In honor of the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday, I decided to review a story about the famous, little imp from Ireland-the Leprechaun. That’s What Leprechauns Do, written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully, does a good job introducing young readers to this mythical and mischievous character. Three Leprechauns must hurry to place their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but that doesn’t stop them from having a wee bit of light-hearted fun along the way. Because that’s what Leprechauns do. This is a fun story with colorful, detailed watercolor illustrations that portray these legendary, tiny folk in their traditional green coats walking through the beautiful Irish country fields. This book was published in 2005 by Clarion Books. Both the author and the illustrator have written and illustrated numerous books. I recommend checking them out. 

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! 

  I love the acrylic and ink illustrations in this book-such detail! No Babysitters Allowed is a story about separation anxiety. The star of the story is Hopscotch, a young boy (bunny) whose parents leave him with a babysitter while they go out for the evening. He is worried at first, but through the course of the story, his fears subside and he ends up having a good time with his babysitter, Mrs. Honeybunch. This is a great choice to ease the anxiety of your own little worried one at home, so that you can go out. I’m not endorsing going out a lot. If you have children, then you need to be there for them. But we could all use a night out once in a while. No Babysitters Allowed was written by Amber Stewart and illustrated in vibrant colors (I love lots of color!) by Laura Rankin. It was published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books in 2008. Look for more by this author and illustrator.

 Cat Jumped In was written by Tess Weaver and illustrated in watercolor by Emily Arnold McCully. It was published in 2007 by Clarion Books. The illustrations are beautiful, capturing the many angles of an inquisitive cat perfectly. If you are a cat lover, like me, you will enjoy this book. And if you truly know the curious and playful nature of a cat, then you’ll laugh at the familiar antics of the cat in this story who moves from room to room getting himself into trouble. This is a cute story with a sweet ending.

On a more personal note: I guess my love for cats stems from growing up with them. I’ve been around cats for most of my life. They are truly amazing and beautiful creatures. If you’re thinking of getting a cat, please go to your local animal shelter. There are so many wonderful cats there that need homes. Anytime I’ve ever been to an animal shelter, it breaks my heart to see so many cats (and dogs) in cages, waiting to be adopted. Kittens are adorable, but they don’t have any trouble getting adopted. So please consider bringing an older cat into your family. Adoption fees are generally low. Often for just the cost of a spay or neuter, you can bring one of these terrific companions home. You will get so much joy from having a cat in your life. Oh, one more thing: For the health and safety of your new companion, I recommend keeping your cat indoors. Don’t worry, cats easily adapt to being kept inside. Give them lots of love, attention, and playtime and they will love you back.

  In honor of Saint Valentine’s Day, I decided to pull a book from my personal library which fits the occasion perfectly. Never Too Little To Love was written by Jeanne Willis and illustrated in watercolor by Jan Fearnley. It was published by Candlewick Press in 2005. This super sweet book is about Tiny Too-Little who happens to love Topsy Too-Tall. He tries every way he can think of to reach up and give her a kiss, but nothing works. Topsy Too-Tall loves him too, so she figures out what to do. I won’t give away the ending. There’s a delightful surprise that young readers will surely enjoy. The colors and the illustrations in this book are terrific and I really like the way flaps were used to advance the story. You’ll have to read it to understand what I’m talking about. Some might find a deeper, positive message here about love between two very different people. If you do, I think that’s great. Because afterall, love makes the world go ’round.

Happy Valentine’s Day!! 

  Before You Were Mine is a sweet picture book written by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by David Walker. It was published in 2007 by G. P. Putnam’s Sons. This is a wonderful story about a boy who wonders what his dog’s life was like before he adopted him. I really like this book, first because I’m an animal lover and second because I support the efforts of animal shelters and rescue groups. This book focuses on adopting a dog from a shelter. There is even a blurb at the end of the book in which the author talks about how she feels about adopting shelter dogs. You can tell she is a true shelter dog lover. On the back jacket flap it says that Maribeth Boelts will donate a portion of the profits from the sale of Before You Were Mine to the Humane Society of the United States. But whether you decide to buy a copy or not, you should look up this book. I think it would be a great choice to read with your children before bringing a dog home. And if you just lost a dog and are trying to decide whether or not to bring another into the family, this book would make a terrific transitional tool for a child who was hit hard by the loss of their beloved family pet.  The illustrations fit the story perfectly, as they are soft and sweet-done in true David Walker style. Any dog lover will enjoy this book.

I wasn’t able to find a picture of the cover of this book, not even in the library catalog. But don’t let that stop you from looking up this gem of a picture book. Sun’s Up is a wordless picture book created by Teryl Euvremer in 1987. It was published by Crown Publishers Inc. Younger children will enjoy this book as the cheerful illustrations show a day in the life of the sun from rising out of his bed in the morning to settling into his bed as night and everything in between. Did you know that the sun brushes his teeth, paints rainbows, and wears striped pajamas? Now you do. If you want to find out what else the sun does, check out this whimsical book. I think you’ll enjoy it, I did!

  I just posted a brand new interview with author and illustrator Suzanne Bloom. She’s the creator of A Splendid Friend Indeed and A Mighty Fine Time Machine. Those are just a few titles among many that she has both written and illustrated. And she has also illustrated picture books for other authors. Check out her interview under the Interviews With Authors And Illustrators heading in the sidebar.

  Cat Tricks is a unique picture book written and illustrated by Keith Baker and published in 1997 by Harcourt Brace & Company. I own a copy of this book. I first discovered it at my local library a few years ago. I was drawn right away to the unusual shape-tall and slim. Upon opening it, I discovered a cleverly illustrated book that uses “flaps” to change the picture on the page to a totally different picture. Well, that was enough for me, I went out and bought a copy soon after. I really like books that are different. That’s probably why I like pop-up books and other novelty books so much.

  Bears On Chairs was written by Shirley Parenteau and illustrated by David Walker. It was published in 2009 by Candlewick Press. This book is a wonderful introduction to sharing for young readers. Four adorable bears, which look more like huggable, squeezable teddy bears than real bears, find a way to share their four small chairs with one more bear. Easy, rhyming text and soft acrylic illustrations make this story simply enjoyable. In fact, I’m so captivated by this book, I plan to buy a copy for my own personal library. And I definitely will look for more by this author and illustrator.

As a side note, if you find a book that you absolutely love, whether you saw it at the library or at a bookstore, consider purchasing it for yourself or your children. Not only will you be supporting a talented author and illustrator, but you’ll have something to treasure over and over for a very long time.

  I happened upon this book quite by accident while I was at work in the library. (I find a lot of great books this way.) It caught my eye right away. How could it not with a title like that? Dear Big, Mean, Ugly Monster was written by Ruth Marie Berglin and illustrated by Carl DiRocco. It was published in 2005 by Child & Family Press which is an imprint of the Child Welfare League of America. In an earlier post we discussed Karen Kaufman Orloff’s book I Wanna Iguana which features a child passing notes back and forth to his mother, trying to convince her to let him have an iguana as a pet. Dear Big, Mean, Ugly Monster also uses the idea of note passing, but in a very different way. This child passes notes back and forth to the monster who lives under his bed. He’s afraid of the monster at first, but by the end of the story, he has a new friend. I really enjoyed this book. It’s funny (the illustrations add to the humor) and clever and would be a great tool for parents to help children overcome their fears of the monsters that might be hiding in their rooms at night. When I was a kid, I had this strange feeling that a witch lived inside the air vent in my room. As you grow up, you of course get past these fears, but I believe that most children would benefit from reading a book like Dear Big, Mean, Ugly Monster.

  Some of you may not know that I work in a busy public library. I’m sure you can guess that my favorite section is the children’s picture book area. The library has grown. That’s both good and bad. Growth is good because the library has the support to bring in new materials: books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and more. How could growth be bad? Well, the library is outgrowing its space. When this happens, libraries have to weed out older materials that don’t circulate to make room for new items. If you truly care about the precious picture books in your local library, check them out and check them out often so that they don’t disappear from the library shelves. I’m sure the authors and illustrators of these books would thank you if they could. On a more positive note, the books that are removed from libraries’ collections often go into book sales, so most will have a new life while helping to support the library too.

  &    Both Imagine A Day (2005) and Imagine A Night (2003) were written by Sarah Thomson and illustrated by Rob Gonsalves. They were published by Atheneum Books For Young Readers. Poetic, lyrical text accompanies beautiful and fantastical paintings in both of these intriguing books. Rob Gonsalves shows us that there’s no limit to where your imagination can take you. You can walk into a puzzle or fly a sailing ship like a kite. You can create a blue sky out of balloons or a moat out mirrors. You can cut a city out of the night sky or snuggle into a blanket of snow. These are “must see” books. They are wonderfully creative. You and your children will enjoy discovering the “secret” in each picture. Look for more like these.

   A Mighty Fine Time Machine was written and illustrated by Suzanne Bloom and published in 2009 by Boyds Mills Press. One thing that stands out for me in this book is the unusualness of the main characters. You don’t often see an anteater, an aardvark, or an armadillo in a story and certainly not all at the same time. I think it’s a nice first introduction to these animals for a young reader. The story itself is humorous and fun as these three friends attempt to build a time machine. It’s definitely a story about friendship, teamwork, and using your imagination. I like the gouache and colored pencil illustrations too. I have a set of my own colored pencils and hope someday I can use them as effectively as Suzanne Bloom has here. I had the pleasure of hearing Suzanne speak at a local Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) conference a few years ago. She talked about her thought process and her working style as an illustrator. I had the chance to ask her a few questions after her presentation and she was kind enough to take the time to answer them and give me some advice about drawing. She’s a great artist but also a great author as A Mighty Fine Time Machine has shown. I highly recommend it.