The Spring/Summer 2001 season brings the strongest selection of titles yet to Bradley Beach Books. I'm pleased to be able to bring you this many outstanding selections, with particularly strong titles for younger readers about gardens, and a notable debut from novelist Michael Laser for middle readers.
Beach Day
By Karen Roosa. Illustrated by Maggie Smith. Clarion Books. A
pleasant story about children and families on a day-long seaside
outing, told in simple rhyming couplets for very young readers,
with plenty of activity featuring sand dunes, a lighthouse, sailboats,
and seagulls. (Ages 2-4)
Didi and Daddy on the Promenade
By Marilyn Singer. Illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay. Clarion Books.
Energetic little Didi drags Daddy out of bed for a Sunday-morning
walk on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade in this story for younger
readers. Marie-Louise Gay's casual, sketchy illustrations capture
the breezy esplanade overlooking New York Harbor and the Manhattan
skyline so vigorously that it's a shame the text isn't pitched
to a slightly higher reading level so more children could enjoy
an introduction to the vast borough across the East River. (Ages
2-5)
Eli's Night-Light
By Liz Rosenberg. Illustrated by Joanna Yardley. Orchard Books.
This story for younger readers describes how familiar objects
in little Eli's bedroom can appear ominous and strange-looking
in the dark, until Eli thinks to open the window to look out
at the stars--his night light. Joanna Yardley's illustrations
are all rendered in very dark, matte shades of blue and could
use a little light themselves. (Ages 2-5)
Little Green
Written and illustrated by Keith Baker. Harcourt. Keith Baker's
cut-paper collages are somewhat reminiscent of Eric Carle's work,
but with a delicate touch, in sheets of thin tissue paper, in
this story for younger readers about a boy watching a hummingbird
darting about the garden of vivid red and purple blossoms outside
his cottage window and painting what he sees. (Ages 3-6)
The Wind's Garden
By Bethany Roberts. Illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg. Henry
Holt. A simple story for younger readers about a girl who plants
a neat, orderly garden, and about the cheerful wildflower garden
with big, bold sunflowers planted by the wind, scattering seeds
right outside her picket fence. (Ages 3-7)
Book! Book! Book!
By Deborah Bruss. Illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke. Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic.
When the children on a farm return to school in the fall, horse,
pig, cow, goat, duck, and hen find themselves at loose ends without
their usual playmates, and decide to visit the public library.
Unfortunately, the librarian has trouble understanding their
requests for books until hen makes clear what she wants. Tiphanie
Beeke is a talented illustrator, and her skill in manipulating
feathery mauve, pink, yellow, and deep blue pastels is put to
very good use in this attractive book. (Ages 4-7)
Little Whistle
By Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Harcourt. Little
Whistle is a brown guinea pig who lives in Toytown, a toy store
that is "the sweetest and kindest place in the world for
a small guinea pig to live," in what is described as a new
series by extremely prolific veteran author Cynthia Rylant. Little
Whistle is the only thing in the store that isn't for sale, though,
and the book has something of a melancholy feel. Perhaps in the
next volume, a few permanent playmates for him will make their
appearance; the book's concept is good. (Ages 4-7)
Mama Provi and the Pot of Rice
By Sylvia Rosa-Casanova. Illustrated by Robert Roth. Aladdin.
Lucy's family lives on the eighth floor of an older brick apartment
building, and her grandmother, Mama Provi, lives in the same
building on the first floor. One Saturday Lucy has chicken pox,
and to cheer her up, Puerto Rican-born Mama Provi makes a big
pot of arroz con pollo, which she puts into a shopping bag and
sets out to deliver on foot. At each floor landing, she trades
a bowl of chicken with rice for a different neighbor's ethnic
food specialty. When Mama Provi finally arrives at the eighth
floor, she and Lucy share a multicultural feast. Robert Roth's
subtle earth-toned watercolors and depiction of the massive,
winding central staircase and other building details nicely complement
a warm and generous text. Recommended. (Ages 4-8)
Mrs. Spitzer's Garden
By Edith Pattou. Illustrated by Tricia Tusa. Harcourt. Gently
individualistic Mrs. Spitzer teaches kindergarten in Room 108
of Tremont Elementary School, along with her equally distinctive
colleagues, and in addition to nurturing her five-year-olds,
she gardens. This very imaginative book chronicles the rhythm
of Mrs. Spitzer's garden year, and the way she encourages her
various plants to flower, each with its different growing style.
Tricia Tusa's soft ink-and-watercolor pictures, with whimsical
seasonal detail and cheerful faces of flowers, trees, and vegetables,
aptly complement the text of this beautifully designed story.
Recommended. (Ages 4-7)
Puff-Puff Chugga-Chugga
Written and illustrated by Christopher Wormell. McElderry Books.
