Kids" Picture Books With Terrific Illustrations
A Home for Bird
Title:A Home for Bird
Author and Illustrator: Philip C. Stead
Recommended for: Ages 3 to 6
Story and Illustrations: There are so many things to talk about in A Home for Bird. Just after a truck filled with stuff hits a bump and something pops out, Vernon the toad, who is out looking for "interesting things," finds it - a bird.
Although the bird doesn't respond when Vernon asks if it's lost, Vernon claims it as a friend and introduces Bird to his friends Skunk and Porcupine. Vernon tells his friends that Bird didn't say anything to them because he's shy. He also praises Bird as "a very good listener." Despite including Bird in lots of activities, Bird never speaks and Vernon worries that his new friend is unhappy.
Vernon decided to help Bird get back to his home and they sail off together in a teacup boat with a spoon oar. Despite going to many different places, Vernon isn't able to help Bird find his home. Vernon is a good friend so he doesn't give up. With the help of some other birds, he ties the teacup boat to a balloon and floats off to find a home for bird. What they find at the end of their journey brings happiness to both Vernon and Bird who, having been returned to his home, a cuckoo clock, can now speak.
There's a slightly messy, not quite finished look to the illustrations, that is very appealing. It gives a sense of movement and life to them.
Stead's frequent use of white backgrounds helps to put all of the emphasis on the foreground and the action taking place. Vernon, Porcupine and Skunk are very distinctive and appealing characters. While Bird is noticeably still and silent, he, too, with his striped legs and button eyes, has his appeal.
On several of the pages, Stead moves the action along with comic book-style panels. Stead's use of color and detail adds to the pleasure. Instead of the collages of his earlier books, Stead used water-soluble crayon and gouache for A Home for Bird.
Vernon is a wonderful example of a good friend. He accepts Bird as he is. He is committed to helping Bird return home. When they make no progress, he figures out a new way to search and perseveres. Finally, when they find a home for Bird, Vernon is happy because his friend is happy. Best of all, there is nothing either preachy or sentimental about this story. It's just a terrific story that kids will enjoy.
Book Trailer: Watch the book trailer for A Home for Bird.
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9781596437111
The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau
Title:The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau
Author: Michelle Markel
Illustrator: Amanda Hall
Recommended for: Ages 5 to 10
Story:This picture book biography of Henri Rousseau focuses on his life from the time, when he was 40, that he began painting. Despite the fact that his works for many years were made fun of, Rousseau persevered. He loved nature and he loved to paint. Not until near the end of his life did Rousseau receive any acclaim.
That changed with the completion and exhibition of his painting "The Dream."
This poignant tale comes alive with Hall's illustrations. In the Illustrator's Notes, Hall says, "Instead of my usual pencil crayon and watercolor technique, I used both watercolor and acrylics for the illustrations, as I wanted to get close to the feel of Rousseau's own paintings. I decide to break the rules of sale and perspective to reflect his unusual way of seeing the world." When artist's try to do art "in the style of" a famous artist, it tends to look like a poor imitation. Fortunately, that was not what Hall was after here. She does indeed capture the feel of Rousseau's work.
Book Trailer: Watch the book trailer for The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau.
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780802853646
Chloe and the Lion
Title:Chloe and the Lion
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Adam Rex
Recommended for: Ages 4 to 8, plus some older kids and teens
Story: This is such a wacky story and is so dependent on the artwork that it's hard to describe. Watching the book trailer mentioned below will help. You need to know that this is a very funny book. Illustrator Adam Rex used an amazing variety of materials to create the artwork.
The book's publication information states, "The art in this book was made with basswood, balsa wood, oil and acrylic paints, pencil, Sculpey clay, modified doll clothing, toilet paper, photography, and Photoshop." Both the author, Mac Barnett, and the illustrator appear in the book as 3D clay figures such as you might find in a video. The book's setting is shown as a stage with flat cutouts of trees representing the foreground and the middle ground, with a merry-go-round in the background.
The main character, Chloe, who looks like a cutout of a cartoon character, gets lost in the forest and a lion jumps out at her. Except, that's not what happens. A dragon jumps out. Why? The illustrator changed the author's words because he thinks a dragon is "cooler." Chaos ensues as the artist and illustrator fight, and Mac fires Adam. A substitute artist isn't as good as Adam, and the lion he draws eats Adam.
