Picture Book Round-Up #17

Another picture book round-up! This week, an assortment of things I read from Capitol Choices, some duds, a real winner from Corey Tabor, and more Amy Wu!

Tadpoles by Matt James

This is an interesting book–I picked it up because it was nominated for Capitol Choices, and I kind of assumed it would be about tadpoles, aka baby frogs. I was right and wrong. This is a more…meditative, I’ll say…book about a boy and his dad who is probably divorced now and how there’s a field near the house that’s abandoned but probably not a waste dump and he goes there and sees tadpoles and that really resonates with him, etc. It’s got fine illustrations, and the writing on each page is fine, but overall, I was wondering what I was supposed to have taken away from this story…and I can only imagine that heightened for a kid.

Simon and the Better Bone by Corey R. Tabor

Another adorable picture book from Corey R. Tabor that plays with the way we traditionally read books as well. This one is also a flipped read—but instead of being about a bird diving into the water, it’s about a dog and his relfection in the pond. The use of the gutter to divide Simon and his reflection is really well done, it’s got a fun cameo from Mel herself, and I think kids are really going to have fun with this one.

Madani’s Best Game by Fran Pintadera and Raquel Catalina

The sort of saccharine sweet picture book you want to have on hand for when grandparents want something new for their children to read–but they want to enjoy it too. Inspired by real experiences working in immigrant communities, this is a story about a boy who’s great at soccer—and he plays barefoot. He’s always saving, but instead of buying cleats, he buys a sewing machine so his mom can work faster and come watch him play soccer instead. It’s a sweet tale–the illustration style is a bit different than American kids may be used too–but what I really like is the third person limited narration–a unique way to enter this story.

Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? By Helen Yoon

This is a cute book! My colleague who was sorting our new books pointed it out to me–and I saved it to read. Our Asian-presenting protagonist needs our help finding his invisible dinosaur. And it truly is invisble! After washing the dirt off, he can’t find him now, but we get to see how we MIGHT find him in different scenarios–in the snow, rain, etc. It’s a fun book that plays with the negative space, invites kids to be curious and wonder if they’re too smart, etc. It’s cute and quick and fun!

Amy Wu and the Ribbon Dance by Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chua

I love the Amy Wu books–they’re so fun. It vibrantly brings in her culture in a cutesy character, with realistic stories, etc. It’s about AAPI books not just being Chinese New Year, etc. In this one, Amy who can’t stand still, wants to do ribbon dancing with her friends, but can’t find the ribbon that works just right! Ultimately, of course, she learns it’s not about the ribbon itself but the act of dancing with your friends, and she has a great time. It’s cute, a little long for story time, but great for giving to developing, independent readers.