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The Cat In the Hat (1957) is a great Seuss book. Probably a fan favorite in many ways. And if you're honest, it's probably one of the Seuss's that pop in mind first when asked what he wrote. How does a reviewer review such a well-known book? This reviewer is going to share some favorite quotes and side-step evaluating it. Here's how it begins: "The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold wet day." The book--as you know--is about a stranger--a Cat in the Hat--who comes to visit, to tempt, to play with two young children on a rainy day when they're mother is gone for the day. The other memorable character? The fish who did NOT like the Cat in the Hat at all. Why do I love Cat in the Hat? Thing One and Thing Two! But as much as I enjoyed it, I think I enjoyed The Cat in the Hat Comes Back even more.
The Cat In The Hat Comes Back (1958) is a really great book.
"This was no time for play. This was no time for fun. This was no time for games. There was work to be done. All that deep, deep, deep snow, all that snow had to go. When our mother went down to the town for the day, She said, "Somebody has to clean all this away. Somebody, Somebody has to, you see." Then she picked out two Somebodies. Sally and me."
I can't begin to tell you how many times someone has quoted that around the house "Somebody, somebody has to you, you see." Who should approach these home-alone children once more? None other than the Cat in the Hat. He leaves them to their work while he goes in to take a nice soak in their tub. But he leaves a ring in the tub.
"A ring in the tub!
And, oh boy! What a thing!
A big long pink cat ring!
It looked like pink ink!"
Then begins a long, dramatic attempt to clean up one mess after the other after the other after the other. Before it's all done, we meet many new characters beginning with Little Cat A. It was a fun book that is just a delight to read. Much more fun than the original.
Help Me, Mr. Mutt! by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel. April 2008. Harcourt.
I loved this book. It's true. I loved it. Whether you like cats or dogs OR cats and dogs, I have a feeling you'll like this one too. The full title of this one is Help Me, Mr. Mutt! Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems. The premise is simple. Dogs write to Mr. Mutt for advice about the problems they're having with their owners. Mr. Mutt then responds. But never one to let a dog have the last word in anything, the Queen also responds. (The Queen--in case you didn't guess it from her name--is a cat.)
It was hard for me to choose a favorite part. It really was. It was hard for me to even narrow it down a bit. I really loved so many of the "letters" that Dr. Mutt received and answered. But of particular note--if I have to play favorites--I'd say that Overdressed In Oklahoma was one of my favorites.
Dear Mr. Mutt,
It's ridiculous!
Outrageous!
Preposterous!
Holidays are unbearable. First I'm a baby, next I'm a bunny, then I'm a bride, now I'm an angel.
I'm NOT a baby or a bunny or a bride or an angel.
I'm a dog.
Where is my dignity? I'm the laughingstock of the block! I'm in need of your assistance immediately!
Help me, Mr Mutt!
Overdressed in Oklahoma
P.S. My people never dress up the cantankerous cat!
Another one I simply loved was Confused in Connecticut. The truth is that I really loved them all. I HIGHLY recommend this book for everyone that loves pets--cats, dogs, whatever. It's a true gem of a book. The text, the illustrations, everything was just right!
Max Cleans Up is one of many by Rosemary Wells that feature the lovable bunny characters of Max and Ruby. The characters are found in both picture books and board books. My childhood didn't include Max and Ruby. And this is actually the first Max and Ruby that I've actually sat down and read cover to cover. In this book, Ruby is bossing Max around telling him how to clean his room, how to clean up after himself. Max in what is most likely typical Max-fashion is stubborn and resistant.
Familiar scenario? There are many many books about messy rooms, about cleaning up messy rooms, books showing the conflict between messy folks and neat-and-tidy folks. So this isn't alone by any means. It is fun for what it is, but there are others I've enjoyed more. I've got to say though that if your little one loves Max or Ruby (or Max AND Ruby) then they will be more likely to enjoy this one. Knowing the characters, loving the characters can sometimes make a book funnier or 'better' all around.
Here's another book by Rosemary Wells. Like Yoko it is new-to-me. Again we're dealing with animal characters. I have mixed feelings about Felix as you'll see. Felix is good-to-go during the day. But at night, Felix becomes bogged down with worries. He has trouble sleeping at night because of all the worrying thoughts that pop up. These worries are personified as The Worrier. The Worrier is yellow and short. And dare I say it??? He's a bit freaky looking.
The Worrier hopped right in [from the window] and sat down. "I'm worried about that little black spot on your tooth," he said. Felix's clouds of happiness disappeared. Felix and the Worrier worried about the little black spot on Felix's tooth until the morning sun rose in the sky. "Bye-bye! " said the Worrier.
When morning comes, his mother's reassurances and calming presence makes all his fears, worries, doubts go away. He tells his mother what's on his mind, what's got him worried, what's got him down. And she is able to calm him, soothe him, tell him that everything is good, everything is okay, that his worries have been for nothing.
But at night, the worries creep back in. He worries about playing with other children at playschool, he worries about his birthday party, etc. On the night before his birthday, however, something happens that makes the Worrier vanish for good. That something is his birthday present--a small dog named Rufus.
What I like about the book. First of all, I like Felix. I didn't really know that many worried-and-anxious type book characters growing up. And I sure did need them. Believe me. But there wasn't Felix. There wasn't Wemberly. I think some kids do have anxious thoughts, worries, doubts, fears. And I think it's good that these real kids have fictional counterparts. And I like that the books illustrate that talking can help--talking to a parent, talking to a teacher, talking to a friend, etc.
But at the same time, this quick fix just didn't do it for me. Not really. If I'd read it as a kid, I would have thought all my problems could have been solved if I'd only been allowed to have a pet--a dog, a cat, etc. [That's not exactly true, at Felix's age, I was anxious about dogs.] There aren't really many quick fixes in life. Very rarely does a problem get solved with a magic poof. The story could easily have gone another way--a security object of some sort, a blanket, a teddy bear, a doll, etc. And all of these solutions--a pet, a toy, a blanket, a something--could help a person (a child) learn to cope, learn to self-soothe. There is no easy, quick solution. You can only deal with things one step at a time. You might calm your worries for the night, but sooner or later a new day, a new night is going to bring new worries for you to battle, to conquer. Worries just don't go poof. They have to be slain one at a time. But there is never a "completely finished, I'm perfectly cured, I'll never have another anxious thought as long as I live" moment.
But I mostly liked this one. It was good.
I love Rosemary Wells. I do. While I don't love, love, love each Wells' book I encounter, I enjoy them all. She's consistently good with a few stand-out titles. One thing you should probably know about Rosemary Wells? Most of her books feature animal characters. (But the animals aren't acting like animals. They're acting like people.) Yoko is a kitten, a gray kitten, a cute kitten. Yoko loves to eat all of her favorite foods. But when she takes these foods to school, sometimes the other students laugh at her or tease her. These favorite foods? Ethnic food--in this case sushi. "What's in your lunch?" asked one of the Franks.
"Ick! It's green! It's seaweed!"
"Oh, no!" said the other Frank. "Don't tell me that's raw fish!"
"Watch out! It's moving!" said Doris.
"Yuck-o-rama!" said Tulip and Fritz.
Of course Yoko is going to be upset. Fortunately, the teacher is watching and seemingly all-knowing. Will having an International Food Day make the children more tolerant and accepting of those that are different? Read and see for yourself.
Weeks, Sarah. 2007. Ella, Of Course! Illustrated by Doug Cushman.
Ella is a pig. Pigs made it big in 2007. There are piggies, piggies everywhere. Ella is a problem-solving piggy. But when Ella starts causing more problems than she solves, well, something has to be done. It all started with Ella's birthday. Her fourth birthday. Her present from her grammy? An umbrella. A blue umbrella--a sky blue umbrella with puffy white clouds. She loves everything about her umbrella. But most of all, she loves the whooshing sound it makes as it opens. She loves her umbrella so much she wants to take it everywhere with her. The problem? Umbrellas really don't belong everywhere. Especially when "everywhere" is mostly inside instead of outside. She whoosh-clicks into lamps. She whoosh-clicks into other people. She whoosh-clicks jars of honey at the grocery store. You get the idea. Ella has become a trouble-maker. Will Ella find a way to love her umbrella, to treasure her umbrella AND still be a problem-solver?
My favorite thing about Ella, Of Course! is the illustrations. Some of them are just perfect. They capture the playfulness of the text, the story. And the truth is that whether she's the cause or solution of the problems...she's one adorable little piggy.
Shea, Bob. 2007. New Socks.
This one is one of my favorites of the entire year. It is so new. So fun. So unique. This is what the book says about itself: Imagine the best book ever. This is better. It's about my New Socks, and it's about me. Read it. You'll like it. Curious? Our little hero, our narrator, is presumably a chick with new socks. These new socks give confidence, give greatness, give inspiration. They are some mighty powerful socks, let me tell you. Hey New Socks...I'd like you to meet someone...Wood Floor! Whoa! Isn't that just too cute, too funny??? And Watch me not be scared on the big-kids slide! In New Socks! Good job, brave New Socks, good job! I love the text; I love the illustrations. This one is truly a must-read.
Bob Shea's Site
Chaconas, Dori. 2007. Coriander the Contrary Hen. Illustrated by Marsha Gray Carrington.
This is a fun book about a contrary hen. A hen that prides herself from being different from the crowd, of following her own rules, of doing whatever she wants as long as it's the complete opposite of what's expected, what's demanded, what's commanded. Coriander will be bossed by no one. Noticing that all the other hens had their nests in the henhouse, she decides to build her nest in the middle of the road. It just so happened that the driver of the pickup truck didn't choose to run over her. He chose to stop. Mind you, he wasn't happy about it. He was full of grumbles and complaints. So there you have it, a hen holding up the traffic on a country road. Any predictions???If you guessed that there would be a traffic jam and a lot of unhappy people...then you're good at this... Any guesses as to what happens next...well, I won't spoil it for you. But I'll tell you this much--it doesn't end up with the farming family eating fried chicken.
Anderson, Lena. 2007. Hedgehog, Pig, and the Sweet Little Friend. Translated by Joan Sandin.
It's always interesting to read international books, especially picture books in translation. This one comes from Sweden. Hedgehog is apparently a recurring character, but this is the first I've seen of him. While I wouldn't say this one is a wonderfully, wonderfully outstanding book that you can't do without--I will say that it's a nice, pleasant, enjoyable read. Hedgehog is dining with her good friend Pig when they hear a knock on the door. Standing there alone and afraid is a young pig who is lost and wanting her Mama. The two take her in for the night. Give her a nice, hot meal. Give her a warm and cozy place to sleep. Both reassure her that the next day they'll set out to find her mama. And sure enough, the next day the three set off for town. Their noses lead them to the piggy's mother--a baker. And all is well and good again with the world and everyone enjoys a nice sweet roll.
Cecil, Randy. 2007. Gator.
Gator was once the happiest carousel animal in the world. He loved the flashing lights, the sound of the calliope, and the feeling of wind on his face. But most of all, he loved the laughter. Gator is the story of a carousel animal that is saddened by the closing of the amusement park. His life is dull and he and his other carousel buddies are all forgotten. Gator decides to seek out a new life, a life where laughter can once again be found. His journey takes him to several places--the local duck pond, the zoo, etc. Will he ever find that joyous sound of children laughing? Is there a way to breathe new life into his old home? Read and see for yourself!
While I didn't love, love, love this one. I think it is a fun title. It was certainly enjoyable. My favorite part was when he realized that the animals were real--there were such things as real, live ducks. And to Gator's amazement they could fly!!! And of course he has to visit his real, live alligator counterparts. He finds them big and scary--unlike him in every way. So overall, I recommend this one!
School picture day has never been so much fun as it is in Say Cheese by Lauren Child. Picture day is fast approaching as Charlie and Lola prepare to be their best. But Lola, like always, will need a miracle to get through the day all clean and tidy by the time it is time for pictures. Will Lola take that perfect picture? Can she resist the many temptations that will beset her before school, during art, during recess, and during lunch? You'll have to see for yourself what this duo ends up doing to get the 'perfect' picture for their mom!
The Boy With Two Belly Buttons by Stephen J. Dubner. Illustrated by Christoph Niemann. HarperCollins. 2007.
Honestly, I didn't know quite what to expect from The Boy With Two Belly Buttons. It's obviously a silly book with a cutesy message of self-acceptance...but somewhere between the covers of this one...I was charmed and pleasantly amused. It begins off simply, "Solomon never thought it was strange that he had two belly buttons until he got a baby sister. Anya had only one." At first he was concerned, his sister was missing a belly button. Then the devastating news hits him: one was the right number of belly buttons a person should have. He was the odd one, the different one, the freak. The next pages has Solomon seeking out the bellies of young and old...trying to find some answers. His quest even takes him to a professor of buttonology. But it isn't until he meets a famous movie director that our young hero learns that being special, one-of-a-kind, unique is the best thing he could be. While I suppose some might find it silly or over-the-top, I find it charming and enjoyable. I haven't tried it out with kids, I don't have easy access, but I would imagine that it would inspire a few giggles along the way.
I think what makes this story a success, besides the text of course, is the artwork by Christoph Niemann. See what I mean...
Mitali Perkin's Rickshaw Girl is a great early chapter book. Set in Bangladesh, the main character, the narrator, is a young girl named Naima. Naima is well-known for painting/drawing alpana patterns for the traditional Bangladeshi celebrations. But her skills may prove useful in another way, as she discovers just how much she is made of. Naima and her family are poor. Her father drives a rickshaw--that is their income. If he is sick or if business is low, or if something happens to the rickshaw--then their lives--their futures--are up in the air. Naima feels that it is all her fault, if only she hadn't been born a girl--if she'd been a boy--then she'd be out working side by side with her father. Able to help the family earn money to survive. But as it is, a girl's proper place is the home...or is it? Can Naima find a way to be true to herself without dishonoring her family and her culture? This book is an enjoyable read.
Tinkham, Kelly A. 2007. Hair for Mama. Illustrated by Amy June Bates.
October is usually family picture time for the Carters, but this year is different. Mama has cancer and all of her beautiful hair is gone because of her chemotherapy treatments. She doesn't want to be in the photo. Eight-year-old Marcus knows that the photo won't be right without Mama, but what can he do?
The book was inspired by a conversation Kelly Tinkham had with her five-year-old son when she told him she had cancer and would be losing her hair. Hair for Mama is a loving, sweet story about a family facing the uncertainty of the future. Although many things are different know that the mother is sick, one thing remains constant: love. This family loves and cares for one another deeply. Marcus's determination to save the day and give his mother hope is a wonderful thing to see depicted in a picture book. While I'm sure it's not the only picture book out there depicting serious illnesses affecting a family, it is one of few. This is a topic that is just not addressed as frequently as it should be. The text and illustrations are just right.
Kleven, Elisa. 2007. The Apple Doll.
Lizzy is a young girl with a common fear: the fear of starting school, the fear of not being able to make friends. But with the help of the girl's favorite apple tree and some creativity, both fears are overcome rather well.
Lizzy loved her apple tree. She loved to pretend it was a skeleton rattling in the autumn wind...a gingerbread cake with snowy frosting...a blossomy springtime cloud...a leafy summer circus. She loved to eat its apples. Apples for crunching, apples for munching, apples for applesauce, cider, and pies. The day Lizzy started school, she picked her favorite apple of all. It was round as a ball, warm as the sunlight--too happy to pack in her lunch box.
