Picture Book Roundup - kind, find, and confined

It's been a while since I've done a picture book roundup.  Here are three that struck my fancy:

Kind. This boy is the best!

Have you seen Elephant? 

Written and illustrated by David Barrow.
Gecko Press, 2016

A kind young boy plays hide-and-seek with his elephant friend and takes care to keep the game going, despite the fact that his friend is a very poor hider! Have you seen Elephant? is bright and cheerful and funny, and above all - kind. This is the first book I've seen from Gecko Press and the first by David Barrow. I love it!





Confined? Can the colortamer catch them all?

Swatch: The Girl Who Loved Color

Written and illustrated by Julia Denos
Balzer Bray, 2016

Bright, bold, and expressive, Swatch is a color tamer - trapping and using colors in the most fantastic of ways. A bold and fearless artist, no color had escaped her artistic eye ... no color but one,

"Morning came, and there it was, fast fading and fierce, the King of All Yellows, blooming in the sidewalk crack in spite of the shadows. Swatch was ready .... At last, Yellowest Yellow would be hers."

Or would it?

This is the first book that Julia Denos has written as well as illustrated. I would love this book even if my favorite color were not the hero of the story!


Find. Where is that cat?

Spot, the Cat 

Illustrated by Henry Cole
Little Simon, 2016

A beautifully detailed, wordless book - more than just a seek-and-find, it follows the path of an adventurous cat in the city and the boy who wants to find him. Join the young boy and search the city for Spot, the cat.

Picture book roundup - more funny ones!

Here are two new funny additions to add to my earlier post, Picture Book Roundup - new or coming soon!

We were reading these at work the other night.  All you could hear were laughs, chuckles, and "awww"s.

• Dyckman, Ame. 2015. Wolfie the Bunny. New York: Little Brown.  Illustrated by Zacharia OHora.

This one had all the library staff laughing! Wolfie is the cutest little wolf in a bunny suit, but the star of this story is his sister, Dot. Doesn't anyone else realize that a wolf does not make a good brother for a bunny? Every time I read it, I find something else amusing in the illustrations.  See you at the Carrot Patch Co-op! (Bring your own shopping bag.)

• Slater, David Michael. 2015. The Boy & the Book. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. Illustrated by Bob Kolar.

This wordless book about a book and a "rough-and-tumble" little boy will crack you up and then make you say "Awww!" It's sure to become a librarian favorite. You'll love the blue book (but "read" them all!)

Musing for the day: How does one become a wordless picture book author? ;)

Picture Book Roundup - Wordless edition

It's been ages since I've done a picture book roundup!  Here are two wordless masterpieces.

• Becker, Aaron. 2013. Journey. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

A Harold and the Purple Crayon for a new generation.  Beautiful!

• Kim, Patti. 2014. Here I Am. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press. 

An insightful story of a young boy's experience in emigrating from Asia to the United States.

If you're unsure of how to use a wordless picture book in the classroom, the nice folks at Random House have created a Teachers Guide for you.  If you're sharing at home, your child can teach you. ;)

Flood - a review

Villa, Alvaro F. 2013. Flood. North Mankato, MN: Capstone. 

(Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley)

If you read my blog regularly or read my monthly posts on the ALSC Blog, you'll know that my family was one of the tens of thousands affected by Hurricane Sandy.  It is for that reason, that I requested a copy of Flood for review.  I now have first-hand knowledge of the devastation caused by a hurricane, but more importantly in my area of the Jersey Shore, by flooding; I feel that I have a certain sad connection with the topic.  While I say that, I am also mindful of the fact that though thousands may be affected by the same natural disaster, no two personal disasters are the same.  There is a commonality, but yet, each town, each neighborhood, each family, each individual, must deal with a different set of difficulties.  Because of this, I approached Flood with trepidation and apprehension.  It was obviously not written in response to Superstorm Sandy, but nevertheless, it arrives at a time when people are particularly vulnerable.  To date, more than half a million disaster assistance claims have been filed with FEMA, with much of the damage caused by flooding.

Forgive me if I reveal the entire story, but this one I must follow through to the end.

