Twinderella: A Fractioned Fairy Tale by Corey Rosen Schwartz

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Did you know that Cinderella had a twin sister?  Most people don't, but you should get to know Tinderella, math whiz extraordinaire.  Corey Rosen Schwartz, teamed with Deborah Marcero, has created a sure to be smash hit with Twinderella.  I love Schwartz's signature rhyming style, the words roll of my tongue magnificently, both in rhyme and meter and I can hardly wait to share this in storytime.  Marcero's illustrations, watercolor with India ink, are bright and cheery with just the right amount of detail, enough that you're always discovering new things upon rereading.  I'm also excited about the math language in here.  We know (thank you research*) that girls usually start out deficient in math language, that grown ups are more likely to use math words with boys, rather than girls, so a girl-oriented book about fractions is fantastic!  Overall, this is a cute, funny, important book.  I want to put it in the hands of all the girls who come to storytime.

*See Thirty Million Words: building a child's brain : tune in, talk more, take turns by Dana Suskind

Thank you so much to Corey Rosen Schwartz and G.P. Putnam for the galley!

The Worst Breakfast by China Mieville

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Two sisters rehash the worst breakfast they ever have.  Their descriptions start tamely - burnt toast, soggy tomatoes, and then spiral into the most fantastical and disgusting foods.  Mieville's writing is tweely rhyming (and meta - making fun of a few slant rhymes) and Smith's watercolor illustrations pile putrid food upon putrid food.  This would be a great storytime book for two voices and a fun read to share with the whole family.  Two thumbs up!

Life Without Nico by Andrea Maturana

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Maia and Nico are best friends.  They do everything together until Nico's father tells them that the family needs to move away for a while.  Maia isn't sure what to do without Nico, but she finds a new friend and comfort from a kitten.  When Nico comes back, she isn't sure if she'll have room for him in her life.

 

This is an important book.  I don't know of many books off the top of my head that deal well with the loss of a friend.  This one is well written, short, and a good read aloud.  From friends moving away to those who just go to a different school, this situation is one that is common in childhood and not addressed in picture books as often as it should be.  Francisco Javier Olea's illustrations are beautiful and pair well with the text.  I love what he did with the shadows when Maia is feeling empty.  The line drawings combined with the fully painted elements reminds me of Radioactive by Lauren Redness about Marie and Pierre Curie.  

My digital copy courtesy of Kids Can Press and Edelweiss.

The Sword and the Stove by Frank Dormer

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The knights are getting ready for dinner. They pull on their oven mitts, they tie up their aprons, and they open the oven to find....a SWORD?? How did that get there?
 


Dormer has created a wonderfully creative story that turns the typical tale of knights on its head. The paint and pencil drawings and a perfect companion to the silly stories that the knights think up to explain why everything but food is in their oven. The twist at the end is reminiscent ofMr. Wolf's Pancakes and Everyone loves Bacon and sure to leave preschoolers and kindergartners in giggles. Perfect for a storytime about knights.

My digital copy courtesy of Atheneum Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss