Caldecott-winner Jon Klassen and The Series of Unfortunate Events author Lemony Snicket (talk about a dynamic duo) tackle one of childhood’s toughest topics: the dark.
Readers are led into a dark basement in this charming and beautifully illustrated tale about conquering your fear of the dark. Just slightly spooky, but ultimately sweet, this picture book will have you reading and rereading long after lights out.
-Erin
The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen; Little Brown; $16.99
Got a curious grade-school gardener? How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? The Story of Food by Chris Butterworth and illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti would be for you. The book discusses how various food items get from farm to table: bread, cheese, veggies, cookies, showing the process in picture book format with simple text that anyone can understand.
How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? The Story of Food by Chris Butterworth and illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti; Candlewick Press, 2013, $5.99. Ages 3-6.
We’ve mentioned Candace Fleming’s book Oh No! recently, and for those of you who enjoyed it, I highly recommend That’s Mine! I love this brand-new picture book by Michael Van Zeveren. In That’s Mine! a frog discovers a mysterious egg, which he claims as his own, despite the protests of the other animals. The snappy dialogue and animal sounds make this book perfect for read-alouds. Little ones will enjoy guessing whom the egg belongs to and what’s inside. Its bright colors and humorous twist at the end are sure to please even the youngest reader.
-Erin
That’s Mine! by Michael Van Zeveren; Gecko Press; $17.95
As we wind down from the big election, check out Abe Lincoln’s Dream by Lane Smith, a delightful little story about our nation’s past and future.
While on a field trip to the White House, a little girl named Quincy gets separated from her class. Wandering into the Lincoln Bedroom, she encounters a tall figure dressed in black, wearing his signature stovepipe hat. It’s the ghost of the sixteenth president! But he’s not scary, Quincy reflects. In fact, “he had a long face that made her feel sorry for him.”
Poor President Lincoln is haunted by a dream in which he is on a ship, lost on a perilous sea. He’s worried about the state of the union he left so suddenly. So Quincy takes him on a trip to show him how the nation’s doing today. And, because there are perks when you’re friends with a ghost, it’s a magical flying trip. Soon Mr. Lincoln sees that, while we’re still working on some things, “it’s getting better all the time.”
I loved the gentle humor of this book—Lincoln likes to crack jokes that aren’t very funny (but Quincy still laughs politely). And the illustrations, based on Civil War-era political cartoons, are unique and eye-catching. Lane Smith is known for the versatility of his artwork (he won a Caldecott Honor last year for Grandpa Green), and he delivers here once again.
Check out Lane Smith’s interview on NPR’s “All Things Considered” here.
Read on, readers!
—Miss Megan
Abe Lincoln’s Dream by Lane Smith; Roaring Brook Press; 16.99; Ages 3-7
The Insomniacs can’t quite function the same way other families do during the day. But when Mrs. Insomniac’s new job takes them all the way around the world, their jet lag turns out to be a blessing in disguise—they start to sleep during the day and stay awake during the night! After all, there are plenty of other creatures in the world who snuggle down for bedtime as the sun rises. Why shouldn’t people do the same?
Debut children’s author Karina Wolf’s story is charming and atmospheric. The Insomniacs are, understandably, different from other families, and their story has a certain appropriately unique tang that makes it especially memorable. Moonlight-infused illustrations from The Brothers Hilts (yes, they’re really brothers) elevate this book from a great read aloud to a perfect book for young readers to flip through on their own—there are oodles of cool details to pore over. Fans of Oliver Jeffers’ offbeat, heartwarming style will love this delightful new picture book!
Read on, readers!
Miss Megan
The Insomniacs by Karina Wolf, illus. by The Brothers Hilts; Putnam (Penguin); Ages 3-7
Get ready for the funniest picture book since I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (who, incidentally, illustrated Mac Barnett’s delightful Extra Yarn)!
