Children's Notes

by Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 3/27/2006

ALL ABOARD!

A host of board books spring up this season. Little Mister by Randy DuBurke follows a toddler from before he wakes in his crib to his breakfast (which coats the kitchen table) to riding the vacuum and his daddy's shoulders. The boy's many moods, captured in sunny watercolors in this original board book, will be familiar to both parents and children. (Chronicle, $6.95 22p ages 6 mos.-4 yrs. ISBN 0-8118-4954-6; May)

Photos of piglets in all shades grace the sturdy pages of Busy Piggies by John Schindel, photos by Steven Holt. Readers will pore over pages of "Piggy kissing/ Piggies squishing" and "Piggy grunting/ Piggy hunting," all the way to the final show-stopping "Piggies squeezing," in which the adorable piglets all slumber in a heap. (Tricycle, $6.95 20p ages 1-3 ISBN 1-58246-169-4; Apr.)

Fabric scenes and doll-like characters star in Salley Mavor's board book versions of Wee Willie Winkie and Jack and Jill. A highlight is the scene of "the children in their beds" made of seashells and leaves, in the first book; and a gentle tumble down the hill for Jack, Jill, and the animals they have in tow. (Houghton, $5.95 each 20p ages 1-4 ISBN 0-618-49640-8; 0-618-49639-4; Apr.)

Remarkable clay compositions recreate the undersea world in the board book Over in the Ocean in a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes, illus. by Jeanette Canyon, a riff on the classic Over in the Meadow. Youngsters can almost touch the smooth scales of a fish or the rough spikes of a coral reef as they count up from a fuchsia "mother octopus and her octopus one" to 10 lime-green seahorses with their father. And the watery backdrop shifts from 1, 2, 3 to ABC in A Swim Through the Sea by Kristin Joy Pratt-Serafini, which traces salty creatures from Angelfish to Zebrafish. (Dawn, $7.95 each 26p ages 1-4 ISBN 1-58469-082-8; 1-58469-080-1; Mar.)

A pair of board books by Cece Bell boasts celebrated twosomes: Food Friends: Fun Foods That Go Together and Busy Buddies: Silly Stuff That Goes Together. In the first, Cake—a slice of strawberry frosted, gripping balloons—hosts a surprise party, at which "cookies and milk" (one of the chocolate chip variety takes a dip in the ambulatory glass) and "bacon and eggs" (a Fred Astaire-looking slab, flanked by two yokes sporting their whites like tutus), among others, await the arrival of Cake's mate, ice cream. In the other, Brush searches for her partner, passing "needle and thread" and "hammer and nail" before finding her Comb. (Candlewick, $5.99 each 20p ages 1-3 ISBN 0-7636-2777-1; 0-7636-2776-3; Mar.)

And finally, with the help of the giant oversize interactive board book Maisy's First Game Book by Lucy Cousins, and Maisy's pals (which double as game pieces), readers learn how to play Tic Tac Toe, use a spinner (numbered from 1–4) and play a version of Chutes and Ladders at "Maisy's Picnic." Kids will have so much fun they'll hardly notice that they're learning to count, identify colors and more. (Candlewick, $9.99 12p age s3-up ISBN 0-7636-2812-3; Apr.)

ADVICE & INSPIRATION FOR GIRLS

In a straightforward tone laced with humor, Girl Stuff: A Survival Guide to Growing Up by Margaret Blackstone and Elissa Haden Guest, illus. by Barbara Pollak (updated from the original 2000 publication), covers everything from body and hormonal changes (menstruation and acne) to the emotional roller coaster of adolescence to how to protect yourself. Do's and Don'ts sidebars and close-up categories (e.g., an alternative medicine mini-chapter explaining aromatherapy, yoga, etc.) offer factual information; candid b&w illustrations show such things as the difference between a circumcised and uncircumcised penis, and a girl and woman. A valuable handbook for clearing up common questions and misconceptions. (Harcourt, $8.95 paper 192p ages 9-12 ISBN 0-15-205679-3; Apr.)

