Characters with character: FAIRNESS

Review:

Stay away from Simon!

by Carol Carrick

Illustrated by Donald Carrick

The kids doesn't feel comfortable when Simon is around. The reason is not really clear. Simon is poor, and he doesn't go to school, he is not very smart, he can't even learn how to read or count. But this can't be a reason for them to dislike him. The real problem is all this gossip around Simon. Those stories people makes up when is scared of something or someone different. The outcome is the kids judging Simon unfairly. Lucy among them.
Trying to runaway from Simon, Lucy gets her and her little brother Josiah into trouble. They are lost in the middle of a snow storm. The situation will turn even more frightening when she realized Simon is still behind them. But Simon is there to help them, and will safely lead them to their home. Lucy realized then how unfair she has been, and how dangerous gossip is.

I loved the last image of Lucy holding Simon hands. So touching!

*This review is part of my project Characters with characters

Characters with character: COURAGE

Seven Brave Women

by Betsy Hearne

Illustrated by Bethanne Andersen

Before reading this book I thought it was about a selection of seven women well known in history. It actually is about women from the author's family who had shown to be brave in some way or another, and have had an imprint in the author and her family. These grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and even great-great-great-grandmothers emigrated, were midwives, artists, doctors, missioner, harpists, architects, etc. They were brave in the decisions they made and the way they lived their lives. As the author says in the introduction, they "made history by not fighting in wars". Elizabeth had the courage to cross mountains and the ocean to give her children a better life. Betty was the only woman in a "men's school". Helen took care of sick poor women in India.

Although this is a picture book, the text is not intended for little ones, but I'd say the age range is from 6 to 10 years old.
The colorful illustrations are done in oil paints on gesso, and mainly focused in each woman. I liked the detail of a bird gathering them with a pink ribbon along the book.


*This review is part of my project Characters with character.

Characters with character: PERSEVERANCE

Review:

The Glorious Flight

Across the Channel with Louis Blériot

by Alice and Martin Provensen

This is the story of Louis Blériot, who was the first person to fly across the English Channel in the early 1900s.
After seeing the first air ship crossing over the city of Cambrai, in France, Louis Blériot decides to build a "flying machine". It took him many years and many attempts, but he never gave up. In 1909, after many crashes, the "Blériot XI" succeed in crossing over the channel in 37 minutes.
Every attempt to create the flying machine is recorded in this book with a picture that illustrates how each new invention looked like, from the first "draft" too small for a person to sit in it, to the airplane that finally crossed the channel.
Louis Blériot's is showed persevering and positive during the whole story. He not only had to learn how to build a plane, but he also needed to learn to pilot one. He never says he failed, but he "almost flew", "he is learning", "he is getting lots of practice". In every page is also possible to see his family, friends and community supporting Blériot in this challenge.
I find the illustrations very interesting and appropriate. They look like old photographs but with some color.
Children between 5 and 8 years old will enjoy this book. I'd say this is a good option to introduce the younger ones to non fiction books different from the usual "counting" and "alphabet" ones. Inventions is always a good way to introduce history and science to the little readers.

*This review is part of my project Characters with character

Characters with character: HONESTY

Review:

The Empty Pot

Story and illustrations by Demi

A Chinese Emperor will make his successor to the throne the kid who success in showing him  the best flower bloomed form the seeds he gave away to all the children in the land.

Ping did his best taking care of his seed, giving to it the best soil and water, but the flower never sprouted. Ashamed Ping brings an empty pot to the palace. All the children of the land have beautiful flowers to show.To his surprise the Emperor choose him his successor since the seeds were cooked and Ping was the only who told the truth.

Some of the points I found specially interesting in this story:

The Emperor looking for an honest person to be his successor. I liked the fact that honesty was placed over many other attributes like beauty or physical strength.

Ping's father encourages him to show the empty pot to the Emperor standing for his work. He says: "you did your best and your best is good enough to present to the Emperor."

Ping was not only honest, but dedicated when taking care of the seed, and courageous when presenting himself at the palace.

The illustrations are beautiful and full of color. They are visually different from most children's book pictures. Each page has an encircled image that remind me of Chinese porcelain plates. The traditional drawings suggest a traditional story, which gives a sense of wisdom contented in the pages of the book.

Age range: 5 to 9 years old

*This review is part of my project Characters with character

Characters with character: CARING

Review:

Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen

By DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan

This story doesn't has a elaborated plot with a mystery to reveal or a problem to solve. It's more of a description of how a little boy lives the experience of going to the Soup Kitchen where his uncle works. The boy eager to know what is the Soup Kitchen about and why someone would want to work there.

Uncle Willie shows him how the organization receive donations form stores in the neighborhood, how the people of the kitchen work with dedication to cook the best meal they can offer, and kindly serve the 121 people who shows up in the kitchen that day.

The boy meets the Can Man, a homeless woman he had seen sleeping on a bench, and George, who used to eat at the Kitchen Soup and now volunteers there.

The illustrations are realistic, done in watercolors and colored pencils, full of details the kids will love to discover.

This story really shows caring people organized to serve the hungry, in a community effort to take care of each other.

Age range: 5 to 8 years old.

*This review is part of my project Characters with character

Characters with character: RESPONSABILITY

Reblogged from: Reviews in Chalk

Review:

Summer Wheels

by Eve Bunting

Illustrations by Thomas B. Allen

The "Bicycle Man" fixes old bicycles and loans them to the kids of the neighborhood. There are only a few rules to borrow one: sign in the bike on time, and help fix it if it breaks when you are using it.
The kids are generally very careful about respecting these rules, but one day Leon appears. Leon has problems being responsible for his actions. He signs the bike out as "Abraham Lincoln" and fails in bring it back at the end of the day. When he is given a second chance he breaks the bicycle being deliberately imprudent and neglecting. The kids are very angry at him, but the Bicycle Man never gets tired of giving more opportunities.
Leon will learn how important is to accept the consequences of his actions and will do his best to be responsible and change his ways.  He seems to appreciate the Bicycle Man intention of help him.
He is not the only one who can learn something out of this situation. Lawrence and Brady will learn that being kind and friendly would bring a better outcome. I found this story really emotional.

Allen's illustrations are done in charcoal, pastel and colored pencil. They are not full of details, but more in a diffuse style. I personally liked them.

Age range: 7 to 10 years old.

*This review is part of my project Characters with character.

Characters with character: FRIENDSHIP

Reblogged from: Reviews in Chalk

Review:

Charlotte's Web

by E. B. White

Everybody knows the plot of this adorable story, which is centered in Wilbur and Charlotte's friendship. A spider and a pig being best friends is certainly unusual, but they both show the deepness of their friendship in many ways along the story:

Wilbur accepts Charlotte the way she is. Although Wilbur is glad of having a friend and not being lonely anymore, he wonders if he could love someone "fierce" and "bloodthirsty" like Charlotte. He puts aside these thoughts and allows himself to discover Charlotte's kind heart.

Charlotte keeps her promise of helping Wilbur. She thinks and works hard to save her friend, and at the end, even feeling exhausted, she remains at Wilbur's side.

Wilbur trusts Charlotte. He knows his friend will come up with a plan to save him. And Charlotte trusts Wilbur her children when she knows she can't make it back to the farm.

Wilbur gives up something important for Charlotte. He makes the "solemn promise" to Templeton the rat of let him eat first from his own trough if Templeton gets Charlotte's egg sac for Wilbur.

Wilbur remains faithful to Charlotte taking care of many generations of her descendants.
And he misses her:

"Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and

grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her

place in his heart. She was in a class by herself.

It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend

and a good writer. Charlotte was both."

*This review is part of my project Characters with character.

Characters with character: SELF-DISCIPLINE

Review:

Harriet, you'll drive me wild!

by Mem Fox

Illustrated by Marla Frazee

Harriet is really trying not to misbehave, and her mom is really trying not to get mad at her. But sometimes both things happen. It's touching to see how both of them are trying hard. Mom doesn't like to yell. Harriet says she is sorry, and she means it. The best part is that they both can be forgiving, with themselves and with the other, and then try again.
It's a strong point in this story that both, mom and Harriet, have to effort to control themselves, this way parents and kids can relate with the characters. The repetition of the phrase "just like that" helps to see how natural this situation is.

The illustrations are beautiful, and they really add details to the text of the story being told. That's something so important in a picture book, that always involves a reader and a pre-reader who follows the story with the help of the images.
Frazee is a very talented illustrator. The illustration that accompanies the "There was a terrible silence" page is SO good! It shows this second of silence before the big explosion with such a vivid tension!

Age Range 3 to 6 years old.


*This review is part of my project Characters with character.