PINK ME UP
Illustrated by Charise Mericle Harper
New York: Alfred A. Knopf/Random House, 2010 | 978-0-375-85607-5
Violet, a little bunny who is gaga over the color pink, is disappointed when her mother is too sick to go to the Pink Girls Pink-nic. But that’s putting it mildly; with her exuberant body language and excitable language, Violet leaves no one guessing what she thinks. The character that gets to “pink up” is none other than her daddy. Bright cartoon illustrations—heavy on pink, of course—feature Violet and members of her family and friends with hilarity. The text features many exclamation points and differing font sizes and is integrated around the illustrations. This book is geared to those who cannot get enough of the color pink, but it also offers a spirited story about a dad who is a good sport. Contrast the tone with Nan Gregory’s Pink (Groundwood, 2007), which delves into class differences and envy.
Harrington, Janice N. 4–8 years
THE CHICKEN-CHASING QUEEN OF LAMAR COUNTY
Illustrated by Shelley Jackson
New York: Melanie Kroupa/Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007 | 978-0-374-31251-0
Told in first person by a little girl who loves to chase chickens, this story delights in action, attitude, and surprise. Her prime target is Miss Hen, plump and beautiful—and a good runner. The lively collage illustrations present each chicken as an individual. Notice the fence as music staff and other collage elements in the clothes and food. Cutout letters, which make up the title in the cover art, pop up throughout the book to represent the squawks of the birds. Lest adults think that the chicken chaser can indulge only in an activity that is forbidden by her grandmother, she does eventually become a responsible caregiver to chickens and chicks.
Heo, Yumi 4–8 years
TEN DAYS AND NINE NIGHTS
Illustrated by Yumi Heo
New York: Schwartz & Wade/Random House, 2009 | 978-0-375-84718-9
The title provides a clue to the story, which establishes a countdown from the time a little girl and her father see her mother off on a flight to Korea. There the mother will complete the adoption process, and the little girl will have a baby sister. The illustrations portray both the mother in Korea and the little girl preparing her home with the help of her father and grandparents. A calendar shows the countdown, as well as the text, which provides the written number of days and nights left. Colorful illustrations in oil, pencil, and collage show happy faces and a lot of busy activities on both sides of the ocean. An author’s note about Korean adoptions concludes the book. For a story about a baby girl adopted from India, with the father flying over, see Uma Krishnaswami’s Bringing Asha Home (Lee & Low, 2006). My Mei Mei by Ed Young (Philomel, 2006) portrays the adoption of a baby from China.
Holmberg, Bo R. 4–8 years
A DAY WITH DAD
Illustrated by Eva Eriksson
Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2008 | 978-0-7636-3221-2
A young boy of divorced parents makes the transfer between his mom and his dad at the train station. When his father arrives, they immediately plan their day. As they go from a hot dog stand to a movie to a pizza place to the library, the mood is happy. A wonderful portrayal of the love between father and son, this story evinces no sense of abandonment but acknowledges that time together is short. The illustrations, in colored pencil, always show the father and son as the center of attention in each drawing. (See figure 2.2.) Colors are muted, as if in a memory being savored, although Dad’s red scarf stands out in many of the drawings. A comforting, reassuring story for children who do not live with their father.
Figure 2.2. A Day with Dad
Jenkins, Emily 4–8 years
THAT NEW ANIMAL
Illustrated by Pierre Pratt
New York: Frances Foster/Farrar Straus Giroux, 2005 | 978-0-374-37443-3
A couple of dogs are not happy that a new baby has joined their human family. Missing the special attention they once received from the grown-ups, one of them contemplates what they could do to the new little one, but the other one wisely deters her. Eventually they become protective of the baby, not letting Grandpa, whom they have never met, near him. Full of gentle humor, the text shows from a dog’s point of view what it is like to deal with an intruder. The colorful illustrations emphasize the baby as the center of attention, with the parents always surrounding and leaning over him. At the end, the two dogs and baby are on the couch, obviously at home with each other, but then turn the page and see that Mom is pregnant again, and readers can speculate about who will be unhappy next.
Johnston, Tony 4–8 years
MY ABUELITA
Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009 | 978-0-15-216330-3
Full of love for his grandma, a young boy describes her and her activities around the house. With colorful illustrations made from a variety of materials, including clay, fabric, wood, and metals, the book is a visual delight. Throughout the narrative, Spanish words pop up as Abuelita cooks breakfast, dresses, and prepares for work. Although her work is alluded to throughout the story, not until the last page do readers find out what it is. So many positive emotions and attitudes combine here: love between a grandmother and grandson, pride in one’s appearance, keeping in shape for one’s work, and enthusiasm for life. From little Frida Kahlo the cat to Abuelita’s fuzzy robe to her bumblebee towel, there is much to smile at in this story.
Joosse, Barbara M. 3–8 years
GRANDMA CALLS ME BEAUTIFUL
Illustrated by Barbara Lavallee
San Francisco: Chronicle, 2008 | 978-0-8118-5815-1
The love of a grandmother for her grandchild fills this book with an atmosphere of tenderness and care. Set in Hawai’i, with some Hawaiian words and traditions employed, the story features a grandmother who tells her granddaughter how beautiful the child is and has been from the day she was born. Watercolor illustrations, bright with the color of sun-drenched islands, focus on the two main characters, although other villagers, animals, and vegetation appear. Their gentle lyricism matches and expands the text, which features poetic elements and back-and-forth dialogue. End material includes a glossary of Hawaiian words and a string design that children can make, similar to a cat’s cradle. Complement with Denise Vega’s Grandmother, Have the Angels Come? (Little, Brown, 2009), which also contains alternating dialogue and charming illustrations, but which focuses on the grandmother’s appearance.
Juster, Norton 3–7 years
THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW
Illustrated by Chris Raschka
Michael Di Capua/Hyperion, 2005 | 978-0-7868-0914-1
The love and security of the grandparents’ home comes through in this story of a child visiting their house, and what happens at the kitchen window. As the child describes the kitchen and what Nanna and Poppy do there—play the harmonica, count the stars, make breakfast—the everyday activities create an atmosphere of love. The energetic and colorful illustrations appear childlike in their simplicity yet project a masterful combination of color, line, space, and mood. A special story about a special window, which represents the fun and feeling shared by a child and her grandparents, this book was the Caldecott Medal winner in 2006. Nanna, Poppy, and their granddaughter return in Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie (Michael Di Capua/Scholastic, 2008).
Khan, Rukhsana 4–8 years
BIG RED LOLLIPOP
Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
New York: Viking/Penguin, 2010 | 978-0-670-06287-4
When her mother insists that Rubina take her little sister along to a birthday party of one of her classmates, Rubina just knows that this is not the way it is done in their new country. She feels embarrassed and, as she fears, little Sana makes a scene. Even worse, Sana steals her red lollipop, a treat which she has been saving from the party. The text, in first person, allows the reader or listener to feel Rubina’s conflicting emotions of excitement and chagrin. Some illustrations put the characters at center stage, with (on most pages) ver
y little or no background. Several illustrations show movement with lines of motion or direction; one, in which Rubina runs from her school to home, shows the blocks and sidewalks behind her, and another, where Rubina chases Sana through the house, looks down from the top at the pieces of furniture and rugs. When time passes and Sana receives a party invitation, her mother insists that she take the youngest sister, Maryam. Rubina remembers her experience and talks to her mother, a satisfying ending to a very realistic story about sibling rivalry.
Lammle, Leslie 4–8 years
ONCE UPON A SATURDAY
Illustrated by Leslie Lammle
New York: HarperCollins, 2009 | 978-0-06-125190-0
How does an author get inside the head of a character, especially one with a great imagination? Lammle’s portrayal of young June is pitch-perfect. Before she can do all the fun things she dreams up, June must finish a list of chores. With a little help from a bird, a dragon, and under-bed monsters, she finishes her tasks. Illustrations in watercolor and pencil portray June and her fantasies in comical fashion. In some cases, the creatures become as large as she is. This and the list that towers over her head contribute to the feeling of being overwhelmed by her chores. Dialogue balloons pop up in several scenes as June addresses her imaginings and her mother brings her back to reality. This adventurous girl (check out the goggles and flashlight) is a character to amuse and inspire.
Lewin, Betsy 3–7 years
WHERE IS TIPPY TOES?
Illustrated by Betsy Lewin
New York: Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2010 | 978-1-4169-3808-8
With rhyming and minimal text on each page, this story follows a cat and his daytime activities. His nighttime activities, however, remain a mystery until the last page. Young listeners will enjoy the cutouts on certain pages: a mouse hole, two circles to see the cat’s eyes, and diecut pages that become a moon and a blanket, among other items. The artwork illustrating Tippy’s daytime perambulations features bright colors in sunny yellow, orange, and green. The nighttime scenes shimmer with a pale yellow moon and textured blue sky that spills over into blue fence posts and blue blankets. A fun bedtime story for family read-alouds, this book would also be useful for teachers planning lessons on time or night and day.
Lindbergh, Reeve 4–8 years
MY LITTLE GRANDMOTHER OFTEN FORGETS
Illustrated by Kathryn Brown
Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2007 | 978-0-7636-1989-3
This story of a grandparent with memory loss, handled gently and respectfully, focuses on her relationship with her grandson. The rhyming text recounts incidents of her misplacing objects, losing her way, and calling the grandson by his dad’s name, but it also describes how the grandson helps her. The illustrations, in watercolor and ink, display a delicateness and detail in a mixture of indoor and outdoor scenes. Far from being sad, this story told from the point of view of the young boy is rather matter-of-fact. For another take on this subject, but still with grandson-grandmother characters, see A Young Man’s Dance (Boyds Mills, 2006) by Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton. For a granddaughter’s point of view, see Robin Cruise’s Little Mamá Forgets (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2006) and the Belgian import Still My Grandma by Véronique Van den Abeele (Eerdmans, 2007).
Look, Lenore 4–8 years
UNCLE PETER’S AMAZING CHINESE WEDDING
Illustrated by Yumi Heo
New York: Atheneum, 2006 | 978-689-84458-4
A wedding in the family should bring great joy, but one little girl is not happy. In first person, she takes the reader through the whole day and expresses her displeasure at what she feels is her uncle’s abandonment of her. Along the way, she explains many Chinese wedding traditions. Her words, which express her emotions and describe the customs as a young girl would, are enhanced by the oil paint, pencil, and collage illustrations. The cartoon-style artwork fills up each page with all the objects she describes and all the people at the wedding, including a large extended family. Despite her attitude, the story does not turn negative but instead reveals both her openness to express herself and the many traditions she explains. At the end, Uncle Peter’s new wife finds a way to connect with his niece, and it all ends on a happy note.
Lowry, Lois 5–9 years
CROW CALL
Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
New York: Scholastic, 2009 | 978-0-545-03035-9
With beautiful language, Lowry tells a story based on her girlhood in which she ventures out with her father, newly returned from the war. Tentatively, she reconnects with him, eventually confiding her fears and reveling in a shared sense of humor. Realistic illustrations of watercolor and acryl-gouache complement the narrative visually with emotion and period detail. Although set in the 1940s, this story will resonate with any listener who shares, or wishes to share, quality time with Dad. The outdoor setting will appeal to many, and the notion of calling the crows with a whistle may be new to almost everyone. Read this lovely father-daughter story and revel in the superb use of language by a master storyteller.
