Book Review: What Little Boys Are Made Of

Author/Illustrator: Robert Neubecker
Publisher: Balzer & Bray/Harper Collins (March 27, 2012)
Source:  Copy for Review
Audience:  Ages 4 to 7
Fiction * Imagination * Stories in Rhyme

Description from Publisher:

What are little boys made of? Moons and stars and rockets to Mars Wings and tails and dragons with scales Little boys are . . . as adventuresome and bold and heroic as they imagine they can be! Celebrate the exuberance of little boys in this playful spin on a classic nursery rhyme. 

My thoughts on the book:
Take one classic nursery rhyme, add some new verses, and stir in bright, imaginative illustrations and you have Neubecker's version of What Little Boys Are Made Of.

Though the text begins like the original version, Neubecker has added his own twist.

"What are little boys made of?
Moons and stars and rockets to Mars,
Blast and boom and uppity zoom!
That's what little boys are made of."

Accompanying Neubecker's words are two - two page spreads. The first spread shows a little boy playing in his room with a toy rocket and toy figurines.  Flip over the page and the reader sees what the child is imagining - in this case a ride into outer space in a spaceship.  The book follows in the manner showing first the playful antics of a child acting out his dress-up fun and then the scene from his imagination.  Neubecker ties it all together with the young boy in his mother's lap reading a dinosaur book.

This is one of those books that can be used as a read aloud, but will likely find a special audience between parent and child.  

For more information about author/illustrator, Robert Neubecker, click here to check out his blog. 

Book Review: Water Sings Blue

Author:  Kate Coombs
Illustrator: Meilo So
Publisher: Chronicle Books (March 14, 2012)
Source: Copy for Review
Audience: Elementary
Poetry * Sea Life

Description of the book from the Publisher:
Come down to the shore with this rich and vivid celebration of the ocean! With watercolors gorgeous enough to wade in by award-winning artist Meilo So and playful, moving poems by Kate Coombs, Water Sings Blue evokes the beauty and power, the depth and mystery, and the endless resonance of the sea. 

My thoughts on the book: 
April is National Poetry Month and if you are looking to add a new book to your collection may I suggest Kate Coombs' Water Sings Blue? 

I will be the first to say that I came to the world of poetry late in the game.  Most poetry made my head spin.  I am thankful to some of my colleagues who were able to introduce me to poetry that made sense and were accessible for both me and my students.  With this said, if you specialize in poetry, check this one out for yourself.  For the rest of you, know that I am sharing what I like.  I love oceans and sea life.  I love Meilo So's beautiful watercolor paintings that capture the image and mood of Coombs' words.  And I truly enjoyed the various poems that are gathered together in this collection.

As I flipped through the book for the fifth or sixth time, I had trouble picking out a favorite poem.  The vertical spread of a large whale and sinking ship captured my eye from a visual perspective.  The poem Octopus Ink grabbed me from a different perspective.  And Ocean Realty simply made me laugh.

May you enjoy this book as you explore the world of poetry with your students this month and in the future. 

For more information about Kate Coombs, click here to go to her website. 

Nonfiction Picture Book Releases - April 2012

The Nonfiction Detectives and I are hosting a Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge.  At the beginning of each month, my goal is to post all of the new non-fiction picture books being released over the next 30 days.

April 1, 2012
*Titantic: Voices From the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson

Invitation to Ballet by Carolyn Vaughan, Ilustrated by Rachel Isadora

April 3, 2012
Brothers at Bat: The True Story of An Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team by Audrey Vernick, Illustrated by Steven Salerno

The Beetle Book by Steven Jenkins

The links for the above books will take you directly to the IndieBound.org book page for purchasing information, unless otherwise noted.  Please note, I do not make anything off these links or profit in anyway from posting the links.   I know that I am still searching for April releases and will likely do a Part II update. If you know of a book that should be included in this list, please include the title and author in the comments section and I will update the list. 

* Indicates Non-fiction children's books that are not specifically picture books.

Feel free to link your nonfiction picture book reviews to the Mr. Linky below. 

Book Review: There Goes Ted Williams

Author/Illustrator: Matt Tavares
Publisher: Candlewick Press (February 2012)
Source: Personal Copy
Audience:
History * Biographical * Baseball * Sports

Description from the publisher:
Ted Williams lived a life of dedication and passion. He was an ordinary kid who wanted one thing: to hit a baseball better than anyone else. So he practiced his swing every chance he got. He did fingertip push-ups. He ate a lot of food. He practiced his swing again. And then practiced it some more. From his days playing ball in North Park as a kid to his unmatched .406 season in 1941 to his heroic tours of duty as a fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, the story of Teddy Ballgame is the story of an American hero. In this engrossing biography, a companion to Henry Aaron's Dream, Matt Tavares makes Ted Williams's life story accessible to a whole new generation of fans who are sure to admire the hard work, sacrifice, and triumph of the greatest hitter who ever lived. A lively picture book biography of Ted Williams from a master of the genre - just in time for Fenway Park's centennial.

My thoughts on the book:
I grew up in New England; Connecticut to be specific.  We didn't have our own baseball team.  Most of us sided with either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox.  And well then there were those who cheered on the New York Mets.  Regardless of what team you pledged your allegiance to, if you were a New Englander, you knew Fenway Park, the Green Monster, and Ted Williams.  Even though when I was a child, Williams had been retired for many years, his name still stood for what baseball meant to people.

In There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived, author/illustrator, Matt Tavares captures the passion, dedication, and magic that was Williams.  He came into baseball during the Great Depression.  His career was interrupted several times by our country's involvement in both World War II and the Korean War.  Despite interruptions, Williams managed to continue his career becoming one of baseballs all time heroes.

Though Williams had his flaws, Tavares elects to focus on the Williams as a baseball player with the emphasis on his being an incredible hitter.  In the Author's Note, Tavares mentions both the flaws and the philanthropic side of Williams.  There was no love lost between sportswriters and Williams, but those who knew of his dedication to helping sick children through the Jimmy Fund Clinic & Dana Farber Cancer Institute knew another side.

Tavares has managed to capture a little bit of the magic that was Ted Williams and with the arrival of baseball season may we all take a moment to celebrate it as well.

Check out the book trailer for There Goes Ted Williams:
    


More information on Matt Tavares: website | twitter | facebook 

Book Review: Peepsqueak

Author/Illustrator:  Leslie Ann Clark
Publisher:  Harper Collins (January 24, 2012)
Source:  Copy for Review
Audience:  Preschool
Farm Animals * Fiction 

Description from  the Publisher:

As soon as little Peepsqueak bursts out of his shell, he is on the move!
He is determined to fly--high, High, High But is he too little to reach the sky?
Young children will love this debut from author-illustrator Leslie Ann Clark about Peepsqueak, a lively little chick who doesn't give up, no matter what.

My thoughts on the book:
When I read this book, it made me smile.  My favorite line was the repetitive line "He was on the move!"  And Peepsqueak was certainly on the move.  As someone who has worked with young children, this was one chick that reminded me of so many of the small children I knew.  They are up and down and all around just like this little chick.

Peepsqueak wants to fly and he isn't listening to the other farm animals.  He is determined and all attempts just make him try harder.  Finally, thanks to the help of an old gray goose, Peepsqueak just might find a way.  Of course, Peepsqueak doesn't stop there.

Peepsqueak works well as a read aloud.  The repetitive language and colorful illustrations will engage the younger audiences.  Before the end of the first read through, young children will be joining in with words like "up, up, up" and "down, down, down".

For primary classrooms that do units on chicks and hatching chicks, this would make for a fun tie-in.

Check out the book trailer:



For more information about Leslie Ann Clark, click here to go to her website.