I Think I Can - a review

I Think I Can

By Karen S. Robbins
Illustrations by Rachael Brunson
Schiffer Publishing, 2019

Below is my review as it appeared in the June, 2019 edition of School Library Journal.

PreS-Gr 1-An aardvark and a mouse share a silly conversation that begins with a simple and positive pronouncement: "I think I can." In this easy reader designed for a shared reading experience, the aardvark's dialogue consists mainly of single sentence declarations. Mouse's responses are a bit longer and serve to further the story line, "You think you can what?" The book's layout and Brunson's illustrations make it easy to focus on reading. Aardvark's words are in a large, blue font, and Mouse's words are black. Aardvark always appears on the left page against a plain white background, and Mouse always appears on the right. Both are simple cartoon characters in soft, pleasing colors with expressive, happy faces. The story culminates in a song set to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." The rhythm of the song is a bit forced, but the joy of singing and reading a song will overcome any shortcomings in meter. Unlike other, wordier, "you read—I read" stories, this one is sweet and super short, leaving no excuse to forgo a quick, shared story. VERDICT Librarians can hand-sell this book to busy parents, grandparents, and caregivers. Teachers can use it to pair confident and emerging readers for a shared experience.

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. 

 

Reprinted with permission.

Mouse - a review

Mouse
by Zebo Ludvicek
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2017

A mouse with a cherry meets the letter M.

May I have a bite?
"A bite? Absolutely not!" replied Mouse.
May I PLEASE have a bite?
"All right. One bite." agreed Mouse.

Sadly for the mouse, the M's bite is rather large, and the mouse is left without a cherry.  The kindly M feels remorse and offers himself as a snack for the hungry mouse.  Mouse nibbles so much, that M, is soon an N.  And when Mouse sleepily climbs upon the N for naptime,  N tips over and becomes a Z.   And so it goes.  M transforms into several letters as the two become friends over their shared experiences and Mouse attempts to return his new friend to his original state.

Author and illustrator, Zebo Ludvicek, makes impressive use of white space and a minimal color palette to highlight the very expressive Mouse and his transformational letter friend.  Mouse's dialogue is in red italicized typeface; M is actually a part of his dialogue, complete with eyes, eyebrows, and mouth.  Some illustrations are double-spreads, but it is the large, single-page images of the mutually adoring friends that will win your heart.



Although the specified age range for this book is 3–5, I read this book to a group of first graders before their lunch.  (Older children often get so much more out of picture books.) After lunch, several of the kids clamored for me to read it again!


Look for Mouse on a shelf near you in a few days. 

My Advance Reader Copy was provided by the publisher at my request.

Note: See if you can read this book without thinking of The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood. Both mice are so winsome, yet fiercely protective of their fruit! 😊

Mouse and Hippo - a review

Mouse and Hippo
By Mike Twohy
Paula Wiseman Books, 2017


How does a mouse view a hippo? How does a hippo view a mouse? And more importantly, can they be friends? Mouse and Hippo is an entertaining commentary on artistic perspective, but at heart, it's a comical story of friendship.

On a shelf near you beginning in February, 2017.

My complete review of Mouse and Hippo is in the January, 2017 edition of School Library Journal.

Advance Reader Copy provided by School Library Journal.

Picture book roundup - Library books

September, National Library Card Sign-Up Month, is almost over, but if you're still looking for a good book to share, here are two new ones:

• Kohara, Kazuno. 2014. The Midnight Library. New York: Roaring Brook. 

By the time this month is over, I will have visited thirteen kindergarten and four preschool classrooms to promote Library Card Sign-Up Month.

It doesn't matter what other books I have in my bag.  When kids see The Midnight Library, it's the one they want to hear!  Apart from Kazuno Kohara's eye-catching linocut illustrations in three colors, here's why I like it:

• It features a library that's open all night long.  I wouldn't want to work there, but it makes for a really good story!
• It highlights the fact that libraries are adaptable.  The squirrel band needs to practice some new songs for an upcoming concert?  No problem!  The library has an activity room they can use.
• It features one of a librarian's favorite activities - reading stories.  Wolf is crying because her book is sad?  No worries! The librarian reads it with her.  It has a happy ending!
• It's absolutely perfect for Library Card Sign-Up Month!  Tortoise can't finish that 500-page book before the library closes at sunrise? A library card is what he needs!

See this and more interior artwork at the publisher's website.

• Becker, Bonny. 2014. A Library Book for Bear. Somerville, MA: Candlewick. Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton.

I've loved the Bear and Mouse series ever since it came out, and while this one is not my favorite (I still love A Visitor for Bear best!), it's a good addition to your collection of library-themed books.  You really can't go wrong with Bear and Mouse.

Bless this Mouse

Lowry, Lois. 2011. Bless this Mouse. Ill. by Eric Rohmann. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Bless this Mouse is a short, fun, anthropomorphic tale featuring a clan of 219 mice (not including Mouse Mistress Hildegarde) and their daily challenges as church mice in St. Batholomew's Church. St. Bartholomew is very apropos name, considering that the annual blessing of the animals for the Feast of St. Francis may very well be indoors this year because of rain - and the mice know what that means - cats! and lots of them! As if this weren't enough trouble, disobeying Hildegarde's orders, several mouselings have been spotted by the ladies' auxiliary and Father Murphy plans to telephone The Great X! It's Hildegarde's duty to keep her clan safe and hidden.

As the mice prepare for the worst, one of the youngsters seeks advice from Ignatius, an ally of Hildegarde's whom she respects for his knowledge,

"They told me to ask you what exodus means."
 Harvey folded his paws politely and looked up with big eyes.
"Departure," Ignatius replied.  "It's Greek."
Actually, he could forgive a tail yank if someone was genuinely seeking knowledge.  And he remembered Greek fondly, from the university library.  He had nibbled quite a bit of Greek. "An ancient language."
"Greek?" Harvey giggled, and said it several times. "Greek? Greek?" It was so close to squeak that it amused him.  Ignatius gave him a meaningful dark look and he subsided.
"It means 'the departure of large numbers.'"
"Of mice?"
"In this case, mice."
"Why?"
Ignatius sighed.  He knew that once a young one started with why there would be many whys to follow. "Because we're in danger. We have to escape."
"To where?"
"Outdoors."
Harvey squealed nervously, "Outdoors?"

Does Hildegarde rise to the challenge of protecting her colony, despite constant undermining by her rival, Lucretia? Yes, she does; and everyone learns a little something in the process - even Father Murphy.

Like The Birthday Ball, Bless this Mouse is a short chapter book, but there is little else they have in common. Rather than wittiness, Bless this Mouse relies on simplicity; the simplicity of a simple story well told. This is what adults might call a "gentle read," a tale in which the reader can rely on well-developed characters, a dash of adventure, and a happy ending.

Although they appear to be delightful sketches, I will refrain from commenting on the artwork for two reasons - I read the book on my Nook which is not the ideal platform for viewing artwork (no, I don't have a Nook Color) and more importantly, several of the illustrations had a note of "artwork not final."


Advance Reader Copy supplied by Netgalley.
Due out in March 2011

Another review @
Librarian Pirate


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Babymouse Burns Rubber

Holm, Jennifer L. and Matthew. 2010. Babymouse Burns Rubber. New York: Random House.

In pink, white and black, Babymouse is back.  Can it be almost 5 years since Babymouse first made her debut? Time flies when you're daydreaming and eating cupcakes.

Time to see what our favorite pink, sassy, messy-whiskered mouse is up to!

(booktalk)
In Babymouse Burns Rubber, Babymouse leans heavily (a bit too heavily perhaps?) on her friendship with Wilson as she endeavors to enter the soap box derby.  The fact that she can barely ride a bicycle and has no skill in building or fixing things never even enters her mind, which is, of course, full of daydreams - Babymouse's alien encounter, Babymouse the race car driver, Babymouse the worldwide traveler, Babymouse the captain of the Titanic. Will Babymouse win the race?  Will her selfishness cost Wilson the chance to enter?  You'll find out in Babymouse Burns Rubber!

Siblings Jennifer and Matthew Holm keep the fun coming in this latest installment of the very popular Babymouse series. Holm pays tribute to Star Wars films (imagine the scrolling text rolling into deep space),

CHAPTER VII
A NEW CUPCAKE
It is a dark time for the REBELLION. The brave pilot,
 BABYMOUSE, has badgered her
best friend into building her a
SOAP BOX DERBY CAR.
...
for the blah blah blah blah...
are you still reading this?

and Margaret Wise Brown's, Goodnight Moon.

In the great pink messy room ...
there was a telephone (somewhere on the floor underneath the dirty socks)
and a plate of half-eaten cupcakes.
Goodnight cupcakes.
Goodnight cupcakes being eaten by Babymouse.
Goodnight math homework that's not finished.
...

Of course, the illustrations complete the package.  Simple, yet expressive and full of humorous details like aliens wearing bunny slippers, "Goodnight aliens hiding in the closet."

Next up: Babymouse Cupcake Tycoon - coming in September.


When I first checked in with Babymouse, she was Queen of the World in 2005. Since then, she's gone on to bookshelf fame as a Rock Star, Beach Babe, Skater Girl and more. This is the 12th book in the graphic novel series.

Click here to go to the Babymouse homepage.  (don't worry - you can turn the music off) You can find more information about Babymouse, create your own comics, make posters, or play other Babymouse games.

A Random House Babymouse Educators Guide for Babymouse is also available.

I'm in the midst of a great ALSC sponsored course, Out of this World Youth Programming.  My assignment for this week is to create a new library program for elementary school-aged children.  I think I just did my homework.  Come this fall, I'll be "Calling all Cupcake Tycoons!"
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