May 2010
Book Reviews
Book Magic for Mom
Enchanting titles for Mother's Day.
By Mary Quattlebaum
babies/toddlers
Raindrops: A Shower of Colors
by Chieu Anh Urban
illustrated by Viviana Garofoli
Sterling, 2010, $8.95
A purple parrot and a pink pig lead a rainy-day romp in this delightful debut picture book by local author Chieu Anh Urban. Tots can learn about colors and have fun shouting "Go! Go! Go!" as a yellow yak, orange octopus and red robin join the rush to a sunny spot. They can also peer through the large raindrop-shaped panel on each page to see how certain colors (blue and yellow, for example) blend to create new colors (green). The bright, whimsical illustrations by Viviana Garofoli are the perfect complement to the spare, alliterative text. On the final double-page spread, a rainbow reprises all the colors. No matter the weather, this board book will provide hours of fun.
ages 3 - 6
Piglet and Granny
by Margaret Wild
illustrated by Stephen Michael King
Abrams, 2009, $15.95
A tiny porker loves spending time with his bespectacled, "soft and squishy" Granny because she's as "lively as a family of leaping frogs." So when she fails to arrive for a visit, Piglet sets out to look for her. Along the way, he shows the skills Granny has taught him--balancing, somersaulting, hiding--to various neighboring animals. When Granny finally shows up, Piglet decides the wait has been worth the surprise she shares: a mudslide, with a whole new slippy-slithery skill to enjoy together. The language and watercolor illustrations are as kid-friendly as Granny herself--a senior citizen who's a playful child at heart.
The Hat That Wore Clara B.
by Melanie Turner-Denstaedt
illustrated by Frank Morrison
Farrar Strauss Giroux, 2009, $16.95
This celebration of the grandmother-grandchild bond also pays homage to stylish older ladies and to Mother's Sunday, a tradition in many African-American Baptist churches. Clara B. longs to try on Grandma's beautiful church hat but, says Grandma, it's "too delicate to be touched by many hands." Still, the girl watches and waits, through a long Sunday gathering, then seizes her chance--and ruins the hat. In confessing and figuring out how to fix her mess, though, Clara B. receives a loving surprise. Melanie Turner-Denstaedt brings the cadences and charm of an oral storyteller's voice to this family tale, which is beautifully illustrated by Frank Morrison's warm-toned, expressive paintings.
ages 7 - 10
Sharing the Seasons
edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
illustrated by David Diaz
McElderry, 2010, $21.99
"Fiddleheads unfurl/their green frills," writes Elizabeth Upton in "Spring Sun," one of the first poems in this vibrant yearlong paean to the natural world. Fresh imagery and ear-pleasing sounds, ranging from Upton's alliteration, previously noted, to tooting, crooning "Wildflowers," grace the 48 poems (12 for each season) of this fine collection. Editor Lee Bennett Hopkins mixes work by contemporary poets for children (Marilyn Singer, April Halprin Wayland, Rebecca Kai Dotlich) with that of masters such as Carl Sandburg to lively effect, all lushly enhanced by the mixed-media illustrations of Caldecott Medalist David Diaz. Perfect for read-aloud or solitary pleasure.
ages 11 and up
Mockingbird
by Kathryn Erskine
Philomel, 2010, $15.99
Virginia author Kathryn Erskine takes the reader into the world of Caitlin, a girl with Asperger's syndrome, as she struggles to understand the death of her older brother. Caitlin finds it much easier to "read" dictionaries than people; and in the course of regular meetings with her school counselor, she tries to learn social skills that will enable her to connect with others. She also wants to help her grieving father and the community to achieve "closure" in the aftermath of the school shooting that took her brother's life. In Erskine's capable hands, Caitlin emerges as a wholly believable, admirable hero as she forges a unique path to friendship and healing. A lovely, important book.
Vintage Veronica
by Erica Perl
Knopf, 2010, $16.99
Veronica loves the treasures--prom dresses, circle skirts, bowling shoes--she finds at The Clothing Bonanza, where she works with a hippy manager, two flamboyant mean girls and a quiet boy named Len. Like the vintage store itself, this self-confessed "fat girl" is stuck in a time warp, constantly hearkening back to the pranks and taunts that so pained her earlier years. Her current life doesn't seem much better, what with her slim dance teacher of a mom always harping about weight. In learning to speak up and out, Veronica discovers her affinity not just for beaded cardigans, but for loyalty, exotic pets, window-dressing, Len and her own large, crinoline-crackly self. Washington author Erica Perl uses vivid details and Veronica's half-shy, half-snarky first-person voice to entice readers inside her novel and to keep them pondering its pages as eagerly as the characters do the filmy, floaty duds that pass through their store.
Forget-Her-Nots
by Amy Brecount White
Greenwillow, 2010, $16.99
At the garden-bright boarding school attended by her deceased mother, Laurel begins to discover a latent power: flower power. Love, hatred and strength all bloom when Laurel brings together plants such as gardenias, basil and cedar. But when a rare, potent orchid is stolen from the conservatory, Laurel must track down and return its blossom before it can intoxicate the entire prom--and mess with the guy she likes. Mystery, magic, flower lore and a conservatory ghost all come together in this beguiling bouquet of a novel by Amy Brecount White.
Mary Quattlebaum is a mother and the author most recently of Sparks Fly High, a colonial American folktale, and Jackson Jones and the Curse of the Outlaw Rose, a humorous chapter book. Contact Mary through maryquattlebaum.com, which has information on her 15 award-winning children's books, school presentations and writing workshops.