Reviews
Hannah's Way
“Sometimes the tiniest actions are the most heroic. In this book—based on a true story—the heroes are children. Illustrator Gustavson is very good at painting eyes. Even when the characters have their eyelids closed, it’s easy to read their expressions. Mostly they look View →
Forced Out
“Ideal for reluctant readers who know baseball as a complex and strategic sport; the books’ brevity and recurring characters will add appeal. Useful and priced right.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Sadie and the Big Mountain
“A week-long unit on the holiday of Shavuot has one preschool class excitedly anticipating a planned reenactment of the hike Moses took up Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Resourceful Sadie, of Sadie’s Sukkah Breakfast (2011), enjoys attending her… View →
Freedom!: Book 1
“A charming balance of cartoon and natural kitty-ness in full-color, eight-panel pages, this cat’s-eye view of life will induce purrs in feline fans everywhere.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
I Date Dead People: Book 5
“The easy-to-follow black-and-white panels are drawn with a loose, expressive realism that effectively captures the plot’s droll and eerie turns.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Lily Renée, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer
“This is a smart little biography that will appeal to history buffs, comic book fans and anyone who likes a gutsy, pioneering heroine.” —The New York Times Book Review View →
Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap
“Quill says: This imaginative story of two different traditions, two different faiths, two different men united in a new friendship celebrating a Jewish holiday rich with history and meaning will delight children between the ages of four to seven.” Quill Book Review View →
Spielman’s language in this book soars, even poetic when describing what Marceau could do through mime. And the art is outstanding, very expressive and using the page space gorgeously through color, placement, and design. Gauthier fits the palette to the prose, making for a very… View →
“Far more visually arresting is ‘Marcel Marceau: Master of Mime,’ which showcases the atmospheric mixed media artwork of Manon Gauthier, a finalist for the Governor General of Canada Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Caldecott for illustrators. While the art and… View →
Lily Renée, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer
“This comic-book biography of a Jewish girl’s life under the Nazi jackboot and then as a refugee is low key and that much more profound for it. The panels are brightly lit, and the narrative is crisp, both of which serve to chillingly amplify the everyday banality of… View →
The Lonely Beast
“Judge, based in Dublin, tells a familiar tale but illustrates it with uncommon style and verve. Readers will want to know where the Beast ends up next. Friends, after all, like to keep in touch.” —The New York Times Book Review View →
My Boyfriend Bites: Book 3
“Fine fare for Buffy fans of all…types. Hip, steamy fun.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Tricky Coyote Tales: Book 1
“These 64 pages give readers an entertaining and even well-rounded look at Coyote’s personality: the trickster, fool and occasional wise man of tradition…. So what if the tone isn’t completely authentic—who doesn’t like to see a coyote fall off a cliff?”… View →
Escape from Planet Yastol
“A quick pace—punctuated with the siblings’ spats, creatures with polka dots, slavers, deserts, bird droppings and Josh’s frequent references to his original story—moves this volume along nicely. Every time Josh faces a new villain or challenging environment, he wishes… View →
Fish You Were Here: Book 4
“Venable and Yue’s Pet Shop Private Eye graphic series continues to charm. Yue’s adorable pet-shop fur (and scale) people are just as expressive as their human counterparts, and Venable’s gentle mystery and delightful, dry humor will extend Sasspant’s… View →
Gracie the Lighthouse Cat
“This true story of a double rescue in 1838, in which Grace Darling, a lighthouse keeper’s daughter, alerts her father to a storm-struck ship at the same time the lighthouse cat, Gracie, discovers one of her kittens is missing, is illustrated with lush, expressive paintings.… View →
“Darkly imaginative illustrations by Josée Bisaillon, a Canadian artist, lend the story a tinge of social commentary. Using a mix of drawing, collage and digital montage to depict both the fantastical upright ‘moon beaver’ as well as the gritty urban terrain of life… View →
I Love Him to Pieces: Book 1
“A hoot from opening salvo (‘JACK CHEN, YOU’RE THE FATHER OF MY BABY!’) to closing clinch.”… View →
Big Bouffant
“This book deals with a serious issue—defining one’s place among one’s peers—in the most entertaining way imaginable.” —ForeWord Magazine View →
The Maltese Mummy: Book 2
“Page’s black-and-white cartoon panels are full of pulpy action and visually exciting cinematography and include several ‘screen shots’ from MyBlogFace…. Good graphic fun.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
What to Expect When You're Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents (and Curious Kids)
“Folding in facts comes easily to Heos, for whom this is her first picture book. She manages to pack in explanations of survival, the food chain, camouflage, disguise and metamorphosis. There’s even a little history lesson involving beetles and book glue. Throughout, the… View →
The Ferret's a Foot: Book 3
“Yue’s adorable, expressive cartoon creatures ably extend Venable’s humor…. A winning graphic story all around.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
The Absolute Value of -1
“The Absolute Value of –1 begins with Suzanne Fisher viewing the audience at her father’s memorial service. In front is her high school sophomore brother, Simon; his girlfriend, Lily, to whom he is indifferent; and best friend for lack of any other, Noah. In three… View →