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When You Reach Me
By Rebecca Stead
Wendy Lamb Books (Random House)
ISBN: 978385747425
$15.99
Grades 6-8
In Stores July 14, 2009

*Best New Books*

Do you enjoy getting chills? Are you a fan of thoughtful, engrossing, surprising storytelling? How do you feel about books that stick with you long after you’ve finished reading? I’m asking because these are the things you are going to find in When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead’s outstanding second novel. A combination of science fiction and realistic fiction, this unique, well-crafted, and mysterious book will likely grace as many Best of ‘09 lists as you can get your hands on, including mine.

The year is 1978. The place is New York City. 12 year old Miranda is in sixth grade and her life is about to get strange. Miranda’s mom is practicing daily in preparation for her upcoming appearance on the $20,000 Pyramid. Her best fried Sal won’t talk to her anymore, and Miranda thinks it has something to do with a random act of violence he experienced while they were walking home from school. Soon, mysterious messages begin to appear in unexpected places. Written to Miranda, the notes contain information that make them impossible to ignore. As Miranda begins to make new friends, the mystery of who is authoring the messages continues to simmer. When the surprising, exhilarating conclusion comes, it takes each individual plot thread and ties a satisfying bow.

The mood here is subtly ominous, the pacing perfect. The unease slowly builds until the moment it all breaks loose. Small storyline seeds get planted every so often and then left, but are always returned to – often when you don’t expect it.

Now I’m going to be frank with you (we’re pals, right?). There is an element of time travel in this book. I hate when books get all “try to understand this” when it comes to time travel. It just seems to slow things down more than it adds to the story. In the case of When You Reach Me, I’m happy to say that the how isn’t really all that important. You don’t need to dissect the how to enjoy the story. If confusion begins to set in, forge ahead – you won’t be putting  yourself at a disadvantage to enjoy what follows.

A book this outstanding is a pleasure to recommend. Add this to your shelf as soon as possible.

Also reviewed by A Fuse #8 Production, Educating Alice, Becky’s Book Reviews, Library Voice.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Roadwork
By Sally Sutton
Illustrated by Brian Lovelock
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9780763639129
$15.99
Grades PreK-1
In Stores

*Best New Books*

Also reviewed by The Book Chook.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Nic Bishop Butterflies and Moths
By Nic Bishop
Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439877572
$17.99
Grades 1-4
In Stores

*Best New Books*

Nic Bishop is quickly becoming a household name in the world of children’s lit. A bio:

• Photographer

• Author

• PHD-level biologist

• Sibert Honor recipient

• New Zeelander

• Current Michigan resident

I’m especially pleased with that last one. Bishop is a master of visually mesmerizing, factually outstanding nonfiction for children. The man is dedicated (more on that later), the man is knowledgeable, the man has a new book on the shelves titled Butterflies and Moths. If you don’t already own a copy, be sure to add it to your wanted list.

If you’ve read Bishop’s previous work (Frogs, Spiders) then you’re familiar with the style on display here. The text, written in basic terms, describes the characteristics, habitat, diet, and life cycle of his subjects. The uniqueness of butterflies and moths is emphasized, with pages devoted to metamorphosis and the species’ use of camouflage.

Not surprisingly, the headliner here are the visuals. The photographs, highly-detailed and close up, give the reader a vibrant and intimate perspective. Bishop also presents the caterpillars that will eventually become these winged insects. Time-lapse and image-combining techniques are also utilized with successful results, showing flight and the transformation to pupa in step-by-step detail.

Bishop is nothing if not dedicated. One shot in the book, showing a rare caterpillar that puffs up its body to look like a snake, is an example of this. As described in the afterword, Bishop waited years for the opportunity to photograph this extraordinary creature, flying to Costa Rica at the drop of a hat when he received word of its whereabouts. That’s commitment, y’all.

Butterflies and Moths will surprise, amaze, and inform young readers of all shapes and sizes. Be sure to add this highly recommended title to your collection.

Check out the Nonfiction Monday roundup at ACPL Mock Sibert blog.

Visit Nic Bishop’s Website.

Also reviewed by Kids Lit, I.N.K.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Chicken and Cat Clean Up
By Sara Varon
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780439634083
$16.99
Grades K-2
In Stores

*Best New Books*

Visit Sara Varon’s website.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Duck! Rabbit!
By Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
Chronicle Books
ISBN: 9780811868655
$16.99
Grades K-2
In Stores

*Best New Books*

To see a children’s book author in the pocket is a beautiful thing. I think you know what I mean. The creativity and talent are flowing, making each release a cause for excitement. Jan Thomas (The Doghouse) and Emily Gravett (Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears) are recent examples of this “hitting on all cylinders” momentum. Well, make the necessary preparations, because Amy Krouse Rosenthal may soon be joining these ranks. Following the winning Little Pea and Little Hoot, Duck! Rabbit! does pretty much everything right. There’s plenty to like here, and young readers will definitely notice.

The story is simple, yet unique. A white rabbit is presented in profile, with long ears trailing behind. No wait, it’s a duck with with a … large bill? Herein lies the premise - it’s impossible to identify the animal. Two unnamed, off-page characters, each with their own assessment of the duck vs. rabbit debate voice their opinions.

Are you kidding me? It’s totally a duck.

It’s for sure a rabbit.

While the discussion rages, the duck/rabbit casually goes about it’s business. Eventually, the arguing scares the animal off, leaving the reader to decide the final verdict. But worry not, because a new hard to identify animal appears to rekindle the debate.

While the unseen opponents don’t speak directly to the audience, readers will be pulled into the story nonetheless. Everyone will choose their side - be it duck or be it rabbit. The overall effect is that of the reader being given a voice in the story itself.

Lichtenheld’s artwork is a mix of bold and gentle. A mix of ink, watercolor, and colored pencil, thick black outlines make the duck/rabbit stand out, while the backgrounds contain a minimum of objects, eliminating distractions from the story.

Having created a series of quality titles, Duck! Rabbit! fits right into Rosenthal’s first-rate portfolio. A clever premise, well executed. This one is a must purchase.

Watch the very well-done Duck! Rabbit! book trailer:

Also reviewed by Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast (which is where I found the above spread), Young Readers, Three Silly Chicks, A Year of Reading.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Shape
By David Goodman and Zoe Miller
Tate Publishing (Abrams)
ISBN: 9781854377791
$22.50
Grades PreK-1
In Stores

*Best New Books*

ABC books. Number books. Shape books. All played out.

Hold on a sec. Similar to how a good singer can turn a corny song into a great one (have you checked the lyrics to Ignition (Remix) lately?), creativity can make a worn genre feel downright alive. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, Color, David Goodman and Zoe Miller inject a refreshing sense of imagination into Shape. If you’re going to start introducing youngsters to the world of the geometric, you can do no better than to put this engaging title in their hands.

Shape quickly reveals itself as a labor of love. Photographs, cut paper, cloth, and found objects are carefully laid out, giving each page a palpable hand made quality. The book begins with basic shape introductions, but clocking in at 64 pages, Shape’s length provide opportunities to go beyond the basic “this is a triangle”-type text. The breadth of originality is something to see. All of the shapes are presented and used in clever ways that will delight readers. Not only do we learn that a triangle “has three straight sides and three corners”, but on the following pages we see triangular wood blocks used to create animals, and a forest of triangle-block trees (which is turned into a game as the text encourages readers to count the shapes). Beyond just triangles and squares, the book touches on elements of pattern, symmetry, and even three-dimensional shapes. Readers are often asked to interact with the pages through matching, naming, and searching activities. Glow-in-the-dark-ophiles will even find something to love here.

There are definitely some retro elements present. There is a hint of a “PBS in the 80’s” feel. The fact that most of the objects used to create the book have been around the block a time or two means that there’s plenty of nostalgia present. Pac-Man ghosts, erector sets, vinyl 45s – heck, even wooden blocks may come across as foreign to some youngsters. These throwbacks are mixed in with newer media, however, so the overall effect doesn’t give off too much of a “remember the good ol’ days” vibe. And, honestly, the fact that many of the objects are not familiar to kids may increase interest, rather than discouraging it.

Lovingly created, visually remarkable, yet basic enough to be shared with pre-readers, Shape is a book you should have on the shelf.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Animals Up Close
By Igor Siwanowicz
DK Publishing
ISBN: 9780756645137
$19.99
Grades 4 and Up
In Stores April 1st, 2009

*Best New Books*

Beautiful photography meets high quality facts to create a nonfiction title that everyone should see. Although not the first to offer close-proximity images (Nic Bishop’s work is a recent example), Animals Up Close does so with a variety of fauna, and at a level few can touch. From centipedes to sea urchins, hermit crabs to chameleons, students will be repulsed, amazed, and thoroughly transfixed by this book.

Animals Up Close first provides some context for the small creatures that are to be presented. Sections on how small animals view the world, how they are classified, and how they were photographed lay the groundwork for the meat of the book. What follows is essentially a role-call of a wide variety of animals including insects, mammals, birds, fish. Each animal gets its own two-page spread containing:

1. An entry describing the animal.

2. A graphic showing name, size, habitat, lifespan, and endangered status.

3. Specific information pointed out in a diagram style.

4. An insanely detailed photograph.

The amount of facts make Animals Up Close suitable for information-seeking students.

This book owes everything to its images. In his forward, Siwanowicz asserts that, “When you get up really close, many of these creatures look like aliens from another planet.” That’s no joke. The photos, especially those of lesser known insects, will challenge the way you look at the animal world. They also might leave readers pleasantly grossed-out. Siwanowicz captures his subjects with sharp clarity and often from unexpected angles. A belly-side shot of a Gecko clinging to glass shows how the lizard’s feet are specially adapted for climbing.

Some creatures are more suited for this sort of inspection. While the up-close treatment of jellyfish and the small tamarin monkey are less awe-inspiring than others, this would have been hard to avoid. With the variety of animals presented, there was bound to be a few that don’t stand out.

Animals Up Close is a wonderful merging of image and information. Fans of Nic Bishop take notice. A highly recommended nonfiction selection.

Check out the Nonfiction Monday roundup at MotherReader.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

When the Whistle Blows
By Fran Cannon Slayton
Philomel Books
ISBN: 9780399251894
$16.99
Grades 5-8
In Stores June 11, 2009

*Best New Books*

Monday, Jan. 19 - I sit here, looking at When the Whistle Blows. I’m not sure what to make of it. It looks like it might be for a slightly older reader than my comfort zone includes. Reading the various blurbs on and in the slim volume, it looks like it’s about a small town where the lifeblood is the railroad. It’s been a while since I read a good historical novel. I’ll give it a shot.

Monday, Jan. 26 - I’ll have some down time today, so I’ll get a chance to read. I grab When the Whistle, figuring now is as good a time as any to give it a go. I read the first chapter and keep on going. It’s a good first chapter. James (Jimmy) Cannon and his older brother Mike sneak out in the middle of the night and witness the meeting of a secret society. Jessie is surprised to find that both his father and oldest brother, Bill, are members. Bill has already followed their father to work for the local rail company, and Mike has his sights set on the same plan. Not that any of this flatters old Mr. Cannon. He’s been saying for as long as Jimmy can remember that the new diesel trains are coming to Rowlesburg, West Virginia, to put them all out of work.

Monday, Feb. 2 - It’s weird, I’m taking my time with this one. The jacket proclaims similarities to Jack London and Robert Lewis Stevenson, but the humor and setting make me think of Richard Peck.  In fact, the author even has a quote inside the front cover - not a bad endorsement. The format is very Peck-esque. Each chapter takes place on Halloween (or All Hallows Eve), jumping ahead one year each time. The day is special because it is Jimmy’s father’s birthday. Each chapter works as a short story, but the larger story arc runs throughout. Some chapters, like when the students (and The Society) fight back against a new principal who’s determined to hold class on the first day of hunting season, are funny and mischievous. Others, like when Bill is believed to be on a wrecked train, pack a more weighty punch. All of them are well written, absorbing, and memorable.

Monday, Feb. 9 - I’m getting to the core of the book. When the emotion comes, it’s sudden and strong. Turns out Mr. Cannon was right - Rowlesburg is withering as new diesel trains make many old rail jobs obsolete. Jimmy, his heart set on the family profession, is at a loss for what to do next. Who can’t identify with that feeling? A major event results in a meeting of The Society - this time with a new member.

