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By: Bianca Schulze,
on 7/21/2011
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Chapter Books, Christopher Paolini, Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Featured Videos, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Chapter Books, Christopher Paolini, Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Featured Videos, Add a tag
By: Bianca Schulze,
on 7/18/2011
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Chapter Books, Books for Girls, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Featured Videos, Catherynne M. Valente, Add a tag
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Add this book to your collection: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
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By: Bianca Schulze,
on 6/30/2011
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Mythology, Chapter Books, Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Featured Videos, Josephine Angelini, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Mythology, Chapter Books, Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Featured Videos, Josephine Angelini, Add a tag
Add this book to your collection: Starcrossed
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By: Bianca Schulze,
on 5/31/2011
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Chapter Books, Oliver Jeffers, John Boyne, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Featured Videos, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Chapter Books, Oliver Jeffers, John Boyne, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Featured Videos, Add a tag
Add this book to your collection: Noah Barleywater Runs Away
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By: Bianca Schulze,
on 5/4/2011
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Writing Resources, Zombies, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Ty Drago, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Writing Resources, Zombies, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Ty Drago, Add a tag
By Ty Drago, for The Children’s Book Review
Published: May 3, 2011
Sooner or later, every writer is asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” Most of us shrug our shoulders; that’s probably the most honest response. A few of us come up with snappy canned answers like, “I belong to the Novel Idea of the Month Club!” or “Oh, I have an idea garden in my backyard!”
But in the case of the Undertakers and their first adventure, I can actually answer that question. The idea was inspired, as so many good ideas are, from my childhood.
When I was a kid I wrote comic books – a lot of comic books. Most were hasty and poorly drawn on cheap, lined notebook paper. I’m no artist, but I did my best to tell the stories at least well enough for the friends I shared them with.
For the most part these comic books all centered around a collection of child superheroes I invented called “The Kid Kadets” (I wish I could say that, even in those days, I was in love with alliteration. But the sad truth is that, at ten years old, I didn’t know how to spell “cadet”.)
These kids had all kinds of superpowers, everything from telekinesis to turning into rockets. Over the years, a few of my neighborhood friends donated their own ideas to the mix, giving us kids who could control the weather or fire Iron Man-like blasts of energy from their palms.
The Kid Kadets had their HQ in Antarctica, in a secret underground base that, on a whim, could be raised from beneath the ice to allow our heroes to easily sally forth into the world (by means that included everything from personal flight to invisible space ships) to right all wrongs.
And their leaders, from the get-go, were a brother and sister team named Tom and Sharon Jefferson.
Well, the mighty Kid Kadets were strong enough to defeat every foe – except growing up, which I inevitably did. And, when that happened, Tom and Sharon and rest disappeared into the corridors of my memory. Shelved, but never truly forgotten.
Then, decades later, along came the Undertakers. In THE UNDERTAKERS, RISE OF THE CORPSES [Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, Ages: 9+], twelve-year-old Will Ritter steps out of his house one morning to discover that his next door neighbor, his math teacher and his assistant principal have all become the walking dead. But these aren’t the shambling, vaguely goofy zombies of George Romero fame. No, these “Corpses” are smart, organized, and bent on world conquest. They radiate an illusion of normalcy that only a few rare kids can penetrate, and when then Corpses find such a “Seer”, they make sure the unlucky boy or girl doesn’t talk.
So Will must run for his life. Abandoning his home and life, he travels to Philadelphia, where he falls in with a rag-tag children’s army calling themselves the Undertakers. They’re all Seers, kids who miss their families and are fighting to defend them and our planet from an invasion that only they know about. The oldest of them are barely seventeen, a street-wise brother-and-sister team named—you guessed it—Tom and Sharyn Jefferson (I updated the spelling of Sharyn’s name).
These aren’t the Kid Kadets, of course, though I was just self-indulgent enough to playfully mention that name in the story! They don’t have superpowers, can’t fly worth a darn, and their HQ is a warehouse in Philly, not a cool, high-tech subterranean complex at the South Pole.
But
By: Bianca Schulze,
on 2/24/2011
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Featured Videos, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Featured Videos, Add a tag
By: Bianca Schulze,
on 9/19/2010
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Lian Tanner, The Keepers, Chapter Books, Author Interviews, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Lian Tanner, The Keepers, Chapter Books, Author Interviews, Add a tag
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: September 19, 2010
As the countdown begins for debut children’s novelist Lian Tanner’s Museum of Thieves, you must read this interview so that you can be in the know about the fantastical journey that awaits readers of The Keepers trilogy!
Q: Museum of Thieves is your debut novel in the thrilling trilogy The Keepers (release date: September 28, 2010). Can you tell us what we should expect?
A: It’s a fantasy adventure set in the city of Jewel, where impatience is a sin and boldness is a crime. It’s the story of a bold girl, a mysterious boy and a living museum, whose rooms shift and change places, so that only a thief can find a way through them. It’s a story about wildness and risk, freedom and safety, secrets, treachery and magical creatures.
Q: The genre of ‘fantasy’ books is one of your favorites—this shows in your work. Which type of reader or personality type do you think your books will most appeal to?
