Pokemon Adventures, Volume 1

Pokemon Adventures, Volume 1 by Hidenori Kusaka
Anyone familiar with children’s television has probably seen the animated version of Pokemon. This new series from VIZ tells the story from the start, without some of the bad jokes which fill the TV screen. The central character, known simply as Red in this manga version, is out to catch and train Pokemon, the strange wild creatures that exist in the world around him. From childhood, he had befriended one who had saved him from possible death. Now he has begun his personal quest, to become a skilled trainer of these strange creatures. Along the way in this first volume he encounters the friends and enemies who will make the story interesting. In this manga version, both are far more interesting than in the Americanized anime. Team Rocket are villains in the style of something from Tezuka’s work, rather than being comic relief. Pikachu, destined to become his best fighting Pokemon, is portrayed more in the tradition of the untamed creature who might someday be a friend. Even Brock and Misty have actual personalities… Some may question Red’s career choice, but not his dedication.There is cartoony violence in these stories, but no gore. Suitable for all ages.-- Nick Smith

Magic Trixie and the Dragon

Magic Trixie and the Dragon written and illustrated by Jill Thompson

Here's what the author has to say about her character Trixie: "Magic Trixie is a combination of all of my nieces and the children of my friends. She’s an homage to all of the little bits of business or surprising things they have done in my presence filtered into one little girl. I’ve also mined some of my own childhood memories. But she’s a work in progress. I’ll always be adding to her, bit by bit. I’ve given her my curly hair. I have a fondness for wild hair on little girls, mostly because I hated it when I was a girl. I wanted long, straight, blond hair that you could brush and comb...or braid in smooth plaits. My braids always looked like dreadlocks. I was one of the “no more tangles” generation, which did not work for me, I’m sorry to say. She’s also a bit elfish." Book 1 in this series is Magic Trixie followed by Book 2 Magic Trixie Sleeps Over.

Tan to Tamarind: Poems About the Color Brown

Tan to Tamarind: Poems About the Color Brown by Malathi Michelle Iyengar, Jamel Akib (Illustrator)
When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Tan, sienna, topaz, or tamarind? Poet Malathi Michelle Iyengar sees a whole spectrum of beautiful shades of brown. The author adds this note: "When I was a little girl in North Carolina, I hated waiting for the school bus. Every day at the bus stop a group of older kids would call me names and make fun of my brown skin, saying brown was a dirty, ugly color. I longed to trade my complexion for peachy-pink. I still remember sitting in the bathtub and hoping that if I just scrubbed hard enough the brown would go away. As I got older I began discovering wonderful stories and poems written by and about proud brown people. When I read their words, I didn't feel ugly or dirty anymore...Today, when I look in the mirror, I feel happy and lucky to see a brown face smiling back at me. Because, from tan to tamarind, brown is a beautiful color..."
Brown
My face.
Milk-tea brown.
I am brown. I am beautiful.
Brown.
Your face.
Sienna brown
or cocoa brown,
café con leche brown or
radiant ocher brown.
Our hands, our fingers.
Cinnamon brown
or rich coffee brown,
sandalwood brown or rosy adobe brown.
Our ankles, our feet.
Nutmeg brown
or mocha brown,
dark chocolate brown
or tawny golden brown.
Our eyes.
Luminous topaz brown
or sweet cappuccino brown,
shiny sepia brown
or twinkling brown.
Our hair.
Spruce brown
or bay brown,
russet brown or
deep tamarind brown.
We are brown. We are beautiful.

A Friend

A Friend written and illustrated by Anette Bley
Examines traits of friends and how their acts make the world a better place in which to live.

Duck! Rabbit!

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Tom Lichtenheld

Is it a duck or a rabbit? Depends on how you look at it! Readers will find more than just Amy Krouse Rosenthal's signature humor here, there's also a subtle lesson for kids who don't know when to let go of an argument. A smart, simple story that will make readers of all ages eager to take a side.

The Swamps of Sleethe: Poems From Beyond the Solar System

The Swamps of Sleethe: Poems From Beyond the Solar System by Jack Prelutsky, Jimmy Pickering (Illustrator)

The nation's first children's poet laureate fills a galaxy with weird, scary planets: his 19 poems describe places and creatures you wouldn't want to visit.

Mighty Casey

Mighty Casey by James Preller, Matthew Cordell (Illustrator)

The Delmar Dogs baseball team is terrible, especially Casey Jenkins, but with a little bit of faith in themselves, they finally manage to win a game.

A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems

A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems by Deborah Ruddell, Joan Rankin (Illustrator)
Take a lighthearted romp through four seasons in the forest with these whimsical poems.
Woodchuck's Wake-Up Morning
She snoozed away the winter
in the darkness, all alone.
There's grumbling in her stomach
and she's chilly to the bone.
Her fur is flat and crusty.
Her swollen eyelids sting.
She's starving for a salad
and a heaping plate of spring.

Not All Animals Are Blue: A Big Book of Little Differences

Not All Animals Are Blue: A Big Book of Little Differences by Béatrice Boutignon

Pictures help children spot differences in colors, movement, attitude and even discoveries.

Her Mother's Face

Her Mother's Face by Roddy Doyle, Freya Blackwood (Illustrator)
Siobhan and her father continue to feel sad in the years following the death of Siobhan's mother, until Siobhan follows the advice of a mysterious woman. "At first , all she could see was her own face. But she stayed ther, looking. And, after a few minutes, she began to imagine another girl, very like herself, but not exactly the same. The hair a little different, the mouth a little smaller, the lips a little darker. And she could make her look a little older, and a little more, And Siobhan knew. She was able to imagine her mother's face...And Siobhan felt happy for the first time since her mother had died..."

The Composer Is Dead

The Composer Is Dead by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Carson Ellis, musical score by Nathaniel Stookey
An inspector seeks to solve a murder mystery at the symphony by questioning each of the musical instruments.

What the Grizzly Knows

What the Grizzly Knows by David Elliott, Max Grafe (Illustrator)

When night falls magical things begin to happen to Teddy, taking the reader on an adventure around the countryside and seeing the world through the senses of a bear.

Bella Sara #5: Fiery Fiona

Bella Sara #5: Fiery Fiona by Felicity Brown, Jennifer L. Meyer (Illustrator)

Meet the beautiful and heroic Fiona, the mare with the glowing red mane, as she helps a young girl discover that things aren't always what they seem. Visit the illustrator's website here.

Birds

Birds by Kevin Henkes, Laura Dronzek (Illustrator)
Fascinated by the colors, shapes, sounds, and movements of the many different birds she sees through her window, a little girl is happy to discover that she and they have something in common.

The Odd Egg

The Odd Egg written and illustrated by Emily Gravett

Each of the birds has an egg...except for Duck. So when Duck finds a beautiful egg of his own he's delighted — even though the other birds make fun of it. But everyone's in for a BIG surprise when his egg finally hatches!

Remember her work in Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears?

Ready to Dream

Ready to Dream by Donna Jo Napoli, Elena Furrow, Bronwyn Bancroft (Illustrator)
While drawing pictures of the animals she sees on her trip to Australia, a young girl named Ally meets Pauline, an aborigine woman and fellow artist, from whom Ally learns that art is not always created with just paper and paints, and that mistakes are actually happy accidents.

Hugging Hour!

Hugging Hour! by Aileen Leijten

Drew, who prefers to be called Drool, worries her parents are never coming back when she spends the night with her grandmother. Find out more about the author and her work here. "...She helped mix the batter, pour the dough and whip the icing. She sprinkled many sprinkles all over the cupcakes. She even licked the spoon when they were done..."

The One and Only Marigold

The One and Only Marigold by Florence Parry Heide, Jill McElmurry (Illustrator)
Relates the misadventures of Marigold, who does not agree with anyone, as she shops with her mother for a coat, becomes interested in a new hobby, finds a way to "bug" her best friend, Maxine, and imaginatively copes with finding the right outfit for the first day of school. Pictured here the author, Florence Parry Heide.

Brothers & Sisters Family Poems

Brothers & Sisters Family Poems by Eloise Greenfield, Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Illustrator)
Publisher Amistad/HarperCollins says "Celebrate the love of brothers and sisters everywhere with award-winning author Eloise Greenfield in this poignant collection of poems for and about families, illustrated by renowned artist Jan Spivey Gilchrist in pen and ink and vibrant watercolor."

Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude

Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude by Jonah Winter, Calef Brown (Illustrator)
In a story inspired by the modern and groundbreaking writing of Gertrude Stein herself, not alot makes sense. Enter the whimsical world of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Read this overview and comment from PlanetEsme Plan.