The Book Stacks

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell was the most banned book of 2006 according to the ALA. Now, I can see why some folks may not like this cute story about a couple of male chinstrap penguins who hatch an egg and raise the chick together, but if they don’t like it, they don’t have to read it. That will not, however, change the fact that the book is based on a true story. A true story with a very high “awwww” factor, in my not so humble opinion. Yes, Roy, Silo, and Tango are real penguins that live in New York’s Central Park Zoo. I wonder how long penguins live. I’d like to visit this zoo (which was mentioned in Meg Cabot’s Princess Dairies by the way) and I’m not sure how long it will be before I can make it out there.

Henry Cole, the illustrator for this book, did an excellent job making each page visually interesting. Many of the pages have the same basic colors, so it must have been quite the challenge for him to add enough movement and body language among the penguins to accomplish this. The faces he drew for the penguins are very expressive, as you can see from the cover. The penguins do not speak for themselves in this book. The reader must rely on narration and the illustrations to understand what is going on. The authors do just as good a job with their end of things as the illustrator does with his. Apart from being a cute story, this book has teaches tolerance for non-traditional families and I feel that it does it well.

To sum up: This controversial book tells its story in a way that should be easy enough for anyone to understand. It is well written and entertainingly illustrated. Read it. Tell your friends about it. Annoy the folks who try to keep it from you.

And Tango Makes Three, Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole

Thursday 13 #8

Hello all! This week I offer you thirteen picture books that I love. It shouldn’t be too surprising to discover that I have reviewed every one of these books before. If you would like to know more about my opinions on each book that “I love this book” click on the book title, and it will take you to a review of the book. Yes. I love picture books and I really enjoy discovering new gems of the genre. Do you have any favorites to recommend? Do you agree with my selections? Please let me know.

1. Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
2. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
3. Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watts
4. The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Marianna Mayer
5. The Adventures of Cow by Cow (as told to Lori Korchek and photographed by Marshall Taylor.)
6. Sector 7 by David Wiesner
7. Mucky Moose by Jonathan Allen
8. Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard and James Marshall
9. The Moon Singer by Clyde Robert Bulla
10. Mars Needs Moms! by Berkeley Breathed
11. Art Dog by Thacher Hurd
12. Frederick by Leo Lionni
13. Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester

Thursday 13

Scaredy Squirrel is back with another harrowing adventure. Before I tell you about it, though, he would like you to wash your hands and brush your teeth. Our hero is not fond of germs…or things that bite. In Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Mélanie Watt, Scaredy decides to make a friend. This involves a great deal of planning and preparation. It’s not okay to just jump into these things, you know. There are things that can bite you out there, and you need to have a idea of what to do when you find that possible friend. As you might expect, things don’t really end up going according to the plan. Don’t worry. Scaredy doesn’t encounter any suspicious bunnies or *gasp* Godzilla.

The artwork in this sequel is just as cute as it was last time around. Truthfully, I’d love to frame the book and put it on my wall. I love every page. I particularly enjoyed the page called “How to make the Perfect First Impression.” Who knew that lemonade was involved? I would like to thank Dan for telling me that this book was available. I have already read it at two people…and they didn’t scream and run away, so that should tell you something. If you enjoyed Scaredy Squirrel, be sure to get yourself a copy of this one too.

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, Mélanie Watt

The Secret Life of Walter Kitty by Barbara Jean Hicks and illustrated by Dan Santat, is the story of a cat with a vibrant inner life. To begin with, he insists that his name is not “Walter,” “Wally,” “Kitten,” and especially not “Nincompoop.” His name is “Fang.” Why will no one listen to him? He even helps out around the house. The Biddles should give him more respect…and maybe let him finish his wonderful dreams.

As you can see on the cover, “Fang” has a dark spot around his left eye that looks a bit like an eye-patch. Throughout the story, this spot lends our hero a slightly roguish appearance. Even when he is trying to “help out” you can feel a little bit of mischief lurking in the background of his character. Although the illustrations tend to rely on more “earthy” tones of expression, Walter Kitty’s energy makes each image seem to be sparkling with energy. As you may have gathered, I quite enjoyed this little story which is told in prose from the cat’s point of view. I am owned by a couple of cats myself, so I recognized the relationship between our hero and his person. It’s so nice of him to tolerate Mr. Biddle for the sake of Mrs. Biddle, don’t you think? I feel that The Secret Life of Walter Kitty would be a great bed-time story for any household that includes a cat.

I almost didn’t have a book to review for today. I have holds on three picture books (Thanks, Dan!) but they haven’t arrived yet. I meant to go over to the Children’s Section at work today, but things got really busy. I got back to my desk after we closed and despaired of having something fun to share with you all. And then… My Co-worker Sally appeared with this book in her hands, insisting that I take it home and read it. Obviously, it was a sign. I had to read the book. I’m glad I did. (And I hereby promise the cat who is curled up next to me not to wake her from her dreams…just in case.

The Secret Life of Walter Kitty, Barbara Jean Hicks, Dan Santat

Today’s book review is in honor of Dan the Library Man at Vacaville Public Library - Cultural Center, as he is the first person who ever read the book to me. Or was that George (his puppet dog extraordinaire)? In either case, Bark George by Jules Feiffer is a fun little romp about a pup named George and his mother who would really like him to bark. He’ll moo, oink, or quack, but he just won’t bark. What exactly is going on?

This book is perfect for storytime. It’s short. Most of the images are very simple. Oh, and it’s darn cute. Well, apart from the tiniest bit of grossness (that the kids will love) that involves a vet. It’s set up in a “echo/response” format. George’s Mother asks him to bark on one page, and George make another sort of noise instead on the facing page. Give it a try. It won’t take very long, and you’ll really enjoy the end. Trust me on this.

book review, Vacaville Public Library, Bark George, Jules Feiffer

Caldecott Award winning Drummer Hoff was adapted from a folk song by Barbara Emberley and illustrated by Ed Emberley. It’s really quite short, but *very* colorful and I had almost forgotten about it until I ran across it at work the other day. You see, in first grade we did a little play based on this book..and *I* was the only one who had a line. Yes, I was very proud of this. And it would seem that I still am. *sheepish grin* This is yet another classic book that I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed here yet. Told in a cumulative fashion (after each new event is mentioned, it is added to a list that is re-read, just like “I know an old lady who swallowed a fly.”) seven soldiers put together a cannon and fire it off. That’s about it really. It’s quite fun to read aloud, as the rhymes really roll off of the tongue. I’m not too sure what modern children will think about this book, though. I guess I’ll just have to ask some. Emberley’s woodcuts are beautiful to look at, the poetry of the story appeals to the ear, and I remember having a great deal of fun acting out the story in school (I called “Fire,” then we all said “Kaboom” and fell down). I still enjoy this book it turns out. Has anyone else read it? What did you think?

Caldecott Award, Drummer Hoff, Barbara Emberley, Ed Emberley

Oh No! Miss Nelson, the sweetest teacher in school (who has the most ornery class), is missing. She didn’t come to work today. In her place was Miss Viola Swamp, the meanest substitute teacher in the world. Whatever shall the kids do? Who can help them find Miss Nelson? Will Viola Swamp finally give them too much homework? Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard and James Marshall is another of my favorite picture book classics. The art throughout the book is rather cartoony in style, and includes many clever details. For example, the book obviously takes place in Texas, as there is a Texas flag in Miss Nelson’s classroom. Another amusing detail is the sign which appears during one of the theories about where Miss Nelson went, that reads “Sharks (very unpleasant).” (Actually, those of you who are picture book fans will recognize the distinctive style of James Marshall, as seen in The Stupids series.) The storyline is a simple one, and yet it has elements that appeal to both children and the adults reading the book. Lots of read-aloud fun can be gained by doing the different character voices. Miss Nelson is Missing became so popular, that it acquired sequels. I have always enjoyed the original best, however.

Miss Nelson is Missing, Harry Allard, James Marshall

The Moon Singer by Clyde Robert Bulla (Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman) has been one of my favorite books for as long as I can remember. Perhaps it is because the main character is a singer, and I also love to sing. It could also be the theme of an outsider finding a place to belong, which is a desire that many people can identify with. Whatever the reason, this book gets to me on a visceral level. And that’s pretty amazing for a picture book that doesn’t even have page numbers. Torr was left with the Miller and his wife one night when he was quite small. Grudgingly they took him in, and as he grew he would often go out and spend hours under the night sky. One summer night, the Miller and his wife were awakened by Torr singing a song to the moon. Afraid that he would wake the whole village, they punished him. After that, he went deep into the woods to sing his songs. One day, the Queen heard about Torr’s beautiful voice, but even then things did not go smoothly.

So, it has a nice satisfying storyline, complete with conflict. Trina Schart Hyman’s art is quite distinctive (yes, you’ve seen it before, even if you don’t know it.) and is so perfect for this story. I have included another picture at the bottom of this post to give you a better idea of what I’m talking about. Sadly, it appears that this wonderful book is out of print, so you may need to hunt a bit to find a copy to read. Hopefully your local library or used book-seller can help you out there. Make the effort, and hopefully The Moon Singer will sing for you too.

The Moon Singer, Clyde Robert Bulla, Trina Schart Hyman