Picture books

Rules of the House by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Matt Myers

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Published by Disney-Hyperion

 

Summary: Ian is a rule-follower. His older sister Jenny is a rule breaker. When they go on vacation, Ian is delighted that there’s a framed list of the rules of the house hanging on the wall of their cabin. To his dismay, Jenny proceeds to break the rules one by one, until she gets to the final rule: never—ever—open the red door. One day when Ian is on her case about breaking rules, she opens the red door. Nothing happens. But that night, all the items she’s abused through her rule-breaking come back to get her. The bathtub with the ring around it that she didn’t clean, the stove that’s empty because she didn’t refill the woodpile, and the rug that’s muddy from her dirty feet, all decide they’re going to cook Jenny and eat her. Ian runs away, thinking smugly that his sister is getting what she deserves. But brotherly love wins, and Ian returns to save the day…and maybe learn a little more about rules. 48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros: Award winners Barnett and Myers team up for a fun story that could be used as a springboard to discuss when rules should be followed and when it may be okay to break them.

Cons: The set-up was great, with that list of rules ending with the one about the red door, but the ending was kind of lame.

 

 

Fish by Liam Francis Walsh

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Published by Roaring Brook Press 

Summary: A boy and his dog are on an unusual fishing expedition in this wordless book. Instead of fish, he pulls letters in from the sea; first an F, then an I, then an S. But the H is more elusive. As he catches and tosses back a Q, a giant C looms out of the water. Finally, there’s a tug on his hook, but it’s a pretty strong tug, and he’s pulled out of the boat, deep into the ocean, where he pulls an H from a huge swarm of letters. Safely back in the boat, the boy and his dog are ready to head for shore, but the letters have a different idea. They surround the boat, and the giant C almost capsizes them. Fortunately, the dog hangs on to the letters, and at last they are able to make a safe return. The purpose of their mission becomes clear as they approach a couple of workmen puzzling over the sign they’re hanging that reads “IN”. The FISH is what they need to create a FINISH line, just in time for the huge group of runners that’s ready to cross it.

Pros: New Yorker cartoonist Walsh has created a fun story with his comic-style black, white, red, and turquoise illustrations. Readers will enjoy the “A-ha!” moment of discovering what the FISH is really for. And the dog is pretty darn cute.

Cons: As in so many wordless books, there were some puzzling elements, like the underwater letters and the giant C. Make sure you have your imagination fired up before tackling this story.

Frank and Lucky Get Schooled by Lynne Rae Perkins

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Greenwillow Books


 

Summary:  A bad day for both Frank and Lucky leads them both to the animal shelter, where they meet for the first time.  Lucky is adopted by Frank’s family, and the two of them are off to learn more about the world.  While Frank has to go to school a lot longer than Lucky’s ten sessions, both of them learn about math, science, geography, art, and more by exploring the world together.  A run-in with a skunk provides some chemistry lessons, while a hike through the woods requires map-reading skills.  The concept of infinity is learned by exploring the amount of love between this boy and his dog.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Dog-lovers will enjoy celebrating all the reasons we love dogs.  Both the text and pictures are filled with humor and the joy that kids and dogs bring to our lives.  This would also make a great beginning-of-the-school year introduction to different subjects that are learned in school.

Cons:  Some of the more sly humor may be a bit over the heads of younger readers.

Hare and Tortoise by Alison Murray

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Published by Candlewick 

Hare and Tortoise: Murray, Alison, Murray, Alison: 9780763687212: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Hare, a.k.a. Leapus swifticus, and Tortoise (Slow and steadicus) will be racing today.  A brief intro is given to each race participant:  Hare can hardly stand still for his, while Tortoise almost doesn’t show up for hers.  Then the race is on.  The tale is familiar—Hare leaps to the lead while Tortoise plods along far behind until Hare is tempted to eat some carrots and take a nap, certain of victory.  While he snoozes, Tortoise manages to amble across the finish line.  Hare can’t believe it, but Tortoise is a gracious winner.  “Never mind, Hare, you just might win next time.”  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  Beautiful illustrations provide plenty of action and humor to this fast-paced and funny retelling of Aesop’s fable.

Con:  While “slow and steady” is alluded to, readers will need to infer a good deal to come up with the classic moral to this tale.

