Picture Books for Children

by Mary Northrup

  O’Callahan, Jay 4–9 years

  RASPBERRIES!

  Illustrated by Will Moses

  New York: Philomel/Penguin, 2009 | 978-0-399-25181-8

  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.

  O’Malley, Kevin 5–10 years

  CAPTAIN RAPTOR AND THE MOON MYSTERY

  Illustrations by Patrick O’Brien

  New York: Walker, 2005 | 978-0-8027-8935-8

  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).

  Pelletier, Andrew T. 4–8 years

  THE TOY FARMER

  Illustrated by Scott Nash

  New York: Dutton, 2007 | 978-1-4287-4785-2

  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.

  Pinfold, Levi 4–9 years

  THE DJANGO

  Illustrated by Levi Pinfold

  Somerville, MA: Templar/Candlewick, 2010 | 978-0-7636-4788-9

  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.

  Polacco, Patricia 4–8 years

  GINGER AND PETUNIA

  Illustrated by Patricia Polacco

  New York: Philomel/Penguin, 2007 | 978-0-399-24539-8

  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.

  Raschka, Chris 5+ years

  JOHN COLTRANE’S GIANT STEPS

  Illustrated by Chris Raschka

  New York: Richard Jackson/Atheneum, 2002 | 978-0-689-84598-7

  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).

  Reed, Lynn Rowe 5–8 years

  OLIVER, THE SPACESHIP, AND ME

  Illustrated by Lynn Rowe Reed

  New York: Holiday House, 2009 | 978-0-8234-2193-0

  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.

  Reynolds, Aaron 4–8 years

  BUFFALO WINGS

  Illustrated by Paulette Bogan

  New York: Bloomsbury, 2007 | 978-1-59990-062-9

  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).

  Rodriguez, Edel 4–9 years

  SE
RGIO SAVES THE GAME!

  Illustrated by Edel Rodriguez

  New York: Little, Brown, 2009 | 978-0-316-06617-4

  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).

  Rumford, James 5–10 years

  NINE ANIMALS AND THE WELL

  Illustrated by James Rumford

  Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003 | 978-0-618-30915-3

  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.

  Schachner, Judy 4–8 years

  SKIPPYJON JONES LOST IN SPICE

  Illustrated by Judy Schachner

  New York: Dutton, 2009 | 978-0-525-47965-9

  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.

  Schwarz, Viviane 4–8 years

  SHARK AND LOBSTER’S AMAZING UNDERSEA ADVENTURE

  Illustrated by Viviane Schwarz and Joel Stewart

  Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2006 | 978-1-4156-8140-4

  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.

  Scotton, Rob 3–8 years

  RUSSELL THE SHEEP

  Illustrated by Rob Scotton

  New York: HarperCollins, 2005 | 978-0-06-059849-5

  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).

  Selick, Henry 4–8 years

  MOONGIRL

  Illustrated by Peter Chan and Courtney Booker

  Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2006 | 978-0-7636-3068-3

  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.

  Figure 5.2. Moongirl

  Shaw, Hannah 4–8 years

  SNEAKY WEASEL

  Illustrated by Hannah Shaw

  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009 | 978-0-375-85625-9

  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!

  Sierra, Judy 4–8 years

  TELL THE TRUTH, B.B. WOLF

  Illustrated by J. Otto Seibold

  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010 | 978-0-375-85620-4

  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).

  Spinner, Stephanie, reteller 4–9 years

  THE NUTCRACKER

  Illustrated by Peter Malone

  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008 | 978-0-
375-84464-5

  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.

  Stead, Philip C. 4–8 years

  A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE

  Illustrated by Erin E. Stead

  New York: Neal Porter/Roaring Brook, 2010 | 978-1-59643-402-8

  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.