Children’s Notes

Several books celebrate art in its many forms. In Drawn to Enchant: Original Children’s Book Art in the Betsy Beinecke Shirley Collection, the collection’s curator, Timothy G. Young, provides a guided tour of this remarkable trove of illustrated art, which spans works from 1780 to 2001. The book offers more than 200 drawings, sketches and paintings from some of the top contributors to the field; an unused Maurice Sendak study of Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf, early images of Raggedy Ann and Andy by Johnny Gruelle and Ernest Shepard’s watercolors for The Wind and the Willows are among many prominent and varied works. Those interested in the history and art of children’s literature should thrill to this compendium. (Yale Univ., $45 196p all ages ISBN 978-0-300-12673-0; Oct.)

Kicking off the Starting Art series, 123 I Can Paint! and 123 I Can Sculpt! by Irene Luxbacher introduce the basics of each medium, from materials and techniques to suggested activities and subject matter. Both books pair step-by-step photographs and illustrations with straightforward text to guide readers through each project. (Kids Can, each $12.95; paper $5.95 paper 24p ages 4-7 Paint ISBN 978-1-55453-037-3; -150-9; Sculpt ISBN978-1-55453-038-0; -151-6; Oct.)

Another new series, Art Across the Ages, offers Ancient Egypt and Ancient Mexico by Kelly Campbell Hinshaw. Both titles explore the styles and techniques found in the art of their respective regions, be it of religious, ritualistic or practical significance, and give readers window onto these civilizations’ customs and beliefs. (Chronicle, each $14.95; paper $4.95 32p ages 4-8 Egypt ISBN 978-0-8118-5668-3; -5669-0; Mexico ISBN 978-0-8118-5670-6; -5671-3; Oct.)

Laurence Anholt’s Matisse the King of Color is the latest in the Anholt’s Artists series. The story tells the true story of Matisse’s friendship with a young nurse whose devotion to her work and her religious order inspired the artist’s Chapelle du Rosaire. (Barron’s, $14.99 32p ages 4-7 ISBN 978-0-7641-6047-9; Oct.)

The Aspiring Artist’s Journal by Claude Lapointe, illus. by Sylvette Guindolet, offers an inviting book in which kids can record and develop their artistic inspirations throughout the year. Ideas, challenges, quotes and varied illustrations spur kids’ creativity. (Abrams, $16.95 372p ages 8-12 ISBN 978-0-8109-9420-1; Sept.)

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose: The Story of a Painting by Hugh Brewster describes American artist John Singer Sargent as seen through the eyes of Kate Millet, who posed for him. Based on actual letters and recollections, the book features more than 35 of the artist’s paintings and sketches. (Kids Can, $17.95 48p ages 9-12 ISBN 978-1-55453-137-0; Sept.)

Kids hungry to try their hand in the kitchen will devour the spiral-bound Spatulatta Cookbook by Isabella and Olivia Gerasole, stars of the James Beard Foundation Award–winning Web site Spatulatta.com. Recipes for each season (a carrot/squash “harvest soup” for fall), vegetarian recipes (millet and chickpea salad) and snack tips pair with bright color photography, visual and textual instructions and conversational asides to make a great gift for a budding culinary wizard. (Scholastic, $16.99 128p ages 9-12 ISBN 978-0-439-02250-7; Sept.)

A slew of pop-up titles take kids into the future or back to the past. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars films, Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy by Matthew Reinhart brims with his trademark intricate paper-engineering. Here, for example, he brings to life towering mechanical AT-ATs, the classic cantina scene and many familiar faces. In one standout, Han Solo unfolds, only to be encased in a carbonite when bounty hunter Boba Fett pops up from a side panel. Star Wars information and trivia—and a pair of light-up light sabers—enhance this title’s irresistible lure to fans of any age. (Scholastic/Orchard, $32.99 all ages ISBN 978-0-439-88282-8; Oct.)

For the younger set, Peek in My Pocket by Sarah Weeks, illus. by David A. Carter, is designed to help younger readers learn colors and shapes. Each spread depicts an animal whose head pops out over the top of the page and asks readers to guess—based on a described shape and color—what textured or pop-up object they might be hiding in their lift-the-flap pockets. (Harcourt/Red Wagon, $10.95 16p ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. ISBN 978-0-15-205807-4; Oct.)