Princess! Fairy! Ballerina! by Bethanie Deeney Murguia

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Published by Arthur A. Levine Books 

Summary:  When three little girls get together for a play date, they can’t agree on what to play—princess, fairy, or ballerina.  Each one makes a compelling argument for her favorite, but the other two refuse to give in.  The fairy suggests a contest, but should it be a flying contest, a throne-sitting contest, or a balancing contest?  Pretty soon, no one is speaking to anyone else.  A croaking frog and a rainy day provide some much-needed distraction, and wings, tiaras, and ballet slippers are tossed aside in favor of some happy puddle-stomping.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A good lesson in friendship and compromise.  A princess, fairy, AND ballerina on the cover is sure to attract the attention of many readers.

Cons:  Just a bit gender stereotypical.

Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Orchard Books 

Summary:  Imagine Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, both civil rights activists who lived in Rochester, New York, sitting down to tea and cake together.  That’s the starting point of Two Friends, which then takes a look back at the early life of both Anthony and Douglass and how they became involved in the struggles to end slavery and give women the right to vote.  An author’s note gives a bit more information, as well as dates when both goals were achieved in the United States.  32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  An interesting introduction to two important 19th century activists whose civil rights struggles are still relevant today.  The colorful folk-artsy illustrations nicely portray Anthony, Douglass, and their homes in Rochester.

Cons:  A pretty brief introduction with only a little biographical information.

The White Cat and the Monk by Jo Ellen Bogart, illustrations by Sydney Smith

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Groundwood Books

 

Summary:  While a monk seeks knowledge among his manuscripts, his white cat, Pangur, seeks something a little more substantial; namely, a tasty mouse.  The first several pages are wordless, following Pangur as he explores the monastery, finally arriving at his master’s door and sticking a paw under to alert the monk to his presence.  The monk then narrates their activities, concluding with a happy ending in which the cat snares his prey and the monk finds an answer to his puzzle.  The author’s note at the end explains more about the poem “Pangur Ban”, written by a ninth-century Irish monk, on which this book is based.  32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  A poem by a ninth-century Benedictine monk seems like an unlikely source for a children’s book, but somehow this works, due in large part to the beautiful illustrations that perfectly enlarge upon the simple text.  Cat lovers will be captivated by Pangur and his antics.

Cons:  Probably better for one-on-one sharing than reading to a larger group.

Every Day Birds by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, illustrations by Dylan Metrano

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Published by Orchard Books 

Summary:  20 North American birds are introduced in simple rhyming text (“Chickadee wears a wee black cap/Jay is loud and bold/Nuthatch perches upside down/Finch is clothed in gold”).  Each line of the rhyme is on a separate page with a large cut-paper illustration of the bird.  The entire text is included on two pages at the end, followed by smaller pictures and additional information about each bird, listed alphabetically.  32 pages; ages 2-5.

Pros:  Each line perfectly captures a characteristic of the bird it describes.  The illustrations are simple and bright, appealing for young kids, yet accurately depicting the bird.  Readers will be ready to head outside and look in trees and the sky for some feathered friends.

Cons:  So many birds in one place triggered a brief Alfred Hitchcock moment.

Finding Wild by Megan Wagner Lloyd, pictures by Abigail Halpin

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

 Published by Alfred A. Knopf 

Summary:  A boy and a girl explore the world around them, seeking to answer the questions posed on the first page: What is wild? And where can you go to find it?  They see it (“It leaps and pounces and shows its teeth”), hear it (“Wild roars and barks and hisses and brays”), smell it (“Every scent begging you to drink it in”), and taste it (“honey from bees and sap from trees”).  Sometimes wild burns or stings, but other times it soothes.  When the explorers enter the city, it seems as though wild has been completely covered over by pavement and buildings, but peeking through a fence they discover that wild is everywhere.  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  The vivid, mainly green illustrations nicely complement the descriptive text.  Younger readers will be inspired to explore the natural world around them; older readers may be inspired by the beautiful, descriptive language to write about it.

Cons:  Do kids really get to go off and explore the wild by themselves anymore?

Flying Frogs and Walking Fish: Leaping Lemurs, Tumbling Toads, Jet-Propelled Jellyfish, and More Surprising Ways That Animals Move by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

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Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

Summary:  The Jenkins-Page team takes on animal movement, asking if you’ve ever seen a walking octopus or a swimming elephant.  After the page on the walking octopus, for example, comes a two-page spread of several other animals that walk in some unusual way.  The illustrations are done in Jenkins’ inimitable cut-paper style with amazing details.  The last two pages include thumbnail pictures of all the animals with a few sentences of additional information for each.  40 pages; ages 4-7.

Pros:  This award-winning team just keeps cranking out beautifully-illustrated, engaging science picture books.  Kids will love browsing through the pictures and descriptions, or listening to the book as a fun read-aloud.

Cons:  The format is nothing new, similar to other Jenkins books like What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? and How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly?