AMAZING OCTOPUS: Creature from an unknown world

AMAZING OCTOPUS: Creature from an unknown world
MICHAEL STAVARIČ (tr. Oliver Latsch; illus. Michèle Ganser)
Pushkin Children's Books
$27.00 hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Dive beneath the waves and explore the amazing world of the octopus with this fact-filled book for middle grade readers who can’t get enough about marine animals!

What do ocean and space have in common? How did octopuses and humans evolve? What exactly are cephalopods - and why do they have such a funny name?

Octopuses are the oldest and most intelligent creatures on our planet, true aliens whose abilities amaze us. Michael Stavarič and Michèle Ganser have created a non-fiction book full of surprising twists and turns that offer much more than just imparting knowledge.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: I appear to be a middle-grade reader "who can’t get enough about marine animals". I loved reading this book, as ably translated by Oliver Latsch, and I reveled in the illustrations. They're done in an approachable, informative way:

These three were provided by Pushkin Children's Books to show just how astonishingly rich and fascinating all the illustrations are; Michèle Ganser is a major talent. Many more from this pen, please.

Since I'm a firm believer that the Tentacled Americans of all species are as close to alien inteligences as we're going to get for the moment, I was very happy with the choice to link them to outer space in this book.

Octopuses, as we know by now, are cephalopods—their legs, or rather their tentacles, are directly connected to their heads. This may give them a somewhat sack-like appearance to our eyes. Basically, they only consist of a huge head, two big eyes and eight arms, which are equipped with suckers on the underside. So it is not surprising that octopuses are also often called “aliens”.

It's all like this, told as though your science teacher is a fun, funny storyteller with a lot of knowledge to make your learning painless.

The best part of this approach is that the astounding intelligence and real-life coolness of the cephalopd tribe gets hold of you quickly and, if I read this right, permanently. Your budding marine scientist will love the experience of reading this. It's not like most science books for this age group are...brightly colored and written down...so it'll appeal to the serious about science while not repelling the casually interested.

Parents will enjoy it, too, in large part because they'll recognize the Socratic teaching style of asking questions, of probing for the reader's existing knowledge. It's the best way I know of to get new facts to stick: Locate them in the child's existing nexus of information.

The physical book must be a delight to hold. The DRC is a delight to look at, a real visual feast. It marries the beautiful art with an effective, elegant page design. You generally won't go wrong with Pushkin Press's output. This book is no exception.

Folklore Field Guides series: A NATURAL HISTORY OF MAGICAL BEASTS, & A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS, beautiful gifts for your magic-loving young giftee

A NATURAL HISTORY OF MAGICAL BEASTS
EMILY HAWKINS (illus. Jessica Roux)
Frances Lincoln Children's Books
$30.00 deluxe hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Tales of magical creatures have been told across the world for generations... but are these stories merely flights of fancy, or is there any truth to the legends of unicorns and dragons, centaurs and griffins?

A Natural History of Magical Beasts is a complete guide to magical creatures from around the world, from their lifecycles and behaviour to how they have hidden themselves from human discovery for centuries.

Featuring a gold-foil-embossed cloth cover, a ribbon marker and sprayed gold edges, this gorgeous volume is filled with beautiful illustrations and precise notes detailing the secret lives of magical beasts.

Presented as the notebook of a 1920s zoologist, this lavish volume sets out to answer this question, revealing the hidden world of the magical beasts that live among us. Within these pages you will meet bizarre and beautiful creatures from around the globe, discovering their habits, habitats and the legends surrounding them. Learn about the anatomy of a unicorn, the life cycle of a phoenix, incredible dragon courtship dances and much more in this ultimate guide to magical creatures.

This exquisitely illustrated album will entrance all true-believers and fantasy enthusiasts.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Another entry in this beautiful series of narratives emulating the dark-academia vibe so very popular at the moment. Sweetening the academia part, and encouraging the habits of mind characteristic of a scientist, is the magical-creature focus. It can't be learning if it's this pretty and this much fun to read, right?

Take advantage of this creative duo's gift of an opening to you, gift-giver:

The kid won't know what hit 'em. They'll be totally suckered in by the gorgeous illustrations and won't notice they're learning valuable observation and classification skills. They won't see how easy it is to transfer these habits of mind to real-world learning, or to use this storytelling framework to parse and quantify even newly exposed information, until you or the parent make it plain.

Sneaking education into their story books is genius. The duo responsible for this series is to be supported, preferably with your purchase of this item for the middle-grade story-lover on your gifting list who isn't very interested in the more concrete forms of school-learning. Got to sneak past the gates somehow, and this is a terrific trojan horse.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS
EMILY HAWKINS (illus. Jessica Roux)
Frances Lincoln Children's Books
$30.00 deluxe hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Dragons have been the misunderstood subject of folklore for generations . . . but are these stories just legends or is there any truth to these majestic creatures’ fiery reputations?

Presented as a handbook from the late 1800s written for the students of the Academie Solomonar: the only school for dragon-riders, this beautiful volume sets out to reveal the hidden world of dragons. Within these pages you will meet mysterious and majestic dragons from around the globe, read about ancient lore and superstitions, learn about their life cycle, anatomy, habits and habitats, and discover the secrets behind dragon flight.

This exquisitely illustrated album, that delves deep into the world of dragons, will delight all true-believers and fantasy enthusiasts.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: First in a series from this author and artist duo, all offering a middle-grade reader an independent reading experience similar to the narrative non-fiction they'll be accustomed to. A younger reader, say seven or eight, might struggle a bit as the vocabulary and the ideas are possibly just out of reach...but the object is gorgeous and could inspire them to make the needed cognitive leap if dragons are already of interest to them.

The framing device, letters and notes of a student dragon rider, is bang on the trend for dark academia in the YA fiction world. The artwork is so beautiful that the reader's older sibling, if any, might purloin the book for a good look...possibly an appropriation if the sibling in question's already reading dark-academia books. Look at these beautiful pages, and tell me you can't see that fight brewing:

I'd say the right giftee for this, and its series sibling books, is curious about the story universe, is smart in the academic ways but not very interested in "uncreative" subjects like science, and could use a nudge to see that it's all stories...just some aren't fiction.

This read could give the giver a chance to show the giftee how to find the story in reality. Strong recommendation from me.

GUSTAV AND HENRI: Space Time Cake!, middle-grade fun and silliness from Australia

GUSTAV AND HENRI: Space Time Cake!
ANDY MATTHEWS (art by Peader Thomas)
Red Comet Press
$14.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: Opposites attract in this humorous illustrated graphic novel series about two best friends.

Meet Gustav and Henri. This is their book.
It's a bit about friendship and a lot about snacks.

They love doing normal things together, like:

finding a lost shuttlecock – IN SPACE!
returning an overdue library book – 100 YEARS AGO!
or making cakes – IN THE BATH!
You know, completely normal things.

Join them for 100% of your recommended daily intake of adventures, escapades, and capers – all in one book!

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: I know, I know...what is happening here?! This oldster suddenly does comic book reviews? And yes, I grant you it is weird to see me reading, let alone reviewing, this middle-grade genre of material still less this format for delivery...but there are grandchildren in this world. They need books. We need to know what is in the books before we give them to the kids.

So here we are.

The Dramatis Personae. Where we will be going.

What it will look like.

Sweetly silly, this is just on the bubble of comic book and graphic novel. It is definitely middle-grade in its story and style. I think it would amuse and entertain a seven or eight year old with some challenge in the reading of it, but nine and up might be less enraptured unless they have a silly sense of humor. There are puns and fun galore. You might need to explain some Aussie stuff to US or Canadian kids. I myownself think that is a feature not a bug. Good for kids to relate to those whose culture is different but language is not!

I was very pleased to see this activity sheet, though for my money I say copy it and make it clear the kids are supposed to use the copy not the book.

