Off to old London Town
The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts: Being an Absolutely Accurate Autobiographical Account of My Follies, Fortune & Fate By Avi (Algonquin Young Readers; 312 pages; $16.95; ages 8-12)
Both history and mystery, this robust novel begins in an English sea town in 1724. Melcombe Regis is not quaint but rather riddled with cruelty and corruption as 12-year-old Oliver learns. (His lovely sister has already left.) One dark November morn, he awakens after a horrific storm to find his house in ruins and his father gone. The prickly elder Pitts has an enemies list. Where is he? His “abandoned and unaided” son steals 23 shillings, survives the poorhouse, hangs out with thieves (not by choice), foils danger and doggedly journeys to London, looking for answers. Colorful rogues, highwaymen and rotten magistrates populate the Dickensian plot, punctuated with clever cliffhangers, endless close calls and bits of wisdom. Here a Newbery Medalist again delivers a page-turner, steeped in provocative moral questions. First in a series.
Grand Canyon By Jason Chin (Roaring Brook; 56 pages; $19.99; ages 7-12)
Stream Ferde Grofé’s “Grand Canyon Suite,” and pore over this glorious natural history. Thesis: The Grand Canyon is “much more than just a big hole in the ground.” A father and daughter backpack to find out how and why. Their journey begins at the bottom and takes them past streams, the Colorado River, up the Kaibab and to the rim. Gorgeous paintings go into the inner gorge and high above the massive cliffs, moving back and forth from a distant geologic past to today. Page borders detail flora, fauna and rocks. And then there are special features, for example, cutouts to foster a sense of discovery and a final gatefold to capture the wide grandeur of stunning landscape. This book is the total package — sound science, clear and concise writing, and breathtaking art, all to showcase a grand national park.
Jabari Jumps By Gaia Cornwall (Candlewick; 32 pages; $15.99; ages 4-8)
A small African American boy declares his intent: “I’m jumping off the diving board today.” This charming picture book is an ode to courage. After all, the high dive is scary. Dad is there to offer encouragement as Jabari watches, waits, climbs up, backs down, stretches, climbs up again, braves the board, curls his toes and goes “splash.” Pale mixed-media art shows an inviting urban pool where dilemma looms: To jump or not to jump? Unusual perspectives dramatize the heights. Beyond Jabari’s success is another story about a lovely father-son relationship. Dad is patient and attentive, even with his toddler daughter in hand, guiding Jabari from tentative to triumphant and reminding us all just why we celebrate Father’s Day.
Martina and Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports By Phil Bildner; illustrated by Brett Helquist (Candlewick; 40 pages; $16.99; ages 7-10)
For the armchair kind, try this study of two top rivals and their beneficial relationship. The snappy narrative introduces opposites — the All-American Chris Evert, “calm and collected,” versus the Czech Martina Navratilova, “all emotion, all the time.” Together, they break down barriers for women in tennis and symbolize the geopolitics of the Cold War. As for Wimbledon (and other championships), the play-by-play is exciting. Almost caricatures, close-up portraits capture big personalities — fierce competitors on the court and friends off, at least most of the time. Conclusion: They made each other better. But what’s with the unsubstantiated subtitle: “The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports”? No case is made, and I, for one, am superlative weary.
Goldfish Ghost By Lemony Snicket; illustrated by Lisa Brown (Roaring Brook; 40 pages; $17.99; ages 3-6)
A goldfish goes belly-up in the bowl. That’s the opening scene in this absurdist picture book about the subsequent search for a meaningful afterlife. (Beats the toilet burial.) The search begins in a boy’s bedroom and spreads to his Cape Cod town, the beach and over the sea. Finally, the ghostly goldfish finds a ghostly lighthouse keeper. The two team up to brighten the darkness and keep “very good company.” Watery blue is a constant in neat watercolors, many cleverly carrying out the fish motif. (Check out book titles, the weather vane and a fishing pier.) With mildly macabre glee, a San Francisco husband-and-wife team offers the end-all in deadpan humor. All well and good as long as the whole ghost thing is taken as a pleasant notion, not as a promise of things to come.
Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. Designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial By Jeanne Walker Harvey; illustrated by Dow Phumiruk (Holt; 32 pages; $17.99; ages 4-8)
The name William Harris is on the black slab of marble known as the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. He’s a cousin. Thanks go to the artist-architect who memorializes him with the 58,307 Americans who died in the war between 1959 and 1975. Kids can find out about Lin in this straightforward picture biography. As a college student in 1981, she entered a design contest and shocked the architectural world by winning. (Controversy followed.) Her design grew into a long stark wall — honest, sobering and respectful. A California author chronicles Lin’s life and works, and a debut illustrator employs digital art for visual support. This team deftly illuminates Lin’s childhood and family, the memorial’s construction and beyond. Much needed are diverse books that highlight the contributions of Chinese Americans to this country. Good news: a new one!