Shelf Awareness--The Spy in the Museum

PB Review: The Spy in the Museum

The Spy in the Museum by Erin McGuire (Beach Lane Books, 40p., ages 6-9, 9781534466173)

Illustrator Erin McGuire (Rollin' on Down the Line) authors her first picture book, the fascinating and well-researched The Spy in the Museum, about Parisian Rose Valland's important work tracking artwork pillaged by Nazi's during World War II.

Rose Valland was the curator at the Jeu de Paume Museum in Paris, where she cared for "some of the world's greatest art." When the Nazis "arrived on Rose's doorstep," they "stormed the hallways... eyeing its treasures greedily." Quiet, shy Rose could have fled the danger but stayed at the museum as manager, fearful about what would happen to the artwork. "The Nazis... thought she was harmless," but Rose was brave and took notes as the Nazis discussed their secret plans in front of her. Rose kept track of where the art went, even after she was caught eavesdropping and threatened with death. When the Germans finally left Paris, their train cars stuffed full of the museum's masterpieces, Rose sent her information to the French Resistance; the French Army managed to save "148 crates of priceless paintings."

McGuire's engrossing narrative hews closely to its mission of describing Valland's "small, overlooked" act of heroism. The text is precise and concise and conveys the danger Rose was in, as well as her passion for her work. The digitally painted, graphite and mixed media illustrations are equally strong, portraying Rose's determination through facial expressions and posture and using shifts in perspective to create both menacing and thoughtful images. While the focus of this gripping book remains on Rose and her accomplishments, the "twisted and hateful" outlook of the Nazis is apparent in both text and back matter. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author. Originally printed in Shelf Awareness.

Shelf Awareness--Broken

PB Review: Broken

Broken by X. Fang (Tundra Books , 48p., ages 3-7, 9781774882009, October 14, 2025)

In Broken, the exceedingly talented X. Fang (Dim Sum Palace; We Are Definitely Human) passionately describes a dramatic incident in which Mei Mei breaks Ama's cup. How the cup--and Mei Mei--are subsequently made whole again involves glue, understanding, and the perfect hug.

Mei Mei is bored while visiting Ama. So, "naturally," the child decides to scare Ama's cat, Mimi. Mei Mei jumps out with a loud "BOO!" and bumps into a table; Ama's patterned yellow mug flies "up, then down, down, down, until CRASH!" It breaks into three pieces. Mei Mei, who doesn't know what to do, runs "far away." Alone and worrying on Ama's doorstep, Mei Mei believes that Ama will get mad or yell, but fondly, "with a smile," Ama asks Mei Mei to come back inside for tea and cake.

The mug is gone from the living room floor, but Mei Mei's guilt remains. "Mimi, you naughty cat!" Ama says while cuddling the cat, "You broke my cup!" But Mei Mei and Mimi know the truth. Mei Mei tries to eat the cake, but Mimi stares directly into the child's eyes over Ama's shoulder. And then "Mimi stare[s] even harder." Finally, the guilt overwhelms Mei Mei, who runs to a dark closet and huddles there. Ama finds the overwhelmed kid and Mei Mei confesses. Even though Mei Mei cries so hard it seems "the entire closet [will] flood," Ama isn't angry. Ama, who is a "fixer," glues the cup back together "piece by piece": "every repair tells a story" and now the cup has one, too. Finally, there is cake.

Fang's child-centric picture book speaks directly to the heart. Strong text, strong feelings, and strong art all acknowledge that mistakes are made (endpapers show the cat is not exempt either!), but kindness and compassion rule the day. Direct, first-person narration in the voice of tempestuous Mei Mei holds nothing back, and the digitally colored, graphite pencil-on-paper illustrations include plenty of extreme closeups, child's-eye-views, and even one invitation to turn the book 90 degrees for dramatic effect. The art is composed mostly of saturated blues, oranges, and yellows, accompanied by plenty of white space, keeping the pages from getting too dark. Ama's cheerful warmth nicely balances Mei Mei's passion, and readers will surely feel all Mei Mei's feels, then cheer when the child finally gets cake. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author. Originally printed in Shelf Awareness.

September Recommendations

In LATE TODAY, written by Jungyoon Huh, illustrated by Myungae Lee, and translated by Aerin Park, a narrator explains that “we can’t be late today.” But a wet, bedraggled kitten is crossing the bridge. No one wants to see it hurt, but “no one ha[s] the courage to save her.” Until one person, “gripped by fear,” SCREEECH! pulls over, “hop[ing] to hear a kitten’s cry.” Thankfully, there’s a forlorn “mew, mew,” and the driver rushes over to save the quivering kitten. The narrator concludes that “today [is] a good day to be late.” It’s a strongly affecting story, inspired by a kitten the writer was not able to rescue, sparely worded, strategically using sounds—and silence—to move readers. The text pairs perfectly with dynamic colored pencil and oil pastel illustrations that feature a good number of extremely effective wordless spreads to ratchet up suspense and bring this moving story to life.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE, written by Ingrid Law and illustrated by Xin Li, gently, lovingly, reminds children that even when bedtime feels “like it’s about to be you and no one else until morning,” they are “not alone.” Not alone echoes the nightlight, the father or mother, and the “soft fluff of [their] best-loved, most-hugged” stuffed animal. Not alone, “hoots the ever-watchful owl” that’s “draped in moonbeams;” not alone, calls the train, “it’s horn echoing from faraway tracks.” Via Law’s sweet, poetic language and Li’s warm and welcoming watercolor, gouache, crayon, colored pencil, and dried pastel art, the “pages of this book” softly, explicitly, reassure the child that they “are never alone.”

ZEBRA AND YAK: THE BACKWARDS ALPHABET BOOK, by Paul Friedrich, is a distinctive, really funny alphabet book. It does go backwards, and as someone who proudly memorized the alphabet in reverse as a kid, this speaks to me! When the book gets started, Zebra is complaining about not getting a cue from xylophone (“I didn’t hear X is for Xylophone”), and insists that the story should start with “A is for Apple.” The narrator argues, too, in fact the whole book is a silly, bantering argument as we work our way back to apple…and a surprise twist! Chockfull of zany banter and hysterical cartoony ballpoint pen and digital illustrations, it’s terrific!

Gentle, uncluttered, and poignant, CLARA AND THE MAN WITH BOOKS IN HIS WINDOW, written by María Teresa Andruetto, illustrated by Martina Trach, and translated by Elisa Amado, tells the story of how Clara is sent by her mother with a load of laundry for “the man in the big house.” The man who leaves money under the mat and “never goes out.” When Clara appears interested, he gives her a book. And another, and another, and he invites her inside where they talk about courage, and when Clara forgets her book the man finds his own courage and takes it to her. The watercolor, pencil, monoprint, and digitally collaged illustrations are distinctive in this heartfelt Spanish import.

MY FRIEND MAY, by Julie Flett, is another cat story, this one about Margaux and May, and how they became friends. When May goes out she mostly sticks close to home, and she always comes home for dinner. Until one day, even when Margaux calls and calls and calls, May doesn’t return. Everyone gathers to look, but May is nowhere to be found. That evening, Margaux helps her auntie Nitôsis pack up to move to the city. They both worry about May, but the next night, when Nitôsis is putting things away in her new home, “meow!” she hears May! Once May is home, she “purr[s] a long purr,” nestles into Margaux’s chest, and understands that “the best place to get lost [is] in the long grass behind the house, with her friend.” This tenderhearted story unfolds at an easy pace, in a reassuring voice, with clever, loving illustrations in pastel and pencil that are digitally collaged. Back matter adds a personal note, as well as some thoughts and examples of the Cree language.

OH DEAR, LOOK WHAT I GOT, written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, is a delightfully silly, rhyming romp by the uber-talented creators of the classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. In this one, a boy goes to a shop to get a carrot, and “Oh dear they gave me… a parrot!” He asks for a hat, only to get a cat, and when he wants a coat, he gets… well, you know. There’s a lovely, cumulative element to the story, and the repeating refrain, “Oh dear, look what I got! Do I want that? No, I do NOT!” keeps readers rolling along—right up until Rosen perfectly subverts it at the end. Oxenbury’s watercolor and pencil illustrations are as divine as ever.

--Lynn