Psychologist Susan S. Bartell promotes a "take control" approach to trimming down in Dr. Susan's Girls-Only Weight Loss Guide. The author addresses issues such as body image, discomfort with certain activities as girls' bodies change, and the cumulative, confidence-shredding effect of gaining weight over time. With testimonials from real girls, Bartell's book encourages readers to be honest with themselves about what they want, what they look like, and what's within their control. The book begins with a letter to adults. (Parent Positive [616-676-0758], $14.95 paper 272p ages 11-17 ISBN 0-9721502-0-X; Mar.)

She's All That! Poems About Girls, edited by Belinda Hollyer, illus. by Susan Hellard, includes more than 80 poems from Gertrude Stein, Eloise Greenfield and Jean Little to Roald Dahl and Jack Prelutsky. Many are funny, others sad (e.g., Judith Viorst's "Since Hanna Moved Away"), but all convey something that girls can recognize from their own experiences. A magenta ribbon lets readers keep their place. (Houghton/Kingfisher, $14.95 128p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-7534-5852-7; Mar.)

Readers will likely be inspired by Adventurous Women: Eight True Stories About Women Who Made a Difference by Penny Colman, from Louise Boyd, who explored the Arctic in the early 20th century, to groundbreaking educator Mary McLeod Bethune. Many of the biographies draw from primary sources, such as "plant hunter" Mary Gibson Henry's journal entry about a flower she discovers 6,500 feet up Canada's Caribou Ridge, and Katharine Prescott Wormeley's letters to her mother while she served as superintendent of nursing during the Civil War. (Holt, $17.95 224p ages 10-15 ISBN 0-8050-7744-8; Mar.)

Picture Book REPRINTS

The Snail and the Whale Julia Donaldson, illus. by Axel Scheffler. Puffin, $6.99 ISBN 0-14-240580-9. In a starred review, PW wrote, "Along with providing a resonant environmental message, this story of a sea snail with an itchy foot lightly demonstrates that friendships come in all shapes and sizes." Ages 3-up. (Apr.)

The Three Silly Girls Grubb John and Ann Hassett. Houghton, $6.95 ISBN 0-618-69334-3. "Who needs billy goats and a troll? The Hassetts do just fine without those traditional characters as they infuse the popular folktale with some fresh faces and a zippy sense of fun," said PW. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)

The Other Dog Madeleine L'Engle, illus. by Christine Davenier. Chronicle, $6.95 ISBN 0-8118-5228-8. "Any family with a cosseted dog and a new baby will feel this is written just for them," PW wrote in a starred review. "The illustrations give the book an engaging retro feel, but the closing shot of dog and baby nestled together for a nap is timeless." Ages 5-8. (Apr.)

Fiction REPRINTS

The Teacher's Funeral Richard Peck. Puffin, $6.99 ISBN 0-14-24057-8. PW wrote in a starred review, "Following the tradition of Mark Twain, Peck gently pokes fun at social manners and captures local color while providing first-rate entertainment." Ages 8-up. (Apr.)

Past Perfect, Present Tense Richard Peck. Puffin, $6.99 ISBN 0-14-240537-X. "Two new stories pair with 11 previously published tales here," noted PW. "It is Peck's introductions to each grouping of stories and his two additional sections for aspiring writers that make the collection exceptional." Ages 8-up. (Apr.)

Snap Alison McGhee. Candlewick, $5.99 ISBN 0-7636-2617-1. Eddie (short for Edwina) learns that her best friend's grandmother is dying. "Readers will be drawn into Eddie's world and root for her as she stands by her best friend, and stands up to her own fears," PW said. Ages 9-12. (Apr.)

Gifts Ursula K. Le Guin. Harcourt, $7.95 ISBN 0-15-205124-4. In our Best Books citation, PW wrote, "Le Guin poses probing questions about the power and responsibility of being gifted, through the eyes of a 16-year-old narrator." Ages 12-up. (Apr.)