by Elizabeth Pusack of Green Bean Books
The Obstinate Pen by Frank W. Dormer (HC $16.99)
Obstinate: Perversely adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion. Frank W. Dormer, author of the wacky and wonderful Socksquatch is back with a marvelous madcap picture book about the world’s cheekiest writing implement. After insulting his original owner Uncle Flood’s heavy-duty honker and hectic hairdo, Pen splits the scene, wreaking havoc on Officers of the Law writing tickets for too-tiny puppies and snooty Duchesses alike. Perhaps this pertinacious pen is merely misunderstood? Will Pen ever be able to realize his long-waylaid artistic ambitions!? Green Bean loves Dormer’s easy oddball illustrations.
Laundry Day by Maurie J. Manning (HC $16.99)
A sneaky pigeon drops a bright red bit of cloth in the shoeshine boy’s lap and now he’ll stop at nothing to find it’s rightful owner. As the newsboy-capped youngster skitters across clotheslines in the hustley-bustley, red-brick melting pot of turn-of-the-century New York City, he helps fold linens and sooth a babies caterwauling and is offered mooncakes, smiles, pennies and porridge in return! En route he learns new words from around the world. Four polish sisters teach him “Do Widzenia!” An Italian fellow calls out “Ciao!” He even learns to say underwear in Chinese. A lively look at one of the world’s most diverse places! Half picture book, half comic book.
Ruby Redfort: Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child (HC $16.99)
“Puzzles were Ruby’s passion. Any kind of puzzle: crosswords, anagrams, riddles, even jigsaws; anything that needed to be solved by finding the ‘pattern,’ the ‘trick,’ or the ‘key.'” Remember how much Lauren Child’s Clarice Bean loved mystery novels, especially the code-cracking Ruby Redford series? Well, now Ruby stars in her very own books for middle-readers. Ruby is smart and goofily glamorous. Chock-full of flaming volcanoes, gadgets, screwballs, suspense and the villainous Fool’s Gold Gang. Fight crime with Ruby and the endlessly bold agents of Spectrum. Ruby’s debut is the ideal spytastic summer escapade.
Time Snatchers by Richard Ungar (HC $16.99)
Caleb is a time-traveling Oliver Twist. Tag-along as this pure-hearted “Snatcher” bops back to 19th Century Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, France to nab the world’s very first photograph, or pops up in a futuristic China to which the United States now belongs. Caleb also has to deal with slimeball Snatcher Frank’s attempts to steal his gigs and his best bud (and potential GF) Abbie; as if boggled time weren’t enough to bear. Will the orphaned Caleb manage to sneak out from under the thumb of the malevolent UNCLE who rules his gang of thieves with an iron fist? Time Snatchers is hilarious and historical in all the right ways.
