Rutabaga's Reads 2024: Part 12

Because all of these books are short and follow the level and genre theme of the first Hodgepodge post of 2024, I decided to complete a second Hodgepodge compilation. I love that there are books for all reading levels. Don’t knock them because they’re geared for youth. All readers must start at the beginning. I had to. You had to. We all have to!

All the Books (Oct. 1, 2024) by Hayley Rocco.

   John Rocco, illustrator.

Children’s picture book.

Chipmunk Piper Waterstone loves books so much that she takes hers everywhere she goes. She never leaves home without them. She also never shares them, not even with her friend Gregory, a raccoon. He decides to visit the library instead, which Piper does not understand the value of, as she’s never stepped foot in a library. Until her worst day, when her personal collection gets soaked by the rain. The local librarian, a kindly mole, invites her in out of the rain, and Piper is in awe of all the books the library holds. He explains that the books are hers, but also everyone’s. Having a library card only works if everyone is willing to share the library’s books. Is Piper ready for a library card?

             “All the Books” is an adorable ode to reading, libraries, librarians and sharing. Reading as Piper’s worst day becomes her best day is a delight with Hayley’s writing and John’s rich, warm illustrations. The anthropomorphized animals look to exist in a charming town with a honeyed, old-fashioned air. There are no iPhones in this story. The problem-solving is the warm-fuzzy type, but since this story is geared for four-to-eight-year-olds, that is not a detriment to this sweet tale.

The Mystery of the Snow Puppy (Jan. 1, 2022) by Fran Manushkin.

   Tammie Lyon, illustrator.

Early-Reader fiction chapter book.

<This is part of an unnumbered series.>

Kids everywhere dream of having their own pet, and Katie Woo is no exception. Katie has a new puppy named Koko, but the little white puppy is lost. Along with Pedro, the two best friends investigate. Many times the pair think they’re hot on Koko’s trail, but the clues don’t lead to her. Like any seasoned detectives, they don’t give up. “Burgers for supper!” might be a clue to solving this mystery.

            This Early-Reader (E-R) mystery is the perfect length for emergent readers wanting to read on their own and for those readers who like to solve mysteries along with the book’s characters. The text is simple with complementing, unfussy illustrations. The endpages include a Glossary, tips regarding mysteries, story questions and a guide on how to survey animal tracks.

Pizza and Taco: Best Christmas Ever! (Oct. 1, 2024) by Stephen Shaskan.

Junior fiction graphic novel.

<This is the eighth graphic novel in a series.>

For best friends Pizza and Taco (and for us, too, not coincidentally), Christmastime is approaching, and their lists detail everything that they expect Santa Slaw to bring them. They will spend the next few months being good children. They’ll even be pleasant toward Cheeseburger! When Pizza is disappointed that he didn’t receive everything on his Christmas list, and Taco mentions that he didn’t, either, they manage to turn their disappointment into positivity and festivity.

            This is my first Pizza and Taco graphic novel, and it’s a simple delight. Shaskan’s dialogue is unfussy, the story’s structure is uncomplicated, and his digital collage Photoshop illustrations are unpretentious. Fans will be reading this, especially as Christmas soon approaches, and beginning readers will be able to do much of the reading on their own. For those who are looking for a religious story, this is not it. It has a secular focus on Christmas festivities and gifts with a smidge of showing goodwill toward others.

The Quest of Danger (Nov. 7, 2023) by Stuart Gibbs.

   Stacy Curtis, illustrator.

Middle-grade illustrated fantasy fiction.

<This is the fourth book in a series.>

<Alert: Spoilers for those who haven’t read the previous stories.>

The peasant-turned-knight, Tim, and his ragtag crew of friends, Belinda the peasant-also-turned-knight-by-pretending-to-be-a-boy, Ferkle the highly intelligent village idiot (it’s the family business), Princess Grace of Merryland and Rover the fr-dog, have been rescued from certain death by Princess Piscina, a Kingdom of Merland princess. In return for rescuing them, her father, King Neptuna, obligates them to retrieve his stolen trident. They will journey to the magnificent city of Atlantis, which is the safest city on Earth and should never do anything like sink. Along the way, there will be krakens, plus a Cyclops with “no depth perception” and who’s “probably myopic.” When they reach Atlantis, they’ll have to confront their nemesis, Prince Ruprecht, and his evil, so-called-wizard adviser, Nerlim. Prince Ruprecht is scheming, which everyone knows is always sure to end in disaster. How will the group retrieve the trident and all of the other stolen treasures, while also overcoming a scheming prince, his nefarious wizard, traitorous knights and a band of pirates?

            To read the fourth story in the Once Upon a Tim series is to set sail on a seafaring quest where are encountered monsters of lore (with horribly sharp teeth) and an ancient city famously known to be lost. IQ Boosters return in this story to improve young readers’ vocabulary and surely impress parents, teachers and random passersby alike. Like the others, this book cascades with hijinks and hilarity. Yes, Prince Ruprecht is mired in his own cesspool of underhandedness and greed, and he keeps trying to kill Tim and his friends, but the danger never truly feels treacherous. Laughs come easily throughout the story.

            Book 1: Once Upon a Tim

            Book 2: The Labyrinth of Doom

            Book 3: The Sea of Terror

Where Is Yellowstone? (Nov. 5, 2024) by Sarah Fabiny.

   Stephen Marchesi, illustrator.

Early-Reader nonfiction chapter book.

<This is an official Who HQ book.>

Most people know that Yellowstone National Park is home to Old Faithful, the most famous geyser in the world, but did you also know that most of the world’s geysers reside in only five countries (the United States, Iceland, Russia, New Zealand and Chile) and that half of the world’s roughly 1,000 geysers are in Yellowstone alone? The Who HQ books, while slim, pack a lot of information into them. Readers discover how Yellowstone came to be, not only the United States’ first national park, but the world’s first national park. They’ll learn how many bison roam and even read a special segment on the Gray Wolf Project. Where is Yellowstone? It has land in three different states: Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

            If you look back at my first “Hodgepodge” post of 2024, you’ll notice that I had read my first Who HQ book. I’d say my interest in the series is going strong, as I have now read over 80 of them and hope to read a couple more before this year ends. I have only visited Yellowstone once, when I was 12. Reading this E-R book has me wanting to plan a trip out west to visit it again through an adult lens. I love how detailed these books are, and they don’t gloss things over. For example, they are straightforward in saying the government originally told lies about the native tribes, so that visitors would think Native Americans had never lived there (they’d actually lived there a long time). This is a perfect book for explorers both young and young-at-heart. Please be respectful of the park, and all of its inhabitants. Remember, it may be fluffy and friend-shaped, but it can be very dangerous. Maintain a safe distance at all times. Happy exploring!

            P.S. Did you know that Yellowstone National Park is home to three plants unique to this area? They are: Ross’s bentgrass, Yellowstone sand verbena and Yellowstone sulfur wild buckwheat.