 |
Book Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Children's
Bookwatch |
Children's Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
9.11.01: Terrorists Attack The U.S.
Patrick Lalley
Raintree
15 East 26th St., 15th Fl., NY, NY 10010
0739860216 $31.40 www.amazon.com
9.11.01: Terrorists Attack The U.S. by Patrick Lalley is a straightforward explanation of the
devastating surprising attack of September 11, 2001, that is specifically written, designed,
illustrated, and intended for young readers ranging from grade school through high school.
9.11.01
does not talk down to young readers; rather it cogently presents the facts about the attack, the
people who perpetrated it, their motivations for carrying it out, the surprising, unintended
consequences in a simple, direct manner, enhanced with color photographs, a brief glossary, and
suggested references for more reading. Highly recommended for both school and community
library
collections.
One Little Sound
Hap Palmer
Hap-Pal Music
Beth Blenz-Clucas (publicity)
Box 323, Topanga, CA 90290
HP 112 EA534 $14.00 happalmer.com
Children's music education specialist Hap Palmer's One Little Sound: Fun With Phonics And
Numbers features twelve original songs that make learning about phonics and numbers both easy
and fun. Each song in One Little Sound focuses on the relationship between letter symbols (the
alphabet) and building-block sounds of the English language (phonemes). The educational content
of
each song is as impressive as it is entertaining and the children will quickly master the concepts as
they become involved in the music by singing, dancing, playing, and chanting along with the
humorous rhymes. Very strongly recommended for family, school, and community library
collections, the individual songs in this wonderful compilation included Chickadee And
Chipmunk;
Bo 'Til We Drop; Marching Around The Alphabet; Ayee I Owe You; Mary And Marvin;
Bounce!;
Follow Along; D-O-G, Walkin' The Dog; Celebrate The Day; How Many Are Here?; The Secret
Word; and the title piece, One Little Sound. Also available in an audio cassette format
($10.00)
Time To Tell 'Em Off!
Deanna Miller
Booklocker.com
PO Box 2399, Bangor, ME 04402
booklocker.com/bookpages/dmiller.html
1931391580 $11.95 Deanna6200@aol.com
Deanna Miller's Time To Tell 'em Off! is a straightforward book addressed to young people, and
filled from cover to cover with practical advice on how to survive teasing, harassment, hate
speech,
and ridicule in daily life -- especially at school. Individual chapters address a range of issues from
how to cope with peer pressure using real-life examples, to how to avoid the destructive effects of
depression and rage, to sensible advice on how to look and act, and much more. Written in direct,
accessible, easy-to-understand language for kids in junior high and up, Time to Tell 'Em Off! is a
highly recommended social survival guide for young people everywhere and should be included in
every school and community library collection in the country.
Zoboomafoo
The Learning Company
500 Redwood Blvd., Novato, CA 94947
$19.99 riverdeep.net/learningcompany
Zoboomafoo is an educational Windows/Macintosh CD-ROM computer software for children
ages
3 through 6, featuring Zoboo and his animal friends from the Emmy award-winning children's
television series Animal Junction. Mind-testing puzzles and colorful presentations teach young
people about a wide variety of creatures and their habitats. Zoboomafoo also educates young
users
about number recognition, counting, early phonics, logical reasoning, and more. A creature fact
book is included in this enjoyable, instructive, and highly recommended software for both
homeschool, preschool, kindergarten, and daycare center collections and curriculum
supplementation.
Wind In The Willows: Volume 4
Kenneth Grahame & Michel Plessix
NBM
555 8th Ave. #1202, NY, NY 10018
1561633119 $15.95 www.amazon.com
This fourth volume Panic At Toad Hall continues to adapt the famous child's classic into a color
comic book form, with French artist Michel Plessix providing gorgeous drawings. Kids who have
difficulty reading but who love comics will find this a most inviting method of discovering the
appeal
and adventure in Grahame's classic.
So Smart! First Words
The Baby School Company
411 Video Information (publicity)
4100 Aurora Street, Suite B, Coral Gables, FL 33146
VHS $14.95 www.sosmart.com
So Smart! First Words is a thirty-minute video that effectively promotes parent-child interaction
with an open-ended format as it presents fun-filled stories suitable for children ages 9 months
through 3 years. Enhanced with animated animal characters and story time appropriate music, So
Smart! First Words will build word identification, build vocabulary, and prove a welcome
entertainment for its young viewers. So Smart! First Words is also available in a DVD format
($19.95).
Oh, Please Help Me Save This Tree
Debra Giampapa Kirwan
Joseph Holodook
Funzone Company
Box 5645, Newport Beach, CA 92662
097131537X $49.99 www.amazon.com
Oh, Please Help Me Save This Tree is a remarkable and unique children's storybook, the first in
"Family Heirloom & Literacy" series that comes with a special built-in recorder allowing a parent
or
caregiver to record their voice so that a child could be read to and/or taught to read anywhere and
anytime. This recorder is not an ordinary cassette or CD accompanying the book; but an
easy-to-use
device built right into the book. All a child has to do is press the buttons marked 1 through 7, or
the
Special Message button, to play back the recorded audio messages corresponding to different
pages.
Unique, delightful, enjoyable, and very strongly recommended, Oh, Please Help Me Save This
Tree
is illustrated with warm, engaging color drawings, and presents a wonderfully entertaining story
to
young readers enhanced with a truly innovative audio feature.
Ki'i And Li'i
Jeremiah Ho'oku'u Gruenberg
Goodale Publishing
Hastings & Pleadwell (publicity)
2247 Makiki Heights Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822
096629453X $15.95 goodalepublishing.com
Written and illustrated by Jeremiah Ho'oku'u Gruenberg, Ki'i And Li'i: A Story From The Stones
is a
superbly presented, enthusiastically recommended children's book featuring reproductions of the
petroglyphs of ancient Hawaiian rock art. A smattering of Hawaiian words are taught in this
simple
yet engaging story. An appendix at the end teaches young readers more about the ancient
Hawaiian
rock art; the exact and specific meanings of most petroglyphs may never be fully understood, but
the
wonder of them is superbly captured in Ki'i And Li'i!
