Welcome to 2025’s “Happy Hodgepodge” post! This is the
first of what I hope will be two Hodgepodge posts this year, despite the fact
that it’s already September. What are you currently reading?
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Junior fiction graphic novel.
<This is
the fourth graphic novel in a series.>
The cats of the Spirit Task Force, Squash and Ginny, are
preparing for another mission when Magnus, Lotus and Fern arrive. Magnus
informs them that the Staff of Knowledge, once hidden in the Starry Sea, is now
in the Human World. When Squash tries to celebrate finding it, the three orbs
scatter, and the Spirit World starts leaking into the Human World. “The surge
of magic has ripped the fabric between them.” It’s a disaster. They trace the
first orb to the dreaded vet clinic. They’re not the only ones trying to obtain
the orb. There’s a troublesome kangaroo rat, and there are helpful crows called
Kee and Caw. What is their connection to the Staff of Knowledge? Hijinks are
sure to ensue, though a sea of buttery popcorn from the fabled Popcorn Island
probably isn’t so bad.
Fans of
cats and lovers of cuteness will want to soak up this Cat & Cat adventure
if they haven’t already. The lesson is understanding that it’s okay to ask for
help, that even when you think it’s your fault something happened doesn’t mean
you need to rectify it all on your own. The bright, colorful illustrations and
adorably drawn characters delightfully complement the sparse writing. It’s an
entertaining, hijinks-filled adventure for emerging readers and those readers
who are young-at-heart looking for something quick and enjoyable to read.
Book 1:
The Quest for Snacks
Book 2:
The Goblet of Infinity
Book 3:
Journey into Unibear City
Earl & Worm: The Bad Idea and Other Stories
(Apr. 1, 2025) by Greg Pizzoli.
Early-Reader fiction chapter book.
<This is the first
book in a series.>
In this collection of three stories, Earl and Worm are
best friends, but their start is rocky, as highlighted in Lemonade. Earl
is a happy-go-lucky early-bird who enjoys music and talking. Meanwhile, Worm is
cranky and doesn’t like new things. When The Bad Idea comes around, Earl
and Worm are solid friends, but the unexpected happens when a “very, very
sneaky” idea becomes a bad idea and a lesson is also learned. And in The
Poem, Earl and Worm are longtime friends. Worm is trying to come up with
the perfect finish to her poem, which she thinks should rhyme. When Earl’s
suggestions aren’t as helpful as Worm wishes, she storms off. But what if
perfection isn’t in the rhyming, but in telling the truth?
Watching
their friendship grow and unfold is like watching flowers bloom on a sunny day.
The humor is dry but sweet and the stories for early readers simple but
entertaining. The text is good for read-alouds, and the illustrations are
colorful and friendly. These stories showcase the ups and downs of friendship
while managing to be delightful and emphasize that seeming opposites can not
only coexist but be strong friends and learn from one another. What a charming
early reader debut from Pizzoli!
Mindy Kim and the Fun Family Vacation (Apr.
29, 2025) by Lyla Lee.
Dung Ho, illustrator.
Junior fiction chapter book.
<This is
the twelfth and final book in a series.>
Adventure is set to begin. Mindy and her family are in
Korea, and it’s baby Charlie’s first international trip. Mindy’s most excited
to visit Jeju Island, as it’s her first trip there, but the journey is off to a
bumpy start. First, Charlie won’t stop crying on the plane, then it’s pouring
rain. She wants to visit Hallasan (Mount Halla in English),
Korea’s biggest mountain, and meet haenyeo, Jeju Island’s female
free divers. (Some haenyeo can dive up to 60 feet deep without any equipment!)
Jeju is so fascinating. Once its own country, locals speak the Jeju dialect,
which is similar to Korean (e.g. harabeoji is grandfather in
Korean and hareubang is grandfather in Jeju-mal). Jeju also
has guardian statues made of volcanic rock, also referred to as hareubang.
Mindy’s first visit to Jeju Island is set to be memorable, but will it be for
the wrong reasons?
The
final chapter book in the Mindy Kim series ends how it should.
The story looks like it’s swiveling toward in-the-eyes-of-a-child disaster
before its tidy, positive wrap-up. This series has been a delight to read and
meaningful to me, a Korean American (though I’m an adoptee with no connection
to either birth parent). It’s realistic fiction for a youthful audience,
engaging and absorbing, but easily accessible, and it may introduce some
readers to another culture. It’s a valuable series highlighting family, culture,
diversity and life lessons.
Mindy Kim Books 1-5:
A compilation post
Mindy Kim Book 6:
Mindy Kim and the Big Pizza Challenge
Mindy Kim Book 7:
Mindy Kim and the Fairy-Tale Wedding
Mindy Kim Books
8-10: A compilation post
Mindy
Kim Book 11: Mindy Kim, Big Sister
One Drop (Mar. 11, 2025) by Kaitlin Sikes.
Mel Cerri, illustrator.
Children’s picture book.
Zing! Zap! Plop! One drop of water waits to make
its journey from cloud to aquifer, tributary to lake, eventually making it to
the Atlantic Ocean. This one drop passes by an iceberg, rushes over an
underwater waterfall and takes a turn into a mud castle moat. One day, the one
drop “evaporates up, up, up into the clouds, where it waits…” What happens
next?
This
adorable picture book is a visually dynamic story. Cerri’s illustrations are
simple yet bold and vibrant. Despite the confines of a storybook, the art
manages to feel expansive, the one drop’s enthusiasm evident as it traverses
the world. I also really enjoy Cerri’s lettering art. Sikes’ prose is easy to
follow along with, while encouraging young readers to understand terms like aquifer
and estuary. There is educational backmatter to provide additional
facts.
What Is the Story of Cinderella? (Feb. 4,
2025) by Dana Meachen Rau.
David Malan, illustrator.
Early-Reader nonfiction chapter book.
<This is an
official Who HQ book.>
Most know the story of Cinderella or Disney’s version of
it, which is inspired by Charles Perrault’s famous version. The pumpkin
carriage, the animals transformed into footmen, a fairy godmother and twinkling
glass slippers. But do you know Rhodopis, Ye Xian or Zezolla? The variations of
Cinderella stories over millennia is varied, but they all involve lost
footwear. Multiple versions highlight kindness in spite of hardship and harsh
treatment. Others are more “Grimm” and definitely involve bloody messes. The
best-known versions are mentioned alongside lesser-known ones. There’s also a
chapter dedicated to those actresses (and an actor) who have brought Cinderella
to life from stage to screen.
One of
the many writers of Who HQ stories brings to the page one of
the most well-known Disney princesses and her literary origins that began long
before her animated film debut. The slim, early-reader nonfiction volume is
informative yet dazzling and entertains across cultures and continents.
Cinderella’s story – no matter the version or the original language – is there
to charm and to inspire. It’s also for dreamers (singing A Dream is a
Wish Your Heart Makes) and those who “keep building up impossible hopes.” I
don’t need a prince, but I wouldn’t say no to attending a ball!
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