Friendship and Fairy Tales
Pigeon P.I. By Meg McLarenBest for: Ages 4-8
Brightly colored birds are going missing around town. But now that Murray’s partner has flown the coop, Murray has decided to close their P.I. business. The case doesn’t concern him. Then a Canary named Vee gives Murray a pretty convincing argument. So when Vee goes missing, Murray is determined to find her and the rest of the missing birds. All the clues point to the Red Herring Bar and Grill. Murray finds and frees all the birds—with a little help from Vee. To wrap things up he only needs to discover who the mastermind is behind the bird-nappings. I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out. McLaren entertains us with wordplay and visual gags created with watercolor-like illustrations, full panel images and comic book-style panels.
What’s good: Engaging illustrations and humorous storytelling.
What’s bad: Not enough twists, even for a picture book.
Big Machines, the Story of Virginia Lee Burton By Sherri Duskey Rinker Illustrated by John Rocco Best for: Ages 5-10
If you have children and don’t know who Virginia Lee Burton is, shame on you. Just kidding—sort of. This new biography brings Burton and her classic picture book tales of big machines—Mike Mulligan’s Steam Shovel, Katie, Maybelle, Choo Choo and even the Little House—lovingly to life. As much a look at Burton’s creative process as it is a biography, Big Machines takes readers through several of her classic tales as she tells the stories to her boys, Aris and Michael. Rinker and Rocco offer a wonderful tribute that touches on Burton’s recurring themes of change and survival while pushing creative wonder, friendship and family.
What’s good: Good blend of biography, style and message. What’s bad: A list of all Burton’s published works would have been a nice addition. Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales By Kiersten White Best for: Ages 12 and up
Twisted fairy tales are nothing new in publishing. However, the twists usually are fun and quirky. In White’s reimaginings, the twists are of the macabre variety. Don’t expect to find your traditional Cinderella, Red Riding Hood or Goldilocks here. In these tales, you may find a vampire or zombie instead. White likes to twist the reader’s expectations and, in doing so, uses quite a bit of wordplay to keep readers off balance. The omniscient narrator guides the reader through this scary tale land, taking delight in the dark turns, but always with an eye on the joke around the corner. Yes, these stories are dark—maybe too dark and scary for some readers. They are also quite humorous.
What’s good: Reimagined twisted fairy tale poems separate each story.
What’s bad: Too dark and scary for some younger readers.