Digital Commons @ ACU (Abilene Christian University)

Martinez, Shan

Lorgnette v.36 no.2
Book Review: DUCT TAPE PURIM
Author
Bloomfield, Jill Collela
Illustrator
Reviewer
Martinez, Shan
Pages
32p
Price
$19.99
ISBN
978-1-5415-3469-8
Publisher & Date
Kar-Ben, 2023
Classification
Nonfiction (745.5)
Grade Level
2-5
Book Review:
DUCT TAPE PURIM
This surprising book brings the Jewish holiday called Purim together with
duct tape crafts. Purim is a celebration of Queen Esther who saved the
Jewish people of Persia from wicked Haman’s plot to destroy them.
This is the story recounted in the book of Esther found in the Bible. After a
short narrative explaining Purim and another one about the general history
of “duck tape” or duct tape, the main portion of the book provides
instructions for creating a number of costumes and props suitable to a
variety of fun, dramatic activities.
Together in this context, these duct tape crowns, bracelets, and shields could
be costumes for a dramatic play of the story of Esther. Each project has
step-by-step instructions, helpful photographs, and a list of materials. There
are also great suggestions for using the prop in the play. This is a great
make-and-do book!


English

Duct Tape Purim

Lorgnette v.36 no.2
Book Review: FROGS
Author
Klepeis, Alicia Z
Illustrator
Reviewer
Martinez, Shan
Pages
47p
Price
$9.99
ISBN
978-1-4263-7386-2
Publisher & Date
National Geographic, 2023
Classification
Nonfiction (597.8)
Grade Level
K-5
**
Book Review:
FROGS
National Geographic Kids produced this fantastic frog book! It is filled with
beautiful photographs of all the frogs and amphibians discussed on each
page. This book identifies the frog topics such as size, anatomy, and food
with a half circle label in the top left corner of each opening. Each frog
photo is labeled with its name, and the associated information is provided in
a different font on the page. The half circles are joined with full circles on
some pages to frame the frog growth time lines or even text. There are
extension ideas for parents or teachers at the back of the book. This book
would be a nice addition to an elementary library.


Frogs

Pye, Erica

Lorgnette v.36 no.2
Book Review: REAL TO ME
Author
Le, Minh
Illustrator
Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa
Reviewer
Pye, Erica
Pages
Unpaged
Price
$18.99
ISBN
978-0-593-37749-9
Publisher & Date
Knopf, 2023
Classification
Fiction
Grade Level
K-3
Book Review:
REAL TO ME
REAL TO ME features two characters: a little girl and a fantastical furry green
creature with stripes and a long tail. The story is told in first-person, with the
narrator describing the friend that everyone else thinks is imaginary. One
day, the narrator describes that upon waking, the friend was no longer there,
and they missed the friend. But they made new friends with whom they
could have fun adventures and share laughter. At the end of the book, the
narrator is happy but sometimes still wonders about the “imaginary” friend.
This book has a bit of a twist to it, which is performed wonderfully by the
illustrations. Initially, upon seeing the two characters, the girl and the furry
creature, one automatically assumes that the little girl is the narrator of the
story. But when the “imaginary” friend goes away, the story continues with
pictures only of the green furry creature. Slowly, the reader realizes that the
little girl was actually the imaginary friend. This is a fun and unexpected
surprise, and young readers will enjoy the creativity of this story as well as
the magical illustrations that seem to pop right off the pages.


Real To Me

Barrington, Susannah

Lorgnette v.36 no.2
Book Review: DREAMS WE MADE, THE
Author
Bentley, Lisa
Illustrator
Illustrated by the author
Reviewer
Barrington, Susannah
Pages
Unpaged
Price
$18.99
ISBN
978-1-6659-1765-0
Publisher & Date
Paula Wiseman/Simon &
Schuster, 2023
Classification
Fiction
Grade Level
K-2
Book Review:
DREAMS WE MADE,
THE
Illustrated with shades of blue as the predominant color scheme, Lisa
Bentley’s THE DREAMS WE MADE takes the reader on a journey through
imagination and grief. The unnamed “little girl and her Daddy” share a
beautiful love of building the things they dream up that survive even after
his death. Bentley uses a combination of layering and exaggerated
proportions in her art to ignite the imagination and give the reader a glimpse
into the little girl’s inner world. Sparing prose narrates the story, but the
illustrations carry the bulk of the emotion.
I found myself teary-eyed at the end of the book, as the little girl comes to
an understanding and acceptance of her daddy’s death and finishes the final
project she had started with her daddy before he died. The ambiguous
nature of the characters allows readers to easily imagine themselves in the
place of the little girl. Bentley creates a poignant and beautiful tale
recommended for public and school libraries and any families with young
children who have experienced the death of a loved one.


