Corey Rosen Schwartz

Best New Picture Books for Thanksgiving 2021

A ROUNDUP OF

THE BEST NEW PICTURE BOOKS

FOR THANKSGIVING 2021

 

 

Thanksgiving Free clipart

Gratitude, generosity, and humor are just some of what’s being served up in three new picture books for Thanksgiving this year. I’ve chosen these stories, though not specifically for Thanksgiving (Thankful’s action takes place in December), because they present perspectives on community, connectivity, and caring that are the essence of the holiday. 

 

THANKFUL
Written by Elaine Vickers
Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill
(A Paula Wiseman Book; $17.99, Ages 4-8)

Reading this 48-page picture book is a gift to give yourself and your young children. It feels like being wrapped in a soft blanket, sipping hot cocoa, and sitting silently in reflection. Full of deliciously evocative, lyrical language, Thankful is the book to reach for to lift a child’s spirits when they might be feeling blue or to reaffirm positive things they know but cannot express.

Elaine Vickers brings readers into the home of a girl as she prepares her annual thankful paper chain “when the first snow falls.” As she writes, we’re treated to not only a glimpse of her bedroom, house, and family for whom she’s especially thankful, but the big (a new puppy) and small things (“… soup and socks and the spot under the covers where someone has just been sleeping.”) for which she is grateful. I found myself stopping on several spreads and nodding while marveling at the wonderfulness of what Vickers’ prose has conveyed whether it’s noting the friend who waits for her at recess or cherishing things that are soft and fresh like laundry, bread, and moss on rocks. The sweet, loving poem the child’s parents say at bedtime reminded me of what my dad used to say to me at night and in letters and made me squeeze the book a little harder like the hug this story is.

Samantha Cotterill’s delightful 3-D dioramas blend elements of Holman Wang’s diorama art and paper “cut-outs”—in this case including all the characters and the dog—reminiscent of those found in Lauren Child’s Charlie & Lola series. Her warm color palette adds to the cozy feeling of the story and pulls readers into the pages where they’ll want to study every last detail in each spread. Keep this book out for all to enjoy and consider making your own thankful paper chain this holiday season.

 

Cold Turkey coverCOLD TURKEY
Written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call
Illustrated by Chad Otis
(Little Brown BYR; $17.99, Ages 4-8)
Available 11/23. Preorder a copy today.

There’s so much to enjoy in Cold Turkey, from the title, the wordplay, and the colorful alliteration, to the message of generosity, the animal humor, and the funny expressions in the artwork.

This deceptively simple tale, with the charm of Little Mole’s Christmas Gift or the ’80s classic Big Bird Brings Spring to Sesame Street and their theme of giving, is a winning winter read. In fact, you might just sh-sh-shiver (and smile, too!) along as Turkey wakes up on the farm one morning so cold that he has to bundle up in all his warm clothes.

When Turkey emerges from his home, he first encounters Sheep who is also freezing. Kind Turkey offers his distinctive red hat. Then Chick, who’s chilled to the bone, is the lucky recipient of Turkey’s mittens (you have to see where they get put), and poor Horse is faring no better hunkered down in the hay. Cow and Pig get lucky too at the selflessness of Turkey but where, you may wonder, does that leave naked Turkey? “Turkey tr-tr-trembled. He had loaned out all his loot. He wobbled homeward, cold and bare, in just his birthday suit.”

Well, his barnyard buddies have something in mind to fire readers’ imaginations and bring a bit of warmth and a slew of spot on synonyms to play as the story closes to a heart-warming end. Otis’s illustrations capture the inhospitable temperature outdoors as the animals seek ways to elude the cold. The story should have kids eagerly following along, reciting out load and waiting to see how things turn out for Cold Turkey and company. Grab your scarf and hat and a copy of this funny picture book today.

 

Our Table coverOUR TABLE
Written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
(Orchard Books; $17.99, Ages 4-8)

Reynolds’ latest picture book features a violet cover, violet endpapers, and the main character called Violet, too. When the story opens she’s thinking fondly of the table where once so much activity happened. It had been there while meals were cooked, candles were lighted and memories made. Memories that clearly Violet cherished. Reynolds’ illustrations emphasize the current mood of Violet. Her longing looks appear in purple and only when she’s remembering days of family togetherness and love does full-color return. Since the color violet symbolizes sensitivity, it’s an appropriate color to have chosen.

Young Violet is affected by how her family has become distracted bringing disruption to all those previously shared activities. Her father is preoccupied with the TV, or big screen. Her mother, elsewhere in the house is looking at a smaller screen, her cellphone. Violet’s brother sits in front of his computer playing games online with his friends. While everyone seems to be at home no one was truly present. And that’s sad. Violet sad. Alone sad.

By introducing some magic into the story, Reynolds creates a way to spark change. When Violet notices the abandoned table begins shrinking she’s perplexed. When it vanishes completely in her hand she gets an idea. It’s time to start engaging her family again otherwise they too could go the way of the table and disappear. The joy and color start returning as, together with her parents and brother, they work on building a new table and new memories. The important and timely message of this story was not lost on me, someone who admittedly spends too much time in front of screens. This holiday season, when we’re gathered around tables, I hope readers will find their own special ways of being present and creating new memories.

NOTE: See Peter Reynolds at an in-person event in Los Angeles through Pages: A Bookstore on Thursday 11/18 at 3:30pm PST at the El Segundo Library. More information here.

 

See more Thanksgiving books reviewed here and here.

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Children’s Picture Book Review – Two Tough Trucks Get Lost!

TWO TOUGH TRUCKS GET LOST

Written by Corey Rosen Schwartz & Rebecca J. Gomez

Illustrated by Hilary Leung

(Orchard Books; $17.99, Ages 3-5)

 

TTTGetLost cover

 

Authors Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez, along with illustrator Hilary Leung tell the tale of “a daredevil dude and a thrill-seeker truck” who race the desert backroads in Two Tough Trucks Get Lost! (book #2 in the series). But when their adventure takes each on a separate path, being tough takes on a whole new meaning.

Turtles and birds peacefully roam the bright orange sand, hiding behind green cacti, until two mischievous trucks decide to race each other after school. “The sand kicked up dust / as they passed an old mine, / and neither one noticed / the bright yellow sign.” (Of course, the reader sees the arrow sign showing the split in the road, and this is unknowingly where our trucks’ problem begins).

Leung’s warm and pleasing watercolor-like graphics of red truck Mack, with his yellow baseball cap, dashing ahead of his friend Rig, the blue truck with a tough guy green bandana wrapped around his head (or front window, since he is a truck) take the reader through the Southwest desert landscape. 

 

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Interior spread from Two Tough Trucks Get Lost written by Corey Rosen Schwartz & Rebecca J. Gomez and illustrated by Hilary Leung, Orchard Books ©2020.

 

Schwartz and Gomez share spot-on, read-aloud rhyme, “Through canyons and quarries / they zigzagged and crossed. / “‘The sun’s going down!'”/ “’I’m hopelessly lost.’” The bright yellow sun sets behind the hills and slowly lowers to dusk as even the face of a cactus shows concern. “One Rig, all alone / off-track in the park. / “’I’ve got to find Mack. / He’s afraid of the dark!’”

 

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Interior art from Two Tough Trucks Get Lost! written by Corey Rosen Schwartz & Rebecca J. Gomez and illustrated by Hilary Leung, Orchard Books ©2020.

 

When Rig’s plan of a “flickering flare” reunites the pair, the reader sees the adventure continue as the friends figure out how to find their way out of the park. We feel a strong bond between these risk-taking friends, as they realize their folks must really be worried. The reader observes the pair teaming up to find familiar landmarks. 

Two Tough Trucks Get Lost!, an uplifting and entertaining story of friendship and working together, is a wonderful read-aloud filled with both suspense and compassion. The adorable trucks are so sweet you forget they are tough. And you don’t even need to be a “things that go” fan to appreciate the good story-telling. Pre-school and Kindergarten-aged children will enjoy this heartwarming story that can be read with family or friends. Kids learn why it’s important to stay by their parents’ side and the implications of wandering off. But if they do, looking for familiar surroundings is a great way to find their way home. It’s clear these trucks may seem tough on the outside but it’s what’s on the inside that makes us care about them.

  •  Reviewed by Ronda Einbinder

Read a review of Two Tough Trucks (book #1) here.

