Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Leaves by Carol Lawrence, illustrated by Francesco Zito

I was really excited when I saw this board book series, Baby Explorer, and even bought one, Water, but now that I've actually read one I'm torn.

The first spread is a simple invitation to look and listen in the forest. But immediately on the following page, the book dives into a complex discussion of deciduous trees, how leaves are formed, types of leaves, chlorophyll, and the function of leaves.

The art is bright and simple with clearly labeled diagrams and patterns. Friendly-looking squirrels, colorful leaves with clear veins, and cute bugs fill the pages.

On the one hand, I do love introducing children to nonfiction concepts and vocabulary. The text is simple and clearly explained. On the other hand, I'm really doubtful that the average baby or toddler is going to sit still for (or grasp) the complex concepts and vocabulary.

Verdict: Textually, this is too advanced for a baby or toddler. However, the pictures are attractive and sometimes caregivers and parents do want board books for older children who can't handle the more delicate pages of picture books. I think on the whole I'll buy them, but I probably won't use them in storytime or recommend them as read-alouds.

ISBN: 9780807505168; Published October 1, 2018 by Albert Whitman; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Stop that yawn! by Caron Levis, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

This wild ride of a bedtime story is an homage to one of my favorite books, In the Night Kitchen, features the awesome art of LeUyen Pham, and basically was designed for me (and many others) to fall in love immediately.

Gabby Wild is tired of bedtime and living in Sleepytown. So her Granny packs them up into Gabby's bed and they set out on an exciting journey to... Never Sleeping City! In this exciting place, populated by anthropomorphous animals, flashing neon signs, and a variety of humans, there's always something going on. Opera, carnival, ice cream, it's wonderful! But then, as they're riding the ferris wheel Granny lets a yawn escape! Despite Gabby's desperate efforts to contain the yawn, "Grit your teeth, seal your lips, we have to stop that...YAWN" the yawn quickly spreads across Never Sleeping City and even to the readers! Finally, even Gabby succumbs and finds herself back in her bed, fast asleep and dreaming of new adventures.

Although the story delivers a nod to Sendak, it's wholly new and its own. The brisk text has a contemporary beat and mixes in the current trend of interactive books. Pham's art shows a bustling city, peopled with Sendak-like animals in elaborate costumes, but she also adds her own sweet touches from Gabby's beaded hair to Granny's tennis shoes and the old radiator in their small apartment. This is a much more diverse and contemporary world than Sendak's, but it still has all the charm of an imaginary city.

Verdict: Read this at storytime, to reluctant kids at bedtime, or just for fun any time of the day! I hope this will become a modern classic; it certainly deserves it.

ISBN: 9781481441797; Published October 16, 2018 by Atheneum; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk

Anyone who knows me knows I am not a fan of picture book biographies. My objections are many - they focus more on the artistic side than the informational side, they don't provide enough context for the age and knowledge of the assumed reader, they don't circulate... but every once in a while I find an exception and this is absolutely a book I will happily purchase for the library!

In simple, brisk language Becker tells the story of Johnson's youth as a math prodigy, the many barriers she faced, and the support of her family and her own enthusiasm and determination that helped her move past them to become an integral part of NASA. The science behind the rockets and Johnson's math is explained in easy metaphors and illustrations and Katherine's refrain, "count on me" keeps readers following and connecting the story to the end.

An author's note explains more details about Katherine Johnson's life and work and gives a brief list of sources. The endpages are covered in mathematical calculations, many of them accessible to young readers "Find the volume of an ice cream cone" and the cheerful, bright illustrations personify Johnson's determination to follow her dreams despite many barriers. This is an authorized biography, for which Becker interviewed Katherine Johnson and her family.

This picture book biography works because it explains Johnson's life in a way that kids can grasp - her love of math, her involvement in the space program, and offers enough context for them to have an understanding of the time period - her family having to move to a different town for her to attend high school and the discrimination she faced, "They were given the tasks that men thought were boring and unimportant."

Verdict: Hand this to young readers who are interested in space and science and recommend to teachers presenting lessons on the space race, biographies, and looking to diversify their classrooms.

ISBN: 978125013524; Published 2018 by Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

This week at the library; or, More snow?

Happenings at the library this week

• Monday
• Craft-o-rama
• Paws to Read
• Manager's Meeting
• Tuesday
• Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions)
• STEM Challenge: Speed Racers (2nd session for What's Next families)
• OPtions board meeting
• Wednesday
• Outreach Storytime (3 sessions)
• Library on the Go (2 sessions)
• Winter Wigglers: Fit Kids (2 sessions)
• Thursday
• Books 'n' Babies
• Book Explosion: Notebook Novels
• Friday
• 4K outreach: Rainforest night
• Worked 32.5 hours (8 hours PTO); 13 hours on desk; 7 programs

Notes

• I used an old program of Amy Koester's for Speed Racers. We didn't have the right size of washers and ended up grabbing buttons and using a lot of hot glue, but the kids had fun anyways. About 20 for the first session and 5? for the second.
• I forgot to tell my associate doing Fit Kids that Head Start was coming! However, thankfully it all worked out fine and the group was a nice size - about 20 - and everyone had a great time. She had a really detailed workout scheduled for the kids; I saw/listened to the afternoon session and the kids really got into it.
• The rainforest program was rescheduled, but I'd already taken the day off. I packed up all the books, resources, etc. for my associate and I hope she had fun with all the four year olds! (Yes, she was hired to work with teens but she's flexible...)

Projects this week

• Paperwork and publicity for Walmart grant
• Update newsletter (need by Thursday)
• Lost paperwork
• Three sections of the neighborhoods weeded and updated

The secrets of Tutankhamun: Egypt's boy king and his incredible tomb by Patricia Cleveland-Peck, illustrated by Isabel Greenberg

This isn't exactly a graphic novel and it's not really a picture book. Illustrated nonfiction? We can go with that.

The book is divided into three parts; the life and death of Tutankhamun, the discovery of his grave by Howard Carter, and some final pages about continuing archeological research.

The book begins with an overview of the protagonists; the complicated family and ruling structure of Tutankhamun and the white archeologists who discovered his tomb. The first part gives a brief overview of the complex political structure of the time and then covers mummification as well as some Egyptian beliefs.

The largest part is the second section, which details the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. Cleveland-Peck discusses the rivalry of various archeologists, the stormy relationship of Carter and his patron, the Earl of Carnarvon, and the world-changing discovery of the tomb. There are some brief notes that things like selling and keeping artifacts are no longer done, but there is little to no mention of the local Egyptians and their perspective on having their history dug up and sold.

The art is bright and stylized, mimicking the look of hieroglyphics. The Egyptians are shown with dark skin (I've seen some ridiculously white Egyptians, which is why I mention it).

Verdict: While this is certainly not a comprehensive discussion of ancient Egyptian history, or of the complex politics surrounding the extreme cultural appropriation and the Western craze with ancient Egypt, it's a light introduction for kids with plenty of illustrations and interesting writing. A good additional resource or starter book to get kids into Egyptian history.

ISBN: 9781681197128; Published August 2018 by Bloomsbury Children's Books; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Kitty's magic: Misty the scared kitten by Ella Moonheart

Koemi Kimura just loves cats. She loves them so much she's been nicknamed Kitty! While staying with her grandmother, while her parents are on a trip to Japan, Kitty's best friend gets an adorable kitten named Misty. Kitty begs to spend the night, even though she's allergic to cats. She gets permission - and a special locket - but later that night she just can't keep from sneezing! When she does sneeze a surprising thing happens - she turns into a cat!

Kitty discovers a whole new world, both fun and dangerous, as a cat. She makes new feline friends, takes on important responsibilities, and has a number of adventures.

Black and white pictures show a cute little girl and lots and lots of fluffy kittens and sleek, stripy, naughty, friendly cats. The book ends with a recap of the characters and some facts about cats. It's just a little over 100 pages and a good level for intermediate readers. Originally a UK series, it has that slightly twee feel - think the Rainbow Magic books - but is just fine for those voracious readers who power through a large stack of their favorite series every week.

Verdict: Hand this one to fans of Dr. Kitty Cat, cat fans, and those who like endless series of magic animals. I'll be adding it to our series collection and I expect it to start popping off the shelves soon.

ISBN: 9781681193854; This edition published 2018 by Bloomsbury; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Small Readers: Unlimited Squirrels in I lost my tooth! by Mo Willems

Mo Willems is back with a new easy reader series, this one featuring a zany band of squirrels.The light blue endpapers introduce the squirrels - some regular squirrels in varying shades of brown and gray, named Zip, Zap, Zoom, and Zing. Others are a little kookier, like Quiz Squirrel with a dramatic swirl of orange hair and a green tie, Research Rodent in a labcoat, and Flappy Squirrel.

The story is divided up by a table of contents, although it doesn't specifically have chapters - some of the sections are only a page or two long. After the table of contents there's a page showing the "Emote-acorns" which show the squirrels' "big" emotions. The main story is about Zoom Squirrel, who has lost a tooth. This incites a dramatic reaction from the other squirrels, especially when they find out that it was a baby tooth. A lost baby tooth! All alone! They must help! Eventually, after much drama and a lot of exclamation marks, all is well but a few questions remain...

Fortunately, Research Rodent is there with all the answers! What are teeth made of? How many teeth do animals have? Once the questions have been answered, Quiz Squirrel has a quiz and there are some acorn-ey jokes mixed in as well.

Mo Willems' illustration style is instantly recognizable and kids will be delighted to find the pigeon popping up here and there as well. The squirrels look a lot like the mouse that showed up in one Elephant and Piggie story, My new friend is so fun. This book is definitely a step up from Elephant and Piggie though. While the text is still simple and bold, it incorporates a lot of more complex vocabulary and there are a lot more elements in play - multiple (very similar) characters, multiple speech balloons, jokes, nonfiction, and other interruptions to the story, as well as wordplay. This is a blue level, which is the highest level of easy reader, in our collection. I'd recommend it to kids who are transitioning to chapter books. One last interesting note - none of the squirrels are given genders. I'm hoping this is maintained in future books, or that they don't all turn out to be male!

Verdict: Anything Mo Willems does in his signature style is sure to be a hit; it may take some time for this new series to build momentum and it may not achieve the character recognition of Elephant and Piggie or the Pigeon, but it's sure to be popular with kids who enjoy other transitional easy reader/chapter book titles. I'll be using this in book club and recommending it to kids who are fans of Jump-into-chapters, Eaton's Andy, and similar titles.

ISBN: 9781368024570; Published October 2, 2018 by Disney-Hyperion; Purchased two copies for the library

Madeline Finn and the Shelter Dog by Lisa Papp

In Madeline Finn's first story, she learns to love reading with Bonnie, a Great Pyrenees and reading therapy dog. Bonnie had puppies and now, Madeline gets to have one to keep! She chooses the littlest pup and names him Star. She wonders where Mrs. Dimple chose Bonnie and learns that she came from an animal shelter.

While Madeline works hard at taking care of Star, cleaning up after his mistakes, training him, and telling him she loves him all the time, she learns that not all animals have a home where they are loved. Madeline comes up with a great idea - to collect enough blankets and towels for all the dogs and read to them, just like she reads to Bonnie and Star. But when she gets to the shelter... she's the only one there. But just when things are too much for Madeline on her own, all the library folks show up with books, blankets and towels - and one sad little dog gets a forever home!

Papp's soft, pastel illustrations show a sweet little girl in leggings and skirt, and a series of adorable, if a little sad, dogs and other animals, just waiting for someone to love them. A warm, loving community is shown where everyone works together to make things a little better for some lonely animals.

Verdict: Kids love books about animals and this story is sure to appeal. It's a perfect fit for my library; before she retired we had a therapy dog that looked just like Bonnie and now the local shelter visits with a different animal each week looking for a home.

ISBN: 9781682630754; Published March 2019 by Peachtree; Galley provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Magnificent Birds by Narisa Togo

This is one of those absolutely lovely books that I can't really see an audience for at my library but which I want anyways.

Each full spread covers a bird with some interesting quirk, attribute, or behavior with a linocut print of the bird and its habitat. Readers will learn about the Toco Toucan, largest of the toucans, and how it uses its famous beak. Then there's the Greater Bird of Paradise, largest of this beautiful family of birds with a marvelous mating display. Each bird has something that makes it special - the hummingbird, kakapo, or peregrine falcon.

There are two paragraphs of fairly dense text for each bird, some set against colored backgrounds that make it difficult to read. The oversized book features lovely but static prints of the various birds and their habitats. There is no back matter, but there is an acknowledgement of consultation with The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (UK).

This isn't a book for storytime, nor will it appeal to readers who need to research or who are looking for a chapter book. It's more of a coffee-table book really, something for bird-lovers to pore over with their children (if they're patient enough to sit still) or to dip into to learn a little about a favorite bird.

Verdict: A beautiful book, this would make a lovely keepsake or gift for a fan of birds but is less likely to find a home in a library or school.

ISBN: 9781536201697; Published 2018 by Candlewick Studio; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library

RA RA Read: Real Girls, Real Friendships and Best Frenemies

Somewhere between 9 and 12 some girls get really into realistic fiction. Not to say that boys don't read these books - some do - but they usually require a different booktalking technique which I'm not going into now. Most of these books deal in the emotional growth of their protagonists as they start to change how they relate to their family and friends, awareness of the world around them, or dealing with issues like death, divorce, new schools, etc. The ages are just approximations of course - there's nothing particularly teen in any of these and the most they get into romantic relationships is some possible crushes and maybe a kiss. There are lots and lots and lots of great books in this genre, but I'm just going to mention a few that I recommend frequently.

Elementary Chapters

• Cupcake Cousins by Kate Hannigan (series)
• Calli be gold by Michele Hurwitz
• Friends for keeps by Julie Bowe (series)
• Lucy Rose by Katy Kelly (series)

Middle Grade

• The Battle of Darcy Lane; My Life in Dioramas by Tara Altebrando
• Ruby and Olivia by Rachel Hawkins
• The Summer I saved the world in 65 days by Michele Hurwitz
• Boys are dogs by Leslie Margolis (series)
• Willow Falls by Wendy Mass (series)
• The Winnie Years; Flower Power by Lauren Myracle (series)
• Secret Language of Girls by Frances O'Rourk Dowell (trilogy)
• Center of everything by Linda Urban

Middle Grade with Diversity

• Amina's voice by Hena Khan
• Confetti Girl; Ask my mood ring how I feel by Diana Lopez
• The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods

Graphic Novels

Raina Telgemeier is queen of the genre in graphics. All others bow before her.

• Be prepared by Vera Brosgol (more middle school)
• Kat and Mouse by Alex de Campi (series) (more middle school)
• Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova (more middle school)
• Amelia Rules! by Jimmy Gownley (series)
• Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm
• Middle School is worse than meatloaf by Jennifer Holm (series)
• Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

Updated February 2019