The Whipping Boy

The Whipping Boy. by Sid Fleischman. illustrated by Peter Sis. 1987. 90p. New York: Greenwillow Books. Newbery Medal, 1987.

Fleischman channels The Prince and the Pauper in his 1987 Newbery winning novel, The Whipping Boy. Orphaned son of a commoner, Jemmy lives in the royal castle where he serves as a whipping boy for the spoiled and mischievous young heir, Prince Brat. When Prince Brat decides that he is bored with life at the royal court, he runs away dragging Jemmy along with him. Together the pair are begrudgingly forced to join together to outwit and outrun a pair of bandits who seek to collect a ransom on the Prince. A colorful cast of characters also includes a blind potato seller, a young girl named Betsy and a dancing bear.

Fleischman combines adventure, humor and suspense in this quick-paced story for children. The Whipping Boy is likely best for younger children, as more mature readers may find the story overly simplistic. The dialogue is clunky at points, most characters are one-dimensional and Fleischman is heavy-handed with the moral themes. The convenient ending works, but older readers may reject it as simplistic and naïve.

The Drowned Cities

The Drowned Cities. by Paolo Bacigalupi. 2012. 448p. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 

Genre: science fiction, dystopia

Honors and Awards: none, recently published in May 2012

Review:In a dangerous, post-apocalyptic America, war orphans Mouse and Mahlia, along with a genetically engineered half-man named Tool, face death and destruction as roving gangs of child soldiers wage civil war amongst the remnants of the nation's capital.

Opinion: Like Bacigalupi's previous book, Ship Breaker, this is a brutal, in-your-face, rollercoaster of a book. While explicitly marketed towards YA's, older tweens (13 and up) would likely enjoy this book. Although it is dark, the language is tamer and it somehow feels less severe to me than Ship Breaker. With a strong female protagonist, Bacigalupi opens up his potential audience to girls as well as boys.

Ideas: This is yet another addition to the popular and growing oeuvre of dystopic and post-apocalyptic fiction for young people. I'd recommend this to mature youths who are fans of similar works.

Dot

Dot. written and illustrated by Patricia Intriago. 2011. 40p. New York: Farrar Straus and Giroux.

Author/Illustrator Website: www.intriagodesign.com

Medium: digital illustration

Awards and Honors: none

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation: 
Graphic, understated illustration pairs with clever text in this exploration of the world of opposites.

Personal Reaction:
While many opposite books feel rote and stale, Dot is a captivating, clever little book that is elegantly simple. Using a minimum of shapes and lines, Intriago pairs dot opposites, giving each black spot its own personality. Some are fast and some are slow, some are loud and some are quiet, some are happy and some are sad. Nearly the entire book is illustrated in black and white, with the exception of some strategically placed photographs. The stark contrast would even make this a good choice to share with babies (though, unfortunately, there is no board book version available at this time). Pair this with Lionni's Little Blue and Little Yellow, Tullet's Press Here, or Reynolds' The Dot for a spotted storytime.

Red Sled

Red Sled. written and illustrated by Lita Judge. 2011. 40p. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 

Author/Illustrator Website: www.litajudge.com

Medium: pencil and watercolor

Awards and Honors: A Kirkus Best Children's Book of 2011

Audience: 1 and up

Annotation: 

A group of woodland creatures find a sled outside a cabin and go for a midnight ride.

Personal Reaction: 

Nearly wordless, save for the onomatopoeic sounds, Red Sled is a joyous romp of a book. When a bear comes upon a red sled leaning against a cabin he decides to take it out for a spin. As Bear sleds downhill under the full moon, he is joined by a host of woodland creatures including a moose, a raccoon, a porcupine, a rabbit, a possum and a mouse, who hoot and holler as they careen downhill. After they finally come to sudden stop, Bear returns the sled to the little cabin, where the next morning a bundled up child notices his tracks in the snow. I won't give away the ending, but there's another fun surprise at the end of the book. Fantastical, but never cartoonish; this book is pure magic.

and then it's spring

and then it's spring. written by Julie Fogliano. illustrated by Erin E. Stead. 2012. 32p. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

Author Website: us.macmillan.com/author/juliefogliano

Illustrator Website: erinstead.com

Medium: woodblock prints and pencil

Awards and Honors: starred reviews in School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Horn Book Magazine and Booklist

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation: 
A boy and his dog plant a garden and wait expectantly for it to bloom.

