Brook Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781596437999

Price: 17.99

Peppa Pig and the Muddy Puddles

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2015

Review

As the rain pours down, Peppa Pig and her brother George go to bed dreaming of the fun time they will have in the morning jumping in the muddy puddles. When they wake up, they find there was so much rain there are no puddles to be found and every hill has become an island. When Granny and Grandpa Pig motor along in their boat, Peppa and George hop aboard for an adventure. While Peppa is a television character, readers who aren't familiar with the show will enjoy the adventures of Peppa and her family and friends. The simple story line and bright, digitally-created cartoon-like illustrations make the book appealing to young readers, most of whom surely enjoy stomping in puddles themselves. A discussion could follow about rain, puddles, mud, floods, islands, or handling disappointments and adverse conditions. There are other adventures of Peppa Pig that have been published in both hardcover and paperback.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Astley, Neville

Illustrator: Baker, Mark

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Candlewick Entertainment/ Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: fair

ISBN: 9780763672263

Price: 4.99

Laughing at My Nightmare

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2015

Review

This is quite possibly one of the funniest books about a not-so-funny reality of which most readers have no personal concept. Shane Burcaw was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy and spends his days in a wheelchair. He has an acerbic wit, great sense of adventure, and a very supportive family. He hasn't let his condition become a disability, but rather a motivation to help others through the blog he started and the nonprofit organization he founded. He graduated from college and has a great network of friends, most of whom have been accomplices in one zany stunt or another. His attitude towards life and his condition should be a lesson to us all, especially adolescents, who are often quick to judge and prejudiced against someone who is different or handicapped. Shane doesn't mince words and describes with great detail personal information readers would surely be curious of but afraid or embarrassed to ask about. The possibilities of rich discussions are endless, following the reading of this autobiography.

Overall Book Score: excellent

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About the Book

Author:

Burcaw, Shane

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: realistic fiction,biography / autobiography

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781626720077

Price: 17.99

Tyler Makes a Birthday Cake

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 12, 2015

Review

Young Tyler wants to celebrate the birthday of his dog, Tofu, with a cake. When he arrives at the bakery, the baker invites him to help with a cake and even takes him on an adventure to gather the ingredients. After they create the cake, the baker learns the cake is intended for Tofu so he warns Tyler the cake would be unhealthy for a dog but makes him a canine-friendly one instead, which he shares with all of his doggie friends at a fun party. At the end of the book, recipes for a 'human' cake and a 'canine' cake are included, along with interesting facts about the ingredients. The bright and lively illustrations are simple but full of movement, personality, and fun. The author has created a book that makes baking enjoyable, educational, and accessible for young readers. Kids will want to make the cakes after reading the story, maybe even to celebrate a favorite pooch's birthday. Additional books by this author/illustrator team include Tyler and Tofu cooking pancakes and spaghetti.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Florence, Tyler

Illustrator: Frazier, Craig

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins Publishers

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780062047601

Price: 17.99

Littleland Around the World

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 12, 2015

Review

The animal friends from Littleland pack up for a trip around the world. The critters visit a wide variety of countries and experience the diverse cultures at each stop. They sample food, speak other languages, travel in different ways, and see new animals. The setting for each country offers a fairly good representation of what one would find in terms of geography, climate, industry, buildings, clothing, and activities. For instance, in India, the friends visit the Taj Mahal, ride an elaborately decorated elephant, watch a snake charmer playing a flute, meet women dressed in saris, see colorful food for sale, cruise in an open taxi, and listen to a sitar. They key objects are highlighted along the bottom of each two-page spread in a "can you see...?" format. The bright, digitally created illustrations in this large picture book will catch the eye of even the youngest readers. This would be a great introduction to a study on countries, geography, or culture. The end pages show a world map and the stops along the journey. This is the third book about the cute and cuddly friends from Littleland.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Billet, Marion

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Nosy Crow/ Candlewick Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: adventure

Audience: preschool

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780763675790

Price: 14.99

Show Time with Sophia Grace and Rosie

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 12, 2015

Review

Cousins Sophia Grace and Rosie are never without their tiaras, tutus, and a song at the ready. When they discover their school is holding a talent show, they can't contain their excitement. They plan to perform a song that won't just put themselves in the spotlight but many of their classmates who might not otherwise have chosen to perform on their own. The message of inclusion and boosting someone else's self-confidence is sweet without being overly didactic. The spunk of the little girls, who have appeared together on the Ellen DeGeneres show, oozes from the pages and one can practically hear the rustle of their matching ruffly tutus. The illustrator has effectively captured the likeness of each girl. The glittery cover showing the two girls performing with microphones will surely draw readers in, even those who are unfamiliar with the girls' fame. A second book about the two young Brits features a tea party, another popular topic for young girls.

Overall Book Score: good

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About the Book

Author:

Grace, Willa

Illustrator: McNicholas, Shelagh

Illustration Quality: good

Publisher: Orchard Books/ Scholastic Inc.

