By Nina Schuyler, The Children’s Book Review
Published: January 2, 2012

You don’t have to be a poet to know the fun of rhyme and rhythm. Nursery rhymes tap into this good time, which may, in part, explain their longevity. We like sounds that “strike and chime and slide by each other,” writes poet Frances Mayes. “We respond to the here-it-comes again refrain.” Rhyme and repetition also stamp something into memory.

When a poet friend of mine heard I had a newborn, he said, “They’re little sponges. Why not read poems to him? The ear loves good rhythm and rhyme.”

Baby Baby Baby

By Marilyn Janovitz

If you don’t think your little one is ready for Emily Dickinson’s “An Awful Tempest Mashed the Air,” (it’s a beautiful poem, though), why not try Marilyn Janovitz’ Baby Baby Baby!

Janovitz invites not only a rhythm and rhyme scheme but tons of alliteration:

“Bitsy bouncy baby/ On a bumpity lap/ Mommy’s little baby likes to/ CLAP CLAP CLAP!” Or “Rub-a-dub baby/ In a bubbly bath/ Grandma’s little baby likes to/ Splish Splish Splash!”

This is a book you won’t mind reading over and over. By the last page, you’re either singing it and/or drumming your fingers on the board pages and bouncing baby on your lap. (Ages 1-3)

One, Two Buckle My Shoe

By Salina Yoon

Salina Yoon has taken the classic nursery tale, One, Two Buckle My Shoe, and turned it modern with bright colorful pictures and interesting cut-outs that transform into a picture. For instance, for “Two,” there’s a cutout of a square, which allows you to see blue and red and two yellow circles. Turn the page to “Buckle my shoe” and the previous fragment is now a large shoe. The six stars shown for “Six” changes into an elephant’s blanket. (Ages 0-3)

The poet Gerard Manley Hopkins said, “Read with your ears.” These two books make sure that you do.

Nina Schuyler‘s first novel, The Painting, (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill/2004), was a finalist for the Northern California Book Awards. It was also selected by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the Best Books for 2004 and a “Great Debut from 2004″ by the Rocky Mountain News. She currently teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco and is working on a third novel.

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Nicki Richesin, The Children’s Book Review
Published: October 20, 2011

Reading rhymes and poems to your little ones is a brilliant way of broadening their vocabulary and showing them the rhythms and joys of wordplay within our musical language. You’ll have loads of fun reading the following new books. They’ll soon have you snapping your fingers and tapping your feet to their sweet soulful beat.

Miss Muffet is missing and Detective Blue must find her before it’s too late. With the help of his nursery rhyme friends, he’ll follow the clues to crack the case.  Illustrated in a comic book format by Ted Arnold, young readers will enjoy spotting their favorite nursery rhymes hidden throughout the book. So they can sleuth like clever detectives too. (Ages 4-8)

His Shoes Were Far Too Tight is a beloved homage to legendary poet of nonsense Edward Lear. Masterminded by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by the wildly imaginative Calef Brown, it’s an absolute pleasure to read old favorites like “The Owl and The Pussycat” and “The Pobble Who Has No Toes.” Brown’s colorful and whimsical illustrations, coupled with Mr. Lear’s light-hearted verse, dance on the page. (Ages 4-8)

Zoozical is pure lyrical, physical, musical fun! When snowy weather descends on the zoo, the gloomy animals decide to put on a joyful performance to lift their winter doldrums. Marc Brown’s lively illustrations and Judy Sierra’s playful rhymes will have your kids reciting along. They’ll recognize quite a few familiar tunes that they’ll want to sing as though they were also a part of the zoozical extravaganza. (Ages 4-8)

Not Inside This House by Kevin Lewis tells the story of adventurous, young Livingstone Columbus Magellan Crouse who, much to his mother’s dismay, brings home wild animals she’d rather he kept away. David Ercolini paints the boy’s explorations in cool tonal hues that make us feel as if we’re along for the journey. (Ages 4-8)

A Funeral in the Bathroom brings new meaning to the term “potty humor.” Mark Beech’s fanciful illustrations, somewhat reminiscent of Quentin Blake’s, enliven the bathroom high jinx. I admire Kalli Dakos for finding so many different verses for such a small yet intimate setting. (Ages 6-9)

