The Field Guide to Parenting
Great Advice and Book Reviews
for Parents, Teachers, Child Care Providers,
and Anyone Who Loves a Young Child

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The Field Guide to Parenting Children's Bookstore

Great Books to Read with the Children in Your Life

Best of 2008

 

Picture Books

 Just What Mama Needs by Sharlee Glenn, illustrated by Amiko Hirao, Harcourt, 2008

Abby loves to play dress-up, and on each day of the week, she dons a different costume. One day she is a pirate while the next a detective and so on throughout the week. The amazing thing is that on each day that Abby becomes a character, that kind of help is exactly what Mama needs. Pirate Abby helps swab the deck, Cowgirl Abby helps round up the toy livestock, witch Abby helps stir a pot of brew and so on. On shopping day, Queen Abby rides high and the store doors even open on her command.

A WONDERFUL story of the mgic of make-believe and a clever mom who uses her daughter's imagination to get done whatever needs getting done. Brightly colored pages, a soft, huggable-looking collage of Abby, and Mama's priceless expressions make the visuals a joy. 

 

Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here! A Word from your Baby-in-Waiting by Barbara Park (Author), Viviana Garofoli (Illustrator) Random House, 2008

So, when Barbara Park, who we love for Skinybones and the Junie B Jones books, set out to write what it might feel like to be in the womb, and Vivian Garafoli added  what the view from in there might  be, the result is sheer delight. As it turns out, there's not much to do in there, and babies get tired of floating.
 Still...I try to stay busy / I slosh tilll I'm dizzy. / I practice my kicking.  / And hiccup-cup-hicking. You can see that the rhymes add to the joyful tone of the whole book.

Large, colorful pictures show a bald but happy baby preparing for the day when she or he comes sliding down a bright purple tube into mom's arms.

 

A Taste of Colored Water by Matt Faulkner, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2008

It was Abby Finch who started it all. She'd come back from the big city with tales of bubbling water fountains that promised colored water, if you could believe the sign. Well, the boys decide they have to see this for themselves, and pester Uncle Jack into giving them a ride. The city was different and a little scar, full of buses and people with signs and police.

A well-written story illustrated with pen and ink, and watercolor. The contrast between the city and the country underscores the much larger contrast between a child's view of an
adult world. Through the eyes of the children, the anger and violence don't seem to make sense, and in the end, they wonder just what a person has to do to every get that drink of colored water.

Exceptional treatment of a challenging topic.

 

The Dog Who Loved the Moon by Cristina Garcia, Sebastia Serra (Illustrator)
Atheneum, 2008

Pilar got a puppy for her birthday. She adored him. Paco was a happy pup during the day but grew melancholy at night. On full moon eves, he hollowed. Pilar and her family realize that he loves the moon, and all get together to sing and dance to cheer Paco up. And then am amazing thing happened: the sky darkened, the moon seemed to disapear, and then...

I don't want to spoil the delicious surprise ending. Digital illustrations are somewhat flat, but Pilar and Paco are appropriately adorable. The family and world around them are colorful and full of energy. 

 

One Duck Stuck: A Mucky Ducky Counting Book by Phyllis Root (Big Book), Candlewick, 2008


 Our favorite stuck duck is gloriously LARGE in this new edition. Even though this multi-award winning book is already a classic, the 21" x17" richly hued, gorgeously colored pages with big words create a brand new reading experience that you won't want to miss!

 

Phyllis Root says she wanted ONE DUCK STUCK to be "a north woods wetlands counting book, accurate to the marshes of Minnesota. All the animals are actually found there. I love to go canoeing and camping, and this book is a composite of my experiences." The book is true to her intention, but it is accurate about life in the spring or summer making this a perfect summer choice. Well worth the investment to have such a great format of this wonderful, timeless title.

CLICK HERE for more from Phyllis Root.

 

 

 

Non-Fiction

 

Sisters & Brothers:Sibling Relationships in the Animal World
by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page, Houghton Mifflin, 2008

 

Did you know that armadillos are born as identical quadruplets? Or that cheetahs only stay with thier moms for about 18 months, while siblings stay together for around 24? Or that New Mexico whiptail lizards are only females, who are identical to their mother who is identical to her mother?

Categories such as "A large family" or "cooperating" offer a quick sense of what the sets of siblings are about, while a more detailed explanation follows. Yet, at no time do the pages seem crowded or overwhelming. Each cut-and-torn paper illustration seems to invite you to linger on the page and take in the beautiful detail.

 

As usual, Steve Jenkins and Robin Page have created a fascinating window into animal life, excellently illustrated as only Steve Jenkins can.

 

 

 

Board Books

 

          

   Colors + Flavors           Red + Green                Stripes + Arrows           Circle + Square

by Jill Hartley, Groundwood Books, 2008 (First published in Mexico)

Gorgeous photos alone, exuberant colors, unique items, and adorable children are the hallmarks of this board book series. Many photos include much detail, which will provide a fun challenge for young readers. A series of board books a cut above the rest -- Highly enjoyable!

 

 

Alphabet Animals: A Slide-and-Peek Adventure by Suse MacDonald

 

Not since Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald in 1986 has there been an alphabet book in which animals spell out their own letters in ingenius ways. Kids can identify the animal, guess which letter it is representing, and then slide out a page with the correct answer. Bright animals, insects, and birds leap off a single deeply rich colored background. The last page of animals that didn't make it into the alphabet sequence add more guessing fun, and each looks sad, mad, or dismayed.  Sturdy pages insure a long-lasting book and hours of fun.

 

Also by Suse MacDonald, the Caldicott Honoree-winning Alphabatics

click on book covers for more information at Amazon


What Kind of Rabbit Are YOU? by Liz Goulet Dubois
Little Simon, 2008
You will find nearly every shape, color, pattern, and whatnot you can think of in the wide variety of rabbits. Pop-ups are fun and with moving parts. I especially liked the pretty blue flowered rabbit in the wheelchair with the colorful moving wheel. Some are loud, some are soft-spoken, some smile, some frown, but no matter what a rabbit looks like on the outside, you have to get to him/her them on the inside to decide,"Nice or not?"

For a small, colorful, board-size book, this one has a big message delivered in a larger than life way! Yes--kids will love it.

 

What's Up, Duck? A Book of Opposites by Tad Hill
Schwartz & Wade/Random House, 2008

Duck and Goose are back in a wide-eyed look, as only they can do, at opposites--far and near, clean and dirty, etc. The sprightly Thistle and sweet blue bird join in the fun as well. As you can tell from the cover, the characters demonstrate the opposites; Thistle is loud while on the next page, blue bird whispers quietly in Goose's ear. Colorful backgrounds follow white backgrounds, but as always, Duck and Goose are the center of attention. "heavy" is my favorite; With buckling legs and his head straight up so all you see is the bottom of his beak, Duck struggles mightily to hold Goose, who looks innocently at the reader.

If you haven't been a fan of this captivating duo before, you surely will be upon sharing What's Up, Duck? with the young child in your life.

 

Bow Wow Hears Things by Mark Newgarden & Megan Montague Cash
 Harcourt, 2008

Another picture book character enters a board book, and Bow-Wow is perfectly suited for this format. Simple illustrations with clear, chunky-outlined characters transfer to the small page with nothing lost. A small yellow bird asks Bow-Wow a series of questions, each being a different sound. "Oink?' asks the bird, "No," answers Bow-Wow. The little one eventually gets it right and in a big way. Littlest readers will delight in all the sounds the bird tries to make in the Q & A format, especially since they will know the right answer. Very cute concept book about sounds.

I Like It When...Me Gusta Cuando... by Mary Murphy
 Harcourt, 2008
A cheerful little penguin and parent go about their day, as the little one lists all the  "I like it when..." things in a day: splash about/salpicamos el agua, we play peekaboo/jugamos al escondite, etc. Single characters pop off plain but deeply colored backgrounds, and speak a few words, too. Despite two languages describing the same thing, the pages are remarkable uncluttered and easy to read both in words and pictures. VERY cute!


Fiction & Easy Readers

 

 

A Beginning, A Muddle, and an End by Avi

Harcourt, 2008

 

In this sequel to the charming and delightful The End of the Beginning, the ant & snail friends are at it again, this time determined to write a story. As before, what ensues is a feast of language fun as the best friends explore the meaning and creation of story and writing.

 

 

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
Houghton Mifflin 2008

Four children make do with neglectful parents until the parents go off on a long adventure leaving them with a nanny and a much-improved home life. Making reference to classic children's tales of old and with tongue firmly planted in cheek, the characters are winsome and the plot fortuitous--a journey home by a lost boy, the widower/candy-maker next door, odious parents, and even a baby left on the doorstop all intertwine in a most agreeable fashion. The parents place their house up for sale, even though the children still live there, but nanny and the four will not be defeated. They are destined for a happy ending, being old-fashioned children with good character who can pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

The writing is divine, characters well-defined or at least well-caricatured, and the language is glorious. If one does not know the meaning of words like "nefarious," "lugubrious," or "winsome," a glossary near the end explains and is as fun to read as the story itself. But above all, dialogue is king, masterfully crafted, and brings humor to even the humorless characters. Consider this exchange between the dolt-ish parents before they plot to abandon the children:


    "Do you like our children?"
      "Oh, no," Mrs. Willoughby said..."And then there are the two that I can't tell apart..."
      "The twins."
      "Yes, them. Why on earth do they look so much alike? It confuses people and isn't fair."

 

Refreshing, delightful, wickedly funny--what more can I say? Simply a best book of the year.


Could You? Would You?: A Book to Tickle Your Imagination by Trudy White
Kane/Miller, 2007

Could you imagine waking up one morning as a baby again?
Make a list of words you like saying.
Would you swap your arms for wings? 

An ENTIRE book of questions and creative suggestions to notice, explain, use your senses, and imagine yourself and the world--Fantastic! If ever a book should be read by parent and child, or teacher and student, or any caring adult and young child, this is it. I can imagine the beginnings of creative, unique conversations from every page. Not a storybook, but maybe even better; kids can use their knowledge and imagination to write their own stories.

LOVED Could You? Would You? -- Highly recommended!  

 

Book Announcements  Intriguing New Graphic Novels from First Second Books

 

Little Vampire: Three Stories (including the New York Times bestseller "Vampire Goes to School") by Joann Sfar, 2008

Review in Kirkus Reviews

Three episodes...feature the diminutive, grey-skinned bloodsucker, his human friend Michael and a haunted-houseful of spectacularly lurid ghouls and creepies.  All three tales progress in small, brightly colored panels packed with brisk action, sight gags and dialogue in miniscule type. Fans of Emmanuel Guibert’s Sardine in Outer Space series, which is illustrated by Sfar, will find his solo outings just as appealingly off-the-wall. Libraries that bought the first two chapters (which were issued by a different publisher) will need this as a value-added replacement. (Graphic novel. 9-11)

 

Kaput & Zosky by Lewis Trondheim, 2008

Review in the Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books

In this French import, the absurd misadventures of the daring Kaput and Zosky, space explorers and would-be conquerors, are presented in brief, full-color installments that, when combined, form a graphic novel detailing several attempts at planet takeovers and a complete glimpse into the humorously bizarre psyches of the two comic protagonists....this hilarious collection is overall fresh, creative, and particularly appealing in the refusal to apply any sort of moral: sometimes space conquerors don’t have to learn from their mistakes, and they get to keep assuming that their next attempt will stick.

 

in case you missed it...

 

Teens and the Job Game: An Inspiring Guide for Developing Your Whole Person Today and Winning the Job of Your Dreams Tomorrow

by Beverly Slmoka, iUniverse, 2007

 

 Written by a former VP of Merryl Lynch, the title pretty much says it all. Success is within your reach.