A: I think it’ll appeal to middle-grade readers who like high-stake adventures, interesting characters, cliff-hangers, and worlds that veer off from ours in unexpected directions. In my experience so far, the book also seems to work for older kids, who read it at a deeper level for the things it says about our own society and the way we treat risk.
Q: ‘An old rubbish dump, so big that it’s a city. And everything that has been thrown away is there—memories, forgotten people, extinct animals.’ These are the words that you scribbled in your ideas book—they are the seed from which your series bloomed. What were the next steps that followed this initial idea?
A: Probably one of the most important steps was realising that the setting of the book was not going to be a rubbish dump, but a museum. I was reading a newspaper article about the Hermitage Museum in Russia, and a line jumped out at me, something about how, in all the great old museums, time stretches and becomes something more oceanic. That was a real ‘aha’ moment for me.
At the same time I was following a discussion in the Australian media about ‘bubble-wrap children’—children who are so over-protected by their parents that they miss out on a lot of essential skills. As soon as I realised that these two ideas—the museum and the over-protected children—went together, other things started to fall into place fairly quickly. Not just an ordinary museum, but a living museum. That was such an exciting thought! It was then that I started a scrapbook, pasting in pictures of faces that interested me, and names, and anything else that set off that inner spark. For me, this is one of the most interesting parts of writing, picking things out intuitively, then sorting through them until you find the ones that resonate most strongly with each other.
Q: Are you still working on Book 2: City of Lies and Book 3: Path of Beasts?
A: I’ve just finished
By: Bianca Schulze,
on 8/9/2010
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson, Writing Resources, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson, Writing Resources, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
By Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson, for The Children’s Book Review
Published: August 9, 2010
“Archimedes did it in the bathtub, we do it in the shower”
Andrew Jacobson & Adam Jay Epstein
ADAM JAY EPSTEIN spent his childhood in Great Neck, New York, while ANDREW JACOBSON grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but the two met in a parking garage out in Los Angeles. They have been writing for film and television together ever since. The Familiars is their first book.
One day, Adam asked Andrew, “Are you familiar with what a familiar is?” And from that simple question, Vastia was born, a fantastical world filled with the authors’ shared love of animals and magic. They wrote every word, sentence, and page together, sitting opposite each other.
Adam Jay Epstein lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jane, their daughters, Penny and Olive, and a black-and-white alley cat who hangs out in their backyard. Andrew Jacobson lives with his wife, Ashley, and their dog, Elvis, four traffic lights away.
THE FAMILIARS will be produced for film by Sam Raimi and Sony Animation.
When faced with the blank computer screen, why is it that sometimes the light goes on in our heads with the proverbial “aha” moment, and other times it’s nothing but tumbleweed? Archimedes, the Greek mathematician and inventor, is said to have shouted “Eureka” upon jumping out of his bathtub after discovering how to calculate whether or not his king’s crown was really pure gold: by measuring how much water it displaces. Thousands of years later, the exclamation can be applied to Einstein’s theory of relativity, Newton discovering gravity, or M. Night Shymalan coming up with the twist ending of The Sixth Sense. The question is, can we train our brains to be more open to these Eureka moments, or is that simply a neurological impossibility?
If you want your own Eureka moment, whatever you do, don’t be actively looking for it. Like a lonely single desperately searching for a mate, oft times the best chance of finding someone is by not looking at all. You can spend all day sitting in front of your computer or a pad of paper struggling to find a great idea, but nine times out of ten the real inspiration will hit you when you’re in the shower or right before you fall asleep.
Here are three techniques that we use to come up with ideas.
1. Keep a notebook next to your bed, in the car, and in the bathroom. This is the Holy Trinity. The three places where inspiration strikes with the greatest frequency and often the best results. Whether you’re starting to doze or just zoning out in mid-day traffic, it seems like these moments of Zen are some of the most consistent idea incubators we’ve come across.
2. Take a walk. This is one of our favorite times to think. Like John
By: Bianca Schulze,
on 6/1/2010
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Florence Parry Heide, Robert N. Munsch, Anna Pignataro, Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban, Philippe Lechermeier, Princesses, Books for Girls, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Goodie Bag: Books to share and give, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Teens: Books for young adults, Marion Dane Bauer, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Rebecca Dautremer, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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In my quest to find new and original stories with a good princess feel—less boy-meets-girl and more strength and self-discovery—the following books really struck a chord with me; each for their own reasons.
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By: Bianca Schulze,
on 5/27/2010
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Erica Kirov, Magickee, Chapter Books, Books for Boys, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Erica Kirov, Magickee, Chapter Books, Books for Boys, Add a tag
The Pyramid of Souls, manages to capture readers right from the gold embossed, razzle-dazzle cover. And, just like in the first book of the series, book two maintained the alluring super-natural power that the Magickeepers beholds.
