Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  A bedtime story about a bunny is told as a conversation between two narrators.  It’s a big bunny…a ginormously scary bunny?…no, just big, and he lives on…a ginormous FLOATING CARROT?…no, just a round planet.  And so on, with one narrator looking for a horror story while the other tries to rein her in.  The narratives are told with two fonts to help the reader differentiate.  The final pages reveal the parent and child who are doing the storytelling and when you find out what they are, their terror of bunnies all makes sense.  40 pages; ages 4-7.

Pros:  Kids will find this silly story with its goofy illustrations absolutely hilarious.

Cons:  That cute little bunny nibbling grass in my backyard seems suddenly ominous.

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Published by Greenwillow Books

Summary:  A child describes a trip to the shoe store.  His shoes have holes in them, so Mommy takes him to the shoe store where his feet are measured.  He tries on yellow shoes and red shoes.  The yellow ones are “pinchy”, but the red ones are “comfy”.  He goes home where he enjoys running, both inside and out, and shows off his new shoes to his friend Emma.  32 pages; ages 2-5.

Pros:  The perspective is entirely of a child looking at his/her feet (the gender is never revealed…I need some new pronouns for writing some of these reviews).  Caldecott medalist Raschka never talks down to young kids in this story of a common, yet exciting experience for the youngest readers.

Cons:  A few sources recommend this for ages 4-8, but 4 is probably pushing the upper limit of the age range for this book.

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Published by Enchanted Lion Books

Summary:  A bear and a wolf meet in the woods on a winter’s night, and go off for a walk together.  They savor the sights, sounds, and smells of the quiet forest, ending up looking at fish beneath the ice of a frozen lake.  They go their separate ways, Wolf to hunt caribou, and Bear to sleep the rest of the winter. In the spring, they meet again, and walk off to explore the “awakening woods”.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A quiet but beautiful read, gorgeously illustrated with soft colors that capture the winter, both close up and from a more distant perspective.  Readers are led to think about slowing down and enjoying all aspects of nature the way that Bear and Wolf do.

Cons:  If Bear is Bear and Wolf is Wolf, shouldn’t Bird be something more specific, like Falcon?  Otherwise, wouldn’t Bear and Wolf both be called Mammal?

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Published by Simon and Schuster

Summary:  Finn misses his grandfather, who used to tell him stories about where the sky meets the sea.  To honor him on what would have been his 90th birthday, Finn decides to build a boat.  It’s hard work, and he falls asleep.  When he awakens, he discovers he has set sail, and is led by a huge golden ship to different islands, filled with oversized library books and seashells.  Finally, he reaches the place where the ocean meets the sky, and is carried into the clouds, where he sails among other boats, hot air balloons, and a huge blue whale.  He sees his grandfather’s face in the full moon, before he is gently brought back to reality by his mother’s voice calling him to dinner.  Did he really travel, or was it all a dream?  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Oh, those Fan Brothers…one day they will win their Caldecott!  (Or are they Canadian, and ineligible?  Answer in the comments if you know, so I can stop rooting for them if that’s the case.)  The precise, detailed illustrations are beyond imaginative, creating a world for readers to pore over and savor.

Cons:  The story seemed a little stilted compared to the illustrations.

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