Picture Book Saturday (2)

Now, for the next installment of Picture Book Saturday...

Red Sled
By Lita Judge
Published 2011 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
This is a very sweet story that reminded me of The Mitten. It's a nearly wordless picture book that tells the story of what happens to a child's red sled when it is left outside during the night. Various animals come to investigate it and end up trying it out. The pictures are simple and bold and this book would be wonderful for dialogic reading.

Ricky and the Squirrel
By Guido Van Genechten
Published 2010 by Clavis Publishing
The only reason that I picked up this book is that my colleagues at my new job had told me how ridiculous it was. One of them actually went and got it for me so I wouldn't forget to check it out. Apparently there is a series of books starring Ricky and this is the installment that deals with death. Unfortunately, it doesn't do so very well. The dead squirrel looks like he's smiling, which is just really creepy. And there is a very awkward transition to something about chestnuts (I don't remember exactly) at the squirrel funeral that Ricky and his father have at the end. A very strange and sadly, not well done, picture book.


The Gingerbread Girl Goes Animal Crackers
By Lisa Campbell Ernst
Published 2011 by Penguin Group, Inc.
Presumably this is a sequel to a book called The Gingerbread Girl, which I haven't read, but it definitely doesn't matter. Gingerbread Girl receives some animal crackers as presents but they are wild and run away. Soon, the story has evolved into a cute new version of the old "Gingerbread Boy" story. The illustrations are sweet and edible-looking and this book is wonderful for teaching vocabulary (rhymes the word 'rhinoceros' with 'preposterous'). I really liked this one.