City Dog, Country Frog / Picture Book

The combination of Mo Willem’s spare language and Jon J Muth’s luminous, emotion-filled paintings is unexpected, yet delicious. This story of a friendship opening and closing chronicles the year in the life of a city dog who meets a country frog on his own turf (lily pad?). Together dog and frog explore the other’s idea of fun and the natural environment around them. As the story follows the seasons, the natural cycle of life asserts itself and the frog’s life ends, City Dog wonders if he’ll have another friendship like the one he shared with frog. The beautiful, spare language and gorgeous, expression-filled illustrations are perfection; this is on my shortlist for Caldecott. City Dog, Country Frog would be a terrific read-aloud for children up through 4th grade. The death of frog is addressed very gently – he’s simply not at the pond when dog arrives to spend the winter with his friend. But it’s not all poignant sentiment; there are many humorous moments, mostly conveyed through the illustrations.
Reviewed by Melissa Henderson, Children’s Department

Leaving the Bellweathers

Title:     Leaving the Bellweathers

Author:   Kristin Clark Venuti

Age Range:  grades 3-7

Format / Genre:  zany humor ; family stories

Imagine if the Penderwicks were quite potty or the Moffats were mad and mischievous; you would have a close match to the Bellweather family. The children – Spider, Nina, and triplets Brick, Sassy, and Spike – are super smart, very crafty, and dreadfully creative. Professor and Mrs. Bellweather are extremely eccentric and dreamily distracted. None of this is good news for the family butler Tristan Benway. Little do the Bellweathers know, Benway is eagerly counting down the days and hours and minutes until he can abandon this family and their wild animals, bagpipes, and other means of making mess and mayhem.  Hilarity ensues at every turn.  This is a great choice for the reader who enjoyed the Series of Unfortunate Events, with the especially fun difference that the adults are in peril at the hands of these benignly dastardly and dangerous children.  Readers who relish wacky family stories, improbable escapades and seeing children triumph will enjoy Leaving the Bellweathers. 

Melissa Henderson, Children’s Services, Glencoe Public Library   05/28/2010

Fly Free by Roseanne Thong

Do unto others. Pay it forward. These important concepts that can be tough to explain to children (and even some adults!). Fortunately, there are wonderful picture books available to illustrate the rewards of being kind; Fly Free by Roseanne Thong is among the latest.

Mai loves to visit the sparrows in the temple and wishes she had a few extra coins to pay to set them free. “This was the Buddhist way. To set an animal free was a good deed.” The kind vendor allows Mai to feed the sparrows, and Mai invites another girl to join her in this task. Mai’s invitation sets off a sequence of kindnesses involving beautiful red sandals, water for a thirsty oxcart driver, rice for a monk’s almsbowl; ultimately, Mai learns firsthand that “when you do a good deed it will come back to you.” 

Colorful and simple illustrations complement the text that works well for read-aloud.  A bonus at the end is the author’s note explaining the concepts of karma and samsara.  Other terrific read-alouds to support the kindness concept are: The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper; The Pirate’s Eye by Robert Priest, The Spiffiest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson, and The Three Questions by Jon Muth.   (check our catalog for Fly Free)

Melissa Henderson, Children’s Services, Glencoe Public Library   04/15/2010