This unusual story is dependent on the artwork for its effectiveness. Because of the way the book is designed, I'd recommend as a read aloud for ages 4 to 8 and think it will also interest older kids and teens who are interested in art, theater and/or animation.
Book Trailer: Watch the author and illustrator argue in this book trailer for Chloe and the Lion.
Publisher: Disney, Hyperion Books
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9781423113348
Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey
Title:Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey
Author: Gary Golio
Illustrator: Rudy Gutierrez
Recommended for: 9 to 14
Story: From a happy early childhood to the tragic death of his grandfather and father to early success as a jazz musician to alcohol and drug abuse to a spiritual awakening, John Coltrane's life was a mixture of great joy and great sorrow. Throughout it all, religion and music were key to John Coltrane's life.
Gary Golio's biography provides an unflinching look at John Coltrane's addiction while also emphasizing his talent and the beliefs that ultimately enabled him to remain sober. An Afterword and Author's Note: Music, Musicians and Drug Use provide additional information.
What makes Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey work is the amazing artwork by Rudy Gutierrez. It swings, it sways, it howls, it grieves, it celebrates and it reflects all that John Coltrane went through as a person and as an musician. Gutierrez's acrylic paintings are full of symbolism and life.
Publisher: Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780547239941
Twelve Kinds of Ice
Title:Twelve Kinds of Ice
Author: Ellen Bryan Obed
Illustrator: Barbara McClintock
Recommended for: Ages 8 to adult
Story and Illustrations:. Who knew there were 12 kinds of ice? This beautifully written 64-page book, with black and white pen and ink sketches sprinkled throughout, grabs the reader's attention from the beginning. The author describes how a family and the neighborhood children enjoy all the kinds of ice that come with winter, from the first sign of ice in the barn pails to field ice, stream ice, black ice, garden ice, for hockey games and ice shows, and dream ice that never melted.
With short chapters and lots of illustrations, young readers are compelled to keep reading. If they aren't that familiar with the joys of ice, they read to find out about all of the kinds of ice. For those who love winter ice, it can be a walk down memory lane, whether it is an 11 year old thinking back to the previous year's ice or an adult looking back nostalgically on their childhood. What impressed me particularly about the illustrations is their timeless quality, the way they so perfectly complement the story.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780618891290
Benny's Brigade
Title:Benny's Brigade
Author: Arthur Bradford
Illustrator: Lisa Hanawalt
Recommended for: Ages 4 to 8
Story:This is one of the first books from McSweeney’s McMullens, and it really tickled my funny bone. If your children enjoy stories that seem to go back and forth between reality and fantasy, have surprising characters (a miniature seal, slugs?) and unexpected stories, they'll love this one. From the spot illustrations on the endpapers, which differ front and back, to the fanciful final scene, there is much to enjoy.
The story begins with two sisters, Elsie and Theo, who are walking to school when they find a giant wriggle nutshell. When Elsie holds it up to her ear, she hears a little voice say, "Let me out!" When the girls let the creature out, they discover it's a very polite tiny talking walrus named Benny. After discovering Benny misses the ocean, the girls introduce Benny to their classmates and convince them to help build a boat so they could put it in the creek and send Benny in it to the ocean. What happens when three slugs get involved and the boat takes off completes this strange story.
Lisa Hanawalt's use of patterns and flat colors with shading, along with her overall style, adds a unique look to the story. This is a good size book, about 10" by 12," and Hanawalt makes good use of that with large close-ups and many double-page spreads of illustrations. The dust jacket unfolds to create a giant 2-sided poster, a nice touch.
Publisher: McSweeney’s McMullens
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9781936365616
Bear Has a Story to Tell
Title:Bear Has a Story to Tell
Author: Philip C. Stead
Illustrator: Erin E. Stead, who won the 2011 Randolph Caldecott Medal for her illustrations for A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead.
Recommended for: Ages 3 to 6
Story and Illustrations: I like books that leave lots of room for the imagination and this is a good example. The plot is simple. It's time to get ready for winter, but before he hibernates, Bear has a story to tell.
His friends, Mouse, Duck and Frog are too busy getting ready for winter to listen so Bear helps them get ready. Then, he checks to see if his friend Mole is awake (he's not) and goes to sleep just as the first snow begins to fall. When he wakes up, it is spring.
Bear greets each of his friends, giving mouse an acorn, finding a mud puddle for the duck and a place in the sun for the Frog. They all wait for Mole to wake up and then, everyone is ready for Bear's story. What will they do when he can't remember the story? With ample use of white backgrounds, subtle colors and shading, Erin Stead creates an atmosphere of warmth and calm that nicely complements Philip Stead's gentle story of friendship. Book Trailer:Bear Has a Story to Tell book trailer
Publisher: A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9781596437456
This Is Not My Hat
Title:This Is Not My Hat
Author Illustrator: Jon Klassen
Recommended for: Ages 4 to 8
Story: Jon Klossen's books I Want My Hat Back and This Is Not My Hat are the perfect antidotes any time you feel you are about to overdose on the excessive amount of goodness and happy endings in some children's books. In this story, a little fish tells the reader, "This hat is not mine. I stole it." He stole it from a very large fish while the big fish was sleeping.
While the little fish is assuring the reader that the big fish is probably going to sleep for awhile, the illustrations show that the fish is now awake. While the little fish is assuring us that the fish won't even realize his hat is gone, we see the big fish rolling his eyes upward and know that he can see that his hat is gone.
And so it goes. What the little fish thinks is happening doesn't match what the illustrations show. By the end of the book, the little fish has disappeared into the jungle of underwater plants, assuring us he won't be found. We know differently when we see the big fish swimming away with his little hat back on. Older kids will relish the idea of the big fish eating the small fish, while younger children may not pick up on that at all. In either case, the cause and effect message is pretty clear.
Think of how totally different this story would be if Klossen used bright, clear colors. It's his choice of a black background, muted colors in subtle variations and stippling and other texturing effects that make the message, in words and picture, so consistent.
Klossen created the beautiful endpapers, which show the jungle of underwater plants in muted colors, and all the other illustrations digitally and in Chinese ink.
Book Trailer: Watch the very brief animated book trailer for This Is Not My Hat.
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780763655990
Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature
Title:Outside Your Window A First Book of Nature
Author: Nicola Davies
Illustrator: Mark Hearld
Recommended for: All ages, particularly ages 3 to 8
Story:. The author, Nicola Davies, is not only an award-winning writer but is also a zoologist. Various subjects related to nature are addressed in a series of poems organized by the season. Spring poems include Water, Bulbs, Dandelions, Nesting and Planting Seeds.
Summer's Song, Milking and Caterpillars, Butterflies are among the 18 summer poems. Autumn poems highlight the weather with Wind and Leaves along with Harvest and Berry Picking. Among the dozen poems for winter are Snow Song, Seed Saving and A Bird Feast.
Davies's poetry gains additional meaning and joy through the artwork of Mark Hearld. Hearld was educated in illustration at Glasgow School of Art and in natural history illustration at the Royal College of Art in London. His mixed media artwork, which includes printmaking, collages, lithography and more, captures the feelings of young readers through the seasons. This large and handsome book features pages covered in Hearld's artwork with the poems embedded.
Book Trailer: While I could not find a book trailer, I did find the video Mark Hearld: An Introduction, a fascinating 8-minute long video in which the artist talks about and demonstrates some of the methods he uses, such as collage and lithography, in creating his artwork.
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780763655495
Mice
Title:Oh, No!
Author: Candace Fleming
Illustrator: Eric Rohmann
Recommended for: Ages 2 to 5
Story: The simple story, with lots of repetition and fun sounds like "Ribbit-oops!" and "Pippa-eeek!" and the large, bright, active illustrations by Eric Rohmann make this picture book particularly suited to being read aloud to a group of children. They'll enjoy repeating the sounds and "Oh, no!" and will have fun identifying all of the animals and finding out what happens to the tiger.
Rohmann excels at illustrating emotions and movement. The expressions on the animals' faces are fun to watch as they reveal their feelings as one by one they fall into the deep, deep hole and watch the hungry tiger looking down on them. You can almost see and feel the animals twist and turn as they fall. Rohmann also makes good use of light background colors and open spaces to provide a dramatic contrast to the deep dark hole.
Book Trailer: While there is a book trailer for Oh, No!, it is extremely brief.
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, Random House
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780375842719
The Bear in the Book
Title:Mice
Author: Rose Fyleman
Illustrator: Lois Ehleret
Recommended for: Ages 3 to 12
Story: A simple rhyme, with a surprise narrator who is not revealed until the book's end, is illustrated with the amusing collages of Lois Ehlert. Ehlert, who is known for her collages, is also the author and illustrator of a number of children's books, including Snowballs and Leaf Man.
Using handmade paper and string on a black background, Ehlert has created a succession of simple collages featuring two zany looking mice and a variety of cutpaper household items, which she has labeled.
While the objects are cut out of smooth paper, the mice are composed of two rough-edged triangles of textured paper, with string limbs and tails and cutpaper tails, eyes and ears. Because of the simplicity and artistry of Ehlert's work, I not only recommend the book as a fun read aloud for younger kids, but it can also serve as an inspiration for older kids who'd like to create their own collages.
Publisher: Beach Lane Books, Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9781442456846
Title:The Bear in the Book
Author: Kate Banks
Illustrator: Georg Hallensleben
Recommended for: Ages 3 to 6
Story and Illustrations:The joy of a parent and child sharing a book and the child feeling a part of the story is celebrated in The Bear in the Book. From the storybook itself to the boy's sleepy comments and the mother's affectionate "Shh," author Kate Banks unerringly sets a quiet, loving mood, perfect for a bedtime story for you and your child.
Illustrator Georg Hallensleben does an excellent job of showing how the little boy and his mother go from starting a book at bedtime to the boy becoming totally caught up in the story of the bear hibernating. As his mother reads to him, the boy becomes sleepier and sleepier so that by the time in the story that it's spring and the bear wakes up, the little boy is fast asleep. The illustrator's paintings, with their broad stokes, texture, color and details are very appealing and not only extend the warm mood of the story, but they also provide lots for a parent and child to talk about.
Book Trailer: Watch the slide show of The Bear in the Book.
Publisher: Frances Foster Books, Farrar Straus Giroux
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780374305918
Introduction
Below and on the following pages you'll find my personal choices for the best illustrated children's books of 2012. I hope you enjoy at least some of these as much as I have.Title:A Home for Bird
Author and Illustrator: Philip C. Stead
Recommended for: Ages 3 to 6
Story and Illustrations: There are so many things to talk about in A Home for Bird. Just after a truck filled with stuff hits a bump and something pops out, Vernon the toad, who is out looking for "interesting things," finds it - a bird.
Although the bird doesn't respond when Vernon asks if it's lost, Vernon claims it as a friend and introduces Bird to his friends Skunk and Porcupine. Vernon tells his friends that Bird didn't say anything to them because he's shy. He also praises Bird as "a very good listener." Despite including Bird in lots of activities, Bird never speaks and Vernon worries that his new friend is unhappy.
Vernon decided to help Bird get back to his home and they sail off together in a teacup boat with a spoon oar. Despite going to many different places, Vernon isn't able to help Bird find his home. Vernon is a good friend so he doesn't give up. With the help of some other birds, he ties the teacup boat to a balloon and floats off to find a home for bird. What they find at the end of their journey brings happiness to both Vernon and Bird who, having been returned to his home, a cuckoo clock, can now speak.
There's a slightly messy, not quite finished look to the illustrations, that is very appealing. It gives a sense of movement and life to them.
Stead's frequent use of white backgrounds helps to put all of the emphasis on the foreground and the action taking place. Vernon, Porcupine and Skunk are very distinctive and appealing characters. While Bird is noticeably still and silent, he, too, with his striped legs and button eyes, has his appeal.
On several of the pages, Stead moves the action along with comic book-style panels. Stead's use of color and detail adds to the pleasure. Instead of the collages of his earlier books, Stead used water-soluble crayon and gouache for A Home for Bird.
Vernon is a wonderful example of a good friend. He accepts Bird as he is. He is committed to helping Bird return home. When they make no progress, he figures out a new way to search and perseveres. Finally, when they find a home for Bird, Vernon is happy because his friend is happy. Best of all, there is nothing either preachy or sentimental about this story. It's just a terrific story that kids will enjoy.
Book Trailer: Watch the book trailer for A Home for Bird.
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9781596437111
The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau
Title:The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau
Author: Michelle Markel
Illustrator: Amanda Hall
Recommended for: Ages 5 to 10
Story:This picture book biography of Henri Rousseau focuses on his life from the time, when he was 40, that he began painting. Despite the fact that his works for many years were made fun of, Rousseau persevered. He loved nature and he loved to paint. Not until near the end of his life did Rousseau receive any acclaim.
That changed with the completion and exhibition of his painting "The Dream."
This poignant tale comes alive with Hall's illustrations. In the Illustrator's Notes, Hall says, "Instead of my usual pencil crayon and watercolor technique, I used both watercolor and acrylics for the illustrations, as I wanted to get close to the feel of Rousseau's own paintings. I decide to break the rules of sale and perspective to reflect his unusual way of seeing the world." When artist's try to do art "in the style of" a famous artist, it tends to look like a poor imitation. Fortunately, that was not what Hall was after here. She does indeed capture the feel of Rousseau's work.
Book Trailer: Watch the book trailer for The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau.
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780802853646
Chloe and the Lion
Title:Chloe and the Lion
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Adam Rex
Recommended for: Ages 4 to 8, plus some older kids and teens
Story: This is such a wacky story and is so dependent on the artwork that it's hard to describe. Watching the book trailer mentioned below will help. You need to know that this is a very funny book. Illustrator Adam Rex used an amazing variety of materials to create the artwork.
The book's publication information states, "The art in this book was made with basswood, balsa wood, oil and acrylic paints, pencil, Sculpey clay, modified doll clothing, toilet paper, photography, and Photoshop." Both the author, Mac Barnett, and the illustrator appear in the book as 3D clay figures such as you might find in a video. The book's setting is shown as a stage with flat cutouts of trees representing the foreground and the middle ground, with a merry-go-round in the background.
The main character, Chloe, who looks like a cutout of a cartoon character, gets lost in the forest and a lion jumps out at her. Except, that's not what happens. A dragon jumps out. Why? The illustrator changed the author's words because he thinks a dragon is "cooler." Chaos ensues as the artist and illustrator fight, and Mac fires Adam. A substitute artist isn't as good as Adam, and the lion he draws eats Adam.
This unusual story is dependent on the artwork for its effectiveness. Because of the way the book is designed, I'd recommend as a read aloud for ages 4 to 8 and think it will also interest older kids and teens who are interested in art, theater and/or animation.
Book Trailer: Watch the author and illustrator argue in this book trailer for Chloe and the Lion.
Publisher: Disney, Hyperion Books
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9781423113348
Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey
Title:Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey
Author: Gary Golio
Illustrator: Rudy Gutierrez
Recommended for: 9 to 14
Story: From a happy early childhood to the tragic death of his grandfather and father to early success as a jazz musician to alcohol and drug abuse to a spiritual awakening, John Coltrane's life was a mixture of great joy and great sorrow. Throughout it all, religion and music were key to John Coltrane's life.
Gary Golio's biography provides an unflinching look at John Coltrane's addiction while also emphasizing his talent and the beliefs that ultimately enabled him to remain sober. An Afterword and Author's Note: Music, Musicians and Drug Use provide additional information.
What makes Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey work is the amazing artwork by Rudy Gutierrez. It swings, it sways, it howls, it grieves, it celebrates and it reflects all that John Coltrane went through as a person and as an musician. Gutierrez's acrylic paintings are full of symbolism and life.
Publisher: Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780547239941
Twelve Kinds of Ice
Title:Twelve Kinds of Ice
Author: Ellen Bryan Obed
Illustrator: Barbara McClintock
Recommended for: Ages 8 to adult
Story and Illustrations:. Who knew there were 12 kinds of ice? This beautifully written 64-page book, with black and white pen and ink sketches sprinkled throughout, grabs the reader's attention from the beginning. The author describes how a family and the neighborhood children enjoy all the kinds of ice that come with winter, from the first sign of ice in the barn pails to field ice, stream ice, black ice, garden ice, for hockey games and ice shows, and dream ice that never melted.
With short chapters and lots of illustrations, young readers are compelled to keep reading. If they aren't that familiar with the joys of ice, they read to find out about all of the kinds of ice. For those who love winter ice, it can be a walk down memory lane, whether it is an 11 year old thinking back to the previous year's ice or an adult looking back nostalgically on their childhood. What impressed me particularly about the illustrations is their timeless quality, the way they so perfectly complement the story.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780618891290
Benny's Brigade
Title:Benny's Brigade
Author: Arthur Bradford
Illustrator: Lisa Hanawalt
Recommended for: Ages 4 to 8
Story:This is one of the first books from McSweeney’s McMullens, and it really tickled my funny bone. If your children enjoy stories that seem to go back and forth between reality and fantasy, have surprising characters (a miniature seal, slugs?) and unexpected stories, they'll love this one. From the spot illustrations on the endpapers, which differ front and back, to the fanciful final scene, there is much to enjoy.
The story begins with two sisters, Elsie and Theo, who are walking to school when they find a giant wriggle nutshell. When Elsie holds it up to her ear, she hears a little voice say, "Let me out!" When the girls let the creature out, they discover it's a very polite tiny talking walrus named Benny. After discovering Benny misses the ocean, the girls introduce Benny to their classmates and convince them to help build a boat so they could put it in the creek and send Benny in it to the ocean. What happens when three slugs get involved and the boat takes off completes this strange story.
Lisa Hanawalt's use of patterns and flat colors with shading, along with her overall style, adds a unique look to the story. This is a good size book, about 10" by 12," and Hanawalt makes good use of that with large close-ups and many double-page spreads of illustrations. The dust jacket unfolds to create a giant 2-sided poster, a nice touch.
Publisher: McSweeney’s McMullens
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9781936365616
Bear Has a Story to Tell
Title:Bear Has a Story to Tell
Author: Philip C. Stead
Illustrator: Erin E. Stead, who won the 2011 Randolph Caldecott Medal for her illustrations for A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead.
Recommended for: Ages 3 to 6
Story and Illustrations: I like books that leave lots of room for the imagination and this is a good example. The plot is simple. It's time to get ready for winter, but before he hibernates, Bear has a story to tell.
His friends, Mouse, Duck and Frog are too busy getting ready for winter to listen so Bear helps them get ready. Then, he checks to see if his friend Mole is awake (he's not) and goes to sleep just as the first snow begins to fall. When he wakes up, it is spring.
Bear greets each of his friends, giving mouse an acorn, finding a mud puddle for the duck and a place in the sun for the Frog. They all wait for Mole to wake up and then, everyone is ready for Bear's story. What will they do when he can't remember the story? With ample use of white backgrounds, subtle colors and shading, Erin Stead creates an atmosphere of warmth and calm that nicely complements Philip Stead's gentle story of friendship. Book Trailer:Bear Has a Story to Tell book trailer
Publisher: A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9781596437456
This Is Not My Hat
Title:This Is Not My Hat
Author Illustrator: Jon Klassen
Recommended for: Ages 4 to 8
Story: Jon Klossen's books I Want My Hat Back and This Is Not My Hat are the perfect antidotes any time you feel you are about to overdose on the excessive amount of goodness and happy endings in some children's books. In this story, a little fish tells the reader, "This hat is not mine. I stole it." He stole it from a very large fish while the big fish was sleeping.
While the little fish is assuring the reader that the big fish is probably going to sleep for awhile, the illustrations show that the fish is now awake. While the little fish is assuring us that the fish won't even realize his hat is gone, we see the big fish rolling his eyes upward and know that he can see that his hat is gone.
And so it goes. What the little fish thinks is happening doesn't match what the illustrations show. By the end of the book, the little fish has disappeared into the jungle of underwater plants, assuring us he won't be found. We know differently when we see the big fish swimming away with his little hat back on. Older kids will relish the idea of the big fish eating the small fish, while younger children may not pick up on that at all. In either case, the cause and effect message is pretty clear.
Think of how totally different this story would be if Klossen used bright, clear colors. It's his choice of a black background, muted colors in subtle variations and stippling and other texturing effects that make the message, in words and picture, so consistent.
Klossen created the beautiful endpapers, which show the jungle of underwater plants in muted colors, and all the other illustrations digitally and in Chinese ink.
Book Trailer: Watch the very brief animated book trailer for This Is Not My Hat.
