I Scoff at Your "Underlying Themes!"

Here, in no particular order, are some books that I find interesting.


The Unexpectedly Bad Hair of Barcelona Smith by Keith Graves
I'm digging this tale of an overly-cautious boy whose hair rebels one day largely because of the title. There's something deliciously right about "unexpectedly bad" hair. It's not just a bad hair day, or hair that is slightly off . . . it's unexpectedly bad. And any book in which a shock of electric blue hair jumps in puddles and pets a dog is A-OK with me.



Big! by David Bedford
Look at that face!!!!! Just look at it!!!!! This bear is too big to fit into the book, so he makes more space for himself with flaps that lift up and increase the page size. Now, I know that most people in libraryland despise flaps because they tend to rip and wreak havoc, but how can you resist this bear? He's just got such a good face!


Claws by Dan Greenburg
I think that this has the potential to be a HUGE hit with teenage boys . . . something along the lines of a Hatchet. Bold words, I know, but look at what it's got. There's a teenage boy running away from an abusive mother. It's got tigers, and the rumor of someone being killed and fed to the tigers. There's mystery and action and gore. And there's that cover, which you have to admit is pretty darn cool.



One of Those Days by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Fundamentally, this book is a list of 22 different kinds of lousy day with some words of encouragement at the end. What gets me is the quirky universality of the bad days. "Favorite pants too short day?" "Keep spilling stuff day?" "Feeling left out day?" Who hasn't suffered through at least one of these?



Gakky Two-Feet by Micky Dolenz
This tale of evolution was written by former Monkees drummer Dolenz, and tells of a prehistoric biped who is cruelly mocked by his quadriped community. I have no idea if it's any good or not, but it's a book about "monkeys" written by a "Monkee."



Grumpy Gracie by Sam Lloyd
This book is about a grumpy little redhead. See her grumpy little face? What you may not realize is that her grumpy mouth is a die-cut that runs throughout the book. And that halfway through the book, when Grumpy Gracie cheers up, you flip the book and read it "upside-down" so that Gracie has a grin. I love it!!!!



Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi: Together Forever by E.S. Mooney
I am so not cool enough to know what Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi is! It appears to be some sort of Japanese import that has made it's way to the Cartoon Network. I'm sure that it's horribly popular and that hordes of second-grade girls will swoon with delight when they find that we own it. I just like to say "Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi." Try it! Say it! You will be hooked, just like I am.