From the Jacket Blurb:
.27 is a number Ruby hates.
It's a number that marks the percentage of the population that has survived. It's a number that means she's one of the "lucky" few still standing. And it's a number that says her father is probably dead.
Against all odds, Ruby has survived the catastrophic onset of the killer rain. Two weeks after the radio started broadcasting the warning, "It's in the rain. It's fatal and there's no cure," the drinkable water is running out. Ruby's left with two options: persevere on her own, or embark on a treacherous journey across the country to find her father-if he's even still alive.
"It's in the rain...and just one drop will kill you."15 year-old Ruby Morris is obnoxious. In fact, she's possibly if not
definitely the most annoying narrator of any YA book I've ever encountered. And just about all reader reviews of the book agree with this assessment. She's an image and status obsessed snobby teenage brat, at times more concerned with putting on a sparkly top and makeup than smartly surviving the apocalyptic killer rain that has wiped out all but .27% of the world's population. You often find yourself thinking "UGH, what is
wrong with you, Ruby? How can you
still be THIS annoying? How could
YOU of all people have survived when so many more likeable, clever, responsible people were dead within the first few days?" These questions are surprisingly, fascinatingly, the very reason why I enjoyed this book.
Let's face it: the world is full of annoying, frustrating people. People with different priorities and values and personalities than yourself. Ultimately harmless people that you just don't, well...
like. And in the event of an apocalypse, these people don't just magically go away. Killer rain doesn't kill with discrimination. Many of the survivors of this story just got lucky. Ruby is a fault-filled person just like you or I (albeit far more immature), and catastrophe doesn't automatically change people into deeper people. At least not
immediately, and not always in obvious ways...
Even if Ruby is as shallow as a puddle of the alien killer rain from which she's running...she's still human. And like it or not, being human means that we are (as a species) a mix of good and bad, complex and simple, deep thinkers and painfully, mind-numbingly shallow idiots. We don't get to pick from only our best qualities to define what being human means. We can't control the behaviors and decisions of others. We can't force them to abandon who they are, who they've been, to suddenly become our version of a "better", more-likeable person.
Accepting that others are others, that they think and act differently and that this is OK---is a worthwhile (although sometimes very challenging) exercise in becoming better people ourselves. Ruby doesn't deserve to die just because I don't like her. And she doesn't deserve NOT to be the main character of a book just because I wouldn't want to be her friend in real life. Because in real life, there are countless Rubys in the world. Imperfect, immature, infuriating kids naively stumbling through the world---just trying to live to see another day. We may want Ruby to grow up (fast!) and prove her worth to us as a narrator we can be proud of, but really, she doesn't owe us a darn thing. She is who she is.
Peoples is peoples.In the end, it's not the differences that matter but the ways in which even VERY different people are the same.
"Please don't leave me."
Throughout the story, Ruby finds herself thinking these words. Silently imploring whoever happens to be around her to hang around a little longer. These tiny glimmers of desperation, of fear and desire not to be alone, let us see through to her deeper humanity. This is the Ruby that I understand and that I pity. No one wants to be alone. Ruby has lost just about everyone she knows and cares for. She's completely on her own. She's going through hell and yet she keeps going. Who am I to deny her the things that make her happy? The little things that add a bit of sparkle to an otherwise gray, dead (and deadly) world---even if her happiness does come in the form of an impractical, shimmering sequined top?
I hope to see more of Ruby. I hope that her story doesn't end here. I hope there is a sequel and I hope to get the chance to see her evolve into better version of herself.
I have to hope, because even in the face of unlikely odds, to hope is to be human.
Well, it's part of it, anyway.
A Note on the Book's Design:
I quite like what Sourcebooks Fire has done with the book jacket and cover. Yellowish green acid-rain like droplets seem to have burned holes into the cover, revealing two key words in the raindrop shaped text block on the hard cover: "drop" and "scream" are very clearly highlighted by the cutouts which ominously sets the stage for the events that unfold. An effective cover, I love that it doesn't resort to the hideous trend in YA covers of overly Photoshopped imagery. I like that it's purely graphic. Simple, clean, and intriguing. No people. Only drops of killer rain, daring you to touch it with your bare hands.
Straight from Chronicle Books:
The Happy Haul-idays Giveaway
Win up to $500 of Chronicle Books for You, a Friend, and Your Favorite Charity!
It's been a tough year for non-profits, libraries, reading rooms, and literacy programs. But you can make your favorite charity's holiday season bright by entering the 2nd Annual Happy Haul-idays Giveaway!
This year, we're not only giving away up to $500 worth of Chronicle books to one lucky blogger and one commenter on the winning blog post—we're also asking the winning blogger to choose one charity to receive up to $500 of books from us.
How to Enter
Just blog about which titles you'd choose if you had $500 to spend with Chronicle Books and then stop by our giveaway page to officially enter your post. Don't forget to mention which charity you'd choose and why in your blog post! Here is my entry!
Feel free to comment to get a chance to win some books along with me. I'd love the chance to win and review these books right on KidBook Nook! :)
MY CHARITY of CHOICE:FIRST BOOKWhy First Book (in their own words):First Book provides access to new books for children in need.To date, First Book has distributed more than 85 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada. First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the qu
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 10/4/2011
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Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Reading level: Ages 9-12Hardcover: 608 pagesPublisher: Scholastic Press (September 13, 2011)ISBN-13: 978-0545027892Buy This Book on Amazon
(I LOVED the experience of reading this book but my review is a bit more concise than it deserves because I'm writing this before work!)
The Story
Wonderstruck is an expansion of the genre-breaking novel/graphic novel form Brian Selznick beautifully invented with his last masterpiece, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. In two alternating stories, we follow Ben, a boy living in 1977 who is struck deaf by lightening shortly after his mother's death and immediately following a discovery he made about the identity of his unknown father. Clinging to the little clues he has, Ben sets out to find the mysterious man named Danny, leading him from his home in Gunflint, Lake Minnesota all the way to New York's Museum of Natural History. Simultaneously, we flash to Rose, a young deaf girl living in 1927, her story told through pictures rather than words. Both characters, though separated from one another through time, have obvious parallels in their respective journeys that link them in surprising and inspiring ways.
The Writing
Selznick weaves together two seemingly disjointed story lines in an effortless and intuitive way. He paces the book perfectly, focusing on the most important events and moving quickly from one interesting moment to the next. The only fault I found (which overall is very minor) was int he exposition toward the end, when Rose's full story comes to light. I would have liked more showing and less telling, though I suppose it would have required many more images and brought the book to double its size.
The Illustrations
0 Comments on Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick as of 10/4/2011 7:36:00 AM
The Night Circus by Erin MorgensternReading level: Adult
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Doubleday (2011)
ISBN-13:
978-0385534635Buy This Book on AmazonPrefaceI want it made perfectly clear that The Night Circus is not a children's book. Nor is it middle grade fiction or a young adult novel. It may fit into a crossover category of its own, but for the most part its intended audience is that with some level of maturity. That is not to say that the content is inappropriate
---it just isn't going to naturally appeal to children much more than say, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
So why then, am I including this book in my KidBook blog?The Night Circus has received more attention than any book in some time, with reviewers touting it as the next Harry Potter or the next Twilight. For that reason alone I find it worthwhile to provide a brief review as it relates to the new-found hunger for the next big thing in children's literature.
The StoryPut simply: Magic exists. In youth, Marco and Celia are apprenticed separately to two illusionists who have conflicting approaches to doing and teaching magic. A game is devised to exhibit and demonstrate one approach over the other, and Marco and Celia find themselves bound to each other unwillingly in a magic match that will span their lives until one is declared the victor. They do not know how or when one wins, only that the arena is Le Cirque des Réves. As the game progresses, it becomes clear that the fate of the circus and those connected to it is entwined in the destiny and evolving relationship of the two competitors.
The WritingErin Morgenstern's debut novel is quite an accomplishment. Dark, lyrical, with atmosphere that is equal parts evocative and vague. Dream-like is the only way I can put my experience reading it. Beautiful, dazzling, imaginative, engrossing, enchanting, romantic. Intoxicating. Timeless. The characters feel real
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making Written by Catherynne M. Valente
Illustrated by Anna Juan
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (2011)
ISBN-13: 978-0312649616
Buy This Book on Amazon It's difficult to know quite where to begin with this review. I'm overwhelmed with the attempt to string enough well-constructed sentences together that will fully convey the excitement I feel for this book, while at the same time leaving as much to the imagination as possible. But here goes.
First, I'd like to say that I stumbled across this book in the small but glorious book section of a fantastic neighborhood comic shop. I picked it up, drawn to the look of the cover, glanced at the reviews, and then put it back down. I was certainly intrigued, but I already had a few other books in my hand. I walked around the store for a long while, but couldn't shake the praise I had just read out of my head. Neil Gaiman is quoted on the front cover:
“A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian Fairy Tale, done with heart and wisdom."
Honestly, how could I pass that up? I thought better of my initial decision and held on tightly to the book and made my way to the register.
Later that night, I started reading, IMMEDIATELY sensing I had found something truly special.
The StoryA highly logical, good-natured, relatively naive but adventuress young girl named September (LOVE THE NAME!) finds herself willingly winged away from boring Nebraska to magical Fairyland on the back of a flying leopard accompanied by a man named The Green Wind. Still with me?
From there her adventures unfold in the tradition of classical fantasies that precede it; September is part Alice in Wonderland and part Dorothy in OZ but with a spunky, humble, lovable personality all her own. She befriends and encounters numerous Fairyland beings, creatures, and environments on her journey through the enchanting new world, discovering as much beauty and charm as she does the disturbing and unsettling. Among many wonderful characters, September meets A-Through-L, a kind-hearted, well-meaning wyvern who's wings are shackled so he can not fly, and Saturday, a gentle Marid boy kept as a slave. She quickly realizes all is not well or fair in this magical land.
At odds with September is the nefarious Marquess, supreme ruler responsible for the current state of servitude and repression throughout Fairyland. But the Marquess is no two-dimensional villain, and by the end September unravels the reasons behind her authoritarian regime. This story is both startlingly unique and comfortingly familiar. At its heart, it is about a child coming to know herself and understand her own strengths through courage, logic, and selflessness. September is a worthy heroine that represents the exciting and tragic inevitibility of growing up.
The WritingInventive. Exceptional. Insightful. Amusing. Moving. Witty. Victorian. Timeless. Delightfully, superfluously, wonderfully verbose. That is to say, I am one of the faction which is entirely enthralled with Ms. Valente's flair for the English language. Her plays on words are clever and
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 6/30/2011
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Today I'd like to depart from my typical review structure to highlight the imaginative children's bookmaking duo of author Helen Ward and artist Wayne Anderson. The two have worked together on a handful of children's titles, three of which are the focus of today's post. Their books feature strong, familiar, and worthwhile messages told through bizarre images and lyrical, simple writing. I'm very much engaged by Wayne Anderson's work, and find the delicate softness of his illustrations in perfect compliment to their strangeness. Weird and lovely at the same time, his worlds are truly his own.
Words that come to mind when reading these books might be dreamy, strange, otherwordly, whimsical, elegant, and ethereal. If those adjectives intrigue you, than read on for more about The Tin Forest, Little Moon Dog, and The Dragon Machine.
_______________________________________________________
The Tin ForestWritten by Helen Ward
Illustrated by Wayne Anderson
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Dutton (2005)
ISBN-13: 978-0142403648
Buy This Book on Amazon The Story An old man lives alone in a small house surrounded by unwanted junk and discarded trash. By day, he spends his time cleaning, tidying, and organizing this ugly garbage heap, and by night he dreams of beautiful tropical forests. One day he gets an idea to build his own forest out of the resources around him. With a lot of hard work and a bit of wishing, he gets more than he dreamed of.
A positive message about the power of perusing your dreams and the good that can come when you work to make them a reality. No matter your circumstances, with enough dedication and heart you can transform your life and the world around you.
A powerful and inspiring allegory
great for children and adults alike.
