This is the Stable

This Is The Stable. Cynthia Cotten. Illustrated by Delana Bettoli. 2006. Henry Holt. 32 pages.

This is the stable, dusty and brown,
in a quiet corner of Bethlehem town.
This is the star whose light shown down
on the quiet stable, dusty and brown.
This is the manger, filled with hay
to feed the animals sheltered away
from the chilly night when the star shone down
on the quiet stable, dusty and brown.

I liked this one. I didn't quite love it. But I liked it. I liked the poetic concept of it--the framework of it. I thought it worked for the most part. I also enjoyed the illustrations.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Nonfiction Monday: A Book About Color

A Book About Color. Mark Gonyea. 2010. Henry Holt. 96 pages.

Chapter One: Welcome to the Neighborhood
This is Color Street.
On Color Street, the houses are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
Red, yellow, and blue are called primary colors. 
Let's make those houses bigger.
You can use the three primary colors to make more colors.
Red and yellow make orange.
Yellow and blue make green.
Blue and red make purple. 
Orange, green, and purple are secondary colors because they're made with primary colors.


I have really enjoyed Mark Gonyea's previous books about design: A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good and Another Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Bad. These books are very reader-friendly, yet informative. Anyone interested in art--in design--no matter your medium or format--can benefit from reading these books.

The first chapter introduces readers to primary and secondary colors.

The second chapter discusses how different colors can represent different things. ("Red is loving. Red is dangerous.")

The third chapter discusses the concept of warm and cool colors.

The fourth chapter discusses the colors in relationship with one another. (Complementary colors, and analogous colors).

The fifth chapter discusses shades and values of color. In other words saturation and desaturation. ("Saturation is the amount of color in...well...color.") This is also where he discusses the "colors" black and white and shows how they can change the value in other colors--making things lighter or darker.

The sixth chapter presents the concept of the color wheel.

I liked this one. I would definitely recommend it along with his previous books to anyone interested in art and design.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Adventures of Granny Clearwater & Little Critter

The Adventures of Granny Clearwater & Little Critter. Kimberly Willis Holt. Illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith. 2010. October 2010. Henry Holt. 32 pages.

One day the Clearwater family decided to head out to where the sun sets--that place called the West. With Ma by his side, Pa drove the wagon. The older Clearwater children walked while Little Critter and Granny rode in the back.

I'm not sure what I think about The Adventures of Granny Clearwater & Little Critter. I like the title very much--that's one of the reasons why I picked it up in the first place. I also really liked the cover. It just looked like a fun book. A book with potential to be quite funny. And I did enjoy the illustrations. They were very fun, very comical in an over-the-top way. In other words, they suited the book well.

The premise is silly--but simple. On the trip West, Granny and Little Critter get separated from the rest of the family. These two then have adventures--and misadventures--as they continue the journey West all the while hoping to reunite with the family.

I was a little disappointed with the book--to be honest. It wasn't as funny as I'd hoped. And it was wordy--very text-heavy! Not the best choice for a read-aloud--at least not for preschoolers.

What should you expect? A silly book, an outlandish book, in a tall-tale kind of way. It's rich in language which would make it a better match for older readers. For example,

Each day Granny and Little Critter walked across that leave-your-mouth-scorching-dry prairie heading west. They got so thirsty Granny had to do a rainwater dance taught to her by her grandpappy with itchy feet. Why that desert had never seen such a downpour. 

I think I was disappointed because I was expecting something different. I was expecting something for younger readers. But I think it would work well for the right audience.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Love That Kitty

Love That Kitty: The Story of a Boy Who Wanted to Be A Cat. Jeff Jarka. 2010. Henry Holt. 32 pages.

Peter was an ordinary boy, almost.
Then, one day, Peter decided to become a cat.
Not everyone thought this was a good idea.
But Peter was happy.

I loved Love That Puppy. I just loved it. It was cute. It was playful. It was fun. The text, the illustrations, they just told a great story. I was so happy to see that there was a companion book being published this year, Love That Kitty! This time Peter has decided to be a cat. He's taken up scratching furniture, playing with yarn, purring, and being invisible (when he's not seeking attention). His parents are as patient as they can be...in that situation. But. They are relieved when Peter tires of his new game. Until....

Well, Peter will be Peter. He's a great character. And I like him. I hope you do too!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Moon Bear

Moon Bear. Brenda Z. Guiberson. Illustrated by Ed Young. 2010. May 2010. Henry Holt. 40 pages.

Who blinks in the sunlight that peeks through the Himalayas?

Sleepy moon bear,
waking up
from a long winter snooze.

I liked this one. I liked the question and answer format. I liked the way the book progresses through all four seasons. I liked learning more about Asiatic black bears. (I thought the format was very reader-friendly.) And I thought the illustrations were very expressive. Some were quite striking!


