Featured today is a super clever picture book by author and illustrator Deb Lucke. It’s called Sneezenesia (2010, Clarion Books) and it’s about a boy who sneezes so hard that all his memories are sneezed out. He forgets his name, and where he is, and who his Mom is, and all the things he learned in school, and more. How will he ever get all those memories back in his brain? You’ll have to read the book to find out. The story is fun, the illustrations are unique (done in paint, collage, and Photoshop), and you and your children will like it, I guarantee it. Fun facts on the back jacket flap include this interesting (albeit gross) tidbit: “Our noses produce between one and two pints of mucus a day.” Where does all that mucus go? Something to think about, isn’t it?

  Art & Max (2010, Clarion Books) is a brand new picture book from well-known author and illustrator David Wiesner. This clever book is about a friendship between Art, a serious artist, and happy-go-lucky Max. Mr. Wiesner pulled out all the stops to create this masterful work that is sure to be a hit. The story starts as Art is painting and of course, Max wants to paint too. What happens next is just the beginning of a non-stop thrill ride that succeeds in loosening up the serious Art by the end of the book. The illustrations were done in acrylic, pastel, watercolor, and India ink, which seems like a lot, but if you read the book, you’ll understand why Mr. Wiesner chose several different media. This is an unusual, must-see picture book!