Book Review: I See Kitty by Yasmine Surovec

Book: I See Kitty
Author: Yasmine Surovec
Illustrator: Yasmine Surovec
Published: 2013

When little Chloe gets her first glimpse of a cat, she’s in love. Fluffy bellies, pink paws, soft fur, she wants it all. And while her mom won’t let her adopt a real one, she sees kitties everywhere. Will she ever get a kitty of her very own?

If you’ve ever known a toddler obsessed with something (trains, cats, horses, particle physics), you know that it dominates their world. This book brings that truth to life. Chloe sees cats everywhere, from the clouds to the shrubbery. (Personally, I can’t wait for a cat storytime where I can ask kids to find the kitty hiding somewhere in the picture.) There’s one rather trippy spread of Chloe’s dreams, where she rides on cats floating down a river of milk, with mushroom-cats growing along the banks. And when she wakes up? Well, awwww is the only way to describe it.

Reading Roundup: September 2013

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 10

Sources
Library: all

Standouts
Writing: Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake by Michael Kaplan, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch
I agree with this bunny's emotions regarding that particular dessert, but the real treat here is Betty's delightful kid-logic and the realistic portrayal of the absolute lack of patience in waiting for a treat.
Illustration: I See Kitty! by Yasmine Surovec
A feline-obssessed little girl sees kitties everywhere she goes, in the clouds and in the shrubberies. This one was fun for how sometimes it took you a moment to see the kitty, but once you did it was oh so obvious.
Overall: My Blue is Happy by Jessica Young, illustrated by Catia Chien
I got this one right before a feelings storytime and immediately snatched it up. From the young green of a sprouting garden to the old, old green of a forest, this takes our notions of colors and turns them upside down.

Because I Want To Awards
A Quiet Book: Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House by Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Freya Blackwood
Most picture books pop and fizz and glitter with energy. This one takes a quieter approach to a child's acclimation to a scary new place. Read it while snuggled up together.
Aw, That Poor Cat!: Bobo the Sailor Man! by Eileen Rosenthal, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal
This third entry in the Bobo series sees the cat rescuing Bobo from certain doom, but getting none of the credit. Awwww.

Reading Roundup: August 2013

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 8

Sources
Library: all

Standouts
Writing: Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat
Ahahahaha! Those poor carnivores; what are they to do? They like eating meat. Unfortunately, the meat has a distinct aversion to being eaten, and they're shunned. How can they change their ways? I love how this ends.
Illustration: The Beginner's Guide to Running Away from Home, illustrated by Red Nose Studio, written by Jennifer Huget
This one is getting props for its intricate and time-consuming art. Each spread was created out of clay and cardboard and paper and sealing wax and string and cabbages and kings, and then photographed. Holy wow. Check out this interview over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast if you want more.
Overall: Oliver and His Alligator by Paul Schmid
Oliver is worried about his first day of school, so he takes an alligator friend with him. As you do. I have an inordinate (and some might say, worrisome) fondness for picture books where characters get eaten by large toothy animals, and this one was gentle and funny enough to read to the more sensitive storytime-goers.

Because I Want To Awards
Most Unexpected Sequel: Nighty-night, Little Green Monster by Ed Emberley
I didn't realize this one was coming out. It uses the same format as its big brother book, breaking a monster down into component parts, but instead of telling it to go away, you're soothing it to sleep. Hmmm. Interesting change.
Smartest Little Owl Ever: Little Owl's Orange Scarf by Tatyana Feeney
Oh, the angst of horrible clothing! Little Owl manages to lose his despised orange scarf and negotiates a much better item of clothing with his mom. I've never seen a picture book that featured a yarn shop as a plot point, until now.

Book Review: The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen

Book: The Dark
Author: Lemony Snicket
Source: Jon Klassen
Published: 2013
Source: Local Library

A little boy is afraid of the dark and takes every possible measure to guard against it. But one night, his nightlight blinks out and the dark starts to talk to him . . . but not for the reason you’d think.

Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen, why have they not teamed up before? Snicket tones down some of his literary elaborateness and Klassen’s sharp-edged drawings, with plenty of negative space for the dark, make this a story about fear and friendship that you’re sure to remember.

Reading Roundup: July 2013

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 9

Sources
Library: all

Standouts
Writing: Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Chad Cameron
This starts out like every fall book ever, until you notice that some things are not where they're supposed to be. I can't wait to try this on our storytime kids.
Illustration: Let the Whole Earth Sing Praise by Tomie dePaola
While it's not for everyone in its unabashed religiosity, the art in this one is top-notch. Flowers, animals, and people in the signature dePaola style (additionally influenced by native Mexican art) spill over the pages in washes of color.
Overall: Boy and Bot by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
A boy and a robot make friends. When trouble appears to occur, they each respond lovingly and in their own particular way to take care of their friend. Yaccarino's solid shapes and strong colors bring both characters to life.

Because I Want To Awards
Dark and Twisted, Just the Way I Like It: That is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
With a menacing wolf, a dewy-eyed duck, and a gosling Greek chorus of doom, this book was already making me grin by the time I got to the twist. Then I laughed out loud, because I'm sort of sick like that.
Would Like to See How a Teacher Uses This: A Call for a New Alphabet by Jef Czekaj
Filled with contemplation of how letters go together to form sounds (particularly combinations like ph or qu), this one seems made for teachers to use in class.

Reading Roundup: June 2013

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 12

Sources
Library: all

Standouts
Writing: Rain Brings Frogs: a little book of hope by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
A testament to the power of optimism. No matter what life throws at him, a little boy finds the best in it, often in unexpected ways. Warmed my shriveled and blackened heart.
Illustration: White is for Blueberry illustrated by Laura Dronzek, written by George Shannon
How exactly is white for blueberry? Find out in this exploration of colors in nature that asks you to look at things just a little differently. It'll be fun for readers big and little to guess how everything goes together.
Overall: Brief Thief written by Michael Escoffier, illustrated by Kris DiGiacomo
Hee! This may win the Jon Klassen Subversive Text award. A lizard looking for toilet paper (and finding none) "borrows" a pair of underpants that were just lying around, but finds his conscience bothering him. The sly illustrations bring you in on the joke. I can't wait to hear the squeals of delighted disgust when I read this one aloud.

Because I Want To Awards
Pay Attention!: Monday is One Day, written by Arthur Levine, illustrated by Julian Hector
A sweet and simple recital of what families do to get through the week until they can spend the weekends together. What caught my eye and what will keep this in the storytime rotation for awhile is the depiction of all the different families in the illustrations. Grandparents, two dads, a single mom, urban, rural, etc, this is a step away from the usual 2.5 kids in the suburbs.
You Don't Have to be a Brat to Stand Up for Yourself: Mary Wrightly, So Politely written by Shirin Yim Bridges, illustrated by Maria Monescillo
A soft-spoken little girl finds herself constantly overruled or overlooked, but she manages to keep her manners intact even when she puts her foot down.

Roundup postponed

Sorry folks, no roundup tonight. Too worn out from ALA festivities. Watch this space tomorrow.