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780763655990
Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature
Title:Outside Your Window A First Book of Nature
Author: Nicola Davies
Illustrator: Mark Hearld
Recommended for: All ages, particularly ages 3 to 8
Story:. The author, Nicola Davies, is not only an award-winning writer but is also a zoologist. Various subjects related to nature are addressed in a series of poems organized by the season. Spring poems include Water, Bulbs, Dandelions, Nesting and Planting Seeds.
Summer's Song, Milking and Caterpillars, Butterflies are among the 18 summer poems. Autumn poems highlight the weather with Wind and Leaves along with Harvest and Berry Picking. Among the dozen poems for winter are Snow Song, Seed Saving and A Bird Feast.
Davies's poetry gains additional meaning and joy through the artwork of Mark Hearld. Hearld was educated in illustration at Glasgow School of Art and in natural history illustration at the Royal College of Art in London. His mixed media artwork, which includes printmaking, collages, lithography and more, captures the feelings of young readers through the seasons. This large and handsome book features pages covered in Hearld's artwork with the poems embedded.
Book Trailer: While I could not find a book trailer, I did find the video Mark Hearld: An Introduction, a fascinating 8-minute long video in which the artist talks about and demonstrates some of the methods he uses, such as collage and lithography, in creating his artwork.
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780763655495
Mice
Title:Oh, No!
Author: Candace Fleming
Illustrator: Eric Rohmann
Recommended for: Ages 2 to 5
Story: The simple story, with lots of repetition and fun sounds like "Ribbit-oops!" and "Pippa-eeek!" and the large, bright, active illustrations by Eric Rohmann make this picture book particularly suited to being read aloud to a group of children. They'll enjoy repeating the sounds and "Oh, no!" and will have fun identifying all of the animals and finding out what happens to the tiger.
Rohmann excels at illustrating emotions and movement. The expressions on the animals' faces are fun to watch as they reveal their feelings as one by one they fall into the deep, deep hole and watch the hungry tiger looking down on them. You can almost see and feel the animals twist and turn as they fall. Rohmann also makes good use of light background colors and open spaces to provide a dramatic contrast to the deep dark hole.
Book Trailer: While there is a book trailer for Oh, No!, it is extremely brief.
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, Random House
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780375842719
The Bear in the Book
Title:Mice
Author: Rose Fyleman
Illustrator: Lois Ehleret
Recommended for: Ages 3 to 12
Story: A simple rhyme, with a surprise narrator who is not revealed until the book's end, is illustrated with the amusing collages of Lois Ehlert. Ehlert, who is known for her collages, is also the author and illustrator of a number of children's books, including Snowballs and Leaf Man.
Using handmade paper and string on a black background, Ehlert has created a succession of simple collages featuring two zany looking mice and a variety of cutpaper household items, which she has labeled.
While the objects are cut out of smooth paper, the mice are composed of two rough-edged triangles of textured paper, with string limbs and tails and cutpaper tails, eyes and ears. Because of the simplicity and artistry of Ehlert's work, I not only recommend the book as a fun read aloud for younger kids, but it can also serve as an inspiration for older kids who'd like to create their own collages.
Publisher: Beach Lane Books, Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9781442456846
Title:The Bear in the Book
Author: Kate Banks
Illustrator: Georg Hallensleben
Recommended for: Ages 3 to 6
Story and Illustrations:The joy of a parent and child sharing a book and the child feeling a part of the story is celebrated in The Bear in the Book. From the storybook itself to the boy's sleepy comments and the mother's affectionate "Shh," author Kate Banks unerringly sets a quiet, loving mood, perfect for a bedtime story for you and your child.
Illustrator Georg Hallensleben does an excellent job of showing how the little boy and his mother go from starting a book at bedtime to the boy becoming totally caught up in the story of the bear hibernating. As his mother reads to him, the boy becomes sleepier and sleepier so that by the time in the story that it's spring and the bear wakes up, the little boy is fast asleep. The illustrator's paintings, with their broad stokes, texture, color and details are very appealing and not only extend the warm mood of the story, but they also provide lots for a parent and child to talk about.
Book Trailer: Watch the slide show of The Bear in the Book.
Publisher: Frances Foster Books, Farrar Straus Giroux
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9780374305918