Alvaro F. Villa's Flood appears to be the story of a flood more typical to the Midwest than along the nation's coastlines. In this wordless picture book, a family's modest home stands alone in the middle of a beautiful, grassy, rolling countryside, a river flowing behind. Two children and a dog play alongside a weathered picket fence.  Only the lone dark bird flying overhead hints at danger to come.  In the evening, the family spends a relaxing evening indoors.  Dawn brings the first hint of trouble as bad weather moves in.  The next days are spent in anxious discussion, preparation, and finally, evacuation. A violent and raging storm arrives, the river rises, wreaking destruction on the idyllic landscape.  In an eerie depiction of the storm's aftermath, the lone bird now sits upon the stump of a broken tree - looming large and black against the reddish hues of the dawning sky and the browns of the sandbags and silt left in the yard.  The family's muddied SUV returns.  From a distance the house can be seen, damaged but still standing.  The hopelessness of the family, the agonized tears of the young daughter are palpable as they survey the wreckage.  But of course, that is not the end.  It can never be.  No matter one's sense of hopelessness, helplessness - a start must be made. There is no other choice.  And so the rebuilding begins.  As the family paints and replants, the palette brightens and smiles return. The house, in its new coat of paint looks better than ever. It's not the same.  It will never be.  But the family is together and they have survived.

I passed this book along to my husband and children.  Of course, they are not librarians or book reviewers or educators. I asked them only because the experience is fresh in their minds.  My daughter had a keen observation.  There is a scene in which the family is spending the night in another location, having evacuated their home; the children are shown sleeping on the floor (as so many children, including mine, have recently done for days, weeks and months on end) while the parents and dog huddle in bed watching the television, presumably for news about the flood.  In a powerful use of symbolism, Villa shows their calm refuge surrounded by dark and raging flood waters - a powerful reminder of what is occurring elsewhere; but as my daughter pointed out, also easily misinterpreted by young readers who may be frightened by the water that appears to be menacingly approaching their makeshift beds.  Although beautiful and moving, and ultimately uplifting, this is not a picture book for preschoolers.  Appropriately, the publisher suggests Flood for Grades 1-3.

Is Flood  hopeful? Cautionary? Bibliotherapeutic? Empathetic? Preparatory?  I suspect Alviro F. Villa intended to offer hope.  I also suspect that much depends upon who reads it and when. 

Due on shelves February 1, 2013. 

Picture Book Roundup for July

Here are a few picture books that caught my eye this hot July ... enjoy!

• Crum, Shutta. 2011. Mine! Ill. by Patrice Barton. New York: Knopf.

With expressions of glee, surprise and joy, two toddlers and a dog creating mayhem in the house are accompanied by the book's only necessary word,

"Mine." "Mine, mine, mine, ..."

The illustrations are soft-edged and gentle, yet action-packed as the siblings and dog playfully squabble over a pile of toys. The rosy-cheeked baby is too cute for words! I love it!

• Daly, Cathleen. Prudence Wants a Pet. Ill. by Stephen Michael King. New York: Roaring Brook.

Simply colored ink drawings on white space are the backdrop for poor Prudence, who wants a pet - desperately.

"No," says Dad, "pets cost too much to keep." "No," says Mom, "pets make noise."

But these arguments do not stop the determined Prudence. She chooses a branch for a pet, then a twig, and even an old shoe.

Its name is Formal Footwear. She found the same written on its inside.
She puts Formal Footwear on a leash and takes him for a walk around the block.
The neighbors find Formal Footwear very interesting. Prudence shows them all the tricks she has taught Formal Footwear. Formal Footwear is a smart shoe.

She's so desperate, she even tries out her brother, Milo, for a pet. "She feeds him seeds and grass."
This is a hysterical look at a poor girl's quest for a pet. Will her parents (shown from a kids' eye view of waist down) relent?  They'll have to.  Prudence is impossible to resist!

And finally,

• Owen, Karen and Barroux. 2011. I Could Be, You Could Be. Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Books.

No white space here, just the brilliant colors of a child's boundless imagination,

I could be an alien with a funny face,
You could be an astronaut zooming into space.

Short and sweet with one sentence or less per page and brightly painted illustrations that will be easily recognized by even the youngest of children. Perfect for sharing or storytime.
I'll have another roundup of back-to-school themed books shortly.

April picture book roundup

It's been a while since I've done a picture book roundup and they've been piling up on my desk.  Here are a few new favorites:

Mayer, Mercer. 2011. Octopus Soup. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish.


Wordless and wonderful!  Find out how Octopus escapes the chef's pot! Too funny!
(Look inside)


Yaccarino, Dan. 2011. All the Way to America: the Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel. New York: Knopf.

When Dan grew up, he married Helen.  These are my grandparents.  Together Dan and Helen opened a market.  They sold all sorts of wonderful Italian food.  Now the little shovel belonged to Dan, and he used it to measure out beans, macaroni, and olives.

