My Elephant

Candlewick Press
Petr Horacek

What starts out as a wonderful imaginary friend for a little boy quickly turns into a scapegoat for all sorts of trouble. Why take the blame when you have a perfectly good elephant to shift it onto? This reminds me of a book from my childhood - The Gorilla Did It, by Barbara Shook Hazen.

When this little boy's grandpa and grandma are too busy with their chores to play with him, he dreams up an elephant playmate who has plenty of time. The elephant is eager to play kickball in the yard, although it was not his intention to mess up grandpa's flowerbed with his big pachyderm feet. Nor did he mean to make a mess in the hallway or splash water all over the bathroom. It's just that elephants are so big and his trunk swings so widely ....


The boy's grandma and grandpa seem rather skeptical of his elephant explanation. It makes him sad that his grandparents don't believe his protests. Of course, the elephant comes right over to lift his spirits, as well as a literal lift, raising him high on his trunk. The pair play all day, fishing together in his room and hunting tigers in the jungle. The little boy wakes up along in his bed the next morning and his grandpa tells him "You were tired ... so your elephant carried you to bed!"

Reading this book is the perfect way to point out the advantages of using your imagination as well as the pratfalls of going too far. It's fun to pretend, but maybe not so smart to blame the error of your ways on your imaginary friend. Grandma and grandpa might be a little too clever for that one!


I really like the simple illustrations. The white backgrounds serve as a great canvas for the bold, bright colors of everything else. The boy may be a bit of a tall tale teller, but he's cute and likable. His elephant friend is equally endearing, looking a bit more "drawn" with crosshatches of gray filing in his ample body.

Overall, this is a pretty fun book. The young children we read to found it hilarious that a boy would insist an elephant was living in the house right under the noses of his grandparents! And they thought it quite underhanded to make up the fibs about the elephant causing all the trouble.

Red Ted and the Lost Things

Candlewick Press
Michael Rosen; Illustrations by Joel Stewart

Red Ted is a stuffed scarlet bear who is dearly loved by a little girl named Stevie. On a trip to see her nana one day, Stevie accidentally leaves her sturdy companion behind on the train. The conductor deposits the forgotten bear in a very large room filled with shelves and crammed with various items.

Red Ted is befriended by Crocodile, who has been there for a very long time. He says that this is the Place for Lost Things, where all unclaimed items end up. Red Ted misses Stevie terribly and feels so lost and hopeless that he bursts into tears.


Red Ted is a brave little bear and he doesn't cry for long. He quickly decides that he will simply leave the Place of Lost Things and find Stevie on his own. Although Crocodile doesn't think this is a terribly sound idea, he asks to go along. Red Ted consents and the two stuffed animals formulate their escape and rush headlong out the door.
Just outside the door, they meet a large white cat, who agrees to help them because she thinks they smell of cheese. Of course, they meet a series of obstacles (the best of these is an oddly inserted dachshund) which they must overcome. Happily, the trio is successful and Stevie is delighted to see her best friend again. This is indeed a happy ending for all, for Stevie asks to adopt Crocodile and her mom has a bag of cheese for the cat.

The illustrations are unique, with the backgrounds a wash of sepia tones - only the main characters are done in color. A most interesting point is that the animals really DO look like stuffed animals. They move a big stiffly and their eyes are flat black beads. Each character speaks and think using bubbles above their heads, instead of more traditional text.
This is a sweet little story that really drives home the power of persistence. Red Ted shows all of us that when you have vision and drive (and the assistance of a cheese sniffing cat), you really can achieve the impossible. The sweetness of the book is tempered with humor - the cat with her catchy cheese ditty, the hilarious dachshund, the displayed thoughts of the stuffed animals, plus much more. All the elements put together make this a unique story and one which most readers will find completely endearing.

Wild Animals!

Tundra Books
Eduardo Bustos, Lucho Rodriguez

Are you in the market for a simple, yet brilliantly colored book about animals for younger children? I have some great news! If this sort of book isn't already on your list, maybe it should be. This bright and brilliant book would be the perfect choice for younger children who have a strong interest in wild animals, but are not yet ready for the more intensive books that provide pages and pages of facts (you know, the ones they always pick at bedtime that make your eyes gloss over) and information.


Eleven animals are featured here, each one getting its own two page spread. The first page shows a small full body illustration of the animal, with a short paragraph that gives some details or points of interest. The paragraph is written as if the animal is speaking directly to the readers. The fox says "Do you think I look like a dog? We are related, but I am not happy in a pack. I am a solitary creature - wherever I live around the world."


Although the full body illustrations are nice, the opposing page is the real eye candy - a full color geometric illustration of just the animal's head. The background pages are all black, which means of course, that the illustrations pop right off the page! As you can see by the examples shown here, these are vibrant and interesting designs. That back cover states that illustrator began his career in graphic design.

With the short paragraphs and vivid illustrations, this really is a good choice for younger children - maybe three to five years of age. Old enough to absorb the information and not be hungering for more details. Plus, they will be undoubtedly fascinated by all the shapes that appear in the faces of the animals.

Vintage Knits for Modern Babies

Ten Speed Press
Hadley Fierlinger

This book would make a spectacular gift for any knitter who loves creating beautiful, unique garments for children. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving!

Author Hadley Fierlinger offers this introduction: "Most of us knit for babies today because we want to, not because we have to. We knit for them, as our grandmothers did, for the love of it. We knit because nothing else can give us the same soothing texture and emotion as a garment created by hand. While we sit and knit, our hopes and dreams are wrapped in every stitch." For me, this really sums up what knitting means to me and serves as the perfect opener for this book.

