Susan Lendroth

A boisterous, high-spirited young girl with energy to spare, Natsumi was always being told to slow down, be quiet, and behave more gently to her brother. When her village put on their traditional Japanese arts festival, at first she had difficulty finding the right way to participate. Her grandmother's flower gathering, her father's tea ceremony, her mother's fan dancing - nothing suited her personality. Then grandfather brought her to the village hall, and she discovered an activity - taiko show more drumming - that was just right!

An engaging look at a girl who just doesn't fit the traditional model of the quiet, gentle child, Natsumi! reminded me a bit of such titles as Loud Emily, by Alexis O'Neill and Nancy Carpenter, which also features a young girl who creates a bit of a disturbance wherever she goes. Susan Lendroth's story here is engaging, and ultimately heartwarming. I liked the solution she found to her young heroine's dilemma, as it allowed Natsumi to retain her essential character, while also participating in a traditional activity. The artwork by illustrator Priscilla Burris is colorful and cute, ably capturing Natsumi's boisterous sense of fun. Recommended to anyone looking for stories about feisty young girls in general, or picture-books about Asian girls in particular. show less

“For a small girl, Natsumi did everything in a big way.” This is the story of a little girl - with a BIG personality! She’s always being told to be quiet, to be calm, to be slower, gentler, to be different. As her town gets ready for a festival of traditional Japanese arts, Natsumi tries to join in, but she’s too rough for flower-arranging, too wild for the tea ceremony, too loud for traditional dancing. Only Grandfather sees how hard Natsumi tries and finds the perfect thing to fit show more Natsumi’s talents.

At the festival, each one of the family shines in their own way from the tea ceremony to dancing; and with grandfather’s help Natsumi shines as a taiko drummer, her exuberance and energy the perfect fit for a new town tradition.

I loved this story’s blend of traditional and new; instead of changing the dancing or flower-arranging to fit Natsumi, or forcing Natsumi to change to fit them, her grandfather found a way for her to participate and still be herself. Readers who are just a little too exuberant for the average classroom, or who struggle to fit into a family or culture’s mold of expectations will find hope in this book that they can create their own traditions.

The bright, colorful pictures show a family that honors the traditional ways while embracing a contemporary lifestyle. Natsumi shines in the line of children with her big, Godzilla-shaped umbrella. She bounces out of the picture, flails her arms, and joins in everything with all her energy.

Verdict: I would have liked a little more background on the taiko drumming; The only explanation of it is given in the author and illustrator bios on the back cover flap, neither of whom have any Japanese heritage. Both are experienced creators though, and I assume they researched their subject thoroughly. This would make a fun storytime read or discussion-starter with kids who have trouble fitting in and the bright colors and expressive faces of the characters are truly charming.

ISBN: 9780399170904; Published 2018 by G. P. Putnam/Penguin; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library show less

A super sweet girl and a very familiar problem give away to a touching solution in the cutest way.

Piper loves her purple sweater. She wears it everywhere and as much as she can. While it starts on the big side, hanging down to her knees, the years and her growth have it fitting more and more snug. But at one point, it's too snug. Piper refuses to admit it, though, and is determined to wear the sweater forever...if that's possible.

Piper is a bubbling joy. Her enthusiastic attitude, show more determination, and rosy cheeks make it hard not to smile the second she hits the page. Her love for a sweater is a familiar situation that many listeners will understand and recognize (be it a favorite stuffed animal, blanket, socks, or whatever), and her refusal to give it up is also nothing foreign. She's definitely a character to connect with and her situation is something universally understood.

While Piper's family tries to coax her out of the sweater, they do this with gentleness and understanding...for the most part. This care and concern gives the sense of understanding and love, which keeps the book warm despite the growing problem. Even when Piper becomes frustrated the book maintains a positive and light atmosphere, much of which is due to the colorful and cheerful illustration style.

The ending holds a little bit of a surprise and offers a great idea to listeners, who might have the same issue as Piper. In any case, it's a super cute book and one readers will identify with and leave with a smile. I received an ARC and found this tale so adorable! show less

I feel bad because I received this book earlier, in February, and had hoped to have a review up in time for its release on March 3rd. However, life intervened. Anyways, I present it now and strongly encourage you to get it!

I'm not doing any major weeding or collection development in my picture books right now, but I have noted that I need more dinosaur books and, as always, more storytime books, preferably interactive ones. How often do you find all those things at once?

Cute cartoon pictures show more show a nicely diverse group of kids setting out on a dinosaur dig. To the tune of "Here we go round the Mulberry bush" readers and listeners can sing along as they go through all the actions of digging for fossils. They hike the trail, scan the ground, excavate, sift the dirt, package their finds, and take them back to the museum. Once there, they carefully clean the bones, study them, and put them together into an awesomely fierce T. Rex. The story ends with a picture imagining T. Rex in the forest, and a new group of scientists, two kids, setting out to dig for dinosaur bones. Helpful back matter gives examples of how to perform the actions in the book as you sing the song.

A second layer of story is included as well. Each page, in addition to the simple lyrics, includes a paragraph explaining what the paleontologists are doing in the pictures as they find, excavate, and study the fossils. Back matter for older readers and listeners gives more facts about dinosaurs and their modern descendants, the birds, and also identifies native animals shown in the dig site, which is based off of a real place in Montana.

Verdict: The only drawback to this book is that you'll be listening to renditions of "Here we go digging for dinosaur bones" over and over again, not to mention supervising many fossil digs in your backyard or park. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781623541040; Published March 2020 by Charlesbridge; Review copy provided by the publisher; Purchased for the library show less