Children's Notes

Favorite characters return in these picture book sequels. Sam McBratney and Charles Fuge reprise their kangaroo hero from I Love It When You Smile in Yes We Can! A promising play date goes downhill quickly when Little Roo, Country Mouse and Quacker Duck engage in some mutual daring but fail in their attempted feats, drawing the others' mockery. Ultimately, Roo's mum saves the day in this affirming if somewhat preachy outing. (Harper, $16.99 32p ages 2-6 ISBN 978-0-06-121515-5; June)

Conejo, Culebra, Tortuga and Iguana return for another zany bilingual romp in Fiesta Fiasco by Ann Whitford Paul, illus. by Ethan Long. In this follow-up to Mañana Iguana, it's Culebra's birthday and Conejo the rabbit has plenty of gift ideas—all of which are better suited to himself than to their serpentine friend. An English/Spanish glossary at the beginning of the book (and plenty of repetition throughout) should help kids get a handle on new vocabulary. (Holiday, $16.95 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 978-0-8234-2037-7; Apr.)

Laura Ljungkvist's persistent black line from Follow the Line continues on in Follow the Line Through the House, a pleasing indoor sequel. While maintaining the same unifying principle, Ljungkvist spins her hand-painted black line through a tight thicket of '60s-retro designs in robin's-egg blue, tart green, tangerine and violet. She lets readers hurry ahead, then gets them to backtrack at the very end: “A few things were put in spots that were wrong./ Where do these things really belong?” (Viking, $16.99 32p ages 4-up ISBN 978-0-670-06225-6; May)

A classic poem is given new life—and meaning—in The Just-Right, Perfect Present by Frances Kennedy, illus. by Sheila Aldridge, a follow-up to The Pickle Patch Bathtub. Here, the duo retells a story about Kennedy's mother who, as a child, searches high and low for the right poem to commemorate her grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. A competitive cousin who vies for attention injects a competitive edge into the text. By inheriting her mother's love of poetry and introducing it to a new generation, Kennedy proves the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. (Tricycle, $14.95 32p ages 5-7 ISBN 978-1-58246-199-1; June)

Kids will have no problem finding something to do thanks to a slew of new activity books. For fanatical fact fans come two new paperback offerings from Time for Kids. Time for Kids: Almanac 2008 offers a whopping amount of information on nearly anything kids might want to learn more about. Divided by subject, the book contains a wealth of material about animals, computers, religion, sports and more. Time for Kids: World Atlas gives an in-depth look at the geography as well as the natural and political history of Earth. With more than 200 color pictures and maps of every part of the planet, with accompanying “Did You Know?” facts and census information, this is a strong resource for young globe trotters. (Time for Kids, Almanac 2008 $12.99 256p ages 4-8 ISBN 978-1-933821-84-9; Atlas $10.99 136p 978-1-933821-94-8; June)

For animal lovers who enjoy all things scaly comes the oversize hardcover Life-Size Reptiles by Hannah Wilson. A follow-up to her Life-Size Dinosaurs, Wilson takes readers on a tour through some of today's coolest cold-blooded creatures. With pull-out pages depicting life-size illustrations of komodo dragons, king cobras and more, youngsters can understand just how big (or tiny) some of these creatures are, as well as gain information about their habitats, diets and defense mechanisms. The removable book jacket doubles as a life-size poster of a hungry crocodile. (Sterling, $9.95 28p ages 4-8 ISBN 978-1-4027-4542-3; May)

Youngsters will have no excuses for being bored with Jenny Maizels's Things to Do Book. Broken down by location, this interactive offering provides ideas for things to do “In the Car,” “In the Kitchen” or even “In Bed.” Word bubbles, liftable flaps and colorful arrows laid over pencil illustrations indicate rules for games, song lyrics and other activities appropriate for each location. Kids will learn how to play “Rock, Paper, Scissors” in the car, build sandcastles and moats at the beach, search for insects in the backyard, go on a treasure hunt in the country and more. (Candlewick, $16.99 32p ages 5-8 ISBN 978-0-7636-3371-4; May)

Uneversaurus by Aidan Potts takes readers back to prehistoric eras as it contemplates the colors of the dinosaurs. After a brief description of how scientists have gathered information about these extinct creatures, the book goes on to consider the variety of options for dino coloring. Were they camouflaged to blend in with their environment? Potts allows kids to stretch their imaginations, reminding them that “The truth is, not even the experts know what color the dinosaurs were. So we have to be creative.... No one can say, 'You're wrong!' ” Witty illustrations and glib dino-captions provide an engaging counterpoint to the useful information. (Random/Fickling, $16.99 48p ages 5-8 ISBN 978-0-385-75119-3; Apr.)

Providing in-depth lists of reading suggestions for a variety of age groups, The Kids' Book Club Book by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp (The Book Club Cookbook) offers ideas for kids on how to form successful book clubs. For younger readers, the authors suggest titles such as Sarah, Plain and Tall and The Phantom Tollbooth; for the older set, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and To Kill a Mockingbird. A handy resource for book-hungry kids and their friends. (Penguin/Tarcher, $16.95 480p ages 6-up ISBN 978-1-58542-559-4; May)

101 Things You Gotta Do Before You're 12! by Joanne O'Sullivan offers kids a variety of exciting and educational activities that are sure to keep them busy during their off hours. From suggestions on great classic reads to a list of crazy competitions such as the “U.S. Watermelon Seed-Spitting and Seed-Eating Championship,” children will have to work hard to be bored. A pouch attached to the inside of the front cover offers a place to store souvenirs. (Sterling/Lark, $9.95 144p ages 6-up ISBN 978-1-57990-859-1; Apr.)

