“Children's Book Reviews - Publishers Weekly” plus 1 more

Children's Book Reviews - Publishers Weekly

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 05:12 AM PST

-- Publishers Weekly, 3/8/2010 12:00:00 AM

Picture Books

Hattie the Bad Jane Devlin, illus. by Joe Berger. Dial, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8037-3447-0

In this riotous debut, Devlin adopts a deliciously conspiratorial, first-person voice as she introduces readers to a naughty little girl named Hattie: "When I say bad, I don't mean a forgot-to-clean-her-room, reading-comics-after-bedtime kind of bad." No, Hattie scares her mother by putting frogs in the refrigerator and tries selling her little brother for 20 cents at a yard sale. Because "Hattie was always doing exciting bad things... other children thought she was great," but their parents won't allow them to play with her. This prompts Hattie to become "just as good at being good as she had at being bad"––though, try as she might, she can't resist her true nature forever. Berger's zesty, orange-splashed illustrations hum with energy and comic hyperbole, in perfect synch with the text. When Hattie turns obnoxiously good, her world becomes awash in pink, and the text "she kept her room clean" appears on a neat stack of boxes in her pristine room. Sly details like these make this a romp worth reading time and again. Ages 3–5. (Apr.)

What If? Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Roaring Brook/Porter, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-59643-398-4

In this outside-the-box book about friendship, Seeger (Dog and Bear) pictures a boy kicking a beach ball into the water, and then invites the reader to explore the possibilities of what might happen next. Each of the three stories about three seals is told visually with spare verbal prompts ending in ellipses ("What if...? And what if...? Then what if...?"). In the first two stories, a different seal gets left out of the fun (a closeup of a tan seal's forlorn face is downright heartbreaking), while the third story features all three seals happily playing together. The difference in color between the gray and mauve seals is perhaps a touch too subtle, but readers should be able to keep the animals straight. Seeger unobtrusively underscores each story arc with textured illustrations—sunlight sparkles on the water, gradually sets, and stars appear in the deep blue sky—and provides a deceptively simple but creative introduction to the structure of stories and how simple it is to be a good friend. Ages 3–7. (May)

Moon Bear Brenda Z. Guiberson, illus. by Ed Young. Holt, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8050-8977-6

Guiberson (Life in the Boreal Forest) uses lyrical call-and-response phrases to describe the endangered southeast Asian moon bear's activities, after she wakes from hibernation. "Who scratches the birch tree and licks oozing sap? Hungry moon bear, slurping sweetness after months without food." Moon bear's dramatic shape—composed of inky-dark cut paper, with a striking, white chest blaze that gives the animal its name—contrasts against Young's (Hook) layered collages, which include photographic images of bark, bamboo, and forest floor. The moon bear marks its territory, eats (a lot), and sleeps, and as time passes, she prepares for hibernation once more; when she reawakens, she emerges a "Mama moon bear," with cubs. Despite the dangers the bears face (an author's note features photographs of moon bears with information about farms in which thousands of them are kept), the text itself includes only a glancing mention of "poachers and loggers." The book's subtlety—keeping the focus on the bear's peaceful everyday life, rather than the threats to its existence—is likely to inspire readers' compassion and concern. Ages 4–8. (May)

The Little Moon Princess YJ Lee. Harper, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-154736-2

Lee's debut, a creation story about the Milky Way, escapes the ponderousness of many invented myths, and her artwork contributes a glowing, lighter-than-air quality to the pages. The surface of the princess's moon is covered with flowers, a multicolored jewel at the center of each one. When she confesses that she's afraid of the dark, a visiting sparrow asks, "Why don't we spread your jewels throughout the sky so they shine in the darkness? Then you will never be afraid again." This potentially treacly suggestion is tempered by the dark gray mist surrounding the moon, in which toothy creatures seem to lurk, making the princess's fear easy to understand. The princess and sparrow struggle to distribute the jewels properly; when tossing them by hand and blowing them into place fail to do the job, the princess scatters them with her cape. After the sparrow delivers one final jewel, "the brightest star of all," the two cuddle under a quilt of star-studded night. It's a fruitful combination of ordinary bedtime elements and interplanetary sweep, and a fine first effort. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Gumption! Elise Broach, illus. by Richard Egielski. S&S/Atheneum, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4169-1628-4

When Peter's favorite Uncle Nigel takes him on an expedition to Africa, their first goal is to see a "Zimbobo Mountain Gorilla." As Peter struggles during their five-mile hike, good-natured Uncle Nigel insists that he can do it, telling him, "All it takes is a bit of gumption." The book's humor is provided by Egielski's (The Fabulous Feud of Gilbert and Sullivan) expert watercolors that show Uncle Nigel's upbeat obliviousness while Peter gets a helping hand from some wild animals in nearly wordless four-panel scenes (a snake, elephant, and one of the rare gorillas help him negotiate the terrain, and later Peter rescues his uncle from an alligator). Throughout, Uncle Nigel is totally unaware of the danger. Broach (When Dinosaurs Came with Everything) plays with the familiar British explorer stereotype (Uncle Nigel gets plenty of lines like "Jolly good, Peter!" and "I say! Elephant dung!"), and Egielski's twig-bordered paintings have a Teddy Roosevelt adventurousness that will keep readers giggling at how hapless some grownups—and how resourceful some children—can be. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Mimi's Dada Catifesto Shelley Jackson. Clarion, $17 (48p) ISBN 978-0-547-12681-4

Pumpkin-colored Mimi is not a cat that "comes running to whoever coos Kitty, kitty," but when she stumbles on a Dada performance, she decides she wants the artist, Mr. Dada, to be her human. She leaves him her own "ready-mades" (which include a hairball and false teeth), performs a caterwauling sound poem, and rips up his diary to create a Magnetic Poetry–style poem with echoes of William Carlos Williams ("I have/ spilled/ the/ peas/ that were/ in/ the/ glass/ bowl/ and which/ you were/ probably/ saving/ for dinner"). It's not until after Mr. Dada lobs the same complaints at Mimi that he himself received from a cantankerous neighbor—calling her "a stupendous nuisance. A primitive force of destruction!"—that he recognizes her kindred spirit. Jackson pays homage to Dadaists with a richly chaotic montage of newsprint, paintings, fonts, and graphic design elements, and her text is equally adept at encapsulating the anarchic nature of the movement (an author's note offers background about Dadaism). It's a book for readers who like a challenge, but the message that "art can be anything" comes through clearly. Ages 6–9. (Apr.)

A Giraffe Goes to Paris Mary Tavener Holmes and John Harris, illus. by Jon Cannell. Marshall Cavendish, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7614-5595-0

Holmes and Cannell, the team behind My Travels with Clara, again turn to the exhibit of exotic animals in centuries past in a delightful outing with Harris (Pop-Up Aesop). Narrator Atir describes the gift of the giraffe Belle by the pasha of Egypt to Charles X of France in 1827 and details Belle's long journey to the French capital (also explored in Zarafa: The Giraffe Who Walked to the King). Each piece of information is a treat, from the hole cut in the deck of the ship to accommodate Belle's neck to the raincoat and boots made for her walk to Paris ("Yes, boots. She was not used to walking such long distances,") and the giraffe mania that greeted her arrival ("There were giraffe songs, poems... fabrics, cough-drop boxes... and gingerbread cookies"). Loopy handwritten script is used for emphasis ("Fancy Parties!" "Paris loves Belle!"), while old maps, photographs, and portraits supplement Cannell's watercolor-and-ink drawings. Perceptive readers may conclude that celebrity and human nature haven't changed much in nearly 200 years. This is history for children as it ought to be written. Ages 6–9. (Apr.)

Fiction

13 Treasures Michelle Harrison. Little, Brown, $15.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-316-04148-5

In this sprightly contemporary fantasy, 13-year-old Tanya has second sight and has been bedeviled her whole life by fairies only she can see. Blamed by her mother for the fairies' pranks, Tanya is shipped off to visit her cold and distant grandmother at isolated, fey-infested Elvesden Manor, an archetypally ancient, ivy-covered mansion abutting mystical wilderness. Aided by Fabian, the smart-aleck son of her grandmother's groundskeeper; Mad Morag, an ancient gypsy; and Red, a girl wanted by the police for kidnapping a changeling, Tanya becomes enmeshed in a decades-old mystery. For many years children have disappeared from the nearby town, supposedly lost in the woods or down in the dangerous catacombs, but only Tanya guesses that malicious fairies may be involved, a discovery that places Tanya in terrible danger. First-time novelist Harrison writes with great assuredness, creating a seductive setting and memorable, fully developed characters. Tanya is a believable and decidedly imperfect heroine, and Fabian is an enjoyably eccentric if occasionally obnoxious sidekick. It's an excellent choice for fans of the Spiderwick Chronicles and other modern-day fairy tales. Ages 8–12. (Apr.)

The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang Amy Ignatow. Abrams/Amulet, $15.95 (208p) ISBN 978-0-8109-8421-9

This one's for the Wimpy Girls. Riffing on and amplifying the increasingly common diary-style format, Ignatow uses "handwritten" notes and copious full-color cartoons to put a fresh spin on that quintessential scholastic goal: to be popular. Fifth-graders Lydia and Julie record observations about the habits of popular girls in a secret notebook and set out to test them, leading to a series of entertaining misadventures. Lydia ends up with a bald patch trying to give herself a blonde streak, and the girls' convoluted scheme to get cellphones results in a pair of horribly embarrassing models. Of course, the girls learn that popularity has a price, and even their own lifelong friendship becomes strained. The book's course may be predictable, but Ignatow taps into the girls' preteen concerns and earnest, passionate personalities via the creative format, with its dueling narratives and illustrations that feel ripped from a spiral notebook (a fantasy sequence that has Lydia starring in the school play culminates in the arrival of a pink unicorn that "barf[s] up pirate treasure!!"). Readers will quickly devour this hilarious, heartfelt debut. Ages 9–13. (Apr.)

Shadow Jenny Moss. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-545-03641-2

Moss (Winnie's War) slips off target with a stiff and colorless fantasy. Due to a prophecy that Queen Audrey will die before her 16th birthday, Shadow must spend her life by the vain and selfish Audrey's side, though she's not exactly sure why ("My role.... was established long ago and no one dared question it now"). When Audrey is poisoned shortly before the fated birthday, Shadow is swept into hiding by the queen's suitor, Sir Kenway. Kenway reveals he's been sworn to keep Shadow safe and bring her to a witch in the mountains. Shadow discovers that the regent, the queen's cousin, is corrupt, and the country is slowly dying because the resident nature spirit is in mourning; naturally, Shadow is the only one who can solve both of these problems. Although the basic story has promise and some interesting mystical elements, the characters are flat and unsympathetic, and the romantic pair have scant chemistry. Shadow is passive, selfish, and apathetic throughout the story, distancing readers from what could have been a transformative journey of forgiveness and redemption. Ages 10–18. (Apr.)

The Song of the Whales Uri Orlev, trans. from the Hebrew by Hillel Halkin. Houghton Mifflin, $16 (112p) ISBN 978-0-547-25752-5

Orlev (Run, Boy, Run) blurs the edges of dream and reality in this story about Michael, a friendless child of self-absorbed parents, who "[doesn't] like sports or computer games," preferring the company of his Plasticine figures and the old men in his neighborhood. When his family moves to Israel, Mikha'el (as he's known there) forges a strong bond with his ailing grandfather, who takes him into his dreams. The two share surreal nocturnal adventures, in which Grandpa "fixes" people's dreams––a gift he passes on to Mikha'el. While Orlev writes with deep empathy for the misfit Mikha'el and his relationship with his dying grandfather, the abrupt shifts from dream to the "really real world" can be jarring and the dreams bizarre. In one nightmare, intended to reform Mikha'el's parents' meat-eating ways (Grandpa is a vegetarian), animals in a restaurant are eager to chow down on Mikha'el's father, who appears as roast beef topped "with side dishes of contracts, account books, and income tax returns." A strange tale, but a diverting escape, perhaps, to those also at odds with the really real world. Ages 10–up. (Apr.)

Pod Stephen Wallenfels. Namelos (www.namelos.com), $1.95 (212p) ISBN 978-1-60898-011-6; $9.95 paper ISBN 978-1-60898-010-9

Debut novelist Wallenfels delivers an intense novel of humanity's reaction to an alien invasion. When the PODs—hovering alien balls that obliterate any humans who venture outdoors—appear, 15-year-old Josh and his father are trapped inside their house in a small Washington town. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Megs is trapped in a parking garage in California, waiting for her mother to return. The story alternates between each protagonist, as Josh faces internal struggles over his isolation and his father's increasing depression, and Megs deals with a dangerous group that has taken over an adjacent hotel. Wallenfels isn't afraid to take risks, often yanking hope away from the characters in the most painful ways, and it usually pays off. By focusing on the humans and keeping the aliens' motivations shrouded in mystery, he creates a tense environment for readers. There are some bits that fall flat—Megs's adventures, in particular, seem to be artificially extended over the 28 days of the story, and rely too often on conveniently overheard conversations, but, overall, the book is fast-paced and engrossing. Ages 10–up. (Apr.)

Mockingbird Kathryn Erskine. Philomel, $15.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-399-25264-8

Ten-year-old Caitlin Smith has Asperger's syndrome, which is why she is processing a horrific event differently than everyone else in her small Virginia town. As the result of a school shooting, her beloved brother, Devon, and two others are dead. Caitlin's mother is also dead, lost to cancer when Caitlin was just three. She addresses these losses matter-of-factly; her lack of tact is especially hard on her father, a kind man who is falling apart. Over the course of the story, Caitlin, who like many with Asperger's has incredible brainpower but few social skills, must learn empathy. She narrates—a risky choice that mostly works. Her Amelia Bedelia–like misunderstandings of figurative language provide much needed moments of levity, and her extreme conscientiousness is endearing. Erskine (Quaking) works in powerful imagery throughout—Devon's unfinished Eagle Scout project was a wooden chest, and for Caitlin, it's entwined with the irreparable bullet wound in Devon's chest. Although an author's note links the novel with the 2007 tragedy at Virginia Tech, this novel is not about violence as much as about the ways in which a wounded community heals. Ages 10–up. (Apr.)

The Light D.J. MacHale. S&S/Aladdin, $17.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-4169-6516-9

MacHale (the Pendragon series) launches the Morpheus Road trilogy with this creepy, tension-filled adventure, in which 16-year-old Marsh Seaver is terrorized by forces he doesn't understand. It's the first week of summer, and Marsh is all alone, his widower father out of town on business, and his best friend Cooper a few hours away at Thistledown Lake with his family. Things get seriously weird when Gravedigger, a skeletal comic book character of Marsh's design, starts stalking him. Convinced that only Cooper can help him, Marsh enlists the aid of Cooper's beautiful yet frosty sister, Sydney, to get to the lake. Once they arrive, they learn that Cooper is missing and true terror is just beginning. Spooky and fraught with peril, this ghost story evokes campfire horrors and classic slasher films with a relentless onslaught of macabre imagery and mortal danger. What is Gravedigger, what does he want, and how does it all tie into Cooper's fate? Unfortunately, as the first act in a larger piece, few answers are revealed, and numerous questions are left unresolved in anticipation of the next installment. Ages 10–up. (Apr.)

Gimme a Call Sarah Mlynowski. Delacorte, $17.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-385-90574-9

Teens who long to fix past mistakes can do so vicariously in Mlynowski's (the Magic in Manhattan series) farcical fantasy. After retrieving her cellphone from a fountain, high school senior Devi discovers the only person she can call is herself—three years earlier. She immediately sees this as a way to warn herself not to get involved with the boyfriend who will break her heart. Freshman Devi is reluctant to take the advice of a "Crazy Stalker Girl" from the future, but eventually decides to change her fate by refusing to date a cute baseball player, forming a tighter bond with her girlfriends, and trying to persuade her father to quit his job before he gets laid off. As Devi strives to rewrite her history, unexpected mishaps occur. Switching between each Devi's perspective, the book delivers a mixed message about meddling with fate, showing that taking charge of one's life is important but indicating that some things—like falling in love—are destined to happen. Nonetheless, Devi's frenzied attempts to better herself create some funny moments and a touching conclusion. Ages 12–up. (Apr.)

My So-Called Death Stacey Jay. Flux, $9.95 paper (240p) ISBN 978-0-7387-1543-8

Unlike Jay's You Are So Undead to Me and Undead Much, the heroine of her latest novel doesn't beat zombies—she joins 'em. After an accident cracks open her skull, 14-year-old cheerleader Karen discovers that she is one of the "Death Challenged," and she agrees to attend DEAD High ("Death-Challenged Education for Adolescents and the Deprogrammed"). Adjusting to lunch menus that list "Popcorn pig brain bites" and being wary of maggots ("a zombie's only natural predator") isn't easy, but the story takes off after the illegal brain harvesting of a student. For the death-challenged, brain removal can lead to permanent death if the brain is not restored within days, leading to a race to find the thief. As the brain thefts continue, Karen suspects sexy swimmer Gavin, but the murder of Karen's closest friend somehow leads her to team up with him. Though not for the faint of heart, the premise and gruesome details ("the back of my skull burst open like a pomegranate seed") should appeal to those with a dark sense of humor. Ages 12–up. (Apr.)

Once Morris Gleitzman. Holt, $16.99 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8050-9026-0

Tension builds swiftly in this wrenching tale as Felix, a preteen Polish Jew, narrates his experience of Holocaust atrocities, framed by a search for his parents that begins when he escapes from a Catholic orphanage. A natural storyteller, Felix begins each chapter with a formulaic prelude: "Once I was living in a cellar in a Nazi city with seven other children," before chronicling events in which his narrative gifts provide comfort and courage to himself and others in increasingly bleak circumstances. After finding his home occupied by hostile neighbors, Felix witnesses pointless murders on a forced march. Gleitzman (Toad Rage) allows readers to draw conclusions before Felix does (he thinks a book burning is being conducted by "professional librarians in professional librarian armbands"), making poignant Felix's gradual loss of innocence when he realizes that Hitler is not a protector but "the boss of the Nazis," and when he finally accepts his parents' deaths. The humorous dimension of Felix's narration provides welcome relief, while courageous acts of kindness by Catholic nuns, a German neighbor, and a Jewish dentist lend this tragedy universality. Ages 12–up. (Apr.)

Half World Hiromi Goto, illus. by Jillian Tamaki. Viking, $16.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-670-01220-6

Raised in impoverished circumstances by her single mother, overweight 14-year-old Melanie is the target of ridicule at school and leads a lonely, introverted life. Then an evil being named Mr. Glueskin kidnaps her mother, forcing Melanie to travel to Half World, a colorless land that has been sundered from the realms of flesh and spirit, its deceased inhabitants cursed to relive the most traumatic moments of their lives. In her attempts to save her mother, Melanie learns she is destined to reunite the realms. Goto writes the hellish Half World as miserably surreal yet horrifyingly believable. A woman jumps off a bridge only to reappear again and again, and there are numerous human/animal hybrids, several of whom suffer gruesome (if temporary) deaths at the hands of the grotesque and psychotic Mr. Glueskin. Even after learning the strength of her character (and the truth about her parents), Melanie has believable relapses, but never stops fighting. It's a fast-moving and provocative journey with cosmically high stakes, and one that should readily appeal to fans of dark, nightmarish fantasy. Ages 12–up. (Apr.)

