​Cleonardo: The Little Inventor
Mary Grandpre
 
Cleonardo is a bright little Renaissance girl, full of ideas and devoted to her inventor father, Geonardo. She’s bursting to try her own inventions, but Geonardo’s too busy in his cluttered studio to listen: he’s constructing a heavy metal bird that will actually fly. Cleonardo, deciding to enter the town’s Festival of Inventions, makes a tiny, delicate whirligig, but she dreams of creating something BIG. From branches, she weaves a huge moon, propelled by blue butterflies, wraps it up, and paddles to town. How her two natural creations save the day when Geonardo’s bird goes crazy makes for a dramatic climax, bringing father and daughter together as collaborators. Grandpre’s detailed acrylic and rice-paper collages are Renaissance grand, with people and settings large and dark (as in the chunky metal wheels and gears in Geonardo’s workshop). Still, Cleo’s luminous face shines through with a freshness that enhances the pleasure of seeing an imaginative girl as triumphant inventor.

2016, Ages 4 to 8

Check it out from your library using the library catalog. Donate to an improved Sebastopol Regional Library here.

Recommended by: Barbara Talcroft
Barbara Talcroft reviews children’s books professionally for childrenslit.com and for Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database.  She has a Master’s degree in International Children’s Literature.  She also has many years’ experience as a teacher.  Barbara is one of the founders of LANTERN and its past chairperson.

​The Branch
Mireille Messier
Illustrations by Pierre Pratt
 
It’s a new year--time for new ideas! Follow a round-faced little narrator who treasures a certain tree branch, felled overnight by a fierce ice storm. It’s been her castle, her ship--her special place. She watches people gathering up broken branches and hears a loud buzz saw. Can she keep her branch? A neighbor encourages the girl to imagine its “potential.” Then she and Mr. Frank work together to make her idea a reality, using his tools and expertise. Author and artist take time and space to show each step from planning and measuring to drilling holes and final varnishing. When spring comes, readers find the girl happily trying out her new swing. Pratt paints with strong, free strokes and diagonal swoops of blues and violets to emphasize the storm’s drama. Mr. Frank’s intriguing workshop glows with warm colors to match his red plaid shirt. Kids will discover that patience and satisfying work can make a dream come true.

2016, Ages 5 to 9

Check it out from your library using the library catalog. Donate to an improved Sebastopol Regional Library here.

Recommended by: Barbara Talcroft
Barbara Talcroft reviews children’s books professionally for childrenslit.com and for Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database.  She has a Master’s degree in International Children’s Literature.  She also has many years’ experience as a teacher.  Barbara is one of the founders of LANTERN and its past chairperson.