Beginning Readers - Chapterbooks

REVIEWERS: Alida Allison, Kira Hall, Jay Katz, Naomi Lesley, Shelley McRoberts, Linda Salem, Marie Soriano, John Whitt

* denotes San Diego writer and/or illustrator
** Age levels, when provided by the publishers, are included in the bibliographical information. Otherwise, category placements are our best approximations.

• Berger, Lou. The Elephant Wish. Illus. Juan, Ana. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-375-83962-7. $16.99 U.S./ $19.99 CAN. Ages 4-8.
• Coatsworth, Elizabeth. The Cat Who Went to Heaven. Ilus. Raoul Vitale. New York: Alladin, 1930. ISBN 978-1-4169-4973-2. U.S. $4.99/ $5.99 CAN. Ages 7 and up. Winner of the Newbery Medal
• De Regniers, Beatrice Schenk. Little Sister and the Month Brothers. Ill. Margot Tomes. Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish Classics, 1976. ISBN 978-0-7614-5546-2. $17.99. Ages 4-8.
• DiCamillo, Kate. Mercy Watson to the Rescue; Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride, Mercy Watson Fights Crime. Illus. Chris Van Dusen. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2007. $38.75 for three book hardback boxed set. ISBN 978-0-7636-3684-5.
• Holub, Joan. Bed, Bats, and Beyond. Illustrated by Mernie Gallagher-Cole. Plain City: Darby Creek, 2008. ISBN 9781581960778. $14.95. Ages 7 and up. www.darbycreekpublishing.com
• Jarrell, Randall. The Bat Poet. Illus. Maurice Sendak. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. ISBN: 9780062050847. $17.95 U.S. Ages 6 –9.
• Lindgren, Astrid. Pippi in the South Seas. New York: Penguin Books, 1997. ISBN: 978-0140309584. $4.99 U.S. Ages 8-10.
• Snicket, Lemony. The Composer Is Dead. Music Nathaniel Stookey. Ill. Carson Ellis. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009. ISBN 978-0-06-123627-3. $17.99 US/$19.50 CAN. Ages 5 and up.
• Snyder, Betsy. 2009. Have You Ever Tickled a Tiger? New York: Random House. 0375843965. $9.99
• Solomon, Sharon K. A Walk With Grandpa/Un paseo con abuelo. Illus. Pamela Barcita. Mchenry, Illinois: Raven Tree Press, 2009. ISBN #978-1-932748-90-1, Audience: Children’s, pre-k to 3rd grade. www.raventreepress.com
• Yee, Wong Herbert. Abracadabra! Magic with Mouse and Mole. Boston: HoughtonMifflin, 2007. ISBN 978-0-618-75926-2. $15.00 U.S./ $19.95 CAN. Up to Grade 3.
  

Berger, Lou. The Elephant Wish. Illus. Juan, Ana. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-375-83962-7. $16.99 U.S./ $19.99 CAN. Ages 4-8.

Eliza Prattlebottom of Bunthmather Street wishes for something special on her eighth birthday; she wishes for an elephant to come and take her away. Where to? Anywhere, so she can escape from having to grow up, and that’s exactly what happens—Cousin Floyd, an elephant, appears to take Eliza away and into the jungle where only creatures, animals, and a herd of elephants live. The only problem is Eliza doesn’t realize how much she’s missed at home, and how much Adelle, her 97- year- old Grandmother, needs to be with Cousin Floyd. Adelle decides to search for Eliza and Cousin Floyd while pulling her two-hundred- year- old bulldog, Potato, in a red wagon. Obviously, this is no ordinary ninety-seven year old woman! Adelle knows exactly where to find Eliza, as she visited the same spot with Cousin Floyd when she was a little girl. Adelle is finally able to convince Eliza to return home when she transforms into a young girl the same age as Eliza, and it’s then that Eliza understands only one “wisher” can stay. Eliza realizes Adelle needs to stay, as she’s enjoyed her life for ninety-seven years and wants to live the remainder of it through her memories, whereas Eliza has her whole life to live!

The Elephant Wish is a beautifully written and magically illustrated book that promises life is worth living, and that growing up is always filled with mystery and surprises. Lou Berger, also head-writer for Sesame Street, succeeds in a book that reveals growing up doesn’t have to be scary; instead, it should be embraced as a new adventure. Ana Juan’s illustrations are vividly colorful and playfully stylized, and they work well with the story to emphasize the surreal, yet chaotic feelings of growing up.

This is a perfect book for children leaving the nest to begin Kindergarten, progressing to a new grade level, or simply learning to tie their shoes. To others, even adults, I highly recommend this book to reconnect with their childlike spirit and to remember that life is always a journey. Other such relevant books for the Beginning-Reader are Dr. Seuss’s Oh The Places You’ll Go and Maurice Sendak’s Kenny’s Window, and for the Middle Grade Reader: Barrie’s Peter Pan.

Shelley McRoberts

Coatsworth, Elizabeth. The Cat Who Went to Heaven. Ilus. Raoul Vitale. New York: Alladin, 1930. ISBN 978-1-4169-4973-2. U.S. $4.99/ $5.99 CAN. Ages 7 and up. Winner of the Newbery Medal

This is the story of a starving artist who learns humility from his cat. When his housekeeper brings home a pretty, white cat instead of the food he sent her to buy, a poor artist is reluctant to keep the animal, but slowly he grows to appreciate his new companion. And it seems she brings him luck when a priest comes to commission the artist to paint the death of Buddha. Finally some business!

For the project, the artist meditates on Buddha’s life and decides to depict the Buddha with the animals the Buddha showed compassion to during his life, according to the stories. Each time the artist adds an animal to the painting, the cat comes to see his work. “There’s something missing,” she seems to say. The artist wants to add the likeness of his new companion to the painting; however, the decision is not easy because cats are associated with goblins, and it’s said that they did not show respect to the Buddha. If he puts the cat in the artwork, the priest will most likely take offense. Will the artist follow his heart even if it means possibly ruining his career?

The short novel takes place in Japan and is told mainly in the third person from the artist’s point of view, but there are poems told in the housekeeper’s voice between each chapter which foreshadow what will happen next in the story. I must admit to having mixed feelings about the book. I can understand why it won the Newbery Medal; it’s essentially a story about compassion, humility and following one’s heart despite the fear of what others will think of you. But I’m not sure who would enjoy this book more—adults or kids. The adult interested in Buddhism will probably like Coatsworth’s novel. Most of the chapters involve the artist meditating about the Buddha’s life, and there are some neat stories about Buddha woven into the meditations. However, I’m not sure if kids will like this book because not that much happens. At least the book isn’t for a child, or an adult, who wants action and adventure. Another issue I have with The Cat Who Went to Heaven is its sexism. Of course sexism doesn’t necessarily make the book evil or terrible, but you’ve got to have the stomach for it. The artist’s housekeeper is an elderly woman, and while bringing the cat home is an act of rebellion, she’s mostly complacent, concerned with the artist’s well-being. I couldn’t help being annoyed that she has to depend on a young snot-nosed kid for employment. Then there’s the cat. You may have already discerned from the title that the cat, another female, doesn’t make it in the end. I won’t tell you exactly why. The fact that these two women depend on a bossy man left me feeling more disgusted with the artist than empathizing with him. I’m probably being overly critical, but you can take it or leave it. I would be remiss in my duties to the reader if I didn’t mention the gorgeous black and white illustrations by Raoul Vitale that appear throughout the novel. In what looks like pencil, he has drawn detailed pictures that will capture your attention even if Coatsworth’s words do not.

Marie Soriano

De Regniers, Beatrice Schenk. Little Sister and the Month Brothers. Ill. Margot Tomes. Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish Classics, 1976. ISBN 978-0-7614-5546-2. $17.99. Ages 4-8.

This retelling of the folktale “The Twelve Months” has recently been reprinted by Marshall Cavendish. The story comes in many versions, from many different places, including Greece, the Czech Republic, and Russia. Little Sister, a pretty and kind girl, lives with her mother and stepsisters, who, unsurprisingly, are mean and ugly and make Little Sister do all of the work of the farm. They grow so jealous and frustrated that they decide to be rid of her; in the middle of January, the stepsister casts Little Sister out into the snow with no coat, telling her to return with fresh violets or not at all. Although Little Sister is sure she is doomed, she perseveres through the snow until she chances upon the Month Brothers, sitting around their fire. As she is kind and polite, the Month Brothers allow her to warm herself, and they even consent to speed up the seasons just so she can get April violets for her stepsister. From there, the story continues in predictable and satisfying fairy-tale fashion, when the stepsister and mother decide to seek out the Month Brothers for their own gain.

This lovely old story is convincingly narrated, with some nice use of repetition that lends itself to reading out loud (“All day long they hollered and they grumbled and they complained”). The illustrations provide a parallel narration, progressing almost in graphic novel fashion across the page with dialogue and sound effects; for example, Little Sister is pictured doing every single one of her chores, accompanied by captions like “sweep sweep sweep,” “scrub scrub scrub,” and “cook cook cook.” The illustrations themselves are effective, being detailed enough to be expressive and simple enough to carry the story forward without distraction. The tale itself is sure to be a favorite, and this retelling is highly recommended.

Naomi Lesley

DiCamillo, Kate. Mercy Watson to the Rescue; Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride, Mercy Watson Fights Crime. Illus. Chris Van Dusen. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2007. $38.75 for three book hardback boxed set. ISBN 978-0-7636-3684-5.

The author of the Newbery-winner The Tale of Despereaux and the Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie here turns her talents to literature for younger readers with delightfully humorous results. Coupled with funny, exuberant illustrations by Chris Van Dusen, this trio of picturebooks is an enjoyable read for all ages. The language is as animated as the art, making for books that are as much fun to read aloud as they are to look at.

Mercy is a pig, designated a “porcine wonder” by her tolerant owners, for she is not the most accommodating of creatures. In fact, she is in all three stories both an accidental menace and an accidental hero. The discrepancy between what the humans think Mercy is doing and the repeated fact that she is actually only looking for more of her favorite food, buttered toast, or dangerously grabbing the steering wheel of the Watson’s pink convertible Cadillac, or foiling a robber’s plot, makes a fine topic of conversation among the books’ readers. In each story, buttered toast saves the day for all concerned (except for one of the grouchy next-door neighbor Lincoln sisters). Would that buttered toast could solve more of the world’s problems.

A. Allison

Holub, Joan. Bed, Bats, and Beyond. Illustrated by Mernie Gallagher-Cole. Plain City: Darby Creek, 2008. ISBN 9781581960778. $14.95. Ages 7 and up. www.darbycreekpublishing.com

Fink, a young bat, has a problem—the sun is coming up and he cannot fall asleep like a bat should. When Fink explains his plight to his three siblings and his mother, each takes a turn telling him a story to help him fall asleep. The stories that the bats tell comprise the chapters of this book.

Fink’s brother Fang decides that a scary story is what Fink needs to make him sleepy. Fang’s story about a swamp owl with a fondness for the taste of bat definitely succeeds in scaring Fink, but does not bring him any closer to sleep. In fact, the ending, which features the two young bat heroes becoming the owl’s lunch, has the opposite effect on terrified Fink.
Next to try his hand at lulling Fink to sleep is his other brother, Batrick. Batrick tells Fink an adventure story that centers on a pirate named Captain Batty. The story, involving a sinking ship, a deserted island, buried treasure, and rival pirates, makes Fink very excited. Too excited to sleep.

Fink’s sister, Batsy, thinks she has the solution to Fink’s problem. What Fink needs is a love story. Batsy tells him the story of Princess Cleobatra and her suitor, Prince Tutwinkle. Things are worse than ever for poor Fink, who now has to “forget that kissing story” if he is ever to fall asleep.

Finally it is Mom to the rescue. She knows exactly what type of story is best to lull Fink to sleep—a bedtime story. As she speaks the soothing words that describe a bedtime routine, Fink and his siblings fall fast asleep.

This story is so creative and fun to read. The stories within the story add another dimension of interest, as they are entertaining in their own right. Throughout, Holub’s wit shines through. Gallagher-Cole’s black and white line drawings are also quirky and fun. There is so much going on in these illustrations that a young reader will discover new details with each return to the book.

Kira Hall

Jarrell, Randall. The Bat Poet. Illus. Maurice Sendak. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. ISBN: 9780062050847. $17.95 U.S. Ages 6 –9.

The Bat Poet is a story about a bard and the artist that resides within us all. The bat spends his time with his fellow creatures, lazily sleeping away the day on the porch of a farmhouse and seeking food and frolicking during the dark of night. Yet, at the end of summer, the bat’s compatriots unanimously decide that it would be best to reside in the barn instead of the porch. Our protagonist refuses to make the hasty change and remains on the overhang, subsequently leading to a spark of curiosity within. Contrary to his natural nocturnal tendency, he begins to explore the daytime world. Aside from observing the activities of daylight creatures, he becomes intensely fascinated with the mockingbird and its songs. At first the bat tries to sing like the mockingbird, but soon realizes the physical impossibility of the venture. Instead, the bat concentrates on the lyrics of the songs, soon creating his own poetry as a way to describe and understand his newfound experiences. Creatures ranging from chipmunks and blue-jays to owls and sparrows each introduce the bat poet to a new sense of self, wonder and imagination. He then uses his poetry as a means to awaken his barn-dwelling friends’ creative and social spirits.

Randall Jarrell’s story is at the same time uniquely and eerily familiar. Many concepts arise such as identity, societal assimilation, and the value of individuality. At its heart, the narrative is about anti-conformity and the marvels of individuality applicable to real life. The illustrations by renowned artist Maurice Sendak are otherworldly yet rustic and add a visual element of the imagination corresponding to the bat poet’s world in terms of nonconformity; some images and creatures seem to float off the pages, no longer bound by preconceived notions and natural limitations.

John Whitt

Lindgren, Astrid. Pippi in the South Seas. New York: Penguin Books, 1997. ISBN: 978-0140309584. $4.99 U.S. Ages 8-10.

Pippi Longstocking is a girl who lives in a quaint Swedish village with her pet monkey, Mr. Nilsson, and her horse aptly named Little Old Man. The series is comprised of eleven separate but intertwined novels. Pippi, along with her friends Tommy and Annika Settergren, experiences adventures and obstacles in both Sweden and the world. Pippi’s father, Ephraim Longstocking, is captain of the sailing ship Hoptoad and was once thought to have been lost at sea. Pippi in the South Seas is the progression of this particular plot point. Ephraim was washed ashore on the isle of Kurrekurredutt and subsequently named the Fat White Chief by its native inhabitants. Noting that his kingdom on the island had been stabilized, he returns to Sweden to invite Pippi and her friends to marvel at his accomplishments. They encounter adventures with pearls, treasures and pirates, yet no feat is too great or too troublesome for the intensely powerful Pippi.

Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking series, which was first created in 1945, has captured the imaginations of younger, freer thinking generations since its inception. Critics argue that Pippi’s radical nature and omnipotentce relative to adults is a downfall, but it is exactly what separates Pippi from her well-behaved counterparts that appeals to so many. She uses her strength to protect the ones she cares for and is congenial towards the adults who treat her well in terms of age relation. The condescending, arrogant adults who see little if nothing in Pippi’s ambition and free spirit are treated with an equal amount of volatility. Traditionally established children’s literature conventions be damned, Lindgren’s books give children an outlet from an otherwise adult-centric world.

John Whitt

Snicket, Lemony. The Composer Is Dead. Music Nathaniel Stookey. Ill. Carson Ellis. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009. ISBN 978-0-06-123627-3. $17.99 US/$19.50 CAN. Ages 5 and up.

The Composer is dead! Instead of “muttering and humming” (otherwise known as composing), he is lying still and not breathing (otherwise known as “decomposing”). It is up to the handsome and intelligent Inspector (also known as narrator Lemony Snicket) to discover which segment of the orchestra was responsible for the composer’s demise. With the aid of the San Francisco Symphony, the Inspector questions each section of the orchestra in turn and uncovers hidden secrets and discontents; for instance, the Flutes are getting a bit tired of playing bird imitations all the time, and the Violas feel neglected and underappreciated, playing countermelodies that nobody hears. However, after the interrogations, the Inspector is no nearer to solving the mystery of who killed the Composer.

This book is accompanied by a CD of Lemony Snicket’s performance of the piece with the San Francisco Symphony. Stookey’s score is clever and entertaining, providing samples of a variety of orchestral music from classical waltzes to jazzy club dance tunes. The end, when the Inspector lists a number of previously murdered composers, contains sly musical quotes from Mozart, Stravinsky, and Schoenberg, among others. The book and CD come together, but can easily be enjoyed separately. Since the book repeats most of the narration, but without the music, this creates some awkward pauses in turning the pages if the book is read while listening; however, the book’s pen-and-ink illustrations of the musical instruments and the kinds of music they play add a great deal of humor to the performance.

The Composer Is Dead is full of fun orchestral facts for those unfamiliar with the instruments and musical in-jokes for those who are already classical music lovers. It will be enjoyed by children and adults, musicians and non-musicians alike.

Naomi Lesley

Snyder, Betsy. 2009. Have You Ever Tickled a Tiger? New York: Random House. 0375843965. $9.99

Meant to be read to very young children, this baby book introduces textures associated with various animals, for example the cover has a tiger with a soft tummy. The audience/readers also get to touch a soft penguin belly and a prickly hedgehog. They get to feel a fluffy ostrich, whiskers on a prickly walrus, and a scaly armadillo. The colorful environmental settings include the white arctic, the green forest, the sandy desert, the blue ocean, and the green jungle. The language describes the textures almost as well as the physical materials used to construct this book do. Betsy Snyder may be familiar to readers as the illustrator for Brian Cleary’s Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book which was awarded a Please Touch Museum Book Award in 2007. Snyder has a background as an illustrator for children’s greeting cards.

Linda Salem

Solomon, Sharon K. A Walk With Grandpa/Un paseo con abuelo. Illus. Pamela Barcita. Mchenry, Illinois: Raven Tree Press, 2009. ISBN #978-1-932748-90-1,
Audience: Children’s, pre-k to 3rd grade. www.raventreepress.com

Family/Multigenerational – Juvenile fiction, Bilingual books, Spanish language materials

This book features a simple story of a young granddaughter walking in the woods with her grandfather. The narrative primarily consists of two expressing affection for one another, and planning another walk in the woods. The text is bilingual in English and Spanish, and the illustrations of the characters are done in a way that makes the pair appealing to diverse audiences. In other words, they could be seen as an all-American Anglo family, or as a Hispanic family.

I would prefer to see a more structured story, or a storyline that has some progression to keep the action flowing. There really is no story, but sentences that try to cleverly play off one another. Perhaps the reason is to keep the text brief and simple so that children of a very young age can follow the story, and learn some words in Spanish. A helpful glossary at the end of the book provides a vocabulary list of Spanish words. The words in Spanish are easy enough for young audiences to grasp and learn.

The illustrations are vivid and interesting, but often overshadow the text itself. For example, on a page with the only text of “You are my question” and “And you are my answer,” there are illustrations of oversized mushrooms, a squirrel, and a small bouquet of flowers. On a page where the two characters are sitting together on a rock, there is a lizard, flying fish, diving birds, turtles, and a mangrove-like tree. It is a beautiful illustration, but it definitely overshadows the text.

I believe the author kept the language so simple and sparse for the purpose of helping young children learn Spanish. But I do think a stronger narrative story that described the grandfather-granddaughter relationship might be more powerful. Perhaps the problem with the book is related to trying to be all things to different audiences: a book that appeals to Caucasian and Latino audiences, and new immigrant families.

Jay Katz

Yee, Wong Herbert. Abracadabra! Magic with Mouse and Mole. Boston: HoughtonMifflin, 2007. ISBN 978-0-618-75926-2. $15.00 U.S./ $19.95 CAN. Up to Grade 3.

Abracadabra! Magic with Mouse and Mole is a delightful story that leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Mole is quite excited about going to see the Minkus the Magnificent show. He and his friend Mouse have a great time there. That is, until there’s a bit of an accident, and Minkus’ magic tricks are revealed. Mole becomes sad and disillusioned. To cheer him up, Mouse devises magic tricks of her own, showing him the real magic in nature.

Yee’s story may be on the didactic side, but I don’t see this as a bad thing. Doesn’t every child go through a phase of disillusionment? They find out magic tricks are slight of hand or the tooth fairy doesn’t exist. The magic and wonder of nature is something no one can take away, and it’s a lot more reliable than Santa Claus. Everyone can hear the ocean in a conch shell or relish the beauty of the moon.

Yee gently encourages readers to explore nature in a fun way. This would be a great book for teachers to use with science projects or for parents to read to their reluctant kids before a camping trip. It might even prompt kids to do something besides sit in front of the TV.

Abracadabra! is a perfect book for beginning readers. The short book is divided into four chapters, the text is nice and big and the pictures are in the middle and on the sides of the text, which is brilliant placement because long paragraphs might intimidate and discourage beginning readers. Speaking of illustrations, Wong Herbert Yee does the ones for his own book using charcoal pencil and gouache. His artwork is as delightful as his text, and is a bit reminiscent of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows.

Marie Soriano