BEN AND SCOUT: A Review by Guest Blogger, Janelle Ekpo

REVIEW

Ben and Scout by Denise Minnerly is the story of two dogs that are best friends and are always together, despite the greatest olds. It is a story about loss written for young children. 

Ben is old and sick. Scout is young and has only a superficial understanding of Ben’s condition, so when Ben dies, Scout struggles with great loss. Will he ever see his best friend again? Is Scout all alone? In the story, Scout struggles with depression and anxiety: he eats less, and he begins to shed a lot. Then Scout starts having dreams about Ben. In them, Ben says that he will always be with him, and this encourages Scout. Soon his hair grows back - the same color as Ben’s hair was. And he sees it as a confirmation that Ben is still in his heart.

Loss is real. Anxiety and depression - the after-effects of loss - are also very real. Ben and Scout does a nice job of introducing young children to these difficult concepts. The illustrations are also well-done and fun. They are simple and reinforce the ideas in the book.

Denise with her rescue darling, Scout. Check out the color

variation on Scout's back. Scout lost his hair in grief over Ben's passing. 

But when it grew back, it was Ben's color!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ben & Scout is inspired by Denise’s pets and their enduring love for one another. It’s so painful to lose a pet we cherish and books that discuss these topics can become part of the healing process. This book is serving an animal rescue project, Pilots to the Rescue. Forty percent of the total book sales will be donated to helping rescues find their forever home.

ABOUT JANELLE EKPO

I’m a sophomore from South Carolina who is passionate about Christian fantasy, realistic fiction, and writing. I often help students with their papers and write book reviews to encourage people to read quality books. I’m working on growing my personal library!

DO YOU WANT TO BE AN ARC READER?

If you are interested in being an ARC (ARC = advanced reader copy) reader like Janelle, then I have books for you! My publisher, Monarch Educational Services, invites you to read their K-12 clean-reads books before they come out. If you feel that the books merit it (and we hope you do!) they ask that you post your positive review on Goodreads and Barnes & Noble. Save the review and when the book is published you can share it on Amazon too. 

Interested? Go to https://bit.ly/ARCMONARCH to sign up!

PUSH-PULL MORNING: Dog Powered Poems About Matter and Energy

I wouldn't have believed that a book about matter and energy would be read by the picture book crowd, except that my third-grade and kindergarten grandkids are studying physics at school right now. Go figure. At their age, I would have had no idea that a catapult uses a fulcrum---or even what a fulcrum was--let alone build one for a class project! 

Eleanor's 3rd-grade catapult
(with some help from her dad).

Her younger brother, Caleb,
enjoyed the catapult too.

But I digress. PUSH-PULL MORNING (Astra Books for Young Readers, 2023) written by Lisa Westberg Peters and illustrated by Serge Bloch is a fun-filled exploration of physics for young readers. And because the narrator's new dog is the star of the show, even kids who might not gravitate to science will be won over too. After all, who can resist a book with a dog that is physics-friendly? 

REVIEW

Using the unique vehicle of poetry, Lisa Westberg Peters tackles ideas that aren't easy to explain. 

Take the concept of Matter that is shown in the first poem, "Stuff in Common." The narrator comments on the fact that although he is different than his new pet, his dog's wet nose, floppy ears, and clicky claws are all made of

zillions of wiggly molecules and

jillions of jiggly atoms.

Me too!

My new dog and I 

are made of the SAME

wiggly-jiggly stuff.

From there, the reader discovers the Phases of Matter.

A dog is the perfect way to illustrate the concept of Motion. Whether she is chasing a squirrel, running back and forth, or panting and pretending not to care about the squirrel, the "Dog in Motion" poem says it all. 

Similarly, a dog clearly demonstrates the concept of Force in "Push-Pull Morning."  How?  Think about how your dog pulls on her leash to go outside or to greet another dog; how your dog has to be pushed inside the vet's office and how she pushes against your leg when she wants attention.

Clever, huh? 

There are poems about inertia (picture a dog who'd rather nap than go for a walk); gravity (will a dog go down a playground slide?); magnetism (a dog contemplates how a bone can be stuck to the refrigerator door); energy, friction, and electricity.

My generous dog

gives me electrons 

on cool, dry days.

She rolls around on the carpet

Her fur picks up electrons

until she is extremely negative.

Using activities that are familiar to young children and with the help of a super-smart, friendly dog, Lisa Westberg Peters brings physics into the realm of common everyday experiences. 

All I can say is that I would have liked my high school Chemistry and Physics classes if I'd had this book as a youngster. I'm thankful--and a bit jealous--of my grandkids!

CURRICULUM RESOURCE

It probably goes without saying that PUSH-PULL MORNING will be a fantastic STEM supplement in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms. In addition, Lisa has ideas for combining science with poetry on her website. Since the concepts are not the easiest ones to master, the book would also be useful in middle school classrooms. Thanks to my friend, Linda Phillips, a former middle school teacher for pointing that out!

I am sorry but there's no giveaway this time. As you might have predicted, this book found a home in my grandkids' growing library.

Congratulations to Emily Weitz who won The Human Body: An Alien's Guide.

Don't forget to check out the other MMGM books featured on Greg Pattridge's blog!

LULLABY FOR THE KING by Nikki Grimes: A Picture Book Review and ARC Giveaway

The calendar tells me it's October, but before you know it, December will be here and it'll be time for the holidays. I'm getting ahead of the game with today's book review. Many of you are familiar with the multi-talented award-winning children's author Nikki Grimes. I've featured her books in verse for middle-grade students and young adults many times: Ordinary Hazards, Garvey's Choice, and Between the Lines to name three of them.

LULLABY FOR THE KING  (Beaming Books: 2023) is textually and visually very different from the previous books I've read by Nikki. It's certainly not her first picture book though! Click on this link and you'll see the great variety of books that Nikki has published.  

REVIEW

Each stanza of this fanciful depiction of the animals who come to honor the birth of Jesus Christ is accompanied by vibrant illustrations by Michelle Carlos.

The lyrical story opens with a beautiful sunrise celebration:

One magnificent morning in Israel,

when the sun warmed the Great Salt Sea,

word spread to every living creature:

The Holy One has, at last, been born.

A season of celebration can begin!

On the next few pages, we follow a "caravan of creatures" wending their way to Bethlehem--each with their own unique gift for the newborn King.

In an allusion to the wise men bringing gifts, an Antelope has an alabaster flask filled with myrrh, a Hawk has an incense stand of purest gold, and a Jackal carries frankincense along with a linen sash. But the similarity to the Biblical gifts ends there. Fanciful creatures--not people--fill these pages: a camel draped in crimson carting a cedar chest, a Hippo "lumbered heavily" carrying jugs of oil strapped to his girth, and a Stork "carefully cradled a bundle of wildflowers, scenting the air as she flew." Notice all of the wonderful alliterations!

As they turn pages together, both young and old readers will enjoy the variety of animals and the gifts they bring. Imagine in your mind the pictures that these words convey:

Sparrow--as always, silent and shy--

skimmed the wind, a silk sash round her wee throat,

holding grains of mustard and saffron--

all a small bird could hope to tote.

 

Tortoise, awhile, the Royal Prince of Slow,

trudged up from Tiberias

with a tambourine in tow.

At last, after traveling through the wilderness for "hours that spun into days" the colorful caravan arrives in Bethlehem. 

The first gift presented was Nightingale's hum,

which swelled into a glorious, sky-piercing chord

that reverberated through the stable

and startled the sleeping Lord.

As the animals bow before the Babe, the angels join them with a new lullaby:

Rest, sweet child from on high,

apple of your Father's eye.

We humbly honor you, O King.

Please bless each gift we bring you.

The brilliant watercolor illustrations will invite readers to explore every page. But remember: Nikki Grimes' words came first. She carefully constructed each image-filled phrase. 

GIVEAWAY

If you're interested in winning my ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) please leave me a comment by October 11. If you sign up to follow my blog or share this on social media, I'll put your name in twice. Make sure you leave your email address if you are new to my blog or send me an email. U.S. address only. 

Congratulations to Greg Pattridge who won Brook White's book, Cookie Cat and the Tagalongs. Greg plans to share the book with his students.

THE PIE THAT MOLLY GREW: A Picture Book Review and Mini-Author Interview

This must be the season for new picture books because my email box is full of books waiting to be reviewed. I'm happy to share one by author and self-proclaimed backyard explorer, Sue Heavenrich. 

