I must admit I have never been one for series. I seem to like my stories all tied up in one neat package. However, I have to make an exception when it comes to the series by Peter Howe. The books about Waggit , the abandoned dog, have held me spellbound through all three volumes. The third book WAGGIT FOREVER by Peter Howe, drawings by Omar Rayyan (HarperCollins, 2020, $16.99. May 2010) finds Waggit and the other dogs in their family being forced to leave their shelter in the city park. It seems foodstuffs are becoming more and more scarce so the dogs will soon be forced to scavenge outside the safety of the large park. On the advice of a city dog group’s leader, Waggit’s group is advised to leave and journey through the dangerous city to another much larger and more remote park facility. They will be escorted in groups to avoid any contacts with the humans, particularly the dreaded dog-wardens.
I do not believe there is a child anywhere who does not have a soft spot in his/her heart for a lost animal. That animal could be literally anything from a horse down to a wee white mouse.
So, when FINDING DANNY by Linzi Glass (Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins, May 2010, $16.99) arrived I sat down and started to read it immediately. For the next two hours I sat transfixed. I joined character Bree as her life became upside down after her beloved dog, Danny, disappeared one day.
A delightfully charming picture book from Chris Wormell, FEROCIOUS WILD BEASTS (Knopf, 2009, $16.99) arrived recently. This little story is truly what I would classify as a standard children’s book. Jack is lost in the forest. Yes, the forest his mother has warned him about numerous times. This place, she says, is where the ferocious wild beasts live, hide and pounce on people. Then they gobble them up.
Seasonal books appear from the various publishers. Many are repeats of the Nativity story each with some original twist or new character. And, yes, they are important to share with young readers to illustrate the true meaning of this holiday.
A new book goes way beyond the familiar and takes youngsters back to grandparents’ farm. THE TRUE GIFT: A CHRISTMAS STORY by Patricia MacLachlan , illustrated by Brian Floca (Atheneum, 2009, $12.99) opens with Liam and Lily arriving at their grandparents for an annual holiday visit. Liam has brought his red sock with grey trim full of money to buy presents for everyone. Both children enjoy the friendly atmosphere of the small town where their grandparents live.
No matter where one goes today there is talk about going green. Kids as well as adult are bombarded with frightening images of what is in store for our world if we do not immediately take action. Many naysayers are also working hard to distract attention from this problem telling people there is no problem. Educating the very young seems to me one way to get the world’s attention on this problem. EARTH FEELING THE HEAT by Brenda Z Guiberson, illustrated by Chao Wallace, (Henry Holt and Company, 2010, $16.99) does draw young readers attention to the problem the planet is facing.
Patricia Reilly Giff, dear friend and author of so many significant books, especially the series that brought Chapter Books (THE POLK STREET KIDS ) into the lives of so many very young readers. Her newest book, WILD GIRL by Patricia Reilly Giff ( Wendy Lamb Books, Random House, 2009, $15.99) takes the reader into the world of horse racing. The main character, Lidie, lives in Brazil where she spends her time riding horses and dreaming about the day when she’ll be able to join her father and brother in America. Lidie’s mother has died and now she is twelve, she figures she’s ready to join her family on Long Island in New York.
One delightful little character is back for her second adventure, DON’T BE AFRAID, LITTLE PIP by Karma West, illustrated by Jane Chapman (McElderry Books, Simon and Schuster, 2009, $16.99 ). Learning to swim frightens our young penguin, Pip. All the young penguins are assembled at the shore and their swimming teacher, Mr. Tucks, is going to teach them how to swim properly.
A new book, MUKTAR AND THE CAMELS by Janet Graber, illustrated by Scott Mack (Henry Holt, 2009, $16.99) takes our young reader into an orphanage on the Kenya and Somalia border. An orphan Muktar dreams fondly of his family when he tended their camels. One day a visitor arrives with camels and books. However one of the camels is injured and Muktar offers his help to the traveler. The traveler is a librarian working for the Kenya National Library Service and not particularly adept at handling camels. Muktar is taken on and promises to return often to the orphanage to replenish their supply of books.