Picture Books for Children

by Mary Northrup

  Numeroff, Laura 4–8 years

  WOULD I TRADE MY PARENTS?

  Illustrated by James Bernardin

  New York: Abrams, 2009 | 978-0-8109-0637-2

  A young boy enjoys the time he spends at friends’ houses, where he notices how the parents differ from his own. Even though his parents don’t let him drink chocolate milk or have a pet, he knows he would not want to be in any other family. The boy appears with unruly hair and big glasses, adding a touch of goofiness to the illustrations rendered in acrylics and a digital paint program. The text does a good job of putting him in the shoes of his friends, great for young listeners who are just beginning to learn to look at the world from a point of view other than their own.

  Perkins, Lynne Rae 4–8 years

  THE CARDBOARD PIANO

  Illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins

  New York: Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2008 | 978-0-06-154265-7

  Best friends Debbie and Tina love to do amazing things. But when Debbie tries to find a way that Tina can practice the piano, it does not quite work out the way she wishes. Illustrations in watercolor and ink support the narrative and add details to it. Dialogue balloons showing alternating conversations appear in some scenes. Perkins captures perfectly the dynamic between two friends where one is more aggressive than the other, but where they work out their differences and preserve the friendship. The contrast between the two girls in looks and temperament shines through in the boldly colored illustrations. Smaller scenes, with two to four on a page, are interspersed with full-page illustrations, almost all roughly bordered with lots of white space. These friends strive to be amazing, and while their activities may seem normal, their imaginations make them remarkable. Readers will love them for that.

  Robbins, Jacqui 4–7 years

  TWO OF A KIND

  Illustrated by Matt Phelan

  New York: Atheneum, 2009 | 978-1-4169-2437-1

  Unfortunately, mean girls do not exist only in the upper grades; they start early. In this realistic school story, Kayla and Melanie torment Julisa and Anna. Told from Anna’s point of view, this story shows how best friends can be separated by the manipulation of others. Watercolor illustrations provide the muted scenes of school life, with splashes of color in clothing. The facial expressions of both the mean girls and the good girls come through as realistic and moving. The fun and sharing of best friends, as well as the joy they take in learning, is palpable. The ethnic diversity of each pair of girls reflects the larger classroom. Readers and listeners will root for Anna and Julisa as they finally reunite and Anna realizes that Kayla and Melanie’s attention is insincere. A great discussion starter on bullies, friendship, and being true to one’s self.

  Ryan, Candace 3–8 years

  RIBBIT RABBIT

  Illustrated by Mike Lowery

  New York: Walker/ Bloomsbury, 2011 | 978-0-8027-2180-8

  With a sense of fun and a playful attitude toward language, this story of a frog and a bunny offers a realistic portrayal of friendship. The good times when they share and the bad times when they fight come through in text that includes rhymes and invented words and in illustrations that mirror this sensibility. The cartoon-style artwork employs pencil, traditional screen printing, and print gocco and is finished digitally. Although the friends fight over a robot, which provides the conflict of the plot, they reconcile in the end and return to being best friends. A deceptively simple story of friendship, this book explores conflict, loneliness, reconciliation, and the pleasures of sharing.

  Sarcone-Roach, Julia 4–8 years

  THE SECRET PLAN

  Illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach

  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009 | 978-0-375-95858-8| library binding

  Because they feel their mothers’ interruptions undermine their playtime, an elephant and three cats (in side-by-side houses) conspire to make a plan to thwart bedtime. Acrylic paint illustrations in rich hues detail the living quarters and games of the friends: building a house of cards, constructing a tin can telephone, and making a fort out of cushions. The animals act just like children do, and reflect the childhood desire to prolong playtime. The fact that they live next to each other provides opportunities for illustration showing both houses at once. In fact, the endpapers at the beginning of the book show an architect’s drawing of the houses, while those at the end show the house at night, surrounded by Morse code, which plays a part in the ending of the book. Clever, sweet, and funny, this story sneaks up on little cat feet, then makes a big impression.

