Fish Tales and Friendship
Summer books explore friendship, family and home Peanut Butter and Jellyfish By Jarrett J. Krosoczka Best for: Ages 4-8
Did you hear the one about the bully who was really just protecting his own feelings? That’s what you get with this tale of underwater pals. Peanut Butter (a seahorse) and Jellyfish (a jellyfish) are best friends. They swim around, over and through–exploring their big ocean surroundings. But every time they swim past Crabby, he hurls insults at the pair. Then one day there’s no sign of Crabby. The friends soon find him trapped inside a lobster pot being hauled to the surface. Do they make the right choice? Do they help him escape? It wouldn’t be a good story for your children if they didn’t.
After Peanut Butter and Jellyfish do the right thing and help Crabby escape, he does the right thing and apologizes. Crabby also explains why he’s been so rude. Pretty soon they are all best friends. They spend their days exploring the ocean floor.
What’s good: An easy story about friendship, saying sorry and making the right choices. What’s bad: I found the juvenile illustrations to be distracting, but young children seem to like them. Duck & Goose Go to the Beach By Tad HillsBest for: Ages 3-7
Duck and Goose are back in a new adventure. Fans of Toot and Puddle might be familiar with the themes in this book: friendship, home, adventure and more. Duck is set on having an adventure, and Goose is happy to stay home in their meadow. Eventually they hike to the beach where they play on the waves, mingle with the locals, make sand castles and relax in the sand. The beach is scary, fun and exciting, but they decide that there’s no place like home.
The simplistic illustration style is superbly rendered, and Hill brings every emotion to life with the smallest eye crinkle or bending beak. The illustrations are warm, inviting and will draw young readers in. Anyone leaving for their first time at camp will be able to relate to these characters and the mix of emotions they feel on their first adventure to the beach.
What’s good: Expressive illustrations that make the reader feel like they are spending time with old friends. What’s bad: Very little. This is a winner for young readers. The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing By Sheila Turnage Best for: Ages 8-12
Whether you are old friends of Mo LoBeau or just meeting her for the first time, you’re going to like her. This plucky sixth grader lives in a small North Carolina town with her adopted family of quirky characters and can always be found with her best friend and business partner Dale Earnhardt Johnson III. Their detective agency (Desperado Detective Agency) just recently solved a murder, and it doesn’t take them long to stumble into a new case. This one involves the old dilapidated Tupelo Inn, a history project, a ghost and a mystery more than 60 years old. Turnage may have outdone herself with this tale driven by humor, action and quirky characters, The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing.
What’s good: Colorful language, believable characters and an absorbing plot. More good: Turnage may be looking at another Newberry Honor with this one.
Fish Tales and Friendship
Summer books explore friendship, family and home
By McGeath Freeman
Peanut Butter and Jellyfish By Jarrett J. Krosoczka Best for: Ages 4-8
Did you hear the one about the bully who was really just protecting his own feelings? That’s what you get with this tale of underwater pals. Peanut Butter (a seahorse) and Jellyfish (a jellyfish) are best friends. They swim around, over and through–exploring their big ocean surroundings. But every time they swim past Crabby, he hurls insults at the pair. Then one day there’s no sign of Crabby. The friends soon find him trapped inside a lobster pot being hauled to the surface. Do they make the right choice? Do they help him escape? It wouldn’t be a good story for your children if they didn’t.
After Peanut Butter and Jellyfish do the right thing and help Crabby escape, he does the right thing and apologizes. Crabby also explains why he’s been so rude. Pretty soon they are all best friends. They spend their days exploring the ocean floor.
What’s good: An easy story about friendship, saying sorry and making the right choices. What’s bad: I found the juvenile illustrations to be distracting, but young children seem to like them. Duck & Goose Go to the Beach By Tad HillsBest for: Ages 3-7
Duck and Goose are back in a new adventure. Fans of Toot and Puddle might be familiar with the themes in this book: friendship, home, adventure and more. Duck is set on having an adventure, and Goose is happy to stay home in their meadow. Eventually they hike to the beach where they play on the waves, mingle with the locals, make sand castles and relax in the sand. The beach is scary, fun and exciting, but they decide that there’s no place like home.
The simplistic illustration style is superbly rendered, and Hill brings every emotion to life with the smallest eye crinkle or bending beak. The illustrations are warm, inviting and will draw young readers in. Anyone leaving for their first time at camp will be able to relate to these characters and the mix of emotions they feel on their first adventure to the beach.
What’s good: Expressive illustrations that make the reader feel like they are spending time with old friends. What’s bad: Very little. This is a winner for young readers. The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing By Sheila Turnage Best for: Ages 8-12
Whether you are old friends of Mo LoBeau or just meeting her for the first time, you’re going to like her. This plucky sixth grader lives in a small North Carolina town with her adopted family of quirky characters and can always be found with her best friend and business partner Dale Earnhardt Johnson III. Their detective agency (Desperado Detective Agency) just recently solved a murder, and it doesn’t take them long to stumble into a new case. This one involves the old dilapidated Tupelo Inn, a history project, a ghost and a mystery more than 60 years old. Turnage may have outdone herself with this tale driven by humor, action and quirky characters, The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing.
What’s good: Colorful language, believable characters and an absorbing plot. More good: Turnage may be looking at another Newberry Honor with this one.