Synopses & Reviews
Living in the Bloggins School boiler room isn't glamorous, but that's life for Martha Snapdragon, daughter of the beleaguered janitor. Life only gets weirder when Martha realizes bizarre events are afoot at the school. There's the dastardly dealings of evil principal Dr. Klunk and school bully Rufus. There's the dozen dancing eggs and the misbehaving dragons, property of the mysterious science teacher. And then there's the strangest thing of all: a giant golden spoon that simply appears one day, stuck in the wall of the school bathroom. Although everyone tries, only Martha is able to extract the spoon from the wall--an act that leads her to a destiny far beyond her meager life in the boiler room.
Tony Johnston's funny, magical story spoofs the legend of The Sword in the Stone—and conveys some poignant truths about teaching, leadership, and the responsibilities we have to one another.
Review
* andldquo;Children will be drawn in by the straightforward prose, and librarians will enjoy sharing the book aloud. Innerstandrsquo;s colorful and unconventional acrylic illustrations cover the entire page and are the perfect complement to both the text and the subject matter, making this a standout biography.andrdquo;and#160;
andmdash;School Library Journal, starred review
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* andldquo;Readers will smile, too, at this lighthearted look at Lincoln and the many droll quotations attributed to him.andrdquo;and#160;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly, starred review
and#160;
andldquo;Laughter is not only good medicine. It can also be a political tool, human motivator, and saving grace, as the authors show in this upbeat overview of Lincolnandrsquo;s life.andrdquo;and#160;
andmdash;Booklist
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andldquo;Innerstandrsquo;s gorgeous, textured paintings, many of them caricatures, are varied and inventive: When Lincolnandrsquo;s great height is described in the text, his head and feet are cropped off the page. Itandrsquo;s a quirkily specific biography, but, as with Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comoraandrsquo;s wonderful George Washingtonandrsquo;s Teeth, illustrated by Brock Cole (2003), it reveals the human side of an American icon in an unusual, lively and thought-provoking way.andrdquo;and#160;
andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
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Review
A wizard from the start, Thomas Edison had a thirst for knowledge, taste for mischief, and hunger for discoveryand#151;but his success was made possible by his boundless energy. At age fourteen he coined his personal motto: and#147;The More to do, the more to be done,and#8221; and then went out and
did: picking up skills and knowledge at every turn. When learning about things that existed wasn't enough,and#160;he dreamed up new inventions to improve the world.
and#160;
From humble beginnings as a farmerand#8217;s son, selling newspapers on trains and reading through public libraries shelf by shelf, Tom began his inventing career as a boy and became a legend as a man.and#160;
"Focusing on the great inventor's youth, roughly from age eight to mid-20s, this anecdotal picture-book biography is both engaging and accessible. The concise narrative is sprinkled with original quotes and is well suited as a read-aloud...Brown's signature sketches combine digital imagery and watercolors and reflect the period costume and key moments in Edison's early life."--School Library Journal, starred review
"Brown (Teedie: The Story of Young Teddy Roosevelt) offers a folksy, episodic picture book biography of Edison's early years, highlighting his entrepreneurial spirit and love of experimentation, while incorporating a wealth of fascinating, little-known anecdotes about the accomplished inventor."--Publishers Weekly
Review
"By the second spread, with miners working in their long johns or, discreetly, "in the vanilla," listeners will be thoroughly hooked. The humor is broad and the language inventive, yet reminiscent of the times."--Kirkus Reviews
Review
"By the second spread, with miners working in their long johns or, discreetly, "in the vanilla," listeners will be thoroughly hooked. The humor is broad and the language inventive, yet reminiscent of the times."--
Kirkus Reviews and#160;
"Johnston creates an unrepentantly exaggerated version of events that is sure to entertain, offering more factual information about Strauss in an author's note. Using a bright idea of his own, Innerst (Lincoln Tells a Joke) chronicles the raucous action in acrylic paintings on a canvas of, yes, old Levi's jeans. The denim's texture provides an appropriately rugged tone to the colorful proceedings."--Publishers Weekly,and#160;starred review
