Top 20 Read-a-Loud Countdown: #17 and #18

17.  If I Built a House, written and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen.  I have already gushed on this blog about this wonderful and vibrant look at a boy with cool architectural ideas, a companion to his equally fun If I Built a Car.  This really connects with kids who love shouting out their enthusiasm for the various rooms presented (a race car room!  a room that's one big giant aquarium!  a flying room!).  Seriously, it's rare when a book generates this much excitement with a story time crowd.  Cheers to the 2015 Monarch Award (the Monarch is an Illinois children's choice book award for K through 3rd grade) for nominating this--I feared it would slip through the cracks. 

18.  White Rabbit's Color Book, written and illustrated by Alan Baker.  A really effective way to introduce colors to young kids.  A curious bunny discovers 3 bowls of paint (yellow, blue, red) and decides to bathe in them.  Of course interesting things happen when the rabbit mixes up the colors--suddenly she's green!  Orange!  Even purple!  I have the kids clap whenever the rabbit turns colors and also splash whenever the bunny enjoys a paint bath and ensuing shower.  And there's a wonderful surprise ending that satisfies!

Top 20 Read-a-Loud Countdown: #19 and #20

19.  Princess Super Kitty, written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis.  Is the protagonist a kitty?  a superhero?  a princess?  Whoa, she's all 3!  This witty and joyous book celebrates the shifting personalities of its supercool heroine who brags that if the situation calls for a feline or a caped crusader or a royal presence, she is more than up to the task.  Portis packs her illustrations with wonderfully funny details and jokes that make young readers/listeners laugh.  I love great punch lines, and this story has one that leaves you feeling giddy, happy that you have met this most spectacular ever-evolving kid.

20.  The Baby BeeBee Bird, illustrated by Diane Redfield Massie, illustrated by Steven Kellogg.  OK storytellers be warned:  you will be saying the word "beebeebobbibobbi" quite a number of times while reading this wildly interactive tale of a zoo's newest resident, the adorable yet LOUD title nocturnal character.  This little critter keeps the other zoo animals awake with its incessant beebeebobbibobbis.  When the sun comes up, the bird settles in for a nice deep sleep, but the other animals are lethargic and weary, causing the zookeeper much alarm.  Don't fret:  they come up with a plan that will set things right.  This cleverly works as a choice bedtime story, thanks to Massie's bouncy prose and Kellogg's eye-catching cartoonish illustrations.

My Favorite Non-Fiction Picture Books of 2013

Here are some of my favorite non-fiction picture books of 2013, in alphabetical order by author.  Please see the entry below this one for my favorite fictional picture books of 2013.  Thanks!!!

 

Tito Puente:  Mambo king/Rey del Mambo, written by Monica Brown, illustrated by Rafael López .  This vibrant bilingual (in English and Spanish) picture book biography, a 2014 Pura Belpré Honor book, has imagery that leaps off the page.  Young readers will be tapping and banging along as drummer/percussionist learns to love music as a toddler who loves banging spoons and forks on pots and pans.  Brown packs a lot of information about Puente in her energetic text, and Lopez's illustrations brilliantly capture the legendary musician in his glory.

 

A Splash of Red, written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet.  Winner of the 2014 Schneider Award, this inspiring book profiles artist Horace Pippin who did not let an injury suffered in World War II stop him from creating amazing art.  Bryant's evocative prose and Sweet's eye-catching illustrations complement each other beautifully.  Young readers will feel happy to learn more about Pippin.

Locomotive, written and illustrated by Brian Floca.  Floca won the 2014 Caldecott Medal for this beautifully illustrated look at people traveling the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s.  Packed with details, the illustrations truly give young readers a sense of what was seen on this journey.  A real tour de force from one of the very best children's book writers working today.

The World Is Waiting for You, text and photographs by Barbara Kerley.  This book is great for career storytimes.  Kerley tells readers to embrace the world around them, sink their hands in mud or splash in the water.  A photograph of a child playing is followed, with a flip of a page, of an adult engaged in a related job.  For example, a photo of a child in the water is followed by a photo of a deep sea diver.  The book offers many "ooh" and "aah" moments.  And you can end by asking kids about their favorite photographs and what they would like to be when they grow up.

Nelson Mandela, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson.  This 2014 Coretta Scott honor book offers an absorbing look at the life of the former South African president who fought hard to end apartheid.  The great Kadir Nelson's vivid paintings jump off the page as readers learn about Mandela's struggles and hardships and his ultimate triumphs.  A powerful way to introduce young readers to a legendary figure.  By the way, Nelson recently won the Hamilton King Award from the Society of Illustrators for his body of work.

Eat Like a Bear, written by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins.  This look at a brown bear's existence does not sugarcoat the facts--being a bear involves a seemingly never-ending search for food and more food.  Sayre grabs readers right away by speaking directly to them:  "can you eat like a bear?"  Meanwhile, Jenkins astounds once again with his brilliant collage work.  The back matter packs in a lot more information about these intriguing creatures.

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?, written by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman.  This wonderful picture book biography profiles Elizabeth Blackwell, America's first woman doctor.  Stone's energetic text and Priceman's colorful, dynamic illustrations work together to create an inspirational look at how Blackwell fought the odds to achieve her dream.  Not letting naysayers get in her way, Blackwell triumphs, and young readers will feel very satisfied when she does.  First-rate on every level.  

My Favorite Fictional Picture Books of 2013

2013 was packed with great innovative picture books that told amusing and/or heartfelt and/or downright goofy stories.  Here is an alphabetical (by author) list of 20 of my favorites!  Note:  these are all works of fiction.  Soon I will have a list of my favorite Non-Fiction Picture Books!

Count the Monkeys, written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Kevin Cornell.  This hilarious meta counting book promises readers that they will be able to count some monkeys.  However, other characters (a king cobra snake, some mongooses--or is it mongeese?, and lumberjacks) keep getting in the way.  Will we ever be to count the monkeys?  I love books with surprises, and this book is packed with them.  Barnett's prose crackles with inventive humor, and Cornell's creatures tickle the funny bone.  Oh will we ever get to count the monkeys????? 

Big Snow, written and illustrated by Jonathan Bean.  This wondrous book tells of a mischievous boy eagerly waiting for a big snowstorm.  With his delightful illustrations, Bean does a beautiful job conveying the child's anticipation.  His messy indoor activities mirror the accumulating snow outside.  A brilliantly rendered dream sequence (love mom trying to vacuum the snow) brings the book to a whole other level.  With this book and another 2013 masterwork, Building Our House, Bean keeps proving that he's one of the very best picture book authors of our time. 






Journey, by Aaron Becker.  Some of the very best picture books feel like dreams, and this wordless masterpiece (winner of a 2014 Caldecott honor) is no exception.  A girl, feeling ignored by her family, uses her imagination and a very special red writing utensil to transport her on an epic perilous journey.  The painstakingly detailed illustrations are a treat to behold as the girl uses her wits to survive one cliffhanger after the next, trying to help a captured bird, and perhaps making a friend along the way.  A joy from start to finish.

I Dare You Not to Yawn, written by Helene Boudreau, illustrated by Serge Bloch.  A very entertaining example of reverse psychology, this bedtime book (another meta delight) zeroes in on a boy trying to avoid bedtime.  When a yawn pops out of his lips, he finds himself being carted off to bed.  The narrator tells young readers what to avoid so they don't "suffer" this same fate, and the advice is quite hilarious, making every aspect of what's cozy and wonderful about bedtime sound undesirable.  Boudreau's book is clever and fun, with Bloch's illustrations doing a great job knocking the punchlines out of the park.

Inside, Outside, by Lizi Boyd.  2013 introduced many great wordless books, and this is one of the very best.  This quiet treasure takes the reader through the seasons, showing a child's life inside and outside a house that faces a garden.  A cool, inventive cut-out effect allows readers to peak into the house when the child is outside, and vice versa.  Boyd packs her illustrations with so many details, revisits are in order. 

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, written and illustrated by Peter Brown.  This might be Brown's masterpiece.  A hilarious, beautifully conceived tale of a tiger bored with his oh-so proper life in a Victorian-era town where all the animals walk on two legs and wear restrictive clothing.  Suddenly one day he discovers that he must do something to break the monotony.  When Mr. Tiger sheds his clothes and leaves for the jungle, Brown gives the reader a moment that takes the breath away..  In a tip of the hat to Where the Wild Things Are, Mr. Tiger realizes he needs to return home.  But there awaits a surprise!

Max and the Tag-Along Moon, written and illustrated by Floyd Cooper.  Perhaps the sweetest (without being cloying) picture book of the year.  In Cooper's tender tale, the young Max does not want to leave his grandfather's house.  Grandpa tells Max that the same moon they both look at will follow him, and this comforts the child.  Cooper's evocative drawings capture the serenity of a night-time journey home.  Some drama occurs towards the end, but all is resolved on a peaceful, happy note.  Pair this with Amy Hest's When Charley Met Grampa.

Hank Finds an Egg, by Rebecca Dudley.  One of those how'd she do that? kind of books that seems effortless when you first look at it, but then grows more impressive as you study its details.  Dudley hand-crafted these miniature creatures and sets, and photographed them.  Hank, the adorable lead character, finds and becomes determined to save a hummingbird egg in the woods.  It all leads to one of my favorite heartwarming endings of the year.

How to Train a Train, written by Jason Eaton, illustrated by John Rocco.   One of the most clever picture books of the year, this serves as an amusing spoof of pet guides.  This time though instead of telling children how to take care of a pooch or a kitten, the guide advises on how to handle the daunting task of caring for your pet locomotive.  Rocco's eye-catching illustrations walk the tightrope of making the trains look both convincingly mechanical and expressive.  Eaton meanwhile takes the amusing concept and runs with it, covering all the bases of train ownership.

Flora and the Flamingo, by Molly Idle.  Another great wordless book, and a winner of a well-deserved 2013 Caldecott Honor.  Flora, comically dressed in flippers, longs to join the Flamingo in a graceful dance.  However, the haughty bird makes life not so fun for our heroine, and it's amazing how much drama Idle packs in this gem as the two characters clash and then reconcile.  Innovative lift-the-flaps convey movement as the characters strike poses and enjoy a triumphant ending.  Kids will love the big splash at the end.

Moo!, written by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka.  This book contains the year's best punchline, and I would not dare spoiling that for you.  An adventurous cow decides to take a car for a spin, and the results are as chaotic and wild as you think they will be.  LaRochelle cleverly shows how one word, the word MOO!, can be said with complete joy, utter (amusing) terror, and sadness.  Meanwhile, Wohnoutka's illustrations leap off the page with comic abandon.  And again, great punchline. 

Ah Ha!, by Jeff Mack.  Another great near-wordless book which chronicles the madcap escapades of a frog who simply longs to rest in its favorite swimming hole.  Soon, a jar-bearing boy, dog, turtle, alligator, and flamingo all try to nab the poor amphibian, who outwits them all.  Mack packs his illustrations with slapstick that delights young readers.  It's amazing how much mileage he gets out two letters:  "a" and "h" and so few words ("ah ha", "ha ha", "aahh").  Very funny stuff.

Tap the Magic Tree, written and illustrated by Christie Matheson.  A very effective interactive book that takes young readers through the seasons, inviting them to help the "magic" apple tree change.  Matheson encourages kids to count the leaves, pat the tree to make the leaves change color, and clap loudly to make the snow fall.  This book works wonders in storytimes, although I do have to recommend that storytellers practice it first--some of the layout is a little tricky.  Once you got it down though, the book works wonders.

Lucky Ducklings, written by Eva Moore, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.  This engaging throwback to Make Way for Ducklings shows how a pleasant walk for a mama duck and her five offspring becomes perilous.  A community must come together to help the ducklings, who have fallen through a storm drain.  Moore does a nice job touching on the art of storytelling telling young readers at certain points that that's not the end of the story.  Carpenter's illustrations give off a nice retro vibe.

Niño Wrestles the World, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales.  The 2013 Pura Belpré Illustrator winner introduces the brave and courageous pint-sized wrestler Niño who takes on a whole array of figures from Mexican lore.  But in a surprise and wildly enjoyable ending, there is a foe that poses the biggest challenge to our masked crusader!  Morales continues to astound with her versatility as a storyteller and artist.  The book works as an introduction to Mexican culture and lucha libre, and a surprisingly sweet look at family and the power of imagination.

The Long, Long Line, written and illustrated by Tomoko Ohmura.  A tour de force from Ohmura as 100 different kinds of animals wait in line.  For what?  Readers keep guessing.  The creatures in line interact, chat, express impatience and frustration, get on each other's nerves.  They can't wait!!!  The payoff (which I won't spoil) is epic.  Let me just say the details on the final spreads are jawdroppingly impressive.  On the final spread, the book invites you to read it again.  Young readers will flip right back to the start and do so.

Carnivores, written by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat.  One of the funniest books of the year, and one of the most subversive.  Three carnivores experience an existential crisis when they realize that others find their meat-eating ways alienating.  Can they change and become lovable vegetarians?  What do you think?  The book has one of the most startling bits of comedy of the year (poor owl!).  It's a book that adults who like their humor a bit on the dark side will love just as much as kids on the book's twisted wavelength.  Full disclosure:  I'm a vegetarian...and I thought it was hilarious.

Mr. Wuffles, written and illustrated by David Wiesner.  The brilliant Wiesner who has now received a kazillion Caldecott awards and honors won a 2014 Caldecott Honor for this wonderfully strange look at a cat and a bunch of aliens.  The feline's day takes an odd turn when he discovers a brand new toy that perplexes him.  Inside are miniature space creatures shaken by the cat's sudden interest in their craft.  Things get even funnier when a bunch of insects become involved.  Amusing and inventive.

This Is the Rope, written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James Ransome.  This lovely book follows a piece of rope from generation to generation of a family.  The same rope used to hang laundry is used as a jump rope by a young girl and her friends later.  Woodson's terse, poetic prose complements Ransome's evocative illustrations beautifully.  Pair this with Hyewon Yum's equally poignant multi-generational story This Is Our House for an excellent double feature about family togetherness and warmth.

Penguin on Vacation, written and illustrated by Salina Yoon.  This adorable book has emerged as a surefire storytime winner, something I call a "pin drop book" meaning the kids become so rapt and attentive you can hear a pin drop in the audience (except the funny parts do make them giggle).  Poor penguin is bored with living with ice and snow, so it takes off to a nice warm island.  Attempts at fun prove fruitless until a little crab comes along and shows Penguin how to have fun in the sand and on the beach.  The book has a surprisingly effective arc, and it's a great story about unlikely friendship.