Guide/Reviews Database
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Guillain, Charlotte
59 Reviews
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Yuval Zommer.
Turn the sturdy pages of this large book from bottom to top for an accordion-folded journey to the center of the Earth; now begin again from the end to head back up to the surface on the other side of the world. The earth science is simple but made glorious by the detail-packed illustrations, homely and fantastic at once.
Reviewer: Roger Sutton
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2017
(4)
K-3
Fairy Tale Mix-Ups series.
Illustrated by
Karl West.
Little Red Riding Hood goes to the wrong cottage and finds the three bears, while Goldilocks wanders into Grandmother's house. Puss in Boots needs a shoemaker to fix up his old boots. Neither folktale "mix-up" is very clever, though both illustrators introduce diversity in the cartoonish portrayals. Background information on each book's two source tales and writing prompts are appended. Reading list. Glos. Review covers the following Fairy Tale Mix-Ups titles: Red Riding Hood Meets the Three Bears and The Elves Help Puss in Boots.
Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt
(3)
4-6
Writing and Staging Plays series.
The series imparts a decent variety of information and focuses on producing one's own plays rather than analyzing professional productions. Touching on writing (e.g., characterization, dialogue) and production aspects (casting, lighting), the texts address young playwrights as well as directors and other theater roles. The clean page design includes informative sidebars, photos, and case studies; improv games appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Writing and Staging Plays titles: Writing and Staging Funny Plays[cf1 and Writing and Staging Real-Life Plays.
Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant
(3)
4-6
Writing and Staging Plays series.
The series imparts a decent variety of information and focuses on producing one's own plays rather than analyzing professional productions. Touching on writing (e.g., characterization, dialogue) and production aspects (casting, lighting), the texts address young playwrights as well as directors and other theater roles. The clean page design includes informative sidebars, photos, and case studies; improv games appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Writing and Staging Plays titles: Writing and Staging Funny Plays[cf1 and Writing and Staging Real-Life Plays.
Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant
(3)
4-6
Connect with Text series.
Two-page chapters introduce graphic novels to those unfamiliar with the text type, briefly discuss their relationship to comic books, and highlight various styles (e.g., ligne claire, comic book–style, manga). "Write your own" boxes provide useful craft tips, and images from graphic novels provide meaningful examples throughout. Graphic novel–writing activities are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind.
Reviewer: Rebecca Fox
(3)
4-6
Connect with Text series.
Two-page chapters introduce poetic techniques (e.g., rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, assonance) and forms (e.g., limerick, haiku, calligram, performance poetry), focusing on the ways that poets use words to "affect as many of a reader's or listener's senses as possible." Colorful information boxes provide examples (contemporary and classic) and feature poets (with photos) for readers' exploration. Poetry-writing activities are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind.
Reviewer: Rebecca Fox
(4)
4-6
Women's Stories from History series.
The series profiles American and British women--e.g, Emmaline Pankhurst (Suffrage) and Betty Friedan (1960s)--who challenged their era's social norms. Contextualized with period quotations, the readable volumes cover the suffrage movement, the fight for civil liberties, sexism in the workplace, and socioeconomic issues. Scarcely illustrated (more photographs would be helpful), these are adequate surveys of period activists. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Women's Stories from History titles: Stories of Women's Suffrage and Stories of Women in the 1960s.
Reviewer: Andrea Curtis
(4)
K-3
Fairy Tales Today series.
Illustrated by
Becka Moor.
Cinderella, an inventor's daughter, builds housework robots so she can focus on her invention: techno-slippers that make "her feet move perfectly." Her smooth dance moves save the toy factory where her father works and leave her stepmother to do the cleaning. This folktale re-imagining offers a modern heroine who takes charge. While they don't extend the text much, the illustrations are amusing.
Reviewer: Morgan Stewart
(4)
4-6
Ultimate Adventurers series.
This small-format title highlights cyclists, swimmers, mountaineers, kayakers, snowboarders, and other athletes who push themselves to the extremes of human limitation in pursuit of their achievements. Readers will applaud their courage or question their sanity (or both). Browsers and armchair athletes may relish the tidbit-style information, but tiny print and photos and a crowded layout diminish the book's usefulness. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.
Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin
(3)
K-3
Dream It, Do It! series.
This simple guide is intended for children interested in independent creative writing. Skills introduced include brainstorming, how to organize ideas, expanding characters, basic composition structures, and editing. Color photographs and well-organized text promote a cheerful can-do attitude toward the process of writing and becoming an author. Back matter includes a guided book-making activity. Reading list. Glos., ind.
Reviewer: Pam Yosca
(4)
4-6
Living in the Wild: Big Cats series.
This leveled text for early readers covers lion behavior, adaptations, defenses, life cycle, and habitat. The close-up, high-resolution photos showcase these big cats in action and at rest. The book is slight, but the uncluttered design and accessible text will appeal to reluctant or struggling readers. Vocabulary words are printed in bold and defined in a glossary. Reading list. Ind.
Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby
(4)
K-3
Walk on the Wild Side series.
This leveled text for early readers covers lion behavior, adaptations, defenses, life cycle, and habitat. The close-up, high-resolution photos showcase these big cats in action and at rest. The book is slight, but the uncluttered design and accessible text will appeal to reluctant or struggling readers. Vocabulary words are printed in bold and defined in a glossary. Reading list. Ind.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(4)
K-3
Walk on the Wild Side series.
This leveled text for early readers broadly covers shark behavior, adaptations, defenses, life cycles, and habitats. The close-up, high-resolution photos showcase the variety of these creatures; individual species provide examples in the overview. The book is slight, but the uncluttered design and accessible text will also appeal to reluctant or struggling readers. Vocabulary words are printed in bold and defined in a glossary. Reading list. Ind.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(4)
K-3
Walk on the Wild Side series.
This leveled text for early readers broadly covers spider behavior, adaptations, defenses, life cycles, and habitats. The close-up, high-resolution photos showcase the variety of these creatures; individual species provide examples in the superficial overview. The uncluttered design and accessible text will also appeal to reluctant and struggling readers. Vocabulary words are printed in bold and defined in a glossary. Reading list. Ind.
Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo
(4)
4-6
Animal Abilities series.
This clear introduction to canine intelligence mentions many canids and distinguishes between wild and domestic dogs; moves through dog senses, emotions, and abilities; and concludes with some rather futile applications to humans ("If you could turn your ears around..."). Colorful, well-captioned photos and sidebars extend the text, and "How do we know?" boxes explain research in simple terms. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian
(4)
4-6
Animal Abilities series.
This clear introduction to elephants begins with distribution and habitat; moves through subtopics like anatomy, herd behavior, intelligence, and memory; and concludes with some rather futile applications to humans ("Would you learn to communicate with vibrations through the ground?"). Colorful, well-captioned photos and sidebars extend the text, and "How do we know?" boxes explain research in simple terms. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian
(4)
K-3
Author Biographies series.
These very brief, accessible, photo-heavy biographies offer high points of the careers of two giants of children's literature (the book was published before Sendak's death). The simple one or two lines of text accompanying each picture act more as captions, without really identifying either what's going on in the photo or why it's relevant to the person's life. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Author Biographies titles: Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak.
Reviewer: Barbara Barstow
(4)
K-3
Author Biographies series.
These very brief, accessible, photo-heavy biographies offer high points of the careers of two giants of children's literature (the book was published before Sendak's death). The simple one or two lines of text accompanying each picture act more as captions, without really identifying either what's going on in the photo or why it's relevant to the person's life. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Author Biographies titles: Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak.
Reviewer: Barbara Barstow
(4)
K-3
Jobs If You Like... series.
With encouraging double-page spreads about professions in each area, such as a veterinarian and an astronaut, these books concisely introduce many vocational possibilities. Colorful photos with appropriate captions illustrate the text, and an appended chart summarizes the jobs ("You need to:" and "Best thing about it:"). Unfortunately, the information is partial, with no mention of necessary training or potential challenges. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Jobs if You Like... titles: Animals and Science.
Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian
(4)
K-3
Jobs If You Like... series.
With encouraging double-page spreads about professions in each area, such as a veterinarian and an astronaut, these books concisely introduce many vocational possibilities. Colorful photos with appropriate captions illustrate the text, and an appended chart summarizes the jobs ("You need to:" and "Best thing about it:"). Unfortunately, the information is partial, with no mention of necessary training or potential challenges. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Jobs if You Like... titles: Animals and Science.
Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian
59 reviews