Ten Rowdy Ravens - Susan Ewing

Illustrated by Evon Zerbetz
Alaska Northwest Books, 2005
$15.95
32 pgs.
For: kids a bit older than the usual "counting book" age...
Rating: 4.5
Endpapers: Large purple and lavender squares with numbers and cutouts of ravens

First of all, this book is just gorgeous. The illustrations are from carved linoleum prints that are then hand-colored. They're beautfiul. And secondly, the word choices, the alliteration, the writing is clever and deosn't talk down to kids.

"Eight rougish ravens
Pilfer piles of loot,
Cheater swipes some pretty pearls,
Seven give pursuit."

"Five unruly ravens
Gobble up chop suey
Noodles make a bellyache,
Now there's four. Aw, phooey!"

That was a lot of alliterative "r" adjectives! And at the end of the book, a 7-page "Daily Kaw", True News from Around the Raven World, that includes true stories of mischievous ravens, information about these trickster birds, and even "Corvid Classifieds" - all done with superb humor.

I went through a second time for a really close examination of the illustrations. Fantastic!

Winter Trees - Carole Gerber

Illustrated by Leslie Evans
Charlesbridge, 2008 (paper 2009)
Paper $6.95
32 pages
My rating: 4

I've been looking for TREE books to accentuate my 4th grade Judaic partner's unit on TuBishvat. This book was a great find!

The illustrations are linoleum block prints, with water color and collage. Really lovely.

The rhyming text looks simple but has a sophisticated complexity:

"They stand distinct as skeletons.
We clearly see the form of each:
the egg shape of the maple tree;
the taller oval of the beech..."

We learn about trees by what they look like in winter - bare decidious shapes, fuller coniferous forms.

Trees discussed: maple, beech, birch, oak, yellow poplar, eastern hemlock, white spruce....these are MY trees, the New England trees that i grew up with, played in and under, knew well. I've been in southern Arizona for 7 1/2 years now, and I know the major cacti, but it's time to learn the native trees!