October 2019 Prime Picks
The Arts
American
Comic Book
Chronicles: The 1940s
Kurt F. Mitchell with
Roy Thomas
TwoMorrows Publishing
9781605490892
$44.95
www.twomorrows.com
American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1940s
continues the series
survey of the comic book world with another full-color hardcover
documenting
the 1940s comic book era.
A range of
contributors
consider this decade to be the "Golden Age" of the industry, with its
remarkable artists and creations and the surrounding culture which was
both
influenced by and shaped these young comic creators.
From Archie
comics
for teen readers to the evolution of different genres and professional
studios that
produced ground-breaking comic book adventures, The
1940s is key to not only understanding the prior books in the
series, but to discerning the trends and influences of comic books as a
whole.
This is why American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1940s belongs
in popular culture, sociology, and arts collections alike.
Magic Journey
Kevin P. Rafferty
Disney
9781368020480
$24.99
www.disney.com
Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney
Imagineering Career
follows the career and insights of a Disney artist who took on a range
of roles
at Disneyland, embarking on his own magical journey from there to
Disney's
Imagineering world. It is a 'must read' and a lively, inspirational
piece
recommended for anybody with an interest in Disney art.
Kevin
Rafferty worked
on Jim Hensen's story development, created the original concept for The
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and worked on other Disney attractions,
serving
as a creative director, artist, and writer.
This survey
of his
life and art is also a powerful examination of the works of the
Imagineering
studios, and is key to understanding the fellow workers, characters,
art, and
approaches of Imagineering, in particular.
Rafferty's
review of
the energetic personalities, inventions, and approaches of Imagineering
will attract
anyone with even a casual interest in Disney productions, and is
written in a
manner that combines insights on personalities with considerations of
the evolution
and influences of Disney's art.
Thames
& Hudson
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
Two
excellent art
books are top recommendations for libraries interested in solid
research and art
volumes promising lasting lending value.
Giulia
Bartrum edits Edvard Munch; Love and Angst
(978050049-465, $49.95), which goes beyond the usual survey of Munch's
art to
consider how his works reflected his emotional makeup.
Chapters
demonstrate
how Munch developed a unique style of printmaking that represented a
radical
departure from the usual landscapes and portraits of his times. He
injected
emotions and mood into his art through a unique jigsaw technique that
produced
variations of color and tone in his woodcut creations.
Unlike
collections
that focus on technique alone, Edvard
Munch; Love and Angst considers the translation of emotion
into an art
form, gathering anecdotes, life experiences, and controversies
surrounding his
work and approach under one cover.
Munch
students will
find many new insights in this important piece, published to coincide
with a
2019 exhibition at The British Museum.
Robert
Phillips's Futurekind: Design by and for the
People
(9780500519790, $50.00) promotes the idea that innovative, socially and
environmentally considerate products can come from anyone, not just
artists and
designers. By crowdsourcing digital applications, the role of daily
life
improvements thus is taken out of the realm of experts and into the
hands of
everyday people.
Since so
many
artistic books on design hold the premise that innovations lie solely
in the
realm of professionals, this represents a powerful blend of how-to
manual and
purposeful admonitions to all readers. Some 60 projects represent and
reinforce
the idea of designers coming from community needs and sources.
Robert
Phillips, a
designer who has won awards for his own creations, chooses projects
that represent
powerful examples of civic empowerment, sustainability, accessible
design, and
economic innovations.
The result
is an
inspirational art book for the people that encourages design by the people, not limited to artistic
circles.
The
Culinary Corner
The Island
Kitchen
Selina Periampillai
Bloomsbury Publishing
9781526601384
$36.00
www.bloomsbury.com
The Island Kitchen: Recipes from Mauritius and the
Indian Ocean
features gorgeous color photos by Yuki Sugiura, illustrations by Sarah
Greeno,
and island-specific recipes for 2 to 4 diners as it covers not just the
flavors
but the cultures of different islands in the Indian Ocean.
Access to
fresh fish
and an interest in spicy Indian-inspired fare are two prerequisites for
the
complete enjoyment of a cookbook that focuses on a region few others
have
included as more than a chapter in a wider-ranging cookbook. This sets The Island Kitchen apart from most
others, making it a top recommendation for ethnic cookbook collections
seeking something
different.