Myers, Walter Dean 5–10 years
LOOKING LIKE ME
Illustrated by Christopher Myers
New York: Egmont, 2009 | 978-1-60684-001-6
With energy and poetry, with vibrant color and exuberant line, this book celebrates being proud of one’s self, one’s place in the family, and one’s place in the world. The father-and-son team who wrote and illustrated this book have given a gift to all young people who read it, especially boys. Jeremy, the main character, receives affirmation from his sister, father, teacher, grandmother, friends, and mother amid a swirl of saturated color, silhouettes, and photographs. The rap-like rhythm of the words encourages reading out loud; at the same time the words call for thoughtful contemplation. The collage illustrations invite exploration. (See figure 2.3.) This would be an excellent source to use in art classes of all ages. The book ends with a page about the author and illustrator that contains small pictures of the young Walter and Christopher surrounded by words describing them.
Pitzer, Susanna 4–8 years
NOT AFRAID OF DOGS
Illustrated by Larry Day
New York: Walker, 2006 | 978-0-8027-8067-6
Daniel has a problem. His family must take care of his aunt’s dog, but Daniel is afraid of dogs, even though he will not admit it. Although he tries to hide from Bandit, he forms a bond with the pet when he discovers they are both afraid of thunderstorms. The illustrations, in pen and ink with watercolor and gouache, capture Daniel’s fear of dogs, his stubbornness, and his eventual realization that the dog is more fearful than he is. The realistic text gets Daniel’s dialogue just right, as he insists that he is not afraid, he just does not like dogs. At the end, of course, he completely reverses his opinion, and even lets Bandit sleep in his bed. A book of comfort to those children who may be afraid of dogs, and a feel-good book about man’s—or boy’s—best friend.
Ransom, Jeanie Franz 4–8 years
WHAT DO PARENTS DO? (WHEN YOU’RE NOT HOME)
Illustrated by Cyd Moore
Atlanta: Peachtree, 2007 | 978-1-56145-409-9
A young boy imagines what his parents are up to while he and his little sister visit their grandparents. Everything he envisions, hilariously illustrated in watercolor and colored pencil, is something that he obviously has been told not to do, such as jumping on the bed with shoes on, sitting too close to the television, and playing basketball in the house. The text even contains his words of disapproval, which sound exactly like something parents would say. While Mom and Dad inhabit the main illustration on each page, small scenes of the boy and his sister at the grandparents’ house provide a counterbalance, as they do the right thing and still have fun. Parents who share this book with children will chuckle in recognition, and children will appreciate the misbehaving antics of the grown-ups.
Figure 2.3. Looking Like Me
Ritz, Karen 4–8 years
WINDOWS WITH BIRDS
Illustrated by Karen Ritz
A young boy moves from a house to an apartment, but this story is told from the point of view of his pet cat. In first person, the cat remembers what was, and how it is now so different. No back story is provided to explain why the move has occurred, but certain words that appear in the text (misery, quiet, tossing and turning) and the boy’s somber look in one of the early illustrations make it seem that it was not a happy one. But, as often happens, a new day brings a fresh perspective. The cat discovers that birds still fly outside the window, that this new place also has lovely hiding places, and that his boy still comes home to him. Realistic watercolor artwork features large illustrations of the cat, the boy, and other objects in the home, making readers or listeners feel as if they are there.
Rosen, Michael J. 4–8 years
A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY
Illustrated by Marc Burckhardt
Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2007 | 978-0-7636-2140-7
The twisting roads around country sites that fill the endpapers provide a preview to what readers will find inside this story of a stock family experience: the Sunday drive. A family—Mom, Dad, three kids, and a dog—take a trip with no real endpoint. They stop at various places along the way, driving down curving roads in a beautiful countryside portrayed in acrylic illustrations. A combination of full two-page pictures, bordered one-page illustrations, and smaller scenes in circles provide variety. Told in first person, the text reads as if a friend is telling about all the fun things he did. The rich colors of the illustrations, the leisurely pacing of the story, and the solid feeling of family combine in this congenial story.
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse 4–8 years
ONE OF THOSE DAYS
Illustrated by Rebecca Doughty
Picture Books for Children Page 5