Personal Reaction:
It's winter when the boy and his dog plant the seeds, and everything is brown. Then it rains and everything is wet; wet, but still brown. As the boy and his dog hopefully wait for their seeds to sprout, they begin to imagine all the things that could have gone wrong (birds, stomping bears). Week by week, the expectant pair wait patiently until one day they walk outside and the world has bloomed into green all around them and the tiny sprouts have pushed through the soil.

This gentle and poetic little book, with its lovely illustrations from Caldecott Medalist Erin Stead (A Sick Day for Amos McGee, 2011), is an ode to hope, anticipation and new possibilties.

Farmyard Beat

Farmyard Beat. by Lindsey Craig. illustrated by Marc Brown. 2011. 32p. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Author Website: lindseycraig.com

Illustrator Website: marcbrownstudios.com

Medium: hand-painted paper collage

Awards and Honors: none

Audience: 1 and up

Annotation: 
When the sun goes down, the animals on the farm should be sleeping but instead they are dancing.  

Personal Reaction: 
It's nighttime on the farm and all should be quiet, but instead the animals are singing and dancing. The chicks are the ones who start the chain reaction, peeping and dancing until they wake the sheep, who wake the cat, who wakes the cow, until all of the animals are up and moving. When Farmer Sue comes out to see who's making all that racket, she gets caught up in the singing and dancing, too!

This exuberantly rhythmic rhyming book with its catchy refrain (Chicks can't sleep/ Chicks can't sleep/ Chicks can't sleep 'cause they got that beat!) is a big hit with toddlers, both for its bouncy text and its chunky textured illustrations of dancing animals. Marc Brown departs from his typical style (well-known from his Arthur series), in favor of collage. Using hand-painted papers that resemble corrugated cardboard, Brown builds the animals out of basic shapes, giving them a childishly appealing look.

Gideon

Gideon. written and illustrated by Olivier Dunrea. 2012. 32p. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Author/Illustrator Website: http://www.olivierdunrea.com/

Medium: pen-and-ink and gouache

Awards and Honors: none

Audience: 1 and up

Annotation: 
It's nap time for Gideon the Gosling, but he would rather play in the barnyard.

Personal Reaction:
Gideon is a tiny orange gosling who likes to play; his mother, however, would rather Gideon take a nap. While Gideon bounces around the farm, his mother trails behind him trying in vain to have Gideon take his nap until finally, exhausted from all that playing, Gideon falls fast asleep in a haystack.

While the book is nothing groundbreaking, it's cute and relatable- perfect for toddlers and their parents. Fans of Dunrea's Gossie books will likely enjoy this newest addition to the series.

10 Hungry Rabbits

10 Hungry Rabbits. written and illustrated by Anita Lobel. 2012. 24p. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Author/Illustrator Website: www.anita-lobel.com

Medium: gouache and watercolor
Awards and Honors: none

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation: 
The 10 little rabbits are hungry so they head out to the garden to find colorful vegetables to fill the soup pot.

Personal Reaction:
Lobel presents a simple and sweet color and counting book with 10 Hungry Rabbits. When the 10 rabbit siblings get hungry, Papa suggests they head out to the garden to find ingredients for vegetable soup. One by one, the bunnies pick coloful vegetables- one big purple cabbgae, two white onions, three yellow peppers, and so on. The veggies appear large across the top of the pages for easy counting, and the colors are reinforced below in each rabbit's clothing which matches the vegetables they pick. Papa cuts up the vegetables and Mama cooks, and the entire rabbit family sit down to big bowls of delicious and colorful soup. This is gentle story with appealing illustrations which would lend itself well to a flannel board retelling.

The Odd Egg

The Odd Egg. written and illustrated by Emily Gravett. 2008. 32p. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Author/Illustrator Website: www.emilygravett.com

Medium: pencil and watercolor

Awards and Honors: none

Audience:4 and up

Annotation:  
All of the birds have laid eggs- everyone except Duck. When he finds a large speckled egg, he adopts it as his own and waits patiently for it to hatch.

Personal Reaction: 
All of the birds have laid eggs- everyone except Duck (which is not too surprising, really, given the fact that Duck is a male mallard). When Duck finds a large speckled egg, he adopts it as his own and waits patiently for it to hatch. The other birds think he's silly, of course. 

Soon the eggs begin to hatch in a spectacular sequence illustrated by a series of graduated "lift-the-flap" pages. The babies all pop out from their eggs, each one more impressive than the one before it. All of the eggs break open besides Duck's, but he's not phased. Instead he begins to knit a scarf and a set of mittens while he waits for his egg to hatch.

And hatch it does, unleashing a rather feisty baby alligator who sends the other birds flapping. Children will no doubt guess the "surprise" ending before it comes, but it won't detract from the story. A final, adorable illustration shows the alligator in its scarf and mittens following attentively behind Duck and cooing, "Mama".

Blue Chameleon

Blue Chameleon. written and illustrated by Emily Gravett. 2010. 32p. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Author/Illustrator Website: www.emilygravett.com

Medium: colored pencil on rough watercolor paper

Awards and Honors:

Audience: 1 and up

Annotation:  
A chameleon tries changing color and shape in order to find a friend.

Personal Reaction: 
An undeniable, yet charming, take on Leo Lionni's A Color of His Own, Blue Chameleon is the story of a lonely chameleon who tries changing color and shape in order to find where he fits in. He mimics everything from a banana, to a snail, to a sock, before he becomes discouraged and turns as white as the page he's on. It takes a sharp eye to make out the faintest outline of another claw that creeps onto the page where the chameleon lies pale and defeated. Readers turn the page to discover that the chameleon has found a friend- another chameleon who turns brightly colored in its excitement at having met someone similar. Gravett's clever illustrations and spartan narration make the story engaging and heartfelt.

The Nice Book

The Nice Book. written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein. 2008. 32p. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Author/Illustrator Website: www.davidezra.com

Medium: acyrlic paint, inks, china marker and digital

Awards and Honors: none

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation:  
A menagerie of animals demonstrate what it means to be nice to others.

Personal Reaction: 
The Nice Book demonstrates in simple pictures and words what it means to be nice to others. Monkeys hug, warthogs share and horses nuzzle, while other animals demonstrate behavior that is not so nice- snakes squeeze, a toad stares, and birds hit. Text appears in a variety of fonts, colors, shapes and sizes, echoing the actions it describes. Stein's appealing illustrations resemble finger paint creations, loose and almost child-like in their execution. This book is sure to spark conversation about what is- and isn't- nice among kids and parents.

The Thingamabob

The Thingamabob. written and illustrated by Il Sung Na. 2008. 24p.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Author/Illustrator Website: www.ilsungna.com

Medium: handmade paint textures combined with digital layers using Adobe Photshop

Awards and Honors: none

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation: 

An elephant encounters a strange, new object for which he tries to find a purpose.

Personal Reaction: 

A ponderous pink-cheeked elephant is out for a stroll when he finds a strange object- a bright red umbrella. He has no idea what the "thingamabob" is or where it came from so he asks his friends, who are just as clueless as he is. He experiments a bit with the thingamabob, to humorous effect- hiding behind it, sailing in it, trying to fly with it. Only after it suddenly begins to rain, does Elephant finally discover what the "thingamabob" is for, when he and his friends crown under the umbrella to seek shelter from the storm. 

This is a simple, and highly enjoyable story for young children, who will delight in knowing exactly what the "thingamabob" is from the very beginning. Na's beautifully textured illustrations are eye-catching- particularly the endpapers, which feature a plethora of patterned umbrellas.

Duck! Rabbit!

Duck! Rabbit!. written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. 2009. 40p. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

Author Website: www.whoisamy.com

Illustrator Website: www.tomlichtenheld.com

Medium: ink, watercolor, colored pencil

Awards and Honors: American Library Association Notable Children's Book of 2010, Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of the Year, 2009, Booklist 2009 Editors' Choice

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation:  
Two characters argue over whether the animal they see before them is a duck or a rabbit. 

