Children's book reviews, all age comic books, Kidlit, mglit, movies, entertainment and parenting
Snuggly is one of those adjectives that couples in the early phases of their relationships, as well as, parents to kids under two can earnestly use. It is a very appropriate adjective that correctly describes its intention. The ability to be seen as cuddling up with is a rare commodity. Are You Snuggly? is a playful board book that goes through a handful of animals and the very descriptive, and uncommon words used to describe them.
Have you seen Inside Out or Inside Out 2? Both of those movies did a fabulous job in explaining emotions. They were especially effective with those complicated ones, like anxiety and jealousy. The Gland Factory: A Tour of Your Body’s Goops, Juices and Hormones is the literary sibling by another mother to those movies. This is a book that’s funny, legitimately LOL funny on so many levels that you’ll begrudgingly find yourself learning something in-between a chuckle, grin, guffaw or laugh. Author Rachel Poliquin proves that she knows her audience because The Gland Factory is sufficiently gross enough to attract upper-elementary through middle school readers.
That’s a handful of alliterations in that short title, aren’t they? And while young readers might not appreciate its clever wordplay, they will immediately notice the glossy aspects to the book’s cover. The arctic fox is looking at its kit, while a mother and her daughter are in a boat in the horizon. In the background are whirling colors that older readers will associate with the aurora borealis. Younger readers might not know that fascinating light show, but will associate the pattern with something akin to Willy Wonka and be immediately curious about the show. That magic will continue as kids open Arctic Adventure. They’ll fall into wanderlust and become the armchair traveler that great illustrated books can help kids embark on.
When is a board book not a board book? When it turns into a store! I needed to twist that old joke from Bazooka Joe to illustrate the difference between Christmas Together with Polar Bear and Friends. It’s a picture book from The World of Eric Carle, which brings to mind visions of oversized glossy pages, or possibly thick board book pages of friendly, multi-hued animals asking simple questions or saying simple things. Christmas Together with Polar Bear and Friends can frustratingly be both of those or neither of those. However, if you accept Christmas Together for what it is, it can be a happy, non-secular look at Charistmas via a classic name in children’s literature.
Fearless Firsts: Athletes Who Changed the Game is a book with a very narrow scope and interest level. The subject matter is mainly on par with those upper-elementary school students. These are those students in fifth grade who will have to do their first essays on inspirational people, careers or interesting animals. It’s quite the juxtaposition because it’s comparing athletes from somewhat different time periods, in different sports, yet their ‘firsts’ have a frustratingly high amount in common. Not surprisingly, the solution to their ‘firsts’ and the athletes’ reactions to them are the same too.
Reluctant readers, mainly talking to you boys in middle-elementary school through middle-middle school, hear me when I say this. I hear you when, through one manner or another, you say or infer that you don’t want to read. Cosmic Cadets (Book Two): Accused! is a graphic novel (a format that you love), is set on a ship in space (science-fiction!) and has a group of peers (kids your age) who are working together (a lesson that your teachers and parents will love). This is a younger-skewing all-age graphic novel that pays attention to the subject matter most graphic novels that age ignore.
The Five Wolves by Peter McCarty is unlike any book we’ve seen before. It’s a wordless book, but presented at a very high level and is 285 pages long, so it’s not for the very young. The narrative is grand and has more in common with Beowulf or The Odyssey, than a graphic novel. However, one could categorize The Five Wolves as a graphic novel, albeit one that’s unlike anything they’ve ever seen. It’s also not entirely a wordless book. There are pages with words on them, but they’re pages with only words, hundreds of words, symbols or numbers with the phrases that are relevant to the story that are bolded. I tried to read The Five Wolves one time and got too frustrated with it. And while that’s not a good first impression for a book, I rebounded, took my time with The Five Wolves, looked over all of it and have a better impression.
The habits and seasonal routines shape our memories and lives. Bread Days is an illustrated book by Hannah Chung. For me, one of the strongest smells and memories of my childhood revolves around Christmas. I’m sure that Chex Mix is as tasty any time of the year, but I always place it during the final two weeks of the year. It’s Christmastime baking, and the smell of those ingredients is flooding the house. That is my version of Bread Days.
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