The Truth about Dolphins by Maxwell Eaton III - ADVISABLE

The Truth about Dolphins by Maxwell Eaton III.  PICTURE BOOK NONFICTION. Macmillan (Roaring Brook Press), 2018. $16.  9781626726680

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Did you know that dolphins can be found in every ocean and sea in the world and that dolphins come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors?  These and other fascinating facts about dolphins are shared as the dolphins and other creatures carry on a humorous narrative.  

Learning about dolphins has never been so fun or informative.  Sure to be a hit with dolphin lovers everywhere!

Diann, Media Specialist 

The Adventures of Wrong Man and Power Girl! by C. Alexander London - NO

The Adventures of Wrong Man and Power Girl! by C. Alexander London, illustrated by Frank Morrison.  PICTURE BOOK Philomel Books (Penguin), 2018.  $18.  9780399548932  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – NO  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW  

When there is trouble in the land, Wrong Man is a superhero who likes to help.  However, Wrong Man manages to make every emergency worse.  Wrong Man’s side kick is his daughter, Power Girl and for every mistake that Wrong Man makes, Power Girl fixes it.  

This book is weird and hard to follow.  Because of the poor illustrations and lack of enough explanatory text, I couldn’t tell what the emergencies were half the time, let alone follow any sort of story line.  And what is the moral of the story-that fathers are bumbling idiots?  I felt like it was disrespectful to fathers.  There is too much detail in the illustrations with multiple freeze frames of action shots that muddied the story.  

C. Peterson 

Champion: The Story of Muhammad Ali by Jim Haskins - ADVISABLE

 Champion: The Story of Muhammad Ali by Jim Haskins, illustrated by Eric Velasquez.  NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK  Bloomsbury (Macmillan), 2018. $18  9781681195889  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL – ADVISABLE  

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay, Jr.) is known as one of the best heavyweight champions of the world.  When he was little his bike got stolen and Cassius at the time wanted to find the person who stole it and beat them up, but a policeman told him he better learn how to fight first and sent him to a gym.  From then on, Cassius loved fighting.  He trained every chance he got and went on to win at the Olympics and in other important boxing matches.  In his personal life, some people didn’t like him because he was cocky and confident about how good he was, but he could back it up with his actions.  When Cassius changed his religion from Christian to Black Muslim, he also changed his name.  When he was 39, he got Parkinson’s disease and eventually had to leave the ring, but he stayed true to his religion, loved his family and spoke up for what he believed was right.  

This is a succinct summary of Ali’s life with fantastic illustrations.  The book is text heavy with around three paragraphs per page spread and might appeal to older kids because of the level of understanding.  I think Muhammad Ali’s name is famous enough that kids need to have a basic understanding of who he is and this is the perfect book for that.  

C. Peterson

I’ll Root for You and other poems by Eward van de Vendel - ADVISABLE

 I’ll Root for You and other poems by Eward van de Vendel, illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch. PICTURE BOOK. Eardmans Books for Young Readers, 2018. 9780802855015

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE.

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

In this collection of sixteen poems, the poet covers the ups and downs of competitive sports. Many of the poems relate to other areas of life, but the focus is athletic endeavors. A few of the poems are simply silly, but the majority have a good message about not giving up or cheering for team mates or not listening to critics. Each poem is paired with an illustration of an animal athlete. 

There are some really good poems in here that would be fun in a poetry unit. They are a good length for memorizing, making them a helpful addition to many poetry units. A few of the ideas are a bit confusing, probably due to the nature of translated poems, but most have excellent execution. My favorite poem in this collection is the final poem in which a football playing pig from Holland dreams of being a gymnast. The message is to let piggy be your model and go after whatever you dream. In addition to the charming poems, the pictures are delightful - animals in athletic clothes never gets old.  

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Up in the Leaves by Shira Boss - ADVISABLE

Up in the Leaves by Shira Boss, illustrated by Jamey Christoph.  PICTURE BOOK  Sterling Children’s Books, 2018.  $17.  9781454920717  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE  

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL  

Bob Redman lives in busy New York City but he doesn’t like feeling closed in, so he often climbs things to get above the rush of people.  His favorite place to climb is at Central Park and he eventually starts to build tree-houses in the park’s trees.  The city workers take down his tree-houses whenever they see them, but throughout Ben’s childhood he continues to rebuild and often expand on his tree-house ideas.  One day the park workers catch Ben and ask him if he wants a job and he starts working in Central Park.  

This is a true story and I loved that Ben found solace in the trees.  I also loved that he wasn’t punished for building his tree-houses but asked if he wanted a job.  The illustrations are my favorite part and added that extra something that gave the story feeling.  The book has an epilogue about Bob Redman and a picture of him.  

C. Peterson

A Drop of the Sea by Ingrid Chabbert - ESSENTIAL

A Drop of the Sea by Ingrid Chabbert, illustrated by Guridi. PICTURE BOOK. Kids Can Press, 2018. $17. 9781525301247

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Illustrated in a sparse color scheme, this is the story of Ali and his grandma who live in the desert. Ali’s grandma is getting older and having a hard time walking, and as they are talking, Ali learns that his grandma has lived a wonderful life but she has one unfulfilled dream to see the sea. This sets Ali out on a journey, walking for days, to find the sea and bring a bucketful back to his grandma. Only a drop remains when Ali returns, but the grandma declare this one of the most beautiful days of her life. 

This book is a beautiful portrait of an intergenerational relationships as well as a nice portrait of what appears to be the middle east. The grandma wears a hijab and the houses are described as being made of clay. I think this is an easy entry point into a new culture for young readers. My kids were transfixed during the reading. It was originally published in France. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Archie and the Bear by Zanni Louise - ADVISABLE

 Archie and the Bear by Zanni Louise, illustrated by David Mackintosh. PICTURE BOOK. Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), 2018. $18. 9781328973412

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Archie gets mad when people compliment his bear suit because he says he really is a bear. When Archie got tired of these comments, he headed into the woods where he met a bear dressed in a boy suit. They shared a sandwich and taught each other new skills, and when it got cold they went to Archie’s house for a warm quilt and a fire. 

This book is charming, but not terribly engaging. My kids were a little confused about who the book was referring to when it used the word “bear” - was it the boy who believes he is a bear or the bear who believes he is a boy. The theme of finding like minds in the world was successfully conveyed, but the plot to pad that was a bit uninteresting. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Little Chef by Matt Stine and Elisabeth Weinberg - OPTIONAL

 Little Chef by Matt Stine and Elisabeth Weinberg, illustrated by Paige Keiser. PICTURE BOOK. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2018. $18. 9781250091697

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

This book is told in the first person by a narrator named Lizzy who loves to cook. She has cooked since she was a little girl and now her grandma is coming to visit and Lizzy wants to make the perfect meal for her. Walking through the steps of cooking day, from eating a big breakfast to going to the farmers market to smashing the potatoes. The big moment of the book is when Lizzy must decide what secret ingredient to add to her grandma’s recipe and it turns out she picks well and the meal is a hit. 

I love that this book has a recipe for the meal she is cooking in the back. I also love that this book highlights a talent that isn’t always obvious to young readers; so many books are about dancing or sports, that it is nice to have other hobbies depicted. Beyond this, the story is a little vanilla and the illustrations, done in an old comic book style (not in strips, just the illustration style), won’t be immediately eye-catching. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Me and Mr. Fluffernutter by Jennfier Gray Olson - ADVISABLE

 Me and Mr. Fluffernutter by Jennfier Gray Olson. PICTURE BOOK. Alfred A. Knopf, 2017 $17.  9780385754965

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3)--ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

A little girl and her beloved cat, Mr. Fluffernutter, do everything together.  They play dress up, catch butterflies, color, and even have tea parties. But when Mr. Fluffernutter wants to play something different, the little girl decides they might need some time apart. 

This is a cute story about friendship and the realization that even best friends like to do different things.  It is a great way to illustrate the idea of compromise and respecting others. 

Gina, Media Specialist

Rocket the Brave! by Tad Hills - ESSENTIAL

Rocket the Brave! by Tad Hills. EARLY READER. Schwartz & Wade Books (Random House), 2018. $13. 9781524773465

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Rocket is a little dog who finds that a butterfly has landed on his nose. When the butterfly flies off, Rocket chases it. He chases it around fields and rivers until he is led into the forest. At first he is scared, but when he finds the butterfly he realizes he loves the forest.

This is a great early reader. The illustrations are simple and give clues without being distracting. The reading level is about middles of first grade.

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

The Stellar Story of Space Travel by Patricia Lakin -- ADVISABLE

 The Stellar Story of Space Travel (History of Fun Stuff) by Patricia Lakin, illustrated by Scott Burroughs. NONFICTION EARLY READER. Simon Spotlight, 2016. $17.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) -- ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

This nonfiction book for young readers explains the history of space exploration, from the first astronomers to the future of space travel. An afterword describes the Earth's rotation, constellations, and science fiction stories that came true (or didn't).

The writing is approachable and fun, and the illustrations are eye-catching. The book manages to pack quite a bit of information into a small space. A good introduction to the topic for younger readers.

Reviewed by Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist

More Adventures with Phoebe by Lisze Bechtold - ESSENTIAL

 Buster the Very Shy Dog, More Adventures with Phoebe by Lisze Bechtold. PICTURE BOOK. Green Light Readers (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), 2018. $13.  9781328900906

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Buster and Phoebe’s dog adventures involve whose bones are whose and finding the garbage bandits. When their owner blames them unjustly, it takes both of them to find the real culprits.

This Level 3 book is an easy chapter book. The pictures are engaging, the story easy to follow. I quite liked it and plan to get more of the set for our library. I think they will be a hit.

Maureen, Library Teacher