Four 2014 Board Books

Small Bunny's Blue Blanket. Tatyana Feeney. 2014. Random House. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Small Bunny loved Blue Blanket. Everything he did, Small Bunny did with Blue Blanket.

I really loved this board book. I love Small Bunny. I love Small Bunny's love for Blue Blanket. I love how Blue Blanket "helps" him with many, many things. I especially love how Small Bunny needs Blue Blanket to help him read the hardest words in his books! I also love how Small Bunny oh-so-faithfully stands by and watches Blue Blanket in the washer for every single minute it takes. "It actually took 107. And Small Bunny watched Blue Blanket for every single one."

I love this sweet, predictable story of an attachment object. I thought the illustrations were just right--very simple, very sweet.

This one might pair well with Blankie by Leslie Patricelli, Owen by Kevin Henkes, Bubba and Beau Best Friends by Kathi Appelt, and Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems.

Also available: e-book, picture book

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out 5
Total: 9 out of 10

All Fall Down. Mary Brigid Barrett. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2014. Candlewick Press. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]

You might be expecting a board book telling of Ring Around the Rosie, I admit that I was based on the title, but instead All Fall Down is a book that celebrates things falling down--many, many things.

First the red block,
then the green.
Place the yellow one between.
Stack the blocks.
Build them high.
Make the tower reach the sky!
ALL FALL DOWN!

The book captures the simple every day things of life: a family playing together, eating together, just being together. I like board books that focus on ordinary, every day happenings. The moments that life are made of. The moments that you can almost forget to treasure if you're not careful. I also like the rhythm and rhyme of this one.

Spoon potatoes in a mound,
plopping green peas all around.
Plunk spoon and cup atop the plate..
Daddy reaches out--too late!
ALL FALL DOWN!

This board book is oh-so-easy to recommend!

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

Pat-a-Cake. Mary Brigid Barrett. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2014. Candlewick Press. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake
Clap, clap, clap.
Pat a pudding, wibble wobble.
Pat a puddle, splat!

This book made me laugh within a page or two. (I love the pat-a-pudding bit. The splat just makes me smile!) This is a book that demands to be read aloud. Read it to yourself silently, and perhaps it falls short. Read it aloud, and it transforms into something fun. I still don't like it as much as I like All Fall Down. But it's certainly a fun book worth reading and perhaps reading again again.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

Ten Tiny Toes. Caroline Jayne Church. 2014. Scholastic. 22 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Mouth, ears, eyes nose, arms, belly, legs, and ten tiny toes!
Touch your ears, make them wiggle.
Touch your belly, laugh and giggle.
Touch your mouth, open wide.
Touch your arms, wave side to side.

I have liked some of Caroline Jayne Church's books in the past. This one, however, I just have a hard time liking. The pictures are over-the-top adorable as usual. And for parents who love, love, love her artwork, this one may prove quite satisfying. But for me, the text just does not work as it should. The rhythm feels forced and unnatural.

Text: 2 out of 5
Illustrations 4 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Bluffton (2013)

Bluffton: My Summer with Buster Keaton. 2013. Candlewick Press. 240 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Bluffton is a graphic novel with a historical setting (1908-1910?). The book focuses on the summer vacations of a young Buster Keaton. These special summer days are told not from his point of view, however, but from a local boy named Henry Harrison who absolutely idolizes the show people.

Henry Harrison is thrilled when a troupe of vaudeville performers settles down to summer near Muskegon, Michigan. There are boys his own age among the troupe. One of these boys is Buster Keaton. Henry had not heard of Buster before, but he becomes mesmerized by his new friend. Buster? Well, he enjoys clowning around and making the local folk laugh now and then, but, mainly he wants to play ball. He wants to play, have fun, relax. He's shown as wanting to pack a whole summer into each and every day. I got the impression that Henry didn't really see things clearly; he saw what he wanted to see: the glamor, the wow.

The story of several summers (and winters) are told through art and dialogue. An epilogue informs readers of Buster Keaton's transition from stage to film.


© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures (2013)

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. Kate DiCamillo. 2013. Candlewick Press. 240 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

What a quirky and lovely book by Kate DiCamillo. I loved the two points of view. I loved the little girl, Flora, and I loved the super-hero squirrel, Ulysses. The writing was just lovely; the story was quite fun and just as odd as I've come to expect from DiCamillo!

It has a great cast of minor characters, particularly both neighbors. Flora's parents are separated and most-probably getting a divorce. Her father's neighbor was great. Her mother's neighbor was great too. I had mixed feelings about Flora's parents. On the one hand, it was oh-so-easy to feel empathy for the father. I am not sure I could find sympathy for the mother. This is in part the fault of the squirrel! The mother is the nemesis of the squirrel. She's out to get him: out to kill him. But there is more to the mother than being a rodent-hater. She's also a writer, a writer of REALLY bad formulaic romances. Flora is at odds with her mother for almost the whole novel, so we see the mother mainly through the eyes of two characters that dislike her: the squirrel and the daughter. There is one confrontation scene that was heartbreaking for me. I felt for the daughter so, so, so much. I could identify with her in that moment. That last poem was oh-so-magical for me.

