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By: Shelf-employed,
on 3/16/2015
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This edition of the Picture Book Roundup features "jampires" (!), two Stanleys (one dog, one hamster), and a new Kadir Nelson book for which I can't find enough superlatives. Enjoy!
If you can't see the slideshow, I've included my reviews below.
If You Plant a Seed is a brilliantly written and exquisitely illustrated book about kindness. Sparse but meaningful text, combined with joyfully detailed illustrations of plants, birds, and animals. I love it!
- MacIntyre, Sarah and David O'Connell. 2015. Jampires. New York: David Fickling (Scholastic)
Who could be sucking all the jamminess out of the doughnuts? Jampires! Will Sam find jam? Will the Jampires find their nest? If you like funny, this is the best!
- Bee, William. 2015. Stanley the Farmer. New York: Peachtree.
Stanley is a hardworking hamster. Illustrations and text are bright and simple, making Stanley a perfect choice for very young listeners. Along the lines of Maisy, but with a crisper, cleaner interface. Nice size, sturdy construction.
The Wimbledons can't sleep. What IS all that noise? It's only Stanley, the dog. He's howling at the moon, fixing the oil tank, making catfish stew, ...? Hey, something's fishy here! Classic Jon Agee - droll humor at its best.
Review copies of
Jampires,
Stanley the Farmer, and
It's Only Stanley were provided by the publisher.
Put some fear of the undead into your October reading!
McCreely, Havelock. 2014.
My Zombie Hamster. New York: Egmont.
See below for print copy giveaway details.
Zombie Zappers and constant vigilence keep Matt and the residents of his community safe from "deadbeats" - the zombies that live outside the town's protective walls. So on Christmas Eve, December 24, Matt Hunter isn't thinking about zombies; he's thinking about the new video game he wants for Christmas. His mother, however, had a more educational, more nurturing idea. On December 25, Matt receives Snuffles the hamster—a dumb, boring, little pet. At least it was—until it died.
I'll say one thing for zombie hamsters. They don't move as slowly as their human counterparts. ...
Snuffles had curled up and was rolling down the stairs like a bouncing ball. I raced after him.
He bolted along the wall. Dad was carrying a huge pile of firewood inside so the front door was wide open. I tried to get ahead of Snuffles to slam it shut, but I tripped on one of the stupid throw rugs Mom insists on leaving everywhere and landed on my stomach.
I pushed myself to my knees just in time to see Snuffles dart through the door and out into the front yard.
Was it my imagination, or did I hear a little undead squeak of triumph as he did so?
In chapters titled with the days beginning on December 24, Matt chronicles all the events until everything comes to a head at the annual town pet show on Saturday, February 4.
Matt doesn't do it alone, however. He enlists the help of his friends,
(excerpt from "Thursday, January 2")I emailed Charlie and told her to come over. I couldn't keep it a secret any longer.
"So let me get this straight," she said after I'd explained it to her. "Your dad bought you a hamster from a sleazy store and now it's turned into a zombie?"
"Yes!"
"And it's escaped?"
"Yes!"
"And you called it Snuffles?" she asked, trying not to laugh.
"I didn't call it Snuffles! The name sort of came with the hamster. But now he's called —" I paused dramatically.— "Anti-Snuffles."
At 208 pages, this is a quick read, but despite the adorable cuteness of the cover, it's a suitable choice for older kids, too.
My Zombie Hamster should appeal to grades 3-7. McCreely does a great job of combining the fear factor with humor. Matt and his friends are believable middle-schoolers - a little bit snarky, funny, sure of themselves, and prone to making poor choices. This is the first in a series that should have wide appeal.
Want your own copy of My Zombie Hamster?
Check back tomorrow for an interview with Havelock McCreely
and a chance to win a print copy of My Zombie Hamster.
(digital review copy provided by the publisher)
Title: Happy Birthday Hamster Story by Cynthia Lord Art by Derek Anderson Published by Scholastic Press, 2011 Ages: 3-7 Themes: hamsters, birthdays, friendship Opening Lines: Best day, bake day, candles on a cake day! … Continue reading →
If you’re looking for some great children’s books for your 6-9 year olds as part of their holiday gifts, I have two great suggestions for you: My Pet Show Panic by Betty G. Birney and SWITCH: Spider Stampede by Ross Colins, both from WHSmith’s Richard and Judy Collection.
Humphrey is a cute little hamster who lives in a classroom (Room 26) of Longfellow School. He gets to go home with a different student each weekend. His cage, however, has a ‘lock that doesn’t lock’ and so he’s able to sneak in and out in search of adventure. Of course, sometimes too much adventure can get you into trouble!
