Elem. – The Girl Who Lost a Leopard

Posted on February 5, 2024 by pslamediaselectionreview

Farook, Nizrana. The Girl Who Lost a Leopard. Peachtree, 2023. 978-1-682-63581-0. 196 p. $16.99. Grades 3-5.

Selvi is a twelve year old girl who lives on the island of Serendib with her widowed mother. Until recently, she was home-schooled and enjoyed her solitary life exploring the mountains that were full of wildlife. One day, the girl observes some hunters trying to capture a leopard. This was a special leopard with a beautiful coat that she often observed on her mountain journeys. Selvi managed to prevent Jansz from killing the big cat, but he threatened her if she told others about his poaching attempt, because hunting leopards was against the law. The leopard, which she called Lokka, was her mountain companion and hid his wild nature around her, allowing her to be near him as he rested in a tree. A boy at school called Amir finds out about the girl’s secret rendezvous with Lokka and teams up with her to save the leopard. In addition to the poachers, Selvi has to deal with her overbearing rich uncle who disapproves of the girl’s free spirited ways. Things come to a head when Lokka is captured, and Selvi realizes that enemies can be closer than imagined. With help from unexpected sources, the girl is determined to rescue her beloved animal friend, despite the danger. This story is set in Serendib, which is a fictional island inspired by the author’s home country of Sri Lanka. The text has an attractive cover and a map of the island is found in the front pages.

THOUGHTS: This adventure story, with its short chapters, is a real page turner. Readers who enjoy this one may want to check out the author’s other two books: The Girl Who Stole An Elephant and The Boy Who Met a Whale. Highly recommended for elementary collections and a great choice for those who love animal or adventure stories.

Adventure

Elem – Bibi: A Flamingo’s Tale

Posted on December 6, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Weaver, Jo. Bibi: A Flamingo’s Tale. Peachtree, 2023. 978-1-682-63553-7. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-2.

Bibi, which means “grandmother” in Swahili, is the matron of her flock of flamingos. She teaches the others how to stand on one leg, how to preen their feathers, how to dance on the lake and shows parents how to build mud nests. After the babies are born, they learn how to walk, but it will be some time before they can fly. This creates a problem, because the extreme heat has caused the water at the lake’s edge to recede and the flamboyance must fly to a new source of fresh water. Since the baby flamingoes will have to walk there, Bibi offers to lead them. One chick called Toto is too exhausted to set out on the journey. Bibi decides that she and the other young birds will wait until he is rested and proceeds to tell them stories of life in the lake. Now rested, the group sets off again across the unforgiving desert and finally reaches water. As the summer ends, the entire flock, including the flaminglets, must fly to a new destination. Bibi, as the oldest member, feels she is too old and tired to fly. This time the avian community comes to her rescue, giving her time to get stronger until she is ready to join them in flight. The pink and gray illustrations created by the author are done in charcoal and then digitally colored. Weaver manages to instill some flamingo personality into these large scale drawings. The author includes a brief note about the migration habits of the lesser flamingo. The adult birds fly to Tanzania from East Africa, while the chicks, accompanied by a few adults, cross a salt desert of twenty miles to get there.

THOUGHTS: This beautiful tale shows how some animals work together to help their community survive. A great choice for elementary collections.

Picture Book

Elem. – Winter: A Solstice Story

Posted on December 6, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Gross, Kelsey E. Winter: A Solstice Story. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. 978-1-665-90813-9. 32 p. $18.99. Grades K-3.

An owl watches the sun set, signaling the end of daytime and the beginning of solstice, the longest night of the year. From atop a pine tree, the owl hoots to other woodland animals, asking how each might help shine the light and share a gift of hope to celebrate the special evening. Animals of all sizes emerge from their snowy thickets, dens, and burrows, each bringing a simple, yet thoughtful gift to decorate the pine tree. A deer hangs nuts from branches, a squirrel nestles leaves onto limbs, a mouse sprinkles seeds, a duck offers feathers, a rabbit tosses pieces of bark like confetti, a raccoon brings berries, and a chickadee wraps long grasses all around the tree. The animals celebrate the beautifully decorated tree by singing, frolicking, and twirling, but all the commotion wakes up a sleepy bear. The animals hold their breaths as the bear lumbers towards the tree, but the owl warmly welcomes the new friend to join the celebration and enjoy the gifts. Two oversized, fold-out pages depict the decorated pine tree in its full glory, beautifully capturing each animal’s joy and generosity.

THOUGHTS: Digital illustrations in a muted winter palette convey each animal’s gentle nature and the stillness of the snowy woodland setting. Young readers will pick up on the refrain as each animal repeats what it will contribute to shine the light during the solstice celebration. Share this title as part of a winter-themed story time or to supplement lessons centering on generosity, thoughtfulness, or kindness.

Picture Book

Elem. – Stickler Loves the World

Posted on October 31, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Smith, Lane. Stickler Loves the World. Random House Studio, 2023. 978-0-593-64983-1. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-2.

