Rutabaga's Reads 2012: Part 7

This is Part 7 of Rutabaga’s Reads 2012. [More children’s picture books!] Thank you to all of you who have been visiting my blog regularly. Please pass this site along to anyone you know who likes to read AT ALL -- from quite often to every once in a blue moon.

Blue Sky (Mar. 1, 2012) by Audrey Wood.

Look up at the sky. What sort of sky is it today? Sunny? Stormy? In “Blue Sky,” a boy and his monkey take notice of the many types of skies there are from one with storm clouds to one with rainbows. The prose is very simple, as it identifies the type of sky only. There is no conversation. The pictures are simple, but complete. Despite the simplicity of the story and pictures, “Blue Sky” tells us to pay attention to the many moods of the sky and the weather around us. It’s a book for the very young or a good tie-in read for young children when encouraging them to notice the sky. 

The Chimpansneeze (2012) by Aaron Zenz.

Like its predecessor, “The Hiccupotamus,” this picture book features a play on words, as the title implies. It is written in rhyme. In a comical way, Zenz tells a cause-and-effect story with his chimpanzee and his chimpansneeze. What effect does the chimp’s sneeze have on the other animals in the story? This is a witty book with its rhyming text and colorful illustrations. It will get kids laughing. And not to be missed is the ‘Did You Know…’on the last page with humor the adults will surely get. The bits of strange word play may be confusing to anyone just learning English. But aside from that, it’s a fun story, and I hope you’ll like it, too!

The Ice Cream King (Mar. 1, 2011) by Steve Metzger. Julie Downing, illustrator.

Teddy Jones is excited when he spots a brand-new ice cream shop. His mother tells him he can get any ice cream concoction he chooses, and when he receives a Thrill Chill paper crown, his imagination takes him away to his ice cream castle where he is the Ice Cream King. He has halls of chocolate and walls of sprinkles. He can slide down Whipped Cream Lane, take his spaceship to the ice cream moon and eat off of ice cream meteors as he zooms past. What brings him back to reality?

            Metzger’s writing is dream/reality-specific. When Teddy is in his saccharine daydream, the text rhymes. In reality, it doesn’t. Downing’s text-complementing backdrops for Teddy are shown by the style of pictures. In reality, the pictures are pretty basic and not embellished, but when he’s the Ice Cream King, the pictures are more detailed and contain more color. It is a charming story with charming pictures. It is sweet, but not excessively so.

LMNO Peas (Apr. 6, 2010) by Keith Baker.

In Baker’s land, peas aren’t simply small, green rounds that you eat. Baker’s peas are alphabet peas that “play in the ABCs” according to occupations and the letter they begin with. For example, for F, “We’re farmers, flaggers, and best friends in a band.” The peas display their occupations on tall letters. The pages are vibrant and colorful, though not overwhelmingly so, and the rhyming text is charming and fun without missing a beat. His “pea-ple” are delightful to read about. This is a great story for those just learning about the alphabet and for those who know their alphabet, but are working on discerning what words start with. So get out those alphabet peas and have fun!

The Night Before Halloween (Aug. 28, 1999) by Natasha Wing.

   Cynthia Fisher, illustrator.

With Halloween just around the corner, this small tale from Wing’s Night Before series is a costume-adorned, friendly-monster-filled children’s picture book for the whole family. Everyone is getting ready for a fun fright night, human and ghoul alike. Kids need their faces repainted and mummies unravel and put on new wraps. In spite of the work involved to get ready, one thing’s for sure … All are ready to party! A fun story expectedly written in rhyme, it’s an entertaining read for any young one excited to dress up and collect a bag or bucketful of treats!

Olympig! (July 5, 2012) by Victoria Jamieson.

Boomer is a pig ready to take on the Summer Olympics. He’s trained hard and dreamt big. His mama even made him a costume! Too bad Mr. Hamstring, a reporter, has no encouraging words for him. When things don’t turn out as hoped for, what brings back Boomer’s spirit? What does he tell Mr. Hamstring at the end?

            “Olympig!” is a hilarious, highly entertaining picture book. Jamieson, as author and illustrator, includes amusing phrases, such as the wrestling move called “pig in an armpit blanket” and terrific illustrations. They are colorful and funny. Despite the humor, Boomer shows us that we should never give up, even when we’re down. It’s a great story for ages five to eight. But it’s funny for big kids – like me – too! The older kids will enjoy the subtle, but still humorous, commentaries that are interspersed in the illustrations outside the text, especially in the vignettes.

Stay Close to Mama (Mar. 13, 2012) by Toni Buzzeo. Mike Wohnoutka, illustrator.

Twiga (Swahili for “giraffe”) is a very young, very curious giraffe. When he catches the scent of a sausage tree – also called the kigelia tree, which contains sweet fruit – he wanders away from his mama even when she says, “No, little Twiga! Stay close! Stay safe!” What sorts of potential dangers does he come near as he follows his nose?

            Twiga’s curiosity is such like any child’s, though instead of a thousand questions, he uses his sense of smell and not words. The story mostly contains simple language. The illustrations are soft and rather muted, but still warmly colorful. Buzzeo shows us a protective mother and an inquisitive son in a non-dramatic story. It’s not a must-read, but it has its own simple charm.