Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters

Candlewick Press

Jane Yolen; Illustrated by Kelly Murphy

With a beginning like "Monsters creep, monsters crawl ... " you might think this is leading up to be a fairly scary story. Actually, this is a monster lullaby that is on far friendlier terms. Not a bit scary, but cute and funny and full of sweet little monsters. Find out what life is like in their world and you might be surprised to find out a typical day there isn't too much different from a human's. Except for the horns and all those extra eyeballs. 

The creeping and crawling is really monsters erupting from the doors of Cree P. Elementary School after a long day of monster learning. Thrilled to be out for the day, they pour into the local park, swooping down the slide and careening from swings. As darkness falls, the little monsters are greeted by their parents at the doors to their caves, eagerly sliding in and flinging backpacks to the floor.    

Burgers (maybe a bit more slimy than ours) and a green salad are gobbled up, and then into the tub to get scrubbed from horn to toe. After plenty of hopping about on the mattresses and requests for "one last drink of water," they are tucked snug in their beds.  

I like the disparity between the written words and the illustrations. If you were to take the words at face value, this would be a different story altogether. It is the illustrations that add the humor. The monsters vary greatly in appearance - some striped, some furry, a few with wings and most with horns. It is a rainbow of bodies that seem to have only the one shared characteristic - great big, googly eyes.  

I love that their world is so similar to ours, but with tiny details tucked here and there that are purely monster. Worms poke from their salad and eyeballs peer out from the stew pot. All their stuffed animals and backpacks resemble tiny monsters and some of the furniture practically looks alive. It's the best of both worlds!

Review copy provided by Candlewick Press.

Ollie & Moon

 

Random House

Diane Kredensor ;Photographs by Sandra Kress

Diane Kredensor is an Emmy award-winning children's television director and artist. More importantly, she loves cheese a whole bunch. This is her first children's book, and it was inspired by cheese. That's a good reason to do anything, right?

Ollie loves to surprise his best friend, Moon. And there is nothing Moon likes better than trying to figure out those surprises before they have been revealed. She is tickled pink when Ollie stops by her apartment to let her know ... he's got a surprise in the works. Let the guessing commence.

This pair resides in the heart of Paris, so they are decidedly chic, as evidenced by Ollie's striped shirt and tiny beret. En route, they stop at the fromagerie, where Ollie reveals the surprise is round, just like Brie they are snacking on. Riding the Metro, Moon ferrets out that the surprise is also musical. As they get closer to the surprise, the combination of clues is more confusing than helpful. Moon has no idea what this round, bright, spinning, musical surprise is going to be. She is starting to wonder: will she even like it?     

Sandra Kress has provided actual, beautiful photographs of Paris, that serve as the backdrop for the brightly colored characters. It's a cute way to present the story. I like that even thought the story features a pair of cartoon cats, we still get a real life peep at some great scenery. Even the row of bicycles and toilette is quite different from the American version. And yet Ollie still drags along a scrap of toilet paper on his paw when he emerges.

Review copy provided by Random House.

When the World Was Waiting for You

 

Bloomsbury

Gillian Shields; Illustrated by Anna Currey

Typically, I gravitate towards humorous children's books. But once in awhile, there is something to be said for a sweet, emotional one. My favorite gift for parents-to-be is a children's book. This one is particularly nice, as it is all about getting ready to welcome a new child into the world.

This family of bunnies is eager to greet their newest member. But there is no idle waiting - they are busy as beavers (apparently a family of beavers are not as sweet as bunnies when expecting) getting ready. The crib is made up with the coziest bedding and the nursery walls are painted a soft shade of butter yellow. Toys and presents are lined up waiting to be played with, and tiny garments line the drawers. The older children cannot bear the suspense, but Mother Bunny has been down this road before and knows babies create their own schedule.

When the baby does arrive, the family is filled with joy. Small heads press in close, eager to see their sibling. Friends and extended family arrive from near and far, bearing gifts for the newest arrival. It is an exciting time for everyone. And when the visitors hare gone, the family is left to enjoy their new, dear baby.

This is a super sweet picture book. The illustrations are a little bit dreamy, just exactly how you picture things just before you become a parent. And somehow, even though your life is the furthest thing from peaceful when the baby does indeed arrive, reading this years later will help you fondly remember it as being a wonderfully magical time. Definitely the perfect baby shower gift. 

Review copy provided by Bloomsbury.

Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit

 

Random House

Il Sung Na 

Subtitled A Book of Changing Seasons, this book is just as beautiful and peaceful as her Book of Sleep. Il Sung Na has a distinctive style; her creations are so lovely that you want to climb right into the book. Just as the owl was our guide at night time, a curious white rabbit leads us page to page here. 

How do animals react when the air turns cold and winter is on the way? Answers will vary depending on the type of animal. Geese fly south seeking warmer weather, while bears cozy up in dark caves, and sheep grow nice, thick woolly coats. Some animals move very fast, like the squirrels bustling about gathering extra food. Crocodiles slow way down, sinking their thick bodies deep into the mud to make it through winter.

The animals may employ varied methods of surviving the harsh winter, but they do have one thing in common: when the snow is gone and buds are reappearing on the trees, everyone knows it is spring! More importantly, all the animals created by Il Sung Na share the same lovely illustrative style. The turtles' shells are awash with color, looking like clusters of beautiful painted bowls overturned in the water. Black faces and spindly striped sheep legs poke out from coats of thick white curlicues splatted with pastel patches.
 

I think it's fun that the white rabbit appears on each page, but you have to hunt for him a bit. On the first page, he is large as life, his bright white winter fur luminous against the turquoise background. He watches the geese sweep overhead from a distance, nearly blending into the gray and white patterned rocks he rests on. He just barely peeks his head into the bear cave - it is his shadow that is more noticeable here.

It doesn't matter what season, the animals are always stunning. This is an incredibly lovely book - bright, beautiful and warm.

Review copy provided by Random House.

Slightly Invisible

Candlewick Press

Lauren Child

Poor Charlie, he is such a nice kid and really puts up with a lot when it comes to his younger sister Lola. She isn't badly behaved, but she is immensely curious and she likes a certain amount of attention. Although he likes his little sister, at times Charlie just wants to spend a bit of time alone with his best friend (wait for it) Marv. And Lola doesn't want to miss a minute of the fun. 

Just when Charlie and Marv are knee deep in their imaginative adventures, Lola interrupts. While they are floating through space hunting Martians, Lola clomps onto their spaceship with her tea set. Just as they had discovered an amazing sea monster while deep sea diving, Lola plops it into her buggy for a stroll around the block. You can't blame the two for coming up with a little scheme designed to get them a bit of a break.

Together, the boys concoct a secret potion that will create invisibility. Judging by the ingredients (pink milk and a bit of banana) I think it is obvious who the intended recipient is. Sure enough, when they open the fridge after a short absence, the potion is gone and Lola's voice is floating out from seemingly nowhere. But it quickly discovered that Lola is just under the bed and it her invisible friend Soren Lorensen who drank the potion.

And it is Soren Lorensen who ate all the cookies. Strangely enough, Soren Lorensen's voice is also invisible, heard only Lola. But he tells her how to catch the tricky creature the boys are tracking, and she relays the information to them. The method is quite unorthodox, involving a tea set and a stuffed rabbit, but it works. And then Soren Loensen and Lola retire to drink the rest of the pink milk, asking Charlie and Marv to not bother or interrupt them.          

I don't believe I will ever tire of Lauren Child. Her signature style of mixing and matching patterns and fonts in such a pleasing way results in books that are always such a joy to read. This is one of those extra large picture books that seems like such a luxury spread out. You'll have to look very closely to see Soren Lorensen on the pages. His body is a transparent but shiny like sticker, which makes him fun to search for.     

Review copy provided by Candlewick Press.