Juv Nonfiction: School Rules (American Girl) by Emma MacLaren Henke & Stacy Peterson

Just in time for the school year, we've got new copies of some of the American Girl advice books.  These are really great books, and I'm very glad to have them.  As a bonus, the nonfiction books don't actually advertise for American Girl at all, which makes it much easier to review them with a clear conscience.

School Rules! tips, tricks, shortcuts, and secrets to make you a super student
American Girl nonfiction/advice books
Emma MacLaren Henke, illustrated by Stacy Peterson
ISBN: 9781609587437
A generalized preparatory handbook of habits, with a few "quizzes" to show basic tendencies.

This book is a very straightforward school prep guide.  It addresses mental and physical habits to drop and to pick up, talks about procrastination and perfectionism, about the value of appearances vs content, and gives information about study habits and how to best learn new topics.  It also talks about how to request help when needed, and how to handle the stress when projects or topics are difficult to master.

Basic, clear, straightforward, and science-based.  An excellent book that balances excitement about school and learning with clear reassuring facts and advice.

New Arrival: Nonfiction Picture Book: The Secret Subway, Shana Corey & Red Nose Studio

The Secret Subway
Shana Corey, illustrations and figurines and concepts by Red Nose Studio
ISBN: 9780375870712
Stop-motion puppets and silhouettes and still-life scenes make this look like a movie storybook.

Alfred Ely Beach invented the first subway in New York, but unfortunately he ran afoul of the mafia (Boss Tweed himself) and of the government (didn't grease enough palms, most likely) and his project was literally buried.  If you love weird history and underdogs, and don't mind a fairly sad ending, check this out for the beautiful puppets/sculptures and the intricate backgrounds with a faint steampunk vibe and plenty of character.  If they're angling to make a movie, they've got a fan here already - I think it would be beautiful, but Corey's words do a fine job of carrying the story while the illustrations spark the imagination.

New Arrival: Juv Nonfiction: Electrical Wizard, How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World, Elizabeth Rusch & Oliver Dominguez

Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World
Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Oliver Dominguez
ISBN: 9780763679781
Read February 4, 2016
Candlewick Biography: excellent short bio, with notes and explanations of electrical systems.

Excellent work from the author and the illustrator to present a clear, straightforward, and kid-level biography of Tesla that doesn't shrink from some of the more grotesque elements of his career (yes, Edison's electrocution of an elephant to smear his rival makes it into both the text and the illustrations) nor from the more fantastical achievements (Tesla and Westinghouse's utterly ludicrous achievements at the Chicago World's Fair, despite (again) Edison's blockades).

The biography itself is already quite good, but the addition of sections afterwards make it even better.  We have a spread "Ahead of his Time" talking about some of Tesla's more interesting (and some currently unrealized) ideas, and some of his concepts that were failures or were blocked by fears or by greed.  Next up is a spread "Tesla vs. Edison: The Rivalry" that goes into a little more depth about the working relationships and conflicts between the two men, making their relationship a bit more nuanced than is immediately obvious in a kid-level text.  Next comes an enormous "Scientific Notes" section that explains electricity, direct and alternating currents, and how magnets are related to electricity, illustrates and walks through the concepts behind a few basic mechanical electrical engines, talks about Tesla Coils and induction, and how the generator under Niagara Falls works.  Finally a trio of research aides: an "Important Dates" page, a "Source Notes" page for direct quotes, and a "Select Biography and Further Reading" list, with books and films (!) listed as primary and secondary sources and for further information.    

2015 Review Round-Up: Juvenile Illustrated Fiction: The Story of Diva and Flea, Mo Willems & Tony DiTerlizzi

The Story of Diva and Flea
Mo Willems (Pigeon, Elephant and Piggie), illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi (Spiderwick, Changeling)
ISBN: 9781484722848
Quirky illustrations and an almost Lemony-Snicketish narrative voice make this friendship story sing.