_______________________________________________________
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 6/28/2011
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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom RiggsReading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books (2011)
ISBN-13: 978-1594744761
Buy This Book on AmazonI'd like to preface this review by saying that about two weeks ago I read a snippet about this new book that had me itching to get to the bookstore to pick it up and read it as quickly as possible. And based on the article I read, I assumed this was a book for adults---(which intrigued me as I am NEVER attracted to books intended for adults). But when I made my way into one of my
favorite book shops in Providence I spotted the cover instantly---in the Young Adult section! (It figures.) As it turns out, though it's not really specific to any age group, the protagonist is a 16-year-old boy so it is attributed to the YA fantasy genre. Which means now I get to write about it!
The Story16 year-old Jacob doesn’t have many friends, doesn't have a particularly deep relationship with his parents, works at a crappy job at his family's company, and is sadly watching his grandfather lose his mind. The same man who he used to adore--the grandfather who told him fantastical tales about his childhood growing up on an island during the war in a home for peculiar orphaned children. A girl who levitates, an invisible boy, a boy filled with bees, a Bird who smokes a pipe, and terrifying monsters chasing after him. As a child Jacob gets swept away by the stories, but over time he comes to see them only as tall tales from an imaginative man's mind--they couldn't possibly be true.
Only after witnessing the violent death of his grandfather (seemingly at the hands of a mysterious creature) does Jacob begin to wonder just how unbelievable his grandfather’s stories really were. So he sets out to find the little island in Wales home to the peculiar children and uncover the answers for himself. What he discovers is fascinating and frightening and every bit as strange as the stories he was told.
The ConceptEssentially, this book is as much an exercise in literary construction as it is a fantasy novel. What sets this book apart is how it came to be written: strange but REAL vintage photographs collected by the author were used as the direct inspiration for every peculiar character in the story. This concept of using photographs to jump start the imagination and inform the story instantly intrigued me. But would it really work as a storytelling device? Would it rise above just being a gimmick? In my opinion, is does achieve a bit of both.
On one hand, I'm fairly certain that there is a genius idea happening here. And on the other I'm fairly certain that if I did not know the back story for this book, I would likely be thinking this the most oddly random story I've ever encountered--and not necessarily a great one. While the photos definitely inform the plot and characters, one can't help but wonder what the story would have become if they were used only for abstract inspiration rather than literal information. At times it seems the story was written to fit the images rather than the images made to fit the story. For all intents and purposes, the story is still fascinating and entertaining and unpredictable and certainly n
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 6/28/2011
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Disappearing Desmond by Anna AlterWritten and Illustrated by Anna Alter
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0375866845
Buy This Book on AmazonThe StoryDesmond is a cat who prefers not to be noticed. He blends in with his surroundings wherever he goes, until the day his new classmate Gloria arrives. Gloria is Desmond's social opposite--she loves to stand out and embraces attention. And unlike the others, she can always spot Desmond wherever he is hiding and consistently acknowledges him with a friendly "Hello, Desmond!" Slowly but surely her friendship brings Desmond away from his shy, wallflower tendencies and shows him the fun that can be had from interacting with those around him. Straightforward and easy to read, the story is pleasing from begining to end.
The IllustrationsAnna Alter continues her lovely characteristic style of charming animals, pleasing color palettes, and playful patterns. Her world is warm with a comforting feeling of timeless universality. The scenes are cute and clever
and are just plain fun to look at. And while spotting Desmond is no hard task, it is enjoyable to see where and how he'll blend in next. Alter's animal characterization and use of materials is recognizable from book to book in a similar consistency as that of Rosemary Wells. Alter's illustrations are equally crisp, clean and smooth, with a smart simplicity that children will enjoy.
Its ValueDisappearing Desmond visually explores the idea of shyness and the contradictory desire to both disappear and be noticed that many children can relate to. I for one was
The Umbrella by Ingrid & Dieter SchubertWritten and Illustrated by Ingrid & Dieter Schubert
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Lemniscaat USA (2011)
ISBN-13: 978-1935954002
Buy This Book on AmazonThe Story A curious puppy, a windy day, and a red umbrella are the key ingredients to this charming wordless picture book. Told through beautifully delicate and imaginative watercolor images, the playful adventure story of a spontaneous trip around the world captivates the imagination and invites the audience to give voice to the puppy's silent narrative using their own words.
