Review by New York Times Review
It must be something about their steady, gentle hugeness: Elephants are especially beloved by the smallest children. The versatile, ever-perceptive Henkes has created a beguiling book of pastel-colored pachyderms, outlined in thick, pleasingly rough black lines. They look lively, yet extremely squeezable, as they march across the pages. He also sneaks in several toddler-ready concepts. The happy creatures demonstrate counting, a few apropos opposites like "over" and "under," a dash of wondrous nighttime magic in the form of a shower of stars, and then - as always, parents will bless his name - the joy of settling down serenely to sleep after a full day. 40 pp. Greenwillow. $18.99. Ages 2 to 5. THE VISITOR Written and illustrated by Antje Damm. Translated by Sally-Ann Spencer. A shut-in, neatnik woman named Elise lives alone and shuns company, until "something unbelievable" happens - a paper plane flies in her window, followed by a boy knocking at her door. Warm connection ensues. What makes it striking is Damm's nifty, expressive art, photographs of dioramas and cutout painted figures. Dressed in red and yellow, the boy, Emil, brings color to Elise's gray world. She makes her own paper plane, and the dazzling last page needs no words: We see inside her now colorful home, but she's not there. 32 pp. Gecko. $17.99. Ages 3 to 5. A VERY LATE STORY Written and illustrated by Marianna Coppo Meta picture books, in which characters know (or find out) they're in a book, can be overbearing, but this one brings a light, clever touch to the conceit. Five small, silly, delicately drawn animals wander across blank pages, unsure why they're there. Soon they realize they must wait for the story to arrive - how irritating. As they wait, a tree grows, adding new characters and new delights to the sea of white. By the time a stork brings the story, they realize they've got their own already, creating a head-spinning yet easygoing lesson in finding your own voice, and your own fun. 48 pp. Flying Eye. $17.95. Ages 3 to 7. NIGHT JOB By Karen Hesse. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. The premise is simple - a boy recounts how he goes with Dad on Friday nights to his job cleaning a school - but Hesse, a Newbery Medal winner, and Karas create an atmosphere of hushed fascination as we follow the pair through the long night. They leave home on a motorcycle; Dad opens the school door with a ring of keys "as big as the rising moon." Karas's dusky paneled art gives a feel of enchantment and adventure as the boy sweeps floors, shoots hoops, reads and falls asleep while Dad finishes working. He's added an extraordinary dignity and tenderness to this picture of working-parent reality and a loving, physically close father-son bond. 32 pp. Candlewick. $16.99. Ages 4 to 8. GROW UF> DAVID! Written and illustrated by David Shannon With its likably mischievous hero who can't slow down, Shannon's Caldecott Honor-winning "No, David!" is 20 years old. This welcome fifth David book is a portrait of our hero as a pesky younger brother, his M.O. captured as always in Shannon's wavery, high-energy art. A fresh sibling complaint is on every spread ("Thanks a lot, David!," "Give it back, David!"), accompanied by a colorful littlekid's-eye view of the damage done. The final rapprochement is surprisingly moving: Brothers are in it for the long haul, and even whirlwind David will, little by little, grow up. 32 pp. Blue Sky Press. $17.99. Ages 3 to 7. THE PATCHWORK BIKE By Maxine Beneba Clarke. Illustrated byVan Thanh Rudd. The children in this exuberant book from an Australian writer and artist live in a "mud for walls" house on the edge of the "no-go desert," and they've made an excellent bike out of random parts. Clarke's poetically compressed language hurtles joyfully along, while Rudd's illustrations, made on cardboard boxes with spirited swaths of paint, burst with irrepressible life. Dreaming and building, we see, go hand in hand no matter where you live. 40 pp. Candlewick. $15.99. Ages 4 to 8. P IS FOR PTERODACTYL: THE WORST ALPHABET BOOK EVER By Raj Haidar and Chris Carpenter. Illustrated by Maria Beddia. You can curse the English language for its insane spelling rules (or lack thereof), or you can delight in it, as this raucous trip through the odd corners of our alphabet does. Haidar - better known as the rapper Lushlife - and Carpenter celebrate "Heir" and "Tsunami," adding brainteasers like "R is not for Are' " for good measure. Beddia's art adds a cartoony touch. 40 pp. Sourcebooks. $17.99. Ages 7 to 12. MY BEIJING: FOUR STORIES OF EVERYDAY WONDER Written and illustrated by Nie Jun. Translated by Edward Gauvin. This delectable graphic story collection gives a taste of the everyday life of kids in China, kicked up with a clever time-travel element. A girl named Yu'er, who has a disability that limits her walking, and the grandfather who cares for her live simply, but their days are filled with both resourcefulness and amazement. The stories move gracefully between reality and fantasy, a bit like Miyazaki movies, but sweeter. 128 pp. Graphic Universe. $17.99. Ages 7 to 12. MARIA RUSSO is the children's books editor of the Book Review.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [January 31, 2019]
Review by Horn Book Review
This wacky alphabet book begins with "A is for Aisle" and gets crazier from there. "M is for Mnemonic" but "N is not for Knot," and it's the one time where "X is for Xylophone" actually works! Under each digitally colored ink picture, a related silly sentence includes other words containing the silent letter. Perfect for highlighting how weird the English language can be. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This atypical alphabet book humorously addresses "mischievous words" that ignore the rules of phonetics and spelling.Silent letters can be confusing when trying to sound out difficult words. The book's initial advice is to "just ignore that pesky first letter and sound out the rest of the word." Examples of these include "bdellium," "czar," and "Djibouti." The silent "n" in words such as "autumn" and "solemn" is also pointed out. Each letter's sample is illustrated with cartoony, full-color drawings followed by a comically absurd sentence highlighting other examples. "G is for Gnocchi. / The gnome yells, Waiter! There's a bright white gnat nibbling on my gnocchi!' " A helpful glossary with pronunciation guide and a few additional factoids explains the thorny or strange words. Some of the letter/sound examples do stretch the theme and, while funny, may create some confusion. "L is not for Elle" talks about the "el train halfway to El Paso"; "R is not for Are" reviews the stereotypically British elision of R's in such words as "butterfly," "shark," or "lizard"; and "V is for Five" is about roman numerals ("How Roman-tic!"). The cartoons are populated by animals and humans who represent a variety of skin tones.Though perhaps more playful than practical, the concept will help new readers and new English language learners conquer some of the more peculiar aspects of our language. (Picture book. 7-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