  • Click here to order a copy of Two Tough Trucks Get Lost!
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    Recommended Reads for the Week of 11/2/20

 

 

 

 

 

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Children’s Picture Book Review – Mootilda’s Bad Mood

MOOTILDA’S BAD MOOD

Written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call

Illustrated by Claudia Ranucci

(Little Bee Books; $17.99, Ages 4-8)

 

 

 

Have you ever woken up one morning and everything goes wrong, putting you in a bad mood? Has it ever happened to one of your children? The answer to both questions is, of course, it has.  And that is exactly the scenario that begins the hilarious rhyming verse picture book Mootilda’s Bad Mood.

 

Int Spread Mootildas Bad Mood
Interior spread from Mootilda’s Bad Mood written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call and illustrated by Claudia Ranucci, Little Bee Books ©2020.

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The story begins with Mootilda waking up with hay in her hair, her pillow gone, and her doll—a cow, what else?—fallen from her bed. She goes to her moomaw cow (as opposed to mama cow) who hugs her and gives her a treat but when this falls, it sets off Mootilda to proclaim, “I’m in a bad mood!” Her mother suggests she goes out to play. Mootilda takes her advice and plays rope with calves, swims with lambs, rides bikes with pigs, and plays ball with ponies. However every single time, something unfortunate happens which leaves Mootilda in an even worse mood than before.

The refrain of “I’m in a bad mood!” reflects Mootilda’s worsening mood as the day progresses with each additional “O” that is added to the word “mood.” When she finally meets up with chickens, who are also in a bad mood, it is Mootilda this time who tries to cheer them up. But when something goes wrong with her attempt, instead of making her mood worse, she laughs about it and finally realizes her bad mood is gone. And with her bad mood gone, she figures out a way she can help others in the future, as shown in the final pictures of the book.

 

int art Mootildas Bad Mood
Interior spread from Mootilda’s Bad Mood written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call and illustrated by Claudia Ranucci, Little Bee Books ©2020.

 

Ranucci’s illustrations are cheerful, bright, and colorful—the exact opposite of the feelings of a bad mood. They make it impossible for any reader who might be in a bad mood to remain that way after perusing through the delightful pictures.

The book is filled with funny animal, cow and moo words, like cow-tastrophe, cow-incidence, and cow-miserate. This wordplay adds to the enjoyment of the book, especially when read aloud and emphasized. But what I really liked about Mootilda’s Bad Mood was that co-authors Rosen Schwartz and Call have taken a concept that we can all relate to and presented it in such a humorous tale. The story acknowledges and allows everyone, especially kids, to be in a bad mood. It’s perfectly okay to sometimes feel like that, but there are also ways to deal with it and that is a great take-away message.

• Reviewed by Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili

 

Click here to read a review of another picture book by Corey Rosen Schwartz.
Click here to read a review of another picture book illustrated by Claudia Ranucci.

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Kids Picture Book Review – Two Tough Trucks

TWO TOUGH TRUCKS
by Corey Rosen Schwartz + Rebecca J. Gomez
Illustrated by Hilary Leung
(Orchard Books; $17.99, Ages 3-5)

 

Two Tough Trucks Book Cover

 

In Two Tough Trucks by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez with art by Hilary Leung, Mack and Rig, two vehicles with very different personalities, are heading off for their first day of Truck School. Red Mack is confident and bold. Blue Rig is reluctant and nervous. This sentence describes them to a T: “Two trucks off to school for their first day of class. One riding the brakes. One hitting the gas.”

 

Two Tough Trucks Int1
Interior spread from Two Tough Trucks written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez and illustrated by Hilary Leung, Orchard Books/Scholastic ©2019.

 

When the aptly named teacher, Miss Rhodes, pairs the two trucks for a circuit on the track, Mack takes off and doesn’t look back. Rig on the other hand finds the course daunting, facing what seems like one insurmountable challenge after the other. The next drill takes the class to a hill, one which Mack knows he can easily climb. Rig doesn’t feel so sure and comes in “dead last.” The two trucks don’t really connect, each one thinking little of the other. “My partner’s a drag,” is Mack’s take. “That hotshot,” said Rig, “He sure loves to brag.” What will your children think of the characters? It’s a great opportunity to seek their input. The repetition of VROOM! ZOOM! throughout invites sound effects and participation by the littlest readers

 

Two Tough Trucks int2
Interior spread from Two Tough Trucks written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez and illustrated by Hilary Leung, Orchard Books/Scholastic ©2019.

 

It’s not looking hopeful for these two six-wheelers. If there’s a way forward towards friendship, it’s eluding them. But then there’s light on the horizon for Rig when the class is tasked with learning how to go backward while hauling cargo. That’s when Rig excels at last! Hold on! Was that a look of doubt creeping onto blundering Mack’s face? Exasperated, the big, red truck is ready to give up. VROOM! DOOM?

With this shift in ability, Rig’s gained confidence but not a big head. He kindly helps his partner tackle the task until Mack masters it, too. Schwartz and Gomez get youngsters engaged with the colorful characters and the pace of this story. Kids’ll cheer as the vehicles bond after accomplishing what they needed to as a team. It’s wonderful to see how working together with positive attitudes yields mutual success.

 

Two Tough Trucks int3
Interior spread from Two Tough Trucks written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez and illustrated by Hilary Leung, Orchard Books/Scholastic ©2019.

 

Leung’s lively illustrations emphasize the individual vehicles. Rig wears a camouflage design bandana and Mack, a baseball cap to match his trim. I like the movement the illustrations convey and how the southwestern style art palate bleeds off the page. Of note and adorable is how, in the end, after a friendship has developed, the two pals have exchanged head ware. Have your kids also keep an eye out for the cute turtle and roadrunner who appear in multiple spreads.

Two Tough Trucks is clearly more than a first day of school picture book. It’s a super rhyming story about learning to  get along, having each other’s back and being a good sport. The title works too. Each vehicle has its strengths and weaknesses, true. It’s not letting those areas that need improvement immobilize them that makes them tough, especially together as a team. Rev up your engines and make tracks to your nearest bookstore for a copy of Two Tough Trucks today!

  • Reviewed by Ronna Mandel

Here’s a link to a review of another picture book by Corey Rosen Schwartz.
Here’s a link to a review of another picture book by Corey Rosen Schwartz + Rebecca J. Gomez.

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Twinderella: A Fractioned Fairy Tale by Corey Rosen Schwartz

 

TWINDERELLA: A FRACTIONED FAIRY TALE

Written by Corey Rosen Schwartz
Illustrated by Deborah Marcero
(G.P. Putnam’s Sons BYR; $17.99, Ages 4-8)

 

Book cover Twinderella by Corey Rosen Schwartz art by Deborah Marcero

 

Twinderella: A Fractioned Fairy Tale delights with its clever premise: Cinderella has a twin! In this 32-page picture book, Tinderella is a math whiz who divides the girls’ grueling tasks precisely down the middle. They each do, “Half the folding, half the mending, half the mean stepsister tending.”

 

Interior spread from Twinderella by Corey Rosen Schwartz with art by Deborah Marcero, G. P. Putnam’s Sons ©2017.

 

Following the traditional story, on the night of the Royal Ball, Cinderella tearfully summons her “fairy godmom.” The fairy sparkles up some party dresses for the girls with accessories that Tin splits into two sets. However, when Prince Charming falls for both sisters, a dilemma ensues. Which sister should he wed? Luckily, Tin is again quick of mind and suggests a fabulous formula that, with some magic, may just work out.

This retelling enchants with its spot-on rhyme. The addition of the “fractioned” facts smartly introduces simple math, demonstrating in a straightforward manner how parts of a whole fit together.

 

Interior spread from Twinderella by Corey Rosen Schwartz with art by Deborah Marcero, G. P. Putnam’s Sons ©2017.

 

Marcero’s artwork combines the timeless feel of a “Cinderella” story with a modern edge. Black spaces are skillfully presented—from classroom blackboards showing mathematical formulas to shadowy silhouettes in the margins.

 

Interior spread from Twinderella by Corey Rosen Schwartz with art by Deborah Marcero, G. P. Putnam’s Sons ©2017.

 

Schwartz, author of The Three Ninja Pigs, Ninja Red Riding Hood, Hensel and Gretel: Ninja Chicks, and Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears continues to reign supreme with her funny adaptions of fractured fairy tales. In Twinderella, the girls, of course, live happily ever “half-ter.”

