Top 20 Read-a-Loud Countdown: #9 and #10

9.  Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, written and illustrated by Mo Willems.  And this is where the Mo Mania began.  It seems so simple and yet it's so brilliantly funny:  a bus driver trusting that readers will honor his request that we won't let the pigeon make off with his cherished vehicle.  Soon we find ourselves bombarded with requests, promises, deals, and pleas from the feathered creature.  Willems leaves out the word "NO!" and yet we gladly shout this word at the bird again and again, causing it to finally lose control and scream "LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!!", feathers flying.  (I ask that the children join in on this thunderous outburst, which they gladly do.)  After the bus driver reappears, and we applaud ourselves on a job well done, and the poor pigeon looks utterly dejected, a surprise comes bursting onto the next page.  What's funny is when I ask children "are you going to let the pigeon drive the humongous truck" that appears, many of them shout "YES!".

10.  Froggy Gets Dressed, written by Jonathan London, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz.  Full disclosure:  this was the very first book I read for my very first storytime as a professional librarian.  So it really does have sentimental value for me.  Many Froggy books have followed but this one will always be the best (although Froggy Goes to Bed is a close second).  I usually like to give kids "jobs" to do during storytime, words to shout out, sound effects to make, and actions to follow.  And this charming story in which Froggy, who sees snow and becomes too excited to hibernate, offers many interactive opportunities.  Kids love shouting "FROGGY" just like his mom, imitating the sounds of the various clothes Froggy puts on ("zwit" for his scarf, "zut zut zut" for his shirt buttons), and flopping back and forth as Froggy walks in the snow.  They love to giggle when Froggy keeps forgetting to put on clothes (his pants!  his coat!), and end up in comedy heaven when we learn that he has forgotten the most important article of clothing at all.  If I need a surefire winner, this one still delivers the goods.

Top 20 Read-a-Loud Countdown: #11 and #12

11.  The Great Gracie Chase:  Stop That Dog!, written by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Mark Teague.  This exuberant romp stars Gracie Rose, a little dog who loves a quiet home, who leads an entire town on a massive chase.  Rylant's innovative text explodes with energy as Gracie, a dog who is good every day of her life (except for one!  the day the house painters came!), causes chaos.  Mark Teague's vibrant illustrations offer wonderful POV shots of the incident.  It all leads to a wonderful ending that feels just right.  Kids yell "again! again!" as soon as you read the final page.

 12.  Five Little Monkeys Play Hide-and-Seek, written and illustrated by Eileen Christelow.  This fun addition to Christelow's Five Little Monkeys series works as an effective counting book.  The tricky quintet pull little pranks on their very patient babysitter Lulu who plays increasingly complicated games of hide and seek with them.  Christelow's bouncy prose does a great job repeating key words, allowing children to anticipate the rhymes (they love shouting them out).  Her illustrations are joyous and funny (kids love spotting where the monkeys are hiding--the one hiding with a garbage can on her head gets the biggest guffaw).  It all leads to an ending that truly does surprise young listeners.

Top 20 Read-a-Loud Countdown: #13 and #14

13.  Demolition, written by Sally Sutton, illustrated by Brian Lovelock.  This companion to this team's great Roadwork makes for one rowdy read.  Thwack!  Whop!  Bam!  Big machines knock a building down, and kids love emulating the sounds of these resourceful construction vehicles.  Sutton's thrilling staccato prose captures the demolition process in a bouncy manner, and Lovelock's illustrations jump off the page.  It's fun to ask kids "why is the building being knocked down?" and "what are they going to build next?"  Young listeners/readers feel happy with the book's ending, which offers a most pleasant surprise.

14.  The Mightiest, written and illustrated by Keiko Kasza.  A while back when I first started this blog, I dedicated a whole entry to the comical genius of Keiko Kasza.  She has truly mastered the art of the plot twist, and The Mightiest offers at least three great plot twists.  A lion, an elephant, and bear discover a crown in the woods on a rock that says "For the Mightiest."  Of course the trio argues about who the mightiest truly is, leading them to a contest that has them each trying to see who can scare an approaching elderly woman the most.  Kids love making the animal sounds, and those reading the story will savor the opportunity of taking on different character voices.  Twist after twist after goofy twist keep young listeners/readers guessing what is going to happen next.

Top 20 Read-a-Loud Countdown: #15 and #16

15,  It's a Tiger!, written by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Jeremy Tankard.  I have raved about this action-packed, rollicking, raucous book before on this blog.  I recently read this to 4 different Kindergarten classes and the students loved LaRochelle's interactive prose and Tankard's eye-grabbing illustrations.  The meta story uses "you" very effectively as it puts young readers/listeners in the shoes of a young boy trying to outrun a tiger.  Kids loving spotting the striped creature before the protagonist does.  Packed with sound effects, the meta tale also has a brilliant ending that brings everything back full circle on its very last page, with a hint of a new adventure ready to begin.

16.  Bark, George, written and illustrated by Jules Feiffer.  A charmingly silly book that makes kids giggle like wild.  Against a simple backdrop, a mother pooch tries to teach the titular character how to bark.  But George lets out various animal sounds--a meow, a quack, an oink, a mooooooo--causing her to feel a great deal of alarm and worry.  A trip to vet reveals a most unusual problem that builds in zaniness.  Just when you think it's all over and George is cured and all is well, Feiffer introduces a surprise ending that truly jolts and surprises.  Hilarious fun.

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.