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Donovan's Bookshelf

August  2020 Prime Picks

 
The Culinary Corner
Reviewer's Choice
Young Adult / Children
 

The Culinary Corner

Chow!
Dolly Chow
ACC Art Books
9781788840750             $25.00
www.accartbooks.com 

Chow! is illustrated by Huang Kuo-Shung. It blends recipes with notes on table etiquette by Dolly Chan as it explores basic Chinese recipes in English and Chinese. 

The author was raised in Shanghai in the early 20th century. She cultivated culinary skills that made her private banquets a focal point for Chinese and Western friends interested in experiencing traditional Chinese foods. 

From Fried Chicken with Pepper and Brown Sauce to Crab Omelet and Duck Tongue Soup, this collection excels in exploring classic dishes that will especially appeal to readers looking for something different that defines the foundations of Chinese cuisine. 

No photos, but this intriguing classic production doesn't need them. The simple recipes and easy instructions stand alone as excellent introductions. 


Feeding the People: The Politics of the Potato
Rebecca Earle
Cambridge University Press
9781108484060             $24.95
www.cambridge.org

Feeding the People: The Politics of the Potato is a vivid global history of the potato that considers not just the potato's spread around the world, but how its dissemination reflected capitalism and free market evolution. 

Most culinary histories focus on recipes and food. Relatively few include any degree of political focus or consideration, but this book's details surrounding the influences on the potato's spread is especially intriguing. It fills in many gaps essential for understanding the underlying social and political forces at work in food choices, growing, and perceptions, and it includes campaigns both for and anti-potato. 

Political activist William Cobbett, for example, despised potatoes and saw them as the "root of filth and slavery." His fiery feelings about their oppressive qualities, as well as other insights into the spud, are outlined in an exceptionally lively coverage that no culinary history fan or collection should be without. 



Reviewer's Choice 

150 Nature Hot Spots in Canada
Debbie Olsen
Firefly Books
9780228102427             $29.95
www.fireflybooks.com 

150 Nature Hot Spots in Canada: The Best Parks, Conservation Areas and Wild Places features a wealth of parks, nature destinations, and Canadian regional 'hot spots' filled with wildlife, and invites visitors from Canada and other countries to partake, depending on their special outdoors interests. 

Each listing receives gorgeous color photos, a sidebar of bullet points on what makes the hot spot 'hot', and all information needed to visit, even down to GPS coordinates. 

Descriptions embrace geologic and natural history, describe seasonal atmosphere, and show how visitors can best explore the park or hot spot via recommended paths and observations. 

From best aurora-viewing spots to coast to coast delights, 150 Nature Hot Spots in Canada is the travel planner any outdoors nature enthusiast needs to plan a trip that takes best advantage of Canada's byways. This award-winning Alberta-based travel writer injects personal familiarity into the subject: another plus in a book filled with travel ideas.


 

Drawing & Painting Botanicals for Artists
Karen Kluglein
Rockport
9781631598579             $26.99
www.quartoknows.com 

Drawing & Painting Botanicals for Artists: How to Create Beautifully Detailed Plant and Flower Illustrations comes from a notable botanical artist and workshop instructor who provides step-by-step instructions for drawing leaves, flowers, and berries in intricate detail. 

Botanical information is included in the artistic exploration, from key terms to understanding a plant's distinct textures and appearances and how they can translate into drawing efforts. 

This is no casual 'how to draw' piece, but an in-depth survey that presumes more than a casual interest in botanical art and how it's created. 

Aspiring artists who want a set of clear instructions, intricate observations of various plants, and botanical details will find Drawing & Painting Botanicals for Artists the perfect item of choice for serious botanical illustration efforts. Nothing is left to wonder: it covers everything from paintbrush choices and mediums to understanding how different plants and flowers lend to different representation techniques. 

Very highly recommended, Drawing & Painting Botanicals for Artists is packed with color photos and examples throughout. Its wide-ranging approach makes it the item of choice above most botanical art books. 


Step Back
Joseph L. Badaracco
Harvard Business Review Press
9781633698741             $28.00
www.hbr.org 

Step Back: How to Bring the Art of Reflection into Your Busy Life will reach business book readers interested in integrating reflective thinking into business pursuits, but is also recommended reading for those outside of the business world, who would cultivate quick reflections for maximum creativity and problem-solving results. 