A strange yet winsome creature lives in the forest with many woodland animals. True to its name, Stickler is covered with sticks and enjoys collecting them to share with his friend Crow. With its multiple changing eyes, Stickler loves looking at everything in its world like “fluffy clouds…mushy moss…craggy stone [and a] slimy frog..” Yet the creature ponders what it would be like to see all these marvels with new eyes, so that it would all be fresh again. A short time later, Stickler meets a stranger in the forest, one who appears to have only three eyes and wearing a space helmet. Convinced that this being is not from Earth, Stickler takes it on a sensory tour of the area and describes such incredible things like the colorful and fragrant flowers, the warmth of the sun and the gusts of wind. In awe of everything, Stickler reflects that many wonders are passed by without being noticed. The stranger’s helmet, which is actually a can, pops off to reveal Crow, who is thankful to his friend for opening his eyes to an amazing world. Smith’s charming and engaging illustrations were created with mixed media. With sticks for hair, a big nose, and large ears, Stickler is an endearing character who encourages young readers to get out and really notice the world around them.

THOUGHTS: This enchanting picture book should be in every elementary collection. Children will enjoy listening to the story and will delight in knowing the identity of the helmeted visitor before the title character. Highly recommended and a Caldecott contender.

Picture Book

Elem./MG – The One and Only Ruby

Posted on October 12, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Applegate, Kathrine. The One and Only Ruby. Harper Collins, 2023. 978-0-063-08008-9. 240 p. $19.99. Grades 3-7.

Ruby’s story picks up a few months after the events of The One and Only Bob. Ruby is now living in a wildlife sanctuary that is right next to her friend Ivan. Of course, Bob comes to visit often. When Ruby discovers that her old caretaker from the elephant orphanage in Africa is there, Ruby’s story unfolds. Happy and sad memories surface as readers finally learn Ruby’s backstory.

THOUGHTS: The story we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived! Applegate does not disappoint in the final book in her series.

Fantasy

Elem. – Becoming Charley

Posted on September 11, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

DiPucchio, Kelly. Becoming Charley. Illustrated by Loveis Wise. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 978-0-593-42904-4. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-2.

Among a forest full of young caterpillars eating milkweed “just as they’d been taught to do” is Charley who would rather admire the trees, clouds, and stars. Despite his elders scolding him to focus on becoming a big, strong butterfly, Charley wonders if it might be nice to be a spotted fawn or a waterfall. Despite daily lessons – “Think black. Think orange. Think black. Think orange.” and “This. Not that!” Charley is distracted by the sun, the wildflowers, the mountains, and the turquoise sea. When each caterpillar forms its chrysalis, everyone is excited, but Charley feels unsure. Will Charley remember to “Think black. Think orange.” or will the other colors and shapes of nature fill his mind? As millions of butterflies take to the skies in summer, Charley emerges.

THOUGHTS: Charley is determined to be an individual, focusing on the things he loves instead of what others expect of him. Wise’s beautiful illustrations bring to life this story of being true to oneself, even when you’re forging your own path. Young readers will appreciate the detailed digital illustrations and love learning about the life cycle of a butterfly.

Picture Book

Elem. – Cinderella – with Dogs!

Posted on May 9, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Bailey, Linda. Cinderella – with Dogs! Freya Harris. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. 978-1-984-81382-4, 32 p. $18.99. Grades K-2.

What if your fairy Godmother appears, and she is a fairy dogmother? This story spins the tale of Cinderella and her fairy dogmother. She learns to take in the moment and enjoy the little things, like chasing squirrels. Her dogmother creates her ball gown out of a cozy blanket that any dog would love to lay on. Her hair ensemble resembles a poodle. When she shows up to the ball, she runs in like a dog chasing a toy not caring what the other people are thinking. All the royal dogs join in with her, as well as catching the eye of the royal prince who is a dog lover as well.

THOUGHTS: With colorful, vibrant illustrations, this picture book would make a great read aloud. Most students know the story of Cinderella and will get a kick out of the dog version. Students will enjoy seeing the various dogs throughout the story. Any dog lover will enjoy reading this modern twist on a fairy tale classic.

Picture Book

Elem. – Puppy Bus

Posted on March 6, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Brockington, Drew. Puppy Bus. Abrams Books, 2022. 978-1-419-75191-2. 40 p. $17.99. Grades PK-2.

Puppy Bus begins with a young boy who reluctantly climbs on the bus for his first day at a new school after a big move. He takes his seat… and quickly realizes that he has climbed onto the wrong bus. He’s on the PUPPY BUS! And where does the puppy bus go!? Puppy school! What to do!? Go to class! But class is strange and confusing, and the food is terrible! The boy begins to miss his old friends and family…and wants to go home–until a friendly puppy offers friendship. Puppy school might not be so bad after all!

THOUGHTS: Unique to this book is the storyline that the main character is starting a new school after a move (rather than it being the first day of school). This welcome addition to shelves of school stories will bring smiles to young readers’ faces and make the task of going to school seem just a little less daunting (at least they serve people food at school!). Recommended, particularly for schools looking to refresh their school stories shelves and for those looking for a fun welcome for their move-ins!

Picture Book Hannah J. Thomas, Central Bucks SD

Literature Review

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Tag Archives: Animal Fiction

Elem. – The Girl Who Lost a Leopard

Elem – Bibi: A Flamingo’s Tale

Elem. – Winter: A Solstice Story

Elem. – Stickler Loves the World

Elem./MG – The One and Only Ruby

Elem. – Cinderella – with Dogs!

Elem. – Puppy Bus