Children's Books: Week of 8/21/2006

By Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 8/21/2006

Picture Books

In this fantasmagoric children's book debut, subtitled "An Alphabetic Amusement," the alphabet serves only to impose some order on Rogalski's imagination. With solid competence in computer animation techniques, he fashions 26 amusement park rides. Each stars a slick, fabricated mechanical animal, from the kiddie Bumper Bears cars to the Zebra Zeppelin. Each ride appears on a full-page plate on the right-hand page, while a small, intricately designed ticket for the ride appears on the left. The skeletal text on the tickets is slap-dash: "Though not from Yale/ Ole Woodrow Whale/ Will always pass the test." But visually, the tickets show Rogalski's fascination with throwaway paper from the 1950s and '60s; the fonts, borders and colors all mimic the printed material found at amusements and parks of the era. (The book's signal achievement is a map in the back that purports to show the whole amusement park; even its folds are carefully reproduced, and the corners convincingly chipped.) A final spread on which all the rides appear in thumbnail images instructs readers to go back through the book and find a number and the image of a duck in each picture. The first trip through the book is entertaining; the second is genuinely absorbing. All ages. (Oct.)

In this riveting read, Nickle (The Ant Bully) proves that mastering one's ABCs does not have to be routine, as he makes a game out of expanding kids' vocabularies. Each page is devoted to one letter of the alphabet and prompts readers to uncover and name all of the surrounding objects that begin with said letter. The opening instructions aim to engage readers and perhaps make them feel as if they have a competitive edge in what could be a daunting task ("If you find more things than we did, please contact our Chief Alphabet Expert," Nickle himself—an email address is listed). With a turn of the page, the game begins with a grouping of identifiable objects in a collage-like design. While some items are in plain sight, others require a more observant eye. (On the E page, there's not just an eel to note, but the electricity he's producing.) The letter often dictates the visual composition, such as a checkerboard pattern for C and a dinosaur that divides a dots backdrop from a diamonds foreground in D. This title lets kids don their thinking caps without feeling like they are being schooled. Chances are, they'll be flipping back and forth to the last pages on which the answers are revealed. But no matter the final score, everyone's a winner with this book. Ages 3-8. (Sept.)

DiTerlizzi (The Spider and the Fly) cleverly concocts new words for each letter of the alphabet in his romp of a read, sure to titillate readers' senses with its silly sounds. His alter ego Tiny DiTerlooney is along for the ride, likening this lesson to a visit to the theatre more than a day at school ("So say good-bye to boring books/ where 'bears can bounce a ball,'/ and turn the page;/ I've set the stage,/ and nothing makes sense at all"). The narrative sends up dated elementary school primers: the text features pristinely printed upper and lowercase letters at the top of each page and the featured creature (e.g., an Angry Ack) in bold type—but the spread gives way to off-the-wall illustrations, coupled with inventive vocabulary and wry handprinted commentary ("Acks are generally the color red. The word 'red' has nothing to do with the letter A"). "Dinkalicious Dinky" and the two-headed "Neenel-Nonnel" bring to mind Dr. Seuss, as do the whimsical images of the "creachlings" in a design reminiscent of 1950s picture books (DiTerlizzi fans will recognize the pink star of Ted as the "Hungry Hoofle-Foofle"). Things go a bit awry when the Ravenous Rotoid crashes into the line-up after Large Licky Lickins, and by the time readers reach the letter P, they may not even realize the subtly inserted counting games. While this book may not expand readers' skill sets, it could easily ignite a love of learning. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)

Making chaos from order may sound like a recipe for disaster, but it also cooks up some entertaining storytelling. In a kind of Scrambled States of America (by Laurie Keller) for the 26 letters, newcomer Kontis explores the significance of sometimes breaking with routine in this delightful tale about an alphabet gone haywire. Z declares his disgust at always being at the end ("Zebra and I are sick of this last-in-line stuff!," and the other letters agree to go backwards. Everything starts off smoothly, until P pipes up after W as the voice of the forgotten child: "Even if we go backwards, some of us are still stuck in the middle." As the letters re-invent their line-up yet again, each tries to outdo the next, showing off more than one word at a time ("B is for big beautiful balloons blowing briskly in the breeze above a bevy of bright blue bouncing balls," says B; "B is also for broom," scolds Z, when the balls overtake the stage). Kolar's (Racer Dogs) detailed illustrations of their lively antics dominate the spreads, while a colorful border along the bottom attempts to keep pace by spelling out whose turn is next. But before matters can completely spiral out of control, A aptly uses alliteration to allege her position as top banana. This inventive story delivers a gentle message for kids and adults alike: while routine is a useful management device, it's fun to shake things up every now and then. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Delessert's simple counting book (which might be regarded as a companion to his reimagining of the English nursery rhyme, A Was an Apple Pie) shows the artist's work in its most stripped-down form. The book stars 10 creatures whose pop-out eyes, snaggly teeth, skinny limbs and lizard-smooth skin may be the conceptual antitheses of cuteness, but whose expressions are always sunny. The first spread shows them seated around a big, black table: "We are hungry!" One impatient diner has left tooth marks in the table. In a succession of tight close-ups rendered as full-bleed spreads, each creature handles shiny, lusciously drawn fruits : "1/ one banana/ 2/ two apples/ 3/ three oranges," etc. (One creature with an alligator-shaped head rolls apricots down its jagged nose.) At last, having counted all the fruit, the creatures share them—"What fun!"—and the final scene shows them staring at a single, remaining blueberry. Delessert's images unfold mostly in empty space, turning the creatures' horns and snouts and long ears into an abstract collection of geometric forms. The simplicity of the images seems an appropriate match for the sparse text. This will likely appeal most to Delessert's devoted fans. Ages 5-up. (Sept.)