Personal Reaction: 
This book is both a clever take on a confounding optical illusion and a satisfying exploration of how different points of view can both be correct. As two offstage characters argue over whether the animal before them is a duck or a rabbit, they each give evidence of their own point of view. It would seem that each has convinced the other... just as the animal runs away. But the characters are faced with another conundrum when an anteater/brachiosaurus appears placidly munching on a pile of ants/the leaves of a tree...


This is a book with excellent read aloud appeal or potential for a puppet show. Use it with children to discuss the value of different perspectives.

An Awesome Book!

An Awesome Book!. written and illustrated by Dallas Clayton. 2012. 64p. New York: HarperCollins.

Author/Illustrator Website: dallasclayton.com

Medium: watercolor and ink


Awards and Honors: none

Audience:4 and up

Annotation:  
An imaginative and beautiful exhortation to children (or grownups) to dream big.

Personal Reaction: 
I picked this book up not knowing what it was all about, but the cover- featuring a furry frog about to swallow a globe- intrigued me. What I found was a little gem of a book, full of fanciful illustrations and inspiring words. 

This book was originally created by artist Dallas Clayton as a gift for his young son, a reminder to to never stop pursuing his dreams, no matter how silly they seem. The poetic ponderings- of rocket-powered unicorns and magic watermelon boats- and the whimsical accompanying illustrations evoke Shel Silverstein in their off-kilter joyfulness. The message of hope and imagination will resonate strongly with adults as well as children.

No, David!

No, David!. written and illustrated by David Shannon. 1998. 32p. New York: Scholastic Press.

Author/Illustrator Website: http://www.scholastic.com/titles/nodavid/davidshannon.htm

Medium: oil

Awards and Honors: Caldecott Honor, New York Times Best Illustrated Book, SLJ Best Book

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation:  
A gleefully naughty preschooler finds all sorts of ways to get himself in trouble, much to the chagrin of his exasperated mother.

Personal Reaction: 

Snaggle-toothed, lumpy headed David is the ultimate mischief-maker. He bangs pots and pans, plays with his food, tracks dirt in the house and even runs down the street sans clothes, while his exasperated mother vainly attempts to rein him. When finally David breaks his mother's vase he is repentant, and runs into the unconditionally loving arms of his mother, who reassures him, "Yes, David... I love you!". 


No, David! is an exuberant romp of a book. Filled with visual jokes accompanied by the refrain, "No, David!", this book imagines all of the ways a naughty little boy could manage to make trouble. Each page will be met with roars of laughter from young children and nods from knowing parents.

I'm The Biggest Thing in the Ocean

I'm The Biggest Thing in the Ocean. written and illustrated by Kevin Sherry. 2007. on board pages. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

Author/Illustrator Website: kevinsherryonline.com

Medium: watercolor and gouache

Awards and Honors: an E.B. White Award Finalist, a Marion Vannett Ridgway Honor Book

Audience:2 and up

Annotation:  
A giant squid swims gleefully about the ocean, noting everything that he is bigger than.

Personal Reaction: 
I'm The Biggest Thing in the Ocean is a silly and lighthearted book about a gleefully proud giant squid who proclaims himself the "biggest thing in the ocean"! The squid swims happily about pointing out all the other animals that he is bigger than: some shrimp, an octopus, some clams, a shark (shhh!). When the giant squid is swallowed by a whale, he is momentarily surprised, but hardly skips a beat. After assessing the other animals in the whales belly, he cheerfully proclaims, "I'm the biggest thing in this whale!".  

This fun tale is cheerfully illustrated in tones of green and turquoise. Sherry's repetitive text and cartoonish characters is sure to hold massive appeal to toddlers and preschoolers. 

Extra Yarn

Extra Yarn. written by Mac Barnett. illustrated by Jon Klassen. 2012. 40p. New York: Balzer and Bray.

Author Website: www.macbarnett.com

Illustrator Website: www.burstofbeaden.com

Medium: watercolors, digitally manipulated

Awards and Honors: none

Audience:4 and up

Annotation:  

A young girl finds a magical box of endless yarn which is subsequently stolen by an evil archduke. 

Personal Reaction:
Annabelle lives in a dreary little town where everything is cold and gray. The trees, the houses, the animals, and even the people all exist in shades of black and white. But when Annabelle finds a box filled with rainbow colored yarn, that all begins to change. She knits a sweater for herself and one for her dog, but there is still extra yarn. So she knits a sweater for Nate and his dog. And one for her classmates and her teacher. And another for her mom and dad. And ones for all the animals in town. But there is still extra yarn. So Annabelle decides to knit sweaters for all the houses, and the mailboxes, and the cars. And yet her yarn never runs out.

With all of those rainbow colored sweaters her monochromatic town begins to change, attracting people from near and far. One person who comes has nefarious intentions. An evil archduke steals the magical box of yarn, yet when he sits down to open it, he finds it completely empty. Angrily he tosses it into the sea... where it is reunited with its rightful owner.

The story is great- quirky, whimsical, with the feel of a modern fairytale- but its Jon Klassen's illustrations that make it shine. His buildings and people and animals are completely charming, even when they're dreary and gray. And when they appear clad in rainbow sweaters, it's magic. Klassen's chunky, colorful sweaters are cheerful, but not brash. Fans of I Want My Hat Back will be happy to note that the churlish Bear makes an appearance in this book.

A Good Day

A Good Day. written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes. 2007. 32p. New York: Greenwillow Books. 

Author/Illustrator Website: www.kevinhenkes.com

Medium: watercolor and ink
 

Awards and Honors: ALA Notable Children's Book

Audience: 1 and up


Annotation:
A bird, a dog, a fox and a squirrel all experience momentary losses but quickly turn their bad days around. 

Personal Reaction:
When young children experience setbacks, small disappointments can quickly escalate into huge tragedies. A Good Day shows how four young animals- a bird, a dog, a fox and a squirrel- all overcome bad moods and turn their days around. 

A Good Day recalls Henkes' Caldecott winning Kitten's First Full Moon, both in theme and stylistically, with its thick, chunky lines and defined panels. If anything, these illustrations seems even more confident; the compositions are strong and self-assured, and the colors bright and bold. 

This is a pleasant little book, with a resounding message that is important for children to learn. Simple wording and structure make it particularly excellent for sharing with young children.

Hattie and the Fox

Hattie and the Fox. written by Mem Fox. Illustrated by Patricia Mullins. 1987. 32p. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Author Website: www.memfox.net

Illustrator Website: www.patriciamullins.com.au

Medium: tissue paper and conte crayon

Awards and Honors: none

Audience: 3 and up

Annotation:

Hattie the hen tries to warn the other barnyard residents of impending danger. 

Personal Reaction:

Hattie the big black hen lives on a farm with a goose, a pig, a sheep, a horse and a cow. One day she notices something in the bushes and tries to warn the other animals, who reply with rather resounding apathy- "Well, well", says the pig; while the sheep says, "Who cares?; and the cow says, "What next?. As the thing in the bushes gets closer and Hattie sees more of it- a nose, two eyes, two ears, etc.- Hattie tries again and again to warn the other animals, but to no avail. 

When finally the thing in the bushes emerges, Hattie sees clearly that it is a fox and flies into a nearby tree. It's only then that the animals react, crying out, "Oh, no!" and "Dear me!". The cow, however, says, "MOO!" so loudly that it scares the fox away and afterwards they all remain silent for a long time. 

As this cumulative tale builds, so does the tension and it ends with a satisfying surprise when the cow moos with all its might. The looks on the faces of the frightened animals at the close of the story are priceless; they all stand wide-eyed and stiff- everyone except Hattie, of course, who remains safely perched high up in the crook of a tree.

Orange Pear Apple Bear

Orange Pear Apple Bear. written and illustrated by Emily Gravett. 2007. 32p. New York: Simon and Schuster. 

Author/Illustrator Website: www.emilygravett.com


Medium: pencil and watercolor


Awards and Honors: A SLJ Best Book of the Year, An ALA Notable Children's Book, A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book, A Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of the Year, A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year, One of New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing


Audience: 0 and up


Annotation:
Using only 5 words, a bear and three pieces of fruit, this book explores colors, shapes and language.


Personal Reaction:
Orange, pear, apple, bear. 

This book uses these four words, arranging and rearranging them to create a simple and playful story for very young children. With delicate washes of watercolors on white pages, Gravett first shows each object on its own page. It's simple enough, but Gravett then begins to combine or rearrange the words, adding or dropping commas, to change up the meaning entirely. One spread shows a pear the color of autumn leaves and a very round, very green bear- "Orange pear. Apple bear". As the book continues, the bear begins to juggle and then eat the fruits. The back end pages show the cores and peels of the consumed fruits.

This book has immense appeal, both for Gravett's cleverly simple word games and her loose and lovely watercolors. A great choice for beginning readers, as well as very young children.

Kitten's First Full Moon

Kitten's First Full Moon. written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes. 2004. 40p. New York: Greenwillow Books. 

Author/Illustrator Website: www.kevinhenkes.com

Medium: colored pencil and gouache

Awards and Honors: Caldecott Medal

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation:
When Kitten sees the full moon for the first time, she thinks that it's a bowl of milk and she tries to catch it. 

Personal Reaction: 
When plucky little Kitten sees the full moon for the first time, she thinks that it's a bowl of milk and she tries to catch it. She jumps from the top step of the porch, but she only succeeds in falling down. She tries to chase it down, but it never gets any closer. But Kitten is very persistent. She climbs up to the top of a tree to try to get nearer to the moon and she jumps into the pond to try to catch the reflection, but none of these things work! Finally, she goes back home to find that her owner has left a great big bowl of milk on the porch for her. 

In Kitten's First Full Moon Henkes puts a different spin on his distinctive style of illustration by working entirely in shades of black and grey. It makes sense for the subject matter- a moonlit night- and also helps temper the inherent cuteness of Kitten. The book works well as a read-aloud- kids will enjoy joining in the refrain "poor kitten!".

First The Egg

First The Egg. written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. 2007. 32p. New Milford, CT: Roaring Brook Press. 

Author/Illustrator Website: www.studiolvs.com

 

Medium: oil on canvas

Awards and Honors:

2008 Caldecott Honor Book, 2008 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book,

New York Times Best Seller, A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2007, American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, 2008, A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of 2007, Oppenheim Platinum Award, 2008, NAIBA Children’s Pick of the List, 2007, Arizona Grand Canyon Young Readers Award, 2007, Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award, 2007, South Dakota Prairie Bud Award, 2007, Eric Carle Museum Picture Book of Distinction, 2007

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation:

Laura Vaccaro Seeger creatively explores the age-old question: what came first, the chicken or the egg?

Personal Reaction:

This little book celebrates the miracle of creation, both natural and artistic. Using strategically place die-cuts, Laura Vaccaro Seeger takes the reader through transformations- from the egg, to the chicken; the tadpole, to the frog; the word, to the story; the paint, to the picture; and the chicken back to the egg. Naturally, the cyclical progression elicits calls for repeated readings from children who delight in guessing what each object will become. Seeger's thickly applied oil on canvas illustrations are unique, if a bit flat at times.

Good Night, Gorilla

Good Night, Gorilla. written and illustrated by Peggy Rathmann. 1994. 32p. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Author/Illustrator Website: www.peggyrathmann.com

Medium: pencil and watercolor

Awards and Honors: ALA Notable Children's Book for 1994, Bulletin Blue Ribbon 1994, Horn Book Fanfare 1995 selection, Parenting Magazine "Best Children's Books of 1994", New York Public Library 1995 "Children's Books 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation: 
A cheeky gorilla trails the unobservant zoo keeper as puts the animals to bed.

Personal Reaction: 
As a sleepy zoo keeper makes his way through the zoo, he bids goodnight to all the animals- "Good night, Gorilla", "Good night, giraffe", "Good night, elephant"- while the reader sees that the mischievous Gorilla has nabbed his keys and is letting all the animals out of their cages. The zoo keeper walks across the street to his house, animals trailing behind him, and gets in bed. As his wife says good night and turns out the light, the animals, snuggled up in the bedroom, respond in kind, waking the startled wife, who leads them back to the zoo and puts them all back to bed... All except the naughty Gorilla.


