Six Picks...Illustrated Books for Kids

Some of my greatest treasures are inscribed illustrated books given to me as a child. And when I say inscribed, I mean those scrawly hand written notes signed by favorite aunts and grandmothers, mom, and dad. There's a time for library books, and there's a time for "treasure books" that are read over and over, as children and as adults. The folowing are some of the best illustrated books of 2009. Give these gifts liberally- inscribe them with notes and signatures that will far outlast the book jackets!

Our ideas of perfect ILLUSTRATED CHILDRENS BOOKS for 2009:

All of these titles are available though our Amazon store. Click the titles to purchase! hohoho...

1.

A Penguin Story

by Antoinette Portis

Edna the penguin knows three colors-the black of night, the white in snow and ice, and the blue of the ocean that goes on forever. She knows there must be more, so Edna sets off on a quest to find it. She discovers a camp of Antarctic scientists that is a vision of bright orange (tents, plane, parkas, and so on). The story closes with Edna wearing a large glove left by the scientists as a headpiece and wondering, "What else could there be?" The double-page spread shows a small green boat approaching in the distance. Beautifully designed pages are filled with bold geometric shapes depicting the Antarctic landscapes and the few inhabitants. Uncluttered, stylized illustrations featuring a palate limited to the colors mentioned in the story perfectly catch the droll humor of the simple text. This is sure to provoke many chuckles.
2.

The Lion and the Mouse

by Jerry Pinkney

In award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney's wordless adaptation of one of Aesop's most beloved fables, an unlikely pair learn that no act of kindness is ever wasted. After a ferocious lion spares a cowering mouse that he'd planned to eat, the mouse later comes to his rescue, freeing him from a poacher's trap. With vivid depictions of the landscape of the African Serengeti and expressively-drawn characters, Pinkney makes this a truly special retelling, and his stunning pictures speak volumes.
3.  

The Snow Day

by Komako Sakai

PW- Starred Review. Snow has been falling all night, and when a small rabbit awakens, he learns that kindergarten is closed, his mother can't go to the store, and his father's flight home has been canceled. "Mommy, we are all alone in the world," he announces solemnly, and even though he's clearly safe and sound in an apartment with all the modern comforts, readers will understand his bittersweet feelings of isolation and solitude. Sakai (Emily's Balloon) takes a very different approach in these pages: focusing more on setting and mood than characterization, she turns each illustration into a vivid snapshot (Mommy on the phone with stranded Daddy, an outdoor hug before the dash back indoors). Against a palette of grays and muted colors, she uses the yellow of the rabbit's jacket or boots to focus the reader's gaze, and layers the paints to suggest the intimacy and coziness of the hearth, the eerie but irresistible starkness of a landscape transformed by snow. Ages 3–5.

4.

Only A Witch Can Fly

by Allison McGhee

Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 2-This gentle, lyrical tale, written in the unusual poetic stanzas of a medieval sestina, recounts a young trick-or-treater's dogged attempts to make her dreams of flight come true. Linoleum block illustrations, in muted shades of green, orange, and brown and thick swathes of black and black line, juxtapose the cozy, rural details of a loving family's hearth and home with the shadowy, spooky outdoor world of jack-o'-lanterns, black cats, and bats under a full moon. The illustrative details ground and extend the story line of this part realistic, part magical tale, making the sophisticated text more accessible to younger listeners. "Hold tight to your broom/and float past the stars,/and turn to the heavens and soar." This is a quieter, more reflective addition to Halloween collections that offers an enchanting storytime read-aloud
5.  

All the World

by Liz Garton Scanlon

Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 2—Charming illustrations and lyrical rhyming couplets speak volumes in celebration of the world and humankind, combining to create a lovely book that will be appreciated by a wide audience. The pictures, made with black Prismacolor pencil and watercolors, primarily follow a multicultural family from a summer morning on the beach through a busy day and night. A boy, his younger sister, and their parents experience a farmer's market, a lakeside pavilion, a soaking rain, a warm meal in a cozy café, a gathering of musical kin, and a quiet night at home. The folks in this small, diverse community experience what a summer day has to offer, including sun, wind, storm, and a sense of contentment and well-being. A double-page moon- and starlit illustration shows an overview of all the featured locales highlighted in this small slice of the world. Perfection.
6.


White Noise

by David A Carter

A pop-up romp through cubism and futurism, and a lesson in early 20th century modernist formalism. Beginning with "Rainbow bubble blast and crackly white noise," the pages sing as they are opened. In fact, they both spring and sing as the incredible boldly colored structures leap from the page. As the author has noted, "On some pages the sound is subtle, and on some pages the sound is obvious, but it is always created by the white portion of that page's structure." In addition to listening for the sound, you'll also discover a red dot, a blue 2, 600 black spots and a yellow square, all references to Carter's previous titles.