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
by Anette Bley
Kane/Miller, 2007
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.
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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!
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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. -
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.
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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.
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
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!
C
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.
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.
Iron
Thunder: The Battle Between the Monitor and the Merrimack (I Witness)by
Avi (Author),
C. B Mordan (Illustrator), Hyperion, 2007
Don't let
Aladdin (June 2007)
Max
& Mo's First Day at School (Ready-to-Read. Level 1)
by Patricia Lakin, Brian Floca (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
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.
Big
& Little by John Stadler
Robin Corey/Random House, 2007
A little mouse serves as circus master and introduces readers to the amazing feat of pink elephant Ellie, who is quite big in the fold-out pages in comparison. When Ellie seemingly does the impossible, diving into a glass of water, the tale and sizes make a surprising switch.
Few words are needed on the page as the attention is focused on the mouse and elephant who are seen on white backgrounds where they are the only thing on the page. The cute twist at the end will leave preschoolers with a new way of looking and thinking about sizes.
When I Was a Baby
(Toddler Tales)
by Deborah Niland,
Kane/Miller, 2007
A big boy reflects on what it was like to be a baby in comparison to all the things he can do now. This helps him understand his new baby sister to which he shows great affection.
The colorful backgrounds, adorable babies, and large clear images on uncluttered and sturdy pages are perfect for babies and toddlers. The boy as a baby and big boy is as cute as can be.
Cheerful, warm, and enjoyable reading.
Living
Color by Steve Jenkins
Houghton Mifflin (Sept.
2007)
As the title promises, the marvelous spectrum of color in living things is celebrated in Jenkins' signature cut-paper collages. The large-size pages full of everything from a tomato frog to a long-watted umbrella bird are beautiful and surprising. As always, Jenkins provides some information on the page and much information in the back, making this a perfect book for a wide variety of ages. Another classic-in-the-making from our greatest collage creator since Eric Carle.
Walker
Evans: Photographer of America (Neal Porter Books)
by Thomas Nau
Grades: 5–9
Roaring Brook Press, 2007
Walker Evans' body of work is an American treasure. This fascinating
biography not only tells us why, but shows with ample photographs as
well. Evans took a radical departure from photography of his day to
focus on beauty in the
everyday.
Details of
buildings, shots of neighborhoods, and in general life as it appeared in
reality are the hallmark of Evans' work.
Excellent--a book to return to time and time again, no matter what your age or grade level.
Capoeira by George Ancona
Lee & Low, 2007
Capoeira looks like a martial art with attack and defense movements, but it is so much more, incorporating dance, rhythm, music, and instruments. While the game dates back to the 16th century, it is popular in modern times, as well.
This photo-essay takes us to two academies that demonstrate, explain, and illustrate this fascinating art. Clear photos capture precise movements, and also impart the joy in experiencing Capoeira first hand. Interesting text, fascinating pictures--a wonderful introduction to this unique game.
We
by Alice Schertle
(Author),
Kenneth Addison (Illustrator),
Lee & Low, 200
If you can imagine, the whole of human evolution from beginning to present is told in 1st person with the pronoun, "we." We built cities; we made war, we wondered...Mixed media collage creates visually complex and interesting illustrations.
A wonderful celebration of the "gloriously diverse and complex human family."
A Horse in the House and Other
Strange but True Animal Stories
by
Gail Ablow (Author),
Kathy Osborn (Illustrator) Candlewick, 2007
Strange but true stories range from acupuncture on a Komodo dragon to elephant dentures. The brightly colored pages and somewhat flat looking illustrations are attractive. The author's note and original source of each story at the end is an added bonus. My favorite? A baby hippo decides a nearly 100 year-old tortoise is his mother.
Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: America's Sproutings haiku by Pat Mora
Rafael López (Illsutrator), Lee & Low, 2007
Everything from chilis to chocolate is celebrated in pleasing haiku and gorgeous, rich, lush, colorful paintings by this Mexican artist who is influenced the muralists. Along side each illustration and haiku is a paragraph about the food and where in the Americas it originated. Did you know that pineapple originated in Paraguay and Brazil, not Hawaii? In Spanish, they are called piña, which means "pinecone," because pineapple do indeed resemble large pinecones.
Junk
Man's Daughter (Tales of Young Americans)
by
Sonia Levitin
(Author),
Guy Porfirio
(Illustrator)
Sleeping Bear Press, 2007
Hanna's father promises that the streets of American will be paved with gold, but the family finds out that the new world is not what they expected. When Hanna find a bottle cap in the snow, her father recognizes the opportunity and starts a family junk collecting business.
Looking back at her early years from the vantage point of an adult, Hanna tells her story with much fondness.
A family comes to America expecting the streets to be paved with gold and are disheartened to find how hard it is to find work. When Hanna finds an old bottle cap in the snow, her father recognizes the business opportunity in collecting junk, and a family business is born.
Hanna looks back at the amazing journey from the vantage point of being an adult with fond memories. A charming story.
Other interesting title in the Tales of Young Americans series to read:
The
Tsunami Quilt: Grandfather's Story (Tales of Young America)
Rudy Rides the Rails: A Depression Era Story (Tales of Young America)
Pappy's Handkerchief (Tales of Young Americans)
The Best Children's Books of 2007
Here we are, at the close of yet another year of
fascinating and funny picture books, captivating fiction, refreshing
non-fiction, and a couple of books for the wee ones that are sure to put
a smile on everyone's faces.
Picture Books
◊
Anniversary◊
Non-Fiction
◊ Fiction
◊
Books for Babies
One City, Two Brothers
Sky Sweeper
by Phillis Gershator