Baron von Baddie and the Ice Ray Incident by George McClements.

Baron von Baddie was an evil genius who built huge robots to take over the world, or perhaps just to steal ice cream.  Thank goodness for Captain Kapow, who could always take care of Baron and keep him in check.  That is until one fateful day when Captain Kapow was frozen by Baron von Baddie’s ice ray.  No one could stop Baron von Baddie from doing what he wished.  He built robots, changed the days of the week around and ate lots and lots of doughnuts.  But eventually, even these pleasures lost their appeal.  So what is an evil genius to do if he misses his super counterpart?

Pure silly fun, this picture book will appeal to all sorts of children, but especially those who enjoy super heroes.  McClements’ paper art is eye-catching and comical.  The text of the book begs to be read aloud and the art will project well to even a large crowd. 

Anyone looking to practice their evil villain voices and super hero strut (and really, who isn’t?), will find plenty to enjoy here.  Highly recommended for rowdy classrooms of children or as a final read in a story time.  This is a book that will be asked for again and again.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Otis and Rae and the Grumbling Splunk by Laura and Leo Espinosa.

Otis and Rae head out camping.  All Otis wants to do is eat his peanut butter and banana sandwiches, but Rae fills his head with all sorts of scary stories, especially the one about the Grumbling Splunk.  They head to bed, but Otis can’t sleep as he worries and frets about whether the Splunk is real or not.  When the crickets suddenly stop chirping, Otis faces his fear head on.

The illustrations here are charming and modern, evoking a manga and anime spirit similar to Totoro.  The friendship between the two characters rings true right down to their very dissimilar personalities.  The book is fast-paced, interesting and often surprising.  One of the joys is that you are never quite sure what to expect next. 

A great rollicking fun read for children, this book is appropriate for ages 4-6.

The Retired Kid by Jon Agee.

Agee returns with a charming look at an overworked kid who decides to retire from his hectic school and personal life.  8-year-old Brian has had enough and flies off to Florida to life at the Happy Sunset Retirement Community.  Brian finds swimming pools, golf, and card games in his retirement.  It is certainly not hard work.  But eventually, Brian realizes that he doesn’t fit in with the other retirees.  He starts to think back about the fun parts of being a kid and realizes that though retirement is great fun, he just might want to do the hard work.

Agee has captured the exhaustion of the modern kid perfectly here.  There is a broad sense of humor to the book, which kids in elementary school will thoroughly enjoy.  Agee’s illustrations carry his unique style with interesting angles and proportions.  They are timeless and modern at the same time. 

Perfect for reading aloud to ages 6-8, this book is funny and true at the same time. 

 

It’s Not Fair! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.

With a rhythm and rhymes that add to the fun, this book about the unfair part of life is a pleasure to share with children.  My only warning is that you don’t start a conversation about what hasn’t been fair in their lives because it would be impossible to end.  All children have a catalog of the wrongs that have been done them by siblings, parents, teachers, and even people in the grocery store. 

The book has charming illustrations that capture childhood with thick black lines and bright colors set on white backgrounds.  The list of unfair scenarios is silly but with some truth behind it.  This is a light, fun read for preschoolers and their parents.  My favorite touch is the back of the book which I  won’t spoil for you, but the final page inside the book is a winner too.  It has a book on a bookshelf thinking how unfair it is:

Why can’t books go on and on?

No more endings only Once Upons…

It’s not fair.

And the readers will feel the same way as the book ends.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Astronaut Handbook by Meghan McCarthy.

One look at the googly-eyed astronauts on the cover of this book and you will be charmed.  So will children, guaranteed.  This book is a picture book handbook for future astronauts, covering the various types of astronauts, fitness tests, working well with others, practicing with machines used in space, weightlessness, food, and even space toilets.  Children will have many of their basic questions answered and some will be inspired to seek out more detailed books.  This is a friendly introduction to what being an astronaut is all about.

