Shivers in the Fridge by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.

I consider this one of the best picture books of the year.  I love its rather twisted concept which is matched by the illustrations by Zelinsky.  It reads aloud like a folktale with repetition, but has a unique setting and modern feel.

Papa Shivers, Mama Shivers, Grandpa and Grandma Shivers and Sonny Shivers all live in the cold and dark.  Occasionally a monster with long claws appears along with a huge light and snatches something out of their world.  As children listen to the story, they will soon realize that the Shivers live in a refrigerator and that the monsters are really humans.  But what are the Shivers and why are they in the fridge?  And what happens when the humans discover them?

This story builds and builds towards a final moment that is hinted at more and more clearly throughout the book.  Adults may pick up on it quickly, but children who are not trying to solve a mystery will just go along with the story and be happily surprised at the end. 

This is such a successful book with great language, nice pacing and wonderful illustrations.  It is a read aloud to share with kindergarteners and first graders who may wonder what is shivering in their fridges at home.

The First Music by Dylan Pritchett, illustrated by Erin Bennett Banks.

This is the perfect book for a crowd of rowdy preschoolers.  It is the story of how the first music started, and the book is filled with all sorts of animals sounds.  Elephant drums on a hollow log with a padada boom.  Crocodile’s scales are played by Crane, and Monkey dances and makes the leaves rustle.  All of the noises come together to form music.  Except for the silent frogs who don’t join in the earth-moving beat.  It is not until the seventh day that the frogs break into song themselves. 

The beat of the language is what creates the music here.  It is fast-paced, jaunty and lots of fun to read aloud.  Paired with the gorgeous deep paintings, this book will be a real crowd pleaser. 

The book can also be easily used for group participation in a more formalized way with different members of the audience making different noises.  Or that could be done afterwards with rhythm instruments.  Oh, the options are endless!

A Drop of Water by Gordon Morrison.

I always enjoy well-done children’s nonfiction, and this is certainly a nicely done book.  It is a study of the water cycle from puddles to clouds to the mountain and then returning to the puddle.  But the best part is that it not only focuses on the water but also on the different species of birds, animals and plants that live at each stage on the mountain and down to the stream and pond.  It reinforces that life is dependent upon water in its many stages and that the environment is all interconnected.  And it does that without lecture or preaching and with a light enjoyable touch.

The illustrations of the book are beautiful.  They are line drawings with patches of color that show the water, the animals and the plants.  They are highlighted on the page, a blank canvas on which the world of the water is the focus. 

This is recommended as a great read aloud for children who prefer nonfiction.  It is a nice book to read with a small group or one-on-one because of the detail in the illustrations.  Children will delight in finding the birds hidden in the trees and the exact plants mentioned in the text. 

The Most Important Gift of All by David Conway, illustrated by Karin Littlewood.

Ama is a little girl who lives in Africa.  She has a new little baby brother and decides that she needs to give him a gift.  Her grandmother tells her that the most important gift she can giver her brother is love, so Ama sets off to find love.  She asks the weaverbird, the giraffe, and finally an old lion who tells her that “as sure as the rain comes, you will always know love when you have found it.”  Ama’s father finds her and returns her to the village where they celebrate the birth of her brother with a special meal and songs.  And the rain comes.

This is a lovely picture book with richly colored paintings as illustrations. The depth of the night out under the baobob tree and the brightness of the following day are marvelous.  The illustrations truly add another dimension to the book.  The language of the writing is also rich and deep, creating a believable world where lions can give advice to small children and there is a certain safety to the wildness of the world. 

Share this one with kindergarteners and first graders who may be welcoming their own new siblings.  It reads aloud well, but is also a nice lap book to share.