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Frankie Stein Starts School by Lola M Schaefer, Illustrated by Kevan Atteberry

Natasha Maw — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 19:15:54 +0000

In Frankie Stein Starts School by Lola M Schaefer and illustrated by Kevan Atteberry, Frankie is different. He certainly doesn’t look like his parents. And he certainly doesn’t act like them either. He’s just a tad too clean cut and non-scary looking. Which happens to make him the scariest Stein of all.

Frankie is ready to start school at Miss Wart’s Academy for Ghouls & Goblins and he’s very excited. But his classmates – witches, skeletons, and vampires – won’t sit next to him and make fun of him for not looking like the rest of them.

But Frankie declares that he can be scarier than all of them. By the end of the school day, Frankie undergoes a grotesque, bone-chilling, ear-shattering, and bloodcurdling transformation until he becomes scarier and scarier. When he leaves for home after his first successful day of school, he has made many new friends and proved that even with his rosy red cheeks and blond hair, he can be scary as well.

The illustrations are bright and silly. Kids will enjoy copying Frankie’s antics.

Links of interest: Lola Schaefer website, Kevan Atteberry website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books. July 2010.
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN 0761456562
Source: Review copy for 2010 Cybil’s nomination for which I am a 1st round panelist.
Frankie Stein Starts School is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Goodnight, Little Monster by Helen Ketteman, Illustrated by Bonnie Leick

Natasha Maw — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 05:53:08 +0000

I know I’ve been saying this a lot about the Halloween picture books that I’ve been reviewing this past week but I have another book for you that is sooooo cute and adorable that I can hardly stand it. Have you seen Goodnight, Little Monster by Helen Ketteman and illustrated by Bonnie Leick? It’s a new one this year and one that you have to have!

Rhyming text describes one little monster’s going to bed rituals: bathtime and scrubbing every scale, tangling his hair, bedtime snack of worm juice and baked beetle bread, brushing his fangs, reading a book, checking under the bed for scary children, and snuggling in with a night-light (an eyeball of course).

Sweet dreams, Little Monster.
My darling, sleep tight.
With Mama nearby,
you’ll be safe through the night.

What absolutely steals the show in this book are the gorgeous illustrations. Just enough cuteness and just enough ick. Bonnie Leick certainly knows how to make me wish I could bottle up that little monster, put him in my pocket, and take him home with me. I love the clawed monster feet on all the furniture. Lots of bugs. Lots of spiders. Bats and mice as well. Both of my kids got a great kick out of the worm juice and baked beetle bread. They love to point out the jar of eyeballs on the copyright page.

Although perfect for the Halloween season, I’d read this book all year round. Oh man, the illustrations are just too adorable. I can hardly stand it.

Links of interest: Helen Ketteman website, Bonnie Leick website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books. August 2010.
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN 076145683X
Source: Library copy. A 2010 Cybil’s nomination for which I am a 1st round panelist.
Goodnight, Little Monster is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Hush, Baby Ghostling by Andrea Beaty, Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre

Natasha Maw — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:30:46 +0000

Hush, Baby Ghostling by Andrea Beaty and ilustrated by Pascal Lemaitre is the perfect bedtime Halloween book for the much younger set and one that won’t leave them frightened at all.

Mama ghost sings her sweet baby ghostling a soft bedtime lullaby:

Hush, Baby Ghostling.
The haunting hour is past.
The bats have ceased their swooping
and the dawn is coming fast.

So nestle safe beside me
in our happy haunted home,
And dream a dream of darkness
where the wild monsters roam.

Mama leaves a bit of darkness in the hall, in case he’s scared of the light and will reassure baby ghostling that the songs and laughter is just the wind outside. She’ll search the closet for that little boy with ten pink toes, blue eyes and golden hair who might give him a fright.

She sends him to bed with sweet kisses and dreams of hisses, howls, screeching owls, of bats and banshee cries. “Now dream a little nightmare while the ghoulies dance and sway. Dream a dream of darkness where the wild monsters play.” The book ends with hugs, kisses, and the whisper of I Love You.

Although I like Pascal Lemaitre’s illustrations in Andrea Beaty’s other books like Firefighter Ted and Doctor Ted, I’m not a huge fan of the illustrations here. It’s as though everything glows. And maybe it’s supposed to? But all in all, I can see past the illustrations to a cute bedtime lullaby. Great for those kids who will understand the turnabout of the words and how baby ghost is more scared of us than we are him!

Links of interest: Andrea Beaty website, Pascal Lemaitre website, Maw Books reviews of Firefighter Ted, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry. August 4, 2009
Hardcover 32 pages. ISBN 1416925457
Source: Review copy for 2009 Cybil’s nomination for which I was a panelist.
Hush, Baby Ghostling is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligott

Natasha Maw — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 10:54:29 +0000

In Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligott, on the night of a full moon just before midnight, the young son of a barber does what he’s never allowed to do: leave the house by himself. Well, he’s not really alone when he’s accompanied by his friend Vlad the Vampire is he?

Together they prepare the barber shop for the regulars who soon will arrive. These aren’t your ordinary regulars though. It’s a special clientele: monsters! It’s busy all night and our young barber is prepared for all kinds of different haircuts and styles. Rotting tonic, horn polish and stink wax are all on hand. But things gets tense when there is a knock at the front door – surely it couldn’t be a human wanting a haircut at this time of night? But not to fear, our young barber knows how to take care of business.

A fun book to read this Halloween season. A great cast of monster characters who are simply taking care of their monsterly looks.

After all, even monsters need haircuts.

Links of interest: Matthew McElliogott website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers. July 20, 2010
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 080278819X
Source: Picked up a review copy at Book Expo America. A 2010 Cybil’s nomination for which I am a 1st round panelist.
Even Monsters Need Haircuts is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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The Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijitten

Natasha Maw — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 10:20:42 +0000

Be sure to add The Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijo to your picture book Halloween reading this month.

Trick-or-treating has always been fun and safe especially when the town can count on the mysterious masked boy to wrangle up all the Halloween hoodlums. In fact, he’s done such a good job keeping Halloween safe that for years he hasn’t had to step in at all.

But that changes when a group of Goodie Goblins shows up wrecking havoc. There is even talk of canceling Halloween for good! The Halloween Kid back to the rescue! But are his skills too rusty? Can he overcome the Goblins or will the town need to come to his rescue?

I loved the fun western take on a “yee-ha-halloween!” The story was really entertaining to read and so fun to read a loud to the boys by getting into character. Very clever. But what I loved even more where the fantastic illustrations. I adored the vintage feel of the entire book.

The Halloween Kid is a new release so don’t miss it this year!

Illustrations copyrighted to Rhode Montijo.
Links of interest: Rhode Montijo website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction picture book. Approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. August 3, 2010.
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 1416935754
Copy Source: Library
The Halloween Kid is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli

Natasha Maw — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:22:43 +0000

In my last post I gushed about how much I love Marla Frazee. Leslie Patricelli is another one of those illustrators that I LOVE!! Two years ago (man -was it really two years ago already?!) I was able to interview Leslie and honestly, being able to interview Leslie is one of the best highlights I’ve had from blogging thus far. I love her books so much.

Higher! Higher! came out last year and I feel guilty that I’m just now reviewing it here on the blog. It is one of the books that my boys will pull out frequently. In fact, they have it memorized (actually not a hard feat when each page only says “Higher! Higher!”) but I will hear them looking at it to themselves and reciting the text. It never gets old for them.

In Higher! Higher! a little girl is being pushed on the swing and keeps asking to go higher and higher. And she does go higher. So high in fact that she finds a surprise. One that I won’t spoil for you but one that my boys get a kick out of every single time. They especially love the monkey and they love to spot the baby which is the main character in Leslie Patricelli’s other books.

Sadly, I don’t have Leslie’s newest book Potty which just came out last week. And I NEED this book right NOW. Not having any luck in the potty training area. Crisis situation. Hopefully Leslie Patricelli will come to the rescue. Is that too much to ask from our favorite illustrators?

Links of interest: Leslie Patricelli website, Maw Books interview with Leslie, Maw Books spotlight on Leslie Patricelli’s board books.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Candlewick. March 24, 2009.
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN 0763632414
Source: Review copy for 2009 Cybil’s nomination for which I was a panelist.
Higher! Higher! is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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The Hermit Crab by Carter Goodrich

Natasha Maw — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:15:21 +0000

I love how The Hermit Crab by Carter Goodrich begins. And its beginning will give you a really good flavor for just how this story will unfold:

The hermit crab in this story didn’t set out to be a hero. And he wasn’t particularly brave. He was, actually, very shy. Whenever all his neighbors would get together, the hermit crab was happy to linger just out of sight. If anyone did happen to notice him, he would become terrible nervous and start to fidget. And then, if they should happen to say something like “Hi” or “How’s it going?” he would disappear into his shell without saying a word.

Or at least how you think it will unfold. I assumed that the hermit crab would be confronted with a situation in which he had to act very brave. This act of bravery would bring him out of his shell (quite literally), he’d make wonderful new friends who loved that he was a hero.

But what really happens is that the very shy hermit crab was minding his own business when he happens upon a broken superhero figure buried in the sand. He thinks this will make a great new home, so he moves in. Meanwhile, all the other fish and sea life are in a dire situation. A trap had one of the fish – well – trapped and they were all too scared to help. The hermit crab still minding his own business stumbles upon the scene and not knowing that anything fishy (ha – a pun!) was going on accidentally untrapped the fish.

When the other fish begin to celebrate he retreats further into his new home and then later abandons it when nobody is looking. The attention is just too much.

The book ends

The next day, the hermit crab made his way back to town. There, still perched on top of the highest rock, was the fancy new shell, empty as the day he’d found it. But nobody in the crowd noticed. They were happy to cheer their new hero, while the lobster made speech after speech.

So the hermit crab settled in, just beyond the edge of the crowd, right where he was most comfortable.

He smiled to himself, and he even cheered the fancy new shell. But he cheered very softly.

And just a little bit.

He didn’t want to be noticed.

The type of book that makes me smile. The accidental hero. My boys love the inclusion of a superhero figure. I loved the muted greens and blues. The hermit crab was a very likable character. The smile on his face when he moves into the superhero figure is priceless.

Links of interest: More book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction picture book. Approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster. June 2, 2009
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 1416938923
Source copy: Review copy sent from publisher fro 2009 Cybils nomination for which I was a panelist.
The Hermit Crab is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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First Come the Zebra by Lynne Barasch

Natasha Maw — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:00:48 +0000

Kenya is the beautiful location for a great migration of animals coming in from neighboring Tanzania. Each animal including the zebra, which comes first, the wildebeest, and the gazelle’s take just what they need from the land. By sharing the land there will be plenty for all and peace among the grazers. It is this analogy which is the basis of the story in the picture book First Come the Zebra by Lynne Barasch.

Early one morning Abaani, a young Maasai boy wakes up early, as he does each day, to take his cattle out to graze for the day. He discovers along the road a new vendor stall tended by a Kikuyu boy. Knowing that the Kikuyu have begun to farm on the grasslands needed for the Maasai’s cattle, he begins to hurl insults at the boy. Haki, the Kikuyu boy, indignantly returns the insults.

But when a nearby baby wanders to close to three warthogs in the area, both boys act quickly and together to safely return the child to his mother. Each begin to think that the other boy must be all right but yet they each go home and say nothing. Each day Abaani continues to herd his cattle and pass Haki’s stall. Each are reluctant to speak with each other. Finally, they both overcome their apprehension and begin to play mancala together each day. They even realize that they could benefit from trading Haki’s fruit and vegetables for Abaani’s milk.

