The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's

The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's (the Hard Way). Patrick McDonnell. 2017. Little, Brown. 48 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee

Premise/plot: Using nothing but the alphabet, McDonnell tells the story of a little red cat who has a mighty, big adventure before returning home once more.  It stars a cat, an alligator, a bear, a dragon, a chicken, and an egg....

My thoughts: Technically, I'm not sure if this one would count as wordless or not. The only text within the book is the alphabet. The story is communicated nevertheless. This one has plenty of adventure and some guesswork. The only letter I had trouble translating back into a word to further the story was Ww. (Which was 'wave.') The other letters I was able to 'read' correctly in the context of the story. (Mostly). If I'm being 100% honest, I interpreted Nnnnnnnnnnnnn Ooooooooooo! as NO and not "no over." But either way the story made complete sense.

Text: 0 out of 0
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 4 out of 5

© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Curious Garden

The Curious Garden. Peter Brown. 2009. Little, Brown. 40 pages.

There once was a city without gardens or trees or greenery of any kind. Most people spent their time indoors. As you can imagine, it was a very dreary place.
However, there was one boy who loved being outside. Even on drizzly days, while everyone else stayed inside, you could always find Liam happily splashing through his neighborhood.
It was on one such morning that Liam made several surprising discoveries.

Can a garden thrive in the city? Can a garden grow in unforgotten places and spaces? Can a little boy start a love-nature movement and change the landscape of an entire city? You might enjoy reading Peter Brown's The Curious Garden. It is about a little boy who "discovers" wildflowers and other plants growing on an abandoned railroad track. He decides that he wants to make this place his own--he wants to be the gardener, the caretaker, of this little green space. Especially since it's such a contrast to the drab gray environment of the city. The book follows this "garden" through several seasons.

I was not a big fan of this one. But I think that could be just me.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Shark Vs. Train

Shark Vs. Train. Chris Barton. Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. 2010. April 2010. Little, Brown. 40 pages.

Two boys are playing together. One has a toy shark. One has a toy train. Both boys are competitive. Both boys are spirited and imaginative. In scenario after scenario after scenario, the two battle it out for supremacy. Trains do better at giving rides at carnivals. But do horribly at diving off the high dive. I liked that it (eventually) showed the two had some things in common. There were situations where neither did better, neither won. Both made too much noise at the library. Both failed at performing in a piano recital. Shark Vs. Train is unique and very silly.

It's not really my type of book. (I'm not the target audience for the book.) But I can appreciate the humor. I can see why kids would like this one. Why it would be appealing...



© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Nonfiction Monday: Sit-In

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down. Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. 2010. February 2010. Little, Brown. 40 pages.

"We must...meet hate with love."
These were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words that got them started.
Four hungry friends. Eager to eat.
Each took a seat at the Woolworth's lunch counter
in Greensboro, North Carolina.
David, Joseph, Franklin, and Ezell sat quiet and still.
With hearts full of hope.
With Dr. King's words strong and close.
They were college students with a plan.
It was February 1, 1960.

This picture book very simply, very eloquently presents the story of one aspect of the Civil Rights Movement. The focus is on the peaceful protests, the sit-ins. It tells how four college students inspired others--many others--to join in the nonviolent fight for equal rights, for integration.

I thought the writing was great. I enjoyed the style very much.

This was the law's recipe for segregation.
Its instructions were easy to follow:
Do not combine white people with black people.
Segregation was a bitter mix.
Now, it was the friends' turn to ignore and refuse.
They ignored the law, and refused to leave until they were served.
Those kids had a recipe too.
A new brew called integration.
It was just as simple:
Combine black with white
to make sweet justice.
For them, integration was better than any chef's special.
Integration was finer than homemade cake.

For readers looking for more information, more background, the book features a Civil Rights Timeline and a bibliography.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same

Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same. Grace Lin. 2010. July 2010. Little, Brown. 43 pages.

Ling and Ting are twins. They have the same brown eyes. They have the same pink cheeks. They have the same happy smiles. People see them and they say, "You two are exactly the same!"
"We are not exactly the same," Ling says.
Ting laughs because she is thinking exactly the same thing!

I really enjoyed Grace Lin's Not Exactly the Same. I thought it was a great early chapter book for young readers. The book is divided into six chapters. The stories are about simple things, ordinary things. But that doesn't mean they are boring! I enjoyed the simplicity of it. How it captured life. I think my favorite story was "Making Dumplings."

See also Grace Lin's Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Bedtime Bunny (Snuggle-Me Stories)

Bedtime Bunny. Sandra Magsamen. 2009. [January 2009] Little Brown. 20 pages.

Bedtime bunny is on her way...
to help you say goodbye to the day.
At bedtime she loves to snuggle with you.
But first there are some things you need to do...

A bedtime board book about bedtime routines. A simple book. Nothing particularly new or unique about this one. But it is cute and sweet enough. It is part of a series. Each come with a little finger puppet.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

I Don't Want A Cool Cat!

I Don't Want A Cool Cat! By Emma Dodd. 2010. [August 2010] Little Brown Young Readers. 32 pages.

I don't want a cool cat.
A treat-me-like-a-fool cat.

I don't want a stuffy cat.
A huffy, over-fluffy cat.

I don't want a night cat.
A looking-for-a-fight cat.

I just love, love, loved last year's I Don't Want A Posh Dog. So I was so excited to see that there is a companion book called I Don't Want A Cool Cat. Because cat lovers need good books too, you know! This rhyming picture book (with a great feel for rhythm) shows what one little girl wants in cat. After listing the types of cats she doesn't want, she then describes the one she really wants.

It's cute. It's silly. It's fun. It really couldn't get any better than this.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Lion and the Mouse

The Lion & The Mouse. Jerry Pinkney. 2009. [September 2009] Little, Brown. 40 pages.

Who, who, whooo
Screeeeech

A mostly wordless picture book that happened to win the Caldecott this year. Is there a fair way to review a mostly wordless picture book? I'll try my best. This one is a telling of the Aesop's fable of the same name. A story that shows a lion being merciful to a mouse--by sparing his life, and a mouse returning the favor and being merciful right back by saving the lion's. Is it a story that particularly needs a lot of words? Maybe, maybe not. I think a certain familiarity with the story is helpful with this one going into it. But that could just be me. (On a side note, how familiar are kids today with Aesop's fables? Are they still being read or taught?)

Did I like it? Not all that much. But that really isn't so surprising. I so rarely "like" Caldecott winners. Do I think Pinkney's talented? Yes! Of course! But this particular book isn't quite my style.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

I Don't Want A Posh Dog

Dodd, Emma. 2009. I Don't Want A Posh Dog! Little, Brown.

This is rhyming adventure for dog-lovers. (Though I don't think you really have to be a dog lover to get joy out of this one!) What does one little girl want in a dog? Read and see for yourself...

I don't want a posh dog.
A blow-dry-when-washed dog.

I don't want a bouncy dog.
A jump-up-and-pounce-me dog.

You get the idea. After listing the types of dogs she doesn't want, she then describes the one she really wants.

I just want a silly dog.
A sweet willy-nilly dog.

A not-too-proud or loud dog.
A know-me-in-the-crowd dog.

I loved this one. It's cute. It's silly. It's fun. It really couldn't get any better than this. I just love it when the rhythm and rhyme work, really work. This one just begs to be read aloud. It begs to get giggled at. It begs to be shared. Again. And Again. And perhaps it would even inspire kids to write their own verses?!


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Confetti Girl

Lopez, Diana. 2009. Confetti Girl.

Some people collect coins or stamps, but I collect socks. I have a dresser with drawers labeled daily socks, lonely socks, holey socks, and sock heaven.
The daily drawer helps me get dressed every morning. When I'm bored, I reorganize it. I group the socks by color. Then I group them by style -- dressy, casual, or athletic. Then by length -- ankle, crew, or knee-high.

What did I love about this one? Just about everything! Our narrator is Apolonia "Lina" Flores. She's got a book-loving, English-teaching father whom she's on shaky terms with. (Though if you asked him, he might say things are just fine, thank you very much.) She feels her father doesn't have a clue. A clue as to who she is, what she likes, and what she doesn't like. For example, he thinks she loves reading--loves English class--as much as he does. But she doesn't. Not at all. She loves science class. (So much so that she dresses up for Halloween as a red tide.) What else is going on in her life? Well, there's her best friend, Vanessa, and her best friend's mother (Ms. Cantu) who has taken her under her wing since her own mother's death. (Vanessa's mom has a few issues of her own.) And then there's Luis. Oh my! Such a cute little guy to have a crush on.

This book was so well done. Seriously. The characters--all of them--were so well developed, so fleshed out. From our narrator Lina, to her father, to Vanessa, to Vanessa's mom, to Luis. I even got a good sense as to who Lina's mom was. So I just have to say that that was great. It's not often that all the characters are so human, so genuine, so believable.

I'd not heard of most of these dichos before--proverbs--but I thought they were a really nice touch. If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be Cada cabeza es un mundo -- Inside each head lies a different world. I enjoyed getting "inside" these characters, and seeing a different world. You might too.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

To Catch A Mermaid

Selfers, Suzanne. 2007. To Catch a Mermaid. Little, Brown Young Readers. 246 pages.

This is a quirky little book great for fourth to sixth graders (ish). Here's how it starts off, "Boom Broom awoke to find his little sister, Mertyle, looking for spots. 'It's a good day for spots,' she announced, examining her knobby knees with a magnifying glass. The Broom family is a mess. Ever since Mrs. Broom (good-old mom) was blown away by a freak twister, the family has been following to pieces. Mr. Broom has quit painting. Which means he's stopped selling his paintings. Which means their in financial stress. Mertyle, the little sister, hasn't left the house since the accident. (Not that Mr. Broom has much either. In fact, he seems to be stuck to hiding in the attic and/or closets.) Boom Broom has been trying to manage himself--with only a little help from their Viking cook, Halvor, but the Brooms are far from happy.

One day when Boom is supposed to be bringing home a fresh fish to eat for supper--Halvor loves fish--he brings home a freebie reject fish instead. This 'fish' turns out to be a merbaby. A wild, squealing, ugly as all get out, merbaby. And this one little act will set the course for a quirky and odd adventure that will either be the catalyst for great change (and happiness) or doom them all with an ancient curse.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers