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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Published by Disney-Hyperion

Summary:  The creature starts his day with apples, berries, cereal, doughnuts, eggs, and…furniture?  A mix of food and non-food items causes some problems by the middle of the alphabet, with “Ooooohhh, Potty!”.  A parent creature asks, “Queasy?”, then offers rice and saltines. Sadly, V is for vomit, and by Z, the young creature has zonked out.  32 pages; ages 3-6.

Pros:  Preschoolers will love this hilarious romp through alphabet (vomit…ewww!), and will enjoy looking for cameos of some of Willems’ well-known characters in the illustrations.

Cons:  Lacks the sweet charm of Elephant, Piggie, and Knuffle Bunny.

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Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  Two children discover an old house in the woods and climb in through a broken window.  As they explore what they find there, they imagine who might have lived there before and what has happened to them.  Finally, they return to their own house, cozy and warm with dinner waiting, remembering that “Deep in the woods/is a house/just a house/that once was/but now isn’t/a home.”  48 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  Award winners Julie Fogliano and Lane Smith combine their talents for a haunting, evocative picture book.  The slightly surreal, detailed illustrations deserve to be savored, and the poetic text flows smoothly.  A perfect read-aloud.

Cons:  Peeling exterior paint and mice peering out of holes in the walls = a little too close to home for me.

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  A young girl loves to create stories and pictures with her pencil.  But what if the pencil disappeared?  She’d create by folding the paper.  If that was gone?  She’d carve up the table and chair to make something new.  And so it goes, her creativity unstoppable even if her tools aren’t available anymore.  The second to last page reads, “If I had nothing, but still had my mind…” with a close-up of her face on a foldout page that opens to an imaginative spread of her riding a pink unicorn, then continues: “If I know nothing but one bit of fate…As long as I live, I will always create.”  The final page shows her working in her apartment window; other windows portray her neighbors playing music, dancing, decorating a cake, and pursuing other creative endeavors.  A note from the author and illustrator tells how Samantha Berger was inspired to write this book after a flood forced her to evacuate her apartment with only her dog and her sketchbook.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Maybe Mike Curato will finally win a well-deserved Caldecott for this beautiful meditation on creativity and the ability to make something new in any situation.

Cons:  The pink unicorn and rainbow on the foldout page felt a little clichéd.

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