Small Readers: My toothbrush is missing by Jan Thomas

Jan Thomas' easy reader series, The Giggle Gang, continues with this hilarious book. The first spread shows a mysterious paw reaching for a red toothbrush labeled "dog". The next page includes the title, My Toothbrush is Missing! in a speech balloon. The story begins with Dog, who is missing her toothbrush, and Donkey, Sheep, and Duck, who are worried but unhelpful. Dog tries describing her toothbrush and Donkey helpfully shows up with various options... but, as Dog exclaims after each try "that is not my toothbrush!" Sheep is increasingly exasperated as she identifies an egg beater, broom, and other items. Duck just can't believe her eyes! Finally, Donkey gives up and gets back to scrubbing her hooves... with Dog's toothbrush???

Thomas' bright colors and cartoonish illustrations have long been a favorite of the toddler and preschool set; I've also regularly recommended her books to beginning readers. Now that publishers have caught on, both old and new titles are being published in easy reader format to great acclaim. This funny story includes bold text that is easy to read, carefully arranged speech balloons and illustrations that make the story easy to follow, and her trademark surprise twist at the end of the story.

Verdict: I've been using these titles in book clubs, to recommend to emerging readers, and to read-aloud for years - each new addition is just as popular as the last. While they don't have the character recognition of Elephant and Piggie, they're a fun staple in any easy reader collection.

ISBN: 9780544966352; Published 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Purchased for the library

Penguin & Tiny Shrimp don't do bedtime! by Cate Berry, illustrated by Charles Santoso

Penguin and Tiny Shrimp may be in pajamas, and they may have brushed their teeth, but this is NOT a bedtime book!

There are no soft beds! No squishy pillows! This is a book with fireworks, swinging on vines in the jungle, and sailing through shark-infested waters! This book is just a party all the time. It will never make you sleeeeeepy. Yawn.

Santoso's grainy, colored-pencil illustrations (yes, it says they were created digitally but they LOOK like colored-pencil) show a perky penguin and silly shrimp racing through the Serengeti, unboxing a uni-hippo, and finally, much against their will, falling asleep.

Verdict: Kids will giggle themselves silly over this anti-bedtime book and maybe, possibly, get a little sleepy by the end. Perfect for a pajama storytime.

ISBN: 9780062491534; Published 2018 by Balzer + Bray; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Stretch to the sun: From a tiny sprout to the tallest tree on earth by Carrie A. Pearson, illustrated by Susan Swan

The tallest tree on earth - a carefully hidden redwood in the forest - serves as a focal point to the changes and growth in the forest over many years.

The story begins with a dramatic storm, a tree falling, and a tiny seedling. Slowly, the seedling grows; the seasons change, animals come and go, the landscape shifts, but the tree continues to reach towards the sun. A miniature ecosystem is formed in its crown and vegetation sprouts, reaching every higher. Birds and flying squirrels, salamanders and all manner of insects inhabit the tree. Humans come and go, cutting lumber, building roads, but the tree survives to be protected and studied and become the tallest tree in the forest.

An author's note explains the process of creating and researching the book and additional facts about redwoods explain some of the passages in the book; how these trees are propagated, how long they live, and how they have been affected by history. A selected bibliography, links and locations to learn more, and some simple tips to help support trees are included on the last page.

Swan's layered collages add depth and color to the story, blending animals, vegetation, and more in the dense life of the forest. Feathery green leaves explode towards the sky with tiny creatures hidden in their depths; a fluttering butterfly, blue bird, and tiny owl. Sharp oranges and yellows show the influx of humans and machines against the browns and greens of the forest. The final look at the tree is a gatefold, showing three combined pages of green with birds of prey hidden in its branches.

Verdict: A richly illustrated story of an amazing tree, this is a great addition to STEM storytimes and outdoor investigations. Children will be eager to search for the animals hidden in the leafy art and the poetic text will make a good read-aloud for strong listeners.

ISBN: 9781580897716; Published October 9, 2018 by Charlesbridge; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

This week at the library; or, November week 2

Yeah, there were some spiders and pumpkins left in there.
But there's actually a Christmas story about spiders so...

What's happening at the library

• Monday
• Discovery Playgroup
• Paws to Read
• Books for Bedtime
• Worked 12-8
• Tuesday
• Holiday Craft Extravaganza
• Toddlers
• Family/All ages
• Teens
• Worked 10-6:45
• Wednesday
• Outreach storytimes: Dinosaurs (4 sessions)
• Worked 9:30-5
• Thursday
• Books 'n' Babies
• Book Explosion: Harry Potter
• Worked 10-6
• Friday
• Outreach: Silly Dance Party
• Worked 12-8

Busy week. Toddlers had a wide variety of crafts, provided by Miss Pattie. Family/all ages holiday craft was decorating die-cut magnets (we figured out that you have to paint them before putting glitter on them or it just peels off) and we also used paint, glue, and melted crayons. Time for vacation! In order to work on Cybils and catch up on reviews... I'll probably spend some time sleeping too!

Kitten Construction Company: Meet the house kittens by John Patrick Green

I saw mixed reviews of Green's first young graphic novel, Hippopotamister, but my book club kids loved it, saying it was really funny! So, although I'm again seeing mixed reviews and have some mixed feelings myself about his latest comic book, I'm not ready to dismiss it without some child testing.

A white man in a suit is examining blueprints for the mayor's new mansion. But even though the blueprints are great, he just can't hire the architect because, well, she's just too cute! In fact, she's a kitten! Marmalade is frustrated and angry that no one will take her seriously, so she ends up gathering a crew of adorable kitties who happen to be skilled plumbers, electricians, and carpenters. They're delighted to be hired as a construction crew, only to discover that they're being given pointless tasks. No matter how they try, everyone just sees them as cute kittens! So they decide to build their own, superior version of the mayor's mansion. On the big day, the city planner unveils the mansion to reveal a towering disaster! Will there be any way to save the day? And will the kittens ever be taken seriously?

Bright, cheerful colors fill the pages, showing the adorable, fluffy kittens as they don hard hats, drive vehicles, and work hard to prove themselves. The human-made mansion is laughably bad - balanced on columns, tilted all ways, and finally collapsing when it's unveiled. When the city planner tries to get his construction crew, a mixed race group that includes a black man and a white woman with curly, purple hair, to see how the kitten construction crew is doing things right he shows them pictures - cue for cute kitten videos on his phone of real kittens playing in and around construction equipment. The mayor is a dark-skinned woman in a dark pink pantsuit and the kittens' successful mansion is a towering building with lawns, a brick wall, and a large porch.

The message of not judging by appearances feels kind of weird - the humans are a mostly diverse group, but all the human construction crews are shown to be incompetent. The kittens never do really win respect - the mayor refuses to believe they built the mansion but the city planner promises to assign them new projects, since he's the only one not blinded by their cuteness. What I really want to know is... why are they building the mayor a mansion? What does the city planner have to do with this? It just feels... odd.

Verdict: This is certainly cute and funny, with a good message about not judging about appearances. Although it didn't quite click for me personally, I think it will be just as popular with the kids as Green's previous titles and look forward to discussing it in book club.

ISBN: 9781626728301; Published September 2018 by First Second; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Babies in the Forest by Ginger Swift, illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller

I first saw Cottage Door Press, a new publisher at the time, at ALA a few years ago. For some reason it took me until now to actually buy some of their books!

This chubby little board book features two adorable foxes, Rusty and Ruby. The thick pages show the adorable foxes meeting other woodland creatures, tasting berries, and playing in the forest. On the left page is a sentence, "Ruby and Rusty love playing in the fall leaves" and the right side has the flap and sometimes a question, "Who is hiding in the branches?" The flaps are double-thick like the sturdy pages and set into a shallow depression with a space around them, not flush like flaps usually are. This means little fingers can easily pry them up without difficulty.

The book is about 4xx inches and the edges are cut in curves, adding additional texture and making it easier to turn the pages. The front cover is also embossed. This has a very sturdy construction and even if you're reluctant to buy flaps is one you can feel safe in adding to your collection.

I really liked the way the text is arranged to help the adult reading it interact with the child, using questions, finding things in the pictures, and following the simple "plot".

Verdict: This is a delightful choice for little ones, babies up to toddlers. The sweet illustrations and simple text make a good read-aloud and the flaps add an additional dimension to experience. A strong addition to any board book collection.

ISBN: 9781680521887; Published June 2017 by Cottage Door Press; Purchased for the library

Made by Maxine by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Holly Hatam

Maxine, an inventive white girl with chalked pink and blue streaks in her hair, loves to make things, recycling, inventing, and tinkering. She has a special pet, a goldfish named Milton, for whom she's built a "spectacular" tank! But when Miss McMiller announces a pet parade on the playground after school, the other children are skeptical that she'll be able to bring Milton, since he doesn't have feet to march in the parade!

Maxine starts confidently planning a vehicle that will get Milton to the parade, but over and over again she fails. She considers borrowing a different, fluffier pet, but in the end realizes that Milton is her friend. With renewed determination, she sets to work and this time she succeeds in creating a "fintastic, fintabulous, fincredible fishmobile!" The story ends with Maxine and her fish and the confident assertion that "If I can dream it, I can make it!"

I was disappointed that Maxine was paper white; it would have been nice to see children of color in other but the background. I do think there's also some privilege implied in books like this, where the kids have access to a wide variety of materials and tools and the space to tinker with them. It's also a little unbelievable that the school would have a pet parade -and that they have a whole line-up of pets (bird, hamster, rabbit, and turtle) but most school-based stories aren't really realistic anyways.

Verdict: A cheerful story about try, try, trying again and not giving up.

ISBN: 9780399186295; Published October 2018 by Dial; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Absolute Expert: Dolphins by Jennifer Swanson with Justine Jackson-Ricketts

This is a new series from National Geographic, featuring the latest research, photographs, and facts about a popular science subject, in this case dolphins. The "National Geographic Explorer" is a real-life scientist who gives expert knowledge and talks about their own experience in the field. Bonus points for both (of the two titles currently out as I write this) being women.

The featured scientist for this title is Justine Jackson-Ricketts, marine biologist. She specifically studies dolphins in the gulf of Thailand. The first chapters introduces dolphins as a family and the different species included. After this overview, the book delves more deeply into the subject, covering dolphins' bodies, adaptations, and habitats. Dolphins' social habits are covered in the next chapter, including a discussion of dolphins in the wild and in captivity. The final chapter discusses current issues facing dolphins and human involvement, both good and bad.

Back matter includes a suggestion for getting involved, further reading, index and credits. Like most National Geographic titles, this is a nice mix of expository and narrative nonfiction, mixing information about dolphins with narratives of scientists' experiences, mythology, and how dolphins have affected, and been affected by, humans.

Verdict: This is an excellent new series that is sure to intrigue middle grade readers. It's best for those who are strong readers, as it's fairly text-heavy with a smaller font. There are still plenty of factoids and photographs for fun browsing though.

ISBN: 9781426330100; Published May 2018 by National Geographic; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

This week at the library; or, November

What's happening at the library

• Monday
• Paws to Read
• Manager's meeting
• Worked 11:45-8
• Tuesday
• Toddlers 'n' Books: Dinosaur storytime (2 sessions)
• Worked 9-4:30
• Wednesday
• Outreach Storytime: Dinosaurs (4 sessions)
• Field trip: Lakeland School
• LOTG: After school care
• Worked 9-5:30
• Thursday
• Books 'n' Babies
• LOTG: OPtions
• Rock 'n' Read
• Meeting
• Worked 11-6
• Friday
• Kohls Wild Theater
• Maker Workshop: Sewing machines
• Anime Club
• Worked 9-6:30

November I was going to plan fewer programs so I could write grants, work on projects, and plan for life-size candyland. HA HA HA HA HA HA. Maybe next week. Tuesday I covered storytime for my school colleague who, as I explained to people, told me where she was but I forgot. In the afternoon I put together my new dollhouse! Which turned out to have several broken pieces. This does not auger well. I set them with heavy-duty glue and got a 15% refund (couldn't get replacements - they didn't have it). Started a little on the grants, planning for next year, and a weeding project.

Timo goes camping by Victoria Allenby, illustrated by Dean Griffiths

I admit that when I saw this I was... skeptical. It's an odd little book, with illustrations that remind me of Michael Hague's oil paintings for Wind in the Willows, fairly dense text, albeit in a large font, and a slim, hardcover layout that just felt... odd. However, I ended up being charmed by Timo and his friends - which is a great bonus of Cybils, because you try different things!

Suki, a bouncy grey squirrel, has a great idea - the friends will go on a camping trip! Bogs the toad will sing, Rae the badger will do their engineering, and Hedgewick will cook. Timo, a gentle brown bunny, isn't so sure. He doesn't know how to camp - and neither do any of the others! So he takes himself to the library and finds just the right books. He takes lots of notes. Now Timo is ready, even though he's still nervous. When the camping trip starts, so do the disasters. Suki isn't quite as knowledgeable as she thought and when Timo tries to help she makes fun of him, as well as the others.

Finally, Timo has had enough. He tells Suki how upset and hurt he is and gets a surprising response. Suki apologizes and the others talk about how they feel; some of them were hurt by the teasing too and some don't care. In the end, Suki admits they all have a role to play, and Timo's notes and knowledge from the library turn out to be useful.

Paintings of the friends and their mishaps are scattered about the pages of this slim volume. While there's a definite moral pointed, there's just as much story as well and the lesson is given in a gentle, natural way. I also appreciated that while it's shown that Timo needed to speak up, Suki is just as at fault for not asking if her teasing hurt before assuming that it was ok.

Verdict: While I don't see this appealing to a broad range of my readers, it's too low-key and gentle a story for most of them, plus the text is fairly challenging, I definitely have an audience who will love these. I have a section of young readers who are very fluent and whose parents want them to read quiet stories along these lines and the kids enjoy them as well. Definitely putting on my list.

ISBN: 9781772780406; Published March 2018 by Pajama Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium