July Recommendations

July Recommendations in August? This summer sure has flown by. Stay tuned for August rec’s, coming soon!

Picture Books:

In GIB*BER*ISH, by Young Vo, when Dat begins school in a new country, he can’t understand what anyone says. His Mah says to do the best that he can, but without knowing the language, Dat can’t understand what’s going on in class and he has no one to play with. Until “something unexpected [falls] from a tree.” Even though they don’t speak the same language—yet—things are looking up for Dat. Text and art work together seamlessly to tell this hopeful story. It’s especially fun how the people in Dat’s new town all look like black and white cartoon characters until he finds someone he can connect with.

HERE WE COME! by Janna Matthies and Christine Davenier, is an invitation to a nighttime revel, proudly proclaimed in the form of a cumulative chant. Cadenced and magical, a child with a flute leads a stuffed bear outside, where they are joined by a dog strumming a guitar, Little Lu sucking her thumb, a bear with a fiddle, and other wonderful additions. Pencil and ink wash illustrations set the moonlit stage perfectly. “Rum-pum-pum. Wanna come?”

Using rhythmic, lyrical language which weaves words and themes and a warm message of inclusion, THIS IS A SCHOOL, with words by John Schu and illustrations by Veronica Miller Jamison, shows how, from kid to school to community, “we are all important.” Watercolor, acrylic, and digitally collaged illustrations bring the message home visually, adding to the clout of this important and uplifting picture book.

JOHN’S TURN, written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Kate Berube, is another school story. This one is about Friday morning assembly, where, if the kids are good, at the end one of them gets to perform for the rest of the school. Tina plays tuba, Jesse does magic tricks, but when it’s John’s turn, he’s quiet and the other kids know why: he’s nervous. But John shares what he loves and, when he dances, he wins over the crowd. Ink and paint illustrations take center stage in showing John’s joy, and the perfect ending, as related in the text, is delivered with a light, sweet touch.

SWIM JIM, by Kaz Windness, tells the story of Jim, a crocodile who can’t swim. When his sisters Kim and Sim tease him, Jim “wiggle-waggle[s] out of Stigwater Swamp” to find somewhere that’s not “too deep, too dark, and too big” for him to learn. “Ker-splash!” Jim finds the perfect place and the perfect equipment to solve his problem. Graphite on paper, digitally painted illustrations showcase the outsized personality of these entertaining crocs. And don’t forget to look under the dust cover for some bonus art fun!

In SOMEWHERE IN THE BAYOU, by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey, Opossum, Squirrel, and Rabbit try to use a log to cross a river but, one by one, “SMACK SPLASH” a sneaky, scary, mean tail sweeps each of them into the water. Until Mouse performs an act of kindness and gets his just reward… Blocky illustrations using a limited palette lend plenty of style to this entertaining tale.

--Lynn