Children's Lit Review

Kasza, Keiko. My Lucky Day. 30p. Scholastic. 2004. Picture. ISBN 043967324 Ages (4-10). One day a pig has the unfortunate luck of knocking on a hungry wolf's door. Realizing his mistake, the Pig quickly must think on his toes to survive. The Wolf however quickly becomes tired of prepping his meal. In the end, one of them is lucky enough to get precisely what they want. Kasza attention to detail does not go unnoticed within her illustrations. From the small wording on the Wolf's "tooth sharpener" to the Pig's eyes expressing emotion and intent, the reader gets a story beyond the words.  Kasza creates a story that stresses the anticipation of events to follow.

TANEN, Sloane. Bitter with Baggage Seeks Same: The Life and Times of Some Chickens. Photographs By Stefan Hagen. 74p. Bloomsbury. 2003. ISBN, 1582343764. Bitter with Baggage Seeks Same: The Life and Times of Some Chickens can easily be confused for a children's book. With a cute little toy chick standing next to a stack of luggage on the book jacket while rows colorful chicks line the actual cover, it would be easily picked up for eye-catching realistic photos.  Though the images are vividly life-like, the chickens are depicted doing adult activities, such as giving birth, incriminating sexual scenes, and drinking, etc. The writing is also intended for a more mature audience, as it expresses sarcasm and mature language that do go along with the photographs. Though it may look like a children's book from the outside its contents are for a more adult audience.   

CATCHPOOL, Michael. That Yucky Love Thing. Illustrated By Victoria Ball. 24p. Parragon. 2012. ISBN 9781781867532. Ages 2-5. Sam has had enough of that yucky thing called love! As he sees romance budding in the air, Sam leaves to embark on an adventure far away from love. Everywhere he travels, he finds creatures, from animals to aliens, expressing their love, YUCK! When Sam meets Samantha everything changes and maybe love isn't so, yuck. Illustrated in the most vivid colors, Ball creates a world that goes along perfectly with Cathchpool's text. Every scene enhances the story, making Sam's disdain for love apparent.  As the story progresses, children will be saying, "yuck" at the repetition of lovey-dovey mmoments.

RODRIGUEZ, Luis J. It Doesn't Have to be this way/ No Tiene que ser asi: A Barrio Story/Una Historia del Barrio. Illustrated By Daniel Galvez 32p. Children's Book Press/Libros Para Ninos. 1999. ISBN 0892392037 Ages: (8-12);  Monchi is a young Hispanic male who lives in a barrio, neighborhood, run by a gang. Monchi must make a hard decision, join the gang or stay true to himself. After his cousin is injured violently, Monchi must decide whether or not he will retaliate.  Rodriguez and Galvez portray a real-life crisis happening in many poverty-stricken neighborhoods but relay the message "It doesn't have to be this way."  The book does depict a violent scene that some parents may feel is unsuitable for younger children. Galvez, however, does not illustrate the graphic nature of the injury. This picture book is written in both English but is also followed by a corresponding Spanish translation.

PRIDDY, Rodger. Colors. 26. St. Martin’s Press. 2004. ISBN 978031249472 Infants (0-18months). A wonderful introduction to colors and first words. With giant text and vivid colors of the rainbow, on every page, this concept book is a must have.   With actual photos this book shows colors using everyday objects and people. Each page has one or two words and each color always has two pictures. Reinforced with a rubber like cardboard cover, this book is easy to clean as young infants tend to explore books using all five senses. This book is perfect in size for small hands to carry around.

MARTIN, Bill Jr. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? Illustrated By Eric Carle. 25p. Henry Holt and Company. 1967. Board. ISBN 978085047905. Toddlers (12-36 months). In this classic, the reader is introducing their youngest child to colors and animals. Leaving a lot of room for imagination, the simple illustrations match with what the previous animal saw. The repetition of the lines leading up to the next animal, help children to anticipate upcoming events. In classic Eric Carle style the animals, are paint brushed with a multitude of shades of the primary color. At the end of the book, the reader is also shown, diverse children. As the book has been transcribed from a full-size story to a pocket-sized story, this board book is sturdy and perfect for little hands.

FULLER, Rachel. My New Baby. Illus. By Rachel Fuller. 12p. Child’s Play (International) Ltd. 2009. Board. ISBN 9781846432767. Toddlers (12-36 months). Having a new sibling is life changing! Mommy and daddy help their non-gendered specific toddler enjoy the many changes that a new baby brings, incorporating the toddler into the routine of the new baby. Though the text is simple the illustrations really tell the story. The bright colors and positive attitude of the older sibling brighten up the pages. As a one-on one lap time reading book, the parents are encouraged to ask and answer questions that their toddler may have. The thick pages made the book simple for little hands to hold and flip through the pages.