Dan Yaccarino's personal tale of immigration and tradition.  A perfect introduction to genealogy, and a great choice for this summer's reading theme of One World, Many Stories.

Watt, Melanie. 2011. You're Finally Here! New York: Hyperion.
This hilarious book has been waiting for you, and it's about time you showed up!

Pfister, Marcus. 2011. Questions, Questions. New York: NorthSouth.

Simple, thoughtful and artistic.  Guaranteed to elicit questions.

How do birds learn how to sing? What brings summer after spring? What turns leaves from green to brown and sends them floating gently down?

Beaumont, Karen. 2011. No Sleep for the Sheep! Ill. by Jackie Urbanovic. New York: Harcourt.

Get ready for a long night -

In the big red barn on the farm, on the farm, in the big red barn on the farm... A sheep fell asleep in the big red barn, in the big red barn on the farm. Then there came a loud QUACK at the door, at the door, and the sheep couldn't sleep any more.

 Rhyming and repetitive, this one is sure-fire fun!

Hartt-Sussman, Heather. 2011. Noni Says No. Ill. by Genevieve Cote. Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra.

For every child who has ever agreed to do something, go somewhere, share something, or play with someone, when she really wanted to say no.  An empowering book for the kind and gentle child who always says yes.
(My daughter was this child.  I sympathize.)

One Too Many: A Seek and Find Counting Book and Indestructibles!

One book to count and two books to chew!  Good news for tiny tots...

Marino, Gianna. 2010. One Too Many: A Seek and Find Counting Book. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

Love it! 1 flea, 2 cows, 3 horses ... each group arriving in turn at the barnyard water trough. Wordless, but not simple, there is much to see and do in One Too Many. All of the animals are realistically illustrated, primarily in shades of black and white. It becomes increasingly difficult to spot the newcomers in the chaos of black and white creatures crowding the trough, as chickens, geese,mice, rabbits, ducks, fireflies and bats join the throng.

Spotting and counting each species will keep little eyes busy, while the keenest eyes will also note the action of the flea, adding one hop on each double-spread page, keeping count from 1-12.

When the final black and white creature arrives (accompanied by greenish fumes emanating from its tail),you can imagine that the trough won't be crowded for long! Count on One Too Many for preschool counting fun!

Check out the author's website for a look inside One Too Many. How many rabbits can you find?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They're beautiful, they're multicultural, they're chewable, they're "Indestructibles!"

While I was at BookExpo, I picked up a few of these wordless picture books.  Small (only 7"), and square, they're also remarkably thin - the perfect size for little hands. And don't call these "board books," they're only about 1/16" thick! The pages are sewn together tightly, and according to Workman Publishing, they are chew proof, rip proof, noxtoxic, and 100% washable.  Heck - you can even throw them in the dishwasher! As if that weren't enough (I'm beginning to sound like an infomercial here), they're beautiful.

Pixton, Kaaren. 2010. Plip-Plop Pond! New York: Workman.

Plip-Plop Pond! is the first in the series. The artist, Kaaren Pixton is also the mastermind behind the Indestructible concept.  Plip-Plop Pond! follows a friendly frog as he meets the other inhabitants of the pond -  a swan, a heron, salamanders and more.  Each page show the happy frog greeting a new friend.  Full of vibrant, earthy colors, there is no white space in these inviting pages.  No more than three creatures appear on each page, enabling little eyes to easily pick out the characters. 

Also in the series, I picked up Humpty Dumpty by Jonas Sickler.

Check out this cover! This  richly illustrated multicultural nursery rhyme has Humpty falling from the Great Wall of China.  But don't worry, when he falls, he hatches! Royal purples, floral cloth, and rosy skies create a rich palette evoking the exotic world of China.

Little children will eat these books up (or at least try to!)

There are 8 books in the collection.  These books are Advance Reader Copies that I received from the publisher.
Share |

Flotsam, but no jetsam in Long Branch

New Jersey native, David Wiesner, was talking Tuesday (and Flotsam and Free Fall) on Tuesday at the New Jersey Library Association Conference in Long Branch, New Jersey.

