The Apple Doll by Elisa Kleven.

Lizzy had a special relationship with her apple tree, so when school was starting and she was worried about making friends, she found the perfect apple in the tree.  She made the apple a twig body and it became her friend who came with her to school.  Her teacher made her put away the apple but at lunch time, Lizzy brings her apple doll out again and the other children chat with Lizzie about her doll.  But it wasn’t that easy to make friends.  Lizzy continues to be lonely at school and her doll starts to look worse and worse.  Lizzy’s mother suggests drying the doll, and so the apple doll is preserved and Lizzy finds a new way to connect with her classmates.

The story of this picture book has depth and interest.  The relationship between Lizzy and her older sister is complex and honest.  Lizzy’s love for the apple is also complicated, and Kleven as an author allows it to be so, much to her credit.  Equally wonderful is the fact that Lizzy has to try several times to make connections with her classmates and still manages to connect in her own personal, introverted way.  Adding to the pleasure of this book are the illustrations, also by Kleven.  She has captured a vibrant world filled with deep, bright colors, activity and animals.  The pictures simply look like childhood with their bright and whimsical take on life. 

Recommended as a read-aloud for story times dealing with fall or returning to school.  Children ages 5-7 will enjoy it, especially if you have apples ready to be carved into apple dolls. 

Starring Miss Darlene by Amy Schwartz.

Darlene, a hippopotamus, wanted to be famous, so she signed up for theater classes.  SheUn auditioned and got the part of the Flood in the Noah’s Ark performance.  Her part was so simple, she didn’t need to be part of the rehearsals.  Unfortunately, it turns out it wasn’t so easy after all.  But Darlene got rave reviews in spite of her mistake on stage.  In the next performance, Darlene got thirteen lines!  But she also got stage fright.  Messing up again in front of the audience, she again got rave reviews.  And finally, Darlene got the part of Sleeping Beauty.  She was a sleeping beauty who really slept.  Snored even.  And guess what, rave reviews.

This is a great book for all sorts of children.  Children interested in plays and acting will love it.  Children afraid of making mistakes will also relate happily to the story.  And also children who just love twists and turns in their books will appreciate this one.  Schwartz’s writing is simple, clear and inviting.  Children are led up to the emotions but not told what to think, which is very refreshing in a picture book.  In fact, the children will fret much more than Miss Darlene ever does about her mistakes.   Expect a lot of laughter with the Sleeping Beauty ending.

Recommended reading for children ages 5-7.  This will work well as classroom reading before a school performance or concert. 

Shark and Lobster’s Amazing Undersea Adventure by Viviane Schwarz, colored by Joel Stewart.

Huge and toothy Shark admits to his friend Lobster that he is terrified of tigers.  They decide to build a fortress to protect them from the striped threat of tigers.  As they build it, more and more sea creatures start helping and start fearing tigers.  Deciding that the fortress doesn’t offer enough protection, they all dive deep down into the sea to find a sea monster to guard the fortress.  And in the process they find the courage to face their fear of tigers.

This is silly, silly fun.  The illustrations are done in a comic book style that is friendly and inviting, until the sea monster is introduced with its alarming strangeness is stark contrast to the friendly Shark and Lobster.  A wonderful contrast in style that makes the monster all the more effective and spectacular in its huge oddity.   There are very funny touches throughout the book, including the tiny cuttlefish who offers his help with building the fortress and is very effective much to Shark’s and the readers’ surprise. 

Children of all ages will immediately get the humor of a shark being scared of tigers and children all the way to age 8 will love the cartoon feel and silly spirit of the book.  Not recommended for reading at a story time, this book is much better suited to small groups or one-on-one sharing.  Good choice for guaranteed giggles.

The Bravest Knight by Mercer Mayer.

If you have any little knights at home, this is the book for you.  It begins with a small boy dreaming of being a knight, wishing that he had lived long ago.  He would be the squire for the bravest knight, polishing armor, searching for adventure, rescuing fair ladies, and much more.  Finally, the king and queen would send the brave knight and his squire off to fight the giant troll.  And from there, I will leave you to read the rest.  Let me just say that my little knights were shocked by the ending. 

This picture book has the trademark Mercer Mayer art that offers details worth seeking out and funny situations.  It is fresh, fun and also has a classic feel.  The text of the book is simple and friendly.  My only misgiving is that young female knights and princesses don’t have any role at all.  The women in the book are helpless females who either need rescuing or sit mindlessly knitting in the face of danger.  Too bad because all it would have taken was to reverse the king and queen’s facial expressions once in awhile or to have a gutsy damsel and it all would have felt much more modern.

Recommended with reservations.  I would pair this only with a strong female counterpart if I was going to read it aloud to a group. 

What Happens on Wednesdays by Emily Jenkins, pictures by Lauren Castillo.

I am a fan of Emily Jenkins’ That New Animal, so I was glad to see a new picture book by her. 

The story of this picture book is told by a young girl who tells the readers about what happens in her family on a Wednesday.  Each detail is lovingly told with care and sometimes with a sense of glee.  The wonder of it is that very little actually happens on a Wednesday that is unusual, so it is really a normal day for this urban child.  She is surrounded by a loving family where both mother and father are equally involved in taking care of her.  Just wonderfully accepted as the norm.

Jenkin’s prose is flawless.  It invites readers in with the down-to-earth tone and small touches that bring it all to life.  In particular, the “no-kissing day” theme captures this little girl perfectly.  Jenkins manages in a picture book to show and not tell, which is quite a trick.  Pair this masterful prose with Castillo’s art and you have a complete treat.  This is Castillo’s first picture book and her art is strong, comfortable and very warm.  For some reason this book bring to mind one of my favorite childhood books, Tell Me a Mitzi by Lore Groszmann Segal.  Perhaps it is the urban setting or the familial warmth, but that is certainly a book to find if you adore this one as much as I do. 

High recommended and one of my favorites of the year, this is a nice read aloud for four through seven year olds.

Leaves by David Ezra Stein.

There are so many lovely fall books, but this one should be added to your collection.  A bear is enjoying his first year.  He is loving everything until the leaves begin to fall.  He tries to put them back, but it isn’t the same.  So he sits and watches the leaves fall until he grows sleepy and goes to hibernate in a hole filled with dry leaves.  When he comes back out in spring, he sees the buds of leaves on the trees and once again is filled with joy at the world.

The language here is so very simple but powerful.  Words are used in ways that allow you to feel their resonance, yet stay welcoming for children.  In fact, the language is so simple and brief that toddlers will enjoy the book, but I would also share it with four and five year olds.  The illustrations add to the power of the book with some illustrations left without words so that they stand on their own, underlining the silence of winter as well as the glory of the falling leaves.  I especially appreciate the use of color as the seasons change so that the oranges and yellows of autumn become the whiteness of winter and then the green of spring.  The illustrations echo the words because they too are simple but powerful.

If you are looking for a great fall book, try this one.  Perfect for days in October when the leaves are blowing around, children are treasuring the ones with bright colors, and the touch of winter is felt.