This tressed-up, teased and twisted, stylish hair story completely makes the cut for me. Compelling and strange, it sucked me up like Rapunzel’s hair-rope into Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean’s artful scalps. It begins as a brave girl named Bonnie comments about someone’s “crazy hair” and offers to comb it even when warned that it is dangerous. The head of hair belongs to a man who claims he’s grown it since age two and admits that birds and beasts, nest and rest within his crazy hair, and a dozen hunters have gotten lost in there. Of course, Bonnie is undaunted and daringly begins combing through the messy mane and literally gets lost in the locks where she begins taming the inhabitants as well. (AR folks should note no animals were harmed and the hair provides a habitat for all types of wild animals.)

McKean’s magnificent graphic photo/painting/collage montages (reminiscent of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braques cubist style) braided with Geiman’s mesmerizing, rhyming, dynamic descriptions weave an irresistible adventure in and on one’s head. It easily teased and entangled me and my daughter as much as it did Bonnie, and you’ll be itching to pick your way through this hairlarious and creative coil. We’ve marched through this mad hair story several times and I’m betting you will too.

Ages 4-8.

Review By HUYEN MACMICHAEL

Old Man Wilkerson is a grumpy, rude, sloppy-looking old man with a discerning obsession for perfect pumpkin pie. His surly attitude and determination to eat pumpkin pie makes for a perfectly creepy, very unlikeable, bully-of-a-ghost when he keels over on Halloween night before he can even take a bite of the pie his wife had made. No one can blame Mrs. Wilkerson for burying him in the pumpkin patch and moving away, never to be heard from again.

Thank goodness Jack and his spunky grandmother move into the house and handle the grumpy ghost with such aplomb. They spot Wilkerson’s ghost on Halloween night when their own pumpkin pie sits cooling on the windowsill. The ghost materializes and announces his expectations of a perfect pumpkin pie or else he will haunt them and never go away. Although Jack seems as concerned as anyone would be confronted with a grumpy ghost, “Grandma put her hands on her hips,” and says, “Oh stop that moaning… Sit down and have some pie.”

But of course, that’s not enough for the self-proclaimed “pie gourmet” who rejects the “insultin’” pie and says if he was alive, he’d have a “pie degree… a Professor of Pie with a PhP.” Oh no, it has to be a perfect pie or else he’ll keep haunting Jack and his grandmother! When he poofs and leaves the kitchen a mess, Jack asks his grandma if she’s afraid and she says, “Why?… He’s nothing but cold smoke. He’s a ghostly fussbudget with an appetite for a good pie” and they set out to show him a good pie.

Grandma nonchalantly models how to deal with bullies and takes advantage of the challenge to improve on her pies, using the criticism and turning it into advice from the persnickety phantom pie-eater. Wilkerson doesn’t get any nicer and, in fact, looks and acts quite disgusting and demanding but Grandma shows Jack (and us) how to handle him without backing down. In a time where bullying is becoming more prevalent in schools, politics, and other arenas, this story gives an underlying lesson on how to stand up and even take advantage of the bullies instead of feeding into the fear factor which give bullies power.

Initially my daughter wasn’t sure if she liked the story but she caught the magic of listening to a ghost story and it has been re-read a couple times already. There’s an ongoing fascination to things that scare us which is evident in the popularity of horror movies. But for many children (as well as me, since I don’t enjoy scary movies), the attraction to this book may come more from the fun, intriguingly sloppy illustrations to reflect the intriguingly sloppy Wilkerson (that is somehow pleasing to the eye), and a repetitive rhyming rant that is as much fun to read in a grumbling voice as to listen to. For vegans, there is only mention of whip cream and of course lots of talk of pies (but we know there are vegan versions of those). Parents may want to note that there are deep topics embedded in this fun ghost story and it may not be appropriate for the faint of heart. Of course, feel free to nibble the top surface or dig in as deep as you dare.

The author Denys Cazet doesn’t pull any punches when he also addresses death in the second page of the book. Being so used to skirting around talk of aging and death in our society, it was a shocker to have Old Man Wilkerson state “Then I AIN’T GOIN’!” if there’s no more pie after we die. And of course, then he dies, dramatically keeling over into his beloved pie, still grasping his fork. Even if we don’t like Wilkerson, we can all relate to not wanting to die because there are pies we want to enjoy. We are so used to avoiding the topic of death, though, and we often fear it, so we rarely address it with our kids until they have experienced a loss. I was hesitant to read this to my child even though we had discussed death when we lost our beloved family dog this year. But I decided avoiding it was like hiding it in a dark closet, making it an unknown and even more scary than if it was brought out in the open to learn about it, address it, and lose our fear of it. And honestly, the topic of death didn’t even come up with all the various entertaining elements of the story. But Grandma’s pretty smart because fear is “nothing but cold smoke.” And Cazet is pretty clever to incorporate such weighty topics so casually in a children’s story and lightening it by having ornery Wilkerson come back to enjoy some more pie as a ghost every Halloween.

Top some of our biggest fears with a dollop of humor, some excellent illustrations liberally sprinkled with a gross factor that fascinates, and a crotchety, repetitive, rhyming ghost and you have a perfect pie story for Halloween!

Ages 4-8 according to Amazon, but I recommend up through adulthood.

Review By JESSICA ALMY

Having loved the original Ladybug Girl as much as I did, I was a little reluctant to read Jacky Davis and David Soman’s latest book in the growing series. After all, series books often have trouble rekindling the magic of the very first book. Labybug Girl at the Beach, however, captured everything I loved about the original book — the portrayal of an independent child, her devotion to her canine companion Bingo, and the fact that acts of compassion transform her into a superhero — and let me spend a little more time with the lovable heroine Lulu.

I brought this book to the beach on my family’s vacationette this summer, and I was also impressed by how seriously this book takes children’s fears, and how it can inspire them to overcome them. Just like Lulu, my kiddo was afraid of the loud, crashing waves at an ocean beach. But together we talked about how Ladybug Girl was inspired to plunge into the waves to “rescue” her bucket — and how brave that was — and kiddo eventually was able to overcome her own qualms.

This lovely book is a delightful read in the summer or anytime.

Ages 4-8.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Move over Nikki McClure fans, there’s a new hot shot artist-author on the Vegbooks blog. He’s Parisian. A little dark. A little gothic. And he has my heart. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Benjamin Lacombe.

Cherry, who doesn’t actually like the fruit she’s named after, is a plump, alienated child who finds refuge from her schoolmates in the adventures that unfold in her books. After school, she volunteers at her father’s animal shelter, helping to clean cages. One day she meets her kindred spirit in a round and wrinkly canine she names Olive. Since Olive’s owners will likely come looking for her, her father warns, Cherry shouldn’t get attached. Little Miss can’t help but do just that, in hopes that they never come for her only friend. I won’t give away the ending, but if you, like Cherry, enjoy chocolate, you’ll be sweet on the finale too.

The book is well suited to the following discussion topics: bashfulness/feelings, “broken” families, friendship, tolerance, and charity/animal welfare. All that in a mere 32 pages!

Ages 4-8.

Review By

My daughter and I completely related to adorable Llama Llama and his experiences on his first day of school. The author, Anna Dewdney, manages to describe the minute details and emotions of preparing and going to school for the first time using clever rhyming sentences. Each page consists of colorful and expressive illustrations that show Llama’s feelings of excitement, anxiety, sadness, and joy in his home and school environment. The rhyme, rhythm and pictures all appeal to a child (as well as her mama).

For little attached ones like my daughter who love their mamas so tightly, your child may also especially relate to the lines, “Llama misses Mama so… Why did Mama Llama go?” Ms. Dewdney definitely manages to capture the mommy guilt perfectly with a few lines and images! Thankfully, there’s a positive spin and mommies everywhere can be optimistic that their children can have a good transition into school or daycare. The teachers and children (all depicted as different animals) help Llama overcome his separation anxiety and transition into the social setting. As parents, we can all hope that our children will be treated as compassionately and inclusively as Llama is and that they will also learn to enjoy school experiences. The joyful reunion between mother and child takes place across two pages (my preschooler claims, “this is the part I like!”) and details such as the flying crayons as Llama runs to mama emphasizes the strength of emotions of the moment.

Llama Llama Misses Mama is must-have for any mom and soon-to-be school age child.

Ages 4-8.  For activities to accompany the book,visit TeacherVision.

This beautifully illustrated book by Stephen Huneck follows Sally the black dog as she accidentally embarks on a hot air balloon adventure.  It’s hard not to fall in love with Mr. Huneck’s technique, which he describes in detail at the end of the book.  Kids will also love Sally’s unflappable demeanor in a situation that might be alarming to some.

Veg kids, parents, and teachers will cheer when the whole world comes together to rescue Sally — and an ingenious little girl finally does.  Still, while the dog’s fascination with the contents of the balloon gondola is certainly understandable, some veg kids  may feel uncomfortable that fried chicken figures so heavily into the plot, especially if their own dog is vegetarian.

Ages 3-7.

I’m just crazy about Dr. Seuss’s elephant Horton.   Horton Hatches the Egg is quintessential Horton.  He’s heroic, true to his word, and unwavering in his commitment to do good.

When a momma bird needs a break from her nest, Horton reluctantly takes over, keeping her egg warm over the course of months.  When it rains, he gets drenched so that no harm will come to the baby inside.  When hunters come, he stands (well, sits) his ground, never abandoning the egg for his own safety.  And when he’s dragged off to the circus, he dutifully cares for the egg, despite his own misery.

I won’t spoil the ending but I must tell you that it’s very good, both from a preschooler’s perspective and a vegan momma’s vantage point.

Ages 4-7.  Homeschooling parents and teachers might enjoy this lesson plan to accompany the text.