THE HOUSE HELD UP BY TREES by Ted Kooser with illustratons by Jon Klasses (Candelwick, March 2012) is a hauntingly evocative picture book about a man who buys a home near the woods. He meticulously mows and weeds the area around the house to keep the trees from encroaching on his lawn which he keeps beautifully manicured. Readers watch as the man grows older, eventually leaving his house behind. GThen, nature takes its due course. <486>
ROBOT ZOMBIE FRANKENSTEIN by Annette Simon (Candlewick, March 2012)is a cumulative story of sorts if you look at it the right way. It begins with two robots who begin a game of one-upsmanship. By adding bits and pieces, the robots transform themselves into various creatures, growing more and more bizarre and frightening. This is done with a minimum of words. Pages at the beginning of the book show readers how they, too, can create zombie robot Frankensteins of their own. Reminiscent of Lois Ehlert and Eric Carle, this is a book that will engage young readers. <487>
FASTER! FASTER! by Leslie Patricelli (Candlewick. 2012) opens with a young girl riding her father's back and prodding him to go faster and faster. before long, she has hopped from his back to the backs of animals, each moving faster until close to the end of the book, the animals slow down (turtle, for instance) and we find the girl back on the back of her prostrate and weary Dad. <488>
RANDY RILEY'S REALLY BIG HIT by Chris Van Dusen (Candlewick, March 2012) has the erstwhile Randy once again at the plate and once again striking out. Randy's head is full of lots of other stuff and it tends to distract him from the task at hand. When a meteor comes crashing toward Earth, though, Randy Riley just might be able to save the planet if he can make the biggest hot of his life. <489>
NIGHT KNIGHT by Owen Davey (Candlewick, March 2012) is a terrific bedtime story about a young boy with an imaginative way of checking off all those little bedtime duties (brushing teeth, etc.) so that he can get to bed. The humor is, of course, contained in the illustrations and their juxtaposition to what is in the narrative. Dark shades, dominated by black and deep brown, are perfect for this end of the day book. <490>
STEP GENTLY OUT by Helen Frost with photos by Rick Lieder (Candlewick, March 2012) demonstrates again why Helen Frost should be the Poet Laureate (and not just for children) of the United States. Here is a gentle (as in step gently out) poem about the miniature life that exists all around us. How careful we must be if we are to see it in its glory. Budding naturalists (and are not all children budding naturalists) will appreciate the photos that blow up these small creatures and plants so we can see them readily. Frost's perfectly selected words emphasize the love and appreciation she has for the world around us all. <491>
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