Book review: Welcome to the World, by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Donaldson, Julia. Welcome to the World. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022. Unpaged. $18.99 ISBN 9781665929875. Ages 1-4. P8Q8

Beautiful watercolor illustrations welcome a diverse cast of babies to everyday encounters  in the picture book Welcome to the World. The gentle rhyming text lulls readers through pages filled with joyful settings. Babies are celebrated on each page as they are introduced to nursing, swinging, singing, and even story time! There are encounters with nature, a preschool setting, the grocery store and a birthday party. The book ends with a mom and a dad pushing a stroller professing their love for their baby.

Verdict: This book will appeal to new parents. This would make a nice baby shower present.

Review by Denyse Marsh.

Book review: Howard the Average Gecko, by Wendy Meddour, illustrated by Carmen Saldaña

Meddour, Wendy. Howard the Average Gecko. Illustrated by Carmen Saldaña. Peachtree Atlanta, 2021. $17.99. ISBN 9781682634349. Unpaged. Ages 4-8. P8Q8

Howard the gecko has amazing camouflage abilities, and is quite proud of that fact. However, when faced with many other creatures with the same capability, Howard wonders if he is still special. The stick insect, the butterfly, the frog and others open Howard’s eyes to other animals that can hide in plain sight too. Feeling deflated, Howard finds a friend that helps him see that being average is ok. The colorful watercolor illustrations bring the rainforest setting to life. The last page contains information on geckos, and defines camouflage.

Verdict: This large picture book is perfect to be read aloud at story time, or put into the hands of children who will have fun hunting for the hidden insects and animals. Teachers and parents will appreciate the message in the book that being average to most does not take away from being special to some.

Review by Denyse Marsh.

Book review: Daniela and History’s Women Pirates, by Susanna Isern, illustrated by Gomez

Isern, Susanna. Daniela and History’s Women Pirates. Illustrated by Gomez. NubeOcho, 2022. $19.99. ISBN 9788419253606. Ages 6-10 yrs. P8Q8

Open up this picture book and meet Daniela, a young girl who loves pirates. The story begins with Daniela finding a book her grandmother wrote about the most famous female pirates in history. Daniela is excited to introduce the ten real pirates, and the valuable lessons she has learned from each one. Ranging in time from 5th Century BC to 1844, each female pirate is featured in a few pages complete with pictures and maps. The diverse cast of female pirates all represent a central theme of women determined to create their own destinies. The large cartoon pictures are colorful and add to the stories. Maps on the endpapers allow the reader to see where these pirates roamed. The publisher, NubeOcho, is a Spanish language publisher committed to publishing books with respect, diversity, and equality. This book is among a series of books around the Daniela character.

Verdict: This will be a hit in the hands of pirate fans! Girls looking for inspiration will also enjoy this book. The book could be used as a springboard into learning the history of strong, capable women.

Review by Denyse Marsh.

Book review: A Day in the Life of an Astronaut, Mars, and the Distant Stars, by Mike Barfield, illustrated by Jess Bradley

Barfield, Mike. A Day in the Life of an Astronaut, Mars, and the Distant Stars. Illustrated by Jess Bradley. Aladdin, 2023. $16.99. ISBN 9781534489219. 120 pgs. Ages 9-12. P9Q9

Open this graphic non-fiction book and plunge into a trip across the galaxy! Full of comic style graphics, this book does not have to be read from the beginning. Instead, one can open to any page and dig in! The book is split into three sections: The Solar System, Outer Space, and Space Travel, and all sections contain facts from anthropomorphic space items.There are ‘secret diary’ entries from things like the sun, a hairy star (Halley’s Comet), a space monkey and more. Another recurring entry is the “A Day in the Life of” featuring all sorts of things including a black hole, the golden record onboard NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe, and many other interesting items. The targeted audience will especially appreciate the spotlight on space poo!

Verdict: A must for both the library and the classroom. This book can be used as a resource full of facts on space, and also an enjoyable book to browse through for hours. Students will appreciate the humor and cartoon characters, and teachers will appreciate the tons of facts to learn.

Review by Denyse Marsh.

Book review: Spin, by Rebecca Caprara

Caprara, Rebecca. Spin. Atheneum, 2023. $19.99. ISBN 9781665906197. 393 pgs. Ages 12 and up. P8Q9

Open the novel Spin, and you will be caught up in an ancient myth with a timeless tale. Told in verse, this narrative is both beautiful and tragic. Sixteen year old Arachne, while a talented weaver, lacks confidence. Mocked and bullied by her village, Arachne prefers her loom to her peers. The one exception is her best friend Celandine. Their friendship is both a comfort and a torment for Arachne, who has unrequited feelings for her friend. Over the course of the story Arachne’s supreme weaving skills give her the confidence to challenge the unfair role and treatment of women, and ultimately leads to an unforgettable transformation.

Verdict: This is a powerful book that every library Young Adult section should have. Even though it’s based on an ancient myth, it reads like a modern Me Too story for teens. This will be a welcome addition to a mythology and/or poetry unit. The queer undertone will be appreciated by LGBTQ readers.

Review by Denyse Marsh.

Book review: A Walk Through the Rain Forest, by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Vicky White

Jenkins, Martin. A Walk Through the Rain Forest. Illustrated by Vicky White. Candlewick Press, 2022. 35 pages. $18.99. ISBN 978-15362-11207. Ages 6-10 P10Q10

Step into a Malaysian rain forest. Learn about how seeds are spread so more trees grow, and discover the many inhabitants that one may not easily see at first glance. The big format uses gray and black illustrations on one page, followed by realistic colors on the next. The descriptions on each page are detailed and geared to older readers, engaging them with clear invitations to look closer and deeper to see the true rain forest inhabitants. The final pages give color plates of the animals found, and a reader can then return back into the book to locate the animal.

VERDICT: Wow! What a book. The oversized format and amazing detailed illustrations, both in the grays and also in the color pages, really engage and draw us in, even before the text is read. The science of how animals help spread seeds to places that have enough light to grow them will keep readers turning the pages. I found the gray and shaded illustrations made the following color pages jump right out of the book. The science explains how trees can be found far from where the first fruit was dropped to the ground. I highly recommend this one.

Review by Lynne Wright.

Book review: I’ll Be There, by Karl Newson, Rosalind Beardshaw (illustrator)

Newson, Karl. I’ll Be There. Illustrator Rosalind Beardshaw. Nosy Crow, 2022. Unpaged. $15.99. ISBN 979-888777-0215. Ages 2-5. P9Q9

All over the world, from mountains to jungles back to our own homes, baby animals and parents are depicted in simple colors and graphics. The rhyming verse on each page lets the babies hear encouraging words, such as they will be there for them, that they can do it, and things can be overcome together. The verse is simple yet effective, staying positive on each page.

VERDICT: This was a delightful story. It is simple in verse but the emotions are positive and uplifting for the child. The colorful illustrations draw the child into the happy story, and it would be a good read aloud book. It is nice to have a book for the youngest readers that affirms that a parent will be there no matter what for them.

Review by Lynne Wright.

Book review: All Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball, by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Cannaday Chapman

Vernick, Audrey. All Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball. Illustrated by Cannaday Chapman. Clarion Books, 2022. Unpaged. $17.99. ISBN 978-1328-482976. Ages 5-9 years. P9Q9

Larry Doby’s story covers an interesting and important part of baseball history. He was the first Black player in the American League. He overcame horrible racism from fans and even his teammates and this type of treatment was a daily reality for much of his life. Despite this treatment, he rose to become a star in this field. The illustrations are bold and big and give life to the story. The story also shows how one life many years ago still opens doors and opportunities for younger generations now.

VERDICT: This was a great moment in history that covers not only baseball, but racism and the will to set a good example and change history. The graphics bring to life the story, and there is a nice profile of Doby in the final two pages. This will appeal to baseball history fans and to those who look to read about racism and change in history.

Review by Lynne Wright.

Book review: Fox Explores the Night, by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Richard Smythe.

Jenkins, Martin. Fox Explores the Night. Illustrated by Richard Smythe. (First Science Storybook series). Candlewick Press, 2022. 30 pages. $8.99 (paperback). ISBN 978-15362-27765. Ages 2-5 years. P9Q9

The fox is hungry, and she waits until dark comes to wander into the town to find a meal. Through this nightly journey, the science of lights, shadows and reflections are explored in simple terms for young readers. The watercolor illustrations give depth and color and bring the story to life.

VERDICT: This is a great mashup of simple science terms and a story about a fox at night for the youngest of readers as a first science book. The pages jump with color and shadows to draw the readers in. One very interesting part of this book is the index that gives some of the science terms and the pages it is covered, as an added incentive to learn.

Review by Lynne Wright.

Book review: Styx and Scones in The Sticky Wand, by Jay Cooper

Cooper, Jay. Styx and Scones in The Sticky Wand. (Ready to Read Graphics series). Simon and Schuster, 2023. Unpaged. $17.99. ISBN 978-16659-65671. Ages 5-7. P9Q9

Styx and Scones are a fun cat and dog who live with two witches. When the witches leave for the day, chaos ensues when the magic wand is located. The illustrations in this beginning graphic novel reader are fun and the story has a lot of action and laughs. The text is fairly brief for the beginning reader.

VERDICT: Styx and Scones are fun characters. This is a nice way for earlier readers to understand the format of graphic novels and how to read them. On the first page of the book the cat actually explains to the reader how to read the graphic story, which is an excellent idea. This was a fun little story and EZ readers will enjoy this new series that gives them a graphic story to enjoy.

Review by Lynne Wright.