The Dreams We Made

Lorgnette v.36 no.2
Book Review: GREAT GIRAFFE RESCUE: SAVING THE NUBIAN GIRAFFES, THE
Author
Markle, Sandra
Illustrator
Reviewer
Martinez, Shan
Pages
40p
Price
$33.32
ISBN
978-1-7284-4321-8
Publisher & Date
Millbrook, 2023
Classification
Nonfiction (599.638096761)
Grade Level
45388
**
Book Review:
GREAT GIRAFFE
RESCUE: SAVING THE
NUBIAN GIRAFFES,
THE
THE GREAT GIRAFFE RESCUE tells the story of relocating a number of young
giraffes across the Victoria Nile River to start another group of wild giraffes in
an area that needed more. The problem with their original home was that
the giraffe population was decreasing as the result of poaching and natural
causes. In addition, oil well drilling was about to begin within the National
Park where they lived. Veterinarians, animal conservationists, and others
began to study the giraffes, and they came up with a plan.
This book includes marvelous photographs of giraffes, which help to tell the
story. The narrative itself is quite involved. There are also maps on several
pages which help the reader understand the area of Uganda where the
giraffes live. This book would be a great addition to any library.


The Great Giraffe Rescue: Saving the Nubian Giraffes

Baker, Laura

Lorgnette v.36 no.3
Book Review: BENT OUT OF SHAPE
Author
Hokkanen, Mirka
Illustrator
Illustrated by the author
Reviewer
Baker, Laura
Pages
Unpaged
Price
$18.99
ISBN
978-1-5362-2368-2
Publisher & Date
Candlewick, 2023
Classification
Fiction
Grade Level
K-2
**
Book Review:
BENT OUT OF SHAPE
The previous book in the Kitty and Cat series, Opposites Attract (Lorgnette
October 2023), ended with a puppy being introduced to the feline pair. This
current story immediately connects because it involves all three pets and
builds upon the previous title. In this new story, a voice says, "Cat! Time for
a bath!," prompting Cat to hide. "Where's Cat?," the narrator asks. Kitty and
Puppy gladly go in search to discover Cat's hiding place. Cat continues to
conceal himself behind various household objects only to be exposed in the
shape he has contorted himself into when hiding. Kitty and Puppy turn over
a triangular vase to show Cat in the exact same shape of a triangle. Cat's
round bed disguises Cat's circular shape when he lies under it. A square box,
an oval mirror, and a diamond-shaped kite all become shapes highlighted by
Cat. Cat finally gets a bath in a trapezoidal bathtub and at last is able to curl
up with Kitty and Puppy in a heart formation--until it's Kitty and Puppy's turn
for a bath and to hide!
This book is pure genius in its design. The story actually begins on the
copyright page where small pictures show Cat rummaging in the garbage can
and digging in a flower pot, getting thoroughly dirty before coming inside
and thus needing the bath that launches the storyline. At first, it may not be
apparent that Cat is forming different shapes when he hides, although the
front endpapers give a clue by showing shapes labeled circle, diamond,
trapezoid, etc. The endpages in the back show Cat in the exact same shapes
as those featured in the front and in the story pages, once again with labels
to help readers connect the shapes with what they saw and with the shapes'
names. The expressions on the characters’ faces are precious: Cat’s
humiliation at being found and his displeasure at having to endure a bath,
and Kitty's and Puppy's gleeful romps to find Cat. Children will catch on to
the game and look to guess where Cat is hiding. Even the ending, like the
previous book, has a surprise twist when it becomes Kitty’s and Puppy's turn
Lorgnette v.36 no.3
Book Review: BENT OUT OF SHAPE
to take a bath. Will a new story that follows this one be forthcoming? One
can only hope so.


Bent Out Of Shape

Lorgnette v.36 no.3
Book Review: HIDDEN CREATURE FEATURES
Author
Park, Jane
Illustrator
Reviewer
Martinez, Shan
Pages
Unpaged
Price
$29.32
ISBN
978-1-7284-4567-0
Publisher & Date
Millbrook, 2023
Classification
Nonfiction (590)
Grade Level
K-5
**
Book Review:
HIDDEN CREATURE
FEATURES
In this beautiful book, readers will discover some special physical
characteristics of a variety of animals. Each animal is presented with the first
line and a half of a rhyming couplet. The surprising physical characteristic is
revealed on the next page with the end of the couplet. On this page, there is
also some explanation of the interesting characteristic printed within a
brightly colored circle. Examples of these amazing animals are the male
platypus and his venomous spurs on his hind feet, and the pangolin that has
a 12-inch tongue. Elementary age readers will love this book. Well done!


