BOOKS TO BORROW

"The Arrival" by Shaun Tan, Arthur A. Levine, 2007, 130 pages

Read yourself: age 7 to adult.

An extraordinary wordless picture book, "The Arrival" tells the tale of a man who must journey from his war-torn town to a distant land to find work and save enough money to send for his wife and child. The place he goes is foreign and mystical, and those he meets along the way share similar stories of hardship and sacrifice to find this strange and safe place to live.

Although wordless, this picture book demands careful attention as each successive illustration "tells" the story. An excellent choice for anyone, this offering is equally suited to reluctant or struggling readers, regardless of age.

LIBRARIAN'S CHOICE

Library: Otis Library, 261 Main St., Norwich

Library Director: Bob Farwell

Choices this week: "Daisy Comes Home" by Jan Brett; "Thank You, Mr. Falker" by Patricia Polacco; "I Know It's Autumn" by Eileen Spinelli

AT THE BOOKSTORE

"When Blue Met Egg" written and illustrated by Lindsay Ward, Dial, 2012, 36 pages, $16.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 3, 4 and older.

Read yourself: age 7 and 8.

One winter morning, Blue awakes to find something wonderful flying through the air, which lands in her nest. Blue thinks the white ball is an egg (when it really is a snowball). Determined to find Egg's mother, Blue gently puts Egg in her bucket and the two set off through New York City.

After searching high and low with no results, Blue concludes that she would care for Egg, and the two spend a lot of time together having fun. At night, Blue tenderly cares for Egg. As the weeks turn into months, the weather becomes warmer. One morning, Blue wakes up to find Egg gone. Terrified that Egg must have rolled out of the nest, the frightened Blue looks down from her nest. What she finds delights Blue beyond measure.

"Soup for One" written and illustrated by Ethan Long, Running Press Kids, 2012, 36 pages, $14.95 hardcover

Read aloud: age 2 and older.

Read yourself: age 5 and 6.

"Tee hee hee! Some soup for me!" The delighted little fly lands in a bowl of yummy soup, but before the fly can begin to feast, another bug flies through the window and lands in the soup. Fly doesn't want to share with the other bug, but before Fly knows what's happening, another bug dips in, and then another and another. Before Fly knows it, there are 10 bugs in the soup!

But wait - here comes the chef with a flyswatter. Yikes! The bugs fly away, the chef drinks his soup, then pursues the bugs for his dessert, which is exactly what the spider is waiting for?

Loaded with great fun, this imaginative counting book is terrific in every way.

www.greatestbooksforkids.com