Rutabaga's Reads 2018: Part 9

I have dubbed this post as Picture Books 2018: Part Two, because it is. You can find Part One here. You will find two repeat authors, but I think it only helps cement that I am fond of those authors’ stories.

Elecopter (Sept. 3, 2013) by Michael Slack.

The savannah has the best elephant on the patrol. Elecopter is an all-in-one firefighter, with her fire-hose nose, and rescuer with the ability to fly. She doesn’t ask for much in return; she’ll literally work for peanuts. No matter the mission, she will succeed!

            Perhaps the most wondrous thing about fiction is that you can be as imaginative as you want to be. A happy little rhyme with pages full of action and color, this book will likely delight a multitude of young ones. In this story, we are introduced to a character full of compassion and care, one who puts others first. A helicopter elephant – an Elecopter – is realistically impossible … but I still wish to know one!

Emeraldalicious (Jan. 29, 2013) by Victoria Kann.

When Pinkalicious Pinkerton makes a new wand, she discovers that it has magical properties. With naught but a simple rhyme and use of the word love, Pinkalicious and her younger brother, Peter, transform a park, which looks like a garbage dump, into a “greenatastic” garden.

            There is a great message in this story to encourage recycling, even though we can’t wave a magic wand and transform a garbage dump into a garden in a few seconds. It also shows a nice bond between sister and brother. Pinkalicious still has her moments where she wants it to be her turn (even if it really isn’t) and she wants it right now, but the bond is strong enough where Peter cedes. The pictures are full of recycled wonder and imagination, but the story fell a little flat for me. Although this is a picture book aimed toward, approximately,  preschoolers to second graders, I was expecting the wishes to be more about the betterment of the surroundings than about what they mostly wanted because it looked pretty or cool.

Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly (Feb. 5, 2008) by Jane O’Connor.

   Robin Preiss Glasser, illustrator.

The fanciest girl around has planned out what to wear to her best friend’s butterfly birthday, but Nancy can’t go. Not only is Bree her best friend, but she’s fascinated by butterflies and is “practically an expert.” Will Nancy hold onto her furiousness? Or will she find a new setting where she can still be glamorous?

            Nancy is a far cooler kid than I ever was and with a marvelously colorful and creative wardrobe to boot! Her fascination with butterflies will hopefully inspire other youngsters to be fascinated by them as well. The writing will perhaps add a vocabulary challenge to some, but the style is meant to be fun. The fun of the writing is enhanced by the illustrator’s colorful illustrations. This is an adorable picture book.

Honey…Honey…Lion! (Aug. 25, 2005) by Jan Brett.

In Africa, it is said that the honeyguide leads the honey badger to honey. The honey badger obtains the honeycomb, and the two share it. But one day, the honey badger is greedy and eats it all, not saving even a morsel of sweetness for the honeyguide. She retaliates by leading him to a candle pod acacia tree to teach him a lesson. What waits for the honey badger at the acacia?

            This story is based on a legend told in Botswana about what happens if you don’t share honey with the honeyguide. Other animals in the story pass along this tale through sounds (shown on the outside margins of the pages), which is called a “bush telegraph.” I enjoyed this tale tremendously, not only because I enjoy Brett’s picture books, but because she didn’t make up the tale for the sake of making something up. She brought in a cultural aspect, a legend from another nation, and created a story with a lush landscape. Her pictures are, well, picturesque. And her main characters show that, even without talking animals, greed and the ideal of teaching a lesson can be written in a beautifully entertaining way.

Skippyjon Jones: Cirque de Olé (Oct. 16, 2012) by Judy Schachner.

Is it a bird? Or a plane? No. It’s the Siamese-kitten-imagined-handsome-Chihuahua called Skippito Friskito. He’s a tightrope-walking, triple-spin-backflip-diving acrobat-ito that his sisters term a Chi-wu-lu. He needs to become los músculos for his muchachos so they do not crumble-ito. The pint-sized star is ready for his moment of glory. ¡Olé!

            For those who work with or have young ones who are most entertained by busy stories, not just in prose, but in illustration, then this is a picture book to add to your collection. The rowdy feline and his Chihuahua alter-ego feature in illustrations colorful and vibrant, which suggest they are as tireless and unruly as the star of the show. Schachner’s writing is high-octane to match Skippito Friskito, and the dual-lingo continues. “Circus berserkus” indeed! (clap-clap)