Monday, Feb. 16 - I sit here, looking at When the Whistle Blows, thinking of how to review it. Then I get an idea: make the review like the book. Small parts, adding to a conclusion. For me, Slayton’s debut will be an ‘09 standout.

Visit Fran Cannon Slayton’s website.

Visit Fran Cannon Slayton’s blog.

Find the book at your local library with WorldCat.

How to Heal a Broken Wing
By Bob Graham
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9780763639037
$16.99
Grades K-2
In Stores

*Best New Books*

Hello, I’m the cast that Travis wore when he broke his arm in 4th grade. Since I haven’t been busy healing fractures since the late ‘80s, I’ve really become quite a reader. I want to let you know about a great book, How to Heal a Broken Wing.

Wait! How did you get my account information? I didn’t say you could post a review. You’re just a cast! You’ve never even written a review before!

Just a cast? I saved you. Similar to how Will saves an injured pigeon in the book I was just about to eloquently critique.

Oh, you’re reviewing How to Heal a Broken Wing? Well, I loved that book too…

So you approve? Shall I continue?

Alright, but I’m not taking part. I’m gonna go finish watching Iron Chef.

No complaints here.

Compassion is a difficult thing for kids to wrap their heads around. Sure some are seemingly born with the instinct to understand suffering and have a desire to help alleviate it, but this isn’t always the case. How to Heal a Broken Wing expertly takes on the concept of compassion and makes it tangible. It’s a wonderful thing to behold when a picture book simplifies something so complicated.

(From across the room) Agreed.

Pigeons run into windows every day. People hardly take notice. Will, while walking out of the subway with his mother, sees one such bird and convinces his mom to bring it home. Over the next few days, Will and his parents work together to nurse the pigeon back to health. Once their job is done, Will releases the bird back where it belongs.

Yeah! It sounds simple bu-

Well, look who wants to get in on the review now! Mr. “I’m an Expert”. Please Mr. Expert, bestow upon us your insightful opinions.

I’m going to go ahead and ignore your tone on that. What I was going to say is that the beauty of this one is in the details. Author/illustrator Bob Graham tells the story almost entirely through his pen, watercolor, and chalk illustrations. Pages are often broken into panels, making the story appear to be a cross between picture book and comic. While the characters appear cartoonish, the mood is earnest. Text is sprinkled in occasionally, skipping pages at a time. While the words add richness and will help to guide readers, the art is such that the story would hold up even without them, making this story appropriate even for very young children.

Mr. 2¢ is right. The themes and illustration combine to make this a must-add book.

Alright, you did a pretty good job, but no more posting reviews without my okay first.

Fine. May I please post my next review on Chasing the rodeo: On Wild Rides and Big Dreams, Broken Hearts and Broken Bones, and One Man’s Search for the West?

Absolutely not.

Also reviewed by Mother Reader.

This book made the Cybils fiction picture book shortlist.

Bob Graham won a Charlotte Zolotow award for this book.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Wabi Sabi
By Mark Reibstein
Illustrated by Ed Young
Little, Brown
ISBN: 9780316118255
$16.99
Grades 4 and Up
In Stores

*Best New Books*

“Wabi Sabi” is a book you have to see and hold – a review doesn’t do it justice. From its beautifully grotesque illustrations (and I mean that as a compliment) on luxuriously thick paper to its unusual layout filled with poetic text, “Wabi Sabi” is laboriously detailed in every way. Lovingly created, the biggest challenge facing this book is finding an audience that will read it, understand it, and appreciate it.

Wabi sabi means finding beauty in the ordinary, and that is the theme here. From start to finish, the writing slips back and forth between poetic text and outright poetry in the form of Haiku. The story follows an ordinary brown cat, named Wabi Sabi, as she attempts to discover the meaning of her name. Turns out that it is difficult to explain. Our feline protagonist asks her master and other pets before receiving advice to find a monkey named Kosho. Wabi Sabi seeks out Kosho, who, through his actions, teaches the cat the meaning of her name.

Ed Young’s (“Lon Po Po”, “Seven Blind Mice”) heavily textured illustrations are amazing. Layers of paper collage and fabric are combined with watercolor and found objects (such as leaves) to set an earthy tone. Arranged (a la “Tops and Bottoms”) with the spine at the top, the book operates much like a wall calendar, providing tall spreads to work with. This, combined with the large size of the pages gives Young the opportunity to do some striking things with perspective.

Younger children may pick this up for the artwork, but the theme and poetic text will be difficult for many kids to enjoy. This fact makes it hard for me to recommend it as a K-6 must-purchase, but its potential in the classroom for teaching poetry makes it a good one to have on hand. Any way you look at it, “Wabi Sabi” will surely stand out as one of the more memorable picture books of the year.

Watch an outstanding interview with author Mark Reibstein and Illustrator Ed Young:

(Thanks to BookVideos.tv for the clip)

Also reviewed by A Fuse #8 Production, Kids Lit.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Who Made This Cake?
By Chihiro Nakagawa
Illustrated by Junji Koyose
Front Street
ISBN: 9781590785959
$16.95
Grades PreK-1
In Stores

*Best New Books*

Also reviewed by Pink Me, Kids Lit.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

(Comics created using Bitstrips)

Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley
By Aaron Blabey
Front Street
ISBN: 9781590785966
$16.95
Grades K-2
In Stores

*Best New Books*

There are plenty of children’s books based on friendship. It’s an important topic, so I don’t mind. Some books about friendship show rather than tell - they don’t explain how the process works, but show it in action. I think of the recent “Dog and Bear” books as an example. This is effective because a story about friendship is usually more interesting than a nuts and bolts examination. “Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley” goes the nuts and bolts route with unquestionable success. If you can find a more honest, well-written picture book about friendship this year, please send me a message at [email protected].

The story (originally released in Australia) is not groundbreaking. Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are two friends who could not be more different. Pearl is outgoing and fun-loving, while Charlie is quiet and cautious. After explaining the differences between the two, the narrator gets to the heart of the matter – that they are great friends precisely because of their opposite personalities. Author/illustrator Aaron Blabey manages to tell this story without ever falling into the saccharine zone of no return. The spot-on writing is plainly stated and economical.

The warm acrylic and mixed media illustrations focus on the characters. Pearl and Charlie are almost always depicted in full body view with a minimum of background clutter. With this decision, Blabey smartly focuses in on the relationship between our two main characters.

“Pearl Barley…” is a book about friends that reads like a breath of fresh air. Simple and effective. Highly recommended.

Also reviewed by Kids Lit, Cheryl Rainfeld.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale
By Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrated by John Hendrix
Schwartz & Wade Books
ISBN: 9780375837685
$16.99
Grades 1-3
In Stores

*Best New Books*

Let me say off the bat that I’m biased. Abe Lincoln holds a special place in my stovepipe, which I have worn for the last few Halloweens impersonating the great man. I even grew up on a Lincoln Avenue. If you know that information, then you know I come to most books about our 16th president with more interest than the average reader. But I’d be lying if I said that “Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek” is anything less than one of the most creative, well illustrated books about Honest Abe you’re likely to find.

The story, narrated by the author, centers on an event that, by all accounts, actually took place in Lincoln’s youth. The complete title of this book includes this: “(Introducing His Forgotten Frontier Friend)”, and with good reason - Benjamin Austin Gollaher is really the hero of this story. On a mission to find partridges, Austin and Abe head down to the fast moving Knob Creek. They run into a problem when the birds they seek are on the other side of the water. In crossing, Abe (the non-swimmer) falls into the water, to be heroically saved by Austin.

Sounds like a simple story, right? Well, the fun is in the details. The narrator breaks rules from the beginning, speaking directly to the reader, talking about the author, and explaining how the story is probably true. The scene where the young Lincoln falls into the water is given a second take when the narrator realizes that maybe the two boys would not have walked, but crawled over the log bridge. When Austin makes it over, the author suggests, “Let’s all clap together”. These elements help to draw in the reader and make the story interactive. A solid Lincoln read aloud? No question.

