Book Buds Kidlit Reviews

Step right up! Right before your very eyes! Tricks of every kind!

The Painted Circus: P.T. Vermin Presents a Mesmerizing Menagerie of Trickery and Illusion Guaranteed to Beguile and Bamboozle the Beholder
by Wallace Edwards

Kids Can Press

I got new glasses just in time for these 32 pages of "visual trickery and optical illusions," which set my head spinning nonetheless. 

You've seen some of these tricks before: the grimacing old face that smiles when turned upside down, or the concentric circles that seem to spin if you move the page. And no doubt you've seen old circus posters, with their pageantry and pizazz and over-the-bigtop weirdness.

But I bet you haven't seen them presented quite like this. The idea of displaying brain teasers as a visual freak show  is one of those head-slapping original ideas, and even if you aren't a wide-eyed kindergartener, it's mind-boggling and crazy-making in the best possible way. 

A mouse in a ringmaster's costume narrates, and the hyperbole soars higher than acrobatic elephants -- if you can manage to count them all.

Each page is a masterpiece of sleight of hand and artistic tomfoolery, done as its own circus poster and posing a different problem. In one, a red jelly bean must feed two hungry alligators in jester costumes. You're given a hint and if you're really stuck, answers are in the back. *Spoiler zone:* bring the jelly bean page to your nose so you see double.

There's plenty going on in the background too, creating a whirl of activity for repeated reads, and you still feel like you must be missing things. But this is no workbook -- it's a high-end picture book that -- presto -- vanishes any barrier between writer and reader for a unique experience each time.

This is one of my favorite concept books of the year, maybe of all time, capturing the excitement and wonder of a circus with the satisfaction of a good think. Plus, it's one very weird book. Did I mention that?

Update: It's been shortlisted by the Canada Council for the Arts for their 2007 Governor General's Literary Awards. Winners will be announced Nov. 27.

Rating: *\*\*\*\

A crafty treat for autumn

The Apple Doll
By Elisa Kleven

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

 

Reviewed by Ilene Goldman

Lizzy is a lucky little girl—she has an apple tree to climb and the imagination to see the tree as a skeleton in fall and an iced gingerbread cake in winter. When it's time to start school, Lizzy's afraid she won’t make any friends. So she picks a lovely apple, makes a twig body for it, and names it Susanna. Lizzy takes Susanna to school with her, but, of course, the teacher doesn’t want toys in the classroom and the children make fun of Susanna.

Lizzy is brave, creative, and thoughtful. She doesn't have a tantrum when she realizes Susanna's better off at home. Instead, she fixes Susanna’s hair, makes her some friends, and hopes Susanna won’t be lonely. Lizzie’s parents and sisters brainstorm about creative ways of keeping Susanna as the apple ages, finally helping Lizzy make her into a dried-apple doll that her classmates then want to make too. It's refreshing to read about a family doing creative things together and about a child who loves a homemade (not store bought) toy.

Kleven’s illustrations add to the joy of the book. There is something a little old-fashioned about the people. Especially endearing is the picture of Lizzy sitting alone on the school stairs, primly crossing her ankles while she contemplates her sandwich while the other kids play around her. The words on the page say “But Lizzy was lonely,” stating what the image so clearly conveys. In contrast, in the last two-page spread all the children are playing in the apple tree on a snowy day, and joy is evident in their dancing and animals’ frolicking.

I kept thinking, “I want to make an apple doll with Charlotte one day.” Klevens knew I’d think that and she’s included craft project instructions at the end.

Rating: *\*\*\*\

For your budding climatologist

Explore Winter!
and Explore Spring!
both by Maxine Anderson; illustrated by Alexis Frederick-Frost

Hmmm ... what to do with that greasy old pizza box from last night. Wall art? Nah. I got it ... attach some rubber bands and make snow shoes!

Okay, maybe that's not your idea of recycling, but it sounds pretty easy, as do most of the projects in these two books from Nomad Press, which publishes science-ey workbooks and build-it-yourself stuff -- not your average mass-market sticker books, to be sure.

The pages have the same texture as a coloring book, but use comic-strip panels for storytelling. They're also chock-a-block with facts and info-boxes on animal habitats, migration patterns, nesting habits, foraging, etc. Most looked simple, using stuff already cluttering your kitchen or family room, and could be done by a supervised five-year old or independent seven-to-nine year old.

I did have to scoff, though, at that whole make-a-snowflake-outta-coffee-filters activity we now know is obsolete. But that's just me.

I realize I'm a bit overdue on the Spring book, but not to worry. All these nifty experiments and factoids will be waiting for you in six months.

In the meantime, take your kids hiking through the woods and look for signs of chewed acorns or nibbled branches. Deer! How cool.

Rating: *\*\*\

In the kitchen with Mollie

Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes
by Mollie Katzen and Anne Henderson

Salad People and More Real Recipes
by Millie Katzen

I love Mollie Katzen. I find her recipes easy to read and adapt, and she has a feel for how real people cook and eat. Yeah, the recipes can be gourmet, but not oppressively so.

I jumped at the chance to finagle copies of her cookbooks for toddlers. Yes, toddlers. What, kids can't read a long list of ingredients? Meh. They can look at pictures. And that's what Mollie offers up, inspired by preschool teacher Henderson's sketches for her students.

Basically, you prepare the ingredients and then open the book to the sketches. Your kids follows the drawings and voila! Creations that look good enough to eat.

I went into this with no illusions whatsoever of rivaling the fabulous, legendary Vegan Lunchbox, whose Shmoo loves her cooking. Seth's Mr. Persnickety himself, and we left out or substituted as many ingredients as we used.

Here he is making "Tiny Tacos" by smushing refried beans and shredded cheese between tortilla chips. We left out the salsa and guacamole and all the "ewwws" that accompany it. Sigh.

Putting it all together was a messy enterprise, but I gave it high marks for encouraging motor skills, problem solving and, well, an appreciation for basic Mexican fare.

Not as successful was this lovely dish, Cool Cucumber Soup, which got praise for its taste from ... my husband:

Yep, neither of the kids would touch it. They loved the blender, however, and even fought over who got to push the buttons. I thought it'd be a big hit, since it has exactly three ingredients: yogurt, mint and cukes, and the kids like all three. I guess seeing the stuff get swirled into drippy slush was a turn-off. Who knew?

I'm sorry I don't have pics of the silly salad faces they made; that too was a hit. Think carrot peels for the hair, blueberries for the eyes and apple slices for the mouth.

And we're veterans of Katzen's homemade mini-pizzas, but we skip her complicated directions for making your own dough and use mini pita or nan breads from the store.

True to Katzen's reputation as the grand dame of vegetarian eating, all the recipes are meat-free and healthy, though of course that depends on how closely you follow them and what substitutions you make. Nobody's saying you can't add some pepperonis to those pizzas, right?

The books feature soups and appetizers, snacks and desserts; pretty much the full range of food choices, all pared down to their simplest elements and drawn up for easy following. I'd have preferred a spiral binding so that it lay flat when the kids are perusing it, but you can't have everything.

Is this the answer to childhood obesity? Or finicky eating habits? Will it prep your future Emeril for his or her own FoodTV show? No, no and no.

But it's a fun way to spend a snowy or rainy day together, and teaches them that food isn't made with a wave of Mommy's magic spatula.

Rating: *\*\*\*\

Fun with Circles, Triangles and Squares

Mouse Shapes
by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Reviewed by Kelly Herold

Ellen Stoll Walsh’s Mouse Paint is my all-time favorite toddler book. So I was thrilled when Mouse Shapes arrived in my mailbox.

Walsh’s three inventive mice are at it again, maintaining constant vigilance against the ever present cat. This time—instead of cans of paint—the mice find a pile of shapes in which to hide. When the cat gets bored and disappears, the mice start making things from the shapes: a house, a tree and a sun.

When the cat pounces a second time, one of the mice says, “That cat’s too sneaky…If only we were bigger.” And another mouse has an idea—to make “three big scary mice” from the shapes and scare the cat away for good.

What I appreciate most about Ellen Stoll Walsh’s books for the youngsters is that she mixes the facts (colors, numbers, shapes) in with a whole lot of fun. The mice are perfect heroes—tricky, always inventive, but never cruel. Mouse Shapes is slightly more difficult than Mouse Paint or Mouse Count in terms of vocabulary and concept and is best suited to a three- to six-year old audience. Pair Mouse Shapes with shape stickers or fuzzy felts and you’re in for a great afternoon.

Rating: *\*\*\

Gotta sec? I've got an idea

Things to Do: What to do when there's "nothing to do"!
by Jennie Maizels

Nothing turns me off more than activity books. If geared to kids, they're dopey movie tie-in with stickers that get stuck in unstickable places, and I'm stuck scraping them off. If written for parents, they require expensive craft supplies and an engineering degree to complete.

So, wonder of wonders, along comes an activity book that is, in itself, an activity to read. Each page features a colorful jumble of ideas pictured in a single place; the car, grocery store, bedroom, etc. Characters' thought bubbles and lift-a-flaps reveal tidbits for passing a rainy day or making the most of a trip to the grocer's, for example.

Try finding the biggest item in the store, it suggests, or the smelliest. And then there's stuff to do during car rides; goodness knows we need that. Rock, paper, scissors--hey, I know that game!

The whole book has a "why didn't I think of that?" feel. The ideas are so succinct, you can scan a page, have your kids lift a few of the flaps, and walk away seconds later with your brain gears whirring. It's that good. And that simple. The layout works so well that even the table of contents has tabs so you can open instantly to the spread you need. It has no equal among activity books that I've ever seen.

Even if you forget to bring the book along on car trips or to the beach or the country or wherever, just remembering a few of the suggestions will make you an instant hero.

Plus, all the other parents will be waaay jealous that you're so clever.

UPDATE: Kris over at Paradise Found takes issue with my disdain for activity books and adds a few worthy suggestions. I stand corrected ...

Rating: *\*\*\*\

Liu and the bird

A Celebration: The Year of the Boar began Feb. 18th

Liu and the Bird: A Journey in Chinese Calligraphy
by Catherine Louis, calligraphy by Feng Xiao Min; translated by Sibylle Kazeroid

This simple story distills Chinese pictographs into their most basic elements, showing how they evolved to their present forms. But it's also a delightful and poetic story about a girl who dreams her grandfather calls to her from across the mountains.

She sets out on foot, recording the scenery and people she encounters in her calligraphy, creating multiple layers of storytelling. I read each page carefully, going over the boldfaced English words (the original was in French) and matching them to the Chinese symbols to make sure I understood.

Louis writes on the back flap that she used linocuts, a type of woodcut, with dyed paper so she could "contrast the strong lines of the prints with the softness of the torn paper." It creates a striking visual effect, with the print marks simulating the strokes of a calligraphy brush, and the vivid colors of a Westernized palette bleeding elegantly into the paper beneath.

Chinese calligraphy will always be a subject that must be absorbed rather than scanned; make sure you have some quiet time for its meditative lessons.

Note: includes activities for creating pictograms with your kids.

Rating: *\*\*\*\

Hide-and-seek on paper

Who's Hiding?
Satoru Onishi

I love activity books that don't feel like activities. I prefer to trick my kids into doing something mind-bending and skill-building. Nothing kills initiative than turning learning into a chore, right?

So I love this little book of animal figures, 18 on a page, created with just a few colored shapes and black lines in perfect symmetry. First, you're introduced to the whole crew: Dog, Tiger, Hippo, Zebra, etc. On succeeding pages, you're asked to spot who's hiding on, say, a yellow page where Giraffe dispears from view (because he's yellow, right?) Then one animal might be crying, or sleeping, or turned around, all the way through the book.

You can teach them colors, shapes and animal names, and anything else that springs to mind on the simple pages.  I'm hoping it gets my kids to notice more, to "read" illustrations and observe differences. Who knows? Maybe they'll even start noticing the mess on their bedroom floor.

Kelly at Big A little a also reviewed this book.

Rating: *\*\*\

The write advice

Josephine Nobisso’s Show; Don’t Tell: Secrets of Writing
illustrated by Eva Montanari

Any veteran of creative writing workshops or critique groups has heard this lament: too much telling! Not enough showing!

Descriptive writing’s tough even for an adult struggling to commit thoughts, observations, memories or imaginings to paper. How can a child be expected to master a skill that eludes so many grownups?

Nobisso does a better job than I would’ve expected with a topic that aims so broadly over their heads. Gingerbread House has sent me several of her picture books, nearly all of them bedecked in shiny stickers for the numerous awards she’s won. This one bore a record six.

But it's the surreal illustrations, acrylics done in graphic novel format, that are key to making sense of Nobisso’s patient, meticulous advice for dispensing with vague words like “nice” or “weird” in favor of greater precision. A lion, duck, penguin and other critters hover around the narration, taking wild stabs at the instructions, chiding each other, and somehow muddling through the literary dreamscape. Each critter’s speech even gets its own font, among the many visual clues that carry us through the more abstract patches.

The activities--including a sound chip and nylon mesh for kids to describe--may take repeated reads to slowly drive the lesson home. Hey, if good writing were easy, maybe we’d all be published.

There are no fancy tricks, Nobisso insists in her forward, just an old-fashioned insistence on picking the right nouns and adjectives. Yep, grammar’s the key to great writing. That may not sound magical, but it's vital to learn that there are no shortcuts.

Rating: *\*\*\

A good start for great art

Touch the Art!

Brush Mona Lisa's Hair
Make Van Gogh's Bed
Feed Matisse's Fish
Pop Warhol's Top

by Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo

My mother will tell you her favorite way to wear out a pair of shoes is at the Met. My favorite game as a kid? Why, Masterpiece, of course. And I took Art History at arguably the best college for it.

So when these fat little volumes landed in my lap, I was pretty happy. Kids' books on great art are a trend these days. Whether it's a biography or a famous painting or a museum trip, publishers seem eager to serve up extra helpings of the stuff. Not sure why, except perhaps it's appealing to the same parents who are snatching up all those Baby Mozart CDs.

You scoff. Maybe you don't think my daughter will be able to discern Van Gogh from Vermeer by the time she potty trains, but it won't be for my lack of trying. Familiarity breeds, uh, well, more familiarity. And that's good, right?

These four sturdy board books are organized by genre: Great Masters, Impressionists, Modern Art and Pop Art, and add ribbons, bits of lace or texture for kids to touch, spindle or mutilate. Product testing in our state-of-the-art laboratory reveals the books hold up well under extreme conditions, such as stomping, gnawing and being dropped from bunk beds.

Each masterpiece gets its own little verse. Here's this for one of Degas' dancers:

Twirling tutus, 1,2,3!
The girls are waiting by the sea.

The verses are airy bits of whimsy, or they encourage the kids to play with what they see. Biographical tidbits and explainers are in the back, labeled “artifacts”, though how well a toddler will sit through it is, ah, still under study here.

Rating: *\*\*\