Daisy Dawson is on her way! by Steve Voake, illustrated by Jessica Meserve

Digging through the archives...

I bought this book for the library back in 2008 and just noticed that the sequel is coming out in the US in May. I bought it for the cover and the cute description, but never actually read it....so I decided to see if it was worth getting the sequels.

Daisy Dawson is an independent individual and loves her morning walks to school....although she has a tendency to be late. One morning, she rescues a butterfly and mysteriously gains the power to talk to animals. Her new ability gets her into trouble, but makes life a lot more interesting too!

This is a charming and unique beginning chapter book. There were a few parts where the plot dragged a little and the description felt a bit long-winded, but on the whole the story is engaging and the characters - human and animal - delightful. I especially liked the strong ink and pencil illustrations, which made an excellent blend with the characters and plot.

Verdict: Not quite fantasy, not quite school story, not quite family story - there's something here for a wide variety of beginning readers, especially those who like animals. I'm definitely getting the rest of the series!

Revisited: This continues to be quite popular with my beginning chapter readers. I did purchase the rest of the series and it's still available in several formats. Still highly recommended!

ISBN: 978-0763637408; Published March 2008 by Candlewick; Borrowed from the library

The Island of Mad Scientists by Howard Whitehouse, illustrated by Bill Slavin

Digging through the archives...

Being the third Misadventure of Emmaline and Rubberbones, involving an "Excursion to the Wilds of Scotland, Involving Many Marvels of Experiemental Invention, Pirates, a Heroic Cat, a Mechanical Man and Monkey."

In this hilarious third installment, Emmaline, the budding aviatrix, and Rubberbones, the indestructible boy, take a back seat and Princess Purnah is the main character. As they try to make their way to a safe haven in Scotland, the characters are separated from each other and set off to their own adventures - Emmaline and Professor Bellbuckle join up with pirates (and where Professor Bellbuckle goes, can explosions be far behind?) Rubberbones and Lal Singh are the first to discover the sinister plans of The Collector, and Princess Purnah, after adventures involving fake seances, policemen, and umbrellas with Aunt Lucy, is on her own. Together with Harry the tramp (or is he?) and Maisie the Very Fine Cat, she learns some interesting lessons about dealing with miscreants.

Verdict: Fans of the Series of Unfortunate Events or Philip Reeve's Larklight series will love these hilarious and insane adventures!

Revisited: I loved this series but could never convince kids to check it out. Series of Unfortunate Events is no longer popular in my library and Larklight has only ever circulated for kids who need last-minute high lexile points. There are some editions still in print, but it's only a matter of time before it's weeded.

ISBN: 978-1554532377; Published October 2008 by Kids Can Press; Borrowed from a library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

Small Readers: Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt by David Catrow

Digging through the archives...

Did I say I wanted books that were new and fresh? Here they are! It's been a while since I've seen an easy reader that broke away from the classic Frog and Toad form. (Cork and Fuzz, Mouse and Mole, Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa, Houndsley and Catina, Elephant and Piggie, you get the idea). Not since Fly Guy, in fact. But here it is!

David Catrow's first writing effort is a doozy; a plump and wiggly spaniel named Max, who is not a dog is really...a dinosaur hunter! He has many different ways to hunt and lots of equipment, and with a little imagination and the right equipment, he finds dinosaur remains in the most interesting places.

The text is well-suited for a beginning reader, with a little help on long words like "dinosaur". The illustrations and text are very closely aligned, each sentence either illustrated or contrasted by its corresponding illustration. This is David Catrow's first book and he's created delightfully silly text to match his exuberant drawings. Max Spaniel is inherently doggie, but he's also every kid, on a great adventure with whatever comes to hand....or paw.

Verdict: Funny, exuberant, and full of Catrow's signature illustrations, this new easy reader series is sure to be popular.

Revisited: Yep, this series is almost as popular as Fly Guy. I've had to replace it several times. Still a popular choice for beginning readers!

ISBN: 978-0545057486; Published August 2009 by Orchard Books; Review copy provided by the publisher for Cybils; Purchased for the library

Hammer and Nails by Josh Bledsoe, illustrated by Jessie Warrick

Darcy is devastated when her fancy play date with her best friend is cancelled. But then Daddy suggests they have a play day together, doing things from both of their lists. Darcy is skeptical, but Daddy asks her to give him a chance. They get dressed up together, mow the lawn in fancy designs, play with their hair, have a laundry battle, and then....Daddy asks Darcy to help fix the fence. She's a little worried, but he reminds her "Princess, sometimes things you've never done end up being fun. Try it." Darcy takes a chance and it turns out great! But then it's time for her challenge - manicures. Daddy is worried. Isn't nail polish a bit...permanent? But he's willing to try something too and soon they're both as fancy as can be.

I'm generally not a fan of digital artwork, but Flashlight Press is different - their illustrators do a really good job and they tend to publish books that are just a little different and fill niches in the collection.

Yes the story is somewhat didactic and it's rather text-heavy, but there are so few books featuring a single father and daughter that those minor quibbles are easily brushed aside. Kids will giggle through Daddy's silly antics and hopefully both kids and parents will feel more comfortable trying new things together. It's also the perfect book to hand to kids who want to see their family reflected in the books they read. It's a little long for a typical storytime, but could easily be shortened or used in one-on-one reading.

Verdict: A must for every library, unless you have a hitherto undiscovered wealth of titles on single fathers parenting daughters and trying new things together.

ISBN: 9781936261369; Published 2016 by Flashlight Press; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Nonfiction Monday: Recipes for Play: Creative Activities for Small Hands and Big Imaginations by Rachel Sumner and Ruth Mitchener

This is a bit of a departure from my usual reviews, but I really enjoyed this book and look forward to using it in programming, adding it to the arts and crafts books in the juvenile nonfiction, and have already started recommending it to colleagues.

I don't remember where I saw it recommended; I think on a site for children's play or activities. It begins a letter to "mess", welcoming it into the home and introduction talking about the importance of play in early development and learning. It's not preachy, but rather is down-to-earth and practical, setting the tone for the book. There's a guide to which of the senses the different experiences engage and a quick guide to dealing with allergies, clean-up, and safety. There's also a guide to making natural food coloring. One of the things I appreciate about this title is that it's not hectoring - natural or store-bought, whatever works for your family. They're simply providing the tools for play.

The experiences are divided into "Indoor Play", "Outdoor Play" and "Takeaway Play". They range from actual recipes - yogurt paint, texture balloons, slime, and window painting to simple play suggestions like water play, garden soup, and a ribbon leash. Everything is simple, inexpensive, and the directions include not only notes on sensory interaction but set-up time, clean-up time, and mess factor!

Part of me is sad that we need a book like this - who would think parents need to be taught to let their child play by stirring up found items outdoors into "garden soup"? But with a growing generation of parents whose own parents had limited experience with free play, what may seem like "common sense" to those of us who grew up playing is no longer so simple. One of the things I really appreciated about this was that the mixture of recipes and suggestions for play means that it has a wide audience. The authors don't talk down to their audience, rather introducing their ideas with a mix of nostalgia and gentle advice on encouraging children to play and experience the world around them.

Verdict: I think this is going to be a must-have for my library and a strongly recommended title for other libraries. Depending on your community and programming needs, you'll have to decide whether it's better in the professional collection, juvenile, or adult nonfiction.

ISBN: 9781615192182; Published 2014 by The Experiment; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

This week at the library; or, Ah, spring

We have a staff member who makes these. Be jealous.

What's happening in my head and at the library

• Monday
• No programs! So we were free to concentrate on the aftermath of updating/new computers from last Friday, the art show came to set up, there was a massive glut of shelving, and all other Monday things, like the copiers hating me.
• Tuesday
• Winnie the Pooh Tea Party (Pattie)
• Bookaneers
• Nice turn-out for Pattie's party, the printers still hate me. Very busy day, tons of people, we discusssed the eating habits of alligators, the lifespan of hamsters, and whether we'd rather be nice or funny and if it was possible to be both at book club.
• Wednesday
• Cleaning day. Yes, I went to work in shorts. I was in the back the whole time and previously alerted the staff - there was no way I was going to spend the day hauling things in and out of the basement without shorts! I got the basement cleaned out, my office cleaned out, and now I need to get started on summer planning - and I know what is there! Jess cleaned out the storyroom storage and even came down to the basement a few times, mostly so I didn't just throw everything out.
• Thursday
• Mother Goose on the Loose (Pattie)
• Today I ordered supplies for the summer as well as tackling my backlog of webinars. Multitasking. I also started putting together summer booktalks.
• Friday
• The weather is beautiful, which means I can't breathe. Allergies. Sigh. I got through the 759s though - did ALL the craft books! And then I experienced fish fry for the first time. Eh, it was ok. Midwesterners are kind of weird though.

Projects completed and in progress

• Reports, budgets, end of month stuff
• Weeding 700s
• Cleaning! Planning summer programs! Preparing for outreach visits!

Professional Development

• Webinar: Press Play! Injecting play into library programs for kids (Wild Winter Web Conference)
• Take away: add activities for infants to Winter Wigglers next year and use pool noodles to create obstacles
• New Spring Nonfiction for the Library, Classroom and Home (School Library Journal)
• Take away: Gareth Stevens' Backyard Birdwatchers, Real-Life Vampires; Rosen Title IX rocks; Lerner Growing Green, Stickmen's guide to how everything works,  (had already decided on/purchased a lot of Lerner previously)
• Changing Children's Collections (YSS Powerhouse)
• Take away: This was familiar to me already, as it was about changing picture books which I did! But I was interested in the section on changing juvenile sections (no, dear staff, I do not intend to do it....YET. Mwa ha ha ha.)

What the kids are reading: A sample

• A fan of Michael Vey was persuaded to try about 10 different series to stay them until the next book (or possible movie) comes out
• Griffin books
• Eldest
• Sarah Dessen
• Cinco de mayo movies. That was a new one for me, and not something I could come up with anything for
• Mysteries for a Boxcar fan - Hardy Boys, Brixton Brothers, and Encyclopedia Brown
• Hey Arnold movies
• playtime rhymes

Humphrey's Tiny Tales: Playful Puppy Problem by Betty G. Birney, illustrated by Priscilla Burris

I selected this for my book club, only belatedly realizing it's number two in a series. Sigh. I always try to do the first book but oh well.

This is part of the rather odd trend of cutting chapter books down to beginning chapters. I find this trend odd and rather pointless since, if they're trying to attract a previous fan base, those kids are unlikely to be familiar with the characters and if they're trying to build a new fan base the books are really quite close together in reading level and by the time the kids move on to the older chapter series they're likely to have lost interest. However, they are useful beginning chapter books and I've bought quite a few of them - the younger series of Hank Zipzer (Here's Hank), Judy Moody (Judy Moody and Friends) and Humphrey's Tiny Tales (Humphrey).

Also, I've never read the original Humphrey books, I just know they're about a class hamster and their popularity seems to rise and fall with regularity.

SO, what is this book about? Humphrey is hanging out in his cage and watching the class doings with interest when he learns that the kids are going to do experiments, he's going home with Richie for the weekend and Richie is....going to do an experiment on HIM! Humphrey is very worried about this, even more so when he gets to Richie's house and discovers they have a very playful and scary new puppy. But once the experiment gets underway and Richie's uncle, the school janitor, helps Humphrey feel more at home, things seem to be going well. But then disaster strikes and only Humphrey can fix the experiment - if he can get past his fear of the puppy. What will Humphrey do?

Verdict: So, honestly I found this book to be....boring. Nothing much happened, it was rather repetitive and I kind of trudged through it. But kids who are struggling to move into chapter books will find this a good choice. The language and plot is simple so they can concentrate on their reading skills without losing track of what's happening, there's enough mild humor and silliness to keep them reading, and there are only a few, easily identifiable characters. It's a good choice for my younger book club, which has a lot of struggling readers and I'll continue adding these titles to our collection.

ISBN: 9780399252020; Published 2014 by G. P. Putnam/Penguin; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Super Chicken! by Rebecca Purcell

I have mixed feelings about this book.

Chicken, in a blue sweater and shoes, builds a tower out of blocks. Turn the page, and she's SUPER CHICKEN rescuing a dragon from a castle! Each every day experience - building, bath and bed - turns into an adventure for super chicken.

There are a couple cut-outs in the book - on the cover (the black cape and title are actually shiny red) there is a star cut-out in Chicken's cape and cut-outs that give her pupils in her eyes. Small squares are cut out in the blocks that change to castle windows, and a larger cut-out turns the bathtub into a boat. An egg-shaped cut-out on the last page in Chicken's striped bed cover turns into a zebra's body in her dream. The book is a large square, about 8x8, with 8 pages overall.

Verdict: Cute, but the art didn't stand out to me and I'm not sure babies and young toddlers will grasp the superhero concept. I'd pass on this one.

ISBN: 9780545451703; Published 2013 by Cartwheel/Scholastic; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

It is night by Phyllis Rowand, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

This has "toddler bedtime storytime" written all over it. In big letters, naturally.

In rhythmic prose the text asks and answers questions of where the animals sleep at night. Listeners can guess the answers before turning the page and giggle at the sometimes nonsensical answers. An example spread shows a fuzzy white bunny in a blue circle on a bright yellow background "A rabbit, of course, if he has his own way, will go hopping at night and sleep all the day...Where would be a good bed for a rabbit?" Turn the page and see the rabbit nestled deep in the rich greens of a cabbage, "In a cabbage. Except that he would want to eat it. And he couldn't sleep in it and eat it too." In the end, all of the animals, the train, the dolls, all have beds - but do they sleep in them? No, they sleep in the child's bed!

There's a childlike simplicity to the questions and answers and the narration as a whole that is very soothing and connects with both the listener and the reader. The ending is a gentle chuckle rather than an uproarious laugh that ends the story on a sweet note. Dronzek's rich colors and thick, blurred lines are the perfect match for this bedtime story. They make the animals look like comforting toys for a good hug, which indeed they turn out to be.

My only small quibble with this title is that, of the eight animals who are given gendered pronouns, only one is female (the cat). There's no reason the seal, duck or mouse need to be male, other than just naturally falling back on that pronoun. However, that's something I'd have no problem flipping in storytime. This is a new imagining of a classic text, so it's natural that it would have originally emphasized the default pronoun.

Verdict: This is a lovely story, perfect for groups or one on one and an absolute must for any library collection. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780062250247; Published 2014 by Greenwillow; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

Nonfiction Monday: The White House is Burning, August 24, 1814 by Jane Sutcliffe

This was published a few years ago but I just discovered it and am now eager to introduce it to fans of history, disasters, and fast-paced historical adventures.

Jane Sutcliffe presents a moment-by-moment account of the burning of the White House in the war of 1812. She includes eyewitness accounts from soldiers, civilians, slaves, and government officials. The story opens with a brief background of the war's causes and then takes readers on a tense, moment-by moment description of the British advance on Washington, the retreat of the American troops, and the burning of the White House. While the main emphasis is on the main actors in the events, Sutcliffe also includes the perspective of slaves and women.

Back matter includes a detailed bibliography, notes, and index.

Verdict: Even though this is a few years old, it's an excellent account of an important historical incident. Fans of I Survived will be interested in checking this out and it makes a great book talk. It's a fast read and holds the readers' interest.

ISBN: 9781580896566; Published 2014 by Charlesbridge; Borrowed from another library in my consortium