Iggy Loomis - Superkid in Training

Iggy Loomis - Superkid in Training 
by Jennifer Allison

For fans of Captain Underpants, here comes Iggy Loomis -- already a huge pain in his older brother Daniel’s you-know-what. But when a science experiment gone wrong makes Iggy’s DNA mutate, Iggy gets cool super powers! Is Iggy going to turn into an alien? Daniel needs to stop Iggy right now—before EVERYONE gets in trouble! With aliens, gadgets, space travel, superpowers, spies, and Jennifer Allison’s humor, this story is an out-of-this-world blast! (description from Amazon.com)

Okay, you all should know that I'm a HUGE fan of the Gilda Joyce series.  I love Gilda! So, when Jennifer's assistant, Sophie, contacted me to ask if I wanted to check out her newest book, IGGY LOOMIS - SUPERKID IN TRAINING, I was delighted to say yes! (Thank you, Sophie!)

This book was fun and exciting for younger readers.  It has great and realistic family relationships.  Daniel is your average kid dealing with a younger brother and sister that happen to be twins! Iggy is a whirlwind of a kid...leaving trails of destroyed toys in his wake, and while Daniel loves him, there's also NO WAY that Daniel wants to share a room with him.  But... to see the way that Daniel protects Iggy, Iggy protects Daniel, the way that Iggy protects his twin sister... and the way that their parents love them all, what a great message for kids!  

Aside from having a crazy family, Daniel meets a cool, but strange boy from next door named Alistair. When he discovers Alistair's secret (he's really an alien, shhh...don't tell!) things start to get truly WILD. I died laughing as Daniel, and us readers, learned that Alistair's people were here to find the perfect conditions to grow new strains of broccoli, the only food his people eat.  All the technologies that Alistair uses, however, to test conditions and species end up becoming problematic for Daniel... especially when Iggy ends up mutating his own DNA with insect species' DNA by accident... 

I really enjoyed both the story of this book and the illustrations by Mike Moran.  I thought this would be a perfect book to give to any 3rd or 4th grader.  It has aliens, science, toys, and interesting friend and family relationships that just about any kid could relate to easily.  I'm happily going to be ordering this book for our library's collection! 

Full disclosure: Review copy provided by author

Mini Reviews: Animal Picturebooks

All the Awake Animals Are Almost Asleep

by Crescent Dragonwagon

illustrated by David McPhail

 



In this lyrical animal ABC book, a mother tries to tuck her child in for the night by telling him about all the awake animals that are getting sleepy. From antlered Antelope to zzz-ing Zebra, this alphabet of animals becomes an exquisite celebration of language and nature, just right for lulling even the most wide-awake little ones into a cozy, soothing slumber. (description from Amazon.com)

This is a beautiful book. The illustrations are sweet watercolors full of amazing animals.  While there are animals that young children are certain to recognize, the author took this as a good opportunity to also teach young readers about other animals that have interesting and unusual names.  For example, as you can see here, the E is for Elephant, but D is for Dromedary (a type of camel), and Q is for Quetzal, a colorful tropical bird. 

Each page also features a large letter.  Though it is great that the letter is shown on each page, I wish that the letter were done in regular script.  The cursive letters look pretty, but young readers do not usually recognize cursive script.

I also wish that the entire book had continued the rhyming of the first few and final pages.  When the mother addresses the child there is a sleepy rhythm that is established. 

 

My little one, lay down your head.

It's time to doze, it's time for bed.

   You tell me, "I'm not sleepy now."

   "Just try," I say. You ask me, "How?"

 

I know the rhyme was not the focus of the book, though, and in terms of using the alliteration, the author did a great job.  This will make a great bedtime book for parents to explore with young children.

Full disclosure: Finished Copy received from publisher for review

What's New at the Zoo?

by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

illustrations by Travis Foster

 

The hilarious happenings, grumblings and rumblings, at an overcrowded zoo are comically chronicled by Broadway/Hollywood legends Adolph Green and Betty Comden and acclaimed illlustrator Travis Foster. (description from Amazon.com)

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This one made me laugh out loud.  With lines like, "Ouch! You're stepping on my pouch!" to the bear said the kangaroo, and "Oh! You're stepping on my toe!" to the kangaroo said the gnu, I giggled my way through this one.  With some pages that have flaps that kids can turn and bright, colorful illustrations, I think this book would be a hit with most young readers.  It would also make for a fun, and only slightly tongue-tying read aloud.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library

I Say, You Say Opposites - Board Book

I Say, You Say Opposites!

by Tad Carpenter

I say "Reading!" You say, "Fun!" Explore the world of opposites with 8 lift-the-flaps.

These colorful, playful books encourage interactive learning through prediction and repetition; but most importantly, they look really fun.--Dr. Robert Needlman, co-founder of Reach Out and Read and author of Dr. Spock's Baby Basics

With I Say, You Say, your little ones can:

• Say new words
• Recognize opposites
• Learn and play!

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(description from Amazon.com/back of book)

This is a CUTE book! Not only does it have a great opposites concept, but it is bright, colorful and not scary at all. :)  It has visual clues to help little readers to guess/learn what the opposite is on each page spread.

Not only is this a great example, "I say Short, you say...TALL!" but of course, I had to share the giraffe picture! (In case you didn't know, I'm obsessed with giraffes. :D)

Another example that shows the way the page flaps work:
*Before the flap is turned over...*

*And once the flap is open!*

Absolutely fantastic! Beautiful and functional.  My boss at work is already planning to steal my copy for our regular two-year-old storytime, LOL.  I would highly recommend this book and any others in the series for Library storytimes or one-on-one reading at home! The only caution I would give to parents/gift givers is that the pages are not quite as sturdy as some other board books, so a tough little toddler could tear the flaps... but well worth picking up and keeping in a safe place until reading time!

Full disclosure: Received from Little, Brown for Young Readers for review

Wonderstruck

Wonderstruck
by Brian Selznick

Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing. (description from Amazon.com)

Just like The Invention of Hugo Cabret, this is a beautiful work of art, as well as a touching story. Selznick's black and white illustrations are fabulous. I just love the way he does his books!

In this particular story, both Ben and Rose have their own individual tales, but I loved how they came together at the end. It was really lovely. Not only were the stories interesting, but I learned quite a bit about how people who are hearing impaired experience the world. The author even mentions all of the research that he did prior to writing the book and how one of his relatives in deaf... I think that this aspect of the book makes it very important, because it makes talking about deafness and its effects so accessible.

Though this book is very big, it is a quick, fun read. I would highly recommend it to reluctant readers, well really to anyone!

Fantastic, Fabulous Creatures and Beasts: Volume 1

Fantastic, Fabulous Creatures and Beasts: Volume 1
by Melanie Dellas
Illustrated by Christopher Bennett

Fantastic, Fabulous Creatures & Beasts came about because of my love of history. As a child I was fascinated with folk tales from other countries and the history of ancient civilizations. I read everything I could get my hands on, including the many encyclopedias my parents kept in the study. There was a certain thrill in discovering mythology from all over the world and seeing how closely related it all was. As an adult, my love for mythology and history never ceased. In fact, it grew stronger. After having my second child, I decided it was time to put my favorite myths into a book that would not only entertain my children, but teach them about the various cultures and their folklore.

I have taken the "real" folk tales and written them in a format that will help children remember them. Because I have not embellished the stories or changed them in any way from their original versions, you will find happy creatures and sad creatures, friendly creatures and not-so-friendly creatures. The tales contained within are from China, Russia, India and many other countries. Through this book, it is my hope that children will come to respect and appreciate the multicultural world they live in and, of course, remember that our world is still mystical and magical - as long as our stories remain alive. (description taken from Amazon.com)

This book takes mythical creatures from many different cultures and showcases a poem and illustration for each. Some of the creatures are familiar to children in Western cultures, like the unicorn, Pegasus, and Medusa, while others from very foreign lands may first be learned about here.

Dellas presents each creature's story in a poem. The rhyming stanzas vary in reading level from creature to creature. Younger children can pick this book up and enjoy the illustrations and have someone help them understand the poems. Older readers will be able to enjoy on their own.



The Phoenix, it's said, has iridescent wings
and a body of reddish-gold,
with a tuft of feathers at the back of its head
that is fiery and bold.

The illustrations that match each creature are really stylized and just plain "cool." They actually remind me of the type of illustrations you would see on an album or CD cover. One of my favorite illustrations is of an electric blue and purple "Heaven Dog" from China. I also really loved both the poem and the illustration for the "Simurgh," a Persian mythological bird that gathered seeds from the Tree of Life and gave them to the world.

Though this book is a scant 45 pages, readers of almost any age are guaranteed to learn new mythology and to enjoy the beautiful format.

Full disclosure: Copy borrowed from my Library, but purchased for the Library after being contacted by publicist.