Under-the-Bed Fred - a review

Under-the-Bed-Fred
By Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Colin Jack
Penguin Random House, 2017

Under-the-Bed-Fred is the first in a new chapter book series. Like many young kids, Leo is convinced there is a monster under his bed. He is right. Tired of leaping to/from the bathroom, Leo decides to confront the monster. Leo soon realizes that Fred is just doing his job—scaring kids is what he does. 

In Chapter 2, "The Monster Gets a Name," the author hits her stride and gives the reader a taste of Fred and Leo's personalities,

"What's your name?" asked Leo.
"I don't have one," said the monster.
"Everyone should have a name," said Leo.
"I know," said the monster. "I like Fred."
Leo blinked. "You want to be called Fred?"
"Could I?"
"I don't see why not," said Leo.
"Then say it," said the monster. "Say Fred. Say it nicely."
"Okay," said Leo. "Hi Fred. How are you doing, Fred? How's life, Fred?"
"Oh," said Fred. "That feels good!"

 And Fred, tickled pink with his new name, goes on to keep Leo up all night,

"Fred. Fred. Fred."
"Oh for Pete's sake," said Leo. He rolled over. He put his pillow over his head.
"Fred, Fred, Fred, Fred, Fred ..." said Fred.

The story continues with a requisite bully, Fred's visit to school, and a satisfactory conclusion. The vocabulary is simple enough for independent reading, but presented with humor and personality. The images are mixed media, but appear to be primarily watercolor. They are funny in a style that is reminiscent of a Nickelodeon cartoon. All of this is packaged in an attractive small-sized book with sturdy, glossy pages that will stand up in public and school libraries.

Although monsters under the bed are a trope in children's literature, Fred has charming tendencies that set him apart from the rest and he's worthy of investigation. It will be interesting to see the follow-up books. Kids should like this one!

Take a "look inside" Under the Bed Fred at the publisher's website.


My copy of Under the Bed Fred was provided by LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Picture Book Roundup - August edition

It's been a while since I've done a picture book roundup. Here are three - one funny, one fun, one sweet.  Enjoy!

• The funny one

See a preview at the publisher's site

Vere, Ed. 2012. Bedtime for Monsters. New York: Henry Holt.

Do you ever WONDER if somewhere, not too far away, there might be ... MONSTERS?

This book may be reminiscent of  "Going on a Bear Hunt," but you won't be going anywhere; a monster may be coming to hunt you!

And as he crosses the gloopy, schloopy swamp
GLOOP GLOOP SCHLOOP
do you think he's imagining just HOW GOOD
you'll taste all covered in ketchup?

Bright and fresh and silly!  I love it.

• The fun one

Baker, Keith. 2012. 1-2-3 Peas. New York: Beach Lane.

A follow-up to the popular LMNO Peas, I like this one even better. The digitally rendered and definitely adorable peas count their way to 100 in rhyming fashion.

Eleven to nineteen - skip, skip, skip!
Twenty peas cutting - snip, snip, snip!

While it can be read quickly for fun, it's worth savoring to find and enjoy each delightfully quirky pea (can you find the one singing in the shower?) and note the great details.  How do peas travel when in a rush?  In a Spea-dy Bus, of course.

More peas, please!

• The sweet one

Kraegel, Kenneth. 2012. King Arthur's Very Great Grandson. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

I want swordplay! A struggle! A battle to the uttermost, and if you will not have ado with me, tell me who will!

So says brave and diminutive Henry, who sets off for adventure astride his trusty donkey, Knuckles. He encounters a Dragon, a Cyclops, a Griffin, and a Leviathan. They are no match for him at swordplay, but at chess? Perhaps.  Simple pen and watercolor illustrations are a bright and cheery mix of naive and cartoon styles of painting; pairing perfectly with this story of five utterly guileless characters destined to become friends. Enchanting!

I just noticed that each of these was illustrated by the author, or authored by the illustrator.  Whichever way you slice it, great talent.

Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror - an audiobook review

Below is my review of Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror by Jennifer Finney Boylan and read by Fred Berman, as it appeared in the April 2012, edition of School Library Journal.

Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror (unabr.). 10 CDs. 11:56 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2011. ISBN 978-1-4558-5811-8. $49.97.

Gr 5-8--Twelve-year old Falcon Quinn has never fit in. He begins to understand why on the morning that an enchanted school bus takes him and fellow classmates, Max and Megan, to the Academy for Monsters, located on an island in the Bermuda Triangle. His friends discover their monster identities, but Falcon still feels like an outsider, unsure where he belongs. When it becomes apparent that the purpose of the Academy is to teach students to suppress their monster natures, Falcon and his friends must make a dangerous choice. Although the first title (Katherine Tegen Books, 2010) in a new series by Jennifer Finney Boylan has many parallels to the Harry Potter series, the author has created a complex and unique magical universe. After a somewhat sluggish start, the combination of adventure and humor, with more than a few plot twists, will propel listeners to the conclusion. Fred Berman's considerable talents channel the voices of 30 characters. His voicing of Irish leprechauns, English hunchbacks, Egyptian mummies, zombies, ghouls, and other characters is spot-on. Listeners will absolutely love his portrayal of Falcon's spunky friend, Pearl, "La Chupakabra, the famous goat-sucker of Peru." Fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson will enjoy Falcon Quinn.

Copyright © 2012 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.

More Falcon Quinn:

• Listen to an audio clip: http://www.brillianceaudio.com/library/clips/falconquin5115.mp3 
• Visit the Falcon Quinn website

• Browse inside the print version
 

Want more? 

 

Falcon Quinn and the Crimson Vapor will be out next month!

 
 
 

 

Children's book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Monsters: a review

Dorling Kindersley, Inc. 2011. Children's Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Monsters: An introduction to fascinating myths and legends from around the world. New York: DK.

Thanks to the prolific writer, Rick Riordan,  kids cannot get enough of mythical beasts and magical monsters.  DK's new book should give them all the background information they need to keep up with Rick Riordan or their favorite fantasy writers.

This book is much more than a mythology book, however.  It is divided into three loosely organized sections, Nature and Nation, Magic and Mayhem, and Quests and Battles.  Each section contains approximately fifteen to thirty different entries covering civilizations from across the globe and spanning all of recorded history.

Nature and Nation features creation and pourquoi stories,  Magic and Mayhem - tall tales, legends, legendary creatures and trickster tales. Quests and Battles is self-explanatory - dragons, Robin Hood, El Dorado, Durga, the Hindu warrior goddess and more.  There are four "types" of pages with the book, each type marked with a color-coded symbol,

• Around the World: Wonder at the similarities and common elements in myths from around the world
• Who's Who: Find out about the relationships between gods of certain cultures and characters that feature in famous legends
• Telling the Tale: Discover the excitement and drama of myths that have been passed down from generation to generation.
• Character Up Close: Take a close-up look at mythological characters, how they are depicted, their role and their adventures.

With a table of contents, usage guide, extensive index, glossary, and acknowledgments for the hundreds of illustrations from museums and libraries, this is more of a reference book than a browsing book, however, its appealing layout and busy pages will likely attract browsers as well.  The Children's Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Monsters can easily serve as a starting point for school reports. A well-balanced and informative book.

This images of this cover found on the web are not entirely accurate.  The actual colors are much brighter and more garish than portrayed - jarring, to be sure, but most certainly eye-catching!  Kids will pick this one up.

Today's Nonfiction Monday is at True Tales & A Cherry on Top, the blog of writer Jeanne Walker Harvey, who has a new nonfiction book on shelves now:

 My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey.

 Please stop by.

The Jersey Devil

Redmond, Shirley Raye. 2009. The Jersey Devil. Detroit: Gale.

ISBN:978 0 7377 4407 1

The Jersey Devil once terrorized the large area spanning across New Jersey's Pine Barrens from the Atlantic Ocean to Philadelphia, frightening residents and killing pets and livestock. In 1909, schools and businesses in the area were closed, and posses were formed to hunt down the mysterious creature, said to have been born in 1735.

What New Jersey student can resist the legend of the Jersey Devil? This book, part of the Monsters series, will help kids sort fact from fiction, offering facts to keep the legend alive, balanced with facts to foster a healthy dose of skepticism.

Quoting from period sources, and offering documented eyewitness accounts (including those by Napoleon Bonaparte's brother and a 1951 sighting by a boy in Gibbstown), Raye offers whatever factual information is available. She balances these accounts with possible explanations (could it be a giant sand crane?), and known hoaxes.

Fun facts are also included. New Jersey's NHL team is named after the Jersey Devil, the devil appears in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, and there are several Devil-inspired foods - the Jersey Devil sundae (with Devil's food cake, of course!) and the Jersey Devil cocktail.

This is a perfect book for younger students to develop research skills. The Jersey Devil offers a balanced view accompanied by Notes, Glossary, For Further Exploration, Index, and Picture Credits. Great for young NJ researchers and others interested in our most famous cryptid.

Note: The accompanying image is not the cover art, but rather, an image that appeared in a January 1909 issue of the Philadelphia Bulletin during the heart of the Jersey Devil terror of the same year.

Goodnight Goon

Rex, Michael. 2008. Goodnight goon: A petrifying parody. New York: Putnam.

"In the cold gray tomb
There was a gravestone
And a black lagoon
And a picture of --

Martians taking over the moon ..."

Fans of Margaret Wise Brown's classic, Goodnight Moon, should love this adorable spoof. Just in time for Halloween! Rex has the rhythm down perfectly! Colorful and cute!

Bedtime at the Swamp

Crow, Kristyn. 2008. Bedtime at the swamp. Ill by Macky Pamintuan. New York: Harper Collins.

I love this book! A little boy is just a "sittin' by a swamp just hummin' a tune," when he hears "Splish splash rumba-rumba bim bam BOOM! Splish splash rumba-rumba bim bam BOOM!" He takes off running and is soon summoned by his sister, brother, and cousins in turn. Each arrives with the same message and receives the same response, "'Ma said to fetch you 'cause it's time for bed!' ‘QUICK! HIDE! There's a monster in the swamp!' I said."
The refrain is so catchy that children won't be able to resist chiming in! The artwork is rich with the deep blues, purples and greens of an evening in the swamp. Pamintuan's illustrations are able to convey fear with humor as the children hang upside from the willow tree where they have taken refuge from the swamp monster. Of course, the book has a humorous surprise ending. A perfect choice for storytime! Great fun!