Cute, fun, funny, and very good messaging about friendship as well as coping constructivelu with conflict. Anyone with appropriately aged giftees, here is a different and good #Booksgiving gift.

KARIBA, filmmaker duo creates beautiful middle-grade fable of the Zambezi River's fight for life

KARIBA
DANIEL CLARKE & JAMES CLARKE (illus. Daniel Snaddon)
Catalyst Press
$19.95 paperback, available now

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: The daughter of a river god, raised by a human father and bound to a tragic destiny. An African fantasy-adventure graphic novel inspired by the mythology of the Zambezi River and the history of the Kariba Dam, one of the largest dams ever constructed.
From the director of Aau’s Song, a Star Wars: Visions film from Lucasfilm, and the director of the 2023 NYICFF award-winning The Smeds and the Smoos

Siku has always called the Zambezi River her home. She understands the water—and strangely enough, it seems to understand her, too, bending to her will and coming to her aid in times of need. But things are changing on the river—a great dam is being built, displacing thousands of Shonga people—and things are changing in Siku, too, as her ability to manipulate water grows out of control, and visions of a great serpent pull her further from reality and her loving father, Tongai.

When Tongai ventures to the Kariba Dam to find a cure for Siku and never returns, she sets off to find him with the help of Amedeo, the young son of Kariba’s chief engineer. Together, they traverse elephant graveyards, rugged jungles, and ancient ruins, outrunning pirates, bootleggers, and shape-shifting prophets ready to use Siku to their own advantage. But Siku soon discovers that her father has been shielding a terrible secret: Siku is actually the daughter of the Great River Spirit, Nyaminyami, and the only way to bring about the necessary rumuko—a ritual which has brought balance to the Zambezi for centuries—is for Siku to give up the only life she's ever known.

With the future of the Shonga resting on her shoulders, Siku must journey to the source of the river to understand the ancient power hidden within her.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: An African setting for an environmental fable of the costs incurred through thoughtless action is something I think any tween reader will resonate with...especially those whose faces are shamefully uncommon to see in US bookshops:

The gorgeousness of the artwork is hard to overstate:

...the message is one I hope anyone I know will support delivering to kids of all ages, and it is hard to conjure a better way to get the message of mindfulness and balance when dealing with the environment across. The fact that young Siku has to gear herself up to fight the forces of the adult world that have no sense of the sacred nature of the river they choose to exploit is a wonderful message as well.

Showing the young generation that has to clean up what my generation made filthy that they *can* fight the powers that be is a terrific use of the Yule gifting season. What better book to give for #Booksgiving, the time when sitting quietly and enjoying a story is the point of the holiday?

AN ATLAS OF LOST KINGDOMS: Discover Mythical Lands, Lost Cities and Vanished Islands, perfect for your tween lover of fantasy lands

AN ATLAS OF LOST KINGDOMS: Discover Mythical Lands, Lost Cities and Vanished Islands
EMILY HAWKINS (illus. Lauren Mark Baldo)
Wide Eyed Editions
$30.00 hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Shortlisted for Children's Travel Book of the Year, Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards 2023

On this quest around the world, you will discover lost kingdoms, phantom islands, and even legendary continents once sought by explorers but now believed to be mythical.

For centuries, people have dreamed of finding the lost worlds of Atlantis, El Dorado, and the Seven Cities of Gold. As well as shedding light on these famously elusive places, this atlas contains maps and captivating illustrations to illuminate lesser-known destinations, from the lost island of Hy-Brasil to the desert city of Zerzura. You will learn about rich mythologies from different cultures, from the Aztecs to the ancient Britons, from the Greek legends to Japanese folklore.

Most of the places in this book have never been found, but within these pages you will succeed where the adventurers of the past were thwarted. Learn about ancient maps, age-old manuscripts, and cryptic carvings that reveal clues to the whereabouts of these lost kingdoms. The journey will transport you to thoroughly other-worldly places.

