Reading: MY DAY WITH GONG GONG - Sennah Yee (author), Elaine Chen (illustrator)

Young May is less than thrilled to learn her mother is taking her to spend the day with her grandfather. He's not a bad guy, but Gong Gong speaks little English and May knows no Chinese, so what proposes to be a long, dull day barely promises any adventure even when Gong Gong decides the two of them should venture out to Chinatown. Sure enough, the little girl seems unable to communicate to her grandpa when she's tired or even hungry, and indeed as they come across friends and vendors of Gong Gong's in the neighborhood, it doesn't take knowing Chinese for May to feel her grandpa's friends are teasing her. But when Gong Gong gives a special gift to his little granddaughter, May realizes that not only has her grandpa been paying attention all along, she also learns how little words are needed when gestures and smiles come from the heart. With equally gentle, kindhearted illustrations by Elaine Chen, My Day with Gong Gong is a charmer of a picture book about transcending language and generations to connect with someone you love; a beautiful addition to any picture book collection. (Available 9/8/20)  4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Reading: LITTLE BIG NATE: NO NAP! - Lincoln Peirce

How I love Big Nate, one of the funniest and snarkiest kid comic characters I've ever read. This, the second in the Little Big Nate board book series, is something I'd snap up in a heartbeat if I had a niece or nephew the proper age; here we find Big Nate in his early days of snark, at school and determined - no matter what the teacher says - that he is not going to lie down for his nap ... until he does, of course, and soon finds his imagination more than making up for the boring real world. Little Big Nate books are not just good for kids, but are lively and colorful and comically-illustrated enough to make for great interactive fun for the parents (who will also get/enjoy the sense of humor), too. Like pretty much anything Peirce does with this sardonic, very funny little boy, at any age, this one is highly recommended. (Available 9/1/2020)  4/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Reading: THE INFAMOUS RATSOS CAMP OUT - Kara LaReau (author), Matt Myers (illustrator)

I have barely a handful of "auto-buy" authors, but Kara LaReau is one of them. Introduced to her fiction for young readers by one of the books in her Bland Sisters middle-grade series - which was an homage to Agatha Christie, my all-time favorite writer, no less - after falling for those two strange little girls, it was a no-brainer to try her chapter-book series featuring the famous (or in this case, infamous) Ratsos Brothers. Have read them all, the latest (and fourth) in the series, The Infamous Ratsos Camp Out, finding our siblings Louie and Ralphie taking a break from city life by teaming up with their friends for their first-ever camping trip. Their dad, Big Lou, is leading the Big City Scouts expedition, although when they arrive at the Friendly Woods Campground a surprise awaits in the form of Grandpa Ratso, who was Big Lou's scoutmaster when he was a little camper, who will co-lead (actually, sort of take over) things from Big Lou. But Grandpa Ratso, the young scouts soon learn, is a bit rusty in his scouting skills, leading the troop into a spot of trouble that will require each member of the troop to not only rely on his or her self - but also to help each other, or ask for help when it's needed. In both her terrific series, LaReau's skills at combining a dry sense of humor with positive messages about self and family (that won't hit young readers over the head) are razor-sharp, but what makes her truly stand out is her ability to create larger-than-life characters - even in talking animals - that ring 100% true on the page. Combine this with the hugely-talented Matt Myers's (as always) equally warm and upbeat art, and volume four of the Ratsos Brothers continuing story is another standout in kid-lit - perfect for young readers, or maybe even better for adults reading to the kids; sharing these adventures aloud that emphasize the core values of friendship and family. Either way, this is another winner in the series kids should read - and re-read - with smiles on. (Available 5/12)  4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Reading: MY FAIR LATTE - Vickie Fee

Departing from her delightful Liv & Di in Dixie cozy mystery series, writer Vickie Fee has found an equally endearing - dare I say plucky? - heroine in ex-barista Halley Greer, who's recently inherited a broken-down old-fashioned movie palace in Utopia Springs, Arkansas from an uncle she hadn't seen since childhood. A lover of classic films, Halley - upon visiting the theater - makes the radical decision to keep and restore it (including the upstairs apartment, which gives her a new home at the same time), doing a quick, budget-friendly renovation to try and get the Art Deco theater close to its former glory as she can, in order to re-open it up as a wine and coffee bar that shows old movies. Making friends right off in a fellow business owner of an escape room, as well as an older couple who were solid with her uncle, Halley also discovers an enemy she didn't know she had when a man who'd previously tried to buy the theater from her uncle is found dead in his theater seat, in the middle of opening night for My Fair Lady! The cops settle on Halley as their #1 suspect when it's learned the dead man had also vandalized the theater during its renovation, forcing Utopia Springs's newest resident, working with her new neighbors and friends, to try and find motive and killer herself. As always, author Fee's skills at characterization make Halley and even the most minor secondary characters come fully to life from page one; something vital in a mystery where you need to care about people even when you suspect them. At first I was thrown by the victim's dying completely "off-screen" as it were, without even actually having an "on-screen" time in the novel to gauge his personality or how he acted/reacted with other characters, in order to gauge their motives as suspects - again, something normally vital in a mystery. But Halley's not-always-subtle (in a good way) investigation also give a face and voice to the dead man, making up for any "face-time" in the book, and not only was the killer's reveal a good surprise, but the way in which Fee plays out how and when Halley figures it all out - just in time to confront said killer - generates real tension/suspense on the page, as well (something lacking in some cozies these days). With the future of Henery Press's (publishers of this first-in-a-series) mystery lines in limbo, as of this writing, one hopes that common sense will prevail and readers like me - who've fallen for Halley and her friends already - won't have to wait long for book two in this charming new mystery series.  4.5/5 stars 

April Wrap-Up: BOOKS - The Addiction AND The Cure

Only seven reads to report for the month, half of those books geared more toward kids (though, actually, some great reads there) - but to be fair, I did finish another on May 1st (Vickie Fee's latest cozy mystery, My Fair Latte, just missing the deadline), and am halfway through another I am trying hard not to DNF because it's just not ... good, but I want to finish it. So the reading's been there, somewhat, just a matter of finishing. And everything aside, reading remains the one thing keeping me sane. 

I couldn't understand it at first, but have now started becoming one of those people who - between the self-isolation and stay-at-home orders - are finding concentration difficult when it comes to curling up with a good book. Fortunately I read some goodies in April; Death of an American Beauty turned out to be a crackerjack of a historical mystery, set in Gilded Age New York City, while The Sun Down Motel came through nearly 100% on its promise of the kind of chills I'd been looking for in a book in some time. Raina Telgemeier took me on a warm yet sometimes harrowing journey of life as a teenager with braces (thankfully something I never had to go through) with her graphic novel Smile, and I both managed a trip to the beautiful country of India via a very cool kids book that was surprisingly chock-full of information but never boring (Tiny Travelers India Treasure Quest) as well as learned how to draw the characters of the latest Pixar hit Onward ... before going back to the Great Chicago Fire and one true-life family's escape from the blaze (complete with pet goat) in Fiery Night. Last but not least, I had the joy of reading (and re-reading) possibly the funniest, most snarky picture book for kids (that adults would love too) in My Best Friend, which I think belongs on every shelf no matter what your age.

REVIEWS TO COME, as always (still owe one for the awesome Night of the Living Ted from March, egad), and please click on the images here to enlarge, if necessary.

Sigh, no films again this year, but did catch the first episode of the BBC's "Dracula". Very well-done, but holding judgment until I've seen all three.

June HAS to be better, pandemic and all, right? Meanwhile, keep your May happy and healthy and safe! And hopefully always with a book nearby!