The Pie That Molly Grew  (Sleeping Bear Press: 2023) combines the rhythm of the nursery rhyme, This is the House that Jack Built with the science of growing pumpkins. It ends with a yummy feast and STEM back matter (including directions for scooping out a pumpkin and a pie recipe) that every preK-first grade teacher will love. 

REVIEW

Here is the opening page which reflects the simple beginning of what becomes an enormous plant.

The lyrical book proceeds to show Molly planting the seed and watching it sprout. Next, she plants it in her garden:

         "to grow from the seed that Molly sowed."

(Are you starting to hear the rhythm?)

Next to arrive on the scene are leaves as "big as your head turning sunlight to food wherever they spread."

As Molly tends to her pumpkin plant, the vine grows and grows and begins to produce blossoms.

The author makes sure that her readers understand the important role that bees have in pollination.

Molly proudly displays her pumpkin "big and round" which is "sliced and diced and baked in a pan and left on the table till feasting began."

for the seed and the sprout,

for the vine and the leaves,

for the flowers that nourished the hardworking bees.

And the wonderful pie that Molly made.

Parents, grandparents, and educators-beware! Every child who hears this book will want to: 

a) scoop out a pumpkin and save the seeds

b) make a pie

c) plant pumpkin seeds next spring!

Chamisa Kellog's bright illustrations will grab young readers' attention as they are drawn into The Pie That Molly Grew. 

Mini-Author Interview

Carol: I’m curious about the different types of bees that you have seen pollinating your garden. Can you talk about that a bit?

 

Sue: I love watching the insects that share my garden and listening to their buzzing and humming. I started looking at them more closely when I became one of the community science volunteers at the Great Sunflower Project (https://www.greatsunflower.org), growing flowers for – and counting – the pollinators in my garden. And by “growing flowers” I mean that I allow flowers that some folks call weeds to grow in my garden bed: Queen Anne’s lace, yarrow, dead nettle, mullien, red clover – the bees love clover! I don’t know the names to all the bees that visit, but I’ll see common eastern bumble bees, tricolor bumble bees, yellow bumble bees, carpenter bees (they are the ones with shiny bee butts!), leafcutter bees, metallic green sweat bees, and squash bees. There are also a number of flower-pollinating flies, too.

A bee doing her job in Sue's garden.

Carol: Do you ever save your pumpkin seeds?

 

Sue: I do. Saving the seeds from a pumpkin is pretty easy: cut open the pumpkin (which you have to do whether you’re baking it for pie or making a jack-o-lantern) and scoop out the guts. Then I pull out bunches of seeds and rinse them in a strainer to get the strings off, and let them dry on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet for a few days. Pumpkins are related to other squashes,  cukes, and melons, and sometimes they can be cross-pollinated. So you might get a surprise when you plant your saved seeds – especially if your pumpkins were growing within flight distance of zucchinis. But hey! It’s science. 

                                            *****

To read Sue's answers to some commonly asked questions, check out Chamisa's interview on Sue's blog.

Here are more blogs that are featuring Molly this week and next:

Aug 15 - at Vivian Kirkfield's blog for a Book Birthday & giveaway

 

 Aug. 16 - we'll join the STEAMTeam at Maria Marshall’s blog, The Picture Book Buzz

Aug. 18 - at Carol Baldwin’s blog & a giveaway!

Aug. 23 - with Kathy Halsey on the GROG blog

Aug. 25 - over at Beth Anderson's blog

Aug 28 - with Lauri Fortino at Frog on a Blog

GIVEAWAY

Sleeping Bear Press is providing a giveaway copy. If you are interested in winning this informative and fun book, please leave me a comment by August 21. As usual, if you share this post on social media or are an educator or librarian, you get an extra chance. If you are new to my blog, please leave your email address. U.S. addresses only. If you prefer, email me to enter the giveaway.

ONE SMALL THING: A Picture Book Review and Giveaway

Marsha Diane Arnold's lovely friendship/nature picture books are no strangers to my blog. I've had the privilege of sharing several: May I Come In?, Badger's Perfect Garden, Mine. Yours Lights Out and Galapagos Girl. She's back again with her newest book, One Small Thing (Beaming Books) which comes out next week! You can find the story behind this story on her website where you'll also find a downloadable activity guide. The child-friendly illustrations are by Laura Watkins.

REVIEW

Quickly, the reader is drawn into the story. Something awful has happened in Brightly Wood!

The animals care that Raccoon lost his home, but they don't know what to do. Mouse feels too small to help, Rabbit hopes someone else will help him, Squirrel sniffles and is sad. Those three go home and return to their normal lives.

Beaver, on the other hand, can't get a nagging question out of his head. "Where will Raccoon live now?" Badger has his own worrisome problem. What happened to Raccoon's friend, a silly cricket? He goes on a quest to find him.

While Beaver builds a new house for Raccoon and Badger hunts for the cricket, the other three friends realize that there really is "one small thing" they each can do for Raccoon. 

In the end, Raccoon has a new home, and his friends learn that even small acts of kindness are big.

CONVERSATION STARTER

Although this story may seem obvious to adults, we need to see it through the eyes and experiences of young children. They hear about people getting sick, losing their home or a loved one.  Little ones will identify with the characters' feelings of helplessness. Hopefully, they will be inspired when they see a small (or big!) way to help a friend in trouble and take away the importance of caring even through small acts of kindness. 

I picture a librarian or teacher holding this book up and sharing it with a group of young listeners. The obvious questions the adult asks will be, "Have you ever felt like any of these animals?" and "What did you do to help a friend?" or "What could you do in the future?" 

GIVEAWAY

Please leave a comment with your name and email address if you are new to my blog. You can also email me if you prefer. U.S. postal addresses only and educators or librarians get two chances. The giveaway ends May 6th.  Don't worry if you don't see your comment immediately. I need to vet all comments before they go live.

TWO CHRISTMAS PICTURE BOOKS, TWO GIVEAWAYS

Following up on last week's blog, I have two more picture books for you from Sleeping Bear Press for presents for a little reader in your life. Enjoy!

REVIEWS

MISS MARY'S CHRISTMAS MITTENS 

Written by Trinka Hakes Noble and illustrated (so very colorfully!) by Renee Andriani. 

This opening page sets the tone for the entire book:

Just before Christmas vacation, the first snow fell.

On her way to school, Miss Mary tested the snow for good packing.

She designed amazing snowmen and snow angels in her head. 

Excitedly, Miss Mary gave her students an extra long recess. 

Their little cold hands were frozen--nobody had any mittens!

Miss Mary would take care of that.

What was Miss Mary going to do? Her students needed mittens!

On the way home from school a piece of yarn from her hat came loose. That gave her an idea. She ran home and started unraveling her hat, scarf, and gloves.

Miss Mary worked at night--winding balls of yarn--and the next day she started knitting. With only two days before Christmas, she had to hurry!

Finally, she was done! She delivered her gifts to each student and on Christmas, her students were seen all over town--building snowmen, making snow angels, and helping to shovel snow. 

But the best thing of all appeared in Miss Mary's front yard.

Her students spelled out, "We love our Mittens in the snow outside her door.

Miss Mary's Christmas Mittens is more than a Christmas book. It's a story about a teacher's generosity and what it looks like when a person put others' needs before her own. And although the book revolves around an adult, (contrary to popular recommendations to writers that the protagonist must always be a child) Miss Mary is kid-like in her imaginings about playing in the snow. Plus, she had a problem and solved it in a very unique way. 

Back matter includes instructions on making a mitten ornament.

CHRISTMAS WITH AUNTIE

Written by Helen Foster James and with endearing illustrations by Petra Brown, this is the latest book in this family love series (my title!). I have reviewed Welcome to the World, Daddy Loves You in previous blogs. Every picture celebrates love within a family. 

Here is the opening page which invites Auntie into the rabbit's home and the reader into the bunny family:

We go together like ribbons and bows,

holly and jolly,

and tickles and toes.

 

Together, Auntie and bunny do make crafts, bake, decorate the Christmas tree, and make snow bunnies.

Family and friends with holiday wishes.

Mistletoe comes with big hugs and kisses.

Sugarplum sweetie, on this merry night,

we'll wish on a star and its twinkling light.

The book includes a place where the child's aunt can write a note as well as a place for a picture of the two of them.