The Bourbon Street Band is Back, so come on down y’all for a listen to their sweet New Orleans jazz. Bobcat Bob is the lovable band leader who won’t give up when the music stops. His devoted band mates join him and other neighborhood musicians to sing until the rising sun shines on them again. Ed Shankman and Dave O’Neill’s book presents a moving tribute to the people of New Orleans who not only survive, but thrive no matter what happens to them. A portion of proceeds will be donated to the New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation. (Ages 5-8)

Nicki Richesin is the editor of four anthologies,What I Would Tell Her: 28 Devoted Dads on Bringing Up, Holding On To, and Letting Go of Their Daughters; Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond; Crush: 26 Real-Life Tales of First Love; and The May Queen: Women on Life, Work, and Pulling it all Together in your Thirties. Her anthologies have been excerpted and praised in The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, Redbook, Parenting, Cosmopolitan, Bust, Salon, Daily Candy, and Babble.

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Author Showcase

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: September 22, 2011

F. Isabel Campoy and  Alma Flor Ada recently published Ten Little Puppies/Diez perritos, a bilingual bonanza!

F. Isabel Campoy

F. Isabel Campoy is a scholar devoted to the study of language acquisition. She is a well-known author of numerous children’s books in the areas of poetry, theatre, folktales, biographies, and art. She is the recipient of many notable awards, including the Reading the World Award 2004, for “Cuentos que contaban nuestras abuelitas;” and the Junior Library Guild Premier Selection Award, 2006.

Alma Flor Ada

Alma Flor Ada is an internationally published children’s book author. She is the recipient of several prestigious honors, including the Pura BelprÉ Award, the Christopher Award, the JosÉ MartÍ World Award, and the Museum of Tolerance Award.

TCBR: Hispanic culture and bilingual education are both topics that are important to you. Can you share a little on your background and how you became a children’s book writer?

Alma Flor Ada: Culture prepares us to understand the world around us. All cultures evolve, and no culture is perfect, but knowing our roots gives us a sense of community and belonging. The Hispanic culture, a product of multiple heritages, is very rich and has contributed much to the world and to the US society. Latino children have much to learn about their culture. We hope that as they do they will feel enriched by it. When non-Hispanic children learn about our culture they can develop a better understanding of their Latino peers.

Being bilingual has been one of the greatest assets I have enjoyed in life. I wish the same benefit for all children.

I have a strong belief on the importance of family. When children do not acquire, or lose, the ability to speak the language their parents know best, the language they can share feelings, experiences, dreams and beliefs, the parents’ role as educators is eroded and children miss out what should be a valuable part of their heritage.

Ten Little Puppies/Diez perritos is a vibrant rendition of the classic Spanish nursery rhyme, co-authored by F. Isabel Campoy and yourself. Can you tell us about your writing partnership and what connected you both to Diez perritos?

Both of us sang and enjoyed this nursery rhyme as children, Isabel in Spain, and I in Cuba. Later I sang it with my children who enjoyed singing along. At some point my son Miguel made me aware that sad things happened in many nursery rhymes.

Both Isabel and I believe that young children have a right to joy and happiness so, when we decided to adapt Ten Little Puppies for publication we made sure to find better, and not tragic reasons, for the puppies to disappear. And certainly we refused to end the book leaving the protagonist with no puppies and in stead made one of the puppies remain with her.

What age group is it intended for?

There is really no set age for children’s books. We see adults enjoying them as much as children. While, as a reverse counting book, one could imagine it geared to very young children, older children with a love for dogs can delight in Ulises Wensell’s illustrations and the non-fiction information about dog breeds in the back matter.

Illustration by Ulises Wensell

The musicality of the rhyme and the use of counting seem as though they would lend themselves to a positive learning experience for those crossing over from Spanish to English and vice versa. Would you agree?

Definitely. We already know of children who have learned to recognize numbers in both languages thanks to this rhyme.

