children's – One Chapter

The Skull by Jon Klassen

5 stars Fiction Folklore Middle School/ Children’s

What a clever story! I have always enjoyed Jon Klassen stories even though I know that I’m not his target audience. His stories, along with his art, are creative, moving, and they’re not over the top. I like the simplicity of what he does. He doesn’t try to put on a circus performance for his readers. He takes them on a journey. A journey of discovery, of wonder, and one that makes them want to keep flipping the pages.

Just opening The Skull, I knew I was in for a treat. The paper, the fonts and the colors used in the illustrations were setting the stage for this Tyrolean Folktale. Part One: Young Otilla has been running all night. Dressed in a hooded cape, Otilla pushes herself through snow that’s past her knees. What she is running from, I have no idea but her walking stick has kept her upright so far. As the dark, thick forest begins to crowd in on her, she begins to hear it call her name. Pushing herself, she makes her way through the trees and she discovers a huge, old house. Hope!

With a locked door, Otilla knocks and calls out. Yes! Someone immediately answers her call. Looking up, Otilla discovers that there’s a window above her and a skull had answered her call.

My mind was going as I turned the page and saw that I was going into Part Two of the book with three (3) different sections. There were so many different possibilities as to where this story might go. Otilla and the skull reach an agreement and they meet (I loved the creativity here and the illustrations were amazing). Seriously, I would love to share how the two of them conversed and discussed the house that the skull lived in but I feel that it would give away part of the story. I was enjoying their innocence, the tenderness, and the grace the two of them had with each other and how they accepted each other as they talked. The ballroom……..oh, the ballroom. You couldn’t knock the smile off my face at this point as I read.

Part Three: As the day winds down, the skull makes an offer to Otilla but it comes with a warning. Again, these two discuss everything and they come to an understanding, as friends should. The ending was fantastic!!

From the paper used in this book to the large print of the text, this book just didn’t think of the storyline and the illustrations. I liked how the author broke up the book into parts to give it an older audience appeal yet the story also appeals to younger children. Using a skull, there is a creepy tone to the story yet the folktale is not haunting or horrific. The illustrations were wonderful, I loved the color scheme used and it complimented the text. 5 stars

I Survived The Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967

4 stars Graphic Novel Children’s/ Middle School

Why did the grizzlies attack? That was the question that I wanted to know. I was a bit disappointed in this book but I did like all the different nonfiction details that the book included in the story. Let’s talk first about what I liked about this graphic novel. I liked all the different information that was included inside this book. While reading this story, I read about wildlife, camping, conservation, safety, etc. I liked that they tried to educate the characters in the story which also included me (the reader) while at the same time telling an adventuresome story. I was disappointed in this even though. I guess after reading other books in this I Survived series, I felt that this event didn’t follow the magnitude of the other books that I have read. I realize that this event was important and significant but the scale of this even is much smaller than other events that I have read in this series.

The year is 1967 and the event occurs near Granite Park Chalet in Glacier National Park in Montana. With their family cabin located in the Glacier, Mel and her family are taking their yearly vacation, minus some key family members. Dad is back home as he can’t miss any more work and Mel’s mother has passed away this year but the memories of her at the cabin are still there. Pop tries hard to keep the children entertained but it’s the nightly visit of a bear that gets the threesome worked up. A visit from Aunt Cassie calms everyone down to a manageable level.

Aunt Cassie and Mel decide to talk to the ranger about the bear which leads them to discussing the event with a wildlife scientist. What an education these two receive from this scientist. Aunt Cassie and Mel decide to accompany the scientist on a day-journey which leads to all three of them discovering some interesting and eye-opening information. With data and evidence, the threesome now has the means to make some startling reports and hopefully put an end to what is happening at the Chalet.