Hidden Creature Features

Carruth, Leah D.

Lorgnette v.36 no.3
Book Review: RISE TO THE SKY: HOW THE WORLD'S TALLEST TREES GROW UP
Author
Hirsch, Rebecca E
Illustrator
Illustrated by Mia Posada
Reviewer
Carruth, Leah
Pages
Unpaged
Price
$20.99
ISBN
978-1-7284-4087-3
Publisher & Date
Millbrook, 2023
Classification
Nonfiction (582.16)
Grade Level
K-5
**
Book Review:
RISE TO THE SKY:
HOW THE WORLD'S
TALLEST TREES GROW
UP
“What is the tallest living thing?” This is the first sentence you read as you
open the book. You may be amazed to find out it is a tree. Some are taller
than the Statue of Liberty and the Big Ben clock tower, but how does that
happen from a tiny seed? This book engages readers with the life cycle of a
tree, detailing the various steps, such as how growing trees are thirsty and
how they take a drink. The process will start all over with the tall trees
sending seeds to the ground to begin a cycle for new trees to rise to the sky.
The illustrations are incredible in this book. They are created from
watercolors and paper collage methods. The text is engaging, bringing the
reader more in tune with the life cycle of a tree. The illustrations take it to a
different level. For example, when talking about how the tree drinks when it
is thirsty, there are multiple trees shown at different stages of growth. The
roots are shown and how they drink last year’s rain and snow. A facing page
presents an enhanced image of what the inside of a tree looks like. It lets
the reader know that there are tubes in the tree that take the water all the
way up to the leaves. The book is filled with detailed images of similar
processes. The back pages include more information on trees and how they
grow. Readers can also view a two-page spread of a map showing where the
tallest trees live along with information about eight different types of trees,
Lorgnette v.36 no.3
Book Review: RISE TO THE SKY: HOW THE WORLD'S TALLEST TREES GROW UP
where they grow, and how tall they are.


Rise to the Sky: How the World\u27s Tallest Trees Grow Up

Lackey, Cynthia

Lorgnette v.36 no.3
Book Review: INDESTRUCTIBLE TOM CREAN: HEROIC EXPLORER OF THE ANTARCTIC, THE
Author
Thermes, Jennifer
Illustrator
Illustrated by the author
Reviewer
Lackey, Cynthia
Pages
Unpaged
Price
$19.99
ISBN
978-0-593-11772-9
Publisher & Date
Viking, 2023
Classification
Nonfiction (919.8904092 or
biography)
Grade Level
2-6
**
Book Review:
INDESTRUCTIBLE TOM
CREAN: HEROIC
EXPLORER OF THE
ANTARCTIC, THE
Jennifer Thermes translates her map-making skills into a fabulously
illustrated history of Tom Crean’s adventures on the Discovery, Terra Nova,
and Endurance expeditions in Antarctica at the turn of the century. The book
alternates between full-page illustrations and comic-esque illustrations that
bring the story to life. The reader is transported along the journey through
the detailed illustrations that include maps that track the adventure. The
author includes facts, maps, and time lines that provide the reader with
additional information.
While the publisher suggests this book be utilized with four- to eight-year-old
children, I believe that the number of pages and amount of text would be
better suited to children in second through sixth grades.


The Indestructible Tom Crean: Heroic Explorer of the Antarctic

Lorgnette v.36 no.3
Book Review: WE, THE CURIOUS ONES
Author
Bauer, Marion Dane
Illustrator
Illustrated by Hari & Deepti
Reviewer
Barrington, Susannah
Pages
Unpaged
Price
$18.99
ISBN
978-1-5362-1859-6
Publisher & Date
Candlewick, 2023
Classification
Fiction
Grade Level
3-5
Book Review:
WE, THE CURIOUS
ONES
In WE, THE CURIOUS ONES, Marion Dane Bauer offers a meditative journey
through the history of humankind’s relationship with scientific questions and
stories of meaning. Beginning with the ancient myths about a flat earth
supported by a turtle and continuing through the centuries to modern
scientific understanding, Bauer emphasizes the importance of curiosity and
openness to new stories. Hari & Deepti support the metaphysical nature of
the prose with stylized silhouettes on backgrounds of color that invite
interpretation and imagination. Bauer concludes with an extensive
afterword discussing in more detail and with references to the historical
discoveries that led to our understanding of the universe and humanity’s
place in it.
Readers of all ages will enjoy the beautiful star-filled illustrations, but the
message of this book may be more accessible to older readers. This book is
recommended for school and public libraries, with particular use for
programs or lessons regarding the history of scientific thought and the
importance of curiosity and open-mindedness.


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