In this the first book in the Humphrey’s Tiny Tales series, our little hamster goes home with A.J., who has planned to take him to the Pet Show and is set on winning a prize. In the pet show, Humphrey notices that a box next to him seems to be getting a lot of attention. He tries to see what’s inside it, to no avail, so he decides to sneak out of his cage and take a look. Unfortunately, Clem the stinky dog is running around free and chases after him. Suddenly, Humphrey doesn’t care about winning a prize anymore—he’d much rather stay alive!
This is an absolutely adorable chapter book for kids ages 6 to 8. Humphrey is a character to fall in love with. Told in simple language for early and/or reluctant readers, the story is full of action and fun twists and turns that will keep kids turning pages. There’s a lot of lively, fun language and Humphrey’s distinct personality shines through. The simple line drawings are really cute and perfectly complement the text. At the end of the book there are plenty of activities to keep children entertained: word searches and grids, puzzles, games and jokes. This is a children’s book sure to get some new fans, so don’t be surprised if your child asks for more books in the series.
SWITCH: Spider Stampede by Ross Colins is also a chapter book but I’d say it is geared at kids who are more proficient in reading. It has more text than Humphrey’s Tiny Tales and will especially appeal to boys, if only because both protagonists are boys. It is certainly filled with the stuff that boy readers like most: nonstop action, spying and adventure, not to mention giant creepy crawlers and chemical potions with amazing capabilities.
Our protagonists are 8-year olds Danny and Josh, two brothers who live next door to a strange old woman—if we can call it an old women, for she happens to be a brilliant ‘mad’ scientist with a secret underground laboratory. One day, searching for their little dog Piddle, the two brothers accidentally end up in the lab doused in a weird yellow substance that later transform them into spiders… and so the real adventure begins as they
Hey! We got an excellent review in The Times last Saturday!
I had to dig a copy out of a restaurant bin while I was in Bristol over the weekend, and wow, it was worth the potato peel horrors. It's glowing.
But the digital version is behind a paywall, so... here is a glimpse, blacked out by yours truly to protect copyright.
"A Place to Call Home" - Danish edition. OHYES.
Wir präsentieren:
SIEBEN HAMSTER!
Bald erhältlich und hervorragend übersetzt. Kann schon vorbestellt werden.
Los los! Zapp zapp!
My latest book! And my first book that I didn't write: Alexis did.
It's almost out. Well, It'll come out in May. And yesterday I visited Alexis for dinner, and he surprised me with a proper bound copy of it that he'd picked up at Walker Books.
Isn't it cute? It's got a hole in the cover and everything.
And as usual it has a few more features that I am really pleased with.I've noticed at some point that every one of my books has something about it that makes people say "I can't believe you got away with that". It's not usually completely intentional... anyway, in this book I got away with:
- We covered up all the characters' heads for almost the entire book. I get very annoyed whenever people claim that we only connect with characters that have expressive faces. There are many other ways of being expressive and engaging, and here's my bit to prove it. You'll see.
- A really limited palette. The hamsters are orange. Some things are yellow. Everything else is just one colour, changing with the passing of time.
- An epic adventure tale that shows none of the actual adventure but is instead set in an entirely boring place.
- All sorts of hidden little plot hints just for fun that most people will never notice.
- And, yesss, a hole trough the cover.
And still, people read it and laugh and go aaaaaaawwww.
Basically, WE WIN.
Published by Walker books in the UK, Candlewick in the US, and all sorts of other places, including France and Germany. The German translation is lovely, which means at long last people back where I grew up can get involved.
I'm happy to announce that my children's picture book, Humberto the Bookworm Hamster, has been nominated for an EPIC Award.
EPIC stands for the "Electronically Published Internet Coalition."
The winner of EPIC’s 2011 Children's Non-Fiction/Fiction Category will be announced at the annual conference, held in historical Williamsburg, Virginia, March 10-13, 2011.
You can find more details at http://www.epicon-conference.com.
By: David Elzey,
on 5/6/2010
Blog:
The Excelsior File
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(without getting your head flushed) and Deal with an Ex-Best Friend, ... um, Girls, and a Heartbreaking Hamster
by Donna Gephart
Peachtree Press / Random House 2010
I think the only thing the title doesn't include is the main character's love of Jon Stewart, and perhaps the fact that he isn't legally old enough to have a YouTube account...
David Greenberg is a bit of a nebbish who wants so
Another wonderful review of my latest picture book, Humberto the Bookworm Hamster!
This time by Judy Mercado from Pilgrim Soul Blog.