Then there are the illustrations. Watercolor greens, browns and blues dominate the book, adding life to the detailed pen and ink lines. There are creative flourishes, like the illustrator’s use of different fonts for sound effects, the use of arrows and signs, and the occasional illustration of his hand drawing the illustrations that give the artwork a personal quality. It looks like Mr. Hendrix was having fun, and that rubs off.

Although my above average interest in the subject matter is known, “Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek” succeeds no matter how you look at it. Be sure to add this one to your collection. Although I’m still not sure I can make this endorsement - did I mention that I also have worked at an elementary school named Lincoln?

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Panoramic shot of the cover:

“Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek” Wikipedia entry.

The Pencil
By Allan Ahlberg
Illustrated by Bruce Ingman
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9780763638948
$16.99
Grades PreK-2
In Stores

*Best New Books*

Many of the picture books I read are firmly “of the times” - characters, dialog, and illustrations all combine to declare modernity. I envision kids reading these books for a few years and then, well I’m not sure. Some of them will have longevity and some won’t - it’s often hard to tell. Much more rarely do I encounter books that successfully rise above the here and now. Their combination of story and images displays a timelessness that will likely appeal to readers for years to come. “The Pencil” is one such book. One of my favorite picture book titles to be released this year.

As the title suggests, it all begins with a pencil. The first thing it draws is a boy named Banjo. Banjo requests a pet dog, so Bruce is sketched. Bruce wants a cat, so Mildred is whipped up. From there, the pencil starts getting creative. A town is sketched, along with a house and a family for Banjo. When they get tired of all the black and white, the pencil cleverly draws a paintbrush to add some color. Then the complaints start rolling in. The pencil’s creations are not pleased with the way things look and want some changes. The solution? An eraser.

However, the eraser soon starts rubbing out everything in it’s path. With the fate of his world in jeopardy, the pencil comes up with the perfect way to save Banjo, his family, and his town.

The storytelling is subtle. It doesn’t yell at the reader, but confidently lets the plot unfold. There are touches of humor. Everything the pencil draws wants to be named. This leads to a rubber ball going by “Sebastian”, and the endpapers filled to the brim with swing sets named “Claudia” and other various, named objects. Suspense is also used to great affect. When a problem arises, the reader must wait until the page is turned to discover the solution.

Ingman’s spare illustrations add much to the uncomplicated feel of “The Pencil”. Rendered in acrylics, their simplicity is integral to the story of the inexperienced pencil, drawing for the first time.

Not a title that will necessarily jump out at readers, “The Pencil” is a modest gem. Maybe not an obvious pick for story time, but don’t let that deter you - this book should be a read-aloud hit. The kind of book you can be proud to share.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Jellaby
By Kean Soo
Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 9781423103370
$18.99
Grades 3-7
In Stores

*Best New Books*

There are graphic novels that stroll in, hit their mark, and bring the GN lover what they’re looking for. The recent “Amulet: The Stonekeeper” comes to mind. If you’re into the genre, you’ll be a fan - but it’s not necessarily recruiting new believers. Then there are your 741.5’s that have the ability to bring readers into the fold who have not considered said fold an option. “Jellaby” is one of those books. Honest emotional moments, humor, and mystery combine to make one of the best books of Aught 8.

Portia is an outsider, but not for the usual reasons. She’s smart and thoughtful. Her intelligence draws ire from her classmates and leaves her bored in her studies. One night, after a strange dream, Portia discovers a scared monster behind her house. How the purple creature ended up in her yard is not clear, but Portia is determined to keep her new friend a secret while she figures things out. In her efforts to keep “Jellaby” hush hush, she inadvertently pulls classmate Jason into the mix. Now they’re partners. A tip from Jellaby about her (his?) possible origins results in a secret trip to Toronto to find out the truth. The story ends just before the threesome reach the big city, with plans for a second book to wrap up the tale.

I can’t help but think of one of my favorite movies, “The Iron Giant”, when reading this book. There is something about an outsider finding friendship with a really outsider that draws you in. The illustrations are on point throughout, using just a few colors to get the job done. Overall, the effect is an artful and beautifully subtle story that leaves you eager for more.

Also reviewed by: A Fuse #8 Production, Under the Covers, Charlotte’s Library.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Click Here to read a brand new interview with author/illustrator Kean Soo at A Fuse #8 Production.