Saturday, December 8, 2012

Picture Book Saturday (44)



Let's Go For a Drive
By Mo Willems
Published 2012 by 2012
I know that I have professed my love for Willems before, but seriously - if you are not reading these, you are definitely missing out. The Elephant & Piggie books are really for all ages - it's impossible to read them without laughing out loud, feeling moved by the beautiful friendship between the two main characters, and acting out the best parts. In their newest adventure, the friends want to hit the road, but, Gerald being Gerald, there is a bit of a delay in getting started (Gerald is just a very cautious elephant). I absolutely love everything about this book and I think this series is just getting better and better. Please keep doing what you're doing, Mo!

Think Big
By Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Vanessa Newton
Published 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
This is a very fun and inclusive celebration of art. Scanlon and Newton embrace all forms of art - acting, dancing, singing, painting, cooking, and more. It's really lovely to see Scanlon illuminate the meaning of art, and it will be important for kids to see that many of their favorite activities are art. The illustrations are very stylistic and complement the text wonderfully. This book is perfectly suited to toddlers and preschoolers - short text and bright colors will catch their eyes and keep them engaged.

I'm Not Sleepy
By Jane Chapman
Published 2012 by Good Books
I'm a sucker for Chapman's illustrations - they are just so adorable and I want to cuddle all the little creatures she depicts so sweetly. Even with my dislike of birds, this new book of hers is no exception. A little owlet is absolutely not sleepy, no matter what Grandma says. Mo will try everything he can think of to put off bedtime and Grandma, being a grandma, obliges. Eventually, though, she'll prove she can outwit little Mo and get him to sleep. This is a very fun bedtime story and would work well in a pajama storytime.

If I Built a House
By Chris Van Dusen
Published 2012 by Dial
Jack has a big imagination, as we learned in Van Dusen's earlier If I Built a Car. Now, he's thinking that his family's house could use some improvements - a racetrack here, a flying room there - the possibilities are endless! In rhyming text, Van Dusen shows what wonders a house could hold if the design were left to a kid. I think he hits on all the things that kids enjoy most in his house design and readers will love imagining how wonderful a house like this would be. I think Van Dusen's style is beautiful with its retro flair and vivid color palette. This is sure to be a hit.

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