Picture Book Saturday

Edward Hopper Paints His World
By Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Wendell Minor
Published 2014 by Henry Holt and Co.
I could not have named a Hopper painting before I read this book and, now that I have, I feel sad about that. This book - I loved it. I loved how Hopper's dream never wavered, no matter how his circumstances may have changed. His story is told simply but in a way I found very effective and moving. However, what makes this book truly excellent are the illustrations - they are simply breathtaking. Minor has done a beautiful job of melding his own style with Hopper's - the last few pages will really highlight this for readers. I just think the art here is absolutely stunning.

A Bed for Kitty
By Yasmine Surovec
Published 2014 by Roaring Brook Press
This is a very simple story for young cat lovers. To show how much she loves Kitty, Chloe buys her a special bed. But anyone who's had a cat knows how that usually goes. Chloe doesn't understand why Kitty doesn't sleep in her new bed, so she tries to show just how wonderful it is. It's a cute story, one that I think would work really well in a toddler time - the illustrations are very simple and the story focuses strictly on Chloe and Kitty. Adorable.

Bear Sees Colors
By Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman
Published 2014 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
I adore the Bear books - I love the simplicity of them, and the illustration style just makes me sigh in contentment. It's like visiting an old friend every time I read a Bear book. This newest is no exception. In this book, Bear and friends discovers the joy of colors. I love the design and layout of this book - alternating the full-color spreads with white pages to really highlight the vibrancy of the colors. The rhymes are sometimes a bit off (something I've found in other Bear books as well), but I'm so charmed by the illustrations that I'll just look the other way. A delightful new book about colors.

Draw!
By Raul Colon
Published 2014 by Paula Wiseman Books
This is one of those books that makes me think I'll never serve on the Caldecott committee. This book is getting tons of praise and I've seen it touted as a contender for the Caldecott - but I just didn't like it. I have a fair appreciation of wordless picture books - going through early literacy classes instilled in me the importance of letting children infer and tell the stories from the pictures - so I've no beef with this book in that direction. I guess I just didn't think it was terribly interesting. It's not a book for me.