I would definitely recommend this one!

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Two Christmas Books

My Pen Pal, Santa. Melissa Stanton. Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. 2013. Random House. 32 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

January
Soon after Christmas, Ava wrote a thank-you note to Santa Claus.
Dear Santa,
Thank you for my Christmas presents. I really like them. But why didn't you eat the cookies I left you? Were you full from the cookies at our neighbors' houses? I'm six years old and I go to kindergarten, or did you already know that?
Love, 
your friend Ava

I really loved this picture book. Ava is a little girl that I just adored. She decides to write a thank-you note to Santa. When he replies, the correspondence continues through all twelve months. I loved this premise. Writing letters to Santa in November or December, very common indeed. But to write to him in April and July? It's one thing to write letters to Santa "asking" (or should I say begging?) for gifts. It's quite another to write chatty letters with Santa, to truly become friends.

Dear Ava,
Thank you for the great drawing. People usually don't think of me on Valentine's Day. Well, Mrs. Claus does, of course, and I think of her. I love giving gifts, but it's also nice to receive them. I say Merry Christmas all year long, so....
Merry Christmas!
Santa

It's a cute picture book. I thought Ava was sweet, and I liked reading Santa's replies. I also loved, loved, loved the illustrations.

The Smallest Gift of Christmas. Peter H. Reynolds. 2013. Candlewick. 40 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Roland was eager for Christmas Day. He raced downstairs to see what was waiting for him. But when he saw his present, he was not impressed. It was the smallest gift he had ever seen. Had he waited the whole year for this tiny gift? Roland closed his eyes and hoped and wished as hard as he could for a bigger gift.

Peter H. Reynolds is the author of The Dot, Ish, and Sky Color. I have really loved some of his picture books in the past. They are certainly a little different and a bit unique. But that's a good thing.

The Smallest Gift of Christmas is a tale of greed and selfishness. It's a tale of what happens when wishes come true. The first clue that Roland is more than a little greedy comes early. The illustrations on the first page show that Roland's stocking is ten times the size of the other stockings. He must be expecting great things. So his fit when his gift is oh-so-small isn't that big of a surprise. As Roland learns that his wishes are being granted, his true heart is revealed. He is very greedy indeed!

It's a true tale in that I think Roland is a good example of the I-can-never-ever-get-enough-stuff mindset which is a big problem in society. More, more, more, bigger, better, always wanting, never satisfied.

Roland learns his lesson, as you might expect. As he's searching the universe for the biggest and best present ever, he realizes that earth--his home, his family--are very small, very tiny, and so far away as seen through his telescope. In that moment, he realizes that great things can be "small things." His desire for home is just as real as his prior greed.

I definitely liked this one.

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Reading Wind in the Willows (1907)

The Wind in the Willows. Kenneth Grahame. Illustrated by David Roberts. 1907/2013. Candlewick. 256 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

I enjoyed spending time with Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger. I believe this was only the second time I'd read this children's classic. It was a good read. Some chapters I liked more than others, of course. But overall, it was a book that I enjoyed. I'm not sure I loved it however.

Do you have a favorite character? A favorite scene? Do you like Toad despite his obsession with motor cars?! Do you think his friends are right to try to convert him?

Favorite quotes:

He thought his happiness was complete when, as he meandered aimlessly along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river. Never in his life had he seen a river before—this sleek, sinuous, full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again. All was a-shake and a-shiver—glints and gleams and sparkles, rustle and swirl, chatter and bubble. The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated. By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spell-bound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.

'Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING—absolute nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.

Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not.

Packing the basket was not quite such pleasant work as unpacking' the basket. It never is. 

for it is impossible to say quite ALL you feel when your head is under water. 

Early or late he's always the same fellow.

"What are we to do with him?" asked the Mole of the Water Rat.
"Nothing at all," replied the Rat firmly. "Because there is really nothing to be done. You see, I know him from old. He is now possessed. He has got a new craze, and it always takes him that way, in its first stage. He'll continue like that for days now, like an animal walking in a happy dream, quite useless for all practical purposes. Never mind him.

At this very moment, perhaps, Toad is busy arraying himself in those singularly hideous habiliments so dear to him, which transform him from a (comparatively) good-looking Toad into an Object which throws any decent-minded animal that comes across it into a violent fit. We must be up and doing, ere it is too late. You two animals will accompany me instantly to Toad Hall, and the work of rescue shall be accomplished.' 'Right you are!' cried the Rat, starting up. 'We'll rescue the poor unhappy animal! We'll convert him! He'll be the most converted Toad that ever was before we've done with him!'

At first Toad was undoubtedly very trying to his careful guardians. When his violent paroxysms possessed him he would arrange bedroom chairs in rude resemblance of a motor-car and would crouch on the foremost of them, bent forward and staring fixedly ahead, making uncouth and ghastly noises, till the climax was reached, when, turning a complete somersault, he would lie prostrate amidst the ruins of the chairs, apparently completely satisfied for the moment. As time passed, however, these painful seizures grew gradually less frequent, and his friends strove to divert his mind into fresh channels. But his interest in other matters did not seem to revive, and he grew apparently languid and depressed.

Try and grasp the fact that on this occasion we're not arguing with you; we're just telling you. 

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Meet Olive!

Olive And The Big Secret. Tor Freeman. 2012. Candlewick Press.  32 pages. [Source: Library]

Molly told Olive a secret. "You mustn't tell anyone," said Molly. "I will never tell," said Olive. So now Olive had a secret. Olive knew she should keep the secret to herself. She knew she shouldn't tell anyone. But...

I really loved Olive and the Big Secret. Olive may just be a new favorite character of mine. I think it is something--at least--that Olive didn't tell the first person she saw, or even the second person she saw. But the third friend she saw--Joe--well, she just couldn't contain it one minute more! I like how the book follows multiple characters, and how all of Olive's friends "struggle" with keeping this secret--with any secret. I did notice that Olive's friends aren't shown showing any restraint at all in telling. (At least Olive didn't tell Jessie and Ziggy). I also liked it that not everyone who heard the secret cared enough to pass it on!

I would definitely recommend this one! I love the text and the illustrations.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

Olive and the Bad Mood. Tor Freeman. 2013. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Olive was in a bad mood. This was not a good day. "Hello, Olive!" said Molly. "Do you want to play dinosaurs with me?" "No," said Olive. "Dinosaurs are for babies."
"They are not!" said Molly. 

Olive is back for a second adventure in Olive and the Bad Mood. In both Olive and the Big Secret and Olive and the Bad Mood, readers need to pay attention to the end papers, for the story starts before the text. I liked seeing Olive again. I liked seeing Olive's friends again! If Olive and The Big Secret is about SPREADING secrets, Olive and the Bad Mood is ALL about spreading grumpiness. Olive's bad mood is definitely contagious! Every friend she meets catches her sourness. What can cure her sourness? How about some sweet, sweet candy?! When Olive passes the candy store, well, she buys something: a bag of giant jelly worms. With the very first bite, it seems, Olive's bad mood has disappeared. The text reads, "What a lovely sunny day! Look at that pretty green bush! Look at those sweet little butterflies!" Now that Olive is happy again, can she do something about her friends?

I really LOVED Olive and the Bad Mood. I think it's a story adults and children can both relate to! I want more Olive books!!!

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Handel Who Knew What He Liked

Handel, Who Knew What He Liked. M.T. Anderson. Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. 2004/2013. Candlewick. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Oh, how I loved this little chapter-book biography of Handel!!! M.T. Anderson should write more books just like this! I loved the book's liveliness. It was clever and full of personality. I love the touch of humor and wit!

Favorite quotes:

Right from an early age, George Frideric Handel knew just what he liked. He wanted to study music. His father said he couldn't. His father said nobody ever made any money as a musician. He told the boy to study something that would make him money. Handel's father was a doctor. But little Handel knew what he liked. What he liked was music. So he smuggled a clavichord up into the attic without his parents knowing. Late at night, he taught himself to play. Handel was an unusual boy. Not everyone has the courage to smuggle a clavichord past their parents. (1)

Handel studied first in his own city of Halle, and later, when he was eighteen, in the city of Hamburg. One of his best friends in Hamburg was a composer named Mattheson. They both loved music. In particular, they loved operas. Sometimes they even performed operas together. Mattheson couldn't get enough opera--especially his own. He would write an opera, and then he would star in it himself. He would often arrange to play a character who died partway through the opera. That way he could jog down and lead the orchestra from the harpsichord. Handel, who'd be playing when Mattheson got there, would have to stop and move aside for his friend. Handel thought Mattheson was a bit of a pain. One night when Mattheson had killed himself onstage and come down to play the harpsichord, Handel refused to get up. Mattheson threatened him. Handel was very stubborn; he kept right on playing. So right there and then, Mattheson challenged Handel to a duel. They walked out of the theater into the cold winter's night. They drew their swords and set upon each other in the square. Mattheson thrust his rapier right toward Handel's heart--but luckily the blade hit Handel's coat button, and broke. Later that night, they went out for a big dinner. After all, they were still good friends. Big dinners always made Handel feel a lot better. (6, 8)

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Five New(ish) Picture Books

Little Bear's Little Boat. Eve Bunting. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.  2003/2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 30 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Little Bear loved his little boat. 

Little Bear loves sailing his boat on Huckleberry Lane. He loves, loves, loves his little boat. It is just perfect for him. But, as Little Bear begins to grow--slowly but surely--his little boat loses its just right-ness. Little Bear doesn't understand why it is his destiny to grow and his boat's destiny to stay exactly the same. But he does accept this truth and adds to it. It is the boat's destiny to find a new little bear. And it is equally important to let that new little bear know that he too will one day have to part with the oh-so-perfect little boat.  This is a charming story of growing up and letting go.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

Big Bear's Big Boat. Eve Bunting. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. 2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

When Big Bear grew too big for his little boat, he gave it to Little Bear. Now he was building a big boat for himself. 
"I want it to be just like my little boat, but bigger," Big Bear told his mother. His mother smiled, "You loved your little boat, and now Little Bear loves it. You will love your new one just as much."

Big Bear's Big Boat is a sequel to Little Bear's Little Boat. He is now a proper "big" bear, and when the book opens he is hard at work building a brand new boat--a big boat of course. And he does build a perfect boat--just the way he wants it. But. After he's finished, he begins listening to his friend. All of his friends have ideas and give him advice on how to make this boat even better. And Big Bear listens and follows... But will he be happy with his friends' vision of the perfect boat?! This little picture book has a good moral to it: "a bear should never let go of his own dream."

I definitely enjoyed both books!!! I would recommend both books!

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

The Invisible Boy. Trudy Ludwig. Illustrated by Patrice Barton. 2013. Random House. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Can you see Brian, the invisible boy? Even Mrs. Carlotti has trouble noticing him in her classroom. She's too busy dealing with Nathan and Sophie.

I definitely liked this picture book. It deals with the question: which is worse--being laughed at or feeling invisible?

Brian, our young hero, is the invisible boy. He's friendless. This is noticeable even in the classroom, but especially so in the lunchroom and at recess. But when a new student comes, Brian reaches out to him--via note, I might add--and soon Brian begins to lose his invisibility. It starts with the new kid, Justin, but soon expands to include others. It has a happy ending that may seem sudden and a bit too good to be true. But it makes for a satisfying conclusion. I liked Brian and Justin. I liked the fact that Brian had strengths, that he definitely was worth knowing and worth noticing.

The book is intentional. It is packed with social lessons. It is inviting the visible and invisible kids to think about their actions, their words, their choices. None of the children are "bad" children; some are thoughtless and impulsive, but nobody is vilified into a BULLY, which I thought was a good thing. The focus is on the little things. The little things that are more accidentally thoughtless than purposefully: I'm out to HURT you.   

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

Tiny King. Taro Miura. 2013. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a Tiny King. The Tiny King lived all alone in a big, big castle. 

If I had to describe The Tiny King, I would say it was unusual, but unusual in a mostly good way. This picture book was first published in Japan. Candlewick is publishing it for the first time in the United States. It has a one-of-a-kind feel to it. And you'll pick up on this from the start. The cover says: THIS IS THE ACTUAL SIZE OF THE TINY KING.

The Tiny King is sad and lonely. At least he is in the beginning. But this is a happy fairy tale. He meets a BIG queen and they marry. He's soon the father of ten tiny children. And with the Queen and all ten children: his life isn't so empty and he doesn't feel so tiny after all.

The illustrations are interesting and fun. Very bright and bold. Original storytelling is complemented by original artwork.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

The Silver Button. Bob Graham. 2013. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

At 9:59 on Thursday morning, Jodie drew a duck. she gave the duck a top hat, cane, and boots of the softest leather. On the boots, she put silver buttons: one...two... Her pen hovered in the air before the final button.
Jodie's brother, Jonathan, pushed slowly to his feet. He swayed, he frowned, he tilted forward...and took his first step. He took that step like he was going somewhere.

Some people really LOVE Bob Graham. I am not one who "loves, loves, loves" his books. The Silver Button is an interesting look at one minute of time in the city. In that one minute, many things happen. Some, like the baby's very first steps, seem momentous. Others are very ordinary. For example, in that minute a soldier says goodbye to his mother (definitely emotional) and a little boy stops and has his shoes tied for the second time that morning (definitely not emotional). The book is seeking to capture life: a blend of simple and complex. One review calls it existential. I think this is a hit or miss book. You'll either really like it and think its brilliant or you won't. It has received plenty of starred reviews: Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 2 out of 5
Total: 5 out of 10

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

North of Nowhere (2013)

North of Nowhere. Liz Kessler. 2013. Candlewick. 272 pages. [Source: Library]

I enjoyed North of Nowhere. I am not sure that I loved it absolutely. But I definitely found it an enjoyable way to spend a day. Mia, our heroine, did not want to visit her grandmother over spring break, but when her grandfather goes missing--Mia and her mom rush to be with her. While there, Mia goes exploring a bit on her own. She discovers--well, the dog discovers--a boat, and on that boat there is a diary. Mia reads the diary and discovers there is a girl whose loneliness matches her own. She writes in this stranger's diary, asking her if she'd like to be friends. But these two seem fated not to meet one another. Mia also meets Peter. The two don't flirt exactly, but, they do become friendly. Mia tells Peter about the boat and the girl "Dee." A few days later, Peter is missing as well. Mia may just have been among the last to see him...

North of Nowhere is an interesting coming-of-age mystery with a touch of fantasy to it. I definitely thought that Mia and Peter were well-drawn characters, but I'm not sure that any of the other characters were.

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

6 Early Readers...and 1 Early Chapter Book

Squirrels on Skis. J. Hamilton Ray. Illustrated by Pascal Lamaitre. 2013. Random House. 64 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Nobody knew how the mania grew. First there was one, and then there were two. Three more came gliding from under the trees. LOOK! On the hill. Those are squirrels on skis! Below lay the town, snow-covered and still. Not a sound could be heard. All was silent until... 
swwwishhhh swooped the skiers, all dressed for play. Eighty-five squirrels and more on the way! 

Squirrels on Skis is so much fun! It is over-the-top, that's true enough, but it is just so imaginative! Squirrels on Skis tell the story of a town overwhelmed by hundreds of squirrels on skis. The residents of the town are not pleased overall. One or two squirrels on skis is cute enough, but this many?! Well, something has to be done...NOW!!! But the squirrels are at risk too. Their skiing is out of control. They're so busy skiing that they're not eating or sleeping! An intervention is clearly needed...

Sally Sue Breeze is a good heroine. She's a reporter that may just be able to solve the problem and bring about a happy resolution for everyone!

I would definitely recommend this one!

A Pet Named Sneaker. Joan Heilbroner. Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre. 2013. Random House. 48 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

There once was a snake named Sneaker. He lived in a pet store. It was a nice store. But Sneaker was not happy. He wanted a home. Many people came into the store. They took home fish. They took home birds. They took home hamsters. But they did not take home Sneaker. No one wanted a snake. Then one day, a boy came into the store. His name was Pete.

A Pet Named Sneaker is a fun beginner book. Most of the adventures occur out of the pet store. Readers see Sneaker at home with Pete, attending school with Pete, accompanying him to the swimming pool in the summer, etc. Sneaker is quite a pet! This pet snake even learns to read...

I liked this one. It definitely has more of a story to it than you might suspect.

Dig, Scoop, Ka-Boom! Joan Holub. Illustrated by David Gordon. 2013. Random House. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Here's the site and the crew. They have a mighty job to do! Dozer's blade shapes the land. Push it. Shove it. Move that sand! Digger's teeth bite the ground. Crunch, crunch, scoop! Tracks skid around. Rocks are big. They can't stay. Loader lifts them all away. 

I think Dig, Scoop, Ka-boom! works. I like the rhythm and rhyme. I like the simplicity of the words and sentences, the varying lengths of sentences. I also like the point of view leading up to the surprise ending.

The book is part of Random House's Step Into Reading series. It is a step one book, "ready to read."

Here Comes Super Grover! Sesame Workshop. Illustrated by Ernie Kwiat. 2013. Candlewick. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Candlewick Press publishes a handful of brand new readers. One of the series in this brand new readers series is Sesame Street. Here Comes Super Grover has four small stories: "Super Grover's Basket," "Super Grover and the Bike," "Super Grover and the Rock," and "Super Grover to the Rescue." A summary of each book is given before the story.

From Super Grover to the Rescue: "Elmo has a wagon. He sees the steps. Oh, no!"
From Super Grover and the Rock: "Super Grover sees a big rock. He tries to sweep the rock. He tries to push the rock."
From Super Grover's Basket: "Cookie Monster puts cookies in a basket. Super Grover pulls the basket up."
From Super Grover and the Bike: "Abby's bike has just one big wheel. "Try this!" says Super Grover. "That is a square," says Abby.

The book is simple and silly. Often stories have a small twist at the end. My favorite is probably Super Grover's Basket.

Abby Cadabby Up and Down. Sesame Workshop. Illustrated by Ernie Kwiat. 2013. Candlewick. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Abby Cadabby Up and Down features four stories: Abby and Elmo and the Basket, Abby and Elmo's Picnic, Abby's Boat, and Abby Comes To Visit. Each story is summarized before the story properly begins. The stories are very simple, but there are traces of humor in a few of them.

From "Abby's Boat": Abby floats her boat in the pool. Elmo puts an apple on the boat. The boat tilts. Abby puts her apple on the boat. The boat balances...

The book includes eight tips for parents on how to help your brand new reader.

Twin Magic: School Bully, Beware! Kate Ledger. Illustrated by Kyla May. 2013. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Lottie and Mia are twins. Their best friend is named Toby. He lives next door. 

