bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Noodle & Lou by L. G. Scanlon
Authors: Oliphant Tami 
Published: April 2016

Scanlon, Liz G. Noodle & Lou. Illus. Arthur Howard. New York: Beach Lane Books, 2011. Print. In an unlikely animal pairing, Noodle, an earthworm who is having a bad day, turns to his buddy Lou, a perky blue jay, to cheer him up. While Noodle confides his feelings of envy about other worms living it up at Wiggly Field and catalogues all of his reasons for self-loathing, Lou counters with loyal support until finally Noodle cheers up. Lou’s patient, nurturing, and kind-hearted reassurance highlights the importance of friendship and self-acceptance. There are moments of entertaining weirdness in the book like when Noodle reasonably complains “My head has no eyes” but at times the text is clichéd and seems forced to fit into the rhyming scheme. The book does not stray from the author’s purposive, straightforward storyline and lessons—developing self-esteem, supporting friends, and appreciating who you are. Kids will pay attention to the thick-lined, colourful drawings and try to spot other bugs and birds found in the illustrations. The illustrations get progressively brighter and more detailed as Noodle’s mood brightens. Noodle is drawn as a ball-cap wearing, charming worm who expresses a surprising range of emotions through body language and his mouth. Noodle & Lou is an old-fashioned story about the importance of friendship. It is aimed at children ages 4-6. Recommended with reservations: 2 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Tami Oliphant
How to Babysit a Grandpa by J. Reagan
Authors: Feisst Debbi 
Published: April 2016

Reagan, Jean. How to Babysit a Grandpa. Illus. Lee Wildish. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Print. Salt Lake City, Utah children’s author Jean Reagan offers a delightful and humorous read-aloud about a boy and his special relationship with his grandpa. But just who is babysitting who? In this fun switcheroo, a little boy’s parents go out and he is given the very serious task of babysitting his grandpa. The little boy as narrator gives plenty of tips including the types of snacks that grandpas like – anything dipped in ketchup – as well as things that grandpas like to do such as putting on a scary play or showing off your muscles. Turns out the hardest part of babysitting a grandpa is goodbye time, but as any good babysitter knows, a hug, a kiss and the promise of a future visit solves this dilemma. Especially sweet are the reassuring remarks the boy makes to his grandpa when the parents are leaving, “Don’t worry. They always come back…” as well as the advice he provides the reader: ‘When your grandpa says “Naptime,” it’s time for his nap.’ It was interesting to watch the reactions of my own children, aged 6 and 3, as we read the story together. My 3-year-old did not quite grasp the nuance and was therefore fairly impressed that the little boy was indeed babysitting the grandpa, while my 6-year-old ‘got it’ straightaway and relished this knowledge that she had over her little brother. Both ages, however, enjoyed the book immensely and have requested it several times over. Wildish’s digitally-created illustrations are fun and colourful and genuinely add to the enjoyment of the story with their tongue-in-cheek humour. Perfect for preschoolers aged 3 and up, this book would also be a fabulous Grandpa gift for birthdays or Father’s Day. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Debbie Feisst Debbie is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta. When not renovating, she enjoys travel, fitness and young adult fiction.
Snap! by H. Hutchins
Authors: Tan Maria 
Published: April 2016

