Book Review: Gary

GARY by Leila Rudge is a picture book that shares the adventure of a pigeon who can’t fly.

As a racing pigeon who can’t fly, Gary spends his days working on his scrapbook. When he’s accidentally left in the city on his own, he must be resourceful and find his way home using his scrapbook as a guide.

Librarians will find this sweet story appeals to young readers. From overcoming disabilities to mapmaking and scrapbooking, teachers will find many classroom connections for this heartwarming story. Involve students in creating their own scrapbooks and adventures for Gary.

To learn more about the author/illustrator, go to http://www.leilarudge.com/.

Published by Candlewick on November 8, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Samson in the Snow

SAMSON IN THE SNOW by Philip C. Stead tells quiet story of blooming friendship on a snowy day.

Samson is a wholly mammoth that longs for a friend. What he doesn’t realize is that his simple acts of kindness are building the foundations of an unexpected threesome. Full-color, wordless pages contribute to the appeal of this simple story.

Librarians will find this sweet story to be useful in jumpstarting conversations about the meaning of friendship and importance of kindness. The prehistoric setting will be a drawn for some readers.

To learn more about the author/illustrator, go to https://philipstead.com/.

Published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan on September 27, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Little Bot and Sparrow

LITTLE BOT AND SPARROW by Jake Parker is a charming story of friendship between a robot and a bird.

This simple adventure follows a small, discarded robot who learns about life from a curious sparrow.

Librarians will find this story includes a number of possible topics for class discussions involving friendship, robots, birds, nature, and seasons.

To learn more about the author/illustrator, go to http://mrjakeparker.com/.

Publisher by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan on September 27, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Dear Yeti

DEAR YETI by James Kwan is an adorable picture book featuring a pair of young hikers on a quest to find a mythical creature.

A small, blue bird delivers letters from the hikers to the yeti trying to convince the creature to show itself. Along the way, the yeti helps the children by leaving them berries, building a snow shelter, and saving them from a bear. In the end, they form a friendship.

The large, informal font and epistolary form will be attractive to young readers. The illustrator’s use of a red dotted line to follow the bird’s flight will appeal to young adventurers.

Librarians will find this story of a friendly, helpful monster to be popular with primary-aged children. The story would also be a fun way to introduce letter writing.

Learn more about the author/illustrator at http://www.james-kwan.com/.

Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan on November 3, 2015.

Book Review: Bird & Squirrel On Ice

BIRD & SQUIRREL ON ICE by James Burks is a followup to the hilarious Bird & Squirrel on the Run. This time the duo have crash landed at the South Pole and must find a way to avoid becoming Killer Whale food.

The Bird & Squirrel series provides a great entry into graphic novels for young readers. The easy-to-follow panels and the crisp, colorful artwork will engage beginning readers. The well-developed characters and humorous story will also appeal to children.

Although Scholastic doesn’t provide a Graphix Comic Builder specifically for this series, children would enjoy building their own comics using the characters from some of the other Graphix series. Go to http://www.scholastic.com/graphix/ to learn more.

Looking for other graphic novel style books for beginning readers? Try Toon Books at http://www.toon-books.com/. This website also have activities for kids.

To read more about author James Burks, explore his website at http://jamesburks.com/.

NetGalley ARC used for review