GIVEAWAY

Miss Mary's Mittens belongs in every school library and every aunt needs a copy of Christmas With Auntie.  If you are a librarian you will get an extra chance for Mittens and if you're an aunt, you get an extra chance for Christmas With Auntie. If you're both--I'll put your name into both giveaways. Just make sure you tell me in the comments who you are and what book you want. Please leave your name and email address if you are new to my blog. The giveaway ends November 30th.

Congratulations to Connie Saunders who won Monster in the Briny, and to Emily Weitz who won Pirates Don't Dance from last week's blog.

TWO SPLENDID SEAFARING PICTURE BOOKS + 2 GIVEAWAYS

 If you're like me, you give books as presents. On today's blog, I have two fun books published by Sleeping Bear Press that will make great presents for a young pirate or sailor in your life. Both books use great wordplay which will tickle the ears of both kids and adults.

REVIEWS

PIRATES DON'T DANCE

What happens when a young man (who loves to dance) signs up to be a pirate? Author-illustrator Shawna J.C. Tenney answers that question in this action-packed picture book.

More than anything, Jack wanted to be a pirate. 

......

When Jack heard the 

slosh slosh slap of the waves,

the flip flip flap of the sails,

the creak creak crack of the ship,

he felt the rhythm in his soul

But, he quickly found out that,

Jack danced without knowing it. At sword-fighting practice, he saw the pirates-in-training stumble and fumble. Jack couldn't help himself.

He showed his fellow trainees how to grand jete' over gullies during a treasure hunt. But that got everybody in trouble.

Finally, a feared pirate came on board. Jack and his friends hid and watched.

Jack couldn't just stand by and do nothing--he had to dance! 

It was a fierce battle. In the end, the Captain conceded. "Blimey! Keep dancing, Jack! KEEP DANCING!"

Jack's amazing dancing steps won the battle, the Captain's heart, and the reward of becoming an official pirate. From then on, everyone put their best foot forward.

Parents, grandparents, and teachers will enjoy the pleasure of reading this story out loud and children will enjoy the onomatopoeia and how an unlikely hero wins the day.

To read about Shawna's backstory for writing and illustrating this book, please see this post on Kathy Temean's blog.

Back matter includes an author's note, explanations of dance movements, and pirate speak definitions.

MONSTERS IN THE BRINY

Lynn Becker's rhyming debut picturebook is about mythical sea creatures and the mayhem they cause when they meet up with a boat full of hardy, young sailors. Scott Brundage performs his magic with marvelous illustrations that are as funny and rollicking as the text. 

The first monster who appears even before the first page is a Kraken.

You would

Share some jokes and your best riddle,

Feed her cakes from Cookie's griddle,

Teach her how to bow the fiddle,

Kraken in the briny.

Just when the sailors successfully tame a surly, scruffly, sea goat, the ship gets a visit from a

The sailors 

Keep a bucket at the ready,

Mop his forehead if he's sweaty,

Tuck him into serpent beddy,

Serpent in the briny.

Next, the brave sailors meet a tearful turtle. They find innovative ways to cheer him up.

 Readers will be anxious to find out what sea monster is next. 

How about a hungry hydra?

"Yo! Ho! And up he's rising, Yo! Ho! He's quite surprising,

But wait. 

One of the sailors is sick of shipwrecking monsters.

So,

Yo! Ho! And up we're rising,

Yo! Ho! We're all surprising,

Yo! Ho! We're harmonizing,

Monsters in the briny.

The back matter includes two pages about sea monsters and the music to "Monsters in the Briny" which is based on an old sea shanty about a drunken sailor. 

If you're interested in reading about Lynn's book journey, you can find it on Kathy Temean's blog. 

I recently took a webinar with children's book author Pat Miller. She encouraged picture book writers to look at different frameworks for their story idea. Using a song was one of her suggestions. Now I see how that can work so well--particularly with the imaginative team of Lynn Becker and Scott Brundage. This week Lynn and Scott will share some of the inside scoops behind this sea-faring creation in the Talking Story Facebook group. Don't miss the childhood game that inspired Lynn and some of Scott's drafts! (P.S. If you're not a member yet, just click on the link and request to join it.)

GIVEAWAYS

Please leave a comment by November 23 and let me know which book you're interested in winning. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS IF YOU ARE NEW TO MY BLOG. If you follow my blog or sign up to follow it, I'll give you two chances. 

Congratulations to Theresa Milstein who won SUPERPOWER? from last week's blog.