This apple is too special for munching. No, it is about to have a special honor--becoming the girl's friend and starting life as an apple doll named Susanna. Susanna also accompanies Lizzy to school--at least on the first day. Soon, the girl realizes that there are plenty of friendly children she can play with instead of an apple doll. But Susanna is no less important. As the weeks pass, Susanna's looks begin to fade away. And I began to fear the worst. (After all, how long can a piece of fruit with a twig body last?) Luckily, her mother remembers how her grandmother made her a dried-apple girl when she was growing up. And fortunately, she still remembers how it was done. Now this special doll can last a lifetime.
The book concludes, as you can imagine, with instructions on how you can make your own apple doll. I really enjoyed this one, and I think that others--kids and adults--will like it as well. It is the perfect read aloud for this time of year.
Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier was originally published in Germany in 2006. The American publication is 2007, and the publisher is Walker & Company.
Millie is a milk cow with one serious hobby. Her favorite thing to do? Scaring the mail carrier each and every day. As soon as the farmer is done with the milking, Millie stands on guard watching, waiting, and anticipating the arrival of the mail. "Every day Millie searched for a new hiding place...On the days the farmer didn't get any mail, Millie felt so let down." The mail carrier is one unhappy guy. He HATES delivering the mail to the farm. He HATES that cow. So he contemplates a way to tame his foe...Can Millie and the mail carrier ever get along? Is there a way for everyone to be happy at the end of the day? Read and see for yourself. This is one fun adventure!
Of course, everyone has heard about dogs chasing and scaring mail carriers. But this *new* twist on an old story is so clever, so funny, so enjoyable. It is really too fun to miss! It has earned two starred reviews--Publishers' Weekly and Kirkus Reviews.
Though this 1999 book did not come from my childhood, it is still a favorite. This book by Helen Lester and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger is a charming little book about a rodent with a speech impediment. Something I know all too much about. Wodney Wat (aka Rodney Rat) has a problem with his r's. They're all w's. Having suffered this problem then and now, I must say I have quite a large soft spot for our hero, Wodney. The first pages show him reading such books as "Squeak up" and "Clear Squeaking" and "Pwonunciate." He does look a bit worried. And we soon see why, the next two pages reveal that the other rodents tease him by asking questions with "r" answers. (Boy, I know how that feels!!!) And as the story goes on, we learn that "all of this teasing day in and day out made Wodney the shyest rodent in his elementary school. His squeak could barely be heard in class. He gnawed lunch alone. And while the other rodents scurried and scotted about at recess, Wodney hid inside his jacket." But Wodney's life changes when a new girl enters the class. In ways NObody suspected. Can Wodney the Wodent go from being the shyest to being the big 'hero' on the playground? Read and see in this picture book about teasing, bullying, and self-acceptance.
Today I am highlighting another childhood favorite. The Gorilla Did It by Barbara Shook Hazen. It is illustrated by Ray Cruz. And it was published in 1974. On a personal note, this one was a gift from my great-grandmother. [It is always interesting to me to see which books are inscribed to which sister. My sister and I had one big bookshelf, of course, and shared everything. But it led to some interesting discussions--debates--when it came time to divide out everything. If there are still books with "To Elizabeth" in them, I'm not telling her now.] Books always make the best presents in my opinion. Nothing says love like a book.
