Larf

Kids Can Press

Ashley Spires 

I love unusual children's books. The cover on this one makes it very apparent this is a winner. Even before we opened the book, we had a good laugh at the name Larf. Then we made up some rhymes, because Larf obviously rhymes with some other funny words. Only then did we settle down to read the book. 

Larf is a hairy, seven foot tall sasquatch. As the general public tends to be alarmed by sasquatches, he has wisely chosen to live a quiet life in the woods with his little bug-eyed bunny, Eric. For the most part, he's happy with his solitary life, but sometimes he longs to meet someone who understands him.

One morning, Larf is shocked to read in the newspaper that another sasquatch is scheduled to make an appearance in a city near him. After some careful deliberation, he decides he cannot pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. One thin disguise (short pants, a red scarf, and a beret) later, Larf is on his way. En route, he imagines what this fellow sasquatch might be like, alternating between being apprehensive and excited. 

To Larf's utter disappointment, the other sasquatch is just a regular sized dude in a fur suit. A big fat faker. Larf resigns himself to returning to his quiet life when he looks up to the surprise of a lifetime. And this time she's the real deal - no zipper in her fur suit, and her feet rival Larf's in size. Sigh. And that is the story of how Larf met Shurl, and probably went on to lead a slightly less quiet life.

There are tons of very funny, unusual details in the illustrations, but my very favorite is how Larf straps Eric the bunny into a carrier on his chest for the trip, a la Bunny Bjorn. Eric is free to look around, but his little arms and legs dangle down helplessly. Ha! Ashley Spires previously wrote Small Saul, which was also delightfully quirky.

Review copy provided by Kids Can Press. 

Virginia Wolf

 

Kids Can Press

Kyo Maclear; Illustrations by Isabelle Arsenault 

A clever play on words, this book is loosely based on the relationship between author Virginia Woolf and her sister, painter Vanessa Bell. But it is also about the foul moods that even the best-natured child can so easily slip into, where every little thing is an irritant and the whole world seems to be stacked against them.

One day Virginia wakes up feeling quite wolfish. She growls at her sisters and scares her friends away with her dark mood. She is annoyed by Vanessa's cheery yellow dress, the scritch of the toothbrush bristles against teeth, and even the chirping of the birds outdoors. In short, she is irritated by everyone and everything.

Vanessa desperately tries to cheer her, bringing her treats, the cat, her violin. Nothing. She finally climbs in bed beside her sister, two quiet, still lumps under the blanket. Virginia admits the only thing that might make her happy would be traveling to a perfect place full of beautiful flowers, excellent trees, and frosted cakes. They do not live in such an ethereal place, but Vanessa knows how to get there. She fetches her art box, and while her sister naps, Vanessa painstakingly creates an entire land filled with candy blossoms and frosted cakes. Virginia awakens in the land her sister has created, and feels her mood start to lift.

This book has gotten every little detail just right. Isabelle Arsenault's illustrations are so beautiful, from the framed bunny print in the girls' bedroom down to the alarm clock shattered underneath. The pages are a lovely, slightly thick card stock. The chosen font resembles pretty handwriting, with Vanessa's angry words in a much larger, uglier font - exactly how shouting should look. And a lovely message to boot - one that just might lift your own child's spirits when those wolfish feelings invade.     

Review copy provided by Kids Can Press. 

Binky Under Pressure

 



Kids Can Press

Ashley Spires

Binky is a space cat. At least Binky thinks he is a space cat. In his mind, he has built his own spaceship, traveled to outer space, and is engaged in a continual battle with aliens (which we might call flies) from overtaking his space station (cat bed). He will now face his greatest challenge to date.

Binky is blissfully passing his days, lolling around on the space station, perfecting a balanced sequence of eat, nap, eat, nap, cuddle. He is rudely awakened one afternoon by a strange cat looming over his bed. Worse yet, Gracie the foster cat will be staying awhile. Binky will have to share his food bowls, litter box, and cuddle time. Blech. While Binky is terrific at battling aliens, he is not so great at sharing.

After a few failed attempts to coerce the strange cat into leaving, Binky makes a shocking discovery. Gracie isn't just some stray ... she's a card carrying (literally) Certified Space Cat. This cat is his boss and she's here to conduct evaluations to determine if he shall maintain space cat status. Although Binky is a bit rusty (due to his nap, eat, nap schedule) he perseveres and shows his boss what he's made of. He does so well in a giant alien showdown that he is promoted. Shortly after, Gracie moves in with the family next door and they begin making plans to construct a secret tunnel to connect their space stations.

This book is done in a comic book kind of style, which I have found to be quite appealing to kids. I think this just the right combination between a picture book and an older reader. It's not babyish at all, there are tons of photos, and just enough dialogue to be interesting but not overwhelming.

Obviously, the plot is pretty funny, and Binky is an engaging subject. Besides the apparent quirk of his space cat occupation, he also has a teeny purple stuffed toy that he hugs while he sleeps. His signature expression is "holy fuzzbutt" and he has been known to pass a bit of accidental gas when startled. Binky is flat out a true character - the kind who will always find himself in some sort of situation and the very best kind to read about.      

Review copy provided by Kids Can Press. 

The Busy Beaver

Kids Can Press

Nicholas Oldland

While we were reading Making the Moose Out of Life, I was thinking "That nutty beaver really deserves his own book." Apparently, Nicholas Oldland had that same thought, plus the ability to illustrate and create a book. He chose to title it The Busy Beaver, which is funnier and more sensible than That Nutty Beaver.

The expression "busy as a beaver" is a commonly used one, as we all know these animals to be an incredibly busy bunch. This one is no exception. The only problem is, he is so busy that he doesn't take any time to think things through. He's distracted and careless. He fells more trees than he needs, leaves the forest a mess, and builds sub-par damns. Worst of all, the other animals are starting to get hurt by the beaver's careless ways. Bear is clunked in the head by a piece of fallen wood, birds have lost their nest, and moose once looked down at his own leg to see his own leg being enthusiastically chewed.

The mayhem continues until the day the beaver miscalculates the direction of a falling tree and finds himself pinned under it. He wakes up in the hospital, flat on his back, covered in bruises and bandages.While recuperating, the beaver has time to self-reflect. He finally notices the mess he has made of the forest and his injured friends. He feels terrible and resolves to make amends.

Understandably, the others are worried about the beaver's return to the forest, but he remains true to his word. He apologizes to his friends, cleans up the forest, plants saplings to replace the missing trees, and builds a nest for the homeless birds. The beaver also discovers when he isn't rushing around frantically felling as many trees as possible, he has time for other activities he loves .... like naps. And the whole forest is at peace.   

I like how every one of Oldland's book has a lesson to be learned. This is pretty much "stop and smell the roses" but with a "don't chew on your friend's leg" presentation. It is adorable and so very funny. There are plenty of hilarious illustrations, like the way the momma bird clutches her babies in her wings and glares balefully at the beaver after he demolishes her tree. Fantastic way to read your kids an important lesson. 


Review copy provided by Kids Can Press.

My Name is Elizabeth!

 

Kids Can Press

Annika Dunklee; Matthew Forsythe

I love how simple this book is. Elizabeth speaks in that straightforward, short sentence way that only children can. She is happy with her life and herself and turns out that she isn't shy about speaking up.

Elizabeth loves her name, all nine letters of it. She wakes in the morning and proudly exclaims "My name is Elizabeth." though her only audience is her pet duck. She likes that a queen has been named after her (and not the other way around).That and some of the illustrations show that Elizabeth seems to be a bit of a character. She plops down in the sink basin to brush her teeth, wears funny hats, and owns a pet duck.
 

