Tuesday, January 23, 2018

New Books for the New Year


Books about vehicles

Do you have a child in your life who loves cars, trucks or any kind of vehicle? It is not surprising that there are so many books about vehicles because kids do love them! Here are a few new ones to check out. 
Dig Dig Digging ABC by Margaret Mayo, illustrated by Alex Ayliffe
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An alphabet book of vehicles from ambulance to quad bike to zooming rocket, each vehicle has some action associated with it; whizzing, scooting, cruising and chugging their way across the page. An entertaining read for active young ones, but not the best alphabet book around.

Motor Goose, Poems by Rebecca Colby, illustrated by Jef Kaminsky
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Imagine popular mother goose rhymes rewritten with trucks, boats, trains and planes cast as the main characters. For example, instead of Mary Had a Little Lamb, we now have Barry Was a Little Sub. And Hey Digger Digger replaces Hey Diddle Diddle. If you have a little one who is obsessed with vehicles, this is the book for her!

Truckeroo School by David Kirk
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Talk about imagination! In this made-up world are a myriad of monsters, each unique in looks and personality. And each monster is given tools at birth to build his/her own truck. The trucks fit the needs and personalities of their owners. Kirk has invented a world that any child would want to visit!

Monster Trucks by Joy Keller, illustrations by Misa Saburi
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Short verses of poetry tell the tale of the monsters who drive the trucks, from the witches who drives a street sweeper to the swamp monster who hauls slimy muck in her truck, there are a plethora of monsters hard at work all day. But, when the day ends, they go home to their beds just as good girls and boys should do.



Books about living in a family
Books about family life are also popular. We often find ourselves in these books, whether it is the structure of the family, the way the family behaves or the race/ethnicity that we can identify with, it is always good to see a facsimile of yourself in print. And don't we all have at least one monkey brother?
Rudas Ninos: Horrendous Hermanitas by Yuyi Morales
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The wrestling champion from Yuyi Morales’ first book Nino is set for a comeback when his twin baby sisters step in and vie for the glory. Using all the weapons in their arsenal, including stinky diapers and teething tantrums, the younger sisters soon rule the roost. But, Nino comes out on top again by using a book to distract these rude younger sisters. Displaying her playful imagination, Morales tells a story that many parents and older siblings can relate to.


Monkey Brother by Adam Auerbach
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Are you having sibling problems at your house? Does little brother act like a monkey? Narrated in the first-person voice of the older brother, this tale recounts the common woes of older brothers and sisters everywhere. Who wants a little brother who gets into everything, has too much energy and follows you everywhere? But, there are some up sides to having a little brother, like getting into mischief together. And just when the good begins to outweigh the bad, along comes baby sister!

All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Mike Curato
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Told in the first person of a little boy this is the story of a family’s visit to Havana to meet a new cousin. Engle uses her poetic ability to turn a short story into a thing of beauty. There are the noises the car makes, the way the car is compared to a noisy chicken, the metaphor of the car being a barrel of elbows and knees, and the beauty of a young child napping while the family celebrates. As Cuba is slowly being opened up to visitors from the US, books like these will help us to introduce this country to our young ones.

Sing, Don’t Cry by Angela Dominguez
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Dominguez writes a tribute to her Abuelo who suffered some setbacks in his life but turned to music instead of tears. A good message for kids to hear told with joyful, colorful pictures and end notes about Abuelo.

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