 In From
Pictures to Words, A Book About Making a Book, Janet Stevens manages to include all the steps
necessary to write, illustrate, and publish a picture book while still amusing readers
with her three very appealing "helpers" - a cat, a koala, and a rhino. Teachers
will love the way Janet structures the story she and the animals create, and the emphasis
she places on editing and rewriting. In fact, with a read-aloud as a prelude, this book
would make an excellent model for a class writing project. (ages 5-9, pb, $6.95) |
 After reading Jojofu you
will agree that she should take her place with the most celebrated dogs of folklore and
legend. Based on a folktale taken from ancient Japanese scrolls, Jojofu will
captivate animal lovers. Takumi, a young hunter, uses his many dogs for tracking wild boar
and stag. Jojofu, the smartest and bravest, was his favorite. On a hunt in the mountains
she saves Takumi from a rock slide, from falling over a cliff in the mist, and from a
giant snake. Accompanied by spectacular artwork by Yoriko Ito, Michael P. Waite's tale
should not be missed. (ages 5 and up, hc, $16.00)
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Two story treasuries, each with a wealth of
classic and modern tales, will provide teachers or parents plenty of read-aloud stories
and kids lots of independent reading. Who can resist A Treasury of Ghost Stories, with stories by authors like Dick King-Smith and Margaret Mahy? Alternately chuckling and shivering, youngsters will love it. Horse stories are always sought by children, and A Treasury of Pony Stories will charm and delight. Sixteen wonderful tales are just terrific! (ages 5-9, pb, $5.95 each) |
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Author and illustrator Patricia
Polacco lives with her family in Oakland, California, where a devastating fire destroyed
homes and lives. The tragedy and loss of that terrible time, as well as the miracle of
friendship and hope which endured, is poignantly captured in Tikvah
Means Hope. Patricia Polacco writes in the conclusion of her Author's Note: "For those of us who remain here in Oakland, a sense of community has welded our spirits together. We still share our lives, our memories, and most of all, hope." (ages 4-8, pb, $5.99) |
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 What fun to read or tell Puss in Boots and
then compare it to Robert D. San Souci's Filipino folktale Pedro
and the Monkey. When Pedro, a poor young farmer, spares the life of the
mischievous monkey who has been stealing his corn, the wily creature promises to arrange
his marriage to the daughter of Don Francisco, rich landowner. Like his feline
counterpart, the monkey fools Don Francisco into believing Pedro wealthy.  A fine, fun tale in itself, but don't lose
the opportunity to have children make the comparisons with the better known Perrault tale.
(ages 5 and up, hc, $16.00)What a pleasure to introduce children to tales from all over the world that have so many similarities, yet distinctive cultural differences. Jouanah, a Hmong Cinderella, by Jewell Reinhart Coburn, illustrated by Anne Sibley O'Brien, is beautifully illustrated and sensitively told. A marvelous addition to a classroom collection of multicultural tales. (ages 8-12, hc, $15.95) |
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