Children's Books

by Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 3/26/2007

Picture Books

Miffed that he's heard nothing from the sponsors of a drawing contest, young Jack wanders around his neighborhood in a cranky mood. "So I didn't win," writes Dutch author van der Heide, nicely channeling the mindset of her aggrieved hero. "They could at least have sent something. Just a short note, saying, 'Dear Jack, we really liked your drawing but you didn't win.' " At this point, the book's two extended jokes begin to unfold. The first centers on Jack, who is so put out that he doesn't realize he's committing heroic acts wherever he goes: he inadvertently stops a runaway baby carriage, rescues a bird's egg from certain death and saves a dog from a bicycle collision. The second comic thread, portrayed strictly through illustration, follows the mailman on a courageous quest of his own: it's his job to deliver Jack's letter. But it's a very windy day and the letter has given chase, forcing the poor civil servant to sprint in pursuit of it. Dutch artist ten Cate's landscapes may be delicate and winsome, but they also brim with scenes of farce and slapstick. She does a terrific job of visually intertwining clueless Jack's tale with that of the dogged mailman. It all adds up to a clever comedy of coincidences and misadventures, with ample rewards for attentive youngsters (and Jack). Ages 2-up. (Apr.)

Anyone can sympathize with a blue bird who wakes up on the wrong side of the nest. Bird, whose rounded head is outlined in a thick swath of ink, squeezes one eye shut while scowling with the other. He hunches his shoulders like a budgie. The branches of his tree are rendered in diluted swipes of ink, and the sky, a weighty underwater blue despite the optimistic rising sun, mirrors his mood. Bird "was too grumpy to play. In fact, he was too grumpy to fly. 'Looks like I'm walking today,' said Bird." Squinting, Bird stomps through the meadow on pinlike legs, encountering animals one at a time. Each greets him and casually asks, "What are you doing?" Bird does not welcome their friendly overtures ("Let me give you a hint... You do it by placing one foot in front of the other"), yet they join him on his hike, and soon he leads a parade of a Sheep, Rabbit, Raccoon, Beaver and Fox. In their playful company, Bird finds it hard to stay grumpy. Graphic illustrator Tankard, a contributor to Wild Outdoor World making his children's book debut, draws his cartoonish animals in brushlike strokes of carbon-black ink, and digitally tints the forest scenery. His appealing title and cover close-up of the hero say it all: this uncomplicated paper-over-board book describes a common condition and a way out of a bad mood for surly birds, whatever their species. Ages 3-5. (Apr.)

With a little imagination, a boy and his dog, Skipper, turn a backyard wading pool into the high seas—thanks to Denton's transformative powers—and embark on a series of adventures. They sail on a magnificent clipper ship and encounter a nine-headed "foul-smelling beast/ With mean teethy mouths,/ Ready to feast." They find buried treasure on a tropical isle and give some pirates (as well as some admiring mermaids) the slip by hopping aboard a porpoise. Heidbreder's (I Wished for a Unicorn) rhymes tend to thud more than soar ("Ahoy!/ A ship came billowing by./ Aboard we sprang,/ Skipper and I"), but Denton is in fine, freewheeling form. She takes the rhyme "I wished so hard/ To sail the sea/ That the sea/ Sailed right to me!" as a launch point, and the boy's wading pool metamorphoses as a slowly encroaching wave sweeps the initially dubious, then delighted, young fellow and his dog off their feet. The subsequent pages glow with iridescent color and wry details, and the hero has an appealing Sendak-like impishness. Ages 3-8. (Apr.)

Like the perfect brisket, this book offers a deeply satisfying balance of sweet and sour that you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy. Membership at the venerable and once-bustling synagogue has dwindled down to 10 old men: Max, Nat, Bud, Al, Mose, Herm, Lem, Tov, Gabe, and the always-late Saul. So when this geriatric crew discovers a starving mouse hiding among the prayer books, they quickly abandon plans to trap it. After all, as Saul wryly notes, "He's the first new member we've had in thirty-five years." The story that unfolds endearingly affirms a distinctly Jewish worldview ("There isn't a cat or dog as smart as our mouse," says Herm proudly), while at the same time empathetically acknowledges that old age is not a day at the beach. "You'll hear from your kids again," Saul tells the mouse, after its true gender is revealed by the arrival of a large brood, which disbands some months later. "You know when? When they need something." Clement's (Just Stay Put) editorial-style pen-and-inks with watercolor wash clearly spring from great affection; he knits the 10 old men into a tight, funny ensemble worthy of a Neil Simon comedy, embracing the story's slapstick while eschewing caricature. Fagan's (The Market Wedding) dialogue-driven text is great fun to read out loud—full of kvetching, kibitzing and kvelling, yet written with a broad audience in mind. Ages 4-7. (Mar.)

