Children's Book Reviews: Week of 1/15/2007
by Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 1/15/2007
Picture Books
The GulpsRosemary Wells, illus. by Marc Brown. Little, Brown, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-316-01460-1
This rather pointed romp centers on a sedentary, supersize family that sets off on a trip to Dizzyland. After loading their RV with cartons of not-so-goodies (Cheezie Chips, Koko Snax), the Gulps munch their way down the road, with Sister Gulp looking forward to "Roller Coaster Mania" and Brother Gulp fantasizing about deep-fried Devil Dogs. Dawn, the youngest and only slim sibling, remarks: "I'd rather sip a carrot shake and go paddling in the duck pond." A stop at Belly-Up Burger leaves the clan too heavy for the vehicle to move. A friendly farmer invites them to stay for supper, where the portly guests are appalled to find that the fare is fresh from the garden. When next day the Gulps are too out of shape to help with the chores and get stuck in the water slide at the county fair, they (at Dawn's insistence) change their nutrition and exercise routines. The book glosses over how long the Gulps impose on the farmer family, but by summer's end, the Gulps are fit enough to ride their Dreamliner into the sunset, pulling into Salad Circus for sustenance ("Ultrasize those tomatoes!" says Papa). Wells's peppy narrative and Brown's playful gouache on wood paintings serve up a strong message that may need a spoonful of sugar to go down. Ages 3-6. (Apr.)
Who Is Driving?Leo Timmers. Bloomsbury, $14.95 (32p) ISBN 1-5990-021-1
Kids take the wheel in this paper-over-board title that invites them to love learning by making it fun. Belgian author/artist Timmers pens a straightforward story that asks preschoolers to guess which animal matches up with a particular vehicle. Eagle-eye readers will take notice of any number of clues tucked within the pages. A motley crew of animals in all shapes and sizes springs to life in a rainbow of acrylic paints as they scurry toward their respective vehicles. An elephant in a protective hard hat and telltale striped uniform (with a flame insignia on the sleeve) strides in a line-up with three other creatures toward the fire engine, but with a turn of the page, the pachyderm alone mans the truck ("weeoooh weeoooh weeooh"); a pink-clad, tennis outfit-wearing giraffe belongs to an equally hot pink convertible, while the pitchfork-carrying pig is the rightful driver of the tractor. Youngsters will enjoy sounding out the noise each vehicle makes as their engines "start" and practically bound right out of the book. Ages 3-6. (Feb.)
Deep in the SwampDonna M. Bateman, illus. by Brian Lies. Charlesbridge, $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-57091-596-3
Newcomer Bateman puts a swampy spin on a familiar riff in her ode to the Okefenokee. "Deep in the swamp, in a hollow cypress knee,/ Lived a mother flame bird and her little chicks Three./ 'Sweet-sweet!' trilled the mother. 'Sweet-sweet,' trilled the Three./ So they trilled loud and long in their hollow cypress knee." The predictable rhythm and realistic spreads of swamp mamas and their babies (wearing just a hint of a smile) create a soothing tone. The adapted counting rhyme highlights the flora and fauna of the cypress swamp found in southern Georgia and northern Florida. Readers come eye to eye with alligators, nocturnal marsh rabbits and blue herons in flight. Damselflies emerge from their nut-brown cocoons in a bright, blue-hued scene that offers a skyward view of the cypress canopy. Lies's (Bats at the Beach) use of reflected light creates a dramatic contrast with the shadowy swamp undergrowth. In one spread, dark clumps of cypress along a narrow waterway cast murky, olive-green reflections that play up a cloud-white sky and gold-flecked flame birds. The final third of the book contains brief descriptions and handsome spot illustrations of the animals and plants featured, illuminating terms such as neverwet plants and cypress knees ("All cypresses have... heavy roots that reach out to keep them standing firmly in the water. Knees often grow up from the roots and poke out of the water"). An attractive introduction to an exotic locale. Ages 3-6. (Feb.)
