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| Children's Book Reviews - Publishers Weekly Posted: 22 Mar 2010 06:31 AM PDT -- Publishers Weekly, 3/22/2010 12:00:00 AM
Picture Books
Imbued with quiet effervescence, this wordless picture book imagines a child-sized paradise in which dreamy scenes unfold one after another. The Tolmans, a Dutch father-and-daughter team, draw the central tree—with a marvelous, many-storied tree house in its branches—in rich umber; it maintains the same size, shape, and position throughout, though the details in and around it vary widely. A polar bear swims up first, and a brown bear follows by boat. As the two read, an enormous flock of flamingoes appears, and the spread turns pink. Some roost in the branches, until a rhinoceros bumps the trunk, dislodging them. (The jostling is shown by reproducing the image of the tree house about a quarter inch off, creating a vibrational effect.) The rhino is welcomed, more bears appear, as do a peacock and a hippo, and soon the tree house is pleasantly crowded. It's Noah's Ark undone, with no traumatic flood, no tidy matched pairs, and no need for olive branches. Readers of all ages will want to return to this treasure box of images again and again. Ages 2–up. (Apr.) Bedtime for Mommy Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illus. by LeUyen Pham. Bloomsbury, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-59990-341-5 It takes a loving but firm child to get a recalcitrant Mommy to bed—at least, that's how the little heroine of this tables-turned tale sees it. Mommy pulls out every trick in the book—including asking to be read two bedtime books instead of one (in one of several jokes aimed at adults, the evening's text is Anna Karenina). But the little girl never loses her voice of knowing authority. "Did you brush your teeth?" writes Rosenthal (Duck! Rabbit!). "A nice long time?" The always terrific Pham (Freckleface Strawberry) strikes just the right tone with her domestic satire (Mommy's highly physical critiques of the wardrobe choices for the next day have clearly been drawn from life). In fact, it's that very physicality—seeing an adult behaving in such recognizably childish ways (dancing with glee when the bath toys arrive) while the small girl affects a maternal persona (delivering an exhausted "Phew!" when all is said and done)—that is most likely to strike a chord with kids. But as clever as the book is, there isn't much to invite repeated readings. Ages 3–5. (Apr.)
Hundreds of animated green peas tumble through the alphabet in this refreshingly original book. The illustrations are full of vitality and good humor, and the rhyming text never misses a beat. Each large, pastel letter is accompanied by energetic peas introducing themselves ("We're acrobats, artists, and astronauts in space"). Most letters occupy a single page, but Baker combines some letters the way children repeating a just-learned alphabet often do. The peas are all small and round, but Baker (Just How Long Can a Long String Be?!) gives them stick legs and arms, along with lively faces and costumes, to demonstrate his inventive view of each letter. To illustrate the letters H and I ("We're hikers, inventors, and investigators"), two peas climb a branch leaning on the H, a pea in a Sherlock Holmes hat tries to decipher footprints below, and a single pea with a light bulb above his head, smiles at his newly invented wheel that dots the letter I. Baker's after-the-Z surprise ending is a question for readers: "Now tell us, please... WHO ARE YOU?" Ages 3–7. (Apr.) Creak! Said the Bed Phyllis Root, illus. by Regan Dunnick. Candlewick, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7636-2004-2 Silly and slight, this story of an inadvertent and ultimately inadequate family bed is more notable for Dunnick's (The Louds Move In!) buoyant gouache artwork than Root's (Toot Toot Zoom!) text, which never quite finds its rhythmic footing. "One dark night in the middle of the night," Mom and Dad are snoozing away when, one by one, the kids come in: Evie is scared, Ivy is cold, Mo is spooked, and Fred—the family dog—has an aversion to thunder. There aren't a lot of comic surprises: Mom is welcoming and Dad remains out cold (supplying snores, "snurkle[s]," and other nighttime noises), as the kids eke out unlikely spaces to sleep—on top of their parents' heads and under the pillows. Despite a massive crack that busts the bed after Fred's arrival, peace is achieved, though the last spread hints that it may be short-lived. Dunnick's big-headed, beady-eyed, and slightly clueless cast are deeply appealing: even very young readers should appreciate the humor in a family's single-minded pursuit of some zzzs. Ages 4–8. (Apr.) Noah's Bark Stephen Krensky, illus. by Rogé. Lerner/Carolrhoda, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8225-7645-7 In Krensky's (Chaucer's First Winter) playful spin on the Bible story, Noah has a short fuse—and a real communication problem with animals. While he labors to build the ark, Noah is nearly driven batty by the cacophony of animal sounds, as the beasts let loose with any noise that inspires them ("Beavers crowed when the sun came up. Snakes quacked in distress"). However, such a racket is no help when it's time to board the vessel and set sail during the great flood. Noah takes command, barking "Quiet!" at his passengers before he assigns them specific sounds with specific purposes. Thus, "The pigs oinked if anyone fell overboard.... And the lions roared when the roof leaked." Part fable, and all fun, this tale has a light tone and jaunty pacing that will help it stand apart from more by-the-Good-Book versions of the story. Rogé (Cesar Takes a Break) paints a friendly-looking menagerie and a humorously exasperated though kind-faced Noah. The dramatic scenes of gray skies, pelting rain, and crashing waves are particularly memorable. Ages 4–8. (Apr.) Basil's Birds Lynn Rowe Reed. Marshall Cavendish, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7614-5627-8 A school custodian carefully tends a bird's nest he finds on his head, and when the baby birds fly away, empty nest syndrome hits him hard. Basil Berkmeister offers the nestlings worm pie to lure them back, but it's not until Father's Day that he discovers how much they care. The birds are made of fired clay, and Reed (Please Don't Upset P.U. Zorilla) mixes photo images and naïve-style painting for Basil's puppetlike body and paintbrush hair. His teeth are dots of white paint, making him look a little like a Mexican Day of the Dead mask. His tender care for his charges provides the satisfaction in this offbeat tale, and his willingness to make the most of his odd circumstances supplies the laughs, as when he discovers the nest is a conversation starter. "Look!" he says to a woman in a polka-dot bikini top, pointing to the mother bird on his head. "Her suit is sort of like yours!" (Sure enough, the bird has a matching miniature bikini.) Love spreads more love, Basil finds, and readers will feel it, too. Ages 4–8. (Apr.) Party Animals Kathie Lee Gifford, illus. by Peter Bay Alexandersen. Running Press Kids, $17.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7624-3889-1 A birthday invitation readers can remove from an envelope cleverly ushers them into Today Show host Gifford's chirpy story about finicky Lucy Goosy, who "wanted her party to be simply the best,/ so she had to be careful when choosing each guest." It's no easy task: Pig will eat all the food, Goat is always in a bad mood, poky Turtle will be late, and Bee is too busy to leave his hive. The meter is on target, but the verse can be weak ("If I invite Ant, I'll get ants in my pants!"). Danish artist Alexandersen portrays the animals with comedic hyperbole. Self-indulgent Cat models a snazzy new gown, Cow wears a ruffled frock while eating hay with fork and knife, and cocky Rooster performs on stage while wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses. In a fairly treacly denouement, Owl chastises Lucy for being too critical and advises her to invite everyone: "Yes, each has a gift that no one else gives./ So let's celebrate how different each one of us is!" Gifford sings the lyrics on an accompanying CD. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)
Krull and her husband, Brewer, begin this unique portrait of Lincoln by cataloguing the reasons he had to be depressed ("His childhood was harsh. He looked homely and he knew it"). Subsequent pages proceed to tell Lincoln's story through the lens of his antidote for these disappointments: humor. Whether finding it in joke books or by making fun of his ungainly frame and snobby in-laws (" 'One d is enough for God, but the Todds need two,' he wrote"), this chronological biography shows how the president used his sophisticated wit and penchant for wordplay to salve hardships and soothe foes. The hazy edges, muted hues, and earth tones of Innerst's (M Is for Music) stylized acrylics underline the image of Lincoln as backwoodsman-turned-politician. Exaggerated faces and cartoon touches keep the tone light, even as the authors touch on serious subjects. The final spread depicts Lincoln seated in his D.C. memorial chuckling as he reads a humor book he enjoyed as a boy. Readers will smile, too, at this lighthearted look at Lincoln and the many droll quotations attributed to him. Ages 5–8. (Apr.) A Book About Color: A Clear and Simple Guide for Young Artists Mark Gonyea. Holt, $19.99 (96p) ISBN 978-0-8050-9055-0 Clean, crisp illustrations explicate the laws of color in the latest of a series of art books for young readers by Gonyea (A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good). Gonyea lays out basic color information—primary and secondary colors, their connotations, how they work together, and so on—with simple, accessible statements and corresponding visual representations ("Blue and red make purple" appears in white against a solid purple backdrop opposite horizontal red and blue stripes; "Warm colors rise to the front" is demonstrated by a stylized red rocket flying across a sky of blue). Older readers will appreciate the book's second half, which presents more complex ideas. The tone loosens up, too: "Saturation is the amount of color in... well... color;" "Darker values have more black and can make things seem creepy and menacing." It is in essence a handbook, the illustrations more like diagrams than images to savor. Young artists (and that might include young designers of Web pages and video games) will learn new things, and may recognize the truth of perceptions they already had. Ages 9–up. (Apr.) FictionWe the Children Andrew Clements, illus. by Adam Stower. S&S/Atheneum, $14.99 (160p) ISBN 978-1-4169-3886-6 This suspenseful novel, which launches Clements's (No Talking) Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School series, catapults Ben into a mystery surrounding his seaside school. Founded by a Revolutionary War–era sea captain, the school is slated to be demolished to make way for an amusement park. Just before he dies, the longtime custodian gives the sixth grader a gold coin imprinted with the founder's declaration that the school "belongs to the children" and cryptic instructions on how to "defend" it. Ben and his friend Jill set out to decode the message, a process that involves some intriguing questions and maneuverings. Clements has the makings of an action-lover's dream scenario: a school setting full of history and secrets, a tense kids-versus-adults dynamic, and a sailing race to boot. Some may be disappointed by how little is revealed, though, and the climactic race, while exciting, ends the story abruptly. Characteristically, Clements probes his hero's personal quandaries, as Ben deals with his parents' separation, his growing feelings for Jill, and the potential loss of his beloved school. Ages 7–10. (Apr.) Only One Year Andrea Cheng, illus. by Nicole Wong. Lee & Low, $16.95 (104p) ISBN 978-1-60060-252-8 Cheng (who collaborated with Wong on Brushing Mom's Hair) offers a quiet yet resonant novel that explores a practice unfamiliar to most American children. Just before Sharon's mother begins a new job, the fourth-grader's parents send her two-year-old brother, Di Di, to live in Shanghai for a year with their grandmother, Nai Nai. When Sharon questions why a babysitter can't care for him instead, Mama explains that for a sitter, "Di Di is a job. But for Nai Nai, he is a grandson." Moving moments underscore the void his absence leaves: shopping for shoes, Sharon's younger sister, Mary, suggests they buy a pair for Di Di, and Mama replies, "We don't know his size." Di Di's return brings different distress: he has no interest in playing with his sisters ("He doesn't like us anymore," Sharon laments), he cries too often, and during a tantrum he tears apart the girls' homemade playhouse. Expectedly, the boy gradually bonds with his sisters, a process further humanized by Wong's delicate line art. Cheng's concluding note gives cultural context to her insightful story. Ages 7–11. (Apr.) How to Survive Middle School Donna Gephart. Delacorte, $15.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-385-73793-7 This funny, tender novel stars 11-year-old David Greenberg, who lives with his father, older sister, and beloved grandmother (his mother left the family two years earlier). David idolizes comedian Jon Stewart and spends his days with his best friend, Elliott, uploading to YouTube episodes of his homemade show, TalkTime, which stars his pet hamster. But when middle school begins, Elliott abandons David for the school bully, and David, in turn, is befriended by formerly homeschooled new student Sophie, who loves his videos and sends them to her network of homeschooled kids. Gephart (As If Being 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President!) writes effectively about David's feelings about his family, his betrayal by Elliott, and his continued isolation: "What good does it do to have thousands of fans online when not a single person at school likes me except Sophie?" Although his observations sometimes seem too mature and the eventual resolution between David and Elliott feels anticlimactic, Gephart's story is relatable and compulsively readable. Ages 8–12. (Apr.) The Keening A. LaFaye. Milkweed (PGW, dist.), $17 (224p) ISBN 978-1-57131-692-9; $8 paper ISBN 978-1-57131-694-3 Set in northern Maine in 1918, the year of the influenza pandemic, LaFaye's (Water Steps) compact novel is infused with the spirit of death. Fourteen-year-old Lyza's parents have raised her in an unconventional manner; the family sleeps and eats to its own rhythms. Pater, while mentally unbalanced, is a gifted sculptor, and Mater plays the cello, bakes, and sews beautifully. Lyza deeply loves her family and home in their small coastal town—"The comforts of it had soaked in soul deep.... sights like our house standing on the high grass plain between the glen of sugar maples and the forest made me feel safe"—but yearns for a talent of her own. Early on, Mater succumbs to influenza, and Lyza must confront her fear of travel to fight relatives who want to have Pater committed. During her journey to get help, she discovers her singular gift. LaFaye explores the thin line between artistry and mental illness and offers visions of dead spirits in darkly lyrical language that makes for a powerful and unsettling book, best appreciated by older preteens and teens. Ages 8–13. (Apr.) Choppy Socky Blues Ed Briant. Flux, $9.95 paper (264p) ISBN 978-0-7387-1897-2 In picture book author/illustrator Briant's first novel, 14-year-old Jason wants to be nothing like his father, a stunt man who runs a karate dojo and left his family two years ago. But then Jason meets Tinga, who's training for her blue belt, and Jason immediately says he is, too, which means asking his father for help getting back into shape. This story line loses urgency as the book progresses, but action scenes in the dojo are well drawn. Things are further complicated when it turns out that Tinga is dating Jason's former friend Malcolm. An uncomfortable scene in the shower leads Jason to think that Malcolm might be gay, but Jason still feels awful when Tinga dumps Malcolm to be with him. He breaks up with her, and his attempt to win her back leads to a confrontation with Malcolm. Although secondary characters like Tinga and Malcolm are less developed, Jason's insecurities, resentment toward (and gradual peacemaking with) his father, and obsession with girls are believably rendered—he's the kind of awkward hero readers will be glad to see come into his own. Ages 12–up. (Apr.)
Lainey has just graduated from high school when she finds out that her mother has committed suicide. Her older stepsister, Vallery, is a virtual stranger when she shows up to take custody of Lainey's five-year-old adopted brother, Collin, who has behavioral problems. Lainey's long-term boyfriend, Riley, tries to support her, but her repressed anger leads her to break up with him on her 18th birthday so she can pursue a relationship with a 21-year-old she meets on a late-night run to 7-Eleven. Lainey and Vallery settle into raising Collin together as Lainey begins to work out her feelings about her mother, Riley, and her father, who wants to be there for her. The story could have easily lapsed into melodrama (Lainey's stepfather and grandmother have also recently died), but debut novelist Hoxter gives a masterful portrayal of the effects of grief. The blue-collar setting is impeccably realized, from Lainey's busted Grand Am to her job at a mall kiosk, adding up to a portrait of a complex and relatable main character whose growth feels authentic and earned. Ages 12–up. (Apr.) Kiss Jacqueline Wilson. Roaring Brook, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-59643-242-0 Sylvie has been best friends with Carl since forever. Now entering high school, however, handsome and sensitive Carl is drifting, while insecure and late-to-develop Sylvie is still trying to convince herself that they will one day marry and live happily ever after. The ostensible division is that Carl has enrolled in a more challenging school, leaving Sylvie nearly friendless. Into this void struts Miranda, a rich, sexually sophisticated girl with moxie to burn. Carl has a new friend, too, and alert readers will figure out long before Sylvie why Carl needs some distance. As with all of Wilson's fiction, there's a lot of hand-wringing over social status. Sylvie's father is out of the picture, her mother's diminished economic status has forced her to take in a lodger, while Miranda lives in a posh home and always has cash. Though the girls carry cellphones, the narrative feels dated—more like a classic "problem novel" of the 1970s than a contemporary YA story about sexual identity. Die-hard Wilson fans will want to read this, but those who aren't familiar with her work should not start here. Ages 12–up. (Apr.) The Exile of Gigi Lane Adrienne Maria Vrettos. S&S/McElderry, $16.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-4169-2433-3 Gigi Lane is the meanest of the mean girls at Swan's Lake, "the eighth-best nonparochial, nonresidential school in the country," and on her way to becoming the new Head Hottie (the leader of the all-girls school's most exclusive clique). But when Gigi falls from grace, her classmates enact payback for the cruelties Gigi has shown them. Gigi tries to reclaim her rightful place by rushing her school's many cliques, from the Glossies ("The girls you think are so pretty until you see them up close") down to the Cursed Unaffiliated, who "you don't notice unless you trip over one of them while walking backwards." She largely remains clueless, unable to reconcile her self-image with how nasty she can be, but slowly comes around. Vrettos (Skin) offers a very funny parody of the high school caste system, though the story bogs down during Gigi's protracted social death spiral. It stays in campy and fairly superficial territory, yet the underlying message about sisterhood, popularity, and identity is delivered in a package that's both memorable and fun. Ages 12–up. (Apr.) For Keeps Natasha Friend. Viking, $16.99 (272p) ISBN 978-0-670-01190-2 Like the Gilmore Girls, the Gardner girls are close friends as well as mother and daughter. When she was 16, Kate dropped out of high school to give birth to Josie, while her high school sweetheart, Paul (the father), moved to Arizona with his family. Now, 16 years later, Paul's parents have returned, pushing the past back into the present. Although Josie has no desire to meet her father, fate intervenes and secrets are revealed to Josie and Kate about the circumstances of Josie's birth. Adding to the drama are new men in the lives of both Gardners, and a pregnancy scare for Josie's sassy best friend, Liv, which allow for additional discussions about teen pregnancy and safe sex. Josie's dry sense of humor ("Here I am, asking the question to end all questions... and this is what I get. My head is pounding. I need coffee") helps balance out the heavier themes. Things wrap up a bit neatly and Josie tends toward the theatrical, but Friend (Bounce) weaves a strong story that should hook readers. Ages 12–up. (Apr.) Inside Out Maria V. Snyder. Harlequin Teen, $9.99 paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-373-21006-0 Fantasist Snyder's YA debut is an engrossing homage to the dystopian youth-driven science fiction of the late '60s and early '70s (it even features a character named Logan), with enough hooks to engage adult science fiction fans. Teenage Trella is one of the teeming masses of "scrubs" who live in the lowest regions of the dank and crowded construct known simply as "Inside." She's a loner, called "The Queen of the Pipes," as those hidden passages are where she spends time working or exploring. Her reputation brings her to the attention of an injured prophet (and exiled member of the "uppers," the ruling caste that lives in luxury), who gets her to investigate the fabled Gateway, which carries the hope of salvation. As she explores, she discovers that many of her assumptions about the uppers—and some about her fellow scrubs—are wrong. Although the twists are rarely surprising, the characters—including Riley, a rebellious upper, and the sweet and idealistic Cog—are well-developed, and the solid action sequences and world-building make for an entertaining read. Ages 13–18. (Apr.) My Invisible Boyfriend Susie Day. Scholastic Press, $16.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-545-07354-7 This over-the-top but entertaining British import follows 15-year-old Heidi, who has always had an active imagination. When everyone seems to be coupling off at the first party of the new school year, Heidi invents the perfect boy for her—Ed Hartley. But "imaginary boyfriend–construction is harder than it looks." Heidi perpetuates Ed's existence by creating an online profile for him—he rides motorcycles, he writes poetry—and her friends think he's great, too. Day (Serafina67 *urgently requires life*) intersperses Heidi's first-person narrative with invented conversations between Heidi and Mycroft Christie, a TV detective, as well as e-mails between "Ed" and Heidi's friends, who have their own quirks. While it's implausible that Heidi's friends would divulge their problems to someone they've never met, Heidi is thus able to learn some of their deepest secrets. And when she begins receiving mysterious e-mails from someone claiming to be "a real boy," she worries that the gig is up. The sender's identity is predictable, but readers should still be satisfied with the outcome. Ages 13–up. (Apr.) Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots Abby McDonald. Candlewick, $16.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-7636-4382-9 The summer before her senior year, Jenna, a spirited environmentalist, leaves New Jersey for British Columbia to live with her godmother, Susie, and immerse herself in the outdoorsy life she idealizes. She assumes that her "Green Teen" initiative will be well-received and is disappointed to be mocked by local boys and shunned by Susie's goth stepdaughter ("I wonder if all my talk of sustainable eco-friendliness is making me sound like a good Green Teen activist—or just a spoiled brat"). Meanwhile, her best friend is becoming an eco extremist; her parents are edging toward divorce; and local stud Reeve pressures her to keep their romance a secret. Despite her environmental passion, Jenna is believably insecure, but slowly gets her footing, making inroads with her friends and taking inspiration from The Modern Mountain Man's Survival Guide ("Nature ain't ever going to change for you—you've got to make your plans around what you can't control"). McDonald (Sophomore Switch) composes a fun summer read, closely examining the conflict between sticking to one's beliefs and learning the art of compromise. Ages 14–up. (Apr.) The