How Big Is the World? by Britta Teckentrup.

From the author of Big Smelly Bear comes this book about a young mole who wants to know how big the world is.  As he travels, he asks different animals who all reveal the limitations of their own view of the world.  That is until he reaches the ocean and finds a whale who says that he has never yet reached the end of the world and carries mole and the readers to different lands.  When mole finally returns home to his father, he reports that the world is “as big as you want it to be.”

This is a breathtaking book, with illustrations that are large, bold and inviting all at the same time.  Teckentrup’s paintings will shout to an audience of preschoolers, draw them in, show them the world, and return them home with the same sense of adventure that little mole has.  Paired with the text that is purely child-friendly, this becomes a picture book worth adding to your collection and using in story times.

Simply lovely and highly recommended for reading to groups, appropriate for ages 3-6.

The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato, illustrated by Delphine Durand.

Henrietta’s two older sisters tease her mercilessly.  Even though she knows they often tease, Henrietta starts to believe them when they tell her she is really a chicken not a girl.  The feathers they leave in her room are especially convincing.  So Henrietta heads down the road to a nearby farm to find her real family and there on the farm in the chicken yard, she finds creatures who like her and enjoy being with her.  Maybe this is her real family after all?

What could have simply been a silly story becomes much more deep and thoughtful even with its brisk pace and wonderfully bug-eyed illustrations.  This is a great look at teasing in a family and at how children can see things in their own special way.  The entire family dynamic is believable and not overdone.  The pacing is quick, but allows for some reflection about what family is and what truth is. 

Lovely stuff, this is a great book for families to read together.  Recommended for ages 5-7.

 

The Cow That Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill, illustrated by Russell Ayto.

Marjorie doesn’t feel special.  Unlike the other cows on the farm, she can’t ride a bike or do handstands.  So the chicken concoct a cunning plan to get Marjorie feeling better.  They give her one of their eggs, decorated with black spots.  Crowds and the press come to marvel at this cow who laid an egg.  But when the egg starts to hatch is the plot revealed?  You will just have to read it to find out.

Great fun from the first page, this book combines a silly story and zany illustrations into a package that will delight young readers.  The illustrations make this book with their marching chickens, jealous cows, and a befuddled main character.  They are done as collages with the use of photographs as well as drawings.  Great fun.

Highly recommended to share with a group of preschoolers.  This would make a great final book for story times about either cows or chickens.  For ages 4-6.

Big Bad Bunny by Franny Billingsley, illustrated by G. Brian Karas.

There are some picture books designed to be great fun to read aloud and this is definitely one of them.   Mama Mouse is sweetly tucking her little baby mice into bed.  Kisses and sweetness reign supreme.  But turn the page and discover the horror of BIG BAD BUNNY stomping and rampaging no matter what is in her way.  Mama Mouse discovers that Baby Boo Boo is missing!  And then readers discover that Big Bad Bunny is what Baby Boo Boo turns into when she is angry, especially about being called a baby!

Moving between the loud anger of Big Bad Bunny and the tooth-achingly sweet mothering of Mama Mouse is great fun.  And the text is written perfectly to move between them.  Karas’ art is as vibrant as ever, skillfully telling more of the story than the words do alone. 

Small children everywhere will love this story and will relate with relish to the anger of Baby Boo Boo.  So here we have a picture book that parents will love to read, children will love to listen to, and which has a great message.  What immense fun!  Recommended for small children (not babies) everywhere, especially those ages 4-6.

Visit the Franny Billingsley’s homepage at http://www.frannybillingsley.com/, where you will discover her fantasy books for older children.

Visit G. Brian Karas’ page at http://www.gbriankaras.com/ and enjoy his other picture books which are some of my all-time favorites like Muncha, Muncha, Muncha!

 

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Melanie Watt.

Scaredy returns in his third book that follows the same wonderful theme as the first two.  Though Scaredy would love to go to the beach there are so many wrong crowds that he could be surrounded by that he doesn’t think it’s wise.  So Scaredy creates a beach of his own using an inflatable pool and kitty litter.  But something is missing – the sounds are all wrong.  So Scaredy sets off to find a seashell at the beach to put to his ear.  He plans carefully but somehow doesn’t factor in one little detail – people.

Watt’s art is as always very fresh and fun.  The quirks of Scaredy’s logic and thoughts are again thoroughly entertaining.  I love the touches of oven mitts, his middle name, and the care he puts into anything he does.  Very funny, unique and above all child-friendly.

Highly recommended where the first two were popular.  But if you don’t have the first two, make sure you get those as well.  The cover art will get the books moving off of your shelves and the stories will keep them coming back for more.  Recommended for ages 5-7.

What’s So Bad About Being an Only Child? by Cari Best, illustrated by Sophie Blackall.

Rosemary Emma Angela Lynette Isabelle Iris Malone knows what it feels like to be an only child.  And to her, it feels horrible!  Smothering and lonely at the same time.  She begs for a sibling, sulks for a sibling, but her parents don’t understand what’s wrong with being an only child.  Rosemary struggles with her lack of brother or sisterhood until she meets a turtle at the pond and brings it home.  Soon other animals follow as well and she has a menagerie at home who play with her, argue, share secrets and generally are the family she never had.

Rosemary is a character written and illustrated with such verve and vinegar.  She’s a refreshing change from other little girls in picture books who can be a bit too pink and frilly to read as real.  Rosemary is a true child from her pigtails to her crooked teeth to the glint of frustration in her eye.  The illustrations and the text work well together, creating the pitch-perfect tone here.

While reading the book, I feared that this little girl was going to find a way to have a baby enter her family in one way or another.  So I was happily surprised when she started collecting animals to be her family. 

Immensely fun to read aloud and a joy to share, this book will be loved by children with many brothers and sisters or those with none.  Recommended for ages 5-7.

Looking for Loons by Jennifer Lloyd, illustrated by Kirsti Anne Wakelin.

Woken by the first morning sun, Patrick heads to the porch to watch for loons on the lake.  One by one, his family members join him, each awoken by a sound or smell to the beauty of the fall day.  It takes patience and willpower (to not succumb to the smell of a pancake breakfast) to watch for the loons.  By the end of the book, Patrick’s patience is rewarded.

The prose in this book is poetic and beautiful.  It perfectly captures the stillness of a morning broken only by the slightest of noises like slippers flopping, kettles whistling and skillets being placed on the stove.  The interludes where the text breaks away from the cabin and looks towards other creatures around the lake are wonderful as well, allowing readers to “see” birds, frogs, and beavers.

As you can see from the cover, the art of this book is done with realism and softness.  It dances between almost photographic realism and a blurriness of sunshine and dappling of leaves.  As the text moves to outside glimpses, so do the illustrations, revealing even more creatures than the text itself. 

Perfect reading for anyone who heads north to a cabin or wishes they could.  This book is not only about loons, but also about wilderness and patience and family.  It has a cozy warmth about it, perfectly capturing a sunny autumn morning.  Recommended for ages 5-8.

Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis.

Portis returns with a second book following her winning Not a Box.  This time readers experience the joy and play that a stick can create.  A piglet finds a stick and begins to play with it.  The adult voice cautions throughout how a stick should be handled, but the pig is just happily caught up in imaginative play. 

The illustrations here are thick line drawings that echo childhood and the text is short and wonderfully supports the spirit of the illustrations.  The sense of freedom and play here is captured to perfection, just as it was with the first book. 

Very toddler friendly, this book can be shared with a wide range of children from ages 3-6.