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By: Bianca Schulze,
on 3/23/2010
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Animals, Chapter Books, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Sweet Dreams: Books sweet enough for bed time, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Jessica Ahlberg, Toon Tellegen, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Animals, Chapter Books, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Sweet Dreams: Books sweet enough for bed time, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Jessica Ahlberg, Toon Tellegen, Add a tag
By: Bianca Schulze,
on 2/18/2010
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Twilight, Chapter Books, Author Interviews, Books for Girls, Best Sellers, Reluctant Readers: Will be begging for more, Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Books into Movies, Featured Videos, Stehanie Meyer, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Twilight, Chapter Books, Author Interviews, Books for Girls, Best Sellers, Reluctant Readers: Will be begging for more, Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Books into Movies, Featured Videos, Stehanie Meyer, Add a tag
By: The Children's Book Review Bianca Schulze,
on 12/14/2009
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Books for Boys, Best Sellers, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Goodie Bag: Books to share and give, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Reluctant Readers: Will be begging for more, Book Lists: Specialty picks, Ages Baby to Three: Books for infants and toddlers, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Books into Movies, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Books for Boys, Best Sellers, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Goodie Bag: Books to share and give, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Reluctant Readers: Will be begging for more, Book Lists: Specialty picks, Ages Baby to Three: Books for infants and toddlers, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Books into Movies, Add a tag
By Bianca Schulze, The Children's Book Review
Published: December 14, 2009
Star Wars is everywhere: t-shirts, Legos, figurines, table sets, bedding, posters ... the list goes on ... babies are dressed-up as Yoda for Halloween, and 4-year-old kids (sometimes younger, often older) are waving their pretend light sabers in a pretend battle in the yard at preschool. The commercialization of Star Wars can not be escaped; sooner or later your kids are going to ask that all important question, "Can I watch Star Wars?"
Now comes the hard part: how old should your kids be before you let them watch the movie? There are so many things to consider, including: violence and adult concepts. Some parents say 10-years-old, others are more lenient with 8- or even 6-years-old. No matter what you decide is right for your family—I do recommend reading this article by Daniel Donahoo, Geek Dad—reading some Star Wars books may be a good way to delay a viewing of the movies; it will also allow for some thoughtful discussions on good vs. bad, before the onslaught of the visual impact.
Here is a list of books and their synopsis', starting at the youngest reader and ending in books for older readers:
Reading level: Ages 1-5
Board book: 12 pages
Publisher: Cartwheel Books; Brdbk edition (September 1, 2009)
Publisher's synopsis: A perfect introduction to the Star Wars universe, this board book features the names and images of the most iconic spaceships coupled with simple text, as the Millennium Falcon, TIE Fighters, and X-Wings blast across outer space.
Designed for the young Jedi-in-training, Star Wars: Spaceships will take children to a galaxy far, far away...into an epic story that was a defining moment for many of today’s parents.
The Force is strong with this book.
Add this book to your collection: Star Wars: Spaceships
Reading level: Ages 1-5
Board book: 12 pages
Publisher: Cartwheel Books; Brdbk edition (January 1, 2010) COMING SOON!
Source: Publisher
Publisher's synopsis: A perfect introduction to the legendary Star Wars characters, this board book features the names and images of the most popular heroes coupled with simple text, as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo fight to save outer space.
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By: The Children's Book Review Bianca Schulze,
on 12/1/2009
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Chapter Books, Author Showcase, Goodie Bag: Books to share and give, Seasonal: Holiday Events, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Chapter Books, Author Showcase, Goodie Bag: Books to share and give, Seasonal: Holiday Events, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
By Steven Hornby, for The Children's Book Review
Published: December 1, 2009
The Children's Book Review presents a guest post by Steven Hornby, author of Secrets of a Christmas Box. Hornby is a multi award winning animator—I'm sure you've seen some of his work in 'The Lord of the Rings', 'King Kong', and 'Kung Fu Panda'—who has created a truly original Christmas novel that brilliantly showcases his creative mind. This year we selected 'Secrets of a Christmas Box' as one of the Best Christmas Kids Books of the year.
I was sat down outside a cafe, enjoying a warm late-afternoon Cafe Late, looking out over the lake in Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand. With it being late June, and the middle of winter in New Zealand, I noticed the snow on top of the mountains across the water from me, usually a brilliant white, now glowed with a warm peach color just as the sun settled behind the opposing hillside.
As darkness crept over the lake, several trees alongside the cafe were suddenly illuminated by Christmas fairy lights that littered their trunks and branches. The path of lights had been twisted orderly up and around the trunk of each tree, like candy cane stripes.I thought, 'WOW!', what a beautiful site. Although it was the middle of the year, the early dusk and the chilly calm evening, made it feel almost Christmas-like. As I sat there admiring the lights' glow, I thought how lucky they were to be out at this time of the year; that they had escaped from being packed away into a box in an attic or garage somewhere, until the following Christmas. It was then I thought how wonderful it would be, if unknown to us, they could be somehow alive. What if they could see everything going on around them? When they were switched off at night, they could hold onto some of their electric charge and jump out from their sockets and have adventures on the streets of Queenstown, while the town slept. But then I thought, who would they share their stories with? I thought back to the Christmas tree, a tree FULL of ornaments, each with unique characterful personalities. The world of the Christmas 'Tree-Dwellers' had begun to evolve in my head.