Mac Barnett is an author. He, like most authors, is trying to write a story. His friend Adam Rex is illustrating the story. The story is about a little girl who encounters a ferocious lion. Simple, right? Mac thinks so, but Adam has ideas to share. Too many ideas. So Mac has him eaten by the lion. A new illustrator (the imaginary hipster artist Hank Blowfeather) takes over, but his drawings don’t have the same pizzazz as Adam’s. Mac begins to regret his decision, and eventually swallows his pride and apologizes to Adam. The lion spits Adam back up, and the book reaches a happy ending for everyone involved.
I laughed my way through this book. The breaking of the fourth wall is brilliantly funny, and the graphic and text layout support perfectly placed laugh lines and dramatic pauses. And the illustrations! Various techniques make this an awesome visual feast. The author and his illustrators are claymation-style figures, while the story characters are cartoonish drawings who perform on a more realistically-drawn theatre set. Simply put, there’s a lot to look at here, and it’s all awesome!
So come to the store and find this book. Read it to yourself or a child. Enjoy a healthy dose of the chuckles.
Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett, illus. by Adam Rex; Hyperion Books (HarperCollins); 16.99; Ages 3-8
Everyone’s favorite pigeon is back! In this latest escapade, the pigeon meets a duckling who simply asked for a cookie and actually got one! The poor pigeon is used to asking for simple things like hot dogs, puppies, and a later bedtime , without ever being given anything. He decides that ducklings just get everything and it is just not fair! Super silly, as one would expect from a Mo Willems book, this new adventure will have pigeon followers and new fans alike laughing out loud. Guaranteed to make you giggle!Most of us know that the original book was written and published a loooong time ago (1971), but actors Taylor Swift, Zac Efron, and Danny DeVito are breathing new life into the incredibly timely environmental tale. The movie was #1 at the box office last weekend! We hope that most of you have followed the unwritten law of “read the book before you see the movie,” but, if not, we have Lorax books for you!
We have the new, beautiful pop-up book available, featuring 8 full-spread page pops, paired with the Dr. Seuss story and classic illustrations, designed by David Carter. This would not only be a fantastic gift for a fan of Dr. Seuss or a child that loved the movie, but also those that collect pop-up books. It’s a lot of fun!
And, of course, we have plenty of copies of the original story. Be sure to check out our orange spinner for lots of Dr. Seuss books, including The Lorax!
If you’ve seen the movie, let us know what you think…none of us have seen it yet!
The Lorax Pop-Up by Dr. Seuss and David Carter; $29.99; Random House Children’s Books; Ages
We’re more than a little excited to welcome Olympian and author Kristi Yamaguchi (yes, that Kristi Yamaguchi) to the store on March 10th! She’ll be presenting It’s a Big World, Little Pig!, her second book about Poppy, a little pig with big plans! (The first Poppy book, Dream Big, Little Pig! is on our shelves now.)
Poppy is excited and a little nervous when she is invited to participate in the World Games! Athletes from all over the world will be there to compete. Will she make any friends? Before she leaves, her faithful buddy Emma reminds her that “everyone smiles in the same language!” When Poppy arrives at the World Athlete Village, she quickly learns that Emma is right! A Chinese snowboarder helps her find her way, an Italian skier offers her a spot in the dining hall, and a Japanese figure skater trades valuable fashion know-how with our eager little pig. So when Poppy meets Zoe, a speed skater from Australia who’s nervous and frightened, she’s ready to return the favor. Poppy shares the encouragement she has received from her family and friends: “dream big” and “you go, girl!”
Poppy’s discoveries are great lessons to share with small children about the value of friendship and sportsmanship on and off the rink! And don’t miss your chance to meet Kristi Yamaguchi at Hooray for Books! on Saturday, March 10th at 10:30 am. It’s a Big World, Little Pig! will be released on March 6th, so give us a call to pre-order this delightful story (703-548-4092).
It’s a Big World, Little Pig! by Kristi Yamaguchi, illus. by Tim Bowers; Sourcebooks; Ages 3-6; 16.99
