Big Red Lollipop

Big Red Lollipop
by Rukhasana Khan
Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Viking, 2010. 40 pgs.
Reading Levl: ages 4-9
Hardcover: $16.99

Annotation: When Rubina is invited to a birthday party, will she be forced her to take her little sister?

Summary: When Rubina is invited to her very first birthday party, (Ami is puzzled as to why they would celebrate the day of your birth) her little sister, Sani, begs to go. Ami tells Rubina that if she wants to go she must take Sani, but Rubina knows no one else will have their little sister there. But, she reluctantly drags her along and sure enough, everyone thinks she is weird. The girls play games and eat birthday cake and are given a big bag full of goodies at the end of the party, complete with a large, delectable red lollipop. Sani gobbles hers up, but Rubina wants to save hers. However, the next morning she awakes to find Sani has eaten most of her red lollipop as well! Life is so unfair and Rubina is very angry. But Ami scolds her and tells her she must share. Later on though, Sani receives an inviation to a birthday party and the girls' little sister Maryam begs to go, creating the same dilemma all over again. Ami says both Rubina and Maryam must acompany Sani to the party, just to be fair. Luckily, Rubina is mature enough to realize this will be tragic for Sani and so she convinces Ami that Sani must go alone as the culture dictates. After the party Sani brings home a big green lollipop and gives it to Rubina as a peace offering and the girls are friends again.

Evaluation: The storyline is wonderful and discusses the hardships, as well as the joys, that having a sister brings. It is especially interesting as the family is Arab-American, with the mother garbed in a hajib and Middle-eastern dress while the girls wear American clothing. There is a bit of culture misunderstanding when the mother decides all the girls must go to a party if one of them is invited. It demonstrates the solidarity of Middle-eastern family life and offers a rare glimpse into what must be commonplace for the author and unusual for an American audience. The illustrations are irresistible, and the cover art is especially eye-catching with its bright primary colors and the red lollipop that covers Rubina's eye is artfully placed. I loved inner cover at the beginning and end of the book with their multi-size circles of all different patterns and colors: poka-dots, stripes, checks and spirals. The colors are bright and fun and Ami's saris are so alluring with their fancy patterns and exotic design. The story and the illustrations work together beautifully to create a well-awarded picture book that's sure to be a winner, now and in the future.

Significance: The story's protagonist is an Arab-American which makes the book a welcome addition to a world that is currently in the midst of turbulent political and emotional battles. The story serves to humanize a people and culture that is often misunderstood and demonized. It's an important work and perhaps our mutual culture's children will learn to understand and accept one another, even when the adults can do nothing but fight.

Personal Choice: Let's be honest, I have a sugar addiction and if it's a book about candy, I'm there.

Awards: Charlotte Zolotow Award Winner, 2011 / Children's Notables, 2011 / Golden Kite Award Winner for Picture Book Text, 2011

April and Esme: Tooth Fairies

April and Esme: Tooth Fairies
by Bob Graham
Candlewick Press, 2010. 36 pgs.
Reading Level: ages 3-8 pgs
Hardcover: $16.99

Annotation: April and Esme are tooth fairies who desperately want to convince their parents they are old enough to collect their very first tooth.

Summary: April gets a call on her cell phone from Daniel Dangerfield's grandmother saying a tooth needs collecting. They fly home to convince their parents they are old enough, at 6 and 7, to collect their very first tooth. Mom and Dad are reluctant, but finally give permission if the fairies are very careful, especially of the new highway. As the fairies spy Daniel's house they scoot under his doorway and follow the trail of toys up to Daniel's bedroom. Uh-oh! Daniel wakes up, but the fairies carefully close his eyelids and whisper in his ear that they are spirits of the air and he has only dreamed them. They exchange the coin for his tooth and fly successfully home, welcomed by mom and dad with lots of hugs and wing crackles. They've passed their first tooth test and are ready for a good day's sleep.

Evaluation: I can't say enough about Graham's utterly charming tooth fairy tale. The mixture of technology and magic is simply delightful as April, a 7-year-old tooth fairy, receives tooth communication orders via cell phone. It's a combination of old and new world magic. The images are nice and whimsical with details that simply charm your socks off. At one point the girls' mother is getting ready and turns her blowdryer up so April can float on the cloud of air it produces. And the toilet has a picture of a chicken on it! I was enchanted by the teapot the girls' mother uses for a bath and the tiny little sink is a beautiful golden thimble. And the humor can be appreciated by adult and child alike; Daniel's tooth has been placed in a cup of water and as the girls leave they go and visit his grandmother, who has her false teeth placed in a cup besisde her bed as well. April reminds Esme that they don't take those kind of teeth, though. Ta-da! And the tiny touches Graham adds to his images add lots of interesting character details, such as Esme's glasses and their dad's hippy-esque ponytail, two things you wouldn't normally expect of fairy creatures. And these fairies hang their collected teeth from the rafters of their tiny little stump home (established in 1691). In essence, it's charming, fanciful and a perfect explanation of just how tooth fairies really work in this day and age.

Significance: Losing your teeth and setting them out for the tooth fairy to collect is a right of passage for all young ones and this story addresses a common occurrence that everyone can relate to.

Personal Choice: I remember when I first learned the truth about the tooth fairy and I wanted to see Graham's interpretation of the "truth". Plus the cover art was so enchanting!

Awards: Charlotee Zolotow Honor, 2011 / Children's Notables, 2011

Thank You Bear

Thank You Bear
written and illustrated by Greg Foley
Viking, 2007. 32 pgs
Reading Level: ages 3-7
Hardcover: $15.99

Annotation: Bear finds it difficult to convince his friends he has found the perfect box.

Summary: One morning Bear finds the perfect box. In his excitement, he wants to share this treasure with all of his friends, including: Monkey, Owl, Fox, Elephant and Bunny. No one seems to appreciate his find as much as Bear does though, and he begins to wonder whether or not his box is really so great after all. However, Mouse comes along and is just as entranced with the perfect little box as Bear was and he feels buoyed up again by her admiration and approval as she curls up inside and pronounces it "the greatest thing ever".
Evaluation: The book is very simply laid out. The words are large and bold and the images are sparing. Every other page is washed with a block of color, on which the words are overlayed and the opposing page presents the image of Bear with his box the animal of the moment. I loved the book's message, but wasn't as impressed with the artwork. However, perhaps the simplicity works for a young child and message's innate truth deserves to be told.
Significance: We are all surrounded by those who would rain negativity on our choices or our very person. That is why having a friend appreciate us and our work is such a treasure. Bear is lucky to have found such a friend in Mouse. Would that we all have someone to get as excited with us over our finds as Mouse does.

Personal Choice: I wanted to read this book because who didn't love their stuffed bear growing up?

Awards: Charlotte Zolotow Award Winner, 2008

What Can You Do With a Paleta?

What Can You Do With a Paleta? / Que Puedas Hacer Con Una Paleta?
by Carmen Tafolla
Illustrated by Magaly Morales
Tricycle Press, 2009. 32 pgs.
Reading Level: ages 3-8
Hardcover: $14.99

Annotation: When the warmth of summertime shines down, just what can you do with a paleta?

Summary: In a Mexican barrio a little girl shares all the ways she can make magic with a paleta. This charming tale explores the many uses little ones can find for a traditional Mexican popsicle treat. From painting your tongue different colors to scare your little brother to drawing colorful, sugary masterpieces on the sidewalk, a paleta is a wonderful pleasure.

Evaluation: With gorgeous, brightly colored illustrations, Morales shares the warmth of Mexico and coolness of a summertime treat. She effectively captures the essence of youth and the vibrancy of her work makes you thirst for your own paleta. With a lovely, poetic prose Tafolla recounts the joys of her own little village (barrio) and the marraige between text and image is a seemless masterpiece.

Significance: The work highlights a large sub-culture within the United States that is growing at tremendous rates. This is a dual language book, with each page written in  both  English and Spanish. It's a perfect introduction to either a Spanish-speaking or English-speaking child who wants to learn the other language and is a delightful work in both languages.

Personal Choice: I wanted to read this book because I'm trying to learn Spanish and I couldn't wait to find out just what a paleta was!

Awards: Charlotte Zolotow Award Winner, 2010

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

A Sick Day for Amos McGee
by Philip Christian Stead
illustrated by Erin Stead
Roaring Book Press, 2010. 32 pgs.
Reading Level: ages 3-8
Hardcover: $16.99

Annotation: The animals at the zoo look forward to Amos McGee's visit every day, but what will happen when he falls sick and can't come to see them?

Summary: Every morning Amos McGee wakes up in his yellow and white striped room and puts on his uniform. He makes tea and oatmeal, leaves his little blue house and walks to the city bus stop. Amos McGee is a zookeeper. Each morning he visits his animal friends, playing chess with the elephant, racing the tortoise, sitting quietly with penguin and reading to the owl. But, one day Amos gets the sniffles and can't go to work. His animal friends miss him so much that they take the city bus to visit Amos! Amos is delighted to see his friends and he and the elephant play chess on his bed; the tortoise and he play hide-and-seek, the penguin keeps his feet warm during his nap; and the rhinocerous is handing with a tissue when Amos sneezes. Amos starts to feel better and shares a pot of tea with his friends as they all sit around his kitchen table. Everyone retires to bed early so as to get up for the morning bus and they all sleep peacefully that night in Amos's yellow and white striped room.

Evaluation: The story is outright lovable. The words are spare, but the illustrations are so intimately rendered, they speak for themselves. The artwork is phenomenal and Amos McGee and the animals simply exude charm. Erin Stead used wood-block prints and pencil drawings and the background items in each page are done in black and white while Amos' uniform, the animals and the wardrob, etc. are bright spots of color on each page.  Stead uses white space well and the balance between color and space is perfect. I loved Amos McGee's yellow and white striped bedroom, with the colors reaching to the tops and bottoms of the pages,implying there's more to his room than we can see. The stripes add a lot of fun color to the book and connect the story. The expressions on Amos's face and the zoo animals are extremely detailed and the artist has a fine sense of humor. The story itself is whimsical, feeds the reader's imagination and you'll fall in love with Amos McGee and his zoo friends just as surely as I did.

Significance: Everyone has good days and bad days. If you spend time with your friends and treat them well, when you have a bad day they will be willing to help and comfort you when you need it.

Personal Choice: I'm not really an animal lover, but the cover art was so enchanting I couldn't resist. Amos McGee, along with the elephant and the penguin look so cozy sitting together on their blue blanket, playing cards with the bright yellow and white stripes in the background that I succumbed to the temptation and loved, loved, loved every minute.

Awards: Caldecott Winner, 2011 / Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, 2011