From a
Moldavian
Creamy Sweet Potato Soup and Tuna & Coconut Flatbreads to
Seychelles King
Prawns with Tamarind & Coconut and a Madagascar Rice Stew with
Leafy Greens
& Beef, The Island Kitchen
is the
item of choice for any cook who wishes to explore the region's flavors.
Science, Nature & Technology
The Curious
World of
Seaweed
Josie Iselin
Heyday
9781597144827
$35.00
www.heydaybooks.com
The Curious World of Seaweed is highly
recommended for any collection
strong in ocean natural history or marine life, and focuses on
different
species of marine algae in a discussion of sixteen seaweeds that live
on the
border of the Pacific Ocean and the North American continent.
Each species
receives
an overview of its natural history, its place in the overall ocean
world, and
how scientists have studied it over the decades. These discussions are
accompanied by botanical illustrations presented in up to full page
(sometimes,
even double spreads) color.
From farming
techniques
in Japan and the efforts of individual seaweed researchers to teams of
scientists who made botanical discoveries, Josie Iselin cultivates a
tone of
lively inspection. This will help The
Curious World of Seaweed reach beyond specialty audiences and
into the
realm of general-interest readers who may know relatively little about
seaweed,
but who harbor an interest in oceans and ecological systems.
Will My Cat
Eat My
Eyeballs?
Caitlin Doughty
W.W. Norton
9780393652703
$25.95
www.wwnorton.com
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from
Tiny Mortals about
Death comes from a mortician and funeral director whose web
series
"Ask a Mortician" receives many hits and much interest, especially
from kids.
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? gathers
some thirty-five of the most
fun questions Caitlin Doughty received from her website, using them to
impart
basic information about what happens to both humans and animals after
death.
An odd,
sometimes
macabre sense of humor provides an unexpected atmosphere that makes Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? accessible
to a wider audience than science-oriented readers, making this a fun
recommendation for trivia fans and science-oriented readers alike.
Reviewer's Choice
Astounding
Alec Nevala-Lee
Dey Street
9780062571953
$18.99
www.harpercollins.com
Astounding should be on the reading lists
of anyone passionate
about science fiction literature and its evolving history. It's a close
inspection of sci-fi's 'golden age', an era powered by works by Asimov,
Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and others.
Even sci-fi
buffs
thoroughly immersed in the genre's progress will likely know relatively
little
about the interactions between
these
authors, which places Astounding a
big step above discussions which revolve around writings rather than
relationships.
The
political scraps,
social interactions, and literary contentions and controversies
surrounding
many of these big-name writers come to light in a vivid survey that
includes
not just coverage of these interactions, but insights into the overall
literary
impact of these relationships.
No sci-fi
buff with
more than a casual interest in the genre's evolution and influences
should be
without Astounding, which is
thoroughly engrossing, lively, and hard to put down.
Falcon Guides
www.falcon.com
Two new
California
guides are top recommendations for California residents and outdoors
adventurers looking for solid references.
Kayakers and
canoers
will find Charlie Pike's Paddling
Northern California: A Guide to the Region's Greatest Paddling
Adventures
(9781493043583, $24.95) a fine survey of some 70 paddle routes for
different
abilities, from placid waters to whitewater.
Organized by
the
state's different regions from coast to mountains and inland areas, the
guide
includes both well-known areas such as the San Francisco Bay to the
unique San
Joaquin and Sacramento delta areas, reviewing the paddles that may be
taken
from each locale.
Each trip
receives
put-in and takeout information, color photos, maps, overviews, and
sidebars of
description that leave nothing to wonder, making for an essential
paddle
planner's take-along tote.
Christopher
Nyerges' Foraging California: Finding, Identifying, and preparing Edible
Wild Foods in California (9781493040896, $22.95) should be in
the reference
libraries of any California collection and in the hands of any resident
interested in foraging for wild foods.
It provides
details
on species from herbs to trees, includes notes about identifying,
collecting,
preparing, and cooking with wild foods, and includes good-quality color
photos
for every plant, making it a snap to use, even for novices who have
never
foraged before.
These are
two solid
references promising lasting value, and should not be overlooked by
anyone
interested in California's outdoors opportunities.
The Price We
Pay
Marty Makary, MD
Bloomsbury Publishing
9781635574111
$28.00
www.bloomsbury.com
The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care -
And How to Fix It
is an exploration of the financial side of providing medicine to
Americans. It
comes from one of the nation's leading health care experts who not only
conducted research and relates his own experiences, but traveled across
America
gathering stories from all sides of the issue, from patients to
physicians,
middle-men, insurers, and politicians.
He examines
where
health care spending goes; breaks down everything from the cost and
processes
of air ambulances to issues of global public health; and documents
innovations
in both medical care and physician delivery systems that offer
promising hope to
systems and individuals alike. He also issues a challenge to the
medical
establishment that advocates not only fixing broken health care
systems, but
providing better care.
These
lively,
innovative, wide-ranging discussions make The
Price We Pay a 'must' acquisition not only for health care
libraries, but for
collections strong in social and political discussion.
Young Adult/Children
Candlewick
Press
www.candlewick.com
These new
books for
young readers are highly recommended picks for their blends of standout
illustrations and appealing, fun stories.
The board
book Kiss Good Night by Amy Hest
(9781536206756,
$9.99) is a gentle bedtime story about Mrs. Bear, who is putting Sam to
bed.
But Sam feels he must wait before he can go to sleep. What's he waiting
for?
Exceptionally
lovely
drawings by Anita Jeram enhance a story parents will want to read aloud
to the
very young, about a stormy night, a waiting bear, and a mother who must
guess
why her young charge just can't go to sleep.
Meg
McKinlay's Duck! (9781536204223,
$15.99) tells of
Duck, who can only say one word. Nathan Eckstrom's fun drawings enhance
the
tale of a duck who tries to save the day, but doesn't adequately get
his point
across to his fellow barnyard friends, who all think he's got animal
identification
issues.
A fun story
of a
little duck's frustration with language evolves in a fine tale for
either
read-aloud or kids with rudimentary reading skills.
Lou
Peacock's Lionel and the Lion's Share
(9781536205923, $16.99) receives vivid drawings by Lisa Sheehan as it
tells of a
selfish lion who doesn't like to share, and who thinks lions should
automatically
get the 'lion's share' of everything.
And so
Lionel scoops
up everything around him, leaving nothing for others, until a birthday
party
disaster teaches him a lesson about friendship and greed.
The drawings
are fine
compliments to an enlightening, fun story.
Joowon Oh's Our Favorite Day (9781536203578, $16.99)
celebrates grandparents and their relationships with grandchildren in a
tale
that features fine watercolor and cut-paper illustrations, one-line
descriptions that capture a grandfather's habits, and a gentle focus on
generations interacting with one another in a loving manner.
Parents
seeking
stories of grandparents and family relationships will find Our Favorite Day an appealing and fine,
simple celebration of both.
Chris
Raschka's Mother Goose of Pudding Lane: A
Small Tall
Tale (9780763675233, $17.99) features unique drawings by
Vladimir Radunsky
as it explores the concept of Mother Goose and her various personas and
images.
Is Mother
Goose
really Elizabeth Foster, who lived on Pudding Lane? The biography moves
on to
consider various facets of her life, love, and creations.
Lou
Peacock's Nuts! (9781536208245,
$15.99) is
illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail and tells of a squirrel who just loves
nuts. He's
in heaven collecting them, until he comes across another possessive
squirrel who
claims to own all the nuts.
What are two
feuding
squirrels to do?
Young
readers just
beginning to enjoy picture books will find this very simple tale fresh,
appealing, and unique.
Jan
Fearnley's Little Robin's Christmas
(9781536208252,
$16.99) tells of Little Robin, who leaves his nest to give away one of
his
seven vests each day on the week before Christmas.
Unfortunately,
on
Christmas Eve, he's left himself cold and vestless. Can a magical man
in red
give him the perfect gift to reward his thoughtful attitude towards
others?
Parents will
enjoy
this special read-aloud holiday title for the very young, with its a
gentle
lesson about giving and its rewards.
Count On Me
Miguel Tanco
Tundra
9780735265752
$17.99
www.penguinrandomhouse.ca
Count On Me is a tribute to female
abilities and different ways of
viewing the world and tells of a little girl who integrates math with
the arts
as she develops a different representation of the world's beauty.
As this
picture book
integrates math concepts with visual art, youngsters receive a fine
discussion
of different passions and talents, the wealth of activities and hobbies
that
interest the young protagonist, and how and why she really likes math.
Parents
looking to
teach young girls about math's attractions will find this simple
celebration makes
for the perfect introduction.
Houghton
Mifflin
Harcourt
www.hmhbooks.com
Four new
titles are
highly recommended reads that deserve a spot on any leisure reader's
list. Two
are picture books and two will appeal to teen audiences.
Miranda
Paul's Little Libraries Big Heroes
(9780544800274, $17.99) is illustrated with fun drawings by John Parra
and
tells of Todd and his friends, who love heroes. Todd feels like a
failure in
school and is about as far from a hero as one could get. He struggles
to read,
and apparently he asks too many questions.
The story of
the
Little Free Library movement is one of its founder, Todd Bol, but here
reads
like fiction as it follows the good that stems from Todd's struggles
and
determination. The language, presented in oversized and varying type
and
supplemented with fun drawings, assumes a cartoon-style dramatic
presentation
that kids will find appealing.
Tinas Kügler's
Snail & Worm: Three Stories About Two
Friends (9780358063643, $16.99) affords three funny stories
filled with
jokes as they explore Snail and Worm's very different perspectives of
what makes
for a good or a bad day.
Each story
concludes
with a surprise, and each excels in amusing tales of challenge as it
reviews
thoughts about bad days, safety, and bedtime stories.
Karina Yan
Glaser's The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue
(9781328577573,
$16.99) will appeal to teens with the story of a large biracial family
living
in Harlem.
The kids are
excited about
spring break and have activities planned, but when their plots result
in a
threat to their mother's baking business, they must rethink their
priorities
and efforts.
A fun family
story of
adversity and love evolves, filled with adventure.
Mary Downing
Hahn's Guest: A Changeling Tale
(9780358067313,
$16.99) tells of Mollie, who goes against her better judgment when she
praises
baby Thomas and attracts the attention of the Kinde Folke, who snatch
him and
replace him with a changeling child she calls Guest to reinforce the
fact that
he's not really theirs.
Mollie needs
to make
things right and locate her brother so she can exchange Guest, but her
journey
is arduous, and she hasn't factored in the desires of the Kinde Folke.
A powerful
story of
kidnapping and redemption will attract middle to high school readers
with an
engrossing story steeped in supernatural lore and fairy tales.
How to Light
Your
Dragon
Didier Lévy
and Fred Benaglia
Thames & Hudson
9780500651971
$17.95
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
How to Light Your Dragon is recommended
for ages 4 and older and
provides an entertaining picture book story of a pet dragon whose fire
goes
out.
As a variety
of
tactics are employed to help the dragon relight, readers are treated to
a
wonderfully amusing tale that features large-size words, zany
situations, and
an underlying message about the value of love and acceptance.
Kids will
find How to Light Your Dragon
filled with
words, but presented in a lively way that encourages reading and
laughter.
Peachtree
Publishing
Company
www.peachtree-online.com
Three new
picture
books from Peachtree Publishing provide appealing, entertaining stories
for
various age groups and are recommended as lasting acquisitions that
promise attraction
and appreciation from read-aloud parents and young leisure readers
alike.
Melissa
Stewart's Under the Snow
(9781682631256, $7.95) is
illustrated by Constance R. Bergum, who provides simply lovely drawings
of
snakes, voles, and other creatures who survive under snow's cover in
the dead
of winter.
One
outstanding
feature of this simple survey is that it covers survival in different
ecosystems, from ponds and wetlands to forests and fields. This
expanded
subject allows kids to understand how different creatures survive the
effects
of winter in different areas.
The
beautiful,
realistic drawings are outstanding attractions in an easy reader that
young
animal lovers will relish.
Kate Read's One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller
(9781682631317, $16.95) will reach ages 2-6 with a different kind of
counting
story that especially lends to read-aloud interest.
It packs
educational
attributes with humor and suspense, using large-size illustrations that
blends
collage, drawing and printing into the tale of a fox whose "2 sly
eyes" are set on "3 plump hens", and who makes his move on
"4 padding paws." A beautiful, whimsical story evolves.
William
Bee's Stanley's Train
(9781682631089, $14.95)
is recommended for ages 3-7 and adds to the Stanley series with an
exploration
of a train driver's special trip.
Hamster
friends
Little Woo, Sophie, and Benjamin take turns helping the train run—but
where are
they going?
This story
is
especially recommended for kids who enjoy transportation, machines, and
travel adventures.
All are
highly
recommended picks!
Simon and
Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com/kids
These new
titles
reach different ages with books that blend intriguing subjects with
different, innovative
illustrators.
Parents
seeking books
for at-home preschooler reading will relish Matthew Van Fleet's Oscar the Octopus: A Book About the Months
of the Year (9781534452374, $17.99), which features textured
pages, open-up
folding surprises, and a whimsical guide that teaches kids about the
months of
the year while hiding its tactile surprises under Oscar the Octopus'
tentacles.
It's a fun story that read-aloud parents will enjoy.
Two board
books are
also fine recommendations for pre-readers and the very young, offering
durable
formats for small hands and pairing these with interesting premises.
Salina
Yoon's Halloween Kitty
(9781534443426, $7.99)
is a fun 'wag my tail' book that contains a clever textured moving
'tail'
controlled with a side flap. The engaging feature of the fun kitty who
only
wants to play with creatures that prove too different from her makes
for a
creative story.
Lita Judge's
Flight School (9781534446812, $7.99)
tells of a landlubber penguin who is determined to fly. Flight School
seems
like the obvious choice for her to further her efforts, but can it
overcome
physical limitations that would seem to keep her land-bound?
Beautiful,
bright
illustrations accompany a story perfect for parental read-alouds.
Jane Yolen's
School of Fish (9781534438897,
$17.99)
is a Level One reader that pairs fine drawings by Mike Moran with the
whimsical
story of a sleek fish ready for his first encounter with school. The
large-size
print and two-line simple rhymes lend a bouncy, rollicking rhythm to
this
appealing story of the brave fish's new adventure.
Jessie
Sima's Spencer's New Pet
(9781534418776, $17.99)
reaches ages 4-8 with the story of a boy's new pet. Spencer imagines
all the
fun he'll have interacting with his new friend...but there is one
limitation
that affects everything.
As Spencer
struggles
with his pet's special needs, readers receive a pleasurable story of
friendship's challenges and demands.
Muon Thi Văn
and Hyewon Yum's Clever Little Witch
(9781481481717, $17.99) tells of an exceptionally clever little witch
who has almost
everything a witch needs to be successful—except for one important
thing.
Little Linh
has an
albatross that inhibits her abilities, and it's up to her to come up
with
something clever enough to overcome this one barrier to leading a
successful
life.
A delightful
story of
magic, innovation, and acceptance emerges to engage young picture book
readers
who might face their own obstacles to achievement.
Julie
Fogliano and
Loren Long's If I Was the Sunshine
(9781481472432, $17.99) uses lilting verse combined with beautiful art
to
explore love and connections between nature and creatures.
It's an
ethereal,
evocative survey that offers quirky plays on words and feelings, and
will best
be digested with parental read-aloud assistance.
Teen readers
who
choose Alexander Yates's How We Became
Wicked (9781481419840, $18.99) will find this story an
appealingly
different form of dystopian fiction. A plague called The Wickedness
divides the
population into three camps: the infected Wicked that control the
world; The
True, who live in isolation; and The Vexed, who survived the infection,
are
immune, and who represent a cure.
Three teens
suspect
that these forces aren't as clear-cut as they seem, and set out to
question the
real roots of wickedness in a world where opposing camps are not as cut
and
dried as they seem.
All are
excellent
choices promising lasting value for different readers and ages.
Sleeping
Bear Press
www.sleepingbearpress.com
Six new
picture books
are top recommendations for young leisure readers and parents seeking
winning
combinations of story and illustration.
Erin
Dealey's Snow Globe Wishes
(9781534110311,
$18.99) tells of a snowstorm, a power outage, and how communities join
together
to both help its members and celebrate the snowy day.
Claire
Shorrock provides
the fun drawings that illustrate the concepts of slowing down to make
way for
winter.
Meeg Pincus
provides
a different picture book version of the Anne Frank story with Miep and the Most Famous Diary: The Woman
Who Rescued Anne Frank's Diary (9781534110250, $17.99).
Jordi
Solano's
realistic drawings compliment a story that requires good reading skills
from
ages 6-10, but brings to life the sights, sounds, and politics of Anne
Frank's
era. This focus on the woman who sheltered Anne and her family for
years and
saved her diary for posterity is a story that has received little focus
until
now; especially among the picture book reading crowd.
Invisible Lizard
in Love
by Kurt Cyrus (9781534110151, $16.99) receives colorful, fun drawings
by Andy
Atkins and will reach ages 4-8 with its return of Napoleon the
chameleon, the
prettiest lizard in the jungle, who has many friends.
When his
friends
begin to fall in love, Napoleon realizes he's missing something in his
lizard
world, and becomes lonely. And when he finally meets a girl, the
encounter
doesn't feel positive. Can he redeem his good name and have a positive
relationship
with an impossible chameleon in the process?
Marty
Kelley's Experiment #256
(9781534110137, $16.99)
tells of Ian, who loves science experiments so much that he has
hundreds of
them to his name. His latest is even more exciting: making a jet pack
for his
dog.
Ambitions
confront
reality in a story for ages 4-8 which explores the dilemma of Ian, who
tries to
keep up with his dog Wilbur, only to make too many mistakes. This STEM
title
helps aspiring young scientists realize the learning value in making
mistakes,
and is an excellent addition to collections looking for 'maker' stories
about
experimenting.
Denise
Brennan-Nelson's Santa's Secret
(9781534110380, $16.99) is illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Her
large-size,
colorful holiday drawings are excellent embellishments to this story
for ages
4-8, which blends a young detective's efforts into a holiday theme.
One little
girl notes
that there seem to be not one, but many Santas. Who is the real one,
and why
are there so many?
Like
Encyclopedia
Brown or Harriet the Spy, this younger investigator is determined to
get at the
truth of a holiday legend.
Devin
Scillian's Back Roads, Country Toads (9781534110397,
$16.99) is illustrated by Tim Bowers and provides ages 4-8 with the
tale of two
country toads who overhear some fishermen speak about fly fishing. Not
fully
understanding the concept, they become overly excited about the idea,
imaging a
smorgasbord of delicious possibilities.
As the toads
explore
their dreams, young readers receive a hilarious tale.
All are
excellent
choices that stand out from the crowd and deserve a space in any
lending
library catering to young readers.
Two
Brothers, One
Tail
Richard T. Morris
Philomel/Penguin
9781524740856
$17.99
www.penguin.com/kids
Two Brothers, One Tail features fine
drawings by Jay Fleck, who
brings to life a rhyming story about a love between a boy and his dog.
As the two
compare
their features and experiences (ten fingers, ten claws; howling and
singing;
playing all day), kids receive an engaging story of two different
creatures who
celebrate life with one another, accepting their differences.
The
rollicking rhyme
and enthusiastic, happy countenance of the characters contribute to a
fine story
indeed.
The Very
Impatient
Caterpillar
Ross Burach
Scholastic, Inc.
9781338289411
$17.99
www.scholastic.com
The Very Impatient Caterpillar is about a
caterpillar who just
can't wait for the finer things in life—such as metamorphosizing into a
butterfly.
The only
problem is
that he has no idea how to force this to happen.
As those
around him
seem to effortlessly build a chrysalis and change, the caterpillar
learns he
has to be patient. But, how can he, when everything around him is
transforming?
A fine story
of
transformation and patience emerges, especially recommended reading for
kids
who just can't wait for things to happen...but, who must!