It's not often ... OK, it's never happened before ... that someone sends me a children's book to review. So when "Josh The Baby Otter: A tale promoting water safety for children" by Blake Collingsworth, and adorably illustrated by Ashley Spitsnogle, arrived in the mail, I didn't want to just ignore it.

"Josh The Baby Otter" (published by Blake Collingsworth, 2009, $8.95) is the tale of, well, a baby otter named Josh who is urged by his mommy otter to learn to float before he can go off and swim with his buddies. And, young Josh is told by his mom, he must never, EVER, swim alone.

"It's time we started talking to children about the dangers of water. Yes, water is fun, but ONLY WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER," the author writes on a release that accompanied the book.

The book includes a sing-a-long CD, along with words and music, to a song called "Learn to Float" that hammers the message home.

At the end of the tiny little book is when you learn that it's dedicated to the author's son, Josh, who died at the age of 2 and a half in the family's backyard pool, presumably trying to fill his water gun. The family's mission is to spread the news that drowning is the No. 1 cause of death to kids ages 1 to 4. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to drowning prevention education, instruction and the development of new innovative safety equipment through the Joshua Collingsworth memorial Foundation (http://www.joshuamemorial.org/).

It is obviously a labor of love and tragic loss. The book is dedicated to Joshua Collingsworth, with a small photo of the gorgeous toddler on the dedication page, and the back cover includes a photo and memorium.

My hesitation is that the book, however inviting with cute otters throughout, will scare the bejesus out of young children. I would like to pass this along to three of my nieces, ages 3, 7 and 9, who love all creatures furry, enjoy singing along of any type and continue to excel at their swimming lessons, but am concerned the oldest two will fixate on the child and his tragic death.

I feel for the author and his family. They have obviously been through hell. Maybe a little bit of scary is worth a whole lot of caution.

I will give the book the ultimate test of sending it to my sister. She will know within seconds whether she feels it is acceptable to be passed along to the girls.

Notably, the Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation has, as of May 1, donated a copy of this book to every elementary school in the Collingsworths' home state of Nebraska with a "plea to teachers and administrators to please read this book and talk to your young students before school recesses for the summer break."

My four nieces (ages 3 to 9) and 1 nephew (age 1) are likely to receive from me, Auntie Shell, a book for Christmas and college money (about 5-minutes-worth a pop) on their birthdays.

Yes, I'm that kind of aunt.

I loved it last month, while visiting my sister's three girls in the Rocky Mountain State, we went to the bookstore and they were soooo excited about reading. Even 3-year-old Sarah, not yet a reader, could point out the books in the children's section that were read in her daycare "class." She could quote them word for word and name every character in every picture. Amazing.

The two older girls twisted my arm to buy them the latest, neon-green covered "Guinness Book of World Records" during our store visit (I practically gave them my credit card). They loved all the bizarre stuff in there. Just as I did when I was in elementary school.

Below is a children's book that was recently announced at the winner of the prestigious Newbery. Perhaps 9-year-old Caroline would like it (she got "Inkheart" for Christmas). It might be too spooky for 7-year-old Olivia, but then she asked for Shel Silverstein's "Light in the Attic" for Christmas.

I love that they love to read.

Date: 1/26/2009 1:03 PM
The horror! Neil Gaiman's spooky book wins Newbery

By HILLEL ITALIE

AP National Writer
NEW YORK — Oh, the horror: Neil Gaiman has received the top prize for children's literature: The John Newbery Medal.
"I am so wonderfully befuddled," the best-selling author said Monday after winning the 88th annual Newbery for "The Graveyard Book," a spooky, but (he says) family friendly story about a boy raised by a vampire, a werewolf and a witch.
"I never really thought of myself as a Newbery winner. It's such a very establishment kind of award, in the right kind of way, with the world of librarians pointing at the book saying, 'This is worthy of the ages.' And I'm so very used to working in, and enjoying working in, essentially the gutter."
Also Monday, the Randolph Caldecott Medal, given to the illustrator of the best picture book, went to Beth Krommes for "The House in the Night," written by Susan Marie Swanson. The Coretta Scott King Award for best author was given to Kadir Nelson, for "We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball." The illustrator award went to Floyd Cooper for "The Blacker the Berry." The King prizes were founded 40 years ago to honor the works of black Americans.
The Newbery and other awards were announced by the American Library Association, currently meeting in Denver.
Other winners included Melina Marchetta's "Jellicoe Road," given the Michael L. Printz Award for young adult literature, and two Pura Belpre awards for Latino writing — best author to Margarita Engle's "The Surrender Tree" and best illustrator to Yuyi Morales for "Just in Case."
Gaiman, known for his "Sandman" comic-book series, had worked on the "Graveyard Book" off and on for more than 20 years, an understandable delay for the author of more than 20 books and the winner of prizes for science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Newbery winners have included such favorites as Louis Sachar's "Holes" and Kate DiCamillo's "The Tale of Despereaux." But medal judges have also been criticized for picking books either too difficult (last year's "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices From a Medieval Village," by Laura Amy Schlitz) or too disturbing (Susan Patron's "The Higher Power of Lucky").
"School librarians say they simply don't have enough money to spend on books that kids won't find interesting — and in their opinion, that category includes most of this century's Newbery winners," the School Library Journal reported last fall. "Book aficionados frequently used the words 'odd,' 'unusual' or 'unconventional' to describe the latest Newbery winners."
Gaiman is a beloved writer for adults and children, but "The Graveyard Book" isn't the coziest read, at least at the beginning, with its image of a knife so sharp that "if it sliced you, you might not even know you had been cut, not immediately."
He says "The Graveyard Book" was inspired in part by "The Jungle Book," Rudyard Kipling's classic about a boy raised by animals. Gaiman's book opens with a baby boy escaping an assassin who is massacred by his parents and older sister. The boy totters to a decrepit cemetery, where he's adopted by ghosts, christened Nobody Owens (Bod for short) and given the Freedom of the Graveyard.
On Gaiman's blog, he writes that "The Graveyard Book" is not a children's book. It's "a book for pretty much for all ages, although I'm not sure how far down that actually starts. I think I would have loved it when I was eight, but I don't think that all eight-year olds were like me."
On Monday, Gaiman said he has been following the debate about the Newbery, never imagining he would become part of it. Beloved by readers and book-sellers, he is certainly far more popular than the past few Newbery winners, and he doesn't think his novel, beyond a little death and darkness, is upsetting.
"Apart from the first few pages, it doesn't exist to frighten people or trouble people," he said. "I've written my share of disturbing stuff, but this book is really a way of trying to think about the process of growing up, and, of course, the fundamentally joyous tragedy of being a parent, that if you do your job properly, your kids will grow up and leave you."
Gaiman, 48, has three children. Two have grown and moved away.

Later this month, I expect to be reading quite a few children's books when I visit my three nieces in Colorado for Christmas. However, in my normal, kid-free life I haven't kept up at all with the kid genre (I'm sure the 3, 7 and 9-year-old little girls will school me), but those of you who have might be interested to attend a local book-signing event.

Author Heidi A. Mark Book Signing Event
WHEN: 12-13-2008 (Saturday)

TIME: 3-5 p.m.

WHERE: Wolfgang Books, 237 Bridge St., Phoenixville, PA 19460

WHAT: Mark will be available to sign copies of her children's book, "As Big As My Head!".

For more information, contact Traci Jones at 888-361-9473 or traci@tatepublishing.com

Tate Publishing describes the book as:

"Eric is having a birthday and wants to take in a special snack to share with his class! What can he take that will be the best? What he wants is not what Grandma had in mind. In this true story, rhyme along with Eric and his Grandma as they figure out what would be the perfect treat. With a little imagination and a little spunk, Eric and his Grandma create a birthday treat that turns out to be a big surprise! This is an eLIVE book, meaning each printed copy contains a special code redeemable for the free download of the audio version of the book."

While you are in Phoenixville, I highly recommend La Creperie for a delicious light brunch, Steel City Coffeehouse for a liquid boost, and the beautifully restored Colonial Theatre for a film. And if you're looking for a Guinness, stop by Molly Maguire's.