May Prime Picks
Reviewer's Choice
The
Culinary Corner
Robert
Rose
www.robertrose.ca
Two excellent new cookbooks are recommended picks for collections strong in dessert themes, providing different, specific focuses that usually are missing from more general baking books.
Christophe Adam's Éclairs: Easy, Elegant & Modern Recipes (9780778805670, $24.95) comes from a top European pastry chef and tells how to make éclairs at home - a project many home bakers might think difficult, but which seems easy under Adam's instructions.
Perhaps this is because the chef and author owns the pastry shop L'éclair, so his specialization results in a cookbook that goes beyond simple baking basics and shows how to turn the éclair into a gourmet experience by introducing fruits and unusual colors and flavors into the mix.
One might not expect over thirty recipes for éclairs, but each is accompanied by step-by-step color photos (there are some 500 of them) and features a diversity that embraces a wide range of tastes, from Black Currant and Chocolate Coconut Éclairs to Pistachio Orange and beautifully decorated Strawberry Éclairs.
The attention to vivid colors and decorative embellishments makes for éclairs which are far fancier (and yet easier to reproduce at home) than your usual version.
Carey Madden's Buttercream Basics: Learn the Art of Buttercream Decorating (9780778805632, $24.95) comes from a baker who focuses on the art of using buttercream to decorate pastries, and is especially recommended for home bakers who already have the basics down for foundation efforts, but who seek instruction on finishing touches.
There are many startlingly creative approaches that go beyond buttercream basics but incorporate its qualities into finished products, such as a Cinematic cake which takes the movie candy of red licorice ropes and gummy berries and combines them with bright red and brown buttercream embellishments.
Some special tools (easily obtained) such as a pastry bag with different tips are all that is required for success. The good-sized, colorful step-by-step photos leave nothing to guess at, and the results are strikingly original.
Both are recommended for home cooks interested in baking who want to produce more polished, professional-looking results.
Weeknight
Paleo
Julie and Charles Mayfield
William Morrow
9780062419651
$29.99
www.harpercollins.com
Weeknight Paleo: 100+ Easy and Delicious Family-Friendly Meals advocates a lifestyle and diet from authors who turned their passion into a blog and two bestselling cookbooks, and who here provide Paleo dishes for busy home cooks.
While working families may not think that such meals can be easy, Weeknight Paleo proves otherwise with recipes that follow basic Paleo guidelines (meats, veggies and fruits, and healthy fats) while eliminating dairy, grains, beans and refinished sugar.
Many diets that contain no gluten, grain or dairy are complicated affairs, but this Paleo cookbook offers many simple, flavorful and quick dishes, as in Mashed Cauliflower, which takes only 20 minutes from start to finish, or a breakfast Seafood Sunrise of bacon, shrimp, crabmeat, and seasonings; or Salmon with Blackberry Sauce.
Color photos embellish the dishes, but their real value lies in flavorful pairings which will attract not just Paleo dieters, but any home cook seeking quick dishes which are unusual yet appealing, easy to prepare, and contain a minimum of specialty ingredients.
Health Matters
Jessica
Kingsley Publishers
www.jkp.com
Elizabeth MacKinlay's treatise, which links the aging process to spiritual and philosophical reflections on life's meaning, made for an authoritative text upon its first publication; but it's important to note that this updated second edition of The Spiritual Dimension of Aging (9781785920721, $34.95) holds so many changes that even collections seeing popularity with the first edition should consider this second edition a 'must'.
It provides the latest theories and research on aging and life's meaning, presenting new chapters on baby boomer aging processes and the spirituality of elders in multi-faith and multicultural settings; but more importantly, it links various religious practices with aging concerns and processes as it documents the findings of contemporary studies on aging.
The result is a vastly expanded treatment of the topic which is highly recommended for any health collection dealing with aging, and for spiritual holdings, as well.
Jennifer Guest's The Art Activity Book for Relational Work (9781785921605, $29.95) packs in 100 illustrated worksheets therapists can use in their work with individuals, couples or families, and is designed to help clients express their feelings through art and writings.
The format of these pieces is emphasize self inspection, partners, family dynamics, and better communication through shared activities and images that identify behaviors through the use of verbal and visual reinforcement.
The
format and structure of these activities lends particularly well to
interpersonal interactions between different members of a family or
group,
placing relational work well within the objectives of a typical
therapeutic
setting.
Why
Won't You Apologize?
Harriet Lerner, PhD
Touchstone
9781501129599
$24.00
www.simonandschuster.com
Why Won't You Apologize? Handling Big Betrayals and Everyday Hurts focuses on the art of apology and why it's so difficult to give or receive when hurt is involved, and blends stories from the author's own life and clinical work as she considers the processes and policies of forgiveness and recovery.
From typical ways that apologies are ruined and how they can turn bad to the psyche of the apologizer and recipient, how to handle serious betrayals and issues, and how to get past anger and resentment to arrive at forgiveness, this is a powerful survey that documents the psychology of regret and atonement, considering the psyches of men, women, and situations from all sides of the matter.
Any psychology or mental health collection will find Why Won't You Apologize? to be thought-provoking and easily accessible. General-interest libraries will especially appreciate a lively tone that is enriched by case history examples throughout.
Arts and Crafts
BIS
Publishers
www.bispublishers.com
Two new books from BIS provide information that artists can use to inject a blend of social and business savvy into their artistic efforts, and are recommended for library arts collections and aspiring artists alike.
Melis Senova, PhD's This Human: How to Be the Person Designing for Other People (9789063694609, $39.00) is not about the design process, but about the person who is doing the designing, and discusses how a designer can consider, communicate about, and guide designs for clients and community.
The injection of psychology into the artistic design process is an unusual approach that focuses on design thinking as it applies to understanding not only how design work is created, but how it is marketed and applied.
Chapters survey communication essentials, consider connections between the human capacity for choice, freedom, and expression and the interpersonal associations that affect design structure and choices, and discuss how to narrow artistic purpose in the face of distractions.
A visual approach throughout makes it easy to understand these fundamentals of 'design thinking,' which are often missing from design books.
Frans de Groot's The Seven Laws of Guaranteed Growth: Bitsing: the World's First Business Management Model That Guarantees Success (9789063694135, $34.95) is for CEOs, business owners, startups, students, and a wide range of business readers; but is reviewed here for its special accessibility to artists who may hold little prior business abilities.
From the 'pillars' of invincibility for personal success and how looking at competition and adversity can provide tools for achievement and victory in a competitive market to converting goals into measurable actions and understanding the importance of refocusing attention, The Seven Laws of Guaranteed Growth is much more powerfully specific than most, more accessible, and ten times more relevant to artistic achievement than the majority of business books on the market - even those purporting to appeal especially to artists.
Very highly recommended, it reaches well beyond its business roots!
Kalmbach
Books
www.jewelryandbeadingstore.com
Two lovely new books are excellent, recommended picks for any crafts collection strong in jewelry design, offering amateurs and advanced jewelry makers solid tips on producing lovely jewelry from scratch.
Isabella Lam's Beautiful Beadweaving: Simply Gorgeous Jewelry (9781627003018, $22.99) comes from a designer and teacher who provides over twenty beadweaving projects for necklaces, earrings, bracelets and other pieces. Each piece includes a full-page color photo of the finished product along with smaller step-by-step illustrations of how it's put together.
An at-a-glance supplies list and easy sewing directions cover entries, exiting, and combining beads, leaving nothing to wonder about any stage of the construction process.
Beadweaving is relatively simple and produces some fine, professional-looking results, as Beautiful Beadweaving reveals.
Jane Danley Cruz's Dragons, Crystals and Chainmaille: Jewelry Designs to Inspire Your Imagination (9781627004008, $22.99) is recommended beyond the usual jewelry-making arts and crafts audience and will reach into new age circles with its focus on amulets, medieval jewelry, and stones and chain mail that blend antique and mystic sensibilities into the artistic focus.
A Mystic Warrior Cuff that evokes thoughts of spirits and battles and a Hobnail Wrist Wrap are only a few of the unique pieces perfect for festivals, medieval events and celebrations, and occasions where a touch of mystical dress up are involved.
Mysteries and Novels
The
Collection
Lance Charnes
Wombat Group Media
978-0-9886903-6-3
$14.95
paper/$2.99 ebook
http://a.co/7ZkgnYf
Four years ago, Matt learned secrets from his art gallery job that landed him in prison for his activities. Newly released on parole, but also newly broke for the first time in years, he now faces the challenge of earning money to get himself out of debt and finds himself on the other side of the laws he once skirted, tracking down a stolen art collection.
The Collection represents Book 1 in the 'DeWitt Agency Files' and is a crime story that brings Matt to Italy, masquerading as a rich collector looking for hot deals. In some ways, this adventure is entirely keeping with the shady deals he's used to making. In others, it represents quite a departure; because Matt also faces other questionable characters who are pursing their own special interests, and all are armed with as formidable an ability for subterfuge and deception as himself.
There are many downsides to Matt's choices, as well as a few obvious pluses ("If I finish early, I get to keep the full twenty days of pay as a bonus. But if I take longer, I lose €500 for each extra day. The clock started running when I cleared Immigration at Brussels’ airport. Seventeen days left. Can I do it? No clue yet. The downside? I could get arrested doing something illegal and go to jail over here. My PO could figure out I’m not in New York and kick me inside again..."), but an especially intriguing twist to this story lies in the protagonist's ability to skirt the lines of propriety and honesty while remaining true to his special interests.
In short: Matt is not your typical good-guy detective, but a con artist forced into a good-guy role. It's this difference - and an impossible deadline - that elevates The Collection above other detective stories of intrigue and keeps it fast-paced and satisfyingly different.
Add a gritty blend of international atmosphere, street savvy, art world politics and processes, and criminal interests to the action-packed saga of a ticking time bomb and you have a multi-faceted, well-detailed story that's hard to put down and highly recommended for detective story and intrigue readers looking for something refreshingly original.
Rayna
R. K. Marts
Bookbaby
E-Book ISBN:
978483588186
$6.99
Print ISBN: 978148588179
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Rayna-
Barnes
& Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/
Ratana 'Rayna' Sanda was raised in a Burmese orphanage for eleven years, and winds up at a bordello as a teen. Her best friend there is a cat. Her life seems to be at a dead end (indeed, she faces death and assaults) until she meets Bhikkhu Thet, a monk whose spiritual philosophy offers her a way out.
Rayna is the story of this way out and the journey she takes to realize her life's value and purpose, and is a moving saga of Burmese culture in general and one girl's courage in particular - but it's more than a novel of survival and evolution, because Rayna holds a curious power which is her deepest secret - and her power of manipulating could ultimately save everything she loves.
It should be noted that violence opens Rayna's story, as she is tortured and in turn exacts revenge, thanks to the help of her unusual ability. Readers should anticipate realistic but brutal scenes as part of the evolutionary nature of this story and its descriptions of Rayna's past. Danger, violence and sex are a part of her life and are intricately - and appropriately - described in detail.
Not completely in control of her time-altering talent (which means that time can restart at any moment), Rayna must choose paths that not only bring her more control and possibilities, but harness the power that has contributed to her survival.
Although the protagonist Rayna is a young adult, and though she harbors a power that would ordinary lead one to identify this novel as a young adult fantasy, it's recommended more for the general fiction reader than either young adult audience (even mature teens would find the brutality descriptions a bit graphic) or fantasy readers (who would anticipate a stronger dose of fantasy elements) alone.
One of the pleasures of Rayna's story is what makes its genre fluid and its marketing a possible challenge: its ability to traverse not just genres but cultures and social issues to incorporate different approaches into an overall story of a girl's struggle to find a safe place for herself in an unstable, threatening world.
Readers who appreciate novels where characters overcome impossible odds and learn about life around them will find Rayna an engrossing story that pulls no punches in its descriptions of angst and brutality, but uses these as part of the facts of Rayna's life as she undertakes a journey that brings her both full circle to consider her roots and on a different course to a new life. Rayna is especially recommended for new adults and any reader who looks for multicultural coming-of-age stories containing more maturity and development than stories usually directed to teen audiences.
Smugglers
& Scones
Morgan C. Talbot
Red Adept Publishing
1940215870
Paperback price:
$13.99
Ebook price: $5.99
https://www.amazon.com/
Book 1 of the Moorehaven Mysteries series introduces proprietress Pippa, who runs a bed and breakfast establishment noted for being the former home of the famous mystery writer A. Raymond Moore. It's a success because Pippa has promoted it as an ideal writer's refuge, and mystery writers choose it as a quiet place to write their novels ("All my guests were mystery authors, as per Raymond Moore’s will, and though they came in all shapes, sizes, experience levels, and subgenres, they were all hopelessly dedicated to their craft, whether they wanted to be or not.") - until one mystery strikes too close to home with a murder that also sends Pippa into an unexpected romance.
As a disparate cast of characters evolves, from hippie artists and relatives to best friends who have each others' backs ("Jordan and I shared everything, but now she had a secret, and she was teasing me with it. I was pretty sure that went against Girl Code."), Pippa finds herself immersed in her business, a small town's interconnected relationships, family, and a clever killer's modus operandi.
All the background elements important to a satisfying mystery are here, from the stark realities of running a small business to food, paintings, and the kinds of relationships that stem from years of familiarity and affection. These form the backdrop for a bigger picture than either a romance or murder mystery story alone, pairing a small town's atmosphere with inquiries that lead to the edge of paranoia before pulling backwards like the tide.
Pillars of the community, scandals, and a search for treasure keep readers guessing and involved as Pippa moves ever closer to a truth that even she can't quite believe.
The 'cozy mystery' style utilized in Smugglers and Scones may lack the high-octane tension punch of other mystery genre approaches, but ultimately invites and immerses using an interactive, interpersonal small town atmosphere that begins with an old house with a history and evolves to embrace a community's roots. Many agree, because Smugglers & Scones is now a USA Today Bestseller. It hit the USA Today Bestseller List on April 13th. Cozy mystery fans will relish the story's personal touches and twists.
New Age
The
Healing Art of Essential Oils
Kac Young, PhD
Llewellyn Books
9780738750477
$21.99
www.llewellyn.com
The Healing Art of Essential Oils discusses herbal applications of aromatherapy and how natural healing can be enhanced by essential oils, with chapters covering both the physical and mental applications of some fifty treatments as well as supernatural uses of oils in spells and rituals.
After covering a history of essential oils, Dr. Young surveys naturopathic medicine and applications with an eye to discussing specific blends for specific purposes, cautions, what the oils blend well with, and their health and supernatural uses.
The formulas are specific and offer clear recipes while backgrounds and benefits of the oils cover historic use patterns and new discoveries alike. Natural healing collections and individuals interested in supernatural applications will find this coverage is filled with many different, clear insights.
Red
Wheel Weiser
www.redwheelweiser.com
Two excellent new titles are recommended for new age collections strong in folk arts, folklore, and herbs and magic, and offer lasting value for libraries seeing a strong interest in new age topics.
Liz Greene & Juliet Sharman-Burke's The Mythic Journey: Use Myths, Fairy Tales, and Folklore to Explain Life's Mysteries (9781578636167, $16.95) adds a psychological dimension of examination to traditional myths, fairy tales and fables, reconsidering stories from Roman, Egyptian, Celtic and other civilizations in West and East as it retells selected myths and pairs them with psychological insights for greater understanding.
The focus on how these myths can impart lessons for contemporary living creates added value far beyond a modern retelling format, making this a recommendation for new age and folklore readers alike; especially those interested in psychological examinations.
Harold Roth's The Witching Herbs: 13 Essential Plants and Herbs for Your Magical Garden (9781578635993, $18.95) comes from the founder of Alchemy Works and provides a detailed discussion of thirteen selected plants and herbs that are important to witchcraft practices.
It gathers a range of botanical and mystical details for each plant, compiling in one place a healthy range of materials and insights that pair practical directions for cultivation with applications for mystical practices.
Witches who would like to better use their herbs and plants will find this coverage is quite specific in an excellent instructional that includes practices and applications, warnings, and recipes.
Scintillating Science Fiction and Fantasy
The
Chronocar
Steve Bellinger
Barking Rain Press
978-1941295182 Paperback,
$12.95; eBook, $5.95
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/
An autographed copy can be ordered here: http://www.pcbeeusa.com/order-
Website: www.SteveBellinger.com
Few time travel novels open with social commentary as involving as The Chronocar, but the son of a slave is the first to envision a time-travel machine, and the paper this genius writes about it will change the future. It slides into relative obscurity until college student Tony uncovers the article a century later and decides it holds enough information (combined with modern technology) to allow him to actually build such a device.
The story opens somewhere in Mississippi near Jackson in 1888 with Simmie's story, and provides a compelling situation in which a near-genius regulated to manual labor and condemnation because of his race comes up with an amazing device as he embarks on a journey in his own time, facing down prejudice, a spate of bad luck, and impossible odds for realizing his dreams.
Fast forward to 2015, where Tony Carpenter and his best friend Jimmy stumble upon the discovery of a lifetime and decide to act upon it. All Simmie lacked was a computer and the discoveries of another genius called Tesla. Tony has those missing pieces; and with them and Simmie's plans, the dream of a Chronocar is realized.
Half the enjoyment of The Chronocar lies in how disparate concepts and very different lives a century apart come together to create a device that can overcome the limitations of time itself.
The other half of the pleasure lies in discussions of not only the science of how it works, but the dilemmas Tony finds himself facing when using it, such as when his invention becomes stuck in space and he faces the possibility that he will become another mysterious 'missing person' statistic to everyone back home.
These are the voyages of a brash young man who dives into the unknown and discovers that it's filled with danger, and when he embarks on a journey to meet the Chronocar's maker, unpredictable changes result from his decisions which bring readers along for an engrossing ride into past, future, and even space.
Delightfully refreshing in its original characters and their very different worlds and perceptions, The Chronocar is an excellent time-slip story that excels in unpredictable twists and strong characterization; both of which keep readers on edge and completely engrossed.
Elthea’s
Realm
John Murzycki
CreateSpace
978-1542365192
$13.95
http://a.co/3gf8IQX
Elthea’s Realm is part thriller, part fantasy, and part futuristic sci-fi. Its plot revolves around five former college student friends whose almost-forgotten assignment for a course called The Utopia Project becomes of sudden interest for a force's deadly purposes.
Brought together after eight years, the members of the former utopia team have drifted into different careers and lives, but the force of perplexing text messages demands attention ("You have been warned once Philip Matherson. We will tolerate no further delay. Give us all information on the Utopia Project.").
While the story's opening salvo would seem to define it as a thriller, the events that follow rapidly move it into the realm of a fantasy as civilization is threatened, a benevolent force transports the friends to the enchanting world of Elthea's Realm, and they discover the devil in paradise in the form of Bots which they are tasked with confronting in order to save both Earth and their new home.
The desire to create a better society which evolves from the influence of Earth's circumstances, hard lessons learned when the young team first developed their vision of a utopian world, and issues ranging from the nature of evolution and being human to the benefits of failure all coalesce into a story that provides a haunting reflection on the challenges of perfection and the benefits of adversity.
In most fantasies, there are clear focuses on magic and processes that are counterpoints to reality. The result is that too many fantasy stories that involve magic or other worlds are disengaged from reality, which often translates into flat characters and one-dimensional, action-based plots.
The joy of Elthea’s Realm lies in its ability to combine both fantasy and thriller elements, using real-world Earth situations to bring social, psychological and political elements into a setting replete with magic and challenge.
What defines utopia? What happens when the instruments of humanity become its potential overlords?
Elthea’s Realm is an inviting recommendation for cross-genre fans who enjoy fantasy stories imbibed with thrilling action and heartfelt inspection. The plot is engaging and fast-paced, but the inclusion of a bigger picture translates to a thought-provoking read which lingers in the mind long after the story's final revelations about technology and humanity's interconnected futures.
Girls
of Dirt
C.C. Hogan
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B01NBKP6UV
$0.99
http://a.co/0MxHqff
Girls of Dirt is set five hundred years after the end of a great war in a world divided and defeated, where tiny fiefdoms are ruled by tyrants and dragons are but a dim memory relegated to fantasy in human memory. They may have been downgraded in human history, but in fact Girls of Dirt opens with sea dragon discussions of past history and events; so it's more than evident that dragons have not fully vanished, yet.
As events progress, readers are treated not just to dragons and cruel rulers but to strong female characters in general and the protagonist Silvi in particular, who lives on a farm and longs for independence from her domineering brothers.
The
last thing Silvi expected to encounter were dragons, dubious rescuers,
and a
growth process that frustrates the dragon who tends her and thinks her
changes
are happening too slowly for comfort: "For
Be-Elin, the dragon who had been famous for her sometimes unwanted and
impatient
opinions, it was two months of frustration bordering on agony. She was
desperate to get back on track and yet she knew in her heart that if
Silvi was
not confident of her abilities, it could all go wrong. The dragon had
watched
the girl change bit by bit, wishing she had a wand she could wave to
turn her
into an instant rider, but no such wand was available."
The transition from a soft cheesemaker on a rural farm to a hard fighter is a difficult one which Silvi undertakes with trepidation and courage. Particularly well-done are the observations of dragon and human personalities and the interactions that illustrate their different perspectives and perceptions: "I am almost scared to leave this place. Is that stupid?” Silvi knew she was no longer the soft cheesemaker on the outside, but inside, she still felt she was walking on quicksand.
“You have brought one tiny corner of this empty town back to life and have made it a home. So no, probably not stupid,”Be-Elin the dragon said.
“I thought you said that dragons do not understand territory and ownership like humans do.”
“We
don’t, but that doesn’t mean we don’t understand
belonging. We just don’t think that belonging and having exclusive
rights to
something have to be the same thing.”
This attention to psychological build-up and detail adds an unexpected
dash of
humor at some points in the story line which would have seemed
disparate were
it not for C.C. Hogan's careful attention to building characters and
psyches.
Readers receive a well-detailed fantasy saga, which means a sweeping, wide series of encounters, settings, and powerful protagonists; be they human or dragon. It also means a degree of complexity that is satisfying without its psychological, social, and political facets being confusing or challenging. With a plot tempered by moments of comic relief, Girls of Dirt is a fantasy genre standout highly recommended for young adult to adult audiences who look for stories that are multi-faceted and thoroughly engrossing.
Of
Beasts and Men
Anike Kristen
Dystopian Press
978-0-620-74366-2
(paperback)
$14.92
978-0-620-74367-9
(epub)
$ 4.99
http://dystopianpress.
https://www.amazon.com/Beasts-
If cyberpunk, other worlds, genetic engineering, and social issues are desirable factors in a sci-fi read, then Of Beasts and Men perfectly fits this profile for excellence, offering a sweeping, engrossing saga in a Far Earth Anthology in which social oppression occupies centerfield.
Gliese Libra is a being who believes in her utopian world, but in this story, she awakens on a beach in the aftermath of a crash of some kind with no awareness of where she is, who she is, or much memory of her life before her awakening. She must not only recover the lost data of her lapsed memory, but the circumstances which brought her to this place and time; and readers are carried along a rocky and engrossing ride that begins with a wild crash-landing and evolves to social inspection.
Readers discover she is a powerful Librarian on a world ruled by literature and technology; a figure who holds the power of privilege in a world where an equally powerful gap exists between those in Gliese's position and those born to other circumstances.
As with many conflicted circumstances, however, Gliese's position isn't set, but is fluid, and readers begin to understand that one can be a victim even in a position of power as they follow her evolutionary process and her realization that the boundaries of the world in which she operates are not as rational, predictable, nor fair as she had believed.
From the challenge of saving and re-inventing herself to her expanding purpose of considering saving others around her, Gliese re-evaluates the power and purpose of Learning, the presence of Insurgency, and a renewed sense of purpose as political storms gather and force her to adopt roles she'd never considered before.
With its social and political insights, Of Beasts and Men is a different kind of sci-fi drama, blending hard science with a societal focus rarely seen in the genre. It's recommended for leisure readers who want a healthy dose of philosophical and social reflection in the course of their adventure stories, and features a compelling, thought-provoking story of morality, alien and human origins and experiments, and the crossroads of ethics against the backdrop of humanity's world-changing drives.
A
Paleolithic Fable: An Anki Legacies Adventure
S. Shane Thomas
Amazon Digital Services/CreateSpace
ASIN: B01LYOOO5P
$2.99ebook/$9.99 print
http://a.co/g3pShuE
It's unusual to have a novel set in the dawn of mankind, featuring four races of hominids who are affected by the arrival of magical beings intent on altering the course of their evolutionary process; but readers who have appreciated other stories of early man will find a different approach and treat in this stand-alone introduction to the projected Anki Legacies series.
The tale revolves around different incarnations of early humans who are all affected by the arrival of a species intent on wiping them out - and with magical powers at their disposal, these serpents can easily achieve their goals.
Chad Gomez's black and white sketches accent the presentation, which opens with an unexpected description: "He had lived through some strange events before, but becoming conscious after only his head had completely formed, deeply disturbed Bobby. It gave him the opportunity to watch science’s best attempt at time travel in action." It's hard to put the book down after this intriguing introduction, but be forewarned: A Paleolithic Fable neither uses the typical devices of sci-fi nor moves in predictable directions.
The story line is designed to keep readers on their toes. At times, some of the language seems a bit modern in lingo ("I’ll wear the silver skin. Yuwa the super duper!"). Because time travel is involved, the characters of Bobby and his mate (who are duplicates from the future) add an extra dimension of intrigue as they interact with Anki, Enkara and Namtar.
It quickly becomes evident that this isn't just another Jean Aul prehistoric story, but an adventure that pits future man against the serpent that changed the inhabitants of the Garden of Eden - and the outcome is anything but predictable. The alternating perspectives of different characters are presented in clearly identified chapters, and this, too, is a plus, lending order and easy understanding to a saga of different perspectives and challenges.
As human consciousness is influenced by several disparate forces, readers receive a thought-provoking adventure that takes a group of tribal figures, adds aliens and future man into the mix, and produces a satisfying blend of fantasy and science that will appeal to readers of time-travel sagas, prehistoric man, and alien encounters alike.
People
of the Sun
Jason Parent
Sinister Grin Press
ASIN: B06WWLBJJG
$2.99
https://www.amazon.com/People-
Most alien invasion stories come from the point of view of earthlings who face impossible odds; but having the invasion perspective shift to that of the invaders themselves is a satisfying twist to the tale in People of the Sun.
When an effort to save their planet results in a ship malfunction, four aliens crash-land on Earth. There they discover that the planet contains a dangerous race heading for self-destruction.
People of the Sun doesn't begin with alien perspectives, however, but with Connor and Matthew's discovery of a suddenly humid, radically changed environment in New Hampshire. The source of this overnight change seems to be a meteorite whose odd properties are beyond any police procedurals. Connor is a geologist - but the strange volcanic-looking structure defies his knowledge base. Matthew has been instructed to wait until federal officials appear.
Tryst,
Lenyx, Milliken and Kazi's history-making mission turns into disaster,
stranding them in a world that is as alien to them as their appearance
is to
the earthlings. As Connor forms an unlikely association with these
aliens, a
greater mission evolves which involves the threat and promise of a new
world
order that leads Connor to question his world, his purposes, and the
aliens'
real intentions.
Connor feels a strange kinship and connection with them even as he rejects some of their processes. Tryst is forced to witness deaths and re-assess her purposes and place in this strange new world. And both are flung into a maelstrom of torment that could either bring human and alien closer, or rip apart the world.
One plus to this story is that the aliens hold distinct personalities and their interpersonal relationships are fraught with conflict and issues outside of human interactions. Another strength lies in powerful descriptions of the series of mishaps that stem from misunderstandings between species.
As aliens and humans influence one another, the evolutionary process of the characters is exquisitely done. Fans of horror, sci-fi, and alien encounters will relish the unexpected twists of a story which highlights differences and the growth and life that can come from conflict in People of the Sun.
Rise
of the Liberators
Ryan Hyatt
CreateSpace
Paper: 978-1543093056
$12.99
Ebook: ASIN: B06WGZPH69 $ 2.99
http://a.co/3DAxW0B
Ray lives in an America not too distant or improbable from our own: one in which thirty percent of Phoenix's population is unemployed, where boarded-up houses and murder/suicides are common, and where Ray's own home is anything but a sanctuary.
In a future America wracked by economic and social disintegration, unemployed ex-Marine pilot Ray and his family are one of those few hanging on, and they face poverty and danger almost daily. Everything changes when a phone call introduces the rare possibility of employment back into Ray's life, even if it involves serving as a pilot for a deadly new blend of machine and sentient intelligence called the 'Liberator'.
The choices are stark: allow his family to disintegrate under the burden of poverty, or leave them to accept a Middle East military assignment that involves testing a new weapon in a dangerous war.
Military sci-fi is often dominated by strategic descriptions, weapons and battles, and confrontations alone; but one of the pleasures of Rise of the Liberators lies in the fact that its protagonist has a life outside of the military and is a somewhat unwilling participant in events.
Only a few disparate moments give pause for thought: Sometimes Ray's thought processes and logic can be confusing, such as why the challenge of critical thinking should be met with musings about family events ("...since Liberator clearly represented a force of such annihilation that whenever Ray entertained any loftier notions for its purpose, his mind quickly returned to more realistic, down-to-Earth and pleasant matters, like wondering what arts and crafts projects his darling daughter was doing at home with her mother."), and the idea that a father/daughter evening reading session could involve 3-4 books (even picture books, which read quicker, are usually slow enough affairs that one read-aloud book a night serves its purpose - and for a three-year-old, one would expect such a book would hold more detail than an early grade reader, and take longer to go through.). (PTSD can often account for mental blocks and defensive habits, however, which can explain the odd feel of Ray's thinking.)
Despite those moments, the pace of Rise of the Liberators is well done and the plot and action are satisfying mixes of social, political, family and military concerns, making it a solid recommendation for readers who look for military sci-fi with more depth than the usual approach.
As aliens, technological wonders, and war vie with Ray's family life choices, readers of Rise of the Liberators will enjoy a satisfyingly well-detailed story that moves full-circle between not only family and military issues, but even the actions of his daughter's favorite children's book author, who manages to pull off a miracle because he turns out to be more than just a children's book author. Read Rise of the Liberators to find out more.
Self-Help
101
Mindful Arts-Based Activities to Get Children and Adolescents Talking
Dawn D'Amico, LCSW, PhD
Jessica Kingsley
9781785927317
$24.95
101 Mindful Arts-Based Activities to Get Children and Adolescents Talking is recommended for adults working with children and adolescents who've experienced severe trauma or neglect, and uses found and everyday objects to encourage the kinds of arts interactions that lead to psychological engagement.
While this book could have been featured in our sections on health or education, it's included here for its mindfulness-based activities which are designed to promote interaction and healing under a range of situations, from families to therapists to educators.
The age group covered is 5-17, and professionals working in any capacity with these groups will find this a clear blend of case study examples, activity descriptions, purposes, materials lists which can be as easy as an adult participant or as simple as a kaleidoscope or a snail shell.
The format lends to quick, at-a-glance browsing while the instructions are simple to follow. The projects have been tested and are proven to give quick results.
Berrett-Koehler
Publishers Two
important new books from this publisher provide different self-help
approaches
that will appeal to a wide audience. Rick
Peterson and Judd Hoekstra's Crunch Time:
How to Be Your Best When It Matters Most comes
from one of the most
successful baseball coaches in professional sports, and pairs his major
league
experience with a strategy that helps readers perform at their best
when under
pressure. His
book is co-authored with a leadership expert to explore the concept of
'reframing;' and together they provide a clear set of instructions on
how to
view a pressure situation using a perspective that empowers rather than
intimidates. Chapters
show how to identify and take specific actions in response to pressure,
offering numerous examples from real life situations. Many
books on similar topics are written with business readers in mind; but
the
pleasure of this title lies in its clear self-help instructions
designed for a
wider audience of general readers. John
Izzo, PhD's The
Five Thieves of Happiness
(9781626569324, $15.95) presents personal growth readers with a
startling
admonition: that happiness is not an elusive quality to be hunted down;
but
rather, an ever-present force that only needs to be better uncovered
from the
negative forces that tend to mask it. Izzo
maintains that happiness is our natural state; but it's too often
corrupted by
various 'thieves' that steal it away. His book identifies these forces
and how
they operate and offers an inspirational guide to getting rid of them
and
allowing one's natural happiness to bubble forth. Various
studies are referenced, mantras are promoted, and different methods of
banishing negativity are considered in a self-help title anyone can
easily
utilize.
www.bk-life.com
Sizzling Social Issues
The
Mosaic of Islam Readers
of religion, philosophy, politics, and social issues alike will relish
this
book, which appears slim and unassuming but offers a comprehensive
introduction
to the faith and politics of Islam and the issues that affect societies
around
the world. Suleiman
Mourad is a scholar of the Qur'an and the history of Islam. Perry
Anderson
interviews him for this book, sharing Moruad's survey of Islam's
development
over the centuries, its codes of ethics and interactions, its historic
changes,
and how different Islamic movements and interpretations have affected
its place
both in the world and in Muslim societies. From
Jihad's concepts and development to Islam's spread, The Mosaic of Islam
discusses how Islamic tenants changed
over time and how its religious, social and political foundations hold
ongoing
impact for the modern world. While
a thorough understanding of Islam would seem a complex undertaking that
would
require a far weightier coverage than The
Mosaic of Islam appears to offer, the beauty of
this book lies in
its simple, clear approach that touches upon all the important facets
which any
modern reader concerned with the political or social impact of Islam
needs to
understand.
Suleiman Mourad
Verso
9781786632128
$19.95
www.versobooks.com
Take
Me With You Take
Me With You: One Person's Journey to Find the Charity
Within begins with the author's
coming of age during the
American Civil Rights movement, when his parents separated and he
struggled to
escape a brutal father and a home life as divided as the
nation. When
he finally escaped from his abusive father, he joined his mother and
her new
husband, an Afro-American pastor who gave him a foundation of strength
and a
childhood filled with love and security where angst and violence had
once
dominated. This
tumultuous childhood led to the evolution of a man concerned about
charity and
goodwill. He became the leader of an international charity and his life
was
dedicated to humanitarianism. Take Me With
You reflects both his life and his vision for
global sustainable
development and positive pathways of support. It's
hard to neatly categorize this read: those looking for inspirational
autobiography will gain plenty of inspiration from this book; while
others
interested in meaningful innovation and the process of fostering
positive
courses in life will find Scott Jackson's story compelling and
clear. His
may be one person's story; but through it, the roots of charitable
impulses are
completely documented, making a powerful read that's hard to put
down.
Scott Jackson
SelectBooks
9781590793923
$26.95
www.selectbooks.com
The
Unmade Bed The
Unmade Bed: The Messy Truth About Men and W9men in the
21st Century comes from Esquire
columnist Stephen Marche, who
considers the relationship between men and women in modern society, and
includes comments by successful writer, editor, and wife Sarah Fulford
as it
examines daily changes in relationships between men and women and how
concepts
about family structure and evolution have changed in response to
feminism,
moral questions, internet content, and more. From
differences between men's issues, women's problems, and family
challenges to
how the definition of fatherhood and family has undergone vast changes,
The Unmade Bed
provides thought-provoking
chapters about domestic changes and social impact over just a few
generations,
arriving at the heart of what makes domestic bliss an ideal that's
sometimes
unachievable, and considering revised definitions of gender roles and
their
impact. It's
a challenge to combine personal observation and experience with
research
studies and explorations of social issues, but The
Unmade Bed succeeds in all areas and is a
powerful documentation of
why and how things are changing between men and women.
Stephen Marche with Commentary by His Wife, Editor Sarah Fulford
Simon & Schuster
9781476780153
$26.00
www.simonandschuster.com
Science, Nature & Technology
Johns
Hopkins University Press Steve
Huskey's The
Skeleton Revealed: An
Illustrated Tour of the Vertebrates
(9781421421483, $49.95) is
packed with good-sized black and white photos of the vertebrate
skeleton and
comes from a biologist and skeletal reconstructionist who examines the
different features of vertebrates. What
makes this book unique is that the author has spent decades assembling
these
skeletons, and here pairs their images with detailed surveys of how the
skeletons offer clues about different vertebrates and how they
live. From
trumpetfish and moles to crocodiles, rattlesnakes, and turtles, the
juxtaposition of each skeleton with notes on what their structure
reveals makes
for a particularly inviting read recommended for high school to
college-level
students of biology and vertebrate science. Alvin
R. Breisch's The
Snake and the Salamander:
Reptiles and Amphibians from Maine to Virginia
(9781421421575,
$49.95) is filled with color illustrations of these creatures and comes
from
the collaborative effort of the author and artist Matt Patterson, who
cover a
little over eighty species of animals. The
book's organization by habitat and type makes it easy to reference
these
creatures through a logical organization, while the inclusion of
historical
notes and conservation insights impart detail on natural histories,
evolutional
processes, habitats, and more. While
the result is scholarly in content, its lively tone lends to its
accessibility
by lay science readers with a prior interest in the topic, as
well.
www.press.jhu.edu
Reviewer's Choice
On
Wave and Wing
Barrett Tillman
Regnery History
978162575917
$29.99
On Wave and Wing: The 100-Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier surveys the aircraft carrier's rise in popularity, and comes from a renowned naval historian who considers how an experiment begun in World War I with naval aircraft carriers supporting plane activities evolved into a more useful and effective approach by the second world war.
From the self-taught pilot who performed the first aircraft landing on a ship to battles between opposing air forces and hot and cold wars around the world and how aircraft carriers participated in them to the evolving ambiance and culture of carriers, this book goes beyond strategic or machine descriptions to probe the foundations of how and why the aircraft carrier evolved over the decades.
It's this focus on the evolution of the carrier's quest for perfection that makes for such a powerful history, supported with numerous vintage black and white photos throughout and including a satisfying blend of individual biography and changing military and social issues.
The
Trouble with Tea
Jane T. Merritt
Johns Hopkins University Press
9781421421537
$22.95
www.press.jhu.edu
The Trouble with Tea: the Politics of Consumption in the Eighteenth-Century Global Economy should be in every American history collection and is recommended for readers interested in books not just about American history, but about global trade processes. It considers how tea and its history hold clear insights into consumption politics and international social and financial policies.
As chapters review the truths about the British political economy of the 1800s and consider the evolution of tea markets around the world and in America in particular, they reveal how a luxury item becomes established and promoted, and how it can create new issues among political and economic circles alike.
The result is a discussion that may hold its roots in American history, but which branches out into world economic and political insights to make for a perfect pick for any collection interested in global connections and product evolution.
Biography and Autobiography
The
Road to Transition
Bree Record
Page Publishing, Inc.
9781684092390 $12.95
http://a.co/9tQYGr8
A growing number of books about the process of transitioning (the physical and mental process of changing genders) are appearing on bookshelves, but Bree Record's story of her experiences represents a difference in that it's recorded as an in-the-moment chronicle of her evolution from female to male and then back again, so offers both more immediate detail and back/forth movements than most linear transition stories.
The notable difference lies in the fact that The Road to Transition is not a polished piece, but an actual journal of the days prior to the author's gender reassignment surgery, and has not been re-written or edited after the fact. The advantage is a more distinct feel for changes of voice and perspective as she moves from and between genders, offering a raw immediacy that an edited piece would not be able to duplicate.
The
disadvantage is that readers should expect not only changes in tone and
approach but a smattering of grammatical inconsistencies throughout ("That is how distinctive my two
personalities had
developed.") that might have been fodder for
correction under a
sterner editorial hand. In foregoing consistency for the sake of better
describing these personality changes, Bree Record succeeds in capturing
an
unrefined, raw set of experiences that emphasize the transition process
not
only between genders, but in accompanying personality, as well: " The person that penned chapter 1
is not the same
person who wrote the postscript. The change that occurred over the
forty days
is palpable and walks through the pages of this book."
Because this journal documents her journey and not just the
destination,
readers receive passages that emphasize change, confusion, and moves
towards
personal resolution. The inclusion of therapist and friend Paige's
input and
impressions is an invaluable part of Bree's process and lends an
authoritative
professional and outsider's insights into many of her steps.
From why the upcoming surgery holds such power to an inspection of body image and its driving force in Bree's life, this journal goes where few other transition stories dare to traverse, offering often-poetic language to describe the circumstances of evolving gender awareness and changing body perception, employing precise, evocative language: "I know it seems like I obsess about my body. I can only describe it as being like the car windshield being hit by the cruel rock of life. The break starts as a large pit, and the damage radiates out from there. My body is that pit, and the spiderwebbing damage stretches far in all directions. I cannot replace the windshield, and I fear that the break is too great to be repaired. I was given a gift that allowed me to walk where others could not. Yet that same gift has set me apart, making me a spectator in life and not an active participant. Life is dynamic, and me, well, I strive to be dynamic."
After a while, any disparities experienced with her language fall away in favor of a riveting personal story that is hard to put down.
It's a shame that the most likely readers of The Road to Transition will be those who themselves are either gender fluid, questioning, or embarking on a similar path. Anyone with any interest in gender issues or the transsexual transition process needs to understand the nature of a dream that refuses to be denied, the battles involved between past and future and family and friends, and why surgery is often the only route that can truly bring together disparate body and soul connections: "No wonder I have no sense of self. This is why the surgery is so important for me. For the first time in my life, I will have some sense of self."
In opening her journal and heart to strangers, Bree Record has taken the greatest leap of all and created a road not just to transition, but greater understanding in a book highly recommended for a wide audience, from readers of health and psychology to those interested in gender issues.
Audiobooks
Highbridge
Audio
www.highbridgeaudio.com
Five new unabridged audios are well-done combinations of powerful writing and effective narrators, especially recommended for library lending, as they come in durable cases and present solid writers and readers.
Mark Billingham's Rush of Blood (9781681684130, $39.99) comes from an internationally-bestselling author who offers a thriller revolving around three British couples who become friends on a Florida holiday, only to find their newfound relationship affected by the murder of an American teen.
When they return home, their friendship continues - but as they get to know each other better, issues emerge which eventually teeter on a dangerous truth which will affect them all. Think 'murder mystery' but with an added dose of British flavor, friendship, and the evolution of a process nobody can stop, all spiced by Toby Longworth's evocative voice.
Billingham fans will also relish Die of Shame (9781681681665, $39.99), which is narrated by the author himself, who gives a gripping and authentic voice to his story of six British folk who meet to talk about shame and their shared history of addiction, only to discover that murder takes the upper hand during the narrative.
Detective Nicola respects the professional mandate towards privacy - but how can she overcome its obstacles to solve a deadly crime? A satisfyingly complex story evolves which comes to life in audio.
Jonathan Moore's The Dark Room (9781681684550, $34.99) receives veteran narrator David Colacci's smooth voice and style as it tells of a SFPD homicide inspector who discovers that San Francisco's mayor is being blackmailed, a fact which interrupts his latest probe.
As Gavin Cain investigates, he uncovers a dark story that involves the Mayor, politics, and a blackmailer who has way too much knowledge about his subject.
The entire production is strengthened in audio, which is highly recommended for readers looking for complex, compelling investigative mysteries containing a healthy dose of politics.
Emma Richler's Be My Wolff (9781681664598, $49.99) is narrated by Lucy Rayner, whose voice lends power to the complex and engrossing story of a girl born to a Russian family living in London and a boy who is her parents' adopted son. The siblings were close, as children, but now they have become something more - and trouble looms.
What defines family and lovers, how boundaries are created and what happens when they are crossed, and a dark saga of ancestry and intersections of past and present worlds makes for an engrossing listen that's hard to put down.
Andreas Weigend's Data for the People: How to Make Our Post-Privacy Economy Work for You (9781681680101, $29.99) is narrated by Barry Abrams, who lends a smooth and quiet dramatic edge to this story of data accumulation, usage, dissemination, and privacy. The author is an advisor to many big companies and here proposes six basic data 'rights' that are key to corporate and individual decision-making processes.
All these powerful audio productions are highly recommended.
Young Adult/Teen Reads
Candlewick
Press Sam
Zuppardi's Things
to Do With Dad
(9780763681463, $16.99) presents a fun playtime with Dad and how one
boy
imagines an adventure-filled day instead of the chores he's slated to
do with
his father. How
can 'Make the Beds' turn into 'Sail a Pirate Ship' and 'Hang Out the
Laundry'
evolve to 'Join the Circus'? With the help of a green crayon and fun
imagination, Dad's to-do list just expanded. The
whimsical cartoon illustrations are fun, but the strength of this story
lies in
how an imaginative personality transforms the everyday and mundane into
something extraordinary. Danna
Smith's The
Hawk of the Castle: A Story of
Medieval Falconry (9780763679927, $16.99) is
illustrated by Bagram
Ibatoulline and tells of a young girl and her father, the falconer at a
medieval castle, who take a goshawk out for training. Good
reading skills or parental read-aloud assistance will lend to the story
of the
basics of falconry and the equipment and techniques involved. While
the medieval castle is exciting and nicely drawn, it's the falconry
details and
in-depth descriptions which make this picture book treatment an
exceptional
coverage.
www.candlewick.com
Chester
Raccoon and the Almost Perfect Sleepover Chester
Raccoon and the Almost Perfect Sleepover
is illustrated by Barbara L. Gibson and tells of a young raccoon
excited about
going to his first sleepover at Pepper Opossum's house. At
first everything goes well, with fun and games; but when it's time to
settle
down for bed, poor Chester struggles to go to sleep in unfamiliar
surroundings. Many
kids will relate to this fun, animal-based, colorful story of Chester's
efforts
to adjust to surroundings that aren't anything like home.
Audrey Penn
Tanglewood
9781939100115
$16.95
www.tanglewoodbooks.com
Jake
the Fake Keeps It Real Jake
the Fake Keeps It Real benefits
from
black and white illustrations by Keith Knight and offers the first book
in a
hilarious series for middle-grade readers age 8-12. Some
160 drawings accompany the story of a boy who can barely play an
instrument and
has no art talent; yet somehow faked his way into the Music and Art
Academy for
the gifted. Now
the clever trickster will have to come up with a game plan to either
prove his
innate talents or handle the confusion and despair which seems to
permeate that
school. Hijinks,
fun, and wry observation make for a hilarious story so unexpectedly fun
that
many an adult won't want to miss it.
Craig Robinson and Adam Mansbach
Crown Books
9780553523515
$13.99
www.randomhousekids.com
Stella
Batts: Broken Birthday Stella
Batts: Broken Birthday reviews the
birthday of a girl who is turning nine, who has big plans for a
celebration
with her best friend. Life
holds other plans, however, when Stella finds herself in the hospital
far from
her best friend and her birthday celebration ideas. How
Stella handles this major setback to her plans makes for a fine story
for ages
7-8, the 10th book in the Stella Batts series, which is also inviting
for
newcomers unfamiliar with her prior escapades. Kids who enjoy stories
of
adversity and change will relish Stella's insights and a peppering of
fun black
and white illustrations by Jennifer A. Bell.
Courtney Sheinmel
Sleeping Bear Press
9781585369218
$9.99
www.sleepingbearpress.com
Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt/Clarion Three
picture books offer whimsical characters, unusual themes, and
adventures
suitable both for independent young picture book readers and parents
looking
for read-alouds. Elizabeth
Honey's Hop
Up! Wriggle Over!
(9780544790841, $16.99) follows nine baby animals through a day of
adventure as
they participate in family activities both noisy and
hilarious. The
color drawings are particularly engaging and notable as the animals
bang on
dinner table plates, devour a picnic lunch, play on swings and slides,
and
brush their teeth for bedtime. No special message, here: just a light
survey of
a fun day's adventures. Helen
Lester's Boris
and the Worrisome Wakies
(9780544640948, $16.99) enjoys warm and fun animal drawings by Lynn
Munsinger
which bring to life the worries of a young badger who spends so much
time
fretting during the night that he's exhausted by daytime's
arrival. Good
reading skills or parental read-aloud assistance will lend to the
enjoyment of
this story of a badger who begins to miss out on life because he's
sleeping too
much during the day. What
do science experiments, cupcakes, and field-day medals have in common?
They are
all events Boris has missed. What's a badger to do? Andria
Rosenbaum's Trains
Don't Sleep
(9780544380745, $16.99) is illustrated by Deirdre Gill and offers a
rhythmic,
fun text that speeds through its pages like a train as it celebrates
the locomotive
and provides a gentle bedtime story in the process. A
fun rhyme accompanies descriptions of canyons, trestles, mountains and
countryside journeys to make for a sweeping, fun saga about a special
train's
passage. Young
train enthusiasts will find Trains Don't
Sleep to be a compelling, lively story.
www.hmhco.com
Penguin/Putnam/Dial In Fenway and Hattie and the Evil
Bunny Gang
by Victoria J. Coe (9781101996331, $16.99), Fenway is hot on the trail
of evil
bunnies who invade his Dog Park, and his methods involve digging holes
that
Hattie must fill. On Fenway's side, he wonders if Hattie is perhaps in
collusion with the bad bunnies, because she keeps thwarting his
efforts. When
she brings home a captive rabbit in a cage, he's relieved - until he
realizes a
terrible truth. This
sequel to Fenway
and Hattie
provides middle grade readers with a warm, fuzzy story of animals at
odds with
one another, and requires no priority familiarity with Fenway and
Hattie's relationship
in order to prove satisfyingly fun. Julia
Donaldson and Helen Oxenbury's The Giant
Jumperee (9780735227972, $17.99) tells of
Rabbit, who is hopping
home one day when a mysterious, loud voice announces the newfound
presence of
the terrifying, giant Jumperee. But,
what is a Jumperee? Rabbit asks his friends to help him, but none of
them know
what creature they are facing in Rabbit's burrow. A
fun story of various animal friends who are powerless against an unseen
invader
makes for an engrossing, simple tale using large pictures and words
which
parents will consider fun for both read-aloud and independent
reading. Rebecca
Van Slyke's Lexie
the Word Wrangler
(9780399169571, $17.99) is illustrated by Jessie Hartland, whose fun
drawings
lend vivid excitement to a different kind of Western picture book saga
which
tells of a female "word wrangler" who watches over baby letters until
they become words, hitching them together for maximum effect. When
letters go missing and words change, Lexi knows she's facing a clever
word
rustler indeed. Wordplay and fun permeate a clever story recommended
for a wide
age range - even adult read-aloud participants. Mylisaw
Larsen's If I
Were a Kangaroo: A Bedtime
Tale (9780451469588, $17.99) features fun
drawings by Anna Raff as
it tells of the bedtime rituals of various animal parents tasked with
trying to
put their young charges to sleep. From
squirrels to kangaroos and giraffes, readers receive a fun story
perfect for
bedtime read-aloud as these animals consider how they'd put their young
charges
to bed. Picture
book readers are in for a treat with any of these excellent blends of
attractive stories and drawings.
www.penguin.com