Fireboat

Maira Kalman (Illustrator). Puffin 2005, Paperback, 48 pages, $3.74

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This outstanding picture book tells the true story of the John J. Harvey, the retired fireboat, rehabilitated by hobbyists, which was called back into service during the terrible crisis of September 11, 2001.  The careful, well-written text gives the reader a sense of the boat’s own history as a traditional fireboat and then a hobbyist’s project.  Then she sensitively introduces September 11’s events, explaining how the Harvey’s civilian crew volunteered for service when New York’s damaged water lines were unable to supply enough water to fight fires.  Kalman wisely avoids any discussion of the reasons behind September 11, leaving interpretation for parents and teachers who will be better able to contextualize these events for their own children.

The book is pleasantly illustrated in a slightly abstract style which is a very good choice for events as dramatic and potentially painful as these.  Rather than being a grief-filled lament, this book emphasizes courage, concern for others and a warm sense of American identity.  It is an excellent introduction to the topic of September 11, and the parent or teacher who presents it should be prepared for the inevitable questions that will follow its reading.

City by Numbers

Stephen T. Johnson (Illustrator). Puffin 2003, Paperback, 32 pages, $3.52

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

City by Numbers is another volume in the spirit of Alphabet City.  Conceived at the same time as a natural outgrowth of the alphabet book (which won a Caldecott Honor in 1996), this is an excellent companion to it.  It’s also an excellent choice both for prereaders, aspiring artists, or just those who enjoy a chance to see the world from a new perspective.

Alphabet City

Stephen T. Johnson (Illustrator). Puffin 1999, Paperback, 32 pages, $3.00

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Artistic alphabet books have become very common, but this original work is quite out of the ordinary.  Stephen Johnson has captured alphabet shapes in ordinary places around a bustling city: an I in an old neon sign, an N in the iron supports of a bridge, an O in the circled armrests of a park bench.  These are reproduced in paintings that are so realistic that at first glance they might be taken for photographs.

This book will provide enjoyment both for pre-readers practicing their alphabet, and older readers who are interested in seeing the world in a different way.  It’s an excellent addition to a home library.

Sod Houses on the Great Plains

Glen Rounds. Holiday House 1995, Hardcover, 1 pages, $97.33

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Glen Rounds summarizes, simply and clearly, how the sod house on the Great Plains came to be. With succint and vivid detail, he describes the introduction of sod as a building material, and gives the reader a feel for how it might have felt to live in such a building. This book is illustrated in his whimsical, somewhat abstract style which is sometimes reminiscent of cave drawings. This makes an excellent (and unromantic) complement to Dandelions and could be a precursor to On the Banks of Plum Creek. It is unfortunately out of print, but is available in public libraries and on the used book market.

Curious George Takes a Job

H. A. Rey. HMH Books 1974, Paperback, 48 pages, $0.01

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is another of the Reys’ gleeful books of monkey business.  In this one, George escapes from the zoo, wanders into a restaurant and gets caught eating the pasta, takes a job as a window-washer (and gets distracted painting a jungle-scape in someone’s apartment), and takes a fall from the fire escape, landing himself in the hospital, where the man with the yellow hat comes to rescue him.

The book is characterized by the excellent writing of the classic Curious George series, with fast-moving action and a lovable, mischievous character all children love to vicariously enjoy.  It’s appropriate for preschool through elementary school ages.

A Day’s Work

Ronald Himler (Illustrator). Sandpiper 1997, Paperback, 32 pages, $3.11

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

On Saturday morning, young Francisco waits with his abuelo (grandfather) with other day laborers, hoping for a day’s work.  In order to persuade a potential employer to choose them, Francisco claims his grandfather is a gardener, even though he is actually a carpenter.  It is only at the end of the day that the lie is found out.  Then Abuelo shows Francisco the value of integrity, admonishing, “We do not lie for work,” and taking steps to make restitution.

Bunting’s understated text, written from the child’s perspective, expresses the raw desperation that the most poverty-stricken people experience daily, helping the reader understand why Francisco would tell such a lie.  But his grandfather’s personal honor proves that, regardless of circumstances, even the lowest labor carries dignity and worth when it is carried out with self-respect.

This is a serious story, and even illustrated with Himler’s wonderful paintings it retains a somber mood that might not draw readers in as easily as more lighthearted books.  But it provides a vital, sympathetic glimpse into the world of immigrant day laborers while demonstrating the moral importance of honesty.  It’s a beautifully moving book which will help cultivate compassion for others.

Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day

Richard Scarry. Random House Books for Young Readers 1968, Hardcover, 64 pages, $7.46

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Richard Scarry had a tremendous gift for telling stories that, while simple in plot, are rich in visual detail so that, having been read aloud once, they provide hours of entertainment for prereaders to enjoy at their leisure. His lively, fill-up-the-page artwork and classic sense of humor have endeared him to children for over fifty years.

In this book, Scarry introduces individual citizens of Busytown, then tells short stories about specific projects they are involved in: building a house, mailing a letter, putting out a fire, visiting the hospital, riding a train, growing a crop, lumberjacking and processing wood, building a road, taking an ocean voyage, and making bread.  By interweaving these individual stories, he shows how greater social process work together in industrial society.  Each story demonstrates the value of work, both for the individuals who perform it and those who enjoy its effects.  It’s a wonderfully orienting book, helping even very young children understand the interworkings of their society.

This abridged edition is easy to find, but disappointingly, the unabridged version (which includes a stay-at-home mom, policeman, water treatment processes, and electric plant) has become a collector’s item.

Mouse Paint

Ellen Stoll Walsh. Harcourt, Inc. 1995, Board book, 16 pages, $2.00

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This playful, lucidly-written fantasy about three mice will entertain and amuse young readers while introducing them to a bit of color theory.  In the story, three white mice discover three pots of paint on the white paper where they live.  They first dive into the paint to color themselves, then splash in paint puddles and discover that primary colors, when combined, make new colors.  Finally, they wash themselves clean (in the cat’s water bowl) and paint the paper with all the available colors — except for a section of white where they can hide from the cat.

This story is probably best suited for babies and toddlers, but its humor will also appeal to the kindergarten and early-elementary ages.

The Matchlock Gun

Walter D. Edmonds. Putnam Juvenile 1998, Paperback, 80 pages, $1.98

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Teunis and Gertrude Van Alstyne are Dutch homesteaders caught in the middle of the French and Indian War, and one night Teunis is called away to fight.  He leaves Gertrude, ten-year-old Edward, and six-year-old Trudy alone in their cabin, admonishing her to go to his mother’s house if Indians come their way.  But when Teunis sends word that Indians are coming, Gertrude decides to stay in the cabin out of dislike for her mother-in-law.  Although she rationalizes the decision by telling herself their enemies will leave them alone, she realizes too late that she and Edward must defend themselves.  The only weapon in the home is an antique matchlock gun, used as decoration above the door.

Throughout the text, Gertrude responds to fearful circumstances with calm fortitude, thinking through their plan and carrying out her role in it — but it is Edward on whom she depends to take the action that will save their lives.  There are few stories in which a child is given such an important and difficult task, and his courage and responsibility are awe-inspiring.

This true story starts out slowly, but steadily builds to reach a tremendous climax.  It is splendidly written, and illustrated with lithographic drawings that are impressive given technological limitations at the time of publication.  It is a good read-aloud for pre-readers, but because of the suspenseful nature of the story, sensitive children may need to wait until they are a little older to engage the story without being frightened.

Building a House (Mulberry Books)

Byron Barton (Illustrator). Greenwillow Books 1990, Paperback, 32 pages, $3.44

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Byron Barton’s deceptively simple cartoon-like drawings and streamlined text may seem unimpressive at first glance.  But this author has a distinctive gift for distilling essential components of any event or theme into a page-turningly smooth story that the youngest child can follow.  In this volume, he describes and illustrates the step-by-step construction of a family home, beginning with “a green hill” with land surveyors pictured, and ending with a family moving into the home.  It’s an excellent early lesson in architecture for any child, but particularly those young children who show an interest in how objects in their environment work.