The Crayon

THE CRAYON by Simon Rickerty. Aladdin, 2014.

Red and Blue feuding
Over which is the best one
Will they learn to share?

A Corner of White

A CORNER OF WHITE by Jaclyn Moriarty. Scholastic 2013.

Madeline and her mother have run away from Madeleine's father and now live in an attic in England. Madeleine spends her days with two friends being homeschooled by a variety of people. She longs her the life she has left, one of privilege. One day, as she is walking home, she spies a tiny corner of white, a piece of paper sticking out of a parking meter. Curious, she pulls the paper loose and reads the note.

Meanwhile, in another world, Elliott is searching for his father who disappeared the same night Elliott's
uncle was killed by a Purple. One day he spies a corner of white sticking out of an old TV that has become part of a sculpture made by one of his friends. He pulls the page loose and reads the note.

And now Elliott and Madeleine are connected though they live in two different worlds. How their stories will come together is the adventure that forms the heart of this remarkable book. Tied firmly to the realities of family and friends, the fantasy element of marauding colors and the Butterfly Child seem as real as anything else in tis story of love and acceptance and redemption and trust and betrayal.

color everywhere

MONET PAINTS A DAY by Julie Dannenberg with illustrations by Caitlin Heimerl (Charlesbridge 2012) gives young readers a chance to meet Impressionist painter Monet as he travels across the countryside painting outdoors. Using snippets from his letters and journals, Dannenberg shows the process Monet used in his painting. Appendices give more information about the techniques of the Impressionist painters and more about Monet's life. <327>




MONKEY COLORS by Darrin Lunde with illustrations by Patricia Wynne (Charlesbrisge 2012) is a nonfiction book about the various colors and color combinations of monkeys. Simple text shows monkeys of all hues, and an appendix provides more information about each type of monkey in the book. <328>

True colors come shining through

GOLDEN DOMES AND SILVER LANTERNS: A MUSLIM BOOK OF COLORS by Hena Khan with illustrations by Mehrdohkt Amini (Chronicle Books 2012) shows a young girl celebrating all of the colors that surround her and that are identified with various aspects of her Muslim culture. From the red of the prayer rug to the gold of the dome of the mosque to the green of the Quran, there is much to celebrate in her world of faith. The illustrations are lush with the various colors, but it is the close up expressions on the faces of the family that will draw readers into this book. <174>





GREEN by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook 2012) is an artistic exploration of the varied shades of green. Fomr the green of limes to that of sea turtles and ferns, the illustrations are lush. Die cuts allow readers to catch a brief glimpse of the shade to follow on the next double page spread while also being integrated into the illustration before. <175>

Odds and endings

SOLOMON CROCODILE by Catherine Rayner (FSG 2011) has a grinning Solomon on the cover. Solomon loves to scare the frogs and upset the other wildlife near the water. They, of course, chastise him for his behavior. However, it is all in good fun. But it does make it tough to find a friend. <706>



THE PRINCESS OF BORSCHT by Leda Schubert with illustrations by Bonnie Christensen (Roaring Brook 2011) opens with Ruthie visiting her grandmother in the hospital. The only thing that will make grandma feel better is a bowl of borscht. But Grandma falls asleep before telling Ruthie how to make it or even where to find the recipe. Ruthie enlists some of grandma's neighbors who argue about the best way to make borscht. Recipe included. <707>




As THE PRINCE'S NEW PET by Brian Anderson (Roaring Brook 2011) opens, the young Prince Viridian is mourning the total absence of color in his father's kingdom. The Royal Color Catcher has banished all color as it reminds the king of his late wife. However, when a strange gift arrives for Prince Viridian's birthday, the gray kingdom just might stand a chance of getting some of its color back. <708>




HENRY'S HEART (Holt 2011) is a terrific example of how fact and fiction can coexist beautifully together. Charise Mericle Harper tells the story of Henry and his heart. One day, while walking with his father, Henry's heart begins to beat faster. What is making this change in heart rate? Henry has spied a puppy in the pet store window. His father says they cannot buy the puppy, and Henry returns home to hole up in his room. Concerned, his mother takes Henry to the doctor who has a special prescription to help Henry's heart. <709>





BABY, COME AWAY by Victoria Adler with illustrations by David Walker (FSG 2011) has a driving rhythm that will take the reader along with baby as he interacts with birds, and cats, and dogs, and other things over the course of a busy day. Not quite a lullaby but more of a marching song with great repetition to encourage young kids to read along. <710>