This is one in a series of monthly reviews of books for young people written by area teachers of children’s literature. Today's reviews are by Melissa Cain, professor at the University of Findlay, and Alexa Sandmann, professor of literacy at Kent State University.
Preschool
Waiting. Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow. $17.99.
Waiting is part of life for both children and grown-ups. Beloved writer-illustrator Henkes takes on this difficult topic with his usual intuitive charm. Simple illustrations in pastel colors show five friends — an owl, a pig, a bear, a puppy, and a rabbit — watching out a window. Different things make each happy — wind, rain, snow, or a shining full moon. Together, they see many uniquely beautiful sights, as other characters come and go. This is a delightful metaphor for the fact that life is in the living. Sometimes waiting is required and sometimes there is sorrow, but we also experience deep joy along the way. (MAC)
BEEP! BEEP! Go to Sleep! Written by Todd Tarpley. Illustrated by John Rocco. Little Brown and Co. $17.
“Three little robots, time for bed. Time to dim your infrared.” Rollicking, rhyming prose, accompanied by robustly-colored and animated illustrations make for a fun, bedtime tale. As their young friend tries to get them tucked in so that they can go to sleep, the three robots make known that their “sensor aches,” or a “bolt’s too tight,” or they need a “bedtime story.” And once the bedtime stories are told, “They’ve finally put their boy to sleep.” Utterly charming, a story everyone who has ever tried to put a child to bed will recognize and appreciate. (ALS)
Primary
First Snow. Written and illustrated by Peter McCarty. Balzer + Bray. $16.99.
Sancho and his sisters have a special visitor, Pedro, who comes from a place where it is too warm for snow. When snow actually starts to fall, Pedro is sure he won’t like it. What follows is a series of firsts for Pedro — first snow angel, first snowflake on his tongue, first sled run, and first snowball fight. McCarty’s illustrations of simple animal friends enjoying a snowy day are sure to delight young readers. Snowflakes and white backgrounds set off the action as the friends do everything they can think of to change Pedro’s mind. (MAC)
T is for Time. Written by Marie and Roland T. Smith Illustrated by Renee Graef. Sleeping Bear Press. $16.99.
Time has fascinated people across the years. This vibrantly illustrated book provides both verse and prose to celebrate time from various angles. From predicting time, “A is for Almanac” to documenting time, “I is for International Date Line,” to enhancing accuracy of timepieces with “Q is for Quartz,” the book ends with “Z is for Zulu,” the system of dividing the Earth into 24 time zones. Fun facts are shared in an engaging format, a delight for youngsters as well as adults who are likely to learn a few new facts of their own. (ALS)
Middle
A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic. Written by Lisa Papademetriou. Harper. $16.99.
In this multilayered story, two girls — Kai in Texas and Leila in Pakistan — find copies of a magic book strangely called The Exquisite Corpse. Each discovers a story gradually unfolding in her book and incorporating anything she adds. The story is of Ralph, a young man in love with Edwina, an heiress threatened by an evil guardian. The girls have their own issues: Kai has difficulty making friends and Leila, half American and half Pakistani, feels she belongs nowhere. As the threads of the stories unfold, including one related to saving the endangered Celestial moth, connections between all of them are revealed. (MAC)
The Marvels. Written by Brian Selznick Scholastic Press. $32.99.
Impossible not to “marvel” at this tome, Selznick has once more created a luxuriously illustrated novel of intertwining tales. The first half of the book, set in 1766, is wholly illustrated; the second half, set in 1990, is narrated, with an illustrated conclusion. The Afterword notes that much of the story is based on truth, on a house in London which time has forgotten, a “living house museum” aimed at “keeping the past alive.” From the open illustration to the opening lines of the narration, “Joseph was lost,” the reader is enticed on an unparalleled adventure. (ALS)
Young Adult
The Sleeper and the Spindle. Written by Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Chris Riddell. Harper. $19.99.
Storytelling wizard Neil Gaiman presents a mash up of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White in this creative folktale. Its sophistication makes it recommended for grades 7 and up. It begins with the Queen (Snow White) preparing for marriage. When she learns that a sleeping plague is spreading from a neighboring kingdom to hers, she and three dwarves embark on a quest to stop it. Plot twists abound as she unravels the mystery and finds the courage to determine her own destiny. Riddell uses an art nouveau style reminiscent of Arthur Rackham. Detailed pen-and-ink drawings, gorgeously decorated with gold, reveal the characters’ true natures. (MAC)
Ash & Bramble. Written by Sarah Prineas. Harper Teen. $17.99.
Fairy tale fans will be swept away by this unique twist on classic tales. Usually, the Godmother provides for a “happily ever after,” and this one is trying, for the Story must prevail. The key question becomes: At whose expense does the Story prevail? Pin dares defy the Godmother, escaping from her fortress. Shoe joins forces with Pin, as does the Prince! How will the Story end? Pin “doesn’t believe that love is destined or meant to be, she wants to choose it for herself.” A fairy tale like no other, the reader will not regard that genre with the same eyes again. (ALS)
Sidebar Book
More Caps for Sale: Another Tale of Mischievous Monkeys. Written and illustrated by Esphyr Slobodkina with Ann Marie Mulhearn Sayer. Harper. $18.99.
This unusual collaboration continues Caps for Sale, the 1940 classic story of a peddler whose caps are stolen by monkeys. Slobodkina hired Sayer to produce musical versions of her picture books. Eventually Sayer became her personal assistant. They discussed a sequel and Slobodkina invited Sayer to complete it. Sayer wrote the text in the style of the original and used imaging technology to create composite scenes that were all Slobodkina’s original work. The story continues the idea of “monkey see, monkey do.” This time, both the peddler and the monkeys imitate each other, making a clever and appropriate sequel. (MAC)
Thank You and Good Night. Written by Patrick McDonnell. Little Brown and Co. $15.99.
Bedtime routines help everyone, children and adults alike, close the day to enter dreamland. However, when Jean and Alan join Maggie and Clement for a sleepover, party-time ensues. After a chicken dance, funny-face contest, hide-and-seek, a little yoga, and a snack, they finally get sleepy. After bedtime stories, Maggie suggests, “Let’s all say what we were thankful for this day.” Sweet illustrations capture perfectly the tone of this picture book. Naming blessings multiples their worth. (ALS)
First Published December 13, 2015, 5:00 a.m.