Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  “The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws…”  So begins this study in perception and point of view.  The refrain is repeated throughout the book, always followed by, “and a child saw the cat,” or “and a dog saw the cat,” and so on, with the illustrations showing how that particular creature sees the cat.  To a child, the cat is friendly and furry, with big round eyes.  To the mouse, it’s a fearsome monster with pointy claws and teeth, surrounded by red.  The fish sees a blurry cat through the water, and the flea is surrounded by a world of cat fur.  Finally, the cat comes to some water, looks in, and the reader is asked, “and imagine what it saw?”  44 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  Even the youngest readers will enjoy the cat in its various incarnations, and older readers will get to think about questions about observation and perception.

Cons:  This is more of a thinking exercise than a real story.

Published by Little Bee Books

Summary:  Young Josette Bobette lives in a house filled with paintings, many of them portraits of family members.  One day she realizes that there are no portraits of her stuffed rabbit Pepette, so she goes out into the streets of Paris to try to find a painter.  It’s the 1920’s, when artists were everywhere, so she has no trouble finding someone who will do the portrait.  Each man has his own style, but none satisfies Josette and Pepette.  Returning home at the end of the day, Josette decides the only way to get what she wants is to do it herself.  She gets out her own box of paints, and pretty soon Pepette’s portrait is hanging with the other family members’.  An author’s note identifies the various painters Josette meets as Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Henri Matisse.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A charming story, as well as an introduction to the works of early 20^th century artists.

Cons:  It’s hard to get a sense of the artists’ styles from the small pictures of Pepette that are in the illustrations.

Published by Alfred A. Knopf 

Summary:  Gus has put together a report for school about the 17 sheep he has at his house.  It starts off pretty innocently: “A boy sheep is a ram. He has horns. The horns do not come off,” but when you look at the accompanying illustration of Gus tugging with all his might on a rope wrapped around the sheep’s horns, you may guess that Gus may be a bit of a mischief maker at his house.  And you would be right, as the report goes on to show Gus trading his brother for a lamb, cutting off a patch of wool to make himself a beard, and letting all 17 sheep into the house when his parents turn their backs for just a minute.  The last page shows Gus’s report with a B+ on it, and a comment from his teacher that indicates Gus’s mother knows what his teacher is up against.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The Penderwicks author Jeanne Birdsall has written an entertaining story; what kids will really appreciate, though, is Harry Bliss’s cartoon-style illustrations that show the story behind the story.  Read this one aloud and you will have a rapt audience and lots of laughs.

Cons:  A sheep eats a scarf.  Is that a form of sheep cannibalism?

Published by Candlewick Press 

Summary:  Act I: Every morning, Lucy the dog awakens in the alley where she’s spent the night, and goes to wait on the front doorstep of a certain house.  Every morning, Eleanor, the little girl who lives in the house, prepares a treat and hangs it out the window on a string.  Every morning, Sam, Eleanor’s father, juggles a few items, then heads out to his job at the grocery store.  Every evening, Sam tries to juggle onstage, gets stage fright, and is pulled off with a giant hook.  This pattern repeats in the second section of the book, Act II.  But in Act III, some changes are afoot.  As Lucy becomes more and more a part of Eleanor’s life, she is able to help Sam overcome his anxiety, and to gradually show the world his juggling talent.  In Act IV, only two pages long, Sam juggles for Eleanor and Lucy, now a firmly established member of the family.  144 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This may be the sweetest story of 2016 thus far.  Perfectly illustrated with small gray-toned pictures, Lucy and Eleanor’s tale will capture the hearts of young and old alike.

Cons:  At 144 pages, this book bends the picture book rules.  Librarians may be scratching their heads about where to shelve it.

Published by Alfred A. Knopf 

Summary:  Do you have what it takes to be a superhero?  This step-by-step manual takes a young hero-in-training through seven steps to launch his career saving the world.  While he chooses his super name, puts together a uniform, and decides on a sidekick, his sister looks on, hoping to help him, but eventually giving up and going her own (super) way.  Arriving at Step 7: Save the World, our hero goes forth to do just that.  His canine sidekick, however, has a different idea when a squirrel crosses their path.  The ensuing chase proves to be pretty much the opposite of saving the world; meanwhile, his sister is shown helping to clean up a spill, throw away trash, and fix a bike chain.  In the end, the two siblings realize that joining forces may be the quickest path to world redemption.  40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  A fun addition to the superhero picture book shelf.  Teachers could use this as a procedural writing mentor text.

Cons:  The ending was a little predictable.