Book Review #27

 Meshuggah Food Faces  

Authors: Bill and Claire Wurtzel
Publisher: Behrman House Publishing, 2020
ISBN: 978-1681150666
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Topics: Humor, Kid's Cooking, Yiddish Culture.

I Gave This Book 4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 4 Roars? I love the idea of creating food faces with children and the tidbits of Yiddish culture and humor are very witty. I think this book would work well for many different ages and reading levels.  

Critical Analysis
Accuracy: 

The authors have written several other popular Children's Picture Books using food. 

They include the following:
Funny Food: 365 Fun, Healthy, Silly, Creative Breakfasts, Funny Food Made Easy: Creative, Fun, & Healthy Breakfasts, Lunches, & Snacks, and Foodie Faces. 

“A standout…Some picture books cry out to be shared, and this is a prime example. Teachers will enjoy reading it aloud during units on feelings, while kids will want to show it to friends and family. From cover to cover, 

great fun.” ~~Booklist 

Design: The design uses actual food to create the edible art work.

“Though the concept is simple, the intricacies of each face beg for closer examination, and readers might find themselves transfixed in wonder at the fantastical creations.... A visually delightful experience."

~~Kirkus

Style: The name, Meshuggah Food Faces translates into Crazy Food Faces, a great title for the book.  There are quite a few crazy food faces, such as Albert Pinestein, and cousin Yetta the Yenta. 

“Engaging…fresh….A playful addition recommended for libraries that serve young children.”

~~ School Library Journal

Connections: Meshuggah Food Faces

Book Review #26

 Feliz Navidad, Jorge El Curioso / 

Merry Christmas, Curious George

Author: Catherine (Cathy)Hapka

Translations: Carlos E. Calvo

Illustrations: Mary O'Keefe

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2012

ISBN:978-0-547-74503-9 

Reading Level: 4 to 7 years 

Main Characters: Curious George, the man with the yellow hat, Santa.

Plot: Curious George and the man with the yellow hat visit a Christmas tree farm to pick out a tree. George and the tree manage to find their way to the local children's hospital. George meets Santa and the man with the yellow hat comes to take him home.   

Settings: Christmas tree farm, local children’s hospital. 

Genre/Theme/Style: Children's Picture Book. Juvenile Fiction. Holidays. Bilingual, written in both English and Spanish. 

I Gave This Book 3 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁

Critical Analysis: I absolutely did not like the fact that this book was not written by Margret and H.A. Rey! Margret Elizabeth Rey (May 16, 1906 – December 21, 1996). 

It is written in the style of their work, but it is considerably lacking for me. I love the idea of translating classic children's stories into Bilingual editions, but this simply fell flat for me in every area.  I lost interest in the plot after George visited the Christmas tree farm. 

Why 3 Roars? I think this book missed on several levels. It is not written by Margret and H.A. Rey, it did not translate as well as it should have, and it did not have much  of a plot. 

After having a Spanish speaking collogue read it, the translation felt a little awkward for the bilingual reader. When allowing someone more knowledgeable to assess this aspect of the review, it was given only 3 Roars in this area, also.  

I really love the Curious George books and the authors. Their own personal story is fascinating, as well.  

"As Jews, the Reys decided to flee Paris before the Nazis seized the city. Hans built two bicycles, and they fled Paris just a few hours before it fell. Among the meager possessions they brought with them was the illustrated manuscript of Curious George."

~~ Goodreads Reviews

I do not think this book is in keeping with the rest of the Curious George books. 

    

Connections: 

Curious George

Book Review #25

Meditation Station 

Author: Susan B. Katz

Illustrator: Anait Semirdzhyan

Publisher: Bala Kids, 2020

ISBN: 978-1611807912

Reading Level: 4-8 years

Genre: Children's Non-fiction

Topics: mindfulness, meditation, self-control, focus, yoga.

Main Characters: A teddy bear and his thoughts that appear as trains running through a train station.

Plot: The book uses the images of a teddy bear as the train conductor, a train station, and trains zooming through the train station to teach children about meditation and mindful practices. 

Settings: Inside the Meditation Station

 4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 4 Roars? I love the comparison the author makes between zooming trains and thoughts zooming through a child's mind.  I think this would be a great way to teach children that we can simply watch the trains go by without getting on the trains. 

"As thoughts zoom in and out of your brain, stay in the station and just watch each train." 

~~Meditation Station

Critical Analysis

Accuracy: The author is a teacher and an educational consultant. She is an award-winning author who has also written eight chapter books and biographies. 

“As a seasoned, bilingual educator, I see that kids need specific skills to calm their bodies and minds. In addition to teaching, I’ve been practicing meditation, mindfulness and metta (loving-kindness) for over 25 years. 

One dharma talk I heard at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, centered around how to train ourselves to stay with our breath and not get swept up by our racing train of thoughts. Stay in the station, as they say. You can also liken it to passing clouds in the sky. Just letting our thoughts pass, and not going down the rabbit hole of “what ifs” which flood our brains with emotions about hypothetical scenarios, allows us to stay in the present.” 

~~ Susan B. Katz, Thrive Global

Organization: The book is organized to read as a simple story. 

Design: The illustrations are simple, clean, and very calming, and the illustrator uses traditional ink and watercolor, along with new methods.

"Although my favorite tools are traditional Pen & Ink and watercolor, I also work digitally and am always eager to try new media and learn new techniques."

~~ Anait Semirdzhyan

Style: The book uses calming lyrical passages in many places and gives readers the choice of centering oneself and being an observer in the Meditation Station. 

"This delightful book offers children one of the most precious of gifts—an understanding that we are not our thoughts! The evocative theme and beautiful illustrations remind all of us that we can stay balanced and calm instead of being taken for a ride by reactive 

stories in our mind."

~~ Tara Brach, author of Radical Compassion

Awards: Winner of the 2020 International Children's Mind/Body/Spirit Book Award

Connections:

Susan B. Katz Books

Anait Semirdzhyan

Book Review #24

 The Rugrats' Book of Chanukah

Author: Sarah Willson

Illustrator: Barry Goldberg

Publisher: Turtleback Books: A Division of Sanval, 1997

ISBN:978-0613058063

Reading Level:  4 - 8 years

Main Characters: All of your favorite Rugrats' characters are here. Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Angelica, & the grown-ups. 

Plot: The plot involves a retelling of the Hanukkah story, as seen from the babies’ viewpoint. There is a pageant going on at the Jewish synagogue and there are flashes of Hanukkah history happening when a book about Hanukkah is read to the babies. The book is based on the television series Rugrats.

Settings: The home of Tommy, the Jewish Synagogue, and several significant places in Jewish Hanukkah history. 

Genre/Theme/Style: Picture Book. Religious Holiday Books. Jewish Culture. Jewish Holidays.  

The style is very in keeping with the Rugrat’s humor. It is easy for kids isolate the parts that they can understand and there is enough humor to prevent this book from being overwhelming for younger readers. There are layers and levels of understanding that can be found in it. 

5 Roars!🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Critical Analysis: This book is an older book, but it became a tradition at our house. My children did not have very many books about Jewish kids that highlighted the religion in a way that kids could relate to during that time period. We see more cultural books available to children now, but it was a bold move for Nickelodeon to create characters that celebrated the Jewish holidays. These characters helped to pave the way for more children's Jewish characters in television and books. 

My grandchildren are now watching the Rugrats television series and my kids are sharing the Rugrats' books they loved with their children. I might break into a chorus of the "Tradition" song from Fiddler on the Roof, but I am not sure if other Jewish people would shake their heads at this tradition or not. Oy, Vey! 

Discussing the television episode that is very similar to the book with the same name, Ian Spelling writes:  

"Back in December 1996, Nickelodeon kicked off season four of their acclaimed show with an episode simply titled, 'Chanukah.'"

"The sweetest moment arrives when Schlomo, much to Boris’s surprise, perfectly explains the importance and legacy of the menorah and its burning for eight nights. ‘In times of darkness,’ he shares, ‘it shines on the whole world, reminding us not to be afraid to be different, but to be proud of who we are.’”
~~ Ian Spelling

Why 5 Roars? This Rugrats' book and characters helped children become more aware of other cultures during that time period and gave my kids a sense of belonging to a very long history of a people who still find joy in their traditions. I think it is important to remember the time period in which this book was written when assessing its worth. 

Connections: 

Reading of Rugrats' Book of Chanukah

Hanukkah Sameach!

Book Review #23

 Little Penguins

Author: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Christian Robinson
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade, 2019

ISBN: 978-1984830586

Reading Level: 4-7 years 

Main Characters: Five, little penguins, and Mama penguin

Plot:  The five, cute, little penguins are having fun in Winter and Mama is there to help. 

Settings: Somewhere in a cold climate.

Genre/Theme/Style: Picture books. The style is fun and the cover uses bits of torn paper with letters on them for falling snowflakes.

I Gave This Book 4 Roars!🦁🦁🦁🦁

Critical Analysis:
This book is fun and easily appeals to younger audiences. It depicts the first snow of Winter for five baby penguins. It is whimsical and easy to read.

"Caldecott Honor winners Rylant and Robinson collaborate in this visually stunning depiction of winter in Antarctica, but it’s really about winter fun anywhere." 

~~ Booklist

Why 4 Roars? I liked the feeling of family that this book provided. Even in the cold of winter, Mama is there to help the baby penguins. 

Who doesn't love a Mama that bakes warm cookies, and hands out sippy cups? I also like the thank you that implied the need to thank Mama for her help. The books ends with the five, baby penguins wrapped up tight for the night. 

Acknowledgements:

“Newbery Medal–winning author Cynthia Rylant and Caldecott Honor-winning, bestselling illustrator Christian Robinson pair up to tell this wintry story about five little penguins enjoying a snowy day.” 

~~ Amazon Reviews

Connections: 

A great little project that would be perfect with this book would be to cut snowflakes out of white paper. Simple, but great for younger readers. 

Kids Can Make