Although 'Secrets of a Christmas Box' is my first novel, I was fortunate enough to apply elements from my experience in the film industry to the story and characters. To animate a character well in a shot for a movie, I need to have the complete back story to that character, which includes his personality, and a map of his character arc throughout the story. This allows me to put myself in the character's shoes before animating, much the same as a writer does when writing about a character.I wanted to create a Christmas fantasy adventure, that grabs the reader's imagination. A story that takes them on a roller c
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By: The Children's Book Review Bianca Schulze,
on 11/24/2009
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
By Bianca Schulze, The Children's Book Review
Published: November 24, 2009
I'm looking forward to reading this book ...
The narration on the video reminds me of Lord of the Rings. Anyone else?
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By: Amanda Lynch,
on 11/23/2009
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JacketFlap tags: Teens: Books for young adults, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
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By Amanda Lynch, The Children's Book Review
Published: November 23, 2009
Reading Level: Teens
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (August 1, 2009)
What to Expect: Werewolves, Romance, Poetry
I'd been looking forward to reading Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver for awhile--it came highly recommended, so when I sat down to read it I carved out an afternoon and figured I would finish it the following day.
Afternoon quickly became evening, and I was up until the wee hours of the morning because I absolutely HAD to know what happened.
The story starts with a wolf attack. Grace is attacked by the wolves that live behind her house, and then suddenly, one of them stops the attack and effectively saves her life. However, instead of becoming afraid of the wolves, she develops a mild obsession with them—particularly the yellow-eyed one that saved her from the rest of the wolf pack. They go away every summer and reappear in the winter, and Grace anxiously awaits the return of the cold weather that brings her wolf back to her.
"And so it was an unbroken pattern for six years: the wolves' haunting presence in the winter and their even more haunting absence in the summer. I didn't really think about the timing. I thought they were wolves. Only wolves."
But they aren't only wolves. They're werewolves. As it turns out, Sam, the wolf who saved her, becomes human every spring and he silently pines for Grace—until this year, when fate brings them together. Grace realizes that Sam is the wolf—her wolf—that saved her all those years ago, and the two of them begin a relationship, making up for the years they have spent apart as a result of his condition. Unfortunately, as the weather gets colder, Sam's chances of returning back to his wolf-state rise—and he begins to realize that this may be the final year that he becomes a human.
I loved this book, which surprised me because I'm not really a huge fan of the vampire/werewolf/fantasy mania that has reached such heights with the popularity of the Twilight series. But Maggie Stiefvater is an incredible writer, and her daring dual narration in which we switch back between the minds of Grace and Sam is utterly seamless. Sam's anguish over his inability to control whether or not he turns back into a wolf is quite possibly where Stiefvater is at her best: his struggle to stay human out of his love for Grace is touching and poignant. The love story between them is also convincing and extremely sweet, and manages to not have the forced quality that happens a great deal in many teen romance stories. A word of caution: it's definitely a PG-13 sort of love story, so do be aware there is a sexual component, even though it takes place "offscreen".
Overall, Shiver is a very well-written, engaging, and filled with tension—will Grace find a way to keep Sam with her? Or is he to be a wolf forever? I highly recommend it for any
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By: The Children's Book Review Bianca Schulze,
on 10/23/2009
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Books for Boys, Books for Girls, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Goodie Bag: Books to share and give, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Teens: Books for young adults, Book Lists: Specialty picks, Ages Baby to Three: Books for infants and toddlers, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Chapter Books, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Books for Boys, Books for Girls, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Goodie Bag: Books to share and give, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Teens: Books for young adults, Book Lists: Specialty picks, Ages Baby to Three: Books for infants and toddlers, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Chapter Books, Add a tag
By Bianca Schulze, The Children's Book Review
Published: October 23, 2009
Good books make the best books. But ... what makes a good book, good?
It may be a matter of opinion, however, whether it's non-fiction or fiction, a "good book" is one that entertains its readers and has them eager to turn the next page. The author and/or illustrator connects the reader to the characters or subject, provoking an emotional response. "Good books" are original, and often spark imagination and curiosity.
Here is our list of "good books" for 2009, thus far:
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Author), Jen Corace (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 2-6
Hardcover: 36 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 1, 2009)
TCBR analysis: Amy Krouse Rosenthal is brilliant. Little Oink, along with Little Pea and Little Hoot, should be staples in any family with toddler to preschool aged children. She turns everyday battles upside-down and inside-out, helping children and parents alike to see the lighter side of these oh-so-familiar situations. Humor is a powerful tool!
Publisher's synopsis: From the creators of Little Pea and Little Hoot comes this tidy tale of a decidedly different pig. Little Oink is a neat little fellow. Clean clean clean that's all he wants to do. But Mama and Papa won't have it! They say in order to be a proper pig he has to learn to make a proper mess. "Don't come out until your room is a pigsty " says Papa Pig. "I won't have any child of mine going out looking so neat and clean. It's just not acceptable " says Mama Pig. Readers who hate to clean up will love this humorous twist on a universal dilemma.
Add this book to your collection: Little Oink
by Peter Brown
Reading level: Ages 3-7
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 1, 2009)
TCBR analysis: An empowering ecological fable that is classy and relevant. Just beautiful!
Publisher's synopsis: One boy's quest for a greener world... one garden at a time.
While
out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling
garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden
spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush,
green world.
This is an enchanting tale with environmental
themes and breathtaking illustrations that become more vibrant as the
garden blooms. Red-headed Liam can also be spotted on every page,
adding a clever seek-and-find element to this captivating picture book.
Add this book to your collection: The Curious Garden
by Loren Long
Reading level: Ages 3-7
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Philomel (September 22, 2009)
TCBR analysis: Loren Long is one of my all-time-favorite illustrators, the art in Otis does not disappoint. Each
picture is gorgeous and comforting and connects young readers to an
endearing little tractor. The tractor, Otis, becomes a hero -- the kind
of hero you want your kids to know.
Publisher's synopsis: New York Times bestselling author/artist Loren Long creates an unforgettable children's classic.
Otis is a special tractor. He loves his farmer and he loves to work. And he loves the little calf in the next stall, whom he purrs to sleep with his soft motor. In fact, the two become great friends: they play in the fields, leap hay bales, and play ring-around-the-rosy by Mud Pond.
But when Otis is replaced with the big yellow tractor, he is cast away behind the barn, unused, unnoticed . . . until the little calf gets stuck in Mud Pond. Then there is only one tractor—and it’s not big or yellow—who can come to the rescue. It is little old Otis who saves his friend. It is Otis who saves the day.
In a wonderful new palette, and in the tradition of classics like Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and The Story of Ferdinand, Loren Long has crafted an unforgettable new story—and character—celebrating the power of friendship and perseverance.Add this book to your collection: Otis
by Cynthia Rylant (Author), Nikki McClure (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers; Library Binding edition (March 1, 2009)
TCBR analysis: Heartfelt rhyme and beautiful illustrations
with classic appeal. This is a book that parents will enjoy as much as
the children they read it with.
Publisher's synopsis: This lovely book illuminates all the possibilities a day offers—the opportunities and chances that won’t ever come again—and also delivers a gentle message of good stewardship of our planet. Newbery Medal winner Cynthia Rylant’s poetic text, alongside Nikki McClure’s stunning, meticulously crafted cut-paper art, makes this picture book not only timeless but appealing to all ages, from one to one hundred.
Add this book to your collection: All in a Day
by Mini Grey
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (July 14, 2009)
TCBR analysis: Mini Grey's Egg Drop is one of the nuttiest picture books I have ever read that still manages to send its message home: err on the side of caution. It takes talent to be an author and illustrator, but with Egg Drop the real talent lies in Mini's talent to be so shocking and still have the reader being able to see the sunny side up. A truly original tale!
Publisher's synopsis: Now for something completely different from Mini Grey!
A
mother hen tells her chicks about the egg that wanted to fly. “The egg
was young. It didn’t know much. We tried to tell it, but of course it
didn’t listen.” The egg loves looking up at the birds (yes, it has
eyes). It climbs 303 steps (yes, it has legs) to the top of a very tall
tower—and jumps. It feels an enormous egg rush. “Whee!” it cries. “I am
flying!” But it is not flying, it is falling. Hold your tears, dear
reader—there is a sunny ending for this modern-day Humpty Dumpty.
Impossible to categorize, Egg Drop is Mini Grey at her zaniest.
Add this book to your collection: Egg Drop
by Jerry Pinkney
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 1, 2009)
TCBR analysis: A wordless well-known fable has been turned into a masterpiece. Bravo!
Publisher's synopsis: In award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney's wordless adaptation of one of Aesop's most beloved fables, an unlikely pair learn that no act of kindness is ever wasted. After a ferocious lion spares a cowering mouse that he'd planned to eat, the mouse later comes to his rescue, freeing him from a poacher's trap. With vivid depictions of the landscape of the African Serengeti and expressively-drawn characters, Pinkney makes this a truly special retelling, and his stunning pictures speak volumes.
Add this book to your collection: The Lion and the Mouse
by Mo Willems
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (October 6, 2009)
TCBR analysis: A charismatic, knee-slapping fun take on a recognizable friendship. One of my favorite series for beginning readers.
Publisher's synopsis: Mo Willems' award-winning Elephant and Piggie series continues to charm
readers. Featuring two lovable and funny characters -- an optimistic
(and sometimes reckless) pig and a cautious, pessimistic elephant --
these books make reading irresistible to the beginning
readers. Children who sat on their parents' laps to have Pigeon read
to them will eagerly take the plunge with these books to start reading
on their own.
Each book has been vetted by an early learning specialist (and many adorable early learners).
In Pigs Make Me Sneeze!, Gerald believes he is allergic to his best friend! Will he have to stay away from Piggie forever?
Add this book to your collection: Pigs Make Me Sneeze!
by Ellen Potter
Reading level: Ages 8 -12
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Philomel (May 14, 2009)
TCBR analysis: This is a book for everyone: smart,devious, overweight, underweight, shy, courageous and everyone in between.