From Emily Hawkins—New York Times bestselling author of Oceanology—comes this whimsical blend of myth and history, fact and fantasy. This lavish volume will fire the imaginations of young adventurers everywhere.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: I was a nerdy kid. Unclutch your pearls, Mary, it's true: I read the Encyclopedia Britannica (1944 edition) the year I was ten. I woulda KILLED for this book back then. It's beautiful:

..and designed in such a way that the graphic-novel/videogame generations will grasp its import immediately. Like any good encyclopedia, my childhood one was stuffed with legends and myths presented in the driest, most academic way possible. This made me more curious than ever to find art that matched, or explained, these places. I think kids now will feel the same way about stories of Ys and Hy-Brasil and Eldorado.

Author Hawkins has the giant gift of being able to make stories concise and still replete with excitement and discovery. Because times have moved on from my Britannica-reading days, I learned more about Ile-Ife than I did back when:

...and am now inspired to look deeper into Yoruba folktales and memories. The inclusion of stories from African cultures is a sign of why I like the way the world is, broadly, headed. More stories and different ones for us all, can only lessen the fear and suspicion that the nattering nabobs of negativism spew at us from every news site.

Even King Arthur, he of Camelot fame, knew the power of spin to change the world.

Anyone on your Booksgiving list who loves the stories and legends of Days of Yore, who has a sensawunda for the imaginary mindscapes of our ancestors, or just love looking at fantastic fantasy-themed art, deserves this to unwrap and savor with the sweet, hot cocoa under the Yule tree.

ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY, Chris Grabenstein's terrific new series' first outing

ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY
CHRIS GRABENSTEIN (Mr. Lemoncello's Library #1)
Random House Books for Young Readers
$16.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 3.75* of five

The Publisher Says: Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

In this cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Night in the Museum, Agatha Award-winner Chris Grabenstein uses rib-tickling humor to create the perfect tale for his quirky characters. Old fans and new readers will become enthralled with the crafty twists and turns of this ultimate library experience.

My Review: Want to know something? I read this book *after* its sequel! Want to know something else? I hate reading Young Readers books! And guess what? No, you guess, c'mon! C'mon, please? Oh okay: I did NOT hate reading this book OR its sequel!

I know, right?

Chris Grabenstein writes for middle-graders like a middle-grader would, and I mean that as a compliment. He gets right into the mindset of a young person in a way that I don't see a lot of adult writers doing. He anticipates the questions a younger reader is most likely going to ask and, before they can even be posed consciously, leads the reader to the answer while making it seem they've gotten ahead of the author. That's quality writing for any age, let alone the finicky and detail-oriented 9-to-12 market.

MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY OLYMPICS: Goodreads Choice Awards 2016

MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY OLYMPICS
CHRIS GRABENSTEIN (Mr. Lemoncello's Library #2)
Random House Books for Young Readers
$16.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five, for the storyline mostly

The Publisher Says: Welcome, boys and girls, readers of all ages, to the first-ever Library Olympiad! Kyle and his teammates are back, and the world-famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, is at it again!

This time Mr. Lemoncello has invited teams from all across America to compete in the first ever LIBRARY OLYMPICS. Will it be fun? Like the commercials say. . . HELLO? It’s a Lemoncello! But something suspicious is going on . . . books are missing from Mr. Lemoncello’s library. Is someone trying to CENSOR what the kids are reading?! In between figuring out mind-boggling challenges, the kids will have to band together to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Now it’s not just a game—can Mr. Lemoncello find the real defenders of books and champions of libraries?

My Review: I voted for this book in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. I like Chris Grabenstein, a Twitter acquaintance. I like Mr. Lemoncello a lot. And the anti-censorship message of this book makes it a shoo-in for my eternal love.

The fact that this is aimed at a middle-grade audience prevents me from discussing the writing. I'm the grandfather of a high-schooler, I got nothin' ta sez bout that becuz don't know anymore. But from my lofty vantage of being closer to 70 than I am to 40, I can say that I enjoyed this fun and breezy read. Its message is one I want all kids to absorb. If I had the spondulix, I'd send three copies to every school library in the US.