Alice Cary

Children's & YAMiddle Grade

Reluctant reader tackles real-life mystery

Review by Alice Cary

Open up My Life as a Book, and you’ll immediately be drawn in, whether you’re 9 or 90. Young Derek Fallon, the narrator, has a breezy style and lots of things going on in his life. The good news: It’s summer. The bad news: Derek hates to read, and he’s got a summer reading list. He’s been labeled a “reluctant reader,” and that’s an understatement. He likes to draw, however, and he enjoys making stick-figure drawings to illustrate vocabulary words. These fun drawings appear throughout the book, created by author Janet Tashjian’s 14-year-old son, Jake.

At the heart of Derek’s summer is a mystery: He encounters an old newspaper clipping about a teenage girl who drowned on Martha’s Vineyard while she was babysitting Derek. Derek was just a toddler and remembers nothing, and he naturally wants to know more. His mother doesn’t want to discuss it, so Derek becomes a detective, leading to a series of discoveries and adventures.

By the end of the summer, Derek has barely read one of his three assigned books, but he has learned many lessons. As he explains to his teacher, he learns that “we all mess up sometimes and struggle with things that are difficult. That even if reading is hard, everyone needs stories. I didn’t want to read the books on the list, but I wound up surrounded by stories anyway.”

My Life as a Book is a fabulous, fast-paced choice for reluctant and avid readers alike.

Open up My Life as a Book, and you’ll immediately be drawn in, whether you’re 9 or 90. Young Derek Fallon, the narrator, has a breezy style and lots of things going on in his life. The good news: It’s summer. The bad news: Derek hates to read, and he’s got a summer reading list. […]
Children's & YAPicture Book

City Dog, Country Frog

Review by Alice Cary

Fans of Mo Willems’ best-selling, laugh-out-loud Pigeon and Knuffle Bunny books may be surprised by the quiet tone of his new picture book, City Dog, Country Frog, in which a dog and a frog befriend one another. Their relationship is sweet and heartfelt, much like that of Arnold Lobel’s beloved Frog and Toad series, without any of Frog and Toad’s misunderstandings.

The duo meets in spring, on City Dog’s “first day in the country.” They romp and explore exuberantly, basking in each other’s company. When summer arrives, City Dog teaches Frog some of his favorite games, which include “sniffing and fetching and barking.” By fall, however, Frog is too tired to play, and come winter, he is gone, leaving City Dog lonely and bereft over the loss of his friend. The next spring, City Dog finds a new companion (Country Chipmunk), but he never forgets dear Frog.

In a beautifully understated way, City Dog, Country Frog tackles the essential issues of friendship, change, loss and death. It’s also the sort of book that can be absorbed at many levels. Some children will simply enjoy the surface-level story, while others might be ready for more profound discussions suggested by the tale.

While Willems’ text is appropriately spare, Jon J Muth’s watercolor illustrations are gorgeous, showing the changing soft palette of each successive season—from the brilliant greens of spring and summer to the soft purple, blue and yellow tones of a beautiful winter day. Muth’s renditions of Dog and Frog are cute but never trite, and he paints these animals with a wide range of heartfelt expressions.

Writing and illustrating such a lovely, simple, yet meaningful book is no easy feat, and Muth and Willems have once again proven themselves masters.

In a beautifully understated way, City Dog, Country Frog tackles the essential issues of friendship, change, loss and death.
Children's & YAMiddle Grade

The transformative powers of the imagination

Review by Alice Cary

The heroine of Princess Says Goodnight is an average young lady in an average family, with a mom, dad, older brother and sis, a cat and a dog, all of whom relax in their family room one evening and slump on their green plaid couch.

But ah, the transformative powers of imagination! As the tired and yawning parents escort their youngest to bed, she radiates energy in her pink tutu and socks, ready to dance the night away. She curtsies in the mirror, sees a gold crown atop her red locks and imagines herself “At the palace in the nighttime,” leaving the ball.

Naomi Howland’s simple, rhyming text transforms the little girl’s nightly ritual into something grand: “Will she hold a candelabra / while climbing up the stairs / and have a frothy glass of milk / with chocolate cream eclairs?”

This is every little girl’s dream come true, and David Small’s always delightful illustrations show the princess’ now-majestic bedroom, containing a four-poster gold bed with a purple canopy and bedspread. This princess’ entire family is also transformed; they are suddenly decked in royal attire. Look closely, and notice how the brother’s red-checkered pajamas transform so nicely into a jester’s outfit as he takes his sister’s lovely slippers away on a tray.

The house is, of course, completely changed into a fairy-tale castle, as the princess gazes out of one of its turreted towers. Who wouldn’t love a bathtub in the shape of a giant golden swan, with different towels for each toe?

The royal treatment continues, with a lullaby and story, but at the end of the evening, our princess is in need of one thing only: a kiss from her very own mom and dad, back in her own bed. Nothing is more comforting than that, after all.

Princess Says Goodnight is a sweet read for young princesses everywhere waiting to be tucked in.

The heroine of Princess Says Goodnight is an average young lady in an average family, with a mom, dad, older brother and sis, a cat and a dog, all of whom relax in their family room one evening and slump on their green plaid couch. But ah, the transformative powers of imagination! As the tired […]
Children's & YAPicture Book

Tickled pink

Review by Alice Cary

A word of warning to dads: your young daughter is likely to adore this book, but you might want to watch your wardrobe!

Violet, a bunny, is the exuberant hero of Pink Me Up, and she has been invited to the 3rd Annual Pink Girls Pink-nic. She is already adorned in her favorite color, so she lays out a pink-tastic wardrobe for her mother, who is soundly sleeping, her head covered with a pillow.

Unfortunately, Mama wakes up covered with pink spots, so Violet's best day ever suddenly turns to the worst day ever. Daddy comes to the rescue, but Violet announces, "Boys are NOT pink!'

Daddy manages to pull out a pink tie from his closet, which Violet believes is hardly enough. With some creative collaboration (including markers, tape and stickers) Violet soon has Daddy looking pink-errific.

Author-illustrator Charise Mericle Harper has filled this book with energy and fun, and her simple acrylic illustrations shout modern style and vibrant colors—not all of them pink. (For the record, Harper reports that her favorite color is "sad blue," but there is nothing at all sad in this book, except for that brief moment when Violet fears she can't go to the Pink-nic.) The artist's bird's eye views are particularly effective, as we get an overhead look, for instance, at Mama trying to hide under the covers, and, a bit later, at Violet, who has thrown herself on the floor when she realizes Mama is ill.

Pink Me Up is a vivacious choice for a bedtime, library or school read aloud for young audiences, but be sure to have your audiences "pink" themselves up beforehand.

Alice Cary thinks pink at her home in Groton, Massachusetts.

A word of warning to dads: your young daughter is likely to adore this book, but you might want to watch your wardrobe! Violet, a bunny, is the exuberant hero of Pink Me Up, and she has been invited to the 3rd Annual Pink Girls Pink-nic. She is already adorned in her favorite color, so […]
Children's & YA

Picture books capture the delights of the season

Review by Alice Cary

One of the year's most interesting holiday books is Maya Angelou's Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem. The celebrated poet first read this poem at the 2005 White House tree-lighting ceremony, and now it graces the pages of a picture book. The poem isn't an obvious choice for a children's book – it's philosophical, thought-provoking and full of big words like covenant, rancor and apprehension. Yet it is a powerful message – sermon-like – and a good one for children to hear. (The book also comes with a CD, so readers can hear Angelou's majestic voice reading.) Angelou discusses how what she calls the "Glad Season" appears amid "fear and apprehension," bringing people together. She writes: "We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Nonbelievers, / Look heavenward and speak the word aloud. / Peace." The book's artwork is equally luminous, providing a storylike backdrop for Angelou's verse. Using both fabric collage and paint, artists Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher have created illustrations full of depth, texture and light that blend naturally with Angelou's words. They depict parents and two children walking in a small snowy mountain town at Christmastime. They visit a glassblowing artist and purchase a small, glass Christmas tree. They walk to the townhall for a community candlelighting ceremony, joining with townspeople of many races and ages to celebrate the season of peace. Amazing Peace makes a lovely gift, no matter what your religion or politics. It's an enriching book for readers to turn to year after year, with an all-encompassing message that will never grow old.

A baby's birth

Laura Krauss Melmed's Hurry! Hurry! Have You Heard? is more traditional children's book fare. Her rhyming text tells of a baby's birth in a barn on a winter's night and the animals who come to see him. A sparrow invites the animals to come greet the newborn child, and a delightful menagerie accepts the invitation. Over snow-covered fields and woods come a rabbit, fox, sheepdog, mice, shrew, mole, tortoise, hummingbird and even a parade of insects: spider, ladybug, caterpillar and more. Well-known artist Jane Dyer brings this scene beautifully to life with pastoral yet lively scenes created with gouache paints. She paints bright blue skies, sun-draped evergreens and a baby that you can almost hear cooing. Her animals look realistic, yet storybook-like in a delightful way. The sparrow wears a striped scarf, for instance, and the mice and vole wear little coats. There's no actual mention of religion here, and only the bare-bones of the Jesus story are included: a baby, a mother and welcoming animals. Hurry! Hurry! Have You Heard? is the perfect way to introduce very young children to the Christmas canon.

Riding in Santa's sleigh

Young children will also relish Santa's Little Helper by Angela McCallister. A fluffy little rabbit named Snowball can hardly contain his Christmas Eve excitement. He tries out various hiding spots during a game of hide – and – seek with his siblings. Snowball obviously lives near the North Pole, because he encounters a walrus, polar bear and plenty of snow during his rambles. Eventually Snowball finds a cozy hiding spot, but he's so exhausted and hidden so well that he falls asleep. Turns out he has buried himself among Santa's presents, and he soon ends up aboard Santa's sleigh, helping him during his Christmas Eve journey. Daniel Howarth's illustrations are charming, showing a snow – filled backdrop that bursts into vivid color once Santa is on the scene.

A bear-y Christmas

The Christmas Bears is another intriguing book for young readers. Instead of Santa Claus, there is Santa Bear and his family of young bear helpers from around the world. The endpapers show a world map that locates the habitats of the various bears, which include a brown and black bear, a panda, a koala and a sloth. Chris Conover's rhyming text is slight, telling how the bears get ready for Christmas. However, his richly detailed illustrations remind me of master illustrator Jan Brett and her Christmas bears and reindeer. These are beautiful illustrations, and young readers will delight in spotting the different types of bears.

Yet another Christmas bear appears in Jean Marzollo's counting book, Ten Little Christmas Presents. Ten animals each get a present that's waiting in the snow, and on each page, a present is revealed. Mouse gets earmuffs, Fox gets a poncho and Chipmunk gets a jacket. The secret Santa turns out to be a cute little Santa Bear. Marzollo's simple illustrations are absolutely charming – just check out the fuzzy porcupine or the brown – textured raccoon. An added (and surely popular) bonus is a matching game at the end of the book, challenging readers to remember which animal got which gift.

No laughing matter

When Santa Lost His Ho! Ho! Ho! is an amusing tale written and illustrated by Laura Rader. During a busy Christmas season, Santa is so worn out that he suddenly loses his laugh. His entire workforce of elves is horrified, and all unite to try to get him ho-ho-ho-ing again. He goes to the doctor, watches funny movies and listens to endless jokes. People from around the world try to help, especially the children, who begin a frantic letter-writing campaign. Finally, a little girl named Holly sends a letter and drawing that do the trick. Preschoolers and young elementary students will delight in this energetic story, with fun-filled, busy, cartoonlike illustrations. It's one of the more light – hearted books of the bunch, and a good complement to the somber tones and themes of Amazing Peace.

One of the year's most interesting holiday books is Maya Angelou's Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem. The celebrated poet first read this poem at the 2005 White House tree-lighting ceremony, and now it graces the pages of a picture book. The poem isn't an obvious choice for a children's book – it's philosophical, thought-provoking and […]
Children's & YA

A Smoky Mountain memory

Review by Alice Cary

Eleven-year-old Autumn is excited to be moving away from her isolated mountain home to the big city of Knoxville, Tennessee. Her father is working there, and Autumn, her older sister, Katie, and their mother are about to join him. The year is 1934, and Civilian Conservation Corps workers are busy in the mountains, transforming the land into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Plans change, however, when her grandfather takes ill. Autumn's mother decides Gramps needs her care (and she really doesn't want to leave Cades Cove, where she has always lived). She and the girls move in with Gramps, because they've already sold their house to the government. Gramps is thrilled about the coming park, because people have been told that Cades Cove won't be part of it. Gramps is convinced that he and the neighbors will get rich catering to all the tourists who will flock to the area. At first Autumn despises living with her grumpy Gramps. Nor is she thrilled by the boy who keeps hanging around – Cody, the lonely nephew of a man helping to get the park ready. But before long Autumn and Cody discover that park planners haven't been telling the truth: Cades Cove will be part of the park, and its people will lose their homes.

Kristin O'Donnell Tubb has written a wonderful debut novel, full of history, excitement and sensitivity. She has done her research well, loosely basing Gramps and Cody's uncle on real people. There is also plenty of action, including a wild ride that Autumn and Cody take in a wooden coffin down a rain – swollen river. Autumn is a funny, likable and very real character, and readers are treated to many fine glimpses of the Cove's vanishing mountain traditions, such as a visit to a moonshine still and the community "Syrup Soppin' Festival."Eventually, Autumn learns that adults aren't always right, and she comes to fully appreciate her stubborn grandfather, who finds himself duped by park planners. There is no happy ending to this story – Tubb takes no easy shortcuts – but she finds a satisfying and very real resolution.

Today the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the U.S., and Cades Cove is the most visited section of the park.

Alice Cary lives in Groton, Massachusetts, and hopes one day to visit Cades Cove.

Eleven-year-old Autumn is excited to be moving away from her isolated mountain home to the big city of Knoxville, Tennessee. Her father is working there, and Autumn, her older sister, Katie, and their mother are about to join him. The year is 1934, and Civilian Conservation Corps workers are busy in the mountains, transforming the […]
Children's & YAPicture Book

Starting the school year off right

Review by Alice Cary

Although my youngest children are twins entering fourth grade, I still take notice of new books by Rosemary Wells, one of our favorite storytellers and illustrators. Her latest is Yoko Writes Her Name. Yoko, who is Japanese, worries that she won't graduate from kindergarten after her classmates pronounce her Japanese writing "scribbling." Things get worse when Yoko shares her favorite book with her classmates, who tease her about reading from right to left. Luckily, Angelo comes to the rescue, complimenting Yoko on her "secret language," and asking her to share her knowledge. Mrs. Jenkins catches the excitement, adopting Japanese as her class' second language. As always, Wells' illustrations are bright, fun and filled with heartfelt characters. An added bonus is Japanese calligraphy, so young readers can try Japanese writing themselves.

READY, SET, GO!

Mrs. Miller's students are heading to Elm School in Off to First Grade, a delightful book written by Louise Borden and illustrated by Joan Rankin. This is truly a story about beginnings, taking a slightly different approach than most first-day books: it's all about the getting ready and going, and not about what happens once everyone gets there.

The story is told from the 23 students' points of view, in short snippets, as the children share their enthusiasm, hopes, fears and questions that first morning. They all have something to share, starting with A for Anna and ending with Z for Mr. Zimmerman, the principal. Mostly there is excitement, as Anna brags to her little brother about the "zillions of books" she will read to him, and Otto admires his new red sneakers. Of course, there's some nervousness: Ignacio is a newly arrived immigrant and Yoshi isn't sure he's ready. By the end of the book, all 23 children stand in a circle around Mrs. Miller and Mr. Zimmerman, who is ready to read them a book (a copy of Off to First Grade is tucked under his arm). Rankin's lovely watercolors make each student jump to life, and give this book about "going" great forward motion.

BEARLY THERE

Poor Boris. He's the star of Carrie Weston's The New Bear at School. The students in Miss Cluck's classroom are initially excited about the newcomer, hoping for a fluffy, pink bear, a Paddington-type bear, or any kind of teddy bear. However, when the door opens and a grizzly bear walks in, everyone screams.

Things go downhill from there, as Boris breaks his chair. When Boris grins, everyone panics at the sight of his sharp teeth. Chaos erupts, and Boris feels ostracized. That is, until a gang of bullying rats preys upon some students after school. Boris unwittingly scares them off, just by appearing and smiling (his sharp teeth have a way of exciting everyone). Boris ends up a hero, and suddenly the hairy, scary bear has been transformed into a soft, cuddly friend. Tim Warnes' pastel-toned illustrations are just right (he was inspired by watching cartoons with his kids).

COPING WITH THE BIG DAY

Michael Wright's bright, bold illustrations in Jake Starts School look like they are a cartoon! The book is full of humor and funny bird's-eye view perspectives, and it's Homer Simpson-esque in a good, ages four-to-seven kind of way. I love, for instance, the big spread in which Jake's parents turn to him in the car, saying, "Big day, son!" and "Isn't this exciting?" They both have big heads that fill the page. Meanwhile as Jake spots students and the bus outside the car window, the narration states: "As they arrived, Jake was surprised to see so many kids." In true-to-life fashion, Jake screams and bolts the minute he lays eyes on his red-headed teacher. He grabs his parents' knees for dear life and refuses to let go. When no one can pry Jake away, he and his parents go through the day glommed together, and it is quite amusing indeed. Of course, the situation resolves itself, and Jake finds happiness in his classroom, as we hope children everywhere will this fall.

Although my youngest children are twins entering fourth grade, I still take notice of new books by Rosemary Wells, one of our favorite storytellers and illustrators. Her latest is Yoko Writes Her Name. Yoko, who is Japanese, worries that she won't graduate from kindergarten after her classmates pronounce her Japanese writing "scribbling." Things get worse […]
Children's & YAPicture Book

Playing it safe at the beach

Review by Alice Cary

The title of this book says it all. As the first page explains: "Scaredy Squirrel never goes to the beach. He'd rather vacation at home alone where it's safe than risk being surrounded by the wrong crowd." Specifically, he fears sea monsters, pirates, seagulls, jellyfish, coconuts and lobsters. To avoid all of this, Scaredy Squirrel decides to build his own beach, with things like an inflatable pool, a plastic flamingo and kitty litter (for sand). Once he sets it up, however, Scaredy Squirrel realizes he's missing one crucial thing: the sound of the ocean. To remedy this, he decides to go to the beach and grab a seashell that he can listen to back home at his private beach.

The great fun of the Scaredy Squirrel books (this is the third) is Melanie Watt's amusing text and artwork. Often the pages are in the form of a how-to manual, such as a spread showing our hero's "Guide to Building a Safe Beach," or another spread called "Beach Map (Mission: Operation Seashell)." Such pages are whimsically detailed, giving young readers plenty to look at and laugh at. No doubt they'll love the diagram showing the squirrel's "beachwear," which includes no less than nine items—one of which is "protective headgear for falling coconuts." Scaredy Squirrel launches an intricate plan to reach the beach (involving a passport and a delivery truck), and once there, he is quite surprised to find that the beach is crowded, which makes him panic. He plays dead, but eventually finds the perfect seashell. What's more, he begins to relax and enjoy himself. In the end, he discovers that he actually likes the beach—and, as a result, he decides to make one final adjustment to his beach back home.

Young readers will love this book, which brims with humor and clever diagrams and illustrations. And Scaredy Squirrel is so darn cute that kids may want to try their own hand at drawing this lovable character. With luck, they'll also take the book's message to heart, and learn to venture beyond their comfort zones and to overcome their fears.

The title of this book says it all. As the first page explains: "Scaredy Squirrel never goes to the beach. He'd rather vacation at home alone where it's safe than risk being surrounded by the wrong crowd." Specifically, he fears sea monsters, pirates, seagulls, jellyfish, coconuts and lobsters. To avoid all of this, Scaredy Squirrel […]
Children's & YA

State-of-the-art mystery

Review by Alice Cary

The art-loving trio of middle schoolers is at it again. In The Calder Game, Blue Balliett's latest art adventure, Calder Pillay, Petra Andalee and Tommy Segovia find themselves in England, on yet another exciting quest. Balliett has devised a best-selling formula that works—kids solving mysteries involving great works of art—but each time she varies the art form, so that each novel feels different. In Chasing Vermeer, Petra and Calder track down a stolen Vermeer painting, and in The Wright 3, Petra, Calder and Tommy try to save a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. All three novels are action-packed, but they are also information-packed, offering intriguing details about the art and artist, and challenging readers with intellectual questions and brain-teasing clues.

The Calder Game starts out with a field trip to the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art to see a collection of Alexander Calder mobiles. And here, in deft writing, Balliett makes Calder's art come alive through the eyes of her three seventh-grade characters. Petra muses as she looks at the mobiles: "Simple? Only at first glance. Complex? Clearly, the answer should be yes. This is art that changes people, Petra thought to herself, people of all ages. But how?" The three students will soon be changed greatly. Calder, who got his name because his parents admire the artist and his work, travels to Woodstock, England, with his dad, who is attending a conference. It just so happens that in this town a giant Calder sculpture has mysteriously appeared in the square. And Woodstock is the home of Blenheim Palace, which has a maze, so the stage is set for excitement. Calder has lots of free time to explore this new place while his dad attends meetings each day. Before long, the Calder sculpture disappears just as mysteriously as it appeared, and young Calder Pillay also goes missing. Petra and Tommy are summoned to England to try to help find him—along with the police, of course. The story moves swiftly, and along with the high-stakes drama, interesting questions are posed about the nature and appreciation of public art. The Calder Game is another wonderful effort from Blue Balliett, one that I wish had been around when I was a kid.

Alice Cary writes from Groton, Massachusetts.

The art-loving trio of middle schoolers is at it again. In The Calder Game, Blue Balliett's latest art adventure, Calder Pillay, Petra Andalee and Tommy Segovia find themselves in England, on yet another exciting quest. Balliett has devised a best-selling formula that works—kids solving mysteries involving great works of art—but each time she varies the […]
Children's & YA

Goodbye (and good riddance)

Review by Alice Cary

"What if this were a story in a book with a well-worn maroon leather binding? What would good old-fashioned people do in this situation?" This is the question posed by Nanny, the caretaker to four children in Lois Lowry's latest book, The Willoughbys.

It's a wonderful, laugh-out-loud-funny spoof of old-fashioned children's books that are full of noble, heroic children, evil adults and many tragic turns. In this case, the evil adults are Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby, who "frequently forgot that they had children and became quite irritable when they were reminded of it." They grow so annoyed with their offspring that they hire a nanny, take a lengthy sea voyage, and put their house up for sale while they're away.

Meanwhile, the Willoughby children have found an abandoned baby on their doorstep. After their mother refuses to care for it, they leave the baby at the mansion of a sad recluse, Mr. Melanoff, whose wife and son have been missing for years in an avalanche in Switzerland. Of course, many grand adventures and plot twists ensue in the course of this easy-to-read, fast-paced book.

Nanny and the four children end up getting along famously, and all hope that Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby are eaten by crocodiles during their travels. The children are a charming, fun brood, prone to bickering, of course, and reminiscent of many other literary clans, including the four children in the Narnia books.

Newbery Medal-winning author Lowry, who contributed her own black-and-white line drawings to the book, is one of the best children's writers working today, truly amazing in her depth and versatility. She is known for serious books such as The Giver and Number the Stars, as well as for more light-hearted tales such as Gooney Bird Greene and, now, The Willoughbys.

The rip-roaring adventures of the Willoughbys would make a wonderful read-aloud for your own old-fashioned clan, with loads of fun and laughs on each and every page.

 

Alice Cary keeps her clan together in Groton, Massachusetts.

"What if this were a story in a book with a well-worn maroon leather binding? What would good old-fashioned people do in this situation?" This is the question posed by Nanny, the caretaker to four children in Lois Lowry's latest book, The Willoughbys. It's a wonderful, laugh-out-loud-funny spoof of old-fashioned children's books that are full […]
Children's & YA

Thomas the Tank Engine, watch out!

Review by Alice Cary

There are some new vehicles in town, and they live in Jon Scieszka's Trucktown. Alas, if only those garage doors had been open when my teenage son was a preschooler, we would have definitely spent many an hour there. Award-winning (and very funny) author Jon Scieszka has teamed up with three top-notch artists to create this preschool series, with 52 books planned in all shapes, sizes, and formats. My advice: If you have a vehicle-lover worth his or her salt, start clearing out the shelf space.

As with those Thomas trains, Trucktown is filled with a variety of wheeled personalities, such as Monster Truck Max, Dump Truck Dan, Rescue Rita and Izzy Ice Cream Truck, all sporting winning smiles and wide-lidded headlamp eyes. Smash! Crash! is full of these characters on bright, bold, action-filled pages. The text is intended for the very young (or a beginning reader), as evidenced by this first page: Jack Truck. Dump Truck Dan. Best friends. Jack and Dan. So what exactly do these two friends like to do together? Smash! Crash! of course, and all of their smashing and crashing will delight any truck-loving child. Throughout these pages Jack and Dan race through Trucktown, quickly introducing us to its many personalities and possibilities. The twosome realize they are being followed by a shadow something pursuing them with a task, and it turns out to be Rosie, who has a job that's just up their alley (and I bet you can quickly guess exactly what it is!).

This new book will no doubt be an instant and beloved read-aloud. The talented artwork trio of David Shannon, Loren Long and David Gordon has created quite the cast of lovable yet tough trucks, sure to be smashed and crashed again and again.

Alice Cary drives (sedately) in Groton, Massachusetts.

There are some new vehicles in town, and they live in Jon Scieszka's Trucktown. Alas, if only those garage doors had been open when my teenage son was a preschooler, we would have definitely spent many an hour there. Award-winning (and very funny) author Jon Scieszka has teamed up with three top-notch artists to create […]
Children's & YA

Kate DiCamillo’s magical Christmas tale

Review by Alice Cary

Rarely is a holiday book so lovely in every way as Kate DiCamillo's Great Joy. The story is heartwarming yet wonderfully subdued; the artwork glows. What's more, this short tale has a message that's bound to resonate with readers of all ages.

Young Frances lives in a city apartment, and outside her window, just before Christmas, she spies (and hears) an organ grinder and his little monkey. Frances enjoys the serenade, but wonders where the two sleep at night. Her mother brushes off her questions she is preoccupied with sewing Frances' costume for the Christmas pageant. The story appears to be set during World War II, and on a table rests a framed photo of a man, probably Frances' dad, in uniform. The illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline, done in acrylic gouache, are spectacular: full of emotion and expression, all bathed in a muted holiday glow. The magic of Ibatoulline's art is that it manages to be simultaneously almost impressionistic yet vivid with detail.

Frances can't get the organ grinder or his companion out of her mind, so in the middle of the night she sneaks another peek out her window and sees them huddled on the street corner. The next evening, bedecked in her angel costume, Frances and her mother head to the pageant. In passing, she invites the organ grinder to come along and hear her one line in the play. And, in one of those spectacular cinematic moments, he walks through the church doors just as Frances goes center stage. DiCamillo's Great Joy is just what the title suggests. It's a wonderful, quiet story about true holiday magic, the joy of opening your heart to others, to everyone in need.

Rarely is a holiday book so lovely in every way as Kate DiCamillo's Great Joy. The story is heartwarming yet wonderfully subdued; the artwork glows. What's more, this short tale has a message that's bound to resonate with readers of all ages. Young Frances lives in a city apartment, and outside her window, just before […]
Children's & YA

When a drawing comes to life

Review by Alice Cary

Sisters Emma and Lucie are having a terrible spat. After bragging about her drawing of the beautiful princess Aurora, Emma proclaims that Lucie's drawing of a kitty looks like a scribble. Lucie is so mad that she scribbles all over Emma's drawing.

Here's where the fun begins. While Emma runs off to complain to their parents, Lucie and her pet cat are magically pulled into the world of these drawings. Scribble the cat comes to life. He has heard all the fuss and wondered what a princess was, and he wondered what beautiful was, so he runs straight to the drawing of Aurora, who is sleeping in her princess bed. Author/illustrator Deborah Freedman pulls off the drawing-within-a-drawing concept of this picture book simply but deftly. Lucie has drawn Scribble with bold strokes on a piece of bright yellow paper, while Emma has drawn Aurora on bright pink paper. As these two childlike creations come alive and interact, we see the meeting of pink and yellow worlds. Meanwhile, Emma, Lucie, their cat and their room are drawn in precise detail, a nice contrast to the world of the childish drawings. Scribble decides that his job is to rescue this lovely princess, who has been sleeping for 100 years. Lucie, meanwhile, remains intrigued, but is still furious and insists she will not help with the mission. Eventually, however, Scribble gets trapped in the scribble marks that Lucie made on her sister's drawing. In the end Lucie does the right thing and comes to the rescue, helping to make everything right. By the time Lucie finds her way back out of the world of these drawings, her sister Emma returns, and it seems likely that their squabbles will continue. Scribble and Princess Aurora will live happily ever after, nonetheless, thanks to Lucie.

First-time author Freedman is a Connecticut architect and the mother of two daughters, Emma and Lucie. Her exceedingly clever and entertaining little tale will enchant the very youngest of readers, while also enthralling older readers who are savvy enough to appreciate and ponder its many dimensions.

 

Alice Cary writes from Groton, Massachusetts.

Sisters Emma and Lucie are having a terrible spat. After bragging about her drawing of the beautiful princess Aurora, Emma proclaims that Lucie's drawing of a kitty looks like a scribble. Lucie is so mad that she scribbles all over Emma's drawing. Here's where the fun begins. While Emma runs off to complain to their […]

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