2 Books with a Dream Logic: Sebastian meet Sam & Dave

Sebastian and the Balloon, written and illustrated by Philip C. Stead.  This whimsical delight reminds me of those Penny cartoons on Pee-Wee's Playhouse which explored the unpredictable nature of a story being told by a child.  You never quite know what's going to happen next in Sebastian and the Balloon, about a bored lad who makes a balloon out of his grandmother's afghans and patchwork quilts.  Stead perfectly captures the rhythm of a fantastical yet quiet tale being spun by an imaginative kid.  For example, after Sebastian beside a leafless tree, he meets a bear and after a deadpan exchange, they decide to eat pickle sandwiches.  Of course.  I love the wordless spread showing them enjoying this culinary delight.  Throw in a very tall bird who inadvertently causes harm to the balloon and three elderly sisters who repair the damaged item, and you have one wonderfully peculiar story.  Stead's charming illustrations have a retro feel to them; the book feels as if it has been around forever. 

Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen.  Another book that has a dream logic to it is this surrealistic collaboration between the hilarious Barnett and Caldecott winner Klassen, who truly has become one of the most unique children's book artists working today.  The titular heroes have that striking deadpan Klassensque look as they dig a hole with their dog helping (the cat watches from above).  Readers will surely become exasperated (but in a good way) with the boys, who keep missing the giant diamonds buried in the ground.  Excellent perspective shots show the kids switching directions right at the very worst possible moment, just as they are about to discover the impressive treasures.  Oh yes, and there are bones for the pooch as well.  It all leads to a strange scene that involves them falling falling falling.  Where will they land?  This talented duo has given us a lot of great books; this one ranks among their very best.

3 Fun Read-a-louds and 2 Awesome Caldecott Sequels

Hooray for Hat, written and illustrated by Brian Won.   Hooray for stories that invite interaction and audience participation!  Throughout this fun tale of sharing and cheering your friends up, young listeners love to shout the title "HOORAY FOR HAT!"  And even though the wild assortment of animals have a case of temporary doldrums, the story puts you in a happy mood by the end.  Never before has regifting been so therapeutic.  An elephant wakes up grumpy, not happy when someone rings the doorbell.  "Go Away I'm Grumpy" trumpets the beast.  A box containing a bunch of really cool hats greets the elephant's eye as it opens the door.  Instantly cheered up, the elephant decides to share its good fortune with a grumpy zebra whose mood lightens when elephant gives it a hat.  Then they both find a scowling turtle and so on and so on.  I love Won's expressive creatures, and the way we don't see the grumpy lion and giraffe when they are initially introduced, creating a bit of mystery and surprise.  There's a nice break in the formula when Lion explains why it is sad.  It all leads to the happiest and goofiest of endings. 

Breathe, written and illustrated by Scott Magoon.  Lovely spare text and charming illustrations capture the joyful bond between a mother whale and her calf.  The happy-looking whales swim and play underwater, and Magoon does a terrific job capturing their motion, bubbles surrounding them as the move.  The story has a beautiful beat to it, with the word "Breathe" effectively recurring at key moments, an image of the baby whale emerging from the water to breathe.  The colors please the eye, and there's an effective darker spread that shows the young hero exploring a submerged ship.  Like the frolicking whale does in another wonderful spread, this book sings.  It radiates joy.

A Bed for Kitty, written and illustrated by Yasmine Surovec.  This uproarious follow-up to I See Kitty tickles the funny bone as it captures a young girl named Chloe's attempts to convince her pet kitten to sleep in a newly purchased customized cat bed.  The bold striking graphics amuse as they show the cat sleeping everywhere but on the bed:  on the TV, Mom's favorite sweater, in the sink, and even in Chloe's sock drawer!  I love the little humorous touches throughout (the rejected bed at one point is covered with cobwebs).  What is the solution?  Chloe comes up with a cozy one.  The story is simple, but the comical illustrations contain many details that invite re-visits.

Flora and the Penguin, by Molly Idle.
Quest, by Aaron Becker. 
Great news!  2014 Caldecott Honor winners Molly Idle and Aaron Becker have followed up their wordless Caldecott Honor books with wordless sequels that are just as awesome!  Flora of Flora and the Flamingo fame joins a waddling penguin in some dance moves and a fishing excursion.  The book contains the inventive and hilarious lift-the flaps that made the first creation so fun!  Meanwhile, the girl and boy and bird that made Journey such a captivating adventure are back.  Becker's brilliant illustrations contain many intricate details that are, in a word, dazzling.  Both are masterfully conceived, joys to behold.

No Words? No Pictures? No Problem!

The Farmer and the Clown, by Marla Frazee.  Frazee's glorious illustrations jump off the page in this wordless wonder about a child clown who bounces off a circus train.  Coming to the little one's aid is a caring farmer who gives the tyke a place to stay.  Frazee's evocative art work always seems to be in motion--it has a windswept feel to it.  And she masterfully uses shadows for dramatic effect.  The tenderness of the story shines through as these two lonely people become unlikely friends.  The ending feels both happy and bittersweet as the clown's family returns, and then Frazee delivers a hilarious punch line that will make young readers giggle.  Gorgeous, one of her best!

The Book with No Pictures, by B.J. Novak.  Oh my word this is silly fun!  As promised, no illustrations appear in Novak's meta romp that ends up playing a wicked little trick on the grown-ups reading it to their little ones.  The book starts off on a modest note, employing a simple black font and several blank pages, as Novak questions the whole notion of a book with no pictures.  But then we find out:  there are benefits.  Silly benefits!  The book can make the grown-up reading it out loud say ridiculous things.  The font gets bigger and colorful as goofy words start taking over the book.  It all leads to an amazing spread where the hilarious words such as OOOOOmph! EEEEEmph! and AHEE! AHEE! AHEE! fill the pages.  This would make a good double feature with Antoinette Portis' celebration of goofy words, Froodle.

Picture Book of the Day: Viva Frida

Viva Frida, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, photography by Tim O' Meara.  This is a truly unique celebration of the artistic vision of brilliant artist Frida Kahlo.  Using spare bilingual (Spanish/English) text, Morales presents a playful and sensitive Kahlo who embraces life, love, and her imagination.  Beautifully composed photographs capture a Frida figurine in motion, interacting with animals such as a monkey and a dog.  Then Morales inserts a haunting dream sequence done with masterfully composed paintings as Kahlo flies and comes to the aid of a wounded deer.  This lovely creature joins the Frida figure in the real world, inspiring one of her pieces of art.  Diego Rivera makes a special appearance, too!  The final triumphant spread with the words "Vivo!  I live!" gives me goosebumps every time I look at it.  A stirring, wondrous creation with excellent back matter.

Three Fun Romps with Great Endings

Construction, written by Sally Sutton, illustrated by Brian Lovelock.  This follow-up to Roadwork and Demolition invites audience participation as construction workers and machines noisily team up to create something very cool.  It's fun to periodically ask the children "what are they making?" and hear the answers they offer.  This follows the same formula as the first two books:  each spread shows a machine at work (Lovelock's vibrant illustrations fill the page) and a staccato rhyme captures the sound of the process:  "Hoist the wood.  Hoist the wood.  Chain and hook and strap.  Swing it round, then lower it down.  THONK! CLONK! CLAP!"  The rhymes invite clapping and movement, and kids love shouting the sound effects with you.  I won't spoil the ending's surprise:  but it's one that brings big smiles from all.

Duck in the Fridge, written and illustrated by Jeff Mack.  Mack continues his winning streak with this delightful and silly bedtime story.  A son asks his father why he always reads Mother Goose to him at bedtime, and the bespectacled pa responds "it all started when I found a duck in the fridge."  Say what?  What follows is an outlandishly goofy account of an incident from the father's childhood, perfectly captured in Mack's charming cartoon illustrations.  Ducks overtake the house, and calls to 1-800-DUCK-B-GONE prove fruitless:  they keep sending more animals who end up partying with rather than scaring the pun-spewing fowl, causing more chaos to ensue.  The resourceful lad comes up with the perfect solution to calm down these mischievous critters, and thus the son learns how Mother Goose comes to the bedtime rescue.  A blast!

Hug Machine, written and illustrated by Scott Campbell.  This instantly lovable romp introduces a boy who has declared himself the Hug Machine!  Campbell's delightful deadpan drawings serve as a comical contrast to the first person text.  As the wondrous hugger brags about how no one can resist his hugging and hugs everyone in sight, the rather perplexed expressions of some of the huggees tell a different story:  they look mildly confused by the hug and aren't really hugging back.  I love the absurdity of this book:  the hero hugs everything he sees, and that includes fire hydrants, trees, porcupines (hey you don't know what you're missing when you don't hug porcupines), and even whales.  Pizza fuels this perpetual hugger, but even hug machines tire out.  Does he have energy for one last hug?  A real delight.

2 Fun Friendship Stories

Little Elliot, Big City, written and illustrated by Mike Curato.  This gentle friendship story stars a diminutive polka-dotted elephant who finds that living in the crowded, bustling city can be truly difficult.  Curato skillfully shows the struggles for this pint-sized pachyderm, so tiny he can take a bath in his sink!  An instantly lovable creature who enjoys collecting little things, Elliot captures the reader's sympathy right away, especially when he wants to buy a cupcake but cannot because the busy bakery workers do not see him.  One haunting spread shows a little girl watching Elliot with concern (he does not notice her), and just when you think the story will become about the two of them becoming friends, Curato's tale takes another sweet turn.  Elliot meets a creature, a little mouse, who is far smaller than he, needing help.  A gorgeous spread showing Elliot feeling great about himself after he helps Mouse follows.  Will this pair team up so Elliot can finally purchase his desired pastry product?  Curato's charming and skillfully rendered illustrations are a delight to behold.  Here's hoping there will be more stories starring Elliot and his new pal!

Thank You, Octopus, written and illustrated by Darren Farrell.  What a glorious nonsensical joy this book is.  A young boy lives on a boat with his buddy, an octopus who tries to be ever so helpful but, uh, kind of fails.  Octopus announces at the story's start that it's bedtime and says "I made you a nice warm bath" (Thank you Octopus!) "of egg salad!!!!" (No Thank You Octopus!!!)  The octopus then apologizes and offers to dry the boy off...WITH A TUBA!  And so it goes.  Each page turn offers an unpredictable surprise.  What will octopus do next?  And will the boy get the octopus back for all this bizarre behavior?  Farrell's whimsical humor and hilarious illustrations make this a rollicking addition to story times.

Three That Embrace the Wild Side

Flashlight, illustrated by Lizi Boyd.  The talented Boyd follows her exquisite Inside, Outside up with another wordless wonder about a child who dares to take a nocturnal journey.  Beautifully designed and sporting clever die cuts, the book shows our brave young wanderer camping out in a tent under a full moon.  The child decides to take a walk and discovers all the creatures (bats, skunks, a fox) also enjoying this beautiful night thanks to a trusty flashlight.  Boyd's inventive illustrations give us a nighttime world of blacks and grays, and this makes seeing what the flashlight reveals all the more dramatic and effective.  Some playful slapstick enters the picture when the child falls asleep and wakes to see that some creatures have borrowed the flashlight, resulting in a lovely final image that brings all the creatures together.  A masterful charmer.

I Am a Witch's Cat, written and illustrated by Harriet Muncaster.  Wow, all the Halloween books are rolling in; this year has been soaring!  So far, this is my favorite new book for the holiday.  Using a cool-looking 3D-like collage effect, the story tells of a girl dressed as a cat telling how she loves being her witch mom's familiar.  However, the funny joke is the wannabe feline describes witchy things, but in reality, the mother is just doing mundane chores.  So a trip to the grocery store shows mom buying olives and pickles, but in the girl's imagination she purchases "jars of eyeballs and green fingers" instead.  Chores like gardening become magical, and when mother's friends visit (they all look very tame and classy) for a book discussion group, the girl claims "they sit in a circle and cackle."  And in the girl's dreams, her mother takes flight, flying on a broom under a full moon.

Wild, written and illustrated by Emily Hughes.  My vote for most subversive recent picture book has to be this idiosyncratic, witty, and surprisingly haunting tale of a young feral child who loves living in the wild and rebels when taken into so-called civilized society.  Bursting with vibrant illustrations as crazy as the girl's out-of-control hair, Hughes' story shows the girl learning how to speak from Bird, hunt from Bear, and play from Fox.  Suddenly a bunch of new creatures, humans, discover her and take her away from this ideal paradise.  I love how she resists their attempts to civilize her because, after all, humans Ate Wrong, Spoke Wrong, and Played Wrong.  It all climaxes in a major act of rebellion that may raise some eyebrows, but feels right.  Pair this with Peter Brown's Mr. Tiger Goes Wild and Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are.