Joseph L. Badaracco, a Harvard Business School professor, argues that reflection can be integrated into even the busiest of daily schedules, encouraging moments of contemplative relaxation that translate into big steps in tackling problems from a different perspective. 

Chapters use interviews with over a hundred executives and business professionals to integrate the words of wisdom from philosophers and writers as they review easy routines and ideas for reflection that can be customized and utilized for maximum benefit. 

This book may come from a business publisher and perspective, but it is recommended reading beyond the business community alone. Step Back will attract self-help and other readers with its many practical routines and admonitions. 



Young Adult/Children

Candlewick Press
www.candlewick.com 

These new picture books are highly recommended picks for adults looking for standout leisure reads for kids. Each offers a superior blend of artistry and adventure that will attract and hold young reader attention.

 Pete Oswald's Hike (9781536201574, $17.99) tells of a father and child who embark on a rigorous hike together. It employs a largely-wordless picture book format that holds only occasional sound efforts to enhance the story line. 

The child's excitement over the plans for the day and the mechanics of moving from an urban to a mountain environment creates a fun account of a shared nature experience outdoors that lends to father/child interactions and discussion. 

Emma Dodd's What Matters Most (9781536210170, $14.99)  asks "What matters most to you? What matters most to me?" as it follows an adult and a young horse who explore their world. Does value lie in having lots of stuff, or a minimalist existence? Does it mean being brave, or sometimes admitting fear? The fun milieu of the horses exploring these subjects and the backdrop of bigger-picture thinking will delight adults seeking a gentle story to teach the very young about basic life values. 

Naomi Howarth's What's That Noise? (9781536213522, $16.99) tells of Mangus the Arctic seal, who experiences a strange rumbling sound in his world. He enlists the help of his friends to identify this problem and seems to have it solved...until another rumbling noise disturbs paradise. Kids will enjoy the lovely full-page paintings of Arctic wildlife and the fun discussions that blend natural history insights with the fictional tale of seals, walrus, and other Arctic creatures who explore their worlds. 

Randi Sonenshine's The Nest That Wren Built (9781536201536, $16.99) receives especially gorgeous drawings by Anne Hunter as it surveys the life cycle of wrens using a 'House That Jack Built' cumulative tale that builds upon the wren's habits. Some built-in rhyme enhances the gentle story that will delight parents looking to foster an appreciation of poetry and nature like: "There are the feathers, petals, and thread/placed on the moss to soften the bed/that waits in the next that Wren built." 

Welcome to Your World by Smriti Prasadam-Halls (9781536206227, $16.99) enjoys lovely drawings by Jaime Kim as it surveys animal parents and babies around the world and different environments that house them. A gentle rhyme weaves a tale around a new mother's discussion with her baby about the wonders of a day. Forests, butterflies and bees, blue oceans, and more each receive an exceptionally lovely series of drawings by Kim, who nicely captures these different natural worlds. 

The Same But Different Too by Karl Newson (9781536212013, $16.99) features whimsical, fun drawings by Kate Hindley as it explores contrasts between people and the ways they are different, even as humans are connected by their species and interests. The pleasing contrasts between ways in which individuals are "the same but different, too" creates a gentle lesson that parents will enjoy using as read-aloud wisdom to their kids. 

James Howe's Houndsley and Catina at the Library (9780763696627, $15.99) is illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay and will appeal to young chapter book readers looking for a vivid tale of friendship and change. 

Three best friends have always gone to the library, but it's closing because the librarian is retiring and there's nobody to take her place. 

The three decide to tackle this problem to keep their favorite space accessible. Readers will find their skills in considering and developing new options to be fun and engaging as the trio struggles to resolve a major adult-sized problem. 

Maribeth Boelts's Kaia and the Bees (9781536201055, $16.99) is illustrated by Angela Dominguez, who reviews the story of a brave girl who has one bugaboo: bees. It's a major problem for her because her father is a beekeeper, and she's always being called upon to participate in his important job. Also, because thousands of bees live on her roof as a result of his efforts. 

A fun story enhanced by lovely, whimsical drawings outlines the problem, employing the first person insights of Kaia as she faces her fears and finds 'magic happening in her own kitchen' as a side benefit. 

Hazel and Twig: The Lost Egg by Brenna Burns Yu (9781536204926, $16.99) tells of mouse sisters who find an egg in the meadow and embark on a mission to hatch it by sitting on it to keep it warm. 