Edwardo: The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide WorldJohn Burningham. Knopf, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-375-84053-1
Burningham's (Hushabye) delightfully inverted cautionary tale introduces an "ordinary boy" whose less than exemplary behavior elicits a host of hyperbolic responses that only exacerbate the problem. When Edwardo makes noise, he is called "the noisiest boy in the whole wide world," after which the lad "became noisier and noisier"; when he chases the cat, he is accused of being "the cruelest boy in the whole wide world" and then becomes "more and more cruel." The admonitions culminate in the moniker revealed in the book's subtitle—but then a series of inadvertent good deeds comically turns the tide of opinion. After Edwardo maliciously tosses a bucket of water over a dog, its owner thanks him for washing his muddy pooch and the boy begins to take care of other people's pets. The clutter that the untidy child tosses out of his bedroom window happens to land in a donations truck and Edwardo is praised for his generosity. Readers may not be surprised but will surely be satisfied when the seemingly reformed Edwardo is finally heralded as "the nicest boy in the whole wide world." Burningham's spare, whimsical watercolors amplify the wry humor of this look at the effects of actions and reactions—misguided or not. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
The Flying Bed Nancy Willard, illus. by John Thompson. Scholastic/Blue Sky, $16.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-590-25610-0
Willard's (A Visit to William Blake's Inn) enchanting fairy tale takes place in Thompson's (Christmas in the Big House) gloriously rendered Florence. Guido lacks the skill to be a great baker like his father: "Guido's icings were lumpy and his fresh bread tasted stale." The man and his wife, Maria, were so poor, "he rarely allowed himself the luxury of a newspaper." In desperation, Guido sells their furniture—even the couple's bed. Maria announces she will move back to her father's home unless her husband buys a new one. Guido finds a beautiful hand-carved bed with a dark past. Thompson's depiction of the bed's intricate carvings make it look nearly alive. The shop owner tells the baker, "This bed chooses its owner, and it has chosen you." That night, just as the couple is about to fall asleep, the bed "bucked once, twice, and sprang out the window into the sky." Breathtaking aerial views of Florence act as backdrop as the bed flies up to the "kitchens in the sky." There the "master baker" hands Guido a small bag of yeast: "Use it when you bake your bread. Never again will you and your wife go hungry." Yet he also cautions Guido, "Never tell a soul about this gift, or it will be as worthless as a cracked cup," setting the scene for another twist of fate. Willard's timeless fable will appeal to all ages, enhanced by Thompson's scenes of a magical city. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
The Snack Smasher: And Other Reasons Why It's Not My FaultAndrea Perry, illus. by Alan Snow. S&S/Atheneum, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-689-85469-2
In this rogues' gallery, British creators Perry and Snow (previously teamed for Here's What You Do When You Can't Find Your Shoe) rhymingly introduce imaginary criminals. The title character, accessorized with boxing gloves and a steamroller, ensures that sweet and salty munchables are crumbled to bits, leaving "Brussels sprouts,/ liver, and/ spinach — intact?/ Dastardly Snack Smasher/ must have attacked!" His partners in crime include the Cap-Napper and Lid Lifter, who haunt kitchen containers, and the obnoxious Snorist, who "chose/ to sneak with his tuba inside your dad's nose." Snow pictures goofy masked marauders and their dismayed young victims; a lineup shows the innocent prey of the Scary-Hair Fairy, known to attack on "the night before pictures—those taken at school—/ when kids want their hair to look stylish and cool." Perry composes passable if not hilarious stanzas, and her words and Snow's images sometimes misjudge the audience; the deeds of Puzzle-Piece Eaters and Boot Removers go largely unexplained, and Ink Drinkers ought to drain something more modern than an inkwell or fountain pen. This volume give off an antique vibe, even though today's readers likely remain all too familiar with "an annoyer/ more commonly known as/ the Locker Destroyer." Ages 4-8. (Feb.)
Another Day in the Milky WayDavid Milgrim. Putnam, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-399-24548-0
The other day, I woke up on the wrong planet," claims Monty, the boy narrator of this reverie. "It happens to me every once in a while." His mother has three heads, and she sends him off with a stack of identical math books, calling, "Have a nice day at school... Don't eat anyone." Accompanied by his doglike pet, which has antennae, pink stripes and a droopy conical nose, Monty sits under a blue tree and attempts "to remember how I got home the other times." Finally he gets assistance from a horse (which turns out to be a donkey in disguise). and asks for help from a stargazing sage who looks wise but mistakes the boy for the pizza delivery guy. At last Monty recalls that if he falls asleep, he'll awaken in his usual bedroom. Milgrim's (Young MacDonald) digitally rendered characters are just a step up from stick figures, drawn in a black line and filled with matching blues and burgundies. His alternate planet, a rock-strewn desert with multiple moons shining in the night sky, is too Earthly to be weird and makes the dream conclusion all the more disappointing. Monty's deadpan narration is the funniest part of an unsurprising adventure. Ages 4-up. (Feb.)
Terrible Storm Carol Otis Hurst, illus. by S.D. Schindler. HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-06-009001-2
Hurst, having recounted the experience of her rock-collecting father in Rocks in His Head, now turns to a tale of her two grandfathers set in Westfield, Mass., during the blizzard of 1888. Although friends from boyhood, the two men could not have been more different: "Grandpa Otis (Walt) loved to be around people.... Grandpa Clark (Fred) was a bit shy." Schindler (Grandy Thaxter's Helper) pictures young Walt exuberantly singing around a piano with friends, while Fred constructs a birdhouse in the company of his three cats. The blizzard proves to be a double trick of nature: it not only shuts down the town for three days, but also forces the two young men to become living examples of the old adage, "One man's meat is another man's poison." Extroverted Walt is marooned in a barn, with only farm animals for company ("Thought I'd go crazy," he recalls), while retiring Fred must take refuge in an inn full of fun-loving folk ("An awful time," he recollects). At long last, the snow stops, the town digs out, and each man returns to doing what he likes best. Schindler's meticulously inked drawings take readers back to a bygone era and visually echo Hurst's clipped Yankee cadences. But the artist's real stroke of genius comes in the parallel panel illustrations. He splits the spreads horizontally, allowing readers to follow the two heroes' comic plights simultaneously. Even very young children will be tickled by the irony of it all. Ages 5-8. (Feb.)
Fiction
The Secret History of Tom Trueheart Ian Beck. HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $16.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-06-115210-8
British picture-book author/artist Beck appropriately opens his first novel with "Once upon a time." Not only does he weave into his book the plots of many well-known fairy tales, he also assumes a narrative voice and creates an atmosphere that fits squarely in the genre. Tom Trueheart is a timid boy, living in the shadow of his six brothers—all named Jack: "It was... these same six fabled, heroic Jacks who had carried out all of the toughest, scariest, and most romantic and exciting adventures so far to have happened in the Land of Stories." The "Story Bureau" gives each of the same-named lads a "beginning" and sends them off to complete the tales through their adventures. When the brothers fail to return home, the Bureau sends Tom a letter on the morning of his 12th birthday, summoning him to find his siblings. Through the third-person narrative that follows the various brothers (and a hint from Cinderella), readers learn that the Jacks have been kidnapped by Julius Ormestone, the writer whose task it is to create the Bureau's story openings and who is tired of the adventurers getting all the credit. Beck's casting of the Truehearts in the starring roles lends a fresh, often humorous air to Snow White and the seven dwarfs, the frog-prince and Rapunzel; the episodes culminate in a final showdown at the giant's palace atop a beanstalk. Beck's story is a quick read that at once pays homage to its chosen milieu and also serves as a worthy addition to it. Ages 8-12. (Feb.)
