Review - Who Done It?

Who Done It?
by Olivier Tallec
Date: 2014
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

In this charming ebook, each page asks the reader a question about the lineup of characters featured on the spread. Sharp eyes and keen observation are necessary. There's only one right answer, and it's not always easy! Kids will love learning early concepts like expressions and positions as a natural consequence of their hunt for clues in the details of the lineup. Plus, this is a fixed-format version of the book, which looks nearly identical to the print version.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

With a title that will make grammar nerds flush in indignance, Who Done It? is a simple picture book that aims to teach kids about picking out details, facial expressions, and emotional intent. Does it work? Sort of.

If you view it in the simplest way possible, there is only one answer for each question, as the book claims. But some of the questions could be interpreted differently, resulting in multiple answers. (For example, one of the questions is, "Who couldn't hold it?" The obvious answer is the grinning creature standing in a yellow puddle. But what about the standoffish-looking girl who's holding a purse strategically over her pants? Another question asks, "Who is nervous?" Out of the ten characters, eight of them look like they could be nervous with their wide eyes and terrified expressions. Only one of them is trembling—they're the right answer, of course—but I wouldn't consider it wrong if a child said any of the other seven were nervous.)

I kind of wish that the "one right answer" thing had just been left out. Many of these questions have answers open to interpretation, and telling kids they're wrong when they might just have a more sophisticated and nuanced view seems counterproductive.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 2.83 out of 5

Review - Violet Shrink

Violet Shrink
by Christine Baldacchino
illustrated by Carmen Mok
Date: 2020
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Violet Shrink doesn’t like parties. Or bashes, or gatherings. Lots of people and lots of noise make Violet’s tummy ache and her hands sweat. She would much rather spend time on her own, watching the birds in her backyard, reading comics or listening to music through her purple headphones. The problem is that the whole Shrink family loves parties with loud music and games and dancing.

At cousin Char’s birthday party, Violet hides under a table and imagines she is a shark gliding effortlessly through the water, looking for food. And at Auntie Marlene and Uncle Leli’s anniversary bash, Violet sits alone at the top of the stairs, imagining she is a slithering snake way up in the branches.

When Violet learns that the Shrink family reunion is fast approaching, she musters up the courage to have a talk with her dad.

In this thoughtful story about understanding and acceptance, Violet’s natural introversion and feelings of social anxiety are normalized when she and her father reach a solution together. Christine Baldacchino’s warm text demonstrates the role imagination often plays for children dealing with anxiety, and the power of a child expressing their feelings to a parent who is there to listen. Carmen Mok’s charming illustrations perfectly capture Violet’s emotions and the vibrancy of her imagination. A valuable contribution to books addressing mental health.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I had high hopes for this one, but they weren't realized. It's not very satisfying to read a book with this kind of subject matter when nobody really changes.

Violet Shrink is a shrinking violet. She's highly introverted and hates parties. Her father, however, loves them, and he's always dragging his daughter to some sort of gathering where Violet inevitably hides under the table and imagines she's somewhere else. After learning about a big family shindig, she confronts her father. He listens, but then drags her to the party anyway, where Violet spends the time hiding under the table... this time with her father's blessing.

The better solution for everyone involved would've been for Victor to get a babysitter for his daughter. I guess times have changed since I was a kid, because nobody seems to use those anymore and kids get dragged everywhere. I found the so-called resolution troubling, since it wasn't really a compromise and Violet was still being forced into unwanted situations even after making her feelings clear.

I'm glad the book at least tried to address the issue of social anxiety... but the ending—which basically showed Violet and her father engaging in almost the same behaviour that was shown at the beginning of the book—just made the whole thing feel kind of pointless.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.17 out of 5

Review - Breaking News: Bear Alert

Breaking News: Bear Alert
by David Biedrzycki
Date: 2014
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 36
Format: e-book
Source: library

Somewhere in North America two bears are hibernating. But soon they will emerge from their den, hungry for food and hungry for--

WE INTERRUPT THIS STORY TO BRING YOU BREAKING NEWS:

TWO BEARS HAVE BEEN SPOTTED HEADING DOWNTOWN. THEY ARE WILD AND COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. CALL ANIMAL CONTROL TO REPORT AN UNUSUAL ACTIVITY.

WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BOOK.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. At first, it seems like a simple story about a couple of bears who hitch a ride into town to wreak havoc. But there's so much more going on than that.

There are so many things to look at in the illustrations. References to bear stories abound. There's Paddington, Blueberries for Sal, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", and many others. Running alongside the story of the tourist bears is another in the background about a trio of robbers. Both stories eventually converge, and the troublesome bears are seen in a whole new light.

This is a book that you don't read so much as peruse. The story is told mainly through the illustrations, although you need to be able to read to get the most out of it. I'd probably recommend this to the older picture-book set; they're more likely to get the references, too.

Overall, this is a fun book to read. If you're a fan of bear stories, you might like this one.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 5/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4.17 out of 5

Review - You Don't Want a Dragon!

You Don't Want a Dragon!
by Ame Dyckman
illustrated by Liz Climo
Date: 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

Be careful what you wish for — again! This follow-up to You Don't Want a Unicorn points out the hilarious mishaps that come with adopting a dragon.

Our protagonist wishes (much to the narrator's continued chagrin) for a pet dragon. Though initially thrilled, the kid quickly discovers that dragons aren't quite as awesome as they originally thought. From the scooting to the digging to the fire-breathing, our Kid is dismayed that they still haven't found their perfect pet. Little do they know, that pet might just be right around the corner...

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a simple, but fun, picture book about a kid who wishes for a dragon... and gets more than he bargained for.

I can't help but feel that I'm missing something by not having read You Don't Want a Unicorn! first. There are lots of unicorn references throughout this book, in both the text and illustrations. That's not to say that you can't get something out of it on its own; I'm just more curious now about the first book.

There are some silly, puerile moments here, but overall, it's a fun take on dragons and the things we tend not to think about when we're wishing for them as pets.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Review - What Color Is Night?

What Color Is Night?
by Grant Snider
Date: 2019
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 44
Format: e-book
Source: library

Look closer. Grant Snider's beautiful debut picture book explores the wonders—and colors—of nighttime. For night is not just black and white. Ending in colors yet unseen, and a night of sweet dreams, this lilting lullaby is sure to comfort those drifting off to sleep. With luminous art as spare and glowing as the moon, and lyrical text that reads like a friend leading the way through the wilderness, What Color Is Night? is a rich and timeless look at a topic of endless fascination, and a perfect bedtime read-aloud.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This book doesn't really look like much from the cover, but that's kind of misleading. What Color Is Night? is actually a charming, thought-provoking exploration of nocturnal colours... from the yellow of lights to the green glow of animals' eyes. Told in non-rhyming verse with a gentle rhythm, the book highlights all the many colours of the seemingly monochromatic night landscape.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It would make a lovely bedtime read.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.57 out of 5

Review - I Got the Rhythm

I Got the Rhythm
by Connie Schofield-Morrison
illustrated by Frank Morrison
Date: 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

On a simple trip to the park, the joy of music overtakes a mother and daughter. The little girl hears a rhythm coming from the world around her- from butterflies, to street performers, to ice cream sellers everything is musical! She sniffs, snaps, and shakes her way into the heart of the beat, finally busting out in an impromptu dance, which all the kids join in on! Award-winning illustrator Frank Morrison and Connie Schofield-Morrison, capture the beat of the street, to create a rollicking read that will get any kid in the mood to boogie.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

While the illustrations are cute, they're about the only thing I liked about this book, which doesn't have much story but instead offers a confusing take on rhythm.

A little girl and her mother are at the park. The child senses rhythm everywhere. She thinks of it. She hears it. She sings it. Unfortunately, she also sees it and even smells it. For this age group, that's bound to be baffling. (You might be able to argue a case in which you'd see rhythm, but smell it? Unless you're talking about syncopated farts, I'm afraid you're stretching the metaphor a bit too far.)

The pictures, however, are quite good. There's lots of diversity in the colourful and appealing illustrations. I just wish that there'd been stronger text to accompany them.

I'm afraid I can't really recommend this one; the premise is just too weak. It's worth taking a look at for the illustrations, but that's about it.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 2/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5

Review - Little Red Hoodie

Little Red Hoodie
by Martha Freeman
illustrated by Marta Sevilla
Date: 2020
Publisher: Holiday House
Reading level: C
Book type: illustrated chapter book
Pages: 160
Format: e-book
Source: library

It's not the big bad wolf that stops Little Red Hoodie from getting to grandma's house in this rollicking take on the fairy tale--Red can't follow directions!

"Follow Magic Wand Lane to Glass Slipper Boulevard, right on Beanstalk, left on Breadcrumb, down the Garden Path, and you're there," said Little Red Hoodie's mom, but Red wasn't exactly paying attention.

Before she knows it, she's hopelessly lost in the forest-- and to make matters worse, someone has stolen her basket of goodies. It'll take the whole forest to undercover the thief and get the directionally challenged Little Red Hoodie back on track to Grandma's house.

A companion to the delightfully irreverent Goldilocks, Go Home!, this latest from Martha Freeman features all the wit and charm of the first book as well as cameos by Bobby (Baby) Bear, the Pig Brothers from HoGTV, Chicken Little, and many more. Marta Sevilla's clever drawings effortlessly capture the spirited banter among characters as Little Red Hoodie and Bobby Bear take turns narrating the story.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I didn't realize this was a chapter book when I picked it up. (I thought it was a picture book.) But it seemed fairly short, so I thought I'd give it a try. I wish I hadn't.

This was pretty much a waste of time for me. It's apparently the second book in a series, and though I don't think you really need to have read the first book to understand the story in this one, the series format means the ending leaves much to be desired. The book just ends! I suspect the next one will incorporate "Hansel and Gretel"... but I really don't care.

The main problem I have with this is that it's a confusing read. The story is narrated by Little Red Hoodie and Bobby Bear, with chapters alternating between them. You can tell who's narrating because their picture is at the beginning of each chapter. However, the other character is then pictured throughout those chapters making little comments, which gets a little confusing. Even more confusing is the fact that the person telling the story sometimes refers to themselves in the third person! So if you happen to pick the book back up in the middle of a chapter, you might have a hard time remembering who was narrating. (Don't even get me started on Chapter Seven. The picture indicates that Little Red Hoodie should be narrating, but the entire chapter is in the third-person point of view.)

The writing had some technical issues, and there was a rather large continuity error near the end involving the castle drawbridge and batteries (don't ask), so I wasn't impressed overall. The illustrations were also kind of lacklustre; they almost seemed like a set of clip art that someone had placed into the story.

I wouldn't recommend this one, even to kids who like fairy tales. (And it's definitely a book to stay away from if you don't like spiders. Little Red Hoodie is obsessed with them, and near the end things get all creepy and crawly.)

For fairy-tale retellings that are done much better than this, I'd recommend books like Rebecca J. Gomez's Federico and the Wolf, Christy Webster's Cinderella Rex, or Willy Claflin's Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs instead.

Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Pace: 2/5
Writing & Editing: 2/5
Illustrations: 2/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2 out of 5

Review - Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon

Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon
by Kat Zhang
illustrated by Charlene Chua
Date: 2020
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

In this sweet and brightly illustrated picture book, Amy Wu must craft a dragon unlike any other to share with her class at school in this unforgettable follow-up to Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao.

Amy loves craft time at school. But when her teacher asks everyone to make their own dragon, Amy feels stuck. Her first dragon has a long, wingless body, stag-like horns, and eagle claws, but her friends don’t think it’s a real dragon. Then she makes dragons like theirs, but none of them feels quite right...None of them feels like hers.

After school, a story from Grandma sparks new inspiration, and Amy rounds up her family to help her. Together, can they make Amy’s perfect dragon?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon is about a little girl who wants to make a dragon... her own way. When Amy's class learns about dragons, their teacher has them create their own. But Amy's doesn't exactly look like all the others, and she ends up not handing one in. Then her grandmother tells her about the dragons from their culture, and Amy knows exactly what she needs to do to make her dragon her own.

The story and illustrations are both pretty cute. Like its predecessor, this book adds some cultural flavour to a story about confidence. There's a small activity in the back of this book, and while it isn't as fun (or tasty) as making bao, it could be fun for kids. I also liked the inclusion of the explanation of the difference between Eastern and Western dragons.

Overall, this is a fairly strong picture book. Kids who like dragons will probably enjoy this, even if they're only familiar with the Western type.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Review - Attack of the Snack

Attack of the Snack (Rabbit and Bear #3)
by Julian Gough
illustrated by Jim Field
Date: 2018
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 112
Format: e-book
Source: library

SPLASH! A Mysterious Thing lands in Rabbit and Bear's peaceful summer lake.

Is it exciting, or terrifying? Is it a tiny fluffy owl, or a huge hungry monster? And has Rabbit finally met a creature with worse habits than himself?

Rabbit's SURE he can solve this mystery. But when he accidentally turns the best day ever into the worst day ever, he needs Bear's help...

From novelist and playwright, Julian Gough and the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, Jim Field, this is a tale of friendship, acceptance and what you can do with blueberry poo.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

These books are probably some of the longest picture books I've ever read. Somehow, though, they don't feel like they're over a hundred pages long. The stories move along at a good clip, and there are always interesting nuggets of information (and poop) nestled within the narrative.

Rabbit and Bear are minding their own business when a little owl falls into the lake. After they pluck it out, Rabbit works himself into a lather based on his erroneous assumptions about owls, eventually wrangling all the other small creatures in the forest into a circle of prejudice and discrimination. It all culminates in the poor little owl (still unconscious after her mishap) being thrown into a makeshift prison. When the animals realize that owls aren't quite as scary as Rabbit has claimed, they must be mature enough to admit they've made a mistake. Can even Rabbit come around and see the error of his ways?

This is pretty amusing. There are a few quips that will probably go over kids' heads, but those are always fun for the parent who's doing the reading. There's quite a bit about poo near the end, but it's actually rather informative.

Overall, this is another fun installment in the series. Be sure to check it out if you enjoyed the other books.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.17 out of 5