Book Review - Lulu and The Brontosaurus

Author: Judith Viorst
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Publisher: Atheneum (September 14, 2010)
Reading Level: Ages 6 to 9 years
Source: Personal Copy

Description from Google Books:
It's Lulu's birthday and she's decided she'd like a pet brontosaurus as a present. When Lulu's parents tell her that's not possible, Lulu gets very upset. She does not like it when things don't go her way. So she takes matters into her own hands and storms off into the forest to find herself a new pet, all the way singing:
"I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, gonna, get
a bronto-bronto-bronto-bronto-saurus for a pet! "
In the forest Lulu encounters a number of animals; a snake, a tiger, a bear, all of whom don't particularly impress her. And then she finds him...a beautiful, long-necked, gentle, graceful brontosaurus. And he completely agrees with Lulu that having a pet would be a wonderful thing, indeed! Lulu thinks she's gotten her birthday wish at last. Until she realizes that Mr. Brontosaurus thinks that she would make an ideal pet for him!
How will Lulu ever get out of this sticky situation without throwing a fit (Mr. B does not respond well to those), or using force (Mr. B is much to tall to bonk on the head with her suitcase), or smushing her pickle sandwich?

Judith Viorst, well known for her book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (among others), teams up with illustrator Lane Smith (most known for his collaborations with David Scieszka) in creating this early/first chapter book that children will love.  Viorst has an interesting way of interjecting herself into the story right from the beginning.  She acknowledges that dinosaurs and people didn't live at the same time, but since this is her book she is going to do what she want.  And she has created a very vivid character in Lulu.  Viorst also shares with the reader that Lulu is a pain, but not a pain in the elbow or the knee but a very big pain in the butt.  It is with this information that the reader begins to get to know Lulu and the story.

So what happens to a stubborn, bratty little girl who wants a brontosaurus for her birthday?  This is where the fun begins.  Lulu goes on a hunt for a brontosaurus and she discovers something more than she expected.  The brontosaurus is a perfect match for our small friend and as a result Lulu has a lot to learn.  However, the story just doesn't end as readers might come to expect.  Actually, Viorst provides three ends for her story.  Readers can chose the one they most prefer. 

When I heard this book talked at a teacher workshop, I knew I had to have a closer look.  The book is long enough to provide a challenge to early readers who are embarking on chapter books, but short enough that it can be read as a read aloud in one session.  The story provides the basis for a great discussion about Lulu's behavior and also what happens when she encounters the Brontosaurus.  Rather than just reading the three endings, an adult can challenge children to predict their own endings and then compare their predictions with the ones in the book.

This is a fun early chapter book that is very well done and will be engaging to a wide range of children. 

Book Review - Jimi: Sounds Like A Rainbow: A Story of Young Jimi Hendrix

Author: Gary Golio
Illustrator: Javaka Steptoe
Publisher: Clarion Books (October 4, 2010)
Reading Level: Ages 9 to 12 years
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Description from GoodReads: 
Jimi Hendrix was many things: a superstar, a rebel, a hero, an innovator. But first, he was a boy named Jimmy who loved to draw and paint and listen to records. A boy who played air guitar with a broomstick and longed for a real guitar of his own. A boy who asked himself a question: Could someone paint pictures with sound?
     This a story of a talented child who learns to see, hear, and interpret the world around him in his own unique way. It is also a story of a determined kid with a vision, who worked hard to become a devoted and masterful artist. Jimi Hendrix--a groundbreaking performer whose music shook the very foundations of rock 'n' roll.

Recently, I noticed that someone had mentioned this book on Twitter.  During my next trip to my favorite indie bookstore, I decided to check it out.  I was curious to read a picture book on Jimi Hendrix.  From what point of view would it be told? And what would it chose to focus on? I was pleased with the approach that author Gary Golio uses to tell about Jimi Hendrix the child.  The majority of the book focuses on his early youth, his love of music, and how he discovers his own signature playing style.  The reader learns about the musicians and bands that influenced Hendrix in the early years, as well as, how he began with a ukulele and then a second-hand guitar.  

Steptoe's mixed media focuses on providing a visual representation of Hendrix's music.  The colors splash across the page providing this incredible compliment to the text. 

Golio does a solid job with this biography. And the resources at the end of the book are quite valuable especially if a teacher or student decides to look at them more closely.  This would be a nice addition to a collection on biographies. Jimi: Sounds Like A Rainbow is definitely a book worth checking out.  

Book Review - A Tale Dark and Grimm

Author: Adam Gidwitz
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (October 28, 2010)
Reading Level: Ages 9 to 12
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Description from GoodReads:
Brooklyn schoolteacher Adam Gidwitz offers imaginative new slants on children's classics in this new collection inspired by nine Grimm Brothers fairy tales. Never before have Hansel and Gretel had an adventure like this!

The Brothers Grimm have met their modern day rival in Adam Gidwitz.  His debut book, A TALE DARK AND GRIMM, weaves the tale of Hansel and Gretel into various other Grimm fairy tales creating a new and inspired look at some old favorites.  I truly believe that Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, famous for stories such as Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, would have approved of Gidwitz's twist on their stories.  
  
However, as the narrator of A TALE DARK AND GRIMM cautions "if there are little kids...why don't you go hire a babysitter.." Gidwitz does not hold back in his version of the classic folk/fairy tale. This tale is not one for the faint of heart. There is a cannibalistic old woman, and a moon that would like nothing more than to eat the tender flesh of a child, and the hacking off of various body parts.  