The Illustrations The double-page spreads are colorful, fun, charming and bursting with life and energy. Each page turn offers a completely new location, environment, and animal scenario for the little black pup's journey. The umbrella becomes not just a flying contraption but a boat, parachute, sled, and even a protective shield when the going gets rough. Without the limitations of words, you can feel free to linger on each page taking in every detail or let the question "Where will he go now?!"propel you eagerly to the next scene.
The Schuberts, a husband and wife team, are clearly having fun dynamically changing perspectives, focal points, and scale, pushing each composition to create an entirely fresh feeling from one environment to another. The result is a fantastic sensation of movement, achieving the feeling of a topsy-turvy adventure ride. The ending is equally intriguing as the begining, showing the puppy returning to the where he began---just in time to pass on the magic of the red umbrella to the next curious adventurer.
Its ValueIf one picture is worth a thousand words, this book offers plenty of stories both told and untold through the illustrations. With books like this, the true fun is in becoming the storyteller yourself. It encourages us to get swept away by our own imagination, asking "Where will WE go next?"
Ocean Wide, Ocean Deepby Susan Lendroth
Illustrated by Raul Allen
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Tricycle Press (2008)
ISBN-13: 978-1582462325
Buy This Book on AmazonThe StorySet in 19th century Cape Cod, this picturebook tells the story of a young girl waiting for her father to return from a year at sea in the China trade. Time moves quickly, seasons pass, her baby brother learns to walk, and all the while she constantly wonders about the safety of her father, wherever he is, and whether he is thinking of her, too.
The Writing Told in a traditional couplet rhyming verse, the author creates an old fashioned story complimentary of the time period of the story. Quiet, and introspective, the lyrical structure of the poem ebbs and flows like the ocean itself. Evoking the period of the age while at the same time crafting a beautiful timelessness, Susan Lendroth's verse reads like a heart-warming lullaby of family love and the patience required awaiting an absent parent's return.
The IllustrationsI was instantly drawn to the sophisticated cover artwork by Raul Allen. The style of the girl's face and the expression in her eyes pulled me in and demanded a closer look. The line quality in Allen's work is unusual in its unpredictability, moving from thick to thin in unexpected ways. The paint balanced interesting between flat and thinly painted---some parts feel digital, some feel almost like a mono print in their texture. According to the back page, the illustrations were created using a combination of pencil, watercolor, and Photoshop. It certainly creates an interesting old time aesthetic that serves the story well. The color palette is subdued and low key, mostly earthy and sepia toned with some mild cool blues and greens sprinkled throughout. Together, all the elements combine to create emotive, beautiful images that demonstrate Allen's skill at drawing human form--though the faces can be a bit inconsistent from page to page.
An exciting new book illustrator to my eyes, and although the digital technique isn't perfect, I would look forward to seeing more books from him in the future. Allen is great at capturing subtle emotion which I greatly admire.
The Boy Who Grew Flowersby Jen Wojtowicz
Illustrated by Steve Adams
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Barefoot Books (2005)
ISBN-13: 978-1841486864
Buy This Book on AmazonThe StorySometimes, what makes a book truly inspiring is not so much the story as it is written, but the meaning behind
why it was written; the message it conveys becoming the purpose for telling it.
The Boy Who Grew Flowers is a story of finding friendship and acceptance and embracing rather than shunning the differences that make us who we are. Granted, there are tremendous amounts of children's stories that accomplish this message, but few do it with the same level of sophistication. Straddling abstract and surreal ideas (a boy that grows flowers from his head?) with straightforward and simple plot (other children avoid him), the story appears timeless and classical, yet not unrelatable for contemporary children.
The Writing:Admittedly, as I was reading it I noted that while as an adult I appreciate the beauty of the author's language, I wonder whether I would have fully grasped every angle of the story reading it as a child.
Simply put, sophisticated writing that handles abstract ideas can often go over the heads of the intended young audience. In this book, most of the sentences are easy to read and straightforward. But the key to the story's sophistication is not what is written, but what is
not written. It requires some level of thinking beyond the literal words on the page to fully "get" the everything this story is saying. There are equal amounts
show as there are
tell.
"Why won't anyone talk to him? she asked. The others fell silent. The question rattled in their minds."
In three simple lines, the author describes that the other children 1:
do not talk to the boy, and 2:
Don't really know why they don't talk to him. She hits upon the sad truth of childhood discrimination: we often do not know WHY we treat each other as we do, gravitating more easily towards distaste than we do toward affection. This book does not seek to answer this question, but rather to show the good that comes when compassion is the only option.
The story handles the idea of differences between people with artful symbolism, and creates a universal, sweetly humane message that love and friendship and differences are wonderful things that make life worth living. Precisely the type of kind, heart-warming message I want my books to contain.
The Illustrations:Steve Adams images are well-suited for this story. There is a simple mild surrealism in his exaggeration and manipulation of the human figure which serves the strangeness of the story. The colors are both vibrant and subdued, which also compliments the feeling of the story well. Overall, I like the
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 12/27/2010
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Wowzers! I've been super swamped lately with several different illustration projects which has left me with zero time for my kid book reviews :(
That being said, I hope to be back very soon with some reviews from the latest additions to our library. This Christmas was very good to our growing collection, and with the generosity of my AMAZING mother, I now have just about EVERY book from the Chronicle list that I put together for the Hauliday contest!!!!!
When asking for suggestions for what she could get me for Christmas, I pointed her in the direction of a couple of books on the list, but she went above and beyond my wildest dreams. OMG! Best Christmas ever.
I'm reading through them all and will be highlighting my favorites in the coming months.
Happy Holidays and have a SUPER FANTASTIC New Year!
"Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them."
-Arnold Lobel
By: Courtney Autumn Martin,
on 11/12/2010
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haulidays,
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I just got word that the wonderfully high-quality publisher,
Chronicle Books, is running an exciting and fun
holiday promotion:
Here are the details: "Post a list of Chronicle Books valued at up to $500 that you’d like to haul in, and you’ll be automatically entered into a drawing to WIN your list of books! And, one of your readers who comments on the post will win the list too! "
How AWESOME is that? And even if I don't win the drawing, I still had fun browsing their catalog of children's books and coming up with my own wishlist in the process. (Very clever marketing on their part!)
Here's my list of Chronicle Books I'd love to add to my growing collection and eventually review right here on KidBook Nook:
1.
Shadow by Suzy Lee2.
A Long Piece of String by William Wondriska3.
The Present by Bob Gill4.
There Was an Old Lady by Jeremy Holmes5.
Little Oink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal6.
Tony and the Pizza Champions by Tony Gemignani7.
The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman8.
4 Comments on Happy Haulidays from Chronicle Books, last added: 11/16/2010
The Chiru of High Tibetby Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Illustrated by Linda Wingerter
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (September 27, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0618581306
Buy This Book on AmazonThe Story:An exciting and true tale about the remarkable antelope-like animals called Chiru and the humans who have both threatened and spared them from extinction. The chiru is a little-known relative of the sheep and goat and makes it's home high in the mountains of Tibet. Their brilliantly soft wool is extremely valuable but unlike sheep, cannot be sheared. The greed of poachers to profit of these miniature creatures has subsequently resulted in mass killings and severe endangerment to their populations. Yet rather than focus on the terrible effects of a few terrible people, the real story takes heart in the heroic adventures of George B. Schaller and the 4 man crew that dedicated themselves to studying these mysterious animals and seeking protection of them under Chinese law. A conservation message told poetically by Briggs Martin that is more beautiful and hopeful than it is tragic.
The Writing:I really enjoy Jacqueline Brigg's Martin's elegant way of writing nonfiction. At times poetic, at times factual, it ebbs and flows with cohesive lyricism that simplifies the story to its most essential bits. For as text heavy as it is, it still manages to feel light and airy. Probably not the most ideal book for reading aloud, but perfect for one on one or independent reading.
