I Might Be Little But...: Three Books about Defying Expectations

Blizzard, written and illustrated by John Rocco.  This triumphant look at a little boy who helps his family and neighborhood out during a huge snowstorm proves to be a worthy follow-up to Rocco's lovely Caldecott Honor title Blackout.  I remember the very blizzard Rocco talks about here, and the book transports me back to 1978 when the hills of snow towered over us kids.  After the titular event occurs, leaving everyone snowed in (and with dwindling food and supplies) the resilient boy (who would be great friends with Brave Irene) takes it on himself to travel by foot to help everybody.  I love how uses snow to spell out the changing days of the week (accumulated snow, tracks in the snow).  Touches of humor are a bonus, and despite the fact that the beautifully rendered scenes evoke an icy cold feel, the warmth of the story shines through.  Perfect for a wintry story time.

Lion Lion, written by Miriam Busch, illustrated by Larry Day.  Ah, I love trick endings.  And wow, this one certainly tricked me.  A flashlight-bearing lad seen yelling "Lion!" encounters a rather fierce beast seeking lunch.  Having the lion speak in a bold font while the little boy's words appear smaller on the page is a nice touch.  The kid tries to help the lion find some food, pointing out grass (but the snapping turtles in the grass make that particular meal "too snappy" for him--I laughed at the googly-eyed turtle chomping on the lion's tail).    Hedgehogs cause the mushrooms to be too prickly, skunks make the berries too stinky, and bird feathers tickle the large animal's nose.  In a great touch:  all of these animals come together to take down the lion by being snappy, prickly, stinky, and tickly.  Another great twist reveals that there is another character named "Lion" who needs to be saved.  I wouldn't dream of spoiling who "Lion" is and how the boy performs an amazing feat of daring to save "Lion".  A sweet winner of a book that invites repeated readings.

Little Melba and Her Big Trombone, written by Katheryn Russell-Brown, illustrated by Frank Morrison.  Morrison's (really cool) signature illustrations, with his characters possessing long limbs, is a perfect match for this picture book biography of Little Melba Liston who needs to stretch her arms to play her beloved trombone.  At a young age, Melba discovers a love for music, and Russell-Brown's lively prose captures this little girl's affection for the "plink of a guitar, the hummm of a bass, the thrum-thrum of a drum...".  This concise work manages to hit on all the high notes of Melba's life, showing, for example, how her Grandfather taught the prodigy to handle the cumbersome trombone.  In a manner younger children can understand, the text also describes how she encountered sexism and racism even after she became a successful musician.  Young readers will enjoy seeing photos of the real Little Melba and Her Big Trombone in the very informative back matter.  A rousing tribute to a music great.

Picture Book of the Day: Hunters of the Great Forest

Hunters of the Great Forest, illustrated by Dennis Nolan.  In this charming wordless delight that reminded me a bit of The Borrowers, a bunch of tiny people embark on what looks to be a dramatic quest.  What is the purpose of their journey?  Nolan keeps us in suspense.  The diminutive townsfolk see the brave hunters off on the very first spread (I love the various hairstyles and attire).  I enjoyed Nolan's use of perspective as these intrepid (and rather adorable) heroes encounter and overcome obstacles (a rocky terrain, animals that grow scarier on every spread--love the evil chipmunk!).  As nighttime approaches, we finally see the treasure they have been seeking and it's a...hey, I wouldn't dream of spoiling the surprise!  All I can say is it leads to an ending that satisfies and also makes you just a little hungry.  And I dig the final image! 

Storyhour Success Story: Hello, Airplane!

Hello, Airplane!, written and illustrated by Bill Cotter.  With spare prose (one sentence on each two page spread) and striking crowd-friendly illustrations, this proved to be a hit with those attending my fairly large drop-in storytime.  The book follows an airplane as it says good-bye to the ground and hello to the sky.  We then go inside the airplane to see people enjoying roomy seats (an airborne utopia), with a curious child peering out the window.  Effectively rendered point of view shots show the aircraft flying over houses and trees (love the child's eye view of the plane soaring way up over the treetops).  And there's a clever touch where the word "over" in the line "The airplane flies over the mountain" is lifted a tad so it fits over the tallest mountain top.  One lovely spread shows the pilots viewing the stars out the front window, and I had my story hour participants sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" at that point in a moment of improvisation.  It worked!  The book deservedly received a warm round of applause from the kids.  A fun, reassuring trip.  

Picture Book of the Day: Hank Has a Dream

Hank Has a Dream, written and illustrated by Rebecca Dudley. In this wonderful follow-up to Hank Finds an Egg, Dudley's furry hero dreams that he can fly, and then reenacts this flight of fancy for his hummingbird pal (from the egg he saved in the first book). Dudley's painstakingly detailed miniature dioramas create a delightful atmosphere--Hank and his feathery pal burst with adorable cuteness but do so without feeling cloying. I love the layout and design of this story: each spread shows reality on the left side and the dream on the right (for example, we see Hank and the bird sitting on a bridge over a stream on one side of the page, and flying in a zeppelin over the ocean on the other). The first book is wordless; here Dudley uses spare language describing the journey to good effect. Another winner from a talented artist.