Rrralph by L. Ehlert

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Frail
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Tree Bark ◽  
Large Format ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Word Play ◽  
Story Time ◽  
The University ◽  
At Home

Ehlert, Lois. Rrralph. New York: Beach Lane Books, 2011. Print. “Would you like to meet a talking dog?” According to the author’s note, this book was based on jokes that her brother told his grandchildren. The humour translates well into the story as the narrator uses a series of onomatopoeic word-play to explain how Ralph the dog “talks”.  For example, when asked where he is, Ralph answers that he is on the “Roof” of the dog house. When asked what is on a tree, he replies “Bark, Bark, Bark”. The story even includes a somewhat scary encounter between Ralph and a “Wolf! Wolf!” This book will definitely be a story-time favourite for younger children. The large format and brightly coloured pages make it ideal for displaying to groups. The super-size font alternates on each page between black and white, creating high contrasts. The illustrations were created from: “zippers, wood, buttons, twine, metal, tree bark, screws, hand-painted and home-made papers, and textile fragments”. This creates layers of interesting textures and gives the book a “home-spun” appeal. It would also provide an interesting opportunity for educators or parents to talk about making art from found or recycled objects, or the benefits of recycling in general.  The highlight of the illustrations is Ralph’s multi-coloured textile collar and metal-heart shaped dog tag, which will remind readers of real beloved family pets. His zipper smile is pretty endearing as well. Other books by Lois Ehlert include: “Lots of Spots”, “Boo to You!” and “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom”. According to the publisher Rrralph is recommended for ages 2-6. Highly recommended: four out of four starsReviewer: Kim FrailKim is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta. Children’s literature is a big part of her world at work and at home. She also enjoys gardening, renovating and keeping up with her two-year old.

scholarly journals Orchards by H. Thompson

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Huck
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
American Girl ◽  
Her Family ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Black And White ◽  
The Media ◽  
The University

Thompson, Holly. Orchards, New York: Delacorte Press, 2011. Print. Orchards is a poetic novel written by Holly Thompson. It tells the story of Kana Goldberg, an American girl, half-Jewish and half-Japanese, who is sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family in Japan working on their mikan farm. (Mikan is a type of Japanese orange.) A school-mate, Ruth, has committed suicide and Kana is a member of the group of girls who had excluded and locked horns with the girl over a boy, not realizing at the time that she suffered from bi-polar disease and that she was reaching out to the boy for support. The book is less about Kana accepting responsibility for her involvement in the confrontation with Ruth than it is about mending relationships and the process of Kana overcoming her anger and feelings of guilt. The book challenges us to set aside our own pre-conceived notions about bullying and consider the idea that everyone is vulnerable to depression, and that what gets sensationalized in the media as bullying is not always a black and white case of cruelty, but is sometimes a case of misunderstanding that escalates in dramatic fashion when emotions are mixed in. Kana’s fixation on Ruth and the pressure of a community that blames her and the other girls constitute an invisible burden that puts her at risk of the unthinkable, too. “Suicide can spread like a virus,” Kana’s grandmother warns. Kana’s ‘exile’ to a strange country turns out to be a chance to ground herself amongst her family, make peace with the presence of death in life, find confidence in who she is, and learn how to make a difference in the world of the living. Readers expecting a remorseful narrative may feel unsatisfied, but because the book reads quickly and the language is pleasurable, they may also decide to re-read it for a second impression. The reason it reads quickly is that Thompson has chosen to tell the story in a kind of free-flowing verse. Stanzas of varying lengths define sentence-like sequences, with the breaks between stanzas replacing the conventional sentence demarcators of full stops and capitalized first words. Line breaks play the role of commas, controlling the flow without impeding it. These syntactic arrangements complement the imagistic and uncluttered style of the writing, giving an inward, contemplative feel to the story. Because it is a subtle book, it would be most suitable for an older teen who is perceptive and has literary sensibilities. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: John HuckJohn Huck is a metadata and cataloguing librarian at the University of Alberta. He holds an undergraduate degree in English literature and maintains a special interest in the spoken word. He is also a classical musician and has sung semi-professionally for many years.

scholarly journals Fortunately, The Milk by N. Gaiman

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanne Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
New York ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Support Staff ◽  
Adult Readers ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Corner Store ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The University

Gaiman, Neil, Fortunately, The Milk. Illus. Skottie Young. New York: HarperCollins, 2013. Print.Mum has left to present a paper on lizards at a conference leaving a young boy and his sister at home with Dad for a few days. In addition to frozen meals she leaves Dad a long list of things to do and remember, including the fact that they were running low on milk. On the second day of Mum’s absence the children are dismayed to realize that the refrigerator is now void of milk. Dad heads out to the corner store to remedy this unfortunate disruption to their breakfast, only to be gone an exceptionally long time. When Dad finally returns, he recounts the most unbelievable adventure he had on his way home with the milk, including an encounter with space aliens, pirates and a time travelling stegosaurus named “Dr. Steg”.I am familiar with Neil Gaiman’s works for adult readers and this was the first book I have read by him intended for children. I was delighted to see that his imaginative style shines as bright, or dare I say even brighter, in this juvenile genre.  The narrator tells the story in a very candid style and I particularly enjoyed the places where the children interrupt their father to dispute the details of his story.The black and white illustrations on nearly every page of the book have an edgy hand-drawn quality to them that complement the lighthearted nature of the story. Skottie Young has conveyed exceptional detail in his drawings, focusing not only on the zany cast of characters but also with the depth using background images. I enjoyed how his artistry weaved and wrapped itself around the text on the page.Fortunately, The Milk is an adventure tale born out of the commonplace that shows one can find adventure even in a simple jaunt down to the corner store. As an adventure story it has a narrative momentum that will appeal to those who enjoy movement and action. Readers like myself, who enjoy action alongside breaks of description and character development, may find these aspects a bit lacking. Overall, this is a fun story that when accompanied by the illustrations would make it easy to read together with the whole family, as even younger children would manage to follow along.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Hanne PearceHanne Pearce has worked at the University of Alberta Libraries in various support staff positions since 2004 and is currently a Public Service Assistant at the Rutherford Humanities and Social Sciences Library. In 2010 she completed her MLIS at the University of Alberta. Aside from being an avid reader she has continuing interests in writing, photography, graphic design and knitting.

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by E. Litwin

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Frail
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Web Site ◽  
The Other ◽  
High Contrast ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Early Elementary School ◽  
The University ◽  
The Web ◽  
At Home

Litwin, Eric. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons.  Illus. James Dean. New York: Harper, 2012. Print. Pete, the laid back, imperturbable puss is back and this time author and children’s performer Eric Litwin incorporates math into the story. Pete puts on his favourite shirt and begins to sing about his buttons. There is lots of repetition to help kids learn about numbers and subtraction. First Pete thinks about the total number of buttons and the numeral is displayed. Then the word “four” appears twice in the refrain: “My buttons my buttons, my four groovy buttons”. One by one the buttons pop-off and each time the resulting equation is displayed: “How many buttons are left? 4-1=3”.  This sequence repeats until he is down to his belly button! As with the other Pete books, there is also a very important underlying message: don’t sweat the small stuff.  Each time he loses another button, the author asks: “Did Pete cry? Goodness, no! Buttons come and buttons go”. This is reinforced in the conclusion: “I guess it simply goes to show that stuff will come and stuff will go.  But do we cry? Goodness, No! We keep on singing”. Artist James Dean first painted an image of Pete in 1999 and the little bluish-black cat with the big yellow eyes is still going strong.  His images are composed of bright, high-contrast colours. The visible brush strokes and thick black outlines create lots of interesting textures and highlights.  Of particular note are the buttons that leave long spirals of black trailing behind them and look as if they are popping right off the page. Again, as with previous Pete books, ( I Love my White Shoes and Rockin’ My School Shoes),  there is a free downloadable song available from the Harper Collins Web site (http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/petethecat/). The book is certainly engaging enough to be enjoyed on its own. However, there is also a substantial amount of bonus material on the web site that can be incorporated into school lessons or enjoyed at home: the song, links to a YouTube video that pairs animated images from the book with the song, printable activities and a link to a “School Jam” ipad/iphone app featuring Pete. A clever fusion of music and math sprinkled with a life lesson in resilience, this book would make a groovy addition to school and home libraries for preschool to early elementary school-aged children. Highly Recommended: 4 out 4 starsReviewer: Kim Frail Kim is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta. Children’s literature is a big part of her world at work and at home. She also enjoys gardening, renovating and keeping up with her two-year old.

scholarly journals Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! And Other Poems More or Less About Manners by R. Kinerk

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Polkinghorne
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Public Services ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
The University

Kinerk, Robert. Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! And Other Poems More or Less About Manners. Illus. Drazen Kozjan. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print. “You be nice to me; I’ll be nice to you. / That agreement might work. It may get us quite far. / (And it could be what manners, in truth, really are.)” (1). Books filled with poems about manners must be relatively rare. If so, then a book filled with twenty rollicking, frank, vivaciously-illustrated poems about manners must be nearly unheard of. However, this is what Robert Kinerk and Drazen Kozjan have given us in Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! Readers of all ages will enjoy Kinerk’s direct, extravagant rhymes. His approach is comprehensive: he provides poems on entry-level etiquette such as cleaning one’s room, saying “please” and “thank you,” and keeping one’s clothes on in public, while also exploring more complex courtesies, such as shaking hands with adults, being on time, and keeping quiet at the movies. Kozjan’s illustrations are rich in both colour and detail. His style has been widely described as “retro,” likely because his work shares a particular rosy-cheeked exuberance with the work of iconic predecessors such as Mary Blair. Kozjan’s is a style in which an entire story is contained within a few strands of hair or a precisely-arched eyebrow. Despite its rolling rhythms and cheeky illustrations, what is most winning about Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! is its sophisticated approach to its topic. It even contains a poem about the fact that it’s bad manners to lecture others about their manners. “Manners aren’t lists of things you should do. / Manners help folks become easy with you,” Kinerk writes (12). It’s this deft touch that makes this book memorable and admirable. Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! will be appreciated by primary-school readers (and their adults). The poems are best read out loud, but the illustrations should not be neglected. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Sarah Polkinghorne Sarah is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta. She enjoys all sorts of books.

Ballerina Rosie by S. Ferguson

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trish Chatterley
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Hard Work ◽  
Free Time ◽  
Dance Teacher ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Young Girls ◽  
The University ◽  
Age Range

Ferguson, Sarah. Ballerina Rosie. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2012. Print. The Duchess of York recounts the tale of Rosie Red Curls, a little girl who loves to dance and dreams of becoming a prima ballerina. When her mother takes her to her first ballet lesson, Rosie struggles with the steps and is the least graceful girl in class. Rosie becomes discouraged until one Saturday, she wakes to find a gift of red ballet slippers by her bed. She’s now able to dance beautifully. She thinks it is because of her shoes until her dance teacher tells her that she was always talented, she just needed to practice and build confidence. At some point, most little girls dream of becoming a famous ballerina and will be drawn to the book. Unfortunately, the story is uninspiring and a bit corny. The stated intended age range is 4 through 8 but the book is much too short and simplistic for most 7 and 8 year olds, though it may still appeal to younger girls. The moral about hard work paying off would likely not come through clearly for young girls. While the illustrations by Diane Goode are colourful and fun, they depict young girls en pointe performing steps that are much too advanced for their age. They are, however, typical ballet poses which is perhaps why they were used. Aspiring ballerinas would be better off reading tales of actual ballets, as Rosie does before bed, and viewing more realistic photographs of dancers. Not recommended: 1 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Trish ChatterleyTrish is a Public Services Librarian for the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. In her free time she enjoys dancing, gardening, and reading books of all types.

scholarly journals Poo in the Zoo by S. Smallman

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Frail
Keyword(s):  
Public Services ◽  
Victorian Era ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Non Fiction ◽  
Colour Palette ◽  
The World ◽  
Rhyme Scheme ◽  
The University ◽  
At Home

Smallman, Steve. Poo in the Zoo. Illus. Ada Grey. Wilton, CT : Tiger Tales, 2015. Print.This story is a fun way to introduce kids to the fact that there all sorts of messy but very necessary jobs in the world. “There’s too much poo in the zoo!” for zookeeper Bob McGrew. Children who are at the age when all things scatological are both fascinating and hilarious will revel in watching Bob clean up after all of the animals in the zoo. The creative wordplay, rhyme scheme, as well as the fact that the word “poo” shows up an average of 2 or 3 times a page is sure to delight and amuse young listeners:“There was tiger poo, lion poo, prickly porcupine poo, Plummeting giraffe poo that landed with a splat.Gobs of gnu poo, bouncy kangaroo poo,A dotted line of droppings from a fat wombat!”After consuming some fireflies, an escaped iguana produces a green, glowing, alien-like pile of poop which draws crowds to the zoo. Hector Glue, who owns a travelling side-show of exotic poo, arrives on the scene to acquire it for his collection. With the money from the sale, the zookeeper is able to buy a robot “pooper scooper”. Ada Grey’s illustrations are rendered in a bright colour palette punctuated by lots of interesting textures. For example, in the scene where we meet Hector Glue, there is a myriad of patterns used in the depiction of the animal coats and skin as well as in the clothing of the zoo patrons, particularly in Hector’s Victorian-era showman outfit. Children will enjoy perusing the bottles of exotic poo from Hector’s collection which are also reproduced in the endpapers. There are clever gems such as:  “Squirrel Poo: Warning May Contain Nuts”.  Among the fictional creatures mentioned on the bottles, there are also many lesser-known animals such as an ocelot and a blob fish. This provides an opportunity for teachers or parents to encourage young readers to learn more about these animals. “Poo in the Zoo” could also work as a complement to a lesson or non-fiction book on animals or on caring for pets, provided that the teacher or parent points out the differences between fact and fiction. Recommended for ages 3-7.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Kim FrailKim is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta. Children’s literature is a big part of her world at work and at home. She also enjoys gardening, renovating and keeping up with her kids.

scholarly journals How Do Dinosaurs Say I’M MAD? by J. Yolen

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Feisst
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The University ◽  
Jane Yolen

Yolen, Jane.  How Do Dinosaurs Say I’M MAD? Illus. Mark Teague. New York: Scholastic-The Blue Sky Press, 2013. Print.This book about misbehaving dinosaurs is one of the most recent from the How Do Dinosaurs… series (of over 20 titles) power-duo of Jane Yolen and Mark Teague. Multiple award winning author Yolen and illustrator Teague have created a how-to manual of sorts to help the littlest people, as well as adults, learn to control our tempers.The dinosaurs in this story, who will be very familiar to fans of this series, are feeling angry due to many reasons; the Barapasaurus is upset about something he cannot have (his sister’s tricycle); the Afrovenator has been asked to sit still but he is having none of that; and the Lystosaurus does not want to go for a nap. They react with tantrums and terrible dino behavior that many young readers may see reflected in themselves: banging of toys, stomping, throwing things, and pouting.The bad behaviours are then tempered with calming techniques; counting to 10, breathing calmly, cleaning up, saying sorry and giving hugs.  Of course the outcome is not always so easily achieved with real children!  Mark Teague’s illustrations are very expressive, so much so that my 5-year-old was upset by the menacing and angry looks that the parents directed towards their dinosaur children in most of the images.  Luckily of course by the end of the book both parent and child have resolved the issues. While the familiarity of the characters in this book may be a draw for some readers, it can also create a sense of formulaic repetition for adults.   Recommended for public and school libraries.Recommended: 3 stars of out 4 Reviewer: Debbie FeisstDebbie is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta.  When not renovating, she enjoys travel, fitness and young adult fiction.

Whatever After: Fairest of All by S. Mlynowski

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trish Chatterley
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Fairy Tale ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Free Time ◽  
Female Character ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Know How ◽  
Snow White ◽  
The University

Mlynowski, Sarah. Whatever After: Fairest of All. New York: Scholastic Press, 2012. Print Ten-year-old Abby has just moved to Smithville with her parents and younger brother Jonah, and life just isn’t the same. One night, the two siblings knock on the creepy mirror in the basement and are instantly sucked into a fairytale land. They need to get home, but don’t know how to get there. They find themselves at the cottage where Snow White is living with the Seven Dwarfs, just as the evil stepmother in disguise is offering up a red apple to eat. They intervene and save Snow White from being poisoned! Initially they are pleased about this, but soon realize that they have interfered with Snow’s future and she won’t meet her Prince Charming. They decide to stay with Snow until they can set things right and ensure she lives happily ever after, enjoying many adventures along the way. This is the first story in a new series of modern fairy tale retellings (the second book will recount what happens to Cinderella when Abby shows up!). It’s an amusing and easy read with lots of action. Abby and Jonah have a pretty typical relationship, with a bossy older sister ordering around her rambunctious younger brother, and so they behave as you would expect. Abby is practical, but funny, and will always accomplish what she sets out to do. She therefore presents a strong female character with whom young girls can connect. The tale ends in such a way that the reader can be sure of more humorous exploits to come.Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Trish ChatterleyTrish is a Public Services Librarian for the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. In her free time she enjoys dancing, gardening, and reading books of all types.

scholarly journals I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes! by L. Davick

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Feisst
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Young Children ◽  
New York Times ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Series Books ◽  
Words And Images ◽  
The University

Davick, Linda. I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes! New York: Simon & Schuster-Beach Lane Books, 2013. Print.Graphic artist, illustrator and animator Linda Davick, whose colourful images have appeared in several seasonal counting series books such as the New York Times bestselling 10 Trick-or-Treaters, has penned her first book for children aimed at celebrating the unique qualities we all have. Starting from our head right down to our toes, the simply drawn children, with fun disproportionately-scaled features and descriptions to portray many kids, show off their various body parts. The book is essentially a whimsical love poem to our bodies that children will find entertaining, both in the prose and the illustrations.  Take this stanza as an example:I love you, nose, though there’s no doubt that when you sneeze some stuff comes out.The images are great, too: a little girl covering her nose to the smell of her baby sibling’s diaper, a child thinking about smelling pepper (spoiler alert: she sneezes), a stinky sock and fragrant flowers; young children will enjoy the interplay of words and images, especially about body parts and functions that are generally not discussed:I love the parts my friends don’t see: the parts that poop, the parts that pee.Ending with a sleepy boy drifting off to sleep, this would be a fun book to read with young children at night as part of a bedtime routine or even as part of an early-years story time, though the latter would certainly create a memorable experience for the students! Highly recommended: 4 stars of out 4 Reviewer: Debbie FeisstDebbie is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta.  When not renovating, she enjoys travel, fitness and young adult fiction.

scholarly journals I Like Vegetables: A Touch-and-Feel Board Book by L. Siminovich

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Frail
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
The Other ◽  
Learning Method ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Dinner Table ◽  
Wood Grain ◽  
The University

Siminovich, Lorena. I Like Vegetables: A Touch-and-Feel Board Book. Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2011. Print.“I Like Vegetables” is a dream come true for any nutritionally conscience parent, children’s librarian or teacher. The brightly hued collage illustrations are intriguingly textured with patterns and “touch & feel” inlays. Silky peas and rough-skinned carrots invite young readers to learn about vegetables. The layout is quite clever as it leverages contrast and comparison as a learning method. On one side of the page vegetables are depicted as they would appear growing in the garden while on the other side they are in the home being prepared for the dinner table. In addition, the nature side of the page illustrates the concept of opposites. For example, there are “tall” and “short” cornstalks. Orange carrot roots are “below” the ground, while the feathery green tops are “above”. The indoor side of the page features close-ups of vegetables against a wood-grain background that evokes a cutting board. Here children get a different perspective on the harvested veggies. We see shelled peas, open cornhusks and a cross-section of a pumpkin. The concluding series of images features an “empty” gardener’s basket next to a basket “full” of colourful vegetables on a blue and white gingham picnic tablecloth inlay.  This is primarily a picture book with only the names of the vegetables and the two opposing concepts appearing on each page. The typeset is Helvetica and is large and easy to read.  It is a sturdy board book and the inlays could not be easily ripped out or damaged. It is therefore a welcome addition to any toddler’s library. Other titles in the “I Like” series by Siminovich include: “I Like Toys “, “I Like Bugs” and “I Like Fruit”. “I Like Vegetables” is sure to engage children from ages 1-3. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Kim FrailKim is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta. Children’s literature is a big part of her world at work and at home. She also enjoys gardening, renovating and keeping up with her two-year old. 

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