Geo Librarian

As a reader of children's literature, I like to pay attention to current trends.  Not only does it help me know what's popular, but it helps me select books for my school library.  One trend I've noticed recently is the growing number of books that have characters that are food.  It's not an entirely new trend, since titles like Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller and Peanut Butter and Cupcake by Terry Border and Josh Funk's Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast have been around for awhile.  But I've noticed that such characters have become quite plentiful with new series such as Pizza and Taco by Stephan Shaskan and Jarrett Lerner's The Hunger Heros .  The books I'm highlighting today fall into this burgeoning category.  In fact, both books have hot dogs as main characters.  But these books, while similar in subject matter, are quite different in tone and style. FRANK AND BEAN: FOOD TRUCK FIASCO Frank and Bean #2 by Jamie Michalak, illustrated by Bob ...

MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY by Pamela Hall, illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell Tanglewood, 2014 ISBN: 978-1-933718-91-0 Picture Book PreS-1 Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Walnut and his mom agree that it would be fun if he could go to work with her, and they fantasize about the adventures they could share. Though it can't always happen, Walnut’s mother assures him that he is always on her mind, and together they find ways to have a physical presence for each other when at work or school. This light-hearted story provides parents an opportunity to reassure children on their importance in busy parents' lives. REVIEW This is a cute story about a young squirrel that doesn't want his mother to go to work.  It's both a fun imaginative tale as Walnut and his mom imagine what they would do if Walnut could fit in her briefcase and go to work with her.  But in the end they have to face the problem of how to cope with missing...

Books about ninjas are popular this year. I have four to share with you today, all of which kids are sure to enjoy.  This is a trend that I am happy to see considering the many requests I get from young boys for books on this very topic. So if like me you get regular requests for books about ninjas, here are some fun ones to share. NINJA RED RIDING HOOD by Corey Rosen Schwartz, illustrated by Dan Santat G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-399-16354-8 Picture book Grades K and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Companion to the hit  The Three Ninja Pigs , this fractured fairy tale is a sure-fire storytime hit. Wolf just can’t catch a break! Ever since the three little pigs started teaching everyone Ninja skills, huffing and puffing just hasn’t been enough to scare up a good meal.  His craving for meat sends Wolf to classes at the dojo, and soon he’s ready to try out his new moves. A little girl and her tiny g...

It's always interesting to me to see what topics seem to be popular in picture books during any given year. Sometimes these topics are a surprise (whales) and sometimes they are not.  The topic I'm looking at today isn't really a surprise, at least to those of us who work with young children. HOW TO TRAIN A TRAIN by Jason Carter Eaton, illustrated by John Rocco Candlewick Press, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-7636-6307-0 Picture Book Grades PreK and up Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Finding advice on caring for a dog, a cat, a fish, even a dinosaur is easy. But what if somebody’s taste in pets runs to the more mechanical kind? What about those who like cogs and gears more than feathers and fur? People who prefer the call of a train whistle to the squeal of a guinea pig? Or maybe dream of a smudge of soot on their cheek, not slobber? In this spectacularly illustrated picture book, kids who love locomotives (and what kid does...