August
Book Reviews
By
Selene Vasquez
PICTURE
BOOK: AGES 5 THRU 8
The
Bugliest Bug by Carol Shields. (Candlewick, 32 pp., $15.99).
Bugs with antennae, pincers and horns are winging their gruesome
way to the Bugliest Bug Contest. The judges—arachnids with wings
tied to their backs—are evil impostors arranging the contest in
hopes of snaring a meal! Kid-pleasing rhymes paired with funny
cartoon illustrations.
NONFICTION: AGES 5 THRU 8
The
Tide by Nik Pollard. (Millbrook, 32 pp., $15.95). Follow the
rhythm of the ocean in this vibrantly colored concept book. The
tide rises and falls with fishing boats, seagulls, clam diggers,
and even a lighthouse illuminating the sights of water everywhere.
Expressive text sweeps across the pages like rolling waves. High
quality graphics will have readers truly yearning for a great
“beach day.”
NONFICTION: AGES 6 THRU 10
Ice
cream by Elisha Cooper. (Greenwillow, 32 pp., $15.89). From
cows munching on grass to a delivery truck driver transporting
tasty goods, this step-by-step description of ice cream will have
readers squealing for a scoop. Watercolor and pencil sketches
weave their way across the pages of this excellent tribute to
summer’s most cherished dessert.
POETRY: AGES 8 THRU 12
Splash!
Poems of Our Watery World by Constance Levy. Illustrated by
David Soman. (Scholastic, 39 pp., $16.95). Thirty-four poems praising
and delighting in the exquisite nature of water. Beautiful photographs
capture the forms and uses of water as snowflakes, icebergs, fog,
and even bath water. This unique collection of descriptive poetry
is perfectly suited for classroom and library programs.
Selene
S. Vasquez is a media specialist for Orange Brook Elementary School
in Hollywood, Florida. She was formerly a children’s librarian
for the New York Public Library.
Education
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