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.

  Santa’s Book Of Names was written and illustrated by David McPhail and published in 1993 by Little, Brown and Company. With Christmas fast approaching, I wanted to post a review about a Christmas picture book. My local library has many to choose from, which made it hard to decide, so I picked one at random. The further I read into Santa’s Book Of Names, the more I enjoyed it. A young boy named Edward helps Santa deliver gifts on Christmas Eve after he finds his book of names. What’s great about this book is its emphasis on literacy. Anyone who knows me knows how strongly I feel about the importance of literacy. (See my About Me page in the sidebar.) Edward struggles to read, but by helping Santa with the list in the book, he soon learns because he knows Santa is counting on him. The illustrations have an old-fashioned Christmas look, giving the whole book a warm and cozy feel. I especially like the pointy-nosed Santa. Who says Santa’s nose has to be round? I know that David McPhail has written and illustrated several other picture books and I plan to check them out. I encourage you to do the same.