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World Rat Day and Other Poems

World Rat Day: Poems about Real Holidays You’ve Never Heard  Of written by J. Patrick Lewis and illustrated by Anna Raff, (Candlewick Press; $15.99; ages 4 and up) is reviewed by Rita Zobayan.

0763654027Any concept that poetry is high culture and addresses only the topics of love and death flies out the window with World Rat Day: Poems about Real Holidays You’ve Never Heard Of. Featuring over 20 poems celebrating holidays as unusual as Happy Mew Year for Cats Day (January 2), Bat Appreciation Day (mark your calendars for April 17!) or International Cephalopod Awareness Day (October 8), this compilation is silly fun wrapped in verse.

If you’re in the mood to appreciate dragons—and let’s be honest, who isn’t?!—then don’t wait until January 16 to do so. Read along as we get an inside look at dragon dining etiquette with “Eight Table Manners for Dragons.”

At every meal, bow your head, fold your wings, and say, ‘Graze.’/Wait till someone screams, ‘Let’s heat!’/Don’t talk with people in your mouth./Never blow on your soup. That only makes it hotter./Don’t smoke./Never remove a hare from your food./Play with your food, but don’t let it run around screaming./Chew your food. Once.

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Each poem has accompanying illustrations that portray the whimsy of the verses. The characters’ expressions are hilarious and the ink wash style presents the scenes perfectly. World Rat Day: Poems about Real Holidays You’ve Never Heard Of is a great way to start a youngster’s introduction into the world of poetry.

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The Last Laugh

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The Bookworm ($9.95, Karadi Tales, Ages 5 and up) is a story about an Indian boy named, Sesha, who loves to read. In fact he has his head in a book so often that other children his age rarely see his face. His classmates tease him and laugh at him every day, and they even write a song about him. . .

“Strange silent Sesha, his nose in his book,
Doesn’t give anyone else a look,
Bet his mum doesn’t know what his face looks like,
Bet his dad hasn’t seen him since he was a little tyke! . . .”

Sesha just keeps to himself and tries to ignore the comments and giggles of the others. He’d rather read and write down his thoughts in his little brown notebook he takes with him everywhere. Well one rainy day, some bullies in his class trip Sesha, causing him and his precious notebook to fall to the ground and get all muddy.  Those bullies laugh and laugh, and naturally this is traumatizing for poor Sesha. But later in class something happens that makes the other students – including the bullies –  realize that Sesha has something important they wish they had.

I absolutely love the glorious collage and ultra colorful watercolor illustrations by Shilo Shiv Suleman, and thoroughly enjoyed how much they enhance this story.

Stories about nerdy kids and bullies are not uncommon. But this picture book is unique in that it broaches the subject of bullying to the youngest readers without preaching. Rather, through carefully selected prose by author LaVanya R.N., the youngest readers are able to relate to the protagonist and learn that it is wrong to tease others for being different. Even better yet, this book shows us all that being smart and well-read is a powerful thing.

In the end of this book, guess who has the last laugh?

-Reviewed by Debbie Glade.

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Enamored With Eyewear

Glamorous Glasses by Barbara Johansen Newman ($16.95, Boyds Mill Press, ages 4 and up) is reviewed by Rita Zobayan.

I started wearing glasses when I was seven years old. Back then in England, there weren’t many stylish options, especially as I wore National Health Service glasses. I remember both my mother and the optometrist talking to me about any potential teasing I might face and how to deal with being one of the first students in my grade to wear glasses. Many years later, more children are wearing glasses at an earlier age and have many shapes and colors to choose from. In fact, glasses have gone from a fashion fail to fashion fun, so much so that my oldest daughter wants to wear glasses even though she doesn’t need them!

Enter Bobbie from Glamorous Glasses by Barbara Johansen Newman. She is enamored with glasses and badly wants to wear a pair, especially as her favorite cousin, Joanie, has to start wearing them. However, Bobbie’s vision is just fine and Joanie isn’t thrilled about her prescription. It’s up to Bobbie to help Joanie come to terms with sporting specs.

“You are so lucky,” said Joanie. “Wearing glasses makes me feel different. I don’t like the way I look. I wish I didn’t have to wear them.”

                  I couldn’t believe my ears. I’d give anything to wear glasses like Joanie’s. That’s when I got another idea…

                  “Listen, Joanie,” I whispered. “While our moms are trying on dresses today, we can go get some candy. I’ll wear your new glasses, and you can carry my new pocketbook. We’ll both look very glamorous.”

                  We read along as the pair follows the plan. How will Joanie manage without glasses? Will Bobbie ever get a pair, especially as the eye doctor has already tested her for perfect vision?! In a fun and fashionable manner, the book provides plenty of discussion points to help youngsters deal with the process of accepting who they are and figuring out the importance of what they need.

The illustrations of the characters are exaggerated, almost between a caricature and a bobblehead, and cartoonish enough for children to enjoy. The colors are vivid, and Barbara Johansen Newman delights in patterns. Find polka dots, checkers, flowers, stripes, stars and hearts on the glasses, hair ribbons and clothes. She fills the pictures with outfits galore–boots, purses, dresses—that reflect the personalities of the characters.  Bobbie and Joanie’s world is filled with fun tchotchkes and spotting them in the pictures is part of the enjoyment. And, I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that the author’s French bulldog, Bitty, makes a cameo in one of the scenes.

Glamorous Glasses includes a spectacle of spectacles, and is a spectacular read!

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