Take a stroll through new picture books and graphic novels this January The Little Snowplow By Lora KoehlerIllustrated by Jake ParkerBest for: Ages 3-7
If you crossed Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel with Katy and the Big Snow, you’d come pretty close to this fun tale from debut author Lora Koehler. The Little Snowplow follows a small blue snowplow as he joins the big trucks of the Mighty Mountain Road Crew. The seasoned crew questions the little guy’s abilities, which just motivates him to train every night.
When a blizzard sweeps through town, the little blue snowplow goes to work but soon realizes the job is far too big for one vehicle. It doesn’t take long before the entire crew finds they need each other to keep the town safe and clear.
While this is a wonderful tale of hard work and perseverance, it also covers humility and forgiveness. Children will love the action and friendly illustrations. The Little Snowplow will make a good addition to story time collections containing Little Toot and The Little Engine That Could.
What’s good: Humorous illustrations and timeless message. What’s bad: Not much; it’s a well-told, well-structured story. Star Wars, Jedi Academy: Attack of the Journal By Jeffrey Brown Best for: Ages 6-8
With the force clearly reawakened with the release of the latest Star Wars movie, I thought I’d highlight something a little different for this column: a journal. Several graphic-novel-style book series have put out a journal edition in hopes of encouraging kids to write and be creative. Brown does a good job with his attempt using the Jedi Academy series. This interactive journal takes a lot of pressure off children by directing them with humorous illustrations and activities throughout the book. There is plenty of room for creativity, but no blank pages. From lessons on drawing stick figure comics to filling in dialogue on well-drawn comics to story starters and more, each page guides children to be creative and let the force guide them.
Fans of the Jedi Academy series will enjoy this addition and love that they get to have input. It’s also a good way for parents to encourage their children to explore creative activities, especially if you’re planning a trip anytime soon.
What’s good: The humor draws you in. The guidance keeps you going. What’s bad: Journals are always a hard sell to kids. Sunny Side Up By Jennifer L. HolmIllustrated by Matthew HolmBest for: Ages 8-12
In recent years authors have used graphic novels to tackle some pretty edgy topics: divorce, depression, etc. Sunny Side Up is the next in line. Jennifer and Matthew Holm use real-life events from their childhood and their family to weave an entertaining and poignant tale about the effects of substance abuse on everyone in a family.
Sunny Side Up is not a depressing tale. It’s filled with fun and humorous moments. In the summer of 1976 (the date doesn’t really matter), 10-year-old Sunny goes to live with her grandpa in Florida for the summer. She’s disappointed she can’t go to the family beach house like usual, but has high hopes Grandpa will take her to Disney World instead. Lies, deceptions and secrets circle throughout the story and reveal themselves in skillful flashbacks that culminate in a defining moment of pain and courage.
Preteens will relate to Sunny and her situation, whether they have a similar issue in their families or not. Her emotions and actions are universal to all children who are growing up in this confusing world.
What’s good: Humor keeps this story from getting bogged down in the serious topic. What’s bad: It’s written in a comic book style, but it’s not a comic topic.