Review: Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship

Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu, with photographs by Peter Greste, 2006. Nonfiction picture book, ages 3 to adult.
Five stars out of five.
It has a happy ending, but boy, is this a weeper. The December 2004 tsunami orphaned a baby hippo in Kenya, stranding him on a coral reef, weak and terrified. After a courageous rescue, Owen, as the hippo was named, arrived at an animal sanctuary near Mombasa. Frightened, he immediately took to Mzee, a 130-year-old tortoise. The antisocial tortoise tried to avoid him at first, but Owen stayed at his side, and before long a powerful bond grew between them: they are now inseparable. While researchers believe that Owen may have perceived Mzee to be a mother hippo (round with similar coloring), they are unclear why the solitary tortoise has formed such a bond with the orphaned hippo. This is a fascinating story, with a heartwarming message- dear friends can be found in the most unexpected places.
The facts are presented clearly, in a way even younger children can understand, and the back of the book has a map, glossary, pronounciation guide, and more facts about animals and places mentioned in the story. The photographs are extraordinary (they really must be seen to be believed), especially those of the two animals side by side, and clearly convey their unusual bond. Both children and adults will enjoy this moving story, particularly kids with an interest in animals. I would also highly recommend it to teachers for the classroom.

Note: A simplified version of this story, suitable for younger children, is a colorful picture book entitled Mama: A True Story by artist Jeanette Winter, 2006. It is lovely, similar to Jez Alborough's Hug (here the text mostly consists of the word "mama?" as it follows Owen on his journey), and Owen and Mzee's story is explained in the back of the book.

reviewed by Tina K., parent (and bookseller)

Review: Fablehaven

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, illustrated by Brandon Dorman, 2006. Chapter book, first in a series, ages 9 and up.
Four stars out of five.
This fantasy novel, set in the "real" world, follows a brother and sister, Kendra and Seth, dismayed at the prospect of a two-week visit with grandparents they barely know. After a few strange occurences, they discover their grandparents' estate is a sanctuary for mythical creatures (fairies, imps, trolls, satyrs, to name a few). The refuge has been passed to different caretakers for centuries. Kendra is the straight-laced one, and Seth is the troublemaker: his mischief ends up putting the sanctuary and the whole family in grave danger.
This book is very well-written and an entertaining read, the dialogue between Kendra and Seth is sharp & funny, and keeps the story going when it may otherwise seem too dark or scary. It does borrow from the Spiderwick Chronicles and Sisters Grimm series, and if you enjoy either, you will like this book. There is, of course, a sequel already in the works, however the story ends satisfyingly enough & can definitely stand on its own (although the reader will be eager for the next one). The fantasy world is very richly described and integrates well with "reality" in the book, overall, I found it a very enjoyable read. It is light and wryly humorous (a bit Pythonesque), as opposed to a heavy-handed fantasy epic.
This book would work as a read-aloud or read-along for slightly younger (ages 7-9) children as well, however, there are a couple of frightening moments (prompting discussion). A nice feature is a question & answer discussion guide for parents in the back of the book.

reviewed by Tina K., parent (and bookseller)

Harry Potter and the Positive Impact on Kids' Reading Habits

An organization called The Kids and Family Reading Report just released these statistics regarding the Harry Potter series:

- 51% of Harry Potter readers aged 5-17, say they had not read before for fun (wow)
- 65% say they're now doing better in school as a result of their newfound interest in reading
- More boys than girls read the books (57% vs. 51%)
- 62% of boys felt it important to read the books to feel "in" with their friends while only 44% of girls felt the same
- Almost 60% of 9 to 11-year-olds have read the books; 70% are interested in re-reading them
- 63% of 12 to 14-year-olds have read the books; 69% are interested in re-reading them
- 57% of 15 to 17-year-olds have read the books; 60% are interested in re-reading them

Read the article: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060725/nytu040.html?.v=62

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (#6) is now out in paperback.
Also, the movie version of Order of the Phoenix (#5) will be released on July 13th, 2007- we are already planning our midnight party for Strand Theatre moviegoers!
And Book 7??? My theory is 7/7/07, however that would make one completely insane week with the new movie being released as well...so who knows? We'll post the release date as soon as we find out!
Update...the release date for the movie version of Half-Blood Prince (#6) is scheduled for November 21st, 2008. Hopefully Book 7 will be released by then.

Review: Curious George's Neighborhood

Curious George's Neighborhood based on the character by Margret and H.A. Rey, 2004, ages 18 months-5 years (useful as beginning reader).

4 star rating out of five.

