This view shows all of the books in this age group that have been selected in years past and nominated for the current year (but not yet selected). The nominations are marked by a "Nomination(not yet selected):" label.
Yankee Doodle does not want to go to town. He does not want to ride that smelly pony. And he definitely does NOT want to put some dumb feather in his hat. Written from the pony's perspective, this raucous read will have young readers guffawing. Up to Seven. Anne Womack
Have you ever wished that all of your problems would just disappear? Oliver sure did. Oliver is starting school and you can tell even on the endpapers that he's worried terribly about it. He stops by the swamp on his way to school and gets an alligator to help him through the tough day ahead. And he does help. In fact, when the teacher asks Oliver his name, he stammers out, "Munch, munch" and the alligator eats the teacher. The same with all the kids and all the classroom decorations! When Oliver realizes that all the fun appears to be happening INSIDE the alligator, he lets loose with the incantation and out they all pop. The endpapers let us know that the alligator is actually Oliver's reliable stuffed animal and at the end we see him left behind while Oliver goes off to school alone. This is a fun book that, despite all the people-eating, actually is very reassuring - especially in the hands of a good teacher/parent/librarian. Up to Seven. Joan Kindig
The creators of Goodnight Goodnight, Construction Site have teamed up to do another lullaby of sorts. Here, the rhyming text follows all the animals and creatures onto a train just in time for them to go to sleep. The illustration on the last page reveals that the train is in the bedroom of a little boy who has chosen all the creatures on the train before going to sleep himself. The artwork is spectacular and the endpapers were a fun surprise. Up to Seven. Joan Kindig
When Leon the gecko finds himself without the paper he needs after answering nature's call, he seizes a pair of old underwear hanging on a branch. Necessity IS the mother of invention, you know. But when the owner of the underwear turns up and demands them back, hilarity reigns. The surprise ending will have everyone in stitches. Up to Seven. Joan Kindig
With zippy rhyme and children focused illustrations the author and illustration present an alternative way to respond to situations you don't like....or where you might feel "injured". There is not preachy or sugar-coated, the situations are simple but typical, an overactive sibling, competing for dress-up clothes, playground antics, try peace, baby. Glad they don't flash the peace sign instead they recommend using words, and kind ones at that. Up to Seven. Edie Ching
Lovely acrylic and oil pencils in an appropriately-muted palette capture the bewilderment of a child's face when the butterfly, lizard, chicken, and kitty move away just as he/she tries to touch them. Calling "Wait! Wait!" entices not one of them to return. Up to Seven. Lynda Adamson (This title will appear on the July agenda.)
A picture book about creating pictures, with a bunch of angry crayons complaining to the young artist about: overuse, underuse, predictable use, mis-use. They sound just like cranky children with grievances that are very real in their minds. And Jeffers' illustrations capture the emotion of their complaints, looking just like the pictures a young child would draw. One quibble, the letter from the color yellow is hard to read as the contrast is not that strong, but then mine are older eyes. A fun read for adults as well as children and the resolution, a lovely illustration that is full of life and color and creativity (see the pink dinosaur and the black rainbow) will make everyone happy. A wonderful match of author and illustrator. Up to Seven. Edie Ching
Piggie is distraught that a big guy took her ball and Gerald decides, in the interest of gallantry, that he will get to the bottom of it. He strides off ready to confront this bully and finds that the big guy is a whale and is REALLY, REALLY big and that actually it was his ball all along. Piggie had only found it. In addition, E&P both feel awful for the whale because he has no one to play with. Demonstrating the compassion we have come to expect of E&P, they invite him to play Whale Ball (even they don't know what THAT is!) with them. It was nice to see this rush to judgment turned on its head. Up to Seven. Joan Kindig
Little dragon loves his bedtime story and asks for it to be read to him again and again. When his weary mom falls asleep while reading, little dragon gets so worked up that he accidentally unleashes his fire-breathing talent. Watch out for the big hole in the back of the bookI This offering from Gravett is so clever in its design and so spot on for those little readers who want a story again and again that it is sure to charm them. Up to Seven. Joan Kindig
Straying from his well-known Duck and his Elephant & Piggie series, Willems' new book is a clever spin on an old tale of a fox outsmarting his prey. This fox may be clever but watch out for goose! The chicks who act as the "audience" keep us distracted enough to let the table turns without us noticing it. All in all, a fun farce that packs an unexpected punch. Up to Seven. Joan Kindig
