Visit Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers to participate in the kidlit version of this weekly meme.
On the blog:
- A review of Kathleen Krull’s Women Who Broke the Rules series for Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday
- A Top Ten list of 10 Wishes I’d Ask the Book Genie to Grant Me
In reading:
Instead of finishing any of the many, many books I’m in the middle of reading right now, I spent my week starting new books. This might be the smallest Monday post I’ve ever written!
There is something incredibly charming about Ed Vere’s Max the Brave. Max himself is an adorable big-eyed kitten who fancies himself full of courage. Cats hunt mice, and so he is determined to find a mouse to hunt. Eventually he gets tricked by the real mouse (in a scene that will no doubt be very amusing to young readers) into hunting a monster. And then Max discovers that some of his bravery was more like bravado. A fairly predictable plot, but the book still feels fresh and original, thanks to Vere’s illustrations and excellent pacing.
Salina Yoon’s Found is a sweet take on the classic story of the lost and found stuffed animal. Bear is worried when he finds a lost stuffed animal in the forest. He searches high and low for its home and rightful owner, but over the course of the search, he becomes quite attached to Bunny. In the end, the rightful owner is found–in more ways than one. A satisfying twist at the end resolves the plot. Yoon’s text is very simple, even spare, but elegantly written, and her illustrations are bright and colorful.
Counting Lions has one of the best covers of the year, and many of Stephen Walton’s illustrations inside the book (because yes, that’s a drawing on the cover) are just as good, if not, perhaps, as arresting. The book is beautifully designed as an object–oversized, printed on thick paper that’s a pleasure to touch. It combines the purely practical (those counting skills) with a strong message of conservation, as all of the animals featured in the book are endangered or vulnerable. There are endnotes that provide more information about each animal’s endangered status. Katie Cotton’s text describing each animal’s particular traits or behaviors is poetic, lush. I’m not entirely sure about the audience for this book, as counting books generally skew quite young, but the sophistication of this book, in both image and text, widens its appeal to much older readers. Really a book for all readers, I think.
I just bought and LOVE Counting Lions – if I can get my act together I may share it for NFPB Wednesday this week. I loved your book wishes BTW – just didn’t leave a comment but I smiled through the entire post. Smallest Monday post is better than no Monday post. I skipped a few and it just didn’t feel right.
“Instead of finishing any of the many, many books I’m in the middle of reading right now, I spent my week starting new books” I can so relate to this! I’m really bad about putting aside whatever I’m in the middle of for the shiny new book!
Max the Brave DOES look charming! I will add it to my list. Thank you!
I love love love Max the Brave. I kid tested it with my great-nephew, Max, who is four. Of course he loved that the cat had his name, but he was captivated by the story. I keep hearing good things about Counting Lions and you are right, that cover is just stunning!
All of these books sound so charming! I’m sure you can guess why I would fall in love with Max the Brave… I have a Eugene the Brave at home on the top tier of the cat-tree right now. Found is already tugging at my heart strings and I don’t even know what the books is really about! Great recommendations as always!
I enjoyed Max The Great very much, am going to order Counting Lions for my granddaughter who’s studying ‘big cats’ this year for her unit of study. Will try to find Found-sounds great! Your ‘little’ post pleased me, every one!
Max and Counting Lions make me want to read the books just because of the covers! 🙂 I know we are not supposed to judge a book on its cover, but I know I tend to pick up the visually interesting books (covers) most!
I love that someone wrote a counting book about an endangered animal–counting becomes so important on so many levels!
Counting Lions sounds beautiful – and that book cover is visually arresting, as you noted. Will have to find it in our library! 🙂
I could not believe Counting Lions cover was drawn!! WOW! I am totally interested in this book after your explanation of it! Is it at the library in Chadron?