children’s literature reviews the 2017 notable children’s books …€¦ · this column...

Language Arts, Volume 95, Number 4, March 2018

This column features the 2017 Notable Children’s Books, which are unique in language and/or style and encourage readers to discover

quality texts that linger long after the pages have been read.

Cynthia Alaniz, Jane Bean-Folkes, Sue Corbin, Pamela C. Jewett, Diana Porter, Jennifer Sanders, and Holly Sims

The 2017 Notable Children’s Books in the English language arts

Children’s Literature Reviews

enjoys the snow together, their day now pleasantly interrupted. The story is captured stunningly with elaborate scratchboard and watercolor illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Beth Krommes. With a superb combining of art and language, Sidman gives readers a picturebook about the value of appreciating family time. (CA)

The charge of the seven- member Notable Children’s Books in the English Language Arts Committee is to select 30 titles appropriate for grades K– 8 that best exemplify the criteria for the Notables Award. Each book has to meet generally accepted criteria of quality for the genre in which it was writ-ten, have enduring quality and an appealing format, and invite child response or participation. The power of these books is often in their use of language, so committee members specifically look for books that explore plays on words, word origins, the history of language, and uniqueness in language or style.

PicturebooksBefore MorningWritten by Joyce SidmanIllustrated by Beth KrommesHoughton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 0- 547- 97917- 5

With well- paced, sparse, poetic text, Newbery Honor winner Joyce Sidman asks how powerful words are in this tranquil family story about a lovely snow day. While her mother (a pilot) readies for a flight, a child prepares for sleep, wishing her mother wouldn’t leave. But as nighttime arrives, the weather begins to shift, and snow falls heavily, covering roads and runways, making travel impossible. Mother returns home and the family

Mar LA 2018.indd 248 2/25/18 9:52 AM

chartman

Text Box

Copyright © 2018 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved.

Children’s Literature Reviews | THE 2017 NoTaBlE CHildrEN’S BookS iN THE ENgliSH laNguagE arTS


face the trials of dealing with the dangers of nature. Ellis’s use of the inventive language directs our attention to the detailed and humorous gouache- and- ink illustrations in order to understand the plot of this story. Readers will be able to infer the meaning of the insect’s conversations by paying attention to the language structure and punctuation as well as the body language of the characters. (HS)

The Sound of SilenceWritten by Katrina Goldsaito Illustrated by Julia KuoLittle, Brown, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 0- 316- 20337- 1

As Yoshio walks to school amidst the hustle and bustle of modern Tokyo, he notices the sounds of the city. One day, he hears a koto player making beautiful music and stops to ask her, “Sensei, . . . do you have a favorite sound?” Her answer, “ma,” the sound of silence, sends Yoshio on a quest to find the sound of silence in the cacophony of daily life. Katrina Goldsaito presents concepts of mindfulness and inner peace in a delightful way that readers of all ages can appreciate. Julia Kuo’s digitally colored pen- and- ink illustrations capture both the classic and the contemporary culture and beauty of Japan. Readers can visit Goldsaito’s

A Child of Books Written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston Candlewick Press, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 0- 7636- 9077- 9

A young girl travels through the world of stories on an ocean of words. She climbs over a mountain of text and even walks through a forest in which the trees are the spines of books. This book took my breath away as I poured over the small lines and swirls of text that made up the typographical landscapes of this literary world. Looking closer at the end pages covered in dense text, the reader will recognize the titles of 40 children’s classic stories and lullabies that Sam Winston weaved into the illustrations to create the scenery of this world. This delightful design creates an imaginative synergy with Oliver Jeffers’s characters and poetic narrative as an ode to literature and the role that stories have in our lives. (HS)

Du Iz Tak? Written and illustrated by Carson Ellis Candlewick Press, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 0- 7636- 6530- 2

Carson Ellis invites us into the fantastical lives of a community of insects who not only have human features and wear clothing, but also speak in an invented language! In this unique book, the insects cooperate to create a whimsical fort within a sprouting plant’s stems and leaves and together

Mar LA 2018.indd 249 2/25/18 9:52 AM



and parched young boy stopped to listen to the last storyteller share a tale. When the boy returned each day, anxious to hear the rest of the saga, water and life began to flow again— through the power of “a story well told.” Each spread of Turk’s watercolor and mixed- media illustrations has captivating movement and patterns that convey both the flow of story and the Moroccan culture. (JS)

TreatWritten and illustrated by Mary SullivanHoughton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 0- 544- 47270- 9

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes one word is worth a thousand pictures. This is the case in Treat, a delightful story that is told exclusively with one word, “treat,” accompanied by rousing illustrations that help to tell the story. Sullivan’s illustrations take young readers on a rollicking quest for a dog’s favorite, sometimes elusive, thing. We follow a sleeping pup as he awakens to the aroma of food, only to be frustrated at every turn. In despair, the dog goes back to sleep and dreams of glorious treats until his mistress calls him again. This time she rewards him with the real thing. Treat is perfect for a vocabulary lesson on words’ connotations and how punctuation and paralanguage can change words’ meanings. (SC)

website to learn more about her work and read about the favorite sounds of “silence- loving librarians” at http://katrinagoldsaito.com. (JS)

The Storyteller Written and illustrated by Evan TurkAtheneum, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 1- 4814- 3518- 5

In the Mediterranean region of Morocco, this modern folktale begins: “Long, long ago, like a pearl around a grain of sand, the fertile Kingdom of Morocco formed near the edge of the great, dry Sahara.” At one time, there were storytellers to bring the Moroccan people together and water fountains to quench their desert thirst. Eventually, people became so busy with their daily lives, they forgot about the storytellers. The desert drought grew worse and the wells dried up until a curious

Mar LA 2018.indd 250 2/25/18 9:52 AM



Booked Written by Kwame AlexanderHoughton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, 320 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 544- 57098- 6

Eighth- grader Nick and his best friend love soccer. “Coby Lee/ is from Singapore. Sorta./ He was born there, like his dad, but// his mom’s from Ghana,/which is where he learned fútbol/ before they moved// here” (p. 27). What Nick doesn’t like is words— neither the ones in the dictionary that his linguistics professor father wrote (and is making him read) nor the words he learns in his honors English class. But the school’s quirky rapping librarian, Mr. Mac, helps Nick discover both a love of reading and a way to connect with April, the girl of his dreams. Nick’s passion for soccer and vulnerability when being bullied, having surgery, or facing his parents’ troubled marriage make for an emotional and riveting sports story. (JBF)

Fiction27 Magic Words Written by Sharelle Byers Moranville Holiday House, 2016, 208 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 8234- 3657- 6

“Carillon.” “Snapdragon.” These are two of the 27 words Kobi’s mother gave her (each written on a yellow sticky note) before she and her father disappeared at sea. Left with her sister in her grandmother’s care, 10- year old Kobi uses these words to manage the uncertainty of her parents’ whereabouts. Kobi employs each word in specific situations, imagining their power to make everything better. When the sisters move to live with their Uncle Wim, their new life brings its own worries. Kobi copes by lying about her parents, and the resulting conflicts begin a process of coming- to- terms with reality. With themes of family and loss, this book is testament to the power of language to both comfort and heal. (CA)

Mar LA 2018.indd 251 2/25/18 9:52 AM



Cloud and Wallfish Written by Anne NesbetCandlewick Press, 2016, 400 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 7636- 8803- 5

Anne Nesbet captures the despair and oppression of 1989 Germany, when the Berlin Wall is beginning to crumble, and mixes it with the drama of a well- paced, historical fiction spy novel. Noah’s life spins into chaos when his parents suddenly announce that they’re flying to Germany— East Germany— in just a few hours. On the ride to the airport, Noah’s parents tell him that his name is now Jonah Brown, and they lay down the new rules he must live by, including, “They will always be listening” and “say as little as possible” (pp. 40– 41). In his German apartment, Noah- Jonah meets Claudia, a girl whose parents mysteriously died in a car accident, and his family gets entangled in the search for truth and the fight for freedom. (JS)

Fishbone’s SongWritten by Gary PaulsenSimon & Schuster, 2016, 160 pp., ISBN 978- 1- 4814- 5226- 7

If there were an Olympic medal for writing powerful, poetic prose that captures a reader from the first word and doesn’t let go until the last, Gary Paulsen would get the gold. His combinations of sentence lengths and structures, with words that are simple and yet oh, so evocative, can be used as a master class in composition. Paulsen weaves images in readers’ minds and takes them into the world of a young orphaned boy and the old man named Fishbone with whom he lives, far from civilization, in a seemingly magical swamp. Fishbone’s stories are mystical and allegorical, and through these he teaches the boy about life and survival and everything that is important. This book is a treasure as a read- aloud. (SC)

Mar LA 2018.indd 252 2/25/18 9:52 AM



The Island of BeyondWritten by Elizabeth Atkinson Carolrhoda, 2016, 288 pp., ISBN 978- 1- 4677- 8116- 9

Martin is an 11- year- old, highly intelligent, social introvert who, much to his father’s chagrin, loves staying inside playing video games and reading comic books in isolation. His father decides Martin must escape electronics and works to replicate his childhood outdoor summer adventures at his Aunt Lenore’s majestic home on beautiful Beyond Island in Maine. Upon arrival, they discover a deserted island, a crumbling house, and an elderly lady who appears to have dementia. Mysteriously, his father still insists he stay. Martin learns valuable lessons from the quirky characters he meets, especially a self- sufficient, orphaned boy named Solo. He experiences adventure, discovers unfamiliar feelings, faces challenges, and eventually finds himself. Of enduring quality, this book lingers in one’s mind long after reading is finished. (DP)

Free VerseWritten by Sarah DooleyG. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2016, 352 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 399- 16503- 0

Sasha finds herself trapped in a set of circumstances beyond her control, but learns to set her soul free and heal the psychological scars that have accrued since her mother’s abandonment, her father’s death in a coal mine, and her brother’s death in a fire. With nothing left to lose, she is placed in foster care where she finds belonging and a family whom she didn’t know existed. When another mining disaster threatens the little stability she has found, she is nearly undone until she finds freedom in expressing herself through verse that reveals the gradual rebirth of her grip on life and hope. This book can be paired with Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog to encourage students to try their own voices in poetic forms. (SC)

Mar LA 2018.indd 253 2/25/18 9:52 AM



Mayday Written by Karen Harrington Little, Brown, 2016, 352 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 316- 29801- 8

Wayne Kovok, a 12- year- old boy, has survived a traumatic plane crash as he was returning from the funeral of his uncle who died in combat. As he is learning to communicate without the ability to talk, he strives to find new ways to cope with social anxiety during unavoidable silences and redefine his identity and his place in the family. Readers will connect with his struggles and resilience in this hopeful coming- of- age story, which deals sensitively with difficult subjects such as divorce, strained family relationships, anxiety, bullying, war, and grief. Karen Harrington has created characters you will be thinking about long after you have finished the book. (HS)

OCDanielWritten by Wesley KingSimon & Schuster, 2016, 304 pp., ISBN 978- 1- 4814- 5531- 2

In this emotionally charged first- person narrative, 13- year- old Daniel fears he is crazy. While admittedly socially challenged, he feels he could manage the issues of a seemingly unattainable crush, a more popular best friend, and family pressure to play football if he did not have to continually make sure that others were not noticing what he calls “zaps.” “Zaps” are triggers, often associated with numbers, which induce extreme anxiety and require routines of repeated behaviors to overcome. While writing helps Daniel cope, he does not begin to understand and accept that he has a disorder called obsessive- compulsive behavior, or OCD, until he forms a friendship with Sara, the ostracized girl in class. The Author’s Note reveals that OCDaniel is largely autobiographical and dispels many misconceptions about OCD. (DP)

Mar LA 2018.indd 254 2/25/18 9:52 AM



Snow White: A Graphic NovelWritten and illustrated by Matt PhelanCandlewick, 2016, 216 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 7636- 7233- 1

This graphic novel is a takeoff on the classic fairy tale of love, betrayal, and family— from the red blood on Snow’s mother’s handkerchief to the scarlet of the poisonous apple. The monochromatic tones of the illustrations create a dramatic mood reminiscent of film noir. It’s the late 1920s, and Samantha White, affectionately called Snow White by her ailing mother, is sent off to boarding school. When her mother dies, her grieving father, the King of Wall Street, remarries the dazzling Queen of the Follies. Banished from home by her stepmother, Snow returns a decade later after her father’s mysterious death. Lost in Hooverville, Snow encounters a group of seven young street boys who befriend her and invite her to live with them. In the meantime, not content with the fortune left to her in her husband’s will, the Queen dispatches a villain to kill off Snow, but a handsome detective is on the trail of this villainy. (JBF)

Raymie Nightingale Written by Kate DiCamilloCandlewick, 2016, 272 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 7636- 8117- 3

Raymie’s father has run off, leaving her to face an uncertain summer. Desperate to change her circumstances, 10- year- old Raymie embarks on a plan to get her father back. A local tire shop is holding a beauty contest, and Raymie intends to win it! With the attention she will gain from winning the contest, Raymie knows her father will surely return to her. To ensure a victory, Raymie takes twirling lessons. There she meets Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski, two fellow students each facing their own family struggles. With quirky events and DiCamillo’s authentic voice, this middle- grade novel explores themes of loss, friendship, and the sense of powerlessness children feel at critical times in their lives. (CA)

Mar LA 2018.indd 255 2/25/18 9:52 AM



When the Sea Turned to Silver Written and illustrated by Grace Lin Little, Brown, 2016, 400 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 316- 12592- 5

When her grandmother, the renowned village storyteller, is kidnapped by the cruel Emperor, Pinmei bravely embarks on a journey to save her. Armed with the folktales she grew up listening to, she has the knowledge that enables her to search for the Luminous Stone that may be the key to her grandmother’s rescue. Folklore is interwoven throughout the text as Lin interjects stories that pull the reader out of the current narrative to give insight and add meaning to the main story line. Exquisite full- color illustrations and detailed vignettes add an additional layer to the text. Readers will be intrigued as the tales, based on Chinese mythology and parables, fall into place like an intricate puzzle and connect to create a complete story that was not apparent until the satisfying conclusion that celebrates the power and value of stories. (HS)

SoarWritten by Joan BauerViking, 2016, 320 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 451- 47034- 8

Soar will warm the heart of both avid and not- so- avid fans of baseball. Soar weaves sports, friendship, tragedy, and love into one heartwarming, page- turning story. Jeremiah lives and breathes baseball. He wants nothing more than to be a professional player, but learning he has a severe heart condition, his dreams are dashed. Soon after he and his single father move to a town that is wild about baseball, the entire community is shaken by the death of a beloved school player. Jeremiah finds himself coaching and bringing baseball back, and he ends up motivating the entire town. Faced with leaving their new town behind, Jeremiah deals with the possibility of also leaving his heart in the very place that helped to make it stronger. (JBF)

Mar LA 2018.indd 256 2/25/18 9:52 AM



I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark Written by Debbie Levy Illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley Simon & Schuster, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 1- 4814- 6559- 5

Ruth Bader Ginsburg has become the “Notorious R.B.G.,” a social and political powerhouse of our time who has consistently fought for women’s rights and human equality. Debbie Levy opens this book with bold, staccato statements about Ginsburg’s stance toward injustice: “Ruth has disagreed, disapproved, and differed. She has objected. She has resisted. She has dissented.” This masterful story describes how Ginsburg pushed through the gender and culture barriers of the 1940s, ’50s, and beyond to become one of the first female lawyers and law professors in the country, and later, the first Jewish woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. Bader’s bold words are featured prominently in the graphics of the mixed- media illustrations. Substantial back matter includes additional biographical information, notes on her significant Supreme Court cases, and references for supportive online media. (JS)

NonfictionFreedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley BryanWritten and illustrated by Ashley BryanCaitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 1- 4814- 5690- 6

Bryan’s discovery of documents from an antebellum plantation inspired this collection of slave stories, told from each person’s point of view and accompanied by Bryan’s inimitable folk- art style. We learn not only about the daily lives of the enslaved people, but also of their ancestral histories and of their dreams for freedom— their own and their children’s. Some speak of learning to read and write, knowing the dangers but also the promise of literacy. Some hatch escape plans, others find pride and an outlet for anger in their work or in the songs they sing. Hope and dignity pervade the language and give credence to the potent power of stories. Read this book along with other collections of slave narratives to explore the strength of the first- person perspective and the voice of the narrator. (SC)

Mar LA 2018.indd 257 2/25/18 9:52 AM



Olinguito, from A to Z! Olinguito, de la A a la Z! Written and illustrated by Lulu DelacreChildren’s Book, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 0- 89239- 327- 5

This unusual A to Z book offers a lyrical text in both Spanish and English. The vivid mixed- media illustrations allow the reader to step into the magical world of a cloud forest in the Andes of Ecuador, where the author helps a zoologist look for the elusive olinguito. Together they discover a bounty of plants, animals, and other organisms that live there as they find the first new mammal species identified in the Americas since 1978. The ABC structure organizes the book and provides children with a vehicle to encounter rich vocabulary as they learn about a unique environment. The back matter includes articles about cloud forests and the discovery of the olinguito in 2013, as well as an extensive glossary of the scientific names of the species pictured. (JBF)

Plants Can’t Sit StillWritten by Rebecca E. HirschIllustrated by Mia PosadaMillbrook, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 1- 4677- 8031- 5

Did you know that plants are moving all the time? They wiggle and grow, walk and squirm. They reach and hide, sploosh and lift. Sometimes, they even explode! Hirsch and Posada have created a marvelous informational book that brings the

Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous PhotographWritten by Roxane OrgillIllustrated by Francis VallejoCandlewick Press, 2016, 66 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 7636- 6954- 6

No one could have guessed that when graphic designer Art Kane, while working on an issue of Esquire magazine dedicated to jazz, invited all Harlem jazz musicians to gather in front of a typical brownstone for a 10:00 a.m. unpaid photo shoot, 57 musicians would enthusiastically gather! Orgill captures the essence and energy of that serendipitous day in 1958 with poems that include biographical sketches, descriptions of the musicians’ attire, and highlights of the day’s events. The iconic photograph that captures both the presence of these talented musicians and the potential of 12 excited neighborhood boys appears as a foldout, complete with a key that identifies each musician. Extensive back matter along with Vallejo’s acrylic and pastel illustrations complete this beautiful tribute to jazz history. (DP)

Mar LA 2018.indd 258 2/25/18 9:52 AM



worlds of plants and how they move to life in meticulously rousing, sensory verbs and paper collage with watercolor. Words move across the double page and then spread to mimic the movement of the plants. There is more information about the featured plants at the end of the book, along with a glossary and lists of books and websites for further research. It would be fun to take this book along for a walk to hunt for moving plants and think of additional vibrant verbs to describe them. (SC)

A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of The Snowy DayWritten by Andrea Davis Pinkney Illustrated by Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson Viking, 2016, 60 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 425- 28768- 2

“BROWN- SUGAR BOY in a blanket of white./ Bright as the day you came onto the page./ From the hand of a man who saw you for you” (p. 5). In this biographical poem, Andrea Davis Pinkney writes to Peter of The Snowy Day (known as the first African American protagonist in a children’s book) as a tribute to the Caldecott Award– winning author, Ezra Jack Keats. Keats sought to increase diversity in children’s literature and worked to promote a positive representation of the urban lives, experiences, and varied ethnicities of America’s children. The rich illustrations crafted by Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson pay homage to Ezra Jack Keats’s use of acrylic paint and collage and include some of Keats’s beloved characters. (HS)

Some Writer!: The Story of E. B. WhiteWritten and illustrated by Melissa SweetHoughton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, 176 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 544- 31959- 2

This gorgeously illustrated biography chronicles the life of celebrated children’s author E. B. White with a beautiful story of a humble man who loved words and nature. Mixed- media collages featuring letters, handmade paper, cartoons, maps, photos, art, wood, and hardware create the feeling of a meticulously created scrapbook so rich in detail

Mar LA 2018.indd 259 2/25/18 9:52 AM



Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems Written by Bob RaczkaRoaring Brook, 2016, 48 pp., ISBN 978- 1- 62672- 236- 1

Bob Raczka captures the essence of childhood in this collection of 21 “word paintings.” For example, in a poem titled “Clock,” he conveys the antsy energy of a classroom at the end of the day: “The clock on the wall says it’s five ‘til three but the/ kids in my class say/ it’s five ‘til free.” Raczka uses both the words and individual letters to form images on the page that reflect the subject matter. In “Takeoff,” a poem on the Wright Brothers’ first flight, Raczka turns a lowercase “t” at an angle to imply an airplane, and the words of the poem depict the plane’s brief lift- off. Raczka goes beyond simple shape poetry to seize the affordances of visual- spatial arrangement in concrete poetry. (JS)

that the reader can discover something new across multiple readings. Chronologically organized chapters feature White’s childhood, travels after college, writing career, and children’s book contributions. After reading this book, readers less familiar with White’s works will be eager to experience the genius of this great writer, and those who already know his works well will enjoy this companion text. In either case, the reader is likely to agree, “That was some book!” (DP)

