Digital Commons @ ACU (Abilene Christian University)

Baker, Laura

Lorgnette v.37 no.1 
Book Review:  SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Cham, Laan 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by the author 
 
Reviewer 
Baker, Laura 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-0-593-65156-8 
 
Publisher & Date 
Random House, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
PreK-1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
SOMEWHERE IN 
BETWEEN 
A character named Pink falls from the sky and finds herself in the Land of 
Sunshine.  The head of this land, a character named Fireball, welcomes her 
and eagerly shows her all the warm things his land has to offer: sun, 
beaches, and swimming.  Pink sees a distant island known as the Land of 
Snow, and against Fireball's advice, she visits there.  Contrary to what 
Fireball said, Pink thinks the Land of Snow is fun, too.  The chief resident, 
named Snowball, shows her snowmen, ice skating, and sledding.  Both 
Fireball and Snowball think the other's territory is terrible and insist that Pink 
side with them.  How can Pink manage between two friends who have such 
polarizing opinions? 
 
This book is about conflict management and mitigating extremes.  Cham's 
illustrations are bright and pop with color.  The idea of the story is 
commendable, but the plot has a lot of jumps.  It begins with the line "... a 
child fell from the sky."  This seems very sudden and unexplained, and might 
even be off-putting.  The story is told via cartoon-like dialogue bubbles 
scattered across the page, which sometimes seem random and disjointed.  
However, some children who are not linear readers may like this style, and 
the cute characters and Pink's way of reassuring each friend that they are 
equally appreciated make up for a lot.  Consider this book for those who 
appreciate visual stimulation, and follow it with a discussion about managing 
extreme opinions. 
 
 
 
 


English

Somewhere in Between

Fine, Jewell

Lorgnette v.37 no.1 
Book Review:  SUNNY DAYS: A FIRST LOOK 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Leed, Percy 
  
 
Illustrator 
 
 
Reviewer 
Fine, Jewell 
 
 
Pages 
24p 
 
Price 
$29.32 
 
ISBN  
979-8-7656-0880-7 
 
Publisher & Date 
Lerner, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Nonfiction (551.5) 
 
Grade Level 
K-2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
SUNNY DAYS: A FIRST 
LOOK 
Young readers will learn about sunny days.  The days can be hot and a 
perfect time for anything cold, like ice cream!  The simple text is supported 
by the bright, colorful illustrations.  A list of websites and books about sunny 
weather is included. 
 
 


Sunny Days: A First Look

Blake, Pam

Lorgnette v.37 no.1 
Book Review:  IGUANODON'S HORN: HOW ARTISTS & SCIENTISTS PUT A DINOSAUR BACK TOGETHER AGAIN & AGAIN... & 
AGAIN!, THE 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Rubin, Sean 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by the author 
 
Reviewer 
Blake, Pam 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$21.99 
 
ISBN  
978-0-06-323921-0 
 
Publisher & Date 
Clarion Books, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Nonfiction (567.914) 
 
Grade Level 
K-4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
IGUANODON'S HORN: 
HOW ARTISTS & 
SCIENTISTS PUT A 
DINOSAUR BACK 
TOGETHER AGAIN & 
AGAIN... & AGAIN!, 
THE 
This is a wonderfully illustrated book about the progression of theories made 
by scientists as they continue to find bones of the iguanodon dinosaur.  
Some pages at the beginning introduce the reader to how it all began at the 
time dinosaurs roamed the earth, and myths are told about the discovery of 
animal bones.  Scientists come on the scene in the 1700’s and begin to 
create theories of how the world works--sometimes right, sometimes 
needing improvement, and sometimes wrong.   Through this story, children 
learn how artists and scientists re-evaluate their findings over years and 
years and put a dinosaur (the iguanodon) back together again and again. 
In 1822, Mary Ann Mantell finds a large tooth which she shares with her 
paleontologist husband, Gideon, who shares it with other scientists.  Gideon 
names the creature it came from Iguanodon, which means “Iguana tooth.”  
Although the couple study the pieces, they use their imaginations to come 
up with a theory.  Iguanodon must have been an enormous reptile who ate 
plants, they decide.  MaryAnn, an artist, makes drawings of what it must 
have looked like.  Through the years, as more bones are found and other 
scientists study and make informed guesses, the iguanodon begins to 
change.  
 The historical and scientific information is told in an interesting and amusing 
way on a child’s level.  Young children will enjoy the colorful illustrations and 
 
Lorgnette v.37 no.1 
Book Review:  IGUANODON'S HORN: HOW ARTISTS & SCIENTISTS PUT A DINOSAUR BACK TOGETHER AGAIN & AGAIN... & 
AGAIN!, THE 
funny aspects of the book, while older children can enjoy learning more 
about dinosaurs and how our understanding of them changes as more 
information is gathered.  The author’s endnotes about each page share more 
interesting facts.  There’s even a little information about the connection of 
the film Jurassic Park with this book. 
Along with gaining knowledge about dinosaurs, children can learn that 
science is always changing and is not always the final word.  Boys and girls 
might enjoy the opportunity to design or create their own dinosaurs.  
 
 
 


The Iguanodon\u27s Horn: How Artists & Scientists Put a Dinosaur Back Together Again & Again... & Again!

Martinez, Shan

Lorgnette v.37 no.1 
Book Review:  SHAPE OF THINGS: HOW MAPMAKERS PICTURE OUR WORLD, THE 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Robbins, Dean 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Matt Tavares 
 
Reviewer 
Martinez, Shan 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$19.99 
 
ISBN  
978-0-593-47925-4 
 
Publisher & Date 
Knopf, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Nonfiction (912.09) 
 
Grade Level 
2-5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
SHAPE OF THINGS: 
HOW MAPMAKERS 
PICTURE OUR WORLD, 
THE 
This beautifully drawn book explores the concept of mapmaking and the 
history of mapmaking.  For hundreds of years, people of different times and 
parts of the world tried to illustrate the world around them.  Where does 
this river go?  What’s on the other side of that mountain?  Is the Earth flat or 
round?  People worked hard to answer these questions and then to put the 
information into a visual form.  The author shows how creative people 
combined art and science to provide the world with accurate maps of our 
world today.  From ancient to modern, readers will enjoy learning about 
maps and mapmaking. 
 
 


The Shape of Things: How Mapmakers Picture Our World

Carruth, Leah D.

Lorgnette v.37 no.1 
Book Review:  WHAT'S NEW, DANIEL? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Archer, Micha 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by the author 
 
Reviewer 
Carruth, Leah 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-0-593-46130-3 
 
Publisher & Date 
Nancy Paulsen Books, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
PreK-2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
** 
Book Review:  
WHAT'S NEW, 
DANIEL? 
Sometimes when we are asked a question, we need some time to think of a 
good answer.  Daniel rushes to meet his Grandpa at the park.  He is asked 
“What’s new?” and Daniel is determined to find out before he answers.  
Daniel runs off to visit various parts of the park, such as the rock, who does 
not know what is new since it has been there soaking up the sun for millions 
of years.  Each object and animal Daniel encounters also asks what is new.  
Daniel discovers so many things!  The pollywogs are growing legs, just like 
Daniel, and he promptly shows them how fast he can run. Now Daniel has all 
sorts of new things to report, from the ducklings hatching, the snake having 
shiny new skin, and the butterfly that flew a thousand miles.  Still wondering 
what is new with him, Grandpa asked again, “What’s new with you?” Daniel 
now has an answer: he can whistle, he has a new tooth, and he is growing.  
Now Grandpa must answer the question. 
 
The illustrations are beautifully created using collage and ink.  The paper is 
made by the illustrator and brings each of the scenes to life with a vibrant 
reality while maintaining the characteristics of a collage.  Each page is filled 
with color and eye-catching design.  For example, when Daniel is talking to 
the ducks, the reader sees lines of blue paper horizontally, green grass in the 
forefront with different shades and complexity, and the nest a lighter yellow 
to blend in with the eggs and noticeably dead grass.  Any reader would be 
inspired to go outside and explore to see “What’s new?” 
 
 
 
 


What\u27s New, Daniel?

Bustos, Charlene D

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  CAPYBARAS: NATURE'S BIGGEST RODENT 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Brody, Walt 
  
 
Illustrator 
 
 
Reviewer 
Charlene Bustos 
 
 
Pages 
24p 
 
Price 
$29.32 
 
ISBN  
979-8-7656-0840-1 
 
Publisher & Date 
Lerner, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Nonfiction (599.35) 
 
Grade Level 
K-3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
CAPYBARAS: 
NATURE'S BIGGEST 
RODENT 
This is a delightfully colorful and informative introduction to the capybara 
rodent.  The book opens with a convenient table of contents.  Each page (in a 
different full-color format) gives a brief paragraph on the topic “meet the 
capybara” and explains what they are with real photographs of them in their 
habitat.  It describes the newborn pups, the mothers, and then the 
full-grown rodents after 16 weeks.  What they eat and drink, what they hunt, 
and where they sleep all are clearly detailed with text and photographs.  
Back pages include a helpful glossary and websites where you can learn 
more.  Recommended! 
 
 


Capybaras: Nature\u27s Biggest Rodent

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  COUNTING CANDY 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Van Oosbree, Ruthie 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Mette Engell 
 
Reviewer 
Shan Martinez 
 
 
Pages 
16p 
 
Price 
$27.99 
 
ISBN  
979-8-7656-0862-3 
 
Publisher & Date 
Lerner, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Nonfiction (513) 
 
Grade Level 
K-1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
COUNTING CANDY 
COUNTING CANDY is part of the Pull Ahead Readers series.  These books are 
for beginning readers.  They have simple sentences illustrated with pictures 
that give obvious context clues.  The Math All Around set introduces simple 
math concepts.  This book incorporates counting by twos into the simple 
story of a boy who is counting his candy on Halloween.  Dressed in an 
astronaut costume, this little guy pulls out two identical pieces of candy at a 
time.  He continues this process until he reaches the number ten.  At the 
end, he is pictured sitting on his sick sister’s bed, sharing his candy with her.  
On the last page of the book, there are three small pictures with the caption 
“Did you see it?”  This encourages looking back through the book to find the 
small image.  COUNTING CANDY pairs nicely with the nonfiction book, Fun 
with Skip Counting. 
 
 
 


Counting Candy

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  OODLES OF POODLES AND DOODLES: A WOOFING, WAGGING BOOK OF COLORS 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Calmenson, Stephanie 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Hollie Hibbert 
 
Reviewer 
Pam Blake 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-5476-1227-7 
 
Publisher & Date 
Bloomsbury, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
K-2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
OODLES OF POODLES 
AND DOODLES: A 
WOOFING, WAGGING 
BOOK OF COLORS 
Although this seems like a basic book, there are more lessons in it than just 
emphasizing colors.  As the title states, there are oodles of poodles and 
doodles, and children can enjoy following along in the verses that describe 
the different types of dogs.  There is also a lesson to learn when the dogs 
decide that anyone not like them can be a froodle, or a friend to oodles.  
Children can see how being friends with others, even between those who 
are not alike, can make for more fun! 
In the back of the book are illustrations and explanations of the types of 
poodles and doodles.  There is a suggestion that children look for more 
poodle matches ending with -oodle, -oo, or -poo.  They might even try 
inventing their own dogs to see what they can design. 
The illustrations of the dogs are bright and attractive.  Children can enjoy 
seeing the different dogs at play and identifying the colors on each page. 
 
 
 


Oodles of Poodles and Doodles: A Woofing, Wagging Book of Colors

Bond, Janet

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  SHERMY & SHAKE, THE NOT-SO-NEW KID 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Larson, Kirby 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Shinji Fujioka 
 
Reviewer 
Jan Bond 
 
 
Pages 
97p 
 
Price 
$16.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-5362-1943-2 
 
Publisher & Date 
Candlewick, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
1-4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
** 
Book Review:  
SHERMY & SHAKE, 
THE NOT-SO-NEW KID 
Shermy is excited about going into second grade.  He likes reading and 
helping Mr. Craig, his disorganized teacher.  Things are going great at recess 
until he finds out the identity of the new kid in school.  Readers of the first 
book in this series will remember Shake, his summertime friend who stayed 
at his grandmother’s house during the summer.  Shake is back and will be 
going to school with Shermy.  Shermy would like nothing more than to be a 
leader, but Shake keeps getting in the way. 
  
Kirby Larson, the Newberry honor-winning author of Hattie Big Sky, does a 
good job of developing the characters as they navigate their friendship.  The 
book is split up into smaller stories, but each story builds on itself. 
  
Fans of the first book, Shermy & Shake, the Not-So-Nice Neighbor, will enjoy 
following the second-grade adventures of the two boys. 
 
 
 


Shermy & Shake, the Not-So-New Kid

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  SLEEPY: SURPRISING WAYS ANIMALS SNOOZE 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Ward, Jennifer 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Robin Page 
 
Reviewer 
Leah Carruth 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-6659-3510-4 
 
Publisher & Date 
Beach Lane Books, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Nonfiction (591.5) 
 
Grade Level 
PreK-3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
** 
Book Review:  
SLEEPY: SURPRISING 
WAYS ANIMALS 
SNOOZE 
Sleep is a basic need for all living creatures.  How sleep looks is quite 
different among species as Ward shows through this text.  Can you sleep 
with your eyes open?  The snake has a special covering over its eyes to make 
it seem like they are closed, but they are always watching.  The humpback 
whale drifts along with the tides in a relaxed state.  Elephants might possibly 
lean on a tree trunk to catch a bit of rest since they sleep less than most 
mammals.  Orangutans sleep high in the tree in a nest of leaves, branches, 
and twigs.  Many more animals’ sleep patterns are introduced in this book, 
allowing readers to enjoy learning about others’ downtime. 
The book is set up as a guessing game of sorts.  The question “If you’re a…” 
is posed on a page, then when the page is turned you see what animal will 
come up next.  Occasionally there are two animals on facing page layouts, 
but not often.  Each page has a short four-line rhyming poem about the 
animal’s sleeping pattern.  Elsewhere on the page is a short paragraph with 
more detailed information.  The illustrations bring the animals to life as we 
watch them sleep in their various habitats.  They are not rendered with 
extensive detail, but they beautifully match the style of sleep.  The end of 
the book includes more information about the types of sleep mentioned and 
how much sleep the animals get during a typical day, including the varying 
amounts humans need at different growth points.  
 
 


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