Mel has a lot of emotions in this story and the illustrations show her struggle as she goes through them. The grizzly bears are becoming an issue in the park and no one seems to know why until they stumble upon it. I had to keep reminding myself the year was 1967 when I read this book as laws and communications were important/different then. There was a lot of important information to read in each of the text boxes at times. The colorful boxes were easy to follow, I enjoyed the characters and the story was engaging and interesting. 4 stars

I Survived The Great Chicago Fire, 1871

4.5 Graphic Novel Children’s / Middle School

This was an action-packed graphic novel about the 1871 fire in Chicago which became known as The Great Chicago Fire. Without any modern conveniences like we have today to fight fires, the Chicago Fire Department relied on pumper trucks to extinguish their fires. A city lined with miles of wooden sidewalks, streets and buildings, when any fire started, it spread quickly. Chicago did have one of the best fire departments in the U.S. yet it wasn’t adequate enough to fight any major fires that the city might have. In the evening of October 8, 1871, one such fire was started when the Midwest was experiencing drought conditions. It began in a barn and quickly spread. Oscar had just arrived in Chicago a few hours before the fire entered the city. He never wanted to leave to leave his Papa’s homestead in Minnesota and then, when faced with the hot embers of the fire, he wasn’t sure that he would survive his first night in the city.

Oscar’s Papa died a few years ago leaving Oscar and his Mama the task of tending to their Minnesota homestead. It was hard work but they managed until Mr. Morrow arrived one day and won Mama’s heart. With their recent marriage, Mama and Oscar are now moving to Chicago where Mr. Morrow resides, a popular resident Oscar soon discovers. Oscar has a reality wake-up call when he discovers how different the city is vs. the country. Mr. Morrow is proud of his city (Chicago) yet Oscar doesn’t seem impressed and his mind is occupied on other matters as they tour around. Something has caught Oscar’s eye, so he leaves the discussion and investigates.

It’s here where Oscar changed for me. I think Oscar saw life in a different light and I think he discovered a lot about himself and the word: responsibility. He mentally grew up. As he’s pondering what is happening, a spark lands on his head and starts to ignite his hair. Yep. He initially thinks red snowflakes but then sees hundreds of hot, burning embers glowing in the sky floating down towards him. Landing on his clothes – igniting them. Singeing his hair as ash floats all around him. Now what? Lost is a strange city, a city that seems to be burning, Oscar was alone.

Well, my adrenaline wanted to flip through this graphic novel as fast as I could to see how Oscar was going to get out of the city or be reunited with his mother. Perhaps he might find himself in a more horrifying predicament and he’d need to be rescued. I slowed down my reading and enjoyed this read. The illustrations of the fire were exciting and intense at times. The variety of text fonts on these pages were a great bonus. The text boxes were easy to follow and the text was entertaining and not wordy. There are some important pages at the end of the book about The Great Chicago Fire which were very interesting so don’t miss them.

Oscar wasn’t thrilled about his Mama remarrying Mr. Morrow. Add that to him leaving Minnesota and landing in Chicago where a major fire erupts on his first day. Oscar sure leads an exciting life. 4.5 stars

Cinderella — With Dogs! by Linda Bailey

5 stars Children’s

Poor Cinderella, she never had any fun, until she got dogs! It all started when her Fairy Godmother turned out to be a dog. A “Dogmother.” How funny is that? The Fairy Dogmother saw that Cinderella needed cheering up so they headed outside to chase squirrels. Yes, the two of them chased squirrels and Cinderella loved it because she did feel better and it got her outside in the fresh air.

Cinderella has to remind the Fairy Dogmother about what she’s supposed to do for Cinderella which I thought was funny as the Fairy Dogmother as she interested in doing dog things. Cinderella didn’t get to have a beautiful gown for the ball but she did get to wear an old dog blanket which the Fairy Dogmother thought, “smells divine.” Think like a dog and you can imagine how the rest of her attire went that night.

The story does try to follow the traditional storyline of Cinderella but dogs take over the theme. The illustrations are cartoonish with bright colors. There were numerous cats in the illustrations, I noticed. It’s a very cute and funny story which has some great surprises. I enjoyed it and so did my grandkids. 5 stars

Roger is Reading a Book by Koen van Biesen

5 stars Children’s

This is a cute story with few words. You don’t need a lot of words to understand what’s happening and if you follow along with the illustrations, the pictures tell the story. In the story, Roger is knocking and, in the illustration, Roger is standing but instead of seeing his right arm bent in a fist knocking, the author put three views of his right arm, in three different angles, so it looks like that arm is in motion. I think this is very clever. There are other instances of this in the book, examples of motion, where the character is just drawn on the page.

Roger is trying to trying to read a book. Sitting on a stool with his dog lying beside him on the floor, Roger is concentrating on his book when Emily starts playing in the room next door. Roger knocks on the door and I have to assume that he asks her to “shhhh!” Roger goes back to his chair to read and Emily, well she doesn’t bounce the balls anymore for now, she starts to sing. REAL LOUD! Again, Roger has to stop reading and now, the dog gets into the action. Roger knocks again “noisily” and yes, my friends the two characters retreat. Roger to reading and Emily to ………are you ready? Playing the drums!! Holy Batman! The illustration on this page is hilarious!!

The look on Emily’s face and poor Roger and his dog. You have to know what happens next. Will Roger ever be able to read his book? Why is Emily not letting Roger read? Can the dog help anyone? The ending is perfect.

It’s such a cute and entertaining story. There’s not a lot words and the ones that are used are repeated so this is good for beginning readers. The illustrations aren’t fancy and colorful but they are perfect for this book. I have to say that I was hesitate about this book when I saw it at the library but after reading it, I had to pick it up and read it with my grandkids. We all had a good laugh and really enjoyed it. A fun, simple, entertaining story. 5 stars

The Children’s Book of Birdwatching: Nature-Friendly Tips for Spotting Birds by Dan Rouse

5 stars Nonfiction Children’s

This is marked a children’s book but I think it could be used for all ages. This nonfiction book is a great beginner’s book to learn about birds. There’s quite a bit of information included inside this book and the pictures are cute and informative. Don’t pass up this book just because it’s earmarked for children as it’s suitable for anyone who is interested in birds and someone who doesn’t want to get bogged down with too much detail.

I liked how the chapters were set up and all the different information that was included inside the chapters. You have the typical where to find birds, what do birds eat, birdfeeders, birdbaths, etc. but this book goes beyond all that. There are chapters on nest boxes, ponds, bird bills, what seeds attract which birds, and why birds need plants.

You want to get creative? There are chapters on making bird food, a bird feeder, a dust bath, seed bombs, and growing your own plants for the birds. The book doesn’t stop there as you’ll find information on caring for the outside birds, what they need to make nests, watching the birds, and how to find some unexpected nests.

Loads of fun and informative information inside this book and it’s presented in an entertaining way with pages that have a lot of illustrations with short text boxes. The book is fun to read and it’s a book that you can pick up and read a few pages and put down and return to again and again. So whatcha’ waiting for? Go pick up this book, get bird educated. Help these little winged creatures and listen to them sing in a yard near you. 5 stars

The Call of the Wild adapted by Ellyn Alcott

5 stars Picture book/Wonder book

This was a wonderful picture book. I was fortunate enough to get this in a Wonder Book so I was able to listen to the book after I read it. From the way the story was presented to the illustrations, this book was prefect.

I don’t remember much about this book when I read it as a child. I do remember having to read it in school with my classmates and how the dog Buck, found himself in some new surroundings, trying to adapt. There are some individuals who get all emotional when you mention this book but as you can see, I’m not one of them. After reading and listening to this I can understand how they feel.

The story begins with Buck living comfortably on a ranch. He’s alone but he’s the “king of the ranch,’ and he enjoys that. One night while out for a walk with one of the farm workers, Buck gets dognapped. Buck is confused as he travels not just by truck but by trains and ship to his final destination. Buck’s new home is a noisy, busy place. Buck is no longer alone but he’s now become part of a team, a team of sled dogs.

