For Children
What's new for Children
Anansi’s Party Time by Eric A. Kimmel
Emily Gravett’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett
Starred Review. Dystychiphobia, phagophobia, good old acrophobia: everybody's afraid of something although it does seem that Gravett's (Orange Pear Apple Bear) winsome mouse protagonist has cornered the market on anxieties. Wittily assuming the format of a scrapbook or diary that is filled in by Little Mouse, this book exhorts, You too can overcome your fears through the use of art! A virtually encyclopedic list of fears follows, each on its own page, with plenty of space allotted for Little Mouse's response. Gravett augments these expansive collaged spreads with interactive goodies (a flap, a gatefold, a tip-in of an entire map). For example, when Little Mouse scrawls, I don't like being alone, or in the dark, readers will learn from glancing at the upper-right corner that this feeling is called Isolophobia (Fear of solitude). The opposite page is pitch-black, and Little Mouse eyes it nervously. Other moments are more purely amusing: aichmophobia (the fear of knives) ushers in references to Three Blind Mice. Whether or not they choose to face their own fears, kids will feel that a chord has been struck and they'll savor spicing up their budding vocabularies. Ages 4 8. (Sept.) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Zip, Zip - Homework by Nancy Poydar
Howard Thurman’s Great Hope by Kai Jackson Issa
Iris Has a Virus by Arlene Alda
Bear Feels Scared by Karma Wilson
Beloved Bear gets another emotional workout, this time a frightening episode in the dark and stormy woods. While Bear is on the trail of a snack, things quickly turn windy, wet and, as Bear gets lost, downright spooky. He cries and trembles, curling up amid the gnarled roots of a huge tree until his ever-faithful band of woodland friends who have carefully formed a proper search party come to his aid. Via rhyming text and the repeated refrain And the bear feels scared, Wilson and Chapman (Bear Snores On; Bear Feels Sick) once again tap into the psychology of preschoolers, exploringa common childhood emotion. Chapman's acrylics capture the motion of the blowing winds, while Bear's ultra-expressive eyes and lumbering hulk demonstrate his vulnerability; readers will immediately connect to his experience. Meanwhile, in the cozy fire-lit lair, preparations for Bear's rescue replete with lantern and string to tie the searchers to one another evoke warm feelings about teamwork and support. Ages 3 7. (Aug.) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
One Watermelon Seed by Celia Barker Lottridge
I Know an Old Teacher by Anne Bowen
Welcome to Your World, Baby by Brooke Shields
The Day Leo Said I Hate You by Robie H. Harris
Starred Review. Harris (Mail Harry to the Moon!, Reviews, Apr. 28) and Bang (When Sophie Gets Angry Really, Really Angry) are so simpatico that it's almost surprising that no one thought of bringing them together sooner. Their hero is sulking after some serial misbehaving evoked via vibrant collages of photos and cut paper when Mommy's disciplining finally pushes him to an act of provocative communication. Bang portrays Leo as almost demonic, his flushed face ballooning above his tiny body as the titular words blast out of his mouth. Instantly mortified his too-large head suddenly makes him seem awkward and vulnerable he now has a new problem: Could the words he spoke in anger negate Mommy's love for him? Harris is not (and never has been) interested in portraying Stepford families. When Leo weakly points out that, after all, Mommy expressed a hatred of broccoli at dinner the night before, she loses it. BROCCOLI? Bang punctuates the already expressive typography with photos of the vegetable I am NOT broccoli! You are NOT broccoli! But this breach is not, of course, irreparable, and the way Mommy brings it off is so humane, sensible and, yes, replicable, that booksellers might actually want to consider filing copies of this book in the parenting section. Ages 3 6. (Sept.) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
