October Recommendations

Picture Books:

In RICK THE ROCK OF ROOM 214, written by Julie Falatko and illustrated by Ruth Chan, Rick sits on the Nature Finds shelf in Room 214, “with an acorn, some moss, and a piece of bark.” Rick doesn’t get to sing, jump, draw or read with the students in his classroom, he just gets to sit. But Rick begins to wish he was doing some majestic posing and jutting and tumbling like the outdoor rocks he sees in books, so he waits for his chance… Rick soon finds that the outdoors isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and maybe there are adventures to be had back in Room 214, after all. This story has just the right blend of warm-hearted and silly. Falatko’s entertaining text is accompanied by Chan’s delightful ink and digitally colored illustrations, both of which ensure that Rick has a boulder-sized personality and plenty of charm.

In THE MOUSE WHO CARRIED A HOUSE ON HIS BACK, written by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, Vincent is a traveling mouse, with “boots on his feet, a hat on his head, and a house on his back.” One day, Vincent sets his house down on a hill, because that’s “where he need[s] to be.” Soon, a tired bullfrog, a cat, a family of hedgehogs, a fox, two badgers, a herd of deer, and even a bear find that Vincent’s house is “much larger than it appear[s].” This gentle, Mitten-like tale of generosity is deftly illustrated with gouache, ink, cut paper, and die-cut art, making it quite a lovely package.

IF YOUR BABYSITTER IS A BRUJA, written by Ana Siqueira, illustrated by Irena Freitas, warns readers to “be wary,” because if it’s almost Halloween, then your new babysitter “might be a bruja! A witch!” If she zooms and cackles, you’ll need to “cook up a plan!” If she if she gobbles, spits, giggles, and cackles (again), you’ll want to “flee to the magic garden!” Steal her broom if you can, but odds are you’ll end up in a “bubbling cauldron with starving ¡¡¡cocodrillos!!!” But all is not lost, so read this book to find out the rest! Colorful, cartoony digital illustrations add to the fun, beautifully showcasing the mayhem.

Like the title implies, THE SWEETEST SCOOP: BEN & JERRY’S ICE CREAM REVOLUTION, written by Lisa Robinson and illustrated by Stacy Innerst, is the story of Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, and how they founded their great ice cream empire. Apparently, these “two groovy guys” met when they were twelve. One liked art and one liked science, but they both loved food. They figured out how to make ice cream, how to sell ice cream, “how make their flavors stand out,” and they figured out how to “use ice cream to make the world a better place. Chunky Monkey, Wavy Gravy, Cherry Garcia. Save our Swirled, Empower Mint, Imagine Swirled Peas. Yum! A super-engaging text is peppered with riddles and accompanied by playful watercolor, ink, and Photoshop illustrations. This book’s a treat!

AMERICAN DESI, written by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and illustrated by Supriya Kelkar, portrays a young girl’s earnest look at what it means to belong to two cultures. Is she “Bollywood moves” or “hip-hop grooves?” Is she “cricket wickets… and screams for all” or “football scrimmage, sacks, and calls?” Using colors to define the different strands that pull and tug at her heart, this affirming picture book written in rhyme assures readers that our main character has “no need to hide/The many colors of me.” The paper, fabric, mixed media, and digitally collaged illustrations are bright, full of energy, and work in perfect harmony with the text.

LOOK, by Fiona Woodcock, is an intriguing concept book that restricts itself to only words spelled with two Os in a row. As sun rises, it’s time for “FOOD” then “BOOTS,” after which a sister and brother “ZOOM” to the “ZOO.” They see a kangaroo, and a cockatoo, and a panda eating bamboo, and you get the idea. Finally, things wind down at bedtime with a shampoo and a book, while outside there’s some more double-o magic to end this most interesting of days. Hand-cut rubber stamps, stencils, pen and pencil art, all composited digitally, bring to life this clever idea with a text that seems to achieve its goal effortlessly.

--Lynn