Titanic by Martin Jenkins, illus. by Brian Sanders, explores the history of the ill-fated ocean liner. The book’s pop-up model is suitably enormous, unfolding to over two feet in length. Reproductions of ticket stubs, newspaper articles and ship menus and more are paired with a 32-page book that details the boat’s mechanical and safety features, famous passengers and the fatal accident. (Candlewick, $29.99 ages 8-up ISBN 978-0-7636-3468-1; Oct.)

Alive: The Living, Breathing Human Body Book by Richard Walker aims to explain how each of the human body’s systems function and interact. As it covers the body’s major systems, the book employs pop-ups, flaps, fold-out pages, sound chips (of a steady heartbeat) and even flashing lights (to represent the brain’s electrical impulses) to lend a visual or auditory counterpart to the scientific text. (DK, $24.99 16p ages 8-12 ISBN 978-0-7566-3211-3; Oct.)

Shining Julius Lester, illus. by John Clapp. Harcourt/Voyager, $6 ISBN 978-0-15-206077-0. A girl who doesn’t speak eventually finds her voice as the leader of her people. PW said, “Making striking use of light, shadow and splashes of vivid color, Clapp mixes abstract and realistic styles to capture the tale’s mystery and emotion.” Ages 6-9. (Oct.)

When the Wall Came Down: The Berlin Wall and the Fall of Soviet Communism Serge Schmemann. Kingfisher, $10.95 ISBN 978-0-753-46153-6. In a starred review, PW praised this “compelling” account of the Berlin Wall’s demise and the subsequent fall of the Eastern Bloc for the “immediacy of [the] first-person narrative, combined with carefully chosen details.” Ages 10-up. (Oct.)

The Great American Mousical Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton, illus. by Tony Walton. HarperTrophy/Julie Andrews, $5.99 ISBN 978-0-06-057920-3. A troupe of dramatically inclined mice rehearses their New Year’s extravaganza beneath a run-down Broadway theater. “Clearly written from an insider’s perspective, the story brims with theater lingo, fittingly applied touches of melodrama and cleverly placed familiar lines.... deserving of an enthusiastic round of applause,” wrote PW . Ages 8-up. (Oct.)

The Problem Child Michael Buckley, illus. by Peter Ferguson. Abrams/Amulet, $5.95 ISBN 978-0-8109-9359-4. PW wrote that The Fairy-Tale Detectives, the first book in the Sisters Grimmseries, contained “ample comical flourishes and plot twists.” In this third installment, Sabrina and Daphne pursue the criminals who kidnapped their parents. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)

Miracle on 49th Street Mike Lupica. Puffin, $7.99 ISBN 978-0-14-240942-8. When 12-year-old Molly introduces herself to Boston Celtics star Josh Cameron as his daughter, tension immediately builds between Cameron’s unwillingness to believe her claim and Molly’s desire for a parent. PW called Lupica “an extraordinarily smooth writer with a great ear for witty repartee.” Ages 10-up. (Oct.)

Terrier Tamora Pierce. Random, $9.99 ISBN 978-0-375-83816-3. “Fans of Pierce’s previous forays into medieval fantasy will likely savor every page,” said PW of this novel about a 16-year-old police-trainee’s efforts to solve two major crimes in Lower City. Ages 12-16. (Oct.)

Incantation Alice Hoffman. Little, Brown, $8.99 ISBN 978-0-316-15428-4. During the Spanish Inquisition, 16-year-old Estrella and her family, Conversos who practice their Jewish faith in secret, face violent persecution by Christian soldiers. In a starred review, PW called this a “fascinating glimpse of a past civilization—with reverberations for both past and present,” noting, “Estrella’s spare, eloquent narrative evokes her sorrow and her determination to survive and never to forget the atrocities she has witnessed.” Ages 12-up. (Oct.)

Notes From the Midnight Driver Jordan Sonnenblick. Scholastic, $6.99 ISBN 978-0-439-75781-2. A teen is sentenced to community service at a nursing home after a drunk driving arrest. In a starred review, PW wrote, “Sonnenblick revisits several key themes from his debut novel, Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, to even greater effect here.” Ages 12-up. (Oct.)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas John Boyne. Random/Fickling, $8.99 ISBN 978-0-385-75153-7. Boyne explores one boy’s increasing comprehension of the terrifying political and social trends of 1942 Germany. “The tension rises precipitously in the final pages and the harrowing ending is sure to take readers’ breath away,” said PW. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)