Picture Book Saturday (22)

Silly Goose's Big Story
By Keiko Kasza
Published 2012 by Putnam Juvenile
I really enjoy Kasza's books - I think they are humorous and surprising and always have a sweet message. This new one is no exception. Goose loves to tell stories and his friends love to hear them but Goose does not want to let anyone else be the hero. What happens when real-life danger finds the friends? I love how expressive Kasza's illustrations are.

Red & Yellow's Noisy Night
By Josh Selig, illustrated by Little Airplane Productions
Published 2012 by Sterling Children's Books
This is a great bedtime book, as well as friendship story. Yellow wants to sleep but Red wants to play his strummy. Can they find a way to both get what they want? Adorable illustrations, I think this is perfect for the youngest ones and would work great in a pajama time storytime.

Beep and Bah
By James Burks
Published 2012 by Carolrhoda Books
What an adorable and unique story! A robot and his friend (a goat) go off to find the missing sock. The robot has been longing for adventure, so this is the perfect chance to find it! Their antics are very funny and kids will especially love the surprising and silly ending. Delightful illustrations as well.

When Dads Don't Grow Up
By Marjorie Blain Parker, illustrated by R.W. Alley
Published 2012 by Dial Books for Young Readers
I found this book to be absolutely charming. It talks about all the things that will happen if you have a dad who never grows up - he will splash in puddles with you and think wearing matching clothes is overrated. The illustrations depict dads of all different ethnicities and I think kids will love reading this one with their dads. I also imagine this would work very well in a storytime about families and love.

Green
By Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Published 2012 by Roaring Brook Press
This is an excellent book about color. It focuses solely on the color green and shows the wide variety that the word "green" encompasses. We see khaki green and jungle green, pea green and forest green. It's absolutely stunning how Seeger shows the variety of this one color. Each page features a cut-out that shows a small piece of the next page, often with a new shade of green. This book is perfect for sharing one on one.

Palazzo Inverso
By D.B. Johnson
Published 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
I have seen Johnson's books on the shelves before but had never bothered to pick them up. This one popped up on a cart I was looking through and it's clear from the cover that the book is inspired by M.C. Escher. I was intrigued enough to read through it. I don't really get it. I see what Johnson's doing, with the story being read front to back and then back to front and the illustrations being confusing and odd, just like Escher. But, to me, there wasn't really much of a story. Not my favorite.

The Great Gracie Chase: Stop That Dog!
By Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Mark Teague
Published 2001 by Blue Sky Press
This is a very cute story about Gracie, a dog who doesn't like noise. So when some very noisy painters come into her house, she decides to take herself for a walk. But when everyone starts after her, she feels the need to run. And so begins the Great Gracie Chase! Teague's illustrations are perfect for this lighthearted tale of a dog who just wants things back the way they were. I'm sure this book would be very popular in a dog storytime.

Meet Me at the Moon
By Gianna Marino
Published 2012 by Viking
I don't necessarily await the publication of new picture books with bated breath, but this one was heavily promoted at Midwinter, so I was anxious for its arrival. I had seen some of the artwork before publication and thought it was absolutely gorgeous - the finished product does not disappoint. This is a simple story of an elephant who must go ask for rain. She leaves behind her baby but promises to meet at the moon after the rain. It's a sweet telling of the love between a parent and child with lovely illustrations of the African continent.