Reviews
Ode to a Commode: Concrete Poems
“Cleary’s 24 light subjects are aided mightily by Rowland’s intricately detailed hand-lettering and charming illustrations…. Signature silliness from Cleary and Rowland abounds in this children’s celebration of concrete poetry.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole
“An oversize format gives plenty of room for intriguing illustrations with a muted palette and an Old World flavor…. Anyone interested in haiku or poetry for children will find this collection a rare treat.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews View →
The Championship!: Book 4
“When two of their schoolmates are kidnapped, Tao and his friends team up to find them. In the fourth installment of this French graphic-novel series, Richard and Ryser set aside their usual short gags for a single book-length mystery: the disappearance of Master Snow’s two… View →
Elmer and the Monster
“McKee’s brightly colored illustrations and expressive animals will catch the attention of children…. The message that things may not be as scary as they seem is perfect for all children, and Elmer’s bravery is commendable.” —School Library Journal View →
White Space
“This is a fascinating, intricate story with multiple threads running through it. It is a combination of mystery, science fiction, and horror—an exciting page-turner.” —starred, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
Daisy to the Rescue: True Stories of Daring Dogs, Paramedic Parrots, and Other Animal Heroes
“Well-documented cases of animals rescuing men, women, and children are recounted with precision . . .”—School Library Journal View →
“Writing an ABC book has its challenges, as the end of the book may involve a xylophone, yogurt and a zebra; Kafka’s story is refreshingly unarbitrary. Fortunately, the author had to work with only one letter of the alphabet, the Hebrew View →
Mallory McDonald, Baby Expert
“Delicately handling the feelings young children have upon the arrival of a baby, this is another quality addition to the Mallory series…. Filled with cheery black-and-white illustrations, this is perfect for beginning chapter-book readers.” —Booklist View →
Secrets of the Sky Caves: Danger and Discovery on Nepal's Mustang Cliffs
“®ich end matter comprising glossary, index, timeline, source notes, and bibliography, will be a boon to report writers, and the melding of rock climbing and archaeology may entice a range of armchair adventurers.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s… View →
Bombs over Bikini: The World’s First Nuclear Disaster
“Goldsmith employs a reasoned tone, setting events within the context of realistic Cold War apprehensions, but allowing facts to speak eloquently for themselves.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
Every Body's Talking: What We Say without Words
“Count on readers sharing this book with friends and postulating exactly who among their acquaintance ‘always does that.’” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
Plastic, Ahoy!: Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
“Newman does a solid job of walking readers through the trio of studies in an orderly fashion, and plenty of color photographs convey a sense of ship life for readers more drawn to the adventure than the science.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
Sadie's Lag Ba'Omer Mystery
“Sadie’s Lag Ba’Omer Mystery is a great introduction to the holiday. Young children can relate to Sadie and Ori and their ‘detective work’ as they uncover information. Korngold explains Lag Ba’Omer in simple language and educates using… View →
The Whispering Town
“The spare storytelling style is perfectly matched with the sophisticated yet accessible illustrations, composed of black lines, fields of digital color, and scratchy pen details . . . This is a notable early introduction to the Danish resistance that deserves wide… View →
A Matter of Souls
“These are ugly truths exposed, brought to life with an immediacy that breaks through the gauzy filters of history. Teachers looking for a YA complement to Richard Wright will find the multiple characters’ stories here both useful and bracing.” —The Bulletin of the… View →
Mumbet's Declaration of Independence
“The case is fascinating, emphasizing the destructive irony at the heart of the birth of America and making Mumbet an active and savvy architect of her own release, and this is likely to spur much discussion.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
The Shadow Prince
“[A] smoking-hot romance and plenty of unresolved plot threads should be enough to keep readers looking out for the next installment.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
The Whispering Town
“Both author and illustrator do an excellent job of bringing both the horror and humanity of this story to a level younger children can understand, and there is much of both: Nazis pounding on doors; Carl giving Anett his most prized possession, a heartshaped stone, a last gift… View →
The Whispering Town
“Rounding out this literary threesome of resistance and escape is ‘The Whispering Town,’ a picture book written by Jennifer Elvgren and illustrated by Fabio Santomauro. The setting is a Danish fishing village, but one of the book’s charms is how little context you View →
The Milo & Jazz Mysteries: The Case of the Superstar Scam, Lewis B. Montgomery, 2013. Ages 7–11, 112 pp., $6.95 paper. ISBN 978-1-57565-519-2. The Kane Press; www.kanepress.com. Second- and third-grade students would love to follow Milo and Jazz,… View →
The Purim Superhero
“Look on any bookseller’s website and you’ll find a long list of books about children with same-sex parents. Some attempt to explain how children were conceived or adopted, and others reassure children that having a family that’s different is okay. As a gay… View →
“Each pose is perfection; parents will achingly recognize a magical time in their own children’s development, and young readers will recognize themselves in the careful explorer. The simple and elegant artwork provides a rich environment for the text…. Absolutely… View →
“Children ages 1-4 can learn about the holiday of Purim in this adorable and sturdy board book. ‘When It’s Purim’ is filled with entertaining and bright illustrations. Kids will love flipping the pages as they watch cute forest animals make hamantaschen for all their… View →