Can You Find My Robot's Arm?

Can You Find My Robot's Arm?
by Chihiro Takuchi

Chihiro Takeuchi presents a fun story and amazing cut paper illustrations in Can You Find My Robots Arm? The intricately cut designs  force the reader to spend time looking to see if the robot's arm is in the picture or if we are merely supposed to reflect on the possibility of a substitute for the missing arm. Each subsequent page seems to get more complex and requires more scrutiny.

At the end, I came to the conclusion the robot's arm IS actually on each page, however since the arm is black and the background is also black you can't see the overlaying arm. :-) Amazing book to share with young readers.

This title will be available for purchase in July 2017.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, Tundra Books, has provided a complimentary electronic copy of Can You Find My Robots Arm? for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai's Story

"One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world." 

- Malala Yousafzai

For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai's Story
by Rebecca Langston-George and Janna Bock

For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai's Story written by Rebecca Langston-George and illustrated by Janna Bock is a fantastic account of the heroic stance Malala Yousafzai made for her right to an education. 

Malala Yousafzai bravely volunteered to blog about the closing of her school. "They can stop us going to school, but they can't stop us learning!" She was not deterred by the threat of bombs, beatings, or even jail. In October 2012, Malala and her friends were riding a bus to school when it was suddenly stopped. She was shot in the head by a member of the Taliban who was against her and the fight she had launched for the opportunity to go to school. Langston-George conveys a wonderful telling of Malala's story. The tragic shooting is handled very well in this picture book for children (publisher recommends ages 9-12). The text, "Three shots shattered the silence" and illustration, an opened book with drops of blood on the cover are not overly graphic, while providing a strong sense of the terrifying and dangerous situation faced by the girls on the bus.

On December 10, 2014, Malala Yousafzai became the youngest person to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize. This young peace activist raised her voice for the right to equal education. "This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change."

I highly recommend For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai's Story for any children's library collection, public and school. I think it is not only the story of a strong female character, but also a story about the importance of education. So many people take education for granted. They feel they are forced to go to school, sit in class, and learn. This is not the case around the world. I wonder how many children in the United States would be willing to stand up to and defy terrorists for their right to go to school?

**To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, Capstone has provided an electronic copy of For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai's Story for review purposes. My review is in no way influenced by the author or publishing company and is solely my opinion. 

November Challenge - Texas 2x2 Tuesday

November 11th - Texas 2x2 Tuesday - Pip & Squeak by Ian Schoenherr

Pip & Squeak
by Ian Schoenherr

I guess you could say it is arctic wind that has blown down on us in the past twelve hours that has started me thinking about two of my favorite little mice, Pip & Squeak. They are running late to their friend Gus's birthday. Squeak reminds Pip to get the gift. For those diligent observers, you will see the gift is a wedge of cheese. The rest of the story is the adventure Pip and Squeak go on as they make their way through the snow. When they are well on their way to see Gus, Squeak realizes they forgot the gift. Now what will they take to the birthday boy? 

Young and old readers alike will enjoy not only the characters and storyline (especially the humorous interactions between Pip and Squeak), but also the wonderful illustrations created by Ian Schoenherr. This is one of my favorite stories to read to my students when the weather turns cold. I love to hear their predictions and their surprise when they find out the ending to this fun tale.

There was (another) Old Lady

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
by Rashin

I don't want the title of this post to deceive anyone. I am a fan of the "Old Lady" stories. I love the repetition and the predictability for young readers / listeners.

I love the bright colors used in the illustrations for this version. However, I have to admit I was very disappointed when I discovered the picture clues I thought were going to be included for each of the animals swallowed did not happen. Here is what I mean. When opening the book you see a fly swirling through the air onto the title page. On the next page, the old lady has swallowed the fly. On this same page, you see a spider hanging from a web in the upper left hand corner of the page. this makes it easy for young children to predict who might be eaten next (because there is also a cat on the page). When the page is turned, you do indeed see the lady swallow the spider. This pattern continues until the old lady swallows the dog. The next page is a cross section of the old lady's stomach with the animals chasing each other in a circle - very funny, but the pattern has stopped. The next page shows the old lady attempting to swallow the cow - also very funny, especially the milk squirting from the udder! The predictability is back once the cow has been swallowed because in the background you see a very worried purple horse.

Now, everyone knows that when the old lady swallows a horse, she dies - of course! This version actually shows the old lady lying on the ground with her feet sticking out from behind some bushes and a transport old lady angel flying off. Miraculously once the old lady has died the animals are able to escape from her belly.

Not the most realistic story ever written - because A. you can't really swallow all of those animals, and B. animals don't talk, as they do with speech bubbles in this version. Even with the issue of the cow not being on the page after the dog has been swallowed, I like this book a lot. I love the bright, bold colors and the interaction of the animals throughout. I believe this title would be a great addition to a collection of children's picture books, and for a personal collection of "Old Lady" who swallowed "whatever" books.

*To comply with new guidelines introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, North South Books Publishing Company has provided a complimentary digital copy of this book for review purposes. My review is in no way influenced by the author or publishing company and is solely my opinion.

Magical, Wonderful Wizard of Oz

It is most appropriate for me to post a review of this particular book today. Not only is this the book's "birthday", but it is also my sweet cousin Charlotte's birthday!

We are Wizard of Oz fanatics. We LOVE everything Oz! Her nickname is WWW (Wicked Witch of the West) and I am WWE (Wicked Witch of the East). Our children are the flying monkeys ~ very appropriate when you actually KNOW our children. Last weekend was our annual family reunion and we were able to spend a great deal of time together laughing, talking, shopping, and taking pictures. We had a blast!

WWE & WWW
Friday, July 26, 2013

In celebration of the 75th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz Beth Bracken has presented a wonderful adaptation of this classic story. Using original film stills and portions of dialogue from the screenplay by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf, Bracken has created a thirty-four page picture book for young children to enjoy over and over again. From the opening black and white photo of Dorothy Gale to the final page showing the beautiful ruby slippers all of the favorite images of the movie have been incorporated into this picture book.

The Wizard of Oz
adapted by Beth Bracken

The only complaint I have about the book is the abrupt ending. If you have seen the movie as many times as I have, you know Dorothy makes it back home to Kansas after repeating, "There's no place like home." However, if this is a child's introduction to this masterpiece you are sadly left wondering. Following this famous statement appears the words, "The End". There are fabulous images of Dorothy reuniting with her family in Kansas that could have easily been used at the end of this book to show she actually does make it back home. I'm sure Bracken had her reasons for not including this important element. Be that as it may, I don't feel this is as reassuring an ending as the original version from the movie where she awakens to find Aunt Em and Uncle Henry by her side or the book where she lands in her stocking feet in the open prairie runs to Aunt Em's welcoming arms.

As an aficionado of all things Oz, overall I like this book. I love the fact the stills from the original movie have been incorporated. It is a nice introduction to one of my all time favorite books. The series of books (fourteen in all) were written for children twelve and over. To have a version that can be enjoyed by younger readers is fantastic, in my opinion. I would hope by reading this adaptation at an early age and having an appreciation for the characters, and not being afraid of the flying monkeys and witches, the children will be more likely to pick up the original at an older age and enjoy the adventure, excitement, and charm of L. Frank Baum's writing.

*To comply with new guidelines introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Capstone Press, has provided a complimentary electronic copy of this book for review purposes through NetGalley.com.

The Storybook Thief

My wonderful husband recently returned from the American Library Association's Annual Conference in Chicago. Since I was not able to attend this year he brought back some great books for me to read. The very best was a picture book in an uncorrected advance copy format. The hardcover of the book will be released in October of 2013.

The Snatchabook
by Helen Docherty and Thomas Docherty

The Snatchabook by Helen Docherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty has instantly become one of my favorite books. Not only because it centers around a mystery and reading, but because it is also about parents reading to their children! I love a great mystery and when books start disappearing all around the forest. Eliza Brown (a little brown rabbit) decides she is going to solve the mystery by setting a trap for the storybook thief.

Eliza is successful in not only catching the thief, but also having all of the books returned to her forest friends. The book has a wonderful ending of redemption and turning a "wrong into a right". Although a mistake was made redemption and forgiveness is the moral of the story.

The illustrations are beautifully drawn by the author's husband, Thomas Docherty.  The stark contrast between the crispy, dark night with a large full moon and the warm bedrooms of the animals is amazing. It shows the coziness of the families as they share the special bedtime ritual of reading together. The expressions on each of the faces of the animals conveys the interest they have in book being read. Their demeanor changes dramatically and with wonderful characterization when the animals come together to discuss their situation. I don't want to ruin the heartwarming ending, but I will say I love the bright sunshiny day depicted at the end when everything is resolved. 

I would highly recommend this book for all libraries with children's collections. For bibliophiles like myself, you will most definitely want to add this title to your own collection of picture books. Just watch out, so it doesn't disappear!

*To comply with new guidelines introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Sourcebooks, Inc. has provided a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book.