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Beast of Blackslope

Barrett, Tracy. 2009. The Sherlock Files: The Beast of Blackslope. Henry Holt. 174 pages.

This is the second in a mystery series. The first is The 100 Year Old Secret. Xander and Xena are a brother-sister detective team. Descendants of the great Sherlock Holmes. They inherited his book of 'unsolved cases' in the first book, and are back for their second adventure. These two (along with their parents) are visiting a not-so-cozy bed and breakfast in the country. They hear a strange and frightening noise one day, and then begin to hear rumors of a beast. Thanks to a superb memory, one of the two remembers that Sherlock Holmes tried to solve this case a hundred years ago--a case of a strange beast in this area--but couldn't. Can these two figure out both mysteries--the identity of the beast then and now?

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Piper Reed Gets A Job

Holt, Kimberly Willis. 2009. Piper Reed Gets a Job. Henry Holt. 160 pages.

Beep, beep. Six thirty. I turned off the alarm, threw off my covers, and popped out of bed. My insides did flip-flops. There was something exciting about the first day of school.

Piper Reed is excited (at first) to be entering fifth grade. Until she learns she's in the same classroom and has the same teacher. Why oh why (in her opinion) did mean old Ms. Gordon have to move to teaching fifth grade? Ms. Gordon is prejudiced against Piper--thinks she's one big mess, that's what--and school isn't turning out to be that much fun. Fortunately for Piper, she's soon distracted, and school becomes the very last thing on her mind.

What is Piper dreaming about these days? Well, she wants her Gypsy Club to have a clubhouse. And she thinks it will take $1,999.99. (Which is so not the same as $2,000. And don't even try explaining tax to young Piper.) Can Piper think of a clever way to earn money? Piper tries doing lots of different jobs in this book. And it turns into quite a funny ordeal. Can Piper (and her sisters) learn the value of money?

Piper reminded me so much of myself. The way this girl procrastinates. The way she pushes the homework out of her mind completely. The way she's able to find time for everything else in her life. It was definitely enjoyable to read this third adventure with Piper!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Piper Reed The Great Gypsy

Holt, Kimberly Willis. 2008. Piper Reed The Great Gypsy. 160 pages. Henry Holt.

My little sister, Sam, knelt on the sofa, staring out the window.

This is Piper Reed's second adventure. And I'm not sure, but this one may just be my favorite of the three that I've read so far. Piper is the middle child. She's got an older sister, Tori, and a younger sister, Sam. And sometimes she just doesn't get why her parents fuss over the other two more than her. (Why do both sisters have to be so smart, so brilliant. Why can't they be average like her?) We see Piper interacting with family and friends in this one. We've got an episodic plot with each chapter focusing on one month. We're counting down the months until her father returns and counting down the months until the big pet show Piper's dreamed up.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Piper Reed, Navy Brat

Holt, Kimberly Willis. 2007. Piper Reed, Navy Brat. Henry Holt. 146 pages.

It was pizza night.

Meet Piper Reed. She's a middle child. And she's a handful. A lovable handful though. Her father is in the navy which means the whole family is in the navy. In this book--the first in the series--Piper learns that the family is moving to Florida. What will that move mean for the whole family? for Piper? Will she make new friends? Will she get her Gypsy Club started again? Will she ever get along with her sisters?

This is an enjoyable book, and a great start to the series.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Christian the Lion

Bourke, Anthony (Ace) and John Rendall. 2009. Christian the Lion. Henry Holt.

Chances are good that you've already met Christian the Lion via YouTube.



But you can get a more detailed look at the story by reading the book. Oh the photographs. If this story touched you at all, then you'll want to look at all the photographs. The book is written as if it's from Christian's perspective. That is the lion is given a voice. This is sometimes very cute. Where this works best is in the photographic captions. But in a way, it subtracts a tiny bit from this being genuine nonfiction.

John and Ace quickly became my friends. They visited me a lot when I lived at Harrods and spent a long time playing with me. When they asked if I'd like to live with them, I said, "Yes, please!" right away.

I liked this one and would definitely recommend it.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Love That Puppy

Jarka, Jeff. 2009. (May Publication) Love That Puppy! The Story of a Boy Who Wanted To Be A Dog. Henry Holt.

This one is cute. Plain and simple. Kids often want dogs. Some kids even want to be dogs. Such is the case in Love That Puppy! by Jeff Jarka. Peter is a young boy--an 'ordinary' boy--who wants to be a dog, a puppy. Peter is happy being a dog though Peter's parents aren't so happy with this situation! You see, Peter isn't always a good dog, a well-behaving dog. Simple text accompanied by fun and playful cartoon-style illustrations make this one enjoyable. My favorite illustration? The one that shows Peter's hearing is excellent. He knows when the cookies are being opened and can get there on the double! But the chasing cars sequence was fun too. Anyway, keeping it straightforward, I recommend this one.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers