Title: Oh! What a Surprise!

Author/Illustrator: Suzanne Bloom

Publisher/Date: Boyds Mills Press/2012

Suzanne Bloom does it again with another beautiful picture book. Perfect for this festive time of year, Oh! What a Surprise! features familiar friends in the gift-giving spirit. I absolutely love everything about this book. From the glowing illustrations to the fun characters (especially the sweet, little fox) to the picture-perfect text and satisfying ending, Suzanne Bloom proves she is a master storyteller. A copy of this one is going in my personal collection. I encourage everyone to check out this book and while you’re at it, look for more of Ms. Bloom’s wonderful children’s books.          

Title: It’s a Tiger

Author: David LaRochelle

Illustrator: Jeremy Tankard

Publisher/Year: Chronicle/2012

There’s no doubt that kids will love It’s a Tiger by David LaRochelle. It’s a fast-paced adventure story. It reminds me of something out of an Indiana Jones movie where you have to keep moving or you’re going to get caught. And there’s danger around every corner. You and the kids will get to the end of this book quickly, but you will have had so much fun, that you will want to read it again and again. The full-page ink and digital illustrations are lively and bright. And the cover is a perfect attention grabber. It’s a Tiger is a great pick.

Title: Bedtime for Boo

Author: Mickie Matheis

Illustrator: Bonnie Leick

Publisher/Year: Golden Books/2012

Here’s a fun Halloween (or anytime) story about an endearing, wee ghost named Boo who experiences his first haunting trip with his family. But when his fun-filled night is over, how will he ever fall asleep. Can the sounds of the night lull him to dreamland? This book combines prose and rhyme in a clever, fun-to-read way, that changes as the story changes. The wonderful illustrations depict Boo, his family, and their home in the muted colors of night. Bedtime for Boo is a good bedtime story choice for your little ghost or goblin.

  Blue Apple Books has a lot of terrific titles, but I especially like Scribbles and Ink (2012) by Ethan Long. Ink is a mouse and Scribbles is a cat and the only thing they have in common is that they are both artists. They have very different opinions on what makes good art and so a battle of pencils and brushes takes place until finally, they decide to work together to create something extra special. This book is a clever introduction to art for young readers. I like the use of primary colors for the majority of the illustrations. And the showcase of different art styles and artists at the end adds a superb finishing touch to the story. Look for more books by this talented author/illustrator. Also, look for more titles published by Blue Apple. Another one that I really like is called My Dog Thinks I’m a Genius by Harriet Ziefert. Look for it and Scribbles and Ink today!

  Here’s a perfect pick for dog lovers. Dog Gone! (2012, G.P. Putnam’s Sons) by Leeza Hernandez has just 25 short lines, but manages to convey all sorts of emotions, including happiness, sadness, anger, fear, worry, and love. Dog Gone! is about a small dog who runs away from home after being scolded by his beloved boy. While out roaming the streets, he realizes he belongs at home, and he and his boy are joyfully reunited at the end. The illustrations are lively and fun, combining a variety of media. The rhyming text is simple, playful, and a good complement to the illustrations. And once again, the dog in the story reminds me of my own dog. Overall, it’s a great book for kids and animal lovers.

  Raise your hand if you’re looking for a brightly illustrated picture book that is fun to read aloud, stars a charming piggy character, and teaches you your colors, all to the tune of I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. Okay, so maybe you weren’t looking for a book like that, but I found one for you anyway. It’s I Know a Wee Piggy (2012, Dial Books) by Kim Norman. It’s gorgeous multi-hued art was done by Henry Cole in acrylics and colored-pencils. Kim Norman does a wonderful job engaging the reader with deceptively simple lines like: “I know a wee piggy who wallowed in red. Hoof to head, he wallowed in red.” Follow the precocious little pig as he makes his way through the county fair and see what color he wins in the end. Kids will enjoy this book from eye-catching cover to satisfying ending.  

  Wow, if there was ever a picture book that I  thoroughly enjoyed reading aloud, this is it. That Book Woman (2008, Atheneum Books) by Heather Henson and illustrated by David Small is based on a true part of American history. It’s about a Pack Horse Librarian who delivers books to the remote Appalachian mountain region of Kentucky back in the 1930’s. But actually, the book is about more than that. The story is told by a boy named Cal who learns to read and whose life is forever changed thanks to that book woman. All picture books are meant to be read aloud, but some just roll off the tongue better or are more fun to read. This is one of those books. The ink, watercolor, and pastel pictures perfectly complement the rural setting. There’s more information about the Pack Horse Librarians in an author’s note at the end of the book. This is a great read!   

