AHOY, MATEYS!
Pirate tales and other interactive titles come to the fore. Pirateology, presented as the 18th-century journal of Captain William Lubber, ed. by Dugald Steer (of Dragonology fame), illus. by Yvonne Gilbert, Helen Ward and Ian Andrew, chronicles the seafaring gent's search for the nefarious Arabella Drummond—within a captivating layout. Parchment-facsimile pages literally burst with foldout treasure maps, ship's log entries, packets of gold dust plus mini-books of pirate customs and nautical terms. (Candlewick, $19.99 32p ages 8-up ISBN 0-7636-3143-4; Sept.)
With Johnny Depp featured prominently on the paper-over-board cover, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Search for Dead Man's Chest encourages readers to view the action recapped in the text via 10 "movie disks" that fit into a spyglass (affixed to the book's front cover); both the disk and image numbers are indicated alongside the appropriate text. For those who want a pure reading experience, plenty of movie stills keep the suspense high (especially pictures of Bootstrap, with starfish and barnacles realistically embedded in his face). Pirate fans can relive the action over and over. (Reader's Digest, $24.99 40p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-7944-1101-0; July)
For the younger set, David Carter uses bug eyes and, often, antennae to wittily transform familiar objects into members of an odd alphabet species in the mini-edition of his Alpha Bugs: A Pop-Up Alphabet. According to PW's review of the original 1994 edition, "Amusing alliteration and a zany sense of humor deliver fun with every letter." (Little Simon, $11.95 28p ages 3-7 ISBN 1-4169-0973-7; Aug.)
Purse-loving gals will be unable to resist Handbag Friends by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illus. by Sue Heap, with its pink purse-shaped cover, die-cut in a heart shape to reveal the six title pals, and dandy handle on the spine. The pages introduce the half-dozen stars and "The Handbag Song," then segues to a harrowing tale of kidnapped baby handbags and how the sextet came to live within the pink pocketbook. (Random/Fickling, $11.95 64p ages 6 mos.-5 yrs. ISBN 0-385-75096-X; Aug.)
With minimal text and the young hero's very telling expressions, the square board book Funny Face by Nicola Smee runs the gamut of human emotion. Boy plays ball. Ball is stolen by bear cub. Cub returns to play ball with Boy. This simple plot prompts everything from "surprised face" to "mad face" before turning "happy" again. A recap page appears opposite a mirror, so youngsters can try out some expressions of their own. (Bloomsbury, $9.95 20p ages 1-4 ISBN 1-58234-710-7; July)
In the tradition of his Scribbles, children's book artist Taro Gomi suggests prompts and offers ample white space for art-loving kids to go wild with Doodles: A Really Giant Coloring and Doodling Book. The ideas range from filling Taro Gomi's leafy trees with fruit to drawing "faces that match these names" on a full-spread grid. Aspiring artists can skip around or go straight through, wielding pen, colored pencil or crayon. (Chronicle, $18.95 paper 368p all ages ISBN 0-8118-5250-4; July)
Fiction REPRINTS
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince J.K. Rowling, illus. by Mary GrandPré. Scholastic, $9.99 ISBN 0-439-78596-0. From our Best Books citation: "In this sixth book, Rowling pulls together threads from all the previous titles, expertly poising readers for the planned finale." Ages 9-12. (July)
Confessions of a Closet Catholic Sarah Darer Littman. Puffin, $5.99 ISBN 0-14-240597-3. An "eleven-going-on-twelve-year-old Jewish girl" searches for her identity in what PW called a "reassuring debut novel about finding one's personal peace-and-comfort zone." Ages 10-up. (July)
Revenge of the Witch Joseph Delaney, illus. by Patrick Arrasmith. Harper-Trophy, $7.99 ISBN 0-06-076620-4. A boy apprentices to the village Spook, who keeps the farms safe through supernatural means. "Expert storytelling and genuinely scary illustrations keep this debut novel fresh," said PW in a starred review. Ages 10-up. (Aug.)
Bound Donna Jo Napoli. Simon Pulse, $5.99 ISBN 0-689-86178-8. In this Cinderella story set in 14th-century China, "Napoli grants her heroine an independence that remains authentic to her time, and creates both an adventure and a coming-of-age story that will have readers racing to the finish," according to our Best Books citation. Ages 12-up. (Aug.)
Real Time Pnina Moed Kass. Houghton/ Graphia, $7.99 ISBN 0-618-69174-X. "This timely novel set in Israel explores the effects of a terrorist act from multiple points of view, including the members of Kibbutz Broshim, a German 16-year-old and an angry Palestinian, also 16," wrote PW. Ages 12-up. (July)
Doormat Kelly McWilliams. Random/Laurel-Leaf, $5.50 ISBN 0-440-23875-7. The likable 15-year-old narrator, a self-described "pitiful little muddy-foot doormat," stops feeling invisible in what PW called an "amiable, often insightful" first novel. Ages 12-up. (July)