First published in 1964 with illustrations by Denman Hampson, this gentle but catchy anti-teasing book gets a wry makeover from New Yorker cartoonist Booth (Wacky Wednesday), that brilliant chronicler of the cranky and quizzical. The artist takes Soule's nonsense rhymes to a whole new level of humor and—yes—emotional acuity. The book kicks off by noting there are many ways to be kind, especially if one possesses a skewed sense of ingenuity: "You can knit a kitten mittens/ And perhaps that cat would purr./ You could fit a fox with socks/ That exactly matched his fur." More animal recipients of loony benevolence appear: a pink, Phyllis Diller wig has been bestowed upon a pig; three frogs sport their gift of "sailing togs/ and a yachting cap or two." These random acts of goofy kindness alternate with sharply contrasting scenes of two young hooligans who taunt the wholly bewildered title weasel merely because they can. Finally the children take Soule's advice (and the book's refrain) to heart: "never tease a weasel,/ This is very good advice./ A weasel will not like it—/ And teasing/ isn't/ nice!" A snappy re-engineering of a classic. Ages 4-7. (Mar.)

In full-bleed spreads saturated with twilight colors, Morales (Los Gatos Black on Halloween) follows Mother Sky as she prepares her tiny daughter, Little Night, for the evening. Mother Sky, whose black braids hang down her back and whose ample peasant dress flows with sunset pink and vermilion, empties stars into a tub for Little Night's bath, readies a dress crocheted from clouds and tries to find her daughter, who, like all children, would rather hide from Mama than mind her. "Mother Sky hovers by the shade of trees. She searches in the stripes of bees. When she peeks inside the bats' cave, whom does she see?" After a snack of starry milk and more hide-and-seek, it's time to comb Little Night's hair, which her mother fastens with barrettes named for the planets ("Venus on the east, Mercury on the west, and Jupiter above"). By now, Mother Sky's dress has darkened, and the planets gleam in Little Night's black hair. But, despite what young readers may have suspected, the young heroine does not go to bed. "Now, my Little Night, take your moon ball and play!" Little Night skips past Mother Sky, the glowing lights of city buildings beneath her feet, the moon leaping from her hands. Creating what amounts to a new myth may seem an ambitious project, but Morales succeeds by combining intimacy and grandeur. Children will love the idea of a girl who plays while most sleep. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)

In this excessive extraterrestrial fantasy, more painful than funny, Breathed (Flawed Dogs) lets readers know what mothers are for: general self-sacrifice. Towheaded hero Milo, a mischief-maker, perceives mothers as "bellowing broccoli bullies and carrot-cuddling cuckoos." Yet when Milo awakens to find Martians kidnapping his mother, he instinctively leaps aboard their ship. On the red planet, the stowaway steps outside to see an enormous Chrysler minivan loaded with aliens. Martians are keen on human females because "They needed driving to soccer!... Plus cooking and cleaning and dressing and packing lunches and bandaging boo-boos!" Milo's mother never gets to provide these services, however, since her astonished son tumbles down the spaceship stairs and breaks his bell-jar-shaped oxygen helmet. She places her own helmet on his head, feasts her loving eyes upon Milo and collapses from lack of air. Milo must rescue her in return. Breathed mockingly depicts children's love/hate relationships to disciplinarians; he matches his hyperbolic humor with distorted caricatures in radioactive hues. Milo's mother initially appears monstrous, with clotted hair, dangling curlers and an ax-murderer's slouching silhouette, but she radiates shimmering light when she saves Milo's life. On the back cover, Martians (toting a big net) wistfully gaze at gallery portraits of mothers (including Whistler's) but comedy doesn't undo the backward equation of women and domesticity. Ages 4-up. (Apr.)

Rubin's (L'Chaim!: To Jewish Life in America) picture-book biography sheds light on Haym Salomon, a Jewish Polish emigrant credited with being the "Financier of the American Revolution." A polyglot with a wealth of experience in European banking, he put his knowledge to work in America raising funds for the impoverished American soldiers and establishing the Bank of North America to serve the fledging republic. Salomon was no colonial-period number cruncher: he was a member of the underground patriot group Sons of Liberty, he escaped from British custody (and a death sentence) and then helped others do so, and he once turned Yom Kippur services at Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia into a kind of bond drive for the troops. Rubin admits in her lively, scrupulous afterword that factual information on Salomon is scarce, but she does a fine job of imbuing her hero's story with a sense of drama and urgency. As always, Slonim (He Came with the Couch) uses color and texture to great effect, and his historical details (setting, dress) are spot-on; but his rounded cartoon-style characters might seem more at home in a Chelm story than in this biography. Although the paintings' humorous tone feels slightly at odds with the earnestness and relative sophistication of Rubin's text, the artwork does pump up the child appeal. Ages 6-10. (Apr.)

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, Australian author Dubosarsky (Theodora's Gift) eloquently conveys the observations and memories of three sisters—the youngest, Matilda; middle-child Frances, 11; and 15-year-old Elizabeth—living in uncertain times. Growing up "in a house far away... deep in the bush," there are many things six-year-old Matilda doesn't understand: Why is her father (a merchant marine) away so much of the time? Are the mysterious men who moved into the house next door really spies? Why doesn't her older sister, who suffered a "nervous breakdown," ever want to go back to school? Answers to these and other questions quietly emerge as pieces of a complex puzzle that the author artfully fits together. The honest, poignant third-person narrative shifts among the sisters, but focuses mostly on Matilda's point of view, and reveals unsettling details about the family's history. Most specifically, the book brings to light the instability of Matilda's father, a WWII veteran, and the relationship between her mother and musician uncle. Newspaper clippings from the Sydney Morning Herald that appear intermittently between chapters give additional insight into an era characterized by suspicion, tragedy and confusion. Dubosarsky proves masterful in conjuring and connecting images. The vision of a pair of red shoes, first mentioned in a fairy tale read to Matilda by Frances (which opens the novel), gains symbolic significance as the story unfolds and family secrets come to light. Ages 12-up. (May)

In this evocative novel based on biblical events, Gormley (C.S. Lewis: The Man Behind Narnia) fleshes out the beguiling story of Salome that has captivated artists and writers for centuries. Readers meet Salome, granddaughter to King Herod of Judea (the one whose actions brought about the celebration of Passover), at age 14, dreaming of becoming a dancer in the Temple of Diana in Rome. Soon her uncle Antipas visits and woos her mother, Herodias, away from Salome's father, Herod Junior, to begin a new life in Judea. As the novel progresses, Salome begins to develop into an independent-minded, if still uncertain, young woman, drawn to those who live principled lives. The tragedy unfolds when "John the Baptizer" condemns the marriage of Herod and Herodias as adulterous, provoking the wrath of Salome's self-absorbed mother. Gormley's retelling weaves a plausible and harrowing description of how in one fateful night Salome becomes a vessel of her mother's avaricious desires. Salome remains a sympathetic character as she repents her part in the beheading of John the Baptist, and is redeemed through her generous acts. Gormley subtly depicts the larger forces at work (e.g., just before John is led to his execution, he learns that his cousin, Yeshua of Nazareth, is "the One Who Is to Come," and goes peacefully to his death). The author's rendering of Salome's reflection on the events are appropriately prophetic: "Maybe, in years to come, the story of the Baptizer's death would be the only thing that anyone remembered about me." Ages 12-up. (Apr.)

Zindel, daughter of novelist and playwright Paul Zindel, pens an entertaining first novel about a New York City teen who, the summer before her senior year, interns for spoiled 16-year-old star Sabrina Snow. Though readers may find it hard to believe that Lily is not fired during her "test" (she loses control of Sabrina's dog at a movie premiere and the next workday lets an imposter into the actress's press junket), they will understand why Lily gets caught up in Sabrina's world, vicariously experiencing the glamorous parties, free jewelry and very cute boyfriend. (Of course, Lily must also answer fan mail, fetch Sabrina's lunch and prepare her expenses.) Zindel creates a complicated character in Sabrina: the actress often humiliates Lily, but she works hard for her career. Sabrina can also be vulnerable, such as when she ends up in the hospital and tells Lily she misses her estranged mother. She also inspires Lily to work hard for her (and gives her patronizing pep talks such as, "Concentrate on your own goals and charge toward them. Lily, I only want great things for you." The plotting here is predictable: Lily's efforts strain her relationships with her best friend and her father, and her decision to impersonate Sabrina in order to help a distraught fan ends in disaster. Nonetheless readers will breathlessly follow Lily to the satisfying conclusion, cheering when she finally finds the strength to stand down Sabrina and stand up for herself. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) Agency: Elaine Koster Agency.

Myers's (Monster) historical novel pays tribute to the many well-known African-Americans on the rise during Harlem's Renaissance, through the eyes of 16-year-old Mark Purvis. It's the summer of 1925, and Mark's family has just received a financial setback, making it impossible to send Mark's older brother to college. Mark wants to help out, but well-paying jobs are hard to find. He thinks his job at The Crisis, a magazine that promotes Dr. W.E.B. DuBois's concept of "the New Negro" is fine, but not very exciting, and while he befriends the poet Langston Hughes, he longs to play jazz with the great Fats Waller. When Fats offers Mark a way to make some fast cash, he feels funny about it ("You didn't make no five dollars in one night unless you were doing something a little on the shady side") but agrees, hoping he can parlay it into a chance to jam with Fats. But the job goes awry and Mark winds up the fall guy. He has to set things right (a shipment of bootleg is stolen) or deal with the mob. Myers's humorous coming-of-age story reflects the paradoxically playful yet dangerous atmosphere of the 1920s. At the same time, readers learn about the many contributions African-Americans have made to this nation, underscored by the brief bios and photos in the concluding pages. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)

Popularity-obsessed Mina, who narrates this first title in the Del Rio Bay Clique series, starts freshman year at Del Rio Bay High, a school full of cliques, and dreams of getting in with "the Uppers." But when her sociology teacher asks the class to "make a conscious choice either to embrace [prejudice] or eliminate it from your life," Mina begins to figure out what really matters to her. In a thick book with many characters and interweaving plots, the heart of the story revolves around Mina's sociology work group, which includes a girl from the projects, a rich girl and a mean popular girl (Jessica, who has special venom for Mina). They spend nights at each other's houses, learning to "respect our differences," and Mina gets engrossed with her group. She even fights with Lizzie, her best friend and the only white girl in her clique, after Lizzie makes comments about the boyfriend of one of Mina's group members. Meanwhile, Mina and Lizzie's friends JZ and Michael feud, too: jock JZ fears rumors will spread about Michael's sexuality when he starts designing costumes for the school play. Readers will like the genuine dialogue ("I think it's cool that y'all have never let color interfere with your friendship," Michael tells Mina. "So just squash this thing and make up"), but may find some characters, such as icy Jessica, a bit overblown. Heavy plotting makes for slow-going at times, but there is plenty here for readers to ponder about race, class and popularity (and lots of material for the next book). Ages 12-up. (Mar.)

In her first novel, Weinheimer explores the unhealthy influences religion can wield. The Holy Divine Church's strict requirements for members include weekly fasting, daily bible readings, limited contact with nonchurch members and exposure to popular culture. For 15-year-old Kate, it means no trips to the mall, no movies or video games, and no books that are not pre-approved by the church. While Kate's mother fully embraces this church doctrine, her father, who died the year before, did not. After her father's death, Kate refused to attend church ("It was the first Sunday I had not fasted"). Kate and her mother then moved from Phoenix to the small coastal village in Maine where her father grew up, to live with her father's Aunt Katherine and help her run a B&B. Knowing people who knew her father as a boy helps ground Kate and gives her the courage to start fresh. Kate narrates in a sometimes angry voice. Faced with daily situations that challenge what she's been taught, Kate questions her views about religion, and her inner conflict shows the great effort it takes for her to disentangle herself from the church's teachings, which intrude into her thoughts unbidden (often represented by italics). Despite her sheltered upbringing, Kate emerges as a strong, self-reliant young woman who is not afraid to question authority. Her plight will likely strike a chord with any teen who has struggled with a belief system that has been handed to them. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)

Jolin's powerful and timely first novel transports readers to present-day Syria and explores how the hatred that young people feel towards Americans seems to fuel their willingness to become suicide bombers. Nadia, a respectable hijabi girl, lives in Damascus, where she fasts, prays, reads the Qur'an and covers her head. She is disgusted with her cousins' acceptance of Western culture ("Once again, Western values were intruding into my world and I was powerless to stop them"). Like her cousin Fowzi, Nadia believes that America's support of Israel and their fight against terrorism is contributing to the unstable conditions in Syria. Many young people, unable to find professional jobs, must seek work elsewhere, either in Emirates or the United States ("enemy number 2," behind Israel). Fowzi tells them, "How can you be responsible to the Muslims when you live in a state that's attacking them?" After Fowzi is arrested, Nadia feels compelled to fight against the American influences that resulted in his arrest, and agrees to be a suicide bomber. Readers will see that underneath Nadia's extremist idealism there is also a young woman with a romantic notion of saving her country, who doesn't fully realize the overwhelming consequences her actions will have on her family until it is almost too late. Though at times readers may feel they are being taught, this informative novel will get them thinking about another point of view. Ages 14-up. (Apr.)

Beyond the amusing title, this book has an equally compelling premise: smart-mouthed Maggie Quinn tries to ignore her psychic powers, but begins to be disturbed by dark dreams. Then strange events happen in real life, too, such as Maggie seeing a dark shadow in the pool just before a friend slips on the school's diving board, nearly drowning. Slowly, with the help of a cute college boy who knows a lot about the occult, she begins to piece together what is haunting her classmates—and her—and who will be the next victim. But even she is surprised by who is behind the spell, finally figuring it out in an outrageous scene on prom night. There is a lot to like in this story that takes on magic, romance and even clique politics. The book occasionally shifts from lighthearted fun into some true darkness, such as when Maggie's best friend reveals that she had been date-raped by the school's most popular guy. In the end, readers will appreciate the lesson Maggie learns about listening to her gut, and will likely laugh when she bravely shouts at the shadowy evil spirit, "I hope you enjoyed your leave, Smokey, because your pass is about to be revoked." Ages 14-up. (Mar.)