Wondrous Reads From
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
The Children's
Book Review
Is there a publisher on this earth who puts out
books for children as good as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Maybe.
But this current batch of worthies would be hard
to beat.
“Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa”
by Erica Silverman and painted by Betsy Lewin
($15.00) is a delightful romp with the characters in the book’s
title as they welcome spring babies to the ranch. Appealing.
“Emma’s Poem” by
Linda Glaser with paintings by Claire A. Nivola ($17.00) is a
winning and educational paean to Emma Lazarus’ world famous poem
and to the Statue of Liberty. The little book’s content is more
relevant today in many ways. Must own.
“Theodosia” by R.L.
LaFevers ($16.00, 375 pages) is a page turner loaded with stuff fans
of archeology and fantasy will revel in. The book is a escapism
adventure at its best – one loaded with all kinds of surprises. Get
it.
“Mimi’s Dada Cat”
($17.00) by Shelly Jackson is about a cat the other cats make fun
of, a cat who seeks a human with the soul of a Dadaist. There are
some wrenching moments along the way but the book ends happily.
Joyous reading.
“A Wizard From the Start”
($17.00) by Don Brown and “Five Little Monkeys” ($5.99) by
Eileen Christelow are very different kinds of children’s books – in
size, in subject matter, in tone. Yet, both are both very
worthwhile. Brown presents a carefully created overview of the life
of Edison. Christelow is free and easy with her story telling and
art work.
Go for both.
Finally, there is “Palazzo Inverso” by D.
B. Johnson ($17.00) a magical, mind blowing work – just incredible
by an author/illustrator who lives in rural New Hampshire just as
the reviewers do. We see carpenters standing on their heads, workers
falling up stairs and revel in the story and the sleek and special
colors of the paintings throughout. MOST NOTABLE
