The Cajun Cornbread Boy by Dianne de Las Casas, illustrated by Marita Gentry.

This spicy twist on the Gingerbread Boy is a lot of fun.  Down on the Bayou, a little old woman makes a cornbread boy but when she opens the oven he runs away calling "Run, chere, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me – I’m full of cayenne."  The Cornbread Boy runs past a raccoon.  Then past a fox who surprisingly does not catch him, until he comes to the water of the bayou.  An alligator offers to carry the boy across.  Can you guess what happens next?  You may be surprised!

The writing here is filled with nice Louisiana touches that will have you doing your best Cajun accent.  If you manage an accent, the book rollicks along with phrases dancing with the rhythm and beat.  The illustrations are done with watercolor and ink.  This lends them a more rustic and handmade feel that is right at home here. 

Recommended as an alternative Gingerbread Boy that is perfect for hot summer days.  This could be nicely paired with one of my other favorite Cajun read-alouds Petite Rouge: a Cajun Red Riding Hood by Mike Artell.

The Bears in the Bed and the Great Big Storm by Paul Bright and Jane Chapman

In a cozy cave, Bear and Mrs. Bear are fast asleep.  A storm blows through with wind howling and Baby Bear comes into their bed.  The thunder crashes and now Bear is awake and so is Little Bear who comes into their bed.  The lightning flashes and Bear wraps his pillow around his head.  Now Young Bear gets into their bed.  Suddenly there is a knock on the door that wakes them all up.  Could it be the monster who has been scaring the children all night?

The language in the book begs to be read aloud.  The storm is handled with plenty of drama, carrying the story forward easily.  There is a skilled rhythm to the writing that makes it easy to read as well as plenty of words that make it fun as well.  This is simple but evocative writing done very well.  The illustrations are aglow with warmth and tiny touches that make the cave feel like home to any reader.  The page with the monster on it is done in deep blues and purples that make it a direct contrast to the yellows and oranges of the cave.  It’s sure to get a shiver out of your audience.

A delight to read aloud.  This book should be included in toddler and preschool story times about bears and storms.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Monsoon Afternoon by Kashmira Sheth, illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi

A little boy sees the dark clouds gathering just before the rain begins to fall.  He asks each person in his family to join him playing outside in the rain, but no one will until his Dadaji, grandfather, finds him looking glum by the open door.  The boy and his grandfather float paper boats in the washtub until the rain stops.  They take a walk and notice that the ants have disappeared, the banyan leaves are shining, and the peacocks are dancing, just as they did when Dadaji was a boy.  When his grandmother, Dadima, scolds them for tracking in mud, that too is just as it was when Dadaji was a child.

This book excels at bridging the cultural gap, allowing the non-Indian children to experience a monsoon through play that is universal.  Children will immediately relate to not having family play with them, the kindness of grandparents, and the scolding for making a mess.  Through that understanding they will come to see that cultures and regions may differ, but there is a universal language and world.  This book is at once a window and a mirror.

Jaeggi’s illustrations enhance the story, showing the grandfather as a boy, the brilliance of a peacock’s tail, and the pleasure of rain.  Children may be surprised to see that people head outdoors into the rain rather than staying indoors, but they will also understand the immediate appeal of playing in the water.

Recommended for being a book that is both specific and universal, this book also tells a great story of a boy and his grandfather together.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Too Many Toys by David Shannon

Spencer has way too many toys.  They pile up in his room, fill his sandbox and float in his bath.  Everyone gives him toys, all of his relatives, his friends, and even the restaurants his family eats at.  His parents reached a point after stepping on Legos and tripping on train tracks where something had to be done.  Spencer’s mother asks him to fill a box with toys he is willing to give up.  But it isn’t that easy.  Deals must be made and agreed to before any toys can be put in the box. 

Shannon always manages to capture perfectly the state of mind of children.  In this case, he captures the relationship of children to their toys.  His illustrations are perfection: the jumble of toys will make any child want to dive in and play forever.  I recognize the anguish of stepping on a Lego and the struggle of getting a child to relinquish a toy. 

The message here is clear.  Too many toys don’t add to the fun.  The ending is good humored and childlike.  A winner, especially around the excesses of the holidays.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Snow by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer.

From the deep midnight blue endpages featuring a single snowflake drifting, you know that you are in for a special treat.  This picture book explores the various types of snow through its poetic verse and deeply colored illustrations.  There is snow that is peaceful, snow that holds promise, snow that outlines and illuminates, snow that buries and snow that is full of memories.  As a native Wisconsinite, I have seen all of these snows and loved each and every type too. 

Rylant’s verse is simple and deep, taking the time to reveal the magic of each type of snowfall, the beauty of thick and thin snow.  Stringer’s illustrations are lovely, filled with the different colors of snow from peachy warm to midnight blue to chill white.  They move from coldness to warmth and back again using deep colors.  Each of her illustrations evokes a different emotion or feeling, together they marry into a landscape of snow.

Highly recommended for anyone having a snowy day like we are.  This book’s poetry allows it to work with small children, but will also be of interest to older children for the same reason.  The verse expands the age level considerably from other picture books.  Appropriate for ages 3-9.

Mighty Max! by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Elliot Kreloff.

In his flowing red cape, Max is eager to be a super hero who saves the day.  Max’s father wants him to sit down and just be calm for a bit.  Max tries, he sits for awhile, but is always up and moving again with a new imaginary game to play.  When he and his father head to the beach, Max finds plenty of ways to be Mighty Max and help out at the same time.  But, he is still moving fast and imagining big.

The fast pace of this book perfectly captures the race and movement of a small boy with a big imagination.  His inability to sit still is seen as something wonderful though sometimes exasperating.  I love the pairing of a fast-paced child and imagination, because I think that is something that is often overlooked.  I have a child who moves when speaking, runs when thinking, and races when pretending.  I see him in Max and Max in him so clearly. 

Kreloff’s illustrations further the connection between the book and children with their child-like think crayon lines.  They are also stylish at the same time, creating a book that is accessible for children but doesn’t lose itself to childishness.

Highly recommended as a readaloud for preschool groups, this is also a great book to read with your own fast-paced child.  Humorous, fun and buoyant, this book will fly off the shelf even without its red cape.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Twelve Terrible Things by Marty Kelley.

From the initial warning about the horrible things in the book all the way to the triumphant end, this book is immense fun, though terrible.  Each double-page spread shows a terrible thing from a first-person point of view.  It is your ice cream that has fallen on the ground, your dentist moving towards your mouth, and even you who is the new student in a crowded classroom. 

Children of all ages will see their own fears reflected here with unflinching realism and great style.  Each illustration has a quirky feel to it, a glee about the terribleness of the page that makes children feel a rush of it themselves. 

Perfect to read aloud to a class, children will automatically start their own list of terrible things.  Though there are few words on each page, this book will work best with children who are slightly older:  ages 5-8.

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.