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. 

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.

Rosie's Walk

Rosie's Walk. written and illustrated by Pat Hutchins. 1968. 32p. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Author/Illustrator Website: none

Medium: pen and ink

Awards and Honors: ALA Notable Book

Audience: 1 and up

Annotation:
A rather unobservant hen named Rosie goes for a walk around the farm, narrowly evading the clutches of a hungry fox.

Personal Reaction:
A hungry fox is stalking Rosie, but Rosie doesn't know it. As Rosie walks around the barnyard, she unwittingly leads the fox into one disaster after another until he is finally chased off the farm by swarms of angry bees.

This is pure, slapstick silliness that kids will love. And Rosie being blissfully unaware of the danger she's in only makes the fox's misfortune that much funnier. Pat Hutchins narrates the book with an economy of words using simple phrases printed in large type. The illustrations- richly patterned in tones of orange, yellow and muted green- have an Eastern European feel to them, like Ukrainian painted eggs.

This is a short and humorous book that young children will love. It would also make a good choice for beginning readers.

A Visitor for Bear

A Visitor for Bear. written by Bonny Becker. illustrated by Kady McDonald Denton. 52p. 2008. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Author Website: www.bonnybecker.com

Illustrator Website: www.kadymacdonalddenton.ca

Medium: watercolor, gouache and ink

Awards and Honors: E.B. White Read Aloud Award, California Young Reader Medal Committee, Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Booksm Wanda Gág Book Award Honor Book, ALA Notable Children's Books, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - Bulletin Blue Ribbons, Junior Library Guild Selection 

Audience: 3 and up

Annotation:
Bear is perfectly happy spending time alone until a persistent Mouse appears one day at his door.

Personal Reaction:
Bear does not like visitors. Not that he's ever had one exactly (he has hanging on his door a huge "NO VISITORS ALLOWED" sign), but he is quite sure that he is perfectly happy alone. When a polite but persistent little mouse appears at his door one day and refuses to leave (to Bear's extreme annoyance), Bear begrudgingly lets him in for a cup of tea. The situation is tense at first, but as Bear and Mouse sit by the fire and begin chatting, Bear starts to realize that maybe he had been wrong about visitors all along.   

Bear is ponderously large, yet fastidious, with a comparatively miniscule apron tied around his middle. Mouse is tiny and unfailingly polite (I imagine him speaking with an English accent). Together they are quite a comedy duo, and A Visitor for Bear is funny in a gently slap-stick way that kids love. It's also exceptionally sweet- not the type of sacharine sweet that makes you say "aww"- but genuinely and quietly charming.

Kady MacDonald Denton's illustrations, executed in soft washes of watercolor and gouache, are wonderfully expressive. The postures, body language and facial expressions of Bear and Mouse skillfully convey a host of emotions and Bonny Becker's text and dialogue are pitch perfect, making A Visitor for Bear a great read aloud for children.

Book! Book! Book!

Book! Book! Book! written by Deborah Bruss. illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke. 2001. 40p. New York: Scholastic Press. (0439135257). 

Author Website: www.deborahbruss.com

Illustrator Website: http://www.mbartists.com/cgi-bin/iowa/artists.html?artist=37

Medium: watercolor and acrylic

Awards and Honors: none
 
Audience: 3-5 years old

Annotation:
The children go back to school, leaving the animals on the farm bored and lonely until they decide to go to the library to find something to do.

Personal Reaction:
When the children on the farm go back to school, the bored farm animals decide to head to town to find something fun to do. When the animals see smiling people coming out of the library, they figure they're in the right place. Each animal takes a turn clip clopping, ambling or trotting into the library to ask for something to do. Of course all the librarian hears are moos, baahs and oinks. That is, until the hen flaps into the library and clucks, "Book! Book! Book!". The helpful librarian give the hen three books, with which the animals happily return to the farm to enjoy.

Book! Book! Book! cribs its plot from a predictable joke, but it's an enjoyable book, nonetheless. Bruss keeps the action moving along with her capable narration, and children will enjoy having the opportunity to chime in with the various barnyard noises. Beeke's cheerful watercolor and acrylic illustrations of sweet and smiling animals and lively children add just the right amount of whimsy to the tale.

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business. retold and illustrated by Esphyr Slobodkina. 1947. New York: W. R. Scott. 42 p. (0618375945).

Author/Illustrator Website: www.slobodkinafoundation.org

Media: paint

Awards and Honors: Reading Rainbow Book, Lewis Carroll Shelf Award

Audience: 3 and Up

Annotation:
A retelling of a traditional tale in which a peddler has his wares stolen by a band of mischeivous monkeys.

Personal Reaction:
Caps for Sale was first published in 1938, yet over 80 years later the tale of the dapper cap peddler who carries his wares on his head and the mischeivous monkeys who steal the caps still remains a favorite of children and families.

Caps for Sale is one of those rare books that is plainly and modestly presented, yet perfectly elegant in its simplicity. There is not a superfluous or unnecesary word in the book, and the illustrations are spartan while still remaining expressive. It is perfectly suited to read alouds and reader's theater, as well.

For another take on the traditional tale, try Baba Wague Diakite's The Hatseller and the Monkeys, which offers gorgeously patterned painted tile illustrations and a West African spin.

The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too!

The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too! written and illustrated by Mo Willems. 2005. New York: Hyperion Books.

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

Media: pen and ink (colored digitally?)

Awards and Honors: none

Audience: babies and preschoolers


Annotation: A smidgeon of Mo Willems' popular Pigeon character especially for very young readers.


Personal Response:
This book provides a slightly different model of board book creation. It wasn't first published in picture book format, and it wasn't created as a wholly original board book. The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too! takes the Pigeon character from Mo Willems' picture book series and creates a shorter, simpler story around him.

I have to say that I'm not a huge fan of The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too!. The artwork remains similar, with its thick lines, simple compositions and bold pastel colored backgrounds, but the storyline is thin. Board books- even as short as they are- should still be fun to read. While the sturdy format may introduce Willems' work to a younger audience, the book lacks the spark of the original Pigeon series.

I Want My Hat Back

I Want My Hat Back
written and illustrated by Jon Klassen. 40 pages. Candlewick Press. 2011.

Media: watercolor

Author/Illustrator Website: www.burstofbeaden.com

Awards: Theodor Seuss Geisel Winner, 2012; New York Times' Ten Best Illustrated Books of The Year, 2011

Summary: Bear asks all the animals of the forest if they have seen his missing hat. 

Personal Reaction:
Bear is missing his hat. One by one, he asks the animals he comes across in the forest if they have seen his hat. They all say no, of course. Bear is polite and patient, but not too observant- as the reader sees that a shifty looking rabbit is, in fact, wearing a pointy red hat. 


As Bear begins to despair he realizes what the reader already knows- that Rabbit has his hat! Bear runs back to the clearing where Rabbit is sitting. After a tense standoff illustrated with a wordless 2-page spread, Bear is shown sitting contentedly, amidst some rather bedraggled vegetation, wearing his pointy red hat. 

What happened? How did Bear manage to get his hat back? And where exactly is Rabbit? I won't give away the ending, but sharp readers quickly infer what Klassen implies here, and the sly joke is central to the joy of this book. 
 
Klassen's illustrations, as well as his text, are understated, wryly humorous, and irreverent. While he has illustrated some recent children's books, this is the first one he has authored himself. If his subsequent books are as excellent as this one, he's definitely a name to watch in children's publishing.

What Will Fat Cat Sit On?

What Will Fat Cat Sit On?written and illustrated by Jan Thomas. 2007. New York: Harcourt Books. 40 pages. Good for groups.

Media: digital illustration

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

Awards and Honors: none

Audience: Ages 18 months and up

Annotation: Fat Cat needs something to sit on- will it be the Mouse, the Dog or the Cow?

Personal Response:Jan Thomas’s simple and silly story of a group of animals who are terrified of being sat on by Fat Cat makes an excellent read aloud for young children. The animals are ruled out one by one (to their great relief), and ultimately Mouse suggests that Fat Cat sit on the chair. As Fat Cat contentedly rests on a fluffy, flowered armchair, he is left to ponder what he will have for lunch. Thomas uses bright colors and thick, dark outlines to illustrate her characters, and the illustrations on the front and back covers, as well as the endpapers, are an integral part the story. Her text is spare, simple and direct- making this book a good choice for young audiences, as well as beginning readers.

Bark, George

Bark, George
written and illustrated by Jules Feiffer. 1999. New York: HarperCollins.

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

Media: pen and ink

Awards and Honors: 2000 ALA Notable Children's Book, 2000 Notable Children's Books(ALA), and 2000 Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book. 2001 Buckeye Children's Book Award

Audience: Preschoolers

Personal Reaction:
When little George tries to bark, all kinds of meows and moos and oinks come out of him- to the great consternation of George’s mother, of course. George’s mom decides to take him to the vet, who pulls on a latex glove and fishes out of George a cat, a duck, a pig and a cow. It would seem that the vet has saved the day and George has been cured, but a twist at the end shows us that George has yet another problem. Jules Feiffer’s bold illustrations are the highlight of this hilarious book. The expressive faces of George, his mom and the other animals display a huge range of emotions from dismay, shock, and frustration, to determination, gratitude and elation. Adults will likely empathize with the plight of George’s mom. This book is a hit with kids and parents and is sure to elicit laughs.

Moo, Baa, La La La!

Moo, Baa, La La La! written and illustrated by Sandra Boynton. 1995. New York: Little Simon. Unpaged. (067144901X)

Author/Illustrator Website: www.sandraboynton.com/

Media: pen and watercolor

Awards and Honors: National Cartoonists Society's "Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award"

Audience: babies through kindergarteners (or as Sandra Boynton puts it, "discerning children and peculiar adults")

Annotation:
A humorous exploration of barnyard animals and the noises they each make.

Personal Reaction:
With her wry sense of humor and illustrations that are cute without being cutesy, Sandra Boynton is one of those children's authors whose books seem to be just as popular with parents as they are with kids.

Moo, Baa, La La La! is a book for young children about barnyard animals and the noises they each make- a topic of endless fascination with little ones. Kids are encouraged to participate by helping to make the noises along with the animals, and they even get a chance to demonstrate their own sounds on the last page. In typical Boynton style, she throws in some laughs along the way- the singing pigs in a chorus line are sure to elicit chuckles from kids and caregivers alike, and the facial expressions of the animals (angry rhinos, bored pigs, and goofy sheep) are simply silly.