A School Like Mine: A Unique Celebration of Schools Around the World explores the differences and commonalities between schools over six continents. Each chapter focuses on a few children from a variety of areas on a given continent (Yasmin from Brazil, Semira from Ethiopia, Sander from the U.S. and many others), as they take readers through the daily routine of their home and school lives. With an introduction from David Beckham, soccer star and goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, kids will not only learn how life differs in other parts of the world, but may discover common bonds as well. (DK, $19.99 80p ages 8-12 ISBN 978-0-7566-2913-7; June)

Richard Walker takes an in-depth look at the daily assaults on the human body from the inside out, in Ouch! How Your Body Makes It Through a Very Bad Day. Looking at how the body responds to sneezing, sweating, bee stings, bad tastes, vomiting and more, kids will learn how their bodies are affected by external stimuli. Brightly colored computer-generated images of bodily responses give doctors-to-be (and the simply curious) a close view the human body's first lines of defense. A CD-ROM with detailed animations is included. (DK, $16.99 72p ages 8-up ISBN 978-0-7566-2536-8; May)

Based on the screenplay and released in conjunction with the feature film, Gracie by Suzanne Weyn tells the story of Gracie Bowen, who in 1978 petitioned her local school board to allow her into the boys' soccer league, helping girls across America gain the right to play competitive soccer. Included with the novel is an eight-page photo spread and a q&a with producers Andrew and Elizabeth Shue (the real-life “Gracie” upon whom the story is based). (Newmarket, $6.95 paper 160p ages 9-12 ISBN 978-1-55704-779-3; June)

Every Man for Himself ed. by Nancy E. Mercado. Penguin/Speak, $6.99 ISBN 978-0-14-240813-1. David Levithan, Walter Dean Myers, Mo Willems and other established writers offer readers a variety of short stories about the trials and tribulations of being a teenage boy, from girls to growth spurts, classes to curfews. Ages 9-12. (June)

The Nobodies N. E. Bode, illus. by Peter Ferguson. HarperTrophy, $6.99ISBN 978-0-06-055740-9. This sequel to Bode's The Anybodies finds Fern and Howard facing off with annoying counselors, strange happenings and a vicious mole while trying to figure out who the “Nobodies” are and why they need their help. Ages 10-13. (June)

The Wall and the Wing Laura Ruby. Harper/Eos, $6.99ISBN 978-0-06-075257-6. PW wrote that this “utterly odd and charming modern fantasy” about a girl, who—unlike everyone else in her world—cannot fly, but can make herself invisible is “inspired silliness from start to finish.” Ages 10-up. (June)

The Calling Cathryn Clinton. Candlewick, $5.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-3373-8. In a starred review, PW noted that this debut novel, set in 1960's South Carolina, treats “questions of religious faith and practice with wisdom, humor and affection,” as 12-year-old Esta Lea has a religious vision and develops the powers of a faith healer. Ages 10-up. (June)

Infernal Devices Philip Reeve. Harper/Eos, $8.99 ISBN 978-0-06-082637-6. The third installment of The Hungry City Chronicles catches up with Tom and Hester nearly 20 years after they first met in Mortal Engines (which PW called “a staggering feat of engineering, a brilliant construction that offers new wonders at every turn”). When their teenage daughter is kidnapped, the two adventurers must face old enemies and new challenges to save her. Ages 12-up. (June)

Kipling's Choice Geert Spillebeen, trans. by Terese Edelstein. Houghton/Graphia, $7.99 ISBN 978-0-618-80035-3. Spillebeen “subtly conveys the complexities and ironies of the father/son relationship,” “in this fictionalized account of Lt. John Kipling's untimely death, [that] portrays author Rudyard Kipling as a tragically flawed father, whose fiery patriotism costs him his son's life,” wrote PW. Ages 12-up. (June)

Bad Kitty Michele Jaffe. HarperTeen, $8.99 ISBN 978-0-06-078110-1. When junior detective Jasmine stumbles upon a Las Vegas mystery, she and her quirky friends embark on a crash course with catastrophe. “Readers will likely find themselves quickly clawing their way through this fun novel,” PW said. Ages 12-up. (June)

The Cannibals: Curse of the Jolly Stone Trilogy, Book IIIain Lawrence. Random/Laurel-Leaf, $6.50 ISBN 978-0-440-41933-4. “Beginning where The Convicts left off, this dark sequel continues the saga of Tom Tin, a 19th-century British lad, who was mistaken for his criminal twin and unjustly imprisoned.” According to PW, the book “offers a Robert Louis Stevenson brand of excitement that will draw fans of exotic adventure tales.” Ages 12-up. (June)

Honey Blonde Chica Michele Serros. Simon Pulse, $8.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-1592-8. Fifteen-year-old Evie's friendships and way of life are thrown into chaos when childhood friend Dee Dee returns as a Sangro, the Mexican-American slang for a “helpless, giggling blonde with the too-tight 'hot' clothing,” said PW. Ages 14-up. (June)