I was not overly impressed by this early reader though I could see why other readers might find it charming enough. Lottie and Mia are twins with (secret) magical powers. These powers come in useful with solving every day problems the pair encounters. This second book in the series is all about a new kid at school, a boy named Max. Max is a mean bully. The book resolves very quickly, a bit too quickly in my opinion. Of course, Max isn't really a bully. He just is having a bad day. And of course, he's super cool and good friend material. The lack of characterization bothered me a bit as did the simplifying of a big problem. This one just didn't feel authentic, even without considering the magic.

Mr. Putter & Tabby Drop the Ball. Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Arthur Howard. 2013. Harcourt. 44 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, loved to nap in the summertime. They loved napping in the garden. They loved napping on the porch. They loved napping in the car. "It seems that we nap all the time," Mr. Putter said to Tabby one day. Tabby was old and her frisky days were over. She loved napping. "I think we need a sport," said Mr. Putter. Tabby opened one eye. "I think we need baseball," said Mr. Putter...

I loved, loved, loved this one! I love Mr. Putter and Tabby. I love the baseball team they join. I love Mrs. Teaberry and her dog, Zeke, who plays quite a big role on the team for better or worse! The team Mr. Putter and Mrs. Teaberry join is the Yankee Doodle Dandies. It's just fun and sweet all at the same time!

 This early chapter book has five chapters.

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

How to Train a Train (2013)

How To Train a Train. Jason Carter Eaton. Illustrated by John Rocco. 2013. Candlewick Press. 48 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Sometimes a picture book deserves its own post. Such is the case with the oh-so-clever How To Train a Train. Here's how it starts:

So you want a pet train? Well, of course you do! Trains make awesome pets--they're fun, playful, and extremely useful. Lucky for you, this handy guidebook contains everything you need to know to choose, track, and train your very own pet train. Ready? Then let's head out and find some trains!

Are you hooked yet? Curious to see just how far this book goes?!

This book will help you choose the right kind of pet train. It tells you the types of trains available, where they live, what they're like, etc. Then readers learn how to go about obtaining their pet train. My absolute favorite part of this picture book involves the "best way" to catch a train...

First, get up really early in the morning and find a good hiding spot close to some trains. Now the hard part: sit quietly and wait and wait and wait some more. As the sun rises, the trains will begin to stir and start their engines. Watch them work and play...Take your time and choose one that's right for you. Got one? Time to make your move: send a puff of smoke high into the air. Perfect! You've got the train's attention! If you brought any coal with you, now would be the time to offer it... Next make the call of the wild train: Chugga-Chugga, Chugga-Chugga!

Once you own a train, readers will need to name it and learn how to care for it properly! This book is just too much fun! So silly and yet so clever! It's just a joyous book!

I loved, loved, loved the text! And the illustrations are great too!!! One of my favorite illustrations is of the little girl--in dress up (a fairy?)--painting the name "Sparkles" on her train. This isn't the story of one child and his or her own train. It is a story about children everywhere loving trains. I liked that!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Twelve (newish) Board Books

Not That Tutu! Michelle Sinclair Colman. 2013. Random House. 20 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Taylor loved her tutu.
She wore it everywhere.
She wore her tutu to school. 
"Not again," her mother sighed.
 She wore her tutu in the pool.
"Not again," her father moaned.

Not That Tutu is a cute story (maybe even a cute, cute story) about a little girl named Taylor and the family who loves her. (Attention being paid to mother, father, brother, grandmother, and a grandfather!) Taylor loves, loves, loves her pink tutu. She will never give up wearing it...or will she? What will her NEXT favorite clothing item be?!

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

My Pretty Princess Dress: A Fancy Color Book. Ilanit Oliver. Illustrated by Genevieve Leloup. 2013. Scholastic. 12 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

I'm going to a fancy party! Can you help me find my perfect party dress? My dress has puffy sleeves like this red one. But this is not my dress.
This orange dress sparkles like mine! But this is not my dress.

Little ones can dress up this pretty princess by turning the pages. Each dress is a different color. There are six dresses in all. Which dress will be HER favorite? The red one? The orange one? The yellow one? The green one? The blue one? The pink one? I liked the premise and design of this one!

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

Shoe-La-La. Karen Beaumont. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2011/2013. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Scholastic has released a board book version of Shoe-La-La. This was a picture book that I loved a few years ago!

Party dresses, party hair...
Need new party shoes to wear.
Emily, Ashley, Kaitlyn, Claire! 
Let's go find the perfect pair!
Shoe-la-la!
They're everywhere.
Rows and rows!
These or those?
Up, up, on our tippy toes.
Can't wait to choose new shoes. 
Here goes!

Could I really be liking a book with SO MUCH glitter on the cover? I'm not a glitter-loving girl after all. But. I was pleasantly surprised by Karen Beaumont's Shoe-la-la! I found this book about four friends to be so much fun! The rhythm-and-rhyme of it worked for me. (I can be a bit picky, I know!) And the illustrations by LeUyen Pham, well, they were fantastic!!! I just love, love, love her work so very much!!! I don't know that I've ever read a book she's illustrated (or written) that I didn't end up loving!

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

A Kiss for You! Joan Holub. Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. 2011. 14 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

A little hand can wave hello. And pat a puppy softly. A little hand can high-five.

How much can a little hand do? Quite a lot in this interactive novelty board book. The die-cut (magnetic) hand on the cover can interact with each spread of the book. My favorite? Probably the peek-a-boo or perhaps the blowing of a kiss.

It is a cute book though perhaps not the most exciting.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

I Love You! A Cloth Book with Mirror. Caroline Jayne Church. 2012. Scholastic. 6 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

I love my eyes.
I love my nose. 
I love my fingers.
I love my toes.
I love my arms and belly, too.
But most of all...

There's a small window of opportunity for cloth books and babies. But cloth books can be the perfect choice at times! So soft, so easy to chew, with easy pages to hold. This one would make a sweet choice perhaps for a baby shower or welcoming home gift! (It is never too early to start reading aloud!!!)

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

Horsey Up and Down: A Book of Opposites. Caroline Jayne Church. 2013. Scholastic. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Horsey up.
Horsey down.
Horsey jumping all around.
Horsey white. 
Horsey black.
Horsey rolling on the track.

Opposites are explored in this rhyming board book. Horses are the subject: toy horses and real horses. Opposites explored: up/down, white/black, big/small. It may not be the best concept book available. But. For little ones showing an interest in horses, well, it may satisfy. A few of the pages interact. I like the up/down action on the cover for the merry-go-round horse. But the horse-jumping wheel was very tricky. I don't know if little hands could manage it.

Cute but not perfect.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

Baby and Me. Emma Dodd. 2013. Candlewick. 16 pages. [Source: Review Copy] 

This is me. And this...is my baby doll. Isn't she pretty? And I change her diaper. I play with her in the bath. Then I wrap her in a cozy towel and give her a big hug. 

I love this one. I do. It is cute. It is precious. It is sweet. It is recommended by the publisher for 3 years and up. This little girl (love her pigtails!) loves playing mommy with her doll. The book is very interactive. The reader can help rock the baby's cradle, change the baby's diaper, wrap the baby in a towel, etc. Each spread reveals a new aspect of the baby routine. The last spread holds a surprise: she's just as eager to "help" her mom take care of her new baby brother or sister. (The text doesn't tell us).

Love the illustrations in the details and the interactive features are just so precious!

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

Giggle! Caroline Jayne Church. 2013. Scholastic. 10 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Laugh out loud or just giggle!
Feel a tickle in your middle!
Roll around and touch your toes!
Give a grin! Wiggle your nose!

Will the sound of giggling be contagious? Some board books or novelty books have sound. This one has a giggle. At the press of a button, little ones and parents can hear a baby in giggly glee. The text, well, it rhymes and it's cutesy. (Caroline Jayne Church also wrote Potty Time, a board book with a flushing sound.)

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

Kiss, Kiss Good Night. Kenn Nesbitt. Illustrated by Rebecca Elliott. 2013. Scholastic. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]

When baby bunnies go to bed,
their mothers kiss them on the head.
Inside their burrows, warm and deep,
they close their eyes and fall asleep.
When little kittens need to nap,
they snuggle in their mother's lap.
And, bundled up in fluffy fur,
they shut their eyes and start to purr.

Love baby animals? Love bedtime books? Love sweet rhymes? There's plenty to satisfy in this gentle, soothing board book by Ken Nesbitt. I really enjoyed this one!
The bunnies, the kittens, the lambs, the bear cub, and the baby chicks, they are all super-sweet.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

Whose Toes are Those. Sally Symes. Illustrated by Nick Sharratt. 2012. Candlewick. 22 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Whose tail?
Whose toes?
Whose twitchy nose?
Mouse!
Whose tail?
Whose toes?
Whose cold, wet nose?
Dog!

Can your little one solve the mystery and guess the right answer to these questions? It's fun, cute, playful. The flaps reveal the right answers. I like the repetition and predictability of it.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

Away We Go! A Shape and Seek Book. Chieu Anh Urban. 2013. Scholastic. 20 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Away We Go is a celebration of transportation, shapes, bold colors and designs. It uses die-cuts on every page. New pictures are constructed in a very creative way. Every spread is very bold, bright, colorful. The shapes explored are: squares, triangles, hearts, circles, stars, diamonds, octagons, rectangles, and ovals. Some of the vehicles: a truck, a train, an ice cream truck, a sailboat, a spaceship, etc.

Text: 2 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

Rain, Rain Go Away. Caroline Jayne Church. 2013. Scholastic. 12 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Rain, rain go away.
Come again another day.
The little children want to play,
so rain, rain -- 
Please go away!

Caroline Jayne Church has illustrated a handful of songs now. Other board book titles include: This Little Light of Mine, You Are My Sunshine, and The More We Get Together. The illustrations are in her usual style: very cute and adorable in a sweet and precious kind of way. If you love Church's illustrations, then this one might be worth picking up. The text itself is not surprising.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: I Saw Esau (1947)

I Saw Esau: The Schoolchild's Pocket Book. Iona and Peter Opie. Illustrations by Maurice Sendak. 1947/2012. Candlewick Press. 160 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

A collection of poems, rhymes (riddles, insults, sayings, etc.) originally compiled and published in 1947. It was an interesting read. Interesting to see what qualified as "funny" or "clever" at one time or another! Such as #59:

Moses was a holy man,
Children he had seven,
He thought he'd hire a donkey cart
And drive them all to heaven.
On the road he lost his way,
He thought he knew it well,
He overturned the donkey cart
And landed them in ----

or #86

Adam and Eve and Pinch-me
Went down to the river to bathe;
Adam and Eve were drowned,
Who'd you think was saved?

Then again it does have #45:

Moses supposes his toes are roses,
But Moses supposes erroneously.
For Moses he knowses his toeses aren't roses,
As Moses supposes his toeses to be. 

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Five 2009 picture books

Oh, What a Beautiful Day! A Counting Book. Jeanne Modesitt. Illustrated by Robin Spowart. 2009. Boyds Mill Press. 32 pages.

Oh, what a beautiful day! One pig is prancing. Two ducks are dancing. Three chicks are cheeping. 

I really love this one! It is charming; it is lovely. A cozy, gentle counting-to-ten book starring a young girl who's enjoying life. I love her "And I'm a part of it all." The illustrations are soft, sweet, and oh-so-perfect for this kind of book. 

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations:  4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

Not Last Night But The Night Before. Colin McNaugton. Illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark. 2009. Candlewick. 32 pages.

Not last night but the night before, three black cats came knocking at the door. I came downstairs to let them in; They knocked me down like a bowling pin. Not last night but the night before, the man in the moon came knocking at the door. He rushed right in; he didn't stop. He spun me round like a spinning top. 

Not Last Night But the Night Before is quirky. It is imaginative; it celebrates plenty of nursery tales (Little Miss Muffet, Little Bo Peep, Three Blind Mice, Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, etc) throughout the text. The illustrations reveal even more of the story. (The company makes an even bigger mess perhaps than the Cat in the Hat.) It's rhythmic. It's a bit crazy. You'll either love it or hate it, I suppose!

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

Grumpy Grandpa. Heather Henson. Illustrated by Ross Macdonald. 2009. Simon & Schuster. 40 pages.

I have one grandpa. He is always grumpy. I call him Grumpy Grandpa even though I'm not supposed to. Mom gets mad, but it's true. Grumpy Grandpa is always grumpy. And he's scary, too.

The little boy narrating Grumpy Grandpa is a little scared of his grandpa. He's come with his family to stay for two whole weeks. He can't imagine why anyone would come to spend time with someone who is just grumpy no matter what. But during this visit, the little boy learns a little more about his grandfather. And the two do become friends. 

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

Llama Llama Misses Mama. Anna Dewdney. 2009. Penguin. 40 pages. 

Llama Llama, warm in bed. 
Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead!
Llama school begins today!
Time to learn and time to play!

It is Llama Llama's first day of school. And will there be llama drama? Yes. But not as much as you might expect considering some of his tantrums in previous books. 

This one is part of a series. Other titles include Llama Llama Red Pajama, Llama Llama Time to Share, Llama Llama Mad at Mama, Llama Llama Home With Mama, Llama Llama Holiday Drama, Llama Llama Nighty-Night, Llama Llama Wakey-Wake, Llama Llama Zippity-Zoom, Llama Llama Hoppity-Hop.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

Who Wants to Be A Poodle I don't. Lauren Child. 2009. Candlewick. 40 pages. 

In a sumptuous apartment in a fashionable city lived the elegantly rich and divinely glamorous Mademoiselle Verity Brulee. Along with Verity Brulee, with her very own personal bedroom, lived Trixie Twinkle Toes Trot-a-Lot Delight or Trixie Toes for short or Trixie Twinkle Belle or Trixie Belle Baby, depending on Verity's mood.

 Trixie, our heroine, does NOT like her name. She wants to be an ordinary dog. She does not want to wear clothes or be styled or groomed all the time. She wants to be like all the other dogs. She wants to be free to step in puddles, among other things. But how will she ever convince her owner? This picture book is all about being misunderstood and finding your voice anyhow.

I thought the design of the book kept it from being reader friendly. It is hard on the eyes to have black text on dark backgrounds--like brown or dark gray. And perhaps it's fun or cute to have the text wrap around in circles and such, but I found it annoying.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 2 out of 5
Total: 5 out of 10

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews