Review by New York Times Review
Know a child who just started to read independently? These old and new favorites are short, but they pack a memorable punch. my favorite books for fledgling readers don't have ranked letters or numbers or other indicators of "levels" on the covers. They're not part of megaseries like The Magic Treehouse or Junie B. Jones (useful as those books can be to get readers going). What they have in common is gorgeous art and extremely simple but highly literary writing - the kind of writing that lets a young reader know what an inner life can sound like. And while they couldn't really be called full-fledged chapter books, they are often cleverly divided into a few very short chapters, as a sort of secret handshake. These books tell new readers they have fully embarked on the journey to independent reading. All of these, I should add, are also fantastic to read aloud like a picture book to a child who is not reading alone yet. a friend for dragon Written and illustrated byDav Pilkey Scholastic/Orchard, $5.99 Dragon is blue, round, and not at all ferocious - in fact, he's kind and quite dim, which makes you want to protect him from all the trouble that finds him. What he needs most is something harder than it might seem to get hold of: a friend. First published in the 1990s, the Dragon books - there are five in total - are sweet, silly and profound all at once, with more of an edge than you usually find in this kind of story. The villain of the first is downright biblical: a merciless snake who tricks poor Dragon into thinking an apple is the friend he's been longing for. Pilkey is the big-hearted genius behind Captain Underpants, and his watercolor art for this more tender series has regular dollops of the emotional depth he can find in even the goofiest plot turn. TALES FOR THE perfect child Written by Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier FABLES YOU SHOULDN'T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO By Florence Parry Heide and Sylvia Worth Van Clief, illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier Atheneum, $16.99 These ultrashort, ultrawitty tales of naughty children and badly behaving animals won a cult following when they first appeared in the 1980 s, but went out of print. Now they've been reissued with wily new art by Sergio Ruzzier that perfectly suits their offbeat sensibility. We meet Harriet, a champion whiner. "She practiced and practiced, and so of course she got better at it. Practice makes perfect." And there's Chester, a lazy turkey, who won't run when the farmer calls. "The next morning, which was Thanksgiving morning, Chester looked around the empty barn. It pays to be lazy, thought Chester." Heide, who died in 2011, wrote more than 100 children's books, including the classic Treehorn Trilogy, illustrated by Edward Gorey, and it's great to see her dark, winking take on the eternal conflicts between children and parents sally forth for a new generation. anna hibiscus Written by Atinuke, illustrated by Lauren Tobias Kane/Miller, $5.99 These days more American picture books feature racially diverse children than ever and international picture books are increasingly published here, but it's still hard to find early chapter books with children who are black, and children living in other parts of the world. This joyful series about a little African girl named Anna Hibiscus is a revelation - the books ring with laughter even as they stab (delicately) at your heart. In sprightly language and adorable line drawings, they tell the story of a young girl whose eyes are wide open to the beauty and the struggles of the place where she lives. A sense of strong community and mutual caring permeates throughout, with Anna both enjoying the routines of everyday life at her family's comfortable compound and, often, confronting and trying to help children who have much less than she does. Atinuke, who lived in Nigeria as a child but is now based in Britain, works as a traditional oral storyteller, and that's not surprising: She keeps Anna's stories moving while seeding them with helpful repetition and bits of warm humor. LITTLE TIM AND THE BRAVE SEA CAPTAIN Written and illustrated by Edward ArdizzoneFrances Lincoln, $18.99 Little Tim may be the original free-range child. These books were originally published in the 1930s, and they have aged well. Four have been reissued in handsome volumes, with classic pen-and-ink and watercolor art and big, old-fashioned letters telling the tale of Little Tim, who can't be more than 6 years old, but "wanted to be a sailor." He stows away on a steamer and kicks off a life at sea, with occasional trips back to see his relieved (but understanding) parents. There's adventure and danger, of course - in the first book, everything from seasickness to a harrowing storm that almost dooms Tim and the Captain - but it's all told in direct, clear language. The tone is just a tad mock-serious, but eminently respectful of the childhood wish for greater agency. If you're new to Ardizzone's art, you're in for a treat - his dazzling pen lines and watercolor brush strokes dance across the page, creating stirring vistas of the sea alongside witty, humane portraits of Tim and the people he encounters. BARKUS By Patricia MacLachlan Chronicle, $14.99 MacLachlan, the author of the beloved novel "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and many other books for children of all ages, makes her early chapter book debut in this first of a promised new series. The charm is infectious, with MacLachlan's almost hypnotically appealing language assembling a series of surprises for the plucky little redhaired narrator. First, her favorite uncle leaves a superfun dog, who names himself Barkus, at her house. He doesn't talk, but he doesn't need to: In successive stories he makes many exciting things happen, starting with what transpires when he comes to school with her - all the way to the appearance in the little girl's household of, yes, a new kitten too. Marc Boutavant's whimsical, graphically interesting art makes Barkus's adventures seem even more like some kind of candy-colored delight a child would be thrilled to pull out of her pocket. And of course ... FROG AND TOAD STORYBOOK TREASURY Written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel Harper - Collins, $11.99 The books in Lobel's series from the 1970s are something like modern classics, with their warm depiction of the devoted bond between worrywart Toad and magnanimous Frog, who might look somewhat similar but are polar opposites in temperament. While the friends approach life very differently and have the occasional contretemps, together they make a world of their own, a kind of community of two. The language is simple, and there are no contractions, which no doubt made the Frog and Toad books good candidates for the "I Can Read" series treatment they've lately been given, with the numbers on the cover telling parents their level. But I fear those numbers can also signal to kids that these are pressurized, teacher-mandated schoolwork, books that are out to measure them and rank them against their peers. If you can find copies of Frog and Toad without that business on them, I recommend those - with books as deep and rewarding as these, the numbers are just buzzkill. (Yes, they can indeed read - make them want to!) George and Martha Written and illustrated by James Marshall Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $6.00 These James Marshall books about two hippo friends may just be the ne plus ultra of the entire genre of Very Short Chapter Books. Many people consider these to be picture books, and they are rewarding to read aloud to any age child, but I think a fledgling reader will especially appreciate spending time with them. Each volume has four or five self-contained stories - vignettes, really - with few words, all easy to follow. The humor is strange and sneaky - the books kick off with George pouring split pea soup, which he hates but which Martha has made, into his shoe. There is something wonderfully cranky and realistic about the entire premise: two friends who try so hard to be nice to each other, and have a hard time figuring out how to do that. maria Russo is the Book Review's children's books editor.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [January 21, 2018]
Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Vernon, a very thoughtful toad, is out foraging for interesting things when he finds something much better than an old baseball or yo-yo: he finds Bird. Bird is blue, with button eyes and striped wooden legs, and he is the strong, silent type. Vernon introduces Bird to his friends, Skunk and Porcupine, and tries very hard to make Bird feel at home in the river and the forest, but Bird never utters a word. After Porcupine suggests that perhaps he is homesick, Vernon and Bird hop in a teacup boat, with a spoon for an oar, and set off down the river in search of Bird's home sweet home. The ending is the perfect mix of oh, of course! and total surprise (although observant children will get a hint about the outcome on the copyright page). Stead (Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat, 2011) uses loose lines and thick, messy strokes to create illustrations that resemble a child's coloring book page in the best possible way. The style is fresh and exciting, and the pages brim with handclap-worthy details that kids will love, including Vernon's bottle-cap hat. This sensitively told story is a wonderful ode to friendship, selflessness, and the joys of home. Everyone should be so lucky to know a Vernon.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Stead (Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat) imagines what happens when Vernon, a sweetheart of a frog, takes an interest in a silent, unmoving blue bird with an oversize beak, button eyes, and striped peg legs. "Bird is shy," Vernon explains to Skunk and Porcupine, "but also a very good listener." Small panel illustrations of Vernon attempting to amuse Bird, who lies blank and staring wherever Vernon sets him down, draw immediate smiles. Determined to find Bird's home, Vernon takes Bird down the river in a teacup. Vernon's ideas about possible living places for Bird-a mailbox, a nest filled with eggs, a telephone wire-are misses, but Bird's home finally turns up in a place both unexpected and perfectly natural. Stead creates characters that make readers care; Vernon's compassion and faith have near-spiritual dimensions. And the scribbled artwork brims with small delights, like the attentive expressions of Skunk and Porcupine, draped with string-they've quietly appropriated Vernon's yo-yo. But it's the way Vernon consistently sees only the best in Bird that makes this story a keeper. Ages 3-8. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Vernon the toad is out collecting interesting odds and ends when he stumbles upon a displaced cuckoo clock bird that he thinks is real. Certain Bird is lost, Vernon invites his new friend to join him as he goes about his day. Vernon and his friends become increasingly perplexed by Bird's silence and decide that he must be very unhappy and missing his home. Sweet, loyal Vernon decides he will help Bird find his home, and the two embark on a journey that takes them by land, air, and sea amidst bird's continued silence and Vernon's increasing determination. Eventually, Vernon and Bird find a farmhouse and take shelter in the cuckoo clock on the wall. The next morning, Vernon is ecstatic to see that Bird is finally happy and has most found his perfect home as he bursts from the clock with a lively "Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!" Stead, a Caldecott-winning author/illustrator, has created a warm, witty, old-fashioned tale of friendship that underscores the value of determination and thoughtfulness and the importance of home. His colorful, whimsical crayon-and-gauche illustrations capture the story's innocence and Vernon's child-like qualities. Andrew Watts's soothing voice, conversational tone, steady pace, and impeccable enunciation make this an easy read-along for beginning readers or younger children learning to enjoy the simple pleasure of a well-read story. Page-turn signals are optional.-Amy Dreger, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Beachwood, OH (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Stead (author of A Sick Day for Amos McGee, rev. 5/10) returns with another terrific tale of devoted friendship. Starting on the copyright page, we see a little bird thrown from the back of a stuffed-to-the-gills moving truck. This little wooden blue bird with button eyes soon meets a toad named Vernon, who seems to know that the mute and inanimate Bird is lost and in search of a home, and who sets off to help Bird find that home. Stead's loose-edged watercolor, ink, and crayon illustrations are delightfully casual, with an emotional quality that draws the reader to identify with these two friends, especially the dedicated Vernon. And he is dedicated, even hijacking a red balloon to help them float on the wind in their search. There is so much visual humor here that the reader naturally slows down to enjoy all of it, especially the friends' encounter with a kind stranger (a weathervane) who points the way home. Follow the weathervane's arrow to the familiar truck parked in front of a house, a house that careful observers will recognize from earlier in the story. And in that house is a clock, just waiting for its cuckoo. Readers will sigh happily with recognition (not just of the truck, cuckoo clock, and house but also of the gray dog and brown teddy bear, Bird's old friends) as the story comes full circle. While Vernon sleeps comforted by the tick-tock of the clock, Bird is happy to be tucked up in its top, especially when he pops out at six o'clock with a joyful song after his long silence. "And Vernon was happy." Stead has crafted an old-fashioned story that speaks directly to the heart but without manipulation, providing comfort and surprise at the same time. robin l. smith (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Vernon is both a toad and a forager for found objects. Ambling along with his latest haul, he chances upon a creature he seeks to know and then to help. Observant children will have noticed (next to the copyright information) the overloaded "Careful Moving Co." pickup truck barreling down the road, where a bump releases a cuckoo from its clock spring. On re-readings, additional story elements will be discovered in the truck. Vernon observes that "Bird is shybut also a very good listener," when he introduces Bird to his friends. He and his pals conclude that Bird is lost and unhappy, so the thoughtful, resourceful amphibian readies a teacup boat for the journey to help this quiet stranger return home. They check out a birdcage, birdhouse, mailbox, nest and telephone wires--to no avail, but "Vernon was a determined friend." After the weary pair seeks refuge inside a familiar farmhouse clock, Vernon wakes to a cheery "Cuckoo!" and all is well. Stead's loose gouache strokes and crayon scribbles create a disheveled world just right for suggesting a junk-collector's paradise. Wide lines mix with thin curves, and wet and dry strokes commingle for a dappled, breezy setting; blue and green canopies often frame the page borders. Stead's sensitive telling and white background create space for contemplation. A deeply satisfying story that speaks to the universal desires to be nurtured and to find a home. (Picture book. 3-8) ]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
