Hi!  This is Rachel Malay, director at the Port Library in Beloit. For the next few weeks our reviews come from Andrea Weidenhaft, the Youth Services Librarian at the Port Library. Children’s programming takes a break for the month of May, but our Summer Library Program sign-ups are going on now!  Call the library for more information.

The Dangerous Alphabet written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Gris Grimly is a fun alphabet book with a dark twist. The pictures in this book follow a brother, sister, and their pet as they sneak away from their dad to go on a treasure hunt beneath the city. The siblings travel through the story fighting monsters and pirates. When his sister gets tricked and taken, it’s up to the brother to get her back.  Armed with his wooden sword he chases down the monsters that took her and, ignoring all dire warnings, attempts to save her. Will he manage to save his sister, find the treasure, and get safely home before their dad realizes they are gone? Of course each stage of the siblings’ journey is dangerous, but especially sharp eyed readers will see why not only the monsters, but also the alphabet itself that’s being spelled, is dangerous and not to be trusted. Each page starts off with a letter of the alphabet and the short sentences keep you wanting to read more. The pictures in this book are original and full of fun details. Parents and children alike with enjoy this adventure story.  

If you find you like Gris Grimly’s unique illustrations, the library also has a few other picture books illustrated by him, plus a graphic novel interpretation of the classic story of Frankenstein. Neil Gaiman also has several other books in the library’s collection; some picture books and some chapter books, plus his most well-known work – a series of graphic novels for adults called The Sandman.        

You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus. This is director Rachel Malay, saying “Thanks for checking us out!”


The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Gris Grimley
ISBN: 0060783354, 34 p., fully illustrated
Children's Picture Books

Hi!  This is Rachel Malay, director at the Port Library in Beloit. For the next few weeks our reviews come from Andrea Weidenhaft, the Youth Services Librarian at the Port Library.  Children’s programming takes a break for the month of May, but our Summer Library Program sign-ups start on Monday!  Call the library for more information. Also, this afternoon stop by the library for a local author talk from Hiawatha, Kansas native Melody Hathaway. She will be giving a presentation on her latest book.

Scowl by Steve Smallman focuses on the animals that live in Cupcake Wood. All the animals that live in the woods are very happy, all the animals except a grumpy little owl named Scowl. Scowl lives on the Grumpy branch and is never happy.  Scowl is even grumpy in his sleep! One day the other animals in Cupcake Wood decide that they want to try and cheer Scowl up. The first plan is to try and give Scowl a happy hat.  One little bird plops the happy hat down on Scowl’s head.  Scowl throws the hat and tells the little bird to get lost. Next, a fluffy little bunny decides he will try singing a song to cheer Scowl up. Bunny starts strumming and singing with the other animals joining in but Scowl yells at them to STOP! Big bumbly bear tries to give Scowl a big hug but Scowl yells at bear to back off! Scowl yells at all the animals to just leave him alone and flies back to his grumpy branch. When Scowl gets to his branch another grumpy animal is already there!  Sitting on the branch is the little bird that first tried to cheer Scowl up. He is very grumpy because Scowl broke his happy hat! Scowl felt very bad about breaking the little bird’s hat so he retrieves it from where he threw it.He gives it back to the little bird and says he is sorry. This cheers little bird up and the other animals ask what they can do to make Scowl happy. Scowl says being grumpy makes him happy and the other animals finally accept him for who he is and leave him alone.

You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus. This is director Rachel Malay, saying “Thanks for checking us out!”

Scowl by Steve Smallman
ISBN: 9781589251557, 24 p., full color illustrations
Children's Picture Books

Hi!  This is Rachel Malay, director at the Port Library in Beloit. For the next few weeks our reviews come from Andrea Weidenhaft, the Youth Services Librarian at the Port Library.  Children’s programming takes a break for the month of May, but be sure to keep your eyes and ears open to register for our Summer Library Program for kids of all ages. Next week on Saturday the library will host an author visit from Hiawatha, Kansas native Melody Hathaway. Call the library for more information.

Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre is a story about a boy named Matty, who loves to use glue. His art teacher warms him all the time that too much glue will never dry and that he should use less. But at Matty’s house things are different.  Matty and his parents make all kinds of crafts out of glue.  Glue glasses, glue mustaches, and much more. The next day in art class, Matty uses two full bottles of glue on his project. Then Matty jumps right into the huge glue puddle! He rolls around on the table until he is completely covered. When he decides he is ready to go to the drying rack, he is stuck to the table! Matty’s teacher is frantic.. they can’t get Matty off the table and school is almost out! The students decide to try different ways to help Matty get off the table. None of the ideas work though, and Matty just ends up covered in more stuff and an even stickier mess. When Matty’s dad shows up and sees Matty, he slowly peels him off the table. “Matty, you’re a masterpiece!” his dad says! When Matty and his dad arrive home, Matty’s mother doesn’t know what to think. Matty’s dad peels the glue off of Matty’s clothes in two separate pieces and the result is a Matty shaped art project!  His dad glues the two pieces back together and hangs it up on the fridge. Instead of playing with glue that night at home, the family makes art projects out of tape!

You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus. This is director Rachel Malay, saying “Thanks for checking us out!”
 
Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre
ISBN: 9781936261277, unpaged full color illustrations 
Children's Picture Books

Hi!  This is Rachel Malay, director at the Port Library in Beloit. For the next few weeks our reviews come from Andrea Weidenhaft, the Youth Services Librarian at the Port Library.  Children’s programming takes a break for the month of May, but be sure to keep your eyes and ears open to register for our Summer Library Program for kids of all ages.

Mommy’s Little Sunflowers by Angela McAllister is an adorable children’s story about two mice who are brothers. Scurry comes home from school one day dressed as a sunflower, with his own sunflower seed to plant for his mom. Scurry wakes up in the morning to find that his seed is missing! He follows a trail of crumbs out of the house and finds that his younger brother, Scamp, has eaten his seed! A Blackbird that is flying nearby hears the two mice’s conversation and tells the boys that they can find more sunflowers down along the lane. The mice take off to collect more seeds. Along the way Scamp sees many yellow flowers that look like sunflowers, but Scurry tells him they are not quite what they are looking for and they keep going. The brothers finally find the sunflowers they are looking for but then quickly realize they are too short to get up on top of the flowers. They come upon a friendly cow who lifts them up onto the tops of the flowers and the boys are amazed at the big field of sunflowers before them. They relax on top of the flower and begin munching on seeds. When their bellies are full they gather up some seeds to take home and plant for mother. They plant the seeds right when they get home. Later that night, Scamp grows impatient and becomes upset that the flower hasn’t grown yet. Mother explains to Scamp that flowers take time to grow and that they need lots of sun and rain. Scurry gets an idea to try and cheer Scamp up. He takes his little brother inside and they make an outfit just like the one Scurry wore home from school. The boys run out to surprise their mother, who loves her little sunflowers.

You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus. This is director Rachel Malay, saying “Thanks for checking us out!”


Mommy's Little Sunflowers by Angela McAllister
ISBN: 9781589251540, unpaged, fully illustrated
Children's Picture Books