  The best words to describe A World of Food (2012, Abrams Books) by Carl Warner would be fanciful and delicious. Mr. Warner created the beautiful pictures for this book by photographing miniature landscapes made entirely of food. The gorgeous cover is what caught my eye, of course, with its scrumptious pink candy land and lavender sky. Inside, more delectable visions harmonize with whimsical, rhyming text that tells the reader what the world would be like if it was completely red, purple, yellow, orange, etc. and of course, made of food. Kids will love picking out the different foods on each page. Who knows, maybe this book will even encourage a picky eater to try something new.     

  I really enjoyed Vote for Me! (2012, Kids Can Press). I’m sure it wasn’t an accident that this clever book by Ben Clanton was published during a presidential election year. It’s about two candidates who do everything they can to win your vote. They sweet-talk you, tell you what you want to hear, make you promises, and put down their opponent. Sounds like real life, huh? 

I’ve never seen a picture book tackle this subject before. As soon as I read it, I wondered why it hadn’t been done before. It’s a great idea. Maybe it’s because no one else has been able to do it like Ben Clanton. He managed to create a humorous, fast-paced story that kids will love, even if they don’t get the not-so-subtle tidbits that we adults will recognize-for example, the red and blue color scheme, the donkey and elephant main characters, and the “mud-slinging”.

The difference between this story and a real election is the fact that donkey and elephant apologize to each other and by the end, become friends. Or do they? Read the book to find out. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

This is a good first introduction to politics for young readers. Be prepared to explain a couple of things to your kids though.

    Here it is, week seven of my Week of Reviews and if you don’t mind me saying so, I’m proud of myself. I set a goal to post a book review every day for a week and I reached it! This is the most posting I’ve done since I started my blog nearly three years ago. Well, enough about that, let’s talk picture books. I’m ending my Week of Reviews with two humorous stories. I think funny picture books are some of the best kind. You know kids will agree because they love to laugh.

Okay, let’s start with a title that grabbed my attention right away-Question Boy Meets Little Miss Know-It-All (2012, Atheneum Books for Young Readers). With a title like that, how could you not open the book, right? First off, I really like how average people like the garbage man, the mail man, and the paperboy are portrayed as superheros. And there is so much color throughout the book. (You know how much I love color.) The author/illustrator, Peter Catalanotto, created his awesome illustrations with watercolor paints. It never ceases to amaze me what can be done with watercolors. And of course, the story is funny. Has Question Boy finally met his match? Read the book to find out. This book has it all, a great title, interesting characters, gorgeous illustrations, and humor, and it manages to teach kids a few things too (a lot of things, actually).     

Beep and Bah (2012, Carolrhoda Books) by James Burks is also a very funny book, but in a completely different way. This vibrantly illustrated picture book, done in comic book style, will have kids laughing out loud. Two friends, Beep the robot and Bah the goat, set off on an adventure to find the match to a sock. The delightful duo get themselves into all sorts of humorous trouble along the way. And you’ll never guess where the missing sock is. This dynamically designed picture book offers charming characters and laughs on every page. Check both books out today!     

    For day number six of my Week of Reviews, I offer up two gorgeous picture books that the youngest picture book fans will absolutely love. Both are sweet, simple, and colorful, with minimal text and full-page illustrations.

Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff (2012, Beach Lane Books) introduces readers to a bear cub who is discovering the world through all the beautiful colors that he sees around him. Mama Bear guides him as he encounters blue jays, green oak trees, orange butterflies, and more. The unique illustrations were done using linoleum block prints which were then painted with watercolors. The story includes one of my most favorite things, a rainbow. Children will enjoy this book while learning about colors.

Moonlight, written by Helen Griffith and illustrated by Laura Dronzek (2012, Greenwillow Books), is a rhyming bedtime story. The wonderful, dreamy illustrations were done using acrylic paints. The star is a precious rabbit who likes to dance in the moonlight. Here’s an excerpt: “Moonlight slides like butter, skims through outer space, skids past stars and comets, leaves a butter trace…” Just beautiful! I highly recommend both books.