Rathmann's nearly wordless picture book is great fun for kids and parents alike. The cheerful jewel-toned illustrations are filled with small details- the pink balloon that trails the group, the mouse who drags behind him a banana as big as he is, the elephant's stuffed Babar toy. This book is excellent for eliciting conversation from kids using dialogic reading techniques, and is also a great choice for families who may be English language learners.

What Can You Do With a Shoe?

What Can You Do With a Shoe?. written by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers. illustrated by Maurice Sendak. 1955. 32p. New York: Simon and Schuster. 

Author Website: none

Illustrator Website: http://www.harpercollins.com/author/microsite/?authorid=12708

Medium: pen and gouache

Awards and Honors: none

Audience: 3 and up

Annotation: 
A playful ode on the imaginative possibilities of household objects.

Personal Reaction:
As if to make it perfectly clear what this book is about from the very beginning, What Can You Do With a Shoe? is dedicated on the first page- "for fun". What follows is a silly and playful ode on the imaginative possibilities of household objects, charmingly illustrated by Maurice Sendak. 

In rhyming text, the book presents new ways in which to use common objects- a hat is filled with pickles, becomes a resting spot for an octopus, and adorns a horse's head; a chair turns into a cage for a bear, a canoe, an airplane and a train (which goes on a journey to the moon)- and the most accepted uses of these objects are given a nod, as well. Sendak's illustrations- a boy and girl dressed in their parents clothes and playing make believe- are pitch-perfect.

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. written by Doreen Cronin. illustrated by  Betsy Lewin. 40p. 2000. New York: Simon and Schuster. (006025565X). 

Author Website: www.doreencronin.com
 

Illustrator Website: www.betsylewin.com

Medium: Windsor Newton lamp black and watercolor on Strathmore watercolor paper
 

Awards and Honors: Caldecott Honor


Audience: 4 and up
 
Annotation:
Farmer Brown has a big problem when his cows find an old typewriter and begin using it to type up demands.

Personal Reaction: 
Silly, lighthearted, and a bit educational, Click, Clack, Moo, is the story of a herd of cows who find a typewriter and begin typing demands to the farmer. Farmer Brown is, of course, completely (and hilariously) flummoxed with the whole situation. After some back and forth, however, the animals and Farmer Brown come to a compromise, but we soon see that the cows have inspired the ducks to make some demands of their own. 


Click, Clack, Moo is something of a modern classic in children's literature. It's a premise that, in theory, really shouldn't work (a children's book about labor negotiations and mediation?), but ends up coming together beautifully. Betsy Lewin's loosely sketched yet bold illustrations are brilliant. The huge, sweet faced cows with their big, innocent eyes are a hilarious counterpoint to Farmer Brown with his scraggly beard and scrappy straw hat. 

I'm A Shark

I'm A Shark. written and illustrated by Bob Shea. 2011. 32p. New York: HarperCollins. 

Author/Illustrator Website: bobshea.com 

Medium: digital illustration


Awards and Honors: none

Audience: 4 and up

Annotation:
Sharks are the scariest things in ocean- they aren't scared of anything! Or are they?

Personal Reaction:
Shark isn't scared of anything. 

Getting a shot? No way. It may look like he's crying, but those are just seasonal allergies. The dark? Nope. The dark is scared of him. Dinosaurs? Yeah right. Shark fearlessly faces all of these things with courage.

He is full of bravado, but there might just be one little thing that Shark is afraid of...

I'm A Shark is a hilarious picture book by Bob Shea. If you enjoy Mo Willems, you'll like Bob Shea's colorful illustrations and his tongue-in-cheek humor. His heavy lined, almost childlike style of drawing and brightly colored backgrounds will catch children's attention, and parents will appreciate the sly asides in I'm A Shark. 

Dinosaur vs. The Library

Dinosaur Vs. The Library. written and illustrated by Bob Shea. 2011. 32p. New York: Hyperion Publishing.

Author/Illustrator Website: bobshea.com

Medium:digital illustration

Awards and Honors: none
 
Audience: 2 and up

Annotation:
Dinosaur loves to roar, but what will he do when he goes to the library?

