A child's introduction to Egyptology: The mummies, pyramids, pharaohs, gods, and goddesses of ancient Egypt by Heather Alexander, illustrated by Sara Mulvanny

 This broad overview of ancient Egyptian culture, religion, and the archaeology that made it famous is a very traditional, Westernized view of Egyptology.

The book begins with a quick overview of the ancient, influential civilization of Egypt, then covers its geography and the central importance of the Nile. Although there are separate chapters on religion, gods and goddesses, and belives about the afterlife, they are woven into the chapters about the pharaohs, hieroglyphs, mummies, and the pyramids. In the final chapters on the tombs and burial grounds, information about Howard Carter and other Western archeologists is included, as well as the destruction caused by mummy unwrapping parties and other popular activities at the time of the rediscovery of Egypts ancient tombs. A final chapter covers how ancient Egypt became the modern Egypt of today and briefly mentions their attempts to get their ancient monuments and archeological treasures returned from Western museums.

Back matter includes a list of museums where you can view Egyptian art and artifacts, a pronunciation guide, and an index. The art is colorful and stylized, mimicking the design of Egyptian hieroglyphs and tomb-paintings. The people pictured have a range of skin shades, from brown to black.

This is a very general overview, an introduction as the title says. It touches very briefly on the looting and theft of Egypt's archeological past and offers no commentary or discussion of Britain's colonial rule. It's a great introduction for kids who want to learn the basics of ancient Egyptian religion and the most popular aspects, like the tombs and the legend of the Mummy's Curse, and how hieroglyphs work. Teachers will want to pull in more supplemental resources and more nuanced introductions for older readers though.

Verdict: If you need more basic overviews of ancient Egypt, especially for a homeschooling audience, this is a decent choice. Make sure you have more nuanced and diverse resources as well though.

ISBN: 9780762471577; Published March 2021 by Black Dog and Leventhal; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

Branch into Chapters: Definitely Dominguita: Knight of the cape by Terry Catasus Jennings, illustrated by Fatima Anaya

 Dominguita only wants to read, especially the old stories her abuela used to read with her, like Don Quijote. Her teacher tries to make her socialize more, but since her friend Miranda moved away she would rather read. She'd certainly rather read than have anything to do with mean Ernie Bublassi.

A run-in with Ernie Bublassi sets Dominguita on a quest to become a knight, just like Don Quijote, and she sets out to explore her Cuban-American neighborhood for ways to prove her bravery and help people. Along the way she meets new friends, finds out that it isn't always easy to do good deeds, and although she makes a lot of mistakes, she ends up happy with the support and love of her family, excited about her new friends Pancho and Steph, and eager to send the stories she's lived to her abuela to read. She's also ready for new adventures, featuring pirates from Treasure Island!

Simple black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the pages, showing Dominguita's close-knit urban neighborhood and her adventures. As an adult, it's frustrating that the teachers did not interfere with Ernie's bullying and sexist comments, but Dominguita manages to come out on top with her family's support and love and her own determination and kind spirit.

I think this will appeal most to younger children with a high reading level. Dominguita is in 3rd or 4th grade, but her behavior seems younger, dressing up as a knight and acting out the stories in her favorite classic books. While there certainly are kids this age that enjoy make-believe, they are unlikely to want to read a book along these lines. The different local cultures are smoothly integrated and Dominguita is proud of her Cuban heritage, as are her neighbors and friends, although they celebrate it in different ways.

Verdict: I'm not sure if this will appeal to my audience or not, but it's something I'd like to feature in book club and see what the kids think. I do have a small number of voracious readers who prefer books with simple, humorous stories that don't touch on serious subjects, so they might like this one.

ISBN: 9781534465039; Published March 2021 by Aladdin; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Monster clothes and Monster food by Daisy Hirst

 These goofy board books will keep little ones - and their caregivers - laughing. Each one features blobby monsters, with crooked white teeth and big, staring eyes. In Monster Clothes, the purple monster on the cover gets out of a green bed and goes to a green dresser to find some clothes. Then a series of goofy monsters each try on a different piece of apparel in alliterative sentences; Harriet, a red, lizard-like creature, wears a conical purple hat. Uma, a purple monster with feathery ears, puts on undies. On her head! Terrence, a squat alligator-like figure, "tries on a tomato." The book ends with Evie, the monster from the cover, wearing "everything" including a potted plant on her head, red vest, striped scarf, fluffy purple tutu, and two different shoes.

The same silly humor prevails in Monster Food as rhyming text introduces a rainbow of monsters trying different foods from peaches and pears to chomping on chairs, noodles and stew, to eating a shoe. The book ends with some wild diets, "Some monsters eat tractors/or think TV is yummy/It's a better idea/to put FOOD in your tummy." and shows a child with thick black hair and dark brown skin eating a sandwich and drinking a glass of water.

Personally, I didn't care overmuch for the blocky, childlike illustration style and found the monsters' weird shapes and jagged teeth a little alarming. However, the contrasting colors and simple shapes will do well for very young listeners and the real draw here is the silly text of the stories. This is perfect for toddlers, who will delight in correcting the monsters as they "wear" cars, try on tomatoes, eat chairs, and sample tractors.

Verdict: While this wasn't my personal favorite, the humor will definitely resonate with toddlers and these would make fun storytime choices to go along with eating food and getting dressed themes.

Monster Food
ISBN: 9781536217742

Monster Clothes
ISBN: 9781536215281

Published July 2021 by Candlewick; Review copies provided by publisher

How to apologize by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

This silly book approaches a more serious subject with a light touch. As readers can see from the cover, it's all about what to do when you make a mistake, like gnawing down the tree that happens to be someone's home...

The book explains simply that everyone makes mistakes, and when we do, no matter who we are, we should apologize. A simple, sincere apology, with no excuses. Try to fix the mistake, but if you can't make sure you don't make that mistake again. Apologizing will make you - and the other person - feel better.

The real attraction of the story is the humorous depiction of the mistakes, starting on the cover and including little vignettes throughout the book, like a sad squirrel on the jacket flap whose balloon has been popped by a porcupine. There's a parachuting penguin who crashes through an alligator's attic and into their bathroom, a nervous cat wearing glasses who sends their kite flying into the grilling stake of a grouchy and tattooed bulldog, and a bee and fly competing for class president, complete with pun-filled campaign posters. A sloth smiles happily when they get an apology note from snail, for going "too fast" and stepping on their toes, a bear cub apologizes to their parent for cutting a flag from their shorts, and the story ends with a mouse carrying a dripping popsicle past a sign reminding readers to keep the book clean.

This is is cute and funny but, to be honest, it's not the type of book I'd pick to teach children about apologies. It will be hard for most kids to equate the scenarios with their own peccadilloes, especially since they are more funny than realistic. There is a lot of focus on the act of apologizing, and how it makes both parties feel better, which is... not true, in my opinion! There's only one brief mention of the importance of fixing the mistake you made, or making restitution, although the section on not making excuses and just apologizing is good.

Verdict: If you want a funny story with a moral, this is fine. If you're actually looking for something to teach kids about apologizing, I would go with Trudy Ludwig's Sorry! and Just Kidding! which emphasize that you can't do unkind things, or even make mistakes, and then fix them just by saying sorry.

ISBN: 9781536209440; Published May 2021 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Summertime sleepers by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen

 Stewart and Brannen team up again for another unique look at animals. They've given us a whole new perspective on feathers and seashells, and now they approach that classic fall animal behavior - hibernation. Except in this case, it's happening in summer and it's called estivation!

Simple, bold text walks readers through the estivation of different kinds of creatures, from a huddle of ladybugs to killfish hiding together in a damp log to wait for the rain, to a spotted turtle settling in for a peaceful summer nap. In addition to the bold action sentences, there are additional, brief paragraphs describing the animals and their behavior. This matches the illustrations, which constitute of clear drawings in natural colors, showing the animal estivating, and a sketch of the animal with additional details including its location and size.

Back matter includes more details about each animal, accompanying small black and white sketches of the creatures. There is a more detailed explanation of estivation vs. hibernation, some resources, notes from the author and illustrator about their creative and research process, and sources used, with those appropriate for young readers highlighted.

Melissa Stewart is a go-to for me when looking for nonfiction books to read-aloud in storytime and this latest book does not disappoint. It expands a popular and familiar topic - hibernation - and introduces a wide variety of interesting animals. It offers some interesting sidelights on research for older readers and the variety of information makes it a good choice for a range of classroom and library activities and reading situations, from storytime to independent reading.

Verdict: A must-have for any public or school library that serves elementary students; take this opportunity to make sure you have Stewart's previous titles and/or to check out her many nonfiction resources online.

ISBN: 9781580897167; Published April 2021 by Charlesbridge; Purchased for the library

This week at the library

 Programs

• Family Storytime (3 sessions) (Pattie)
• Kindergarten Here We Come field trip
• Teen outdoor challenge (Jess)
• Incredible Bats
• Author launch (Jess)

Projects and meetings

• APFV open house
• YS staff meeting

Last two weeks of summer, although I'm offering a bunch of things in August which I don't normally do. The stress of this summer and all the variables and changes now and coming up through the fall are really burning out my staff and I. We're just in survival mode right now. I stayed late several days this week to finish the first phase of my reorganization of the beginning chapter books (I'll post updates later) and last weekend started a big overhaul of my programming blog, collecting all the resources together. In Short, I Am Busy.

Secrets of Camp Whatever by Chris Grine

  I'm a little wary when it comes to Chris Grine's work, as it tends to be grotesque in odd ways that I find troubling, but I liked enough of this title to purchase it for the library.

The story begins with Willow, age 11, and her younger brother Gryphin traveling with their parents to a mysterious town. There Willow will be attending her father's childhood summer camp while her family settles into their new home. Neither Willow nor Gryphin are very enthusiastic about this idea, especially after their weird encounters at the town's diner. Willow is especially disgusted when they meet the camp leader and he turns out to be extremely ableist about her Deafness, shouting at her, calling her out in front of the other campers, and more.

She also has a run-in with an aggressive and bullying camper and some frightening encounters with mysterious creatures, and is pretty sure the whole Camp (what IS the name anyways?) is a bad idea. But Willow is nothing if not determined, and with some possible new friends she sets out to discover the secrets of Camp Whatever and the isolated island, not to mention the even creepier secrets of Mr. Tooter, the new camp leader.

Grine's talent for grotesquerie comes through, with a mix of paranormal creatures, creepy encounters, and poop humor. The children are the most nuanced characters, but the stereotype of "fat = disgusting/stupid" is present in several instances, from the nasty Mr. Tooter to the greedy and foolish camp counselor the kids fool to escape and explore the island. The book clearly hints at sequels, but Grine has a history of unfinished series, so I would be prepared for this to be the only title.

Verdict: This is certainly an additional purchase; it's an odd mix of stereotypes and horror movie cliches along with representation of a diverse group of children and intriguing glimpses of more secrets yet to come. I'm interested enough in the plot and the inclusion of a Deaf, biracial main protagonist to overlook the flaws, but consider your audience before purchasing this title.

ISBN: 9781620108628; Published March 2021 by Oni Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

Early Readers Go wild! Pandas and Sea Turtles

 To be completely honest, what I REALLY want from National Geographics is first, a whole new set of early readers and second, updated editions of all their earlier early readers, especially the lower level titles. They're my most popular early nonfiction and I recently weeded my collection only to discover that many were either unavailable or outdated. Sigh. However, I will take this new easy series in lieu of what I really want!

Go Wild! is similar to the early reader in that it features different animals, a combination of food and colorful graphic, geometric shapes, and simple facts and information about the animals. Their layout is slightly different, in that they are 8x8 squares, instead of the typical rectangle of an easy reader.

Pandas talks about where they live, their size, abilities, and diet, and how they are related to other bears. A yellow half-moon at the top of the left page tells readers what each spread is about, food, relatives, size, communication, etc. The book ends with a few ways readers can help pandas, some quizzes and a simple glossary, and suggestions for parents and teachers of activities and curriculum connections.

Sea Turtles introduces young readers to a similar set of facts, including the diet of sea turtles, their habitat, babies, and some of the threats to their wellbeing. Sounds and exclamations sprinkle the pages, with facts like "A group of eggs in a sea turtle's nest is called a clutch." There's also a timeline of a green turtle's life and a quiz to see what kind of food a turtle eats.

The books are available in hardcover and some in library binding; the hardcovers are very inexpensive with a discounted price of just over $5 while the library bound editions are about $15. The font is large, usually white on a colored background, and the text complex but not too much so. I'd say they are best suited for a 1st or 2nd grade reader, one who also enjoys the National Geographic easy readers, especially the level 2 and 3 titles.

Verdict: A good addition to any easy nonfiction collection, featuring two popular animals and with some helpful activities for teachers. The cheap hardcovers do not have sturdy bindings and I would say it's worth paying a little more to get the library bound editions, if they are available.

Pandas
ISBN: 9781426371608

Sea Turtles
ISBN: 9781426371585

Published June 2021 by National Geographic Kids; Review copies provided by publisher

Read, Read, Read, said the baby: Good night Spencer and Spencer loves you by Michelle Romo

 These little shaped board books are sweet, but I'm not sure they'll have staying power. Spencer is a little brown cat and the books are shaped roughly like a cat's head, with gently curved ears and rounded cheeks.

In Good night Spencer, we are introduced to Spencer's family, which includes "Mommy, Daddy, Sister, Brother" and a pet goldfish. All but the last spreads of the book show Spencer on the left, dressed in a striped shirt, navy blue pants, and socks while on the right we see thumbnails of his family, pictures of his favorite toys, including vehicles, blocks, and a teddy bear, and the things he chooses from for bedtime. He picks pajamas, takes a bath, washes his feet, arms, tail, and face, listens to a story (shown as generic books "Trains," "Space" etc.) and in the penultimate spread his parents kiss him goodnight while the last spread reverts to the typical layout with thumbnails of his family saying goodnight.

Spencer loves you keeps Spencer profiled on the left, but instead of small thumbnails or objects, shows different members of his family on the right. The book opens with a picture Spencer painted of his family, then introduces each member. Mommy is shown reading in a chair, Daddy bakes treats with Spencer, and dances with his sister Penny. He plays with his toys (vehicles, blocks, and a teddy bear) with his brother Davey, goes outside with his grandparents, and feeds his fish Bloop Bloop. The last spread shows his family in heart-shaped thumbnails telling Spencer they love him.

The art reminds me of cartoons like Hello Kitty and the other Sanrio characters, with simple cartoon faces and rounded edges. A number of simple words and concepts are included, but if you have kids young enough to be learning about bedtime rituals and pajamas, I doubt that they're going to relate very much to a cat. Spencer's family is kind and loving and he does introduce a number of simple concepts, with colorful illustrations that will appeal to children and adults, but these ultimately did not stand out to me.

Verdict: If you want a wide variety of additional titles for your board book collection, these are perfectly fine, but there's nothing particularly noteworthy about them.

Good night Spencer
ISBN: 9781523510061

Spencer Loves You
ISBN: 9781523510078

Published July 2021 by Workman; Review copies provided by publisher; Spencer Loves You purchased for the library

Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima

 We're in the midst of a hot, dry summer, but it's never too soon to start thinking about the cool days of fall and those who celebrate Halloween are always looking for new spooky books. This gently spooky story by Jessie Sima is the perfect Halloween choice for storytime, with delightful repetitions of sounds that are just scary enough.

On the title page, purple-hued House watches sadly as a moving truck drives away. She wants people to live in her, but since she's empty something must be wrong with her. Perhaps she is... haunted?? As House tries to silence her creaking floors and hold together her flapping shutters, she is explored by a small black cat, who shreds her curtains and investigates the empty rooms. Finally, House tries one more time, puffing up her "cheeks" as she holds her breath and tries to keep everything as still as possible... but then a gust of wind starts a cycle of creepy sounds and House realizes just how fun being haunted can be - especially when the black cat returns with a family that's just right for a haunted house!

This reminded me a little of a spooky version of Virginia Burton's classic, The Little House, especially with House's smiling windows and pleased face at the end of the story. However, like Kazuno Kohara's The midnight library, Jessie Sima has taken a traditional story, a house that wants a family, and turned it on its head. There's no fixing up this house, she's haunted and she's proud of her spooky sounds, rattly pipes and all. Soft blues and purples swirl across the pages with shafts of yellow light shining through the house and trees and reflected in the little black cat's big eyes.

Small children will enjoy creaking, squeaking, rattling and whooshing along with the house as reader journey through the story and find out that it can be fun to be just a little spooky. The ghost family that arrives at the end is never named as such, although they are surrounded by a white haze with little floating bubbles and the children are shown zipping down through a floor as they play a game of tag at the end. There are also a few Jack o'lanterns pictured.

Verdict: A gently spooky story, perfect for storytimes with children who want a story that's just a little creepy with a comforting ending. Be aware of your audience's feelings on ghosts, Halloween, etc. before presenting this, but for the majority of listeners it should quickly become a favorite.

ISBN: 9781534441705; Published July 2021 by Simon & Schuster; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

101 Life Hacks: Genius ways to simplify your world by Aubre Andrus

 I've been frustrated by some of the recycling books put out recently by National Geographic in particular for a number of reasons which I won't repeat here. However, they are still one of the most popular creators of browsing nonfiction and I was willing to give them another try in their latest collection of activities. I was pleased that this one turned out to be really well done, with a wide variety of suggestions that can be adopted by kids with a range of resources.

The book is in the small format of other series like Weird but True, Just Joking, and other quick reads. It opens with an encouragement to kids to recycle, reuse, repurpose, and upcycle and how this will help cut down on single-use plastics. Then the book jumps right into the first suggestion - better ways to eat popsicles and cupcakes! There's no table of contents but there is a "hack roundup" at the end which lists all of the hacks and an index. Ideas include more familiar suggestions like repurposing recycled materials and clothes to make decorations, office supplies, and bags, ways to keep things organized to more conceptual things like tricks to calm down when you're stressed or go to sleep. There are ideas for cutting down on water waste, composting, and using less plastic, and math tricks to use in school. Interspersed throughout the book are profiles of inventors and other creative thinkers along with suggestions for how to think outside the box in creating your own life hacks or inventions.

The variety is the key to the excellence of this browsing book; kids who have nothing to recycle or tools to recycle it with can still follow the ideas to meditate or memorize vocabulary words. Kids who like to make things will find a variety of things to try, not all of which require extensive supplies, and caregivers with stores of unfinished projects may find themselves relaxing a little by handing kids this book and telling them to use their creativity!

Verdict: Plenty of fun and thoughtful suggestions, this is the perfect book to pop into your makerspace or leave out for a bored kid to peruse.

ISBN: 9781426339080; Published April 2021 by National Geographic; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

This week at the library

 

Grapevine beetle says Hi!

Programs

• D&D (Jess)
• Family Storytime (2 sessions) (Pattie)
• Family Storytime (Walworth County Food Pantry)
• Kite days (me)
• We Explore Art (me)

Projects

• I took another day off intending to continue moving things around and deep-cleaning my apartment. I slept all day. This summer is emotionally exhausting.

The girl's guide to building a fort: Outdoor + Indoor adventures for hands-on girls by Jenny Fieri, illustrated by Alexis Seabrook

 I'm always interested in hands-on, activity books although their reception by kids is varied. There are a lot of reasons for this varied response; even books that purport to be fully "recycled" crafts or activities that "anyone" can do require a certain amount of adult assistance and background knowledge, from being fluent readers to the encouragement of caregivers to experiment and try different things. Lack of space, especially outdoor space, or the lack of early training to encourage kids to take initiative and try things, rather than waiting to be told what to do, constricts many children. Although it's true that a lot of kids choose electronics, not all do so out of actual preference but because they haven't been trained or encouraged to do anything else. Before you complain about "kids these days" being "on their devices all the time" stop and think about how often you are on your phone...

Ahem. Anyways, another issue is that most activity books, especially involving outdoor, building, or potentially "risky" activities are directed towards boys, either openly or implicitly while more "craft" type books tend to be directed towards girls.

This book, although it does have some flaws, creates a female-friendly space for girls to try a wide range of activities, from camping to cooking, without judgment or commentary on their preferences. Each chapter includes a wide range of activities from general suggestions to step-by-step projects, as well as information and some reflections on different ways to experience and try the subject. Readers can explore science, the outdoors, sports, art and literature, building, and cooking. Badges and further reading for more activities are included in the back.

The main criticisms leveled at the book are that some of the activities are not clearly explained or diagrammed and some disregard some basic safety components, like building a campfire. I have mixed feelings as to whether those are problems or not; on the one hand, girls with no prior experience and no guiding adult may find themselves frustrated or in trouble. On the other hand, one of the real barriers to kids getting active and experimenting is how heavily scheduled and surrounded by rules and instructions they are. It's a constant frustration to me that when I try to do art projects or hands-on activities with the kids I frequently get a recurrent chorus of "but what are we supposed to DO?" followed by "it's not working right!" The way to learn is to do, to explore is to experience, and a little risk along the way is, to my mind, a good thing.

Verdict: If you have a lot of bored kids around or, conversely, a lot of active kids who like to try different things, this book just might click with some of them. However, if your audience have their lives tidily organized from dawn to dusk by adults or at the other end of the spectrum completely lacks any resources or adult presence, this may be better used as a professional resource to help build experiential programs.

ISBN: 9781524861179; Published May 2021 by Andrews McMeel; Review copy provided by the publisher and donated to the library

Early Readers: Geraldine Pu and her lunch box, too! by Maggie P. Chang

 This is the most complex of Ready-to-Read's new graphic novel line. It features a new character, Geraldine Pu.

The story begins with a simple introduction to reading comics and a more complex introduction for adults to read aloud, explaining the Chinese and Taiwanese words used by Geraldine and her family. I liked the presentation of this, that explained simple that "some" of Geraldine's family used to live in Taiwan.

Geraldine's favorite part of school is lunch - especially the yummy lunches her Amah packs in Biandang, her lunch box. But when new boy Nico shows up, he loudly calls Geraldine's tasty yellow curry "gross." The other kids quickly follow his lead, and Geraldine - and her lunch - are being called names and made fun of. Geraldine tries to get her grandmother to pack her sandwiches, but the tasty bao she gets results in more teasing. Geraldine is angry and hurt, and stays awake all night worrying about what will happen the next day, when she takes leftovers to school, including her favorite stinky tofu. She's bracing herself for Nico's mean remarks, but then he turns on another kid, Deven, who has brought something different too.

Geraldine gathers all her courage, joins Deven, and asks to try his "yucky" food, which turns out to be a Caribbean fruit called "stinky toe." The other children look on in surprise, but the teasing stops as Deven and Geraldine enjoy their "STINKIN' good" food together.

Additional notes for adults to read at the end talks about different names; showing that "Pu" is a real last name for many people and a little more information on some of the foods eaten in the book. Biandang, Geraldine's lunch box, encourages readers to try new things and, even if they don't like them, "Just be careful not to say 'Yuck!' to someone else's 'Yum!' and keep an open mind." There's also a recipe for steamed pork baos.

Chang's art is open and friendly, focusing on an array of faces in school and Geraldine's changing emotions, with light pastel colors and against the warm background of her family. The visual art is a little more complicated than the lower level Ready-to-Read Graphics, combining narrative and dialogue, and readers will need to follow more subtle emotions and denser text. However, the text itself is still fairly simple to allow readers to understand the more complex art structure.

Verdict: This is an excellent choice for readers getting ready to transition to chapter books and those who enjoy realistic stories. It's also a welcome diverse addition to an animal and cartoon-heavy format. Hand this to readers not yet ready for the myriad of school chapter books and read together in your classrooms to spark discussion and reflection on accepting and celebrating our cultures, likes, and dislikes.

ISBN: 9781534484696; Published June 2021 by Simon Spotlight; Review copy provided by publisher

Early Readers: Clark the Shark and the school sing by Bruce Hale, illustrated by Guy Francis

Although there have been comics for early readers available for some years, this year has seen a positive explosion of this format and several of the publishers who traditionally dominate the early reader market have expanded into this area, including I Can Read!, which has debuted several series in their I Can Read! Comics line.

Some of these titles are original, or new series from I Can Read! authors but some are also familiar characters. Clark the Shark has been an I Can Read! character for some years and models social-emotional learning and school behaviors for young children. In his debut comic, Clark is excited by the teacher's announcement that they'll be having a school singing show and he even handles it well when the teacher says they'll be singing a different song than his choice, "If you're happy and you know it."

However, Clark just can't get the trick of dancing and singing at the same time, despite the friendly help of his classmates and teacher. On the night of the big show, will Clark finally manage it or will the show be spoiled?

I never cared for the Clark the Shark early readers to start with, so I wasn't predisposed to be really enthusiastic about the comic. This is a level 1, which is leveled at I for those who use Fountas and Pinnell. There is an introduction to cartooning basics at the beginning and the simple dialogue throughout is in a clear, bold font. However, the comic guide is much too complex for the book's targeted readers - it appears to be directed at caregivers. The art is very detailed and the backgrounds full of moving fish and undersea scenes, which will be frustrating for kids who are learning to read, both textually and visually.

The story itself flows oddly - there is an abrupt resolution where Clark suddenly saves the day, leading all the fish in singing and dancing. Except it's not the dance they practiced and Clark says the secret is to "stop thinking so hard and start having fun" an unhelpful suggestion for children who are not coordinated or struggle with spatial awareness.

Verdict: If you have the previous Clark the Shark books and an audience for them, kids will probably welcome this new format. However, if you are trying to expand your early reader collection with easy to read comics, I wouldn't choose this series.

ISBN: 9780062912572; Published June 2021 by Harper Alley; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Chirp! Chipmunk sings for a friend by Jamie A. Swenson, illustrated by Scott Magoon

 This slim little picture book is just like its subject - lots of cute and heart in a small package!

Chipmunk, a neat little brown creature with heavily brushtroked fur and big eyes, loves to chirp. She has a favorite rock and from there she chirps away, her songs shown in showers of light, vibrant sprays of pinks and reds, or melancholy swirls of purple and black. Despite her appreciate of the quiet listening of her friend, the rock, she wishes for a friend who can sing with her and sets off to find one.

As she scampers across the forest floor, Chipmunk comes across new friends; first a pinecone, then a log. But although each is a good friend and a good listener, she still longs for a friend who can join in her songs. Luckily, there are a few creatures watching her make new friends and they come to her rescue when she attempts to move Log back to meet Rock and Pinecone. Her new furry friends not only appreciate listening to her songs, they also sing along and the air is full of Chipmunk's chirping music. The story ends with Chipmunk, surrounded by her friends, both animate and inanimate, sending a brilliant pink ribbon of song into the dark blue sky.

Ok, first I just have to point out that, in case you didn't realize it, this is definitely fiction. Chipmunks are cute and adorable, but they are also destructive and aggressive little rodents, which usually live alone, defending their small territories, and while they do chirp (among other sounds) a lot, the sounds are generally made to warn away other creatures, not call for friends. The resident chipmunks that collect in my yard like to sit on the step or shepherd's hooks and "pop" a kind of chirping sound that warns of hawks or other airborne danger. There are no hawks or other airborne danger. They've just figured out that it scares away the other chipmunks. Also they aggressively take on squirrels, rabbits, robins, and pretty much anything that gets in their way. We have a love-hate relationship.

Ahem. Personal and factual notes aside, this is an adorable book with a charming - female! - main character. Magoon's colorful illustrations are delightful and kids will enjoy the humor of Chipmunk making friends with rocks and pinecones as well as hopefully see the message that it's ok to have friends who are different - and good at different things.

Verdict: This is a little lengthy for a storytime read-aloud, especially if you are working with toddlers, but it will appeal to more thoughtful preschoolers and everybody can enjoy an adorable chipmunk and make some fun chirping sounds!

ISBN: 9781534470026; Published July 2021 by Simon & Schuster; Galley provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Top Secret: Spies, codes, capers, gadgets, and classified cases revealed by Crispin Boyer and Suzanne Zimbler

 National Geographic has a long history of browsing nonfiction for kids that feature weird, gross, and unusual facts. I was curious how they would handle a book about "secrets" with the current proliferation of conspiracy theories but, unfortunately, I found the collection disorganized and I didn't care for the way some conspiracies were presented.

The introduction talks vaguely about inducting the reader into secret conspiracies, codes, and spies, followed by an overview of codes which are included throughout the book to solve. The book is divided into chapters, each of which tackles a different collection of "secrets." It follows National Geographic's traditional format, with lots of facts in pop-out squares, bright colors, diagrams, and profiles of famous people. Each chapter ends with a project or activity for kids to try. The first chapter covers secret agencies and gives a good overview of the trend of the book, since despite a brief mention of intelligence agencies in a handful of other countries, it focuses almost exclusively on the US with a few mentions of Cold War spies from Russia and some British operatives during WWII. The second chapter covers historical mysteries and does spread a little wider, talking briefly about a few other civilizations, but also a few debunked conspiracy theories and Egyptian hieroglyphs and theories of "lizard people" are included in the same chapter.

Mysterious people range from famous spies like Virginia Hall to a collection of again, mostly American and British spies, imposters, and ending with an organization of people who pretend to be superheroes and help suggestions on creating your own disguise. Secret plans include a mysterious prison break from Alcatraz, various battles, hoaxes, and the hidden terracotta armies found in China. Secret gadgets include a handful of newer tech devices, drones, as well as more historical artifacts like radar. Secret places has an extensive section on Area 51, as well as natural wonders like the cave system discovered in Vietnam. A collection of codes follows and the final chapter which seems to be a random collection of everything else, from what cats do at night to superstitions of sports stars and secret recipes.

This is a fairly hefty book and the hardcover has a flimsy binding, but it's likely that it will stick together as long as it takes for the first flood of browser nonfiction fans to skim through it and move on. Originally scheduled for publication in 2020, it was postponed and published in April of 2021 and it looks as though National Geographic has resolved their processing issues as a large number of titles are shown as in stock.

Verdict: If you are looking for something to tackle the current plague of conspiracy theories and teach information literacy, you're better off turning to the Two Truths and a Lie series by Thompson and Paquette or some of the excellent books on biases and advertising produced recently by Kids Can Press. There are also a plethora of more thorough books on coding for kids who enjoy those activities. However, if you want more browsing nonfiction for reluctant readers or bored kids to page through, this is likely to satisfy them for quite a while.

ISBN: 9781426339127; Published April 2021 by National Geographic; Originally ordered and then cancelled in 2020; Review copy provided by publisher

This week at the library

Programs

• Family Storytime (3 sessions) (Pattie)
• Grow a Story (Terri)

Projects

• We were closed Monday and I had a lot of administrative things this week - monthly report, bills, etc. Then at the last minute I took Friday off in order to start deep cleaning of my apartment. So the week flew by!

Sandra Boynton puzzles

 I generally don't review toys, but we started a popular circulating puzzle collection in the winter of 2021 and several people asked me about adding puzzles for kids. Then when I was offered Sandra Boynton puzzles... how could I say no?

I started with Hippo Birdie Two-Ewe, the smallest puzzle at 300 pcs. It turned out to be surprisingly challenging. The background is the familiar logo, but it's really only useful for positioning pieces right side up. After putting together the border and the music strip at the bottom, I tackled the words and then the animals. There are a lot of random gray and white curves and squiggles which were quite challenging. Once I managed these, there were identical twists of ribbon and then random confetti. Conclusion: This is actually more challenging than I would normally give to a child, especially one who is not patient or has trouble distinguishing details, but adults wanting something simpler than 500 or 1000 will enjoy it, especially once they figure out how to match up the confetti squares and use the background words to turn pieces right side up.

The next size up, 500 pieces, features complaining chickens! This was certainly the funniest - and was actually easier than the smaller puzzle. The border was very simple to piece together, then the words. I think a non-reader might actually find this easier, since some of the very curving fonts were hard to identify as individual letters and words and it was easier to go on color shading and spacing. I did the chickens last and that was mostly a matter of trying them against the few spaces left, since they were mostly random white pieces with a few small lines. However, there was a very good mix of difference piece shapes left by the time you get down to the chickens. I think a child or a family will really enjoy doing this one together and it's challenging but not too much for younger kids.

Finally, the hidden cows! This was a 1,000 piece puzzle and I initially thought it would be easier, because of all the details, but no, it was very tricky. The main difficulty with this one was that, unlike the other two puzzles, the pieces were cut so that they fit in multiple spots - I had to go back and change the pieces multiple times because I couldn't figure out where things went until I had more pieces put in and they didn't fit correctly. There were a lot of different patterns and colors to fill in, but the cows and piano at the end were mostly just trying piece after piece, since it was almost impossible to match up the random black splotches and lines.

If you are looking for puzzles for young children and families to put together, Puzzle Complaints is the best choice. If you have Sandra Boynton fans to please, all three are a fun addition, especially if you have a circulating puzzle collection.

Puzzles provided by Workman Publishing for review; Donated to the library's circulating puzzle collection.

Hippo Birdie Two Ewe

Puzzle Complaints

Hidden Cows

Mightier than the sword: Rebels, reformers, and revolutionaries who changed the world through writing by Rochelle Melander, illustrated by Melina Ontiveros

  This collection of biographies has an unusual theme; Famous people who changed the world through their writing. It starts in early history with people like Murasaki Shikibu, who created the first novel, and Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta who wrote chronicles of his travels. Although it includes a wide range of people, it does tend to focus on Westerners and Americans, with a large number of portraits of writers during and after the Civil War, from Sojourner Truth to Booker T. Washington. Some of those included will surprise readers, who may be more familiar with them not as authors but in other capacities such as Florence Nightingale. It leads up to the present day with activists Sophie Cruz, Malala Yousafzai, and Sonita Alizadeh.

Within each profile are additional, briefer profiles of people with similar stories and interests, not always from the same time period. There are pieces placed between the collections of biographies focusing on the Declaration of Independence, screenplays, the printing press, and the history of comics. Each profile ends with suggestions for readers on their own writing projects, activism, and inspiration and the book as a whole ends with tips and advice on becoming a writer, whether as a journalist, novelist, graphic artist, or activist.

Each profile is illustrated with artist's depictions of the people included, as well as smaller pictures of their subjects, homeland, or backgrounds. I reviewed this from a pdf, so I did not see a final version of the layout - the table of contents was not complete and there were errors in the galley which I assume will be fixed in the print version (a few minor typos, some disorganization, etc.).

I did feel a little uneasy about some of the writing suggestions; some of them felt trivial or too light-hearted after the serious subject-matter. For example, it feels odd to read a story about the Scholl siblings being executed for writing critiques of the government and then suggesting kids write critiques of their government or school. I don't know how you would do it differently, it just felt... odd. The profiles are necessarily brief, and sometimes there's a lot of context that goes unsaid.

Verdict: I would recommend this as a supplementary book to go along with social studies or writing. There are lots of great ideas and many interesting people to encourage kids into further research and to try different types of writing. I do think this is one that will benefit from some gatekeeping - I wouldn't say every classroom should do all the activities, but consider whether surrounding them with additional discussions or bringing in a speaker with personal experience in those cultures or history will be more relevant or appropriate for your students.

ISBN: 9781506466408; Published July 2021 by Beaming Books; Egalley provided by author; Purchased for the library

Early Readers: Nugget and Dog, All ketchup, no mustard! by Jason Tharp

 I discovered Jason Tharp's early readers when I was looking for more funny, comic-style readers for my fans of Jonathan Fenske and it absolutely makes sense that Read-to-Read Graphics would tag him for their debut easy reader graphics, since his style is fitted so well to it.

With the main characters being a hot dog and chicken nugget, I was immediately reminded of Charise Mericle Harper's Bean Dog and Nugget which were big with my young readers, not to mention all the recent sentient food stories. I have to admit I don't really understand the appeal of these, but kids think they're hilarious!

Tharp's Nugget and Dog are definitely his own unique creation though. The two friends are digging around in Great-Grandpa Frank Furter's attic when they discover his past history as a K.E.T.C.H.U.P. Crusader. Kind, Empathetic, Thoughtful, Courageous, Helpful, Unique, and Powerful. Nugget and Dog will need all those qualities if they're going to be super heroes and spread ketchup all over town - especially when the evil Dijon Mustard brings a monster to life and sets it loose on Gastropolis!

This series is a level 2 reader, with more complex sentences and graphics. Nugget and Dog introduce readers to speech bubbles, panels, and the basics of reading a comic. There's also a page introducing all the characters from Aunt Corny to Dijon Mustard. The book is divided into short chapters of 3-5 pages each. This book introduces different points of view, as one chapter features Nugget and Dog and the next will feature Dijon Mustard's evil schemes.

Tharp has a brisk, comic style with primary colors, bold lines, and more details and visual hints for readers to follow along with the text. The story is also more strongly moralistic, with its emphasis on kindness and empathy and the characters' demonstrating each virtue as they help citizens and eventually make friends with Dijon Mustard's "monster" who turns out to be misunderstood.

This is most appropriate for intermediate early readers, those who have successfully tackled Fly Guy and Acorn books, and will appeal to both kids and adults, especially teachers looking for social-emotional learning supports.

Verdict: Although the messages are a little overpowering, the humor and cartoon art will coax kids into reading and adults reluctant to allow graphic novels will be wooed by the character coaching included. This is a great combination of different elements and will make a strong and popular addition to any library's early reader collection.

ISBN: 9781534484634; Published June 2021 by Simon Spotlight; Pre-ordered for the library; Review copy provided by publisher

Early Readers: Thunder and Cluck: Friends do not eat friends by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Miles Thompson

 Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie and the TOON imprint kicked off a shift towards early reader chapter books years ago, but only now are the traditional easy reader publishers jumping into the pool. Both Ready-to-Read and I Can Read are debuting new graphic novel easy readers this summer and for the next few weeks I'll be looking at a variety of their offerings.

Today, I'm starting with a level 1 series, Thunder and Cluck. Thunder is a big, grouchy, orange and purple monster. Cluck is small, green, and fast. Thunder is looking for food. Cluck is looking for friends. Will this odd couple match up in the end? Or will Thunder find herself some lunch before Cluck can make a fast getaway?

The plot is the classic odd couple, but Cluck's relaxed, cheery demeanor and Thunder's reluctant grouchiness add humor to what might otherwise be a tired plot device. A few friendship suggestions are included, but the main intent of this story is to introduce young readers to the graphic novel format. Towards that end Thunder and Cluck walk readers through how to read comics at the beginning, explaining speech bubbles and the flow of the panels.

Miles Thompson's art is funny and vibrant, with lots of bright colors and exaggerated expressions, contrasting the hulking Thunder and zippy Cluck, who just won't take RAWR for an answer. Jill Esbaum is an experienced author of a wide variety of children's materials and does a good job of providing dialogue that is simple and easily followed by emergent readers.

Ready-to-Read uses their own leveling system, which, to be honest, I find frustrating since parents and caregivers ask me for leveling systems they are familiar with, mainly Fountas and Pinnell in my area. However, it's fairly easy to compare these to other titles at this level and I'd put this into our red-stickered early readers, which cover levels D-H.

Verdict: If you're sorting through the new plethora of early reader graphic novels, Thunder and Cluck is definitely a winner with easily followed text and graphics for emergent readers and a funny storyline that will delight young readers. At least two more titles are planned in the series and they are available in paperback, prebound, and hardcover.

ISBN: 9781534486522; Published June 2021 by Simon Spotlight; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library; Additional copy purchased for the library

Amy Wu and the patchwork dragon by Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chua

 Amy Wu, the sweet heroine of Amy Wu and the perfect bao, is back in another adventure, this time with dragons! After storytime at school, featuring typical Western dragons, the children are instructed to make dragons for craft time. Each comes up with their own version of a dragon, including Amy, but her Eastern-style dragon confuses two of her classmates, whose comments make her rethink her craft project.

When she tries to make her dragon just right for her, it doesn't work at all and she ends up having nothing to display on the craft table. Willa and Sam, the two kids who were confused by her dragon, join her after school at her grandmother's house, and she tells them amazing stories of Eastern dragons who fly without wings, have great wisdom, and bring the rain. They find an old dragon costume in the attic and try it on and her friends ask her to bring it to school. The dragon is missing part of its tail and it still doesn't feel... quite right to Amy.

With her parents' support, Amy creates a dragon that is just right for her, with wings, scarves, the Eastern dragon head, and lots and lots of glitter! Her classmates love the dragon and Amy is happy that she has found something that feels just right and is fun too.

Back matter includes a dragon craft with designs to trace and create and an Eastern and Western style dragon with general information about their characteristics.

The art is bright and colorful, showing Amy in a diverse class with a handful of other children, and a range of creative projects and dragons that fit each person's personality, from Willa's plump pink dragon with a string of daisies for a tale to Sam's dragon with postage stamp wings. I will admit that I'm always a bit frustrated by small classes portrayed in picture books - while there are some prek classes in my small town that would have this number of children, they're private schools, small daycares, or our virtual charter school. The kindergartens in the schools range from 18 to 25 kids. I was initially skeptical that the kids wouldn't recognize an Eastern dragon, especially with the popularity of Studio Ghibli films and units on Chinese New Year, but then again I've had preschool kids that couldn't recognize or name basic local animals like river otters (and let's not even get into the 5th grader who suggested the closest relative of a toucan was an aye-aye...) so really one never knows what kids will, or will not, know.

Verdict: A cheerful and exuberant story celebrating the blending of cultures and a warm portrayal of supportive family relationships. Although I didn't love this one quite as much as the first story, it's still delightful and would make a wonderful storytime choice and craft inspiration.

ISBN: 9781534463639; Published December 2020 by Simon & Schuster; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Out of the blue: How animals evolved from prehistoric seas by Elizabeth Shreeve, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon

There aren't many books for younger children about evolution, and this is an excellent example, clear, concise, and with bright, attractive illustrations.

The story begins even before the title page with a thumbnail of a hippo, dolphin, and shark and a question: "Which two of these animals are the closest relatives?"

The story begins with the beginning of life in the empty ocean with single-celled microbes. From there readers move through the evolution of microbes into sponges and creatures like jellyfish, the development of plant life, and on to the Cambrian period with arthropods, chordates, annelids, and more. 

Speculation on the first creature to go ashore follows with suggestions that it may have been a millipede, an early arthropod. While life begins to evolve on the land, it continues to develop in the ocean. Crustaceans, then insects appear, then mollusks and finally fishes, animals with spines.

Preston-Gannon's art really shines here, showing an ocean teeming with life and unique, colorful fish. Tetrapods are the next to develop, the early ancestors of mammals, followed by the Permian extinction. After this period, life begins anew with an emphasis on creatures on the land and the development of mammals. However, life still exists in the ocean and the question at the beginning is answered - hippos and dolphins are most closely related!

Back matter includes sources and acknowledgements. This is a little lengthy for a read-aloud, but the bright pictures will hold the attention of even the youngest listeners and the text clearly explains the process of evolution.

Verdict: This is a strong introduction to evolution and the role oceans played, suitable for browsing and discussion with preschools and read-alouds or one-on-one discussion with elementary students. The attractive art makes this a must-have for your early STEM sections.

ISBN: 9781536214109; Published May 2021 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library

This week at the library

coming soon - puzzle reviews!

 Programs

• Block party (drop-in)
• Outdoor games
• Bookaneers
• Summer reading - switch to July

Projects

• Juvenile beginning chapters project
• Fall planning

We have no storytime this week and I and my staff had a day or two off.

The wild world handbook: How adventurers, artists, scientists - and you - can protect earth's habitats by Andrea Debbink, illustrated by Asia Orlando

I have been increasingly frustrated with the many issues with the publishing industry that are shown most clearly in books focusing on the environment and the "advice" they include to young readers. However, this book was a welcome relief with a truly diverse presentation. Although I don't agree with all the suggestions, I do feel that it's a much better selection of ideas to offer and the range of information included makes it much more accessible to all kids, not just a small number of privileged children.

The book is divided up into nine habitats; mountains, forests, deserts, polar lands, ocean, freshwater, cities, rainforests, and grasslands. Each chapter includes several brief biographies of people connected with the habitat, an overview of a "natural wonder," a suggestion for a field trip, a hands-on project, an "environmental success story," and a section on stewardship with includes suggestions from individuals to local to global efforts.

The final book will be in color, although the galley I reviewed was in black and white. I looked at an online preview and the colors match the art on the cover, a mix of blues, greens, sandy yellows and oranges. The layout is a strength here; it's very well-organized and the information is broken up into helpful sections that kids can browse or study more in-depth.

The biographies are fairly diverse and include people like Ada Blackjack, an indigenous woman who, although she had lost much of her peoples' culture in residential school, survived a season in the Arctic, to the wealthy and well-connected Minerva Hamilton Hoyt, who worked to preserve the deserts of California. There are contemporary figures, like Cristina Mittermeir, an activist wildlife photographer, and unexpected people like Jules Verne, whose scientific imagination spurred investigation of remote places like the depths of the ocean.

Hands-on projects and field trips include making your own hiking stick, mapping your local neighborhood, creating ocean-inspired art, and viewing the stars. The stewardship sections focused on the reader include ideas like picking up trash on the trails and paths around your home, conserving water and recycling paper, and learning about palm oil and native plants. Local suggestions, focused on the reader's community, include working with local governments and organizations on recycling campaigns, clean-up campaigns, and contacting representatives about conserving public lands. Global ideas are more general and talk about organizations that prevent deforestation, becoming involved in global groups like the UNMGCY (United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth) and supporting clean drinking water for all.

Verdict: This is an excellent book that meets readers where they are, whether they have the resources to be heavily involved in global conservation, just want to learn more about habitats and the people working to protect them, or are interested in making some small changes. An excellent choice for most public libraries. Another volume in the series, focused on "creatures" will be coming in November 2021.

ISBN: 9781683692683; Published May 2021 by Quirk Books; Galley provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Branching into Chapters: Sydney and Taylor Explore the whole wide world by Jacqueline Davies, illustrated by Deborah Hocking

 It seems funny now to remember when Scholastic Branches debuted and how excited we all were to see beginning chapters with colorful illustrations and simple text. Now, it's just "another illustrated chapter book" although there certainly is some variation in how successful authors are at the genre.

Jacqueline Davies is best-known for her Lemonade War series, but she's branched out into a sweet beginning chapter series reminiscent of animal friendship series like Frog and Toad. Taylor is a hedgehog, Sydney a skunk. They live in a burrow under Miss Nancy's potting shed and one day they decide to go on an adventure. Both get nervous and scared at times, but they encourage each other to continue and have a satisfying trip with a happy conclusion.

The illustrations are adorable, with tiny details in their burrow, maps on the end pages, and a gently rolling countryside spread out for the two to explore. I appreciated that Davies didn't get stuck too much in the "odd couple" tradition, with one extrovert and one introvert. Taylor initially has the Big Idea to go exploring, but when Sydney, a "very contented skunk" takes him up on it, he immediately has second thoughts and the two work together to stay safe and encourage each other. However, this does make it a little difficult to differentiate between the two characters, since they are more nuanced. I was disappointed that, especially with two gender-neutral names, Davies defaulted to male pronouns.

Verdict: A sweet new beginning chapter series, this will please readers who like traditional, gentle stories and have read all of Frog and Toad and similar titles.

ISBN: 9780358106319; Published February 2021 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library