That Book Woman by Heather Henson, pictures by David Small.

In poetic lines, Henson paints a picture of Cal’s life as a farm boy in the Appalachian Mountains.  He helps with the plowing and caring for the livestock, while his younger sister sits always reading.  Cal doesn’t like to read, because he hates to sit still that long and he really resents it when his sister tries to teach him things.  Cal is the first to hear the approaching horse when the Book Lady comes to their farm.  She has a bag filled with books, and Cal’s father tries to barter for a few, but the Book Lady leaves the books for free!  And will return in a few weeks with more!  Of course, Cal really doesn’t care, until that is the Book Lady comes to their house in the middle of a winter storm solely to deliver books.  Cal realizes that there is something more than the physical books driving her, and he intends to find out what it is.

Henson’s long slim stanzas on each page, echo the lanky figure of Cal.  They also evoke a certain solitude and strength in their structure.  And like Cal, there is much more than meets the eye.  In those slim stanzas, readers will find evocative images and real depth of thought.  It is all done without losing young readers, instead drawing them further into the story.  This book is masterfully written. 

Small’s pictures also evoke the lonely quality of life in the mountains.  At the same time, they are often centered upon family as Cal’s life is.  Lamps and fires glow warmly, and though the rooms are spare they are filled with people and light.  This is not a cold existence, but a loving solitary one.  Small has captured the feel of solitude without loneliness entering his images. 

Highly recommended, this book will expose children to the importance early libraries and librarians put in books.  It could be used by modern librarians to start a conversation about the importance of books even though there is no need today for horses.  I can see it being used by our Book Mobile Ladies too, an added connection to the history of mobile library service.  Really though, it is wonderful enough that it can be read and shared with all sorts of children in all kinds of libraries, classrooms and families.  Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett.

Little Mouse has found a big book that explains phobias one-by-one.  On each page, he has space to document his own personal fears that fit under that phobia.  The book starts with arachnophobia and ends, wonderfully, with musophobia (the fear of mice.)  Throughout the book, there are cutouts in the pages, chewed on edges, and flaps to lift, that bring this story even more fully to life.

The book design here is the star, starting with the title page’s cutout that shows Little Mouse peeking out and then when turned shows a spider for the arachnophobia page.  Each page looks aged, mouse-read, and well-loved.  Corners appear dog-eared, moist, ripped, or just plain messy.  Building from the successful design is the clever story, done with wit and style.  There are many touches that combine storytelling with the book design, making both more vivid and real. 

This is a book to pore over, touch, and experience for yourself.  It is one of the few books with this sort of design that should work well for public use.  The flaps are not delicate or many.  It will also work well with a group, though they will be eager to look at it personally when you are done sharing it.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Coppernickel, the Invention by Wouter van Reek.

Coppernickel is reading a book about inventions, when he reaches the end, the final page is blank.  This inspires him to create his own invention.  He knows it should be simple and useful, so he decides to create a machine to help pick elderberries that are out of reach.  He starts small and simple, but his imagination grows bigger and bigger and so does his invention!  Soon it is covering the wall.  When his friend, Tungsten, pushes some of the drawing out of his way, the cogs of the machine begin to turn and Coppernickel finds himself caught up in a different way.  At the end, he begins again and ends up with a simple and useful solution.

Originally published in Dutch, this book has a distinct foreign feel that makes it all the more interesting.  The illustrations are humorous and dare I say, inventive?  The ever-growing invention of Coppernickel is very detailed, contrasting nicely with the rough style that the characters and setting are drawn in.  The text is equally successful, using short sentences that allow the illustrations themselves to tell most of the story. 

A great book about imagination and inventions, this book is appropriate for ages 4-6.

Wave by Suzy Lee.

Through simple lines and a deft use of color, Lee tells the wordless story of a young girl playing on the beach with a wave.  The story is the universal one of a sunny day on the beach and playing in the water, having the ocean as a playmate, and just enjoying the moment.

Lee’s restraint in her illustrations is what makes it all work so well.  Her use of blue, gray, black and white as the only colors in the book adds to the book’s impact.  The figure of the mother who is obviously present but somewhere off the page is evocative of childhood where play makes you forget or ignore all else.  It is truly a study in a moment of childhood.

Highly recommended.  This book is a small wonder.  Share it with very young children who will enjoy telling you the story.  Appropriate for a wide range of ages: 2-7.

The Elephant Wish by Lou Berger, illustrated by Ana Juan.

In this surreal story, Eliza Prattlebottom makes a wish at her eighth birthday party that an elephant will come and take her away.  Eliza’s wish comes true and Cousin Floyd, a very large elephant, carries her away to live with the elephants in the jungle.  Cousin Floyd is only noticed by 97-year-old Adele who has perfect posture and once as a girl herself knew Cousin Floyd.  Eliza’s family mourns her being gone, thinking of their daughter often.  Adele decides that she needs to return to the elephants herself and heads off to the jungle to demand that Eliza return home and she herself be watched over by Cousin Floyd.  This book captures the desire to remain a child forever.

Berger’s language is a joy to read aloud, curving and moving as it is read.  It is filled with small gems of prose that evoke further depth in the text.  Here is one of my favorite passages:

Now, you might think that a ninety-seven-year-old woman pulling a wagon with a two-hundred-year-old dog in it would move very slowly.  But Adelle was moving at the speed of memory.

Berger captures the magical and fantastical elements of childhood and imagination beautifully in his text.  At the same time, Juan’s illustrations perfectly embody that same feeling of myth, strangeness, and dream.  Her pictures are often surrounded by the thoughts of the characters being depicted, adding an even further dream-like quality to them. 

This rather quirky and unusual picture book makes a great read aloud to older elementary students who may themselves be struggling with leaving childhood behind and the larger implications of growing up.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

The Day Leo Said I Hate You! by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Molly Bang.

Pair the storytelling skill of Harris with the illustrations of Bang and you really can’t go wrong!  Leo is not having a good day.  Each thing he does, his mother seems to be right there telling him, NO!  Finally, Leo has had enough and storms off to his room.  When he gets there, he draws a mean picture of his mother on his bedroom wall.  His mother comes in and tells him NO!  Leo is so very very angry that he shouts with all of his might I HATE YOU!  at his mother.  Though he doesn’t mean it all at, he now has to deal with the fact he has said something so awful to his mother.

Anger is such an important thing for children to understand: their own anger, how their words and actions effect others, and appropriate ways to express their feelings.  Harris captures the inner turmoil of an angry child perfectly without extra drama added in.  The writing is clear, concise and very emotional.  The writing that follows Leo’s outburst is warm, calming and filled with an understanding for what just happened.  It is the ideal contrast to the heat and speed of what happens, allowing readers to ride that emotional rollercoaster with Leo.

Bang’s illustrations capture the mood of the text as it moves from frenetic emotion to calm.  Colors move from oranges through to deep purple and reds and resolve with bright yellows and deep blues.  Beautifully done in her collage style, Bang captures a mother and son who could be of almost any ethnicity.

Highly recommended, this picture book should be paired with Mean Soup by Betsy Everitt and When Sophie Gets Angry — Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang for a real emotional set of stories!  Appropriate for ages 3-6.