Have You Seen My Monster? by Steve Light

Today's read made is the partner book to the popular Have You Seen My Dragon and originally appeared on the shelves in 2015. Since it's still enjoyed by readers, it's being re-released on September 24. I did not read the either of the books before, and was glad to pick this one up. After all, the idea of searching for a monster at a fair does sound fun...and it supposedly teaches about shapes along the way.

So, off we go to visit the fair!

HAVE YOU SEEN MY MONSTER?

A Book of Shapes

by Steve Light

Candlewick Press

 Picture Book

42 pages

ages 4 to 8

In a follow-up to Steve Light’s highly praised Have You Seen My Dragon?, the county fair is filled with shapes—and somewhere among them a monster is waiting to be found.

A little girl gallivants through a county fair, searching for her furry friend. Readers will surely spot the friendly monster as well as twenty shapes, identified here by their proper names—trapezoids, ellipses, kites, and more—hidden among iconic fair attractions from the fun house to the Ferris wheel. Maybe the monster is judging the pies? Or perhaps he’s at the monster-truck rally? Youngsters will be so mesmerized by Steve Light’s masterful pen-and-ink illustrations, decorated with vivid splashes of color, they won’t even realize they’ve learned how to spot a nonagon while looking for a monster.

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

This is a monster search to giggle about and learn about shapes along the way.

Monster and shapes collide in these pages. The search for the monster is already quite a bit of fun, especially since the entire thing is placed in an energetic, fair setting. The black and white line drawings give listeners plenty to search through, not only for the monster but also for surprising details here and there. The entire thing radiates fun. While the search for the monster continues, there's the name of a shape, and this is shown somewhere in the illustration in color. These stick out brightly against the white and black scenes, making them very easy to identify. 

The monster is hairy, not scary, and ever-so-sneaky. It's not very hard to find it, which fits nicely to the intended age group. Some of the hiding spots will draw giggles and smiles, too. It's fun to search each page, while also discovering the fair scenes. The text is kept concise and entertaining, and makes the search that much more enjoyable.

With all this entertainment, there's also the learning aspect. The shapes are clearly named and shown. Plus, listeners can see if they find similar shapes in the rest of the drawing. While the basic shapes are covered, there are also more advanced ones such as a curvilinear triangle. So, this one works for more than just first shape knowledge. 

It's a fun addition for not only classrooms and early-learning situations, but for homeschoolers as well.

Today's read... A Spider Named Itsy by Steve Light

Today's read...well, more the spider on today's read...grabbed my attention. I don't know what it is about the artwork, but that spider promises potential fun and adventure. I've had this one sitting in my to-read pile for almost a couple of months, and my fingers have been itching to grab it up and take a peek. But I really try not to play favorites and let my curiosity get the better of me (life as a reviewer is SO hard!) Yeah, you can roll your eyes at that statement.

Anyway, I'm highly suspecting that this one will take a twist on the well-known children's song/rhyme. So, let's see how it does.

(After thoughts: I was extremely on the fence about putting this one on my possible favorites of 2023 list because I enjoyed it so much and just decided to give in and put it there. Yep, this one could be a favorite of 2023)

A SPIDER NAMED ITSY

by Steve Light

Candlewick Press

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING...

SEPTEMBER 5th!!!

Why did Itsy Bitsy make his famous journey? With a dose of warmth and whimsy, Steve Light's remarkable, intricate artwork spins a backstory of unexpected friendship.

Itsy Bitsy sits at home,
drinking tea, all alone . . .

Everyone knows the rhyme "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." We know about the climb up the waterspout, the washout, the return of the sun, and the determined climb back up the spout--again. Generations of children have sung this beloved verse and mastered its accompanying twisty finger play. But what sent the tiny spider on his upward trek to begin with? What happened along the way--and where is Itsy now? Steve Light--with his meticulously rendered, highly detailed pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations and an endearing cast of insect characters--riffs on a classic as he offers some surprising answers, ushering us into a charming tale of perseverance, kindness, and community. And it all starts when a branch falls from a tree . . .

GOODREADS   /    B&N    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Taking the well-known song/rhyme "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", this author spins Itsy into an eight-legged chap with oodles of personality and more.

Itsy is very satisfied to enjoy his web on the watering can and spend the day in the sun...until the wind picks up with the threat of an incoming storm. With his home destroyed, he searches for a new place to stay and decides to head up the rain gutter. But with the weather's turn for the worse, it's a hard journey. Even those on their way up with him are faced with impossible difficulties. Luckily, Itsy isn't the type to ignore them and stomp on by.

Before grabbing up a retelling, I'm always a little skeptical and hope it doesn't prove worse than the original. While the parallels to the famous rhyme are clear and impossible to overlook, Itsy takes on a personality to adore and root for. He's has a touch of a traditional style reminding of top hats and long-coat tails, while still staying whimsical and inviting. And although I can't say exactly why, his adventure had me thinking of James and the Giant Peach. Maybe, it's due to the wonderful artwork, which added so many fun details, that readers will want to gaze at each page themselves again and again. Or maybe, it's due to the kindness found in the pages. 

The text stays short and concise, allowing the illustrations to take over. It is written in rhyme, and and this flows just freely enough to play with the various situations Itsy faces. The visual scenes drive this one forward and bring smiles and curiosity with the small details surrounding the other insects. Although the plot should be crystal clear, the tale takes on enough of an original atmosphere to have the reader wondering what will happen next...despite knowing what it will be. It kept the read engaging and held a unexpected and wholesome end. It's a book to be read in groups, in cozier situations, and even as a bedtime read.

Today's read... Concrete From the Ground Up by Larissa Theule

It's time for some nonfiction and that in the rare area of architecture! Yep, I get excited about these types of books because they are often overlooked in the kidlit world. This one centers around...well, it you can't guess from the title, then I don't know what to say.  

CONCRETE

FROM THE GROUND UP

by Larissa Theule

Illustrated by Steve Light

Candlewick Press

Picture Book / Nonfiction

48 pages

ages 7 to 10

A stylish, eye-opening, utterly engaging, and often wry look at one of the marvels of the material world, from the ground up.

From a lowly mixture of stone, sand, water, and cement have sprung sidewalks, streets, and skyscrapers, sturdy lighthouses and magnificent palaces, long bridges and massive dams. In ancient building practices, in modern engineering, and in the architecture of the future, humble concrete plays a mighty role in the creation of the human-made world. Brimming with facts and spiced with clever running narrative in the form of repartee-filled speech bubbles, Concrete is as intimate and entertaining as it is informative and visually sweeping. Curious readers of all ages—from would-be engineers to science and history buffs to retro-design lovers—will delight in this bold, one-of-a-kind guide to the (literal) bedrock of civilization, amplified by a bibliography in the back matter.

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60736494-concrete

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/concrete-larissa-theule/1140907140

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09W92JXQ1

MY TIDBITS

Taking a largely forgotten (and maybe, seemingly boring topic), these pages show how amazing concrete is while also taking the reader on an intriguing ride into history.

The first question addressed in these pages circles around the definition of concrete, cement, and other similar terms, and while doing this, it is anything but mundane. After the basics are established, it's a zoom back into history to explain how concrete has been used through time (or similar compounds), starting way back in ancient cultures. From here, the reader visits the various points in architectural history, where forms of concrete were used, what their purpose was, and how it became what it is today. 

While this is a book for slightly older readers (ages 7 to 10), it brings across the material in a well-laid out, easy-to-understand fashion. Step-by-step the reader dives into the topic...and that while keep the material from growing dry. The illustrations make every situation visually clear and are enjoyable, too. Many of the illustrations contain speech bubbles where more information is presented or broken-down in a fun, conversational form. The vocabulary is kept fairly light so that the terminology doesn't bog down. By the end of this, readers will have a thorough understanding of what concrete is, how it's changed through-out history, and what uses it has. 

I do see this one as great for homeschoolers, classrooms, or even those kids, who are interested in the world around them.

And here they are...

Larissa Theule is the author of several picture books for children, including Kafka and the Doll, illustrated by Rebecca Green, and A Way with Wild Things, illustrated by Sara Palacios. She holds an MEd from Gordon College and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and currently lives in Southern California.

Steve Light is the author-illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including the picture books Have You Seen My Dragon? and Have You Seen My Monster? and the board books Black Bird Yellow Sun; Mama Tiger, Tiger Cub; and Up Cat Down Cat. Steve Light lives in New York City with his wife.