Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  “Inside cat knows many windows/finds a view wherever it goes.”  Although this cat never leaves the house, it knows all sorts of things from gazing through the windows of its home, from the bottom levels to the top.  It sees amazing things like a crane digging, a helicopter flying, and parade floats passing by.  Even the windows are interesting: cracked, covered in soapy bubbles, stained glass.  The inside of the house is portrayed all in light blue on a white background, while the outside is filled with brilliant colors.  Just when Inside Cat thinks it has seen it all, it discovers an open door–and a whole new world in front of it.  40 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  In this follow-up to the Caldecott Honor book They All Saw A Cat, Brendan Wenzel has created bouncy rhyming text and the interesting perspective of an indoor cat seeing the world only through windows.  The final page inspires a sense of wonder that there is always something new. Could be a Caldecott contender as well.

Cons:  I couldn’t really warm up to that bug-eyed, slightly scruffy cat, but then again, I’m more of a dog person.

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Isaac’s excited to be at Grandpop’s house, but he’s a little less certain about sleeping over.  “I’m not sleepy,” he says as bedtime approaches.  “Then stay awake,” replies Grandpop, “But it’s time to put the house to bed.”  They move slowly and quietly around the house, turning off lights and pulling shades.  When Isaac hears noises, Grandpop patiently explains what’s causing them: Snuffles the dog, the swingset creaking in the wind, the house making sleepy sounds.  Finally, Isaac and Grandpop snuggle in a chair to read a bedtime story.  Grandpop invites Isaac to tell him what’s happening in the pictures, then promptly falls asleep in the chair.  Isaac takes one more good-night tour around the house, then settles himself in.  The last picture shows the two of them and Snuffles snoring.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  A cute and reassuring bedtime story that could start a new nighttime routine of putting the house to sleep.  More power to Grandpop;  after a whole day with his grandson, he still has enough patience to take the time to make bedtime relaxed and happy.

Cons:  “Snuffles” seems like kind of a sad name for a dog.

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Bob is a lazy–but hungry–alligator who hopes that birds will fly into his mouth when he calls to them.  When that plan fails, he notices how much birds like birdseed, and decides to open a seed restaurant on his nose.  Chez Bob attracts its first customer the very next day.  The bird promises to tell all its friends, so Bob decides not to eat it.  Pretty soon, Chez Bob is super popular, and Bob finds himself enjoying the community with a book club, a basketball team (he’s the coach), and a sunset cruise.  When a storm comes up, Bob invites his new friends to take shelter in his mouth.  He can hear them laughing, playing, and cleaning his teeth.  It’s official: these birds have gone from “the birds he was going to eat” to “the birds he was absolutely, without a doubt, definitely not going to eat.”  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Bob Shea (who, according to the back flap, insists that the book’s title has nothing to do with his first and last names) has created another goofy book which, like Who Wet My Pants? is also an unexpectedly sweet friendship story.  The cover is sure to catch the eye of young readers and they won’t be the least disappointed by what’s inside.

Cons:  It’s not clear what Bob will be eating once he befriends the birds.

Published by Neal Porter Books

Summary:  In this companion to Green and Blue, Laura Vaccaro Seeger creates the story of a lost fox told with the color red: “Dark red/light red/lost red/bright red” takes the fox from traveling through a forest to sleeping in a field to getting caught in the headlights of a blue pickup at a railroad crossing.  Die-cut pages give a glimpse of the red on the next page, as the fox discovers more man-made barriers. Rusty nails cut its paws, a chain link fence and brick wall block its path, and finally a raw steak lures it into a trap.  A neighbor girl finds the trap and frees the fox, who finds its way back to its family.  “Just red” shows an adult fox and a kit happily nuzzling one another.  Includes an author’s note.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Caldecott honoree Laura Seeger works her magic again, perfectly portraying a range of strong emotions through color, illustrations, and a few words.  Be sure to read the author’s note which links the human characters in all three of her books, and places this book in the context of our political times.  A Caldecott consideration for sure.

Cons:  It was an emotional roller coaster.