The sled dogs were mean and the work was hard. Buck was smart though and knew that if he had to work hard, if he was going to survive. His owners had only one thing on their mind: seeking their fortunes. Working in the snow was new for Buck but he got used to it and soon he became the lead dog. Buck’s owners came and went but Buck, he was always the lead dog. As spring arrived, Buck heard a calling in the wilderness, a summons that pulled deep within him. This past winter had been a rough one for Buck but also a good one. Buck was different and he noticed it. This is a great transition in the book. A terrific section where it’s good to think back over everything Buck has been though this past winter and to think about what will happen with Buck in the future. Buck is ready to take the lead again when he gets a new owner, but Thornton is different. I liked how Thornton and Buck came together and the adjustment they made for each other. The ending was perfect and I can see why some individuals get emotional when this book is mentioned.

The illustrations were terrific. Bright, bold colors and just enough details to bring the story alive on the page. There were instances of turmoil and chaos in the book and I liked the way that the frantic and wild illustrations that accompanied this. The easy-to-read text had a great flow and the print was bold and easy to understand. 5 star read for me.

Kat Kong by Dav Pilkey

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

The mice are at it again! The Captain is sailing her ship with her passengers to explore a strange, uncharted island. But it is really uncharted? Looking at the picture on this page, I see a shape of a feline on the hillside. Some natives are performing a ceremony as the group arrives on the island when suddenly the island starts to shake! Through the forest comes Kat Kong!! It must have been the can of tuna they were using or perhaps it was the chant that they were saying that drew Kat Kong to the ceremony. Falling over the can of tuna, Kat Kong falls, hits his head, and passes out.

Acting fast, the explorers decide to tie Kat Kong up and take him back to the city with them. The city of Mouseoplis is excited to pay to see Kat Kong, this” nine-lived wonder of the world!” Kat Kong though is not excited to be shackled and on stage while all the mice stare at him. He must escape and he must escape now!

Ah…. This book is so funny! I thought it was better than Dogzilla. I loved all the little cat references and the movie tie-ins from King Kong. The illustrations are terrific and you really do need to read this one. I did think that the ending was sad. 5 stars

Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey

4.5 stars Children’s Picture book

You have to love it! As First Annual Barbecue Cook-Off was getting underway in the city of Mousepolis, the succulent scent of BBQ filled the air. He was hidden so the mice didn’t realize what problems awaited them. Inside an ancient volcano, the scent reached Dogzilla and he emerged. Soldiers, alerted of Dogzilla’s appearance, had their plans to capture the beast fail and now, he was roaming their city, causing chaos. Well, maybe not chaos but “things that come naturally to dogs” like: chasing cars (“right off the freeway”) and chewing furniture (“and the furniture store as well”).

The Big Cheese needs to get Dogzilla out of the city, but how?

Some individuals might find this book cheesy but I thought it was cute and funny. The book is packed with lots of dog references which some children might not understand or get. My three-year-old grandson didn’t understand all of them but he still liked the book. The pictures in the book are just as cute as the text. Fun, entertaining story. 4.5 stars

The Dam by David Arnold

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

The illustrations are just specular! Knowing that this story is based on a true event makes this story much more heartfelt and emotional. As the father and daughter walk into the valley together, there is this calmness in the story as he talks about how the dam will change life in the valley. No longer will there be joyous parties and dancing, the wildlife and animals will cease to come here, for this land will be forever changed. They come to a tall, brick structure and go inside. The daughter is instructed to play her violin one last time inside this structure while her daddy sings along. I can’t describe how wonderful the illustrations are as these two fill the room with their music.

The duo continues playing their music in all the buildings in this deserted community, filling “the houses with music,” until

“The birds heard.

The beast heard.

The earth heard.

The trees heard.

The ghosts heard.

The day was darkening.

Out of the valley they walked.”

Water slowly covers the land, until, “This was covered over. This was drowned. The lake is beautiful.” The father and daughter return to the land, the land they had last visited and played their duet. It is new, yet it’s the same.

The music is still there and it will continue and so will the memories. Life changes but it’s still the same. Fantastic story!! Check out this beautiful picture book! Definitely a 5-star read for me!