Nonfiction

Watch This Space: Designing, Defending and Sharing Public Spaces Hadley Dyer, illus. by Marc Ngui. Kids Can, $18.95 (80p) ISBN 978-1-55453-293-3

Using informal language to make a complex subject accessible, Dyer defines public spaces as belonging "to everyone and to no one in particular," as well as "gathering spaces.... where we have chance encounters with neighbors and strangers." Dyer explores their history and function, laws governing them ("How much is too much when it comes to public displays of affection?"), social networking, use of public spaces (such as skateboarding and protesting), transportation, and public art. Also included are descriptions of successful public space design and tips for readers interested in participating in public space initiatives. Dyer's belief in the value of public spaces is evident, and several statements may challenge how readers think about community, graffiti, and homelessness ("Panhandling laws.... choose the majority's right to not be disturbed over a minority's right to find a way to survive"). Ngui's sketchlike ink drawings suggest the energy and diversity of city life. Despite some missteps (including an unfortunate error regarding the title of Jane Jacobs's The Death and Life of Great American Cities), Dyer's book should help readers understand—and feel ownership of—public spaces. Ages 10–14. (Mar.)

A Gift from Childhood: Memories of an African Boyhood Baba Wagué Diakité. Groundwood (PGW, dist.), $18.95 (136p) ISBN 978-0-88899-931-3

Diakité's (The Magic Gourd) illustrated memoir focuses on his childhood in a small Malian village, but also touches on his adult years, including meeting his future wife and moving to Portland, Ore. Four-year-old Baba is sent to his father's hometown of Kassaro to live with Grandma Sabou and Grandpa Samba to learn valuable ranching and farming skills, as well as the Mali tradition of storytelling. Interspersed with Diakité's recounting of his youth (catching catfish with his grandmother, receiving ritual circumcision), are stories about his grandfather's brokering peaceful relations with the French, a blacksmith who stymies Death, and others. "Stories were more than just a learning tool for my cousins and me," Baba says. "They were like going on an adventure." Diakité's precise language and vibrant illustrations, created on earthenware tiles, form an engrossing story of community life. Studded with Malian proverbs, metaphors, and morals ("Fortunately, brains do not have any bone. That is what allowed us people to be flexible"), it's a memoir alive with far more voices than just that of the author. Ages 10–up. (Mar.)

ABC, 123, Baby, You and Me!

There's no shortage of alphabet and counting books this spring.

Animal 123 Kate Sheppard. Kingfisher, $6.99 (18p) ISBN 978-0-7534-6394-9

This spirited counting board book with a padded cover starts off with a minor disaster ("Rabbit had a birthday card ready to go, but 1 angry fox made him lose it—oh no!") and builds from there. The rabbit skittishly hops past a series of caricatured animals set against a photo-collaged background of grass and dirt. The animals try to stop the rabbit to no avail ("6 ducks quacked to alert him... 7 mice squeaked to divert him"), and at 10, realizing he's lost the card, the rabbit retraces his steps, as the numbers count back down and the animals show him the way. The lively artwork and story line make for an entertaining lesson in numbers. Also available: Animal I Spy. Up to age 4. (Apr.)

Frankie Works the Night Shift Lisa Westberg Peters, illus. by Jennifer Taylor. Greenwillow, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-009095-1

Featuring digital photography, newcomer Taylor's mixed-media art adds comedic zing to Peters's quirky counting tale. Frankie is an apron-wearing marmalade cat who has the run of a hardware store at night—he empties one wastebasket, spilling its contents onto the floor, and "cleans" two counters. Pursuing a mouse, Frankie knocks over eight nail bins and scurries over the side-by-side beds of his nine "bosses" sleeping upstairs, some of whom wake up with startled expressions, as he chases the rodent out the cat door. Peters's spare text, full of exclamatory statements in the second half ("Good job, Frankie!"), moves the story forward with energy and speed, but Taylor's artwork is the showstopper, creating a surreal environment for Frankie's nocturnal adventures. Ages 2–5. (Mar.)

Teddy Bear Counting Barbara Barbieri McGrath, illus. by Tim Nihoff. Charlesbridge, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58089-215-5; $7.95 paper ISBN 978-1-58089-216-2

This clever counting book with a squat, rectangular shape features 12 digitally rendered, gummylike bears who introduce themselves by their colors (red, yellow, green, and blue), and their ranks soon grow. "One red marches in to make five bears in all./ When yellow joins, too, six teddies sit tall." The arithmetic becomes more complex, as the bears "choose partners," which results in "six sets of two," followed by "three sets of four," demonstrating how 4+4+4 and 6+6 each add up to 12. The bears also form basic shapes, before bears begin to leave to explore subtraction. The rhymes are occasionally clunky, but the concepts are clearly illustrated, and readers will be drawn to the bears' chunky, glinting shapes. Ages 3–6. (Feb.)

You Can Count on Monsters: The First 100 Numbers and Their Characters Richard Evan Schwartz. A K Peters (www.akpeters.com), $24.95 paper (244p) ISBN 978-1-56881-578-7

This compact, innovative book counts to 100 using prime numbers represented as "monsters," each with identifying characteristics (two resembles a bee with two buggy eyes, and three is an angry-looking triangular creature). The book opens with explanations of multiplication, prime and composite numbers, and factor trees, then moves on to a list of numbers. Each prime number looks unique, while composite numbers are represented by scenes involving their prime monsters (eight is illustrated as three of the beelike twos, i.e., two times two times two. Readers may have difficulty deciphering the pictures, which come to resemble little works of abstract geometric art. But especially for creative learners, visualizing the roles each monster plays may lead to deeper number sense. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

This Tree Counts! Alison Formento, illus. by Sarah Snow. Albert Whitman, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8075-7890-2

"Trees will speak only if you listen closely," Mr. Tate tells his students, as they prepare to plant trees near a large oak. As they listen, they hear the tree tell a counting story, which describes the animals that make the tree their home: "One owl sits high on my branches, waiting for the moon. Two spiders cling tight to webs, spinning all day long." Snow's joyful cut-paper collages feel alive with activity, making this a green counting book with panache. Ages 4–7. (Mar.)

A Paddling of Ducks: Animals in Groups from A to Z Marjorie Blain Parker, illus. by Joseph Kelly. Kids Can, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-55337-682-8

This ABC book provides a delightfully offbeat introduction to collective nouns, featuring groups of animals at a Riviera-like resort locale with palm trees and a seaside Ferris wheel. An "army of Ants" closes in on an anteater's doughnuts (he's too busy with his laptop and coffee to notice), while a "bloat of Hippos" work out on exercise bikes. Even better than learning some of the unusual ways to refer to multiple animals is the way Kelly's soft-focus oil and acrylic paintings riff on the terms themselves. Thus, a "gang of Elk" and "skulk of Foxes" look appropriately rowdy, and a "labor of Moles" in hardhats are seen doing excavation work. The anthropomorphic animals feel anatomically authentic, but with exaggerated joie de vivre to spare. Ages 4–7. (Mar.)

Baseball from A to Z Michael P. Spradlin, illus. by Macky Pamintuan. Harper, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-124081-2

Vibrant scenes of ballpark action are the main draw in this alphabetical guide to the game of baseball. Spradlin's clear definitions of the various terms inform rather than excite ("The dugout is the bench area where the players sit while waiting for their turn at bat"). Pamintuan, however, playfully amplifies the vigor of the stadium. A pitcher's stance echoes the twistiness of the curveball he's about to launch, a colorful cast of mascots make goofy faces, and a closeup action scene shows a shortstop in midair trying to tag a runner sliding for the base. As an intro to baseball basics, it's at least a base hit. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Ballroom Bonanza: A Hidden Pictures ABC Book Nina Rycroft and Stephen Harris, illus. by Rycroft. Abrams, $16.95 (48p) ISBN 978-0-8109-8842-2

Rendered in a style reminiscent of Graeme Base, spiffy animals gather, in alphabetical order, for a dance competition (less Dancing with the Stars than Dancing with the Jaguars). Rycroft's lavish pencil, watercolor, and gouacheillustrations give the animals glittering ballroom pizzazz, and readers can also locate missing musical instruments, hidden (by monkeys) throughout. On a spread featuring "F" and "G," two flamingos strut their stuff ("When flamingos dance flamenco,/ Judges have to block their ears"), while "[g]roovy goats" (one strongly resembles Austin Powers) go-go dance ("No one's laughed as much in years"). The eye-popping visuals, breezy alliterative verse, and interactive component form an enchanting introduction to music, animals, and dancing. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth Mary McKenna Siddals, illus. by Ashley Wolff. Tricycle, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58246-316-2

"Environmental chefs,/ here's a recipe for you/ to fix from scratch/ to mix a batch/ of Compost Stew," invites a girl with curly titian hair. Letters stand for different components of what goes into a compost pile, and Wolff's cut-paper collages depict a multicultural group of kids, as well as a dalmatian and a goose, working together to collect material ("Dirt clods, crumbled,/ Eggshells, crushed/ Fruit pulp left behind, all mushed"): "And when the cooking is complete,/ Mother Earth will/ have a treat,/ dark and crumbly,/ rich and sweet." An exuberant primer for green-minded kids. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Peter Blake's ABC Peter Blake. Tate (Abrams, dist.), $13.50 (64p) ISBN 978-1-85437-816-3

This small-format ABC book displays photographs of assorted objects from British pop artist Peter Blake's personal collection. The letters of the alphabet, on the left side of each spread, are made of weathered metals and wood, and appear above phrases that describe the images on the opposing pages. For "G is for Gnome," a timeworn garden gnome reclines with his green stocking feet crossed and, for "M is for Motor Car," there's a Volkswagen bug that appears to be crafted from metal scraps of household products. The eclectic and surprising panoply should appeal both to adult Blake fans and early readers. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Counting Birds Alice Melvin. Tate (Abrams, dist.), $14.50 (32p) ISBN 978-1-85437-855-2

This ornamental counting book features softly rhyming couplets that describe birds—real and manufactured—as they appear from dawn to dusk. One noisy cockerel's "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" stirs a sleepy house awake ("Three flying ducks, in a decorative row,/ are suddenly bathed in the bright morning glow"). Melvin's intricate ink illustrations create beguiling composition on each page, from the "nine handsome peacocks" strutting in striking blues and orange to the 17 starlings that gather on an shingled rooftop, "safe from the claws of the tortoiseshell cat." Playfully sophisticated, like an afternoon tea party. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

An ABC of What Art Can Be Meher McArthur, illus. by Esther Pearl Watson. Getty (Oxford Univ., dist.), $17.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-89236-999-7

This short, superwide ABC book is a tribute to artists and their media, with a plainspoken rhyme for each letter: "C's for computer./ If there's one in your house,/ it can help you make art—/ with the click of a mouse!" Watson's collages integrate the letters into the scenes, while echoing the free-spirited sentiments. An orange, scrap paper "J" stands for "Junk/ which we think of as trash./ It's used to make art/ without costing much cash." A closing section includes suggestions for making art projects like a popsicle stick picture frame and creating paintbrushes from leaves or grass. A fun, gifty book for aspiring artists. Ages 4–up. (Apr.)

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Book Reviews

Thursday, March 11, 2010