Elementary school | Page 2 of 27

What’s For Dinner? twists the wolf in forest story with dry humor and art

The personification on the cover of What’s For Dinner? drives its interest. The morbid curiosity of what could possibly happen helps also. The rabbit is so lightweight that it’s fluttering around like a kite in the wind. The wolf, who is carrying the rabbit by the hand, has a row of white, razor-sharp teeth. In his other hand, there’s a sheet of paper, probably a recipe for how to cook dinner. It’s a moonlit night, and the question of What’s For Dinner? can’t possibly be the long-eared critter. They also look so friendly that they could be my neighbor.

What’s For Dinner? takes the wolf in forest, adds more humor, fish out of water sensibilities, cartoon-detailed art and a side order of cute.

a wolf with teeth, a story with bite

Call Me Moby, big art for a whale of a tale in this very funny story

Call Me Moby was entirely unexpected. It has allusions to a story that most high school students won’t read, yet its inspiration is from a classic book. The illustrations in Call Me Moby don’t care about any of that. Its playful cover, with a massive, friendly white whale jumping over a tiny ship, will bring in young audiences as if they were a hungry bass looking at a bloodworm dangling from a hook.

Call Me Moby, an illustrated allusion on the most famous whale in literature, uses big, happy art and succinct text to tell a tale about being yourself.

Call Me Moby, the illustrated book, through a funny, allusion-filled lens

Kitty Caterpillar’s art turns a cute tale into a great illustrated book

Silly illustrated books need an ending that simultaneously makes young children roll their eyes and yearn for more. Kitty Caterpillar got that memo. This is an illustrated book about a cat with too many legs, her misadventures when curiosity gets the better of her and her short, but eventful quest to find her early elementary school human best friend. Kitty Caterpillar has illustrations that bring home the bacon. When kids engage with the book, they’ll giggle at the story, but be enthralled with the art.

Kitty Caterpillar, an illustrated book whose art makes it better, faster and funnier than you’re expecting

come for the cat, stay for the art

To Activate Space Portal, Lift Here-produces giggles for the read-aloud

If Daddy Mojo did an annual top 10 list, To Activate Space Portal, Lift Here would be in that list. It’s a picture book that practically reads itself. The book’s cover reels in older audiences, as well as, those sophisticated folks who appreciate Bat Boy and his origin. Bat Boy was on the cover of Weekly World News in 1992. He was a boy who resembled a bat and was found in a West Virginia cave. The cover of To Activate Space Portal, Lift Here has a more scientific, glossier, STEM-centric appeal for the most part, but then has a giant star on it inviting people to “Be the FIRST to meet alien life-forms!”. It’s that bit of over-the-top cheese that sold WWN and helps sells To Activate Space Portal, Lift Here.

To Activate Space Portal, Life Here is an illustrated book that will be your Pre-K through early elementary kid’s best friend.

This will get kids smiling-and sneaking off with the book

Weirdo, uses real-life against a graphic novel setting with heart and fun

Middle school has the potential to suck. Countless variables determine if you find your people early or meander through three years of school and life. By eighth grade you’re certainly ready for high school, but is it because you hit the wall or you’re ready a bigger, more appropriate challenge? There is a lot of that in Weirdo. I also feel a lot of ‘reviewer’s remorse’ now because Weirdo has been silently judging me from my book queue for a while.

Weirdo is a ‘real’ look at changes kids have through middle school, but done with life’s learned lessons, humor, geek stuff and great art.

Heroes are weird/We are all heroes

The Aftermyth is mglit you didn’t think you’d like, but end up absolutely loving

I never considered myself the type who would enjoy a young adult vampire romance book. The Aftermyth is by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Tracy Wolff. Wolff has written dozens of books and has a very extensive categorical list on her website. There are dark and sexy romances in Ethan Frost, sexy dragons in the Dragon’s Heat Trilogy, adult romance in Extreme Risk, sexy and heartwarming in San Diego Lightning and the aforementioned vampires in the massive Crave series. She’s also written some books for the Harlequin Superromance imprint. This is a series of books that my wife is wishing I’d take inspiration from; either for my abdomen workouts or romantic wooing. Out of the five sub-genres that Ms. Wolff writes books for, The Aftermath is the first one in the middle grade line up and it runs like a refrigerator.

The Aftermyth uses its wit, action, creativity and manic pacing to create an mglit release that’s hard to put down.

So good it’ll make you forget something something…

Pencil is a wordless book about creativity, sustainability, and a pencil

Pencil is a wordless book. Wordless books take a moment to appreciate. If young readers don’t have the patience or don’t realize that the book intentionally has no text, they’ll be confused. Author/illustrator Hye-Eun Kim put a page in Pencil called How to Read a Silent Book. It’s a page whose irony is rich in its title, but whose information is needed to help readers appreciate what isn’t there.

Pencil, a gorgeously illustrated wordless book offers a sublime take on being creative, sustainability and individuality.

Smart and wordless, yet full of ideas and action.

A Blurmp in Time, continues the Catwad must-read graphic novel streak for elementary ages

A Blurmp in Time (Catwad’s Friend Blurmp #1) is kind of like Catwad, but with more fart jokes. No, that’s not it. A Blurmp in Time is about everything and nothing, and succeeds on both fronts. That’s not it either.A Blurmp in Time is not entirely devoted of fart jokes. There is one moment where Blurmp saves his friend’s bacon by passing gas; but enough about breakfast meat. Let’s back up for just a moment. Blurmp is Catwad’s best friend, inasmuch as a grumpy cat who doesn’t like anything can have something it likes.

A Blurmp in Time unhinges Catwad’s friend in a time-traveling graphic novel (that kids will want to read) for ages seven and up.

Blurmp, take home and lose me forever