My So-called Superpowers by Heather Nuhfer - OPTIONAL

My So-called Superpowers by Heather Nuhfer, 246 pages, Imprint (Macmillan), 2018. $14.

Language: PG (5 swears); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Middle school is not going well for Veronica.  She would really like to be an “ests,” one of the smartest, prettiest, fastest, instead of walking around feeling invisible.  So she has come up with a plan to try new activities to get noticed, and she is bound to be good at one of them, right? Her friend, Charlie, doesn’t understand why she wants to be an “ests”, they’re all so mean and snobbish.  Of course, Charlie is perfectly ok with who he is, quirks and all. After a miserable day of failing to become an “est”, Veronica wakes up and something is different. When she wishes she would shrink out of sight, she does, when she wishes she would disappear, she does.  What is happening! Charlie thinks her new superpowers are great, but Veronica isn’t so sure.

The idea of waking up with superpowers sounds awesome and I like that the author made it realistic and hard.  Veronica found that it took time and practice, and life is more complicated now that it was before. Unfortunately the whole thing fell a little flat, and was confusing, at times.  Sometimes it would read young and other times more middle school. And a few things I had trouble accepting. I know Veronica is a middle schooler with superpowers, but it still seemed a bit much to have her out all night by herself decorating for the school dance.  In the end Veronica learned a few things about herself and what makes a true friend. 

Reviewer: RB

Crunch the Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap - ADVISABLE

Dunlap, Cirocco Crunch the Shy Dinosaur, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. PICTURE BOOK Random House (Penguin), 2018. $18.

EL (K-3) ADVISABLE

Crunch is a shy dinosaur. But if you talk softly and sing his favorite song, maybe he'll stop hiding and come out and play. And if you are especially friendly, maybe he will paint your name on a rock! 

This interactive book is silly and fun (unless the child you are reading to won't play along). You have to talk softly and then louder, sing happy birthday, say your name etc. Thoroughly enchanting. The illustrations are sweet and the storyline is clever - but the shy dinosaur suddenly wears a hat and is doing things like dancing and painting. Nice ending that will help make this a bedtime story. 

Lisa Librarian

Way Past Bedtime by Tara Lazar - ADVISABLE

Lazar, Tara Way Past Bedtime, illustrated by Rich Wake, PICTURE BOOK. Aladdin, 2017. $17.99. Content: G.

Joseph is determined to stay up way past bedtime.  He’s sure that parents have extravagant parties with lots of food, guests and entertainment after the kids go to bed. So he stays up late and creep downstairs only to find . . .  

The expressions on Joseph’s face are fantastic.  What a great little boy, and such an imagination! I love the alliterative descriptions, the colorful difference between his world and his imagination, and the parents are great!  This is another terrific bedtime story.  

EL (K-3) ADVISABLE  Lisa Librarian

I Love You More than the Smell of Swamp Gas, By Kevan Atteberry - ADVISABLE

Atteberry, Kevan I Love You More Than the Smell of Swamp Gas, PICTURE BOOK. Harper Collins, 2017. $17.99. Content: G.  

A little monster and his papa are chasing a skink through the swamp.  The little one keeps asking how much he is loved and papa replies more than . . . (slow oozing muck, the smell of swamp gas etc.) until they journey home and the little monster gets tucked into bed.  

A very unusual bedtime story, this is a great read aloud as it is answer and response, so the beginning reader can read one voice, or the reader can use 2 different voices.  The illustrations are fun, bright colors - even the text is colorful - try to find the skink on every page and see the strange monster animals that live in the swamp.  This is a great book to share.  

EL (K-3)  ADVISABLE  Lisa Librarian

Smell My Elephant by Tina Ballon DeBoard - ADVISABLE

DeBord, Tina Ballon Smell My Elephant, illustrated by Kim Jackson DeBord, PICTURE BOOK. Sleeping Bear Press, 2017. Content G.  

Fletcher thinks his toy elephant has a strange scent, one he doesn’t recognize as any of the places the elephant has been. He can’t figure out what it is, so he asks everyone to smell his elephant - his mother, his father, his sister and his friend Henry.  Henry finally figures out what elephant smells like - it’s all the people who’ve been hugging it!  

I loved the message of this picture book - that we carry around with us a part of who loves us.  Simple watercolor illustrations highlight this sweet story, perfect for bedtime.  

EL (K-3) ADVISABLE  Lisa Librarian

Alfie’s Lost Sharkie by Ann Walker - ADVISABLE

Walker, Ann Alfie’s Lost Sharkie PICTUREBOOK Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Clarion), 2014. $14.99.  Content: G.

Alfie, a little alligator, is reluctant to go to bed because he can’t find Sharkie, a favorite toy.  He looks outside in a tree and all over his room.  His wise parents have him look in the tub (while he takes a both) in his drawer (while he gets in his pajamas) and in his bed, (where he finally finds Sharkie).  

The text is simple, the illustrations busy and chaotic - just like Alfie is.  Lots of his toys look alive as they have simple facial expressions but are things like fruits, a baseball cap, maybe a sock, that was a little strange, but otherwise, a delightful picturebook.  

EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE  Lisa Librarian

I’ll Catch You if You Fall by Mark Sperring - OPTIONAL

Sperring, Mark I’ll Catch You if You Fall, illustrated by Layn Marlow. PICTUREBOOK. Simon and Schuster, 2016. $17.99. Content: G.

A young boy is fishing and asks who will keep him safe? His mother says she will, which starts a cyclical story - the captain, the boat and star and then the boy offers to keep the star safe.  

