248. Mighty Muddy Us. Caron Levis. Illsutrated by Charles Santoso. 2023. [October] 40 pages. [Source: Review copy] [picture book]
First sentence: "Tah-tra, tah-tra!" Enid trumpeted her welcome song--finally she was a big sister! The world was just a blur to Baby, but, wriggling and smiling, he reached towards his sister's bouncing sounds.
Premise/plot: Enid and Ely are siblings--big sister, baby brother. As a newborn, Ely was unable to stand which puts him at GREAT risk. Standing is a must for reaching nourishment. And milk and water are essential. Enid stands by to encourage, support, care for, watch out for her baby brother. Will he survive?
My thoughts: This picture book is based on a true story of an elephant family. Obviously, it's animal fantasy since it is narrated by an elephant. But an author's note shares the true story. There is a lot of text. The amount of text plus the an intense amount of animal in peril makes this a good fit for mid to upper elementary school. (I'd say second grade on up). I can't see this one personally being a good fit for preschoolers though if your little one is obsessed with elephants and has a longer than average attention span, then this one could still work.
I loved this one. I do love, love, love elephants. I like fiction and nonfiction books starring elephants. I was worried for Ely. But I pushed through that worry and was relieved to find a HAPPY, uplifting story.
The illustrations are WONDERFUL.
249. Baby Badger (Adventures in Fosterland) Hannah Shaw. 2023. [January] 173 pages. [Source: Library] [illustrated chapter book]
First sentence: Whoosh. A gust of freezing air blew through the streets, filling the alley with sparkly snow.
Premise/plot: Hannah Shaw, aka "Kitten Lady," is sharing true stories as animal fantasy in an illustrated chapter book series. Badger was/is an orphaned kitty. His first "litter-mates" or "family" were stuffed animals. He is adopted by another mom cat and her kittens. But is Badger ready to exchange his first family (stuffed animals) for a real family?
My thoughts: This one was super adorable. And it is set during the winter holidays (Christmas, etc.). It is definitely animal fantasy. Badger may be based on a true story--how she came to find her forever family--but the fantasy elements are STRONG. Cats don't really behave as cats. This goes beyond capturing things through a cat's point of view. This is neither good nor bad--it just is. I definitely found Badger and his new family cute, adorable, sweet, lovely.
250. Snowpea The Puppy Queen (Adventures in Fosterland) Hannah Shaw. 2023. [July) 144 pages. [Source: Library] [illustrated chapter book]
First sentence: Snowpea's bedroom was spotless. The cat beds were freshly fluffed, and all the little toys were tucked away neatly into the toy bin. Not so much as a speck of litter was out of place.
Premise/plot: Snowpea is a foster kitten with OCD. Perhaps that's not the best way to sum it all up, but I think it may suffice. Snowpea likes things just so. She is very opinionated and gets a bit anxious when things aren't just so. She's given the task, if you will, of raising puppies--two of them. These are her 'litter-mates.' But these puppies don't care about Snowpea's long list of rules. Can these puppies help relax Snowpea?
My thoughts: Again, based loosely on a true story. But the characterization is all fantasy. The characters--the cats--in these books don't really act like cats. Again, not necessarily a bad thing. But if you want animals to act like animals, then it might be upsetting to see them so human. For example, Snowpea likes to pick up each piece of food with her paws and bring it to her mouth. And she's training the dogs to do the same. This just isn't realistic--in my opinion--to see animals eating food with their hands like people do. Again, I'm not horribly bothered. This is animal fantasy through and through. I liked this one well enough.
© 2023 Becky Laney of Young Readers
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