Book Review: Dog Man Series

DOG MAN is a new series of graphic novels for children by Dav Pilkey featuring a dog-headed police officer.

Like Captain Underpants who was created by George and Harold, Dog Man is an unusual superhero made by a pair of friends. In the first book, this “crime-biting canine” is created when a police officer and his police dog are combined to save both lives. The resulting new superhero has some quirks, but he quickly gets to work capturing criminals like Petey the Cat and other evil doers. Two additional books including Unleashed and A Tale of Two Kittens explore stories featuring evil Petey the Cat. The latest addition to the series introduces Dog Man’s new sidekick Cat Kid. Together they become an effective crime fighting team.

Librarians will find a huge following for this hilarious new series. With endless jokes focusing on the relationship between dogs and cats, this new series will appeal to pet lovers along with fans of Captain Underpants.

Published by Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Reviews: Fancy Party Gowns

FANCY PARTY GOWNS: THE STORY OF FASHION DESIGNER ANN COLE LOWE by Deborah Blumenthal is a picture book biography.

This beautifully illustrated children’s book tells that story of the first African American women to become a high-end fashion designer. As a child, Ann learned to sew from her mother and grandmother. After the death of her mother, Ann took over her mother’s commissions and later went to design school. Ultimately, she designed dresses for people like Jacqueline Kennedy.

Librarians know that it can be difficult to find biographies of interest to reluctant readers. Students interested in fashion design will be happy to find this book about a little-known designer.

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

Published by Little Bee Books on January 17, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Ancient History Encyclopedia

ANCIENT HISTORY ENCYCLOPEDIA is an online encyclopedia with an educational mission.

Focusing on all aspects of the Ancient World, the nonprofit website provides short, interactive articles similar to Wikipedia. Articles contain a bibliography, legal notice, and additional resources to explore. There are many ways to access information. Users can use their search tool or index to locate people, places, and objects. The timeline allows users to search by date or keyword in particular categories such as “Arts & Culture” or “Rulers & Politics”. Interactive maps of the Ancient World, Roman Empire and others help youth explore areas of interest by time period. The Explore option lets students to explore regions of the world. Users can also search the video and image indexes.

Beyond the encyclopedia, the website also provides engaging articles related to travel and culture. Interviews provide interesting insights into people and places. Articles about exhibitions and education are also available.

Librarians will find the website to be an exciting way to engage youth in topics related to Ancient History. Although the website contains ads, they can be removed with a membership that supports the non-profit.

The website’s collaboration feature is a great way to get teachers and students involved with making contributions. Users can submit definitions, illustrations, articles, book reviews, timeline entries, videos, and web links.

Consider the interdisciplinary possibilities of the website. For instance, a Latin dictionary would be useful for language students. The Measurement Conversions page allows users to convert modern measures to Egyptian, Roman, or Greek measures. Think about ways to connect history with mathematics.

To visit the website, go to http://www.ancient.eu/.