Shelf Awareness--An Arrow to the Moon

PB Review: An Arrow to the Moon

An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 400p., ages 12-up, 9780316464055)

An Arrow to the Moon is an incandescent YA retelling of Romeo and Juliet infused with Chinese mythology. Emily X.R. Pan's singular storytelling makes this fantasy distinctive and romantic.

Luna Chang's parents consider her a blessing, though lately Luna feels crushed by their expectations. Hunter Yee is "a wayward star, shooting in the wrong direction," whose angry parents, on the run from some scary "random dude," are always finding fault with him. The two sets of parents despise each other but when Luna and Hunter meet, Luna immediately has the "magnetic and bizarre" feeling that they're being pulled together; Hunter forgets to breathe. The teens feel at peace together even as the ground splits open and a mysterious crack begins to snake through Fairbridge, their otherwise nondescript town. As the cracks multiply, Luna and Hunter realize they may have set something ancient into motion. When an old associate of Hunter's parents arrives on the scene, the danger escalates: Hunter's parents need to disappear once again, time feels as if it's "coming to an end" and the entire world seems filled with "wrongness." Luna and Hunter reluctantly begin trying to understand the phenomenon, fearing they may be the only ones who can fix it.

In this reinterpretation, Pan (The Astonishing Color of After) perfectly blends Shakespearean tragedy with traditional Chinese myths about a girl who guards the moon and a "boy who made the stars fly." Vivid imagery infuses her tale with an otherworldly magic, even as her characters seem grounded in their present-day, suburban town. Fantasy lovers should adore this enchanting novel. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.

Discover: This luminous, romantic tale of young love is a Chinese mythology-influenced Romeo and Juliet set in a mundane suburban town.

Shelf Awareness--Drawing Outdoors

PB Review: Drawing Outdoors

Drawing Outdoors by Jairo Buitrago, trans. by Elisa Amado, illus. by Rafael Yockteng (Greystone Kids, 36p., ages 5-9, 9781771648479, May 3, 2022)

The narrator of the inspiring Drawing Outdoors attends a school that's "between two mountains, near a river, in the middle of nowhere," and has "almost nothing" in the way of supplies. But what this school does have is an extraordinary teacher who makes learning a not-to-be-missed adventure.

The teacher waits in the doorway for her pupils every morning. They may not have much more than a blackboard and some chairs, but they're about to become explorers with paper, crayons and plenty of imagination. "Look!"--the teacher points out a Brontosaurus near the river, a Triceratops on a big rock, a Stegosaurus hidden between stones. Pupils, even those who don't want to come to school in the first place, are fascinated; one and all "stop talking and start to draw." Pterodactyls darken the sky and when the "mountain booms and the birds stop singing," it's because a Tyrannosaurus is "roaring among the trees!" Then it's time for a snack on the back of a Diplodocus and when the students go home, they all do so with a stack of drawings and a real sense of accomplishment.

The creative trio of author Jairo Buitrago, translator Elisa Amado and illustrator Rafael Yockteng (Lion and Mouse) describe in this picture book the very best kind of education. Buitrago's graceful text tells an entertaining story through the whimsical imaginations of childhood, and the wonderful teacher who brings learning to life recalls the unorthodox, magical Ms. Frizzle. Yockteng's digital illustrations add a touch of humor by blending the fantastical elements into the landscapes. His palette is a delightful blend of greens, blues and purples that belong to mountains, valleys, forests--and dinosaurs--matched with bright, colorful tones for humans and smaller animals that allow them to stand out on every page.

All children, everywhere, deserve access to a decent education. As the publisher asserts, while many schools "have playgrounds, gyms, computers, lots of teachers, school libraries, and all sorts of other equipment," others struggle to make do with much less. What is central to this story is the idea that no matter what school a child attends, no matter how many or few the supplies, one dedicated professional can make all the difference. Because with the right teacher, even a school that has "almost nothing" can surely have "a Brontosaurus that's as big as a mountain." --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.

Shelf Talker: A school that has very little besides an exceptional teacher encourages kids to thrive in this inspiring picture-book adventure.

April Recommendations

Recommendations this month are devoted to recently published and upcoming picture books, all created by the fabulous PBRockiteers22. Read on for PART ONE of this fun and diverse collection:

REVOLUTIONARY PRUDENCE WRIGHT, written by Beth Anderson and illustrated by Susan Reagan is the story of how, in 1775, one Captain Prudence Wright organized and led a group of women to “[break] free from traditional female roles” in order to capture a British spy and further the war effort of the patriots in the early days of America’s fight for independence. Anderson spins a fascinating tale of courage, leadership, and norm-busting behavior in the face of British attack, and Reagan’s digitally-drawn, watercolor illustrations do a fine job of bringing this little-known piece of history to life.

In LITTLE SEED, by Benson Shum, Mother Earth gives Little Seed “a great big hug to show her love.” In turn, Little Seed wants to hug the whole world, but his arms are too small. So, instead, Little Seed learns how to perfectly hug panda, lion cub, elephant, octopus whale, and others—though, wisely and respectfully, not “an armadillo who wants to be alone.” This sweet board book, with its cheerful cartoony (in the best way) illustrations, is perfect for preschoolers.

MIGHTY MAHI, written by Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw and illustrated by Dorothy Shaw, is “the true story of an injured turtle found on a Florida beach, told from the turtle’s point of view.” With poetic text, dynamic illustrations, and a plethora of fascinating back matter, this picture book presents a compelling, entertaining, and informative story kids will surely relate to.

In EMET’S BOX, words and pictures by Jeni Chen, Emet is passionate about painting, so he does it “everywhere” and “all the time.” He loves “all the colors in the whole, wide world!” and his creations clearly make him very happy. Until grown-ups begin telling him to focus on “more important things;” and because grown-ups usually know best, Emet listens. But then his world turns gray. This is a sweet story about following your heart and doing what you love that’s sure to resonate with creative kids everywhere.

In HATTIE HATES HUGS, written by Sarah Hovorka and illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee, Hattie loves all her relatives, but she doesn’t want to be hugged. Sure enough, from the moment she steps out of her car at the family reunion, whiskers scratch, perfume overwhelms, and too many arms squeeze. Luckily, Hattie finds the one person who understands how she feels, and Great Grandma’s strategies allow Hattie to connect with her relatives on her own terms. The empowering text is engaging, and Lee’s use of color and textures in her art is particularly nice.

TOFU TAKES TIME, written by Helen H. Wu and illustrated by Julie Jarema, shows how Lin is making tofu from scratch with her NaiNai. She’s hungry, but there are so many steps! From seeds to soy milk, from curds to a molded block that must be sliced and seasoned and cooked to perfection, it takes a lot of patience before happiness can fill Lin’s belly. The lesson that “good things take time” is served up with a fun text, imaginative illustrations, and solid back matter to explain more about tofu and the author’s personal experience making it with her own grandma as a child.

--Lynn

April's Book of the Month--Air

April’s Book of the Month is AIR, by Monica Roe. It’s the eminently readable story of one very determined middle-school wheelchair athlete, entrepreneur, and friend.

Twelve-year-old Emmie loves adrenaline. She repeatedly launches herself—in her “raggedy” wheelchair—off the quarter-pipe her dad cobbled together in their backyard. She’s looking for that “one glorious, wind-rushing moment.” And to work on sticking the landing.

Born with a spinal cord that’s got a “design glitch,” Emmie runs an online business sewing custom-made wheelchair accessory bags to raise money to fulfill her dream of owning a new, “high-end, multi-link-suspension stunt chair,” and she refuses to let anything slow her down.

When a fall on a non-ADA compliant ramp causes the school to overreact and assign her an aide, Emmie is mortified. Her mom used to be her biggest advocate, but since Mom died, Emmie and her dad have had to make do all by themselves. And when the town decides that buying her dream wheelchair will be a great fundraising (and PR) opportunity, Emmie is stuck between feeling excited she’ll get her chair sooner and not wanting to be a “cause.”

Secondary characters, including next door neighbor, co-conspirator, and best friend Ale, along with “rodeo prince” Devontae, spring to life. Everything about this multi-layered mid-grade is a joy to read.

--Lynn