and#160; "An outlandish whopper of a tall tale, this story just begs to be read aloud with an old-timey Western accent. Johnston weaves together fact and fiction, resulting in a hilarious narrative about how Strauss became the denim king... A first choice for any collection, this book is worth its weight in denimand#8211;or gold."--School Library Journal, starred review
and#160;
"Johnston antes up the readaloudability with traditional tall-tale banter and a bold-faced "Dang!" every time Strauss gets a brainstorm. Innerst extends the fun by painting the sartorially challenged miners on, what else, blue jeans, craftily leaving the blue untouched for jeans, tents, chalkboards, ocean, and bay, and letting flat-felled seams do double duty as the floor of a covered wagon or the roadway of the Golden Gate Bridge."-Bulletin
Review
"Focusing on the great inventor's youth, roughly from age eight to mid-20s, this anecdotal picture-book biography is both engaging and accessible. The concise narrative is sprinkled with original quotes and is well suited as a read-aloud...Brown's signature sketches combine digital imagery and watercolors and reflect the period costume and key moments in Edison's early life."--School Library Journal, starred review
"Brown (Teedie: The Story of Young Teddy Roosevelt) offers a folksy, episodic picture book biography of Edison's early years, highlighting his entrepreneurial spirit and love of experimentation, while incorporating a wealth of fascinating, little-known anecdotes about the accomplished inventor."--Publishers Weekly
Review
"It's an entertaining read for children and adults alike."
Review
"An imaginative fusion of finely tuned text and inventive illustrations."
Review
"The range of words explored is almost as vast as the world of music itself."
Review
"The digital photographs of Moralesand#8217;s unique polymer-clay sculptures, surrounded by elements and colors distinctive of traditional Mexican crafts, create a surrealistic atmosphere that transforms the locations where this story take placeand#8212;a humble home and a schooland#8212;into fantastic places. Children and adults, especially those who love listening and telling stories, will be thrilled to discover Abuelitaand#8217;s enchanting profession."--Kirkus Reviews
"A young boy narrates an affectionate ode to his beloved grandmother in this fanciful picture book . . . the many Spanish terms are well defined within the boyand#8217;s engaging and poetic narrative, in which he conveys his admiration and affection for his appealingly peppy grandmother . . . the eye-catching, mixed-media illustrations, sparked with bright patterns, textures, and color, will help reinforce the meaning in the words. A charming tribute to family and the joys and inspiration that storytelling can bring."--Booklist
"The vignettes seamlessly knit together realism and fantasy, giving every spread a dreamy physicality "--Publishers Weekly
"It seems a touch unfair that any one person should have as much talent in her bones as Yuyi Morales."--Betsy Bird, Fuse #8 - SLJ blog
Synopsis
Wild West chaos and creative problem solving are the force behind a well-loved American institution. Whatand#8217;s a California miner to do when gold dust sifts right out of his holey pockets? With such a raggedy wardrobe, he may as well be mining in the vanilla (that is, his birthday suit)! Good thing Levi Strauss is out west, ready with his needle and a head full of bright ideas. With some quick thinking, quicker stitching, and handy arithmetic, Levi keeps all the gold rushers clothedand#8212;and becomes a modern American hero. A Wild West tall tale, Levi Strauss Gets a Bright Idea celebrates creativity, innovation, and the ubiquitous item that fills the closets of grateful jeans wearers worldwide.
Synopsis
Above a small town in Mexico, the sun rises like a great marigold, and one family begins preparations for an annual celebration,
El día de los muertos, the Day of the Dead. Soon they will go out into the night, join their neighbors, and walk to the graveyard to welcome the spirits of their loved ones home again. Framed by decorative borders and peppered with Spanish words,
Day of the Dead is a glorious introduction to a fascinating celebration. A note at the end of the book provides factual information about the holiday.
Synopsis
A picture book biography profiling Thomas Edison's early life
Synopsis
A wizard from the start, Thomas Edison had a thirst for knowledge, taste for mischief, and hunger for discoveryand#151;but his success was made possible by his boundless energy. At age fourteen he coined his personal motto: and#147;The More to do, the more to be done,and#8221; and then went out and
did: picking up skills and knowledge at every turn. When learning about things that existed wasn't enough,and#160;he dreamed up new inventions to improve the world.
and#160;
From humble beginnings as a farmerand#8217;s son, selling newspapers on trains and reading through public libraries shelf by shelf, Tom began his inventing career as a boy and became a legend as a man.and#160;
Synopsis
A festive celebration of all things musical!
Synopsis
Music and the alphabet have always gone together. Don't kids learn their letters by singing the ABCs? But you've never seen--or
heard--a musical alphabet like this one. Beloved tunes. Unusual instruments. Legendary virtuosos. From anthems to zydeco, the language of music and the music of language harmonize in one superb symphony. It's a funky fusion for songsters of all ages!
Playful text opens up the world of music to the youngest readers, and conversational endnotes offer older readers a springboard to further musical explorations.
Synopsis
A rollicking look at Abraham Lincoln's humorous side
Synopsis
Poor Abraham Lincoln! His life was hardly fun at all. A country torn in two by war, citizens who didnandrsquo;t like him as president, a homely appearanceandmdash;what could there possibly be to laugh about? And yet he did laugh. Lincoln wasnandrsquo;t just one of our greatest presidents. He was a comic storyteller and a person who could lighten a grim situation with a clever quip.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; This unusual biography of Lincoln highlights his life and presidency, focusing on what made his sense of humor so distinctiveandmdash;and so necessary to surviving his tough life and times.
Synopsis
Absurd events at school lead a young girl to her destiny.
Synopsis
The Worm family may be different, but they are proud of being worms.
Synopsis
The Worm family loves being wormy. They're skinny--they're squiggly--they're very long--and they sing loud worm songs. They're nothing like their glossy, bossy, buggy neighbors. And the neighbors don't like that
one bit. What are the Worms to do? Jump back into their skinny car and hope to find nicer neighbors somewhere else? Or stay put--and show the world the Glory of Worm?
In a tale both warm and quirky, a family of merry, down-to-earth worms proves that being different is truly grand. They may not fit in, but they carry on, doing things they love with the family they love--and finally find some fuzzy-wuzzy neighbors who like them just as they are. Oh joy! They're Worms!
Synopsis
Abuelita, who uses words that areand#160;"as wild as blossoms blooming,"and#160;is not only an amazing grandmother, but she also has a very important job--as a storyteller.
Synopsis
Winner of a 2010 Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor!
Abuelitaandrsquo;s hair is the color of salt. Her face is as crinkled as a dried chile. She booms out words as wild as blossoms blooming. She stuffs her carcachaandmdash;her jalopyandmdash;with all the things she needs: a plumed snake, a castle, a skeleton, and more. Her grandson knows he has the most amazing grandmother everandmdash;with a very important job. What does Abuelita do? With her booming voice and wonderful props, Abuelita is a storyteller. Next to being a grandmother, that may be the most important job of all.
Sprinkled with Spanish and infused with love, My Abuelita is a glorious celebration of family, imagination, and the power of story.
About the Author
Winner of a 2010 Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor!and#160;Abuelitaand#8217;s hair is the color of salt. Her face is as crinkled as a dried chile. She booms out words as wild as blossoms blooming. She stuffs hercarcachaand#151;her jalopyand#151;with all the things she needs: a plumed snake, a castle, a skeleton, and more. Her grandson knows he has the most amazing grandmother everand#151;with averyimportant job. What does Abuelita do? With her booming voice and wonderful props, Abuelita is a storyteller. Next to being a grandmother, that may be the most important job of all.and#160;Sprinkled with Spanish and infused with love,My Abuelitais a glorious celebration of family, imagination, and the power of story.TONY JOHNSTON's many acclaimed picture books includeThe Worm Familyillustrated by Stacy Innerst andThat Summerillustrated by Barry Moser.Any Small Goodness,her first novel for young readers, was named the 2002 SCBA Book of the Year. She lives in San Marino, California.and#160;YUYI MORALESis an award-winning children's book illustrator. Herand#160;breakout picture book wasHarvesting Hopeby Kathleen Krull, which was namedand#160;a Pura Belprand#233; Honor Book. Yuyi lives in Pleasant Hill, California.www.yuyimorales.com