Colleen SC Reads - LIS 721

  Benton, Jim. Jop and Blip Wanna Know: Can You Hear a Penguin Fart on Mars? And Other Excellent Questions. Illustrated by the author. Harper Alley, 2021. $8.99. 9780062972934 Gr 1-5. In this book, two silly-looking robots ponder some excellent questions and share random historical and scientific knowledge. The large cartoon panels include bright, beady-eyed illustrations. The all-caps print adds to the cartoon-feel of the book; the style will most likely appeal to children who enjoy DogMan and other similar works. The book is divided into three sections, with each section mostly focusing on one main question, but throughout we also get information on other topics. The many unrelated facts do support the book’s main idea about asking questions, but the randomness created a lack of cohesion. It might be difficult for some children to follow. I also felt the lack of focus on one topic made me less invested in the information I was being given. Overall, the information is certainly...

  This book has some aspects of a transitional reader but based on the grades for which it is recommended, it may fit better in the juvenile fiction section. Indeed, at my public library, the book is shelved in Juvenile Chapter Books, with a Poetry label on its spine since the novel is in verse. The book’s Transitional aspects include large typeface, 15-25 lines per page, extensive white space on each page, short-ish chapters, and fairly simple vocabulary and sentence structure. However, because the novel is in verse, it actually has fewer words per line than the average Transitional book. Most lines have 4-6 words. Additionally, sentences are broken into shorter lines, separated in a poetic way, with stanzas of varying length, not paragraphs. Another major aspect that makes the book for older readers is the lack of any illustrations beyond the cover and a tiny little dog symbol at the beginning of each chapter. Additionally, the chapters, while short, are connected together and te...

  Johnson, Dinah. H is for Harlem . Illustrated by April Harrison. Christy Ottaviano Books, 2022. $18.99. 9780316322379 Gr K-4. This book is organized as an alphabet book. For each letter, a person, place, organization, or idea connected with Harlem, New York is named. Then there is a short paragraph, explaining that icon and at times naming more Harlem icons that start with that letter. Most pages are easy to follow, but some letters have a confusing organization because the paragraph starts with other topics rather than the person/place/etc. that was named initially. This issue only occurs a few times, so I don’t think it would prevent children from understanding the content. The alphabetical format allows the author to cover a wide range of topics and people related to Harlem. The paragraphs on each page allow for a few interesting details without too much overwhelming information for young readers. If anything, I think the amount of information included could encourage reader...

  Brooks, Gwendolyn. Bronzeville Boys and Girls . Illustrated by Faith Ringgold. Amistad/HarperCollins, 2007. $16.99. 9780060295059 Gr. PreK-3. Gwendolyn Brooks’ 34 poems about children in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood were originally published in 1956, but they still feel completely relevant and accurate to the inner life of a child. There is a table of contents listing each poem and its page number. The title of each short poem incorporates at least one child’s name, making very clear that children are the focus and these poems are written for children. The language incorporates many poetic techniques such as similes, metaphors, assonance, personification, alliteration, repetition, and more. Many of the poems rhyme, and many use four-line stanzas or couplets, while others are one long stanza. But the language is never overdone; the sing-song rhyming quality and the vivid, clear words allow the poetry to fit its audience. Most of all, the ideas in the poems, which vary from...