Poetry, rhymes, and songs are powerful tools in the acquisition of a second language. This is why we have created Música amiga, a set of 10 CDs with a total of 120 songs, in the voice of Suni Paz; and the reason for our books Mamá Goose, Pío Peep, MuuMoo and Merry Navidad.

Are there any special considerations that must be made when creating a bilingual book?

One of the greatest mistakes made when producing bilingual books is to try to have both languages look as similar as possible. The truth is that a good translation is a new version in another language. Similarities frequently end up in false cognates, words that look similar in two languages but do not have quite the same meaning or are not used in the same situations.

Each language version of a bilingual book should be an excellent version in its own right that could be published as a monolingual book.

You have many published books. Which book from your own esteemed list of published titles would you consider to be the most personally rewarding?

Books can be rewarding for many different reasons.

The Gold Coin gave me the reward of the first national award I received, the Christopler award medal, but furthermore I have received, and continue to receive, extraordinary letters for children who have been moved by this book.

My Name is Maria Isabel touches on a problem of great significance for many immigrants, whether to retain or not their original name or change or Anglicize it. People of all ages continue to tell me that this book reflects their personal story, or the story of someone they know well. And according to teachers is one of the books children enjoy most discussing in class. Since it appears in several reading series many children have had access to it.

Under the Royal Palms and Where the Flame Trees Bloom are books of childhood memories and have given me the opportunity to honor my family. Having children and teachers get to know the story of my extraordinary grandparents has been most meaningful.

How much influence would you say your families have on the books that you create?

A great influence. My grandmother awoke in me the love for poetry, folktales, Greek myths and legends; my father the love for everyday stories as well as stories to explain civilization achievements. My mother provided me with as many books as she could, beginning with her own beloved copy of Heidi.

My children became the great inspiration for stories. Many of the books of the collection Stories the Year ’round were inspired by things they said or did. They have been, and continue to be, my best supporters.

And, of course, my nine grandchildren have been a motivation to continue writing, if nothing else to have enough books to dedicate to each and every one of them.

Which books from your own childhoods would you say have most influenced your life?

So many it would be hard to mention. As an only child, among many adults, Heidi was a constant companion. We share a passionate love for nature and trees, she cherished Peter’s blind grandmother, and I my blind great-grandmother. It made me feel we were soul mates. Then I read, and re-read, and memorized Little Women, convinced Jo was my alter ego. Corazon [Heart] by Edmundo D’Amicis made me cry and dream of heroic deeds, as it did for a large number of Latin Americans my age. I was inspired to not give up ever by Story of a Little Princess and was ready to discover my own Secret Garden and make it beautiful beyond what anyone could dream. Nicholas Nickle taught me compassion, while The Three Musketeers, Treasure Island, Ivanhoe, and Salgari’s series on Sandokan, Prince of Malaysia, encouraged me to live life audaciously always striving to bring about justice. At twelve, held in bed by chicken pox and with no new books available, I read an unabridged version of Don Quixote. Unaware of the mystic and the scholarly analysis around the book, I read it for the mere pleasure of it. Laughed a great deal but also cried in earnest and probably discovered, even if not totally aware then, a new alter ego.

Can you give us any hints as to what you’re working on next?

Isabel and I have a forthcoming book Yes! We Are Latinos, which combines free verse portrait of Latino and Latina children of very different backgrounds living in different parts of the country. The non-fiction essays that accompany the portraits tell the history of Latinos.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Books are wonderful friends and their friendship lasts a lifetime. One may lose many things in life, but as long as our memory is intact, nothing will make us lose the friendship we have developed with books.

Books enrich us and give us the opportunity of understanding ourselves, and others, better. From them we can also gain the strength to be more courageous, more generous, kinder, more caring, more authentic… they are tools to learn to live life to its fullness and to be the better person we want to be.

All my best wishes to all who read these words.

Happy readings… Happy trails.

For more information, visit: http://www.isabelcampoy.com/ and  http://almaflorada.com/

Add this book to your collection: Ten Little Puppies/Diez perritos

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©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Author Showcase

By F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada, for The Children’s Book Review
Published: September 16, 2011

Ten Little Puppies/Diez perritos

by Alma Flor Ada (Author), F. Isabel Campoy (Author), Ulises Wensell (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4 and up

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Rayo; Bilingual edition (March 8, 2011)

Oh, I had ten little puppies,
Ten little puppies had I . . .

Count along in Spanish and English as each one of the ten adorable puppies disappears from the pages—it’s a bilingual bonanza! Colorful and playful illustrations by artist Ulises Wensell, a vibrant rendition of the classic Spanish nursery rhyme by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, and a delightful English adaptation by Rosalma Zubizarreta will make this edition an instant family favorite. And you can find more information at the back of the book about the puppy breeds featured. Puppies have never been so irresistible!

Yo tenía diez perritos,
diez perritos tenía yo . . .

Ahora puedes contar, en inglés o en español, cada uno de los diez adorables perritos mientras van desapareciendo de las páginas. ¡Una verdadera joya bilingüe! Las originales y divertidas ilustraciones del artista Ulises Wensell, la vibrante versión de la rima clásica de Alma Flor Ada y F. Isabel Campoy, y una excelente adaptación en inglés de Rosalma Zubizarreta harán que este libro sea indispensable en todos los hogares. Puedes encontrar más información acerca de las razas de los cachorros en la parte posterior del libro. ¡Nunca has visto perritos más irresistibles!

Illustration by Ulises Wensell

Vibrant colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations are done in deep hues of green, pastels, and earth tones to create realistic images that capture the spontaneous, playful, and affectionate nature of the pups. … The English translation skillfully utilizes rhyme to maintain the story’s authenticity while accurately reflecting the original poem. … Large, appealing illustrations will make this a favorite for storytime presentations; an excellent source in helping children to develop prereading skills, and a fun way to introduce them to early math concepts such as addition and subtraction. —Cristi Jenkins, Fort Vancouver Library District, WA (School Library Journal)

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A note from F. Isabel Campoy

As I reflect on my life as an author I realize that the 100[+] books I have published have all been a statement of what it means to be Latino. In a poem  (Suni Paz composed music for it) I say:

Mia es la historia                                 Mine is a history

culta, honrada y valiente.                  honest, educated, fearless.

Mío el orgullo                                        Mine is the pride,

de ser Latina y suficiente.                  of being Latina, no less.

I realized that there are no Latinos in México or Guatemala, El Salvador or Cuba. There are no Latinos in any of the 20 Hispanic Countries. There, there are Mexicans and Guatemalans, Salvadorians or Cubans. The name Latino has been adopted in the US by English speakers to refer to the Spanish-speaking population in this country. Latinos are then a new culture, separate from that of their countries of origin, wider, more complex and in many ways richer. And I wanted our Latino children to know that.

So, in co-authorship with Alma Flor Ada, we created a plan to furnish young readers with tools that would help them choose their own identities as Latinos in the U.S. When we wrote books about Hispanic lands we talked about the new frontiers of our identity, no longer just México or Guatemala, Cuba or Puerto Rico, but also Bolivia and Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, Spain and Honduras. We invited readers to meet poets born in all ages and all countries from the Mayan A’Kabal to, Octavio Paz, Gabriela Mistral or Federico García Lorca. To read the biographies of Benito Juarez and Fernando Botero, José Martí and César Chavez and to broaden their horizon towards inclusion, to add a second language, not substitute their heritage language by English.

A few years ago, as the third generation of our families was born in the U.S. and abroad, we realized that they needed a common past and we published books such as ¡Pío Peep!, Mamá Goose, Merry Navidad, and Animal Nursery Rhymes. They are all bilingual books because some of these children speak only English, others only Spanish and we hope that they will master both languages sometime soon. Our surprise has been that it is the mothers of young Latino children, the ones that wait in line for our signature in Conferences. They want to keep the memory of their own mothers and the joy of their own childhood, as contained in the pages of those nursery rhyme books. Hopefully, they will sing to their children those same songs, and will teach them the games they played, and will realize that children can learn two languages simultaneously without much problem.

For more information, visit: http://www.isabelcampoy.com/

The Author Showcase is a place for authors and illustrators to gain visibility for their works. This article was provided by the author. Learn more …

A version of F. Isabel Campoy’s note originally appeared on Paper Tigers, an internet magazine.

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: April 26, 2011

Inside Out & Back Again

by Thanhha Lai

Reading level: Ages 8-12

Hardcover: 272 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins (February 22, 2011)

Source: Publisher

Award: 2011 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature

What to expect: Vietnamese Americans, Emigration and immigration, Immigrants, Vietnam, Alabama

How much do we know about those around us? This is the question that debut novelist Thanhha Lai challenges her readers with.

Based on Lai’s own personal experience as a Vietnamese refugee, Inside Out & Back Again is a poignant story divided into four parts using a series of poems that chronicle the life of 10-year-old Hà, a child–refugee from Vietnam, during the year 1975—the Fall of Saigon. Along with her mother and three brothers (her father has been missing in action for nine years), Hà travels by boat to a tent city in Guam, is moved to Florida and then finds herself living in Alabama sponsored by an “American cowboy” and his wife. In Alabama, the family are treated as outcasts and forced to integrate quickly through language, food, and religion, to be accepted as a part of the community.

Adjustments to Hà’s new life are delivered through smells and tastes and touch. In “Part One: Saigon,” a verse titled “Two More Papayas” gives Hà’s delectable description of her most cherished fruit. In “Part Three: Alabama,” a verse titled “Not the Same,” which is followed by “But Not Bad,” showcases the bitter differences between the comfort of her precious birth city and the emotional challenges of her new home in Alabama, combined with the acceptance of change.

Two More Papayas

“…Middle sweet
between a mango and a pear.

Soft as a yam
gliding down
after three easy,
thrilling chews.”

Not the Same

“Three pouches of papaya

dried papaya

Chewy

Sugary

Waxy

Sticky

Not the same

at all.

So mad,

I throw all in the trash.”

But Not Bad

“… I wake up at faint light,

guilt heavy on my chest.

I head toward the trash can.

Yet

on the dining table

on a plate

sit strips of papaya

gooey and damp,

having been soaked in hot water.

The sugar has melted off

leaving

plump

moist

chewy

bites.

Hummm …

Not the same,

but not bad

at all.”

Told with pure honesty, emotions run freely from verse to verse and page to page. Hà’s voice is clear, allowing readers to make a leap from sympathy to deep seeded empathy by experiencing her joy, pain, anger, frustration, loyalties, challenges, loss, and determination. The clarity of Hà’s self-awareness and development toward self-actualization is reminiscent of Susan Patron‘s character Lucky, also a 10-year-old girl, from the Newbery winner (2007) The Higher Power of Lucky (2006). Both characters suffer loss, make mistakes, struggle through emotional challenges, and, through sheer determination, intrinsically blossom.

Lai has created an emotionally powerful novel inspired by her own memories and each word is to be savored, pondered, experienced, and felt. Beautiful!

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©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: December 30, 2010

Sofia’s Dream

By Land Wilson (Author), Sue Cornelison (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-7

Hardcover: 19 pages

Publisher: Little Pickle Press LLC; 1st edition (November 24, 2010)

Awards: Gold Mom’s Choice Award (2011)

Source: Author

Sofia’s Dream was written for the sole purpose of inspiring children to take care of the earth. As a published author, Land Wilson’s life long dream of being an environmental educator to kids is now coming true.

While seeking inspiration for Sofia’s Dream, Wilson was granted the opportunity to interview three Apollo astronauts: Captain Walker M. Schirra, Jr. (Commander of Apollo 7); Frank Borman (Commander of Apollo 8); and Eugene Cernan (Pilot aboard Apollo 10, and Commander of Apollo 17).  Wilson said: “These interviews inspired me to use the theme of seeing Earth from space to write a bedtime book for children … .”

“In Space you see how beautiful Earth is with it’s blues[,] white clouds, [and] brownish, pinkish continents. It’s alone in the vastness of space. You see that it’s fragile, and you want its people to be responsible citizens because this is the only world we have.”

~ Frank Borman

“When you can blot out your link to reality with your thumb, it’s overwhelming to be that far away from home. This place represents everything you understand. It represents your family and what you feel.”

