Jasper John Dooley Star of the Week

Booklist (March 1, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 13))


Grades 2-4. Irrepressible Jasper embraces his role as classroom Star of the Week. True, show-and-tell does not go as planned. His classmates are surprisingly unimpressed by his lint collection, but he has high hopes for Family Tree day. His best friend, Ori, has a baby sister (named “Wa-wa-wa-wa” for her incessant crying), and Jasper wants one, too. Stymied by his parents’ refusal to check the hospital for extra babies, Jasper fleshes out his family tree by building a brother out of wood. Like show-and-tell, having a wooden brother does not unfold as Jasper expects. Characters are likable and quirky, and their exuberance is captured in intermittent pencil illustrations. This well-written, funny, and engaging story is a promising start to a new chapter-book series, and early readers will anticipate Jasper and Ori’s further adventures. Share with kids looking for a boy version of Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine series or with fans of Lenore Look’s Alvin Ho books.

Zip It!

Booklist (March 1, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 13))


Grades K-2. At last, a picture book about that funniest of faux pas—walking around with your zipper undone. Young Joe notices that his dad’s flag is flying first thing in the morning, but as they head out on errands, Dad keeps interrupting his son just as Joe tries to tell him about the heart-patterned underwear showing from his trousers. Everywhere they go, more and more people see this horrifying display, including Joe’s teacher. Lindaman crams the dialogue with references to this revealing situation: “Let’s zip out of here.” “A pop fly to left field.” “Joe can keep it zipped.” “Button up, Joe.” “Make it snappy!” Carlson matches the author blow-by-blow with her colored-pencil illustrations: cartoon panels bordered by zippers, a license plate labeled “XYZPDQ,” such props as flyswatters, etc. The inclusion of a little fly buzzing about seems one element too many, and the ending, featuring a grocery-store intercom, isn’t as natural as it might be. Nevertheless, laughing readers will probably be gasping for air. This book knows its audience.

Robot Zombie Frankenstein!

Kirkus Review (February 1, 2012)


Competitive pals get into a war of escalating ridiculousness in this amusing if visually stunted tale. Two robots introduce themselves to readers, then one zips away and back to reintroduce itself as "Robot ZOMBIE!" Not to be outdone, its companion dons a costume of its own, now appearing as "Robot Zombie Frankenstein!" And up the ante goes. With each change, the robots pile on more and more visual elements (a Frankenstein scar, Groucho glasses, etc.). When the robots both appear as "Robot zombie Frankenstein pirate superhero-in-disguise outer space invader chef," one robot produces a tasty cherry pie and the two dig in, rivalry forgotten and buddies once more. The endpapers display the full roster of shapes that make up each costume. While the effect is novel and the chaos sure to prove hilarious to young readers, there is something oddly static about the digital art itself. In its attempt to simplify the visuals down to their most essential shapes, the story is drained of the vitality and charisma normally associated with Simon's work. Thanks to the use of shapes, this book may work best with craft programs more than anything else. Yet in an era in which electronics are always one-upping one another in the global market, it's nice to see a picture-book equivalent that ends with the consumption of delicious desserts. Apple and PC, take note. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kite Day

Kirkus Review (February 15, 2012)


In this breezy kite affair, the adorable duo of Bear and Mole is back again, reveling in nature. Blue sky and a gusty day make for one ebullient Bear. Huffing home he gathers Mole to commence the kite-making. Together they collect, cut, construct--and find success with their kite until dark clouds appear. A broken string and a spool unspun leave the two racing through rain after a rainbow tail. But urgency turns to quiet joy when their loss (a broken kite) becomes a bird family's gain, as it shelters fledglings from the storm. Simple sentences, often three words or fewer, describe the action, while Hillenbrand's illustrations wonderfully animate the text. The artwork, digitally manipulated pencil with water-based coloring, has a lovely softness; the characters, with their plumpness and simplicity, are extremely appealing. Sophisticated compositions are cinematic or sequentially kinetic, cleverly matching the author's playful use of onomatopoeia. Muted tones that begin the tale give way to darker and more dramatic hues, creating a powerful shift, both visually and emotionally. This gentle and charming read-aloud will make young audiences "awww" with delight. (Picture book. 3-6)

The Art of Miss Chew

Kirkus Review (January 15, 2012)


Art is a language, and the right teacher can change a life is the twin message of this personal story from the exuberant author/illustrator. Polacco provides an unabashedly autobiographical account of a year in grammar school with the Irish Mr. Donovan, who understands that she needs additional time to work at written tests. He also introduces her to Miss Chew, an art teacher, and both immediately recognize Trisha's emerging talent--although the Chinese Miss Chew hears her name as "Ther-esa" and calls her that ever after. It is Miss Chew who discerns Trisha's talent at perceiving negative space and connects it to her difficulties in school: She sees words as patterns, not letters. When Mr. Donovan is called to Ireland upon the death of his father, the substitute will not allow Trisha extra time on exams and tries to keep her from art class. Right prevails--and Trisha gets to have a painting in the high-school art fair, even though she is so young. Polacco's pencil-and-marker art is full of color and movement, with its exaggerated figures and vibrant line. Her characters are always gesturing, caught in mid-sentence. Her first-person narration tells her tragedy and triumph in a very down-to-earth way, using the tone of the 11-year-old she was. The paired lessons--of art as a crucial element in education and of the importance of recognizing different learning styles--come through clearly, leavened by Polacco's use of color and gesture. (Picture book. 6-10)

Bink and Gollie Two For One

The state fair is in town, and now Bink and Gollie - utter opposites and best friends extraordinaire - must use teamwork while navigating its many wonders. As the undaunted duo steps into the mysterious tent of fortune-teller Madame Prunely, one prediction is crystal clear: this unlikely pair will always be the closest of pals. Get ready for more laughs in this wry, warmhearted sequel to the New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book Bink and Gollie, written by the award-winning, best-selling Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee and featuring the exuberant visual humor of illustrator Tony Fucile.

Neo Leo

Booklist (July 2009 (Vol. 105, No. 21))


Grades 1-3. This lively introduction to the visionary ideas of Leonardo da Vinci uses one side of each spread to portray a modern invention, while re-creations of Leonardo’s original sketches occupy the other, accompanied by a quick scene of the great thinker coming up with his fantastic designs. Breaking his massive body of work down into bite-size chunks works well, allowing children to visually align the similarities of his prototypes for an airplane, tank, contact lens, or movie projector with their more modern incarnations mirrored across the fold. Mirrors play yet another role in this book, as bits of additional information about Leonardo’s sketches are presented in the same backward writing that he used in his diaries. Berreta’s colorful and comical artwork keeps the scientific subject matter fun, with smiling, apple-cheeked characters populating the pages and a gray-bearded da Vinci scribbling notes while studying the world around him. A fine choice to introduce the famous man, his peerless ideas, and the forward-thinking role of inventors in general.