An ominous traveling circus makes for a splendid setting in Berkeley's (Scarlette Beane) first book in the Wednesday Tales. Ten-year-old orphan Miles Wednesday lives in a barrel, having escaped repeatedly from the Pinchbucket House orphanage, where laughter is forbidden. When the Circus Oscuro arrives in town one night, Miles sneaks in—and witnesses a tiny girl falling from a precarious height, only to be saved by the two wings on her back. Miles befriends the girl, whose name is Little and who turns out to be a 400-year-old angel, held by the circus against her will. Silverpoint, Little's mentor angel, was captured by the same circus and taken to the "Palace of Laughter." Miles decides to help her find him, but his quest becomes less selfless when the circus master kidnaps his beloved teddy bear, which Little only recently brought to life. At the Palace, the adventurers discover the charlatan the Great Cortado, who hypnotizes the masses and "sucks the laughter out of their souls"—their laughter can be reinstated with a serum that Cortado makes a fortune dispensing. Berkeley weaves painterly details into his depiction of this night-shaded Big Top world, where danger can be imagined around every corner. But he also injects an ample measure of humor to keep the darkness at bay. Ages 8-12. (Aug.)

Dowell (Dovey Coe) creates a likable hero who proves that kids can be both smart and funny. Fourth grade does not get off to a super start for Mac in this first installment of the From the Highly Selective Notebooks of Phineas L. MacGuire series. In his clipped, comical first-person narrative, he explains that his best friend, who shared his passion for science, recently moved away. His "un-best friend," also named Mac, is a new classmate whose tough-guy persona immediately alienates his peers. When their teacher pairs the two as partners for the science fair, narrator Mac wants to do their project on mold and the new Mac suggests they do it on dinosaurs (they pick a third that gives the book its title: an erupting volcano). On a visit to his new classmate's apartment, Mac makes some un-scientific discoveries: the boy's name is actually Ben (he changed it so he'd have something in common with someone in his new class), he is an accomplished artist who creates comic books, and he is "really a pretty nice person." Dowell nicely builds their blossoming friendship, and Mac devises a plan to re-introduce Ben to their classmates. Several subplots further enliven this amiable tale, among them narrator Mac's friendly rivalry with a smart classmate who insists that she will win first place at the fair. McDaniel contributes spirited half-tone illustrations to the novel, which concludes with directions for performing several experiments mentioned in the story. Ages 8-12. (July)

In this first book in the Fog Mound series, a husband-and-wife team's novel/graphic novel hybrid smoothly alternates chapters between prose and comic book panels. Thelonious Chipmunk lives in the Untamed Forest in a shaky tree house; he has moved away from home because his family doesn't share his belief that human beings really existed at one time. High-tension, comic-style panels chronicle the fellow being literally swept off his feet during a rainstorm, into the City of Ruins—complete with abandoned subways, stores and homes. He befriends Fitzgerald, a Vespa-driving porcupine who makes his home in a deserted bookstore. Together they meet the Olive Bear, who has learned to operate an "ultra-light" helicopter, or "velocicopter" (solar panels offer a convenient explanation for the problem of energy sources throughout the tale). Antics ensue, culminating in the discovery of a frozen human ("Frozen scientist," a sign reads, "Push red button to activate thawing process"), and the authors offer some savvy commentary on how members of any species should treat one another. The artwork's minimalist palette (black and blue) gives the story a quiet charm (even the prose sections contain an abundance of artwork), while a classy book design brings to mind Chris Ware, albeit more optimistic in theme. This tale creates a charming and compelling world, and ends with a whopper of a cliffhanger sure to bring readers back. Ages 8-12. (July)

Clements hits no false notes in this beguiling sequel to Things Not Seen. Narrator Gwen left her West Virginia home two years earlier to live with her ailing grandfather in Manhattan to attend a music academy on scholarship. The disciplined 17-year-old plays her violin many hours each day, practicing for auditions for a prestigious music college. But her attention is diverted when she receives a phone message from Grampa, who says he is going away for awhile and that Gwen should carry on and tell no one about his disappearance—especially his brother (who co-owns the building in which he and Gwen live and is trying to pressure Grampa into selling it). After she meets Robert (the temporarily invisible Bobby from Things Not Seen), Gwen senses she has found a kindred spirit in this kind, trumpet-playing teen who shares her musical aspirations. She tells him her secret and, after the two notice a man's shadow that has no visible body casting it, Robert confides to her the story of his experience turning invisible. The novel's mysterious strain reaches a crescendo when Robert, in a heartstopping scene, opens the basement freezer looking for steaks and finds something else instead. In her credible, likable voice, Gwen observes that she wants her complicated story to have a tidy ending with "that wonderful last burst of symphonic harmony." This haunting novel's denouement has just that. Not since Frindle has Clements's writing achieved such near perfect pitch. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) Agent, Writers House.

Nelson (Gender Blender) breaks new ground with this psychological thriller tracing the chilling consequences of an impulsive act of violence. The adventure-turned-nightmare begins at Paranoid Park, an "underground" skateboard park in Portland, Ore., with a "dangerous, sketchy vibe." Finding himself with nothing to do on a Saturday night, the unnamed narrator, a high-school junior, enters the park looking for excitement and ends up involved in a scuffle between Scratch, a "borderline gutter punk," and a security guard. The guard is killed. There are no witnesses except the two surviving boys, and the narrator must decide what to do after Scratch flees the scene of the accident. Written in the form of a confessional letter, the book details the narrator's moral dilemma after the incident. Tormented by nightmares, questioned by the police and toying with the notion of telling the truth to his father or the authorities, the narrator remains paralyzed, trapped by his feelings of guilt and paranoia. While effectively conveying the intensity of his protagonist's emotions, the author refrains from passing judgment. It is left up to readers to decide if the narrator is a criminal or a victim, and how he will be affected by his final decision. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)

The author of several nonfiction books about her father, Jackie Robinson (Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America), offers a solid first novel about a likable 10-year-old who comes to terms with some big changes. Jumper's father died six months earlier of a heart attack, and the boy and his mother have moved from suburban Connecticut into his grandmother's Harlem brownstone. Missing his father and his friends, Jumper does not look forward to a hot, lonely summer in the city. Moreover, his mother didn't want to send him away to basketball camp, so he is going to a neighborhood baseball camp, playing a sport in which he has little interest or experience. Worse yet, the captain of his team is Marcus, a cocky, ace player who derisively dubs Jumper "the boy from the 'burbs" and scoffs at his minimal skills. Luckily, some additional characters give the hero a boost and leaven the proceedings. A supportive, perceptive coach offers to give Jumper extra help and names him team co-captain, emphasizing the need for cooperation between him and Marcus ("It takes two wings to fly"). Jumper's growing friendship with several other campers, including Marcus's plucky sister, also add dimension to the tale, along with some affecting moments—as when Jumper discovers his father's old baseball glove ("It fit perfectly"). The tale may end predictably, but readers will happily stick with these characters, and ball fans will appreciate the play-by-play account of on-diamond action. Ages 12-up. (July)

As engrossing as Oates's Sexy, this psychological drama explores how a teen is changed by a devastating automobile accident that leaves her mother dead. Fifteen-year-old Jenna is sitting in the passenger seat when the car her mother is driving careens into the guardrail of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Details of the wreck remain fuzzy to Jenna, but she feels that she may have been responsible for the crash. After her physical injuries heal, her emotional wounds are still raw as she adjusts to a different life, leaving her home in Tarrytown, N.Y., moving to a small New Hampshire town to live with her aunt and uncle and their two younger children. She begins to think of her life in terms of before the wreck and after the wreck, and longs to be "in the blue," the idyllic drug-induced state she experienced in the hospital. Jenna tries to emulate that feeling, turning to a cool but dangerous senior girl, alcohol and drugs—and distances herself from the people who love her and want to help her most. It isn't until Jenna develops an unlikely friendship with Crow, a rugged biker from Canada, that she finds the courage to confront and overcome her fears. Throughout this intense novel, the author offers keen insight into the cause and effect of a teen's self-destructive behavior. Readers distraught by Jenna's downward spiral after the wreck will find solace in the book's inspiring conclusion. Ages 14-up. (Sept.)