Picture Books

Review: Don’t Touch My Hair by Sharee Miller

| Tasha

Don't Touch My Hair by Sharee Miller

Don’t Touch My Hair by Sharee Miller (9780316562584)

Aria lovers her fluffy, touchable hair but others love it a bit too much for her comfort. It seems like every time she leaves the house, someone is reaching out to feel her hair. She tries going to the ocean to get away from everyone, but even the mermaids want a touch. The same thing happens when she heads to the jungle or the castle. The only place she can find peace is on a deserted island, but she gets too lonely there. When she returns home, Aria figures out the power of setting boundaries and not allowing others to touch her without her permission.

Written in a wonderfully accessible way, this picture book will speak to children who are always having their hair touched, particularly African-American girls who wear their natural hair. The incorporation of whimsical settings makes the entire book feel lighter and a bit playful. The seriousness of being able to say no to others, even adults, is the final part of the book and is handled perfectly with just the right tone. The art in this picture book is bright and friendly. Aria’s hair is depicted in a most touchable way adding to the appeal of the book.

Humor adds a nice touch to this book about the importance of being able to demand respect for your body and hair. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

 

Review: Kitten and the Night Watchman by John Sullivan

| Tasha

Kitten and the Night Watchman by John Sullivan

Kitten and the Night Watchman by John Sullivan, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo (9781481461917)

The night watchman heads out to his night of work. He works on a construction site, making sure that the doors are locked and the rooms are empty. He shines his flashlight near the broken trucks and startles a killdeer. He drinks his coffee under the shining stars and moon, thinking of his children at home asleep. Then a small kitten appears and joins the watchman for the rest of his rounds. They spot a jet in the sky, share dinner, and look at bugs. But then the kitten disappears and the watchman is left with only the sounds of the night around him. When the kitten returns, the watchman makes a decision to bring it home with him.

Beautifully told in a gentle and simple way, this picture book takes a poetic look at a job and a setting that is not usually given that treatment. The counterpoint of a construction site and the beauty that night lends it is very effective. As the quiet of the night progresses, it reveals so much that is hidden during the day. Birds, insects, and the kitten itself emerge from the darkness to be noticed and are made remarkable.

The artwork is filled with darkness and blues. Yet it is also lit by stars and the moon, and it is filled with beams from flashlights and lamps. These yellow streams of light lend brightness and illuminate the budding relationship of the watchman and the kitten with warmth.

Uniquely mixing construction, night and beauty, this picture book is something special. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

 

Kirkus Best Picture Books of 2018

| Tasha

Kirkus has released their list of the Best Picture Books of 2018. They list them by category on their site, but I’m going to list them alphabetically here for ease. Here are the titles:

40528458 All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah

3×4 by Ivan Brunetti

All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

And There Was Evening, and There Was Morning Animal Shapes

And There Was Evening, and There Was Morning by Harriet Cohen Helfand and Ellen Kahan Zager

Animal Shapes by Christopher Silas Neal

Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings Ayobami and the Names of the Animals

Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings by Francie Latour, illustrated by Ken Daley

Ayobami and the Names of the Animals by Pilar López Ávila, illustrated by Mar Azabal

Black Bird Yellow Sun A Boy and a House

Black Bird Yellow Sun by Steve Light

A Boy and a House by Maja Kastelic

The Boo-Boos That Changed the World: A True Story about an Accidental Invention (Really!) Carmela Full of Wishes

The Boo-Boos That Changed the World: A True Story about an Accidental Invention (Really!) by Barry Wittenstein, illustrated by Chris Hsu

Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Christian Robinson

38256495 Do Not Lick this Book

The Dam by David Almond, illustrated by Levi Pinfold

Do Not Lick This Book by Idan Ben-Barak, illustrated by Julian Frost

35888408 Drawn from Nature

Down by the River by Andrew Weiner, illustrated by April Chu

Drawn from Nature by Helen Ahpornsiri

Drawn Together Dreamers

Drawn Together by Minh Le, illustrated by Dan Santat

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

Dude! 32824162

Dude! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat

Every Month Is a New Year: Celebrations Around the World by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Susan L. Roth

