Where Did All the Dinos Go? (Review #2), Jim Benton, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Ramiz S.
Summary: “Where Did All the Dinos go?” by Jim Benton is a short story that appeals to both the eye and the ear. The colors on the cover are very appealing and the various designs of the characters are captivating. The simple shapes and solid colors are easy to follow. The words flow well together and rhyme The mood and tone of the book is very uplifting and enthusiastic as the dialogue exclaims the feelings of joy. The book will inspire young readers to use their vast imagination to create scenarios the book encourages them to vision.

Straight Talk for Librarians: “Where Did All the Dinos Go?” plays with the idea of dinosaurs existing in modern times. It asks “what if these dinosaurs were cowboys, students, employers?”. The book starts off with a condition mentioning how the dinosaurs vanished long ago. The book illustrates these dinosaurs with varying shapes, colors, and patterns and uses the descriptions to play with the rhyme scheme. It imagines these possible scenarios as the dinosaurs are personified and speaking to reenact human behavior. It illustrates the friendships between dinosaurs and humans, with one example being a human driving a child dinosaur while it waves to the reader. Dinosaurs are also depicted to be playing in the park with children having tons of fun. The reading experience will be incredibly enjoyable for all children who come to pick up “Where Did All the Dinos Go?”. The book will captivate students with the visuals and the sounds of the story. The message to readers is to use their imagination and live in the world they cannot physically see, but emotionally connect with. The mood is uplifting and the tone is exciting; students would love reading this with their parents for a good time. The dialogue is energetic with its onomatopoeia and the rhyme scheme is fun to listen to.

Just Like Us!: Ants, written by Bridget Heos, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Fred O.
Summary: This book is an informational book that relates the lives of ants to us humans, as to better help understand how ants function in their own society, and to give kids something to relate this information to. The book contains both real photographs of ants, as well as illustrations done in pen and ink, watercolor, and digital media, which portray the ants working doing different jobs, which are obvious due to the uniforms or tools that the ants are portrayed wearing and using. The book starts by covering how just like humans, ants live in communities, and describes how each colony has a queen ant and a lot of workers. The story also covers how ants have jobs that they work hard on, sometimes keeping them and sometimes switching jobs, and also how ants babysit their siblings and prepare dinner. The story also includes how ants farm both plants like fungus, and even other animals such as mealy bugs. The ants can also be seen building homes and making bridges or boats by sticking together in large clumps. The story also touches on how ants wage wars on each other's colonies.

Straight Talk for Librarians: The pictures in this book are very well done, and the bright colors and cartoon images would really capture a child’s attention. This is a good choice for a reader who might think that a non-fiction book is “boring” because it reads like a graphic novel and the illustrations make it funny. Overall the book does a very good job of teaching about the way that ant societies function in an effective way. An adult might be needed to help with some of the vocabulary. This book is a good independent reading choice. It is part of a series and the entire series would make a good purchase for a school library. The author shares her bibliography and that will help readers see how much research went into writing this book.

A Mustache Baby Christmas (Review #3), written by Bridget Heos, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Karina L.
Summary: A Mustache Baby Christmas is a well-illustrated children’s book that is about an unusual boy named Mustache Baby, who is born with a mustache. Likewise, his friend Javier is born with a beard. On Christmas Eve, Javier’s beard turns white and he becomes Santa Baby. Since being Santa was too pressuring for him, he lucky had Mustache Baby offering help to make the toys. However, Mustache Baby eventually decides to keep toys for himself, which then puts him on the naughty list. That is until a visit from Santa Grownup reminds him that it is much more fun to give than to receive.

Straight Talk for Librarians: Overall, this book teaches children a lesson about the value of giving. Children should be taught to not only work toward their own interest but rather for the kindness of others too. This book is a good representation of the consequences of not being thoughtful towards others and always expecting something in return. The illustrations are very bright and colorful, thus making the story more engaging and appealing towards children. The story is based on Christmas, which is a holiday that children highly enjoy, as it is based on time spent with family and full of happiness. There are many emotions perceived in the story, such as when mustache boy learns about the gift of giving and how it impacts himself along with the other characters in the story. The tone of the story shifts from being thoughtful to selfish, which is where the children would gain interest in story, as it depicts the change in the character and how it impacts the plot of the story. As a result, this book is a perfect holiday gift for any family, or especially children who highly enjoy Christmas.

This & That (review #2), written by Mem Fox, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Vincent H.
Summary: The book, “This & That” by Mem Fox, is a story about two mice, a parent mouse who tells its child various imaginative stories before bed. These stories take them through amazing, fantastical, and humorous adventures as they go through dark caves, bustling markets, and grand palaces. At the end of their adventures, they finally return to their beds and then the story ends as all bedtime stories should: with a goodnight kiss.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This story contains many humorous and imaginative rhymes, repetition, and illustrations, perfect for helping children develop their imaginations and sequencing skills. The vocabulary of the book is simple and makes it easier for children who are starting to learn about literary concepts such as rhyming and repetition to understand. The book also makes for a great bedtime story itself as well. The rhythm along with the rhyming of the reading makes the book pleasant sounding to read aloud to children. Even without the stories that the mice travel through being fully fleshed out, the prompts and illustrations depicted are enough to stimulate one to imagine their own version of how the stories are supposed to be played out and can inspire and challenge children to imagine and come up with their own unique stories and explore the bounds of their minds. Overall, this book is a perfect way for stimulating the young, developing minds of children and for parents and children to connect and strengthen their bonds as the two mice do in the story.

Natalie's Hair was Wild!, written by Laura Freeman, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Zeena G.
Summary: This story depicts a young girl, Natalie, and how she was allowing her hair to grow wilder and wilder everyday. She did not like brushing, taming or doing her hair. She allows animals to come in and live in her continuously growing hair. Her was really wild just how Natalie liked it! At first it's just small animals like birds and butterflies. Soon Natalie's hair takes in even a Zebra and a giraffe. Eventually, she takes in an elephant and a tiger! Over time, Natalie's hair becomes too wild and the animals become too disruptive. She calls in the professionals: zoo keepers and firefighters to help get rid of all the animals. “When finally finished, Natalie was relieved. She understood that the hair on your head is no place for a zoo.”

Straight Talk for Librarians: Freeman’s book has many literary elements that emerging readers can use in the classroom. Young readers can understand the importance of literary devices such as onomatopoeia and varying tones. The different illustrations and colors aid the literary devices. Throughout the pages, there were many onomatopoeias that were bolded and colored to add exaggeration. Each of the colors of the words matches the illustration to further help the emerging readers understand. Additionally, the book can teach emerging readers the importance of hair care and maintaining hair. Natalie’s hair was beautiful because of the curls and unruliness of her hair. Through the humor of her book, young readers can also understand that it is okay to ask for help when needed. Some of the reviews mentioned that this was not a positive way to portray black hair. However, given that the author was drawing upon her own experiences, it seems that in this case "wild" is a positive word by just letting your natural hair be. There is nothing wrong with it. Enjoy it and love it.

Lottie and Walter (review #2), written by Anna Walker, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Alexa D.
Summary: Lottie goes to swim class every week, but she has a scary secret that keeps her out of the water every Saturday. There’s a shark in the water that only wants to eat her. As she gets ready to leave swim class the week before the pool party, she finally meets Walter, a walrus who doesn’t have much to say. She and Walter bond over fish sticks and bubbles, books and singing, and the day of the pool party comes around. She and Walter will not be swimming. She stands by the side of the pool, still in fear of the shark, and starts to hear a song. As she listens, she recognizes it as Walter’s song! She jumps in and sings and swims with all her friends, conquering her fear of the water.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book uses watercolor images, and within the illustrations is able to represent a diverse community, which is very admirable and an important aspect in children’s books. It takes a fun and new perspective on the fears that young kids may have. With Lottie’s fear of swimming and water, she is able to break down this scary creature into a lovable one and face her fears, ending up happier because of it. It was really enjoyable to see the representation of the building of a bond between Lottie and Walter, as he earned her trust over kid friendly things, like fish sticks and singing their special song. When he builds this trust in Lottie, it helps her to overcome this fear she has of the water because she knows Walter will make sure she’s okay. I definitely feel like this is an accurate representation of what tools the young readers will need to face their own fears. They need trust in those around them, someone standing by their side until they’re ready, and to be able to break down the fear they have into more kid-friendly terms. This book does this in a very fresh way that I never would have expected and it was cool to see how the story developed. It is also an easy concept for children to grasp, and the illustrations and the story combined will captivate and keep the interest of young readers. The story develops at a great pace, it has an easy to follow plot, etc. This book would be a good choice for a school library. It could be used for a summer book display with other beach and swimming books.

I Got It!, written by David Wiesner, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Julian D.
Summary: I Got It! By David Wiesner is a sports fiction book for a very young audience who is just beginning to learn how to read. This is well illustrated in the novel, and easy to understand. The number of words are very limited in the novel. They consist of only the words “I got it!” and come up twice, in the start and finish. This is simple enough for children to possibly understand how the words symbolize the start and finish of the struggle of the main character. An underlying message in this story is that we should keep trying and should not give up on our goals, no matter the size of the problem and the struggles we face.

