The Jumbie God's Revenge

The Jumbie God's Revenge 
by Tracey Baptiste 
pages 272; ages 8-12
Algonquin Young Readers, 2019

Corinne La Mer leapt from one tall coconut tree to another. Nothing but air surrounded her and there was only the sand and a few sharp rocks below.

By the end of the first paragraph, author Tracey Baptiste has grounded us so firmly into the setting that one can almost smell the salty breeze and feel the warmth of the Caribbean sun. Even if you haven’t read the first two books of the Jumbies series, you will feel at home in this story.

Corinne’s island is hit by a June storm – an early hurricane – and she knows in her bones that this is no ordinary storm. It must be the work of the Jumbies. If you don’t know what a jumbie is, just ask Tracey. They are tricksters from Caribbean folktales, she says, “a group of malevolent creatures who [are] hell bent on harming or at least tricking any human who dared to cross their path.”

So Corrinne sets off to find Mama D’Leau, the half-woman, half-snake who protects and rules the ocean. But Mama D’Leau is just as worried about the storm. Even worse, Mama D’Leau is frightened. What, Corinne wonders, would scare a jumbie?

When a second, more ferocious storm wrecks the island, and villagers flee to the mountain for safety, Corinne discovers that the storms are caused by the angry god, Huracan. Confronting this god is too large a task for a single girl. In addition to her friends, Corinne needs the help the jumbies – but can she trust them?

What I like about this book: I like the story of courage, the theme of community, the action-packed adventure. And the luscious language. Take a listen:

Everything about the white witch looked like it was near expiration: the sun-bleached pattern on her dress, the threadbare wrap that tied her head, the few drooping twists of short white hair that refused to be contained in her headwrap.

If I gave stars, I’d toss a basketful into the sky for this book. It’s a great read-aloud for the week before Halloween, or a cold, gray, rainy week – make a pot of hot cocoa, put on a CD of ocean waves lapping on the beach, turn on your best warm yellow lights, and enjoy a magical adventure.

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Two Titles for the Rainy Season

Some days it rains, some days it snows... but we're definitely headed towards the rainy season here in the northeast. So I figure we need a couple of books to get us on our way.

theme: weather, clouds, nature 

Clouds: a compare & contrast book
by Katharine Hall
32 pages; ages 4-8
Arbordale, 2015


opening:  "Some clouds are big and fluffy; others are thin and wispy."

This book is filled with photos of clouds - perfect for browsing, and comparing different kinds of clouds. The language is simple enough that young readers can peruse it themselves. At the back are two hands-on experiments about precipitation, a cloud-matching game, and a handy guide to predicting the weather from the clouds.

Pitter and Patter
by Martha Sullivan; illus. by Cathy Morrison
32 pages; ages 4-10
Dawn publications, 2015

opening: "Pitter and Patter dropped from a cool, gray cloud one day."

Pitter lands on an oak leaf, drips into the stream below, and is on a water cycle adventure that carries him through a valley, wetland, and finally into the ocean. Along the way he meets fox and deer, dragonfly and trout. Patter lands in a meadow and percolates into the soil. His journey is different from Pitters, but eventually they both meet when they are evaporated back into the sky. There's plenty of back matter explaining states of matter, water cycle, and water sheds, plus hands-on activities.

What I like about these books: they're a fun way to introduce a complex topic ~ the water cycle. I always love books with back matter, especially when it includes hands-on activities with easy-to-get materials, which both books do.

Beyond the book activities: there are tons of things to do besides pulling on your boots and splashing through puddles.

Cloud Watching ~ Take a camera outside and look for different kinds of clouds. Sometimes we'll have nice, fluffy clouds in the morning, and then some that look like fish scales in the afternoon. Try to get photos of different kinds of clouds so you can make a "cloud finder" chart - or draw pictures of different kinds of clouds. Have a cloud-watching contest to see who finds the most humorous or weirdest shape in the clouds.

Play a game of Drip, Drip Drop ~ Exactly like duck, duck, goose, but with drips and drops.

What floats in a puddle? After a rainstorm, gather things from nature - stones, pine cones, twigs, etc - and guess which ones will float in a puddle. Then test them out.

Cloud Painting - with a "bath poof" or a loofah.

How big is a Raindrop? Collect raindrops and measure them ~ directions here.

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. We're also joining PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Review copies from the publishers.