The Great Pet Escape by Victoria Jamieson

Oh, I have been WAITING for this with bated breath! New graphic novel from Victoria Jamieson, author of Roller Girl! Featuring class pets including a guinea pig! Obviously funny! Happily, it did not disappoint.

GW, otherwise known as George Washington, is determined to break out of prison, i.e. second grade, where he's being held as the class pet. But first he needs a plan...an invention...and his best buddies, Barry and Biter. He's got the invention, he's got the smarts, he's got the...pals? Uh-oh. Barry and Biter (her name is Sunflower now) have been brainwashed! But they won't desert the Furry Fiends, even when they meet their greatest challenge yet - the villainous Harriet the mouse and her minions!

The art is perfect; light and funny and skillfully detailed, Jamieson's style shines through in the glimpses of kids and she expands to include the exuberant animals of her earlier picture books.

Both adults and children will find this funny from Sunflower's "conversion" to the running gag of the disappearing mice and will be waiting eagerly for more adventures of the Furry Fiends.

Verdict: Hand to fans of Guinea PI, fans of funny comics, and everyone who thinks hamsters are furry little geniuses. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781627791052; Published 2016 by Henry Holt; Purchased for the library

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Power and Squirrel You Know It's True by Ryan North and Erica Henderson

I heard a lot of positive things about these comics - humorous, strong female characters, good stories, etc. and I went ahead and purchased them for the library. I was not disappointed.

In the first collection, Squirrel Power, Squirrel Girl aka Doreen and her best squirrel are moving to college and going "normal" but it's hard to do with new roommates, cute boys, and Galactus on the move. Wait, WHO?? How is she supposed to get to orientation and make friends when she keeps having to save the world?

The fun part about this first collection is that it's, well, fun! Doreen has no angst about her role as squirrel girl and while she can be awkward and socially inept she just picks herself up and keeps on going. She's not lying on her dorm bed moaning about how difficult it is to be her and what a horrible life she has (*cough* Spider-Man *cough*) she's out there living it. She's friendly, chipper, and comes up with unique solutions to problems that can range from talking things out and peaceful resolutions to punching everything in sight because sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

The second volume, Squirrel You Know It's True didn't grab me quite as much. It makes heavy use of the "perspective" trope I've seen a lot in Batman - that everyone sees Squirrel Girl through their own lens. This rather bores me. However, the interactions with her new friends, both hero and human, are warm and she grows both as a heroine and as a person.

While I put both volumes in teen and they're directed to that audience, there's nothing inappropriate in them for a younger audience. Squirrel Girl has some mild romantic crushes and makes some very definite statements about consent, equality, and feminism, but there are no graphic references to or visuals of sex or violence. Basically, it's a light-hearted romp through superhero land with Squirrel Girl as guide and guardian.

Verdict: This isn't likely to appeal to fans of the more gritty superhero comics, but to kids who like a good story with some comic book action it will be a fun read. Fans will appreciate the many side references as well. I think the audience that it will most instantly appeal to is Lumberjanes fans but right now I only have a couple I have talked into reading those titles. Whether or not it's a necessary purchase depends on your demographic and what they enjoy reading, but it's definitely a fun superhero comic to hand to younger readers and to those who would like to see more girl power in their comics.

Squirrel Power
ISBN: 9780785197027; Published 2015 by Marvel; Purchased for the library

Squirrel You Know It's True
ISBN: 9780785197034; Published 2015 by Marvel; Purchased for the library

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Up Hamster Down Hamster by Kass Reich

This little book reminded me of Kate Duke's guinea pig board books, sadly out of print.

A series of blocky hamsters illustrate various opposites. "IN hamster" shows the two little hamsters in a fishbowl, complete with flippers and bubbles. "OUT hamster" shows them outside the bowl, wrapped in cozy towels. There is "SHHH" and "SHOUT", "DAY" and "NIGHT", "LOST" and "FOUND". Each page is a couple that rhymes, ending with a panorama of all eight hamsters tucked into bed and then a last page that pictures all of them, bright and cheerful, with accessories.

The illustrations have broad lines with splashes of color that spread over the lines. Each page has a simple illustration - a hamster pulls a friend in a wagon - against a simple colored background. Yellow, gray, blue, and other pastels set off the subdued colors of the hamsters and their doings. The book is a smallish rectangle, about 4x6.

Verdict: I usually prefer bolder colors, photography, or more defined illustrations for board books, but this was a really cute concept and nicely done so a variety of ages can enjoy the silly antics of the hamsters on different levels. The only drawback is that Orca's board books tend to be pricy, ranging around $9. A nice addition to your board book collection if it's within your budget.

ISBN: 9781459810136; Published 2015 by Orca; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

The Song of Delphine by Kenneth Kraegel

This is an odd, sweet story but it definitely grows on you.

Delphine is a servant in the palace and an orphan. She lifts her spirits by singing but is excited when the Princess Beatrice arrives, thinking she will finally have a friend her age. Unfortunately, Beatrice turns out to be a cruel, selfish girl and makes Delphine's life even more miserable. But Delphine still has her music and her voice carries her into a magical adventure one night. When dawn arrives the next day, things seem to be worse than ever but Delphine's music eventually brings her a happy ending.

I love the beautifully textured and detailed illustrations. There are plenty of serious moments in the art, but also comical faces and light-hearted humor. I especially loved the giraffes. There is a softness and warmth to the pictures, shown in Delphine's blurred hair and the simple but effective scenes that combine the delicate textures and details of the art created by dots with the gentle colors and swatches of earth-hued colors.

The story is pure wish-fulfillment and admittedly borders on saccharine. Delphine goes from rags to riches with no thought for what poor servant will take her place or for the realities of her situation (poor servant girls don't generally get out of dungeons). The text is lengthy and rather cloying in places. However, the art is so delightful and the story just the kind of soothing, happy ending that children will love to listen to over and over again before bed.

Verdict: This is different, but a delightful addition to any collection. Hand it to fans of princesses, giraffes, and read it aloud for older kids in storytimes about music.

ISBN: 9780763670016; Published 2015 by Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Nonfiction Monday: Fire Birds: Valuing Natural Wildfires and Burned Forests by Sneed B. Collard III

I've enjoyed many of Collard's other science books, so I'm not sure why it took me so long to get around to reading this one. Sadly, things like work and eating and sleeping often get in the way of my reading time.

Most people think forest fires are bad - but Collard has a different approach. Focusing on the effect forest fires have on several bird species, he discusses the way these birds - and other plant and animal species - can actually benefit from forest fires. The ecological effects of forest fires, suppressing and controlling them in various ways, as well as the economic and ecological impact of salvage logging are also discussed. Although Collard has clear opinions, with scientific evidence to back them up, he presents a balanced and nuanced pictures of the effects of forest fires and ways fire control could be addressed in the future.

Lists of birds, statistics, and data are included throughout the book. Back matter includes additional resources, an index, and an introduction to the author and acknowledgements.

Verdict: This is an interesting approach to a little-discussed topic. Readers interested in wildlife and ecology may be interested in picking this up. The only drawbacks are that it's a large picture book-sized layout, something which can be difficult to get older readers to pick up, and as a small press title the price is a little higher than the average hardcover. However, it's worth it to add this informative title to diversify your collection of disaster books and help kids see the different sides of natural disasters.

ISBN: 9780984446070; Published 2015 by Bucking Horse Books; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

This week at the library; or, A paradox, a paradox, a most ingenious paradox!

It's all worth it.

What's happening in my head and at the library

• Monday
• I celebrated Leap Year by a Pirates of Penzance marathon, hence the subtitle above. We also had an extra-long staff meeting. That was practically all that happened today because we had a lot to discuss.
• Tuesday
• Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions) (Pattie)
• Bookaneers
• Massive snowstorm! Storytime was cancelled because there was no school. It was a quiet day and I got a lot of work done and happily circulation stepped up to help with shelving as my aide was out sick. I had a small but happy group for book club.
• Wednesday
• Winter Wigglers: Teddy Bear Hunt
• Another relatively quiet day. I got a good amount of work done.
• Thursday
• Books 'n' Babies (Pattie)
• Lego Club
• Tap to Play
• I had an average but VERY enthusiastic group at Lego Club. Tap to Play is really dead but we've only got one more anyways.
• Friday
• I went to Walmart and bought vast amounts of candy (for science next week), cheap oil (same thing), and last-minute things for the Dr. Seuss party. Then I finally wandered into work and did some weeding and reports and things kept happening and I didn't leave until nearly 4pm.
• Saturday
• Dr. Seuss Celebration
• I'm tired and I need to figure out a way to plan so that I magically have everything I need, but not more than I need, for an unknown number of attendees and don't freak out before every program.

Projects in Progress or Completed

• Back to the 500s weeding - I'm up to the 590s
• Still working on easy readers with Jess
• Weeded and cleaned out tub books
• Planning programs
• Monthly report, budget, orders

A selection of book requests and reader's advisory questions

• Alice books - I'm still buying the series a few at a time
• Reader's advisory for a voracious teen reader. We discussed a lot of different things and she took Eleventh Plague and Stolarz' Deadly little secrets.
• Books about rainbow looms - we don't have any
• Dr. Seuss - lots of requests from teachers and parents
• Sudden recurrence of interest in rainbow looms - need to order some books
• graphic novels - need to fill in several series, Korgi, Bird & Squirrel, etc.
• Behind the bedroom wall
• I was just wondering if I should get more Sonic the Hedgehog comics and a kid asked for them so I probably should.
• I should buy additional copies of Willems' pigeon books

Small Readers: Bradford Street Buddies: Backyard Camp-Out by Jerdine Nolen, illustrated by Michelle Henninger

This is the second book in the Bradford Street Buddies series. It's a somewhat old-fashioned series about neighborhood kids and their everyday adventures, but it's none the worse for that.

In this episode, twins Jada and Jamal find some old camping equipment and get the idea for a backyard camp-out with all their friends. The backyard camp-out quickly turns into a hunt for a missing cat and a celebration that brings all the neighbors together.

Henninger's pictures show a cheerfully diverse neighborhood and pick out humorous and mildly exciting moments of the story to emphasize. Most of the spreads are covered with art with the text placed on lighter colored backgrounds.

This is a level 3 Green Light Reader and has short chapters, more complex vocabulary and sentences, and a font type close to that of a chapter book.

Verdict: There aren't a lot of easy readers featuring people, let alone diverse kids, and the mild mystery will interest readers. If you're looking to expand your upper-level easy readers this is a good core series to add.

ISBN: 9780544368439; Published 2015 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

HiLo: The boy who crashed to earth by Judd Winick

I waited a long time for a library to purchase it so I could borrow it. The description sounded intriguing, but not enough that I wanted to purchase it sight unseen. After reading it, my emotions are mixed. Warning: SPOILERS.

DJ is bored. Ever since his best friend Gina moved away, years ago, he feels like he isn't good at anything and doesn't stand out. Then a mysterious stranger literally falls out of the sky and suddenly life is very exciting. HiLo doesn't know anything about who he is or how life on earth works. To complicate things further, Gina suddenly shows up again but she's changed a lot. The adventure gets even crazier when other, more dangerous things start crashing to earth and HiLo figures out who he really is and what he's there for.

The art is bright and bouncy, with lots of explosions, eyes popping with shock and surprise, and flashy color. HiLo at first seems very young, probably because he's racing around in his underwear, but then switches to a more "gritty superhero" look later on as he remembers his purpose and realizes the danger his new friends are in.

So, on the pro side this was a fun, exciting adventure with colorful art that fans of superheroes and adventure comics will like. On the other hand, I had a couple issues with it. First, it goes at sonic speed from "alien who doesn't understand how earth works" funny to "Ender's Game child soldier who's really a robot fighting an unstoppable evil" dark. Secondly, it sticks with some rather boring superhero tropes without really bringing them up as discussion points - maybe the unstoppable evil robot kind of has a point that robots, especially since they are clearly sentient, should not be slaves to humanity? Of course, destroying entire planets isn't really a good solution but having HiLo basically validate his human programming to destroy fellow robots who step out of line instead of using his clearly human sentience to stand up for what's basically an entire community of slaves seems like a bit of a cop-out to me. Granted, you can't get really deeply into matters of law and human freedom in a quick kids' comic but this glossed over those issues awfully fast.

Again, while it's great that DJ and Gina were both kids of color and it's great to see some biracial protagonists in the story, we're still stuck with the blond-haired, blue-eyed, white savior. DJ and Gina's story is clearly secondary to HiLo's battle and why would a super-advanced civilization create their fighting robot in the form of a small Caucasian boy anyways? As far as the gender divisions, Gina is obviously smart, funny, and going places - but a large part of the storyline is her reassuring DJ that he's not boring or incapable of change, even though he's basically done nothing but mope since she was gone.

Verdict: While I had....issues with certain thematic elements, it is still a fast-paced and fun story and it's good to see some representation at all, even if it's only in the background and secondary protagonists. Actually, the one thing that makes me feel the iffiest about purchasing this is that the hardcover binding feels like it won't last very long. I don't really have a definite decision on this one, you'll have to decide for yourself.

ISBN: 9780385386180; Published 2015 by Random House; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: You are my baby: Pets by Lorena Siminovich

I reviewed this series back in 2014 and, despite an incident, said they were quite sturdy overall.

I am now having to eat my words.

The concept is simple and delightful. The main part of the book shows an adult animal, gives a clue, and then you open the little book to show the baby animal and an animal sound. This book features a series of pets; dog, cat, bird, hamster, and fish. The books are simple and short with 6 pages, the back page being full to hold the book steady.

Siminovich's art is cozy and simple and kids love the animal concept and the additional sensory treat of the differently shaped pages combined into the two books.

Unfortunately, it turns out that they are NOT sturdy - not enough for my library anyways. Something about the extra-thick cardboard pages seems to invite kids to dangle them by the smaller book part and every few months the books simply disintegrate. Sadly, I have decided to nix them from my collection and stop replacing them as it's no longer worth the money and effort.

Verdict: If your patrons are more gentle with board books or you're willing and able to purchase frequent replacements, these are adorable. However, if your patrons are rough on their books (ours are and not just on board books either) these are probably not a good choice.

ISBN: 978145213437; Published 2014 by Chronicle; Borrowed from another library in my consortium (whose patrons are clearly more gentle with their board books than us)

My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald and Freya Blackwood

This book is stunning. I'm just going to start with that. Freya Blackwood has taken a difficult subject and made it accessible, explaining emotions through gorgeous, touching art.

In a warm, brown background is a girl whose Auntie calls her Cartwheel. Then the war comes. Now she is alone in a gray, frightening city. The words pepper her like a cold waterfall and she is alone. At home she can wrap herself in a blanket of the words and sounds she knows, but not outside. Then she meets another girl. At first tentative and uncertain, Cartwheel slowly accepts the girl's persistent friendship and begins to create a new blanket of words.

The illustrations are lovely, showing Cartwheel's original home, dress, and familiar blanket of words in glowing orange with the new land in cold grays, blues and greens. Gradually, as Cartwheel adds to her words, the colors come together until the last spread shows a blue and green landscape glowing with touches of vibrant orange.

For children who have never known the experience of being in a strange country where they don't speak the language, this is a lovely and gentle way to explain the feelings and emotions one might go through. For those who are experiencing this, this title will validate their feelings and show them hope of adding to, not replacing, their blanket of words and experiences.

Verdict: A lovely addition to any picture book collection. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780544432284; Published 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Borrowed from another library in my consortium