Straight Talk for Librarians: The plot of the novel is also simple and easy to understand. Baseball is a game many kids go though so having the kid try to catch the ball as his struggle is one that the kids reading will understand. The realistic art style which becomes creative in the scenes is a useful way to drive a child's imagination and make them think. It also makes it easy to connect with as its detailed and brightly colored. The images are well printed, clear to see and take up the needed space on the page. In the images, they have a few different scenes. Most consist of the child playing with others. This will help motivate younger children to socialize, as well as try out new activities or sports such as baseball. The underlying plot can help when the child tries the new sport by helping them realize they should not be discouraged when initially struggling. This book also works well for parents who want to read and explain it to their child. Because of the limited word count, and the full-sized imagery which tells the story well, the parent can explain the story to the child themselves.

The Night Box, written by Louise Greig, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Coby C.
Summary: “The Night Box” by Louise Greig and Ashling Lindsay is a high quality and creative picture book with a good message. This beautifully illustrated book would make a wonderful read-aloud book, teaching readers not to fear the dark by presenting a much more comforting angle. The colored pencil illustrations by Ashling Lindsay complement this poem perfectly, capturing the atmosphere of the different times of day with deft use of color and bringing out the positives in these aspects of the night. Readers see the animals that come out at night, including foxes, owls, moles and more, and learn to appreciate the qualities that make night unique and interesting, such as the calm quiet it brings about and the beautiful night sky that serves as the home of wandering swans. Ashling Lindsay’s art style is playful while still capturing the light and mood of each scene perfectly. Presenting a unique, surreal, and imaginative concept, the plot of the book is also commendable.

Straight Talk for Librarians: “The Night Box” is very well-written with a very poetic structure in the imagery and the way line breaks are used. The book presents higher-level sentence structure to young readers, making it ideal for libraries and classroom settings as it introduces readers to these aspects of literature. To prevent from being too monotonous, the text is broken up periodically by a larger font “Whoosh!” adding energy to the overall text. The themes covered are relevant and the message to not fear the dark, and instead appreciate the unique atmosphere and qualities of the night, is a very important message for young readers, teaching open-mindedness. In conclusion, the book is simply wonderfully realized, with excellent quality illustrations, presenting an imaginative concept, and well written, it is a fantastic novel to use in libraries, classrooms, or even at home.

The Very Impatient Caterpillar (review #2), written by Ross Burach, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Patrick S.
Summary: A very impatient caterpillar notices his friend is doing something he has never seen before. The friend tells the impatient caterpillar that he is about to undergo metamorphosis. The impatient caterpillar asks for clarification on what that is. The Friend then goes on to explain the general process of metamorphosis. The impatient caterpillar, obviously, wants to undergo metamorphosis as fast as he can, because he is impatient. He constantly asks his friend questions on what to do and how to do it. When the impatient caterpillar finally forms his cocoon, he starts the process of waiting, impatiently, for him to transform into a butterfly. During this half of the story the impatient caterpillar repeats the classic line “are we there yet?”, except that it is “am I a butterfly yet?”. The next few pages are a sort of montage of the caterpillar trying to pass the time; however, the impatient caterpillar is very restless and so he breaks out of his cocoon before he is a butterfly. He tries to fly, but he falls onto the ground. Due to this failure, he crawls back into the cocoon to continue metamorphosis. During these ‘montage’ scenes, the caterpillar is shown practicing patience or relaxation exercises so he can get a grip on himself. He finally manages to stay patient and transform into a butterfly. When he comes out of his cocoon he tells his friend that he is now a patient butterfly.

Straight Talk for Librarians: The book’s message is that being impatient does not get you anywhere faster than if you took it slow. The caterpillar bothered his friend by asking so many questions, yet he ended up at the same spot as the other caterpillars. The caterpillar learned his lesson in the middle of the book when the caterpillar impatiently gets out of the cocoon before he is ready. He sees that he needs to wait for the process to happen, he can’t rush it. By reading the book to children, the teacher can expand upon this lesson and explain to the children how beneficial patience can be. Readers will also learn scientific vocabulary. This would be a good read-aloud before a science lesson on metamorphosis.

Music of What Happens, written by Bill Konigsberg, reviewed by Kalie Mehaffy

Summary: The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg is a story of two boys, Max and Jordan, and their crazy, terrible, awesome summer. Max has a terrible encounter with a boy but doesn't know how to talk about it. Jordan and his mom will lose their house if they cannot make their food truck work. Max and Jordan, although they are in the same AP Composition class during the school year, meet each other at the food truck in a farmers market, where Max sees Jordan's mom breakdown. Max offers to help Jordan with the food truck, and as the summer progresses, the two boys become close. As their friendship turns into a relationship, their deepest secrets start to come out, and both boys have to learn how to navigate the unfamiliar waters of deep communication and trust.