For those who want to protest that children would be frightened by Gidwitz's rendition of Hansel and Gretel, may I remind you of the popularity of books such as R.L. Stine's Goosebumps or the clamor of children around a campfire or at a sleepover for a scary story to be shared.  Children love scary stories. And they love stories with happy endings and where children turn out to be the heroes.  

A TALE DARK AND GRIMM begins with the narrator who sets the stage for what will be revealed and at various points in the story he interjects himself into the book to warn or explain to the audience what has happened or what will be happening.  Then he takes a step back and begins with the time shortly before Hansel and Gretel are born.  This movement backwards is critical for it sets the stage for what is to come and provides the parameters for the tale.  

As I read through the book, I loved the pacing of the story and how Gidwitz would throw in a "The End" and in turning the page a "Not really".  Hansel and Gretel evolve from very young and frivolous to young and wise.  The things that they have seen and experienced provide a foundation for this growth and teaches them important lessons along the way.  Part of their quest is to find parents who would be loving and kind and caring and not do cruel things to their children and yet they learn over and over again how hard that is to find or even be.  As well as what it means to forgive and to "under-stand".  

If you are in doubt about this book, I would encourage you to check out Gidwitz's Frequently Asked Questions (click here).  He does a much better job of explaining the reason and purpose for the blood and gore.  

For me, I will book talk it and get it into the hands of children who I know will love it.  Understanding that for some children, it might be better if they wait some before attempting to read this book.

I am excited to have discovered Adam Gidwitz's debut novel and I look forward to future books from this talented writer.

Book Review - Turkey Trouble

Author:  Wendy Silvano
Illustrator: Lee Harper
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Reference (October 1, 2009)
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 years
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

It's not easy being a turkey especially on Thanksgiving.  In Wendy Silvano's book Turkey Trouble, one scheming turkey decides that maybe if he doesn't look like a turkey then he won't find himself as the main dish.  First, he tries to disguise himself as a horse.  When that fails, he moves on to covering up as a cow, sheep, pig and finally a rooster.  Unfortunately, when Farmer Jake thinks that the rooster might make a good substitute for the main course if the turkey can't be located, our main bird thinks it is time for an alternative menu plan.

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving (click here for review) may be one of my favorite non-fiction seasonal picture books, but Turkey Trouble is competing for top rank in my pile of humorous Thanksgiving picture books.  The costumes that Turkey devises are hysterical.  I found myself giggling out loud as I was reading the book. Young children will love the disguises and the predictable pattern of the text.  Silvano's hilarious text is complimented by Harper's comical watercolors.  Though the text is strong on it's own, Harper's illustrations really lift this book to a new level.  I loved the expressions on the face of the Turkey as he was attempting to hide or when he knew he was outted.  And though I figured I had guessed the ending, it was fun to see what twist was in this book.

As an educator, I like having a collection of books around certain topics which can be used to set up a unit or to explore a topic with more depth.  This is one picture book that I plan to keep on the top of my seasonal picture books as long as others don't walk away with it.  Maybe I should just keep an extra one.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and may it be filled with lots of blessings!

-Aly

Book Review - Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Illustrator: Matt Faulkner
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (September 27, 2005)
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 10 years
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Description from GoodReads:

 

We the people of the United States...

 

Almost Lost Thanksgiving

 

Yes. That's right!

Way back when "skirts were long and hats were tall" Americans were forgetting Thanksgiving, and nobody seemed to care!

Thankfully, Sarah Hale appeared. More steadfast than Plymouth Rock, this lady editor knew the holiday needed saving. But would her recipe for rescue ever convince Congress and the presidents?

Join acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson on a journey of a woman and a pen that spanned four decades, the Civil War, and five presidents, all so you could have your turkey and eat it too!

 Thanks to @mrschureads on Twitter I have a new favorite Thanksgiving Picture Book - THANK YOU, SARAH: THE WOMAN WHO SAVED THANKSGIVING.  This non-fiction picture book tells the story of Sarah Hale.  A woman who was well ahead of her times.  Hale, a mother of five, had a well established career as an advocate, writer, and editor.  She even wrote "Mary Had A Little Lamb".  However, when she discovered that people were not observing Thanksgiving regularly and it was potentially going to be lost as a holiday, Hale began a 38 year letter writing campaign to convince the President to declare it a National Holiday on a set date.  It wasn't until 1863 and Abraham Lincoln that Hale finally met with success. 

Laurie Halse Anderson, though more well-known for her Middle Grade and Young Adult books (SPEAK, CHAINS, FEVER, FORGE, and more), tackles the re-telling of Hale's journey to rescue Thanksgiving in a delightful and humorous manner.  With a bit of irreverency in both text and illustrations, Halse Anderson brings alive Hale's perseverance and tenacity while Faulkner does an excellent job making the text pop with caricature style drawings.  At the end of the story, Halse Anderson challenges readers to "Pick up your pen. Change the world." And Hale certainly did that with her pen.

When I recently read the book aloud to a group of third graders, they were fascinated with the story.  Children wanted to spend time looking at the illustrations which definitely match the tone and intent of Halse Anderson's writing.  This is one book that I am going to need to keep several copies of so that I will always have one to loan out.

So what is your favorite Thanksgiving picture book or chapter book?