~ Eugene Cernan

“From space, you can see pollution on Earth in the form of discolored waters created by people in populated areas. It funnels out into the oceans. And then you see that our ozone layer is no more than an eggshell around Earth you realize that humans had better learn to be more careful with it.”

~ Walter M. Schirra, Jr.

Beginning with the cover image of an angelic young girl soaring high in the sky, her eyes full of hope and untarnished optimism, a magical tone is set for the story. One night, Sofia awakens to the sound of the moon singing out, “Hello down there;” and so begins their beautiful friendship. Gently and adeptly, Wilson uses rhyme to tell of Sofia’s adventures with her new and wise friend. Described in the opening line as “a thoughtful girl,” Sofia had always marveled at the moon.  When Moon encourages Sofia to take a giant leap in her sleep and leave Earth behind her while she dreams, a new perspective of Earth is offered and a deep sense of responsibility is cultivated. Wilson’s appreciation for nature and environmental protection shine through in this powerfully uncomplicated picture book.

“The things you do and what you say,

Will make a difference every day.

Aim high with everything you do,

Then you’ll inspire others, too.”

Sue Cornelison’s dreamy illustrations provide a pitch-perfect backdrop for this otherworldly journey. Dark hues are used to depict a polluted environment and represent sadness. Sofia is always illustrated with lighter colors and a brighter intensity—she radiates possibility and promise. Stardust swirls softly across pages, offering a platform from which Sofia may explore outer-space. When Wilson’s text implores Sofia to inspire others to take care of Earth, Cornelison matches the text with a double-page spread showing a multi-cultural group of children doing their part to be responsible citizens—every little face capturing the innocence, enthusiasm and inner-beauty of all children.

Endpapers Illustration by Sue Cornelison

It should also be noted that this book is printed using recycled paper and soy inks—kudos to Little Pickle Press—and even the endpapers are adorable.

Whether you are looking for a well illustrated and charming bedtime book or a gentle lesson (but strong message) in caring for our environment, Sofia’s Dream is an absolute delight for children and parents, alike.

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Visit: http://www.landwilson.com/

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: November 30, 2010

Dinosaur Name Poems/Poemas De Nombres De Dinosaurios

by Steven C. Cunningham, M.D.; translated by Miriam Gorospe, Ph.D.

Reading level: Nine to twelve

Paperback: 70 pages

Publisher: Three Conditions Press (2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Have a budding paleontologist, poet or linguist on your hands? Then the bilingual Dinosaur Name Poems is the book for you! Author Steven C. Cunningham has written a clever book of poems describing dinosaur names and/or attributes. In some cases, the witty verses capture the literal meaning of the dinosaur’s name; in others, they paint a picture of how the dinosaur lived and died.

Dinosaur Name Poems won the 2009 Moonbeam Award in two categories, Children’s Poetry and Spanish Language Books. The poems have been expertly translated into Spanish by Myriam Gorospe. Further adding to the tome’s credentials, its scientific accuracy is guaranteed by the Paleontological Research Institution in Itaca, NY. The vivid and accurate illustrations are by Valeska M. Populoh.

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©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: November 28, 2010

Flying Poodles: A Christmas Story

by Karen Morss (Author), Ginger Neilson (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 33 pages (iPhone and iPad apps also available)

Publisher: Poodle Dog Publishers (2010)

Source of book: Author

Flying Poodles: A Christmas Story begins with a slight variation on one of the most well-loved lines in all holiday literature. Instead of “Twas the night before Christmas,” Karen Morss starts her story off with “Twas two nights before Christmas” and proceeds to tell a jolly tale of adventure and rescue. Santa’s reindeer are sick and it doesn’t appear likely that they’ll be able to pull the sleigh on Christmas night. What are Santa and Mrs. Claus to do? Why, just pull out their cell phones and text Santa’s sister Sally for help, of course. She rushes over with her sleigh pulled by a team of poodles. Although she tries to nurse the reindeer back to health, they’ll be too weak to pull the sleigh and deliver the toys. So the poodles step up and volunteer for the job. But will they be up to the test?

