Posted on August 23rd, 2016 by pajamapress
This is a book that tries to explain the foster care system to young children. We are introduced to a little rabbit named Elliot and told ‘His mother and father loved him very much.’ But unfortunately, they do not know what to do when Elliot cries or yells or misbehaves….Thomas tells Elliot he will find him a ‘forever, forever family.’ Elliot takes time to adjust but ‘In time, Elliot grew attached to his new family. When he cried or yelled or misbehaved, his new parents would hold him in their arms and tell him they loved him forever, forever.’ His birth parents still visit him, but one day Elliot is officially adopted and ‘…would never have to change families again.’ The collage illustrations in muted tones reflect the gentleness of the story. This is a lovely book to share with a child trying to cope with the intricacies of being a foster child. The book stresses that Elliot is always loved and that everyone wants to do what is best for him. This is a must-have for public libraries.
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Posted in Elliot | Tagged elliot, julie-pearson, Manon Gauthier, Review, youth-services-book-review
Posted on August 8th, 2016 by pajamapress
What did you like about the book? This is the story of one girl, Tuyet, and her journey from an orphanage in Saigon to Canada during the Vietnam War. Tuyet could not remember life outside the orphanage where she is kept indoors and helps take care of the younger children. At eight, she suffers from the effects of polio, and does not feel she will ever be adopted. In 1975, Tuyet is among the orphans on the last transport out of Saigon as the North Vietnamese take control. She makes herself useful on board the plane as well as in the orphanage in Canada. She is adopted by the Morris family, who already have a biological daughter and two adopted children. At first, Tuyet cannot believe that she is anything more than a helper, but little by little she realizes that she really is a daughter and a sister. Black and white photographs and documents supplement this biographical tale. Told from the point of view of this eight year old girl, the story is quite informative and compelling. Readers who enjoy biographies will find much to admire in Tuyet.
Anything you didn’t like about it? No
To whom would you recommend this book? This is a good choice to supplement lessons on the Vietnam War. Children who were adopted will identify with Tuyet’s story. It would also be a good choice for a biography assignment.
Who should buy this book? Public libraries and elementary school libraries.
Click here to read more of this review.
Posted in Last Airlift | Tagged junior-biography, Last Airlift, marsha-forchuk-skrypuch, marsha-skrypuch, reviews, Tuyet, youth-services-book-review
Posted on August 2nd, 2016 by pajamapress
What did you like about the book? In this silly cumulative story, a little girl named Leanne doesn’t want to take a bath. Her Dad comes up with the idea of adding something – “one turtle.” Then he adds “two eels”, “three clown fish,” “four seahorses,” “five shrimps,” “six hermit crabs,” “seven sea urchins,” “eight anemones,” “nine starfish,” and finally, “ten octopi.” The bathtub is so full, that Leanne and her dad run to the ocean and find “A sea bath is the most fun of all!” The illustrations in this Canadian import are full of expression and joy, perfectly matching the storyline. On the final page the reader sees all the sea creatures diving back into the ocean.
Anything you didn’t like about it? No
To whom would you recommend this book? This is a wonderful book to add to story times about baths. Pair it with King Bidgood’s In the Bathtub by Audrey Wood, The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems and Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck. It is also a good book to use for counting and practicing math.
Who should buy this book? Public libraries and elementary school libraries
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Posted in Going for a Sea Bath | Tagged andree-poulin, anne-claire-delisle, going-for-a-sea-bath, picture-books, reviews, youth-services-book-review
Posted on July 25th, 2016 by pajamapress
Rating: 4
Genre: Historical picture book
What did you like about the book? In Germany during World War II, Gerda’s family is given three French prisoners to work with them on their farm. Gerda’s mother is kind to the men, although they are required to sleep in an outbuilding . When a neighbor spies the three prisoners eating with Gerda and her family in the family’s kitchen, police take her mother away for the day to question her. Still, the family and the prisoners become friends, even though they don’t understand each other’s languages beyond a few words. Gerda shows the prisoners her new doll. When the doll gets too close to the stove and its hands melt, the prisoners bandage it up. This act of compassion remains in Gerda’s thoughts. The story is based on the wartime memories of the authors’ mother. Watercolor, colored pencil and pastel illustrations are rendered in muted tones with a sepia background, emphasizing the historical nature of the story. A simple story which can teach young children to see the humanity of people at war. Author’s note with photographs at end.
To whom would you recommend this book? Useful for parents and teachers seeking to explain war to children.
