Wednesday, February 5, 2025

13. Pasta! These Names Are Fun To Say

 

13. Pasta! These Names are Fun To Say. Felice Arena. Illustrated by Beatrice Cerocchi. 2024. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars]

First sentence: These pasta words are fun to say...
macaroni
rigatoni
cannelloni
Pasta! 

Is the book strictly necessary? Of course not! Is the book fun? Strongly leaning towards yes. What I can say with confidence is that THESE [pasta] NAMES ARE FUN TO SAY. So the book delivers on its promise.

The book is straightforward enough. It is a celebration of all things pasta--mostly. It views pasta as a way of life. (Almost). It's silly and exuberant.

I definitely enjoyed this one. I didn't love the illustrations though I did love the cover. 

It reminded me of one of my favorite Sesame Street songs/skits about tortellini.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Monday, February 3, 2025

12. Gnome and Rat: First Snow

12. Gnome and Rat First Snow (Gnome and Rat #3) Lauren Stohler. 2024. [November] 80 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, graphic novel, early chapter book]

First sentence: A four-letter word for 'something fluffy and white, that falls overnight...'

Premise/plot: Gnome and Rat star in their third adventure together in Lauren Stohler's Gnome and Rat First Snow! Rat and Gnome have been invited to Rat's family event Nest Fest. But the journey to get there, well, it is packed with a lot of missteps and adventures. 

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved the first book. I haven't read the second book--still on order at the library. The third book is one I wanted to love: it sounds FUN. However, it just didn't charm and delight me like the first book. Though the misadventures were technically different/distinct, the journey to get there just seemed so slow-paced to me. Granted I am NOT the target audience, obviously. I do enjoy the characters. I will definitely read the second book when it arrives.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

11. Noodles on a Bicycle

 

11. Noodles on a Bicycle. Kyo Maclear. Illustrated by Gracey Zhang. 2024. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, Caldecott Honor, historical picture book, picture book]

First sentence: When the deliverymen set off in the morning, we sit outside
and watch
and wait
for the flicker of pedal and wheel.

Premise/plot: Noodles on a Bicycle is a historical picture book set in Tokyo, Japan. Soba deliverymen are the star of the show--the scene stealers. 

My thoughts: This one left me speechless-mostly. This was my first introduction to the subject! It would be an understatement to say I was captivated and in awe--at the whole concept let alone the execution. I loved learning something new. I loved the story. I loved the WRITING. Such a beautiful narrative style. I enjoyed the illustrations.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

10. A Mouse Family Christmas

  

10. A Mouse Family Christmas. Deborah Underwood. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, holiday, Christmas] 

First sentence: On Christmas Eve, the house on the corner was quiet downstairs...and joyful upstairs, as the big, bustling Mouse family prepared for Christmas.

Premise/plot: A mouse family makes a lonely [old] man happy during a snow storm when they decorate his Christmas tree in the night.

My thoughts: Is it odd to be reviewing a Christmas book in January? Perhaps. In my own defense, I put the book on hold months ago and I've been patiently waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting. I had every hope that it would be cataloged and shelved before Christmas. Alas. The good news? The book is delightful. I love the story, the characters, the illustrations. I enjoyed seeing the upstairs/downstairs stories. This one reminded me of Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree and The Tailor of Gloucester.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Monday, January 27, 2025

9. Chooch Helped

 

 

9. Chooch Helped. Andrea L. Rogers. Illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz. 2024. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, siblings, family, picture book]

First sentence: This is the baby. We call him Chooch. The word for boy or son in Cherokee is atsutsa.  

Premise/plot: A sister is terribly, horribly annoyed with her younger brother--or bother as the case may be. The book is set within a Cherokee family/community; while the book is not wholly bilingual, the book certainly has an emphasis on introducing new words to readers. 

My thoughts: This one won/earned the Caldecott Medal in 2025. (The awards were announced earlier this morning). It is totally normal for me to be unimpressed with the winner. My artistic taste--or artistic eye--for better or worse never has aligned at all--not even a little bit--with the majority of winners. What I absolutely love, love, love and am drawn to is never what the judges are looking for--apparently. Which is fine. To each their own. Picture books have always had the most potential for being polarizing because you've got TEXT and ART. 

The story is simple, relatable, enjoyable enough. The art just wasn't for me--personally. You may love it. I think anyone with a sibling can appreciate this one.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers