Elem. – The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination

Posted on June 16, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Montague, Brad. The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination. Illustrated by Brad and Kristi Montague. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-32347-2. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-3.

The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination introduces us to special agents called figments who help to maintain the world’s creativity. There are many different types of figments, such as invisible figments, rock figments, even merfigments! They all have a special job at the Bureau, but none of them are as special as Sparky. He is in charge of the mail and every letter, card, or package gets sorted through his office. However, Sparky has a secret… he writes poetry. One day as he is going to his office to start his job, he notices that the Cave of Untold Stories is starting to collapse. Even though Sparky is terrified of Brenda with her scales and teeth, he zooms down to help her and save the Cave. Will Sparky be able to save the cave? Will he convince people not to keep their songs, poems, and stories to themselves?

THOUGHTS: This is a beautifully charming picture book about imagination, not being afraid, and embracing who you are. The illustrations are charming and add to the overall feel of the story. The reader will want to come back several times just to look at all the little details that they may have missed on their first read. This would be a great book for a creative writing prompt, or even an art class (as the front of the Bureau is top secret and no one knows what it looks like). Highly recommend this book for either a fun read aloud or the beginning of a fun lesson.

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Elem./MG – Doodleville: Art Attacks!

Posted on January 25, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Sell, Chad. Doodleville: Art Attacks! Alfred Knopf, 2022. 978-1-984-89474-8. 250 p. $12.99 Grades 3-6.

Drew’s art club and the Doodles are back in Doodleville: Art Attacks!, which left off where Doodleville ended, with Levi, a doodle (who like the other doodles, can come to life), “borrowing” a baby from a portrait in the Art Institute of Chicago. The baby’s mother is not pleased, and chaos ensues in Art Attacks, as everything seems to go awry in an attempt to reunite the baby with its mother. It begins with bringing the baby back to the institute, where, through a series of events, spurred by Levi’s fear of the mother, the cat statue in Dorian Gray’s portrait is broken, enraging Dorian. Levi, afraid of the mother, once again steals (and hides!) the baby and the Mom, blaming Dorian, amasses and army of art to find her baby. Dorian, on his end, gets his own crew together. Drew’s art club, disagreeing on how best to proceed, first adds to the problem, fractures in argument, then comes together to get the art institute back on track.

THOUGHTS: Doodleville: Art Attacks! clearly is a continuation of the first book, and the two should be read in order, or it won’t make sense. Doodleville’s greatest strengths lie in the value it puts on the arts and imagination through its strong art/adventure storyline–unusual in the graphic novel market. The original cast is full of diverse characters (and their doodles) and it is, indeed, their diversity of thought and action that creates some of the conflict in the book. Gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other leads to an increased ability to work together and problem solve toward an ending that satisfies all–and creates a space for children in the Art Institute of Chicago. Recommended for its readability, creativity, and emphasis on the importance of art, as well as its cast of characters.

Graphic Novel Hannah J. Thomas, Central Bucks SD

Elem. – Knight Owl

Posted on January 3, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Denise, Christopher. Knight Owl. Christy Ottaviano Books. 978-0-316-31062-8. 44 p. $17.99. Grades K-3.

Owl is smart, brave, and resourceful, and he dreams of putting these traits to the test by becoming a knight. When knights start disappearing from the castle, Owl applies to knight school, and to everyone’s surprise, is accepted. After graduating, he’s assigned to the Knight Night Watch. Each evening, he patrols the castle wall, and unlike his companions, never falls asleep once. One night, a large dragon lands on the castle wall and threatens to eat Owl. With some quick thinking, Owl suggests the dragon try some pizza instead. The pair munch on slices and bond over their shared experiences of hatching from eggs, love of the nighttime, and soaring through open skies. Owl’s bravery and cleverness lead to a surprising new friendship as he proves that heroes come in all shapes and sizes. This title’s digitally created illustrations feature nighttime shades of blue, yellow, and brown, and Owl’s vivid facial expressions and large eyes feature prominently on many pages.

THOUGHTS: Themes of perseverance and working toward your dreams take center stage in this book, as does the idea of brains trumping brawn. Owl also demonstrates the true traits of a hero: quick wits, a sense of humor, and a big heart. This title will be popular with readers clamoring for titles featuring dragons, knights, and life during medieval times.

Picture Book Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD

Elem. – One Boy Watching

Posted on November 17, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Snider, Grant. One Boy Watching. Chronicle Books, 2022. 978-1-797-21088-9. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-2.

The simple, familiar experience of a school bus ride is turned into an excursion of discovery in Grant Snider’s picture book. Gorgeously enhanced with his own illustrations, the story follows one boy, one day, one ride to school. While the text is sparse, the words capture the small delights the boy observes on his long ride from his rural home to his school in town. Each page incorporates a counting theme, with concepts both simple (three pecking chickens) and more abstruse (no trains, infinite sky, countless flowers), sure to attract the attention of the keen listener or reader. Sinder’s color pencil and marker illustrations are lush and eye-catching, tying in to the school theme of the story. Bus riders are compared to crayons in a box, which echoes the feel of the artwork. As the long school day draws to a close, the boy begins to wonder what he may spy on the ride home. The story is a visual and thematic delight. Besides being fun to read, youngsters will enjoy counting, pondering the boy’s lengthy ride to school and long school day. How do they compare to their own school experience? The main character is white, while a variety of ethnicities are represented among the children on the bus.

THOUGHTS: This book would make a wonderful read aloud early in the school year, and will inspire many rereads. A worthy addition to libraries serving young patrons, especially school libraries.

Picture Book Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor SD

Elem. – Drawing Outdoors

Posted on October 24, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Buitrago, Jairo. Drawing Outdoors. Greystone Kids. 2022. 978-1-771-64847-9. $18.95. Grades K-3.

In many places, schools may have a gym, library, computers, and a playground. Deep in the mountains, however, is an extraordinary school that is a little bit different. It does not have the items a typical school would have. It does have an amazing teacher who leads the class outside on a drawing adventure. What will they draw? Why dinosaurs of course!

THOUGHTS: A unique book about a drawing adventure! What student would not want to go outdoors to draw dinosaurs? A fun story that young dinosaur lovers will enjoy.

Picture Book Rachel Burkhouse, Otto-Eldred SD

Elem. – If You Find a Leaf

Posted on October 13, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Sicuro, Aimée. If You Find a Leaf. Random House Studio, 2022. 978-0-593-30659-8. $17.99. 40 p. Grades PK-2.

This is a delightful, rhyming tribute to the pleasures of autumn. A single leaf sends a young child on a day spent imagining scenes that could be created using colorful fall leaves. Leaves are turned into boats, hammocks, a dog bed, hot air balloons, and so much more. Beautifully illustrated in ink, charcoal, watercolor, photographs, and collage. Detailed instructions on how to preserve leaves to create art based on the illustrations are included. A picture book celebration of autumn and creativity.

THOUGHTS: A wonderful, gentle read aloud that would be a lovely companion to Ehlert’s Leaf Man.

Picture Book Anne McKernan, Council Rock SD

MG – Moonflower

Posted on October 12, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Calendar, Kacen. Moonflower. Scholastic Press, 2022. 978-1-338-63659-8. 272 p. $17.99. Grades 3-7.

The dreamy scenes and atmospheric tone of this novel contrast sharply with the depression and anxiety that plague the main character, a child named Moon. Moon has trouble sleeping, speaking, and attending school with other kids, and instead they choose to get lost in a world of magical realism where they feel more “real” than they do in real life. Their mother is clearly distraught and although she tries to help, Moon’s mental health is not something she can cope with well on her own. Eventually, Moon’s therapist and a cast of metaphorical guides they find on their journeys to the spirit realm help them realize that all people are worthy of love, and that life is full of pain, but also of great beauty and joy.

THOUGHTS: Moon’s struggles throughout this book are highlighted by vivid descriptions of depression and suicidal thoughts that might be triggering for some people. Despite the pain that Moon endures, and the sometimes didactic internal dialogue we hear from them during their various encounters with antagonists, teachers and friends, the story ends on a tremendously hopeful note that centers around the idea that everyone deserves love.

Fantasy Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD

Elem. – Franz’s Phantasmagorical Machine

Posted on September 12, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Anderson, Beth. Franz’s Phantasmagorical Machine. Kids Can Press, 2022. 978-1-525-30325-8. 32 p. $18.99. Grades K-3.

“Imagine. Discover. Create.” Throughout his childhood, these whispers call to Franz Gsellmann. The words run through his mind even as his parents rely on him to do the more practical work of helping out on the family farm. As Franz busies himself milking cows, gathering eggs, and picking apples, the whispers continue calling to him. One night, many years later, he wakes from a dream with an idea for a fantastical, magical, phantasmagorical machine. Unsure about how to make his dream machine a reality, he draws inspiration from the World’s Fair in Belgium. For the next 23 years, he visits flea markets and junkyards, filling bags and carts with odds and ends of all kinds. He hauls everything back to his workshop where he tinkers in secrecy. When he finally reveals his creation to his family and neighbors, he’s crushed when they don’t understand his vision. They want to know what the machine does, but they miss the point that sometimes, a creation doesn’t need a practical purpose. Some things can be appreciated simply for their artistic beauty, ingenuity, and creativity. Backmatter pages include a brief biography of Franz Gsellmann as well as black and white photos of him with his machine.

THOUGHTS: This title will be a thought-provoking addition to STEAM lessons as it highlights the ideas of perseverance, experimentation, creativity, and optimism. It also draws connections between science and art and shows the value of thinking outside the box. Share this with art teachers too to kickstart units about recycled art or self-taught artists.

621 Applied Physics Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD
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