"As a self-admitted bookworm, I had expected to find Calvani’s book interesting. What I did not expect was that this beautifully illustrated children’s tale would apply so resoundingly to my current life, particularly my blogging life. Since I began blogging, I have been struck by how much fun it is to write for my blog and also to read other blogs. I can be carried off for hours and, in the meantime, dinner is not prepared, clothes are not washed, my dear husband has not received a hug, and friends and family have not heard from me. Humberto is a powerful reminder that we are social beings in the flesh and not just on the page." --Judy Williams
Read the complete review HERE.
Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster has just been released. I am thrilled to have, author Mayra Calvani answer a few questions about how she works.
A little bit of introduction:
Multi-genre author, reviewer and animal advocate, Mayra Calvani, enjoys writing for children and adults. A regular contributor to BLOGCRITICS MAGAZINE and AMERICAN CHRONICLE, she's a member of SCBWI, CWCC and Broad Universe. She keeps two blogs, Mayra's Secret Bookcase and The Dark Phantom Review.
Additionally, she's the co-author of the ForeWord Best of the Year Award winner, THE SLIPPERY ART OF BOOK REVIEWING.
Visit her newest, fun blog, Pets and Their Authors, where her golden retriever interviews authors' pets.
Mayra does Spanish translations of children's picture books, is co-editor of Voice in the Dark newsletter, and the National Latino Books Examiner for Examiner.com.
Check out her children's books at Mayra's Secret Bookcase.
When working on a story, what steps or process do you use?For a picture book, what usually happens is I get an idea and then let it simmer in my mind for weeks, sometimes even months or years. Then one day I just feel the need to write it down and the whole thing pours out of me in a sitting. When this happens, I stay working on the story a whole morning or a whole day. I then take a break from it for maybe a day or two before going back and polishing it. Then I send it to my critique group for feedback. This is very helpful. I may or may not take on their suggestions, but their advice is always good. I save each version of the story, so if I edit the story 5 times, I’ll save those 5 files of each version under a folder named after the book’s title.
What sparks your ideas for stories?Real life, newspaper articles, TV shows, family stories, memories, photos, beautiful scenery. Everything around me may spark an idea in me. The Muse is a very curious thing.
What is your strongest personal trait that make you a better writer?I would say persistence. I never give up, no matter how many rejection letters I get or the competitive state of the children’s book market.
Where did your last story idea come from? Where were you when you began working on it? For a long time I wanted to write a picture book story about a little mouse or hamster who loved books so much, he didn’t have time for friends. That’s how Humberto the Bookworm Hamster came about. As usual, I let the idea simmer for some time, then, one morning, I got up from bed and had to sit down and write it. So that’s what I did, and the story poured out of me in one sitting.
Humberto loves books so much, he reads at all times of the day; even while he sleeps he reads—audio books. The other animals want to become his friends, but he doesn’t have time for them. He’s too busy reading! Then one day a flood comes and he must decide whether to salvage the rest of his books before they sink in the rising water or helping the animals. Humberto’s story is a tale about books and the true meaning of friendship: how good are books really if you can’t share them with people who care about?
I can sympathize with my character because many times I see myself in him. As a writer and reviewer, I’m so involved with books I tend to become a hermit. Socializing is im
I"m pleased to announce that, Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster is out. Mayra Calvani has a written a wonderful story. I feel so fortunate to have illustrated her third picture book by Guardian Angel Publishing. Want to see more?
This is Banned Book Week in the U.S.
Novel Journey presents an interview with Rebecca Zeidel, Program Director for American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression. The web log is part of Christian Women Online.
Zeidel responds to the following questions:
What is Banned Book Week?
What is the goal of Banned Book Week?
What percentage of books are challenged or banned because of moral content? Political content? Racial content? Violence? Other (please explain)?
Who suffers the most if a book is challenged?
How can novelists support Banned Book Week?
Which states or regions are more likely to jump on the banning band wagon?
Zeidel identifies the Howell, MI banning of 5 titles in a response to this question: What is the most appalling situation you've seen or heard of regarding a challenged book?
In February, five books were challenged in Howell, MI for sexual themes and profanity: Black Boy by Richard Wright, Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell. The books were challenged in Howell High School in by members of the Livingston Organization for Values in Education (LOVE) with assistance from the Michigan chapter of the American Family Association.
According to its web site,
The American Family Association represents and stands for traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media – including pornography – on our society.
Of great interest, since a number of challenges come from the religious sector is Zeidel's answer to this question: "How can novelists who write from a JudeoChristian worldview support free speech?"
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