Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
Chameleons are fascinating in how they adapt their appearance to match their environment. In Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett (Simon and Schuster, 2011), this is taken a step further as Blue Chameleon, who is lonely, tries to adapt himself to match the new friends he meets: yellow banana, pink cockatoo, stripy sock, spotty ball, and
The Busy Life of Ernestine Buckmeister by Linda Ravin Lodding and illustrated by Suzanne Beaky (Flashlight Press, 2011) is an anti-Tiger Mom story. (I happened to read it the first time the same week I reviewed Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, so the timing seemed quite ironic to me.) Poor young Ernestine is overscheduled with (ridiculous)after-school tasks, from
Pirate vs. Pirate by Mary Quattlebaum and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger (Hyperion, 2011) is the story of two unfriendly pirates: the biggest, burliest pirate and the maddest, mightiest pirate of their oceans. When they meet, they are determined to figure out who is the best pirate in the world, with surprising results. The ridiculous exaggerations and insults
The book Olive and Snowflake by Tammie Lyon (Marvell Cavendish, 2011) shows a girl and her dog who have some issues: Olive is clumsy and messy, and her dog likewise causes messes and gets them both in trouble! When Olive’s parents give an ultimatum (obedience school or the dog must go!), Olive wonders if she
I had mixed feelings when I first read Meena by Sine van Mol and illustrated by Carianne Wijffels (Eerdman’s, 2011, originally published 210 in Belgium) because it so frankly depicts neighborhood bullying; my son, being four, seems far from that issue and I made sure to keep it away from him. Obviously, this is a book for older children to
The Ballad of Booster Bogg by Ellen Jackson and illustrated by Christine Mannone Carolan (Shenanigan Books, 2011) is a humorous rhyming story about a dog who doesn’t want an owner. He loves to be free to explore the world. Because he’s an adorable and friendly dog, different people in town try to adopt him and spoil him,
Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan (Viking, 2011) has a basic storyline, that of Little Owl enjoying the evening, watching his forest friends, and wondering why anyone would want to sleep through the beautiful night. He wants to see the sunrise so he can see if that’s any good too, but as his mother describes it to
The titular cumulus cloud in Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld (Henry Holt, 2011) is small and seems insignificant amidst the other, larger clouds. When wind blows her to a desert area, she finds the strength within her to make a difference in her way. The illustrations of the friendly cloud are simple and endearing, and the ultimate resolution is
Dear Baobab by Cheryl Foggo and illustrated by Qin Leng (Second Story Press, 2011) tells the story of young Maiko, who has recently moved to a city from his home in Africa. He missed his 2,000-year-old tree but finds comfort in a small spruce tree in front of his home. Maiko must deal with being
Square Cat by Elizabeth Schoonmaker (Aladdin, 2011) is about Eula, a square cat, who finds life frustrating since she can’t do what cats are supposed to do. Her friends try to help her fit in, and ultimately Eula and her friends realize that it’s fun to be different. There is lots of white space to make the
King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Dial Books, 2011) fits in my self-imposed description of a perfect picture book: the text and the pictures are both required to tell the full story. Jack, Zack, and Jack’s baby brother Caspar are knights fighting dragons, planning to spend all night in their
A Few Blocks by Cybele Young (Groundwood Books, 2011) tells the story of two kids walking a few blocks to school. Walking to school seems like it would be a boring premise, but Ferdie and Viola’s imagination sees them through. Each time the two kids enter their imaginative world, they leave the black-and-white everyday scene behind and
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