Hutchins, Hazel. Snap! Illus. Dušan Petričić. Toronto, ON: Annick Press, 2015. Print.Evan is the proud owner of a brand new pack of crayons. When a crayon breaks, Evan is introduced to a world of creative possibilities as he uses the broken crayon pieces in different ways an Evan discovers how to combine his remaining crayons to create new colours as other crayons get lost or used up. Hailing from Southern Alberta, Canmore-based author, Hazel Hutchins, has written several books for children and young adults. Serbia-based children’s book illustrator, Dušan Petričić, is known for his artwork on In the Tree House and The Man with the Violin. Hutchins and Petričić teamed up previously, to create 2009 Alberta Literary Award-winning Mattland.In Snap!, Hutchins uses repetition, onomatopoeia to great effect, creating a sense of rhythm and momentum as Evan experiences repeated challenges and successes during his colouring activities. Petričić employs a riot of colour and a messy, scribbled style that capture the main character’s expressions, personality and passion as Evan draws with wild abandon.Snap! is a great story for a child who has received their first set of crayons. Young readers will relate to Evan’s feelings of frustration and desperation as his crayon collection is depleted, and they will be surprised and inspired by his discoveries. Children will delight in the playful illustrations and won’t be able to resist experimenting with their own crayons after reading about Evan’s adventures.One piece of the story may concern parents of young children – when Evan rubs the crayons on paper and reveals the shapes of various objects underneath the page, one of the items is an open safety pin.The story’s ending is really a beginning of another adventure – a nice addition would have been some instructions on how to make the paper-folded models illustrated at the end of the book.While the publisher recommends this book for children 4-7 years of age, it may be more appropriate for those on the younger end of that range.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Maria TanMaria C. Tan is a Medical Librarian at the Abdul Khaliq Library in Alberta Health Services’ Cross Cancer Institute and a former editorial team member of the Deakin Review. She firmly believes that children's literature is an essential component in the fountain of youth.
The King Who Wouldn’t Sleep by D. Singleton
Authors: Desmarais Robert 
Published: April 2016

Singleton, Debbie. The King Who Wouldn’t Sleep. Illus. Holly Swain. London: Anderson Press, 2012. Print. The King featured in this fairytale picture book is a man on a mission. He refuses to nod off until he finds the perfect mate for his lovely daughter, so he interviews a long line of princes, but of course “not one of them was quite perfect”. The illustrations of princes in all shapes and sizes are highly amusing, and the prince with the “extraordinary mustache” is especially charming. Despite the King’s indifference to this motley crew, the princes refuse to give up, so they decide that the only way to talk to the princess is to make the King fall asleep. They present him with sleeping potions, stuffed animals, blankets, bedtime stories, and every imaginable soporific gift, but the King will not be deceived; indeed, he gives everything to his servants, who immediately fall asleep, leaving no one in the palace to cook his dinner. Princes continue to come and go but no one makes the cut. A young farmer witnesses all the comings and goings and decides to approach the King with successive gifts of farm animals, but the King shoos him away at every turn. That is, until the farmer returns with an entire flock of sheep and encourages the King to count them to ensure that all one hundred are present and accounted for. Presto! The King finally falls asleep. Everyone is impressed with the clever farmer, especially the princess, and so they get married, have a magnificent wedding, and live happily ever after. The comical story, complemented by cheerful illustrations, provides plenty of entertainment for young readers. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Robert DesmaraisRobert Desmarais is Head of Special Collections at the University of Alberta and Managing Editor of The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature. A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information Studies, with a Book History and Print Culture designation, he also has university degrees in English literature and publishing. He has been collecting and enjoying children’s books for as long as he can remember.
how to by J. Morstad
Authors: Sulz David 
Published: April 2016

Morstad, Julie. how to. Simply Read books, 2013. Print. Anyone who is a fan of creative and lateral thinking will love this book. The simple text and illustrations evoke complex connections and imagination. The title gives away that it is a “how to…” book but the things to do and learn are not your usual “… make cookies” or “… build a birdhouse.” I love that the text problems are answered by text-less illustrations. For example, “how to make new friends” is answered by an image of a child making sidewalk chalk drawings of various creatures (including people) and “how to wash your socks” is accompanied by a group of children stomping in a puddle of clean-looking water. While a few “how to’s” are answered with several possibilities, most have only one. This might be considered a weakness or, on further reflection, the multiple-answer examples suggest a pattern so the reader will search for their own variations.I’ll admit to some discomfort with the choice to make all the “how to” phrases unpunctuated and in lower case letters because I believe proper writing is learned through example. However, it is a tiny quibble about an inspirational book. I will be sure to feel the breeze and appreciate the face wash on my bike ride home in the rain.Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: David SulzDavid is a Public Services Librarian at University of Alberta and liaison librarian to Economics, Religious Studies, and Social Work. He has university studies in Library Studies, History, Elementary Education, Japanese, and Economics; he formerly taught in schools and museums. His interests include physical activity, music, home improvements, and above all, things Japanese.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore by W. Joyce
Authors: Storie Dale 
Published: April 2016

Joyce, William. The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore. Shreveport, LA: Moonbot Books, 2011. iPad app. It seems strange that a story that expresses such love towards books as physical objects was first produced as an award-winning animated short film, and then adapted into an “interactive narrative experience” for the iPad. The protagonist, Morris Lessmore, is transported via hurricane to another land where he encounters a young woman held aloft by a flock of anthropomorphized flying books. One book leads him to a house full of more books, where he ends up living. He takes care of the books, and lends them to drab, black-and-white people who bloom into full colour (à la Wizard of Oz) as soon as they receive their reading material. Finally, as an old man, he is whisked away by the books, and the book that he wrote is used to draw a young girl into the house to take over his role as caretaker.It is usually the fate of new media to be unfavourably compared to more established media forms, but in this case, Morris Lessmore also suffers from being an adaptation rather than an original work. This iPad version seems uncomfortably caught between the fluidity and liveliness of the original animated film and the sequential narrative of a traditional picture book. Like a video game adaptation of a major motion picture in which the player re-enacts a simple replay of the movie plot, many of the interactive features of this book app seem contrived, acting as tacked-on gimmicks rather than being truly integrated with the story as a unique experience. However, that does not mean that the narrative experience is entirely without merit. The animation (taken directly from the film) looks amazing on the iPad’s vibrant screen, and finding the hidden “Easter eggs” on each page is quite entertaining for all ages. Moonbot Studios also gets extra credit for its inventive use of the iPad’s touch interface - readers will enjoy swiping, coloring, dragging, and even playing the piano on the screen, even if these activities are sometimes tangential to the narrative itself. Despite its shortcomings, Morris Lessmore stands out as exceptional in comparison to other picture book apps currently available for the iPad. As a final incentive, it is very reasonably priced; for only $4.99 at the iTunes Store, the app is much less than your average print picture book (although there’s not much chance of finding it at your local library).Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Dale StorieDale Storie is Public Services Librarian at the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. He has a BA in English, and has also worked in a public library as a children's programming coordinator, where he was involved with story times, puppet shows, and book talks.
Colors versus Shapes by M. Boldt
Authors: Maxwell Kelly 
Published: April 2016

Boldt, Mike. Colors versus Shapes. New York: Harper Collins, 2014. Print.Mike Boldt, a local Alberta author/illustrator, creates a carefully scripted theatrical scene in which colours and shapes vie to be the main character or star in a new book hosted by the characters from his first book, 123 versus ABC. The interplay between the colours and shapes is witty, entertaining and educational. Mike Boldt presents the dialogue in colored speech balloons, which allows for a great read aloud experience for the young audience which it is intended. A further benefit of this fun picture book is the introduction and explanation of the mixing of colours and the difference of shapes. This feature makes this book an excellent tool for young students to learn how primary colors combine to make secondary and tertiary colors. Additionally, it enables students to discover the names of different 2D shapes as the shapes morph through the addition of sides. Bantering and competition heat things up until both groups learn that working together is much more productive than working apart. Children will enjoy exploring the final product of such creative collaboration.In all, Colors versus Shapes is a fun educational picture book, full of colourfully illustrated pages with the theme of friendship as a the final lesson to be learned. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars.Reviewer: Kelly Maxwell
I Must Have Bobo! by E. Rosenthal
Authors: Roche Matilda 
Published: April 2016

Rosenthal, Eileen. I Must Have Bobo! Illus. Marc Rosenthal. New York: Atheneum Books, 2010. Print. Perhaps I was expecting something more giddily nostalgia-smitten because I initially found the page layouts of I Must Have Bobo! too sparse. I came to realize the effectiveness of I Must Have Bobo! lies in its light aesthetic touch and refusal to indulge in hectic retro-pastiche. The page design could occasionally benefit from more balance between the negative space of the page and the illustrations’ carefully considered spatial dynamics and measured use of colour but it’s hard to begrudge more attention being drawn to the lovely, warm ivory paper on which the book is printed.While an adult reader may be tempted, as I was, to lazily conflate complexity with quality, a clean minimalist visual text can assist younger children in accessing a narrative more autonomously. As my children (two and four years of age) quickly familiarized themselves with I Must Have Bobo! the book’s charm and immediacy became apparent.I Must Have Bobo! restricts its text to dialogue and as children learn the text they can indulge in the gleeful pleasure of repeating the protagonist Willy’s simple but emphatic words. Even a very young child can become engaged in Willy’s endless efforts to keep his beloved stuffed monkey Bobo away from Earl, the family cat who is equally attached to Bobo for his own mysterious reasons. Earl appropriates Bobo at every opportunity and the book centres on Willy’s efforts to retain and relocate Bobo as he migrates around the house with Earl.An astute and playful book that maintains a respectful adherence to children’s sensibilities and narrative interests, “I Must Have Bobo!” is understatedly, intuitively appropriate for very early to late pre-school readers.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Matilda RocheMatilda spends her days lavishing attention on the University of Alberta’s metadata but children’s illustrated books, literature for young adults and graphic novels also make her heart sing. Her reviews benefit from the critical influence of a four year old daughter and a one year old son – both geniuses. Matilda’s super power is the ability to read comic books aloud.
Wild Eggs: a tale of Arctic Egg Collecting by S. Napayok – Short
Authors: Campbell Sandy 
Published: April 2016

Napayok – Short, Suzie. Wild Eggs: A Tale of Arctic Egg Collecting. Illus. Jonathan Wright. Iqaluit: Inhabit Media, Inc., 2015. Print.Wild duck eggs are a traditional food for Inuit people. This book is about a little girl, Akuluk, from Yellowknife who visits her grandparent in Nunavut and goes with them to gather duck eggs. This is a modern story that is told factually. Akuluk arrives in an aircraft, is picked up in a taxi van and her grandfather uses an all-terrain vehicle to go out onto the land. It is also a story that teaches traditional ways. Inuit words, such as munniit (eggs) and palaugaaq (bannock) are explained and appear in a pronunciation guide at the end of the book. The traditional ways, such as never taking nests that have more than four eggs in them, are explained as Akuluk’s grandfather teaches her.The text is overprinted on Jonathan Wright’s artwork. Parts of his pictures are quite clear and detailed, while others are suggestive and indistinct. This style works particularly well for the “almost invisible” caribou, “his brown and white fur match[ing] the rocks around him”.Wild Eggs is a clearly-written work that incorporates Inuit traditional knowledge with ease. The book is also available in Inuktitut and is recommended for school and public libraries and particularly for libraries that collect polar children’s literatureHighly Recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.
Sea Change by D. Tullson
Authors: Campbell Sandy 
Published: April 2016

