Category: Humor - READING STYLE GUIDE

Trivial Pursuits

12/28/2018

100 Questions About Oceans by Simon Abbott

What did one tide pool say to the other tide pool?
Show me your mussels!

Simon Abbott's subject-specific trivia books are jam-packed with fascinating factoids.

100 Questions and About Oceans covers a wide range of ocean-related data including basic underwater geography and ecology, ecosystems, marine animal records, well-known marine biologists, historical shipwrecks, and protecting aquatic life.

Information is presented as a series of questions with corresponding answers, formatted in brief easy-to-read statements.

How does the goblin shark hunt in the dark?
Its snout is lined with natural sensors called ampulae, which detect weak electrical fields from living creatures. The shark simply tracks down its prey, open its retractable jaws, and ... chomp!

Bright colors fill the pages. Animalia have expressive faces with googly eyes and winsome smiles. Some scientific terms and animal species names appear in bold face type with the pronunciation in parenthesis.

Text is replete with puns that will delight young readers and probably elicit groans from adults.

Why did the fish blush?
Because it saw the ocean's bottom!

This kid-friendly series is sure to be a hit with those who enjoy interesting and sometimes obscure informational tidbits.

More Questions & Answers

Copy provided by publisher

Pub date: December 1, 2018 Publisher: Peter Pauper Press, Inc. ISBN: 978-1441329394

Dear Santa

11/15/2018

Dear Santa, I Know It Looks Bad but It It Wasn't My Fault!
by Norma Lewis
ill Olivia Beckman

If you've ever gotten stuck in something, you know I'm the victim here.

It’s that time of year. Time to start making a wish list. Time to begin justifying all the reasons one is deserving of a Christmas gift. If you’re bending toward naughty rather than nice on the behavior scale, you will empathize with Scalawag. Mayhem seems to follow him everywhere he goes.

Ten days before Christmas:

The pet canary is missing,
There is cat poop in the neighbor's sandbox.
The cat's head is stuck inside an empty milk pitcher.

A week before Christmas:

Scalawag climbs up the holiday tree.
The tree topples over.
All the ornaments are shattered.
The tablecloth catches on fire.
Miss Violet is temporarily knocked unconscious.

Norma Lewis has her tongue firmly in cheek as Scalawag pens letter after letter to Santa. Attempting to justify his request for a Catman and Robin video game, his missives to St Nick are a countdown to December 25. He repeatedly explains to Santa that all these mishaps are not his fault. From this cat's point of view, these arguments based on his peculiar brand of logic are valid.

Oliva Beckman's illustrations capture this conniving feline and his waggish antics. Facial expressions and the body language of Scalawag, Violet, her friend Mitzi, and the canary amplify the humor.

Dear Santa, I Know It Looks Bad but It Wasn't My Fault is an excellent entertainment selection after a hectic day of holiday preparations. You don't have to be a pet owner to appreciate the sly humor. But just in case... Secure the bird cage, Watch out for candle flames. Purchase a backup set of ornaments.

Got your own holiday mischief-maker? Try these handmade gift ideas.

Porcelain Ornament

Pet Collar ID Tag

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: September 1, 2018 Publisher: Peter Pauper Press ISBN: 978-1441324214

Great Spotties!

11/1/2018

Teach Your Giraffe to Ski
by Viviane Elbee ill Danni Gowdy

Snow! Slopes! Skis! Great spotties!

When a task is daunting, you sometimes need a little incentive. Take skiing. It's a sport that requires training and a measure of courage.
Meet a boy who is hesitates to try something challenging. Can he step away from his comfy chair and soothing hot chocolate?

Giraffe wants to ski and she is not waiting another minute. She's heading out to the slopes. Now. Our young protagonist realizes that without basic instruction this rash impulse portends disaster. Grabbing his skis, he heads out in the snow.

He teaches giraffe how to: put on a pair of skis, slow down "the pizza move," speed up "the french fry stance, "and turn "S shape maneuvers."

Things seem to be going well. But Wait! Our timid little skier is astounded when giraffe leaves the bunny hill and heads towards a VERY BIG slope. Shooting spotties!

Supporting his friend means that he must journey by ski lift to the mountain's summit and then push off, traveling at an incredible speed. Scary! It is going to require a massive dose of courage. There will be thrills and spills. There will be a few mishaps. But if he succeeds, it could be a fun adventure. A. Lot. Of. Fun.

Viviane Elbee explores the anxiety associated with attempting something difficult. It’s a story of overcoming one’s fears and being willing to take risks. She injects plenty of humor and whimsy, which prevents the story from becoming a heavy-handed moralistic tale.
Grab a copy of Teach Your Giraffe to Ski. Then be brave and try something new.

Giraffe Gyrations

I've always been intrigued with a giraffe's gait. Longs legs and knobby knees moving in parallel, front legs together followed by back legs. I have never pictured them as particularly limber creatures. Danni Gowdy playfully envisions giraffes entangled in a game of Twister, gracefully executing Yoga positions, and of course, traversing the snowy slopes. I’m now thinking about giraffes in a different light, Thanks Danni.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher

Pub date: November 1, 2018 Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company ISBN: 978-0807577677

Snow Day

10/18/2018

King Alice by Matthew Cordell

"Idea!" said Alice

A girl dressed in red. A family. Snow. King Alice and The Wolf in the Snow delight with charm and wit.

How does one follow up after an award-winning wordless book? Matthew Cordell ventures in a completely different direction, introducing readers to King Alice, a precocious girl who is filled with opinions, stories of her own creation, and ideas. Lots and lots of ideas. She does not want for words.

It's a snow day, which means that everyone in the household is homebound. For one regal young lady, its a day filled with possibilities: make-over for dad, tea party, writing a story, watching the TV show "Unicorn Buddies," creating a unicorn stampede.

Inevitably, Dad reaches his breaking point. The antics are too much. Alice is sent to time out. The King apologizes.
Dinner. Bath. Bedtime stories. Peace restored.

Dad and King Alice are the main attractions in this day's escapades, but a mother, infant, and cat have cameo roles.

The final page hints of further exploits for this King and her subjects. One hopes that she will make a return appearance.

Cordell's line drawings with watercolor wash capture the vibrancy of family life. Body language and facial expressions of this slightly stressed duo are counter-balanced by the calming influence of Mom. Two styles of illustrations, the narrator's line drawings and Alice's pencil and crayon renderings offer differing points of view. Page design is an essential story element. Build-up to the climactic afternoon is depicted in full page spreads: a family lunch (calm before the storm), the unicorn stampede, and the resulting time out.

Note: This book was shared at a recent multi-generational family gathering. From the youngest independent reader, to a sophisticated teen, parents, and even grandparents were captivated by King Alice. It is recommended that you share this book with a wide range of ages. It's a sure-fire can't-miss-hit, even on a day without snow.

More Matthew Cordell

Copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: September 25, 2018 Publisher: Feiwel & Friends ISBN: 978-1250047496

Think Pink

10/12/2018

Sanity and Tallulah by Molly Brooks

"don't break any ethical research tenets or laws of nature until I get back"

Molly Brooks has done it. Pink is now the signature color for action and adventure. This brilliant comic stars eighth-graders who are smart and resourceful, devious and daring and __ girls!

Sanity Jones, along with her friend Tallulah Vega live onboard space station Wilnick. Tallulah’s mother, Science and Engineering Director, discovers the girls are deep into a clandestine scientific project. Sanity has created a three-headed kitten, affectionately named Princess Sparkle, Destroyer of Worlds.

"Let me make sure I'm following your thought process here. You're feeding your carnivorous bioengineering experiment experimental bioengineered meat that you cloned yourself-"

To everyone's horror, the kitten escapes and havoc reigns on Wilnick. A pet gerbil is murdered, something is chewing up major electrical system wires, and coolant leaks are wide-spread. Naturally everyone suspects the triple-headed feline.

The girls must locate Princess Sparkle, Destroyer of Worlds and possibly save her life (or is it lives?) They hope to discover the cause of the station's devastation and exonerate themselves. Under cover of night, creeping through air ducts, the girls are on the case. They discover the shocking truth and realize that the entire space station could be destroyed. It is up to the kids, with a huge assist from their parents, to save Wilnick.

Brooks doesn’t even try to get too scientific or technical, peppering the girl’s dialogue with terms such as taffimatter, dual-core turbinate, and gravity grenade. Readers will be captivated by the campy wild adventure without becoming overly concerned with how these things actually work.

The dialogue is snappy and spot on, capturing the spunky young explorers, their stressed-out parents, and the inner politics of a closed-community in outer space. Panels are drawn with a sure hand, featuring plenty of action and highly expressive faces. Use of numerous viewpoints brings added dimension. Of special note, the view from inside the air duct openings, looking out on the scene below is fantastic. And the pink. Did I mention all that vivid pink?

Sanity and Tallulah is the real deal. A dynamic duo who are willing to go where no one else dares to go. They are astute and more than a little bit reckless. The girls are constantly tinkering and experimenting, much to the chagrin of their parents, who view them with equal parts pride and exasperation. I hope Ms. Brooks is taking good care of her inking hand because demand for more Sanity and Tallalah is inevitable.

Sneak Peek: More Sanity & Tallulah

Looking for more of the duo's adventures?
View some sample pages.

Head over to Comixology to order these webcomics.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: October 16, 2018 Publisher: Disney-Hyperion ISBN: 978-1368008440

Siblings

9/28/2018

Dear Sister
by Alison McGhee ill Joe Bluhm

There is a unique quality to sibling dynamics. In the first place, there isn’t much mystery. You know all the secret little things that only two who share the same living space can appreciate. You have the same backstory. This can work for and against your relationship.

Alison McGhee explores this complex bond in Dear Sister, an epistolary collection of messages from a brother to his eight-years-younger sibling, beginning with his sister’s birth and concluding when he leaves home for college.

Required by his parents whom he often refers to as the wardens, he frequently composes cards and notes for his sister. Some celebrate important events such as birthdays. There are "report cards" grading her on characteristics ranging from crying to avoiding lima beans. There is more than one apology. Many are accompanied by his drawings. Readers follow the lives of both as they grow up and experience life’s challenges.

The evolution of their relationship is brilliantly chronicled. A running thread is the young girl's insistence on multiple readings of her favorite book, Never Too Clever. Her delight in hearing the story read aloud does not diminish with time.

Bluhm illustrates with three distinctive styles: the onmiscent narrator in black ink drawings, often with blue shading; the young sister with her early childish scribbles and primitive drawings; and the brother's detailed pencil sketches. The boy's illustrations document his development as an artist. Expressive artwork becomes progressively more intricate as the years go by.

Not surprisingly, it is when the two grow older and one moves away that they come to fully recognize their shared affection for one another.
Readers with memories of family relationships will be drawn to this heartwarming story. Give a copy to the siblings in your life. Young and old, they will relate.

How many "Been there. Done that" moments will you find within these pages?

Meeting the Creators

I have been a fan of Alison McGhee’s work for some time. What I Leave Behind, Maybe a Fox, Birdie and Pablo are three recently published titles that I completely and totally fell in love with. Not only is Alison a gifted author, she is also a very talented narrator.

I had the good fortune to meet up with Alison and her sister Holly, literary agent and kidlit author. Wonder if these sisters ever had sibling issues?

At a picture book presentation I sat next to an unfamiliar face. I was fairly certain that he was not a librarian, nor part of a publishing team. Who was this guy? He introduced himself: Joe Bluhm, illustrator for a soon-to-be-released book.

At the conclusion of the event, Joe produced a galley of a book based on an intriguing concept and filled with the most engaging illustrations. He shared a bit about the book and his illustration process. Thanks Joe for a copy of Dear Sister.

He signed the ARC.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: October 2, 2018 Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books ISBN: 978-1481451420

Here Be Monsters

8/20/2018

Monster School by Kate Coombs ill Lee Gatlin

Coombs has applied her considerable talent for creating clever rhymes to the subject of monsters. In this collection, the monsters are students. Common school occurrences are given a slightly macabre twist: a science fair project created by Frankenstein’s grandson, baseball played in the graveyard, a student who constantly misplaces school supplies in addition to losing his body parts. These clever and entertaining riffs are monstrously fun.

Verses include a variety of poetic forms and rhyme schemes. Most patterns are predictable, making it easy for students to sense the rhythm and rhyme within each stanza.

Gatlin captures the zany shenanigans happening at Monster School with full page illustrations. Muted autumn shades of grays, browns, and greens make the ghostly white faces and eyeballs pop out of each page

School is in Session

These poems are too delightful to keep to oneself. They beg to be shared. How about creating some puppets based on the monsters depicted throughout the pages? Gather up a handful of craft supplies, a copy of the book, and a fertile imagination. Viola! You have the beginnings of one monstrously good puppet show. There are endless possibilities for puppets: finger, sock, glove, stick, paper sack, or create something more inventive. The choice depends on what is on hand and the skill level of the puppet makers.

A few of the craft supplies that I assembled: foam squares, felt, yarn, pom poms, chenille stems, goggly eyes, yarn, and even some corn husks. Add some wooden skewer sticks and hot glue gun. Operation Frankenstein-esque Creature Lab was underway.

This would make an engaging activity for middle grade students. After reading Monster School, students could select verses to share with younger students. Construct puppets to match the characters in the poem. Then design a creepy-looking school backdrop and prepare for a spook-tacular performance. Tweens sharing poetry with younger students doubles the book’s potential audience.

I looked for clues in the text to help create my puppets. The head of snakes featured in "Hair Care" was made with chenille stems, shaped by twisting them around a pencil. I used tiny green buttons for the snakes' heads. The purple hair mentioned in "Monster Mash" is a scrap of tulle, tied off at intervals. The hair for "Song of the Freckles" does not follow the image in the book because.... we had some fresh corn and the husks and silk were too funky to throw away. I twisted the damp husk slivers around a pencil and let them dry. They made the perfect curls for a monster girl.

Went a bit overboard on the freckles. The text specifically mentions twelve freckles on the face. I think the marker took possession of my hand and I couldn't stop. Googly eyes provide the finishing touch to the faces. Wooden skewer sticks were glued to the back of each figure. For safety, cut or sand off the pointed end of the stick before using. These puppets are fun to make and easy to manipulate

Consider these suggestions: “Steve the Loser" would be a terrific showstopper, with body parts falling off. Maybe secure the appendages with tiny Velcro dots for easy removal. “Fernanda Kabul” poem would be another fun puppet performance. As Fernanda casts her spells, substitute the student character puppet for a puppet resembling the hexed character.
So many possibilities. So much fun!

Copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: August 28, 2018 Publisher: Chronicle Books ISBN: 978-1452129389

School for Dinosaurs

6/8/2018

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

Sometimes it’s hard to make friends with children. Especially when you eat them.

Penelope Rex is about to enter a new phase in her reptilian life. This young dinosaur is going to Kindergarten. She’s got a new backpack decorated with ponies and she carries her lunch: three hundred tuna sandwiches and a juice box. Naturally she is anxious. What will her classmates be like? Will she make new friends? Upon arrival she is surprised to learn that all her classmates are ... Children! Penelope reacts immediately, swallowing all the delicious children in an enormous gulp. With furniture in disarray and a shoestring dangling from her mouth, Penelope appears to be somewhat chagrined by what she has just done.

"Penelope Rex! We don't eat our classmates! Please spit them out at once!"

it is interesting to observe the teacher’s demeanor. She appears unruffled by Penelope’s instinctive action, but firmly states the class rule. She makes it clear that Penelope must comply. The obedient little Rex acquiesces. As the day progresses Miss Rex comes to the unhappy conclusion that her behavior is not conducive to making friends. However, it is not the teacher who ultimately solves the problem. Neither Penelope nor the other students can help her control her impulsive responses. Assistance in helping Penelope's develop friendship-making skills arrives from an unexpected source: the class pet.

Higgins’ illustrations are whimsical. Who knew that a tiny T- Rex in pink overalls and slurping up young children could be so adorable? The artist wisely chooses to make Penelope the central feature on each page. Backgrounds are sometimes monochromatic or eliminated entirely. The little Kinder-dino and her dilemma are the focus. End papers are a delightful display of children’s art, featuring representations of various dinosaurs. We Don't Eat Our Classmates tells a story rich in charm, wit and wisdom. Get ready. There will repeated requests to "read it again." All kinds of kids (and adults) will eat it up.

This picture book arrives at an opportune time. I have worked with a class of adorable toddlers that is currently experiencing a change in the group dynamic. A two-year-old has suddenly, for no apparent reason, begun biting other children. It seems so bizarre. The youngster comes from a calm, stable, loving family where differences are settled in a gentle manner. Where did this impulse to bite others originate? And why? Is there a little bit of Penelope in children?

Care-givers who encounter disruptive childish behavior: take heart. Penelope made the change. There is hope.

More Picture Books! More Fun!

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: June 19, 2018 Publisher: Disney Hyperion ISBN: 978-1368003551

Travels with Bicycle

6/5/2018

The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss

You never know what's around the next corner,or across the next state line, right?

Sister Wanda discovers something unusual amid the Mostly Silent Monastery construction clutter: a silent little girl with no name and no past. Wearing a shirt emblazoned with the word BICYCLE, she is appropriately given the name Bicycle. Our young heroine takes to the monastic life, spending her days intently listening and studying. Her fortune changes the day that she accompanies the monks into town and discovers her namesake, a discarded bike. Scraping together all her loose change, Bicycle becomes the proud owner of the two-wheeler, christened Clunk.

Sister Wanda is concerned because her young charge lacks youthful companions and enrolls Bicycle in the Friendship Factory’s camp. Determined to escape from the well-meaning intentions of Sister Wanda, Bicycle decides to bike from Washington D.C to San Francisco to meet her cycling hero Zbig.

...you can take heart. It gets easier. And its's worth the effort.

Her epic cycling journey west is replete with ups and downs: a herd of stampeding pigs in Missouri, heat exhaustion in the Nevada desert, and the arduous scaling of the Rocky Mountains. Along the way she encounters the ghost of a young man killed in the Civil War who longs to return to his hometown of Green Marsh, a race horse named Cannibal, and the inventor of Wheels of Fortune 713-J, a fantastic bike equipped with everything from a climate-controlled tent to missile launchers.

I won't give up hope without a dozen-cookie consideration first.

There is a lot of food in this book. A cookie lady dispenses quantities of cookies along with sage advice. Paradise Pies features a constantly changing variety of hand-held pastry pockets encasing fillings such as tapioca muffin and chicken noodle. SlowDown Cafe invites guests to travel by horse or bicycle and enjoy regional fare such as rainbow trout spaghetti, tumbleweed lasagna, and elk chops

The fertile imagination of Uss is a wonder. Who would dream of a ghost from the Civil War, inhabiting a bicycle and entertaining his traveling companion with Stephan Foster melodies? Who would have envisioned a bike with a sophisticated artificial intelligence system that can dispense restorative care to the rider and print cash?

I've paddled as hard as I can in the river of luck.

Bicycle is a sparkling young protagonist, filled with equal parts, determination, imagination, and fear.

I still have my chance to do this my way...3,720 to 1 though it may be.

Several underlying themes are woven throughout the narrative: the part that luck plays in our lives, the importance of staying the course when the odds are stacked against you, and the need to find one's own way even when it goes against prevailing wisdom.

Cookies do help put a sweeter perspective on things.

The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle is an inventive and heart-warming novel for middle grade readers that is not-to-be-missed. A Sunflower Seed Burger to Christina Uss for this stellar debut. A scoop of Praline Scramble ice cream to Margaret Ferguson on the publication of her maiden novel for her new Holiday House imprint.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: June 5, 2018 Publisher: Margaret Ferguson Books ISBN: 978-0823440078

Off the Page

5/16/2018

Page Fright by Wade Bradford ill Mary Ann Fraser

"Sorry. Everything went crazy. I didn't know what to do."

Bradford offers a refreshingly different riff on the time-honored classic tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and in the process breaks the fourth wall in a unique fashion. Characters move off script and step outside the book’s pages.
At the outset, a charming but slightly self-absorbed young Goldilocks welcomes readers into the volume containing her story. Unfortunately Papa Bear, who inadvertently becomes the story's main character, becomes flustered and can't deliver his scripted lines.

He is embarrassed and becomes so distraught that he tries to escape the story, climbing out of the page. Baby Bear and Goldilocks go in search of their protagonist, hoping to return him to the book and bring the story to a satisfying conclusion. The chase to find Papa Bear takes the youngsters through several books. Along the way, their search presents homages to literary classics such as The Tortoise and the Hare, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as well as the fairy tale genre in general.

Fraser's soft colors, energetic bears, and creative design elements enhance the story experience. Her skillful portrayal of Goldilocks’ personality with body language and facial expressions move this girl from being a side note into an important character. Nicely played!

Papa Bear's Page Fright gently explores how to recover from forgetting one's lines and making a mistake in front of an audience. A humorous and heart-warming take on the all-too-common fear of public performance.

Bears Times Three

Try these innovative adaptations of this classic tale.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
by Mo Willems

Somebody and the Three Blairs
by Marilyn Tolhurst ill Simone Abel

Goldilocks and the Three Bears
by James Marshall

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 30, 2018 Publisher: Peter Pauper Press, Inc ISBN: 978-1441325983