Written at exactly the right approachable level, the book offers details only when they will intrigue children.  For example, McCarthy wisely has a very detailed page on both the spacesuit and the space toilet.  At other times, McCarthy focuses on the variety of backgrounds and projects that astronauts are part of, opening children’s ideas about what an astronaut really does.  The illustrations are cartoony and friendly.  McCarthy has plenty of women and people of color throughout.

Recommended for all public libraries and for any 4-6 year old who thinks they want to be an astronaut when they grow up.

In a Blue Room by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Tricia Tusa.

Alice is unable to sleep because her room isn’t fully blue.  Her mother tries to help, bringing in flowers with a sweet scent, a steaming cup of tea, a snuggly warm quilt, and a string of bells to ring in the breeze.  None of the items are blue, but they all help to greet the blue of the evening.  Finally, with the light off, Alice is in her blue filled room and all of the gentle motherly touches are tinted to a blue too.

This is a gentle bedtime book that is soothing, loving and beautiful.  Tusa’s art is whimsical and magical.  I love the details of all of the items in the bedroom, all adding together to warmth and home.  The warm yellow of the walls, will get children thinking immediately about how in the world this room is going to become blue.  The detail of each item being a different non-blue color is also a great part of the story.  Averbeck’s text has a flow that adds to the soothing gentleness of the entire book.  Until we are all washed away like Alice with the tide of deep blue.

One of the most evocative and charming bedtime tales I have seen in recent time, this book is a great bedtime read aloud.  The pictures are large enough to use it with a group, so this should become one of your standards for bedtime pajama story times at the library too.

Snoring Beauty by Bruce Hale, illustrated by Howard Fine.

Sleeping Beauty with a twist, this story still has a fuming fairy and curse.  But there the resemblance ends.  When the princess is grown, the curse goes into effect, turning her into a sleeping dragon.  This curse comes with a quince connection, making it all the harder to break.  Princes from all across the land come to try, each with a quince of some sort, but nothing works.  Until one day a young man enters the castle and manages to break the curse with just a kiss alone.  You’ll have to read the book to find out why it worked.

Hale has created a book that is very, very funny.  Each name of a royal figure is designed to make you giggle:  Queen Esophagus is married to King Gluteus.  Lovely.  The princess in her dragon form snores with a hysterical Squonnnnk-sheeeooo, a noise I dare you to do without drawing laughter from children.  The illustrations just add to the fun, with the lipstick endowed purple dragon and the wide range of fairies.  Many of the jokes will be too much for very small children, older elementary children will enjoy it most.

A great romp of fun.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

The Umbrella Queen by Shirin Yim Bridges, illustrations by Taeeun Yoo.

Noot grew up in a Thai village that specializes in making and painting umbrellas.  Her mother and the other women of the village decorated the umbrellas with paintings of flowers and butterflies.  Noot helped her father and grandmother make the umbrellas, but wanted most to help her mother paint them.  Noot’s mother let her help, having her copy her own design exactly.  Noot did so well that she was allowed to have her own workspace to decorate umbrellas.  She started out painting flowers and butterflies following her mother’s pattern, but then started painting playful elephants on the umbrellas.  When her parents discovered her changes, Noot was scolded.  The shop in town only sold the conventional designs. So Noot painted the butterflies and flowers, but in the evenings painted her own designs on small toy umbrellas that she used to decorate her windowsill.  Then one day it was announced that the King would be coming to select the Umbrella Queen.  All of the umbrellas were displayed for his consideration, but the ones that caught his eye were small and on a windowsill.

Offering a lovely glimpse of Thai village life intertwined with art, this book is a gentle look at duty and creativity.  The illustrations have a feeling of timelessness with their gold, red, turquoise and black colors that have a certain handmade aspect.  The text reads aloud easily and well, explaining for American children with just enough detail why Noot cannot choose what she paints on the umbrellas.  There is a flow between the illustrations and the text that makes it perfect for reading aloud as well.

Recommended for story times about rain, this umbrella story will bring a multicultural aspect to your next story time.  It’s bright colors will also be welcome next to the stormy clouds of gray and blue in most rain books.