Shelf Awareness--Wishes

PB Review: Wishes

Wishes by Muon Thi Van, illus. by Victo Ngai (Orchard Books, 40p., ages 4-8, 9781338305890)

Muon Thi Van (In a Village by the Sea) gives voice to a series of inanimate objects in Wishes, creating a deeply personal account of the harrowing journey one Vietnamese child and her family take as they leave their home for a new, unknown one.

The child looks on while adult family members prepare for departure. As the grandfather digs up a buried case, "the night wished it was quieter." Three women in the kitchen pack food in a bag that "wished it was deeper." When they wake younger siblings, "the dream wished it was longer." And when it's time for the travelers to leave beloved family members behind, "the clock wished it was slower." The mother and young children walk a long path and board a packed boat to ride upon a sea that "wished it was calmer." The sun beats down, "the heart wished it was stronger" and "home wished it was closer." Finally, a larger boat appears, bringing with it hope for a future filled with kinder wishes.

The author's choice of narrators elicits a surprising wealth of emotion, evoking distinct and tactile sensations of hardship, perseverance and hope upon arriving at a new shore. The understated wording is enhanced by the art of Victo Ngai (illustrator of Dazzle Ships), which is stylized though realistic, in a lush subdued palette. According to an artist's note, it was Ngai's goal to "exercise restraint" in her art and to "glorify the imperfections." A note from the author provides deeper context and explains the story's roots in her own perilous escape from 1980s Viêt Nam. This book may be seen as their wish for "a safer, kinder, fairer, and more beautiful world." --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Discover: This breathtaking picture book about a Vietnamese family who must flee their home is told through the wishes of familiar objects.

May Recommendations

Novels:

THE WAY BACK, by Gavriel Savit, is a whip-smart and wondrously dark adventure which follows a boy named Yehuda Leib and a girl named Bluma as they journey through a Far Country populated by demons and the dead. They encounter sorcery, make pacts with monsters, and declare war on the Angel of Death. It’s a fantastic tale based on Jewish folk tradition.

In THE GREAT GODDIN, by Meg Medina, an unnamed narrator and somewhat extended family arrive for their annual, usually predictable beach house vacation. But this year two guests are coming to stay. When the “golden Greek statue of a youth” Kit Godden and his “bony and awkward” brother Hugo show up, what ensues is a summer full of angst that leaves the entire family reeling for years to come. This riveting novel of love and betrayal is deftly and elegantly written, and a joy to read.

Picture Books:

In THE BEAR IN MY FAMILY, by Maya Tatsukawa, the main character describes how awful it is to live with a bear who’s “really loud, really bossy, and always hungry.” But, this may not be such a bad thing, after all. Digital art with handmade textures bring this simple but effective story to life.

BEAR ISLAND, by Matthew Cordell, is the tender story of how Louise copes with the death of her beloved dog, Charlie. When she rows to a nearby island to mourn, Louise discovers butterflies, deer—and a bear! When she realizes the bear is sad like her, she returns over and over, until “both Louise and Bear became better.” But one day, Bear goes to his den for winter, which makes Louise sad again. Will this be an ending, or a new beginning? Expressive pen, ink, watercolor, “and sometimes gouache” illustrations from Caldecott medalist Cordell are exquisite.

In FOLLOW THAT FROG, written by Philip Stead and illustrated by Matthew Cordell, when someone comes knocking on Aunt Josephine’s door, she hunkers down in bed and begins relating her life’s story, beginning with how, when she was nine and “cataloguing amphibians,” she caught the eye of the admiral’s son, who was eaten by a giant frog. And things only get weirder from there. It’s great fun, but who’s that knocking at the door??? Cordell’s illustrations are full of life and motion, perfect for this story.

THE BLUE HOUSE, by Phoebe Wahl, tells the story of Leo and his dad, who live in an old blue house with peeling paint and a mossy roof. In the winter Leo loves “its hiding places and cozy spaces,” and in summer he loves the garden and the yard, where he can play until the sun goes down. The house is theirs and they love it. Until it’s sold and they have to move. When the blue house is packed up it feels empty, and so does their new house when they move in. But, little by little, they make this new house into their home. What sets the book apart are the quirky details of this father-and-son family, which come across in the text, and ever so much more in the colorful, detailed watercolor, gouache, collage, and colored pencil illustrations. It’s a wonderful story about coping with change.

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--The Great Godden

YA Review: The Great Godden

The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff (Candlewick, 256p., ages 14-up, 9781536215854)

Meg Rosoff's The Great Godden is a first-rate coming-of-age novel told by an astute and appealing unnamed narrator over the course of one uncharacteristically fraught seaside summer.

When the narrator and their family arrive for the annual visit at their much-loved, "picturesque and annoying" beach house, each of them--Mum and Dad, the four kids, Dad's cousin Hope and her boyfriend Mal--"radiates optimism" that it will be the best summer ever. But this year there are two surprises: after 12 years together, "Malanhope" will marry at summer's end. And film star Florence Godden's two sons will be staying with Malanhope at Hope's beach house. Kit Godden is a "golden Greek statue of a youth," oozing wealth and privilege, while his brother, Hugo, is "bony and awkward." Kit makes sure to catch the gaze of any and all parties who might find him irresistible, and "within four seconds" he's charmed Mattie, the narrator's 16-year-old sister, "practically to death." What ensues is a summer so full of angst and "apocalypse" that the entire family is left reeling for years to come.

The Great Godden is filled with equal parts drama and reflection, a riveting novel of love and betrayal that is deftly and elegantly written. Rosoff (Picture Me Gone; Jonathan Unleashed) allows her self-aware and observant narrator to speak through the lens of hindsight, leaving a trail of tantalizing clues. The unnamed protagonist, now older and wiser, seems to have weathered a summer of manipulation and mind games, and readers will find this story a compelling summertime--or anytime--read. --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Discover: An idyllic summer on the beach turns into a season of manipulation and mind games, deftly related in hindsight by an astute, unnamed narrator.

May's Book of the Month--I Talk Like a River

May’s Book of the Month is the heartfelt and stunning picture book, I TALK LIKE A RIVER, written by Jordan Scott and illustrated by Sydney Smith.

As the narrator explains to readers, “I wake up each morning with the sounds of words all around me. And I can’t say them all. The P in pine tree grows roots inside my mouth and tangles my tongue. The C is a crow that sticks in the back of my throat. The M in moon dusts my lips with a magic that makes me only mumble.”

So he stays “quiet as a stone.”

After an especially difficult day at school, the boy’s dad takes him to the river, whose water moves like the boy speaks. This “proud” river, with all its “bubbling, churning, whirling, and crashing.” And the calm “beyond the rapids, where the water is smooth and glistening.” This river stutters, just like him.

Equating the boy’s his struggles to speak with the natural world, from the early morning frustration of sounds he can’t make, to the moment he identifies with the movement of the river, is a device that works perfectly in the hands of poet Scott, a stutterer himself.

And if his beautiful language doesn’t send you racing to your library or bookstore to hold a copy of the book yourself, then the illustrations should. Smith’s watercolor, ink, and gouache art is truly masterful. And wait until you see the gatefold!!!

I TALK LIKE A RIVER is a perfect example of what picture book-making can achieve as an art form.

--Lynn