Picture Books for Children

by Mary Northrup

  Brown, Monica 4–8 years

  CHAVELA AND THE MAGIC BUBBLE

  Illustrated by Magaly Morales

  Boston: Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010 | 978-0-547-24197-5

  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.

  Burningham, John 4–8 years

  IT’S A SECRET!

  Illustrated by John Burningham

  Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2009 | 978-0-7636-4275-4

  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.

  Chaconas, Dori 4–8 years

  CORIANDER THE CONTRARY HEN

  Illustrated by Marsha Gray Carrington

  Minneapolis: Carolrhoda, 2007 | 978-1-57505-749-1 | library binding

  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.

  Chen, Chih-Yuan 4–8 years

  GUJI GUJI

  Illustrated by Chih-Yuan Chen

  La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller, 2004 | 978-1-929132-67-6

  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.

  Cronin, Doreen 3–7 years

  CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE

  Illustrated by Betsy Lewin

  New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000 | 978-0-689-83213-0

  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).

  Cronin, Doreen 4–8 years

  RESCUE BUNNIES

  Illustrated by Scott Menchin

  New York: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, 2010 | 978-0-06-112871-4

  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.

  Curtis, Carolyn 3–8 years

  I TOOK THE MOON FOR A WALK

  Illustrated by Alison Jay

  Cambridge, MA: Barefoot, 2004 | 978-1-84148-611-6

  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.

  Davies, Jacqueline 4–8 years

  THE HOUSE TAKES A VACATION

  Illustrated by Lee White

  Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2007 | 978-0-7614-5331-4

  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.

  Derby, Sally 4–8
years

  WHOOSH WENT THE WIND!

  Illustrated by Vincent Nguyen

  Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2006 | 978-0-7614-5309-3

  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.

  Figure 5.1. Whoosh Went the Wind!

  Ellery, Amanda 3–7 years

  IF I HAD A DRAGON

  Illustrated by Tom Ellery

  New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006 | 978-1-4169-0924-8

  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).

  Fleming, Candace 4–8 years

  CLEVER JACK TAKES THE CAKE

  Illustrated by G. Brian Karas

  New York: Schwartz & Wade/Random House, 2010 | 978-0-375-84979-4

  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.

  Fletcher, Ralph 3–8 years

  THE SANDMAN

  Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey

  New York: Henry Holt, 2008 | 978-0-8050-7726-1

  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.

  Foley, Greg 4–8 years

  WILLOUGHBY & THE MOON

  Illustrated by Greg Foley

  New York: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, 2010 | 978-0-06-154753-9

  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.

  Fox, Mem 5–8 years

  THE GOBLIN AND THE EMPTY CHAIR

  Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

  New York: Beach Lane, 2009 | 978-1-4169-8585-3

  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.

  Gay, Marie-Louise 4–8 years

  CARAMBA

  Illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay

  Toronto: Groundwood/House of Anansi, 2005 | 978-0-88899-667-1

  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.

  Graham, Bob 4–8 years

  APRIL AND ESME, TOOTH FAIRIES

  Illustrated by Bob Graham

  Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2010 | 978-0-7636-4683-7

  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.

  Heide, Florence Parry 4–8 years

  PRINCESS HYACINTH: THE SURPRISING TALE OF A GIRL WHO FLOATED

  Illustrated by Lane Smith

  New York: Schwartz & Wade, 2009 | 978-0-375-84501-7

  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.

  Holt, Kimberly Willis 4–8 years

  SKINNY BROWN DOG

  Illustrated by Donald Saaf

  New York: Henry Holt, 2007 | 978-0-8050-7587-8

  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!