The Illustrations:I admit it. If the brilliant Ms. Wingerter had not illustrated this book, I may never have even noticed it on the shelf. Being a huge fan of her other children's books and personal paintings, I knew that the Chiru book was in the works well before I finally came across it at the book store. And it does not disapoint. Her color palette is jaw-droppingly gorgeous and her simplification and stylization of people and environments brings the art to the appropriate age level but with characteristic sophistication. Her work is colorful, warm, and sensitive with a touch of folk art flair that truly compliments the story. Illustrated picture books like this are the reason why I fell in love with this industry to begin with. These books are pieces of art created by adults out of a shear passion and love for beautiful pictures and story. A delight.
Palazzo Inversoby D.B. Johnson
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (May 3, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0547239996
Buy This Book on AmazonThe Story:Young Mauk is apprenticed to his Master architect who is currently constructing a grand palace. To Mauk, everyday is the same: wake up, work for his master (aka sharpen his pencils), and repeat. One morning, Mauk awakes to find things are not as they should be. Upside-down arches, stairs with no destination, bricks falling on the ceiling--the palace is literally turned upside down in confusion. Mauk confesses that he had been turning the palace's drawing plan all along, causing his Master to unintentionally design and construct the Palazzo in nonsensical ways.
This topsy-turvy journey through a chaotic palace and back again is inspired by the drawings of M.C. Escher and indulges the child-like wonder of imagining what it would be like to turn the world upside down.
The Illustrations:I am familiar with D.B. Johnson's soft geometric pastel work from his other books (including
The Henry Books), but never have I liked it as much as in this book. In fact, I much prefer the elegant use of black and white and stylized people as opposed to animals in his other picture books. In homage to Escher's work, he is able to successfully create elaborate environments that can be viewed and enjoyed from two perspectives--not an easy feat! The drawings are quite soft and beautiful, with a luminous magical quality befitting this surreal story.
The Writing:This was not the most well-written book in the world. While it was unbelievably unique, I found the actual writing periodically awkward and overall rather nebulous. In a different writer's voice it might have become more poetic and dream-like
than abstract and borderline-confusing as it is here.
From the start, I wasn't exactly sure what was going on, as we aren't given any sort of establishing shot to ground us in reality.
The Hunger Games Seriesby Suzanne Collins
Reading level: Young Adult
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Buy The Hunger Games on AmazonBuy Catching Fire on AmazonBuy Mockingjay on AmazonThe Story:Set in the not too distant future, what was once the United States has been reduced through war and famine to the dystopian civilization of Panem. The 12 Districts composing it are at the constant mercy of The Capitol, the single malevolent and authoritative force bent on controlling the formerly unruly society into submission through their psychologically manipulative and violently inhumane "Hunger Games." In this annual event, The Capitol forces each district to offer "Tributes" (one male and one female of age) who will compete in a gladiatorial, televised battle to the death. It is in this cruel, harsh, and dismal world that our main character, Katniss Everdeen, is determined to survive at any cost.
Through the brutal Hunger Games themselves to the dangerous uprising of rebel forces against the Capitol, this three-book series is at it's heart, one girl's uncompromising journey through a world devoid of hope and humanity towards a world where "living" doesn't just mean "surviving." Intense and engrossing from the beginning, it is a frightening and eye-opening imagining of a heartless world that leaves an unsettling imprint on your mind well after the last page has been read.
The Writing:
This is the first of Collins' work that I have read, and I was an immediate fan not only with the exceedingly well-crafted and disturbing world she has created but the immediacy and realism she brings to her characters. Even while they endure incomprehensible brutality, the people within these books are entirely real and their motivations believable. Exciting, thought-provoking, deeply unsettling, and yet completely captivating, this series flies by at a more additively ravenous speed than any book I have read in recent memory. I simply could not get enough of the high-stress roller coaster ride of triumphs and tragedies found within the people and world of Panem.