They have big dreams for the egg's inhabitant, but an egg takes a long time to hatch. And it's a lot of work, posing dilemmas they hadn't anticipated. 

The gentle story of a lost egg and an ultimate mission to handle it creates a story perfect for beginning readers moving from two-line picture books to something that satisfies just before chapter book skills begin. 

Yasmeen Ismail's Joy (9781536209341, $16.99) receives simple yet appealing drawings by Jenni Desmond as it explores a playful, bouncy kitten's fun game with yarn. 

A very easy rollicking rhyme lends to parental read-aloud with the very young as a kitten in a tangle bounces, shakes, rolls, and runs with the fun. 

The involvement of understanding cat parents in the kitten's play and mishaps will enhance the charming story. 

Atinuke's Catch That Chicken! (9781536212686, $16.99) receives engaging, colorful drawings by Angela Brooksbank as it tells of Lami, the best chicken catcher in her village. 

The other village children have different abilities or attributes, but Lami holds her own special skill, until one clever chicken challenges her identity. 

Is she really braver, faster, or smarter than a chicken? 

A clever child's problem-solving abilities are tested in this celebration of village life and rural mishaps. 

Jancee Dunn's I'm Afraid Your Teddy is in the Principal's Office (9781536201987, $16.99) is especially appealing, between its lovely colorful, whimsical drawings by Scott Nash and the unusual story of a stowaway teddy who comes to school and gains the principal's unwelcome attention for being naughty. 

Good reading skills will enhance this story of a bear who gets his fellow stuffed animals to sneak into children's backpacks all across town, wrecking havoc on the school when they escape. 

A hilarious, zany story emerges which is particularly compelling for its unexpected moments and uniquely revolutionary bears. 

All are outstanding leisure choices that lend particularly well to shared read-aloud experiences. 


How to Give Your Cat a Bath In Five Easy Steps
Nicola Winstanley and John Martz
Tundra
9780735263543             $17.99
www.penguinrandomhouse.ca 

How to Give Your Cat a Bath In Five Easy Steps is a hilarious survey of what can go wrong with the idea that kitty needs a bath. It will prove especially fun reading for kids familiar with cats and their disinclination to bathe human-style. 

As the young protagonist follows simple instructions for preparing the bath for Mr. Flea, steps to success are revised in a fun manner. Whimsical and fun drawings by John Martz add creative visuals that will attract young readers. 

Parents looking for a fun story about cats and kids will find How to Give Your Cat a Bath In Five Easy Steps lends to read-aloud and independent pursuit alike, pairing very simple descriptions with a fun story that kids will relish. 


The Little Kitten
Nicola Kileen
Simon & Schuster
9781534466968             $16.99
www.simonandschuster.com/kids 

The Little Kitten is a gentle, amusing picture book story about a lost kitten discovered by Ollie and her cat Pumpkin. The two are set to adopt their new charge until they see the "Lost Kitten" posters hanging on trees in the forest. It becomes apparent that their real rescue mission involves returning the lost pet to its rightful home. 

It's especially pleasing to see a Halloween theme wound into an overall fall story about animal rescue. Black and white and orange illustrations are simple, yet engaging. Parental read-aloud assistance will enliven this story for the very young, while those with rudimentary reading skills will find it an accessible, tender story about love. 


Sleeping Bear Press
www.sleepingbearpress.com 

These picture book stories are standouts from the crowd, excelling in whimsical subjects and presentations that will delight young leisure readers looking for something different. 

Gina Cascone and Bryony Williams Sheppard's Unicorn Yoga (9781534111066, $16.99) reaches ages 3-8 with 32 pages of fun drawings and a zany story by a mother-daughter writing team. 

Anyone familiar with yoga positions may know some of their descriptions, but when a yoga class is conducted by a unicorn, everything changes. 

Kids are taught ten poses and concrete information on yoga and mindfulness as the entertaining story evolves. 

Brooke Hecker's Letters from My Tooth Fairy (9781534110557, $16.99) is illustrated by Deborah Melmon and tells of a little girl whose pen pal is a tooth fairy. 

The letters reflect the fine art of growing older and capture fun moments as the fairy describes: "...flying in to grab your latest incisor, and I crash right into a crib that wasn't there before." 

Kids with good reading skills will appreciate the hilarious evolution of this relationship and the letters between them, while parents will find this story refreshingly original and fun. 

Frank Murphy and Carla Murphy's A Girl Like You (9781534110960, $16.99) receives excellent color drawings by Kayla Harren in this companion volume to A Boy Like You. 

The story celebrates being a girl, and provides a series of celebratory observations and advice on how girls can be empowered and more effective in life. 

The message, written by a pediatric nurse and a teacher, encourages girls to explore their wide range of skills and opportunities to use them in the modern world. 

Lindsey McDivitt's Truth and Honor: The President Ford Story (9781534110625, $16.99) benefits from lovely drawings by Matt Faulkner as it provides a 32-page biography of Gerald Ford for ages 6-10. 

From the early life influences which helped build a strong man to the special style of leadership Ford brought to the White House, this history and biographical blend will appeal to young report writers looking for an attractive survey of President Ford. 


Tundra Books
www.penguinrandomhouse.ca 

Two new picture book stories are delightful explorations that offer whimsical, fun reading for kids. 

Vikki VanSickle's Teddy Bear of the Year (9780735263925, $17.99) tells of Ollie, who loves his job as a teddy bear charged with taking care of his girl. But when Ollie finds himself at a nighttime Teddy Bears' Picnic where his kind go once a year to celebrate, he feels inadequate and powerless, as the other bears all seem to have special talents he does not. 

Good reading skills or parental read-aloud assistance will lend to enjoyment of this engaging story of Ollie, his girl Amena, and the adventures he has when encountering other teddy bears who are very different in their lives, abilities, and perspectives about bear life. 

Jay Fleck's Tilly & Tank (9781101917862, $17.99) tells of Tilly the elephant, who thinks she sees another elephant and wants to befriend it, even as Tank thinks he's observing another tank who may be an enemy. 

Their two very perspectives about friends and enemies color their perceptions and threaten a friendship unless Tilly and Tank can overcome their worldviews to engage on a different level. 

This fun, pointed story will especially delight adults looking to impart basic life lessons about friendship and adaptation within the guise of a fun encounter. 


Sleeping Bear Press
www.sleepingbearpress.com 

These three new picture book stories are delightfully whimsical and entertaining reads for youngsters, and stand out from the crowd as notable new recommendations for parents and schools alike. 

Keri Claiborne Boyle's Otis P. Oliver Protests (9781534110434, $16.99) is illustrated by Daniel Duncan. It tells of a boy who hates baths so much, he thinks they should be banned. Otis likes dirt. He doesn't see why he should bathe four times a week, and decides to stage a protest. 

His campaign slogan ("The only thing we have to fear is soap itself") enlivens a story many kids will relate to as Otis stages a protest and challenges his mother to come up with a solution amenable to all. 

Memoirs of a Tortoise by Devin Scillian (9781534110199, $16.99) again pairs illustrator Tim Bowers with Devin Scillian's writing prowess in the story of a new world that adds to the 'Memoirs Of' series. 

Oliver is eighty years old and faces the loss of his beloved owner Ike. Seeking wisdom on how to accept death, Oliver journeys to visit his mother, who lives five gardens away, in search of answers. 

Parents looking to teach kids valuable lessons about love and loss will find Memoirs of a Tortoise to be a wonderful, gentle story spiced by colorful drawings throughout. 

Gail Bush's Our World is Whole (9781534110274, $16.99) receives enjoyable drawings by Jennie Poh as it discusses the kinds of interactions and connections between people that make life worth living. 

A young girl observes the links between people in her world and begins to understand the simple pleasures that foster these relationships. Easy, lyrical text brings her experiences and reflections to life in a multicultural story of change, differences, and celebrating life's meaning. 


Will You Be Friends With Me?
Kathleen Long Bostrom
Worthy Kids/Hachette
9781546033804             $7.99

Will You Be Friends With Me? is an inviting, kid-friendly board book illustrated by Jo de Ruiter, highly recommended for parents interested in reading aloud to their babies to three-year-olds. It provides an early celebration of differences. 

Kids who will be going to school and experiencing social situations for the first time will find this primer outlines differences in habits, preferences, likes and dislikes, and more than just outward appearance. Each noted difference concludes with the question "Will you be friends with me?" 

This approach holds an important, basic lesson for early learners on how differences can be noted without becoming obstacles to friendship and caring, making Will You Be Friends With Me? a positive educational tools that adults will want to use to maximum benefit.