Publisher's synopsis: Twelve-year-old Owen Birnbaum is the fattest kid in school. But he’s also a genius who invents cool contraptions— like a TV that shows the past. Something happened two years ago that he needs to see. But genius or not, there is much Owen can’t out-think. Like his gym coach, who’s on a mission to humiliate him. Or the way his Oreos keep disappearing from his lunch. He’s sure that if he can only get the TV to work, things will start to make sense. But it will take a revelation for Owen, not science, to see the answer’s not in the past, but the present. That no matter how large he is on the outside, he doesn’t have to feel small on the inside.
With her trademark humor, Ellen Potter has created a larger-than-life character and story whose weight is immense when measured in heart.
Add this book to your collection: Slob
by Kate DiCamillo
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Candlewick; 1 edition (September 8, 2009)
TCBR anaylsis: An enchanting, tall story that will linger in the heart of its readers. Magical!
Publisher's synopsis: In a highly awaited new novel, Kate DiCamillo conjures a haunting fable
about trusting the unexpected — and making the extraordinary come true.
What if? Why not? Could it be?
When
a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of
Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he
needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find
her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant
will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so
impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it’s true. With
atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a
dreamlike and captivating tale that could only be narrated by Newbery
Medalist Kate DiCamillo. In this timeless fable, she evokes the largest
of themes — hope and belonging, desire and compassion — with the
lightness of a magician’s touch.
Add this book to your collection: The Magicians elephant
by Shaun Tan
Reading level: 12+
Hardcover: 98 pages
Publisher: Templar Publishing (March 2, 2009)
TCBR anaylis: A poetic look at human nature through 15 imaginative and abstract tales that create a mysterious, yet philosophical, world.
Publisher's synopsis: An exchange student who's really an alien, a secret room that becomes the perfect place for a quick escape, a typical tale of grandfatherly exaggeration that is actually even more bizarre than he says... These are the odd details of everyday life that grow and take on an incredible life of their own in tales and illustrations that Shaun Tan's many fans will love.
Add this book to your collection: Tales from Outer Suburbia
by Jacqueline Kelly
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1 edition (May 12, 2009)
TCBR analysis: An original story with charming qualities that will hook any reader with an imaginative and inquisitive mind.
Publisher's synopsis: Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones.With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger. As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.
Debut author Jacqueline Kelly deftly brings Callie and her family to life, capturing a year of growing up with unique sensitivity and a wry wit.
Add this book to your collection: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
by Libba Bray
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (September 22, 2009)
TCBR analysis: A fantasy rich in absurdity. Pulchritudinous!
Publisher's synopsis: Can Cameron find what he’s looking for?
All 16-year-old
Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a
minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given
some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks.
Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible
hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if
he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed,
video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all
road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters
most.
Add this book to your collection: going bovine
by Maggie Stiefvater
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2009)
TCBR analysis: The adventure and the romance created by Stiefvater's strong characters make this a compelling and well written story for fans of the supernatural.
Publisher's synopsis: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.
Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.
Add this book to your collection: Shiver
by Rebecca Stead
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books (July 14, 2009)
TCBR analysis: A wondrous amount of mystery and fantasy, not to mention the superb intensity of drama, will have readers turning page after page after page. A winning novel!
Publisher's synopsis: Four mysterious letters change Miranda’s world forever.
By sixth
grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New
York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local
grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the
corner.
But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new
kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his
life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies
is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny
slip of paper:
I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.
The
notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving
them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened
yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can
prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too
late.
Add this book to your collection: When You Reach Me
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By: The Children's Book Review Bianca Schulze,
on 9/3/2009
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Games, Books for Boys, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Award Winners: Books with honors, Goodie Bag: Books to share and give, Social Graces: Books with a practical use, Brain Twisters: Books that make you think, Reluctant Readers: Will be begging for more, Teens: Books for young adults, Book Lists: Specialty picks, Ages Baby to Three: Books for infants and toddlers, Poetry: Rhymes and verses, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Quest for Literacy, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Games, Books for Boys, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Award Winners: Books with honors, Goodie Bag: Books to share and give, Social Graces: Books with a practical use, Brain Twisters: Books that make you think, Reluctant Readers: Will be begging for more, Teens: Books for young adults, Book Lists: Specialty picks, Ages Baby to Three: Books for infants and toddlers, Poetry: Rhymes and verses, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Quest for Literacy, Add a tag
