Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast. By : Josh Funk & Brendan Keamey Publisher : Sterling ( Sept .,2015) Follow lady pancake and Sir French Toast in their chase in and around the refrigerator for the last drop of Syrup. An absolutely funny romping rhyme. A delightful read-aloud with beautiful illustrations.A popular hit. Kids will fall in love with this.
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Ten Little Dinosaurs ( Ages 2 to 5) By : Mike Brownlow & Simon Rickerty Publisher : Orchard Books ( Oct.,2015) A brilliant romping rhyme to learn counting.These rhymes are almost as same as those traditional counting rhymes like "five little monkeys jumping on the bed" or "five green and speckled frogs" but in this one it`s little dinosaurs meeting Triceratops, Diplodocus and a Steggy ; which would obviously be more interesting. "Ten Little Dinosaurs hatching from their eggs / Blinking in the sunshine / Stretching out their legs..." So the little Dinosaurs are off on their tour while mama is asleep and there starts the adventures as they meet a Diplodocus to the Steggy and finally a volcano erupts. But one by one they disappear and the number reduces down to one, As in each new meeting something scary happens "Ten little dinosaurs,walking in a line.STOMP! goes Diplodocus./ Now there are.....nine." Finally mama comes in looking for her off-springs and collect them all. Safe at home with mummy - who could ask for more? Ten little Dinosaurs all say, Roarrrr! Illustrations are a hit ! from pastel coloured little Dinosaur figures to the backdrop it`s charming and captivating. Kids will have lots of fun counting along with these little Dinosaurs. The author and illustrator pair also created "Ten little pirates" and "Ten little princesses". . 
First Snow ( Ages 2 to 4) By : Peter McCarty Publisher : Balzer + Brey ( Jan.,2015) After having our first snowfall of the season,just a few days ago,this book seems like the perfect choice of reviewing. "It`s a day of firsts for Pedro, First snow fall, first snow angel , First taste of a snowflake...." The "first" thing that captivated me were the images of this book. Pedro is visiting his cousins Sancho and his siblings from a far away non-snowy land. At the beginning Pedro refuses to go out or to see the snow,.but later due to eager requests of his cousins he gets to experience snow; together with his cousins he enjoyed. Fun filled activities a child could do in the snow as well as simple facts about snow are explained in the form of a tale through Pedro and his cousins. Plain simple text without any eloquence makes it very much suitable for younger kids from 2+; as it`s easy to grasp the wonders of snow through these very enjoyable activities they do in the snow. But it lacks the decorative literary descriptions that would emphasise the awe,fascination and the wonders of a child who would get to see the snow for the first time. My eldest missed the snow for the past two and half years and my youngest is seeing it for the first time: their pure joy of the sight of the first snowfall was obvious - they were dancing in the snow! I feel that the characters were used to explain the setting or maybe a concept in this context. However I recommend this as an ideal way to start up a discussion about the subject. 
Once upon a time in Japan ( Ages 5 to 9) By : Roger Pulvers & Juliet Carpenter(Translators) Publisher :Tuttle Publishing; Hardcover with jacket and disc edition (November , 2015) A feast for young imaginative minds!!.A delightful picture book to posses.The book consists of eight stories brought to us from ancient Japan by the NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation based on it's popular radio series Once Upon a Time in Japan. The tales retold here are among Japan's oldest and most beloved stories.And Japanese stories always reflect a deep sense of tradition. These folk tales being Asian,delivers a different theme from those well known western fairy tales.Story plots and illustrations are unique and captivating, renders space for readers and listeners to think.. Folktales in this collection include:
Wave ( Ages 2 to 7 ) By : Suzy Lee Publisher : Chronicle Books (April.,2008) I have no words to describe the unbelievable beauty of this book. And quite obviously this is a wordless picture book. It`s also good for us to remember that art is a key factor to improve a kid`s ability to observe,describe,analyze and to interpret ! The book depicts a little girl`s pure pleasures and joy in the beach , her silent dance to the tune of the waves. Suzy Lee`s brilliant creation of the sea in beautiful translucent azure , the tiny little girl and a flock of sea gulls in pencil sketch , that same little one once drenched being recreated in a blue dress and her utter merriment in discovering some sea shells will leave us all to linger over these pages. Kids will linger , wonder and grasp the story through these wonderful illustrations easily and they will tell you the story!! How ever having said that , Lee`s powerful images in this book brought back some memories of another book called "Wave". Sonali Deraniyagala`s book Wave is a book for grown ups. Which also won the PEN / Ackerley Prize in 2014. We have discussed tragedies and resilience in the book "It`s tough to loose your balloon" and fascinating,beautiful yet powerful waves in "Wave". Now , Sonali Deraniyagala`s Wave is an absolutely stunning account of a real life tragedy and the power of resilience; A memoir of a woman who lost her life ( Her two sons,husband and her parents) to the Tsunami altogether. My own memories of that Tsunami wreckage are back now.., The New York Times Reviewer of the book (24-3-2013) says " I was thunderstruck by Deraniyagala`s loss, yes, but most of all by her ability to reveal the whole "outlandish truth" of her grief, to write about a tragedy so bewilderingly complete that, nearly a decade out, it still seems far- fetched,my story,even to me". - Cheryl Strayed. I think it`s worth reading it, If you haven't read it yet. . 
It`s Tough to Loose your Balloon. By : Jarrett J. Krosoczka Publisher : Knopf Books for Young Readers( Sept.,2015) Kids eventually learn to accept and to cope with tragedies and disasters of daily life. But what makes this book special is it`s ability to add-up some humor, and to bring-up some positive expectations to such situations. This book will be helpful to them to take that "tiny step" towards grasping life with a positive perspective. This is not a story book. It takes up unfortunate incidents that occur in daily life to explain the concept of resilience through positive thought; from lost balloons to melted ice cream and dropped sandwiches.... . Illustrations are clear & cheerful and tell more than what is said in text. Reading this book in the end of a such a disastrous day might be a good idea! Also a fine addition to a playgroup reading time. 
Tree ( Ages 4 to 6 ) By :Patricia Hegarty & Britta Teckentrup Publisher : Little Tiger (Sept.,2015) "Tree" is a beautiful explanation about changing seasons and it`s effect on nature completed with rhyming text and peek-through features. Changing seasons are explained by a life - cycle of a single tree,in the wilderness, artfully done by Britta Teckentrup , helping children to grasp the concept easily. The book opens up into winter, at the beginning the tree is a skeleton without a single leaf.As the seasons change the backdrop changes accordingly.Animals could be seen through the holes cut in the tree trunk and in it`s branches,depicting animals climbing the tree. and then the number of cut-out holes decreases again, animals disappear accordingly . Until finally the Owl takes his leave. The rhymes and pictures compliment each other well in this book. Hegarty`s explanation on summer is as enchanting as the illustrations . "On a warm mid summer`s night All the stars are shinning bright. The trees sway gently to and fro, Shimmering in the moonlit glow." Here one could see the singing birds and buzzing bees through the holes of the branches.The illustrations doesn't feature a lot of details, but the right amount.which is beneficial in understanding the concept. 
The Cow who Climbed a Tree. By : Gemma Merino Publisher : Macmillan Children`s Books (Sept.,2015) Here`s the message,You can be innovative and dream...lots of surprises are awaiting...!Done with an artful narrative and pictures. An absolutely delicious story. Funny and surprising; kids will laugh & laugh and listen. Tina is a cow who loves to explore and to try new things,she is also a very curious cow. She tells her siblings that she climbed a tree and met a Dragon. One day she goes off leaving a message to them "Gone flying with the Dragon of the woods" That`s when they decide that she`s going too far! But they`ll be surprised when they enter into "Tina`s" woods! Gemma Merino won a string of awards for her debut picture book "The Crocodile Who didn't like Water" And was longlisted for the Kate Greenway Medal. 
