Book Recommendations! Part One: Picture Books

SO I know it's been awhile since the last time I updated with book reviews, but I have the motherload right here! Some of you know that last summer I started a master's program at Simmon's College. Last semester I took a class on children's literature and had to make a reading journal, so here it is!

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963). 48 pages.
There is no doubt in my mind that Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are deserves
the popularity it has received over the past fifty years. Max, a “Wild Thing,” is sent to
bed without his supper, which grows into a forest that brings him on an adventure. While
the text is quite sparse, any more words would take away from Sendak’s imaginative
illustrations. This is the perfect type of book to read aloud to a group pretending to
be “wild things.” Anyone who is the parent of a wild child, or anyone who at one point
was a bit “wild” will appreciate this book,

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (1955). 64 pages.
Harold and the Purple Crayon is the perfect book to read with an imaginative child.
With sparse illustrations, a child is able to see what can be done with one simple purple
crayon. What is especially enjoyable is that while Harold is creating his adventure, not
even he knows where he is going to end up! As this is a small-sized book, it might be
difficult to read to a large group of children, but can be the perfect fit to read along with a
creative child with an open imagination.

Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag (1928). 32 pages.
This book is a classic for a reason! Wanda Gag’s simple illustrations beautifully
complement the story of an old man looking to find the perfect cat for his lonely wife.
This book is humorous; instead of just picking one cat for his wife, the old man is unable
to choose so brings home millions of cats. Then, still not knowing how to choose, he
leaves it up for the cats to decide, who all fight and end up eating each other. Well, all
except one, a scrawny kitten who did not think he was pretty enough. Although this tale
gets a little violent, Wanda Gag’s illustrations brings the reader away from the darker
side of the story and creates an enjoyable reading and looking experience.

Corduroy by Don Freeman (1968) 32 pages.
Corduroy is the sweet story of a stuffed bear just wanting a home and a little girl who
makes all of his dreams come true. It includes illustrations that have a simple palette—
using variations of reds and greens and browns, but not prime colors. This story really
resonates with a reader who has given a home for a special stuffed animal. Corduroy is
not perfect, he has been in the store for too long and he even has a missing button, but
Freeman shows that even “damaged goods” deserve love. My favorite part of this story
was the ending—a little girl who sees him brings all of her money to give him a home. It
is such a warm ending to a sad story that the reader ends with a good feeling.

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (1939). 48 pages.
Madeline is the bravest girl in the old house in Paris, until Miss Clavel wakes up to
her crying from a case of appendicitis. While the story is simple, this book deserves is
Caldecott Honor. The story is very enjoyable to read aloud – most pages have only a
few lines on them, which rhyme. The fact that there is such little text on the page leaves
plenty of space for Bemelmans’ fantastic illustrations. Some pages he only uses black,
white and yellow, which keep the illustrations simple yet recognizable. On other pages
he goes all out in his use of color. On those pages (most notably when Madeline takes an
ambulance to the hospital) one gets lost in the illustrations. Madeline is a fantastic book
that will continue to stay around for years to come.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (2007). 523 pages.
Brian Selznick did an amazing job at seamlessly integrating text and illustrations. At times, I forgot whether I was reading or watching. What really enhanced his use of text and illustrations was that the story continued in illustrations, without the text describing what happens in the pictures. This would be a great book for reluctant readers. It is long yet not overwhelming, since many of the pages are illustrations. Finishing a book like this would be a big accomplishment to children who do not read much, and it could give them a boost in self-confidence to read more.

Children's Ilustrated 9/15/2010

Fairy Tale Timpa

by Michael Altan

My life has improved dramatically by the discovery of the Timpa books. Timpa has been a best-selling series in Italy for years, but now it has finally reached America!

Fairy Tale Timpa is Michael Altan's hilarious take on different fairy tales in comic strip form. Timpa (a red-spotted dog) discovers Pinocchio, Sleepy Beauty, and other favorite characters. Michael Altan's stories and are absolutely hilarious and incredibly absurd.

Seriously, I can't recommend this series any higher. I've been looking through each one and laughing hysterically. I think I know my next tattoo (hint: it's Altan's illustration of a sun eating ice cream).

Children's Illustrated 8/30/2010

Mr. Greedy

by Roger Hargreaves

Mr. Greedy loved to eat! The more he ate, the fatter he became. One day, after an exceptionally large breakfast, Mr. Greedy goes on an adventure where he is taught a lesson on being greedy.

Mr. Greedy is part of the quirky Mr. Men series by Roger Hargreaves. Each of the books tells a fun story with great illustrations. This is a great, quick read that is perfect for young readers!

Children's Illustrated 6/04/2010

Instructions

by Neil Gaiman

Illustrated by Charles Vess

In Neil Gaiman's richly illustrated Instructions, each page gives instructions on how to navigate through a fairy land. He tells the reader not to eat the food and to treat all of the creatures with kindness.

This is a perfect book for anyone who loves fairy tales. Gaiman takes the lessons learned in every famous fairy tale and puts them all into one very beautiful book. Great for children or adults.

Children's Illustrated 5/17/2010

The Shy Little Kitten

by Cathleen Schurr and Gustav Tenggren

The Shy Little Kitten is a Little Golden Book classic about, well, a shy little kitten. The shy little kitten had five black-and-white bold siblings, but she was striped and shy. When the family goes on a walk outside of the barn, the shy little kitten slowly walked at the back of the line, and ended up losing her family. In her trip back home, the shy little kitten ends up meeting a ton of new friends!

This is a book straight out of my childhood. Before I could read myself, my mom would read this book to me. I loved it so much that one of my first stuffed animals, a striped kitten, was dubbed Shy. The Shy Little Kitten is a great story about how even those who are shy can make new friends.

Children's Illustrated 5/10/2010

Children's Illustrated:

Phileas's Fortune by Valeria Docampo

Phileas's Fortune is the tale of a strange place where words are made in factory and sold in stores. In order to speak, one must buy or find words and swallow them. Phileas cannot afford expensive words, but he saves up three words to give as a gift to Cybele, his neighbor, to explain how he feels to her. When he gets there, he sees Oscar telling Cybele that he loves her with all of his heart. Can Phileas explain his feelings in three small words?

This book is a great book about self-expression. It teaches that it is not necessarily words that matter, but how one uses them. It is a simple book with wonderful illustrations by Agnes de Lestrade. I loved it!

Children's Illustrated 5/3/2010

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Chrysanthemum has the perfect name, or she thinks she does. On her first day of school, the students all make fun of her 13 letter-long name (which is half of the alphabet!) and the fact that she's named after a flower. Chrysanthemum begins to hate her name, until she meets a teacher with an equally "weird" name.

I really like Kevin Henkes. His stories are full of great illustrations, good messages, and wit. While Chrysanthemum is written for children, adults can find some humor in Henkes' story as well. Chrysanthemum is a fun and colorful tale!

Children's Illustrated 4/26/2010

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

One evening, Harold decides to go on a moonlit stroll. This begins an adventure that he creates solely with his purple crayon. His drawings get him in and out of trouble, before he decides to go searching for his bedroom window to go to sleep.

This is a very fun and creative book. The illustrations consist solely of Harold and his purple crayon drawings. When he is hungry, he draws a picnic, when he is full, he draws animals to finish his picnic so the food does not go to waste. Perfect for the child just learning to color! Harold and the Purple Crayon reminds us what sort of adventures we can go on with just our imagination.

Early Reader 4/19/2010

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

One day, Danny goes to the museum to see what is inside. He sees lots of exhibits - bears, Indians, and eskimos, but his favorite one was the dinosaurs. Danny thinks about how fun it would be if dinosaurs were real and could play with him, when a dinosaur tells him it would be fun to play with him, too.

Danny and the Dinosaur is a great book for a young reader with a great imagination. The adventures that Danny and his dinosaur go on are fun (and safe) and enjoyable to read about

Children's Illustrated 4/19/2010

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales byJohn Scieszka and Lane Smith

Forget the fairy tales that you know and love! The Stinky Cheese Man takes fairy tale favorites and retells them in a fairly stupid way. Scieska and Smith tell the story of the ugly duckling who really was just really ugly, Little Red Riding Shorts, and many more!

If your child has a great sense of humor, this Caldecott Honor book will definitely be laugh out loud funny for them. With the narrator Jack constantly butting in and hilarious illustrations, this book really is great fun.

Children's Illustrated 4/12/2010

Madeleine by Ludwig Bemelmans

When the new stock of illustrated books came in, I have to admit I was like a kid in a candy story. I grabbed Madeleine and sat on the floor right away and read it. It's been years since I last read it, and I was most definitely not disappointed. Madeleine is an adorable tale with fantastic illustrations.

Madeleine is the tale of a house in which twelve little girls live. The youngest one, Madeleine, seems to be afraid of nothing. That is, until one night, when Miss Clavel wakes up to hear Madeleine crying. Madeleine needs to get her appendix removed and is rushed to the hospital.

Children's Illustrated 4/5/2010

Tillie and the Wall by Leo Lionni

For as long as the mice remember, there has been a wall. No one could see beyond the wall, it was too tall and too long. The mice never questioned what was on the other side; they mostly forgot that the wall even existed. That, is, until Tillie became curious. She tried everything she could to see beyond the wall until she dug a big hole under it. What Tillie found made her a hero to the mice.

Once again, Leo Lionni does not fail. His collage illustrations along with this creative story are perfect for the young reader (along with the old!) This tale is timeless. It inspires the reader to think outside of the box (or the wall). I would highly recommend Tillie and the Wall.

Children's Illustrated 3/29/2010

Eloise in Paris by Kay Thompson

One teatime, Eloise gets a telegram saying that she will be going to Paris! Thus begins Eloise's magical trip to France, where she begins with 37 pieces of luggage, and ends with 114. Join Eloise as she swims in a fountain, goes shopping, and explores the Eiffel Tower!

This book is full of fun! Kay Thompson gives great insight into the mind of a very lucky little girl. With her descriptions, you feel like you are also in Paris! Great for young readers who love Eloise or just love adventures!

Illustrated 3/22/2010

Agate by Joy Morgan Dey and Nikki Johnson

"What Good is a Moose?" Agate, the brown moose, constantly asks himself. All of his friends are precious gems--there is Amethyst the Elephant, Emerald the Lion, and many more. Compared to his friends, Agate feels boring and useless. Then, his friends remind him, he is a gem just like the rest!

This is a very bright and colorful tale. Nikki Johnson has beautiful watercolor illustrations of each animal. The message of this book is great--each and every person is a jewel, no matter how he or she feels compared to others!

Illustrated 3/15/10

Frederick by Leo Lionni

It is almost winter, and a family of field mice prepare for the cold. Each mouse spends night and day gathering food. That is, each mouse except for Frederick. Instead, Frederick gathers sunbeams, colors, and words for when the winter feels too long and cold.

Leo Lionni provides great collages to illustrated this charming story. When the winter starts to feel too long and cold, Frederick will cheer you up!

Children's Illustrated 3/8/2010

Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird

All day every day, Angelina dreams about becoming a ballerina. She is so busy dancing that she forgets to do what she is supposed to! Frustrated, her parents finally come up with the perfect solution that changes Angelina's life forever.

This book is the adorable first story in the Angelina Ballerina series. The illustrations are great and the story makes you want to practice your plies and curtsies! Perfect for any little girl.