Category Archives: Picture Books

When Dinosaurs Came with Everything

Posted on January 9, 2014 | Comments Off on When Dinosaurs Came with Everything

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Today, dinosaurs come with everything!

Like George Shrinks, this book has an irresistible premise (instead of balloons or stickers, or other more common giveaway items, dinosaurs come with everything from a dozen donuts to shots at the doctor’s office) coupled with charming and witty pictures that expand the story well beyond its text.  The book loses a bit of narrative steam around its final third, but it makes a strong finish, sparks the imagination, and is a lot of fun to read aloud.

Author: Elise Broachs
Illustrator: David Small

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The Ballad of Valentine

Posted on January 6, 2014 | Comments Off on The Ballad of Valentine

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Happily, it is Clementine season.  We love those sweet, juicy balls of Spanish citrus, and it is hard to eat them without humming a bit of “oh my darling, oh my darling…”  Which, strangely enough, leads us to this book.  Using the tune from the famous western folk ballad, this story is told from the viewpoint of a hapless would-be suitor who keeps trying (and trying) and failing to send a romantic message to his darling, Valentine (who is concurrently working on a, much more successful, surprise of her own).  The word play is clever, the scenarios delightfully ridiculous, and it offers the opportunity for lots of dramatic interpretation (singing is optional, but lots of fun).

Author:  Alison Jackson
Illustrator:  Tricia Tusa

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Roller Coaster

Posted on January 4, 2014 | Comments Off on Roller Coaster

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Whether you love riding roller coasters or watching them with fearful fascination (our current default), this book is a pleasure.  The wonderful illustrations create a backstory and a personality for each person in the book.  The attention to detail is amazing and the story is sympathetic to riders and non-riders alike.  It almost (almost!) makes you want to get on board.

Author:  Marla Frazee
Illustrator:  Marla Frazee

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Old Bear

Posted on January 1, 2014 | Comments Off on Old Bear

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By the time Old Bear
fell asleep for the winter,
it was snowing hard.
Soon he was dreaming.

Old Bear leads us through a winter’s worth of beautiful dreams, one for each season of the year.  This is another short, quiet, dreamy book that is perfect for just before bed.

Author: Kevin Henkes
Illustrator: Kevin Henkes

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My Friend Rabbit

Posted on December 30, 2013 | Comments Off on My Friend Rabbit

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My friend Rabbit means well. 
But whatever he does,
wherever he goes,
trouble follows.

This is another quick, funny, unexpected book with beautiful illustrations.  Both boys love to chime in on the (frequently repeating lines) and happily anticipate the next wild (slightly disastrous, mostly humorous) event.  A perfect treat before bed.

Author:  Eric Rohmann
Illustrator:  Eric Rohmann

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How My Parents Learned to Eat

Posted on December 29, 2013 | Comments Off on How My Parents Learned to Eat

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In our house, some days we eat with chopsticks
and some days we eat with knives and forks.
For me, it’s natural.

Perfect for any kind of mixed family (and most families are mixed, in one way or another), this book shows how flexibility, willingness to learn, and a sense of humor can allow people from very different backgrounds to come together and create a new family.  Well, that is what I notice.  The boys just agree that “[i]t’s hard to be happy if you’re hungry” and that it is funny to watch adults learn (with a lot of trial and error) how to eat.

Author:  Ina R. Friedman
Illustrator:  Allen Say

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Zoom at Sea

Posted on December 28, 2013 | Comments Off on Zoom at Sea

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Zoom (a cat who loves water) finds an address and a map left by his uncle (who has gone off adventuring) labeled “The Sea and how to get there.”  But following the map does not help Zoom find what he expected–at least not at first.  This is a deeply imaginative book that intrigues the boys–it reminds me of The Maggie B. with its beauty, coziness, and themes of sailing, adventure, and family.  It is the first of three books about Zoom and it may be our favorite.  

Author:  Tim Wynne-Jones
Illustrator:  Eric Beddows

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The Night Before Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2013 | Comments Off on The Night Before Christmas

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Countless artists have illustrated this poem, many of them beautifully.  This may not be the most elegant version, but it is the one I grew up with and keep coming back to.  Happily, the boys love it; we read it together just before they headed to bed tonight, knowing that cookies, carrots, celery, and milk are waiting on the hearth and Santa is on his way.

Happy Christmas to all,
and to all a good night.

Author:  Clement C. Moore
Illustrator:  Douglas Gorsline

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The Sneetches and Other Stories

Posted on December 24, 2013 | Comments Off on The Sneetches and Other Stories

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This book is an utter classic and I’m guessing most of you already have it memorized.  (I recently met Peter S. Beagle at a screening of The Last Unicorn and we ended up reciting “Too Many Daves” in a sort of call and response together at his signing table.  It was a lovely, utterly odd moment.)  We love all the stories, from “The Sneetches” and “The Zax” to “What was I Scared of?”  Nothing quite compares to the best of Dr. Seuss, and this book may be his best of all.  If you don’t already own it, I suggest you find a copy immediately.

Author: Dr. Seuss
Illustrator:  Dr. Seuss

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Storm Boy

Posted on December 23, 2013 | Comments Off on Storm Boy

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A chief’s son
went fishing
alone,
and a terrible storm arose.

Deliberately patterned on universal archetypes and Northwest Coast Native motifs, this story contains many unexpected elements for both its hero and its readers.  The boys are fascinated by this one, and I suspect the unusual, almost frightening, images play a major role.  Recommended for slightly older children, especially those who enjoy tales of the sea.

Author:  Paul Owen Lewis
Illustrator:  Paul Owen Lewis

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