And oh, what patterns! These are beautiful, simple affairs that were inspired by vintage patterns. The finished garments have a look of grace about them, thanks to their simplicity. Twenty-five patterns are presented, from booties and bonnets, to sweaters and jackets. Each one is representative of classic knits. You almost get the sense that you are recreating heirlooms - but with better yarn!

No matter your experience, you will most definitely find items that are a good match for your skill level. No guesswork is needed as each pattern is indicated with one of three skill levels, or a blend of two levels. Beginners can start off with the Organic Heirloom Blanket or Tiny Trousers, moving onto Cabled Booties as they gain confidence. Experienced knitters will no doubt want to try their hand at the oh-so-sweet Ballet Blossom Cardigan or impressive Double-Breasted Car Coat (wow!). I think everyone should knit up a few pair of Wee Mittens, as they are just too irresistible to pass up!

As soon as I started leafing through the book, I just knew my first project would be the Ruby Slippers. These are small ballet type slippers with a cross strap right over the top of the foot, secured by a button. They are dainty and just all-together perfect. The instructions were easy to follow, and I had the right slipper knitted in no time (ahem, one episode's worth of Glee!) at all. I was very pleased to find my slipper had turned out just like the photo in the book.

If you are a knitter of baby items, or know someone who is, I urge you to take a look at this book. Definitely visit Hadley Fierlinger's Flickr account to check out a great bunch of photos. These should give a good sense of what the book offers and if it would be a good fit for you and your needles. Personally, I love it!

P.S. You may also want to take a peek at Hadley's blog - She's Crafty. She offers free patterns ....

Eye-Popping 3-D Pets

Chronicle Books
Barry Rothstein and Betsy Rothstein

Authors and publishers are so clever these days about finding great new ways to get kids interested in reading. Talk about making a book truly interactive! This one comes with two pairs of 3-D glasses neatly tucked in a pocket on the inside cover. Don't lose them - you'll need these wild glasses to make the animals leap right off the pages.

Phantograms are a form of an optical illusion. The illusion of depth is produced with a combination of two images that appear smudged (or as this book calls it, "a blurry mess") to the naked eye. Once you don the special specs however, the color filtering power of the glasses makes the image appear to be three dimensional! To kids, this bit of science translates to be really, really cool.

Not just a barrage of fancy photos, this book is also chock full of valuable information for exactly twenty-eight types of pets. A full page of information is provided on each animal, including instructions on how to care for that pet, habits, temperaments and helpful hints. You actually get a sense of what it would be like to own each animal - before you really do own that animal.

Of course, the big hook here is the 3D glasses and really neat rise-from-the-pages animals. But this is also a great resource when your family just isn't sure which pet would be the best fit for your household. Thinking about getting a potbellied pig? Maybe you didn't know that they are easy to train and can be taught lots of fun tricks. Or is a leopard gecko more your speed? Be careful not to grab that little guy by the tail, as it will break right off. Read about those animals, plus Guinea pigs, ferrets, frogs, parrots, tarantulas and more.

Overall, this is a wonderful book on household animals that will capture (and hold) the attention of children of many ages. Great photography, a neat use of science and just plain useful information will get your kids immersed in learning as much as they can about these animals. Just don't lose the glasses!

Big Wolf & Little Wolf: The Little Leaf that Wouldn't Fall

Enchanted Lion Books
Nadine Brun-Cosme; Illustrated by Olivier Tallec

When Big Wolf & Little Wolf was published last year, I was blown away by both the story and the illustrations. It was quite simply a very magical, beautiful book from start to finish. While I was terribly excited to discover there was a sequel written about those very same wolves, I was also a bit apprehensive that it would not live up to the initial book. I can now say this one is every bit as exquisite as the first. Same sweet wolves, more spellbinding illustrations, plus a brand new tale. Win, win, win for the readers!!

The two wolf friends are enjoying a warm spring day together when Little Wolf spies the most perfect sweet green leaf high up on their tree. He asks Big Wolf to fetch it for him, but Big Wolf replies that he should be patient and wait for the leaf to fall. Summer and fall arrive in turn, and still Big Wolf asks his smaller companion for patience.


It isn't until the winter winds bluster in, that Big Wolf suddenly announces, for no reason at all "I'm going up!" As good as his word, he climbs straight up into the heart of that big tree. The snow and ice make for a terribly slippery ascent, but he knows that leaf is meant for Little Wolf and he is determined to retrieve it. Far down on the ground, Little Wolf is rooted to the ground, wide-eyed and and feeling bit regretful he has asked for so much.

Little Wolf does not say a word until Big Wolf has both feet safely on the ground. And only then does he tell his friend what a beautiful thing he had done. Both wolves smile and tuck in (with appropriately sized fluffy white pillows and blankets) for the night. It is wonderful to see the great lengths one true friend will go for another.

The loveliness of the images are easy to prove, as you can see by the photos above. As for the perfect phrasing, I have chosen a few of my favorites to give you a feel for the writing: "He said it just like that, for no reason at all. Just to see Little Wolf's eyes sparkle." I also love "Little Wolf looked up into this rain of gentle stars." Sadly, presenting fragments is not as compelling as reading this tale in its entirety and you don't get a true sense of the magic.

I can confidently say that this book is as much of a must-read as the first. If you are not familiar with these wolves, I really think you are missing out on something special. Both books make my list of absolute favorites!