Mooshka, A Quilt Story

 Title: Mooshka: A Quilt Story
Author and Illustrator: Julie Paschkis
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
Publication Date: March 1, 2012
Rating: 3 Stars

At bedtime, Mooshka always said, "Sweet dreams." First thing in the morning, Mooshka might say, "Pancakes."

This is a story of a talking quilt, made by the main character's grandmother to tell the stories of the generations. Quite a cute idea, I might add. However, I'm sad to say that the storyline simply does not live up to the uniqueness of that idea or the normal quality of books from Peachtree Publishers.

I received Mooshka: A Quilt Story from NetGalley for review. The story's illustrations are made from pieces of quilt fabric and are bright, textured, and cheerful. They would capture any child easily from beginning to end. On the contrary, the narrative starts out well but doesn't carry through.

Mooshka is the name of the quilt, and it is somehow magical because it tells stories that help Karla go to sleep each night. All she has to do is touch a piece of fabric, and Mooshka will tell her the story. Readers enjoy short stories of Karla's grandfather's proposal and her mother's escapades of jumping out of the cherry tree to learn how to fly. We also reads stories about the dog's Halloween costume and Karla's aunt's fortune telling.

Then one day when Hannah, Karla's little baby sister moves into Karla's room, the quilt mysteriously stops talking. Karla feels a bit jealous of her little sister, but one night when the baby is crying, she goes over to her sister's crib tell her stories from the quilt. This is where I took issue with the plot of the book. I understand the thought of wanting Karla to tell the stories to her younger sister, but I was disappointed that Mooshka didn't start telling stories again. I dare say children will be dissatisfied with this conclusion, also. In addition, there is no explanation of why Mooshka stops talking. Is it because Mooshka doesn't like the new baby? Is it because Karla was jealous? There is no resolution.

Despite its closing pages, however, Mooshka: A Quilt Story has a strong Russian flavor and captures the joy of giving to the next generation (or at least, in Karla's case, her little sister).

What items do you have in your house that tell a story of past generations?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

ZooZical

Title: ZooZical
Author: Judy Sierra
Pictures: Marc Brown
Publisher: Knoff Books
Publication Date: August 9th, 2011
Rating: 5 stars

"Zoo-Zi-cal, n. a song-and-dance extravaganza performed by the denizens of a zoo."

When I opened up the cover of ZooZical and found Dr. Seuss-style poetry filled the pages, I knew I'd found a gem.

Just when the zoo starts to feel  lonely and depressing because of the cold winter weather and lack of visitors, a small hippo and baby kangaroo get an idea.  They can had a hip-hopping and toe-tapping time all over the zoo.  In fact, they can put on a ZooZical!

Positive Elements: The pages are full of humor and references to traditional children's songs. The rhyming words are original and give the poem a more mature sound.  The pictures are bright and very, very detailed; you'll want to stop every page and take in everything that is happening. 

Negative Elements: I did not find anything I felt was negative in this work; three cheers for author Judy Sierra!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I Had a Favorite Dress

Title: I Had a Favorite Dress
Author: Boni Ashburn
Illustrator: Julia Denos
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 1, 2011
Rating: 4 stars

Every little girl has had a favorite dress that she outgrew.  And her mommy probably remembers the big fuss she made about it.

The narrator of this picture book had the same problem, but her mother had a solution.  The dress is too short?  We'll just make it a long shirt over jeans! Sleeves too tight? We'll make it a tank top! On and on it goes until there's virtually nothing left.  What will happen then?

Julia Denos' illustrations are highly textured and take on the look of a scrapbook. There's also plenty of pink!

Positive elements: The main character and her mother express much creativity.  Readers learn about accepting change with grace; such a small event in this little girl's life opens up the floor for a bigger discussion of handling life's inescapable disappointments. The book is full of alliteration and rhyming words, even though it is not a rhyming text.

Negative elements: There is one logical jump in the text. The girl can't wear the dress because it's too short; however, later, her mom makes a skirt out of it. This would have also been too short.

Little girls of all ages will love this book.  It is full of hope for the future and joy in the present.

What did your favorite now-outgrown dress look like?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

When a Dragon Moves In

Title: When a Dragon Moves In
Author: Jodi Moore
Illustrator: Howard McWilliam
Publisher: Flashlight Press

Publication Date: May 1, 2011
Rating: 5 stars


'If you build a perfect sandcastle a dragon will move in..."

As a young child, I loved the 1977 Disney movie Pete's Dragon.  Elliot the dragon was so playful and mischievous and always made me laugh.

The dragon in this funny picture book reminded me of Elliot.  The little boy in this story is on the beach creating a perfect sandcastle when to his delight, a rambunctious friend shows up. As much as the boy tries to explain the existence of his friend, his family won't believe him. At first the boy doesn't mind.  His family just can't share his marshmallows that the dragon toasts him or fly the kite that flies without any wind.

But then his family starts blaming him for the troubles that the dragon is causing.  They are convinced that the boy must have thrown sand on his sister, eaten all of the PB&J sandwiches, blown bubbles in his lemonade, and put fingerprints in all the brownies. All his dragon does when his parents accuse him is laugh, heh, heh, heh... What is the boy to do?


Positive elements: This is a tale of friendship and imagination.  It is a silly story to brighten your child's day.  The pictures are detailed and the character's expressions are varied and exaggerated. The boy learns that he can't stay mad at a friend.

Negative elements: The boy does allow the dragon to be a bad influence on him and starts participating in some of his escapades. The boy acts out in anger (but later regrets it and accepts his dragon friend again).

I am very impressed by this new book from Flashlight Press.  I hope to see more from this author and illustrator, too!

What would your perfect sandcastle look like?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Carla's Cloud Catastrophe

In my "Note to Authors and Publishers," I promise an honest review of the ARC's they send me so that the parents who read my blog can find the absolute best choices for their children.  I am very grateful to Beth Bence Reinke for the opportunity to review her newest children's book:

Title: Carla's Cloud Catastrophe
Author: Beth Bence Reinke
Illustrator: Ginger Nielson
Publisher: 4RV Publishing

"Disaster struck two hours before my birthday party."

What kind of disaster, you ask?  Well, the kind that makes all the clouds fall from the summer sky and cover the ground like snow. Carla is concerned about whether she will be back at home in time for her birthday party.  Dad, as the Director of Transportation, has to go to a meeting and fix the situation before they can go home with her birthday cake.  Will they take the clouds to the dump, send them to the ocean, or use them for pillow stuffing? Or will Carla think of a better idea?

Positive Elements: Carla is helpful, thinking of a way to save the day. The whole town pitches in together to clear away the trouble.  Carla makes the best of the situation and encourages others despite her disappointment about missing the majority of her own birthday party. The author uses a lot of creative similes to paint a picture.  Ginger Nielson's illustrations effectively capture the townspeople's awe, worry, and excitement. 

Negative Elements: I shared Carla's Cloud Catastrophe with my nine-year-old sister and six-year-old brother to get their reactions, and without any help from me, they voiced my concerns. The dad in the story is rather cold toward Carla, not really putting her birthday first but going to work (on his day off) instead.  I would have appreciated some dialog between them about this. Also, it is said that the clouds fell from the sky because of a tornado. Not to be little Johnny RainCloud, but tornadoes are low pressure systems made of rapidly rising air that suck things up, not down. I know we're using our imagination, here, but even my six-year-old brother had trouble with that one. Also, for children who live in an area where tornadoes are common, this might prove too close to reality and scary.

Nevertheless, if you liked Chicken Little or any book like that as a child, you and your children will most likely enjoy Carla's Cloud Catastrophe.  Just be ready for the laws of gravity and physics to be a little stretched!

What would you do if the clouds fell from the sky?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I also received the products mentioned above for free in hopes that I would review it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Zoomer's Summer Snowstorm

Title: Zoomer's Summer Snowstorm
Author/Illustrator: Ned Young
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: May 10, 2011


Zoomer's Summer Snowstorm was a great book for me to find on a day that is in supposed to be 95 degrees Fahrenheit and very humid here in the Peach State.  I only wish I could have as much imagination as Zoomer does!

What starts out as a small snowcone ends up an entire empire called Zoomartica plus an amusement park.  Zoomer and his family are soon enjoying hot chocolate and chili in the middle of the hot summer.

Ned Young's illustration are impressively detailed. All of Zoomer's snow sculptures look real.  All but two of the pages (that show Zoomer inside the house) include a monarch butterfly that is fun to find.  Painting with rich colors allows Ned Young to transform the silly into the spectacular.  I dare say they will make you (as the parent) laugh, too.

One specifically positive element is that Zoomer is careful to clean up after his play without his mother needing to tell him to.

So put on your mittens, grab a cup of hot cocoa, and curl up with Zoomer's Summer Snowstorm.

What's your favorite game to play in the snow?

Detective Blue

Title: Detective Blue
Author: Steve Metzger
Illustrator: Tedd Arnold
Publisher: Orchard Books
Publication Date: July 1, 2011

I love books that take the nursery rhyme characters and re-mix them into a innovative new story, so much in fact that I hope that I will be able to do so successfully one day. 

Detective Blue explains the life of Little Boy Blue all grown up.  He's now a detective and he has a most difficult case to solve.  What happened to Miss Muffet?  She's missing! 

Detective Blue makes his way through the case and comic-book-style illustrations to discover something quite new about Miss Muffet that is sure to surprise all readers. What if she has a double identity?  Could you guess what other nursery rhyme character she might be? 

The only possible negative element about this tale is that some of the jokes are more aimed at an older age group, much like some the cartoons of today.  For example, Detective Blue refers to Humpty Dumpty as "a good egg."  Other than little things like this that young children might not pick up on, this is a fun read. 

Detective Blue has few words so it would also be great for older readers who might be struggling with reading.  It would be enough like a graphic novel or comic strip to keep their attention but still have simple words.

Make sure you pay attention to Tedd Arnold's illustrations, though!  There are many clues to the mystery hidden in them!

What is your favorite adaption of nursery rhymes? Why?

Wiener Wolf

Title: Wiener Wolf
Author/Illustrator: Jeff Crosby
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: July 5, 2011

I have not had a picture book make me laugh as much as this one did for a long time. 

Wiener Wolf could be a word-less picture book and still be hilarious.  But it does have words, and they make it even better!

Wiener Dog has found life with Granny to be a bit lame.  Kind of like we all find life sometimes.  But then he sees a television program about wolves and decides that they have the life. Off he goes to the nearest State Park to join a wolf pack.  But is the forest on the other side of the TV really greener?

The illustrations in Wiener Wolf are vivid and exaggerated.  Weiner Dog has a great variety of expressions, and readers can tell that the author/illustrator Jeff Crosby has spent a good bit of his life with his own wiener dogs, Baron and Fritz. 

Though a bit unrealistic when it comes to a wiener dog living with a pack of wolves and not being eaten, Wiener Wolf holds great lessons about contentment, friendship, and love.

Have you had a time where the "other side of the fence" looked better? How did you learn otherwise?

The World CHAMPION of Staying Awake

Title: The World Champion of Staying Awake
Author: Sean Taylor
Illustrator: Jimmy Liao
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: June 28, 2011

When I saw a new release on the kids' shelf at Barnes and Noble from Candlewick Press, I had to check it out.  I love Candlewick, and their books have proven to be some of my favorites over these past few months. 

The World Champion of Staying Awake definitely met my expectations.  This delightful picture book combines a prose narrative with a bit of poetry.  The mix of genres is uncommon in children's literature today, especially done well, but author Sean Taylor has created a lovely multi-genre tale. 

