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Picture BooksSeptember 2015
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"It’s terrific to have skin. It keeps the outsides out and your insides in." ~ from Fran Manushkin's Happy In Our Skin
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| Leo: A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Christian RobinsonMeet Leo -- look, that's him disappearing into the wall! Since Leo is a ghost, not many people can see him (you're one of the special few), so Leo spends a lot time alone. After a disastrous attempt to welcome the new family that moves into his house, Leo wanders around until he meets Jane, a bright, playful girl who mistakes him for an imaginary friend. Can Leo tell Jane the truth without scaring her away? You'll have to read to find out! Beautifully illustrated with Christian Robinson's vintage-style artwork, Leo is a wistful, whimsical, and heartwarming ghost story.
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| 8: An Animal Alphabet by Elisha CooperWhat's so special about the number eight? Why, eight is author/illustrator Elisha Cooper's favorite number, and he shares his admiration through this interactive book. On the first page, readers find a menagerie of watercolor-illustrated animals beginning with the letter A -- alpaca, aardvark, anteater, etc. -- including eight little ants to find and count. Every letter of the alphabet gets the same treatment, with eight matching animals in every mix. (In case you've never heard of critters such as quolls or xeruses, there are quirky factoids about every animal at the end). Combining counting, matching, animal info, and the alphabet, 8 is hard to define…and hard to put down. |
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| Waiting by Kevin HenkesSince patience can be a challenge at any age, all kinds of readers may take heart from this understated tale. Looking out from a windowsill, a small group of toys -- an owl, a puppy, a pig, a bear, and a rabbit -- quietly abide in anticipation. Some are waiting for a change in the weather, or for their human companion, while others are content and sustained by their friendship despite the changes happening around them. Similar to Julie Fogliano's If You Want to See a Whale, this sweetly contemplative slice of life depicts a truth that even the most active children can recognize: sometimes, you just have to slow down, look around, and wait. |
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| I Will Chomp You! by Jory John; illustrated by Bob SheaYou might want to think twice before picking up this exuberant new picture book -- after all, that snaggled-toothed monster on the cover seems awfully serious about his threats to chomp anyone who reads it! Sure, his bites might not be too precise (he'll probably miss most of the time), but he's bound to get more frustrated and frantic as you turn the pages and get closer to his delicious, sugary secret. Of course, if you enjoy dangerously silly metafiction like Adam Lehrhaupt's Warning or John Perry's The Book That Eats People, it might be safe for you to try I Will Chomp You!...but don't say we didn't warn you! |
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| Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin; illustrated by Lauren Tobia"This is how we all begin: small and happy in our skin." Starting with a close-up of a baby being tickled by doting parents, this joyful celebration of human skin zooms out to show a lively urban neighborhood filled with people of various ages, genders, abilities, religions, and (of course) skin colors. Young readers are treated to a rhyming run-down of all the things skin can do (such as itching, healing, and growing) before being refocused on the family from the beginning, now all tuckered out from a boisterous block party. For another upbeat look at human diversity, pick up George Shannon's One Family or Shelley Rotner's photo-illustrated Shades of People. |
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Focus on: School Supplies
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| The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg; illustrated by Bruce IngmanThis imaginative story starts out in a universe where nothing exists except for one lonely pencil who begins to draw things into existence: a dog, a cat, people, houses, roads, and a paintbrush to give everything color. But then the pencil draws a large -- and, as it turns out, overzealous -- eraser, putting all its creations in danger of being rubbed out! Peace is ultimately restored, but only after several pages of suspense in this fun, fanciful read that will hold special appeal for budding artists (who may also want to try Christopher Myers' My Pen). |
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| The Eraserheads by Kate Banks; illustrated by Boris KulikovThree pencil-top erasers -- an owl (he's good with words), a crocodile (he likes numbers), and a pig (he'll erase "just about anything") -- enjoy helping a boy correct mistakes. But when the boy draws a picture and the eraserheads make an error, they become trapped in his artwork, and have to put their heads together to find a way out. Using an unconventional plot and distinctive, mixed-media art, The Eraserheads offers kids a reassuring message about the unexpected benefits of making mistakes. |
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| The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt; illustrated by Oliver JeffersUh oh! Young Duncan's crayons have left him a stack of letters detailing their grievances with the way they're (mis)used: Blue is sick of coloring water, Peach feels naked without a label, Beige wants to see more action, and Red doesn't even get holidays off! Faced with all these complaints and more, Duncan tries to find a solution that makes everyone happy. With his cleverly offbeat artwork, illustrator Oliver Jeffers brings the crayons to life in a way that both kids and adults will appreciate, so be sure to have the sequel (The Day the Crayons Came Home) on hand. |
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| Little Red Writing by Joan Holub; illustrated by Melissa SweetLittle Red is excited: it's Write On! Day at Pencilvania School, the day when she and all the other little pencils are given a basket of nouns and sent down the story path to complete their writing assignment. Though she bravely tries to stick to the path and follow her teacher's writing rules, Little Red is distracted by adverb sneak attacks, sticky conjunction glue, and a murky forest of adjectives -- not to mention the toothy Wolf 3000 pencil sharpener! Part writing guide and part fairy tale, this busily illustrated story is perfect for older picture book readers ready to write up some adventures of their own. |
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| Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre; illustrated by Zac RetzDespite what his art teacher says, spirited young Matty believes there's no such thing as too much glue. He's used to playing with the sticky stuff all the time at home (he and his parents like to build glue castles), so he doesn't think twice about dousing his school art project in a puddle of glue…and then throwing himself into it! Soon, Matty becomes the art project, as each attempt to extract him only adds to the "blucky, stucky mess." Vibrantly colored digital illustrations perfectly match the goofy tone of this comical, cumulative tale. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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