The World of Imagination
In the picture books in this section, anything can happen. Although impossible in real life, the stories take place in the fertile ground of the imaginative mind. Children can learn about real life through the stories, too, as characters or themes may be real even if situations are not. Silly or sweet, magical or mysterious, these books encourage the reader to think creatively.
This delightful story focuses on the illustrations, which are being drawn as the story progresses. The pencil of the title—the main character—draws a boy, a dog, a cat, and from there much, much more. The story begins in black and white (it’s a pencil, remember?), then picks up color after the pencil draws a paintbrush. Conflict comes in the shape of an eraser! The humor is gentle and understated; for example, most of the characters insist on being named by the pencil. See the endpapers, where objects and their names are on display, such as a bridge named Ramona and a rug named Marcus. The acrylic illustrations underline the humor with their simplicity and child appeal. Readers and listeners familiar with Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson will note the same self-referential theme, although The Pencil contains more characters and color. An excellent choice for artists young and old who believe in the power of the pencil and the pen—and the eraser. In a similar vein, read Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty (Holt, 2009).
Here is an alphabet book starring, as the title promises, peas. More than just a green vegetable, these peas sport facial features, arms, and legs, as they ride bikes, play musical instruments, and perform science experiments, among many other activities. Each letter of the alphabet represents, and is surrounded by, peas of a certain occupation or peas engaged in activity; for example, hikers climb over the H and miners tunnel through the M. One to three of these jobs partner with each letter. Digital illustrations feature a large letter on each page, although some pages contain two letters and some letters take two pages. The little peas and their equipment go over, under, around, or through the letter. Touches of humor give a light mood to the book, as does the overall demeanor of the peas. The rhyming text flows along, with just a few words on each page; after a reading or two, young listeners will probably be able to identify what word comes next with a little prompting. Even for those who turn up their nose at eating peas, this ABC book is a delicious experience.
In this hugely entertaining fantasy, a young boy acquires a weighty task: to take care of a blue whale. Told in the first person, the text contains statements that the illustrations humorously contradict. Adults reading this book will appreciate the sly humor; for example, the blue whale owner’s manual mimics a foldout airline safety card, with its diagrams and arrows. In every scene in which Billy’s parents appear, dialogue balloons cover them from the neck up, underscoring the pronouncements coming from faceless authority. The author cleverly sneaks in facts about the blue whale and dinosaurs, which take nothing away from the laugh-out-loud mood of the story. Endpapers feature old-fashioned ads for odd products having to do with the sea, keeping the silly mood going.
All hail the creative brains behind this book! One vigorous situation after another spurs a battle between a shark and a train. Who would win if these anthropomorphized toys were pitted against each other in, say, a pie-eating contest or bowling? All these settings are framed by two pages preceding the title page that depict two boys digging through a toy box to find the shark and the train, and two pages at the end that show the boys tossing their favorites back in the toy box before they run to lunch. This story presents a perfect blend of word and picture, where the text presents the situation and action-packed illustrations bring out the humor in over-the-top fashion. Dialogue balloons provide even more sly humor, which will appeal to adults reading the story as well as to the children listening. Look for the page that gives new meaning to the phrase “jump the shark” and an homage to its origins. For lovers of action, comedy, ridiculous situations, and, of course, sharks and trains.
With droll humor in the text and laugh-inducing illustrations, this story asks that the reader or listener use imagination and yet face cold reality. The imagined pig parade, gloriously illustrated in acrylics featuring snappy uniforms, brilliant color, and even fireworks, marches out cartoon-style pigs. Compare those to the realistic porcines featured in the pages that explain why pigs will never march, dress in uniform, or play band instruments. The close-up of the pig snout after snuffling along the street is priceless! Children and the adults who read to them can enjoy this book on different levels of humor and laugh together.
For readers and listeners in search of pure fantasy of the “wouldn’t it be great if …” variety, this book is a real find. For every purchase, doctor’s visit, and haircut, a child receives a free dinosaur. Not the little plastic ones, but a real dinosaur. In the comical illustrations of watercolor and ink, the little boy appears thrilled and store clerks and nurses unruffled; the only one who seems to be upset is the boy’s mother. The dinos, of course, appear huge on each page where they are featured; on others, only their big heads are visible through windows. For those kids who are begging for a pet, this story offers a lot of parallels. (Did the hadrosaur really follow him home? Or did he tempt it with a doughnut?) Even Mom comes to terms with the dinosaurs in the end, and all live happily ever after. For more giant fun, see Laura Joy Rennert’s Buying, Training & Caring for Your Dinosaur, a humorous list-type story.
Bountiful color bursts from the pages of this story, which combines facts about chicle with a fantastical journey through time. Chavela blows bubbles of all shapes and sizes, and when she finds some magic chicle at the store, she must have it. Her abuelita—her grandmother—tells her about her own father who was a chiclero in the rain forests. Soon Chavela blows a bubble with the magic chicle that takes her to Mexico, where she meets a little girl and other children playing near the chicle trees. The real magic is revealed when Chavela returns home and finds out that her abuelita was that little girl. Candy colors make up the full-page illustrations, rendered in acrylics. Certain words—bubbles, chicle, abuelita, magic, bigger, and many more—appear in color and in expressive fonts that are different from the text. Sentences swirl and swoop on many pages, just as Chavela flies through the air with her magic chicle. An appealing main character plus magic equals a beautiful story. An author’s note expands on the facts about the sapodilla trees and the chicle harvested from them.
A nighttime adventure with her pet answers Marie Elaine’s question about where cats go after dark. The magic of word and picture makes Marie Elaine small as she and her cat escape out the cat door and navigate through the city to a party. Simple yet charming mixed-media illustrations become much more colorful in the party scenes. Whereas the background in the first half of the book is cream-colored or gray, the party pictures feature a textured black background and very colorful cats in fancy clothes. A couple of two-page spreads contain no text at all, with the preceding pages’ words explained visually. Marie Elaine and her friend Norman, who has accompanied them, meet the Queen of the Cats, enjoy a good meal, dance, and finally go home. The last illustration, with a normal cat and normal-sized girl, may have readers wondering if it was all a dream. And that may be the beginning of a very interesting discussion.
An incorrigible chicken does the opposite of what she is supposed to do, frustrating Farmer and Mrs. Bucket and their daughter, Fanny. Everything comes to a head when Coriander sets up her nest in the middle of the road, blocking traffic and causing the Buckets to despair. Finally, Fanny, with a bit of reverse psychology, convinces her to move back to the henhouse. The illustrations, delightfully silly, show Coriander as a magazine-reading, skateboard-riding, popcorn-eating diva (check out her pink glasses); the other animals and humans come across just as funny. Coriander’s replies to the Buckets’ chiding are spelled out in large letters, as are the noises of the vehicles that are backed up on the road. A fun book for a lively read-aloud session.
The familiar ugly duckling theme appears here, but it is remarkably fresh in this book first published in Taiwan. In this case, the odd egg that Mother Duck hatches produces a crocodile that blends right in with his siblings until three mean crocodiles accost him. Forced to decide where he belongs, Guji Guji stays with those who treat him as family, and the bad crocodiles meet a justified punishment. Charming artwork adds to the text, supplying a great dose of humor. The background color in many scenes reflects the mood: several pages featuring the crocodile trio are set in black or gray. Librarians and teachers will appreciate the nod to books; Mother Duck is oblivious to the new egg in her nest because she is reading, and later on she is shown reading to her four babies. This story would make a good source for discussions on adoption and what makes a family. For another take on crocodiles, fowl, and hatching unrelated eggs, see Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile (Holt, 2003), by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert.
Who knew that cows, armed with a manual typewriter, could type their demands for electric blankets? Farmer Brown finds that out, and when he balks at their request, he learns that these bossy bovines can also go on strike. When the chickens join the strike, Farmer Brown is forced to negotiate. Just when he thinks everyone is happy, the ducks get into the act. The incongruous images of cows using their hooves to type and animals demanding warm blankets provide the silly humor of this book. The comical illustrations, in watercolor, enhance the laugh-out-loud mood of the story. The sounds of the clicking, clacking typing, plus the typed notes, take shape in typewriter-type script. This book would make an excellent choice for reading aloud, with repetition of the main title throughout the book, the depiction of the angry farmer, and the antics of the disgruntled animals. Labor disputes and cows have never been so funny. Appealing absurdity, bovine-style, is also available in Margie Palatini’s Boo-Hoo Moo (HarperCollins, 2009) and Andy Cutbill’s The Cow That Laid an Egg (HarperCollins, 2008).
A group of veteran rescue bunnies (think first responders) is saddled with a trainee called Newbie. Rather clumsy but eager to help, Newbie accompanies the team on a mission to rescue a giraffe from a mudhole. Comical illustrations show the bunnies in their uniforms, doing their jobs and avoiding the nasty hyenas that threaten the giraffe. Adults reading this story to children will appreciate the additional comments and dialogue balloons, part of the illustrations, which incorporate lines from movies. These add a bit of irreverence to this sweet story with just enough of a humorous edge. This could be the only children’s book to combine a spice rack, the Bunny Hop, and a nervous giraffe.
With poetic language and stylized illustrations, this beautiful lullaby of a book invites the reader along on a walk through a young boy’s town. An aaab rhyme scheme where the last line repeats the book’s title creates a lulling rhythm and sense of cohesiveness. Jay’s trademark paintings, rounded characters with skinny extremities, were created with alkyd oil paint on paper with a crackling varnish; close examination will reveal fine lines throughout, for a pleasantly classic effect. White space (off-white in this case) frames the illustrations, not with a defined line, but with a fuzzy border around each rectangle or half-circle, which enhances the duskiness of the time of day. Facts about the moon and nighttime conclude the book, making it an excellent source to combine literature and science.
An anthropomorphized house, determined to take a vacation when its family leaves, sets off on a trip. The travel, plus events at the seashore, takes a toll. The humor in this story comes from the clever wordplay of the text and the cartoon illustrations of oil and colored pencil. The expressions of eyes and mouths on the doors, windows, roof, and chimney help the reader or listener enter into the banter between these elements. Partying houseflies, little legs on the house, and animated inanimate objects make this a delightful romp. There’s no place like home for a house to rest up from a holiday … and then the family returns.
Being late to school can inspire some pretty good stories, but this one is a whopper. A little boy tells his teacher why the wind made him late, and she is not buying it. His imaginative stories, enhanced by color-saturated illustrations in acrylic paint and charcoal pencil, portray the situations in all their dandelion-, puppy-, and hat-blowing glory. (See figure 5.1.) Almost every page turn leads into the teacher’s words in red, short and unbelieving, which in turn lead to more fanciful stories from the boy. A twist ending provides even more humor to this lively story. Another blustery book, Flora’s Very Windy Day (Clarion, 2010) by Jeanne Birdsall, features a girl who rescues her little brother when they are blown away.
When Mom orders Morton to play with his little brother, he imagines the toddler as something more interesting, including a dragon. Illustrations in charcoal, ink, and watercolor complement the text with bold imagination. The text itself is quite spare, with the illustrations telling the whole story, especially the limitations of a dragon playing basketball, swimming, or seeing a movie. The details such as the tiny shoes on the dragon’s toes and the sunbathing dragon reading DQ magazine inspire hilarity. In the last scene, Morton, fed up with the dragon, plays with his little brother as a real boy and both have a great time. For an imaginative take on sibling issues, this book is hugely entertaining. Morton lets his imagination run wild again in If I Were a Jungle Animal (Simon & Schuster, 2009).
Poor Jack trades for or searches for the ingredients in his quest to make a beautiful cake, complete with walnuts and a strawberry. He intends to take the cake to the princess, celebrating her tenth birthday with a big party. But after meeting some hungry blackbirds, a wild troll, a dancing bear, and other obstacles, Jack arrives with nothing to present to the princess except this story of his journey from home to palace. Gouache-and-pencil illustrations present Jack as hardworking and determined, and the characters who thwart him as sometimes scary, sometimes comical. The endpapers frame the story with the delivery of the invitation to the party at the front and Jack regaling the princess with the story at the back. Notice the use of multiple illustrations on one page to suggest activity and the passage of time. Jack turns lemons into lemonade in this satisfying and clever tale.
For those who have heard of the Sandman and his ability to help people fall asleep, but who have always wondered what he looks like, here he is revealed in all his tiny glory. How does he produce the sand, which comes from dragons’ scales? How does he travel around the world to sprinkle the sand in people’s eyes? Read and find out! The droll illustrations combine large full-color art with some smaller brown-and-white drawings to move the action along. Children will want to linger at the illustrations of the Sandman’s bedroom and workshop, where they will be able to identify all types of tiny items that he uses. Contrast the illustrations of the dragon, which are appropriately impressive and large, with the tiny Sandman and his mouse-drawn cart.
With unique illustrations in black, white, and silvery gray, this book enters the imagination of Willoughby Smith, who finds the moon on the other side of his closet door. A large snail accompanies him on his travels around the moon to help the snail find a ball. Adventures in a moon buggy and a space pod follow. Willoughby’s room is black and white, but when he leaves it to step onto the moon, shiny silver becomes the dominant color. The contrast continues as Willoughby and the snail’s body (but not its shell) appear as simply drawn black line figures, while all around them the art conveys depth and texture. One especially impressive spread is a map of the moon on one page, with a cutaway of the inner workings of the moon on the facing page. The text reads in a matter-of-fact manner, with Willoughby continually calming the rather fearful snail. This mirrors the text on the first page, where Willoughby’s mother asks him if he is afraid. A reassuring yet adventuresome book, perfect for bedtime. Willoughby first shows up in Willoughby & the Lion (Bowen/HarperCollins, 2009), which combines black and white with gold.
The illustrations and text work together perfectly in this tale. A goblin, believing he is too ugly to be seen, becomes somewhat of a hermit. Interestingly, his entire face is never seen in the illustrations. But after many years he observes individual members of a farmer’s family, all overcome with sorrow. At night and unseen, the goblin helps out with the fieldwork, gardening, and even comforting. The family members realize the aid this stranger has given and invite him in to eat. A strong sense of loss permeates the story. The deceptively spare and simple text and the illustrations of ink and watercolor express a gamut of emotions. Each page contains one square illustration with a border above, rendered in colored pencil and portraying the action that occurs immediately before the main illustration. The combination of Fox’s storytelling and the Dillons’ art make this tale of an ugly goblin beautiful.
This sweet and brave story begins with the assumption that cats can fly. But the title character cannot, and he feels badly about it. Soft illustrations of feats of cat derring-do and Caramba’s attempts to master flying will bring a smile. With the help of his best friend, Portia the Pig, plus his cousins, Caramba finds wherein his talents lie—the water. The seascapes and landscapes, lovely in shades of green, provide details for the listener to explore and complement this gently humorous tale.
In this fanciful take on what happens to baby teeth that fall out, two small fairies convince their parents that they are old enough to collect a young boy’s tooth and leave a coin. This tooth fairy family, portrayed as close and loving, invites young listeners behind the scenes as the parents give their approval and go over all the details of how to accomplish their mission. Ink-and-watercolor art shows two appealing little girls with wings, Dad with wings and a ponytail, Mom with wings and a tattoo, and their tiny cottage decorated with teeth, among other objects. The trip to Daniel’s house and their work once they get there contains a few scenes of mild danger. (What about that owl? The tooth is in a cup of water! What if Daniel wakes up?) Ending scenes, on facing pages, present the tooth fairy parents putting their tired little ones to bed and the boy showing his coin to his grandma, providing closure on both ends of the story. With quiet energy, the text and illustrations provide a tale that is at once old-fashioned, but with touches of modern, as when the fairies receive calls on cell phones.
As the title promises, unless she is strapped down or under a heavy crown or dressed in a gown with weights, the princess floats. She longs to get out from under her burden and, when the Balloon Man in the park lets her float with his balloons, she loves it. The illustrations will amuse young listeners. Who wouldn’t like topiary animals, complicated systems to keep the princess grounded, and—always popular—underwear? The brush-and-ink characters, with oil-painted backgrounds, appear appropriately airy and weighty where they should. The words in the text even float up in the right places. The book ends with tea and popcorn; what could be better? Note the smallness of the princess in relation to the castle. This fantasy imbued with humor cinches that feeling of not always being in control of what happens.
With its appealing animal illustrations and its feel-good storyline, this tale will delight just about anyone, especially those with a soft spot for lost dogs. Benny the Baker finds a dog on his doorstep. While Benny initially resists, the little dog wins him over by his popularity with customers and, ultimately, his life-saving deed. A variety of animals that act like humans populates this story. Even the dog, which usually acts like a canine, wears a suit coat and bowler hat and reads books. He does not talk, but the other characters do. With acrylic, gouache, watercolors, and colored pencils, Saaf has created a world where bears can be bakers and elephants can be regular customers. The variety of illustration sizes and placement provide visual interest and draw attention to the most heartwarming scenes. Endpapers feature a variety of bakery favorites that look good enough to eat!
A dreamy dance of a story, this book takes the view of the world from high above, where the weaver spins and dyes and works her threads into a beautiful tapestry that illustrates life on earth. The delicate and detailed illustrations fill the pages with happy scenes of families, animals, cityscapes, and elements of nature. The beginning features the rising sun and light-filled pages. As the story progresses and the day wears on, the illustrations begin to fill with a dusky blue. The weaver completes her work throughout the story, finally pulling her handiwork across the earth as people settle down to sleep and she rejoins her family for her own bedtime. These gorgeous illustrations present a soothing calm, matched by the poetic language of the text, which is filled with gentle rhythm and words of color and love. A note at the beginning explains a backstrap loom, the type portrayed in the illustrations.
Beautiful watercolor artwork spreads over each page as a toy train makes its way with cars carrying stuffed animals. As they board, the animals announce where they want to go—the pond, the field, the forest, the mountains—and make animal noises. This provides opportunities for participation as listeners can chime in on the quack-quacks and the baa-baas, not to mention the whoo-whoos of the train. As the story rolls on, the train drops off each animal and continues on its way to Central Station. A wonderful blend of fantasy and reality, this story also shows how text and illustrations can contradict yet integrate. The pond where the duck stops is a fish bowl, the forest where the monkey disembarks is a large plant, and mountains are large pillows on the sofa; the illustrations provide the reality while the text names them as the animals do. A comforting journey story for young train lovers, this little train will take listeners to a satisfying conclusion and a happy reunion between two of the animals.
For those who wonder where those big parade balloons go when they are not floating tethered along the street, this story offers an imaginative tale of one balloon who made his plan to finally get away. Acrylic illustrations portray the balloon warehouse and the parade scenes all neatly enclosed in bordered squares and rectangles. As the story progresses, the ropes and balloons extend beyond these borders until, at the end, an unframed two-page spread shows Ray in his final escape. Interestingly, unlike the other balloon figures, Ray is never shown completely; bits of him are seen through windows or in the corner of an illustration. Even in that last picture, where he is whole, he appears as a black shadow in the twilit night. Young readers and listeners will enjoy the humorous illustrations and the balloon escape, while older readers may consider this a meditation on freedom.
Kneen has created a book for chocolate lovers. In this fanciful story, a moose takes a job at a bakery owned by Mrs. Mouse. Even as Moose does everything wrong and makes many messes in the kitchen, Mrs. Mouse, with her many children, finds something that he can do well. Beautifully textured illustrations give readers a moose and mice that look pettable. Cakes, sandwiches, and pancakes also have this touchable quality. Sound words such as squish, slurp, and splat are part of the text in just about every other page spread, where they appear in color and in a different font from the rest of the text. Readers and listeners will delight in the actions of the large but friendly Moose and the tiny mice. The word chocolate and illustrations of chocolate appear on many pages, even the endpapers. Yum!
This wordless book follows a class on a field trip to an art museum, where one boy becomes separated from the group. As he wanders, he discovers a room with a display of small mazes in a glass case. Through the magic of fiction, he enters the mazes and solves them, running from one to the next. When he finally exits the mazes and room, he reunites with his class, and any question about whether his adventure actually happened is answered on the last page. With illustrations rendered in watercolor, gouache, and ink, Lehman delivers spare drawings of the human characters as colorful, with a bold black outline. The main character in a red sweatshirt stands out in each scene. Notice the perspective of space used: deep in some scenes, shallow in others. Adults who share this book with children may identify famous works of art that appear. Both adults and children will want to trace their way through the six mazes that the young boy solves. For another wordless adventure that involves a bit of magic, see Lehman’s Rainstorm (Houghton Mifflin, 2007).
Ideal for read-aloud, this story joins the title character as he walks down the street and gets into some messes. The shoes of which he is so proud turn colors, but that doesn’t bother Pete, who keeps on walking and singing. The repetition in his song and the question asked after he steps into various things—not to mention identifying what he steps into—will make this a very participatory book for groups. The artwork beams with glorious color, especially in blue, red, and brown. And those white shoes, those ever-changing shoes, take center stage on the feet of Pete.
Young NASCAR fans will want to take this one out for a spin. Combining fast cars, charming animals, and humorous images, this story is a winner. Every other two-page spread features the hamster’s friend, a large dog, asking him to make choices about size, color, and parts for his car. When Hamster is finally helmeted and ready to go, he faces larger competitors and bigger cars, but guess who wins? The acrylic illustrations, bright and colorful, feature mice mechanics and the inherent humor in animals putting together a race car. The front endpapers feature a race poster, while the back ones show the winner and his trophies. The questions about choice throughout will have young readers and listeners volunteering their own choices. Full of action, just like a race, this story doesn’t stop until it reaches the finish line. For more driving fun, see Kristy Dempsey’s Mini Racer (Bloomsbury, 2011), which features animals racing a variety of wheeled vehicles.
The rhyming title gives just a sneak peek at what readers and listeners will find within: an exuberant story told in lilting rhyme and rhythm. A little girl blows a bubble, which somehow captures her baby brother. As he floats through the air, out of the window, and through the town, more and more people follow behind. These adults and children, who have first or last names that rhyme with each other or that contain similar internal sounds, make for quite an audience as the little guy floats higher and higher. With a well-aimed pebble in a slingshot and a catching quilt, several people save the baby. The watercolor-and-cut paper illustrations, full of jocularity and bright colors, mingle wonderfully with the humorous verse. The illustrations take up both pages in each page turn, with the baby usually in the far right corner, a dotted line showing his progress across the sky and page. First published in the United Kingdom, this story rolls along in a jolly blend of fantasy and fun.
A family, living in a cold place, tries to keep warm and be brave, especially when a monster—a giant hand—comes in and removes items. The family finds itself surrounded by whipped cream towers, hills of oranges, and broccoli trees as they huddle in their little box. One by one, they go out to search for a warmer place to live. This book provides a wonderful example of the text relating the story on one level and the illustrations, comical and sly, completing that story. Each page abounds in humor, but some stand out for laugh-out-loud zaniness, including the scene where Mama jumps into what she thinks is a warm lake, but that eventually gels and has her stuck. All ends well as the family escapes the cold place, finds its rightful spot, and becomes once more warm and useful. The endpapers of the book, as well as the title, should give readers and listeners clues to what will happen, but the strength of the story and the illustrations can make those hearing it for the first time wonder what is really going on. Fantasy at its crazy, warmhearted best!
Although young children may not have heard the word gossip, they will understand it after hearing this story. The barnyard animals pass along a secret from one to another, until it becomes clear that each one hears and tells it a little bit differently. Then it goes all the way back again until they find out the truth. The mixed-media illustrations, simple yet effective, include elements of collage and repetitive design almost like wallpaper on some pages. Of course, in every illustration, the animals’ mouths are open, adding to the imagery of constant yakking. Teachers may want to play the telephone game, where children in a circle whisper a phrase from one to another, then see how much of it changes from the first person to the last. McDonald’s story is a humorous introduction to a problem that can lead to hurt feelings. Pair with Marjorie Dennis Murray’s Hippo Goes Bananas! (Marshall Cavendish, 2008) and The Jungle Grapevine by Alex Beard (Abrams, 2009).
Avast, mateys! This pirate book starts out with a bang. Someone fires on Captain Abdul’s pirate ship and leaves a treasure chest. When captain and crew discover a baby inside, left by Abdul’s wife, Doris, they take to babysitting with all the verve that they put into pirating. The rowdy bunch dresses, feeds, entertains, and teaches the mini-pirate in a series of humorous scenes. The ink-and-watercolor illustrations, featuring humorously nasty-looking pirates, combine with a text full of piratespeak and pirate songs. Each page features a very large word or two at the beginning of the sentence, with numerous words and sentences in bold throughout. Adult readers can let their inner pirate out as they “Arrgh!” and “Yo-ho-ho!” their way through this hilarious yarn. Other humorous pirate stories include Laura Leuck’s I Love My Pirate Papa (Harcourt, 2007) and Melinda Long’s Pirates Don’t Change Diapers (Harcourt, 2007).
When a young boy learns that humans are composed mostly of water, his imagination veers to extremes. Soon he refuses even to take a bath. With his mother’s help, he overcomes his fear and from there, the story becomes a fantasy, with water from a faucet spelling his name and the force of his hand stopping waves. Eventually he learns to distill water and sunlight and finds a way to clean up rivers and oceans. This gentle book captures a child’s fears, imaginings, and love of nature. The message that rivers need to be cleaned up is never overbearing, but integrates into the story of the boy’s coming to understand the wider world. McPhail’s soft illustrations appear in squares on most pages, but three scenes take the full two pages each, and these depict the boy in bigger settings: on beach cliffs, on the shore, and on a bridge overlooking the river. The endpapers, too, depict shore scenes that go off the edges of the page and feature the wildlife of the area. This book is smaller in size than the typical picture book, making it ideal for one-on-one reading and sharing.
An imaginative look at the beginning of the cold season in a forest, this German import features animals who think, talk, and imagine. A squirrel, a hedgehog, and a bear find ways to take up time while waiting for snow to fall, including exercise and singing. Eventually, they search for this white, wet, cold, soft substance they have heard of and find some unusual substitutes. The illustrations of a fall of toothbrushes, socks, and tin cans come as humorous surprises. The text itself is not overly long, and many pages feature no words at all. Line drawings in muted black and white, with some brown and orange brushing the animals, reflect the bare winter season. The illustrations expand the text, which never mentions the odd items the animals find, and depict them realistically. When the real snow finally arrives, it is beautiful, and spread wordlessly over five full pages.
For those who like their humor silly, yet detailed, this may be the perfect book. The title monkey, Chico Bon Bon, does indeed use a tool belt filled with both real and not-so-real tools. This busy little monkey fixes things around his house. As he searches for the source of a loud noise, he is pictured in various rooms in a detailed two-page spread. When he finally discovers the cause, it takes twelve panels of rectangular drawings to illustrate his plan to eliminate the noise. The brightly colored, humorous illustrations range from these large spreads to pages that have four or five small drawings. Chico takes precautions when he uses his tools, including donning a hard hat and earplugs, and he certainly demonstrates knowledge of all of the tools. The humor arises from the situations, which should provide lots of laughs. Chico makes his debut in Monkey with a Tool Belt. Pair with Marc Rosenthal’s Archie and the Pirates (Harper Collins, 2009), which also offers goofy fun and detailed drawings.
Luxuriant illustrations that cover each two-page spread draw the reader and listener in, embracing them as Mother Sky does with her Little Night. Even though a fantasy, the characters and their actions resemble those of any mother and child who are preparing for bedtime, with a little one who hides. Little Night insists that her mother find her, and Mother Sky obliges. In keeping with the theme of approaching nighttime, the colors gleam in deep roses, blues, greens, and purples, finally studded with stars. The crocheted-cloud nightgown, Milky Way mustache, and planet hairpins provide beautiful touches. Reminiscent of The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown, this story celebrates the love of mother and child, with a mother who will always care for her little one.
Can young children understand Zen? They can, in an elementary way, through this meditative book. Three children find a large bear named Stillwater in their backyard. Each of them spends time with the bear, who tells each child an old story from Buddhist and Tao roots, which is just what they need at the time. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations contain color in the main part of the story but become black and white on a light blue, green, or yellow background for the individual stories Stillwater tells. This device, the simple language, and the everyday situations (except for a large talking bear in the backyard!) go far to make Eastern philosophy understandable to young ones. From the illustrations only, one might be tempted to pronounce this book whimsical because it features a bear with a red parasol; that would cheapen it. Stillwater has a quiet elegance that fits perfectly with what he is trying to convey to the children. He appears again in Zen Ties (Scholastic, 2008), which introduces haiku, and Zen Ghosts (Scholastic, 2010), which features a Halloween setting.
Combine heavy machinery and birthday cake and out pops this delightful and detailed look at the construction of a dessert with construction equipment. Originally published in Japan, this book features a bevy of heavy trucks that mix the ingredients, pour the batter into the pan, and then bake it. After they frost and decorate the cake, it is presented to a little boy who, judging from his toys, loves construction machinery. From the illustration on the title page, it appears that the mother orders a cake from the construction workers. The text is spare—one line per page, just enough to tell what the machines are doing. Bright and mostly primary colors and the realistic-looking trucks will appeal to those who can’t get enough of front loaders, backhoes, and dump trucks. Little people scramble all over the place, helping and signaling, and even taking a break, just like real construction workers. Look for one who has fallen in each scene. A wonderful blend of fantasy and reality.
When Simon worked as a baker, before he was robbed and had to sell his shop, he would help a poor girl named Sally by providing bread for a penny. After more setbacks for Simon, Sally appears to him and gives him a pouch of dried raspberries. Much like Jack of beanstalk fame, Simon plants the seeds and wakes up to find raspberries growing on multiple bushes. When he cannot sell the fruit, he joins a baker in town in making raspberry tarts, which soon grow to be quite famous. Throughout the story, the taste of raspberries or of the tarts makes people exclaim or sing the word raspberries, which appears in red print and spreads across the page with extra letters. The liveliness of the text makes it a good read-aloud, while the folk art illustrations portray the people and setting in an old-time way. Reminiscent of the art of Grandma Moses, the illustrations are the work of her great-grandson. For a story of small-town life, with a touch of magic, Raspberries! is sweet indeed.
With elements of Buck Rogers, Star Trek, and Dinotopia, plus action, suspense, and a little humor, this rip-roaring adventure practically bursts from its pages. Illustrated in panels, but with some large illustrations, the story contains elements of the graphic novel and the picture book. Some of the page turns feature a question that builds suspense before the reader discovers what happens on the next page. The twist in this fast-moving space opera: the main characters are dinosaurs, intelligent and outfitted in armor for their explorations. As they bounce from one seemingly inescapable situation to the next, they confront beasts with the help of their tools and their wits. Listeners and readers who enjoy science fiction, dinosaurs, and nonstop adventure will thrill to this story, which older teachers and parents will find reminiscent of books and movies of their childhood. Avid fans will also want to check out Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates (Walker, 2007).
A little toy tractor with a farmer on board passes from father to son in this delightful story of unbounded imagination. Jed wakes up to find that the toy farmer has plowed his bedroom rug into a field in which a complicated plant quickly grows and bears a pumpkin. The plant and pumpkin exhibit a mechanical look in the brightly colored cartoon-style illustrations. As the plant grows, the farmer, tractor, and other toys all seem to be as big as Jed … or has he shrunk to their size? At this point, he convincingly enters into the farmer’s world, as will the readers. The ending turns poignant as father and son share an understanding of this special experience. In the last few pages, the pumpkin morphs into the moon, still with its mechanical wind-up key.
A fascinating look at the life of a young Romany (Gypsy) boy, this book features an imaginary mischief maker. When a banjo breaks or when a horse is scared, Jean knows that the Django did it, even though he gets blamed. Watercolor illustrations combine full-page scenes and small scenes framed like old photographs. The detail, especially of faces, is rendered beautifully; the settings of the gypsy wagons, a town, and a gypsy camp provide the minutiae to make this cultural group come alive. Based loosely on Jean “Django” Reinhardt, a jazz musician, the story ends with information about him and his extraordinary talent. A story of family and the power of music to heal.
Can a lady’s pampered pig take her place when she must suddenly leave the country? With a little imagination enhanced by the outrageous illustrations, anything can happen! Ginger’s pig, Petunia, inadvertently left alone, takes over everything she has seen Ginger do, including cooking, dressing in fancy clothes, teaching piano lessons, and attending parties. She still misses her long mud baths, though, which eventually lands her in a messy situation. But by that time Ginger arrives home and all is well. Brightly colored illustrations fill whole pages, except where the text resides, allowing the larger-than-life characters the space they need. With pencils and markers, Polacco renders a very believable, if fantastic, world. Ginger and Petunia come across as two grand and eccentric ladies. That one is a pig just doesn’t matter. It adds to the fun.
This unique book fairly begs to be read with Coltrane’s music playing in the background. Its story is about listening to the tempo, the instruments, the harmony, and the melody in the composition of the title. With watercolor-and-ink illustrations, abstract shapes of a box, snowflake, raindrops, and a sketch of a kitten come together and eventually go too fast and must be stopped. The author then explains what went wrong and begins again. The pages are numbered, unusual for a picture book, because the author refers to pages in his explanation. Raschka’s jazz style demonstrates how music can be translated into picture and color and movement. Teachers and parents using this book with children may want to try other jazz compositions and have the children draw what they hear. For Raschka’s take on a classical piece, see Peter and the Wolf (Richard Jackson/Atheneum, 2008). Complement this with Jazz on a Saturday Night (Blue Sky/Scholastic, 2007) by Leo and Diane Dillon or with Karen Ehrhardt’s This Jazz Man (Harcourt, 2006).
When Carter discovers that his best friend, Oliver, invited another friend to go to the planetarium with him, he decides that he will build a spaceship and fly away without him. He comes up with a step-by-step plan to design and construct a spaceship with the help of an engineer, metalworker, welder, plumber, and electrician. Each adult helper’s name is related to his or her work; for example, the plumber’s name is Mr. Waters. The illustrations feature Reed’s signature comic style, using acrylic paint, scanned and photographed objects, and Photoshop. The figures, childlike in style, contrast with some detailed plans of the actual spaceship and Carter’s neatly printed to-do lists. Bold colors combine with photos of tools, pipes, and wire for a visually stimulating experience. With the text in first person, the story feels personal and immediate, as it explores the emotions of feeling left out and, at the end, doing the right thing.
Playing up the joke that recipes for buffalo wings contain no buffalo, this rollicking story follows a rooster who wants to prepare some food for the other animals while they watch a football game. In search of buffalo, he travels to a rodeo, national park, and water park, all of which have the word buffalo in their name, but with no luck. When he finally meets some buffalo, he discovers that the recipe calls for chicken wings. Bright watercolor illustrations cover each two-page spread and feature farm animals—and buffalo—in hilarious and human poses. With the popularity of cooking shows that attract all ages, this book will add some spice to storytimes with food or barnyard themes. It includes two recipes on the back endpapers. For more food fun, check out the author-illustrator team’s first outing, Chicks and Salsa (Bloomsbury, 2005).
A penguin who plays soccer wins the big game for his team. With a fairly simple color scheme of black and white, red and gold, and sometimes turquoise, the illustrations show Sergio’s moves with gusto, both in his dreams (superbly!) and in reality (rather clumsily). Oil-based woodblock ink and digital media combine in these illustrations with fun touches; for example, check out Sergio’s sleep mask. Although Sergio is selected last in any games, and his friends will choose even a fish before him, he knows that practice makes perfect and works hard in his role as goalie. In the end, he finds a unique way to win the championship. For sports lovers, those who are always chosen last, and those who like a fast-moving story, this book is a winner on all counts. For more penguin fun, see Sergio Makes a Splash! (2008).
A delightful combination of animals and numbers, this story takes place in India. On their way to a raja-king’s party, nine animals reveal their gifts, each one bringing one more item than the animal before. Each successive animal throws out his or her gift, thinking it inferior after discovering what the next animal carries. The illustrations, described as “a collage of various Japanese papers decorated by the author and refined with brush, pen, and pencil,” combine a delicacy of background with bold colors. Rumford creates appealing illustrations of the animals—both the partygoers and the animals that benefit from the discarded presents. The dimensions of the book, approximately eleven inches horizontal by eight inches vertical, work perfectly as the animals make their way from left to right to the palace. Near the end, the animals balance on top of each other, for which the book must be turned sideways. At the beginning and again at the end, notes about numbers and their origins elevate this already-impressive tale into a teachable moment about numerals.
The ever on-the-go Siamese kitten who thinks he is a Chihuahua has had several adventures since first appearing in 2003. In this one, familiar elements such as bouncing on his bed and traveling through his closet take Skippyjon into outer space, where he once again teams up with his Los Chimichangos, a pack of Chihuahuas who encourage him in his rhymes, Spanish words, and wacky adventures. With his can-do attitude, this little kitty is ready for anything, slowed down only by his ever-patient Mama Cat and teased by his three younger sisters. All of the illustrations, done in acrylics and pen and ink, feature a lot of rojo as befits a trip to the Red Planet, and green for the Martians. Many of the words of the text appear in different styles and sizes, especially the rhyming songs and the exclamations that Skippyjon loves to use. Great fun as a read-aloud, with ample opportunities for the reader to enter into the wonderful silliness that is Skippyjon Jones.
The first thing readers and listeners will notice about this book is that it opens vertically rather than horizontally, enabling some illustrations to be quite tall. The premise that two friends, a lobster and a shark, discuss their fear of underwater tigers starts the story off with absurd humor. As they go to great lengths to build a fortress, they involve other sea creatures, including a fantastic deep-sea monster complete with human legs and butterfly wings. Dialogue balloons and some pages with panels give this book a graphic novel style. A good choice for read-alouds because of its size and unique perspective, this story will delight those who appreciate its weird humor. Check out the endpapers for more monstrous creatures of the deep.
With his expressive face and humorous ideas, Russell the sheep makes sleeplessness fun. As the other members of his herd brush their teeth and hug their teddy bears, Russell faces a night of insomnia, trying all manner of remedies for catching some shut-eye. This book offers an excellent example of the illustrations telling more than the text, and usually in an extremely humorous way. Sheep sleeping with their legs straight up, Russell crammed into a car trunk, Russell’s stocking cap bordering an illustration: guffaws are guaranteed. No one will nod off during this one. This woolly ruminant takes his unique ideas even further in Russell and the Lost Treasure (HarperCollins, 2006) and Russell’s Christmas Magic (HarperCollins, 2007).
In an out-of-this-world fantasy, a young boy attempting some moonlight fishing hooks a giant fish and is transported to the moon. There Leon meets the Moongirl, and together they stop the strange and sinister gargaloon from stealing the lightning bugs that are needed to relight the moon. The beautifully detailed illustrations, executed in pencil and digitally colored, shimmer with dark colors and shadowy backgrounds, just perfect for a moonlit night. Large faces with huge eyes (children’s and pets’) provide a pleasing up-close immediacy. (See figure 5.2.) If the whole look is reminiscent of recent animated movies, this reflects the author’s and illustrators’ backgrounds. Action sequences described in the text project this film feel, too. The imaginative story of how the moon gets its light and the appealing children and animal side characters make this story shine.
The title character comes across as one guy that no one would want as a friend. Sneaky Weasel is mean, and full of himself on top of that. When no one comes to his party, he discovers that all the invitees loathe him, and he finds out what he must do to regain their trust and friendship. First published in Great Britain, this story assembles a collection of deliciously wacky illustrations both of the present-day Mr. Sneaky himself, in bright colors, and the remembered incidents of meanness in paler hues. Shaw uses pen and ink, printmaking techniques, and Photoshop to portray her animal characters which illustrate the oh-so-human characteristics, both good and bad, that make up this story of the importance of apologizing. Endpapers at the front feature Sneaky Weasel’s ads for substandard or just plain mean products, and at the back, good and helpful products. Shaw’s story is a wonderful selection for lessons in etiquette or for those who enjoy a story in which even the meanest can change to the nicest—almost!
The Big Bad Wolf, invited to the library to tell the story of the Three Little Pigs, twists the truth so that he does not come off as the bad guy. But the listeners, other storybook and fairy tale characters, do not believe his explanation. With fun wordplay and funny digital illustrations, this story delights on a number of levels. Both children and adults will want to identify the various fictional characters, will enjoy B.B. Wolf’s take on the traditional tale, and will be surprised at his solution to make amends for his lie. A couple of opportunities to sing in the story should make read-alouds even more fun. Big Bad Wolf also appeared in Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf (Knopf, 2007).
The familiar story of The Nutcracker, known to many because of the ballet performed at Christmastime, appears in its magical glory here, with charming text and illustrations. The Christmas Eve scenes that take place in the home of Marie’s family, including her dream of the Mouse King, show in the watercolor illustrations as burnished color appropriate to the night. Scenes depicting the Land of Sweets project brighter colors as the various dancers leap and twirl. Play the CD of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker that accompanies the book for the full visual-auditory experience. Another beautifully illustrated version is The Nutcracker by Susan Jeffers (HarperCollins, 2007). A humorous takeoff involving a video game is the musical-turned-picture book A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas (Chronicle, 2009) by Ralph Covert and G. Riley Mills.
Who knew that a sick day could be this much fun? Amos McGee, who works at the city zoo, always knows just what to do when he visits five of his favorite animals. But on a day when he stays home with a cold, the animals come to visit him. The woodblock print-and-pencil illustrations depict the world of Amos McGee in a limited palette, which draws attention to the main characters or objects on each page. Soft tans, blues, and greens predominate on most of the pages, with several spreads in Amos McGee’s house seemingly bursting with color as yellow-striped walls fill the background. Bright red in a balloon, scarf, and socks provides a pleasing perkiness in some of the artwork. The text captures Amos’s routine, his punctual ways, and his great love for the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl. Pleasing repetition occurs when the animals at his house do the same things for him as he has always done for them. Despite some large animals, this is a calm and gentle story that won the Caldecott Medal in 2010.
Dog lovers will howl with laughter and cat lovers will mew with delight at this humorous book, a collection of letters to canine counselor Mr. Mutt, supplemented by notes from The Queen, a cat who lives in the same house as Mr. Mutt. The questions revolve around typical dog problems: they want more food, they want their people to play with them, they do not want to be dressed in costumes, and they like to bark. Even the addresses on the letters reflect the canine theme. The hilarious text contains Mr. Mutt’s replies, complete with charts, graphs, and illustrations of what the advice seeker should do. Mixed-media artwork illustrates the kindly and wise Mr. Mutt and the imperious Queen, plus other dogs. Toward the end of the story, Mr. Mutt and The Queen have an altercation, which ladles on more visual humor, including ads in newspapers. The endpapers, too, contain newspaper ads that enhance the narrative. A must-read for animal lovers of all ages, this book could be used as a humorous read-aloud or even for teaching students how to write letters. Read Eileen Christelow’s Letters from a Desperate Dog (Clarion, 2006) and The Desperate Dog Writes Again (Clarion, 2010) and Mark Teague’s Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School (Scholastic, 2002) for more fun with dogs and letters.
Charlotte the sheep saves her herd from torment by a gang of young sheep who like to pretend to be wolves. Her smarts and willingness to be different lead her to trick the gang. First published in Germany, this book combines a mildly suspenseful story with appealing illustrations, created with acrylics on cardboard. The texture of the sheep practically begs to be touched. For teachers or parents who want to reinforce the importance of not following the crowd, this story will also attract readers and listeners who enjoy a story about a clever main character. The title heroine first appears in Brave Charlotte (2005).
Set in Ireland, this magical and satisfying story concerns two towns that compete annually for the best-decorated place for St. Patrick’s Day. When the people of one town help a leprechaun whose cows are in trouble, they know they will not be able to finish their decoration, but they find they have been rewarded anyway. Folk art illustrations of wondrous texture capture the villages, their inhabitants, and the work they are about. Rich colors saturate the pages with a mix of two-page spreads, one-and-a-half-page spreads and one page, with most of the text in white space. A fine book for read-alouds, and not just for St. Patrick’s Day.
Strange, yet familiar. Odd, yet not disturbing. Somehow the fact that flowers grow out of the body of Rink Bowagon at the time of the full moon seems normal because his whole family skews exotic. While the children at school shun him, he forms a connection with the new girl, Angelina, who has one leg shorter than the other. With the help of a shoe that he designs and makes for her, they attend a dance, and he finds out a secret about that flower that always appears behind her ear. A fantasy, this tale is also a school story, with normal petty jealousies and teasing. Look for the unusual names of the students. The acrylic illustrations, especially the flowers, bring loveliness to each page. The two main characters, expressed as serene and happy in text and art, project an appealing sweetness in their differentness. Small illustrations of scissors, a boy at a desk, a needle and thread, and much more decorate the pages of text facing one-page illustrations. As the connection between Rink and Angelina blossoms, the ending is not surprising, but is instead a satisfying answer to “And then what happened?”
Lawn ornaments—some people love them, while others would describe them as tacky or creepy. But in this story, lovable (and almost human) wins out. A gnome, deer, flamingo, and jockey, named Norm, Betty, Flo, and Jack, respectively, face disposal in the trash truck if they cannot follow their beloved friend Pearl when she moves to a new house. As they make their journey, they meet other lawn ornaments, gargoyles, and statues, all the while avoiding the garbage trucks. Just when they arrive within sight of Pearl’s house, lion statues thwart their plan to enter through the gate. But what was once an enemy becomes a friend, and they are delivered by truck to their joyous reunion with Pearl. Humorous gouache illustrations take the ornaments on the road, where statues come alive in bold color. The highly colorful endpapers, too, feature weathervanes, a mailbox, a totem pole, a carousel horse, fountains, and other statues as appealing figures that the characters may have met on their way. Snappy dialogue ensures that each ornament demonstrates a distinct personality in this fun story.
The prolific Yolen offers another book in the realm of fantasy, this one a delight to ear and eye. The rhyming text tells of the ball being planned and the preparations of the fairies that want to attend. For extra drama, a Cinderella-type character emerges who owns only a torn dress. Eventually they all arrive at the ball, including the fairy who comes in late but with a beautiful dress, and who attracts the attention of the prince. The exquisite watercolor illustrations show fairies at all stages of preparation, with such fun details as a “Mom” tattoo, thick glasses, and striped stockings. Their transportation to the ball includes wonderfully imaginative uses of rabbits, turtles, and frogs, as well as other woodland animals. Dominant colors of green, gold, orange, and tan reflect the natural habitat of the fairy folk. The rhymed text conveys the hurry and hoopla of getting ready, the music and dancing of the ball, and a love story at the end. The first and last pages feature scrolls with stylized lettering that announce the ball and the wedding, respectively. For those who love fantastic worlds, especially those of fairies and princesses, this book will enchant.
The orange, gold, and red of autumn permeate this book, a blend of reality and fantasy. What begins as day’s end is magically transformed, with a gust of wind, into a party of leaf people. Pastel illustrations bring texture and color to pictures that spread to the edge of pages, with text surrounded by the artwork. Leaf children and leaf adults sport pumpkin heads and leafy trunks and extremities, with clothes, hats, and footwear just like humans. Their activities, too, mimic those of humans: bobbing for apples, stacking pumpkins, and eating pie. Ideal for a lesson on autumn, this visually stunning book will appeal at any time of year to those who love the colors, smells, and sounds of fall. Celebrate other seasons with Ziefert’s Snow Party (2008) and Butterfly Birthday (2010). Pair this with Nancy Raines Day’s Halloween-themed On a Windy Night (Abrams, 2010) and compare mood.