Just as the zebra, the wildebeest and the gazeel share the grasslands, the boys hope that the Maasai and the Kikuyu will also find their own peaceful way to share the land.

A very touching book about overcoming prejudices, forging friendships and looking beyond conflict towards the hope of a peaceful coexistence.

At the back of the book are some excellent resources including an authors’s note about the people of Kenya, how to play the game mancala, a map of the area and where Kenya is located in Africa. There is also a pronunciation guide and glossary for the words that children would be unfamiliar with in the story including the tribe names, sayings, animals such as gazelle, warthog, and wildebeest. It is always attention to these kinds of details and resources that takes a picture book to the next level for me.

Links of interest: Lynn Barasch website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, July 1, 2009.
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 1600603653
Source: Review copy for a 2009 Cybil’s nomination for which I was a panelist.
First Come The Zebra is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness by Frank L. Cole

Natasha Maw — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:02:58 +0000

Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness by Frank L. Cole is the followup to The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters but I found one doesn’t need to read the first to understand the second. This book is wonderfully strange, irreverent, funny, quirky, odd, and perfect for young boys who are reluctant readers. Such a weird, weird, and oftentimes a very random book.

First let’s start with some of the character names: Hashbrown Winters, Brody the Ape Slayer, Snow Cone, Whiz (he has a bladder problem), Hummas Laredo, Butter Bibowski, Bubblegum, Four Hips, Pigeon, Gurgles Dunderland, Squeaky Mittons, Wish Bone Parker, Echo Rodriguez, Fibber Mckenzie, Measles, Yeti, McKean, Twinkles, Brandy Newspickle, Saddle Bags Bollinger, Cup o’ Noodle Hickock, Frosty John, Hambone, Teeter-Totter Williams. Um . . . yeah. Seriously not even kidding. That alone should give you a taste of what kind of book this is.

Hashbrown has a lot of great friends and runs his treehouse club like a well oiled machine but when his arch enemy, Hi Mashimoto, starts his own rival treehouse club, Hashbrown is so jealous that he will do anything to prove that his treehouse is cooler than Mashimoto’s. What he doesn’t expect is that Mashimoto will go to any length to secure his domination.

Kids will love the story, the antics, the stink bomb during school assembly, the prison out back of the school that holds all the bad kids, and the dungeon in the basement of Prudence Elementary. Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness is so random, so quirky that boys will eat it up. Lots of strange humor and more than one potty joke.

But more than that, reminds me that reading is supposed to be fun.

Links of interest: Frank L. Cole blog, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Bonneville. January 8, 2010
Paperback, 128 pages. ISBN 1599553783
Source copy: Review copy sent from author
Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Firefighter Ted by Andrea Beaty and Pascal Lemaitr1

Natasha Maw — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 03:29:45 +0000

My little boys are four and three so it pretty much goes without saying that a book about firefighters in our house is going to be a hit. And Firefighter Ted by Andrea Beaty and Pascal Lemaitre is a hit with them.

Ted wakes up one morning and smells smoke. And because Ted couldn’t find a firefighter he became a firefighter! And what a fantastic firefighter he is – he helps put out breakfast fires, rescues kittens, and puppies. And that’s all before he gets to school in the morning! And there is danger everywhere at school. But thank goodness Ted has everything under control otherwise things could go from worse to disastrous in no time.

My kids got a real kick out the principal’s pants catching on fire. As a parent, I loved how the book embraces imagination and creativity. Ted can pretend to be anything he wants to be. And when the day is over, he’s on to a new adventure and a new vocation.

I now need to go hunt down Doctor Ted.

Links of interest: Andrea Beaty website, Pascal Lemaitre website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry. September 1, 2009.
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN 1416928219
Source: Review copy for Cybil’s nominee for which I was a panelist.
Firefighter Ted is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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