The cover art for Madeline Finn and the Library Dog by Lisa Papp (2016) previews what’s inside the book. This is a gentle story about a child who struggles with reading. Madeline wants to read, but she doesn’t like to read because it’s difficult. She wants to earn stars for reading like her peers do. “But sometimes I can’t figure out the words. Sometimes the sentences get stuck in my mouth like peanut butter. Sometimes people giggle when I make a mistake.” This last sentence is key to the story’s resolution. There’s no mention of getting help from a reading specialist. This absence always disappoints me in stories like this one. Simply reading without threat of embarrassment solves Madeline’s reading problem. She’s paired with a very large and gentle looking dog at her local library. This dog, Bonnie, doesn’t giggle when Madeline struggles. Therefore, Madeline’s reading improves. She actually reads aloud in class by thinking about reading to Bonnie. She finally earns a star.
Ira Wordworthy by Stephen Cosgrove is a charming story about an old (badger) storekeeper who cannot read. When he’s gently confronted with this by young Rita (raccoon), his life changes. Rita teaches Ira to read. (Again, no mention of a reading specialist.)At the beginning of the story, Ira shoos away children who read books on his store porch. At the end of the story, his store is a haven for young readers. Wordworthy Seed, Feed, and Mercantile is more organized after Ira can read product labels. “Ira’s mind was even better as he read book after book after book.” Cosgrove’s use of alliteration and flowery phrases creates a gentle rhythm. For example, Ira’ store was a “place where frumpy farmers could stand around and whistle in the wind about the weather and other wonders.” Wendy Edleson’s lovely, detailed watercolors draw us into a world of wildlife dressed in human clothing. My Picture Book Talk for this story is here.
Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind by Judy Finchler & Kevin O’Malley (2006) stars an elementary school age boy who doesn’t like to read. This child isn’t given a name, but hangs with three male friends. They love to play video games. Students in their school will read 1,000 books by June 12, at which point the principal will dye his hair purple and sleep on the roof. Gradually, this student’s three friends play fewer video games and read more books. Miss Malarkey succeeded in finding books they enjoy. Will our main character find any book fun? Of course he does. Kevin O’Malley’s illustrations remind me of Harry Bliss. The characters are crisply defined and speech bubbles complement the text.
The Library by Sarah Stewart (1995) is a well written story in rhyme made even more magical by David Small’s magnificent illustrations. His cover art foreshadows what we see when we turn the pages. Elizabeth Brown reads her growing collection of books in a way that creates comical mishaps. “She took the train one afternoon And promptly lost her way, So bought a house and settled down To tutoring for pay.” David Small shows us her home with little furniture and piles of books that block windows and darken the interior. Each illustration is within a frame that fills about three quarters of the page. This is within a second, decorative, frame that encloses the text below the picture. A small black and white line drawing also accompanies the text! A bird doesn’t simply perch on a branch; it appears to be hanging on. A toy teddy stands on its head, mimicking Elizabeth doing exercises and sits on books throughout the story.
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra (2004) is illustrated by Marc Brown. Need I say more about how this large book looks and feels? On page one, a librarian drives the bookmobile, by mistake, to the zoo. She’s apparently clueless because she stays there. On page two, she’s intent on getting the zoo animals to read. And so it is that rhyme tells the tale of animals stampeding to learn about reading. The text is atop Brown’s colorful two-page spreads. “Giraffes wanted tall books and crickets craved small books…” But wait, there’s more. The animals need lessons in how to care for books. The boa constrictor squeezed its book and the termites ate their book. I smiled at what happened next. The animals began to write their own stories. “…penguins wrote with their bills, And porcupines wrote with their very own quills.” The ending is even better. I won’t ruin it by giving it away.
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant (2014) is a fun read. Peter Mark Roget wrote lists, so some of the narrative in this book appears in list form. The title page is accompanied by definitions in a sidebar. Five stages of Roget’s life appear as a list of portraits beside 23 words, for example, BORN, BABY, INFANT, TADPOLE, CHILD, YOUTH, LAD, YOUNGSTER…”, you get the idea. At age eight, Roget began his own book of lists. It grew as he envisioned a book with all the ideas in the world. Much later in life, Roget’s two children encouraged him to pursue his dream, and, in 1852, the first edition of his Thesaurus sold out. Melissa Sweet’s fabulous collages and mixed media illustrations keep the book in your hands to gaze at her complex designs. Back matter includes a list of events in Roget’s life and the time in which he lived. Delightful author and illustrator notes add a personal touch. There’s a bibliography, suggestions for further reading, sources, and even a page from Peter Mark Roget’s original publication.
Mr. George Baker by Amy Hest illustrated by John J Muth (2004) is a book I read several years ago. I thought it was quite clever at that time. The end surprised me, as I suppose it was meant to. But as I read it now, I have too many questions. I want to know where a white boy lives next-door to a black family. I want to know more about the history of Mr. George Baker. While it’s adorable that he and his wife dance on the porch, I’m left wondering where they danced when they were younger. The story teases us by suggesting that George Baker is a famous drummer. Maybe he’s someone I’m supposed to know. The ending puzzles me now when I look at the other (light skinned) people in George Baker‘s adult classroom. I jump to the conclusion that they’re learning English as a second language while Mr. Baker was denied the opportunity to read. I suppose this book has all information a young child needs to know, and I’m responding as an adult.
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