Elizabeth is such a great name, so why do people insist on shortening it up and using those ridiculous nicknames instead? She's not a Beth, Liz, or Lizzy and certainly not a Betsy. Elizabeth gets a bit more irritated with each nickname, until she loses her patience. She announces to the entire town (in really big letters) her FULL name. It turns out that Elizabeth has four middle names, so her full name is quite a mouthful. With a curtsy, she graciously adds "But you may call me Elizabeth." And everyone does.    

I have no idea why Elizabeth has a pet duck, and the storyline does not address it. When Elizabeth dons her winter hat, she places a crown on the duck's head and he seems to wear it quite willingly. Even after his leash and collar fly off, he sticks close to Elizabeth's side. This is one well trained duck! He's got his own funny facial expressions and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he wasn't equally offended by the nicknames. I wish his name had been provided, because I am sure it would have been funny.   

I love that the entire book is done in just four colors: black, white, soft blue and a solid orange. A unique choice, the effect is both bold beautiful. The orange really stands out against that baby blue. Probably as much as Elizabeth and her duck stand out in that town.

Review copy provided by Kids Can Press.

Without You

Kids Can Press

Genevieve Cote

That looks like quite a sour little pig and rabbit on the front cover, doesn't it? They are pouting just like a couple of kids who haven't yet learned how to iron out their differences while playing together. Is there a more perfect book for a couple of squabbling siblings? Probably not.

Little pig careens across the grass with the wagon, toys spilling from the sides. His rabbit friend cautions him that he's going too fast, but pig doesn't care. After some heated back and forth shouting, the friends decide they are better off not playing together at all.

Each thinks he will be happier on his own, and they make a point of stating all the fun activities that can be done solo. Rabbit can read alone, and pig can cook just fine with no help at all.You don't need a partner for dress-up and it's perfectly fine to play a musical instrument solo or go to the park alone.

There are tons of things you can do by yourself .... but aren't those things more fun with your best friend? Pig and rabbit are struck by this realization at the same time. Books are funnier when you can share the humor,  and cookies taste better with a friend enjoying them by your side. Best of all, made up games the require imagination are double the fun when fueled by two brains.   

This is a perfect book for young children. The words are very simple, as are the illustrations. The lesson is clear cut and easy to understand. Fight, fight, fight ... sad pig, sad rabbit. But look at those broad smiles and the fun they have when they both make an effort to get along.

Review copy provided by Kids Can Press.

Small Saul

 

 Kids Can Press

Ashley Spires

When you think of pirates, you think of fresh breath, a squeaky clean ship and lavender bunny tattoos, right? Yeah, me too. And yet the other pirates are completely dismissive of Small Saul - they feel he just doesn't fit in. Or could he?

More than anything, Small Saul loves the sea. After failing to meet the Navy's height requirement, SS turns to the only other profession he can think of that would allow him to spend his day on the open water: piracy. Because rough and tough does not come naturally to him, Saul struggles at Pirate College. His growl sounds more like a purr, he picks wildflowers while the others dig for treasure, and tidies when he should be looting.

Nevertheless, Saul squeaks through Pirate College and is lucky enough to nab a position aboard The Rusty Squid. Determined to fit in, Small Saul gets to work. I love the before and after of the sleeping quarters! He scrubs and straightens, adding pillows to the hammocks and tiny curtains over the windows in an attempt to make it more welcoming. The pirates are not impressed. Small Saul is cheerful and chipper, clean and comforting. He is pushed overboard. 

Without Small Saul aboard, the ship starts to stink. Mold grows on the deck, foul odors are afoot, and the crew is back to eating bread and gruel. The good ole pirate life doesn't see as attractive as it used to. The crew may be dirty and smelly, but they aren't stupid. They quickly turn The Rusty Squid around and scoop up their most valuable shipmate. And Small Saul returns to pirating the only way he knows how: by cleaning, baking and straightening. 

The entire concept and execution are fabulous. It's like Queer Eye for the Pirate Guy. There are tons of small details in the illustrations that crack me up: the funny looks the other pirates shoot Saul, the way he casually tosses a minty fresh breath mint into the captain's straggly toothed mouth, and his Big Book of Bunny Tattoos. Maybe best of all is the tiny frock he fashions for the seagull (from his head scarf) while he is waiting to be rescued. Saul has got to be Saul! And thank goodness for that.   

Review copy provided by Kids Can Press.  

Cinnamon Baby

Kids Can Press

Nicola Winstanley; Illustrated by Janice Nadeau

I loved this book for a multitude of reasons. The first of which are Janice Nadeau's delightful illustrations. Watercolors mixed with pencil drawings and paper collage create the perfect environment, with the addition of swirly curlicues tucked in everywhere: on the bridge, the flowers, the lamp post and even in the font. 

Illustrations aside, I also love that the story takes place in a bakery, the characters have unique names (Miriam and Sebastian), it is the woman who is the successful business owner, and an interracial couple is featured in a children's book. Plus, there are cinnamon buns.

Miriam is a baker who wears her crimson hair swirled into a thick bun, very much resembling a large cinnamon roll tucked at the back of her head. Each day she rides her bicycle to her own bakery that sports sweet pink and white striped awnings. Inside, she creates the most wonderful breads, singing joyfully as she works. It was the combination of the Miriam's scented bread and melodic voice that attracted Sebastian. He bought a loaf of bread every day for a year from The Alchemy Bakery before asking Miriam to be his wife.

And now that Sebastian and Miriam are expecting their first baby, the mama-to-be continues her routine of biking to work and singing while she works. She makes a variety of breads, but always saves the cinnamon bread for last, so that the smell will linger in the shop.

When their baby is born, it is a beautiful and perfect child (this is unsurprising, considering Sebastian can play his violin while riding a bicycle). And a loud one. The child refuses to stop crying. Miriam tries everything, Sebastian tries everything, but the baby continues to wail. Finally, Miriam has a brilliant idea. She scoops up the baby and they go directly to The Alchemy Bakery. When the cinnamon begins wafting through the air, the baby's cries stop. She truly is a Cinnamon Baby.   

The writing is every bit as enjoyable as the illustrations.  I love her description of the breads Miriam is making: "a spicy bread, studded with peppercorns and basil, and a sweet bread with ginger." When the baby is asleep, she describes him as "a little, wrinkled raisin." She uses the perfect phrasing to make you feel as though you are right there inside The Alchemy Bakery with Miriam and Sebastian. So wonderful!  

Review copy provided by Kids Can Press.

Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party

Kids Can Press

Melanie Watt 

Melanie Watt essentially created a gold mine with her first Scaredy Squirrel book. Better, yet, she continues to invent clever situations for this phobic with each successive book. Although she continues to use essentially the same template, the books always feel fresh, never tired or overused. Soooo, it's really Melanie Watt who is the gold mine. I'm happy to report the squirrel is back for his fifth adventure. And this time he's clad in a sweet powder blue tux!   

For those who are familiar with Scaredy's antics, it comes as no surprise that he usually celebrates his birthday quietly in his tree, and is not prone to hosting raucous parties. In fact, he will be inviting just one guest: the guest of honor. A party of one pretty much guarantees there will not be any nasty surprises to ruin the party, like Bigfoot, a pack of surly ants or the dreaded confetti. After receiving a lovely birthday card from his friend Buddy, Scaredy decides to invite him to this year's party. Because allowing an outside guest to attend is a risky move, Scaredy jumps into super plan mode.

I love Scaredy's birthday checklist and corresponding exhibits. Paint chips displayed to choose the party colors, nutty cake recipe at the ready for the cake, dry cleaning slip for aforementioned powder blue tuxedo, and Scaredy's birth certificate to verify the date. Watt is so careful to include so many funny details: boxes checked yes for cute and no for fleas on his birth certificate; the invitation's response choices are Yes, I can or No, I can't - I have to wash my fur. The Wheel of Dos and Don'ts include the single acceptable party activity of sitting quietly and seven bad choices, ranging from listen to loud music to surprise the birthday squirrel.

Although Scaredy is as careful as can be, erecting a germ-free party sign and selecting coversation topics ahead of time for small talk, the party spins out of control. Buddy shows up ... with a dozen of his closest dog friends. Scaredy panics, falls on the ground and plays dead. It always takes a couple hours of playing dead for this little squirrel to aclimate to the situation.In the end, he enjoys his party immensely and begins preparations to make next year's party even better. 
   

Another win for Melanie Watt! Check out Scaredy Squirrel at Night and Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach.

Review copy provided by Kids Can Press.

Making the Moose Out of Life

 

Kids Can Press

Nicholas Oldland

Who doesn't love a contemplative moose?  Actually, those round, glassy eyes make him look more neurotic than contemplative, don't they? I guess he is a little bit neurotic. After all, he's a moose who lives in the wild that doesn't act wild at all.  That is a bit odd.

While his friends beaver and black bear cavort happily, the moose always hangs back. Ha, it cracks me up that the animals aren't wearing clothing, but do have skis and patterned winter scarves! The moose prefers to take a prudent approach, keeping dry under his umbrella while his friends stomp in puddles, shivering near a snowbank while they slalom down. Sometimes he feels he might be missing out on something, but he can't quite put his hoof on exactly what that is.

Suddenly it occurs to the moose that he needs to grab life by the antlers! He straps on a life jacket and hops onto a sailboat drifting by. The moose sets sail on an amazing adventure, ending up stranded on a desert island. Instead of being paralyzed by fear, he makes the best of things. He builds a shelter, tracks down his own food, and makes a new friend.

The moose is making the best of life on an island, when a cruise ship appears on the horizon.  The moose tearfully bids his tortoise friend adieu and again sets sail. This time he adapts to the life of a cruise goer, playing shuffleboard and grazing at the buffet.  When the ship arrives home, the moose is reunited with his old friends.  But he is not the same old moose. This moose will no longer remain on the sidelines, but will continue to grab life by the antlers!    

So the morale of the story is pretty obvious, but that doesn't make it any less true!  The moose shows us that it can be fun to step outside our comfort zones and try new things. Plus, the illustrations are just hilarious. My personal favorites: the beaver puddle jumping with the bear, the moose climbing for coconuts, and the moose and tortoise holding hands. But so many pages are super funny, that it was actually hard to pick.   

Author Nicholas Oldland also wrote Big Bear Hug, where the moose plays a cameo role.  Does that mean we can look for the next book to be about the beaver?  Man, I hope so.  

Review copy provided by Kids Can Press.

In Front of My House

Kids Can Press

Marianne Dubuc

If you were asked to describe your house to someone who had never visited, what would you say?  Before diving into this book, I asked that of myself and was only astounded by how booooring my description was. Thank goodness Marianne Dubuc's descriptive abilities are far more fascinating. Her vision, coupled with her wonderfully simple illustrations. make this a tour you won't want to miss.

This is such a sweet little story about all the tiny details that come to light when you take a hard look at your surroundings. It starts off ordinarily enough:  "On a little hill, behind a brown fence, under a big oak tree, is .... my house." And then it drills down into tho details that so many of us take for granted, like the little bird who has taken up residence in the rose bush, or that striped green sock flung under the bed, wayward for three months and counting. 

This particular tour twists and turns erratically, jumping from the green sock to a book of fairy tales nearby. From there, it positively takes off, because there certainly is no limit to the imagination when it comes to a fictional book. We meet a family of upstanding rabbits and traipse through a very green forest before coming face to face with the Abominable Snowman. After a quick trip through outer space and across the big blue sea, we meet every type of imaginable creature, including a blue whale named Babette. Through the zoo and across the city, we spot a little hill that seems awfully familiar.  "On the little hill ... my house."  The tour has come full circle. 

 
Reading this has the effect of allowing you to view your own dwelling in a new light. You may very well feel inspired to put together your own tour. If Marianne Dubuc can include a pirate and a hunk of cheese as part of her tour, what would you include in yours?  This is both lovely to leaf though and infinitely inspiring.     


Review copy provided by Kids Can Press.

Spork

 


Kids Can Press

Kyo Maclear; Illustrations by Isabelle Arsenault

The only place I have seen sporks is in fast food restaurants.  I wondered if children would know what they are, but apparently they are common in school cafeterias, because my six year old identified it with one glance. 

Spork is a cross between a spoon and a fork. He has the rounded lower head of spoon, but on top of that poke three short tines of a fork. His mother is a beautiful spoon and his father is a sharp looking fork. Unfortunately for Spork, cutlery mixing is not common place and he sticks out like a sort thumb in the cutlery drawer. In Spork's kitchen, knives marry knives and spoons stick to their own kind.  Poor Spork.

As you might think, Spork feels quite out of place. To fit in, he tries to appear to more spoonish by wearing a bowler hat. This fools no one. He makes himself a paper crown to appear more forkish, but this too falls flat. At dinner time, Spork watches wistfully from the sidelines while others grace the dinner table.  His feet remain dry while they enjoy a post-dinner bubble filled soak in the sink. 

Until one day ... a very messy thing arrives in the kitchen.  This thing has no table manners and slops food from one side of the kitchen to the other. The forks and spoons are in a tizzy because not one of them can keep up with the demands. The thing needs something that was neither spoon nor fork, but a bit of both. Enter Spork, who is just a bit round and just a bit pointy - absolutely perfect (for this thing called a baby)! And so Spork arrives at the dinner table and remains there for many, many meals to come. 

Aw, I think this is such a cute book filled with beautiful illustrations. I would never have imagined a really great children's book would be written about something as mundane as a spork, but there you have it.  All the utensils are drawn so sweetly, with unique expressions and clothing.  And I love how the story is set up so that the cutlery drawer is a whole way of life.  Smart writing and the wonderful illustrations make this a winner! And if you really need another reason, there's the little lesson of not discriminating against a utensil (or person) based on appearance. 

Review copy provided by Kids Can Press.

The Cat's Pajamas

 

Kids Can Press

Wallace Edwards

An excellent definition for idiom from the first page of the book: "a group of words whose meaning cannot be understood from the meaning of the individual words; an expression, peculiar to a specific language, that cannot be translated literally. As adults, we take these phrases for granted, never realizing how strange they may seem to kids or someone learning our language.  We are so used to hearing these expressions that we don't usually give much thought to what they would mean literally. And that's exactly what makes this book so fun - we see our casually used expressions in a whole new light!

Each page has a large, very detailed illustration depicting a literal translation of an idiom.  Each expression is also used in a sentence that acurately describes the illustration.  Yes, it's a clever concept, but I'm taken aback at how excellently it is executed. "As Judge of the Tiny Tot Talent Contest, Leon had to face the music." And sure enough, there sits poor Leon, with his majestic mane completely blown back by the force of the music from the tiny chipmunk.      

In case you need a bit of assistance, the very last page provides the idiom and a brief explanation of what the saying means. To go along with the cover image and title, the author has included one more tiny detail to keep us on our toes: at least one cat is hidden on every single page. Some stand out and some are a bit of a challenge, but the hunt is part of the fun. The last idiom is Princess in her pj's from the cover, but with a slight change. Instead of a playing card, the kitty grips a small note under her paw that says "Did you find a hidden cat on each page?" 

I love that this book is dual purpose by teaching us about idioms in a very clever and humorous way. My only regret is that he did not include "ears are ringing" AND "ears are burning" as I know many adults who don't understand the difference. This is actually the second book of illustrated idioms by Wallace Edwards.  His first, Monkey Business, was released in 2004, which I have no doubt was equally brilliant. 

Review copy provided by Kids Can Press.