nonfiction

“A safe bet for storytimes, the large
format also creates an instant intimacy that
parents and children can curl up with.”
from my dad!
asks “Where to” The boy waves his hand “vaguely out across
the water” and answers, “Just over to the other side, please.” A
mystery! But clearly there’s another “side,” a place “where he was
going,” even if its distance is farther than expected: “I thought
you’d be able to see it [from here].” The diction is unflaggingly
clean and clear, droll and mischievous (“A boringly gentle breeze
thought about blowing, but decided in the end not to bother”).
However, despite storms, sea-monster hazards and an ever-shifting
bear/boy dynamic, this book never feels complete. There’s
no journey’s end, nor disclosure of destination; hunger somehow
becomes a conquerable philosophical challenge: “[H]is hunger
had been there for so long that… [i]t was normal now and he didn’t
really notice it.” Whatever the message—overcoming obstacles
staying at sea forever overcoming the need for… food—this is
more allegory than any story form with closure.
Diverting but unanchored, this is training wheels for
Waiting for Godot. (Fable. 8-12)
HAPPY EASTER!
Slegers, Liesbet
Illus. by Slegers, Liesbet
Clavis (30 pp.)
$15.95 | Apr. 1, 2012
978-1-60537-114-6
Baby animals, decorated eggs and deliveries of sweet treats
from the Easter Bunny are the focus of this introduction to Easter
for preschoolers.
The holiday is treated as a secular one in this bright and
cheery offering first published in Belgium and the Netherlands.
An oversized format features a single chick hatching on the
cover in a strikingly simple design with internal illustrations
in deep, saturated hues suggestive of Easter-egg dyes. The text
uses just a few sentences set against richly colored backgrounds
facing full-page illustrations on the opposite pages. Slegers provides
illustrations with a jaunty, childlike simplicity that features
a flattened perspective and thick, black outlines around simple
shapes, such as the Easter Bunny waving from the window of
his house. The simple story begins with two children decorating
eggs and moves on to the Easter Bunny’s methods for acquiring
and delivering eggs for the forthcoming celebration. The little
boy and girl featured in the book search for their eggs and dress
up in new clothes on Easter, but there is no mention of any religious
connection to the holiday.
A buoyant, simple orientation to the Easter Bunny for
little ones who are awaiting their baskets of springtime
treats. (Picture book. 2-5)
MY DAD!
Smallman, Steve
Illus. by Julian, Sean
Good Books (26 pp.)
$16.99 | Jun. 1, 2012
978-1-56148-744-8
This gently humorous look at the
ways fathers are special is sure to appeal
to the preschool set.
Smallman uses rhyming couplets to list the wonderful
things dads do: “Some dads just love to snuggle and cuddle. /
Some dads join in when you jump in a puddle!” As the sing-song
text covers such activities as riding a bike, building sandcastles
and holding hands, Julian’s painterly mix of mostly full-bleed
double-page spreads and vignettes features a furry father bear
and cub. The scenes where daddy bear toots in the water—with
the resulting bubbles alarming the fish—and when the cub lets
out “a big burp” will guarantee giggles. Yet on occasion dads
may encounter some trouble: “Some dads get upset and start
grumbling and stamping, / Just because they’re kind of hopeless
at camping!” But all is well in the end as the narrator decides,
“Nobody’s dad is like mine—and I’m glad. / When I’m big I want
to be just like my dad!” The visuals allow young readers to enjoy
spotting other animal father-child pairs, be they seagulls, snails,
rabbits, crabs, porcupines or bats. A safe bet for storytimes, the
large format also creates an instant intimacy that parents and
children can curl up with.
Sweet but not saccharine, this title covers the usual territory
in a simple tribute to dads. (Picture book. 2-5)
MY SISTER’S STALKER
Springer, Nancy
Holiday House (128 pp.)
$16.95 | May 1, 2012
978-0-8234-2358-3
Sixteen-year-old Rig is a reluctant hero
when he seeks to discover who is obsessed
enough with his sister to set up a website
about her and possibly do something more
dangerous.
Rig and his sister Karma were once
close, but when their parents divorced, Karma remained with
their dad and Rig with their mom, and the two drifted apart.
Now Karma is in college, and even though Rig tries to stay
in touch, Karma seems even busier than she was as a popular
high-school student. When Rig comes across a website devoted
to his sister, he suspects someone is stalking Karma and that
she could be in danger. His flighty mother is unable to see the
problem, so he turns to his father. Their relationship is strained,
but Mr. Ebro is as alarmed as Rig, and the two quickly head
for Karma’s small college town. Despite their presence, they are
unable to halt the stalker’s determination to take Karma and
perhaps cause harm. The police are reluctant to follow Rig’s
suggestions, so it’s up to him and his family to protect Karma.
This is a simplistic thriller with pacing that makes it suitable
for reluctant readers. The plot is predictable, as is the family
dynamic. Rig, though, a lonely obsessive teen who fears he has
too much in common with the lonely stalker, is an interesting
character who lifts the story and demonstrates how there can
be similarities between a villain and a hero.
An undemanding read for fans of slim, fast-paced mysteries.
(Thriller. 12 & up)
UNDER THE BAOBAB TREE
Stiegemeyer, Julie
Illus. by Lewis, E.B.
Zonderkidz (32 pp.)
$16.99 | May 1, 2012
978-0-310-72561-9
A brother and sister travel to a special gathering under a
gigantic baobab tree in this quiet, beautifully illustrated story
set in a rural area of an unnamed African country.
The siblings walk together down a dusty road on their way
to a nearby village, where the large baobab tree is located. The
story relates different events that happen under the tree: a visit
from the market wagon, elders meeting to discuss village business,
a storyteller recounting tales of heroes. A repeated refrain
builds anticipation: “But who will gather today under the baobab
tree” During their journey, the children spot some intriguing
sights such as gazelle around a watering hole and a termite
mound. When they reach the baobab tree at last, they join
other people waiting under the tree, and it gradually becomes
apparent that this is an outdoor church service with just the
basic elements: “a cross and a Bible, a pastor and songs, voices
and prayers.” Evocative watercolor illustrations make effective
use of sunlight and shadows to create a warm, realistic world
that shimmers in the African heat.
A subtle, captivating glimpse of another way of life,
with a regrettably generalized author’s note about the significance
of the baobab tree in African culture. (Picture book/
religion. 4-8)
NEIL FLAMBÉ AND THE
CRUSADER’S CURSE
Sylvester, Kevin
Illus. by Sylvester, Kevin
Simon & Schuster (304 pp.)
$12.99 | May 8, 2012
978-1-4424-4286-3
Series: Neil Flambé Capers, 3
This mystery/adventure, third in the
series, begins in Vancouver, Canada, then
takes a side trip to Paris, leaving a trail of
amusement and mayhem.
On his 15th birthday, Neil Flambé is re-opening his restaurant,
Chez Flambé, when a curse that has beset generations of
Flambés sets in, initiating mayhem. This action-packed story
includes poisoning, explosions, booby-trapped kitchen equipment
and other unpleasant events aimed at ruining Neil’s
reputation. Mysterious happenings include the appearance of
an old family cookbook, a vanquished adversary demanding
a second cooking duel and the discovery that a neighboring
restaurant is occupied only by a motion sensor and hundreds
of rats. Attempting to discover the origin of the sabotage and
solve multiple mysteries, Neil is joined by his cousin, friends
and well-meaning colleagues who are developed just enough to
propel the story forward but whose names are often hilarious.
Although this book can stand on its own, readers are advised to
read the series in order.
This is a funny book, chock full of action, slapstick,
puns and eccentrics. Fans of the first two will eat it up.
(Mystery. 12-14)
COCK-A-DOODLE DANCE!
Tricarico, Christine
Illus. by Deas, Rich
Feiwel & Friends (40 pp.)
$16.99 | May 22, 2012
978-0-312-38251-3
Life on the farm is positively “Cocka-Doodle
DULL” until Rooster catches
a jitterbug that starts the whole barn a
shakin’ and a rollin’.
“The chickens do / the cha-cha, / as the dogs begin / ballet,
/ and shimmy sheep / don’t stop their / swing until / the light
of day.” Barnyard beats and dancing livestock tales are a dime
a dozen, but this snappy rhythm is enough to carry readers,
regardless of originality. (It’s super fun to read aloud.) However,
the farm animals can’t fully surrender to a life of dance and
ignore their responsibilities. The eggs have become scrambled,
the milk has curdled and the farm is a mess. The only thing left
to do is “Cock-a-Doodle CLEAN UP!” Deas’ energetic animals
look like they’ve danced straight out of Looney Tunes, with
Rooster and his slick, rockabilly hair/comb leading the way.
Action words like “pivot,” “pounce” and “prance” (extra points
for alliteration) are mixed in with a variety of dances from all
different eras. A glossary at the back describes some of the steps
and history in further detail.
This romp may be slight in plot, but it’s overflowing in
clever wordplay. (Picture book. 4-7)
874 | 15 april 2012 | children’s & teen | kirkusreviews.com |
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