Originally published in England, this gently paced tale of a
little railroad line that runs along the seashore between the
town center and the conductor's house, and the animals who take
the train to do their shopping, depicts in simple crayon drawings
an unexpected picnic attended by dozens of walruses, elephants,
and bears. (Ages 4-7)
Toot and Puddle: Welcome to Woodcock Pocket
Written and illustrated by Holly Hobbie. Little, Brown. Welcome
to Woodcock Pocket is a slipcased set of miniature versions
of the first three Toot and Puddle stories. I was late in discovering
Toot and Puddle; their creator, Holly Hobbie, illustrated greeting
cards in the 1970s, and I expected these books, about the adventures
of two piglets, to be lackluster and formulaic: I'm delighted
to report that I could not have been more wrong. Toot and
Puddle, the first book in the series, introduces the two
best friends, who live together in a Massachusetts hamlet called
Woodcock Pocket. Puddle loves to stay at home, cook, keep house,
and paint, while Toot sometimes likes to travel. Toot embarks
on a journey to see the world, and sends Puddle postcards at
every stop. A Present for Toot, the second book, finds
Toot back at home with an impending birthday--and Puddle searches
and shops to find a present as special as Toot is. In You
Are My Sunshine, the third book, Toot is for some unknown
reason a bit listless and bored; Puddle tries in vain to lighten
his friend's mood, but has to wait until a thunderstorm provides
a change in the weather for Toot to cheer up.
These books
are contemporary classics. Holly Hobbie is a superb watercolorist,
and adults as well as children will appreciate her skill in manipulating
light and shadow in this difficult medium, as well as her clever
and charming attention to the smallest details of Toot and Puddle's
house. These two little piglets possess personalities more distinct
and subtle than the characters in some adult novels--each book
is a delight, and Little, Brown is to be commended for publishing
the product of one artist's vision. Recommended. (Ages 5-adult)
Toot and Puddle: Puddle's ABC
In Puddle's ABC,
the fourth book in the series (although it is full-sized and
not part of the slipcased set), Puddle decides to give Otto,
a turtle friend of the piglets, reading lessons after he discovers
that Otto doesn't know how. Puddle paints a picture to accompany
each letter of the alphabet; Puddle and Toot help Otto to memorize
and write the letters, then put them together, so he can write
Toot's and Puddle's names. (Ages 5-adult)
Readers, please note: the fifth Toot and Puddle title is on Little,
Brown's fall list, and will be featured in upcoming Bradley Beach
Books reviews.
The Adventures of Minnie: Minnie Saves
the Day
Written and illustrated by Melodye Benson Rosales. Little, Brown.
Minnie Saves the Day is the first book in another new
series about children's toys. This high-quality effort introduces
Minnie, a spirited, chocolate-brown handmade rag doll who belongs
to Hester Merriweather, the youngest member of a family who lives
in 1930s Chicago. Set in the city's Bronzeville neighborhood,
then a well-known African-American community, Ms. Rosales depicts
in warm detail the Merriweathers' tidy "courtway" apartment
building; Hester's father is a Pullman porter, her mother a schoolteacher,
and older sister Annie is the president of a local children's
club. In Minnie Saves the Day, Minnie and the other toys--Prima
Donna, Baby Doll, Waddle Waddle, Grumpy Old Bear, and Scruffy
the Rabbit--a very capable bunch, bake a butter poundcake (recipe
included) for Hester's mother's parents while Minnie and her
older babysitter, Mrs. Morgan, both fall asleep one afternoon
after listening to radio serials.
Minnie Saves the Day is an expensively produced book,
and I hadn't expected much from it, thinking it would be a bland
gift package, but Melodye Benson Rosales has written and illustrated
a quickly-paced, lively yet thoughtful story with plenty of period
detail; I'm looking forward to Minnie's further adventures. (Ages
6-10)
Lookin' for Bird in the Big City
By Robert Burleigh. Illustrated by Marek Los. Harcourt. A young
Miles Davis arrives in late-1940s New York City, searching for
his musical idol, jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker in this romantic
story told in blank verse. Author Robert Burleigh and illustrator
Marek Los share an obvious love both for jazz and for New York
City; Marek Los paints a swirling mix of clouds, rooftops, water
towers, skyscrapers, fire escapes, newsstands, and late-night
clubs that will appeal to adults as well as children. Lookin'
for Bird in the Big City successfully captures the dedication
of Parker and Davis to their art (in many aspects of their personal
lives, these men were in no way role models for anyone) and the
sprawling lyricism of all of New York City, from the Staten Island
Ferry to the many bridges crossing the East River, that provided
the setting for their creative vision. (Ages 6-adult)
A Pocketful of Poems
By Nikki Grimes. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. Clarion Books.
In A Pocketful of Poems, prolific children's author/poet
Nikki Grimes couples her protagonist Tiana's words with haiku
on various urban themes with an African-American feel. Javaka
Steptoe's vigorous, double-page-spread cut-paper/found-object
assemblages illustrate the book; although well-done, either you
like this kind of artwork or you don't. (Ages 6-9)
Stepping Out With Grandma Mac
Nikki Grimes's Stepping Out With Grandma Mac (Orchard
Books) addresses similar subject matter: a young teenage girl
lives with her outwardly aloof, exacting grandmother--who seems
more like her great-grandmother--who expresses little in the
way of overt affection. Artist Angelo's color cover illustration
of a Harlem brownstone doorway is atmospheric; the rest of the
book's drawings are black and white, and would have been more
memorable in color. (Ages 7-10)
The Beastly Arms
By Patrick Jennings. Scholastic. Eleven-year-old Nicholas Dill--called
Nickel--and his divorced mother, Maud, a bohemian photography
teacher who doesn't make much money, live in a rental apartment
in a lively, freewheeling, unnamed city that would seem to resemble
San Francisco. When their rent is raised yet again, Nicholas
and his best friend Inez--so independent and outspoken that she's
almost a caricature--start looking for another place for the
Dills to live. One afternoon after school they stumble upon an
old building hidden in an alley; its eccentric proprietor, Mr.
Beastly, offers Maud a large prewar two-bedroom for only $200
per month.
After Nicholas and his mother move in, Nicholas goes exploring;
the Dills and their landlord seem to be the only tenants in the
building. It turns out that Mr. Beastly, whose real name is Julius
Beasley, was a very successful architect in the 1930s, designing
office buildings, theaters, and the building he still lives in.
When he tired of the commercial demands of his architecture practice,
he drifted into early retirement, became increasingly reclusive,
and turned his building into a wildlife refuge: undomesticated
animals live in most of the apartments.
Mr. Beastly is presented very sympathetically in this well-written,
thought-provoking novel. I've lived my entire life in a city,
and spend a lot of my time reading and writing about urban issues
(see the adult section of Bradley Beach Books), and I wouldn't
want to live anywhere near Mr. Beastly's building. What do you
think? (Ages 8-12)
Love, Ruby Lavender
By Deborah Wiles. Harcourt. Halleluia, Mississippi, home to 400
people, more or less, is the setting for this sweetly off-center
story about nine-year-old Ruby Garnet Lavender; her mother, the
"first woman in Aurora County to be the extension agent
for home and garden"; her beloved grandmother, Miss Eula
Dapplewhite; and a townful of other characters. Newcomer Deborah
Wiles tells the story of how Ruby Lavender copes with summer
and her archrival Melba Jane Latham when Miss Eula takes a trip
to Hawaii to visit her nephew (much of the town turns up to see
her Greyhound bus off for the first leg of the journey). While
all this is going on, Ruby also works at Miss Mattie's "mercantile"
general store and the town operetta production gets underway.
The novel is partly told in letters, mostly between Ruby Lavender
and Miss Eula (Ruby is a natural writer), and also includes gardening
dispatches by Ruby's mother and other clips from the Aurora County
News and a map of Halleluia. At the story's end, Ruby and Melba
Jane come to some kind of terms; I'll look forward to Deborah
Wiles's next book. (Ages 8-12)
6-321
By Michael Laser. Atheneum. 6-321, an excellent first
novel for middle readers by Michael Laser, whom I hadn't heard
of previously, chronicles a few months in the school life of
sixth-grader Marc Chaikin. Set in the fall of 1963, in a lower-middle-class
Queens, New York, neighborhood and encompassing the assassination
of President John F. Kennedy, the book tells of Marc's struggles
with bullies, condescending boys in his advanced class, an infatuation
with a female classmate whose personality turns out to be considerably
different than he and a rival suitor had thought, and his progression
from an average student to a superior one under the watchful
eye of his perceptive teacher, theater-loving Mr. Vigoritti.
Running through the book is the class play that Mr. Vigoritti
is directing: Julius Caesar, with Marc cast as Brutus
and a former troublemaker from a remedial class cast as Caesar.
Marc, an observant, literate boy who seems destined to become
a writer, also has to cope with his parents' long-disintegrating
marriage; by the book's conclusion, he has learned something
about ambiguity, discernment, and the identity of himself and
others--Mr. Laser is especially good at depicting Marc grasping
at adult emotions that he can't yet completely name. The novel
ends with Marc and three friends venturing alone into Manhattan
for the first time, seeing a movie and wandering the sidewalks,
drinking in the sense of a wider world waiting to be explored.
Michael Laser, with a wealth of material at the ready, could
easily write a sequel about these characters or similar ones
in junior high or high school--or an adult novel about them.
I eagerly await the next effort of this fluid storyteller. Recommended.
(Ages 8-12)
Just Imagine
By Pat Lowery Collins. Houghton Mifflin. This historical novel,
set during the Great Depression, begins in Los Angeles, where
Mary Francis Ferguson's little brother Leland is being groomed
by their mother for a child-actor's career, in the movies. Because
the family doesn't really have the money to finance this scheme,
Mary Francis, her father, and her paternal grandmother (who has
an ambivalent relationship with her son's wife) move across the
country to a rundown apartment in a Massachusetts mill town where
Mary Francis's father has taken a managerial job. Her mother,
unrealistic yet tenacious, stays behind with Leland in Hollywood,
serving as his agent. The book describes in authentic detail
the daily life in a 1930s working-class setting, as well as painting
a gritty picture of the behind-the-scenes reality of the Hollywood
movie studios of the day. The family is eventually reunited,
and Mary Francis's mother has learned to be a little more satisfied
with what she has in life. (Ages 10-14)
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