Booklist - August 2017

August2017 Booklist 69 www.booklistonline.com place “where everyone could be family.” Their depiction is of a loving community of strong women, where people take care of one another, and winter blizzards don’t stand in anyone’s way. The text is laid out in three blocks, two in Inuktitut and one in English. The English narrative is tersely descriptive, brought to life by the bold mixed-media illustrations that capture the stark beauty of this remote Canadian hamlet, where northern lights dance and women’s faces are broad and beautiful. Though the creators’ first foray into children’s literature, the book pushes at the boundaries of literary conventions in both form and content, providing a much-needed mirror for readers within the culture, and an astonishing window for those outside. A lovely testament to community and cultural diversity. Let’s hope it is the first of many. —Amina Chaudhri

La La La.

By Kate DiCamillo. Illus. by Jamie Kim. Oct. 2017. 72p. Candlewick, $17.99 (9780763658335). PreS–Gr. 1.

DiCamillo and Kim combine their considerable talents in this almost wordless picture book that speaks to a universal longing: the hope that we are not alone. When the story begins, the girl with the bobbed hair is alone, with only the sound of her repeated sung note, “la,” to keep her company. Perhaps following a falling leaf outside and into the woods will bring her in contact with another? But even a shouted “la, la, la” doesn’t elicit companionship. Discouraged but not done, she continues into the night, under the stars, where she finds a ladder to climb—almost to the moon. It’s not until she’s back on the ground, almost ready to quit that a “la” answers her own, and the smiling presence of the moon shines its way into her existence. Kim’s gouache-and-acrylic artwork, graphically strong and full of heart, illuminates DiCamillo’s concept. Adults could almost use this as a flip-book with children, so full of movement are the pictures. But the best use will be as a springboard for discussion about loneliness, life, and love. —Ilene Cooper

HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: DiCamillo is among kid lit’s top names. Everyone will need to have this, if not multiple copies of it.

Monster Trucks.

By Joy Keller. Illus. by Misa Saburi.

Aug. 2017. 32p. Holt, $16.99 (9781627796170). PreS–Gr. 2.

The cheeky title might lead readers to assume that this book is about huge trucks, but the vehicles shown here are mostly conventional—they just happen to be driven by monsters. Playfully, the book answers questions like “What do monsters do in the off-seasons?” (that is, seasons other than autumn, when they’re not called upon to “sneak and spook and scare”). The answer? “They shift to a different gear.” Yeti drives the snowplow, swamp monster mans the garbage truck, mummies helm the ambulance (and all of those bandages!), and skeletons operate the pavers, giving new meaning to skeleton crews.

The only unusual vehicle is the witch’s street cleaner with its humanlike arms. Humorous digital illustrations show colorful vehicles and nonscary monsters—they aren’t out to get anyone!—as they cheerfully go about their tasks, while the rhyming text bounces jauntily along, much like one of these vehicles might. For bedtime or for storytime, these monsters are here. —Randall Enos

Nobody’s Duck.

By Mary Sullivan. Illus. by the author.

Sept. 2017. 40p. HMH, $14.99 (9780544792500).

PreS–Gr. 2.

This story of two animals that form an un-
likely companionship begins when a duck
takes up residence on an alligator’s lawn.
“Whose duck are you?” the alligator demands.
The reply? “I’m nobody’s duck!” Convinced
that the duck must belong to someone, the al-
ligator, with duck in tow, travels to a library, a
movie theater, a go-kart track, and an airport
for skydiving to find the duck’s owner. It is
clear from page one that, while the alligator
might appear to have it all, it is the quirky
duck who is in control. The duck is carefree
and relishes all of their adventures, but the
alligator becomes increasingly agitated, until
he realizes how the duck has enriched his life.
The text—consisting entirely of cartoon-style