Picture books

What Pet Should I Get? By Dr. Seuss

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Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

Summary: Two children (the same two from One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish) are on a mission to choose a pet. They consider cats, dogs, birds, and some other fantastic creatures, but have trouble narrowing their decision to just one. They finally make their choice and are shown carrying a basket out of the pet shop with two eyes peering out from the dark interior, leaving the reader to guess what’s inside. Ages 4-8.

Pros: Fans will be thrilled that there’s a new Dr. Seuss book, more than 20 years after his death. Back matter tells how the manuscript was discovered and turned into a book.

Cons: I couldn’t help thinking of Go Set a Watchman. Sometimes it’s okay to just let the classics be and not try to squeeze out one more. I liked these Seuss illustrations, but the rhymes seemed a bit forced at times and the ending was abrupt.

Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski

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Published by Henry Holt and Company

Summary: Told in the second person (“When sunlight warms your honeybee wings, off you go on flower patrol!”), Bee Dance recounts a day in the life of a bee. He sets off to find nectar, and discovers a whole field of flowers. Returning to the beeswax comb, he communicates through a dance so that the other bees can join him in collecting nectar and pollen. At sunset, the bees return, weighted down with their treasure, and enjoy a restful night before waking to begin the process all over again. An author’s note explains more about the bee’s dance and the role it plays in honey making. Ages 3-6.

Pros: Brief text in a large font and beautiful cut-paper illustrations make this a good choice for an informational read-aloud.

Cons: It’s a pretty brief introduction to bees and honey.

Wrap Up Wednesdays – Can’t we all just get along?

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School has started, and, hard as it is to believe, those cherubic children of September will soon be…well, let’s just say it’s never too early to start reading some picture books about celebrating yourself and others.  Here are a few ideas:

Wild About Us by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Janet Stevens.  Published by HMH Books for Young Readers.

Kangaroo has big feet, Crocodile has a winning smile, Elephant has a long nose…no two animals are alike, yet each one is special. Kids in a classroom can think about what makes them unique and an important part of the group.

Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld.  Published by HMH Books for Young Readers.

This is Stick and Stone‘s second appearance on a Wrap-Up Wednesday list.  What can I say?  It has a winning combination of a catchy rhyming text, adorable illustrations, and a great message about friendship.

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall.  Published by Greenwillow Books.

What happens when a blue crayon gets a red label?  It can’t draw anything it’s supposed to, and everyone has an opinion about how to fix it.  A great parable for being yourself and not using labels (except maybe on crayons, and then only if they’re correct).

Ninja Bunny by Jennifer Gray Olson.  Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Ninja Bunny has ten rules for being a good ninja, including working alone.  But when a bear comes along, he realizes that even ninjas need their friends.

Wait by Antoinette Portis

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Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary: There are only two words in this book. “Hurry,” says the mother. “Wait,” says the little boy. The mother clearly has an agenda, as she urges her son to keep up with her down streets and through the park. The little boy wants to stop and wave to the construction worker, pick a treat from the ice cream truck, and feed bread to the ducks in the park. The mother’s urgency increases as the rain starts, and finally they reach the train that is their destination. But just before they board, the boy says one more “Wait”, and the mother agrees, “Yes, wait” as they both admire the double rainbow in the sky.  Ages 3-6.

Pros: Every parent and teacher will connect with the conflicted feelings of needing to stick to a schedule and wanting to slow down and enjoy the world the way kids do. I like that the mother always keeps a smile on her face and relishes the moment the two of them finally got to share a beautiful moment.

Cons: There should be more wait and less hurry in the world.

Fab Four Friends: The Boys Who Became the Beatles by Susanna Reich, illustrated by Adam Gustavson

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.Published by Henry Holt and Co.

Summary: Most kids today have heard of the Beatles, but many would be hard-pressed to come up with the names John, Paul, George, and Ringo, let alone give any details about the Fab Four. This book goes back to the early days of the four lads growing up in post-war Liverpool. Each band member is given a few pages for his own story, with all the tales eventually coming together with the formation of the Beatles. The book ends in the fall of 1963, just as Beatlemania was beginning to sweep the globe. Back matter includes an author’s note telling of her love of the Beatles that began in childhood, a glossary, notes on the many quotes in the text, and additional resources. Grades 2-5.

Pros: The Beatles are such a phenomenon, it was interesting to read each boy’s story and see them as struggling teenagers, deeply devoted to music. The illustrations perfectly capture the various personalities of John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

Cons: Kids with grandfathers younger than Paul and Ringo may not appreciate the Beatles enough to persevere through this somewhat lengthy picture book.

8: An Animal Alphabet by Elisha Cooper

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Published by Orchard Books

Summary: Each page of this alphabet book has a montage of animals that start with the featured letter. There is one of each animal except for one that is pictured eight times. For instance, the “E” page shows an eagle, earthworm, elephant, elephant seal, elk, and eight egrets. Why eight? The author explains, “Because 8 is round and adorable. Because it is fun to count to…Because it is not too big, and not so small, but just right.” The animals pictured are listed at the bottom of each page, and the last four pages include a thumbnail picture of all the animals with a fun fact about each one. Ages 3-6 (although my 20-year-old daughter seemed quite taken with this book).

Pros: Plan on spending a lot of time poring over the pictures of all the animals, and, if you’re ambitious, the facts about the 184 animals at the end. Not your average alphabet book (or counting book), but loads of fun.

Cons: The cover of the book includes one of each animal inside, but it will most likely be covered by the taped-down dust jacket if you borrow this from the library.

The Night World by Mordicai Gerstein

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary: A boy is awoken by his cat. Everything is dark, but the cat urges him to go outside. Outside, there is darkness and shadows. Nocturnal animals gather around them. Suddenly it seems as though everything is waiting, anticipating something big that is about to happen. Slowly, the shadows and darkness disappear, colors start appearing all around them, as the sun rises higher and higher, and a new day begins. Ages 3-8.

Pros: The illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Mordicai Gerstein are spectacular. Most of the book is in grays and blacks and perfectly captures the moments just before sunrise. The last few pages show a gradual infusion of color that show the creation of a new day.

Cons: The text is somewhat secondary to the illustrations.

Daylight Starlight Wildlife by Wendell Minor

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary: What animals come out at day? How about at night? Each two-page spread in this book looks at two similar animals, one diurnal and one nocturnal. For instance a mother woodchuck leads her babies through the same fields by day as the mother skunk and her offspring by night. The final pages provide a thumbnail painting and description of all the animals shown in the book; I learned a new word from these pages, crepuscular, which refers to animals that come out at twilight or dawn. Ages 3-8.

Pros: The book will encourage young children to observe nature in their own backyards at different times of day and night. The paintings are beautiful.

Cons: The text doesn’t quite reach the same soaring heights as the illustrations.

Rufus the Writer by Elizabeth Bram, illustrated by Chuck Grosnink

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Published by Schwartz and Wade

Summary: One summer day, Rufus has an inspiration—instead of a lemonade stand, he’ll have a story stand. He sets up a table with a sign, puts on his best clothes, and is in business. Before long, his friends start to come by and ask him to play, but he keeps telling them he has to write stories. He writes a story about the color orange for his friends who like red and yellow, a story about a new kitten for his friend whose cat just has kittens, and a special birthday story for his little sister. At the end of the day, his friends return with gifts for Rufus, which they give them in exchange for their stories. Grades K-3.

Pros: A celebration of creativity. This would be a great book to introduce the joy of writing to a primary grade classroom.

Cons: At first I thought Rufus’s stories were kind of silly. But a second reading made me realize they are actually very realistic to what a young boy would write.

Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins

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Published by Chronicle Books 

Summary: It’s the classic battle, cake versus cyclops. In this quirky story, a rude cake never says please, thank you, or I’m sorry. One night, while resisting his parents’ demands to go to bed, he’s plucked from his house by a giant cyclops. It looks like the end for this cranky confection, but it turns out that the cyclops just wants him for a hat. Furthermore, unlike the pouting pastry, the cyclops and its friends are models of polite behavior. The cake eventually gets the hang of things, and asks to please be returned to bed. The final page shows the contrite cupcake at last sharing and generally being a model of politeness for his friends.  Ages 3-8.

Pros: A decidedly original take on manners. This will elicit some giggles for sure.

Cons: It took me a second to recognize the flying saucer-shaped protagonist as a cake.