‘March’ Straight Into A Great Selection
of Varied Readings!
Reviewes By Selene S. Vasquez
Picture Book: Ages 5 thru 8
Pearl’s New Skates by Holly Keller. (Harper Collins, 32 pp., $15.99). Pearl slips and falls head over heel every time she attempts to skate. After a great deal of persistence, she overcomes her initial disappointment and rejoices in her eventual success. Pastel watercolor illustrations are as exuberant as achieving this crucial childhood milestone.
Folk Tale: Ages 6 thru 12
Elephant Prince: The Story of Ganesh by Amy Novesky. Illustrated by Belgin Wedman. (Mandala, 32 pp., $16.95). Based on the sacred text Brahma Vaivarta Purana, this more obscure Hindu version relates how the god Ganesh came to have the head of an elephant. Shimmering watercolor, gouache and gold-leaf illustrations capture the singular drama of this tale.
Poetry: Ages 6 thru 10
Oh, No! Where Are My Pants? and Other Disasters: by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch. (Harper Collins, 32 pp., $15.99). Fourteen short poems ranging from sad to comical childhood embarrassments and chagrins from this prolific poet and editor. Quiet and lightly colored drawings depict the important little moments in the life of a child.
Biography: Ages 8 thru 10
Mother Teresa by Demi. (Margaret McElderry Books, 32 pp., $19,95). An eloquent biography of this diminutive but determined nun’s inspiring accomplishments on behalf of the “poorest of the poor.”
Her religious devotion and innate goodness are recounted in readable prose and rich paint-and-ink illustrations. #
Selene S. Vasquez is a media specialist at Orange Brook Elementary in Hollywood, Florida. She is formerly a children’s librarian for the New York Public Library.
