Review - Jan Brett's The Nutcracker

Jan Brett's The Nutcracker
by Jan Brett
Date: 2021
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Jan Brett's striking illustrations and the Christmas classic The Nutcracker are a match made in picture book heaven.

When Marie and her brother Fritz receive a special Christmas nutcracker from their uncle, Marie immediately feels something magical. He looks like a real boy, she mused. A real boy with a secret, who came from far away.

This feeling is only the beginning of the epic adventure she goes on with the Nutcracker--into the cabinet, through the battle with the mice, and finally to the magical land of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Jan Brett makes this classic her own by setting it in snowy Russia and adding whimsical touches to the favorite elements of the traditional ballet. Enjoying this book will be an instant Christmas tradition for families who love the ballet and those new to the story.

As perfect a gift as Jan Brett's classics The Mitten and The Night Before Christmas.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This was... too much.

I've enjoyed some other picture books by Jan Brett, especially The Mitten. Taking on The Nutcracker in picture-book form was an ambitious task. I'm not sure it worked.

In trying to condense the story into 32 pages, much is skimmed over, seemingly in favour of getting to the parts of the story that would look good as full-page illustrated spreads. When Marie doesn't want to say goodnight to the guests, we're told it's because she's been taking care of the Nutcracker that her brother, Fritz, had broken. This seems like an important aspect to Marie's devotion to the toy, so it feels odd that it would be skipped over.

The rest of the book is kind of like a fever dream. The overall emotion I'm feeling after reading this book is overwhelm. Don't get me wrong: I enjoy picture books where there's lots to look at in the illustrations. But in this case, it's just too much. Brett's signature style of using smaller illustrations in the side panels to show some parallel aspects of the story is used here, but the technique makes the book feel cluttered because there's already so much going on in the main illustrations. I'm also not a fan of the way the characters are drawn. The facial expressions don't seem consistent and lead to a look that almost seems like two different artists were at work; sometimes the faces almost seem cartoonish, while others are more realistic.

The story rambles, and if you're not familiar with the original story or ballet, you might not have any sort of clue what's going on here. Basically, a child shrinks, battles a mouse king, then goes on a journey through a winter landscape populated by anthropomorphized animals. Was it all a dream? In the case of this book, I'm almost tempted to say it was a drug trip.

Fans of Brett's catalogue of work will no doubt want to add this one to their collections. But those looking for a strong picture book based on The Nutcracker, or those who want an easy-to-follow story for holiday reading, might want to look elsewhere.

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

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.5 out of 5

Review - Penguin Journey

Penguin Journey
by Angela Burke Kunkel
illustrated by Catherine Odell
Date: 2021
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

A lyrical picture book exploration of emperor penguins’ incredible journey to parenthood, with stunning watercolor art

Packed Snow / Moon glow
Wind-blown / All alone

This young picture book is about the incredible lengths to which emperor penguins go for their young ones. Angela Burke Kunkel’s lyrical text and Catherine Odell’s gorgeous illustrations detail the penguins' amazing journey, and an author's note and bibliography provide added context.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Attention, penguin fans! This lovely little picture book with a simple story will melt your heart.

Highlighted by charming illustrations, Penguin Journey tells the tale of emperor penguins in Antarctica. They journey inland, meet, and mate, and then the fathers take over egg-sitting duties. There's an author's note at the back that gives some more information about this process, but the actual picture book itself is pretty clear about what's happening, even with only a handful of words on each page.

You don't need to get cutesy with anthropomorphized penguins to make an adorable picture book. This one is pretty much non-fiction, and it's still charming.

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Review - Biscuit

Biscuit (Biscuit)
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
illustrated by Pat Schories
Date: 1996
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

It's time for bed, but Biscuit wants to have a snack, and play, and hear stories. Will he ever go to sleep?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I am so not the audience for this.

That said, this would be a great title for kids who are just starting to read on their own. The text is extremely simple, highlighting a "story" about a little dog who wants to do all sorts of things... except go to bed. The illustrations are lovely, and the dog is very cute.

Overall, this is a great read-aloud title for toddlers or a good book to start with for young school-age children who are wanting to read books all by themselves. For anyone older than that, though, the only appeal will be the cute pictures of the puppy.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5

Review - Little Bear

Little Bear
by Richard Jones
Date: 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

On Monday, a boy finds a polar bear in his garden... only, this polar bear is so small he can fit in the palm of the boy's hand. "Are you lost, Little Bear?" the boy asks. "Can I help you?"

Day by day the bear grows - and so does their friendship - until the boy realises that it's time for the bear to go home.

A tender, stunningly illustrated fable about letting go with love from the creator of Perdu.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a fanciful story about a little boy who finds a tiny polar bear in his garden. Over time, the bear grows, and the boy realizes that it's time for the bear to return to his family. So the two set out in a boat with red sails and head up to the land of snow and ice.

I'm not sure if children will necessarily pick up on the message about "letting go with love", but the fanciful tale is sure to spark the imagination. The pictures are rather adorable, too, especially when the polar bear is a teeny, tiny thing.

(Normally, I'm not a fan of books where kids interact with bears as if they're just giant, friendly stuffed toys. But this one is so far into into the surreal that I don't see that much of a problem with the safety messages. It's unlikely that a child would set off alone on a sailboat, either, so having a polar bear as a friend is safely in the realm of fantasy.)

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5

Review - Soomi's Sweater

Soomi's Sweater
by Susie Oh
Date: 2021
Publisher: Clavis
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Soomi's new sweater arrives, but it doesn't quite fit. Mom makes it just right and Soomi can't wait to show her friends. Soon, Soomi's brand new sweater isn't so new anymore. Her friends try to patch it up, but nothing works. Thankfully, Mom knows just what to do. She creates something better than brand new!

A heartwarming book about a little girl and her brand new sweater. For children ages 4 years and up.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I don't quite get it.

A little girl named Soomi is bought a new sweater that's way too big. But she wants to wear it, so her mother rolls up the sleeves and pins up the hem. But when Soomi takes off her jacket at school, she snags the sweater and a hole in the sleeve appears. Her friends try to help with glue and tape, but it all just makes a big mess and Soomi ends up having a tantrum on the classroom floor. When her mom finds out, she patches the sweater with a piece of an old t-shirt and some embroidery, making the sweater better than new. And Soomi vows not to wear it until she's bigger.

What's the message here? Young children shouldn't wear sweaters? Zippers are evil? Kids are useless at problem-solving and adults will always save the day? None of those seem quite right for a children's book. Why did Soomi's mom buy her a ridiculously big sweater in the first place? And what happens if a real kid does the same thing to their sweater, but their mom isn't as good at DIY sewing as Soomi's mom?

Soomi's plight is relatable, but it's almost to the point where it's upsetting. If her mom hadn't been able to salvage that sweater, this would've been a heartbreaking story. Plus, I'm not sure that a message that kids are incapable and need to let adults handle their problems is the best kind for a picture book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis for providing a digital ARC.

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

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5

Review - Starlight

Starlight
by Hannah Lee Kidder
Date: 2020
Publisher: Hannah Lee Kidder
Reading level: A
Book type: short stories
Pages: 102
Format: e-book
Source: library

From bestselling author of Little Birds, Hannah Lee Kidder's Starlight touches your heart before taking a bite with twelve pitch-dark fantasy, horror, and contemporary short stories.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I stumbled across this author on YouTube. Now, I haven't exactly had stellar success with AuthorTube books yet, but I figured that since these stories are short (some of them are really short), there wasn't much to lose by checking them out.

Here are my thoughts on the individual stories:

"Sliced"

I don't even know what the hell that was! Short, creepy, disturbing... yes. I'm not sure I get it, even after thinking about it for a while. But it's well written and really got my imagination going, so I don't have much to complain about.


"Ink"

I wish this one were a bit longer. There are hints of bookception and (maybe) someone like Peter Pan, but it's really too short to say for sure. The writing is certainly evocative, though.


"The Swamp Witch"

Well, that got really dark. I see that this story is among the favourites of other readers. It's definitely interesting, with an almost fairy-tale horror vibe. It's all a bit "ewww", though, so I'm not sure if I like it that much.


"Contained"

A variation on "the monster under the bed", but the idea is a little more updated and (ironically) less contained. What if the monster weren't just under the bed, but in any number of places?


"Warm"

A disturbing story punctuated by a thoughtful question. This one's very short, but its few paragraphs speak volumes and paint a complete picture.


"Margrove"

Historical fiction about two sisters and a paranormal scheme. What happens when the play starts to become reality? I enjoyed this one, despite some of the disturbing bits.


"Bruising"

This seems to be in a similar vein as "Warm", though it's not quite as explicit. It feels incomplete.


"Home"

There are some interesting hints at a very dysfunctional relationship here. The writing doesn't seem as strong in this story as in some of the others, and the repeated use of the main character's name (when he's the only one in the story) is unnecessary... and a bit annoying.


"Mother"

I... don't get it. Is this metaphor? Shape-shifting? Just random weirdness thrown in to sound cool? (Okay, it does sound cool.) But I still don't get it.


"Starlit Shadows"

This is a story about some bad domestic violence. The scene is set well, but it's pretty depressing.


"White Rabbit"

An interesting tidbit with a paranormal twist. It's one of the longer stories here, but still short. Still, it feels complete.


"Passing Ghosts"

Bittersweet but poignant. As the title suggests, this one is about a ghost. It's nothing earth-shatteringly unique, but it's a nice story.



Taken as a whole, this is a collection of competent short stories. Some are a lot shorter than I'm used to (flash fiction more than short stories, really), but Kidder manages to pack quite a punch into a few of them. The stories with paranormal or fantasy elements were the strongest ones for me; the contemporaries that focused on interpersonal violence less so.

I would definitely like to read something longer from this author when she writes/publishes it. In the meantime, though, this collection is a nice introduction to her voice and style.

Overall: 3.25  out of 5

Review - The Toys' Christmas

The Toys' Christmas
by Claire Clément
illustrated by Geneviève Godbout
Date: 2012
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

This cozy, cuddly Christmas story tells how Santa makes sure he leaves the perfect gift for each child—with a little help from their favorite toys!

It is Christmas Eve and Noah’s toy elephant, Fanfan, has gone missing! Little does he know that Fanfan has crept out of the house to join other soft toys on their annual Christmas journey: to see Santa Claus!

Just in case letters don’t reach Santa, toys all around the world make this trip so they can tell Santa what their child wants most of all. (After all, who knows a child better than their best-loved toy?)

Will Fanfan return in time for Christmas morning? And will Noah get the present that he so longs for?

Perfect to curl up with at bedtime, this sweet and magical tale is illustrated by Genevieve Godbout, the artist behind Apple Cake.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

The illustrations in this book are very cute, but there almost seems to be a mismatch between pictures and text. I suspect it may be due to the translation.

This is a story about a bunch of toys that go off to see Santa to tell him what their respective children would like for Christmas. These stories always seem kind of quaint, and I often wonder how modern kids—who ask for things like brand-name gadgets and toys—see the simple gifts of dolls, books, and wooden swords that Santa is depicted as making.

The text states that this journey of the toys happens every year, but this seems to be the first year that Noah is missing his toy. You'd think that all the favourite toys disappearing on Christmas Eve every year would be noticed, but the story just kind of ignores that point.

The book was originally published in 2012 as La longue marche des doudous, and there's something about this particular translation that just doesn't cut it for me. I don't know; maybe the original French is just as bad. But I found the text to be so lifeless, especially compared to the soft, whimsical illustrations. (I've read a few books illustrated by Godbout now, and I really enjoy her style.)

Maybe, read aloud, this book would have a few more sparks of life. I don't doubt that kids will like looking at the pictures, and the overall premise is very cute. I just wish that the text had been on the same level as the illustrations.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5