This is the most adorable book I've read all year and it's absolutely perfect.  Diva is a VERY small dog who lives with the caretaker of a set of Paris flats, and she's petrified of feet, but otherwise very brave and very clever.  She is pampered and spoilt and happy.  Flea is a lanky angular black cat, famous as a neighborhood flaneur (professional wanderer).  When Flea happens upon Diva's set of flats, a beautiful friendship develops as both these spectacular personalities learn new and exciting things from their very different friend.

Did I mention that this book is PERFECT?  It is.  It is beautiful and perfect and special and it is why the universe was created, and why books were invented.  Just for this story.  Go find it and see if I'm wrong.  I dare you.

2015 Review Round-Up: Early Reader: Bunjitsu Bunny's Best Move, John Himmelman

Bunjitsu Bunny's Best Move (Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny)
John Himmelman
ISBN: 9780805099713
Isabel the bunjitsu is back, and better than ever with a new collection of black-and-white-and red illustrated stories.
Read October 2015

I am seriously in love with these books.  In this round, we learn about the gift of failure, to avoid letting your opponent set the terms of your conflict, and lots of small child-sized life lessons (although honestly most adults could learn a thing or two from Isabel, her friends, and her teachers about how to live your best life).  The stories are short, and the "lessons" are a bit more preachy than in the first book, but they're still not treacly or saccarine or false-faced.  Isabel remains a flawed character, as do her friends and teachers, which is nice to see in this sort of story.  Most of the concepts are centered around jujitsu ideals and concepts, but equally, most of them are applicable to the wider world and to personal development as well.  An excellent read for the earliest of bunjitsu!

Juv Fantasy: How to Catch a Bogle, Catherine Jinks

How to Catch a Bogle
Catherine Jinks, illustrated by Sarah Watts
ISBN: 9780544087088
Juv historical fantasy: Street-level London victoriana features an angel-voiced child as bogle bait.
Read last summer

I could have sworn that I reviewed this book when I read it, but I guess I missed it.

Birdie is the cream of the crop.  She's not a street-sweeper, or a thief, or a ragpicker or a mudlark, or even a lace or flower maker.  Oh no.  She's better than all those street trash, because she has a real job.  She's a bogler's girl, and she's the best that ever was.  Her voice is clear and childlike, and her courage is strong.  Besides, she's got to take care of Alfred, the old bogler.  He needs someone to care for him.

But Birdie has come to the attention of a lady academic, who is also taking an interest in the world of bogling, and pretty soon, Birdie is going to have to make some hard decisions about her life.



Really solid storytelling, excellent characters, and the bogles are creepy as hell.  Reminded me strongly of Y.S. Lee's (also excellent) Agency series, or of Berlie Doherty's Street Child.

Juv Quartet: The Years, by Andrea Cheng

I picked these up because we're reading American Born Chinese for a local bookclub, and I wondered if there were any recent books that would address a lot of those concerns for a younger set.

The Year of the Book
Andrea Cheng, illustrated by Abigail Halpin
ISBN: 9780547684635

The Year of the Baby
Andrea Cheng, illustrated by Patrice Barton
ISBN: 9780547910673

The Year of the Fortune Cookie
Andrea Cheng, illustrated by Patrice Barton
ISBN: 9780544105195

The Year of the Three Sisters
Andrea Cheng, illustrated by Patrice Barton
ISBN: 9780544344273

I like how well these flow together (read all of them in two afternoons) and how they include sub-plots for each character that is introduced.  Our lead is Anna, who is an American-Born Chinese girl living in Cincinnati with her parents and her younger brother.  As the stories progress, she matures from an impulsive bookaholic who is slightly embarassed by her heritage into a graceful. literate, (still impulsive, but working on it) young lady who visits China and hosts exchange students.

In addition, the supporting cast is lovely.  There are other girls who come and go through the series: best friend Laura, new friends Camille and Andee, and Chinese friend Fan.  All of the girls are sketched out in interesting shades: Laura has to deal with an overbearing mother and her parents' separation/divorce.  Camille has a learning disorder.  Andee's family is wealthy, and she tries too hard to help people sometimes.  Fan is a migrant worker from Beijing, and is determined to study and work her hardest in America while she has the opportunity.  All of these girls interact with each other and revolve around each other (each one becoming more or less important depending on the individual storyline) in a very realistic manner.

I still think that I like the Violet Mackerel books better than these, but for a slightly older audience who wants to read easy chapter books about interesting and diverse characters, this is a solid sell.

New Arrivals: Wordless Picture Book: Quest, by Aaron Becker

Quest (sequel to Journey)
Aaron Becker
ISBN: 9780763665951
Wordless Picture Book

This follow-up to the beautiful Journey has our newly established duo thrust into an adventure when a King pops through a portal (drawn by his own bright orange magical wand) gives them a map, and is dragged back through by soldiers - dropping his wand in the process.  The map shows a rainbow of colors building as it passes through different locations, and now we're on a whirlwind quest to retrieve the magic color wands before the evil troops can get to them.

Beautiful and imaginative, and a lovely adventure story in fantastical locales with larger-than-life characters.  The ending especially makes me think longingly of how I would read and re-read Narnia as a child, wishing that it were real.

Simply stunning.  I truly hope he continues the adventure!

New Arrival: Juvenile Fiction: Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny, by John Himmelman

Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny
John Himmelman
ISBN: 9780805099706
Black and white and red drawings show off fierce (but zen) bunnies learning the way of bunjitsu.

Brilliant.  I saw this because it came through the library, but I bought myself a copy, and I'm getting one for my friend, a black belt in Ki-Aikido who has a young daughter.  It's a brilliant way to explain the purpose and mindset behind the less-offensive of the martial arts.

Isabel is a great bunjitsu-kai, and she can kick harder, punch straighter, and tumble better than "anybunny" - but she also knows that the power of bunjitsu isn't in strength or fighting, but in using wisdom and knowledge and compassion to create a situation where a fight becomes simply unnecessary.

Himmelman is really good (like Jon J. Muth good) at teaching moral lessons without being preachy or "moralizing" at the reader.  Isabel is a great illustration, and a great character.  Her posture and her expressions, although done in thick outlines and blocky chunks of red, clearly show her emotions, from frustration to frazzled patience.  She isn't perfect, but she tries to do her best.  She practices and works at her bunjitsu, and plays happily with her fellow students.  She's not a teacher or an "example" but a fun little bunny who has interesting martial-arts-based, real life based, small child level adventures.

I can't wait for the next installment: Bunjitsu Bunny's Best Move, coming out this fall!

New Arrivals: Juv Fic: Nancy Clancy Star of Stage and Screen, Jane O'Connor & Robin Preiss Glasser

These are too cute, and this last one has an interesting focus: the concept of "going viral."

Nancy Clancy Star of Stage and Screen
Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
ISBN: 9780062269645
Book 5 of the Nancy Clancy series
Read February 24, 2015

This book features the vocabulistically-enhanced grade-schooler first introduced in the picture book series Fancy Nancy.  There is also a set of "leveled" readers that are also "Fancy Nancy" branded.  Unlike both of those, these actual chapter books have her as a bit older, with more involved storylines, usually mysteries or minor school/home crises to solve, and a little higher-level vocabulary.

In this installment, Nancy is equal parts excited and nervous about her school's end of year program.  The action is multi-part, with a friend suffering from a perfectionist nature, a school-wide cough descending and keeping kids from performing, and tensions with her little sister, termed rambunctious by parents, but simply naughty by Nancy.  All comes together nicely in the end, with a plot-twist (telegraphed by a portentous dinnertime conversation earlier) that results in Nancy Clancy ending up on TV!

New Arrivals: Juv Nonfiction/Picture Book: Some Bugs, Angela DiTerlizzi, Brendan Wenzel

Some Bugs
Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrations by Brendan Wenzel
ISBN: 9781442458802
Super cute, super short, and lively primary-colored pages with LOTS of energy and movement.

This one is going straight to the storytime list.  I can't wait to do another Bugs storytime to set this into as my middle book.  It's super short, and the pictures are amazing.  We're easy on plot this time around: just a continuing narrative that rhymes over spreads "Some bugs sting.  Some bugs bite.  Some bugs stink. / And some bugs FIGHT!"  We get lots of different kinds of bugs, in a vivid version of a natural habitat, and set up so that they're easily identifiable with the aid of the "What's That Bug?" page on the end (a brilliant idea, by the way).  We do have a spider or two (not bugs!) but given the aim for the youngest naturalists, I'll let that slide.  Expect to see this one coming up in the Storytime rotation sometime this spring when I get all naturalistic and inspired by the warm weather.

Photo-Biographical: Behind the Scenes, Judi Dench

Behind the Scenes
Judi Dench
ISBN: 9781250071118

A lovely photo book about a lovely and talented actress.  I've always looked up to her, and reading through this book of photographs and her anecdotes and memories about her family and her craft and her career (and her co-workers) was truly enjoyable.

New Picture Books: Winter is Coming, Tony Johnston

I saw a review for this earlier in the year, and have been waiting for it ever since.  I'm happy to say that while it isn't what I expected, it is absolutely beautiful, an amazing message, and a delight to read and pore over the illustrations.

Winter is Coming
Tony Johnston, illustrated by Jim LaMarche (The Carpenter's Gift)
ISBN: 9781442472518
Breathtaking colored pencil, acrylic, and ink artwork is utterly entrancing.  Beautiful.

This book is SOOOO PRETTY!  The premise is pretty slim - a naturalist girl (armed with sketchpads, binoculars, and notebooks) heads out into the woods as fall changes to winter, watching and recording the behaviors and appearances of the animals as they prepare for the rough season ahead.  Some of the thoughts and comments are a little bit stilted or odd, coming supposedly from a pre-pubescent narrator, but that is easily forgiven considering the underlying messages of peaceful observation, of awareness of the cycles and lives of animals in their natural habitats, and of conservation and protection.

But you guys, this book is flat out, drop dead, utterly breathtakingly heart-rendingly GORGEOUS.  The colors, the girl in her varied outfits as the days pass by, the animals and birds, the sketchy but detailed woods and fields.  Just makes my heart ache that I can't draw.

Unreservedly recommended.

Tuesday Storytime: Creativity and Hard Work

This storytime was inspired way back in spring of this year when I was looking through STEM-related books for our Summer Reading Program.  I found this in late spring, and reviewed it in June, and I finally got to use it today.

The Most Magnificent Thing

Ashley Spires

ISBN: 9781554537044

A girl inventor and her pug battle through the struggle to get your inventions to 'just go right' in a series of comic-book vignettes of cartoon-outlined figures and minimalist spaces.

This book is a really excellent representation of so many important things, it's hard to know where to start.  

First, the inventor is a girl, who invents with no help or input from other people, or even parental figures. 

Second, the process of invention is clear and un-idealized, from initial concept to drawing to the sometimes drawn-out process of trial-and-error building.  

Thirdly, the book hits on the importance of motivation, persistence, self-soothing, re-evaluating, and finding different approaches, all without being preachy or dragging the story along.  

Fourthly, each of the "wrong" things is shown being "right" for some other use, getting into re-use and repurposing.  

Finally, the constant conflict between the ideal concept in your head, and the physical manifestation of it in the world (which is always worse, because of natural laws and applicable skill-levels, and is never really understood by anyone else, because they can't see inside your head) is explained so very well for a younger set.

LOVE.

Beautiful Oops

Barney Saltzberg

ISBN: 9780761157281

Board-Book with flaps, "tears" "folds" "spills" and other imperfections and damage, used creatively to become artistic expressions.

I really hesitated to use this book for a few reasons.  First, it's a board-book, so about 6" square - a bit on the small side for group use.  Second, it's got all sorts of flip-out, fold-down, turn-over, open-up, stretch-out fiddly bits on each page, which are awesome, but difficult for me to manipulate and still focus on the presentation of the book.  Third, well, here's where things get philosophical.  The concept of the book is that "oops" moments like spilled paint or torn paper or folded corners or food stains aren't necessarily bad things, and can be used as a springboard for creativity.  Which is a great lesson - for things that are your own (ie, not library books, as this is), and if you weren't wanting to preserve the state of the original thing as it's own work of artistic creation (ie, like a finished picture book, as this is).  So, I was really hesitant, but I loved the concept, and decided to just go with it, and I'm glad I did, because the kids and parents really loved it.  I'm still a little iffy over having maybe presented a subtle argument that damaging library materials is really ok because it can be "fixed" with creativity, but I'll just hope for the best.  

(This is ending up as a very list-heavy posting today.)

The Dot

Peter H. Reynolds
ISBN: 0763619612

Scribbly-drawn black and white characters with loose sloppy colors marking emotionally important concepts or moments.

An older book, but still very good.  Vashti (excellent name for our protagonist, and again a girl creator) does NOT draw, and when her teacher insists, she stabs the paper with her marker, creating a violent (but very small) dot.  The teacher insists she sign it, and the next day, it's hanging in an ornate frame behind the teacher's desk.  Inspired (or more appropriately, challenged) Vashti embarks on an artistic journey of dottyifying.  Colorful dots, big dots, little dots, negative-space dots (amazing description in kid-language for that endeavor), great big enormous dots.  At the art showcase, her works are admired by a younger boy who also "can't draw" but she encourages him to create one small work, and then on the very last page, to "sign it."  Really deep thoughts about the perceived "professional" status of artists, about the difficulty of trying something new, about being personally challenged, about legitimacy, and all wrapped up in a lovely picture book that event the toddlers enjoy.  Excellent work all around.

Next week is Thanksgiving!

Juvenile Nonfiction: The Many Faces of George Washington, Carla Killough McClafferty

(Talk about an awesome name for our author!)

The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon
Carla Killough McClafferty
ISBN: 9780761356080
Re-Read November 7, 2014

This one came back through the library system, and I actually took the time to read through it properly this time around, instead of simply admiring the artistry of the three mannequins that were created.

I suppose I ought to start from the beginning.  So everyone's seen dollar bills, and we all know what George Washington looks like - old, grouchy, and sort of fat-faced.  Except, that's only what he looked like after he WAS old, grouchy, and sort of fat-faced (most likely caused by inflammation due to those awful dentures).  So - what did the people who VOTED for our very first President see in him?  Sadly, we really haven't had any pictorial evidence - all of his portraits are from after he was old and tired, and the one life-cast taken of him was never really used for references, outside of the one specific statue that had commissioned it.

So a mixed group of awesome people got a truly stupendous grant to research this famous man, to use all the artistic and forensic and re-creative tools at our disposal to figure out what he most likely looked like at three different important points in his life: as a nineteen-year-old "nobleman" surveyor, as a forty-five-year-old General at Valley Forge, and finally at fifty-seven years old, taking the very first American Presidential Oath of Office.  Pretty cool, right?

The absolute stand-out here is the care and dedication and EFFORT put into making these representations as perfect and accurate as possible for each age.  It's a truly multi-disciplinary approach, and it is amazing how lifelike and much more interesting the results are than the boring old portraits on our currency.

Fair warning, if mannequins or uncanny-valley representations of faces and hands creep you out - steer clear!

Writing Resource: Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade against Child Labor, Russell Freedman

Working on (probably will always be working on) a possible novel, and this is a great collection of Lewis Hine's stunning and heartbreaking photographs of child laborers across the country, in a softbound 9x12 horizontal-orientation book.  Most useful to me for the photos and info on mill and textile workers, and of cannery workers and cotton pickers.

Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade against Child Labor
Russell Freedman, photographs by Lewis Hine
ISBN: 9780395797266
Goodwill Find, November 5, 2014

Goodwill Find! Fantasy: The Coelura, Anne McCaffrey, illustrated by Ned Dameron

Found this at the Goodwill, in the children's section, which I disagree with slightly - I don't think the story would hold a child's interest very well, being a glorified love story.

The Coelura
Anne McCaffrey, illustrated by Ned Dameron
ISBN: 0312930429 (this illustrated edition from 1987, original story from 1983)
Read November 5, 2014

I want to say this is a good book, because the story and the world and the illustrations (let's be honest here and say that my delight was MOSTLY because of the illustrations) were so much fun to jump into for a short afternoon read.  I read it over lunch, it's only 156 paperback-sized pages, and many of those pages are illustrations.  If it weren't for the copyright page, I'd be highly temped to say that the illustrations came first, and the story was created as an attempt to mesh them all together, but knowing the story was written first makes me somehow gleefully happy at the bonkers illustrations of characters, environments, and poses that Dameron decided needed interpreting.  His vision of the protagonist at age 14 is especially delightful, and very reminiscent of the eighties.

So, is this a good book?  Sadly, not really.  The language is stilted and grasping for "alienness" in phrases and descriptions, the characters all speak and act like they're college theatre majors doing their first Shakespeare production, with lots of expansive gesturing (in the text, as well as the illustrations) and very proper, very formal, very unrealistic dialogue.  The plot isn't any great shakes either - in 120 pages, it ought to be trim, but a lot of time and energy are wasted on the wordy dialogue-laden intro, then the follow-up manages both to totally fulfill cliche expectations while missing a giant Chekov's gun in regards to one specific character which changes the entire climax and denouement of the story (in my opinion for the worse).  Also, egregious editor fail:  bells "peal" and one can "peel" fruit.  Different words, different meanings.

Summary: (spoilers?)
Caissa is the "body-heir" of a planetary regional governor (no more specifics, just that he's obviously rich and important and part of "society" in this place - our descriptions of jobs and titles are forever maddeningly vague) and thus will inherit all of his wealth and glory and positions, in addition to whatever she manages to accrue on her own.  Her "womb-mother" is obsessed with fashion and the high-life, and doesn't spend much time on this small world with nothing other than hunting and a small court of provincials.  Mom leaves one day in a huff, declaring that she's still owed part of her "contract" that dad hasn't fulfilled, and Caissa is now curious.  She discovers that there is a missing species on the planet, but meanwhile she just had her first serious proposal to be a mother to a body-heir of another society person (her dad is adamant that she consider the proposal for political reasons that STILL, even after finishing the story, remain unclear), and she's so miffed by his inept and condescending advances that she runs away to fly her personal aircraft out in the wilderness to seethe and pout.  Out there on her own she hears a faint distress beacon from the restricted islands which are connected to the missing species, finds a crashed ship, and the rest of the story proceeds according to exactly what you're thinking it will, discovering the "missing" species and their purpose and value, establishing a love-interest, and putting very shaky legs on a mystery/conspiracy.  There are random detours and red-herrings that spawn at random intervals, flap around wildly to be sure to be noticed, and then are utterly ignored.

So, good story?  Not exactly.  It was a bit frustrating, and more amusing to read than actually good or interesting, but it was a fun experience, and there were those excellent zany illustrations to pore over!

Juv Historical Novelization: The Arrow Over the Door, by Joseph Bruchac

The Arrow Over the Door
Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by James Watling
ISBN: 0803720785
Read Oct 20, 2014
A pacifist Quaker boy outside of Saratoga in 1777 is stung by accusations of cowardice in the face of the American Revolution, while an Abenaki boy (from what is now Canada) travels south to decide if his people will fight on the side of the distant King to punish his unruly colonists.



This is an interesting novelization of an actual historical event between Quakers and Native Americans.  The author has done extensive research to puzzle out the actual records of the event, to reach past stereotypes and assumptions of the past to present a (hopefully) historically-accurate narrative of what may have happened.

What we KNOW: there was a Quaker (Friends) meeting where a notable friend of the Native Americans was visiting.  A party of Native Americans with a prisoner arrived at the meeting house, discovered it full of friendly pacifists, and declared friendship with the people within, recognizing them as people of peace who would not be involved with the impending conflict.  A Friend invited the guests to dine, and after dinner, they left, leaving the Friends and their belongings in peace.

On this historical framework, we get a nice (very slender) dual-narrative from two author-invented characters; the teen Friend and the teen Native, as they navigate their own consciousnesses and the responsibilities and expectations of their cultures and religions.

