Klawde: Evil alien warlord cat and Enemies by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

The story opens with the redoubtable tyrant, General Wyss-Kuzz, betrayed and sentenced to exile in a terrifying alien world... otherwise known as earth, specifically Elba, Oregon. He's not the only exile, although he's certainly the most outraged; Raj has been forced to move from his cool apartment in New York, his best friends, and handy pizza and comics. To add insult to injury, his parents sign him up for wilderness survival camp! On the bright side, he's just found a stray cat. That... can talk?

The chapters alternate between Wyss-Kuzz (or Klawde, as he is now known) and Raj. Klawde has many outraged pronouncements on the indignities visited upon him by the strange troll-creatures of earth, details his attempts to raise an army, and reluctantly admits his growing admiration for Raj. Ok, maybe "tolerance" is a better word. Raj, meanwhile, is exuberantly fond of his first-ever pet, and hopeful about the possibilities of making friends, although the weirder the camp counselor and other kids he meets get, the more nervous he is about survival night - especially since he's not sure he will survive!

The second title, Enemies, increases the parallels between Klawde and Raj. Klawde, betrayed by, well, he doesn't have friends so let's say a general previously thought to be loyal, and Raj, already unbalanced by attending a new school and now forced to meet an old "friend" who he had a huge fight with before leaving New York, are both off their game. Klawde works hard to battle an old enemy, recruit new soldiers and maintain their loyalty, and uphold the great traditions of his planet. Raj, on the other hand, alternates between anger and humiliation at his erstwhile friend's behavior and finally, just when he's decided to take the high ground and resist showing up his friend, Klawde plays an unexpected role. Both Raj and Klawde have unexpected, if not entirely happy, endings and the stage is set for another wacky adventure.

Spot illustrations in shades of blue and black show a scruffy, decidedly un-fluffy cat, the hapless Raj, and his motley crew of friends and enemies and they scramble their way through their adventures. It's not a beginning chapter book persay, more of a lower middle grade title. It will appeal to fluent readers in 2nd grade up to about 4th grade. Yes, the kids are in middle school but it's really written for a younger audience.

Verdict: This will appeal to readers who like Captain Underpants and Wimpy Kid-style humor, although Raj is a much nicer character and shows moral growth despite his somewhat difficult situations. Readers will need a fairly high tolerance for goofiness of the "Planet Lyttyrboks" style of humor. Hand this to readers who like Binky the space cat and Dragonbreath.

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat
ISBN: 9781524787202
Klawde: Enemies
ISBN: 9781524787226

Published February 2019 by Penguin Workshop; Review copies provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Small Readers: King and Kayla and the case of Found Fred by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers

The latest King and Kayla easy mystery throws a little foreshadowing, for readers in the know, about a lost dog.

King, a golden retriever, and Kayla, his sweet owner, both love to solve mysteries. The two are visiting Kayla's grandmother in the country, at a lake, when they find a cute white dog named Fred. Fred is lost and Kayla and her family think he's a stray - but King knows he's not really a stray, he just can't find his family! With King and Kayla both working on the case, they soon have Fred reunited with his family.

Meyers' cartoon illustrations show a perky set of dogs and carefully follow the steps Kayla takes to collect and organize her clues and solve the mystery. Kayla interacts with Fred to see if she can determine if he's a stray or not, finding that he knows several commands. She visits neighbors to see if anyone has seen Fred around or knows who owns him. Finally, with the nudging help of King, they set out on a trip across the lake and locate Fred's family, who are camping in the area.

This is a transitional easy reader, just right for kids who are in the process of moving from easy readers to early chapters. The story is complex enough to hold their interest but simple enough to allow them to spread some of their focus to the mechanics of reading. The layout is excellent, spreading pictures throughout the story that enhance the text and offer additional clues to the plot. An aspect I also appreciate in this series is seeing an African-American family in a suburban/rural setting, rather than an urban one.

Peachtree was recently purchased by a big company out of Shanghai and I was interested to see if there would be any changes, although the previous owner had said that it wouldn't affect the books published. The only difference I saw was a Chinese character on one of the blank pages - otherwise it's still the excellent series it's always been.

