Shelf Awareness--The Quiet Crocodile Goes to the Beach

PB Review: The Quiet Crocodile Goes to the Beach

The Quiet Crocodile Goes to the Beach by Natacha Andriamirado, illus. by Delphine Renon (Princeton Architectural Press, ages 2-6, 9781616898014)

Fossil the Quiet Crocodile loves the beach. While his many friends float, paddle, bob, dive and boogie board, Fossil prefers to "contemplate the waves, look for shells, take a nap, enjoy the moment." Observation might suggest he isn't moving, but he is engaged in active pursuits like "teach[ing] his friends how to swim, how not to splash" and "how to kick." But there's something "gnawing" at Fossil, "bothering him, and stressing him out." Although it seems impossible for a giant, beach-loving crocodile, "Fossil is scared to go in the water." Thank goodness he is surrounded by friends, who encourage him with kindness--and floaties. As the tide creeps up, Fossil finds that he can face his fears and enjoy the ocean after all.

This follow-up to Andriamirado and Renon's first book about Fossil (The Quiet Crocodile) is endowed with even more charm and off-beat humor than the original. The text is straightforward and feels as if it's being delivered with an affectionate smile, and the detailed colored-pencil and pen illustrations manage to depict plenty of activity and an abiding sense of calm at the same time. The gentle, mostly stationary Fossil is joined by a large cast of active, personable animals, such as Fippo the Hippo and Sonny the Bunny, all of whom are introduced in the endpapers, each sporting elaborate beachwear. A note instructs readers to "find, name, and count all of [Fossil's] friends as they play in the water," as well as to look for additional specific "hidden" objects, including rings and racquets, a fishing net, some chewing gum and "the sparrow, aboard a tiny boat." Young readers will surely dive into the fun! --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Discover: Fossil the Quiet Crocodile loves spending time on the beach, but when the tide rolls in, he may to have face his fears and join his friends in the water.

April Recommendations

Novels:

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY, by Brigid Kemmerer, is my favorite novel of the year, so far. It’s an inspired retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with Prince Rhen under a nasty curse that dooms him to repeat his eighteenth year over and over, until he finds a woman who can love him--even though he turns into a monster and kills any living thing in his path. Harper is the 327th such woman, brought over from “real world” Washington, DC, for Rhen’s last chance to save his kingdom. Harper is tough enough to change things up, and might just be the one, but that Enchantress and her curse are so strong… (YA)

DRY, by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman, is another high concept story from the prolific National Book Award winner, writing here with his son. When Southern California taps run dry from prolonged drought, it doesn’t take long for social norms to break down. Sixteen-year-old Alyssa finds herself teaming up with Kelton, her Boy Scout--and survivalist—neighbor and classmate, trying to find her missing parents and keep ten-year-old brother Garrett safe when things get really crazy. It’s fast-paced and entertaining. (YA)

Picture Books:

I finally got a look at JULIÁN IS A MERMAID, by Jessica Love. Inspired by a book he’s reading--and three women on the subway--Julian decides he’s a mermaid. He uses his abuela’s flowers and window curtain to dress up and, rather than getting angry, she donates a strand of beads, then takes him join the rest of the mermaids in a parade. The watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations are gorgeous and, aside from the uplifting themes, it’s a terrific look at how an artist can incorporate fantasy elements into an otherwise realistic setting.

In KITTEN AND THE NIGHT WATCHMAN, written by John Sullivan and illustrated by Taeeun Yoo, we follow the watchman as he leaves his family and drives to work, where he “makes his rounds, alone.” The night gets a little less solitary when a stray kitten joins him. The digital art makes great use of color and perspective to bring this gentle story—featuring plenty of construction equipment--to life.

THE VERY IMPATIENT CATERPILLAR, by Ross Burach, is how The Very Hungry Caterpillar might act if he gobbled his way through entirely too much sugar. THIS caterpillar wants metamorphosis to happen right away, and finds it extremely difficult to "let nature take its course.” Plenty of scientific facts are woven into the text, which is presented solely using speech bubbles, and the comical art will keep kids laughing as they learn.

In WHEN SPRING COMES TO THE DMZ, Uk-Bae Lee cycles through the seasons of this singular place, contrasting the innocence and beauty of the natural world with the sadness of the “razor wire fence,” and the "warships from South Korea and North Korea [that] face off in the sea near the island.” A boy and his grandpa visit throughout the year, and Grandpa gazes across the land, wishing he could just go home.

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--Sweet Dreamers

PB Review: Sweet Dreamers

Sweet Dreamers by Isabelle Simler (Eerdmans, 80p., ages 4-8, 9780802855176)

Whether in trees or in caves, in mud or the ocean, animals take their rest in myriad ways. Animals may sleep "vertically," like the humpback whale, or "rolled up, wrapped up," like the hedgehog "safely in his shelter." They might sleep like the snail "tight inside his twisting shell," with "dreams spiral[ing] out," or like "the spider... on a tightrope--/ the lacework pattern of his sleep/ hanging by a thread." Maybe they rest as the horse does, "standing up,/ in the middle of the herd" while "her thoughts break free."

Sweet Dreamers is a soporific bedtime book filled with distinctive facts and delivered in poetic language (translated from the original French by Sarah Ardizzone) that gets right to the heart of each of the featured animals. Each illustrated, double-page spread presents a close-up of the slumbering animal, along with a wider view of its surrounding habitat. Isabelle Simler's (The Blue Hour) digital art is comprised of lines of vibrant color that coalesce into shimmering images worthy of framing. Bold pinks, oranges, greens and browns are all grounded in a judicious use of black, conjuring up the magic of our natural world. Wordless landscapes are interspersed at regular intervals throughout, adding to the feeling of peace and repose. Additionally, the nonfiction material lends itself to use as an artful introduction to wildlife study.

Whether "slung like a hammock," "bundled into a ball" or "in full flight," all of the animals in this lyrical ode to slumbering take their rest with distinct flair, including the human child at the end, who "all night long... dreams beneath the moon." --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Discover: In Isabelle Simler's picture book, poetic text and distinctive digital illustrations highlight the very different ways that animals slumber.

April's Book of the Month--Hello Lighthouse

April’s Book of the Month is this year’s Caldecott winner, HELLO LIGHTHOUSE, by Sophie Blackall.

This lighthouse “is built to last forever,” and even though changes happen as the years go by, the lighthouse remains steadfast, always “sending its light out to sea,/guiding ships on their way.”

Repeating circular motifs in the art reinforce the circular nature of the text. We begin “on the highest rock of a tiny island/at the edge of the world,” where a new keeper arrives to polish the lens, trim the wick, wind the clockwork, and do all tasks necessary to tend the light. HIs wife arrives, and then a baby. Storms come and go. By story's end, we are still on that “highest rock of a tiny island/at the edge of the world,” even though the keeper and his family now gaze at the light from a house on the mainland. The keeper has been replaced by a machine, but readers understand that all is well, and surely all will continue to be well, with the lighthouse on the job. Which is actually an interesting twist—it’s the lighthouse that’s the main character, and although the keeper, his wife, their daughter, and occasional visitors add a touch of humanity to the picture, they are only passersby. HELLO LIGHTHOUSE is a tribute to the lighthouse.

Blackall has found so many ways to depict water in this book! Chinese ink and watercolor illustrations are delicate, yet vibrant, with jewel-toned colors. Many pages have circular insets, which offer multiple scenes and perspectives on their spreads. The text is rhythmic and repetitive, feeling quite a bit like the ebb and flow of the sea. The book itself is tall to accommodate the vertical shape of its title character.

--Lynn