David Wiesner, signing books at NJLA

Librarians who attended the afternoon Children's Services Section program featuring illustrator, David Wiesner, were treated to a glimpse of the painstaking process of creating award-winning wordless picture books. Personable and humble, he detailed his long-standing love of art, comic books and painting - even sharing his Kindergarten artwork.
Then, he took the appreciative crowd on a step-by-step journey from idea to sketch, to layout, to revision, to painting, to finished product.  His presentation was peppered with humor as well.  Want to know why frogs fly?  So do a lot of other people, but David Wiesner doesn't really care why they fly.  In his mind, they just do.  Wonder why there are pigs in Free Fall? If something tells him to add a few pigs, he doesn't question it, he simply adds a few pigs! He also called attention to little known details.  Many of the children in Flotsam are based on his family members and friends; others from Google Images. Ever notice the froggy clouds in Tuesday? The reflection of the camera in  Flotsam's fish eye cover? Wiesner's attention to detail knows no bounds.

Spend some time reacquainting yourself and your young readers with the imaginative worlds of David Wiesner's picture book collection. 

And keep an eye out for his new book coming out in the fall - Art and Max.  (And no, they're not pigs; they're lizards)

Share

Picture Book Roundup

In no particular order, these were some of the wonderful picture books

 that I found in my book bag this week! I loved them all.

Spinelli, Jerry. 2010.I Can be Anything! Illustrated by Jimmy Liao. New York: Little, Brown.

A rhyming romp through all of the possibilities of the future - "cross-legged sitter, make-believe critter, deep-hole digger, lemonade swigger." Who knows? Bright and joyful illustrations!

Fuge, Charles. 2010. Yip! Snap! Yap! New York: Sterling.

Another lively, rhyming romp! This one featuring delightfully goofy dogs!

Thomson, Bill. 2010. Chalk. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish.

The illustrator of the exquisitely illustrated, Baseball Hour, Bill Thompson outdoes himself with Chalk - a wordless book that tells the story of a magical, rainy day at the playground for three children and a mysterious bag of chalk.  Let your imagination run wild and enjoy Bill Thomson's hand-crafted brilliance!

Geringer, Laura. 2010. Boom Boom Go Away! Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. New York: Atheneum.

Music lovers, noise makers, and children who don't want to go to bed will love Boom Boom Go Away! Its cumulative rhyme is full of playfulness and imagination.  The warm illustrations evoke picture books of an earlier era.

Jeffers, Oliver. 2010. The Heart and the Bottle. New York: Philomel.

This is not a book for storytime.  It's a serious book for a special child - perhaps a grieving child, a child with a profound loss, a child who may have placed her heart in a bottle, a child who needs to know that there is a way to retrieve her own heart.  Gently and tastefully done.

Bottner, Barbara. 2010. Miss Brooks Loves Books (And I Don't). Illustrated by Michael Emberly. New York: Knopf.

The tagline for the book is "a librarian and a contrarian face off in this tale of a very reluctant reader." I predict that this will become a librarian favorite! When Miss Brooks assigns a book report (in costume!) for Children's Book Week, it prompts the best line in the book -

When I get home, I ask my mother if we can move to a new town. My mother says there's a librarian in every town.

 Too funny!

Share

Robot Dreams

Varon, Sara. 2007. Robot Dreams. New York: First Second.

Sara Varnon's Robot Dreams, is a wordless graphic novel that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. In chapters titled with the months of August through July, she tells the story of a friendship between a dog and a robot. With simple and muted colors, Varnon is able to tell a complex and rich story. Check this one out! It's a winner.

(Approximately 200 pages)

Carl's Summer Vacation

Day, Alexandra. 2008. Carl's summer vacation. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

This is another in a series of books about Carl, the lovable Rottweiler. In this nearly wordless picture book, Carl and Madeleine are sent off for a nap so that they'll be ready for the evening's fireworks, however, while Mom and Dad think they're napping, Carl and Madeleine are enjoying a summer adventure. They canoe (and tip over!), pick berries (and run from skunks!), swing, slide, picnic, and even play baseball! Mom and Dad just can't understand why they're too tired to watch the fireworks.

This is a delightful story, however, the illustrations are the true charm of this book that has a decidedly "old-fashioned" look and feel.

Wave

Lee, Suzy. 2008. Wave. San Francisco: Chronicle.

The dust jacket says it all, "A sunny day. A curious little girl. A playful wave." This is a delightful, wordless narrative of a young girl's experience at the beach. Like children everywhere, she is alternately brave, fearful, experimental, playful, defiant, and contemplative when facing the ocean's never-ending march to the shore. The wave has its own moods as well - tentative, playful, menacing, calm, peaceful. Seagulls and a remotely watchful adult add interest, but do not detract from the featured cast - a girl and a wave. The illustrations are simply, yet expressively rendered in shades of gray and blue, created in charcoal and acrylics. A perfect book for sharing.