35297103 Find Colors: Published in association with the Whitney Museum of American Art

The Field by Baptiste Paul, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

Find Colors by by Tamara Shopsin and Jason Fulford

The Fish and the Cat Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin

The Fish and the Cat by Marianne Dubuc

Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin by Michelle Cusolito, illustrated by Nicole Wong

The Fox on the Swing 36373607

The Fox on the Swing by Evelina Daciute, illustrated by Aušra Kiudulaite

Fur, Feather, Fin: All of Us Are Kin by Diane Lang, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis

Go Baby! Go Dog! Grace for Gus

Go Baby! Go Dog! by Anne Vittur Kennedy

Grace for Gus by Harry Bliss

Hello Lighthouse Holi Colors

Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall

Holi Colors by Rina Singh

I Can Be Anything! Don't Tell Me I Can't I Got a Chicken for My Birthday

I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can’t by Diane Dillon

I Got a Chicken for My Birthday by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Sarah Horne

36283196 Julián Is a Mermaid

Jerome by Heart by Thomas Scotto, illustrated by Olivier Tallec

Julian Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

Kitten and the Night Watchman Koko & Bo

Kitten and the Night Watchman by John Sullivan, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo

Koko and Bo by Lisen Adbage

Little Boat Look

Little Boat by Taro Gomi

Look by Fiona Woodcock

Mae Among the Stars Marwan's Journey

Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed, illustrated by Stasia Burrington

Marwan’s Journey by Patricia de Arias, illustrated by Laura Borràs

Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 Mina vs. the Monsoon

Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Mina vs. the Monsoon by Rukhsanna Guidroz, illustrated by Debasmita Dasgupta

35795921 35297368

Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung

Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins- Bigelow, illustrated by Ebony Glenn

No Boring Stories Ocean Meets Sky

No Boring Stories! by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Charles Santoso

Ocean Meets Sky by The Fan Brothers

36322141 On the Other Side of the Garden

The Old Man by Sarah V., illustrated by Claude K. DuBois

On the Other Side of the Garden by Jairo Buitrago, illustrated by Rafael Yockteng

Opposites Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented

Opposites by Jacques Duquennoy

Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Steven Salerno

The Patchwork Bike Peek-a-Who?

The Patchwork Bike by Maxine Beneba Clarke, illustrated by Van Thanh Rudd

Peek-A-Who? by Elsa Mroziewicz

Petra Pie is for Sharing

Petra by Marianna Coppo

Pie Is for Sharing by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard, illustrated by Jason Chin

A Pile of Leaves: Published in collaboration with the Whitney Museum of American Art Prince & Knight

A Pile of Leaves by by Tamara Shopsin and Jason Fulford

Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis

The Rabbit Listened Rain

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

Rain by Anders Holmer

The Storyteller of Damascus A Storytelling of Ravens

The Storyteller of Damascus by Rafik Schami, illustrated by Peter Knorr

A Storytelling of Ravens by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Natalie Nelson

The Stuff of Stars Tiger vs. Nightmare

The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri

The Truly Brave Princesses The Very Last Castle

The Truly Brave Princesses by Dolores Brown, illustrated by Sonja Wimmer

The Very Last Castle by Travis Jonker, illustrated by Mark Pett

Wallpaper We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga

Wallpaper by Thao Lam

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frane Lessac

36341954 Whale in a Fishbowl

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

Whale in a Fishbowl by Troy Howell, illustrated by Richard Jones

What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?: The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan 35257592

What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?: The Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan by Chris Barton, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana by Michael Martin, illustrated by Jose Ramirez

When the Cousins Came Will Ladybug Hug?

When the Cousins Came by Katie Yamasaki

Will Ladybug Hug? by Hilary Leung

35793229 Woodrow at Sea

Who Will Bell the Cat? by Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by Christopher Cyr

Woodrow at Sea by Wallace Edwards

You're Snug with Me

You’re Snug with Me by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Poonam Mistry

Review: Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Pena

| Tasha

Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Pena

Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Christian Robinson (9780399549045)

When Carmela woke up on her birthday, she knew that she was finally old enough to accompany her older brother as he did the family errands. The two headed out into their bustling urban neighborhood, passing shops, a nursing home, and street vendors. Her big brother though wasn’t as happy to have his little sister tagging along. He ignores her as much as possible, even as she jingles her bracelets and tries to get his attention. When Carmela discovers a dandelion growing in the sidewalk, she learns about making a wish before blowing on it. After a tumble though, it is smashed on the ground. Her brother though knows just what to do to make it better.

De la Pena and Robinson are the two that created Last Stop on Market Street together. In this second book, they tell the gentle story of a young girl reaching an important milestone in her life. The story is complex, revealing that her father has been removed from their home because he didn’t have the right papers. The relationship between the siblings is deftly shown, the older sibling not having much patience until something bad happens. Then his care demonstrates clearly his love for his little sister and leads to a culminating moment in the book.

Robinson’s art is wonderful. Done in painted collage, the illustrations have a warmth to them that works particularly well in this tale. He excels at showing relationships in his art, in creating special moments. The Valentine-like cut paper pages that show Carmela’s possible wishes are beautiful moments on the page.

Another gorgeous and diverse picture book from two masters, this one belongs in every library. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Sleepy the Goodnight Buddy by Drew Daywalt

| Tasha

Sleepy the Goodnight Buddy by Drew Daywalt

Sleepy the Goodnight Buddy by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Scott Campbell (9781484789698)

Roderick hated to go to bed, so he would make all sorts of requests and excuses to delay bedtime. Then his parents got him Sleepy, a toy that would help Roderick fall asleep. At first, no matter where Roderick put Sleepy in his bedroom, he could feel Sleepy’s staring eyes on him. Roderick tried to tell Sleepy that it was his job to help Roderick sleep, but Sleepy asked for a drink of water, then to use the bathroom, then to brush his teeth, and on and on. Until finally, Roderick loses his temper turns his back on Sleepy and just goes to sleep. Could that have been Sleepy’s plan all along?

Told in both prose and dialogue, this picture book has a merry voice. Young readers will recognize their own reluctance for bedtime and may not realize as quickly as adults that Sleepy is up to something. The dialogue between Roderick and Sleepy is fast-paced and full of humor. The book reads aloud well and demands a unique voice for Sleepy in particular.

The art really works well with Sleepy being a beautifully creepy toy or creature. His staring huge eyes, striped legs, and puffy antlers are delightfully confusing. The scenes of the two characters in bed next to each other use particularly effective imagery of wide eyes glowing in the darkness, side-by-side.

A great riff on bedtime struggles. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom by Gary D. Schmidt

| Tasha

So Tall Within Sojourner Truth's Long Walk Toward Freedom by Gary D. Schmidt

So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom by Gary D. Schmidt, illustrated by Daniel Minter (9781626728721)

Isabella grew up in slavery, sold away from her mother when she was nine. She did hard labor for years, sometimes with no shoes in the winter and other times with no sleep at night because of the work expected of her. One year after she had been forced to marry a man and had five children, she was promised her freedom. But freedom didn’t come and so she escaped with her baby. She arrived at the home of two kind people, who stood by her in her escape and paid for the freedom of Isabella and her baby. When her son was sold away by her old master, Isabella went to court to have him returned to her. As time went by, she took the name Sojourner Truth and started to speak publicly against slavery. She fought many battles for equality, standing tall and speaking the truth.

This book aches with pain, loss, and grief. The book is broken into sections, each starting with an evocative phrase about slavery, that shows what is ahead. These poetic phrases add so much to Sojourner Truth’s biography, pulling readers directly into the right place in their hearts to hear her story. Schmidt’s writing doesn’t flinch from the damage of slavery and its evil. He instead makes sure that every reader understands the impact of slavery on those who lived and died under it.

Minter’s art is so powerful. He has created tender moments of connection, impactful images of slavery, and also inspiring moments of standing up for what is right. The images that accompany Schmidt’s poetic phrases are particularly special, each one staring right at the reader and asking them to connect.