Very short, and raises lots of questions about intentions and cultural responsibility and personal growth, and doesn't really answer them in any depth; the ending is perfunctory and abrupt for the amount of buildup.  That ending is actually a bit of a let-down, considering the time and care taken in establishing moods and personality and cultural perspectives for each boy.

Still, in addition to being a good look at both Friends and Abenaki culture, this is an interesting short vignette about the founding of America, from not one, but two marginalized and often-overlooked perspectives.

Beautiful Old Fairy Tales: A Book of Fairy Tales, by Dean's Publishing

I mentioned this recently in my post about The White Cat, and as I remembered the story from my childhood, I had to go hunt down the actual book so I could look at the illustrations again.  It just came in, and it's so pretty.  I remember so many of the stories inside, and how they were just gently strange and odd - not all of them the usual ones that appear in collections.

A Book of Fairy Tales
illustrated by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone
published by Playmore Inc in New York, and Dean & Son in London (hardcover, 1977)
Originally published as the following individual books:
     Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
     Janet and Anne Grahame-Johnstone Gift Book of Fairy Tales
     Gift Book of Fairy Tales
     The White Cat


Stories included:
Little Red Riding Hood
Old Mother Goose Rhyme
Hop O' My Thumb
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
The Three Little Pigs
Rumpelstiltskin
Jack and the Beanstalk
The Frog Prince
The Princess and the Pea
The White Cat
Little Ida's Flowers
Ole Luckoie, or The Dustman
Thumbelina
The Top and the Ball
The Darning Needle
Blockhead Hans
Sleeping Beauty
Puss in Boots
Tom Thumb
Hansel and Gretel
Beauty and the Beast
Babes in the Wood


They're so pretty.

What I remembered:


Ole Luckoie (Sandman) who tells the boy seven stories for seven nights, and on the last night, shows off his beautiful brother Death on his beautiful horse, where the good hear lovely stories in front of him, and the bad hear terrible tales behind his back, shrouded in his cloak.

The Princess and the Pea, standing in the rain, all soaked and black-haired and beautifully drapey.

The White Cat sequence where the Cavalier-dressed rain-soaked Prince draggles his pathetic way through the woods, to the doorway with the bellpull "hanging by a chain of diamonds," and then enters (dripping) into a blazing gold corridor illuminated by ghostly hands in sconces holding torches.  (Really makes me wonder if whoever did the Phantom of the Opera movie had seen this illustration)

The White Cat and her retinue riding on monkeys.

The little fairy page boy giving serious side-eye to the goblin page boy with the Wicked Fairy, while the Fairy curses the baby Sleeping Beauty.

Blockhead Hans riding a goat, throwing mud at a reporter, while the Princess claps in delight.

Serious waif-fu Gretel kicking ass and taking names.

A sinister and dramatic Rumplestiltskin dancing around his campfire.

New Picture Books: Florence Nightingale, by Demi

It's been a while since I've seen a Demi picture book, and I was happy to see one come in.  This biography is beautiful and comprehensive, while staying clear and simple for the youngest listeners or readers.

Florence Nightingale
Demi
ISBN: 9780805097290
Stylized, airy, minimalist compositions of collaged paintings and mixed media.

Demi is a beautiful artist, and the work for this biography of Florence Nightingale is lovely as usual.  I'm personally glad to see a Demi work that is not about a spiritual or religious figure, and Nightingale is a delightful choice.

What is interesting is that I thought I knew a decent amount about her, and really I didn't (or had forgotten).  I was surprised that her last name really was Nightingale, and that her sister's name is Parthenope (and isn't Parthenope Nightingale a mouthful?).  Florence was raised as a lady of leisure, and her family strenuously disapproved of her desire to be a nurse, but she persisted.  Over time she worked for poorhouses, military hospitals in Turkey, and presented her studies and practices to many developing organizations (including the Union government during the Civil War).  She lived to be ninety years old, and inspired the creator of the Red Cross, among many others.

A Timeline at the end of the book, followed by a very short Further Reading section, allows interested young scholars to use this book as a stand-alone reference, or as a jumping off point to explore further.