Mia Cassany

Pierre and his dachshund Frankfurt lived happily together, enjoying their meals, their trips to the shops, and reading the newspaper. The only fly in the ointment was Frankfurt's dislike of his name. What could be more stereotypical for a dog like him, than "Frankfurt?" How humiliating, to be named after a sausage! Deciding on a course of action - playing dead every time his hateful name is called - our canine hero eventually gets his message through, and is renamed: Frank!

Originally published in Spain, also as Frankfurt, this fun little picture-book is the second title I have read from author Mia Cassany, following upon her immensely creative Atlas of Imaginary Places. I don't know that this one impressed me quite as much as that earlier book, but it certainly was humorous and entertaining. When Frankfurt gets exasperated, and reflects that "these humans" are "useless," I had to chuckle, thinking of how frustrating it must be for animals (and babies) trying to communicate with people! The illustrations from Mikel Casal are colorful and stylized, with a bold, graphic feeling to them. Recommended to young dog lovers, and to any child who has disliked their name.… (more)

This is a non-fiction book that involves a trip around the world peeking inside people's homes and yards. Whether they live in a house or an apartment we get to see their homes through the eyes of the animals that live with them or near them. Each two page spread was narrated by an animal (usually a pet) telling something about the home or life of the inhabitant. The illustrations were wonderful. They were not just the home, but the neighbourhood or surrounding area. They were extremely detailed and busy. There were a couple of them where I had trouble finding the animal, but did eventually. The colours used were vibrant and bright and added to the enjoyment. You could take a lot of time looking at all areas of the illustrations to see everything. Vocabulary development with young children is a big plus. Some countries were featured more than once, but from different areas and with different styles of homes. (i.e. USA, Spain, France). This would make a good introduction to a unit on homes, customs, travel and children around the world. A nice addition to a school library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
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Although it's often a struggle to get kids in my library to pick up picture books after about age four or five (which is a whole different discussion) sometimes I'll pick up a special book for that rare older child who doesn't care whether or not they're reading a picture book.

This fanciful book takes readers on an amazing, imaginative journey through a series of islands. The text meanders through the book, including both descriptions and writing prompts in the discussions of the various islands. Readers will travel from the Sweet Sea Islands to the Desert of Lost and Found, from the Sea Forest to the Sleeping Whale. Finally, if you make it through the Labyrinth of Desires, you make it to the top of a mountain, "There they can wish for anything they want."

The real draw of this isn't the text though, it's the art. Delicate drawings create whole imaginary worlds to explore and spark new ideas. One spread, the Jungle of Changing Spots, features animals who change their coats at every sneeze. It shows a rainbow frog with white stars, a zebra-striped tiger, leopard-spotted bird, and fluid pink snake. The jungle around them is reminiscent of a William Morris pattern with curving leaves and vines, carefully structured plants, and flashes of color in the shape of animals and flowers. Another spread, the Upside-Down Mountains, shows a floating collection of mountains, many of them holding pools of swirling blue water. Two white legs flash into one mountain pond, while a girl with reddish-blonde hair swings below another upturned mountain.Blue birds drift across the peach-pink sky and ladders hint at more secrets within the mountains.

Although this is marketed as a children's picture book, I will probably put it in juvenile fiction and promote it to readers who like dreamy, imaginative graphic novels.

Verdict: This may find some classroom use as a collection of writing prompts; otherwise, while it may only appeal to a few children, it will be treasured by those few. Consider your collection and audience before purchasing.

ISBN: 9783791373478; Published 2018 by Prestel; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library… (more)