  • Reviewed by Christine Van Zandt

Writer, editor, and owner of Write for Success www.Write-for-Success.com

@WFSediting, Christine@Write-for-Success.com

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What About Moose? by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez

WHAT ABOUT MOOSE?
Written by Corey Rosen Schwartz & Rebecca J. Gomez
Illustrated by Keika Yamaguchi
(Atheneum Books for Young Readers; $17.99, Ages 4-8)

what-about-mooseint.jpg

Tonight I attended a book launch by Los Angeles illustrator, Keika Yamaguchi, at the Casa Verdugo branch of the Glendale Public Library. I not only learned about her illustration process to create the artwork for What About Moose?, but I also got to watch the reactions of dozens of children in attendance. By their response, I knew the books would fly off the shelves. 

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Interior Artwork from What About Moose? Written by Corey Rosen Schwartz & Rebecca J. Gomez, Atheneum BYR ©2015.

This recommended-for-read-aloud rhyming picture book introduces youngsters to Moose, Fox, Bear, Skunk, Frog, and Porcupine who intend to build a treehouse together, through teamwork. Moose, however, has other ideas and proclaims himself foreman. As he issues order upon order, Moose’s behavior does not endear him to his friends. In spite of this, there is humor to be found on every page both in the rhymes and illustrations. Kids’ll eat up the fact that Moose has taken to giving his “commands from a big megaphone.” His bossiness will not be lost on children as they sense the tension building between Moose and his pals as every so often one of them asks, “But what about you, Moose?” Soon your child will be asking the very same thing, quite eager to see how Moose will respond. In fact, he’s so busy ordering his friends around that he neglects to notice the treehouse built around him. It’s only once the roof is put on that Moose realizes the door is too tiny for him to fit through!!

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Interior Artwork from What About Moose? Written by Corey Rosen Schwartz & Rebecca J. Gomez, Atheneum BYR ©2015.

Luckily for Moose, his friends are a caring bunch. They hatch a plan to help him get out of the house safely because how long can the animals bear to listen to Moose’s complaints as he “groaned and he grumbled. ‘It’s squishing my butt,'” to which Fox replies, “We’ll help you … if you keep your mouth shut!” That line, incidentally is one of my favorites although far from being the only one!

The constructive ending is more than satisfactory and will give parents an opportunity to talk about the benefits of teamwork. The illustrations are adorable and, though Moose was by far the favorite character judging by hands raised when that question was posed to the attendees, Bear was a close second. I must add that in Yamaguchi’s talk this evening she explained to the audience that she had to do a lot of research on how to build a tree house before she could approach the illustrations. Well, it appears she’s learned how!


– Reviewed by Ronna Mandel

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Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears by Corey Rosen Schwartz & Beth Coulton

“Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears puts a perfect twist on a beloved fairytale classic,” says reviewer MaryAnne Locher.

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Gold Rocks and the Three Bears by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Beth Coulton with illustrations by Nate Wragg, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2014.

In Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Beth Coulton with illustrations by Nate Wragg, (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $16.99, Ages 5-8), the story begins with Papa, Mama, and Baby bear who have their own rock-n-roll band, but are in need of a soprano. When they leave their cottage to find one, the story, written in pitch perfect verse, follows the original tale. Goldi Rocks comes knocking on the three bears’ cottage door, only to find it unlocked, empty with some porridge cooling on the table. This is where the story takes a spin faster than a D.J. scratching records. Goldi forgets her hunger when she sees the music studio with Papa Bear’s drums, Mama Bear’s guitar, and Baby Bear’s keyboard, all of which she must try out, making a mess of things as she goes.

Meanwhile, the bears are holding auditions with some other familiar fairytale characters, but none of them quite work out. The bears return home only to find the cottage a terrible mess and Goldi Rocks asleep on Baby Bear’s keyboard.

They stared at the
slumbering blond girl,
and Papa asked,
“Who could she BE?”
He disrupted her dream.
She awoke with a scream-
the pitch was a perfect high C!

The three bears quickly forget about the mess Goldi had made once they hear her fine soprano voice, and ask her to join the band.

Corey Rosen Schwartz is no stranger to the fractured fairytale, her previous success being The Three Ninja Pigs, but forming a duo with co-author Beth Coulton makes for a chart topper! This may be Wragg’s debut picture book, but his background in animating projects including Ratatouille, Toy Story 3, and Puss in Boots give him the chops needed to bring this book to life through his illustrations.

Just as the band’s song,“Too Hot, Too Cold, or Just Right?” is a hit single, I believe this book will be as well.

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