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 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: New & Upcoming Releases

As part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, one of my favorite things is to round-up as many new quality nonfiction books for children and share them with readers of this blog.  Some months, I miss the release of books and add them to the next month's post.

Every once in awhile, I need to do a "books I missed, new releases this month and some upcoming releases" post. This is one of those posts.  There is a little bit for everyone here including picture books, graphic novels, and some longer-form nonfiction. Since I have not seen every book listed, I cannot always confirm if they are truly a nonfiction book or more of an informational fiction text.  

Links to previous 2015 new release posts: January | February | March | April Part I | April Part II | May | June 

March 3, 2015 

Up In the Garden and Down In the Dirt by Kate Messner; Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal  (Chronicle Books)

May 12, 2015

Woodpecker Wham! by April Pulley Sayre; Illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Henry Holt & Co.)

June 9, 2015

How to Babysit a Leopard: And Other True Stories From Our Travels Across Six Continents by Ted Lewin, Betsy Lewin (Roaring Brook Press)

July 7, 2015

Boy, Were We Wrong About the Weather by Kathleen V. Kudlinski, Illustrated by Sebastia Serra (Dial Books)

Invincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure by Jim Murphy and Alison Blank (HMH Books for Young Readers) - please note: This is the paperback release. Original hardcover came out in 2012. 

Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats by Il Sung Na (Knopf Books for Young Readers) 

July 14, 2015

Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Jonah Winter; Illustrated by Shane W. Evans (Schwartz & Wade)

July 21, 2015 

Steve Jobs: Insanely Great by Jessie Hartland (Schwartz & Wade)

August 1, 2015

A Second, A Minute, A Week with Days In It by Brian P. Clearly; Illustrated by Brian Gable (Millbrook Press) - please note: This is the paperback release. Original hardcover came out in 2013. 

August 4, 2015

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown (HMH Books for Young Readers)

Prisoners of Breendonk: Personal Histories from a World War II Concentration Camp by James M. Deen (HMH Books for Young Readers) 

August 25, 2015

Flying Cars! by Andrew Glass (Clarion Books)

Noah Webster: Man of Many Words by Catherine Reef (Clairon Books)

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - 7/20/15

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys.  Jen Vincent ofTeach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Last week was my "catch-up" post. It was a big post. Today, I am calling this the comic book/graphic novel edition. I was trying to catch up on some graphic novels and though I did not do as well as I had hoped to do, I did get in some good ones.  Also, if you missed out on the Eisner Award Winners, here is a link to the list of winners. I am hoping to catch up on the ones for children that I have yet to read. 

My Reviews from last week:

Watch Out for Flying Kids! How Two Circuses, Two Countries, and Nine Kids Confront Conflict and Build Community by Cynthia Levinson 

Wish by Matthew Cordell

Space Boy and His Dog by Dian Curtis Regan; Illustrated by Robert Neubecker

What I read:

Little Robot by Ben Hatke (First Second, September 1, 2015) - This nearly wordless, graphic novel about friendship for younger readers is super wonderful. I can't wait to see the finished copy in September. 

The Stratford Zoo Midnight Review: Romeo & Juliet by Ian Lendler; Illustrated by Zack  (First Second, September 29, 2015) - Shakespeare in a comic book form for kids...simply a lot of fun.

G-Man: Learning to Fly Vol. 1 by Chris Giarrusso (Image Comics, October 2015) - I know a lot of 9 & 10 year olds who will enjoy this series. 

Ms. Marvel: Vol. 1 by G. Willow Wilson; Illustrated by Adrian Alphona (Marvel, October 2014) - Why have I not read this series earlier? I loved it. Glad there are two more volumes to read.

Gotham Academy: Vol. 1 by Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher; Illustrations by Karl Kerschil (DC Comics, June 17, 2015) - Another fun new series set in the the DC Comics universe. I may have to get individual issues since volume 2 won't be out until March 2016. 

So, what are you reading? 

YA Friday Book Review: A Girl Undone

A Girl Undone
by Catherine Linka
St. Martin's Griffin (June 23, 2015)
Audience: Young Adult
IndieBound | WorldCat

Description from Goodreads:

"On the run with deadly government secrets, Avie must decide if she can live up to her name and truly become fearless for the cause or if it’s better to just give in.

The sequel and explosive conclusion to A Girl Called Fearless.

Having survived a violent confrontation with the US government, Avie is not out of danger. Both she and the young man she loves, Yates, have been declared terrorists, and Yates is hospitalized in critical condition, leaving Avie with the perilous task of carrying information that can bring down the Paternalist party, if she can get it into the right hands.

Forced on the run with handsome, enigmatic woodsman Luke, Avie struggles when every turn becomes a choice between keeping the two of them alive or completing their mission. With her face on every news channel and a quarter million dollar reward from the man who still owns her marriage contract, Avie’s worst fears are about to come true.

Equal parts thrilling and romantic, A Girl Undone is sure to keep your heart racing right until the very end."

Carolyn's thoughts on the book:

A Girl Called Fearless was one of my favorite books of 2014, and the amazing sequel, A Girl Undone, not only defied the terrible sequel stereotype but also was a brilliantly executed and captivating book all on its own. Picking up right after the end of the first book, Avie goes through a journey entirely different than when she fled across the country in A Girl Called Fearless. Separated from Yates, the boy she loves, Avie has abandoned her plan to go to Canada in favor of pursuing higher goals. Accompanied by Luke, she must make her way to Washington, DC to deliver information vital to bringing down the oppressive paternalist party - but when there's a country-wide manhunt for you, that's no easy feat. Soon, everything unravels, but as long as she keeps her wits about her, Avie's journey is far from over. Allies can show up in the unlikeliest of places, and the twists and suspense will keep you turning every page until the end. The character development of Avie is different in the sequel - in the first book, she was forced to suddenly flee for Canada, and such a drastic change of circumstance produced a dramatic development. But the character development is more subtle in A Girl Undone, as Avie must constantly weigh her choices. Does she truly love Yates, or should she pursue her feelings for Luke? Is it better to chance passing along the information rather than crossing the border to assured freedom in Canada? Who can she actually trust? This internal socratic method of sorts leads to Avie's certainty in her mission and her preservation against all odds. The last third of the book was one surprise after another, and definitely an unexpected turn for Avie, but she elegantly and brilliantly accomplishes what she needs to in an excellently executed turn of events. A Girl Undone is a great book for those who enjoy dystopia, thrills, and a feminist bent in their books.

Carolyn is a teen blogger who shares her favorite YA reads and favorite book related finds with readers on Fridays.

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.