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literarykids:

THE RACE FOR THE CHINESE ZODIAC. Text copyright © 2010 by Gabrielle Wang. Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Sally Rippin. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA on behalf of Walker Books Australia and Black Dog Books.

“The Race for the Chinese Zodiac,” by Gabrielle Wang, illustrated by Sally Rippin; Candlewick Press, $14.99, 32 pages, ages 5-7.

In Gabrielle Wang’s retelling of this classic Chinese creation story, the Jade Emperor announces a race to determine which twelve animals will have a year named after them in the zodiac. As the gong sounds, the animals plunge into a mighty river and make their way to the finish line.  Who will be first? Who stops at nothing to win?  Children and adults will find this a pleasure to read, and its quick pace mimics the feel of competitors vying for the top spot. Sally Rippin renders Charming Rat, Spirited Horse and all the other animals in Chinese ink and earth-toned linocuts. 

After reading the end notes to find out which Zodiac year is yours, try this fun post-reading activity: Enlarge the Chinese characters for each animal that are found throughout the book. Give children a big brush and let them trace the characters with bold brushstrokes.  

马年大吉(Wishing you luck in the Year of the Horse!)

 

Here’s a reblog of one of my favorite books about Chinese New Year. 恭禧发财! (Gong Xi Fa Cai)

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Super Jumbo, by Fred Koehler; Dial Books, $16.99, 32 pages, ages 3-5.

What child doesn’t imagine saving the world? How many more children have engaged in a heroic act (saving ants from a giant’s wayward foot, for example), without recognition? In Fred Koehler’s second picture book featuring Little Jumbo, the caped, wrench-welding, pint-sized pachyderm fights crime (keeping his dad out of the cookie jar), assists the weak, and shoos annoying pigeons away from popcorn ‘dropped’ by an unsuspecting elderly park visitor.  Unfortunately, sometimes Little Jumbo’s actions cause more chaos than intended. What happens when he’s faced with a real call for help? This tale of a well-meaning elephant with outsize ambitions is a charming, simple read aloud, and is a perfect match for Koehler’s illustrations of a small but mighty hero.

Civil Leader Y.C. Hong Archive on View at Huntington Library – The Fine Books Blog

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Literary Features Syndicate: The Short Story

Nicholas Andrew Basbanes (born May 25, 1943, in Lowell, Massachusetts) is an American author who writes and lectures widely about books and book culture. In 1978, he was appointed books editor of the Worcester Sunday Telegram,
a full-time position that included writing a weekly column for which he
would interview more than a thousand authors over the next twenty-one
years. When Basbanes left the newspaper in 1991 to complete his first book, he continued writing the column and
distributed it through Literary Features Syndicate, an agency that he
formed that placed it in more than thirty publications nationwide.

Today, with the relentless demise of print newspapers, Literary Features Syndicate is squarely in the domain of the world wide web, and under the aegis of Barbara Basbanes Richter continues the tradition of author profiles and book reviews, focusing on the world of children’s books. Those reviews and interviews can be found at our sister site, http://literarykids.tumblr.com/

Interested in adding our reviews to your news outlet? Contact Barbara at Barbara.Basbanes@gmail.com to learn more.

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Follow the Sun

How the Sun Got to Coco’s House, by Bob Graham; Candlewick Press, $17.99, 40 pages, ages 3-6.

Every day the sun rises across the globe, and in his latest picture book, Bob Graham tracks it across frozen forests, vast desserts, remote mountainside villages and bustling city streets until it bursts through little Coco’s bedroom window. Graham’s watercolors create a world awash in welcoming rays of sunlight (though every corner of Graham’s world appears to be covered in snow), and with perfect cadence illustrates how each sunrise is a shared gift that every creature on earth enjoys. A lovely read-aloud for young children that gently introduces the idea of a global community.

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Life in the Forbidden City

What Was It Like, Mr. Emperor? Life in China’s Forbidden City, by Chiu Kwong-chiu and Eileen Ng, illustrated by the Design and Cultural Studies Workshop; The China Institute, $12.95, 108 pages, ages 9 and up. (Translated by Ben Wang)

China was ruled by 210 emperors over the course of its history, the last being overthrown by the Chinese Revolution of 1911. Published in collaboration with the China Institute and the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation, What Was It Like, Mr. Emperor? offers a fascinating examination of the colorful world of the royal inhabitants of the Forbidden City. The book answers questions such as whether the emperors were reincarnated dragons, what was daily life was like, and where women fit into the scheme of things. Earnest in its objective, the book is a bit on the long side (108 pages) and feels like a mashup of a picture book and reference volume. The information is wide-ranging and incredibly interesting, but unfortunately the material gets lost in the layout. There’s no glossary of terms, and people with specific titles, aren’t defined at first mention. Though the illustrations are charming, they don’t always convey the essence of the topic at hand.

In his introduction, the director of the Palace Museum at the Forbidden City writes that there are 1.8 million historical artifacts in the royal complex–one or two photo spreads of some of those treasures would have been a welcome addition. With a few tweaks, this book would be a marvelous, child-friendly chapter book. Formatting aside, it’s a worthy addition to a home reference library and could come in handy for school projects. 

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Creature Feature

What child hasn’t tried to emulate their favorite artists’ creations? Now they have the opportunity to color alongside some of today’s most beloved picture-book illustrators. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s American edition of Draw Me! Color Me! Creatures, ($11.99, 120 pages, ages 4-8) includes work by 43 illustrators, from Emily Gravett (The Odd Egg; Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears), Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo) Jan Pienkowski (The Glass Mountain) and others whose lions, aliens, and all sorts of fantastical creatures are in desperate need of color and sparkle. Children (and adults) will revel in this who’s-who of picture-book illustrators, adding their own creative embellishments. Instructions range from simple (Jim Field’s lonely pigeon requires companions), to complex (Sarah McIntyre provides step-by-step instructions on drawing a bird using a real feather). Originally published in the U.K. by Macmillan, the majority of the collaborators are based in Europe–here’s hoping for a version including illustrators from North America.

Put this on pre-order for the budding artists in your life. (Available March 1)  

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Home Sweet Home

For a pleasant mid-winter mix, we offer two books in the spirit of warmth and love.

Mother Bruce, by Ryan T. Higgins; Hyperion Books, $17.99, 48 pages, ages 4-8.

Bruce
is a solitary type of bear–downright grumpy, in fact. His single joy is cooking eggs. Bruce scours the forest for his hard-shelled treats, harvesting them for
complicated recipes he finds on the internet. (Naturally, there’s WIFI
in his den.) One day, a clutch of locally-sourced goose eggs hatches,
and Bruce has to put aside his own concerns in order
to raise the baby chicks. Alongside plenty of edgy adult humor to
keep parent and child entertained, Higgins offers a droll examination of interspecies
families and unconditional love.  

Home, by Carson Ellis; Candlewick Press, $16.99, 32 pages, ages 1-4.

Fans of Lemony Snicket’s The Composer is Dead and cover art for the band The Decemberists will quickly recognize the work of Carson Ellis in her debut solo picture book. Here, Ellis employs gouache and ink to showcase all the different fanciful places that may be called home. Whether it’s a Norse god at Valhalla, a Keynan blacksmith at his abode, or an old lady and her shoe, each homebody is united by the fact that their dwellings all provide warmth and protection. (Keep an eye out for Ellis herself, hard at work in her studio.) Whimsical and touching, this is a tender reminder that no matter what you call it, home is where the heart is.

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(via ALA Midwinter Conference Reflects Richness and Diversity of Americans – The Fine Books Blog)