The Field Guide to Parenting Children's Bookstore Picture Books 2007

The Field Guide to Parenting
Tools to Help You Raise or Care for the Young Children in Your Life

The Field Guide to Parenting
Children's Bookstore

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Favorite Picture Books of 2007

And What Comes After a Thousand?
by Anette Bley
Kane/Miller, 2007

A masterful introduction to the characters, an old man and a young girl, and an impressive story about a sensitive subject: death and dying. Otto and Lisa share many things--a counting game, emergency cookies, and a wonder of the stars. When Otto stays in bed for days, it's only natural for Lisa to ask him in a completely innocent, child-like way, "Will you die soon?" Otto answers with contentment that likely, he will.

The world is less colorful without Otto, as Lisa struggles with a host of feelings, anger, confusion, and sadness. Olga is there to help her understand in a gentle, appropriate way, and they cry a little in Otto's garden.

In addition to the insightful, heartwarming treatment of death and grief, this is a story of generations. Otto passes on to Lisa joy in life and an experience of dying well. Lisa is a happy, inquisitive child which enriches the final phase of Otto's life.

The deeply hued, slightly impressionistic paintings are irresistible. This is a book you will fall in love with the moment you open the cover.

Because . . .
by Mikhail Baryshnikov (Author)

Vladimir Radunsky (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Atheneum (May 22, 2007)

A boy describes a week in the life of he and his adorable though embarrassing grandmother. Each day, Mrs. Duncan (his grandmother) does something like rolling over like a dog or singing with the crossing guard or other things that cause people to ask "Why?" Mrs. Duncan has a simple answer for each questions, "Because..." Readers find out the rest of the reason at the end, but along the way are treated to the gouache pictures of wacky people doing unusual things in Radunksy's somewhat pointillist but always delightful style.

If you are looking for a book of sheer joy, search no further, this is it!
How To be A Baby . . . By Me, The Big Sister
by Sally Lloyd-Jones, Sue Heap (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (February 2007)
"When you're a baby, you don't read books, you eat them...You sing songs, but you don't know the words. Or the tune. ( Iknow the words and the tune AND THE DANCE.)" A happy-to-be big sister tells her new brother, matter-of-factly, alll about what he can and can't do in comparison to what she can do. There are some advantages to being a baby, but clearly, being a big sister is supreme.
Cheerful slice of life pictures done in felt tip pen, acrylics, and crayons are detailed and sweet, and include lists and drawings done by big sister. By the end, readers will see that being a big sister requires patience, but the rewards are many.
Diary of a Fly
by Doreen Cronin , Harry Bliss (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Joanna Cotler (August 21, 2007)
A sweet little girl fly details her life with 327 brothers and sisters, and friends Spider and Worm. She longs to be a superhero, have her own room, and is not too fond of her place in the food chain, nor having a grouchy lady bug and frog as babysitters.
Facts about flies are cleverly hidden in the storytelling. For example, her school pictures are terrible because she didin't have all her eyes looking in the same direction; ants have 4,000 lenses in each eye.

Harry Bliss pictures are once again a perfect compliment to Doreen Cronin's creative and materfully written story. Visual yuks abound. Take a look at: great, great grandmother fly with Babe Ruth (under the front cover flap), Fly's book report (back endpage), and the box used as a school lunch table.

If asked, I don't think I could choose a favorite among the "diary" stories--each one seems just as funny, informative, and original as the next. Once again, well done.
A Mama for Owen
by Marion Dane Bauer, John Butler (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (March 2007)
Based on a true story of a family of hippos who are washed out to see in a flood, this story is both heartwqarming and heartwrenching. One-year old Owen is washed ashore wihtout his mama. Spotting something that is the color of Mama, he snuggles up against it. So began the parent-son relationshp of a young hippo and a 180-year old tortoise. The oil and colored pencil pictures are soft and somewhat dream-like. A story that will win the hearts of all readers. Well done.

Every Season by Shelly Rotner & Anne Love Woodhull
photos by Shelley Rotner
Roaring Brook Press, 2007

The wonders of every season are celebrated one by one, with texture, color, scent, taste, sound, and feelings. Text is spare which highlights the consistently gorgeous, colorful, sharp photographs found in every Shelly Rotner book. The senses come alive and readers will be left with a wonderful feeling about every season.

Duck, Duck, Goose by Tad Hills
Schwartz & Wade, 2007
A good sequel is a hard thing to accomplish when the first book sets the bar very high, but this sequel to Duck & Goose makes the grade. The introduction of a new friend for Duck & Goose, a sprightly young duck names "Thistle," is the basis for learning about true friendship.

To Thistle, life is a competition of which she is always the winner. Duck is pulled along in Thistle's boundless energy long after Goose gives up. When the three reconnect, Goose discovers a clever way to beat Thistle at her own game without letting that Duck and Goose just want some quiet, uncompetitive time.

The characters are as just as irresistible in text as in illustration, but the pictured expressions are priceless. Each Duck & Goose book stands alone, but together, the charm is twice as nice. I can't wait to see what the duo turned trio will do next!

Has Anyone Seen My Emily Greene?
by Norma Fox Mazer (Author),
Christine Davenier (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Candlewick (May 8, 2007)

The endearing game of hide-and-seek between a dad and young girl is affectionately portrayed. The rhymes and repeating question match well the joyful play in the story.

Thin lines and washes of color on large pages tell the whole story. The addition of a cat watching the action knowingly is a fun element in the pictures. Very sweet ending with Dad and daughter having a cuddle.

New Clothes for New Year's Day
by Hyun-Joo Bae
Kane/Miller, 2007
A young girl wakes up in excitement of the Lunar New Year in Korea (on Feb 18 in 2007) much as children who celebrate Christmas and birthdays. She explains quite clearly what she is putting on as she gets dressed and how special her new clothes are. The magnificent illustrations capture the angelic girl and hold her center stage without overpowering the page and maintaining a graceful quality. More about the importance on the New Year in Korea is included at the end. A gem of a book!

Firefly Mountain
by Patricia Thomas (Author)
Peter Sylvada (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Peachtree (March 31, 2007)

The lush, impressionistic oil paintings immediately set the mood--it's that gorgeous time of day when the sun is more set than not and the anticipation of something special is in the air. At the top of the hill that overlooks a valley and the black mountain beyond it, are hundreds or maybe a "jillion hundred" fireflies -- a sight that can only be seen and experienced and kept in the mind's eye.

A beautiful, beautiful book about one extraordinary sight and the promise in waiting leading up to it.

Where the Giant Sleeps
by Mem Fox (Author), Vladimir Radunsky (Illustrator)
Harcourt, 2007

A boy in his bed sleeping dreams of rowing a boat near where giant sleeps. The large female giant at rest becomes the landscape for pixies, goblins, and more that the boy sees in greater detail with his spyglass. The dreamy quality of the gouache paintings on handmade paper combined with those that feel like looking through a telescope make up the typically unique outlook of this illustrator (see also Because, The Mighty Asparagus, and I Love You Dude) -- you never know what he is going to come up with next, but it's always original.

A wonderful book for anytime reading and discussion of dreams, landscapes, and seeing in a different way.

Full House: An Invitation to Fractions
by Dayle Ann Dodds (Author), Abby Carter (Illustrator) Candlewick, 2007

The totally delightful Miss Bloom runs The Strawberry Inn. Every cheerful as guests arrive one by one to fill up the six rooms. Fractions are shown for one room in six filled, two rooms of six, etc. Watercolor and black pencil illustrations are as pleasing as can be and capture the happy faces and goings on at the end.

As fun an introduction to fractions as I've ever seen.

Junk Collector School
by Adam Dahlin (Author), Emma Akerman (Illustrator)Joan Sandin (Translator) , R&S Books, 2007

Jake is about the best next door neighbor any kid could have--he is a junk collector and has several spectacular collections. Six-year old Andy sets out to create a collection of his own, under the tutalage of Jake in the Junk Collector School ( number of students: one).

Skinny, detailed cartoon-like characters live in a world of fine lines and the funky world of Jake's junky yard. Jake and Andy are believable and both quite charming. The story is engaging and holds some mystery.

All in all, a well-done story book that illustrated in the most fun way possible the value of recycling and reusing.

Taking a Bath with the Dog and Other Things that Make Me Happy by Scott Menchin, Candlewick, 2007

Sweet Pea's mother notices that she is sad today. Since Sweet Pea doesn't know what will make her happy, she sets out to learn what makes the dog, a rabbit, a bat, a man on a park bench, and even the sun happy. In the end, our darling heroine comes up with a long list of things that make her happy including taking a bath with the dog.

The ink and watercolor pictures sit on colorful, solid backgrounds. Each two-page spread asks the repeating question, "What makes you happy," and the answer from one of a variety of people, animals, and the sun. The large characters with one clear action per page makes this a good choice for younger readers as well as older preschoolers.

A great story idea put together in an easy and fun way; a wonderful vehicle for talking with kids about happiness and focusing on the good things in life.

Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler (Author),
R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator), Harcourt, 2007

A must-read-aloud book, the energy bursts off the page as the adults around the baby rum-tum-tum, do wop do, and snap-sna-snap the baby to sleep. The subtle beginning, which starts on the dedication page, leads perfectly to the ending you would expect. The fun is not in the baby going to sleep, but in the way that Grandma, Grandpa, auntie, uncle, cousins and neighbors get the baby to sleep. Once the jazz music starts, the joy is endless.

The gouache paintings barely contain the spirit on the page. The wide-eyed baby sings, taps, and dances along while arms and legs are flying and open mouths sing. The bright colors match the wild activity and then turn cool as the tempo changes, the lights go down, and Mama and Daddy sing the baby to sleep with the blues.

Once again, Lisa Wheeler masterfully shows how rhyme can showcase a story in bold, brassy, lively language. Every once in awhile the "snazzy-jazzy," "fancy-dancin'" baby chimes in "Go, Man, Go!" To which I can only say,

"Go, Lisa, Go!"

Yatandou by Gloria Whelan (Author),
Peter Sylvada (Illustrator), Sleeping Bear Press, 2007

This selection in the "Tales of the World" series focuses on life in a small Mali village. In the beginning, subsistence included eight-year olds like Yatandou, pounding millet for hours every day. Yet, though life is hard, the young girl describes, "The sky is my ceiling and the moon my lantern."

Soft, impressionistic paintings that include rich reds, browns, and other colors of the earth show a great beauty in and reverence for the people and the village.

When the women hear of a machine that will "eat the millet kernels and spit out meal," in minutes rather than the hours it takes to do this by hand, everyone sacrifices to save enough money to buy it. Yatandou eventually realizes what an important advancement this is for the village, and that her daughter will never have to spend hours every day pounding with a stick.

Based on the 350 African villages that have come to own grinding machines. The author is donating a portion of her royalties to the Building with Books organization that has helped tens of thousands of kids in the United States and Mali.

Exceptional!

Click on any book cover for more information at Amazon.

Meerkat Mail
by Emily Gravett
Simon & Schuster, 2007

It's very hot in the Kalahari desert where the meerkats live and work in close quarters. Too close for Sunny who sets out to find the perfect place to live. What follows are the places that Sunny visits with real postcards attached to the page which you can fold open to read the messages that Sunny sends to his family. Each day of the week, Sunny visits a different kind of place and relays his experiences on the postcards home.

On Friday evening, Sunny has reached dark and a little scary Madagascar, and by Saturday when he has moved on to a very wet marsh, he starts to wonder whether any place is right for him. As you would expect, on Sunday Sunny arrives in a very hot place where everyone is close, and discovers that there really is no place like home.

The meerkats on the cover, the end pages and throughout the story are simply wonderful as are the settings in which they live. Kids will love the several, real postcard-size postcards in the book and the humorous situations Sunny gets himself in. Very fun in story, pictures, and book design.

Has Anyone Seen My Emily Greene?
by Norma Fox Mazer (Author), Christine Davenier (Illustrator), Candlewick, 2007

It's lunch time, and an adoring father is looking for his playful daughter while an amiable cat looks on. He looks everywhere, under the rug, in the tub, until he hears a knock on the door, and Emily emerges with a giant roar. A happy depiction of the hide and seek that nearly every parent plays with his or her young child.

The line and watercolor pictures are awash with subtle color, keeping the focus squarely on the action of the story. Young kids will love seeing another child putting one over on her parent, while parents will read with fondness about the joy and love of parent and child. The rhyming text and repeating question add more fun to an already sweet story.

New Fiction and Early Readers

Iron Thunder: The Battle Between the Monitor and the Merrimack (I Witness)by Avi (Author),
C. B Mordan (Illustrator), Hyperion, 2007

13-year old Tom tells us first-hand about his adventures aboard the famous Union army Civil War ship, The Monitor. It is a marvel to be sure and many doubt whether this huge iron boat will float. When Tom is sought after by Confederate spies who want to know the details of the ship, he ends up living on board, as well as, being part of the crew that launched and took into battle what some call an "iron casket."

The story is packed with so much suspense that you can't put it down. As usual, Avi has deftly taken us to another time and place to make us feel like we were there. Readers can see, hear, feel, and almost taste what it must have been like to be a part of this historic undertaking and battle with the Confederate iron monster, the Merrimack.

Photographs of real people of the time, drawings, pages that look like headlines in old-time newspapers, and images from old Harpers magazines and from the Mariners Museum are frosting on the cake, and make an already plausible story all the more real.

Don't let the category of "historical fiction" draw you into thinking that this is dry, textbook reading. It is as exciting and well-written as any novel, and perhaps even more so due to the fictional eyewitness account of a battle that actually took place.

I've said many times that Avi is a master storyteller, but maybe he is really THE master storyteller of our time. How thrilling it is to be the first to read his work that will surely ring true for and fascinate generations to come.

Max & Mo's First Day at School (Ready-to-Read. Level 1)
by Patricia Lakin, Brian Floca (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

Aladdin (June 2007)
Max and Mo are the cutest, most cheery little hamsters. This story is theirs, told in first person about their move to the art room on the first day of school. When they discover that the "the big ones" don't know their real names, they cleverly set out to do something about it. Step-by-step instructions at the back for the activity that the hamsters completed in the story, are easy to follow and fun. Illustrations and writing are above average for this kind of book. I would definitely recommend it to newly independent readers.

New Board/Specialty

Giant Pop-Out Shapes
Giant Pop-Out Vehicles
Chronicle, 2007

Giant pop-ups, they truly are. Each right-hand side page opens up to a pop-out shape or photo that is larger than the page itself. The guessing game that includes photos of items of a shape that goes along with the surprises inside are all the more fun.

It's the shape of these spoons and this bar of soap. What is it?

Toddlers and preschoolers alike will find hours of enjoyment from either of these colorful, sturdy, attractive pop-up books. I know I have!

Peek in My Pocket by Sarah Weeks (Author),
David A. Carter (Illustrator), Harcourt, 2007

As you turn the page, a large animal unfolds from the top and each has an open-the-flap pocket surprise. The repeated rhyming text creates the kind of guessing game that all toddler and preschoolers love. The pockets themselves hold great surprises. When you open the flap, you will find more pop-ups, shapes, textures, a small book, and what is sure to be everyone favorite, a baby kangaroo peeking out of his mother's pocket.

The large, bold cartoon characters are delightful and perfect for the intended audience. Loads of peek-a-boo fun here.

How Many? by Ron Van Der Meer (Author)
Robin Corey/Random House, 2007

A pop-up book for elementary kids? Great idea. The complexity of the pop-ups and the series of questions with each will challenge and delight kids for whom pop-ups were a thing of the past.

The colorful paper sculptures are large (up to 10" tall) and abstract, and yet, each focus on one particular shape. Readers are encouraged to count various things in each, such as, the number of transparent squares and the number of squares reflected in mirrors. The answers range from single digits to over 1000, creating challenges of varying levels so that there is something for everyone, even adults.

A refreshing book that recognizes that all ages love and appreciate interactive pop-up books.