Wow, a lot of cold and flu going around. Time for a reading prescription.
I FEEL BETTER WITH A FROG IN MY THROAT 
by Caralyn Becker (Houghton Mifflin)
by Caralyn Becker (Houghton Mifflin) Which is the surest cure for a wound: honey, moldy bread, puppy kisses, spider webs or maggots? All of these prescriptions were employed at some point in history. Millipedes were used for stomachaches, holes drilled in the head for migraines, and necklaces were made of earthworms for sore throats, all with varying degrees of success starting with zero. What fun, in multiple choice format, to discover the surprising answers of which alchemy rated an A+. Well written in an inviting conversational style, the text is enhanced with humorous digital mixed media illustrations that suggest rich paintings with tongue applied firmly in cheek. Following up on her unusual and enticing children’s nonfiction such as WHO PUT THE B IN BALLYHOO
and THE RAUCOUS ROYALS
, likewise, this well-researched, bibliography-backed volume doesn’t flinch as it conveys the finer, funnier and freakier details of history. A picture book boon for older children, this doubles most definitely as a sure cure for reluctant readers. (8 and up)
and THE RAUCOUS ROYALS, likewise, this well-researched, bibliography-backed volume doesn’t flinch as it conveys the finer, funnier and freakier details of history. A picture book boon for older children, this doubles most definitely as a sure cure for reluctant readers. (8 and up)Also of interest:
A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE
by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead (Roaring Brook)
Zookeeper Amos takes mighty good care of his friends. Every day, He plays chess with the elephant, races the tortoise (and lets him win), wipes the rhinoceros’ substantial runny nose, keeps a shy penguin company and reads to the night owl who is afraid of the dark. But when Amos gets sick with the flu, it’s the animals who come and deliver the necessary caretaking. Such zoo-in-the-home stories have a long line of grandparents, from A ZOO FOR MISTER MUSTER
by Arnold Lobel (1962) to Peggy Rathmann’s inimitable GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA
(1994), visually referenced in Stead’s illustrations with a familiar red balloon and tiny supporting-character mouse making several appearances throughout. This book has a sensitive pencil line and woodblock backdrops, and a muted, restrained palette that is rare these days, understated and lovely. Just like the kind of man Amos reveals himself to be, unafraid of being kind and soft, the great strength of this book is in its brave gentleness. Look at that mighty elephant trunk curled carefully around the wing of a penguin, animals patiently waiting at the stop for a public bus, or Amos playing hide-and-seek under a peacock-patterned coverlet! An excellent friendship story hinging on the underserved but important theme of reciprocation, it goes to show another day at the zoo is always welcome. (4 and up)Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.
from rainforest units). I hope it can be appreciated what a major, major undertaking this latest work must have been. Even the conception of the project, requiring some reader acrobatics decoding narratives in two different directions, literally and figuratively, redefines in some way the structure and expectation of a book. The wordless text gives the story universality, with a storyline intended clearly to unify, while never sacrificing the cultural integrity of each country represented. But whoooosh, look at that art, meticulous paper cut and collage on every page, integrating sand, tin, wood, plastic, clay, paint and vegetation. The whole world seems in this book, and fittingly so; most of all, this is a book about love of the world, in it’s sameness and its differences. It doesn’t require us to believe everyone is “just like us” in order for us to love them and want them to be free. At the same time, the book allows us to notice our commonalities in a real world context. The story ends with the Australian boy’s imagination being lifted by thoughts of a “magic carpet” imported to and bought at the hardware store, while the Moroccan family is swept away by their own market purchase: a desktop computer. It is interesting she chose to end on that note, albeit subtle, where the Westernized family is still holding to outdated stereotypes of the Arab world, while the other family, for all the isolation of the landscape, is moving forward toward the technological age; but rather than reading as an accusation, it comes off as an invitation to an updated global view. Teachers, students can research other countries and cultures to create a similar parallel illustration, a picture that tells a thousand words.
, requiring hundreds of hand-carved block plates and probably deserving of a Caledott and a half, but might have been considered a “novelty book.” Please pay attention, ya’ll. (7 and up)
STAND STRAIGHT, ELLA KATE by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise (Dial, 2010)
THE DARK EMPEROR & OTHER POEMS OF THE NIGHT by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen (Houghton Mifflin)
Well, well, well, here’s one little girl who is NOT afraid of the dark. Turning on a naked lightbulb in a storage area, the ladder, vacuum, hose and various whatnots are transformed into wordless wonderland scenes that pull the character and the reader into a drama that grows more exciting with every turned page. Starting with Rorschach-like illustrations, reality rests on one side and a parallel, playful tropical/folkloric hybrid universe on the other, unified by the seam of the book. The imaginative world soon consumes both sides of the page as the girl defeats the small but nefarious wolf to a point of enough contrition that he is invited into a fantasy shindig. Dreams must be deferred when mother’s call of “Dinner’s ready!” cuts through the action like a scissors, perhaps a loose reference to the reassuring spell-breaking of Max’s mother’s soup in Sendak’s 
. The room is left in disarray and darkness, but does that mean the party is really over? Like the little girl in the story, the artist does everything possible with what she’s got: her limited palette of black and a spreading cloud of yellow, her simple stencils, her pencil, the very space on the page used with new energy and inventiveness. Stylistically, it is reminiscent of Marie Hall Ets’ vintage 
, but its fresh mastery of the form makes it a must-have for picture book lovers of all ages and if the illustrator were not residing in Singapore, this would be a 
conflict combined with the magic of a dream, and the hopeful ending that underscores the resiliency of both the child and the group that works together. Created by two activists for Mexico's native peoples, the story never strays from genuine feeling while never resorting to the didactic; rather, it is an extremely personal story treated with great beauty, sure to build an empathetic bridge across miles of experience for many American children. Alternating Spanish and English text make this an extra marvelous pick for bilingual collections. (7 and up)
for a few "for instances"), but I think this latest book has a special grace in its unfettered, more minimal telling, and the loose artist's hand lent to lively figures against a clay-colored backdrop. But even though this style seems new, Rumford never loses the thread of the theme that weaves through so many of his books: language and learning is often hard won, a joy worth whatever journey allows us to arrive. And what child wouldn't like to build his or her very own school! (6 and up)
Speaking of Africa, I also want to give you a heads-up about an especially charming new series: 
by Atinuke, illustrated by Lauren Tobia (Kane Miller). Move over, Junie B., Judy Moody and Ramona, make room for your African cousin! Rather than being told in the immediate first person as is the style here in the states, Anna's stories are told more omnisciently, broad enough to bring in the (albeit unspecific) setting of "Africa, beautiful Africa" and with a special read-aloud flair brought to the table by the author's professional storytelling background. Anna lives in a bustling houshold with her African father, Canadian mother and a bevy of cousins, aunts, uncles and elders. In this first volume, Anna goes on vacation, meets with an auntie who has moved to the exotic United States (and hopefully hasn't lost all sense of tradition), creates a problem when she tries to sell oranges like the girls on a neighboring street, and dreams of snow under the African sun...a wish that may surprisingly get granted. This book is straight-up potato chips in that by chapter two it was clear just one wouldn't be nearly enough, and luckily, readers can chomp right into the sequel, 
which ups the mischief ante. Black and white spot illustrations combine a sensitive line with lots of personality, kind of like an African-influenced 
by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Brenda Sexton (Sterling, 2010)
(where a tadpole=2/3 frog, and cold air divided by breath = tiny cloud). Easily one of the most inventive books of the year, what creative math problems can your children devise with such inspiration? 1 crazy original read-aloud + 1 classroom/homeschooler/booklover eager to look at math in a whole new way = integrated learning. It all adds up. (6 and up)
. A read-aloud folktale with a surprise ending? What more could anyone wish? (6 and up)
by Mary K. Corcoran, illustrated by Jef Czekaj (Charlesbridge, 2010) It's hard to resist this guided tour of about 60,000 miles through the circulatory system of a fetching redhead, all narrated by a little green guy traversing through her insides, kind of like 
. A mix of the colloquial and clinical, the adventures are often put into meaningful contexts with which children will identify, like the forming of scabs or the cause and effect relationship between junk food and arterial plaque. While I confess I still have a special place in my heart (or at least my left ventricle) for Steve Alton's 
for use in second grade studies of the human body, and David Macaulay's inimitable 
for older kids, the text here is generous and conversational, and the overall comical treatment might very well set reluctant readers' blood racing, making it a desirable addition to a thematic collection. A glossary helps with words like "fibrin" and "macrophage." Don't know what those mean? See, you need this book. (7 and up)
by Tad Hills (Schwartz & Wade, 2010)