Urso Brunov and the White Emperor by Brian Jacques, illustrated by Alexi Natchev.

This second Urso Brunov book continues the adventures of the Little Father of All Bears.  Urso Brunov is awoken by a call for help carried on the wind.  It is two young polar bears, a Prince and Princess who are lost and unable to return home after being carried away on an iceberg.  Urso Brunov is willing to help and uses his connections with other animals, all called by his bugle, to return the polar bears to their royal parents. 

The joy here is the skill of the writing by Jacques.  It has a folk tale quality and is written with such skill that it reads aloud with ease, flowing together into a seamless story that is equally effortless to listen to.  Natchev’s illustrations capture the animals and snowy landscape well.  They will project nicely to even a large group of listeners.

A great readaloud for slightly older audiences, this book is appropriate for 5-8 year olds.

The Snow Day by Komako Sakai

On a very snowy day, a little rabbit awakens to discover that the snow has cancelled school.  His mother doesn’t want him to go out in the storm, but he sneaks onto the balcony to make a snow dumpling.  His mother can’t go to the grocery store, so they play cards together.  His father can’t return from his trip because of the storm.  All around them it is only snow, no traffic, just them and the snow.  When the little rabbit is getting ready for bed, he realizes the snow has stopped and he can go outside.  In the dark, they play together in the snow.

There is a tenderness in this book, a timelessness that is so beautiful.  Sakai’s art is expressive and beautiful, showing an artistry that is unusual for children’s books.  The rabbit’s ears show so much of their feelings, a small note that really carries the book.  The words of the book are understated and brief.  One can feel the emotions through the illustrations, but the words do not thrust them upon the reader.  Each reader brings themselves to the book and can see themselves reflected in its subtlety.  Simply masterful.

This is one of my favorite books of the year.  Highly recommended for a quiet snow day at home, this book will not work for a raucous group of preschoolers because of its quietness.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Pirates, Ho! by Sarah L. Thomson, illustrated by Stephen Gilpin.

This jaunty, funny book is an ideal read-aloud for any swashbuckling event you may be planning.  The pirates here are cartoony and friendly, but also willing to send someone to Davy’s Locker if necessary.  They chase down other ships, seek treasure, and force people to walk the plant.  All accompanied with the cry of Pirates, Ho!  Everything children love about pirates is right here for them to enjoy.

Gilpin’s silly illustrations very effectively make this a fun book.  Where the text could take it in a darker direction, the illustrations keep it firmly in a light-hearted spirit.  Thomson’s words are rhythmic and one can almost hear the music in them: a jaunty pirate tune of course. 

A winning pirate book that is one of the easiest to read aloud that I have seen, this book is appropriate for ages 4-6.

Just Like a Baby by Juanita Havill, illustrated by Christine Davenier.

Ellen is a tiny baby but everyone in her family has big plans for her.  In fact, everyone wants her to turn out just like them! So aunts and uncles and cousins gather around her bassinet in droves to declare exactly what she will be.  A fisherman, a dancer, a scholar, a pilot, a musician, an athlete, and much more.  But Ellen will actually do exactly as she herself wants to, as she announces with a loud howl.

This book captures the excitement, the attention and the joy of a new baby in a large family.  Davenier’s illustrations are crowded with faces that reflect their delight.  Havill does well in keeping the book from becoming a litany of ideas and maintains a rhythm and flow to the book as a whole.  Her words dance, whoop and twirl.  My favorite passage is her description of the baby’s cry as “a cloud-ruffling yowl.”  Lovely and apt.

This delightful book is perfect for a new baby gift, but I can also see it being useful with new big siblings who will may worry about the attention paid to the new baby.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

El Barrio by Debbi Chocolate, illustrated by David Diaz

Take a trip through Spanish Harlem with a young boy who is very proud of his neighborhood.  Glimpse holiday parades and a quinceanera party.  Slurp ice cold popsicles.  Hear quiet guitar music and blaring trumpets. This book presents a neighborhood using all of the senses, immersing the reader directly into this urban spicy mix.  A lovely celebration of not only this neighborhood but everyone’s.

Diaz’s illustrations, done in mixed media, glow on the page. Evoking stained glass, the colors are so deep you could believe the sun shines through them.  The paintings are framed by photographs taken in David’s own barrio and add interesting textures and patterns to the book.  Chocolate’s verse is just as vibrant and alive as the illustrations, evoking sounds, sights and tastes in a series of impressions.  It all adds up to a true celebration of a culture that we all get to participate in.

Bright illustrations and text that dances make this a great book to share.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life by Kate Feiffer, illustrated by Diane Goode.

Sure, Mom seems nice and sweet but she is definitely trying to ruin her daughter’s life!  She has five ways that her mother ruins her life:  she kisses her in front of her friends, she brings changes of clothes into school in the middle of the day, she talks too loudly, she restricts certain foods, and she worries too much that her daughter might get hurt.  Tragic, isn’t it?  But the little girl has a plan that results in her mother going to jail for trying to ruin her daughter’s life.  She would try to call her husband, but the little girl also knows that her father is trying to ruin her life, so in her plan they both are put in jail.  All seems perfect, until the girl realizes that that would leave her all alone and scared.  So maybe it’s not the best plan after all.

This sassy book has a sense of humor that keeps it from becoming bratty.  The litany of wrong-doings of both the father and mother are humorous and even children will see right through them.  Children will also enjoy spotting the holes in her plan before she realizes them herself.  Her plan is painted with such broad humor that it could only be a daydream, a passing whim.  Because all children feel this way about their parents at some time, they will relate effortlessly to the feelings on the page.  Goode’s illustrations nicely use the white space on the page.  They offer breezy lines done in watercolors that appear effortless and tie into the humor of the text well.

A great ironic choice for Mother’s Day that will cut through books that can become a little too sweet when read all together, this book is appropriate for ages 5-7.

The Lion’s Share: a Tale of Halving Cake and Eating It, Too by Matthew McElligott.

The author of the charming Bean Thirteen returns with this book that features multiplication and division with such style that readers will have no idea they are enjoying a math book.  Every year, the lion invites a group of animals to share dinner with him.  This year, the ant has been invited.  She arrives just on time and is alone for awhile until the others arrive: the beetle, frog, macaw, warthog, tortoise, gorilla, hippo and the elephant.  At the table, all of the others showed horrible manners.  Then a cake is given to the elephant and he is told to help himself.  The elephant, not wanting to be too greedy, slices the cake in half and takes half for himself.  After that, each animal does the same, until it reaches the ant and the piece is too small to cut in half again.  So nothing is left for the lion.  Trying to fix things, the ant offers to bake the lion a cake for the next day.  Each animal doubles her offer, until the elephant is left at the end offering to bake 256 cakes by the next day.  Things work out with mathematical precision and logically fall into place as the ant finishes the book victorious.

McElligott has created a book with a great tone and easy style.  It has the feel of a folktale but many modern touches.  His art is equally appropriate for a folktale but also for a modern story for children.  It is a great look and feel for a picture book.  McElligott has managed to make math fun, silly and delectable.

McElligott’s text is ideal for reading aloud.  The animals are great fun to do with voices and the tiny ant makes a perfect protagonist, one easily related to by children.  The illustrations will also work well for use with a group.  Preschoolers may be young for the math, so save this one for first and second graders who will snap it up in one bite.  Or maybe they will share half with a friend…

Metal Man by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Paul Hoppe.

Devon always heads over to where the metal man welds his sculptures.  Today even though it is so very hot, he heads over to watch the sparks fly.  His mother says that everything the metal man makes is junk: junk out of junk.  But Devon still loves spending time there.  This time, the sculptor asks Devon what he wants to make.  He’s never done that before.  Devon has an idea, but is shy about sharing it until the sculptor tells him to "Bring it on out to play."  So Devon tells him about the star house in his mind.  The two set out to build it out of scraps of metal together and when Devon brings it home, his mother has to admit that this certainly isn’t junk.

The text in this book has rhythm, an urban beat that makes for a great read aloud.  The sculptor is a great example of an African-American man who is creative and caring.  A figure too seldom seen in picture books.  Hoppe’s illustrations are thick-lined and nicely capture the wonder on Devon’s face as he sees his idea come to life. 

Recommended as a great book on sculpting, but also a wonderful book about community and it taking a village to raise a child.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.