Who should buy this book? Public libraries
Where would you shelve it? Picture books or Picture books for older children
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Posted in A Year of Borrowed Men | Tagged a-year-of-borrowed-men, michelle-barker, picture-book, renne-benoit, reviews, youth-services-book-review
Posted on July 15th, 2016 by pajamapress
What did you like about the book? This book consists of a series of colorful and whimsical illustrations accompanied by a few lines of text that serve as story starters. All begin with “Once Upon a Line” and most involve animals. For instance one painting depicts a pig in a suit atop a very large fish: “Once upon a line, a fisherman tried out his new fishing pole. He was admiring the fine workmanship when suddenly…” The book begins by saying that the paintings were found in an old trunk belonging to a magician and that “each picture starts with the same pen line.” Most readers will find it very difficult to find the same pen line in each drawing, but there is an answer key at the end. This is a book that would be useful for aspiring writers.
Anything you didn’t like about it? / To whom would you recommend this book? This would be a good book to use with a creative writing class. Children who like to write stories will enjoy the “story starters.” Pair it with The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg.
Who should buy this book? Public libraries
Click here to read the rest of the review.
Posted in Once Upon a Line | Tagged once-upon-a-line, picture-book, reviews, wallace-edwards, youth-services-book-review
Posted on July 12th, 2016 by pajamapress
What did you like about the book? The living conditions for three elephants in a Toronto zoo are inhumane; the elephants’ enclosure is too small and conditions in the winter are too cold. Moved by the elephants’ plight, Canadian citizens campaign to move the elephants to a larger, warmer refuge located in California to live out the remainder of their lives. Despite opposition by zoo officials who prefer a move to another zoo, the citizens prevail, and the elephants are moved to the PAWS (Performing Animals Welfare Society) sanctuary. Deines uses an attractive color palette of soft violet, saffron, and brown hues to convey the seriousness of the elephants’ plight and their (qualified) happy ending (an addendum tells us that not long after arriving at the PAWS sanctuary, Iringa, one of the elephants had to be euthanized). Five pages at the end show photos of the elephants and provide additional facts about elephants….
To whom would you recommend this book? This serves as a gentle introduction to animal rights suitable for third grade and up. Pair with other picture books about animals in captivity whose situations were improved such as Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla.
Who should buy this book? Elementary libraries and public libraries.
Click here to read the full review.
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Posted in Elephant Journey | Tagged brian-deines, elephant-journey, juvenile-nonfiction, picture-book, reviews, rob-laidlaw, youth-services-book-review
Posted on July 8th, 2016 by pajamapress
Rating: 1-5: 5 (5=starred review)
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
What did you like about the book? A peregrine falcon pair mates and lays eggs. Before the eggs can hatch, they are stolen by a scientist who rappels down a cliff to get them. No, it’s not an evil scientist. Rather, it shows the lengths conservationists were forced to go to prevent the extinction of a species when DDT caused birds’ shells to become fragile. Scientists knew the wild peregrines would lay a second clutch to replace the stolen one. Meanwhile, more of the stolen young survived than would have in the wild. The story shows how scientists raised the young and then released most back into the wild to help the species recover. This is a hopeful, upbeat success story told using attractive watercolor pictures in mostly blues and browns. A brief author’s note at the end provides sources of additional information about peregrine falcons and the rescue efforts.
Anything you didn’t like about it? No.
To whom would you recommend this book? Although the audience appears to be first to third graders, some challenging vocabulary (eg. accumulate and conservationist) makes it better suited to be read aloud by an adult.
Who should buy this book? Elementary libraries and public libraries.
Where would you shelve it? Shelve in nonfiction in 598.9 with other books about birds of prey.
Click here to read the full review.
Posted in Skydiver | Tagged celia-godkin, juvenile-nonfiction, picture-book, reviews, skydiver, youth-services-book-review
Posted on May 26th, 2016 by pajamapress
“In October of 2013 three African elephants, Iringa, Thika and Toka, who had lived at the Toronto Zoo for many years, were given sanctuary at PAWS (Performing Animal Welfare Society) in California. Toka and Iringa had been wild born and stolen from their mothers when very young to be taken to a zoo in the cold clime of Toronto, Canada. Thika was born at the Toronto Zoo. Outrage at the small enclosure for these three elephants living in an unnatural climate finally lead to their being trucked all the way to sanctuary in California. Photographs and illustrations accompany the text.
To whom would you recommend this book? Put this one on display to attract a wider audience and recommend to kids and adults who like elephants and want to learn about their plight in captivity.
Who should buy this book? All public and elementary school libraries”
Click here to read the full review.
Posted in Elephant Journey | Tagged brian-deines, elephant-journey, picture-book, Review, rob-laidlaw, youth-services-book-review