By Bianca Schulze, The Children's Book Review Published: September 3, 2009 “If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good” ~ Dr. Seuss One sunny day, while swimming in a pool, my husband and I overheard a lady proclaiming to the world that Dr. Seuss' books were absurd and should not be read to children. Her reason: incorrect use of the English language. Oh lady, you've really missed the whole point, haven't you?! Here are five reasons you should love Dr. Seuss, including their absurdity: 1. Great for Beginning Readers and Mastering Phonics A child who is learning to read is learning to connect the sounds that go with letters, so that he can then put them together to make words, which then become sentences. Repeating sounds frequently help a child master this skill. Dr. Seuss is the master of repetitive sounds and engaging stories, while using limited vocabulary -- an ideal book for a beginning reader. A good example: Hop on Pop. 2. Great Read-Aloud Books Dr. Seuss' books sound great when they are read aloud, thanks to his clever rhyming. Did you know that reading to an infant helps with brain development, speech... Read the rest of this post
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By: The Children's Book Review Bianca Schulze,
on 8/18/2009
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Poetry: Rhymes and verses, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Poetry: Rhymes and verses, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
By Bianca Schulze, The Children's Book Review Published: August 18, 2009 Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman (Author), Dave McKean (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: HarperCollins (May 26, 2009) What to expect: Hair, Fantasy, Animals Crazy Hair is a book for any child or parent who has ever wondered the following thoughts: Is that guy's hair real? It's so long, do you think he sits on it every time he takes a seat? When was the last time he washed his hair? I'm sure there are things growing under all that mess! What would happen if you never washed your hair? When a young girl insists on brushing a characters "crazy" head of hair, she is transported into a bold and mystifying world of animals, entertainers, and more; somewhere in the "crazy hair". Gaiman's text is rhyme à la mode -- it has a contemporary groove to it that offers effortless enunciation. McKean's illustrations are certainly at one with the words, offering beautiful creative images to further spur the imagination -- not to mention the superb typography. Youngsters will be wondering, could this really be possible? Older kids will appreciate the absurdity. Adults will delight in the... Read the rest of this post
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By: The Children's Book Review Bianca Schulze,
on 7/10/2009
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Books for Girls, Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Social Graces: Books with a practical use, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Animals, Add a tag
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By Bianca Schulze, The Children's Book Review
Published: July 10, 2009
Chaff n' Skaffs: Mai and the Lost Moskivvy
by Amanda Chin (Author), Luke Feldman (Author & Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 36 pages
Publisher: Immedium (June 1, 2009)
What to expect: Self-confidence, Voyages and travels, Fantasy
This is a modernistic and pleasing tale of courage and adventure. Mai, a young girl, helps a lost "Moskivvy" find its way home, but not without some much needed encouragement that she receives from some good friends. It's definitely the vibrant illustrations that win me over and bring this dreamworld to life. Feldman's art style has been desrcibed by Andrew Farago (Curator, Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco, CA) as blends of the classic stylings of 1950's Disney with a modern design sensibility, which creates something both cutting edge and timeless. I appreciate that Feldman and Chin play homage to Feldman's Australian heritage, by including some colloquial language and native animals. Chaff n' Skaffs: Mai and the Lost Moskivvy will have lift imaginations, and is certainly an alluring feast for the eyes.
Publisher's synopsis: When a lost mosquito interrupts young Mai’s sleep, her friend Chaff suggests they escort Moskivvy home. So begins a courageous girl’s voyage into a fantastic, colorful world. Guided by Chaff, Mai’s incredible journey will kindle readers’ imaginations.
About Luke Feldman: Luke Feldman is an Australian artist, based in California, who creates for a multitude of platforms. His uniquely alluring characters, "Skaffs", have appeared on stickers, vinyl toys, custom skateboards and sneakers, and limited edition art prints. His clients include Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and galleries worldwide.
Add this book to your collection: Chaff n' Skaffs: Mai and the Lost Moskivvy
Additional information: http://www.skaffs.com/chaff/, Find coloring pages here.
You may also like this: The Octonauts & The Frown Fish
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Published: July 10, 2009
Chaff n' Skaffs: Mai and the Lost Moskivvy
by Amanda Chin (Author), Luke Feldman (Author & Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 36 pages
Publisher: Immedium (June 1, 2009)
What to expect: Self-confidence, Voyages and travels, Fantasy
This is a modernistic and pleasing tale of courage and adventure. Mai, a young girl, helps a lost "Moskivvy" find its way home, but not without some much needed encouragement that she receives from some good friends. It's definitely the vibrant illustrations that win me over and bring this dreamworld to life. Feldman's art style has been desrcibed by Andrew Farago (Curator, Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco, CA) as blends of the classic stylings of 1950's Disney with a modern design sensibility, which creates something both cutting edge and timeless. I appreciate that Feldman and Chin play homage to Feldman's Australian heritage, by including some colloquial language and native animals. Chaff n' Skaffs: Mai and the Lost Moskivvy will have lift imaginations, and is certainly an alluring feast for the eyes.
Publisher's synopsis: When a lost mosquito interrupts young Mai’s sleep, her friend Chaff suggests they escort Moskivvy home. So begins a courageous girl’s voyage into a fantastic, colorful world. Guided by Chaff, Mai’s incredible journey will kindle readers’ imaginations.
About Luke Feldman: Luke Feldman is an Australian artist, based in California, who creates for a multitude of platforms. His uniquely alluring characters, "Skaffs", have appeared on stickers, vinyl toys, custom skateboards and sneakers, and limited edition art prints. His clients include Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and galleries worldwide.
Add this book to your collection: Chaff n' Skaffs: Mai and the Lost Moskivvy
Additional information: http://www.skaffs.com/chaff/, Find coloring pages here.
You may also like this: The Octonauts & The Frown Fish
By: The Children's Book Review Bianca Schulze,
on 6/3/2009
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Chapter Books, Books for Boys, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Reluctant Readers: Will be begging for more, Teens: Books for young adults, Who-done-it: Books with a mystery to solve, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Chapter Books, Books for Boys, Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for third through sixth grade, Reluctant Readers: Will be begging for more, Teens: Books for young adults, Who-done-it: Books with a mystery to solve, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
By Bianca Schulze, The Children's Book Review
Published: June 3, 2009
Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass
by Erica Kirov
Reading level: Ages 9+
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (May 1, 2009)
With its gold embossed razzle-dazzle cover and the publisher's synopsis, I was allured by a super-natural power that the Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass beholds. When Nick turns 13-years-old his life takes an unsuspecting turn. He's been living in a not-so-cool hotel in Las Vegas, The Pendragon, with his magician father whose magic skills are more illusion than magic. Nick has trouble making friends because everyone he meets is only in Las Vegas for a vacation. On his birthday everything changes -- he discovers that his heritage runs much deeper than one could ever anticipate. He is part of the most powerful Russian magic family there is, and they live in The Winter Palace Hotel and Casino where the world-famous Damian puts on the greatest show on earth.
With a strong Russian heritage, author Erica Kirov brings an old-world depth to the fast paced neon-world of today's Las Vegas. Two very different times and cultures collide in an out-of this-world experience. Swords, caviar, and Siberian tigers meet skateboards, pizza, and hedgehogs. Kirov's descriptions of characters and scenes are vivid and picturesque. This book is so well thought through that I am beginning to think that Erica Kirov may actually be from a family of magicians. I have been bewitched and I can't wait for book two. A vonderful novel!
If you like J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, or The Navigator by Eoin Mcnamee, you'll be really happy with Magickeepers. I also found a few very basic similarities between Kirov's story and Ingrid Law's Savvy. For more information visit: http://www.magickeepers.com/index.html and http://www.magickeepers.blogspot.com/
Publisher's Synopsis: What would you do for an hourglass that stopped time?
Nick Rostov's father is the worst stage magician in Las Vegas. He can barely pull a rabbit out of a hat. So it is a strange morning indeed when Nick wakes up to find himself on the top floor of the Winter Palace Casino with a promise from the greatest magician in the world to teach him magic.
And not just stage magic. Real magic. Nick sets out to learn about his mother's family, the strange Russian clan of magicians that secretly run the Winter Palace. But there is a catch: Nick has the sight, the ability to see into the past. And so it must fall to him, with only his cousin Isabella to help, to pick up the long-buried clues and unravel the mystery of The Eternal Hourglass, the only magic artifact ever created that can actually stop time.
About the Author: Erica Kirov is an American writer of Russian descent. Though she is not from a family of magicians, she is from a proud family of Russians, and she grew up hearing stories of their lives there.
Erica lives in Virginia with her husband, four children, three dogs, parrot, her son's snake (she really hates snakes), and a pet hedgehog. She is busy at work on the next Magickeepers novel.She also writes on http://teenfictioncafe.blogspot.com as well as her parenting blog, http://demonbabyandme.blogspot.com/.
Add this book to your collection: Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass
Check out more reviews of this book at the following blogs:
YA Books Central
Books For Your Kids
The Reading Tub
Book Loons
Dolce Bellezza
The Written World
Biblio File
Abby the Librarian
Booking Mama
A Childhood of Dreams
Eva’s Book Addiction
Word Candy
And even more reviews coming soon:
Looking Glass Review (6/5)
Alea Pop Culture (6/18)
Beth Fish Reads (6/23)
By: The Children's Book Review Bianca Schulze,
on 5/21/2009
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages Four to Eight: Books for pre-school to second grade, Goodie Bag: Books to share and give, Reluctant Readers: Will be begging for more, Interactive: Appeal to the senses, Fantasy: Whimsical fiction, Add a tag
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By Bianca Schulze, The Children's Book Review
Published: May 21, 2009
Peter Pan: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up
by Robert Sabuda
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 14 pages
Publisher: Little Simon; 1 edition (November 4, 2008)
What to expect: Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Fantasy, Pop-up
Whatever Sabuda touches turns to magic. So what happens when he touches a story like Peter Pan that is already magic? An alluring feast of enchantment! His illustrations stay real to the time period in which J.M. Barrie wrote this classic tale (1902), only they have a richness about them that comes from a more magical and modern time. Using his masterful, paper engineering talents, the illustrations leap to life with a whole new depth, allowing the characters to reach out and draw you further into the well-adapted version. Each pop-up spread contains a booklet that contains the text and a few extra pop-ups to enhance the story -- they tuck neatly away. The detail of this book is extraordinary, making it a wonderful gift for all ages.
Publisher's synopsis: Readers will delight in this retelling of the classic story of Neverland, pirates, and flying. Robert Sabuda's elegant text and paper engineering give new life to favorite characters like Tinkerbell, Wendy, Michael, and John, and, of course, Peter Pan. Sabuda's beautiful pop-ups are further complemented by full color illustrations that pull readers even deeper into the magical world that is Neverland.
Add this book to your collection: Peter Pan: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up