Stella is having a problem.  When Daddy says that it's time to go to bed, Stella cannot sleep.  Who could sleep if they had Thunderbolt the Mouse, Beanbag Frog, or Cherry Pig to get to sleep first? 

Stella will just have to outsmart them--with poetry!  Only Stella could make a pillow a ship, a shoe box a train, and a toy basket a hot air balloon headed for the land of sleep.  Will ANYONE be The World Champion of Staying Awake or will Stella trick them all?

Jimmy Liao's bright and textured illustrations capture the mischievous and cleaver actions of one little girl.  Children will love how her bedroom can be transformed into so many different worlds.

This is a great book to read to your youngsters the next time they are trying to be The World Champion of Staying Awake; you might just be able to use it to fool them, too! And for helping you do that, I'm sure that you'd give it five stars!

Have your children ever been world champions for staying awake? What did you do?

Apple Pie ABC

Title: Apple Pie ABC
Author: Alison Murray
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Publication Date: May 31, 2011


Although I am not generally a fan of ABC books, this one caught my eye because of my love for apple pie.

When an apple pie is hot and fresh out of the oven, one little pup is determined to:

Find a crumb of it,

Get a taste of it and 

Have a lick of it.

Progessing through the alphabet, author Alison Murray tells a story that makes you hungry, too.  Can this puppy get his paws on that wonderful smell?

The two letters that might require a little more explanation are O and P.  The pup Ogles and Pines for the apple pie.  These words are not typically a part of the vocabulary of a child who is learning their alphabet.  Q and X, two often-stretched letters in books like this one, were handled nicely. However, Z uses sleep as it's example, and I did personally dislike this.  

Other than these small issues, Apple Pie ABC is a delicious introduction to the alphabet.

Who makes your favorite apple pie?

Hopper and Wilson

Title: Hopper and Wilson
Author: Maria van Lieshout
Publisher: Philomel Books (a division of Penguin Young Readers)
Release Date: May 12, 2011

Have you ever wondered what it might be like at the End of the World across the ocean?  Hopper the Elephant and Wilson the Mouse are sure that it is a perfectly lovely place.  Wilson is sure that there is an endless supply of lemonade and Hopper decides that there must be a staircase to the moon so he can touch it.

Hopper and Wilson is a story of friendship and reunion.  When Hopper gets lost in a storm on the sea, Wilson wonders whether he will ever see his friend again.  None of the sea creatures have seen him.  And what if they never reach the end of the world, after all?

The conclusion of Hopper and Wilson will delight readers.  I chuckled a bit as an adult.  Reaching the end of the world helps these two friends understand the true meaning of home: a place filled with those who love and know us best.

A Ball for Daisy

Title: A Ball for Daisy
Author: Chris Raschka
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Press
Release date: May 10, 2011

Ever since I read and reviewed Octopus Soup a few weeks ago, I have fallen in love with wordless picture books.  It's not because I dislike words; as a writing major, words are some of my favorite things.  But I love the fact that wordless picture books reach beyond individual languages and create a universal story.

Today at Barnes and Noble, I read A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka with a four-year-old Korean boy.  He probably knew less that a hundred words of English, and I can't even say "hello" in Korean.  But he could answer my question, "What is the dog doing?" by rattling off in his own tongue and throwing English words in here and there: "dog," "ball," "blue," "sad," "happy."  The experience was so incredible to me in that we could both read a story and giggle together while knowing so little about each other's world.

A Ball for Daisy tells the story of a little dog that has a red ball until she shares it and her friend accidentally pops it.  At first she's sad, but then her friend brings her a new blue ball to replace what she broke. 

The comic-book-style illustrations speak of the value of friendship and the importance of making amends, whether you meant to hurt someone or not.  I recommend this story for toddlers through early readers.  A Ball for Daisy will allow your children to play with language and write creatively before they can decipher the combination of letters that spell words and express thought. 

What do you love best about wordless picture books?