Tullson, Diane. Sea Change. Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2010. Print. Sea Change is an exciting story about Lucas, a 17 year-old who flies to an isolated fishing lodge in the Pacific Northwest, where his emotionally-distant father works. Lucas is left alone at the closed lodge with a young Aboriginal girl, Sumi, who is the caretaker. When Sumi is injured, Lucas, who has little experience in the wilderness or on water, must pilot the boat several hours down the foggy coast to take Sumi to a logging camp where she can get help. This is a typical “coming-of-age” plot, in which a youth sets out on an adventure, endures several tests or trials and returns a changed person. A sea change is either a “marked” or “radical” change or a “change brought about by the sea.” In this novel, Lucas undergoes both forms of sea change. First, he proves himself on the water by successfully navigating an unfamiliar coastline under dangerous conditions. Second, he wins the respect of other men through his handling of the crisis and matures in his understanding of his father. The Orca Soundings series is designed for reluctant teen readers. The books are short, high-interest novels with reading levels from Grade 2 to Grade 4.5. In Sea Change, Diane Tullson accomplishes this combination masterfully. While the author writes at a low reading level, she also keeps the dialogue believable for a 17-year old. [Sumi] says, “What he was pissed about was me shooting so close to the helicopter.” I sit up. “You mean you might have hit the helicopter?” I imagine the fiery carnage. “You could have killed us!” She takes the bottle back from me. “And ruined a perfectly good helicopter.” “Jeez, Sumi, you have no idea how happy I am that you killed that deer.” (p.64) The first person narration draws the reader into the story and creates the sense of “being there” that will keep teen readers engaged. For example: I fix my stare on Sumi and watch where she points. Sometimes I hear her cursing, and I know I haven’t exactly interpreted her bearing. We’re bouncing off the waves, and spray nails us in the face. I squeeze my eyes almost closed. Driving fast, the air is so much colder and my fingers are frozen on the steering tiller. She motions wildly to steer left and I cut sharply, barely scraping past a log. How she saw it, I do not know. (p. 100) Overall this is a well-written and entertaining story which will hold the attention of the reluctant teenage male reader. Sea Change would be a good addition both public and junior high and high school libraries. Recommendation: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.
Poo in the Zoo by S. Smallman
Authors: Frail Kim 
Published: April 2016

Smallman, Steve. Poo in the Zoo. Illus. Ada Grey. Wilton, CT : Tiger Tales, 2015. Print.This story is a fun way to introduce kids to the fact that there all sorts of messy but very necessary jobs in the world. “There’s too much poo in the zoo!” for zookeeper Bob McGrew. Children who are at the age when all things scatological are both fascinating and hilarious will revel in watching Bob clean up after all of the animals in the zoo. The creative wordplay, rhyme scheme, as well as the fact that the word “poo” shows up an average of 2 or 3 times a page is sure to delight and amuse young listeners:“There was tiger poo, lion poo, prickly porcupine poo, Plummeting giraffe poo that landed with a splat.Gobs of gnu poo, bouncy kangaroo poo,A dotted line of droppings from a fat wombat!”After consuming some fireflies, an escaped iguana produces a green, glowing, alien-like pile of poop which draws crowds to the zoo. Hector Glue, who owns a travelling side-show of exotic poo, arrives on the scene to acquire it for his collection. With the money from the sale, the zookeeper is able to buy a robot “pooper scooper”. Ada Grey’s illustrations are rendered in a bright colour palette punctuated by lots of interesting textures. For example, in the scene where we meet Hector Glue, there is a myriad of patterns used in the depiction of the animal coats and skin as well as in the clothing of the zoo patrons, particularly in Hector’s Victorian-era showman outfit. Children will enjoy perusing the bottles of exotic poo from Hector’s collection which are also reproduced in the endpapers. There are clever gems such as: “Squirrel Poo: Warning May Contain Nuts”. Among the fictional creatures mentioned on the bottles, there are also many lesser-known animals such as an ocelot and a blob fish. This provides an opportunity for teachers or parents to encourage young readers to learn more about these animals. “Poo in the Zoo” could also work as a complement to a lesson or non-fiction book on animals or on caring for pets, provided that the teacher or parent points out the differences between fact and fiction. Recommended for ages 3-7.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Kim FrailKim is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta. Children’s literature is a big part of her world at work and at home. She also enjoys gardening, renovating and keeping up with her kids.