The Queen of France

The Queen of France by Tim Wadham, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton, Candlewick

One day Rose wakes up feeling royal. She layers costume pieces and jewelry until, volia! The Queen of France is up and about. Throughout the day Rose changes between herself and the Queen of France, her delightful parents taking it all in stride. But when the Queen of France tells Rose’s mother that she would like to trade places with Rose, Rose’s mother tells her that she will miss Rose “Infinity times infinity.”

The Queen of France is a simple story that probably occurs in many households everyday, yet it retains a feeling of magic. Denton’s ink and watercolor illustrations capture the expressiveness of an energetic child. The simplicity of a pointed toe or uplifted finger reveals Rose’s (or as the case may be, the Queen of France’s) every opinion.

The best book with glitter on the cover.

"More Mo Willems!" demanded the Pigeon. The Alligator agreed.

Hooray for Amanda and her Alligator!
by Mo Willems
HarperCollins, May 2011
Reading Amanda and her Alligator, I could not help but be reminded of Maurice Sendak, particularly his nutshell library (alligators all around floated through my head). Yet Willems crates a story all his own. Told in chapters like a beginning reader, we learn of Alligator's life: his delights, his worries, and his terrific discoveries. He's a sweet and lovable character- even if he is only worth seven cents. Willems' story will have kids laughing as usual in this delightful book- a next step for readers of Elephant and Piggie.

Holly Black's White Cat

Cassel killed his best friend, though he doesn’t know how. His family members are able to magically curse people with the touch of a finger, instantly changing memories or emotions. But Cassel has shown no sign of the ability to curse. His mother is a con artist. His brothers are mobsters. All Cassel wants is to go to school.

Holly Black’s White Cat, the first book in the curse workers series, is a complex modern fantasy full of dark deeds and strange creatures. When a white cat enters Cassel’s life and starts to take control of his dreams, Cassel begins to doubt his own memories. Maybe he is a curse worker. Maybe he didn’t kill his best friend. Maybe he, himself, is cursed. And maybe his deeds are even worse than those perpetrated by his brothers. As Cassel uncovers secrets and curses, he realizes the only way to learn the truth is to engineer a con even his family will fall for. From politics to murder to the possibilities of romance, Holly Black crafts of web of mystery and danger in this dark teen novel.

*This book is now available in paperback. If you listen to WHMP (in the Pioneer Valley) you may hear me talking about this book.

Gut reaction to Okay for Now

Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt will be released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on April 5th, 2011. It follows Doug's life during the Vietnam war. Doug's oldest brother is in the army, his next oldest brother is a bully, and his father is the biggest bully of them all. When Doug's family moves to the Catskills, he seeks refuge in the library where he discovers a book of Audubon's birds. Though he protests that he is no artist, Doug itches to start drawing. Between Audubon's book and a delivery job for the local deli, Doug manages to have a life - an escape- from his family and it becomes his mission to retrieve the missing Audubon pages that the city has been selling off.

So I started Gary Schmidt's Okay for Now yesterday and finished it this morning. And it blew me away. Each aspect of the story was beautifully woven into the rest. Audubon's birds were incredibly effective at pulling together the story- effective due to the emotional descriptions paired with brief formal analysis (composition, balance, etc). I'm always interested to see how writers depict the visual arts; often they get it staggeringly wrong, but Schmidt manages to explain principals of design that can later be translated and expanded upon by Doug to explain other events in his life.

For the first half of the book I was a little worried that there would be too much depressing realism for me to deal with (the world has enough terrible things happening in it for me to constantly be reading about fictional ones as well) but I was intrigued by Mrs. Windermere (the eccentric playwright to who Doug delivers groceries) and honestly, I needed to know about the birds. Would the book be whole again? (Though I must say, having Doug create one of the pages was pretty obvious from early on.)

I like books with, if not a happy ending, at least a settled one. I love that Schmidt left the book so open-ended. Yes, he resolved aspects of Doug's life that need closure, but he also ended with hope tempered by the reality that sometimes, no matter what you want, things don't always turn out the way you want them. And no, I'm not giving you more information about the ending- I wouldn't want to ruin it for you, now would I?

THE Book of THE Summer. (Don't let the cover or title discourage you)

Beauty Queens
by Libba Bray
Scholastic, May 24th, 2011

So I didn't get to read Beauty Queens as quickly as I wanted, making the fatal mistake of letting someone else know what I was reading. Thrilled by the first page (a brief message from the corporation) I began reading the book aloud to my boyfriend, thinking I'd stop at the first chapter and continue reading to myself. The problem was, he wouldn't let me stop reading. So we've now spent two weekends taking turns reading aloud and have finished the book. My new dare is for someone to read the message from the corporation and then put the book down and walk away; I don't think it can be done. I also think the possible audience for Libba's novel goes beyond teens and adult women- I intend to purchase a copy as a 21st birthday present to my brother and my boyfriend (background in neuroscience- he won't pick up fiction on his own) has already told me to bring home a first edition for him. Basically, Beauty Queens is the book of the summer for teens plus- regardless of their gender.

I enjoyed Going Bovine, but Beauty Queens is a tighter book, the satire more finely honed and it doesn't lag near the end the way Going Bovine does. The social satire and blunt look at stereotypes makes this a strong choice for bookclubs. From Shanti and Nicole discussing how they are each others' competition because "you have to have one candidate of color in the top ten," to being a transsexual, to trying to bring down the competition from the inside, to pressures from parents and repressed feelings of sexuality, Beauty Queens covers quite the spectrum of topics facing teens today. But what really sets Beauty Queens apart from any other book trying to explore these issues is the humor and social satire Libba expertly employs. Any mention of the Corporation is hysterical, yet also terrifyingly realistic (reminding me of Jasper Fforde's Goliath Corporation: for all you'll ever need. Ever.*). Issues, tempered by humor, combine with action-paced sequences and a dollop of all varieties of romance to create a summer blockbuster of a book.**


*And what do you hand someone after you'd got them wowed by Beauty Queens? Good Omens, Douglas Adams, or Jasper Fforde.
**I've no doubts that this will be a movie (released by the corporation, complete with subliminal messages urging the audience to purchase popcorn and clothing from Ladybird's clothing line).

We recently received copies of Eric Rohmann's 2003 Caldecott Award-winning My Friend Rabbit in board book format and I absolutely love it! Because the story is largely told through the illustrations, a young child can begin to piece together events even without a parent's help. The variation in line expresses texture and movement, helping children to begin to understand basic visual concepts. As the book continues, the visual language actually gets quite complex, with instances of simultaneous succession and the use of motion lines. For the very young, simultaneous succession (the depiction of a character in multiple poses in one frame) can be confusing, but I think Rohmann's usage of it and motion lines are wonderful in a boardbook, especially as he builds up to them. If a child sees such devices from a young age, he or she will learn how to read them more quickly. On a more basic level, the bold lines and bright colors will attract even infants who are beginning to pick out shapes and colors. From basic visual concepts to more complex storytelling devices, My Friend Rabbit is a book that grows with a child, providing an enjoyable story and visual education elements for a number of developmental stages.

Things to get excited about from RandomHouse Kids

A Ball For Daisy
by Chris Raschka
Schwartz & Wade Books, Random House Kids: May 10, 2011
Chris Raschka is able to express a motion or emotion with just a wiggle of a line. His dynamic characters are capable of holding an entire story- even on a blank page. Raschka's newest book, A Ball for Daisy, does away with words entirely, allowing the pictures to deliver the full story. Daisy the dog loves her red ball, she cuddles up against it on the couch and chases it about. But what will Daisy do when another dog pops her ball? Bright colors, ecstatic lines, and a dynamic framing sequence makes A Ball for Daisy a strong wordless picturebook children will delight in "reading" to themselves.
Edwin Speaks Up
by April Stevens illustrated by Sophie Blackwell
Schwartz & Wade Books, Random House Kids:
I'll admit it, I have to pick up every Sophie Blackwell book I see. Her combination of pencil and watercolor is soft, yet her colors are strong, her quirky and odd with fun details. The candy palette of Edwin Speaks Up is a mix of bright funky colors and softer shades that brings flair to her 50s inspired costumes and cars. The story, written by April Stevens, follows an absent-minded mother and her brood of children as they trek to the supermarket. The children, all but little Edwin, roll and tumble, wrestling about, while the mother forgets one thing after another- and no one listens to little Edwin's babble. But astute young readers will quickly decipher Edwin's messages, bringing laughter with each line.

If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet
by Leslie McGuirk
Tricycle Press, Random House Kids: May 24th, 2011
I'm often surprised at how literal some young children an be. If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet, will challenge these children, asking them to see subjects in seemingly abstract rocks. If the alphabet rocks were spotted on the beach, some might pass them by, but Leslie McGurik places them with text, and their purpose is immediately apparent. Other found rocks, which she uses in the illustrations for each letter, might be overlooked if not for the props and text McGuirk uses to hint at their role. Some children see subjects in rocks, leaves, and clouds already- If a Rock Could Sing will validate their creativity. For less visual children, If Rocks Could Sing will encourage them to really look at the abstract, and challenge their preconceptions.


Everything I Need to Know Before I'm Five
by Valorie Fisher
Schwartz & Wade Books, Random House: July 26th, 2011
Brightly colored, quirky illustrations made from small toys fill the pages of Valorie Fisher's Everything I Need to Know Before I'm Five. From numbers (six penguins totting purses), to opposites (little cleaning ladies on a big ladybug), to shapes, colors, seasons, and the alphabet, Fisher packs all the board book basics into one eye-catching gem.