Verdict: This is a must-have series for your readers transitioning to chapter books and those who love mysteries and animals. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781682630525; Published March 2019 by Peachtree; F&G provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Not your nest! by Gideon Sterer, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi

Any kid that is being forced to share will appreciate this mischievous story about a diligent little bird and the animals who keep appropriating her nests.

A small yellow bird is just finishing her perfect nest... when she discovers it has been co-opted by a hoopoe! "You can build another" he says. Slightly annoyed, the bird builds another from scratch... and a fox takes it! Another nest, built by an even more annoyed bird, gets taken over by a warthog! The story builds to a ridiculous scene with the tree full of nests and Bird loses it and evicts EVERYONE. Sadly, this destroys all her nests and when she looks miserably at the resulting chaos, saying "this WAS my nest" the animals feel guilty - and build a huge nest, just for her. Bird kindly invites them all to share the new nest, and in a last aside builds her own cozy little nest away from the snoring animals!

I felt like this was a different art style than the work I've seen before from Tsurumi; it still has that cartoon humor, but it's more sketchy and realistic and less of the minimal lines and figures of her other work. It's also one of my newest, favorite books and a hilarious take on the Little Red Hen, even if nobody besides me gets it. It always drives me crazy that most of the retellings take out the original ending and have her sharing, even though the animals did none of the work! The outraged bird and her charging buffalo was deeply satisfying - especially when the animals fixed their mistake and all ended happily! And the part where Bird gets her own nest in the end! I can't wait to add this one to my storytime repertoire and to my funny read-alouds that are kind of naughty list!

Verdict: A much more nuanced view of sharing, perfect for kindergarteners and some preschoolers who can think about sharing as more complex than just "give the other kid what they want because they asked." There's also the additional element of identifying the different animals! It's ridiculous, satisfying, and funny - all the things needed for the perfect storytime book.

ISBN: 9780735228276; Published March 2019 by Dial; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Animal Antipodes by Carly Allen-Fletcher

This is a really interesting and unique animal book. The opening spread, showing a colorful earth against a dramatic black background, explains that antipodes are the opposite sides of the earth. Then the book jumps into various antipodes. The top half of the spread is divided from the bottom half by the text. On the left side of the page is the text that does with the top, then you turn the book upside-down to read the bottom-half.

Antipodes included are the North and South poles; the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Big Island of Hawaii; Desert National Park in India and Easter Island; Palembang, Indonesia and La Jagua, Huila, Colombia; Kaoh Nheaek, Cambodia and Machu Picchu, Peru; Lake Baikal, Siberia, and Monte Sarmiento, Chile; Xi'an, China and Santiago, Chile; Hong Kong and La Quiaca, Argentina; Whangarei, New Zealand and Tangier, Morocco; Yasawa, Fiji and Timbuktu, Mali; then readers arrive back at the North and South poles.

The final two spreads explain more about antipodes and the book, including showing how the light changes slightly in each image, how the solar system works, and the angle of the earth. A final spread encourages readers to find their own antipode, although it's probably in the ocean! The back endpapers are covered with sketches of the many different animals included. The art is glowing with color, almost as if each place is set in the heat of the desert or shimmering glow of the Northern lights. Some places contrast wet, dense jungles with arid deserts, high-rise cities with empty tundra, while others are very similar.

Verdict: A fascinating new way to look at habitats around the world as well as an introduction to earth science and the solar system. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781939547491; Published September 2018 by Creston; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

This week at the library; or, It's spring! Ha ha April Fool's

Happenings this week

• Monday
• Paws to read
• Manager's meeting
• Tuesday
• Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions)
• Library on the Go: After school/wrap-around
• Wednesday
• Early Literacy Outreach: Chickens (3 sessions)
• Library on the Go: 1st grade (2 sessions)
• Thursday
• Books 'n' Babies
• Bookaneers
• Friday
• Saturday
• Mo Willems: Pig Party
• Worked 42 hours; 12.5 hours on desk; 8 programs
• 30 minutes work at home sending emails and writing reports
• Will probably spend about an hour or so this weekend doing collection development and working on a signage problem that's come up.

Stuff I did this week

• Catch up on email and all the work from vacation - my entire desk was covered with stacks of books!
• Request upcoming book club books
• Prep for this week's outreach
• Collection development project
• Schedule a new volunteer
• Put together materials for April Kohls grant
• Staff schedule for May. Also putting together schedule for teachers to book field trips in May. So. much. schedule.
• Reports (bills next week)
• Manager-ey things.

Mangoes, mischief, and tales of friendship: Stories of India by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy

This collection of intertwined folktales has a classic feel and will appeal to folk and fairy tale fans.

Prince Veera and his best friend, Suku, discover it's not so easy to be a ruler when they get the opportunity to preside over Veera's father's court. They solve eight different cases, involving both traditional and original stories, from a man who wants to charge his neighbor for smelling his wares to a man who is prosecuted for spreading bad luck.

Black and white illustrations, some showing people in traditional occupations and others showing traditional motifs of birds, fruit, and other items, are scattered throughout the book.

Originally published in the UK in 2010 as separate books, this collected volume is an engaging read for middle graders who enjoy folktales. Unfortunately, that's really a very small number of kids. As a voracious reader of folk and fairy tales myself, both as a child and adult, I recognized several general plots and the story overall had a classic, traditional feel to it. There are few if any women mentioned, no sources for the original tales, and only a few contextual clues for the culture represented, as well as no time period given.

If the creators were hoping to bring Indian culture and traditions to a new, contemporary generation, more information would have been useful, as well as considering more modern sensibilities; while the gap between impoverished Suku's family and Prince Veera's wealth is mentioned, it's quickly brushed aside. The fairy tale king, wise, just, and all-knowing, is a little updated with Prince Veera sometimes coaxing his father into a different mindset, but there's still no doubting the greatness of a feudal society.

Verdict: Families that enjoy more traditional folktales or those who are already familiar with Indian culture and history may find this enjoyable, but it will have a very limited audience for the average public library.

ISBN: 9781536200676; Published December 2018 by Candlewick; ARC provided by publisher

Arnold and Louise: The Great Louweezie and Lost and Found by Erica S. Perl, illustrated by Chris Chatterton

I'm always hunting for new beginning chapter books, especially those right at that transitional cusp from easy reader to early chapter. So I was very eager to read these, but I'm... not sure they'll really click with the kids.

Arnold, a stolid and steady bear, and Louise, a scatty-brained chipmunk, are friends. Mostly. In their first adventure, The Great Louweezie, Arnold visits his friend to tell her they can't go on their picnic because it's going to rain. But Louise has other ideas anyways! She's a fortune-teller who can see the future and she's going to make a prediction - if Arnold gives her ten cents. Arnold offers her his lucky marble instead and instantly regrets it, especially when Louise takes him on a wild (and wet) adventure to make her prediction come true! In the end, Arnold helps Louise feel better after her failure to predict the future and the two are friends once more.

In their second adventure, Lost and Found, Louise really wants to borrow Arnold's best treasure. But Arnold likes to collect things - and Louise is really good at losing them! She promises to be careful and not lose this one... but she does. Will Arnold lose his good feeling - and his friend?

Two-toned illustrations, in gray and teal, decorate the stories showing a big, rather grumpy bear in overalls and the bouncy, silly Louise in a striped sweater. The text is simple, a good level for 1st and 2nd graders transitioning from easy readers to chapters. The stories are definitely on the easy reader side as far as content, featuring the classic oddball friends and simple woodland adventures. They're not likely to appeal to kids who are eager to read up, especially realistic stories, fantasy, or other popular genres, but they fit well into the Cynthia Rylant and Arnold Lobel classic style of gentle animal adventures.

I did feel that the friendship depicted was rather one-sided. Arnold gives up his special marble, goes on an uncomfortable walk in the rain, falls in the mud, and then has to comfort Louise in the first adventure; In the second he gives up his treasure twice, once to Louise to borrow and then again when she loses it and then gives it away to a bird family. Then he has to comfort Louise and give her another treasure, telling her that she's more important than anything he collects. It's a nice message of people over things, but at the same time I can't help but feel that Louise is a bit of a taker, not even trying to adapt or compromise for Arnold.

Verdict: While this is unlikely to be extremely popular, like the Scholastic Branches or Bad Guys, it's a nice filler book and will especially appeal to younger kids who are reading at a higher level and aren't ready for more complex plots.

Great Louweezie
ISBN: 9781524790394

Lost and Found

ISBN: 9781524790424

Published January 2019 by Penguin Workshop; Review copies provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Zoe and Zack: Opposites by Jacques Duquennoy

Zoe, a lanky zebra, and Zack, a sometimes colorful chamelon, demonstrate opposites in this die-cut board book.

The cover has a cut-out, with a clear plastic insert, that reveals Zack jumping excitedly. The first spread shows Zoe and Zack dancing down their own sets of stairs. On the second page is a cut-out, revealing Zack. When this page is turned, it changes the images into Zoe and Zack going up the stairs. This pattern is repeated, with the two watching a bird in the cage, then setting the bird free, Zoe fighting off a biting mosquito and Zack slurping it down, Zack fixes Zoe's broken castle, and Zoe cheering up Zack by sharing her ice cream.

The opposites are more abstract than usual, focusing on emotions rather than concrete examples of direction or size. Zack changes colors to match the pastel backgrounds, from beige to blue, and simple illustrations decorate the pages with flowers, birds, blocks, and ice cream.

This is part of a series; the pages are thick and sturdy and children who have met the characters before will recognize their cute appearance.

Verdict: This is cute but a little abstract for my taste. An additional purchase for large board book collections.

ISBN: 9782747087001; This edition published 2018 by Tourbillion Editions; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Thunder Pug by Kim Norman, illustrated by Keika Yamaguchi

Long ago, I reviewed the first book in this series, Puddle Pug, even though I've never been a fan of pugs, and found that it was such a sweet story that I fell in love. So I was very excited to see another book in the series, even though it's been five years!

Percy the Pug and Petunia the Pig are best friends... until Petunia wins a prize. Now everyone is eager to congratulate her, play with her, and she's got so many fans she doesn't need Percy any more. Percy decides to do something on his own - be a superhero! He gets a cape and becomes Thunder Pug, coming to the rescue of animals everywhere, big and small! But it's just not the same without Petunia. Maybe they both still need each other?

Pastel spot illustrations show a cute pug and slightly smaller, plump pink pig. Percy and Petunia have humorously expressive faces that express sadness, determination, and worry. Careful readers will see that Petunia isn't necessarily happy with her fans, while Percy has mixed feelings about his superhero work. On the surface, this is a funny story about friendship with two cute animals and lots of silly adventures. But underneath it has a gentle lesson about how to react when you feel overshadowed or lacking in talent and ability. Although Percy still misses his friend, he turns his feelings outward and starts helping others, which makes him feel better even if he's not always good at it.

Verdict: A sweet book with humor and a gentle lesson that fans of cute animals will grab off the shelf. It will also make a great storytime read, especially for preschool and kindergarten listeners.

ISBN: 9781454923589; Published January 2019 by Sterling; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Rodent Rascals by Roxie Munro

I feel like Munro isn't very well-known in the easy nonfiction genre, but I have quite a few kids who enjoy her books. They work well across age groups and this new title is a favorite for us, due to our library gerbils.

Each animal gets a life-size picture, starting small with the pygmy jerboa and working all the way up to the snooty nose of a capybara, all that fits on the page. As the animals get larger, they start stretching across pages, like the beaver whose tail is on one spread and the rest is on the following pages. The rodents are shown in motion, running on wheels, nibbling snacks, or just posed against the bold white backgrounds. Each has a paragraph of description to themselves, listing their unique qualities. Readers will learn that the male house mouse sings to his mate, about famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, and about the unique sounds made by a capybara. White outlines of the various rodents are shown on the endpages (not to scale) and there is a detailed introduction, additional information on each animal, glossary, sources, suggested websites, and index in the back.

Verdict: A great introduction to this oft-maligned family of animals, this book is sure to intrigue rodent-lovers and pique their interest. It can work as a read-aloud, and young children will enjoy looking at the pictures, but it is better suited to browsing and research by 2nd to 3rd graders in my opinion.

ISBN: 9780823438600; Published January 2018 by Holiday House; Purchased for the library