The title of the story kind of gives away the ending but it’s a charming book with lovely illustrations and a very kind message. And in keeping with the holiday spirit, the author will make a donation to the Smile Train, an international organization that provides cleft lip and cleft palate surgery to children in need, for every book sold.

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©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: July 1, 2010

Sleepy Kittens (Despicable Me)

by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (Authors), Eric Guillon (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Board book: 10 pages

Publisher: LB Kids; Brdbk edition (May 19, 2010)

Source: Publisher

What to expect: Kittens, Rhyme, Lullaby

Sleepy Kittens is a board book based on a book featured in the 3-D animated film Despicable Me. The story is about three little kittens who cannot fall asleep. Mama Cat appeases their restlessness with a calmness and ease that lulls the kittens off to sleep. It’s short and utterly sweet. It has a wonderful rhythm and rhymes effortlessly. The illustrations are playful but not over stimulating; and the three attached kitten finger puppets compliment both the pictures and story and add their own tactile appeal. This book is not to be confused with the average novelty book produced to tie in with a hit movie. What can I say? This book is lovely!

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©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

By Jennifer Lasker, for The Children’s Book Review
Published: May 5, 2010

A boy? What am I going to do with a boy?

As an expectant mom, I received the news with trepidation. The child growing inside me was soon to emerge as a son. An enthusiast of baseball and hockey. A collector of fly wings and fart jokes. How could I imagine relating to such a being? Where would we connect?

Of course, as soon as Colin arrived into the world with his wide eyes and pointy head, I was captivated. Even as he was later followed by a daughter, I discovered what all parents know to be true, that each child is a unique and unexpected entity, a composite of their gender, their genetics and their environment. And in the case of Colin, I soon recognized there was another surprise as well. My son had a special gift for enchantment.

At the tender age of two, Colin started drawing faces. He saw them everywhere—in the patterns in the curtains, in the clouds and the leaves of trees. Once, when was three, he glanced down at his coat and exclaimed, “Look! All these people are buttons!” With amazement I realized that he recognized his buttons as people first, and only later recalled that they served a function. What a delightful world he lived in! Charmed, I fell into it this world, head over heels.

Around the time that Colin was ten years old, I noticed his illustrations had become more inventive and I puzzled over the stories his characters seemed to tell. One day, while looking at an illustration he’d done of a city bus, I found myself absorbed in the drawing. A few lines of verse popped into my head. It happened suddenly. My first poem was born.

I kept it a secret.

I had a glimmering thought that I could do a whole series of these stories, and maybe we could publish them as a book. I spent the next few weeks working on the sly with a collection of Colin’s drawings, hoping that something child-worthy might result. The verdict came when I presented the poems to Colin and his younger sister, Devon, and witnessed the excitement and laughter they created.

And so we decided to do it, to embark upon a quest to publish a children’s book together. As we created and edited and enhanced our stories, I realized that Colin and I shared a common perspective. A recurring theme emerged from both the drawings and the poems, that no matter how challenging or absurd one’s situation, the power of the human spirit can prevail. Colin’s unabashedly unconventional characters always found a way to triumph over their circumstances with humor and with grace.

The process of publishing was a story unto itself, but we prevailed, and Colin and I are now the author and illustrator of two poetry books for children, Coolhead Luke: and Other Stories, and On the Edge With Coolhead Luke. We’ve spent the last few years presenting our stories to groups of children at bookstores, schools and libraries. We’ve learned a lot, and we’ve had a lot of laughs. We’ve even shared the odd fart joke or two.

Motherhood leads us on unexpected paths. In my pursuit to celebrate Colin’s talent, I’ve become an author and public speaker, two roles I never expected to fill. Colin has provided me with so many surprising opportunities to build our relationship. At 15, he’s a great kid with a full life, lots of friends and a girlfriend, too. But, even now that he’s a teenager, I can say with satisfaction that he continues to be very close with his mother.

And so does his sister, by the way, who is turning into quite a talented singer. Maybe songwriting is in my future?

And on we go!

Jennifer Lasker White

The Coolhead Luke book series is available at www.amazon.com or on Jen and Colin’s website at www.coolheadluke.com

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.