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Check It Out: Try new tales for Summer Reading

By Jan Johnston
Published: May 26, 2019, 6:00am
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Summer Reading at the library begins June 15 — are you ready? All ages can participate, and in addition to having a great excuse to do more reading, you might even win a prize. Woot, Woot!

The theme of this year’s Summer Reading program (which runs June 15 through Aug. 15) is “A Universe of Stories.” A universe is a big thing, so this means there is no limit to the amount or type of reading you choose to do. As Buzz Lightyear proclaims in the “Toy Story” films, “To infinity and beyond!”

I never need an excuse to read and write about children’s books, and with Summer Reading just a few weeks away, I’m more motivated than ever. So, without further ado, here is a sampling of recently published kids’ nonfiction and picture books. All of the titles were published in 2018 and 2019, and in my opinion, each one is simply delightful. If you read my column a couple of weeks ago about Ben Goldfarb’s excellent book about beavers, you’ll find another beaver book in this list written for kids but equally appealing to adults. I’m a very enthusiastic Beaver Believer, so don’t be surprised to see more beaver books in future columns.

“Beavers: The Superpower Field Guide,” by Rachel Poliquin.

Beavers have superpowers. Really. This fun, engaging book gives the beaver low-down on what those superpowers are (environmental wonders, they are!) and does it with style, humor and education (without feeling like you’re doing homework). Beaver-riffic!

“Bruno, the Standing Cat,” by Nadine Robert.

My husband and I recently adopted a kitten we named Leo. He has this move we call the “Godzilla.” He stands up on his hind legs, raises up his front legs and walks toward our other cat, Dewey. After reading this cute picture book, maybe I should write my own book called Leo, the Godzilla Cat. Be sure to check out Bruno if you love cats, and you wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a cat stand, ride a skateboard, give back rubs (I know, this is a bit of a stretch, but Bruno is an extraordinary feline) and dance.

“Crab Cake: Turning the Tide Together,” by Andrea Tsurumi.

Crabs crack me up. They’re funny-looking, they have a goofy walk, and in this case, Crab bakes cakes. His fellow sea creatures go about doing their thing: “Seahorse pretends to be seaweed. Dolphin blows bubble rings. Pufferfish puffs up.” But Crab, well, he bakes cakes. This might seem silly until one night when a large volume of garbage and debris sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Find out how Crab’s cakes not only save the day but prompt the clean-up of the dirty ocean floor.

“Flora Forager ABC,” by Bridget Beth Collins.

Bridget Beth Collins, aka, Flora Forager, has created a beautiful ABC book for little ones. She takes flowers, seeds, leaves, really whatever she can retrieve from her yard and garden and makes beautiful scenes from her foraging. Birds, animals, insects and sea creatures come to life by way of flower petals, seeds, pine needles, grasses and much, much more. The book is an artistic and botanical wonder.

“Karl’s New Beak: 3D Printing Builds a Bird a Better Life,” by Lela Nargi.

If and your little ones love to read true stories with a happy ending, Karl’s New Beak is a winner. Karl is an Abyssinian ground hornbill who has a problem. When he arrived at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo his lower beak was partially worn away. This meant he had trouble eating, so the zookeepers had to monitor his health on a regular basis. Then a hero arrives on the scene — a 3D printer. Instead of nature versus technology, Karl’s tale becomes technology partnering with nature to do an amazing thing: give Karl a normal beak. A fascinating and heart-warming read.

“Lambslide,” by Ann Patchett.

Readers are probably most familiar with Ann Patchett’s writing through her finely crafted novels. Now she’s putting pen to paper for children, and I have to say I she’s charmed me again. Collaborating with illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser, Patchett writes about three little lambs who mistake the word “landslide” for “lambslide.” Of course, they want a lambslide because what little lamb wouldn’t? How the lambslide comes to be is very sweet and funny, and the story’s supporting characters — the family who runs the farm, the lambs’ fellow farm animals, and the lambs’ mama who patiently guides her lambkins — are just as lovable as the frisky lambs themselves.

“My Cat Looks Like My Dad,” by Thao Lam.

You know how sometimes a pet and its owner look alike? (By the way, I do not look like my cats, and I certainly don’t do the Godzilla walk … at least when other people are watching.) In this sweet picture book, Dad and the cat not only look alike but act alike. They both like milk and taking naps; they’re both afraid of heights; and neither one ever replaces the toilet paper roll (ha!). There’s a surprise at the end, though, when the reader learns about the relationship between the narrator (unknown at first) and Mom. As I said before, sometimes people and animals can be more similar than different.

“Olive & Pekoe: In Four Short Walks,” by Jacky Davis.

Even though they’re awesome, I don’t want to let beavers and cats steal the show. Dogs, after all, are awesome, too. Take Olive and Pekoe. Olive is an older and wiser canine, and Pekoe is a rambunctious puppy — and they’re best buddies. When they go on walks together, adventures always await. One time they encounter a thunderstorm which turns out not to be all that fun. Another walk introduces Pekoe to chipmunks, and oh boy, he LOVES them. Olive not so much. Well, whatever the day brings for this likable pair of pooches, it’s fun to read about, and it just goes to show that age doesn’t have to be a barrier when it comes to friendship.

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