  Segal, John 3–8 years

  THE LONELY MOOSE

  Illustrated by John Segal

  New York: Hyperion, 2007 | 978-1-4231-0173-4

  Two misfits come together to form a friendship: a hermit moose and a bird who cannot fly. The rather cranky moose comes to appreciate the singing, worm-eating bird. After a forest fire, the bird disappears. But never fear; a happy ending is in store when the bird returns in the spring and brings back many more birds. The spare illustrations depict the openness and enormity of a mountain setting. The scenes of night and of the fire are scary, but not overly so. The drawings project a gently humorous ambience and end with a dash of whimsy.

  Sís, Peter 4–8 years

  MADLENKA SOCCER STAR

  Illustrated by Peter Sís

  New York: Frances Foster/Farrar Straus Giroux, 2010 | 978-0-374-34702-4

  As in his other books, Madlenka (2000) and Madlenka’s Dog (2002), Sís shows Madlenka and her block in the city containing her apartment building. In this outing, she loves to play soccer and finds a way to imaginatively interact with inanimate objects, animals, and, finally, friends. Madlenka is constantly on the move in the illustrations, usually facing to the right to show forward action and energy with each turn of the page. A sense of a child’s place in her world permeates the Madlenka titles. Some of the illustrations feature a bird’s-eye view from the top of her block, with a soccer field in the center, placing her and her neighbors in their environs. The endpapers, too, reflect this Earth-country-city-neighborhood-home connection. Illustrations with tiny flags of different countries and with children of varied backgrounds show the universal appeal of this sport. The final page spread provides a short history of soccer, plus the word soccer in forty-three different languages. For children who love soccer or sports or for a fun neighborhood story, Madlenka Soccer Star scores.

  Soto, Gary 5–9 years

  CHATO GOES CRUISIN’

  Illustrated by Susan Guevara

  New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2005 | 978-0-1424-0810-0

  Chato, that low-riding cat of Chato’s Kitchen (1995) and Chato and the Party Animals (2000), wins a cruise for two in this outing. He and his cat friend, Novio Boy, arrive at the ship and find it full of dogs. Disgusted by the food, games, and even the books in the ship’s library (all about dogs), the two nevertheless try to have fun until all the dogs become sick and they must go for help. Acrylic on scratchboard illustrations depict wild and colorful scenes; the rowboat ride in the storm is particularly impressive. Black-and-white comic strips supplement with additional story, dialogue, and humor. Chato and Novio Boy are quite a pair of fun-loving cats, but they also illustrate the importance of keeping a promise when they give their word. A glossary at the end defines the Spanish words that appear throughout the text.

  Willems, Mo 3–8 years

  CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG

  Illustrated by Jon J. Muth

  New York: Hyperion/Disney, 2010 | 978-1-4231-0300-4

  Beautiful in its simplicity and message, this story of friendship and change blends text and illustration perfectly. The dog meets the frog in the spring, they teach each other their country and city games throughout spring and summer, and eventually the dog finds himself alone in the winter. Each two-page spread features the text on one side and a full-page watercolor illustration on the other. Combining realism and humor, energy and passivity, joy and sorrow, the story represents the cycle of life. A very moving yet unsentimen
tal way to explain death, the book also celebrates life and the glories of having a friend who understands. Each season’s illustrations fill the pages with the colors and vegetation of that time of year. Compare with another fictional look at the life cycle of an animal, Old Mother Bear (Chronicle, 2007) by Victoria Miles.

  School

  Anderson, Laurie Halse 5–9 years

  THE HAIR OF ZOE FLEEFENBACHER GOES TO SCHOOL

  Illustrated by Ard Hoyt. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009 | 978-0-689-85809-3

  Zoe has big hair—really big hair. Its tendrils act as arms and its ends as fingers. It can even be a blanket or a sail. Trouble brews when Zoe’s first-grade teacher, Ms. Trisk, states that she does not believe in wild hair. Humorous illustrations in watercolor and ink feature Zoe’s orange hair, which takes center stage on almost every page. Note the contrast between the kindergarten teacher—in capris and a T-shirt—who loved Zoe’s hair, with Ms. Trisk in her dark suit and tie. Readers and listeners will giggle over Ms. Trisk’s attempts to control the hair, which really does function as a character in the story. All ends well as Zoe and Ms. Trisk and the hair find a way to coexist. And the teacher even loses her buttoned-up look; by the last page, she’s in a polka-dot dress and sandals, with a lock of hair waving in the air.

  Boelts, Maribeth 4–8 years

  THOSE SHOES

  Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones

  Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2007 | 978-0-7636-2499-6

  To be a kid wanting the shoes seen in advertisements, the shoes all the kids at school are wearing, the shoes that cost too much—this story makes that yearning palpable. Jeremy, a young African American boy who lives with his grandmother, cannot believe his luck when he finds those shoes at a thrift store. He is willing to put up with their wrong size rather than wear the babyish shoes the guidance counselor gives him. But through his hurt and his observation of another classmate—the one who did not laugh at his Velcro shoes—he finds the courage to be generous. The illustrations are rendered in watercolor, pencils, and ink and assembled digitally. The affecting text expands with a variety of facial expressions and body language illustrating envy, anger, resignation, and excitement. Jeremy and his classmates present a slice of modern life.

  Bottner, Barbara 4–8 years

  MISS BROOKS LOVES BOOKS! (AND I DON’T)

  Illustrated by Michael Emberley

  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010 | 978-0-375-84682-3

  From the first page, where the school librarian sits surrounded by piles of books, to the last, where she helps a student pick out a book from the library shelves, this story celebrates the joy of reading and the truth of “for every reader, a book.” A young girl, unenthusiastic about reading, witnesses the love that Miss Brooks has for books and the many ways she tries to pass that love on to the students—through costumes, literature-sharing events, and book selection. Illustrated in pencil, ink, and watercolor, Miss Brooks and her exciting library activities show through in comic style. So, too, does the attitude of the girl who is irritated by all this emphasis on books … until the day she finds the book that appeals to her. A great read for any book celebration, this story stars quirky characters whose personalities shine through in text and artwork. For another take on the love of books, see Dog Loves Books (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010) by Louise Yates.

  Brennan, Eileen 4–8 years

  DIRTBALL PETE

  Illustrated by Eileen Brennan

  New York: Random House, 2010 | 978-0-375-83425-7

  Cleaning up the normally dirty Pete presents quite a challenge for his mother, but it must be done. He has a speech to give at the school program honoring the fifty states. Representing Pennsylvania, Pete turns out quite well after a scrubbing and stays that way … for a little while. Filthy Pete, clean Pete, and costumed Pete appear in humorous cartoon-style illustrations along with Mom, armed for (scrubbing) battle, Pete’s partner-in-grime dog, and his classmates. Although he reverts back to his dirt-smudged appearance, Pete makes the program special, and not just because of the way he looks. Both children and the adults who read to them will appreciate the humor in word and picture throughout this story. And they will applaud for Pete, even with garbage caught in his hair, just as the audience does at the school program.

  Cocca-Leffler, Maryann 4–8 years

  JACK’S TALENT

  Illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

  New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007 | 978-0-374-33681-3

  For all those who do not think they are special, this book celebrates the fact that everyone possesses a talent. As the children in the class state their names and what they are good at, brightly colored artwork shows them enjoying these activities. But Jack cannot think of anything that he performs well, until the teacher hears him rattle off all the students’ names and talents. And there it is: remembering is a talent, too. With bright colors, appealing characters, and a variety of activities from spelling to bug catching to singing, this book will act as reassurance and perhaps inspire tolerance. Pair this with David Conway’s Errol and His Extraordinary Nose (Holiday House, 2010), where a small elephant discovers his talent among the other animals in his school.

  Cotten, Cynthia 4–9 years

  ABBIE IN STITCHES

  Illustrated by Beth Peck

  New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2006 | 978-0-374-30004-3

  Although she would rather read than stitch, Abbie must take needlework lessons to become an accomplished seamstress in 1822 New York State. As she struggles to learn the many stitches and to keep them straight and neat, she is overshadowed by her older sister, Sarah, who does it all so well and enjoys it. Abbie struggles to find a picture to stitch on her sampler and eventually finds one that will show her independent spirit. Impressionistic illustrations show Abbie and other girls studying stitching with Mrs. Brown, Abbie and her family, and Abbie reading. A good supplemental source for social studies, this book will educate children about a time in history when life was different from their own. An afterword provides a full page of information on samplers, needlework schools, and the life of girls in the 1800s.

  Henkes, Kevin 4–8 years

  LILLY’S BIG DAY

  Illustrated by Kevin Henkes

  New York: Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2006 | 978-0-06-074236-2

  Lilly, who first appeared in Henkes’ Chester’s Way (HarperCollins, 1988), appears here as her teacher prepares for his wedding. Never one for self-doubt, Lilly is positive that she will be the flower girl for the wedding. Finding out that she will not have that honor, but that it is going to his niece Ginger, dampens her enthusiasm only slightly. As it turns out, all of her practice comes in handy when Ginger freezes. The characters, all mice, appeal with their charm and expressiveness. Many scenes are laugh-out-loud funny, such as Lilly making her bear dressed as her teacher spend time in the Uncooperative Chair. The watercolor illustrations invite the eye with their candy colors enhanced with black pen. Lilly may be stubborn and strong-willed, sometimes skating right on the edge of obnoxiousness, but her heart is in the right place.

  Jenkins, Emily 4–8 years

  DAFFODIL, CROCODILE

  Illustrated by Tomek Bogacki

  New York: Frances Foster/Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007 | 978-0-374-39944-3

  Triplets named after flowers: Daffodil, Violet, and Rose. Sounds cute, right? Apparently only to outsiders. Daffodil becomes fed up with teachers and classmates not able to tell her from her sisters. When her mother makes a crocodile head in an art class, Daffodil claims it as her own and wears it at home and at school. As a crocodile, she does whatever she wants and acts meanly. Daffodil’s frustration comes through clearly in the text, matched by the cartoon-like illustrations. Sharp-eyed readers will find that the triplets are always dressed in shades of yellow, purple, and red, although not always matching their names of Daffodil, Violet, and Rose. Their home also contains vases of daffodils, providing a contrast to Daffodil’s feelings of being overlooked. Children will relate to the way Daffodil’s
personality changes while she is wearing the crocodile head and reveling in the power it gives her, but they will also appreciate the safety of the ending, when the head has to be abandoned. The triplets’ first adventure appears in Daffodil (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2004).

  Noble, Trinka Hakes 4–8 years

  THE ORANGE SHOES

  Illustrated by Doris Ettlinger

  Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear, 2007 | 978-1-58536-277-6

  Poverty and art come together in this story of a young girl who goes barefoot to school and who longs for pretty shoes like those of her classmates. When her teacher announces that the class will have a Shoebox Social, Delly decorates the box that her new shoes come in, ones that she thought her parents would never be able to afford. When the shoes are scuffed and stepped on by her classmates, she decorates her shoes to match the box. The illustrations bring out a range of emotions, including Delly’s shame and hurt feelings, her happiness in having new shoes, her sadness when they are ruined, and her pride in her artistic triumph. Though not explicitly stated, the clothing styles and desks indicate a Depression-era setting.

  Perl, Erica S. 3–7 years

  DOTTY

  Illustrated by Julia Denos

  New York: Abrams, 2010 | 978-0-8109-8962-7

  A celebration of imaginary friends, this story features a very large and spotted creature that is Ida’s constant companion. At school she meets other children and their imaginary friends. With sensitivity and realism, the author handles the matter-of-fact acknowledgment of Ida’s classmates’ imaginary friends, the point at which many are giving them up, and the embarrassment of having to ignore one’s imaginary friend when others tease. Illustrations rendered in brush ink and Photoshop feature children with an almost manga look, plus some fantastic imaginary creatures. Ida’s way of managing her feelings will resonate with children, and the encounter with her teacher at the end of the story will bring a sense of comfort and acceptance, as well as surprise. Pair with Patricia Polacco’s Emma Kate (Philomel, 2005), whose imaginary friend is an elephant.