  Author and illustrator, Chris Van Dusen, has hit a home run with his brand new picture book entitled Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit (2012, Candlewick Press). Starring in this fast-paced, baseball-themed story, is young Randy, a bright boy with a love for robots. Randy becomes the hero of his hometown when he saves everyone from impending doom. (I won’t give all of the details away. You should go out and pick up a copy for yourself.) With bright gouache illustrations and awesome rhyming text, this book is sure to be a hit with you and your little super hero. Here’s a sample: “Randy’s eye was on the ball. No room for error now. Three-two-one and flip the switch! A swoosh and then…Ka-pow!!”    

  Do you have a child who just won’t go to sleep when it’s bedtime or nap time? If so, this is the book for you. The World Champion of Staying Awake (2011, Candlewick Press) by Sean Taylor stars a delightful, young girl named Stella who must help her little friends fall asleep before she can go to bed. It’s a good thing she has such a vivid imagination because that’s just what her friends need to help them feel tired. The author uses a mix of prose and verse, which is hard to pull off in one picture book, but it works perfectly here. The illustrator, Jimmy Liao, gives life to the characters with his vibrant watercolor artwork. I love his clever use of design elements-smaller pictures for the main storyline and full-page illustrations for the dreamy landscapes. Both fun and lyrical, this book is sure to please the wide-awake “world champion” in your life.

  Gerald the dancing giraffe has a new fan, me. I am very much enchanted with this rhyming tale entitled Giraffes Can’t Dance. This charming read-aloud written by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees was first published in 1999 and again in 2001 by Orchard Books. Gerald is a giraffe who can’t dance, or least he thinks he can’t. But when he finds the right music, he shows a style and grace unmatched by any of the other jungle animals. Sporting fun, poetic text, accompanied by full-page, full-color watercolor  illustrations, Giraffes Can’t Dance will no doubt captivate your child just as it captivated the child within me. Personally, I love to dance and sing even though I’m lousy at both. Maybe one day, I will find style and grace just like Gerald. Until then, may we all have music in our hearts, a song on our lips, and a beat to our steps.

I’ve decided to try something new here on Frog on a Blog. My plan is to do a review everyday for a week. Lately, I’ve been coming across a lot of awesome new picture books and I want to share as many of them as possible with all of you. So, my Week of Reviews starts right now.

   If I gave out letter grades for picture book illustration, More by I. C. Springman (2012, Houghton Mifflin) would receive an O for outstanding. Using mainly acrylic paints, the illustrator, Brian Lies, depicts with amazing detail a beautiful magpie bird and its found treasures. Kids will have a grand time discovering the numerous individual items that appear on each page. Some examples include: a marble, a coin, keys, an earring, a Lego, a watch, a toothbrush, and the list goes on and on. The story is simple, told in very few words, it conveys the message that “less is more” or perhaps that less is just the right amount. For the magpie, less equaled more friends and more space in its nest. The story brings to mind, a silly poem I wrote about a boy with too much stuff, entitled, aptly enough, Too Much Stuff. I think I’ll post it later today.

   I like the way the author, Ifeoma Onyefulu, used real photographs to illustrate her picture book Omer’s Favorite Place (2011, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books). The story is a simple one; the young boy, Omer, shows the reader all of the places he likes to play in and around the house and ultimately reveals his most favorite place of all. It may be a simple concept, but it is one that children everywhere can relate to. Do you remember your favorite places to play when you were a child? My siblings and I used to set card tables up in the living room and drape sheets and blankets over them to make little private “forts”. Inside, we had several toys to play with. The setting for Omer’s Favorite Place is his home in Ethiopia. Readers will learn about a few Ethiopian games and a popular Ethiopian food, as well as meet Omer’s happy family.

  If you’re looking for a terrific picture book about friendship, Jane & Mizmow (2011, Harper) by Matthew Armstrong is the perfect choice.  The text is short and sweet, allowing the wonderful, bright illustrations to do most of the “talking”. (My favorite illustration is of bath time for Mizmow.) The story is about best friends, Jane and Mizmow, who despite their little (and perhaps not-so-little, you be the judge) differences, and even despite an argument, remain the best of friends. These two know that life is more fun when you have a friend to share it with. Jane & Mizmow is a sweet book with two charming main characters who will delight children ages 3 to 5 and beyond.