Month: April 2019

Scranimals

/ Sara Gentry

Every year, my family does something to celebrate D.E.A.R. Day. (Drop Everything And Read was first mentioned in Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books, and is now observed on April 12, Cleary’s birthday.) This year, we did a Library Bingo of sorts, where we selected one book in each of 10 genres. With it also being National Poetry Month, one of our categories was poetry. While in the juvenile poetry section at our library, we stumbled on Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Peter Sis.

While familiar with both Prelutsky and Sis, I had never heard of Scranimals, but it looked fun enough, and we gave it a try. It turned into a quick favorite. Each spread features a “scranimal” – an creature made of a mash up of animals, vegetables, and fruit, such as a Spinachicken, or my favorite, the Avocadodo. Scranimals reads well as a picture book as there is a hint of story arc to it, but you can certainly choose to read the poems of one or two creatures if you prefer to not read it all in one sitting.

Nothing about this book is serious or stuffy. The illustrations are fun, the poems are witty.  It’s playful poetry at its best, and of course, Prelutsky does it masterfully. I recommend this book for kids of all ages, but especially for those ages 4-8.

The Dress and The Girl

/ Sara Gentry

Talk about a picture book with an old soul. The Dress and The Girl, written by Camille Andros and illustrated by Julie Morstad, has a nostalgia about it, but in a way that is fresh and beautiful.

It’s the story of “an ordinary girl wearing an ordinary dress,” and their everyday comings and goings. One day, the time comes for the girl and the dress to leave home and set out for new adventures in a new land. Sadly, they are separated when the trunk holding the dress is not reunited with its owners after the long journey. The dress and trunk travel the world, unable to find the girl, until one day a woman pauses to look at a dress hanging in the window of a used clothing store.

Andros’s lyrical text rolls off the tongue, making this a beautiful book to read aloud. Morstad’s illustrations are understated but vibrant, which seems to bring the past into the present. With inviting cover and printed on thick, smooth paper, The Dress and The Girl is all around a beautiful book.

I recommend this book for ages 4 and up (though it certainly could be read to younger children as well). It could make a nice Mother’s Day gift or baby girl shower gift as well.

Hey, Kiddo

/ Sara Gentry

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka is both easy and hard to read. Easy because Mr. Krosoczka’s writing and art propel the story forward in a seemingly effortless way. Hard because the content forces the reader to confront the difficult reality that many children grow up in less than ideal circumstances.

The story is autobiographical. Krosoczka’s mother was a heroin addict, and at a young age, Jarrett is taken from her custody to live with her parents. While his grandparents love him, they are somewhat gruff and jaded, so it isn’t the most cozy environment for a young child – especially one that has already experienced a fair amount of trauma. Coupled with the fact the his mother is in and out of rehab centers and prisons, it’s easy to understand how young Jarrett experiences nightmares and anxiety. What’s most amazing is how Jarrett rises above it all to become a talented artist and family man.

Both inspiring and sobering, Hey, Kiddo is a graphic novel that is best for ages 14 and up. It contains mature content of drug use, suggestions of Jarrett’s mother’s sexual encounters, themes of abandonment, and disturbing images pertaining to Jarrett’s nightmares. The book may be helpful and appropriate to readers younger than 14 if they are experiencing similar life circumstances themselves, but otherwise, I would say it’s best for teens and adults.