Oliver and Patch By : Claire Freedman( Author) & Kate Hindley (Illustrator) Publisher : Simon & Schuster ( Jan.,2015) A tender tale about a lonely boy in a big city and a lost dog , how they find comfort in each other`s company. But the dog misses his real owner! It`s Oliver`s duty to help him out, and he does but he wishes otherwise.In the end Patch meets his real owner. Oliver feels sad about loosing the ownership to a friend......then he is invited to join them! The amazing illustrations in this book bring an added value to the story and tell us it`s own story; how the little characters were created in the big city is beautiful, and yet, the two friends are not heavily highlighted, so the kids will have to do a bit of a search, which is healthy! This book has been nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award for 2016. 
Night Animals ( Ages 2 to 5) By :Gianna Marino Publisher : Viking Books ( July.,2015) An eye-catching creation.With it`s most compelling illustrations ,brilliantly done in a stark black background emphasizing features of the animals and beautiful child-like dialogues. A hilarious theme where scary animals try to hide away from more scarier animals. Addresses nocturnal life as well as night-time fears. Gianna Marino is also the author of "Following Papa`s Song" and "Meet me at the Moon".  Beyond the Pond ( Ages 4 to 8) By : Joseph Kuefler Publisher : Balzer + Bray ( October 2015) A brilliant debut picture book. Exceptionally imaginative. A treat for curious little minds!! Ernest and his dog having nothing much to do and feeling bored decides to explore the depths of the pond behind his house.As he dives in with his dog passing the familiar fish,then sharks,squid and sunken treasures he discovers an amazing wold beyond explanation.Where dinosaurs roam the Earth with squirrels and monkeys with bats,monsters and scary shadows.Having confronted those evil powers bravely,Utterly satisfied Ernest returns home,And the world is never the same for him.Kuefler`s artwork provides a perfect companionship to the story.  Snow ( 3 to 8 yrs.) By ; Walter de la Mare & Carolina Rabei Publisher : Farber & Farber ( Oct.2014) Once again it`s Rabei with the acclaimed poet (1873-1956) Walter de la Mare together bringing Christmas to life in this amazing picture book. De la Mare`s wonderful explanations of a snowy world were expressed precisely and thoughtfully with a touch of Christmas by Carolina Rabei. Rabei`s illustrations would make this poem accessible to the smaller set And take us readers and listeners into a wonderful world of a ``white Christmas``. This book has been nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award for 2016.  Slinky Malinki`s Christmas Crackers (3 to6yrs) By : Lynley Dodd Publisher : Puffin ( Nov.,2007) It`s been four years since I last read it but can still recall some of the lines , Christmas was coming, Out came the tree, Dressed up in finery,Splendid to see........ A thrilling and a compelling story of a very Black rapscallion cat that would intrigue kids.Her illustrations are equally attractive. The theme and the setting,A household cat and a family getting ready for the Christmas are very familiar to children that would make them feel more connected to this tale. Lynley Dodd is an award-winning author/illustrator who lives in New Zealand. She is enormously popular for her rhyming stories of the unforgettable Hairy Maclary and his friends and for her Slinky Malinki series.  The Polar Express ( 4 to 8 ) By : Chris Van Allsburg Publisher :Anderson Press:30th Anniversary eddition(Oct.,2015) One Christmas eve long ago a little boy lying in bed heard a strange sound, And he was astonished to see a steam engine parked in front of his house.He was invited to board. The train was filled with kids to visit the North Pole.Off they took the long ride to the magical city of the North Pole, The story climaxes at this point. This boy was chosen to receive the first gift of Christmas and he selects one silver bell from Santa`s Sleigh. Having received his gift the joyful child returned to the train,Where he realised that it has fallen through a hole in his pocket, But in the morning in a single small box with his name on top was his silver bell. No one but the boy and his sister heard the beautiful sound of the bell. And the story ends with these lines ``At one time most of my friends could hear the bell.But as years passed it fell silent for all of them.Even Sarah(his sister) found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound........`` The book captures the magic of childhood with absolute grace and subtlety.Christmas is for those who believe in the spirit of Christmas!.Illustrations of this story are exceptionally good.  The Winnie the Pooh Winter Collection of stories and poems. ( 2 to 5yrs) By : A.A.Milne (Author) E.H.Shepard (Illustrator) Publisher : Egmont ( October 2015-Hardcover) A perfect Christmas gift! with many new illustrations of E.H.Shepard,This wonderful winter collection includes many favorite stories and poems of Winnie the Pooh.  The Christmas Eve Tree( 4 to 6 yrs.) By : Delia Huddy & Emilly Sutton Publisher : Walker Books ( Sept. 2015) With an unique theme about a homeless boy and a ugly little Christmas tree , The story,narrated from the tree`s point of view, is a heart warming tale; how the frail almost dead little tree grew up to be a beautiful tree in the park is amazing and brings us an important message. The delightful illustrations capture the magic of Christmas perfectly and harmonize with the development of the story.  The Night Before Christmas By : Clement C.Moore & Angela Barrett Publisher : Orchard Books(Oct.,2015) This timeless rhyming tale illustrated by Kate Greenaway Medalist Angela Barrett is a gem of a book.Completed with a foiled cover and Angela`s amazing White Christmas pictures this could be an ideal stocking filler.  The Little Drummer Boy By : Ezra Jack Keats Publisher : Puffin Books (Oct.,2000) Ezra Jack Keats was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He won the 1963 Caldecott Medal for illustrating The Snowy Day, which he also wrote.His bold and powerful colors illuminate the images and spaces of this book and actually promotes this age-old carol. Few other good books for this Christmas are lined up below.  The Nutcracker Illustrated By :Maurice Sendak Publisher :Crown ( Oct.,2012)  Reindeer Wish By : Lori Evert Murray & Per Breiehagen Publisher : Random House ( Oct.,2015)  The Story of Christmas Text based on the King James Version - Illustrations by Pamela Dalton Publisher ; Chronicle Books  And Then Comes Christmas By : Tom Brenner & Jana Christy Publisher : Walker Books ( Sept., 2014)  Cobweb Christmas : The Tradition of Tinsel By : Shirley Climo & Jane Manning Publisher : HarperCollins; Revised edition (Oct., 2001) 
Why the Sky is Far Away ( Ages 4 to 8) By:Mary-JoanGerson(Author),Carla Golembe (Illustrator) Publisher : Little Brown Books for Young Readers (April 1995) Having introduced African Animal Tales Series I decided to go a little further into folktales.This is another relatively old publication. The striking illustrations of this book being very clear in lines & vibrant with bold,deep colors gives an added value to this beautiful folktale and won ``The New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the year``award. Kids are a curious bunch and this book is a treat for those quizzical little minds. Have you ever wondered why the sky is so far away from us ? Well once upon a time long long ago.. us humans have been eating it up.It was delicious, sometimes it tasted like meat stew! Sometimes like ripe Pineapple!( And surely if you (kids!)think further it may have tasted like chocolate and ice cream too!!)And what did people do if they didn't saw crops or harvested they weaved beautiful cloths,carved handsome statures and there were always festivals,the musicians practiced and played.........But people were too greedy and careless that the sky in the end ; that is after few warnings decided to stay out of reach from us!! The story also reminds us the timeless message about protecting our nature. African Animal Tales Series ( Ages 4 to 7)
By : Mwenya Hadithi (Author) Adrienne Kennaway (Illustrator) Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton There are about twelve books in this series to my knowledge. Although these books were published in the nineties, to me it's still worth discussing , for the many merits they offer and I think folktales are best for providing insights about the world around us. These books come with rhythmic narratives and stunning watercolor illustrations.simple but interesting stories. Can easily capture the reader's attention.Each story delivers a simple message for kids.A cleaver way to introduce animals & fables to the younger set. |
