Children's book reviews, all age comic books, Kidlit, mglit, movies, entertainment and parenting
Noemi Vola has a style. It could be more appropriate to say that Tra Publishing has a style and Noemi Vola’s art fits nicely into their groove. No, No, No is an illustrated book that’s smarter than you think it is. Its eye-catching cover feature a large yellow thing that could be a frog, who is in a small pond on a sunny day. There’s a spider, or a small octopus behind this yellow thing who is holding two ice cream cones that are melting on its Kraken-like arms.
Say this about The Second Life of Snap: it knows its target. Older readers might look at its cover and draw parallels to The Iron Giant. They could alter their opinion after looking at the back cover and see that our heroine is accompanied by three other kids. The three of them are seated on some nondescript rubble of a not-too-distant society, while Zuzu is on Snap’s shoulders. The subtitle to the book is, A girl, A robot, A race for the future, so readers will know that it’s dystopian to an extent.
Folk tales are different than fairy tales. The latter have to include magical or supernatural aspects, like beans that grow to the sky or a witch. Folk tales are passed down from generation to generation and are cultural in nature. They don’t have to have magic, but do focus on common people and could have a more graphic ending. The Boy Who Drew Cats: A Japanese Folktale got the memo on that. Originally translated in 1898, this is a new edition has illustrations on a grander scale.
The marketing for The Backrooms is top-notch. As someone who appreciates good marketing and a well-produced trailer, I am in. Our 16-year-old son has been watching the web series of the same name. He made us aware of its cultural prominence and then I started to see it in the classrooms. My students were all watching it, once their assignments were done, I like to tell myself. As a film, The Backrooms has a high bar to overcome.
There’s something unintentionally funny about a book called Get the Wiggles Out. Your silly adult brain envisions a toddler showdown with dancing and singing that involves non-Australian-based intellectual property, fending off other colored characters. Once you see it with your mind’s eye, you can’t unsee it. Thankfully, Get the Wiggles Out: Playful Ways to Embrace Every Feeling (Everyday Feelings with Sesame Street) stars the team who live where the air is sweet.
Be Yourself and Other Bad Advice is a very helpful, readable, relatable book with a bit of a subtitle problem. Problem might not be the most accurate word. Limiting comes to mind, but specific could also be used, and specific isn’t bad per se. A Teen Girl’s Guide to Unlearning the Rules is the subtitle and immediately identifies the book’s target audience. That subtitle will almost certainly rule out all but the most read-hearty boys.
I like big books and I cannot lie. The size of a picture book doesn’t matter. I know, you know, it’s about the quality or interest level of what’s inside. However, kids might be swayed when they see a picture book that’s larger than others. It puts a stamp on the bookshelf. It’s a physical declaration that dares young audiences not to open it. Books of that ilk have an awe about them. To wit, Awe! is a picture book that celebrates the wonders that live around everyone everywhere.
My pseudo-critical thinking lessons to high school students sometimes challenge them. I do provide answers, but I prefer to have students find the path or the solution, themselves. Jokes, stories and raw enthusiasm can lead people to learn in a manner where they want to, as opposed to they have to. Mushrooms and Company takes the former road. Educators, parents and some students will recognize the look of Mushrooms and Company.
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