The Fiction Shelf
Revenge On Rairarubia
W. Royce Adams
Rairarubia Books
1000 San Diego Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
0971220603 $10.95 www.amazon.com
Royce Adams' Revenge On Rairarubia is an engaging fantasy novel young readers ages 9 and
older.
The fourth volume in the superbly written "Rairarubia" series, Revenge On Rairarubia has a
self-contained plot and story that makes it the perfect book to jump in and start following the
wondrous happenings on the fantasy world of Rairarubia and the ordinary young girl from our
world
who becomes involved in its wild ways. She and her best friend must confront giant birds trained
to
carry off animals and children, a deadly plague, and more in their quest to stop a villain who
desires
vengeance upon the land and all living things. Revenge On Rairarubia is an exciting story for
young
readers, and if they aren't already familiar with the three earlier volumes by Adams, Rairarubia
(1882897366, $10.95), Return To Rairarubia (1882897447, $10.95), and Raid On Rairarubia
(1882897560, $10.95), will quickly set off in search of them!
A Penny For A Hundred
Ethel Pochocki & Mary Beth Owens
Down East Books
P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
0892725311 $9.95 www.amazon.com
Charmingly written by Ethel Pochocki, A Penny For A Hundred is an engaging story for young
readers about a nine-year-old girl growing up in America in 1944. When German prisoners-of-war
are brought in to help harvest a potato crop, she befriends one of them in this gentle tale of
compassion and hope for the future. Very highly recommended reading, A Penny For A Hundred
is
illustrated in soft colors by Mary Beth Owens that are evocative and reminiscent of an earlier
time.
Sea Breezes, Salt Air
C. Avery Brookes
Bunny Express Press
P.O. Box 7373, St. Davids, PA 19087
0966624602 $6.95 www.amazon.com
C. Avery Brookes' Sea Breezes, Salt Air is a pleasant and engaging children's book written for
preteen readers ages 6 to 10. Twenty-three simple black-and-white line drawing enhance this
"reader
friendly" story of a rabbit family's adventures at the seashore. A delightful, gentle tale, ideal for
expanding a young reader's vocabulary through the process of reading the thoroughly entertaining
and engaging text, Sea Breezes, Salt Air is highly recommended reading.
www.Here-I-Am
Russell Stannard
Templeton Foundation Press
5 Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 120, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087
1890151858 $9.95 www.amazon.com
www.Here-I-Am by Russell Stannard is an engaging novel for young adult readers which reflects
on
the phenomena of faith in the new cyber age. A young boy who has doubts about God in the face
of
the tragedy and crimes reported every day in the newspaper, yet suddenly he discovers what
claims
to be God's website. Talking to the person on the other end of the computer, he gains a new
insight
into the world and into the problems of evil and suffering that bedevil it. Whether the voice at the
other end of the computer really is God is left for the reader to decide in this fascinating and
insightful read. A welcome addition to any personal reading list, as well as school and community
library YA fiction collections, www.Here-I-Am is enthusiastically recommended and highly
entertaining reading.
A Penny For Albert
Gerri Cook
Dinosaur Soup Books
c/o The Books Collective
214-21, 1045 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, AB Canada T5J 3S2
189583693X $9.95 dinosaursoup.com
Enhanced with line drawn illustrations by Chao Yu and Jue Wange, A Penny For Albert by Gerri
Cook is a thoroughly delightful book for young readers about a girl who looking for a story for
her
TV show "Weird Science," and becomes caught up in a whirlwind discovery friendship with a
toothy
yet remarkable dinosaur named Albert. A Penny For Albert is a highly enjoyable mix of education
and entertainment which can be enthusiastically recommended as a superb book for young
dinosaur
fans.
Tagger: Alone Along the Mystic River
J. A. Louthain
Alexie Books
P.O. Box 3843, Carmel, IN 46082
0967941601 $14.95 www.amazon.com
Superbly written by J.A. Louthain and illustrated by Andrea Eberbach, Tagger: Alone Along The
Mystic River is an historical novel for young adults which is set in Connecticut in the early 1800s.
Tagger is a young girl who is sold into servitude. She escapes to the Mystic River seeking to
pursue
an education and a new life. Tagger survives by catching and selling fish. Well researched,
historically accurate, and with a strong message of independence and self-reliance, Tagger: Alone
Along The Mystic River is engaging, rewarding, and highly recommended for young readers and
enhanced with a charming, original music CD that comes packaged with the trade paperback
book.
Percy & the Plod
Toni Dockter
Fuchsia Woman Publishing
P.O. Box 1532, Soquel, CA 95073
0971220107 $14.95 www.amazon.com
Toni Dockter's Percy & The Plod is a novel written for a young adult readership, but which is
nonetheless highly enjoyable for readers of all ages. The farming town of Yoosa faces a dreadful
problem - the sun is drifting away. Only one person is brave enough to volunteer to climb a
mountain and rope the sun back in, and that's young Percy. Percy isn't particularly strong, or
brave,
or bright, but he has the determination to plod on and get the job done in this rewarding,
entertaining, and most encouraging story about the merit of steadily pursuing ones goals. Percy &
The Plod is a recommended addition to school and community library YA collections.
Emma And The Ruby Ring
Yvonne MacGrory
Milkweed Editions
1011 Washington Avenue South, #300, Minneapolis, MN 55415-1277
1571316353 $17.95 www.amazon.com
When Emma overhears other people calling her selfish and difficult, she makes a wish while
wearing
her cousin's ruby ring which has the power to grant two wishes to its wearer. Emma is then
whisked
a way from her home in 19th Century Ireland to the gates of a workhouse and a starving mob
clamoring for admittance. Emma is befriended by Sally and Maria, and with the two sisters
manages
to escape to Moylough Castle and find work as a scullery maid. But her new friends need her help
so
although Emma would prefer to go home, she must stay in order to fulfill a promise and unravel
the
secrets of the castle. Yvonne MacGrory's Emma And The Ruby Ring is a wonderfully written
novel
and enhanced for young readers with black-and-white sketches by Terry Myler. Also very highly
recommended is Yvonne MacGrory's previous novel, The Secret Of The Ruby Ring
(0915943921,
$6.95).
The Music Shelf
Beethoven's Wig
Richard Perlmutter
The Rounder Records Group
One Camp St., Cambridge, MA 02140
SRP $12.98 www.rounder.com
In Beethoven's Wig, lyricist and singer Richard Perlmutter performs eleven zany renditions of
music
composed by some of the world's most famous names in classical music. The unique tributes
comprising Beethoven's Wig include Franz Liszt the Famous Pianist; Please Don't Play Your
Violin
at Night (Mozart); Can You Can Can? (Offenbach); Just for Elise (Beethoven); Haydn's Great
Surprise; Kings and Queens of England (Purcell); Drip, Drip, Drip (Delibes); Harmony
(Schumann);
Hey Guitar Teacher (Bach); Tchaikovsky's Cannonball; and the title piece Beethoven's Wig.
Perlmutter succeeds in doing more than offering just another introduction to classical music for
young listeners as the kids find themselves responding to the humorous lyrics even as they are
becoming familiarized with the individual contributions of world class European composers.
Beethoven's Wig is an enthusiastically recommended addition to family, school, and community
library CD music collections.
Jump-Start Action Songs With Ronno
Ronno
Kimbo Educational
PO Box 477, Long Branch, NJ 07740
KIM 9168CD $14.95 1-800-631-2187
Jump-Start Action Songs With Ronno is a cheerful, lively, toe-tapping collection of songs for
children that will enhance their English language vocabulary and linguistic development even as it
entertains them. The rhythmic and aerobic pieces comprising this highly recommended
compilation
include Jump-Start for the Queen of Hearts; I Can Dance; The Hooray March!; What to Do when
the Music Makers Have the Flu; It's Alright!; Community Helper Hop; Twist! Stop! Hop!;
Someplace on the Farm; I Like Me; The Pelican Polka; My Chance to Dance; My Brother the
Whale!; This Heart These Hands. Jump-Start Action Songs With Ronno is available in an audio
cassette format as well ($10.95).
At The Bottom Of The Sea
Ralph's World
Sack & Company
427 West 14th Street, NY, NY 10014
Mini 2-70042 $15.98 www.amazon.com
Ralph Covert is an undeniably gifted performer with a special affinity for composing and
performing
music with an ability to totally engage the attention of children. At The Bottom Of The Sea offers
seventeen compositions that will delight and enthrall young listeners from start to finish. The
pieces
comprising this highly recommended CD collection include Honey for the Bears; The Coffee
Song;
Surfin' in My Imagination; Harry's Haunted Halloween Circus; The Banana Splits (The Tra La La
Song); Eighteen Wheels on a Big Rig; Clean My Room; Itsy Bitsy Spider; Baseball Dreams;
Sunny
Day Rainy Day Anytime Band; Fly Me to the Moon; Baa-Baa Black Sheep; Malcolm
McGillikitty;
What Can You Do with Your Baby Brother?; Bean Soup and Rice; Many Things to Know; and
the
title piece, At the Bottom of the Sea.
My Mama Was A Train
James Coffey
Blue Vision Music
Beth Blenz-Clucas (publicity)
Box 15118, Ft. Wayne, IN 46885-5118
CD $14.99 Cassettee $9.95 amazon.com
In My Mama Was A Train, James Coffey performs fifteen original and traditional songs relating
to
the lure and lore of trains. Children of all ages (and a great many adult railroad buffs) will enjoy
Coffey's highly recommended signature piano, acoustic guitar and harmonic stylings, along with
the
real sounds and rhythms of locomotive engines accenting and enhancing each piece. The songs
include What Do You Hear? (2:39); That Little Red Caboose Behind The Train (3:04); Nine
Hundred Miles (3:02); Counting Those Railroad Cars (1:35); Old Engine No. 9 (2:04); Build A
Bridge (3:43); Rock Island Line (1:56); Wabash Cannonball (3:15); New River Train (2:15); I'm
A
Train (1:51); Casey Jones (2:26); Down By The Station (1:36); Little Red Caboose (1:33);
Workin'
In The Railway Yard (2:58); and the title piece, My Mama Was A Train (2:49).
The Picturebook Shelf
A Place To Sleep
Holly Meade
Marshall Cavendish
99 White Plains Rd. Tarrytown NY 10591
0761450963 $15.95 www.amazon.com
Written and illustrated by Holly Meade, A Place To Sleep is a superbly presented and colorful
children's picturebook about a wide variety of natural beasts and the burrows or hideaways they
find
to enjoy a restful sleep. Entertaining, with simple yet vivid artwork, A Place To Sleep is a
excellent
choice for a bedtime storybook to help young folks get sleepy-eyed themselves.
The Forest
Claire A. Nivola
Farrar Straus Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York 10003
0374324522 $16.00 www.amazon.com
The Forest is a superbly presented, full color picturebook about a brave young mouse who dares
to
leave his safe, comfortable home to explore the surrounding forest. Within, he finds grandeur and
natural beauty splendidly captured in the heartfelt and wondrous artwork. Written and illustrated
by
Claire A. Nivola, The Forest is quite strongly recommended as a most enchanting and delightful
storybook for young readers.
Hunter Bunny Saves Easter
Alexis Rae Weaver & Jennifer M. Kohnke
Golden Bunny Publishing
P.O. Box 12315, Aspen, CO 81612
0971247366 $17.95 www.amazon.com
Superbly written by Alexis Rae Weaver, Hunter Bunny Saves Easter is a charming picturebook
colorfully illustrated by Jennifer M. Kohnke and is about a bunny and a duckling who are different
from the rest of their siblings and neighbors. Hunter Bunny needs a motorized wheelchair to move
about, and Clark the duckling needs glasses to see. They become friends and embark upon an
adventure to help the Easter Bunny, in this remarkable story about the triumph of inner strength
over external disabilities. Hunter Bunny Saves Easter is highly recommended for young readers
and
offers an entertaining and instructive message which will resonates with children the
year-round.
A Princess Smiled
Venessa Ann Schwarz, author
Mary Ellen Bellido, illustrator
Mosley Publishing Group
Box 586502, Oceanside, CA 92058-6502
1886185220 $13.95 www.amazon.com
A Princess Smiled is a warm and friendly child's book written by Venessa Ann Schwarz in
engaging
rhyme, about a town that is feeling blue when a Princess rides through her town and smiles,
sharing
joy and happiness with everyone. The simple yet personable color illustrations by Mary Ellen
Bellido
bring to life this uplifting tale about the power of a positive attitude. A Princess Smiled is a
wonderful addition to any school or community library picturebook collection.
Why Is Blue Dog Blue?
George Rodrigues
Stewart, Tabori & Chang
115 West 18th Street, NY, NY 10011
1584791624 $16.95 www.amazon.com
Written and illustrated by George Rodrigues, Why Is Blue Dog Blue?: A Tale Of Colors is a
bright,
vividly illustrated picturebook for easy readers showcasing a wide range of colors using the image
of
a personable dog. From cherry red to mustard yellow and salmon pink, Why Is Blue Dog Blue?
presents a brilliant color array along with very simple text for young people. A most enjoyable
book
for little ones, Why Is Blue Dog Blue? is highly recommended for young readers in the process of
learning about colors.
Matthew Mouse
Iris Calaci & David Gonzalez, Jr.
Gladstone Publishing
P.O. Box 926, Voorhees, NJ 08043-0926
1928681077 $12.95 http://www.gladstonepublishing.com
Matthew Mouse is a picturebook for young children featuring an orphaned field mouse and his
struggle to survive. The little field mouse puts his faith in God, but fears a big cat - until in a
surprise
showdown, Matthew learns that the cat, too, is a church-going animal who believes in God. A
warm, faithful, and friendly picturebook written by Iris Calaci, and enhanced with soft and gentle
color artwork by David Gonzales, Jr., Matthew Mouse is an ideal addition to family, Sunday
School,
parochial school, and community library picturebook collections for young readers.
Green Cat
Dayal Kaur Khalsa
Tundra Books
P.O. Box 1030, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
0887765866 $14.95 www.amazon.com
Written and illustrated by Dayal Kaur Khalsa, Green Cat is a vividly colored picturebook featuring
brightly colored, eye-catching artwork in a simplistic yet powerful modern style. The Story is
about
a brother and a sister who quarrel over having to share a room. Each thinks that the room is too
crowded - until the Green Cat comes and shows them how crowded a room can really be!
Enthusiastically recommended for family, school, and community library picturebook collections,
Green Cat is an entertaining and memorable storybook lesson about sharing.
Wake Up, Me!
Marni McGee & Sam Williams
Simon & Schuster
1230 Ave. of the Americas, NY NY 10020
0689831633 $17.00 www.amazon.com
Wake Up, Me! is a sunny, full-color picturebook written by Marine McGee specifically for young
boys and girls just starting to read their very first words. The warm, homey artwork by Sam
Williams fills pages with the wide-eyed wonderment of a toddler just waking up to a new day. A
great book for reading to very young children, Wake Up, Me! is particularly recommended for
preschool, day care, kindergarten, and community library collections for beginning readers.
Dora's Chicks
Julie Sykes & Jane Chapman
Tiger Tales
202 Old Ridgefield Rd, Wilton, CT 06897
158925015X $14.95 www.amazon.com
Marvelously written by Julie Sykes and splendidly illustrated by Jane Chapman, Dora's Chicks is a
wonder-filled color picturebook for children, about a mother hen doing her best to keep track of
her
six chicks - but one has gone missing! The hen and her brood travel all about the farmyard, from
animal to animal, asking each one about the missing chick. A simple yet charming story especially
suitable for reading aloud to young people, Dora's Chicks is enthusiastically recommended for
family, school, and community library picturebook collections for young readers ages 3 to 7.
Little Pig Is Capable
Denis Roche
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116
0395913683 $15.00 www.amazon.com
Written and illustrated by Denis Roche, Little Pig Is Capable is a completely charming color
picturebook for young readers and is about a Little Pig who feels overprotected by his parents.
When Little Pig's Snout Scout troop embarks on a hiking trip with a questionable guide named
Ravenous, it is the Little Pig's best opportunity to show just how intelligent, self-reliant, sensible,
and capable he really is! A most enjoyable storytime book, Little Pig Is Capable will prove a
welcome addition to any school or community library picturebook collection for children.
Forever Friends
Barbara S. Cohen & Dorothy Louise Hall
Smallfellow/Tallfellow Press
1180 South Beverly Dr., Suite 320, Los Angeles, CA 90035
1931290121 $16.95 www.amazon.com
Simply and engaging written by Barbara S. Cohen, Forever Friends is a warm, highly enjoyable
children's picturebook about a young boy and his dog - forever friends, as seen from the pooch's
point of view! Easygoing, simple caricature color artwork by Dorothy Louise Hall illustrates this
delightful picturebook book for young readers ages 2 to 8 -- and most especially for boys and
girls
just learning how to read.
The Tortoise And The Hare Continued...
Barry Lane & Miles Bodimeade
Discover Writing Press
P.O. Box 264, Shoreham, VT 05770
1931492018 $16.00 1-800-613-8055
Written by Barry Lane and enhanced with the artwork of Miles Bodimeade, The Tortoise And
The
Hare Continued... is a charming and very highly recommended children's color picturebook that
extrapolates from Aesop's famous "slow and steady wins the race" parable. As we all know, the
tortoise challenged the hare to a race, and the tortoise won because the hare was lazy... but what
happened the next day? And the day after that? Continuing the story of tortoise and hare exploits,
and introducing new morals along the way, The Tortoise And The Hare Continued... is a
delightful
story that's just a little closer to the real world than most, since it acknowledges that there is no
such
thing as a pat ending. The final moral: "Made up stories can improve real lives."
Camp Jacubbi: The Bubble Gummers
Lorrie McKinney, et al.
Jacubbi Enterprise
5083 NE 46th St., Des Moines, IA 50317
http://home.earthlink.net/~lorriemc
0970166702 $5.99 1-515-266-5988
Camp Jacubbi: The Bubble Gummers is a cheery and upbeat color picturebook illustrated by
freelance artist Larry Loomis, collaboratively written by Lorrie McKinney, Anna Kingery, and
Louise Moulder for young children ages 3-10 who are adjusting to the fears, anxieties, and
bewilderments of spending nights away from home at their first summer camp. Set in Camp
Jacubbi,
a fantasy camp for kids, and which each child can make into what he or she wants it to be, Camp
Jacubbi: The Bubble Gummers is a thoroughly charming and entertaining book, -- especially good
for reading for children the night before leaving for their first summer camp.
The Perfect Pet
Carol Chataway & Greg Holfeld
Kids Can Press
2250 Military Rd, Tonawanda, NY 14150
155337178X $14.95 www.amazon.com
With its simple, engaging story by Carol Chataway, showcased with the bright and lively artwork
of
Greg Holfeld, The Perfect Pet is a colorful children's picturebook about three young pigs who
want
a great pet, but have difficulty coping with loud, barking dogs. Eventually the pet shop owner
presents the young pigs with the purr-fect pet! A lighthearted and highly enjoyable story. The
Perfect Pet is especially recommended for beginning readers.
Boing-Boing The Bionic Cat
Larry L. Hench & Ruth Denise Lear
American Ceramic Society
735 Ceramic Place, Westerville OH 43081
1574981099 $17.00 www.amazon.com
Boing-Boing The Bionic Cat is an endearing and unusual children's picturebook by Larry L.
Hench
about a young boy who wants a cat but is allergic to them - so his engineer father builds him
Boing-Boing the Bionic Cat. An enjoyable, whimsical story with gentle color illustrations by Ruth
Denise Lear, Boing-Boing The Bionic Cat showcases the subtle and positive message that science
and technology can be great fun. Boing-Boing The Bionic Cat is a simply wonderful story for kids
ages 7 to 11. Also very highly recommended is the sequel, Boing-Boing The Bionic Cat And The
Jewel Thief (1574981293, $17.00).
Most Beloved Sister
Astrid Lindgren & Hans Arnold
R&S Books
c/o Farrar, Straus and Giroux, distributors
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
9129655021 $15.00 www.amazn.com
Charmingly written by Astrid Lindgren and beautifully illustrated by Hans Arnold, Most Beloved
Sister is a delightful picturebook children's story, with stylized, gentle color illustrations about a
young girl and her secret twin sister, who embark on a wondrous magical adventure. Warmly
translated into English by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard, Most Beloved Sister makes
for excellent family bedtime reading and is an enthusiastically recommended addition to school
and
community library collections as well.
Canyon
Eileen Cameron
Mikaya Press & Michael Collier
c/o Firefly Books Ltd.
4 Daybreak Lane, Westport, CT 06880
1931414033 $16.95 www.amazon.com
Elegantly written by Eileen Cameron, Canyon is a an especially beautiful picturebook designed for
young beginning readers, and features Michael Collier's breathtaking photography of America's
Grand Canyon. Cameron's simple, poetic, evocative thoughts are in completely in tune with the
Grand Canyon's timeless natural splendor. A wondrous picturebook for young folks, with
stunning
photographs sure to cause readers of all ages to sit up and take notice, Canyon is very highly
recommended for both school and community library picturebook collections for early
readers.
The Adventures Of Midas And The Little Red Airplane
Ted Afetian
Midas Entertainment
23679 Calabasas Road, Suite 186, Calabasas, CA 91302
0967254000 $15.95 www.amazon.com
The Adventures Of Midas And The Little Red Airplane is a delightful and whimsical picturebook
for
young readers cleverly written by Uncle Ted and enhanced with the lively artwork of Eddie
Young.
The first book in a new series "The Adventures of Midas," this is a story featuring a cast of
brightly
colored animal characters, including a gold-colored dog named Midas, and their efforts to help a
lost
little red airplane find its way home. Midas And The Little Red Airplane is highly recommended as
a
joyful and adventurous picturebook with an important moral at the end: "If you really, really want
something, just keep trying and never give up."
The Theatre Shelf
Break a Leg!
Lise Friedman
Workman Publishing
708 Broadway, NY, NY 10003-9555
0761122087 $14.95 www.amazon.com
Break A Leg!: The Kids' Guide To Acting & Stagecraft by Lise Friedman (former dancer with the
Merce Cunningham Dance Company and an Adjunct Professor, new York University) is a
charmingly presented, authoritative, resource-filled "how to" book for young actors and actresses
from grade school through high school who would like to act their school theatrical productions,
in
community theater, the professional stage, or in television and film. Individual chapters address
simple warmups, learning to project one's voice, theater games, staying in character, and much
more.
Break A Leg! is the perfect gift book for aspiring young performers and a highly recommended
addition to school and community library reference collections!
The Audiobook Shelf
World Tales Of Wisdom And Wonder
Heather Forest
August House Inc.
PO Box 3223, Little Rock, AR 72203
0874836735 $16.95 www.amazon.com
In World Tales Of Wisdom And Wonder, Heather Forest narratives a wonderful, enthusiastically
recommended collection of folktales in a minstrel-style storytelling presentation that combines
poetry, prose, original melody, and guitar. Drawn from around the world, these are tales that
showcase homespun wisdom of an oral tradition that uses fantasy as its means inspiring and
influencing the listener. The ten stories comprising World Tales Of Wisdom including The
Dancing
Lass of Anglesey (Scotland, 5:03); Feathers (Eastern Europe, (4:25); The Magic Brocade (China,
15:16); Paca and Beetle (Brazil, 4:28); Feeding His Clothes (Middle East, 3:16); Giving the Moon
(Japan, 4:59); The Tiger, The Brahman and The Jackal (India, (8:27); Drakestail (France, 7:31);
The
Read and Blue Coat (Congo, 5:32); and Ode to 398.2 (a unique song celebrating the Dewey
Decimal System number for folktales, 1:12).
Foolish Folks
Cathy Kaemmerlen
Tattling Tales Productions
1857 Jackson's Creek Drive Marieta, GA 30068
0971423601 $15.00 tattlingtales.com
Foolish Folks offers young listeners 66 minutes of wonderfully performed storytelling by
professional storyteller and actress Cathy Kaemmerlen. After an engaging introduction (1:20),
children are treated to four superbly crafted and performed folktale stories, followed by a
Conclusion (1:01). The charming and entertaining original tales include The Lazy Daughter
(13:51);
Little Fester (20:21); Stubborn Husband/Stubborn Wife (17:26); and The Golden Goose (12:41).
Although the primary audience are kids, this Foolish Folks is a CD format audiobook that will
also
charm and entertain adults as well with its enhancement of original theme music by guitarist
Matthew Smith and providing each story with an ethnic flavor. Highly recommended!
The American History Shelf
Presidents And First Ladies
Smithsonian
DK
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0-7894-8453-6 $12.95
Presidents And First Ladies differs from other titles on presidents in that it provides heavily
illustrated short biographies of America's presidents and their wives. Vintage photos, drawings,
and
a boxed timeline of events add interest and make it quick and easy to browse achievements,
lending
to possible leisure reading as well as study.
Enslow Publishers, Inc.
Box 398, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
Six Volumes, $101.70 1-800-398-2504
Jeff Savage's "Trailblazers Of The Wild West" is a superbly presented six volume set of
hi-interest,
low-vocabulary biographies of the men and women who worked, fought, and settled in the 19th
century American west. The volumes comprising this outstanding, illustrated series include Scouts
Of The Wild West (0894906054); Pony Express Riders Of The Wild West (089490602X);
Gunfighters Of The Wild West (0894906003); Gold Miners Of The Wild West (0894906011);
Cowboys And Cow Towns Of The Wild West (0894906038); and Pioneering Women Of The
Wild
West (0894906046). Enhanced with chapter notes, bibliographies, glossaries, and indexes, each
title
in the "Trailblazers Of The Wild West" series is intrinsically interesting and entertaining for young
readers, grades 4 to 10, and ideal as "reader friendly" source material for classroom book reports
and American history supplemental reading lists. Although each volume is available separately
($16.95), school and community libraries are highly recommended to acquire the complete set for
the benefit of their students and young patrons.
How We Crossed The West
Rosalyn Schanzer
National Geographic Society
Raab Associates (publicity)
1145 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-4688
0792267265 $7.95 www.amazon.com
Set in 1804, How We Crossed The West by Rosalyn Schanzer is the true story of the incredibly
adventurous Lewis & Clark expedition exploring westward from the Mississippi River to the
Pacific
Ocean (May 1804 to November 1805). Superbly presented in an exciting picturebook format for
young readers, the "reader friendly" text is taken from the original journals of the explorers
themselves, though slightly edited for clarity. The wealth of illustrations are warm, colorful
acrylic/colored pencil designs that bring a great journey through early America vividly to life. As
educational as it is entertaining, How We Crossed The West is a superbly presented history and
very
highly recommended for school and community library collections.
United States History
Schlessinger Media
PO Box 580, Wynnewood, PA 19096
$39.95 each 1-800-483-3620
An extensive, twenty-six volume series of original videos designed young viewers in grades 5-12
provide a definitive overview of American history. The latest additions to the outstanding series
focus on the last half of the 20th century and include The Cold War; Civil Rights; The Vietnam
War;
The Middle East; U.S. Politics 1960-1980; and U.S. Politics 1980-2000. Each video is 23 minutes
long and accompanied by a teacher guide providing information such as vocabulary words,
discussion questions and activities suitable for follow-up assignments and class projects. The
technical qualities, scripts, and photography are superbly produced resulting in one of the most
informative, best prepared, and "viewer friendly" video series on the personalities, events, and
issues
of American history available for young viewers today.
The Science Shelf
Destination: Space
Seymour Simon
HarperCollins
1350 Ave. of the Americas, NY NY 10019
0688162894 $15.95 www.amazon.com
Destination: Space is a visually stunning and mentally engrossing picturebook of space images
from
the Hubble telescope. Author Seymour Simon's simple text, appealing to easy readers yet
descriptive
of the mysteries of the universe, teaches young people more about the images, and what science
has
learned about the wonders of our galaxy. Destination: Space is a gorgeous book, highly
recommended for school and library astronomy collections, and truly fascinating, informative
reading for children of all ages.
The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf
Swallowing The Golden Stone
Walter Wangerin, Jr.
Augsburg Fortress
Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
0806637102 $16.99 www.amazon.com
Swallowing The Golden Stone: Stories And Essays by Walter Wangerin, Jr. is a superbly
presented
selection of fanciful and fascinating fairy tales and poems suitable for reading to children and by
young adults. Enhancing this wondrous collection are some very thoughtful essays and comments
upon these treasured classic stories. Swallowing The Golden Stone is comparable to the best of
the
Brothers Grimm, the tales of Hans Christian Anderson, the stories of C.S. Lewis, or the writings
of
Frank L. Baum and very highly recommended for family, school, and community fairytale and
folktale collections.
The Great Canoe
Maria Elena Maggi & Gloria Calderon
Groundwood/Douglas & McIntyre Ltd.
720 Bethurst Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 2R4
0888994443 $15.95 www.amazon.com
The Great Canoe: A Karina Legend is a tribal tale retold for preschool readers ages 2 to 5 and
superbly illustrated by Gloria Calderon. The Karina were a tribal people living along the banks of
the
Orincoco River in what is now Venezuela and were known as great navigators, traders and
warriors
termed "Caribs" by the Spaniards. In the story, Kaputano, dweller of the Heavens, appears to the
Karina people and warns them that a great rain would come and water would cover the earth.
Kaputano urges the people to join him in building a canoe, but only four couples agree to help.
They
built a huge canoe and bring two of each kind of animal on board with them, plus a seed from
every
plant. Just as they finish their work a huge storm begins and a flood of water covers even the
tallest
trees drowning all the humans and animals left outside the boat. After many days the water
subsides
and Kaputano realizes that the survivors cannot live in such a flood ravaged world so he creates
marshes, rivers, mountains and trees for them. The Great Canoe is a welcome and highly
recommended addition to family, day-care center, preschool, and community library fairytale,
mythology, and folklore collections.
Jirrbal: Rainforest Dreamtime Stories
Maisie Barlow & Michael Anning
Magabala Books Aboriginal Corp.
c/o ISBS, dist.
5824 N.E. Hassalo St. Portland OR 97213
1875641068 $18.65 www.amazon.com
Maisie "Yarrcali" Barlow's Jirrbal: Rainforest Dreamtime Stories is a wonderful children's
picturebook of traditional folktales told by an elder of the Jirrbal people of Ravenshoe, Far North
Queensland. Embodying life in the rainforest, these tales are whimsically illustrated by Michael
"Boiyool" Anning with simplistic color artwork and enhanced by a follow-up section that tells
young
readers what it's like to grow up among the Jirrbal, and a brief Jirrbal-English glossary. Jirrbal:
Rainforest Dreamtime Stories is especially recommended for school and community library
picturebook folktale collections.
Ghosts and Golems
Malka Penn
Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19103
0827607334 $14.95 www.amazon.com
Compiled by Malka Penn and enhanced with illustrations by Theodor Black, Ghosts And Golems:
Haunting Tales Of The Supernatural is an impressive collection of ten spine-tingling stories
artfully
written by contemporary Jewish authors for young readers. The tales comprising this unique
anthology include: The Ghost of Leah Levy (Rivka Widerman); Wings (Deborah Spector Siegel);
L'Dor V'Dor (Lois Ruby); The Ghost Well (Ann Manheimer); Forgive Me (Jerry Ranik); Mrs.
Samson is Upstairs (Susan Stone); The Shadow of the Golem (Malka Penn); Jerusalem Tunnel
(Hanna Bandes Geshelin); Hanukkah Light (Janni Lee Simner); and My Grandma's Ghost (Carol
Snyder). Ghosts And Golems makes for especially exciting reading to young folks at campfire
cookouts or late at night, and is very highly recommended for anyone who would enjoy tales of
the
supernatural reflecting Jewish traditions and folklore.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Giant Lizards
Sara Louise
Perfection Learning Corporation
P.O. Box 500, Logan, Iowa 51546-0500
0789153041 $TBA 1-515-278-0133
Sara Louise's Giant Lizards a book that educates beginning readers about the life and habits of
great
lizards, including iguanas, monitor lizards and Komodo dragons. Highly recommended for school
and community library "Wildlife" reference collections, the gorgeous color photography of these
wild animals fills the pages of this exciting easy-reader guide.
The Little Big Book Of Animals
Lena Tabori & Katrina Fried
Welcome Books
588 Broadway, Suite 303, NY, NY 10012
0941807568 $24.95 www.amazon.com
The Little Big Book Of Animals is a delightful book for young readers featuring rhymes, riddles,
songs, poetry, facts, sayings, games, jokes, activities, and stories about a wide variety of creatures
in
fact and fiction, ranging from Koko the gorilla and her kitten to Stuart Little, to the making a
simple
bird feeder or birdbath. Marvelous color illustrations fill this engaging compendium for budding
young readers and animal lovers everywhere. The Little Big Book Of Animals is enthusiastically
recommended for family, school, and community library collections.
The Exciting Adventures Of Hydra & Muste Otter
George J. Kingston
G. Sharp Productions
220 Oak Meadow Dr Los Gatos CA 95032
0966985214 $21.95 www.amazon.com
The Exciting Adventures Of Hydra & Muste Otter: Life In The Big Sea by George J. Kingston is
a
wondrous, full-color activities enhanced storybook for young readers, about two otter friends and
their day-to-day life. Filled with gorgeous photography and educational information about sea
creatures, the food chain, and how mammals can survive in the cold and sometimes harsh waters,
The Exciting Adventures Of Hydra & Muste Otter is as informationally enriching as it is
fascinatingly entertaining. A highly recommended, consumable "Activity Section", provides
puzzles
for kids, and motivates them to grab a pencil. Rounding out this truly exceptional book, is a
simple
glossary to help expand the vocabularies of inquisitive young minds.
The Hunting/Fishing Shelf
The Barefoot Fisherman
Paul Amdahl
Clearwater Publishing
KSB Promotions (publicity)
Box 778, Broomfield, CO 80038-0778
0962781509 $14.95 www.amazon.com
The Barefoot Fisherman: A Fishing Book For Kids by experienced fishing enthusiast Paul Amdahl
is
an excellent and "reader friendly" introduction to the sport of fishing for aspiring young anglers of
all
ages and backgrounds. Individual chapters address catching a variety of different fish, from catfish
to
bass and walleyes, as well as lures, fly fishing, bait fishing and much more. The Barefoot
Fisherman
is an enthusiastically recommended "how to" guide for preparing the neophyte fisherman on how
to
get them most out of their fishing trip!
Books in Series
Storytelling Discoveries
Vivian Dubrovin & Barbara Dubrovin
Storycraft Publishing
P.O. Box 205, Masonville, CO 80541
0963833952 $17.50 www.storycraft.com
The collaborative effort of Vivian and Barbara Dubrovin, Storytelling Discoveries: Favorite
Activities For Young Tellers is a superbly presented "how to" book for young folks in grade
school
and above seeking to learn and perform the enjoyable art and craft of presenting stories. From
shadow plays and puppet shows to dolls and overhead projectors, Storytelling Discoveries offers
a
varied selection along with excellent sample stories. Also very highly recommended are Vivian
Dubrovin's other instructional contributions to the art and craft of storytelling: Storytelling
Adventures: Stories Kids Can Tell (0963833928, $14.95) and Create Your Own Storytelling
Stories
(096383391X, $12.95).
Rourke Publishing
PO Box 3328, Vero Beach, FL 32964
David and Patricia Armentrout have provided basic picturebook readers with rudimentary reading
skills with a set of easily-accessible biographies perfect for one's first report experience in their
Discover Someone Who Made a Difference' series. Each book holds 24 pages, includes an index
and bibliography, and has plenty of large print and pictures for easy reading yet, enough detail
for
reports. Abraham Lincoln (1-58952-051-3), Jane Addams (054-8), John Muir (055-6), Louis
Pasteur (056-4), Florence Nightingale (053-X) and Daniel Boone (052-1) each focus on
individuals
who made a difference, and how they learned from the influences in their lives.
The Reference Shelf
21st Century Atlas Of The United States, Canada, And The World
MapQuest.com, Inc.
Gareth Stevens Publication
330 West Olive St., Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53212
0836829190 $38.60 www.amazon.com
21st Century Atlas Of The Unites States, Canada, And The World is an impressively presented,
comprehensive, geographical reference featuring maps of every nation worldwide, and with
up-to-date representations of the latest political boundaries. Each nation also has a listing of its
major cities, capital, flag, size, population, language, and currency. All of the individual states of
the
United States also have their own map, and data from the 2000 U.S. Census results are included
in
this superb, solid book. Strongly recommended for school, community library, and home
schooling
reference collections, a decided advantage of the 21st Century Atlas of the United States, Canada,
and the World over other volumes of its kind is that the book is physically light enough to for
students carry and use easily.
The Activities Shelf
50 Great Make-it Take-it Projects
LaBritta Gilbert
Upstart Books
Box 800, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0800
1579500706 $18.95 www.amazon.com
Written and illustrated by children's art enthusiast LaBritta Gilbert, 50 Great Make-it Take-it
Projects is an exciting and adventurous compendium of creative activities designed for kids
ranging
from kindergarten through fifth grade. Proffered activities range from making paper butterflies
and
snowflakes to three-dimensional gumdrop and toothpick sculptures and simple posters. An
excellent
book for rainy-day afternoons, 50 Great Make-it Take-it Projects is a first-rate source book for
budding young artists and inquisitive minds.
Travel Puzzles And Games From Highlights
Jeffrey A. O'Hare, editor
Bell Books/Boyds Mills Press
815 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431
1590780167 $15.99 www.amazon.com
Travel Puzzles & Games From Highlights is a consumable collection of entertaining,
thought-provoking, and sometimes educational games and activities for young readers, drawn
from
the pages of the renowned Highlights magazine for children. From travel bingo and license plate
poker to memory games, simple math problems, mazes, rebus brain teasers and much more, the
wide
variety of things to do in Travel Puzzles & Games From Highlights is sure to make a long journey
seem ever so much shorter - and is also an excellent source of entertainment for rainy
weekends.
The ABC Shelf
My Beastie Book Of ABC
David Frampton
HarperCollins
1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019
006028823X $15.95 www.amazon.com
From A is for alligator to Z is for zebra, My Beastie Book Of ABC is a vivid, rhyming children's
book that names a real creature for just about every letter of the alphabet (except for the letter X,
which is assigned to an imaginary flying pup called a Xog). The bold, vivid, and slightly
post-modern
stylized artwork impress the words and images upon young beginning readers in this most
enthusiastic alphabet book. Written and illustrated by David Frampton, My Beastie Book Of ABC
is
highly recommended for family, daycare, preschool, kindergarten, and community library
collections.
C Is For Coyote
Andrea Helman, et al.
Rising Moon
PO Box 1389, Flagstaff, Arizona 86002-1389
0873587987 $15.95 www.amazon.com
Deftly produced by Andrea Helman, Art Wolfe and Gavriel Jecan, C Is For Coyote: A Southwest
Alphabet Book is a gorgeously illustrated alphabet book for young readers ages 5 to 8, and filled
with stunning photographs by Art Wolfe and Cavriel Jecan of the wildlife, environment, and
landmarks of the American Southwest. Brief factoids about each creature or landmark make for
engaging and educational reading. C For Coyote is very highly recommended for family, school,
and
community ABC book collections.
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design