Cracker! The Best Dog in VietnamCynthia Kadohata. S&S/Atheneum, $10.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-4169-0637-7
The author of Weedflower and Kira-Kira takes readers back to the Vietnam War era in this meticulously researched story about a special friendship that develops between an American soldier and a dog. When 17-year-old Rick Hanski enlists in the army, he intends to "whip the world," but he soon finds out that he can't do it alone. As a dog handler, he relies on Cracker, a sharp-minded German shepherd to protect him from danger and provide him with companionship during his tour of duty in Vietnam. The author builds tension when Rick and Cracker are sent on a mission to rescue two POWs, and again when they are taken by surprise in an ambush attack. Alternating human and canine points of view, Kadohata shows how Rick and Cracker come to trust and depend on each other during times of crisis. Rick's thoughts encapsulate the confusion and growing paranoia of soldiers living in a land where friends and foes are hardly distinguishable. Cracker's perspective represents more basic emotions, though some readers may be troubled by occasional anthropomorphization (e.g., "Cracker didn't think the dog was crazy. He was just protecting his handler. She kind of respected him"). Although the author remains politically neutral in telling her tale, she does acknowledge war protesters' attitudes and deftly conveys the way Rick's own feelings about the war change over time. Offering adventure mixed with stark realism, this novel will leave a lasting impression on readers. Ages 10-up. (Feb.)
Do Not Pass GoKirkpatrick Hill. S&S/McElderry, $15.99 (240p) ISBN 978-1-4169-1400-6
Readers influenced by Hollywood depictions of jailhouse violence and brutal inmates may broaden their view of penitentiary life after reading Hill's (Dancing at the Odinochka) quiet, insightful novel. Alaska native Deet is deeply shaken when his mother tells him that his overworked stepfather, Charley, who has been taking pills to keep himself awake, has been arrested for drug possession. Deet fears that when the news gets out, he and his two younger sisters will be teased at school. He is also concerned about what will happen to Charley: "Dad in there with horrible criminals, murderers. Gentle, cheerful Dad." Over time, however, Deet discovers that many of his worries are unwarranted. Instead of being taunted by acquaintances, he is consoled by classmates and neighbors, some of whom know what it's like to have a family member in jail. Deet also learns that the prison where his father serves time is not quite as dangerous and dismal as he had imagined. While visiting his father, Deet observes that other prisoners and their families are mostly ordinary people, "like anyone else you might see in the streets." Yet Hill does not sugarcoat the hardships that plague Deet's family—financial problems, added responsibilities, uncertainties about the future. Deet emerges as a sensitive, courageous protagonist who is smart enough and open-minded enough to look past people's mistakes. Ages 9-14. (Jan.)
TwistedLaurie Halse Anderson. Viking, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-670-06101-3
At first, Anderson's (Speak) contemporary novel appears to be a "twisted" version of a Cinderella story. Unpopular senior Tyler Miller ("a zit on the butt of the student body") gains stature and notoriety the summer after he pulls off an impressive prank: "spray-painting a couple thousand dollars worth of damage to the school." But readers soon discover that the author has something more complex and original to offer than a fairy-tale rendition of transformation. Humorous, compelling first-person narrative traces how Tyler's newfound happiness as a gutsy tough-guy soon turns to agony; he starts to wish that he could go back to being "invisible." Tyler is floating on Cloud Nine when he wins favor with rich, popular Bethany Milbury, but she drops him after he won't sleep with her, and then he gets the blame when compromising photos of her appear on the Internet. As a result, Tyler has to contend with the police, a verbally abusive father (who works for Bethany's dad), a principal who is still angry about the graffiti incident, and a slew of new enemies at school. With justice seemingly beyond his reach, Tyler considers suicide and running away from home before settling for less drastic measures. This dark comedy gives a chillingly accurate portrayal of the high-school social scene, in which morals, perceptions and conceptions of truth are continually being challenged. Tyler may not gain hero status with his peers, but readers will respect his integrity, which outshines his mistakes. Ages 12-up. (Mar.) Agent: Writers House.
HarmlessDana Reinhardt. Random/Lamb, $15.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-385-74699-1
In a psychologically taut drama, Reinhardt (A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life) delves into the minds of three private-school freshmen girls who tell a lie that turns out to be anything but "harmless." The parents of Anna, Emma and Mariah think the girls are at a movie when in fact the three are partying with some boys from the local public high school. When Emma's mother checks the theater and finds the girls missing, she text-messages her daughter and notifies the other parents. The girls know they're in big trouble unless they can make up a convincing explanation. They decide to tell everyone that Emma was attacked by a stranger (and rescued by Anna and Mariah) but the results of their fib prove to be disastrous, as outraged townspeople join with the police force to make sure that justice is served. Anna, Emma and Mariah react differently to their rising notoriety: Anna revels in taking the spotlight, Mariah wants the whole ordeal to be over, and Emma is wracked with guilt. Tension mounts after a homeless man is arrested for the crime. Besides showing how a "little" lie can quickly get out of control, the author convincingly creates three flawed heroines to whom teens can relate. The girls' complex family situations and relationships with each other add depth and tension to the story as well as adding credence to the reasons each is reluctant to make a confession. Ages 12-up. (Feb.)
Mercy on These Teenage ChimpsGary Soto. Harcourt, $16 (160p) ISBN 978-0-15-206022-0
Soto (Accidental Love) offers a send-up of adolescence in this intermittently amusing yet rather repetitious saga narrated by a boy who, on his 13th birthday, "woke up as a chimpanzee." Ronnie suddenly notices that his ears are splayed, his nose appears "flatter than ever," and his chin sports "peachy fuzz." Not only that, but he notices, "my gait seemed wider and was sort of rolling and [my arms] were hanging so low at my side that I could tie my shoes without bending over." His best friend, Joey, exhibits the same "teenage chimp" symptoms and takes to beating his chest and jumping up and down. The monkey metaphors come fast and furiously: at a sports awards ceremony, Joey climbs up into the rafters of the gym to rescue a balloon belonging to Jessica, a cute girl who has caught his eye (a coach bellows, "What do you think you are? A monkey?"). Mortified, Joey takes up residence in a tree in his yard. Ronnie then attempts to convince the coach to apologize to his tree-bound pal and also to play Cupid between Joey and Jessica (and between the coach and his estranged wife). He encounters some obstacles, but eventually succeeds. Despite a surfeit of overblown primate-related quips, Soto shapes sympathetic young characters and pulls off some comical hyperbole while imparting a worthy message about self-acceptance. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)
TamarMal Peet. Candlewick, $17.99 (432p) ISBN 978-0-7636-3488-9
Peet's (Keeper) novel employs separate narrative threads to track the grief of a teen puzzling out her grandfather's suicide, and the same man's youth in Holland during WWII, where he and another Dutchman worked with the British to repel the Nazi occupation. Both men have code names and fake passports: Tamar's charge is to repair the fractured local resistance movement; Dart runs the wireless, sending and receiving encrypted messages. Fear of capture constantly stalks each, but Tamar is quartered on the site of a previous mission—a farm owned by Marijke, his beautiful lover. Dart is posing as a doctor at a nearby insane asylum, staying alert for late-night transmissions by popping Benzedrine. As winter sets in, so do hunger and desperation. It becomes less clear who the enemy is, as the locals resist Tamar's leadership, and Dart misunderstands Marijke's feelings for him and her relationship with Tamar. Only one man returns to England after the war—and it is his granddaughter, also named Tamar, who receives a box of effects following his death. She then undertakes a journey to understand the box's mysterious contents. Identity confusion is a topic near and dear to teenage hearts, but Peet doesn't introduce the younger Tamar until 100 pages in, and doesn't develop her story nearly as well as her grandfather's. Comparisons to Aidan Chambers's Postcards From No Man's Land are inevitable—readers who savored it may also take to this complex tale about how war casualties can keep accruing, generations after the battle ends. Ages 14-up. (Feb.)
