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.

 

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.