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OBITUARIES
Joseph Low: Author/illustrator of the Caldecott Honor book Mice Twice, Joseph Low died in February at the age of 95 at his home in Massachusetts. Low was equally famous for his absurdist covers for The New Yorker.

Just Listening: Audiobooks
By Kathryn Shepler
Aurora School, Oakland

Beddor, Frank. The Looking Glass Wars. Scholastic AudioBooks, 2006, 7 CDs unabr., 8 hrs, 41 min. Grades 5-8. $34.95. ISBN 0-439-89825-0. Performed by Gerald Doyle.

Alyss Heart arrives in Victorian London by traveling through the Pool of Tears. She has just escaped from the murderous Aunt Redd who intends to eliminate her along with all other pretenders to the throne of Wonderland. Alyss eventually tells her story to Charles Dodgson who mangles it completely in his famous book. Beddor gives us a flight of fantasy about the real story behind “Alice in Wonderland” and Doyle does the perfect job of giving it voice. Readers will enjoy the fast-paced action and thrill to the alternate story of a classic. Perhaps some readers will even be inspired to read the original.

Patron, Susan. The Higher Power of Lucky. Listening Library, 2007, 5 CDs, unabr., time undetermined. Grades 5-8. $27. ISBN 978-0739338797. Performed by Cassandra Cambell.

Cassandra Campbell does a wonderful job bringing the characters of Hard Pan, California, to life in Patron’s 2007 Newbery winner. From the perfect French of Brigitte, to the irritating but endearing voice of Miles, to the youthful, vacillating voice of Lucky, each voice is given the pitch and emotion to bring the story to us. You won’t want to miss the charming illustrations in the print edition, so have it along with the audio. The audio provides an important opportunity for all readers to share in this special book.

MEDIA WATCH

Colibri. Papaloapan: River of Butterflies. Colibri, 2007. CD $??.15, www.colibrimusic.com.
Bay Area duo Alisa Peres and Lichi Fuentes have been performing as Colibri since 1989. Their concerts of Latin American folksongs engage the whole family, and they play authentic acoustic instruments as well as sing. On their newest recording, songs from Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador are sung in Spanish, with one in Portuguese and one in Aymara. The liner notes list the lyrics in both English and Spanish, making this very useful for classroom teachers. The CD also features several poems in Spanish. Because Colibri performs regularly at Bay Area libraries, this will be popular, but even libraries that have not hosted the duo will find this in demand by teachers and parents wanting to celebrate the music of Latin America. The recording quality is excellent, with a nice balance between vocals and musical accompaniment, and sound effects that augment the spoken word portions. Parents will find themselves listening to this, even if the kids are not in the car!

James K. Shoe Rock. Rivertown Records, 2006. CD $14.99, www.jamesk.com.
In his third CD, James K. continues his style of kid-friendly original folk-rock music, that parents will enjoy as much as kids. Both his voice and his compositions are similar to the work of James Taylor, with a solid tenor voice and warm, danceable music that invites the audience to singalong. The lyrics also reflect a child’s world, with songs about the environment, families, bedtime, birthdays, and other things important to a child’s sensibility. His first two CD’s won Parent’s Choice awards, and this new CD is certainly as accomplished. Libraries in the Bay Area will want this for families who have seen James K in concert (he often performs at libraries, schools, parks, and special events in Northern California), but even if you haven’t seen him live, his recordings are great for car trips since the entire family can enjoy them.

Mr. David. The Great Adventures of Mr. David. Mr. David Musicworks, 2006. CD $13.99, www.mrdavidmusicworks.com.
San Jose resident Mr. David is part of the new trend in music for children – hip, authentic (not synthesized) rock-tinged music. Big names like Dan Zanes, the Sippy Cups, and other rock musicians are making music for kids that please the parents as much as the kids. Those who have cringed through a Wiggles CD now have alternatives, and Mr. David’s debut CD and concerts will please this new discerning audience. Loaded with songs written by the singer, the musical accompaniment is acoustic guitar, banjo, percussion, mandolin, ukulele, piano, and washboard. The recording is very polished, blending “live” performances with studio recordings. “Sea Song” and “Fish” are two original tunes that are perfect for school assemblies. David’s updating of Mother Goose features the traditional lyrics and melody, but with more beat – toddlers can dance to this version! “La Cucaracha” is the traditional lyric but done to a modern beat. Not for traditionalists, but for parents who want music that they can listen to, David’s melodic rasp blends a little Bob Dylan with his own distinctive tone.

Spring Board Book Roundup

It’s that time again! Time for BayNews semi-annual review of new board books. Here are the new offerings:

Original Board Books:

Lewis, Paul Owen. P. BEAR’S NEW YEAR’S PARTY. Tricycle Press, 2006. $6.95. ISBN 978-1-58246-191-5.
In this clever book, a polar bear welcome’s various guests to his New Year’s party. “At one o’clock, a whale arrived...” Then at two o’clock two horses arrive. This serves to help kids tell time and count. Each spread includes a small clock face, and the word for the number in red, as well as the animals to be counted. Most are black and white, like pandas, skunks, zebras, etc. which perfectly fit the polar bear’s snowy front yard. Great for toddlers and kids learning how to read.

Picture Books Turned into Board Books:

Frazee, Marla. HUSH, LITTLE BABY. Red Wagon/Harcourt, 1999/2007. $6.95. ISBN 978-0-15-205887-6.
Frazee’s illustrations add a great deal of humor to this traditional folksong. The pencil and watercolor illustrations focus on the big sister; she helps the parents who are trying to make the baby stop crying. All of the picture book illustrations and text are included; there is just a smaller page size. The music is also included. A sure bet for lapsit storytimes.

Alborough, Jez. TALL. Candlewick, 2005/2007. $6.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-3328-8.
With just a few dialogue balloons, the full color cartoon style illustrations tell this story. Bobo, a little chimp, is small; he stands on a rock, and is tall. He then rides on an elephant, and stands on the head of a giraffe, and is taller still. The repeated rhyming words small, tall, and fall are perfect for the infant and toddler audience, as are the clear pictures and the sweet message.

Ashman, Linda. BABIES ON THE GO. Illus. by Jane Dyer. Red Wagon/Harcourt, 2003/2007. $6.95, ISBN 978-0-15-205886-9.
Baby animals (and a human) are depicted, showing how much babies of all kinds have in common. The rhyming text and soft pastel pencil illustrations show how babies hold onto the parent as they go traveling – some riding on backs, shoulders, or following behind. The pictures may be too small in this version; the picture book edition is better at showing the details in the illustrations.

Raffi. IF YOU’RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT. Illus. by Cyd Moore. Random, 2001/2007. $6.99, ISBN 978-0-375-82919-2.
Animals in human clothing act out the lyrics to this popular storytime song, although Raffi has altered the lyrics. It starts out with the customary clapping, but instead of “stomp your feet” it asks if you are “bananas” and then “let it ring,” and then asks if you are beautiful, shout “Hooray!” The new lyrics don’t make sense; why change a classic?

Thompson, Lauren. LITTLE QUACK’S HIDE AND SEEK. Illus. by Derek Anderson. Little Simon, 2004/2007. $7.99, ISBN 978-1-4169-0325-3.
Because of the math involved, this endearing story is better suited to older preschoolers. Little Quack and his four siblings play Hide and Seek with their Mama; we see the subtraction along the bottom of each illustration as they take hiding places. The deeply saturated color illustrations and the counting and the “quack” sound effects will engage readers.

Saltzberg, Barney. CORNELIUS P. MUD, ARE YOU READY FOR BED? Candlewick, 2005/2007. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-3303-5.
Little pig Cornelius gets ready for bed in the customary way, so to speak, in this cartoon creation that will appeal to toddlers and preschoolers. Perfect as a bedtime book, even adults will chuckle as Cornelius spies his guitar just as he is finally turning out the lights.

Hudson, Cheryl Willis. HANDS CAN. Photos by John-Francis Bourke. Candlewick, 2003/2007. $7.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-3292-2.
Distinctive color photos of children of various ethnic groups make this a stand-out. The children’s hands hold pets, catch and throw, wave hello, plant seeds, etc. The rhyming text is brief and clear, and the photos are set on a variety of colored backgrounds. This should appeal to a wide age range, from toddlers to those learning how to read.

Spanish and Bilingual Board Books:

Baker, Keith. Mama, CLO-CLO! Translated by F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada. Libros Viajeros/Harcourt, 1994/2007. $6.95. ISBN 978-0-15-205890-6.
This is a Spanish version of Baker’s Big Fat Hen. The bright, close-up illustrations work fine in this smaller format, but the text isn’t as strong since it no longer rhymes. Also, it would have been more useful if the English were included alongside the Spanish, since there is plenty of room for the extra text. But if you are in need of Spanish books for babies, this will work.

Fox, Mem. WHOEVER YOU ARE/QUIENQUIERA QUE SEAS. Translated by F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada. Illus. by Leslie Staub. Libros Viajeros/Harcourt, 1997/2007. $6.95. ISBN 978-0-15-205891-3.
Brotherhood is the theme of this story, with text in both English and Spanish. We see children in various countries going to school, with families, etc. The theme may be more understandable to preschoolers than babies, but this works as a book for the whole family. Staub’s imaginative but grounded folk art style paintings give the text the seriousness it deserves.

Oversized Board Books:
Wood, Audrey. SILLY SALLY. Red Wagon/Harcourt, 1992/2007. $10.95, ISBN 978-0-15-205902-6.
Miranda, Anne. TO MARKET, TO MARKET. Illus. by Janet Stevens. Red Wagon/Harcourt, 1997/2007. $10.95, ISBN 978-0-15-205903-3.
Almost the same size as their originals, these are called “lap-sized board books” by the publisher. These could be very handy, especially as giveaways for Families for Literacy, since they are nearly half the price of the hardback editions, but should hold up much better than a paperback picture book. Another plus is that these are complete – we get all the illustrations at nearly their original size, and all the text; these are not abridged in any way. Silly Sally is a clever rhyming story with a repeated phrase that is perfect for storytime; try it for a “Backwards Day” theme. And the cartoon like illustrations, dominated by bright yellow, are joyous! To Market, To Market is for a slightly older audience – preschoolers who already know the original nursery rhyme and can predict some of the new rhymes. Stevens’ collage and colored pencil illustrations have lots of interesting details and are as energetic as the clever text.

Pop-up Books:

Van Fleet, Matthew. DOG. Photos by Brian Stanton. Simon & Schuster, 2007. $14.99, ISBN 978-1-4169-4137-8.
Van Fleet is well-known for his superior pop-up and moveable picture books, and DOG is a great addition to that collection. Clear color photos of dogs are set against bright white backgrouds. There are fabric insets that serve as dog fur, for the child to “pet.” There are pull-tabs that “wag” a dog’s tail, or let’s the dog shake his head after a bath, or lift is leg to “pee.” The final spread shows several breeds of dog, captioned with the name of that dog and the breed, along with one cat up a tree! Since the binding and flaps are heavy-duty, this should stand up to library use and will certainly be popular.

Denchfield, Nick. CHARLIE CHICK. Illus. by Ant Parker. Red Wagon/Harcourt, 1997/2007. $10.95. ISBN 978-0-15-206013-8.
A large yellow chick on the cover will attract readers; press his “tummy” and you can hear him chirp. Just four spreads, depicting the chick eating and finally introducing his mom, this is slight be appealing.

Saltzberg, Barney. HI, BLUEBERRY! Red Wagon/Harcourt, 2007. $8.95, ISBN 978-0-15-205984-2.
Blueberry Bunny greets several animal friends, who all run off in this lift-the-flap book. He ultimately discovers these friends at his surprise birthday party, complete with lighted candle atop a cake. The deeply saturated color cartoons, flaps, repetition in the text, and little glow light all add up to a book toddlers will enjoy. This may be better suited to homes than libraries as it will not hold up to multiple circulations.