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: realistic fiction,biography / autobiography

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: library binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780545631358

Price: 17.99

Everything I Need to Know About Christmas I Learned from a Little Golden Book

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 12, 2015

Review

While many children might recognize some of the illustrations in this book, and the gist of the message is suitable for all ages, the appropriate audience is actually middle-aged women (as captured perfectly on the front cover) who are in need of a little refocusing when it comes to the Christmas holiday season. While there are not any obviously adult-only behaviors shown in the illustrations from the dozens of classic Golden Books, the general air is one geared towards grown-ups. The book focuses on the overly-commercialized, frenzied nature of the holidays; the cooking, cleaning, shopping, wrapping, dealing with crazy kids, stressing out, gaining weight, sickness, forgetting the true meaning of Christmas- antics many of us succumb to. The selected illustrations perfectly capture the intended messages and are a little like a trip down memory lane. Some of them might even be unfamiliar to all but a handful of readers as they were published as far back as the 1940s. Portions of this book could be used with children, and serve as a springboard to young readers to seek out and read classic holiday Golden books. The back cover includes a tag line "Little Golden Books: not just for children anymore!" It is confusing why this book is being marketed as a kids book (the link on the back cover is randomhouse.com/kids) when it is very clearly not intended for kids.

Overall Book Score: fair

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About the Book

Author:

Muldrow, Diane

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Golden Books/ Random House Children's Books

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre:

Audience: adult / professional

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780553497359

Price: 9.99

Once Upon a Mastadon: All About Prehistoric Mammals

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 12, 2015

Review

There are a lot of facts packed into this short adventure with the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and Dick and his sister, Sally. They travel through time and around the world learning about all sorts of creatures from the Ice Age. Scientific practices used to study and identify these ancient animals are also included, along with a glossary, index, scientific names, pronunciation guides, and a list of resources for more information. In typical Dr. Seuss rhymes, the Cat shares interesting tidbits of information about the ancient mammals, starting with a description of what is a mammal. He also talks about early humans and what life was like for them and their interactions with the animals. Dick and Sally gape wide-eyed throughout the entire adventure, assuredly soaking in the myriad facts the Cat disseminates. Young readers would enjoy learning solid content in this fun manner, either on their own or during a read-aloud. The purpose of the books in this series is to deliver good information in an entertaining manner, showing that learning can be fun.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Worth, Bonnie

Illustrator: Ruiz, Aristides and Joe Mathieu

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Random House

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780375870750

Price: 9.99

What if You Had Animal Hair?

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 12, 2015

Review

Readers will surely have a lot of fun imagining what one's hair would be like as porcupine quills, polar bear fur, or giant pangolin scales, among other animals profiled in this humorous work of nonfiction. Scholastic also published a book about animal teeth in this same format. On each two-page spread, a kid is shown 'wearing' the fur of one of the many animals described. Why the animal has that type of hair is explained, along with other facts about the animal. The result of a human having that type of hair is also discussed. There is enough information on each animal for a student to start researching the animal, through a highly engaging manner. The cartoon-like illustrations are realistic enough to make the concept easy to understand. Photographs of the real animals are also included to clearly show the types of hair. Students could also think of their own favorite animal and what it would be like to have that animal's hair. Also included at the back of the book is information on how hair grows and how to take care of hair.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Markle, Sandra

Illustrator: McWilliam, Howard

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Book Type: picture book nonfiction

Genre:

Audience: preschool,grades k-3,grades 4-6

Binding Type: paperback

Binding Quality: fair

ISBN: 9780545630856

Price: 3.99

And Two Boys Booed

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 12, 2015

Review

A young boy prepares for his class talent show. He practices his song over and over and is ready to perform in front of his classmates. When the big day arrives, he feels ready, but as his turn gets closer and closer, his confidence wanes until, as he stands to go, he becomes flustered and can't do it. After several failed attempts, he finally belts out his song and receives two boos from boys who were fooling around the whole time. This really doesn't bother him because everyone else in the class is standing up applauding. His silly antics are shown through fun flaps throughout the book. Sometimes the flaps reveal surprises and sometimes funny things. This would make for a great read-aloud and serve as a good lesson for overcoming stage fright, being confident in the face of adversity, believing in ones' self, and supporting classmates who struggle. Young readers would also enjoy looking at this on their own, taking in the simple story by themselves. The uncluttered illustrations show the boy and his classmates, without a lot of extraneous details, allowing the focus to remain on the boy and his troubles.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Viorst, Judith

Illustrator: Blackall, Sophie

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Margaret Ferguson Books/ Farrar Strasu Giroux

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: fiction in verse / poetry

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780374303020

Price: 16.99

Super Red Riding Hood

Reviewed by: Dorothy Hall-Riddle - N/A, Cumberland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 12, 2015

Review

Ruby's favorite color is red; her boots are red, her lunch box is red, and the cloak her granny made her is red. When she puts the cloak on she becomes Super Red Riding Hood, a great super hero. When her mother encourages her to go into the woods to pick raspberries, Ruby reminds herself to be brave, like a super hero. It is here that she encounters the wolf, whose stomach is growling so much Ruby thinks he wants to eat her but it's really the raspberries he's after. The illustrations, rendered in Photoshop, superbly capture the wide variety of emotions in the story from Ruby's zest for life and her confidence as a super hero, her fear of the mysterious sound, the wolf's extreme lust for the raspberries, and the joy the two share after realizing they both have a common love of the juicy fruit. This would be a good book to start conversations about misconceptions, confidence, alternate versions of classic tales, and sharing. Having the background knowledge of the relationship between the wolf and Little Red Riding Hood makes the story work, even though there's no mention of going to Grand Ma's. Readers could take this or other tales and create variations as a writing exercise.

Overall Book Score: very good

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About the Book

Author:

Davila, Claudia

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Book Type: picture book fiction

Genre: folklore

Audience: preschool,grades k-3

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9781771380201

Price: 16.95