Straight Talk for Librarians: I think that this is an amazing book that absolutely deserves a space on the classroom library bookshelf, but it is also a book that should come with warnings. This book covers very heavy topics that could be very triggering for some readers, but the way Bill Konigsberg approaches them is so real and so relatable. I think this book could be something very beneficial for students, but it is a book that I would want to have a conversation with the student about before letting them read it. I think this book has some amazing themes that students can learn from and apply to their everyday lives, and if it could be used as a class novel there is some amazing character analysis that can be done. The point of view switches back and forth from Max to Jordan, and I think it adds some depth to their characters and interactions to occasionally see the same scene from both character's points of view. I do not think I would use it as a class novel, but I absolutely would have it available for students, with the proper warnings.

Ready, Set... Baby!, written by Elizabeth Rusch, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Kylie W.
Summary: The book “Ready, Set...Baby!” by Elizabeth Rusch is a spunky and informational story about two children named Anna and Oliver and their journey on what to expect from a new baby sibling. The children describe their excitement as they wait for the baby to be born, as well as what they experience when she does finally arrive. Having a new baby comes with many responsibilities such as changing diapers and ensuring nap time. Not only did the parents fulfill these responsibilities, but so did Anna and Oliver. The book gives a lot of tips on what to do and what not to do with a newborn. Having a new baby can be overwhelming for a child, but Anna and Oliver learn how to handle situations with the new baby, and what to expect from a new sibling. They even show how to play and hold a baby correctly!

Straight Talk for Librarians: This particular book would be best suited in an elementary library. The tone of the book is very playful and engaging because the children themselves have a very funny and playful personality, and the dialogue that is used by the characters keep the reader engaged on the setting of the book. Moreover, the book focuses in on the feelings and actions of the children rather than what the parents do to take care of the baby. The illustrations within the book are very comforting and use warm colors which also enhance the playful and comforting tone that is trying to be conveyed by the author.There are a lot of baby books for new parents and this one is perfect for soon-to-be brothers or sisters.

What is inside THIS box?, written by Drew Daywalt, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Jessica C.
Summary: This story is about two best friends, a monkey and a cake, who ponder over the contents of a mysterious box. The monkey tells the cake that there is a cat inside the box that disappears when the box is open. The cake does not believe the monkey, saying that it would be impossible for a cat to just disappear. However, the monkey reveals that anything the cake can imagine is inside the box. The cake is happy about this and comes up with their own ideas of what is inside the box, saying that there’s a dinosaur in the box. The two are content with their own imaginations, even though they disagree. Their contentment with what they both think is in the box reveals the theme of the book. The theme stressed by the book is that it is important for everyone to make their own ideas and use their imagination, without criticizing others. Another message of the book is that everyone should question their own beliefs in order to develop them. At one point the cake asks the monkey how he knows there’s a cat in the box when he hasn’t seen it, and the monkey asks the cake, ‘How do you know there is NOT a cat…’. The cake then reconsiders his views and ultimately draws his own developed conclusion.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book is an accessible way for emerging readers to begin understanding deeper meanings in texts. The illustrations of the story are visually appealing to readers. The colors are bright and the characters are appealing to children.The illustrator used pencil and acrylics. A monkey is a familiar animal to kids, and of course they recognize cake, possibly one of their favorite desserts? As an IB Theory of Knowledge student, this book contemplates the idea of perception and language. The text even touches on epistemology as the emotions of the characters get more heated as they defend their belief. This book is deceptively simple on the surface. You can’t help but ponder the ending and as the ways of knowing surface, the complexity of the idea will boggle your mind.

Tool School (review #2), written by Joan Holub, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Isabella F.
Summary: Tool School brings readers along as they follow five tools, Hammer, Screwdriver, Pliers, Saw, and Tape Measure, as they go to “Tool School” to further develop their tool skills. Readers will be delighted by the bright colors, and playful graphics, which accompany the rhyming dialogue, all in all leaving readers wanting more. While each tool is initially excited to build something with the array of materials available to them at the school, they quickly realize, with help from their teacher, Ms. Drill, that when they do not work together they cannot build anything. This leads the tools to cooperate on a project, and they end up building a toolbox, which they can then all share and benefit from. In the story, all the characters develop and are able to change their perspectives on the issue, demonstrating exemplary role models on issues of problem-solving and perseverance.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book serves as a great segue into the concept of cooperation as it will build a sense of community within young readers. While the book highlights the importance of individuality, with each tool listing their skills, it also emphasizes that while working together these skills can develop and become an essential part of the cause, without which the final product could not be completed. This book is a great addition to any young library, especially one where readers may be interested in tools, design projects, or any other similar creative field. Parents may also use the book to relay important messages of taking care while working, as well as treating one’s friends with respect and kindness, as the book ends with descriptions of each tool’s function as well as a message to readers to always wear safety goggles.