Best Picture Books of 2011!

My Favorite Picture Books of 2011!

Bone Dog

by Eric Rohmann

Ages 4-8

Eric Rohmann's illustrations are fantastic, but it is the heartwarming story of the love between a boy and his dog, a love which lasts beyond grave, that makes this my favorite picture book of 2011! This can be used as a Halloween tale, or a tale for those dealing with the loss of a pet, but in truth it is just a great story. I should make it clear that I'm not a dog person, since having my own child I am actually scared of most dogs. Still I have nothing but respect for the bond that children and their pets share.

 The Man in the Moon

by William Joyce

Ages 4-8

Fantastical illustrations accompany this lovely steam-punk tale of how the moon, the man in the moon, and the Guardians of Childhood (Santa, Mother Goose, etc) came to be.

 Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake

by Michael B. Kaplan

illustrated by Stephane Jorish

Ages 2-6

Betty Bunny is a handful, a handful who loves chocolate cake, and has to learn how to be patient so that she can eat her chocolate cake. Betty Bunny's family, particularly her siblings play a big role in her story, and the illustrations make the Bunny family look like fashion models, in a good way. Betty Bunny is one of Oscar's favorites, thus this is not the first time I've mentioned the book. To read my first review about Betty Bunny click here.

 Home for Christmas

by Jan Brett

Ages 2-8

This is perhaps the best Jan Brett book to come out since The Mitten in 1989. The story is of a wayward troll looking to find a home with all the animals except his own. In all honesty, Christmas comes up at the end, but it didn't have to be a Christmas book - alas I'm not Jan Brett's editor, I don't get a say. However, if you are going to have a Christmas story this is certainly one of the best out there. It is about family, it is about love, its got all the things the holiday should be about.

An Annoying ABC

by Barbara Bottner

illustrated by Michael Emberley

 Ages 2-6

An alphabetical romp through mischievous pre-schoolers! I'm always on the lookout for books with fun ways to bring the alphabet into an actual story and this book certainly fits the bill!

Air Show!

Planes, trains, and automobiles.... Little boys love them. Even Oscar's close friend Amaya (currently 20-months-old) has a weakness for things that fly through the air or roll along the ground. So it is understandable that they would like books about our big adult toys.

When I first received a review copy of Treat Williams' and Robert Neubecker's children's picture book Air Show! I thought it was okay, but I didn't think it was anything to blog about, Oscar disagreed.

Air show was not made for 18-month-olds, it is a large hard cover book with paper pages and a decent amount of text. As a bookseller I would think it was for ages 2-6, except that my 18-month-old CANNOT get enough of Airshow! Soon I will have the book memorized. Air Show! is about planes, and Oscar likes planes. In the book Ellie and her family are flying to an airshow, where they get to look at planes (lots of planes) and Ellie gets to fly in a stunt plane. The fact that a little girl is the main character in a plane book is cute, her older brother is there too, but as the story says, "he was just a know-it-all." The book has a bunch of pilot talk in it, and I am absolutely sure that when I read:

"Directional gyro?"
"Check."
"Transponder?"
"Set."

Oscar has NO IDEA what I am talking about, because I have NO IDEA what I am talking about. But, it doesn't matter. That text is on a page with a picture of an airplane's control panel thingy, the two pilots, and Ellie and her brother. I sound official reading it, and I guess that is enough for Oscar because he LOVES the picture.

Oscar loves EVERY picture in this book, including the spectacular center fold-out of the air show with 22 different airplanes illustrated and labeled with their name and the year they were made. Even I enjoy looking at the fold-out, and I'm not a plane person. When I got the review copy, it wasn't bound, so I put holes in it and tied it together with yarn to read it to Oscar. That binding might have been okay if I read it once or twice a week, but it didn't withstand 5 readings a day. So we bought the hard cover. Air Show! is the FIRST hard cover picture book I have bought for Oscar, it probably won't be the last, but Air Show does earn a special place in our family for being the first. 

As I mentioned before, I'm not a plane person; I'm also not a car person, but I will profess a weakness for trains. So, Treat Williams and Robert Neubecker, can you work together on a book about trains for me? Thanks. - Genevieve

Darn that Vacuum!

We've had some vacuuming fun tonight at spellbinder, which involved me pulling dirty ribbons & twigs out of a vacuum bag and into the trash because well, we couldn't find another vacuum bag and the one we had was full. I am now coated in a nice soft layer of black dust, but it makes me thankful that we have the vacuum for after all, all that dust was originally on the floor, and Oscar (my 11-month-old son) crawls around on the floor (yes even the bookstore floor). True the floor is still dirty and Oscar's hands after crawling about are not a sight a mother loves to see, but how much worse they would be if not for the vacuum!

Oscar is, of course, scared of the vacuum, as are many youngsters, so in response Linda Bryan Sabin has written a charming rhymer call The Sound Snatcher. The title character (a vacuum) sucks up all the sounds around him:

"He was made to eat dirt but some sound bites can't hurt so along with the dust and the fluffle he sucks in the sound he finds lying around. Each sweet taste for him like a truffle."

On each page he goes through the rooms, sucking in more noises:

"Is the telephone ringing? The parakeet singing? Has he swallowed the door buzzer's buzz? He ate without caring the radio's blaring and the only sound left is what was."

I love that last line - the only sound left is what was.

The book is published by peeking kitty press, and on every page there is a... well I'll let you guess. It is pretty cute. One of my favorite pages has few words, at the top is written,

"No sounds can out loud him..."

There are pictures of the kitty driving a fire engine with the sirens blaring, a lawn mower, an airplane, an ice cream truck, and a little boy in ear muffs. At the bottom of the page it reads,

"no ear muff can shroud him, as The Snatcher continues his prowling..."

I can see Oscar, learning his sounds and words pointing to fire engine and making the siren, and trying to make the sound of an airplane. We're not there yet, at 11 months all I get is a smile when I make the siren sound as he picks up his toy police car. But in the future this book holds great possibility for us. There is even a "LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BOOK" section in the back, with questions for readers to pepper the listeners with, such as remembering the sounds eaten in the book. There is also a "The Words I Heard" vocabulary section. I like the vocabulary section:

devour - verb (dEh-vaur) to eat or swallow, to eat greedily (as if you won't get anymore and you want all the food for yourself).

They are pretty cool definitions.

The book retails for $14.95, has library quality binding (meaning it will take a beating), and is printed in the U.S.A. This is nice. Two months ago I made myself a deal where I wouldn't buy anything new if it came from China, but when it comes to books this deal is impossible to keep. So being printed in the U.S.A. is pretty nifty. The Sound Snatcher is also printed on recycled paper with soy ink - very green; actually the cover is green (a yellowy green), it works.

The Trees Say it is Fall

Trees are an obvious reminder of the changing seasons, a perfect visual example of the movement of time and weather. So reading a book to your little one about trees is a lovely way to share Autumn's entrance, almost as nice as going outside and playing under trees.

BOARD BOOKS

One Tree
A perfect book for the "green" family, it is printed on 98% post-consumer recycled materials with soy-based inks. AND IT IS CUTE TOO! Simple text describes the animals that live in and around the tree and how the tree changes with the changing seasons. The back two pages offer ecological tips to parents and children.



Leaves
Eyelike makes spectacular books with crisp clear photos that jump of the page. This board book shows different children playing with leaves; jumping in leaves, collecting leaves, turning leaves into masks.... It is perfect for toddlers that love looking pictures of other toddlers and babies.






EARLY READERS


The Autumn Leaf
Basic text with short sentences tells the story of two children that help the last leaf on the Oak overcome it's fears to fall to the ground. A very cute level 1 (or really a pre-reader, meaning it is easier than level 1)early reader and I give it bonus points for actually telling a STORY while describing the change in seasons. I actually wish it was in board book format, because I'd like to read it to my son Oscar, but at this stage in his life he would eat it, and the paper format wouldn't last a week.




The Secret Life of Trees
A science-focused level 2 reader, this means that it has real sentences, but the words are simple. I like that they talk about broad-leaf and deciduous trees. This is a good cheap read for any child that really wants to know ABOUT trees.






PICTURE BOOKS (STORIES)


Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
This is one of my all-time favorite books. Fletcher wants to help the tree keep it's leaves, but in the end he learns about he seasons. The final page has "flocking" which is book language for glitter, and actually it is very cute.








The Busy Tree
This is a new hardcover with beautiful illustrations and very simple text. I actually think the text is a bit young, suitable for ages 2-4 but too young for a five year old, but if you like beautiful artwork this is a book for you.






PICTURE BOOKS (SCIENCE)

Sky Tree
This is a fascinating and beautiful book that uses art to teach science and vice-versa. The artwork is gorgeous, and the idea is unique and original. Each page shows the tree in different weather in different seasons with sparse text. In the back there is a paragraph for each picture with instructions on what to look for artistically and scientifically.





Oak Tree
If you want to know all the scientific details about trees, photosynthesis and more (in a picture book format) this is the book for you. There is basic knowledge written in regular sized print at the top of the page, and more scientific follow-up knowledge in smaller print at the bottom of the page. I have to admit the two print sizes are somewhat distracting, especially when the bottom scientific half takes up more than half the page, but it is still a worthwhile book, one the scientifically minded child (and adult) will enjoy.


Because I am full of indecision, all the above mentioned tree books will be our "Book of the Week" this week, even though I should say book of the month, or book of whatever time period works for me at any random moment. I apologize for my inconsistency. But at least now store shoppers have eight books that are 20% off!

The Most Beautiful Book I've Ever Seen

We received our copy of Jerry Pinkney's The Lion & The Mouse yesterday, and I have to say, it is the most beautiful book I've ever seen. The book has no words with the exception of roar and a squeak here and there. It tells its version of Aesop's fable of the Lion and the Mouse in pictures.

You open the cover and there is a safari scene with giraffes, zebras, lions, yellow grasses and washed out skies. Then, on the title page you see a mouse walking in the footprint of a lion. As the pages go on you see the mouse escape an owl and end up on a lion's back. The lion looks at the mouse and lets the her go; she returns to her nest and babies. Then you see men setting up a net, you see the lion walking into the net, and you see the lion caught in the net. The lion's roar echos across the Savannah and the mouse hears it, she runs to find the lion, chews through the net, and sets him free. The mouse brings home some net to feed her babies.

Except for the night scene when the mouse first runs from the owl the whole book is done in warm soft colors; yellows, oranges, browns, reds & pale green. I feel the heat of Africa emanating from the pages. More than a story, more than a book, it is an experience of art, a masterpiece that happens to retail for $16.99.

Jerry Pinkney has illustrated FIVE Caldecott Honor books, but no actual winners. If I were a judge this book would be a winner, it is as previously mentioned, a masterpiece. The Lion & The Mouse is Spellbinder's Book of the Week this next week, so at 20% off you can get a masterpiece for $13.59 before tax.

A Book for the Roaring Set

Cute, new, and soon to be classic; everyone loves the Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen. The Library Lion came out in 2006 as was on the bestseller list (New York Times & IndieBound) for some time. The illustrations are timeless, so much so that when it first came out I overlooked it. I always take note of flashy and bold illustrations in picture books, but then I don't always read the stories. The tale of the Library Lion is so classic only classic illustrations will do; the pictures and the story fit each other perfectly.

This is the story in a nutshell: A lion is allowed in the library because he follows the rules, he even helps the librarians with dusting and what not. One day a librarian is injured and the lion has to break the rules to get the librarian help. He is sad because now that he has broken a rule he has to leave the library, but because he broke the rule for a good reason he is allowed to stay. Yeah!

This is a book that I feel I grew up with, except I didn't; I was 30 when it was first published. However, I have a feeling a lot of future adults are going to remember it as a book they grew up with; the book is now available in paperback, a significantly cheaper option that should spread the story far and wide.

This week's Book of the Week is Library Lion! As always it is 20% off in the store.

Book of the Week - LOVE THAT PUPPY!

Every week now, I get to choose a "book of the week". This means I get to pick a book, put it on a special shelf, and tell people that it is 20% off. Of course I only choose kids books; I like kids books.

This week the book is Love that Puppy! by Jeff Jarka. As the cover will tell you, it is the story of a boy who wanted to be a dog. Love that Puppy! is a full size picture book, but a rather short story, only 26 pages; perhaps that is why it is only $12.95 where most picture books cost $17.99 these days. The story is told in a comic book-like format so that the words are secondary to the pictures, which are VERY CUTE. The sequence where Peter (the boy who wanted to be a dog) plays catch/fetch with his father is priceless.

I should note that I am a cat person; dog books don't usually catch my fancy. But Love that Dog! is different, it is really really funny.

Adios Oscar!!!

Last week, while working in the bookstore I found myself missing Oscar (my 4-month-old son) so I decided to look up books with his name in the title. There was lots on Oscar Wilde of course, but as I already have his fairytales, I let those go by. One book that I didn't pass up was Adios Oscar by Peter Elwell.

Oscar is a caterpillar who lives in a flower pot. One day a butterfly named Bob stops in on his way to Mexico. Bob has beautiful wings, and he tells Oscar that one day Oscar will have wings as well, and can fly to Mexico too. Oscar tells his caterpillar friends, who scoff at the idea, but Oscar prepares for his future life in Mexico by hanging out at the library and learning Spanish. Finally he builds a cocoon and goes to sleep - but when he wakes up, he's a moth.

Oscar's friends are having a great time flying around a light bulb for no reason, but Oscar gets bummed out ordering socks in Spanish. He gets a note from his library friend Edna that tells him to think like a butterfly, and Oscar does just that. He ignores the call of the moon and flies to MEXICO!

Some have said that my Oscar physically resembles the Oscar caterpillar illustrations in the book - I'm not sure how I feel about that - but I do love the idea of teaching my Oscar to think like a butterfly, and fly where he chooses. It is kinda like a Hans Christian Anderson tale in reverse - you can ignore the rules of nature and still be happy. Of course the Disney version of Hans Christian Anderson tales all end up happy, but well, they sure weren't written that way. With Adios Oscar, no meaning has been subverted for commercial gain - it is simply a cute fable that allows kids to follow their dreams. There is no lie that Oscar will become a butterfly, he won't, but he can think like one, and he can fly to Mexico just as they do. As a former traveller myself, this seems a grand idea.

Falloween!

Here are some fun new titles for

Halloween and beyond!

The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz
Just like the Ugly Duckling the Ugly Pumpkin just doesn't fit in, even the trees throw their apples at him. Actually the trees throwing their apples at him is one of my favorite illustrations. Finally, however the Ugly Pumpkin learns that he is a SQUASH! He makes other squash friends and enjoys a Thanksgiving feast. The rhyming text makes this book fun to read out loud.


Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex
Well the adult parody on Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Bush by Gan Golan and Erich Origen had been on the Indie Bestseller list for over a month, so why not try a different sort of parody for kids with Goodnight Goon? The truth is the original Goodnight Moon is such a classic for all ages, these parodies work really well. Kids 4 to 9 will who like gross and gnarly Halloween images will love Goodnight Goon.

Bats at the Library by Brian Lies
Okay, so sometimes I feel a bit like a one pony show, and I know I've written about it before, but this book is truly spectacular. INCREDIBLE illustrations, great text. The book can be read to kiddies year round, but the bats and darkness of nighttime do make it perfect for the upcoming haunted season. It is on the bestseller list, so it is 20% off at our store. I'm a bit annoyed with locals for not buying it as often as I think they should.

Frankenstein Takes the Cake by Adam Rex
Great for the kids 7 to 12! Adam Rex's poetry is hilarius and snarky, and if you don't think kids like snarky you may not have noticed how well books like A Series of Unfortunate Events do in bookstores and on film. Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich was a bestseller last year, and on the cover flap of Frankenstein Takes the Cake Adam Rex has a poem about his incentives for making this second Frankenstein book. Snarky, very snarky. Click here to see a you-tube video of Adam Rex reading the poem.

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
written by Julia Rawlinson, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
I haven't been in the book selling business that long, just about three years, so I am giving myself a pat on the back for picking this title for our store BEFORE it went on the Bestseller list. It is a fall book, but it ends in winter, so it can be read in both season. The plot is super sickly sweet, but it touches even cynical me. Fletcher tries to help the tree keep its leaves, and feels badly when it can't be done. But then the snow comes, and when Fletcher sees the beautiful snow on the tree's branches, he realizes everything is okay.

Paperback Love

So Many Cool Picture Books

in Paperback!

T is for Terrible by Peter McCarty
Tyrannosaurus doesn't want to be terrible, he would be a vegetarian if he could. Would it be better if he was pink? A quirky and hilarious book with FANTASTIC illustrations.

Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp by Carol Diggory Shields, illustrated by Scott Nash
Dinosaurs party until the Cenozoic age in this fun, rhyming story with bright and goofy illustrations.

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

by Julia Rawlinson, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
A Beautiful tale of a young fox's love for a tree. Fletcher tries to help the tree keep all his leaves, but wakes up to a winter surprise. The sweet story is well complemented with Beeke's soft watercolor illustrations.
Meet Wild Boars by Meg Rosoff & Sophie Blackall
A story that defies description, but I'll try. Wild boars are mean and nasty, and though you can try to be nice to them, they'll be nasty still. Rhythmic words and fun illustrations with truly ugly boars keep you turning pages.
Monkey Business by Wallace Edwards
I know I've written about this one before, but it is really really good. Edwards illustrates common idioms in their bizarreness - playing musical instruments by ear, dogs eating dogs, etc. Each illustration is so incredible you'll want to put the entire book in a frame.

Frankenstein Takes the Cake

Feel like a chuckle? Click here to see why Adam Rex made a sequel to last year's Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich with this years Frankenstein Takes the Cake. Being an Adam Rex fan I of course own both books. At first I was bummed that Frankenstein Takes the Cake didn't have as many oil illustrations as Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich (more was done with photos & cartoons), but I have to say, the poems are better than ever! I especially like the Official Blog of the Headless Horseman, whose pumpkin head starts rotting.

Great books, but I'm still waiting for a full-length novel to follow-up The True Meaning of Smekday!

Awesome New Picture Books

I've always been a sucker for the large format picture books. In hardcover, they are just about the most expensive items of children's literature around, but still, the artwork is often breathtaking. But artwork alone is not enough to make me a fan, it is when the artwork and words both add to the other, that a truly great picture books exists. We are lucky that TWO new great picture books have hit the shelves recently.

First there is Bats at the Library by Brian Lies. This is the follow-up to last summer's surprise hit Bat's at the Beach, but in this instance the sequel surpasses the original. In Bats at the Library book-loving bats roam the book-filled halls of the Public Library on Bat Night, until it's time for everyone, young and old, to settle down into the enchantment of story time. The illustrations are thrilling with an air of night time excitement, and book lovers will delight in the pictorial references to classic stories for youth. The words are rhythmic and as a reader I was torn between wanting to study the illustrations or turn the page to read next sentence. This book will be a classic.

Next we have the paperback release of Monkey Business by Wallace Edwards. Monkey Business is Edward's illustrations of common idioms. My favorite is the fish opening the can of worms. Monkey Business was originally published in hardcover in 2004, and it only took 4 years to come out in paperback! (I'm being sarcastic) I guess we are lucky it came out in paperback at all, many children's picture books never make it into paper editions. I'm not sure most children under six will understand the concept of idioms, but they will enjoy the pictures, which jump off the page in their detailed bizarreness. This is a great book for parents and slightly older kids, who will grasp and adore it, as well as learn some new idioms.