Bird by Zetta Elliott, illustrated by Shadra Strickland.

A picture book done in free verse, this book tells the story of living with an addict through a child’s eyes.  Bird loves to draw, he captures many pieces of his life in the city.  In order to understand the changes in his life, he draws.  As Bird struggles to understand his brother’s drug addiction, he is surrounded by a loving family and a surrogate grandfather, Uncle Son.  This sober look at drug addiction is made tangible and real through the engaging verse the book is written in.  The poetry lifts this story to another level, capturing with imagery the confusion of Bird’s life.

Strickland’s illustrations play upon the darkness and the light that is part of the poetry.  She also uses birds in many of the pictures further tying the poetry and illustrations together.  The incorporation of Bird’s pencil drawings works really well, making the book a testament to the power of art, expression and creativity.

His brother’s addiction is handled with delicacy and no sudden revelations, just a steady growing understanding of the situation.  This makes it a great book to use with children who may have varying levels of understanding of addiction. 

A book that could have been grim and bleak, this book is raised above that by its powerful poetry and lovely illustrations, just as Bird is raised above his situation through his art.  Appropriate for ages 6-10.

Ocean Wide, Ocean Deep by Susan Lendroth, illustrated by Raul Allen.

Set in nineteenth-century Cape Cod, this story is about a parent leaving for a very long time, a year, on a voyage overseas.  Through gently rhyming verse, a young girl tells the story of her father traveling away from home while her infant brother develops and grows.  Seasons change, the baby grows, but she and her mother continue to think of her father.  Modern readers will enjoy this timeless tale whose feelings and emotions perfectly speak for any child who is missing a parent or loved one.

Lendroth is very skilled, creating poetry that while rhyming does not become sing-song or maudlin.  Rather the poetry lends a gentle gait to the book and captures the emotions well.  The crowning glory of the book are the illustrations which are luminous, large and speak volumes all on their own.  Allen’s art recalls nineteenth century children’s books often, but also moves beyond that to beckon us in.  A lovely tribute to books of the time while still maintaining an individual feel.

Recommended for reading quietly with children and having a discussion about feelings, this is not the book for a rowdy preschool story time or unit.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Peter and the Wolf by Sergey Prokofiev, retold by Chris Raschka.

Raschka has taken Prokofiev’s orchestral masterpiece and reworked it into a picture book that both pays homage to the music and also takes it to a different place.  The book introduces each character in turn, gives them a voice and a sound and has them appear on the stage.  First comes Peter, who is a spinning, twirling, whirling force.  Then comes the bird, who is a delight to read aloud with his stutter and rhythm.  My favorite then enters, the duck, who virtually yodels, calling his presence to everyone.  Other characters enter, each with their own unique sound and style that is shown by their language and the words but also by their appearance.

This book is such a joy to read aloud, but even more it demands to be made into some sort of production with children acting out the various parts.  If I had a small class, I could see taking turns doing each part so that everyone has the thrill of reading the wolf.  It will work best with older elementary students around age 9 or 10 who will enjoy the humor and not be caught by the words and rhythms. 

If you don’t have a class to do this, please share it with any preschool group.  Listen to the orchestral version first and children will be delighted to recognize each instrument and character and voice.  Raschka has taken a nearly impossible retelling and done it with a magical ease and style.

Highly recommended for preschoolers and older: ages 4+.

The Wheat Doll by Alison L. Randall, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth.

This picture book based on a true story is a lovely glimpse into the world of the frontier.  Mary Ann is hard at work in the garden harvesting carrots.  For company, she has her doll Betty, who is filled with wheat.  Betty watches Mary Ann work and listens to everything she says intently.  When Mary Ann carries the carrots to the root cellar, she leaves Betty in the garden.  Behind her, a storm comes filling the sky with black clouds and roaring with high winds.  Mary Ann’s mother insists she come inside and leave Betty behind.  When the storm has passed, Mary Ann races out to find Betty but she is gone.  Mary Ann works through the winter, thinking of Betty often.  When spring arrives, Mary Ann discovers that Betty isn’t gone after all.

This book has a lot about faith in it, but without any overt religious messages.  It is well-written and nicely paced with illustrations that are richly colored and often alight with a lovely glow.  The fact that it is a true story makes it that much more special.  It is a gentle but still exciting story of life on the frontier that doesn’t attempt to hide the harshness of the life and the hard toil that it took to survive.

Recommended for ages 4-7.