Picture Book Pick of the Day: The Whisper

The Whisper
by Pamela Zagarenski
HMH Books for Young Readers (October 6, 2015)
Audience: Grades 1 to 3
Fiction * Imagination * Storytelling
IndieBound | WorldCat

About the book: 
Step inside the pages of a little girl's magical book as she discovers the profound and inspiring notion that we each bring something different to the same story. Two-time Caldecott Honor artist Pamela Zagarenski debuts as an author in this tender picture book about the joy of reading.

My thoughts on the book:
This has been a good year for picture books. There are so many that I have loved and I don't envy the challenge facing the 2016 Caldecott committee. In addition to the ones coming from illustrators living in the United States, there are also so many amazing picture books coming from Canada or other countries. 

However, I am excited that Pamela Zagarenski is from Connecticut, and with two Caldecott Honors to her credit, there is no doubt that she is eligible for a Caldecott. 

So, I am putting it out there. I want this one to win a Caldecott on Monday, January 11, 2016.

The Whisper is magical and has lovely illustrations.  Yes, the illustrations are very much Zagarenski's signature style. However, what she does with her illustrations is charming and produces a beautiful result. 

In addition to the gorgeous illustrations, I was delighted with the story of a young girl who discovers how to use her imagination to weave stories.  Though at first, the girl finds the idea of creating stories to be a challenge, her imagination and storytelling grows with each page. 

In the background of the story is a fox who collected the words that had escaped from the book as the girl ran home. More of his story comes at the end. 

I was excited to find this book during a recent trip to New York City. I loved it enough to carry it back to California with me. Look for a copy of The Whisper at your local Indie Bookstore or Public library. 

Day 9 of 30 Days of Gratitude:
Today, I am thankful for picture books. For the amazing authors and illustrators who create beautiful books for us to enjoy like the one above. I am also thankful for how picture books have developed over the years and the technology that allow books to be produced in the way that showcases creative, imaginative works of art that also tell a story. 

Book Review: The Bear Report

The Bear Report
by Thyra Heder
Abrams Books for Young Readers (October 6, 2015)
Fiction * Arctic Regions * Polar Bears
Audience: Ages 4 to 8
IndieBound | WorldCat

About the book: 
Sophie does not want to do her homework, a research report on polar bears. Bor-ing. They’re big. They eat things. They’re mean. What else is there to say about them anyway? As it turns out, plenty. And when a polar bear named Olafur swoops her away to the Arctic, she soon learns all about the playful bear’s habits and habitat—from glacier mice to the northern lights—and, despite her first reservations, she finds herself not just interested but excited about the Arctic. When the two are swept out to sea on an iceberg, Sophie’s new knowledge and knack for creative thinking pay off in a big way: she calls a whale to their aid! Inspired by her journey, she’s ready to return home and take another swing at her assignment, this time with gusto.

The Bear Report showcases the power of curiosity and imagination to fill any blank canvas, whether it’s an incomplete homework assignment or the Arctic ice.

My thoughts on the book:
This is the time of the year when I begin thinking about my favorite books of the year. Some books grow on me as I read them again and again. Other books just never seem to catch my interest. And then there are those books that right from the moment I see the cover or flip through the first few pages, I know that I must have the book. 

Originally, I discovered Thyra Heder when I picked up her book Fraidyzoo.  I purchased it on a trip east while visiting R. J. Julia's in Madison, Connecticut. However, when I first held The Bear Report, I knew this was a special book. When I got to the page where the polar bear tells the young girl "We are not ALL mean.", I had to smile. This book was going to be a fun read. 

Heder swirls together a whimsical journey taken by a large polar bear and a small girl with beautiful illustrations. 

However, the story is not all imagination, readers discover facts about the arctic and the environment inhabited by polar bears and other animals. 

The friendship between the girl and the bear is touching and humorous. 

When Sophie learns about the whale's song and then uses her new found knowledge to communicate with the whale, I chuckled. However, when I opened to the two page spread of northern lights, I took a moment to pause and like Sophie and Olafur just admire it. I would love a print of of these two pages. 

In the end, Sophie has been transformed by her time with Olafur just as the reader has been touched by the beauty of this book. 

Consider pairing The Bear Report with a nonfiction book about polar bears when sharing it with students. Pick up a copy of The Bear Report at your local indie bookstore or check it out at your community library. 

About the author: 
Thyra Heder is the author of FRAIDYZOO, an ALA Notable Book hailed by Kirkus as "riotous buffoonery" in a starred review. She is also an illustrator and storyboard artist whose clients include Kenneth Cole, Vogue, and Coca-Cola. She lives in Brooklyn. For more information: website | twitter | facebook

Happy Book Birthday to Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Crenshaw
by Katherine Applegate
Macmillan (September 22, 2015)
Fiction * Homelessness * Imaginary Friends
Audience: Ages 8 to 12
Indiebound | Worldcat | GoodReads
website: crenshawthebook.com

About the book: 
In her first novel since winning the Newbery Medal, Katherine Applegate delivers an unforgettable and magical story about family, friendship, and resilience.

Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again.

Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?

Beloved author Katherine Applegate proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary.

Check out the official book trailer:

Check out the nationwide Crenshaw the Food Drive, here. 

My thoughts on the book:
Childhood can be tougher than most adults realize. Teachers see this all the time. The children who have little to no control over what is happening in their lives and must come to school and try and focus on learning. Not always the easiest thing to do and then we wonder where the acting out or anger or attention seeking behaviors come from?!  

As an educator, in a school district with a large population of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, I have seen how poverty or financial instability impact students in very real ways. The effects of unemployment or jobs that do not pay a sustainable or living wage reach far beyond what we imagine.  

In CRENSHAW, Katherine Applegate introduces readers to Jackson, his little sister, and his parents. Due to a variety of life situations beyond Jackson's control, childhood is far from carefree and easy. When Jackson was younger and the family faced living in their van for a period of time, Crenshaw, a large, imaginary cat came into Jackson's life to help him cope. Though Jackson is older, life is still presenting a lot of challenges for his family and the possibility of living in their van is a again looming over them. And Crenshaw is back. What does it mean?

In a very real and very touching manner, Applegate deals with the issue of homelessness and hunger facing children today. CRENSHAW provides children who live with financial uncertainty with a way of seeing themselves in a book, and hopefully for a means of being able to speak with a caring adult of their own concerns and fears. It also provides teachers with another lens in which to understand the issue of childhood homelessness. Additionally, don't we all need an understanding imaginary friend who shows up just when we need a listening ear or a way to feel secure when all else is uncertain? 

Pair CRENSHAW with Yard Sale by Eve Bunting; Illustrated by Lauren Castillo (Candlewick, 2015).

I have been book talking CRENSHAW to teachers for the past few months. I am so excited that it is finally out in the world for everyone to read and I look forward to hearing about students' reactions when they hear CRENSHAW read aloud. Applegate has created another heart-print book that will touch the lives of everyone who reads it.

Pick up a copy of CRENSHAW at your local indie bookstore or public library. 

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the giveaway. Participants must be 13 years old or older and have a US Mailing address.  Complete the rafflecopter below to enter to win: 

Book Review: Night Animals by Gianna Marino

Night Animals
by Gianna Marino
Viking Books for Young Readers (July 14, 2015)
Fiction * Animals * Nocturnal
Audience: Ages 4 to 7 years 
IndieBound | WorldCat | GoodReads

About the book: 
When Skunk asks Possum why he’s hiding, he sets off a chain reaction of animals scared of sounds in the night. Even Wolf and Bear are sure something’s out there. And what is that something? asks Bat. “Night Animals!” reply the animals. “But you ARE night animals,” states Bat. And the animals sheepishly realize they’ve been running away from each other. But then a new night animal sets them off running again: Humans!

Here’s an adorable and very silly spin on a bedtime book that is sure to leave kids giggling their nighttime fears away.

My thoughts on the book:
Over the course of a year, I read a lot of picture books. Some are sad. Some are funny. Some are silly. Some make you cry. And some really stand out from all of the rest. Six months ago I read the folded & gathered (F&G) of Night Animals. On GoodReads, I rated it 5-stars. Recently, I read Night Animals again, and I would still give it 5-stars. It really is that good. 

First, I love the beautiful illustrations in this book. From listening to illustrators talk about their work, I know that black backgrounds can be difficult to print, which makes me appreciate that nearly every page in this book has a solid black background. The choice of background allows each animal to stand out and nearly pop off the page. 

Next, I adore the animals in this story. Quickly, readers will discover that this is a fairly paranoid, but silly group of woodland creatures. Young readers may not fully grasp the humor behind the humor at first but through the text and illustrations, they will understand that these animals are pretty goofy. 

Also, I suspect that small children will find humor and take comfort in the fact that some of the largest creatures in the woods are also the ones that are most afraid of the dark or of what is out there. 

After a lot of panic and fear on the part of the animals, one small bat sets them all straight in a matter a fact manner. Below is one of my favorite pages - the bat hanging from the tree with the huge moon in the background.  

I wondered a little if the bat feels more exasperated as he watches all of the animals be so silly. And just to clear things up, the bat states "But you ARE night animals." 

Though I don't want to ruin the surprise at the end of the book, I suspect that children will love the twist at the conclusion of the book. If you are a parent, prepare to read this one at bedtime over and over again. 

Look for Night Animals at your local indie bookstore or public library. 

About the author: 
Gianna Marino was born in San Francisco and spent her early years galloping horses through Golden Gate Park. Gianna had several jobs at once: apprenticing a muralist, a jewelry designer, a product designer and driving horse carriages through the park. Between projects and then college, Gianna visited West, East and North Africa, India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Noumea, crewed on sailboats in Mexico and the Caribbean and lived in Europe for a time. She now lives and works in the Napa Valley and still gallops on horses. You can find Gianna on her website: www.giannamarino.com 

Book Review: Space Boy And His Dog

Space Boy and His Dog
by Dian Curtis Regan; Illustrated by Robert Neubecker
Boyds Mills Press (April 7, 2015)
Audience: Ages 4 to 7
Fiction * Imagination * Siblings
Indiebound | WorldCat

About the book: 
Niko may live on boring old Earth with his family, but he’s always finding a new adventure. Using the spaceship that he built from a box in his backyard and a little imagination, he flies off into space with his robot, Radar, and his dog, Tag. The only one NOT invited is his sister Posh who keeps trying to insert herself into Niko’s story. In this first mission, Niko and crew (and maybe also pesky Posh) fly to the moon in search of a lost cat. Illustrated in comic–book style and featuring easy–to–read text packed with humor, Space Boy and His Dog is Niko’s first adventure, with two more books planned in the series.

My thoughts on the book:
When I am putting together a blog post, I tend to look at different resources like the publisher's website, GoodReads, and Edelweiss. It makes collecting the information for the post just a bit easier. Normally, I don't read the reviews by sites like Kirkus or School Library Journal or Publisher's Weekly until after writing my review. Somehow, accidentally maybe, I read the Publisher's Weekly review for Space Boy and His Dog. Here it is : 

“Niko has an impressive space fantasy going, aided by a tricked-out cardboard-box rocket ship, his dog, his trusty robot toy, and Neubecker’s vivid, comically earnest cartooning. But his sister, Posh, keeps trying to hijack the narration, despite Niko’s admonition that “She is not in this story.”… Regan (Barnyard Slam) takes readers inside the head of a very imaginative child, honoring Niko’s desire to control his story while affectionately spoofing it. It’s a funny and fresh spin on sibling conflict…” - Publisher's Weekly

After reading that review, which really captured my thoughts, I knew I would need another approach. So let me share some interior images and tell you what i enjoyed about Space Boy and His Dog. 

First, the illustrations and color choices make this book stand out. The illustrations are bright, and Neubecker's color pallet really works for this space-themed book.   

Readers know early on that the story is about a little boy named Niko and this child has a very active imagination. (see image above) However, I love when an element gets thrown in and it is used successfully in the story. The element were the narrator is trying to negate something that is obviously part of the story. As a result, it becomes my favorite part of the story and the the following image captures the underlying theme -siblings. This story is of course NOT about Niko's sister Posh and she is NOT in this story. Even young readers catch onto the humor introduced from this point.

Another element in this book that I enjoyed was the graphic novel style panels that work to guide the reader and set off dialogue. 

And we have Posh...oh right..she is not in this story. 

Of course, even Space Captains need to take into consideration the feelings of their crew if they are going to get everyone safely home. More Posh. More humor.

Space Boy and His Dog is a fun read that younger children will definitely appreciate. The sense of adventure, the free-flowing imagination, the sibling rivalry, and the humor will capture readers and make this one to come back to for further readings. 

Look for a copy of SPACE BOY AND HIS DOG at your local independent bookstore or public library. 

About the creators: 
Dian Curtis Regan is the author of the bestselling PRINCESS NEVERMORE and many books for young readers, ranging from picture books to young adult novels. Her books have received many honors, including Best Books for Young Adults and Children’s Choice Awards citations.

Robert Neubecker is the award-winning author-illustrator of WOW! CITY!; WOW! AMERICA!; and WOW! SCHOOL!, and the illustrator of THE PROBLEM WITH NOT BEING SCARED OF MONSTERS and its upcoming sequel THE PROBLEM WITH NOT BEING SCARED OF KIDS. He lives in Park City, Utah.