Personal Reaction:
If you've ever known a toddler, then Bob Shea's little red Dinosaur will seem quite familiar to you. He's a loud and irrepressible character who loves to roar. All the time. Everywhere. 


As Dinosaur heads to the library he meets a series of animals along the way- a cow, a shy turtle, baby chicks- all of whom he teaches to "roar!" along with him. But when Dinosaur gets to the library, he has to learn to use his inside roar. He does pretty well, but then it's time for story hour! Will Dinosaur be able to not roar for a whole story? Does Dinosaur or the library win that battle? (Spoiler alert: they both do!)


Brightly illustrated and highly entertaining, Bob Shea's "Dinosaur Vs." books are great fun for young children who love to roar along with the adorably mischievous Dinosaur.

Interrupting Chicken

Interrupting Chicken. written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein. 2010. 32p. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. 

Author/Illustrator Website: www.davidezra.com

Medium: watercolor, water soluble crayon, china marker, pen, opaque white ink and tea

Awards and Honors: Caldecott Honor

Audience: ages 4 and up

Annotation: Little Chicken wants a bedtime story but every time her Papa starts to read Chicken can't help but interrupt.


Personal Reaction: 
Children's librarians love this book. And with good reason- it's clever, it's cute, and it references classic children's stories. 


Little Chicken wants Papa to read her a bedtime story, but she can't help but interrupting the books each time he starts. When Papa is reading Hansel and Gretel and the siblings are about to enter the witch's house, Little Chicken screams out, "Don't go in! She's a witch!", effectively ending the story right then and there. When Papa tries to read Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf appears, Little Chicken screams out, "Don't talk to strangers!". And so on, until Papa suggests that Little Chicken tells him a bedtime story. Just as Little Chicken begins to tell her story, she is interrupted by a loud snore- Papa has fallen fast asleep and Little Chicken climbs into bed alongside him and goes to sleep. 


Little Chicken's irrepressible concern is adorable- it's obvious she's heard all of these stories many time over, yet she just can't help but jumping in to "save" the characters. The book's 'story within a story' structure is clever and satisfying. Children who are familiar with the original stories will get the most out of this book, though it's enjoyable enough to share with those who haven't heard them.

Bears

Bears. by Ruth Krauss. illustrated by Maurice Sendak. 2005. 24p. New York: HarperCollins. 

Author Website: http://www.harpercollins.com/author/

Illustrator Website: http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/

Medium: pencil and gouache

Awards and Honors: none
 
Audience: 2 and up

Annotation:
Maurice Sendak re-illustrates Ruth Krauss's 1948 book, Bears, creating a strange madcap chase featuring a stolen teddy bear, a dog, and a familiar boy in a wolf suit.

Personal Reaction:
Ruth Krauss's 27 word rhyming story about bears gets an updated treatment with Maurice Sendak's new illustrations. His drawings breathe new life into the story, turning it into a madcap chase featuring a stolen teddy bear, a dog, and a familiar boy in a wolf suit. 

That boy would be Max- the hero from Sendak's classic, the Caldecott Award winning picture book Where the Wild Things Are. As Max is drifting off to sleep, teddy bear snuggled up against him in bed, Max's little dog jealously steals the teddy, leading Max on a wild chase. Max and the dog romp through panels of gigantic teddy bears, with the dog evading Max at each turn, until Max finally catches up with his dog and swipes the teddy (prompting the dog to cry).

When Max, the dog and the teddy make it back to the safety of Max's room, the reader sees that all has been set right again. The dog snuggles next to Max in bed, while the teddy bear sits close by on the nightstand. Yet in the window we see an angry looking bear peering in, and the moon has a scowling bear's face.


In true Sendak fashion, the illustrations on each spread range from fantastical to dark- on the title page, the teddy bear hangs from a noose, ostensibly placed there by the dog, while another spread shows the human sized teddy bears looking as if they are about to attack the trio. In the most impressive (and satirical) spread in the book, the life-sized teddy bears appear as millionaires- dressed tails and top hats, toasting champagne and smoking cigars. 

Fans of Sendak will no doubt enjoy this book, but some people will take issue with its dark undertones.