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In Progress List 2014
Straying from his well-known Duck and his Elephant & Piggie series, Willems' new book is a clever spin on an old tale of a fox outsmarting his prey. This fox may be clever but watch out for goose! The chicks who act as the "audience" keep us distracted enough to let the table turns without us noticing it. All in all, a fun farce that packs an unexpected punch. Up to Seven. Joan Kindig
From a first glance at the cover, the sense is that this book is going to deliver some laughs. Dogs lying on their backs look so vulnerable and, well, silly, and this one cannot take his eyes off of his ball. The ball. What is it about balls that make dogs go so bonkers? It's a toy, yes, but it also is a connection with their human. A ball dropped at a human's feet means, "Play with me, pleeeeeez" and the message is so packed with neediness that one can never turn them down. This single-mindedness obsession is evident on the first page where our dog is waking up in his little girl's bed with a ball already in his mouth. As she dresses for school she throws the ball every chance she gets. But he knows what it means when she walks out that door and the expression on his face with a clock on the wall behind him shows how desperate he is for 'ball!" He tries to play with mom, baby, cat, and even clothes hamper. Not so much fun. He finally falls asleep and dreams of "ball!" When he hears movement near the front door he goes apoplectic as he anticipates his little girl coming in to play "ball!" This wordless picture books needs absolutely no words because EVERYTHING is in the illustrations. This is a wonderful adventure with a wonderfully insane dog and kids who know and love dogs will love it. Up to Seven. Joan Kindig
After Penny finds a marble in Mrs. Goodwin's yard while walking her doll Rose and takes it, she must decide if she will keep it or return it to its owner. Vibrant colors complement the facial expressions of the characters. Up to Seven. Lynda Adamson
If you want to see a whale….. you need certain things like a window and an ocean. You also need to know what not to look at…. like pink roses and pelicans. And you need patience. Imagination is floated on poetic language in this quiet story. Beautiful illustrations in sea greens and blues are a delight. Up to Seven. Ruth Anne Champion
Not just a counting book, this story draws reader's attention to the necessity of keeping our oceans clean. The text explains the water cycle, oxygen creation, and how polluted ocean water effects humans. Back matter reinforces how oceans need to be clean if we want breathable air and includes a bibliography and web lins. Told from the perspective of an elementary school class on a field trip to the beach, young readers will relate to the characters and hopefully be inspired to clean up their local beach! Up to Seven. Anne Womack
In a fictionalized, yet clearly somewhat accurate slice of family life, Say presents the story of a Japanese American daughter who is the source of confusion and teasing when her classmates see her in a kimono in her baby picture. Her blond hair is at odds with their understanding. How she comes to terms with her heritage--and the photograph of Say's lovely teen daughter at the conclusion (in a kimono)--makes for sensitive addition to the collection of picture books about being "different." Up to Seven. Wendy Lukehart. (This title will appear on the June agenda.)
Smart, clean design and a text built around unpunctuated phrases allows room to ponder and discuss ideas and images that will hold great appeal to children. Colorful, decorative scenes on predominantly while backgrounds show how to: make a sandwich (with children and pillows), see the wind, make new friends,disappear. Inventive and quietly joyful. Up to Seven. Wendy Lukehart.
A counting book, a guessing book, a rhyming book, a bedtime book with lots for adults and children to enjoy. The black pages are sharply contrasted with the colorful double page spreads showing vehicles that all children can identify and enjoy. I appreciate that the child is always in the driver's seat. The comforting conclusion, which includes toy versions of all the vehicles mentioned and the book as well makes for just the right ending. Up to Seven. Edie Ching
Anthony Browne takes the reader through a bevy of primates. A one-time Children’s Laureate of the United Kingdom, he has drawn on his lifelong fascination with gorillas and apes of all sizes. Using his signature strokes and employing the technique of varying dry and wet brushes, each page becomes a lifelike, head-on portrait of the featured creatures. Generous white space keeps the focus on the intense images of monkeys, chimps, and orangutans, among others. Browne reminds us of our own relationship to this group of animals with an arresting self-portrait, followed by a double-paged spread of diverse humans. Up to Seven. -Todd Krueger
Reid offers readers and listeners an open-ended invitation to looking at trees in a different way. This imaginative celebration of all kinds of trees in all kinds of weather is made even more appealing by her unique illustrations, done with plasticine, which include both astonishing detail and fuel for the imagination. Up to Seven. Kathy Isaacs
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