Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: 1 Grumpy Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

Bruce fans will instantly recognize the curmudgeonly bear from his previous adventures in this new board book title. The counting book begins with "1 grumpy bear" showing Bruce glaring out from a bold yellow background. He's joined by "2 uninvited skunks" and then the partying mice, "helping" geese, and so on until the story arrives at a spread of light blue and a welter of animals "having fun" but, as the last page shows and says, there's still "1 grumpy bear" as Bruce glares out from his yellow background, now sprinkled with confetti.

This is funny, especially to fans, but as an actual board book for toddlers isn't quite so successful. The Bruce stories have a fair amount of irony and sarcasm, something that young children generally don't grasp. However, they will have fun counting the various animals and adults can enjoy the silly expressions and Bruce's obvious discomfort in his unplanned party.

Verdict: Purchase where Bruce is a fan favorite among parents and children.

ISBN: 9781368023634; Published October 9, 2018; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Life with my family by Renee Hooker and Karl Jones, illustrated by Kathryn Durst

An older sister reflects that "Life with my family is not always easy." She imagines what it would be like if they were a different family... maybe pelicans, buffalo, or even wombats! But even animals have their problems and she eventually decides "while we're together, there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Durst shows an exuberantly diverse family; a father with dark skin and curly hair, mother Asian mother, and mixed race children from the narrator with dreadlocks to her light-skinned, red-haired brother and baby sibling with a tuft of curly dark hair. The imaginative pictures of the family as animals are humorous and varied; her wombat brother who gets taken to the zoo has a purple bowtie and tuft of red hair while in jellyfish form the family retains their hairstyles, glasses, earrings, and that same bowtie.

The final spread lists more collective nouns and some extra pictures of the family as a bloat of pink hippopotamuses, colony of penguins, and parliament of owls. I've never understood the obsession with collective nouns - every staff member who saw this immediately pounced on it and made cooing sounds - but it must be like sloths, which I also don't get the appeal of.

Verdict: A light and amusing story; there's not a lot of substance here (it doesn't really make sense for the girl to imagine them all as animals when things are chaotic) but the warm, loving family resonates throughout the story and the rich diversity is a welcome sight.

ISBN: 9781524789374; Published October 16, 2018 by Penguin Workshop; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Now you know how it works by Valorie Fisher

Kids love to know how things work, but it's not often I find books that are just right for the preschool and lower elementary age that fills that need (and I'm not talking about the four-year-old who explained to us all how compasses work. I have no idea where they got that from.)

Fisher, whose playful photography will be familiar to fans of Everything I need to know before I'm five, does an excellent job of illustrating and explaining the inner mechanics of a fascinating variety of things. Readers and listeners will learn the inner workings of a toilet (along with diagrams of where the water goes and how the tank fills up again), how shadows work, with a simple series of yellow balls, arrows, and a green background; the more complex inside of a lightbulb, and how air pressure and straws work.

There are a total of 22 items explained in the book, from whistles to where garbage goes, from blenders to how pencils are made (and sharpened). Simple formulas and pictorial guidelines are given before the reader starts, including how to read the various arrows, and there is a pictorial glossary at the end of the book. The book is illustrated in blocks of background color, with photographs of vintage toys, and with simple diagrams of the insides of various tools and machines.

Verdict: This is a must-have for any school or library that serves preschool up through 2nd grade; curious kids are sure to spend plenty of time investigating the contents and adults may learn a few things as well!

ISBN: 9781338215458; Published September 2018 by Orchard Books; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

RA RA Read: Easy Readers for the absolute beginner

With the advent of four year old kindergarten in our town around 2014, I saw an increasing emphasis on kids reading at a younger age. Regardless of whether or not this is developmentally appropriate (it's not in my opinion and that of many educators) we continue to get more and more parents and caregivers asking for easier easy readers.

This is how our easy readers are grouped or "leveled".

The most often asked-for easy readers are ones for emergent readers - those with just a few words per page. Think the BOB books which, yes, we do have! In fact, we have a whole shelf of boxes of little paperbacks. I am currently purchasing large classroom sets from Scholastic of their guided readers, which I'll sort into small tupperwares to add to our checkout. Some other popular box sets include:

Boxed Sets

• BOB Books
• Set 1, ISBN 0439845009
• Learn to Read with Tug the Pup
• Set 1, ISBN 9780062266897
• Biscuit Phonics Fun
• ISBN 9780061432040
• Guided Science Readers
• Level A, ISBN 9780545650922

More simple easy readers are listed below. Not all are strictly leveled readers or leveled at an emergent level, but they're what appeal to both children and caregivers at that level - and I feel there's nothing wrong with reading together!

Easy Reader Series

• Berenstain Bears
• The Big Honey Hunt
• Bears on Wheels
• Big Bear, Small Bear
• Old Hat, New Hat
• Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
• Little Lizard by Melinda Crow
• Clara and Clem by Ethan Long
• Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems
• Cat the cat by Mo Willems
• Silly Lilly by Agnes Rosenstiehl
• Brownie and Pearl by Cynthia Rylant
• Trucktown by Jon Sciesczka
• Various by Jan Thomas (originally published as picture books, now being repackaged as easy readers)

Easy Reader Imprints/Publishers

• National Geographic Pre-Readers
• My First I Can Read (check these - not all are truly emergent readers)
• Bullfrog Books
• I Like to Read from Holiday House (I feel that some of the illustrations in this are a bit odd)

Picture Book Authors

• Eric Carle
• Donald Crews
• Lois Ehlert
• Denise Fleming
• Jorey Hurley
• Nancy Tafuri

This week at the library; or, October can end now!

Happening at the library

• Monday 12-8
• Discovery Playgroup
• Paws to Read
• Books for Bedtime
• 12-3 Manager's Meeting
• 5-8 information desk
• Tuesday 10-6ish
• Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions)
• Art Workshop: Mini watercolors
• Took an hour off for an apt.
• 10-1 YS desk
• Wednesday 8:30-1, 3:45-8
• Outreach storytime (3 sessions)
• Library on the go (2 sessions)
• We Explore Fall
• 3:45-6:30 YS desk
• 6:30-7:30 Friends Meeting
• Thursday 10:30-2:30
• Outreach storytime (4 sessions)
• Books 'n' Babies
• 10:30-1 YS desk
• Friday 8:30-3:15
• Closed for staff work day
• Saturday 10-2
• The truth about reptiles with Snake Discovery
• 10-2 information desk

I heard back Monday morning that our volunteer was available again and Paws to Read has resumed! She brought five adorable kittens - one was super adventurous, climbing to the top of chairs, investigating walls, and finally settling in to a windowsill where she could watch the traffic. Another hid under the sink and refused to come until it was time to leave. So a variety of personalities there. Last full week of craziness, also working on finalizing plans through the end of the year, next year, and a list of data on staff work day which took longer than I'd expected so I didn't get to the other stuff I'd planned. There were snakes and they were awesome as always.

Epic Fails: Wright Brothers: Nose-diving into history by Erik Slader and Ben Thompson

This is a new, nonfiction series that combines cartoons, black and white photos, and brisk, humorous prose to tell the stories of famous failures.

The authors tell the story of the famous Wright brothers, starting from a massive crash at Kitty Hawk and moving through many set-backs, failures, and discouragements until they finally succeeded. The authors include stories of the brothers' early life, their financial struggles, the wider context of scientific research (and not-so-scientific research....) into aviation, and graphic stories of their struggles, experiments, and setbacks.

Pop culture references may eventually date the title, but they definitely make the story pop. Ha. Couldn't resist. The authors include the influence of the brothers' sister, Katharine, and hilarious accounts of their dangerous and uncomfortable experiments, how nutty people thought they were, and simple and understandable explanations of the science involved.

Verdict: This is a fun new series that's sure to appeal to fans of Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, the Who Was series, and any kids interested in history, science, and humorous stories. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781250150561; Published 2018 by Roaring Brook; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Bea Garcia: Tale of a Scaredy Dog by Deborah Zemke

Bea Garcia is back in her third book. By now, readers will know that she is in second grade, loves to draw, is sort-of friends with super-smart Judith Einstein and definite enemies with next-door-neighbor Bert.

In her latest run-in with Bert, Bea and Bert are supposed to interview each other for class. Bea just writes "GRRRR" for all his answers and Bert scribbles untrue things about her, so she crumples up the paper. This gets the two of them in trouble - they have to interview each other's families over the weekend. Bert's mom isn't bad, but it turns out that Bert does have a pet... Big Kitty! And Bea's pet dog Sophie, is so scared that she runs away, chased by that mean cat!

Bea is miserable, especially when they find Bert's pet but not hers. But with some help from her friends and family, maybe Sophie will come home after all.

This is a notebook novel for younger readers; 1st-2nd graders are the ideal audience. Zemke's scratchy black and white pictures decorate each page, sometimes taking over a whole spread, sometimes confined in individual panels. Bea is a relatable character; she loves to draw, Spanish phrases and words are sprinkled into the text, she finds her little brother Pablo annoying but still loves him anyways.

As an adult, I find Bert's mean behavior bordering on bullying and the clueless adults, who keep trying to push them together, a little annoying. Yes, sometimes Bea is not as nice as she might be to Bert, but he is really nasty to her! Her parents aren't particularly sympathetic either, trying to make her be "nice" to a kid who's basically pretty nasty. I'd separate them completely instead of trying to make them work together, but I'm not a teacher or a parent.

Verdict: This is a popular series in my library, especially for kids who would like to read popular notebook novels but aren't quite old enough yet. I also appreciate the inclusion of a Latina character.

ISBN: 9780735229389; Published July 2018 by Dial; Review copy provided by the publisher; Purchased for the library

Small Readers: Fly Guy and the Alienzz by Tedd Arnold

It's been quite a while since I've actually read a Fly Guy book - I'm usually more busy buying more copies as they fly off the shelves!

This latest adventure makes Fly Guy the star of his own movie! After a brief introduction of Fly Guy and his owner, Buzz, the story begins. Buzz is making a movie - he cuts out backgrounds and draws titles and then sets up his phone for a camera. Fly Guy and Buzz are shown first as puppets on sticks and then, as the story progresses, they morph into themselves as their imagination takes over. They battle with the aliens, finally rescued by Fly Girl. But what about Buzz? The aliens still have him on their ship! Looks like there will have to be another story...

Arnold's familiar illustrations, with huge, bulging eyes, earth tones, and simple shapes will be immediately recognized by readers who have read his other titles. The text is bold and with a font that uses small seraphs. It's an intermediate easy reader for my library, usually recommended to kids in 2nd grade. This one will be more challenging because of the switch in perspectives from the puppets to the actual characters, but kids who have read other Fly Guy titles and have some fluency are likely to pick up the nuances fairly easily.

Verdict: Fly Guy is a pretty basic requirement for any easy reader section - the only question is how many copies you need to purchase.

ISBN: 9780545663182; Published April 2018 by Cartwheel/Scholastic; Purchased 3 copies for the library

The day you begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael Lopez

For some reason I thought this was a new baby book - but it's really about new beginnings anywhere, especially in school.

A diverse array of children, centering on the girl on the cover, are shown entering new situations or groups in which they feel left out. In gentle, poetical words, Woodson addresses readers directly - maybe they feel out of place because they look different than the other children, like the girl on the cover. Or, like a new boy in school, they speak a different language. Their food is different, their economic situation is different, they are shy or uncertain of how to enter into a group.

But each one of the lonely children begins to find their own voice. They think about their strengths and unique qualities, about the things they can do, and as they share they find things in common and the children become friends.

With Lopez' dazzling and colorful illustrations, this is not just a good first day of school book, or a celebration of differences, it's a warm and encouraging tale for kids who are taking the first steps in trying something new, whether that be learning a new language, attending a new school, or adjusting to changes in their family.

Verdict: I predict this one will be a favorite choice for teachers at back-to-school functions, but I hope it gets pulled out frequently in many different situations so kids can fall in love with the illustrations and be encouraged and inspired by the text.

ISBN: 9780399246531; Published August 2018 by Nancy Paulsen Books; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library

Eavesdropping on elephants: How listening helps conservation by Patricia Newman

I've really liked Newman's science titles for middle grade readers in the past and her latest is no exception. Featuring a popular large animal, elephants, this blends science and conservation, mystery and career advice, to give kids a window into the lives of elephants and the scientists who study them.

The book opens with the subsonic rumblings of elephants and the beginning of the Elephant Listening Project in 1984 as biologist Katy Payne transitioned from listening to whales to the seemingly similar sounds of elephants.

Over the years, Katy and other scientists worked to research infrasound, sounds too low for human ears to hear. As readers follow Payne and her assistants on her journey, they'll learn more about the science behind different types of sound and they'll meet many different elephants (for fans like me there are bongos too! I love bongos.).

The project encompasses developing technology, encroaching poachers and habitat destruction, and the accumulation and organization of thousands of hours of data as the scientists worked to make sense of the elephants' sounds. As the years passed, new scientists Liz Rowland and Peter Wrege came on board and the goal of the project began to shift from researching elephant sounds to helping them survive. Then they made a discovery - they could use the sounds of elephants and their scientific interpretation to keep them safe, monitor their health, and advise governments on protecting them.

The book ends with a chapter reflecting on the long history of research into elephant sounds, especially forest elephants as shown in this book, and their current vulnerability, the many challenges they face, and how continued research into infrasound could help. Throughout the book there are QR codes that will allow readers to listen to some of the sounds described. Back matter includes links and suggestions on getting involved, source notes, glossary, bibliography, further reading (books and websites), index, and acknowledgements.

Verdict: For readers who love animals and want to get involved, kids who are fascinated by science, and all those elephant lovers, this is a great book to expand their knowledge and help them learn that there's a lot more to elephants than just "big." Recommended.

ISBN: 9781541515710; Published August 2018 by Millbrook/Lerner; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library