Children’s Book Review
September 2010With school bells ringing everywhere, the emphasis shifts once again to the joys of reading and the wonders of learning, which we celebrate in this month’s selection of titles for young and beginning readers.
Bones
Caldecott Medalist Steve Jenkins, the author-illustrator of numerous nonfiction works of distinction for young readers, offers a visually striking take on bones of every description, some of them, including a human skull, presented in full-size. “Bones are alive,” Jenkins writes. “They grow as an animal grows, get stronger when they are strained, and repair themselves if they get broken.” His artistic technique for this effort combines white cut-paper collages of the various bones depicted set on backgrounds of solid colors, creating a most dramatic effect. Three remarkable gatefolds open up to reveal a sequence of natural panoramas, one, in particular, of a python, with nearly two hundred pairs of ribs. All 206 bones found in the body of adult human are featured on another spread, all depicted one-fourth of their actual size. All in all, this is a very impressive work.
How Rocket Learned to Read
Tad Hills has built a nice following for his Duck and Goose series of books, and promises to do the same here with Rocket, an irresistible spotted pooch modeled on the author-illustrator’s own pet. Every eager student needs a compassionate teacher, needless to say, and in this instance the instructor is a helpful canary who engages the puppy’s interest by first reading aloud to him compelling stories, then proceeding to the sounds we are all able to make with the “wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet,” learning one letter at a time. Before long Rocket is hooked on the written words. The agreeable illustrations—and a gentle sense of humor that will appeal to everyone—make this a nice choice for youngsters apprehensive about starting school.
Calvin Can’t Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie
While all the other little starlings—and there are thousands of them—are out learning sensible skills like formation flying, nest building and insect hunting, Calvin, a true bookworm, is honing his reading skills at the library, his beak forever buried in a book. He learns every manner of interesting detail, to be sure, but when autumn comes, and it is time to hit the skies and migrate to warmer climes, he is unable to fly away with the others, forcing his companions to mount an unusual rescue mission, an improvised move that proves especially sagacious when Calvin is the only bird who knows what to do when a hurricane threatens everyone’s safety. Jennifer Berne’s cute tale is an unusual homage to books, nicely told, and smartly illustrated by Keith Bendis.
Man Gave Names to All the Animals
First released by Bob Dylan as a song on the 1979 album “Slow Train Coming,” the simple tune with decidedly innocuous lyrics about the splendor of the animal kingdom, “Man Gave Names to All the Animals,” inspired the well-known artist and naturalist Jim Arnosky to execute a suite of paintings that might, in his words, evoke “a land of primeval beauty, where the sky and earth were new, where plants first grew, and the animals knew no fear.” A CD featuring Dylan’s original recording of the song comes with the book, but it is the magnificent paintings that distinguish this lavish production. Readers are encouraged to identify the 170 animals that grace the pages; all are identified at the end, from baby crane and baby swan to woodpecker and zebra. A most unusual pairing of classic song lyrics with lovely illustrations.
Dear Tyrannosaurus Rex
For her sixth birthday, young Erin wants most of all to invite a special guest to her gala celebration, one that will provide a particular flair. “Dear Tyrannosaurus Rex,” she writes, “Please come to my birthday party.” She even encloses a map to show the way, and describes all the great things they will be able to do—games of all sorts, kids sliding down the creature’s tail, pepperoni pizzas, the whole works. Everyone thinks the child is indulging in wishful thinking, of course, until the big day arrives, and guess who shows up at the front door? Like the premise of the tale itself, Lisa McClatchy’s text is pure whimsy, but exuberant all the same. John Manders’ illustrations are full of action, great facial expressions, and wonderful good humor; a birthday party for the ages.