The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books最新文献

{"title":"Skating Wild on an Inland Sea by Jean E. Pendziwol (review)","authors":"Danica Ronquillo","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907095","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Skating Wild on an Inland Sea by Jean E. Pendziwol Danica Ronquillo Pendziwol, Jean E. Skating Wild on an Inland Sea; illus. by Todd Stewart. Groundwood, 2023 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781773067049 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781773067056 $16.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* 4-7 yrs Lake Superior sings its morning winter song as two children prepare to head out into the cold, dressing up in their winter clothes, picking up their ice skates, and stepping outside to take in the view of the frozen lake breathing: \"Sea smoke rises, hovers above the surface, tumbling and turning—a fortress of fog.\" While walking [End Page 66] down the trails together, their eyes trace the animal tracks on the snow-covered shore, from foxes and hares to deer, and a pair of ravens perch on top of a tree as the children lace their skates and slide across the wild ice. Pendziwol's lyrical prose hums harmoniously with Stewart's textured landscape screen printing, immersing readers into a wintry wonderland of a reading experience. The colors of blue and orange shimmer over the lake and cast intricate shadows of the wilderness, and the hues gradually shift to gold and white throughout the book to depict the passing of time as the children traverse the wilderness. A variety of thin and thick linework adds texture to the bare trees and depth to the cracks and skating strokes on the ice, while figurative language and the use of aerial and vanishing perspectives portray the beauty of the vast inland sea, which \"hums a haunted melody, / the song of water / held captive by winter, / mysterious magical music / as old as the earth.\" This breathtaking picture book will capture the beating hearts of explorers and ice skaters with a wondrous surprise at the end. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"46 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135275155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Letter for Bob by Kim Rogers (review)","authors":"Natalie Berglind","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907098","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: A Letter for Bob by Kim Rogers Natalie Berglind Rogers, Kim A Letter for Bob; illus. by Jonathan Nelson. Heartdrum/Harper-Collins, 2023 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063044555 $19.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs \"Dear Bob,\" begins our young Indigenous narrator as they address a letter to the family car. They regale the white sedan's history, starting with its purchase when the narrator is just a baby, and then onto its family road trips with dance regalia stored in its trunk and the day-to-day shlepping of the kids for their sport events and the Oklahoma State Fair. After listing off the many memories shared with Bob (with a few apologies for various pizza- and post-powwow vomit-related stains), the narrator reveals the reason for their nostalgia—today is the day the family trades Bob in for a new car to accommodate the space needed for the new baby in their life. With a sentimentality often reserved for picture books about stuffed animals, Rogers deftly conveys the bittersweet but necessary parting with something that has been a staple of a kid's entire life. Vibrant digital art features characters with oversized heads and huge, welcoming smiles that beam with joy, while warms tones and pastoral scenes provide a gentle sense of comfort and safety. Give this to a kid who has a strong attachment to the family car so they can appreciate the many experiences shared with it. An author's note about Roger's childhood car is included, as well as a glossary with Native words used in the text and a list of current tribal locations of the Wichita and Cherokee people. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Butterfly Wings: A Hopeful Story About Climate Anxiety by Samuel Larochelle (review)","authors":"","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907085","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Butterfly Wings: A Hopeful Story About Climate Anxiety by Samuel Larochelle Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Larochelle, Samuel Butterfly Wings: A Hopeful Story About Climate Anxiety; illus. by Eve Patenaude; tr. from the French by Arielle Aaronson. Greystone, 2023 [104p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781778400827 $19.95 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 3-6 Florent is a happy, if a bit sensitive, kiddo, content to play with friends and bask in his mothers' unconditional love. One night, however, he overhears them discussing the possibility of having another child and wondering if it's fair to bring a life into a world that is quite literally on fire with a climate crisis. Like plenty of ten-year-olds, Florent doesn't quite grasp the nuance of the situation, believing his moms would rather have not had him and that he himself is a burden on the environment. Plagued by nightmares of a dying world and unwilling to worry his parents with his fears, he simply stops talking and retreats to his room. Eventually, however, his anxieties overwhelm him, and he tells his moms, who, for their part, offer a reassuring optimism rather than blind hope. The book strikes the tricky balance of acknowledging the reality of the climate crisis without falling into the despair it can certainly engender, and Florent's moms' grief for the safe world they had imagined for him is met by a sturdy determination that all is not lost. Descriptions of Florent's pain and sadness are visceral and urgent, made even more so by Patenaude's memorably symbolic art, as Florent is crushed by a deer with fiery antlers or choked by a burning tree. Thin linework and light, cloudy textures imbue scenes with a hazy dreaminess that captures the surreal, lonely experience of feeling helpless in the face of tragedy. There are no pat answers here, but the ending buoys the story with the possibilities of a radically different future that is perhaps not as grim as Florent—and others—fear it will be. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"46 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pepita Meets Bebita by Ruth Behar (review)","authors":"Amanda Toledo","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907061","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Pepita Meets Bebita by Ruth Behar Amanda Toledo Behar, Ruth Pepita Meets Bebita; written by Ruth Behar and Gabriel Frye-Behar; illus. by Maribel Lechuga. Knopf, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593566985 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593567005 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 2-5 yrs Pepita, a small and peppy schnauzer-appearing dog, is the beloved \"bebita\" (baby) of the household, so she is used to getting all the treats from Abuelo and Abuela and all the \"cariño\" (affection) from Mami and Papi. She's therefore quite perplexed at the mention of some other bebita as her mom's belly grows and gifts of a handmade quilt and tiny clothing appear. Once the new bebita comes home, Pepita is cautiously [End Page 49] curious, still feeling unnoticed despite taking on tasks of watching over the bebita all night and fetching little hats gleefully tossed from strollers. Pepita's grand opportunity arises when she's gifted a brand new, fluffy doggy bed, and though it's perfect for luxuriating in, she offers her bed to the squalling new baby, an act that magically calms the bebita's tears. Lechuga's digital illustrations offer a soothing overall energy; sponge-like textures, along with soft earth tones and pastels, give the story a homey feeling. All the family members have a warmth in both their interactions and facial expressions, and the beleaguered Pepita has expressive eyebrows, cuing viewers to her curiosity, irritation, affection, and chagrin. Even the endpapers offer a chance at discussion, as the framed family photos change with the story's conclusion. Pepita makes an excellent (and adorable) stand-in for new big siblings of the human variety, who might also be wrestling with the challenges of losing the spotlight and reveling in the reward of a sweet, new, babbling, giggling friend. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"68 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera (review)","authors":"April Spisak","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907080","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera April Spisak Higuera, Donna Barba Alebrijes; illus. by David Álvarez. Levine Querido, 2023 [416p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781646142637 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781646143382 $15.19 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 7-10 Four hundred years into a future, the Earth has been all but destroyed and humanity reduced to almost no one; thirteen-year-old Leandro has only ever known hardship as part of an oppressed group within the dystopian nightmare of this world. Legends of wyrms, monsters, and destroyed, desolate lands beyond the protective walls of Pocatel keep the Cascabel people choosing suffering and slavery inside rather than certain death outside. When Leandro's beloved younger sister cannot resist stealing a beautiful, rare strawberry that she could have never afforded, Leandro takes the blame himself, expecting banishment from Pocatel. Instead, Leandro is unexpectedly offered the chance to have his consciousness uploaded into a drone shaped like a hummingbird, with a mission to find the daughter of someone who has the power to let Leandro reunite with his sister should he succeed. Higuera brilliantly balances the heaviness of a dystopian future of a ruined Earth with her own blend of science fiction and Mexican folkloric elements once Leandro leaves his human body. Leandro is part of a centuries-long history of wanderers; he is certain that hiding behind a wall waiting to die is not a life worth living and that he can do better for his sister and his people by risking his own life to find something different. An arresting cover image and author familiarity after her multiple award wins (Lupe Wong Won't Dance, BCCB 9/20; The Last Cuentista) may be the elements that attract initial attention, but it is Leandro and his unflinching dedication to an uplifting view of humanity that will spark engagement from the first page and linger in the minds of readers well after they finish the novel. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mole is Not Alone by Maya Tatsukawa (review)","authors":"Natalie Berglind","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907108","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Mole is Not Alone by Maya Tatsukawa Natalie Berglind Tatsukawa, Maya Mole is Not Alone; written and illus. by Maya Tatsukawa. Holt, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781250869647 $18.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 3-6 yrs When introverted Mole is invited to Rabbit's Moon Harvest Party, an important decision must be made: to go, or not to go? Worries about the party consume Mole's thoughts (\"But what if I only know Rabbit?\"), but on the big day, Mole decides to attend. As the little critter moves through the tunnels with a little gift box, insecurity about how the party will go returns: \"This time I'll try even harder. Then everyone will stop telling me I'm too shy!\" Unbeknownst to Mole, an entire forest's worth of creatures head to Rabbit's party aboveground; at Rabbit's place, the party is raucous, and Skunk, holding a bouquet of flowers, waits outside, also apprehensive about entering. An outgoing Rabbit accepts their gifts when Mole shyly appears, and together Skunk and Mole are able to give their condolences for missing the party, returning to Skunk's place for a much quieter tea. Tatsukawa (Sunday Pancakes, BCCB 04/22) creates art that is as gentle as the story, with soft, [End Page 73] muted tones in greens, browns, and blacks, clean stenciled lines, and stamp-like smudgy textures. The tunnels Mole traverses are cleverly set up to function like comic book panels, and all text is in speech bubbles, making this easy for youngsters to try to read on their own. Astute viewers will catch glimpses of Skunk's nose or bouquet poking out behind trees, mirroring Mole's verbal doubts, as well as books in both of their homes that tie into their personalities. This sweet book affirms to quieter kids that they can sit out social events that seem too overwhelming. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When Ghosts Call Us Home by Katya De Becerra (review)","authors":"","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907071","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: When Ghosts Call Us Home by Katya De Becerra Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor De Becerra, Katya When Ghosts Call Us Home. Page Street, 2023 [368p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781645679639 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781645679646 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 9-12 At just twelve years old, Sophia Galich starred in her sister Layla's found footage horror movie Vermillion, which launched them—but more so Layla—to a cult-like status in the horror world and brought about an obsessive fandom. Layla always assured Sophia that she was perfectly safe, and that the film's central ghost was just [End Page 54] a very well-designed prop. But five years later, Layla has gone missing, and Sophia can't help wondering if it has something to do with Cashore House, the backdrop to their movie and the site of a decades-old tragedy. Sophia agrees to return to Cashore House with director Erasmus Sawyer, who plans to recreate the scenes from Vermillion as both a sequel and homage, and it soon becomes clear to Sophia that her sister put her in far more danger than either thought, both then and now. An expertly calibrated pace builds tension, maximizing the moody atmosphere between the nightmarish encounters with the ghost to keep readers constantly on edge. The descriptions of Cashore's ghost are visceral and specific, calling up the lanky-haired, haunting spirit from The Ring while giving her a distinct and terrifying sense of demonic agency. De Becerra (Oasis, BCCB 12/19) also explores non-supernatural scares in Sophia's lingering trauma from her childhood role and in her recognition that her sister is more complicated than the idol Sophia built her to be—memories, it turns out, can be just as tricky as restless spirits and just as haunting. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"46 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135273302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Night Fox by Ashley Wilda (review)","authors":"Amanda Toledo","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907115","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: The Night Fox by Ashley Wilda Amanda Toledo Wilda, Ashley The Night Fox. Rocky Pond/Penguin, 2023 [336p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593618929 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593618936 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 7-12 Mired in the torpidity of depression, recent high school graduate Liz is dropped off by her mother at Raeth, a nature retreat in the middle of the mountains for teens in crisis, where Gale, warden and fellow teen, explains rules that include picking a new name and going outside once a day. Determined to get home fast, Liz picks the name Eli and heads out into the mist surrounding the house, only to find herself—quite literally. Past the fog each day the landscape of Raeth magically changes: once a calm creek, once a grit-warm desert, once a cave starred by glowworms. In each outing Eli comes face to face with a version of her past and potential future selves, all with exhortations to move on from her heartbreak. Vining throughout the novel are poems from Eli's diary recounting love and breakup with a boy from school, written with the believably fevered angst of a lovelorn teenager. It quickly becomes apparent that Eli's desolation springs from the fact that the boy does not share her belief in God, and she therefore cannot see them being together in this life if they cannot have eternity together. All the components of the story work, from the fantastastical setting to the poignant scenes of Eli grappling with distressing feelings. Readers will find complexity in Eli's navigating expanding beliefs and new experiences while staying true to a world view she feels certain of, especially in how she approaches the beliefs—or non-beliefs—of romantic partners. Sparingly few curse words, no violence, and chaste romance will make this a great fit for younger and older teens looking for a comforting read with high emotional stakes and a gratifying bit of magic. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135273308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Green by Alex Gino (review)","authors":"Adam McConville","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907077","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Green by Alex Gino Adam McConville Gino, Alex Green. Scholastic, 2023 [240p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781338776140 $17.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 6-8 Green Gibson has a good life: kids at Jung Middle School accept their nonbinary identity, they have a loving, supportive dad, and they have plenty of friends in the school's Rainbow Spectrum group for LGBTQIA+ kids and straight allies. One such ally, Ronnie, is a close friend, but Green now finds themself crushing hard. It seems like Ronnie likes them back, but how can a relationship between a self-identified [End Page 57] cis het boy and a nonbinary person work? Gino returns to the students last seen in Rick (BCCB 4/20) with a slice-of-life story about first love and labels in a cisgender world. There's little driving action here, so readers' willingness to stick around will come from how much they connect with Green. Fortunately, Green's a pretty cool kid going through some relatable problems for students of any gender. In addition to the \"mindbendingly baffling\" mystery that is Ronnie and worry that Ronnie sees them as a girl, Green's also dealing with tryouts for the school play and the onset of puberty. Gino sensitively handles a scene of Green getting their first period while out shopping and the resulting gendered expectations they feel because of it; they consider puberty blockers but ultimately decide they're fine to let their body change, for now. An inclusive school production of The Wizard of Oz (featuring a Tin Queer and a radiant Melissa returning as Dorothy) acts as a backdrop to Green and Ronnie's stage crew romance, while also offering some reasonably unobtrusive diversions into queer history. It takes time for Green to accept that neither they nor Ronnie need to relabel themselves to like one another, but the pair's miscommunications resolve with an affirming promise of a happy romance to come. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"99 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135273309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Grimwood: Let the Fur Fly! by Nadia Shireen (review)","authors":"Meg Cornell","doi":"10.1353/bcc.2023.a907102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.a907102","url":null,"abstract":"Reviewed by: Grimwood: Let the Fur Fly! by Nadia Shireen Meg Cornell Shireen, Nadia Grimwood: Let the Fur Fly!; written and illus. by Nadia Shireen. Andrews McMeel, 2023 [256p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781524882297 $19.99 Paper ed. ISBN 9781524882273 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 1-3 In this chapter book sequel, orphaned fox siblings Ted and Nancy are happily settled in Grimwood, the weirdest of woods. An illustrated dramatis personae page welcomes new and old readers alike to Grimwood's quirky characters, including bouncy and fierce rabbit Willow and her 345 (or so) siblings, ex-starlet duck Ingrid, queen of the local run-down theater, and of course Sharon, the party crow, last seen shot out of a glitter cannon. Grimwood residents are comfortably used to letting their freak flag fly (especially Sharon), but that's not how things are done in neighboring Twinklenuts, a place the residents, feathered or not, start flocking to once they catch wind of the free concerts (and tennis courts, and new theater, and fancy restaurants). The mayor of Twinklenuts, sly and polished Sebastian Silver, sees a protégé in impressionable Ted, but streetwise Nancy quickly catches wind to something being rotten—outside of the general odd smells of Grimwood. Rallying all the skills and resources of communities new and old, Nancy and Ted resist Sebastian's gentrifying take-over in a conclusion as heartwarming as it is flatout silly, proving time and again that play offers its own kind of joyful resistance. This chapter book provides unique and original ridiculousness in spades, with the comedic routine of Grimwood thoughtfully interposed with moments of character pathos for our favorite foxes. A visual smorgasbord, each page lavishly presents frenetic black-and-white character illustrations, metanarrative jokes and infographics [End Page 70] via an author-insert woodlouse, marginal textures and tones, in-character missives, and multi-media paper-crafting. Pair with Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson's Barb the Last Berzerker series for more chaotic comedy and sticking it to the man. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois","PeriodicalId":472942,"journal":{"name":"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135273450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}