Tayra’s Not Talking by Lana Button

May 23, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Tayra’s Not Talking by Lana Button
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

There’s a new kid in the kindergarten class, but she won’t say a word! But … does it really matter? This sweet story has a timely message: there are many ways to make — and be — a friend!

The students in Miss Seabrooke’s kindergarten class don’t understand why the new student won’t respond when they talk to her. Speaking LOUDER doesn’t help. Tayra doesn’t even answer the teacher! Should they just leave her be? Maybe, Kitty decides, she can show Tayra things instead of telling her. Happily, it works! Soon the pair find they can communicate with gestures, dancing, drawings and smiles. And when the others see how much fun they’re having, they join in, too! It seems words aren’t the only way to connect and be friends!

In this charming picture book, Lana Button uses playful, cadenced rhyming text to explore the art of making a friend. This story sensitively captures a kindergartener’s fears and uncertainties, especially around being new and “different” and models compassion, acceptance and friendship as a reassuring way for others to respond. Christine Battuz’s expressive illustrations clearly convey the friends’ emotions as they process this new experience and try to decide what to do about it. This book is a perfect springboard for discussions about feelings, friendship, differences and belonging. It’s a strong choice for character education lessons on kindness, empathy, inclusiveness and caring.

Kindness makes everything better.

It was fun to see how non-verbal communication was used in this story. Of course it was shown in the illustrations, too, but the text itself gave all sorts of clues about how certain characters felt, what the people around them assumed they were doing, and what happened when those assumptions clash with what was really going on. This isn’t something I’ve seen emphasized so heavily in most picture books, so it was refreshing to find it here.

There were a few times when I wished the names of the other students in Miss Seabrooke’s class had been shared. Not having that information made it harder to get to know them as individuals, although it also provided an interesting contrast to Tayra who had a name but never spoke. If the author ever writes a sequel, teasing out any other differences between these classmates that might exist and sharing their names could be a good starting point.

I enjoyed the fast-paced storyline. The characters had exactly enough time to try to figure out what was going on with Tayra before school began and they needed to pay attention to their teacher. It was interesting to see how their assumptions about having a classmate who didn’t speak matched up with what they learned about her later. Everyone wants to understand the world around them, and their curiosity was perfectly understandable.

Tayra’s Not Talking was a sensitive and beautiful tale.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

The Old Man and the Penguin – A True Story of True Friendship by Julie Abery

September 22, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Old Man and the Penguin – A True Story of True Friendship by Julie Abery
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Told in rhyming verse, this is the touching true story of an oil-soaked penguin, the man who rescues him and an unlikely friendship.João hears “a sorry screech” as he walks along the shore near his home. It’s from a penguin, whose feathers are soaked in oil.Too tired to swim, too weak to stand, he’s barely moving on the sand. João must save this little guy. Without his help, he’ll surely die.João takes the penguin home. He cleans him, feeds him and nurses him slowly back to health — and the pair develop a special bond. When the penguin is fully recovered, João knows it’s time to return him to the wild where he belongs. But the penguin has other ideas …Told in rhyming verse, this heartwarming picture book tells the true story of João Pereira de Souza of Brazil, who cared for a Magellanic penguin that had been caught in an oil spill. When João tried to release him back to the wild, the penguin returned to João’s home and stayed for months. The penguin, named Dindim by João, did eventually leave, but he now returns to visit his friend for five months of every year. A charming read-aloud showcasing a tender relationship between an animal and human, this book also promotes environmental awareness and stewardship, and explains how human activities often threaten wildlife. Author Julie Abery includes information about João and the penguin, how wildlife is affected by oil spills every year, and what to do if you find wildlife in distress. The lively art by award-winning Pierre Pratt brings a touching sweetness and emotional depth to the story. There are character education lessons here on empathy, kindness and caring.

Good deeds are never wasted.
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The friendship between João and Dindim brought a tear to my eye. Normally, I’m a little cautious about stories about wild animals who are captured or tamed by humans, but the narrator made it very clear that this wasn’t exactly what was happening here. João was always incredibly respectful of the fact that Dindim wasn’t a pet and could leave at any time. It was delightful to see the relationship that blossomed between them as the penguin recovered and became strong enough to return to his usual migration patterns.

I would have liked to see more details included in this picture book. For example, what did João’s family and community think of the penguin who lived among them while recovering from his ordeal with the oil spill? There were other moments in the plot that I also thought could have been explained better even though I deeply enjoyed what was shared and am still telling everyone I know who cares about penguins or wildlife rescue in general to check it out.

With that being said, I loved the way this tale shared its messages about compassion and the importance of helping others whenever possible. It trusted its audience to pick up on these themes ourselves which meant that the plot was free to unfold without any unnecessary explanations of what was happening. Writing it this way also meant that the storyline could appeal to a wide range of readers. A small child’s understanding of it might not be identical to how an adult would react to the same information, but there was something meaningful here for children and grown-ups alike.

The Old Man and the Penguin was a heartwarming read for environmentalists and animal-lovers of all ages.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

What Grew in Larry’s Garden by Laura Alary

September 30, 2020 By Leave a Comment


What Grew in Larry’s Garden by Laura Alary
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Historical
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Grace thinks Larry’s garden is one of the wonders of the world. In his tiny backyard next door to hers, Larry grows the most extraordinary vegetables. Grace loves helping him – watering and weeding, planting and pruning, hoeing and harvesting. And whenever there’s a problem – like bugs burrowing into the carrots or slugs chewing the lettuce – Grace and Larry solve it together. Grace soon learns that Larry has big plans for the vegetables in his special garden. And when that garden faces its biggest problem yet, Grace follows Larry’s example to find the perfect solution.

It takes more than soil and sunlight to make a garden grow.
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The friendship between Larry and Grace was lovely. I always enjoy reading children’s books about adults who are kind, patient, and helpful, especially when those adults are senior citizens. There’s something so wholesome about seeing two people in such different stages of life pursue the same goal and have a great deal of fun while doing it.

It would have been nice to see more time spent on solving the biggest problem that Grace and Larry had faced with their garden. The other problems they had with it earlier were solved with straightforward solutions. The fuzzier ending to their final conflict left me with more questions than I had answers. I liked the fact that they included something that couldn’t be fixed as easily, but I do wish it had been given more time to develop.

On that note, I did appreciate the example this story set of how to handle conflict and set-backs. Like any other hobby, gardening can be frustrating at times for novices and experts alike. There’s only so much control someone can have over how their plants develop, so it was lovely to see Larry and Grace keep persevering even when everything didn’t always turn out the way they hoped it would. That’s exactly the attitude that anyone should have when learning a new skill or practicing an old one.

Gardeners of all ages should give What Grew in Larry’s Garden a try.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen

December 19, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Every Sunday morning, no matter the weather, Eli could count on Zaida to bring bagels from Merv’s Bakery. Eli loved the time they spent together enjoying their favorite treats. Warm. Chewy. Salty, Eli thought. Bagels were the best thing about Sunday. But one Sunday, Zaida didn’t come. He had fallen at Merv’s and hurt his tuches, and the doctor said Zaida had to rest at home for two whole weeks. This meant Eli had no Sunday morning bagels. And neither did Zaida’s friends, who had been receiving their own weekly deliveries from Zaida. Will they all go hungry for bagels on Sunday? Or is there something Eli can do? Award-winning author Andrew Larsen’s picture book story offers a gently humorous take on the special bond between a boy and his grandfather and the simple ritual that looms so large in their lives. It also highlights a terrific character education lesson about how a young child can take responsibility and, with a little initiative, help a family member in need. With a blend of retro and contemporary styles, Sandy Nichols’s softly colored illustrations cleverly convey the story’s timelessness and capture Eli’s diverse neighborhood. This book will spark wonderful discussions about family traditions and community. A mini glossary and pronunciation guide for the Yiddish words that are sprinkled throughout the story (like mensch and oy) provides an opportunity to learn about the many words we use in English that come from other languages, and to explore the connections between culture and language.

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The relationship between Eli and Zaida, his grandfather, was such a sweet one. Not only did they love each other quite a bit, they also enjoyed spending time together as buddies. It made me smile to see them try to figure out how to change their routines after Zaida was injured and couldn’t do the things he normally did with his grandson.

There was a pretty big plot hole in this story that none of the characters seemed to notice. As much as I liked watching Eli gradually come up with a plan to help his grandfather after the accident, I was distracted by the fact that no one was talking about the easier and more obvious solution to their problem. I would have chosen a much higher rating if this hadn’t happened.

One of the things I liked the most about this tale were the warm and friendly relationships Eli had obviously developed with everyone in his community. While he wasn’t biologically related to everyone who lived nearby, they did treat him like he was a member of their families. He was watched over and encouraged by all of the adults in his life no matter where he went or what he did. That strong sense of community and protectiveness over the youngest members of a society was such a lovely thing to read about.

I’d recommend The Bagel King to anyone who has developed a close bond with someone much older or younger than them or who wonders what this sort of relationship could be like.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Walk on the Wild Side by Nicholas Oldland

December 4, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Walk on the Wild Side by Nicholas Oldland
Life in the Wild
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Childrens, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

This clever picture book tells readers right away what to expect. ?There once was a bear, a moose and a beaver who loved adventure. But sometimes their competitive natures got in the way of having fun.? One day, the three set off to climb a mountain together. But on the way there, they decide to make it more exciting by turning the climb into a race to the top. It’s only after being sidelined by a series of mishaps — a boulder tumbling down the path, the moose hanging off the side of the cliff, the bear hanging off the moose hanging off the side of the cliff — that the three friends realize competitions don’t always make for a good time. ?At the end of the day, the bear, the moose and the beaver agreed that reaching the top of the mountain was great, but enjoying the journey together was even better.?
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This funny, contemporary fable is from Nicholas Oldland’s popular Life in the Wild series. The wonderful fun here is the comedy that highlights the adventure, in both the dry humor of the text as well as the simple, earth-toned illustrations that provide a humorous visual play-by-play of the action. This would make a terrifically entertaining storytime title, easily promoting the importance of teamwork, kindness and friendship. It could also be used in the early grades as part of a classroom discussion of woodland animals and their habitats. Another lesson here is the pleasure of getting outdoors for recreation.

If you’re not having fun when you’re out with your friends, there’s a problem.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that showed what can happen to someone who goes hiking and doesn’t pay attention to their surroundings. This is the kind of activity that can be a bit dangerous at times for anyone who doesn’t follow basic safety rules, so it was nice to see that acknowledged in a kid-friendly way. I also enjoyed seeing how the characters reacted once they realized that their race up to the top of the mountain wasn’t going to be as quick and easy as they originally thought. Their responses to the actual terrain they were rushing through were perfect.

There were so many missed opportunities for plot development. The storyline would briefly mention something incredibly interesting that happened to the character while they were attempting to get to the top of the mountain only to never bring it up again. While I wouldn’t necessarily expect them to go into a lot of detail about every single twist in the journey, it would have been nice to have a clearer picture of at least some of their adventures.

The message of this tale was such a positive one. I liked the fact that the characters were given so many opportunities to learn why it’s important to cooperate with each other and what happens when a group of friends decides to treat each other like the competition instead. It was never heavy-handed, but the narrator did get their point across well.

I’d recommend Walk on the Wild Side to adventurers of all ages.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Making the Moose Out of Life by Nicholas Oldland

November 22, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Making the Moose Out of Life by Nicholas Oldland
(Life in the Wild)
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Childrens, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

From the creator of Big Bear Hug comes the comic-adventure story of a mild-mannered moose who learns how to take life by the antlers. This moose may live in the wild, but he doesn’t act it — he watches from the sidelines as his friends have fun. Every now and then, he wonders if he’s missing out on anything.

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The moose’s unlikely hero-journey is a lighthearted, contemporary fable that celebrates living life to the fullest.

There is such a thing as being too cautious in life.

From what I’ve observed so far, one of Mr. Oldland’s biggest strengths has to do with how inclusively he writes about the struggles his characters face. In this particular case, the moose’s reluctance to try something new could be a hint that he was dealing with any number of mental illnesses that children in real life sometimes develop. The moose’s desire to stick to what he knows could also be understood as a phase that many kids go through or part of his naturally shy personality in general. I loved the fact that this was left up to the reader to decide. It’s something I’d feel equally comfortable reading to a child who had been diagnosed with a specific illness as I would with someone who was simply more reserved than most kids and needed a little encouragement to try new things.

The only thing I would have liked to see done differently in this story had to do with the total lack of a name or nickname for the main character. It’s something I’ve mentioned in reviews of other books in this series. While it’s a minor complaint, it sure would be nice to know what to call all of the interesting characters I’ve met in this universe. The moose had such a well-developed personality in particular that it felt odd to me to not have this piece of information about him. If not for this, I would have chosen a full, five-star rating.

Not every emotion is a cheerful one. The best scenes were the ones that showed how the moose reacted when his first attempts to try new things didn’t turn out the way he was hoping they would. He didn’t know how to react when that happened, and I appreciated the fact that the narrator acknowledged that. There’s something soothing about watching a character experience a setback but refusing to give up.

Making the Moose Out of Life was a gentle and kindhearted adventure that I’d recommend to anyone who wonders if they should take more risks.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Mermaid and the Shoe by K.G. Campbell

November 22, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Mermaid and the Shoe by K.G. Campbell
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Each of King Neptune’s 50 mermaid daughters boasts a special talent, except for little Minnow, who seems to be good only at asking questions. When she finds a strange object, Minnow follows her questions to a wondrous place and finds answers, including the answer to the most important question of all: Who am I? A gorgeously illustrated story about finding one’s purpose.

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Minnow was such a likeable character. She lived in a society that had strict rules about what mermaids should and should not be capable of doing. Unfortunately, she wasn’t naturally good at any of the things that were valued by other mermaids, and her talents involved stuff that her people rarely, if ever, thought about. The most interesting thing about this to me was how she reacted to it. She was dismayed by not fitting in anywhere, of course, but she was also determined to figure out where she did belong. That part of her personality was so endearing that I couldn’t wait to see if she’d be successful.

There was a major conflict in this story that was never resolved. It had to do with Minnow’s strained relationship with one of her sisters, and it played such an important role in the early scenes that I was pretty surprised when it wasn’t picked back up again after she returned from her adventure. Leaving it out made the ending feel unfinished to me.

The best part of the plot for me happened after Minnow decided to go on an adventure to see if she could figure out the purpose of the strange object she’d found floating around in the sea. She was such a brave girl that I looked forward to seeing what she’d discover about it and if she’d get answers to her questions about how it worked.

If you enjoy modern fairy tales, I’d recommend giving The Mermaid and the Shoe a try.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Mélanie Watt

November 7, 2018 By 1 Comment


Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Mélanie Watt
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

That lovable little worrywart is back. And he’s as scaredy as ever! In his latest adventure, Scaredy Squirrel sets out to make The Perfect Friend.

And once he’s spotted a perfectly safe candidate (with no teeth), Scaredy’s ready. Armed with a name tag, mittens, a mirror and a lemon, he’s prepared to make The Perfect First Impression. But just when every detail is under control, Scaredy’s Action Plan takes a surprising — and ?toothy? — turn. Will he survive this ordeal? Will he find his kindred spirit? Will he discover the true meaning of friendship? Read Scaredy’s nutty story to find out …

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Social anxiety is something that affects people of all ages, so I loved the fact that this story had so much compassion and understanding for the main character. Scaredy Squirrel explained all of the precautions he’d take before going anywhere new in the opening scene. The nice thing about that description was how matter-of-fact it was. He knew he needed to do these things in order to have enough courage to step out of his comfort zone, and he was completely open about all of the steps he’d take before leaving home every time he went out to make friends. I really liked that about this character.

There was only one small part of this tale that I wish had been written a little differently, and it had to do with Scaredy Squirrel’s original plans to make a new friend. He had such a firm idea of what it was going to be like and who he would be spending time with that I would have enjoyed a little more closure for this original plotline since he talked about it so much in the beginning. With that being said, this was a very minor criticism of something I adored overall.

The character development was wonderful. Social anxiety isn’t something that magically goes away on its own, but there are things that kids and adults can do to reduce its impact on their lives if they’re willing to put some time into it. I was so happy with how this character grew as an individual while at the same time remaining true to himself. It sent such a positive message to anyone who reads this who has similar concerns about meeting new people.

This book is part of a series, but it can be read on its own or out of order.

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt anxious about doing something out of the ordinary.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Busy Beaver by Nicholas Oldland

November 5, 2018 By Leave a Comment

The Busy Beaver by Nicholas Oldland
Life in the Wild
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Children, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (36 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The busy but careless beaver spends his days following random impulses, rarely thinking things through and leaving in his wake a devastated forest filled with stumps, half-nibbled trees and injured, homeless animals. But then one day the beaver finds himself on the wrong side of a falling tree, which as it turns out, is just the thing to knock some sense into him. After reflecting on his behavior, he decides to make some changes. Soon, the now wiser and gentler beaver is getting down to the business of making things right, much to the delighted surprise of his forest friends. This charming story from the creator of Big Bear Hug and Making the Moose Out of Life gently teaches youngsters how to take care with others, as well as the world around us.

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Gentleness is a skill that anyone can learn if they work hard enough at it. One of the most interesting things about the beaver in this story to me was that he didn’t realize his normal habits were causing issues for his friends in the beginning. The fact that he wasn’t actively trying to hurt anyone made even his most destructive choices more understandable. Seeing the disconnect between how he saw his actions and how his friends saw them actually made me like him even more because of innocently he intended all of them.

There were some sections that didn’t seem like they were suited well for preschoolers at all. There was nothing inappropriate in them, they simply talked about some medical problems the beaver was experiencing that I haven’t seen many children that age think about. It was never quite clear to me if this portion was meant to appeal more to the adults reading it or if there was some sort of joke in it that I was missing out on.

Making mistakes is part of being human or, in this case, being a beaver. By far my favorite part of this book was how hard Mr. Oldland worked to help children understand that everyone makes mistakes in life and that with some effort correcting them is very possible. What a wonderful message to share with kids and adults alike.

This is part of a series, but it can be read on its own or out of order.

The Busy Beaver made me smile. I’d recommend it to anyone who would like to learn to be a little less careless.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,