The book opens with a young boy asleep in bed. He appears to be sucking his thumb--or at the very least cradling it up close to his mouth. His arms are also wrapped around a teddy bear. Turn the page, and the action begins. What do we see? We see a gorilla gently poking (or touching) the boy's head. Now the boy is WIDE awake. The boy tells the gorilla, "Shhh! Go away. I can't play. I'm sleeping." [Though I've never thought much into this before, the boy doesn't seem shocked to find a gorilla waking him up. He doesn't seem surprised at what he is seeing. So perhaps, just perhaps, this gorilla is a regular visitor.] The gorilla, of course, doesn't say a word. He just begins to play with a yo-yo. So the boy relents, and says, "Okay. But you've got to be quiet, or Mommy'll be mad." But as the two begin to play together in his room, the room gets messier and messier. One picture even shows them riding a tricycle together. But the fun can't last forever. When his mom comes to check on him--to make sure he's sleeping soundly and perhaps because he's been known to make mischief before--she discovers that he has been making quite a mess--a very big mess for just one person to make. So she of course asks the obvious question, "Who made this mess?" His response--which has become a classic at least round these parts--"The gorilla did it." Of course, the mother doesn't see the gorilla. And knows that her son is the one who made the mess. So, of course, there's a scolding. And his anger makes him scold the naughty gorilla who got him to make the mess. But soon the gorilla becomes a repentant gorilla and is ready to make amends by cleaning up the mess he's made. Soon the pair is ready to apologize and ask for cookies. The mother, of course, forgives once she hears the magic words of "I'm sorry."
The book's illustrations are black and white with some occasional color thrown in. For example, the gorilla--the star of the book--is a bluey-black color. Everyone else--everything else--is black and white. [Perhaps, the unnatural blueness of the gorilla is an indication of the fact that he's imaginary.]
As a child, I always thought this book was very funny. For one thing, who doesn't think it's funny to blame someone else for the mess in their room? As a child, I didn't even question the fact that this gorilla was *real.* I just assumed that he, of course, was real. It was funny that the grown-ups just didn't get it. But as a grown-up, I see now that this is imagination at play. It is the story of a boy who let his imagination run away with him--and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing--imagination is good but so is responsibility. This boy learns both. But I think the message is that there is a little gorilla in all of us. A gorilla tempting us to play and be silly when we should be doing something else. A gorilla tempting us to have fun, to enjoy ourselves, to do WHATEVER we want. A gorilla that doesn't necessarily mean to be bad. But a gorilla that sometimes has a hard time listening to the rules and following them.
Dunbar, Polly. 2004. DOG BLUE. Cambridge, MA.: Candlewick. ISBN 0763624764.
Written and illustrated by Polly Dunbar, DOG BLUE is the story of a young boy, Bertie, on a quest to find the perfect pet dog. The story and illustrations are simple yet effective in conveying Bertie's hopes, dreams, disappointments, and ultimately his satisfaction. "Bertie loved blue. He had a blue sweater, a blue dog collar, blue shoes, but no blue dog. What Bertie wanted more than anything in the whole wide world was a dog. A blue dog." In the remaining pages, the reader watches as Bertie first pretends to have an imaginary blue dog, then pretends that he is a blue dog, before ultimately finding the perfect "blue" dog--a black and white spotted dog named Blue. Using repetition and alliteration (the "b" sound in particular), DOG BLUE makes a great read aloud for younger children. Bertie is an imaginative child with an amazing capacity to solve his own problems creatively.
The illustrations of DOG BLUE match the text perfectly. Both are simple yet charming and in many ways are reminiscent of older illustration styles such as HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON or THE CARROT SEED. 
The Cat In the Hat (1957) is a great Seuss book. Probably a fan favorite in many ways. And if you're honest, it's probably one of the Seuss's that pop in mind first when asked what he wrote. How does a reviewer review such a well-known book? This reviewer is going to share some favorite quotes and side-step evaluating it. Here's how it begins: "The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold wet day." The book--as you know--is about a stranger--a Cat in the Hat--who comes to visit, to tempt, to play with two young children on a rainy day when they're mother is gone for the day. The other memorable character? The fish who did NOT like the Cat in the Hat at all. Why do I love Cat in the Hat? Thing One and Thing Two! But as much as I enjoyed it, I think I enjoyed The Cat in the Hat Comes Back even more.
The Cat In The Hat Comes Back (1958) is a really great book.
The book sounds amazing. They are quite a team in producing funny, witty and awesome illustrations. I will check this book out and try to order some copies for our store. Thanks.