Too simple.  This is such a short read it would be wasted on a bedtime story.  The illustrations are beautiful and the tone of the book is quiet and soft, but the message is unrealistic (a star can guide a boat, but keep it safe?)  

EL  (K-3) - OPTIONAL  Lisa Librarian

The Dark by Lemony Snicket - - ESSENTIAL

Snicket, Lemony The Dark, 40 pgs. 2013 Little Brown; $16.99. Content: G. 

Lazlo is afraid of the dark.  It’s in lots of places in his house but it lives in the basement.  The dark isn’t afraid of Lazlo!  

In the a little bit creepy way that Snicket tells his stories, this mesmerizing picturebook even had me a little scared.  Illustrated by Caldecott medal winner Jon Klassen, wonderfully written and simple, this book about facing your fears is a must have.  

EL  (K-3) - ESSENTIAL Lisa Librarian

Baby Parade by Rebecca O'Connell- ADVISABLE

 

O’Connell, Rebecca Baby Parade.  Illustrated by Susie Poole.  24 pgs. Albert Whitman & Company, 2013. $15.99.  PICTURE BOOK.  Here come the babies!  Wave to them as they go by.  Each page focuses on a new baby and a particular color: red, then orange, yellow, green, blue, and finally purple.  The babies then crawl, stand, and all walk in the baby parade.  There are few words on each page, but the illustrations tell the story perfectly. The illustrations are absolutely unique and adorable.  Pre-K.  ADVISABLE. Reviewer: SL.

Franklin in the Dark: 25th Anniversary Edition by Paulette Bourgeois-ESSENTIAL

Bourgeois, Paulette Franklin in the Dark: 25^th Anniversary Edition.  Illustrated by Brenda Clark. 48 pgs. Kids Can Press, 2011. $18.95. PICTURE BOOK.  The classic story of Franklin in the Dark has been printed yet again in this 25th Edition copy. A little turtle named Franklin is afraid of the dark.  This poses a problem since Franklin is supposed to sleep in his small, dark shell.  He is sure that creepy things, slippery things, and monsters live inside his small, dark shell. After searching high and low help from Duck, Lion, Bird, and Polar Bear, Franklin soon learns that he is not alone and that everyone has a fear of one sort or another.  In addition to the original story and illustrations, readers can also get behind-the-scenes information about this great story.  Author Paulette Bourgeois and illustrator Brenda Clark write letters in the opening of the book to describe their experiences and the beginnings of this story.  They have even included a photo copy of the first pages of the original manuscript and story board. At the end of the book additional Franklin books are introduced so readers who enjoyed this original can fill their bookshelves with more fun and adventure starring Franklin.  Pre-K.  EL (K-3).  ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: SL.

100 Animals on Parade by Masayuki Sebe- ESSENTIAL

Sebe, Masayuki 100 Animals on Parade! 24 pgs.  Kids Can Press, 2013. $16.95. PICTURE BOOK.  No one illustrates fun-loving animals quite like Masayuki Sebe!  We love all books published by Sebe-especially the search-and-find books.  His illustrations are brightly colored and humorous.  This story has the reader join a parade of fun-loving characters as the reader explores 100 pigs, 100 beetles, 100 rabbits and much more.  Each page contains search-and-find elements such as “counting rabbit number 13 and finding what is on his head”.  The illustrations are small and the font next to some of the characters is tiny so this would not make a good group read-aloud-book, but a prefect snuggle book.  Pre-K.  EL (K-3).  ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: SL.

Tiptoe Joe by Ginger Foglesong Gibson-ESSENTIAL

Gibson, Ginger Foglesong Tiptoe Joe. Illustrated by Laura Rankin.  32 pgs.  Greenwillow Books, 2013. $17.99.  PICTURE BOOK.  We loved this book!  The illustrations are adorable and the story is fun and sentimental.  Tiptoe Joe has a surprise for all of his forest friends.  What is it?  Shhhhh.  It’s a secret.  With predictable rhythmic text, children will laugh and enjoy this surprise book.  “Turkey, Turkey, come with me. I know something you should see.”  This phrase is repeated with each animal that Tiptoe Joe invites to see his surprise.  After the invitation to come with Tiptoe Joe, each animal follows by thudding, swishing,  or clopping in a line behind him.  But Tiptoe Joe continues to whisper, “Shhhhhh” along the way.  Thud, thud.  Swish, swish.  Flap, flap- all the forest friends tiptoe soft and tiptoe slow to see the most wonderful and unexpected surprise of all! Pre-K.  EL (K-3). ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: SL.

Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Thomas - OPTIONAL

Thomas, Jan  Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy  Beach Lane Books, 2012.  $12.99  PICTURE BOOK  Content: G.  

Cowboy is trying to sing a sweet lullaby to help his cows go to sleep, but every time he gets to the end of this song he screams “eeek” and scare the cows.  At first he stops the song because he thinks that he sees a spider, then he thinks he spots a snake and then he thinks it’s a bear.  Each time the spider is actually a flower, the snake a stick and the bear another cow.  He finally convinces himself that everything is fine, when actually there is a wolf.  Thank goodness wolves really like lullabies.  In the end the wolf snuggles in with the cows and the cowboy to say goodnight.  

This is a cute book that young readers will find funny.  The illustrations are very basic, but they are bright and the cowboy and cows faces are animated.  The wolf going to sleep with the cows seemed like a really bad idea to me, but that was the ending of the story in which everything was all right.  

EL (K-3)-OPTIONAL.