Book Review: Musk Ox Counts by Erin Cabatingan

Pick up any picture book and there is a pretty good chance that at least one of the characters will be a monkey, a cat, a dog, a horse, a pig, a cow, or a bird--really, any animal you might name when singing "Old McDonald Had a Farm."  But, what about the poor old musk ox?  How often do you find this arctic mammal, known for its musky odor and thick mane of hair, in a children's story?  The fact of the matter is that musk oxen are severely underrepresented in children's literature.  It's a good thing, then, that author Erin Cabatingan and illustrator Matthew Myers have made it their personal mission to raise awareness about this malodorous creature, so that, maybe one day, a child will think to sing "Old McDonald had a musk ox..."

Do you have a kid who’s crazy about wheels?  Two excellent new picture books:  And the cars go… by William Bee, and The Diggers are Coming by Susan Steggall are sure to please the gear-heads in your home.  Both books contain lots of interesting vocabulary words to describe the different types of vehicles and the sounds they make:  "mixers tumble, twist, and turn…..tippers tremble along and trundle about", and both books contain a mystery which is only revealed at the end of the story.   In the case of The Diggers are Coming, the question all along is "what are they building?"  It’s interesting to note the many kinds of construction vehicles necessary to get the job done and to see the progression of the task from empty lot to finished product.       My favorite book of the two, however, is

  

Extraordinary Jane

Jane Bouffant is, sad to say, ORDINARY. Her mom is famous. Her dad is famous. Her six brothers are famous. Her six sisters are, you guessed it, famous. What is even more problematic is that her, dare we say it again, FAMOUS family performs in the equally FAMOUS Barnaby Beluchi Circus. What's an exceptionally undistinguished dog to do?
Hannah E. Harrison takes advantage of every inch of Extraordinary Jane (including the endpapers) to chronicle Jane's misadventures on the path toward self-discovery. The bright acrylic images caper across the pages as cannon launchers, trapeze swings, and a giant out-of-control balancing ball get the better of Jane. The big tent proves perilous for our furry protagonist until slowly but surely Jane's secret talent is revealed to everyone's satisfaction.
Simple sentences and bold text will draw any shy adventurer into Jane's Extraordinary life with a heartwarming welcome.

MightyM

Book Review: Maple

I fell in love with Maple, the book and the character, on page one.  Maple is an endearing little girl who is named for the Maple tree planted in her honor before she was born.  The story follows Maple as she grows through the years and the changing seasons with the tree as her constant friend. When she is too noisy mom and dad send her outside to play by her tree.  She sings to, sways with and sometimes pretends to be a tree. She loves her tree but wishes sometimes she had a real play mate.  Then, one Spring day as she is playing under the shade of the tree she is surprised by a newly planted sapling, and then even more surprised to learn she is going to be a big sister. She is delighted with her baby sister. And when she is too noisy (quite often) takes her outside to play and rest beneath the tree's dancing leaves.

Book Review: Little Gorilla

     I recently had the chance to visit some classrooms and read to the children some of my favorite stories for Love of Reading week.   Little Gorilla was one that I read in nearly every class, and it was a big hit.  Even though the Little Gorilla was written close to 40 years ago,  it has a gentle and comforting message that still resonates with today's kids.

Book Review: This Plus That by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

In honor of Love of Reading Week, I absolutely must mention Amy Krouse Rosenthal's This Plus That: Life's Little Equations.  You will fall in love with this book and most likely spend the rest of your day creating your own little equations.  As is true of most of Rosenthal's picture books, it is based on a beautifully simple concept: This + That = Something.  Easy enough.  She includes "Yes + No = Maybe" and "Wishes + Frosting = Birthday."  There is "Small + Bottle = Baby" and "Tall + Coffee = Grownup."  The fun continues as you turn each page and attempt to guess the solution of the equation before reading.  You'll even see some more complex operations toward the end of the book, such as subtraction and division, which spices up the pattern a bit.

Rufus Goes to School

Rufus is a pig. An adorable pig, who loves books! He looks over his favorite book countless times, but alas, he cannot read the words. Rufus knows just the cure - school! That's where they will teach him to read! Rufus Goes to School, written by Kim T. Griswell and illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev, is a delightful story that teaches us personal growth is obtained with strength, perseverance, and not letting anyone stereotype you.

All you need to go to school is a desire and a backpack, right? Unfortunately, Rufus finds out there is a little more to it than that. Delightful illustrations and sweet characters will have you and your family cheering for Rufus after the last page is read! You might even want to turn back to page one and start all over...

Enjoy!
    ~ Roller Derby Librarian