A riveting biography of one of the most amazing Americans in our history. Appropriate for ages 7-10.

Reviewed from copy provided by Roaring Brook Press.

Publisher’s Weekly Best Picture Books

| Tasha

PW has released their list of the Best Children’s and YA Books of 2018. They represent the top 50 books of the year out of the 1700 children’s and YA books published in 2018 that PW reviewed. Here are their picks for the best picture books:

 

34362953 Carmela Full of Wishes

A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin

Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Christian Robinson

The Crocodile and the Dentist The Day You Begin

The Crocodile and the Dentist by Taro Gomi

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael Lopez

Dreamers The Elephant

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

The Elephant by Jenni Desmond

36761866 Fox & Chick: The Party: and Other Stories

The Eye That Never Sleeps: How Detective Pinkerton Saved President Lincoln by Marissa Moss, illustrated by Jeremy Holmes

Fox & Chick: The Party and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

Hello Lighthouse Julián Is a Mermaid

Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall

Julian Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

Kitten and the Night Watchman Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein

Kitten and the Night Watchman by John Sullivan, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo

Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Julia Sarda

The Patchwork Bike The Rabbit Listened

The Patchwork Bike by Maxine Beneba Clarke, illustrated by Van Thanh Rudd

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year Stumpkin

Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year edited by Fiona Waters, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon

Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins

Thank You, Omu! Up the Mountain Path

Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

Up the Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc

The Wall in the Middle of the Book

The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee

Review: Our Celebración! by Susan Middleton Elya

| Tasha

Our Celebración! by Susan Middleton Elya

Our Celebración! by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Ana Aranda (9781620142714)

A community heads to a celebration together in this vibrant picture book that offers a mix of Spanish and English. The celebration features a large parade with fantastic floats, marching bands, fire engines and much more. There is plenty of delicious food to try and refreshing drinks to sip. When the rain begins, the fun doesn’t stop, though everyone celebrates when the sunshine returns bringing with it a celebratory rainbow.

Elya does a marvelous job of offering Spanish words for children to learn. Almost all of them can be figured out from the context in the poem. I appreciate that she uses the Spanish words for many of the rhymes, rather than burying them in the center of the lines. This makes them all the more enjoyable to read aloud and great fun to figure out. The book will also welcome Spanish-speaking children and allow them to decode the English as well. It is a cleverly built picture book.

Aranda’s illustrations are filled with brilliant colors of sunshine yellow, deep purples, bright blues, and hot pinks. They show a diverse community celebrating together with big smiles, lots of fun and whimsical parade participants.

A bright and busy picture book that dynamically includes Spanish and English. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

 

Review: Up the Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc

| Tasha

Up the Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc

Up the Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc (9781616897239)

Every Sunday, Mrs. Badger walks to the mountain peak. Along the way, she greets her various animal friends and finds gifts to give others later. She helps anyone who needs it too. When a young cat asks to share Mrs. Badger’s snack, she invites the cat along to the mountaintop. They need to find the little cat her own walking stick and take breaks along the way, but the two eventually make it to the peak. They enjoy one another’s company and the trip so much that they continue to make the trek together again and again. Eventually, Mrs. Badger grows older and has to be the one taking breaks and finally she can’t make the trip any longer. The cat continues to make the walk, finding her own young animal to mentor on the way.

This gentle picture book has such depth to it. Mrs. Badger is a fabulous character, exhibiting deep kindness and thoughtfulness for others. She knows everyone she encounters on the walk and makes connections easily. She demonstrates how to make and keep friends with all of her actions. This becomes even more clear as she walks with the young cat, teaching them how to make the long climb to the peak. The book can be read as a metaphor for life but children can also simply enjoy the story of the friendly badger and a young cat who become friends.

Dubuc’s illustrations move from full pages of images to smaller unframed pictures that offer a varied feel throughout the book. She makes sure to have a special feeling when the characters make it to the mountaintop. The vista is striking but it is the journey itself that makes the book sing.

A quiet book about connections and community. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from library copy.