This Book Will Make You An Artist

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This Book Will Make You An Artist will do exactly that. After a brief introduction covering such subjects as supplies and the color wheel, this books introduces readers to twenty-five artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, Artemisia Gentileschi, Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Bridget Riley, Liu Bolin, Yayoi Kusama, and Esther Mahlangu.

Ruth Millington gives a brief biography of each artist and a description of his or her style, then provides a fun art project related to that artist. Projects include painting points like Seurat, making cutouts like Matisse, splashing paint like Janet Sobel, and creating a string sculpture like Judith Scott. Millington also includes a glossary with basic art terms.

This book is a wonderful introduction to art history and technique through a variety of mediums. Especially nice, Millington’s choices are very inclusive with a balance of old and new artists, both male and female, and from a variety of countries. This book is perfect for the any budding artist looking for some inspiration.

(Review originally posted on the Los Angeles Book Review and book donated to the Maltby Food Bank.)

I Am NOT the Easter Bunny!

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This poor bunny just can’t catch a break. He’s being stalked, spied upon, and accused of being the Easter Bunny when it simply isn’t true. He just happens to have a white coat and cotton tail. His bow tie was a gift from his grandmother. How else is he supposed to carry his groceries without a basket? So what if his shopping list consists of lots of eggs, carrots, chocolate, and jelly beans. He happens to like a sweet treat now and then. He hops because he doesn’t have his bus pass. Painting eggs is merely an arts and crafts projects. And, really, how would the Easter Bunny get anything done if people really knew who he was? Or does this bunny protest too loudly?

T.L. McBeth has written a sweet, funny story that will have little listeners laughing at the Easter Bunny’s hilarious denials, while getting them excited for his visit. Given the simplicity of the text, this book might also serve as a great early reader and just in time for the Easter holiday.

(Review originally published on Manhattan Book Review and book donated to Maltby Food Bank.)

Lola and the Troll

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Lola is a young girl who loves school but hates walking to school because she must pass a young boy who dresses like a troll and hurls hurtful insults at everyone who passes. Lola tries to be brave but eventually starts changing herself in response to the insults: she wears her curly hair differently, stops smiling because of her missing front teeth, and worst of all, begins whispering because the troll said she was too loud.

Eventually, Lola’s teacher notices the changes and tells Lola the bully must be very afraid of Lola if the only way he can feel good about himself is by making Lola feel bad about her wonderful traits. With her confidence back, Lola confronts the Troll, who ends up being a new boy happy to make a friend.

Lola and the Troll sends an incredibly important message in this beautifully told and illustrated story. No child should ever feel they need to change themselves or lose their voice in response to a bully. And maybe, just maybe, the bully needs some understanding as well.

(Review originally posted on the Los Angeles Book Review and book donated to the Maltby Food Bank.)

José and Feliz Play Fútbol (José and El Perro)

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In this bilingual, beginner chapter book, Jose comes home from school to announce that he has been chosen for the school soccer team. When he begins practicing at home, Jose discovers that his dog, Felix, is quite a talented soccer player. Indeed, Felix becomes the team mascot after the whole family attends Jose’s practice and Felix chases the ball on the field like he did at home. At the big game, Jose worries that Felix will dash out onto the field. Instead, Jose scores the winning goal, Felix stays in the bleachers like he was told to do, and Jose hugs his best friend.

This story, which is told in both English and Spanish, is a terrific way to help encourage the understanding of both languages. Although a list of Spanish words and phrases is provided at the back of the book, the meaning of any given word is clear from the context. While a pronunciation key might have proved helpful for those who are not well-versed in Spanish, this book proves a fun introduction to a second language.

(Review originally published on San Francisco Book Review and book donated to Maltby Food Bank.)

Keyana Loves Her Friend (Keyana, 2)

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A year ago, Keyana’s best friend, Nia, moved away. Now, Nia is returning to visit, and they are going to have the greatest sleepover ever. Keyana, who is a powerhouse of personality, begins planning all of their activities before Nia arrives, but Nia has ideas of her own. Some of those ideas stem from their time apart. Keyana’s father tries to tell Keyana that she may discover new things she likes to do, but that’s not what Keyana wants to hear.

After Nia’s arrival, the sleepover goes less than smoothly, with Nia saying she’s ready to go home. Keyana finally admits she afraid that Nia will forget the things they like to do and Keyana. Nia says she could never forget her best friend, and they come up with new sleepover activities, creating the most spectacular sleepover ever.

This book, the second in the Keyana series, gently teaches important lessons about friendship and how to navigate the changes that can occur with distance and time. Given Keyana’s bigger-than-life personality, don’t be surprised when little readers may request more stories with Keyana.

(Review originally published on Manhattan Book Review and book donated to Maltby Food Bank.)

Beaky Barnes and the Devious Duck: A Graphic Novel

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In this graphic novel, the Devious Duck visits a host of characters in the town of Simpleton as they go about their zany adventures. The duck’s primary goal is to make money to buy more and more bread. To do so, he studies how to scam people and sells bogus products to the townsfolk: pond water for a strength elixir, paper running shoes that feel light as air, and seances to bring back favorite past desserts.

At the same time, other characters go about their lives: for example, a cafe owner tries to find a new baker and the inventor creates exploding, “sudden” pizza dough and helium dough that makes you float away. Just when Beaky Barnes, the librarian chicken, catches on to the duck’s scams, he saves the day by saving Beaky’s chick Chickie, who ate helium dough and floated away.

David Ezra Stein is a Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator and author and an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award winner. This is a highly imaginative story, but is definitely best suited to older children, as some of the humor may require explanation. That said, for the child who loves wacky, madcap craziness, this may prove a good choice.

(Review originally posted on the Los Angeles Book Review and book donated to the Maltby Food Bank.)

Grumpy Monkey Spring Fever

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Jim Panzee has a highly relatable problem. He wakes up one day feeling completely silly and takes off running and laughing through the jungle. When his friend Norman suggests Jim has spring fever, Jim rushes off to find a cure. Jim’s friend Water Buffalo informs Jim that he isn’t really sick: Jim just has a lot of energy because it’s spring and he needs to calm down. Then all of Jim’s friends start suggesting ways to calm down, but Jim just explodes angrily with energy.

Jim’s friends back away until Norman suggests that having a lot of energy isn’t bad: Jim just needs to do spring things like hide eggs, plant flowers and climb a tree. After doing all of these things, Jim yells happily that he doesn’t care who knows he has spring fever. With that, all of his friends catch his fever and start doing spring things, too.

So many times, young children are told to sit still and behave. Here, however, their irrepressible energy is seen as a positive if it’s channeled a good way. With spring rapidly approaching, maybe even a few lucky adults with catch their charges’ spring fever and join in the fun as well.

(Review originally published on the Chicago Book Review and book donated to the Maltby Food Bank.)

A World of Love

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Sometimes, a picture book comes along that is destined to become a beloved childhood memory for those who see and hear it. A World of Love is just such a book. Told with gentle rhythm and rhyme, a series of animal caregivers tell their babies how they show their love for their charges. For example, a dove will sing to her chick so he can rest softly, while a dolphin will call to the calf she adores across the great seas he explores. A horse cheers his foal running strong across vast prairies “with joy the whole day long.” Finally a human parent hugs her child with love that wraps around the world “and comes right back to you.”

Aimee Reid has written the perfect bedtime or snuggle-time book, while Christopher Lyle’s collage illustrations using hand-painted paper, pencil and crayon provide an excellent complement to the text. Finally, Reid thoughtfully provides a page of interesting facts about some of the animal families portrayed in the text for those whose curiosity may be piqued. In sum, this is a book that should not be missed.

(Review originally published on the Portland Book Review and book donated to the Maltby Food Bank.)

Love Grows

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In Love Grows, a very thoughtful aunt sends a series of houseplants to her niece, each with a sweet note and some helpful information about the plant. Very quickly, the young girl has a very large collection of well-tended plants: a monstera, pothos, fern, cactus, spider plant, snake plant, and a fiddle-leaf fig, to name but a few. Each letter and plant also carries the subtext of the aunt’s love for her niece until the aunt finally arrives for a visit and the whole family can see that, just like the plants, love grows.

Respected children’s science-book writer Ruth Spiro has written an endearing yet informative children’s book with a heartwarming theme. Here, listeners learn about a whole host of common houseplants while also hearing that, like thriving plants, a family’s love grows as well. Lucy Ruth Cummins’ cozy illustrations complement the text nicely. This book should not be missed by young green thumbs or by aunts and uncles with special nieces or nephews, although they may want to plan for a trip to the nursery.

(Review originally published on San Francisco Book Review and book donated to Maltby Food Bank.)

Dragonboy and the 100 Hearts (Dragonboy, 3)

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Dragonboy and his four stuffed animal friends must stay inside on a rainy day. Dragonboy suggests that they explore inside, but Yellow Kitty says they can’t find anything new inside and poor Simon the Sloth struggles to keep up with them. Darwin immediately begins to find small surprises, but the others won’t listen to him. Eventually, they end up in the top story of their house where they find old toys that are new and interesting again. When the group finally realizes that Darwin is sad because no one listened to him, they all stop and realize Darwin has been finding little red hearts all throughout the book that mark acts of kindness.

Occasionally, a children’s picture book comes along that will remain in the recesses of memory long after others have faded. Dragonboy and the 100 Hearts is just such a book. Here, the characters are adorable and distinct. Messages throughout the text, such as “I’m perfectly ok with not being liked by everyone” and “Sometimes sitting with a friend is the perfect kind of kindness” provide wonderful teaching moments. Finally, little readers will enjoy searching for 100 little hearts throughout the book. This book will become a beloved favorite.


(Review originally posted on the Los Angeles Book Review and book donated to the Maltby Food Bank.)