Book Review: Cedric and the Dragon

Cedric and the Dragon by Elizabeth Raum
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WARNING: completely biased review ahead! When the book is so tenderly written, the illustrator is one of my dearest friends, and the publisher is a supporter of my own work, how could I NOT give Cedric and the Dragon a glowing review?

Cedric and the Dragon is a sweet tale of a little prince who single-handedly solves his kingdom’s dragon problem through uncommon love and understanding. Cedric, a caring boy who loves to hug, is also mentally handicapped. Author Elizabeth Raum does a wonderful job of being very subtle with this detail, and shows it through Cedric’s struggles with certain activities.  I appreciate this style of storytelling far above more obvious methods. The medieval setting is sure to delight the book’s target age group, and the plot is so cute, I doubt anyone could read this and not smile.

My pal Nina worked incredibly hard to illustrate this book, and it shows.  Her whimsical style is a perfect match for the sweet text. Nina has woven her patented brand of adorable humor into the paintings that will surely charm readers as much as they’ve tickled her friends and family! To my utter amazement and delight, Nina honored me by painting me into her book! This officially ranks as one of the coolest things ever:
I'm the princess in the rose-colored dress on the left.

Cedric and the Dragon remains one of my favorite children’s books, and I can hardly recommend it enough. Buy it directly from the publisher today!

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Book Review: Mamba Point

Mamba Point by Kurtis Scaletta

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I originally bought Mamba Point with the intention of gifting it to one of my nephews after a cursory scan. I figured with the snake theme and the author whose debut was a middle-grade novel about baseball, this was a typical “boy book” (not that there’s anything wrong with that). After reading Mamba Point, however, the plan has changed: Sorry, kids, get your own book – Auntie Christina is KEEPING this one!

Mamba Point is more than just a “boy book” about Linus, a timid character who moves to Liberia with his family and experiences an emotional transformation. It’s a compelling read full of realistic detail that I wholeheartedly appreciated. Kurtis Scaletta really did live in Liberia during the 1980’s when he was a teen, and he adds details about the culture, weather, and even the food that give the book real authenticity. In fact, he even made me recall my own experiences as an Air Force brat living in a foreign country, dealing with language and cultural barriers, a much smaller library, no TV, and military housing.

While the book is realistic, it has just enough mysticism to keep the reader on edge. I’d been worried that it might come off as over-the-top but the kaseng element is, frankly, pretty darn cool. The black mamba and its influence over Linus are seamlessly woven into the story, and the transformation isn’t dramatic but natural-feeling, which I liked. Scaletta doesn’t needlessly anthropomorphize the creature, either: the book’s climax is a sobering reminder that wild animals are dangerous and should be respected.

Finally, as an illustrator, I loved Linus’ budding artistry. Scaletta did a great job with these details as well. Linus really seemed to “think” like an artist, like using the old perspective trick with the lines of notebook paper, and not being able to resist using the black mamba as a life model.

Mamba Point is an excellent book for readers of all ages, folks who like snakes, growing artists, and world travelers. Pick this one up!

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Book Review: From North to South

From North to South/Del Norte al Sur by Rene Colato Lainez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From North to South / Del Norte al Sur is a bilingual picture book that deals with illegal immigration, one of the most hotly contested and divisive issues in the news today. While I never imagined anyone brave enough to tackle this topic in children’s book form, I have to thank author René Colato Laínez and illustrator Joe Cepeda for doing just so. They’ve shared a story that sheds light on the truly innocent: the children who are inevitably separated from their parents.

In From North to South, young Jose travels with his father from San Diego to Tijuana to visit his mother, who was recently deported. Jose misses his mother, her stories, and her cooking, and dreams of the day when she’ll become a legal resident and they will be a whole family again. The book tackles the subject of separation with tenderness and sensitivity. A reoccurring theme of patience and hope is reinforced with images of planting seeds and growing flowers.

The artwork is a perfect complement to this wonderful book. I loved Joe Cepeda’s use of vibrant color and texture. His characters are stylized in a modern, very accessible way. There is a boisterous energy to his artwork that I like a lot.

This is a unique read that is highly recommended! Stay tuned to my blog on Wednesday, October 6th, when René Colato Laínez will stop by for an interview and a book giveaway.

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Book Review: B is for Battle Cry

B Is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet by Patricia Bauer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As any history buff will tell you, this Wednesday marks the 145th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. A really great book to read this week in remembrance of President Lincoln is B is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet. Author-illustrator team (and married couple) Pat Bauer and David Geister have produced a wonderfully detailed and informative book that is sure to delight children, inspire research, and entertain those aforementioned history buffs.

Each letter of the alphabet introduces an aspect of the Civil War – a historic battle, a technological advancement, even an ordinary aspect of life in those times – in the form of a short poem. Further interesting details are provided in sidebars to the right or left of the illustrations. Oh, those illustrations! I consider myself one of David Geister’s biggest fans, both as an artist and a gentleman, and his work doesn’t disappoint here. His love of history really comes through in the richly-colored, detailed oil paintings. It’s so charming to see his wife painted into many of the illustrations, too.

After devouring all the letters of this Civil War alphabet, some readers may still be hungry for additional stories, especially those of women and minorities that this book could only touch upon. B is for Battle Cry is a great jumping-off point for further learning, but it is also a wonderful collection of information in itself.

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Book Review: My Shoes and I

My Shoes and I by Rene Colato Lainez

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

René Colato Laínez’s new picture book, My Shoes and I, is a Latino immigration story that touches on the yearning of a family to be whole, the hardship of border crossings, and a child’s resiliency through difficulties.

The story opens in El Salvador, with a young boy named Mario opening the Christmas present that his mother sent him from the United States: a new pair of shoes. Mario is elated as he tries them on, and they instantly become his most treasured friends as he embarks on the biggest adventure of his life: immigrating with his father to the United States.

Throughout the story, Mario tenderly cares for his shoes while they, in turn, care for him. They are his source of strength and comfort as he endures long bus rides over several borders, getting chased by stray dogs, harsh weather, long hikes, and other mishaps. Mario’s affection for his shoes is endearing: in true child-like innocence, he pretends they are race cars, submarines, and volcanoes that help him through each part of his journey. During the final (and somewhat scary) river crossing into the US, Mario pretends that he is a horse carrying his trusty shoes to safety on his back. Mario happily reunites with his mother in the end, which is made even sweeter when one learns that the book is based on the author’s own immigration story.

Dense, earth-toned illustrations by Fabricio Vanden Broeck add great visual appeal. The paintings, which appear to be done on wood panels, imbue a nice texture that captures the roughness of the terrain and grittiness of travel perfectly. The human characters are rendered with care (especially in the final scene with Mario embracing his mother) but through Vanden Broeck’s visual storytelling, the yellow shoes are the real star of the show. While gradually becoming worse-for-wear with each turn of the page, the shoes still retain their happy yellow brightness throughout the story.

Both sweet and scary at times, My Shoes and I would be a great addition to libraries and homes everywhere.

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