This is a wonderful lift-the-flap book. Kids always like to peek in and see what they may find. I have always been a big fan of Curious George, as are my children. Although they are almost grown now, they still love him. My oldest son is studying Early Childhood and purchased this book to put into a book bag to send home with his students. Wonderfully illustrated, this book does looks of exploring. The child will need assistance, at first, to open the flaps. I would recommend that a parent open them first so the child doesn't rip them off. The book is interactive as each turning of the page involves a question for your child to help answer. The pages are a sturdy cardboard so will be durable for even a young child. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

reviewed by Darci M., parent

Review: Curious George's Big Book of Curiosity

Curious George's Big Book of Curiosity, written & illustrated by Greg Paprocki in the style of H.A. Rey, 2005. Ages 2-5 (also useful as beginning reader)

5 star rating out of five.

This book, with pictures in the style of Curious George, I believe to be a must have book. This book is designed similiar to a Richard Scarry book. Each page explores a different part of a child's world and names the items in the picture. The illustrations are fun and the child will not be overwhelmed with hundreds of items in each picture theme. One neat recurring picture is a little frog that is found in each picture theme. So an older child could enjoy this book on their own hunting for the little frog. I appreciated the sturdy pages and huge selection of themes. This truly is a fantastic book with hundreds of vocabulary words for your child to learn.

reviewed by Darci M., parent

Review: Priscilla and the Pink Planet

Priscilla and the Pink Planet by Nathaniel Hobbie, illustrated by Jocelyn Hobbie, 2004. Picture book, ages 2-7.

This story revolves around a little girl named Priscilla. She lives on a pink planet where everything is pink - food, animals, everything. One day she sets out on an adventure to find out if there are any other colors in this world. Finding a butterfly with beautiful colors she follows after it until they reach the Great Queen of Pink. The queen wants nothing to do with color because pink is her favorite. Priscilla convinces her that if there were other colors in the world that pink would look even pinker.

This is a wonderful adventure story. The illustrations are a bit like Dr. Seuss' as the book jacket suggests. Well written and illustrated this book will be more popular with girls but would be a good addition when teaching about colors and the beauty of our earth.
reviewed by Darci M., parent

Review: Where Did Daddy's Hair Go?

Where Did Daddy's Hair Go? by Joe O'Connor, illustrated by Henry Payne, 2006. Picture book, ages 2-7.

This story is about a little boy named Jeremiah. He doesn't realize his father is bald until he goes to a ball game with his dad and someone calls his dad "Baldy." He searches high and low to help his father find his hair. Finally, Jeremiah and his family go to the beach and see people of all different shapes and sizes and looks. Jeremiah realizes that his dad is great just the way he is.

This book is great for teaching children that it is ok to look different. This is a fun story that has good illustrations.

As a former educator, I believe this story would be excellent in the classroom for pre-K to 2nd or 3rd grade, as well as a warm story for home reading.

reviewed by Darci M., parent

Review: "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!"

"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" by Patricia Thomas, illustrated by Wallace Tripp. Originally published in 1971, reissued in 1990. Picture book, suitable for ages 2-6 and most adults.
Five out of five stars.
As indicated by the title, the elephant is about to sneeze, and the nearby animals panic as they recall what happened last time. A tiny mouse attempts to solve the problem, but...oh, dear...
This is one of my favorite picture books, it is (sadly) not very well-known. It is a fantastic read-aloud, the rhyming and rhythm are great, and it is quite funny. Kids laugh out loud at the various predicaments caused by the elephant's forceful sneeze, for example, the stripes are blown off of the zebra, the giraffe (don't laugh!) is bent in half, the crocodile's snout turns inside out, and so on. The brilliant pen & ink illustrations by the great Wallace Tripp elevate this book from "great" to "essential." I have read it about six million times to my son and still enjoy it, and that's the best testimonial I could offer.

reviewed by Tina K., parent (and bookseller)

Review: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (author of The Tale of Desperaux and Because of Winn-Dixie), illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, 2006. Illustrated chapter book, recommended for ages 4-9.
Four stars out of five.
Edward Tulane, a vain, self-centered porcelain rabbit, is removed from his life of comfort and the little girl who loves him to experience a harrowing adventure passing through the lives of the people who find him. His journey is as much emotional as physical, as he learns humility and patience, and develops the capacity to love. A wonderful, moving story with gorgeous illustrations.
This book is an excellent read-aloud or read-together (as well as a read-alone), however, due to a few sad events/situations, additional discussion with a parent or other adult is encouraged for a younger child.

reviewed by Tina K., parent (and bookseller)