Clearing Heather Davis. HMH/Graphia, $8.99 paper (228p) ISBN 978-0-547-26367-0 For her senior year, Amy decides to move from Seattle to a tiny town in the North Cascades to live in her great-aunt Mae's trailer. Her goal is to escape her self-involved mother and stepfather, shallow circle of friends, and abusive boyfriend. "I needed to be somewhere different. Maybe I needed to be someone different, too," she muses. Fitting in at her new school is a struggle because of her defensiveness; in low spirits, she is drawn to a foggy clearing near Mae's home, which leads to Henry Brigg's family farm—in the summer of 1944. Henry, who lives with his grandfather and frail mother, is a gentleman and the opposite of the boys Amy's been damaged by in the past. Alternating between Amy and Henry's intersecting stories, Davis's (Never Cry Werewolf) second novel has a quiet power; the time travel element gives the story the feel of an old-fashioned romance, with a tinge of melodrama. The tale takes some unexpected turns, providing insights into healing and the weight of destiny along the way. Ages 14–up. (Apr.) Party Tom Leveen. Random, $16.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-375-86436-0 Leveen's debut follows one wild evening in Santa Barbara through the eyes of 11 teenagers on their way to a party. Attention-seeker Morrigan has just dumped Josh for not sleeping with her and is determined to find someone else; Josh's friends want to get his mind off the breakup. Morrigan's best friend, Ashley, plans to supervise her, but is distracted by the distant behavior of an old friend, Beckett, who desperately wants someone to notice her. Max is secretly in love with Beckett, and Azize is a Turkish immigrant taking the opportunity to meet new people. The story has the feel of a raucous SoCal soap opera, with abundant drinking, fighting, and plot twists (also, plenty of cliffhangers). Readers spend only one chapter with each character, which is effective in building suspense and getting to know the characters (and view events) from different angles, yet feels emotionally reductive—it's not quite enough time inside their heads. While the dialogue is realistic and voices and personalities well differentiated, despite all the drama the story feels too tidy. Ages 14–up. (Apr.) PoetryPoetry Speaks Who I Am Edited by Elise Paschen and Dominique Raccah. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $19.99 (176p) ISBN 978-1-4022-1074-7 This addition to the Poetry Speaks series aims at middle-grade readers with more than 100 strikingly diverse poems by writers including Poe, Frost, Nikki Giovanni, and Sandra Cisneros. The works are slotted together in mindful thematic order, beside occasional spot art. In Rosellen Brown's untitled poem, she reflects, "Nothing. They are for nothing, friends,/ I think. All they do in the end—they touch you. They fill you like music." Just opposite, is Langston Hughes's "I Loved My Friend": "I loved my friend./ He went away from me./ There's nothing more to say./ The poem ends,/ Soft as it began—I loved my friend." Pairing a contemporary poem like Toi Derricotte's "Fears of the Eighth Grade" alongside Keats's "When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be," results in a refreshing lack of literary hierarchy that enables disparate works to build and reflect upon one another. An accompanying CD features recordings of 44 of the poems, and blank lined pages at the end allow readers to integrate their voices into the chorus. A sound and rewarding introduction to the joys of poetry. Ages 9–12. (Mar.) Time You Let Me In: 25 Poets Under 25 Naomi Shihab Nye. Greenwillow, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-06-189637-8 Nye (Honeybee) presents an anthology of poets under the age of 25, each of whom contribute four poems. The poets chiefly employ free verse and utilize intensely personal material, but these are their sole similarities. The poems cover territory spiritual and saccharine, philosophical and experimental, angry and irreverent ("do you think/ if you left your house/ emily dickinson/ your poems would have titles?"). Some writers are concerned with excavating the past, contemplating death and illness, dissecting class divides, and questioning feelings of displacement, be it geographical, emotional, or cultural (Amal Khan, born in Pakistan, writes, "They have called me subcontinental,/ Ethnic and oriental—/ Suffering and my creed—/ It is a romantic thing indeed"). Several exhibit a delicacy in the handling of memory and attention to detail; "She collages her disasters/ by finding her own feelings in the/ magazine faces," writes Ben Westlie. While the poems don't necessarily break new ground, the collection is gripping and provocative in its portrayal of vastly different lives and experiences, strong sense of place, and sheer exuberance. Ages 12–up. (Mar.) Happy Mother's Day! Here's a selection of books celebrating all that moms do for their children—and vice versa. I Love My Mom Anna Walker. Simon & Schuster, $9.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4169-8318-7 In this small-format book, which follows I Love Christmas (2009), Ollie, a zebra who resembles a homemade stuffed animal, shares the details of what he and his mother do together ("We love to play with the butterflies./ We love to hide in disguise") and why he loves her. After a day's worth of gentle adventures, they rest and Ollie's mom gives him a "special treat." But it's the kiss good night that Ollie loves best. Never saccharine, Walker's understated ink illustrations suggest a cozy and whimsical miniature world. Ages 2–6. (Mar.) My Mother Is So Smart! Tomie dePaola. Putnam, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-399-25442-0 A young narrator praises his mother for such maternal deeds as knowing when to change his diaper when he was a baby, baking "the best" cookies, and serving a warm breakfast when it's cold out. More diverting are revelations of her spunkiness: she teaches him to dance the polka, takes him to school in grandfather's antique truck, and shows kids how to write their initials in the air with sparklers. Pastel borders frame spare, warm portraits of mother and son: as the mother faces readers, fresh Popsicles at the ready, she resembles no less then a modern-day saint. Ages 3–5. (Mar.) Taking Care of Mama Mitra Modarressi. Putnam, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-399-25216-7 When Mama Raccoon catches a cold, her husband and kids insist she stay in bed: " 'Well, I might sleep/ A few minutes more...'/ We tuck Mama in/ And shut the door." Modarressi tells the story from the giddy perspective of two children. Whispering, "Tiptoe, tiptoe," they bring Mama medicine, but in ironic contrast to these helpful voices, Modarressi pictures a household in chaos (a baby sibling plays with muddy, fresh-picked veggies, and the kitchen is a disaster). The result is an affectionate tribute to mothers who deserve a sick day (or a holiday), and wry instructions on how to treat them right. Ages 3–5. (Mar.) A Mother's Song Janet Lawler, illus. by Kathleen Kemly. Sterling, $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4027-6968-9 A mother and daughter spend time together exploring nature and enjoying seasonal activities. In spring, they "wade in a puddle/ that's not very deep,/ pretending we're frogs,/ croaking loud as we leap." During the summer, they sit on the porch watching the rain; in autumn, they harvest apples, and in winter, go ice skating: "the pond's frozen over,/ it's slippery-slick./ Hug me and twirl/ in a slow spinning trick." Endpapers show images of mother and daughter, framed as though they were snapshots. The graceful, pastel artwork and soothing writing beget a breezy message about motherly love. Ages 3–6. (Apr.) Mommy Is a Soft, Warm Kiss Rhonda Gowler Green, illus. by Maggie Smith. Walker, $14.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8027-9729-2 A towheaded girl uses metaphors to express what her mother is to her. On the beach, she's "a buried treasure/ in the sand and sun./ I cover her... discover her!/ What silly summer fun!" and on Thanksgiving, "Mommy is a yummy smell/ of pumpkin pie, so sweet./ We share a meal with company,/ give thanks,/ then eat/ and eat!" Despite some syrupy moments ("Mommy is a happy tune I keep inside my heart"), Smith's sunny acrylic and watercolor illustrations are sweetly affectionate without being too sugary. Ages 3–6. (Apr.) Just Like Mama Lesléa Newman, illus. by Julie Gorton. Abrams, $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8109-8393-9 While the title implies a girl copying her favorite and nearest role model, this story is in fact a tribute to Mama's singular awesomeness, particularly when it comes to addressing the narrator's needs. "She sets out cups and saucers for my teddy bears and me," writes Newman, "then shows us all the proper way to pour a pot of tea./ Nobody has tea parties just like Mama." Gorton's pen and marker illustrations, an intriguing mixture of girly and bold, are cropped in a way that conveys the effusiveness of the narrator's feelings: her admiration and gratitude can't be contained by the margins. Ages 3–8. (Apr.) Mother's Day Surprise Stephen Krensky, illus. by Kathi Ember. Marshall Cavendish, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7614-5633-9 Offering a scaly twist on Mother's Day, Violet is a friendly orange snake sporting a purple beret, but unlike her woodland friends, she can't figure out what to do for her mother on Mother's Day—especially without "arms or legs or teeth." But using her creativity (and flexibility), she finds a way to express her love. Violet's goofy dinosaur looks are a quirky contrast to Ember's buoyant springtime forest, where the woodsier animals look more at home. Surprisingly, only Violet's mother makes an appearance, and even that is fleeting. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)
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