Collins balances the roughness of the story as well as we could have hoped, creating
The Magician's Elephantby Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Candlewick; 1 edition (September 8, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0763644109
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The Story:Masterfully written by DiCamillo,
The Magician's Elephant is an beautifully crafted, enchanting allegorical fable about faith, hope, love and magic, centered around young Peter Augustus Duchene's search for the little sister he is convinced is still alive. Set in the late 1800's, orphaned Peter lives with a senile soldier who sends him out with a coin to buy fish and bread. But instead Peter uses the money to see a fortune teller in town. The fortune teller instructs Peter to "Follow the elephant" and he will be led to his sister. That same night, a local magician inadvertently conjures an elephant (rather than a bouquet of lilies) during his performance. The inexplicable appearance of this mysterious elephant captures the attention of the entire town, especially young Peter. He knows the animal is more than coincidental- it is the key to reuniting his family and finding the life of love he knows is waiting for him.
The world created within these pages is at times rather dark and yet never emotionally cold. Heartbreaking and heartwarming, every page has the slight shimmer of underlying magic, intangible and yet unignorable. DiCamillo's poetic prose shines in what is ultimately a timeless fairy tale; dusting her characters, setting, and story with just enough magic to show us all the power of asking
"What If?""Magic is always impossible," said the magician. "It begins with the impossible and ends with the impossible and is impossible in between. That is why it is magic."I commend DiCamillo for the heart and truth she pours into her novels, never writing down to her audience but instead asking them to rise up to meet her. Reading this book, I was consistently struck by countless poignant and beautiful stand alone passages of text that left lasting impressions on my mind, including these:
"No. Not enough. Never enough. We must ask ourselves these questions as often as we dare. How will the world change if we do not question it?"<
Flotsamby David Wiesner
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Clarion Books; illustrated edition edition (September 4, 2006)
ISBN: 978-0618194575
Buy This Book on AmazonFor today's installment of Book Nook Breakdown, I've selected
Flotsam, the Caldecott winning instant classic from David Wiesner.
The Story:A genius of the wordless narrative, Wiesner's picture books capture and indulge in the pure fantastic capabilities of illustration. His proclivity for telling rich stories within stories comes from a superior level of the creative mind I myself can only dream of. And although this is a picture book without any words, it does take some sophistication to fully grasp the meaning of the story.
A story that starts in reality and quickly transforms into a journey through whimsical tableaus of the impossible, only to come back right where we started and full of potential for countless more untold stories. It's everything you could hope for out of a purely pictorial voyage. I know that it's definitely a book I would have embraced as a child, likely spinning my own drawings and imaginings from where Wiesner's left off. That is a magical quality that I wish more books had; to feel as if the book goes on even after the cover is closed.
The Illustrations:As always, Wiesner's images are beautifully executed, and fish and animals landscapes and artifacts are clearly his strength. I love his work, but I do think his people and faces fall a bit short of perfection. His child faces tend to be a bit wonky, his bodies and expressions a bit stiff. To me, it seems as if he's much more interested in drawing everything else. Luckily he does everything else so well.
It's Va
Flotsamby David Wiesner
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Clarion Books; illustrated edition edition (September 4, 2006)
ISBN: 978-0618194575
Buy This Book on Amazon: Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book)For today's installment of Book Nook Breakdown, I've selected
Flotsam, the Caldecott winning instant classic from David Wiesner.
The Story:A genius of the wordless narrative, Wiesner's picture books capture and indulge in the pure fantastic capabilities of illustration. His proclivity for telling rich stories within stories comes from a superior level of the creative mind I myself can only dream of. And although this is a picture book without any words, it does take some sophistication to fully grasp the meaning of the story.
A story that starts in reality and quickly transforms into a journey through whimsical tableaus of the impossible, only to come back right where we started and full of potential for countless more untold stories. It's everything you could hope for out of a purely pictorial voyage. I know that it's definitely a book I would have embraced as a child, likely spinning my own drawings and imaginings from where Wiesner's left off. That is a magical quality that I wish more books had; to feel as if the book goes on even after the cover is closed.
The Illustrations:As always, Wiesner's images are beautifully executed, and fish and animals landscapes and artifacts are clearly his strength. I love his work, but I do think his people and faces fall a bit short of perfection. His child faces tend to be a bit wonky, his bodies and expressions a bit stiff. To me, it seems as if he's much more interested in drawing everything else. Luckily he does everything else so well.
I'm putting this one on my TBR book list. Wonderful illustrations!