Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
Light Up the Night by Jean Reidy (and illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine; Disney Hyperion, 2011) is the story of a young child recognizing his place in the universe. The boy imagines he flies in a rocket to see the night stars in his universe. He introduces us the planets of his universe, then the earth, then
The Twin’s Blanket by Hyewon Yum (Frances Foster Books, 2011) captures the pains of growing up for two look-alike twins that have always shared a bed and a blanket. Now that they are big, they need their own blankets, which leads to new difficulties and quarrels. The childish tone of the two girls’ narration gives
Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations are always sure to be a winning set, and those in Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (Little, Brown, 2011) are no exception. Pinkney weaves the words of Jane Taylor’s familiar children’s rhyme in with the creative imaginative adventures of a sleepy chipmunk. As the chipmunk climbs the foliage, he soars through the sky on a
Naamah and the Ark at Night by Susan Campbell Bartoletti (illustrated by Holly Meade; Candlewick, 2011) captures the tradition of Noah and the flood by focusing on Noah’s wife in the evening calming the animals. Tradition suggests her name may have been “Naamah,” which means “great singer,” and Susan Campbell Bartoletti builds on that tradition by
The Big Snuggle-Up by Brian Patten (illustrated by Nicola Bayley; Kane Miller, 2011) is a story of a young child inviting a scarecrow in from the cold on a snowy evening. After the scarecrow comes in, the other animals outside want to come in and get warm too. As the evening settles, a crowd of animals,
Stars by Mary Lyn Ray (illustrated by Marla Frazee; Beach Lane Books, 2011) is somewhat about stars. Not real stars, but the “magic” that comes from a star: wear a star to become a sheriff or tape one on a stick to create a magic wand. Marla Frazee’s illustrations are stunning and make the book
Although I grew up with D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths, I have never been familiar with traditional Norse mythology. I have a Scandinavian heritage, so this seems a bit sad to me. When I saw that A.S. Byatt’s new addition to the Canongate Myths series was about the end of the world according to Norse mythology, I
As I mentioned when I reread The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson last year, I grew up with fond memories of the plot, characters, setting, and the entire premise of the story. My older brother and I would imagine ourselves conquering the world, pouring over maps and phone books to determine where
The Princess and the Pig by Jonathan Emmett and illustrated by Poly Bernatene (Walker and Company, September 2011) is the story of a princess and a pig whose parents believe they are in a fairy tale. In a rather amusing switch, a baby princess is swapped with a baby piglet. The farmer and his wife are amazed
Dog in Boots by Greg Gormley and illustrated by Roberta Angaramo (Holiday House, 2011) tells the story of a bookish dog who wants to find wonderful boots like the fascinating cat he read about in a storybook. (He apparently loves to read fairy tales.) But each pair of shoes he finds has some flaw that makes life
The Wise Fool: Fables from the Islamic World by Shahrukh Husain and illustrated by Micha Archer (Barefoot Books, 2011) tells the fables of Mulla Nasruddin, a fabulist I was unfamiliar with. Mulla, who is called a “wise fool,” comes from the Arabian Middle East and reaches in traditions to as far as Greece, parts of Russia, and
Aesop’s Fables by Beverley Naidoo and illustrated by Piet Grobler (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2011) adds a new multicultural layer to Aesop’s tales. Using her knowledge of African folktales and noting the similarities to Aesop’s own tales, South African author Beverley Naidoo gives an African twist to the tales that seems remarkably appropriate. I grew
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