Speaking American: How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk: A Visual GuideWritten by Josh KatzHoughton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, 224 pp., ISBN 978- 0- 544- 70339- 1

When ordering a carbonated beverage, does one ask for a soda, pop, coke, or soft drink? How many syllables are there in caramel? Josh Katz, through an online dialect survey he created in 2013, discovered that the answers to these and other questions addressing the dominant choice or pronunciation of particular words are often influenced by the region of the United States in which one lives. Brightly colored text, maps, and graphs summarize the 350,000 survey responses he received. Speaking American is guaranteed to entertain as readers are touched by the words that define their personal history, amused by the “funny” way others talk, and intrigued by the quirkiness of the American English language. This book begs to be discussed and celebrated with others! (DP)

Mar LA 2018.indd 260 2/25/18 9:52 AM



Will’s Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You TalkWritten by Jane SutcliffeIllustrated by John ShelleyCharlesbridge, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 1- 58089- 638- 2

Those who employ “Too much of a good thing” or “For goodness’ sake!” in conversation owe a debt to William Shakespeare, who crafted many words and phrases frequently used today. In this nonfiction book, Sutcliffe provides the meaning of these and many other common phrases, while also citing the play, act, and scene where the words appear in Shakespeare’s works. Sutcliffe also chronicles life at the Globe Theater, in one section telling readers of the rowdy audiences who ate apples during plays and threw food at actors when they forgot their lines. Illustrated in pen- and- ink with lively, eye- catching detail, this book is both an invitation to history as much as it is to language. A must- read for linguists and word lovers! (CA)

When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons Written by Julie FoglianoIllustrated by Julie MorstadRoaring Brook, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 1- 59643- 852- 1

Seasons come and seasons go, but in this picturebook collection of poetry, each takes a pause as it is celebrated tenderly with verses. Beginning with spring’s promises, Fogliano collects poignant observations about each changing of the weather, written from viewpoints of children interacting with nature. Using dates as titles, each poem is a child’s reflection on the day, remarking on seemingly simple events: a firefly fluttering at a window, a lonely seagull at the beach, the taste of a blueberry. Gouache- and- colored- pencil illustrations amplify the text charmingly. The collection is an ideal mentor text for budding poets (as well as scientists), and will also inspire readers to take a closer look at the nature surrounding them. (CA)

Mar LA 2018.indd 261 2/25/18 9:52 AM



Yaks Yak: Animal Word Pairs Written by Linda Sue ParkIllustrated by Jennifer Black ReinhardtClarion, 2016, unpaged, ISBN 978- 0- 544- 39101- 7

It is hard to pass on building your vocabulary with this inquisitive book where word lovers contemplate the whimsical yakking of Yaks Yak’s use of animal words that double as verbs or work as homographs. Using simple sentences along with colorful and whimsical watercolor- and- ink animal illustrations, Park tells the story of how “Yaks yak” (“to yak = to talk”). Or how “Dogs dog dogs” (“to dog = to track or follow”). The original two- page layout enables the reader to make meaning of the plays on words. The end pages offer a chart of the word pairs followed by the derivation of the animal’s name as well as the action word. In some cases, the verb refers to the animal’s behavior,

2016– 2017 Notable Children’s Books in the English Language Arts Committee Members: Cynthia

Alaniz (CA), NCTE member since 2012, Cottonwood Creek Elementary, Coppell, TX; Jane Bean-

Folkes (JBF), long-standing NCTE member, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY; Sue Corbin (SC),

NCTE member since 2000, Notre Dame College, South Euclid, OH; Pamela C. Jewett, Chair, Emerita

NCTE member, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC; Diana Porter (DP), NCTE member since

2005, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY; Jennifer Sanders (JS), NCTE member since

2004, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK; and Holly Sims (HS), NCTE member since 2012,

Independence Elementary School, Independence, OR.

such as ape or parrot. In other cases, it’s about plain fun. (JBF)

Mar LA 2018.indd 262 2/25/18 9:52 AM

children’s literature reviews the 2017 notable children’s books …€¦ · this column...

Documents