2018 Picture Books

January (9)
1. The Street Beneath My Feet by Charlotte Guillain (1/4)
2. Up! Up! Up! Skyscraper by Anastasia Suen (1/4)
3. The Fish Who Cried Wolf by Julia Donaldson (1/5)
4. Colores de la vida: Mexican Folk Art colors in English and Spanish by Cynthia Weill. (1/10)
5. The Too-scary Story by Bethanie Deeney Murguia (1/11)
6. Groovy Joe Dance Party Countdown by Eric Litwin (1/11)
7. Zog and the Flying Doctors by Julia Donaldson (1/12)
8. Schomburg: the man who built a library by Carole Boston Weatherford (1/18)
9. Don't Forget Dexter! by Lindsay Ward (1/22)*

February (13)
10. Bertha Takes a Drive: how the Benz automobile changed the world by Jan Adkins (2/7)
11. The Boo-Boos That Changed the World: a true story about an accidental invention (really) by Barry Wittenstein (2/7)*
12. Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown (2/11)
13. Dorothea Lange: the photographer who found the faces of the Depression by Carole Boston Weatherford (2/11)
14. The Legendary Miss Lena Horne by Carole Boston Weatherford (2/12)
15. Malcolm Little: the boy who grew up to become Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz (2/12)
16. Voices from the Underground Railroad by Kay Winters (2/15)
17. Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai (2/19)
18. Barack Obama: son of promise, child of hope by Nikki Grimes (2/19)
19. Ella: queen of jazz by Helen Hancocks (2/19)
20. Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade by Trinka Hakes Noble (2/19)*
21. Blue Grass Boy by Barb Rosenstock (2/22)
22. Waiting for Pumpsie by Barry Wittenstein (2/22)*

March (17)
23. Lucy and the String by Vanessa Roeder (3/6)*
24. The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds (3/14)*
25. Tiny and the Big Dig by Sherri Duskey Rinker (3/14)
26. When Sophie Thinks She Can't by Molly Bang (3/14)
27. Ducks Away by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek (3/15)
28. Little Choo by Stephen Shaskan (3/15)
29. Be Brave, Little Penguin by Giles Andreae (3/15)
30. The Pink Hat by Andrew Joyner (3/24)
31. Unplugged by Steve Antony (3/24)
32. Thank You, Mr. Panda (3/24)
33. Breathe and Be by Kate Coombs (3/26)
34. The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: the story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca (3/26)
35. Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark (3/26)
36. Muddy: the story of Blues legend Muddy Waters by Michael Mahin (3/28)
37. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba (3/28)
38. The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson (3/29)
39. Keith Haring: the boy who just kept drawing by Kay A. Haring (3/29)

April (9)
40. Lines by Suzy Lee (43)*
41. Animal Ark: celebrating our wild world in poetry and pictures by Kwame Alexander (4/3)
42. Mama Africa: how Mirian Makeba spread hope with her song by Kathryn Erskine (4/9)*
43. Long-armed Ludy and the First Women's Olympics by Jean L.S. Patrick (4/9)
44.  Caroline's Comets: a true story by Emily Arnold McCully (4/9)
45. American Gothic: the life of Grant Wood by Susan Wood (4/9)
46. Charlie Takes His Shot: how Charlie Sifford broke the color barrier in golf by Nancy Churnin (4/18)
47. Hedgehog Needs a Hug by Jen Betton (4/26)
48. Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell (4/26)

May (3)
49. Llama Llama loves to read (5/26)
50. Run Wild by David Covell (5/26)
51. Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (5/26)*

June (2)
52. Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (6/1)

53. Grandad Mandela by Zazi Siwelene and Zindzi Mandela (6/29)

July (9)
54. The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee (7/4)*
55. The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson (7/4)
56. Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña (7/4)
57. Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: a Navajo Code Talker's Story by Joseph Bruchac (7/4)
58. Thank you, Earth: a love letter to our planet by April Pulley Sayre (7/12)
59. Surprise! by Caroline Hadilaksono (7/29)
60. Hope by Matthew Cordell (7/29)
61. Perfect by Max Amato (7/29)*
62. Grow Up, David! by David Shannon (7/29)

August (21)
63. Pride: the story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders (8/4)
64. Thank You, Omu! By Oge Mora (8/6)
65. It’s Show and Tell Dexter! By Lindsay Ward (8/10)
66. Who Eats Orange? by Dianne White (8/12)
67. Irving Berlin: the immigrant boy who made America sing by Nancy Churnin (8/12)

68. Write on Irving Berlin by Leslie Kimmelman (8/12)
69. Tool School by Joan Holub (8/13)

70. Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Gris Grimly (8/13)

71. Jack and the Beanstalk and the French Fries by Mark Teague (8/13)

72. Back to School with Bigfoot by Samantha Berger and Martha Brockenbrough (8/13)

73. Monster’s New Undies by Samantha Berger (8/13)

74. Mary McScary by R.L. Stine (8/13)

75. Alabama Spitfire: the story of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird by Bethany Hegedus (8/18)
76. Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail by Jennifer Thermes (8/20)

77. The 5 O’Clock Band by Troy Andrews (8/20)*

78. Small Things by Mel Tregonning (8/20)
79. Sisters & Champions by Howard Bryant (8/28)

80. The Rough Patch by Brian Lies (8/29)*

81. Drawn Together by Minh Le (8/29)

82. Walt’s Imagination: the life of Walt Disney by Doreen Rappaport (8/29)
83. Between the Lines: how Ernie Barnes went from the football field to the art gallery by Sandra Neil Wallace (8/30)

September (8)
84. Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the spirit of New Orleans (9/3)*

85. How Sweet the Sound: the story of Amazing Grace by Carole Boston Weatherford (9/3)
86. Good Rosie! By Kate DiCamillo (9/8)

87. Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor: the woman who loved reptiles by Patricia Valdez (9/9)

88. Nothing Stopped Sophie: the story of unshakable mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe (9/9)
89. Who Says Women Can’t be Computer Programmers? By Tanya Lee Stone (9/23) 90. Bone Soup by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (9/23) 91. Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the first woman pilot by Matthew Clark Smith (9/23)

October (11)
92. I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings (10/15)
93. What Do You Do with a Voice Like That: The story of extraordinary congresswoman Barbara Jordan by Chris Barton (10/15)*
94The Epic Adventures of Huggie and Stick by Drew Daywalt (10/16)

95. Carl and the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman (10/16)
96. Elizabeth Warren: nevertheless, she persisted by Susan Wood (10/17)
97. A House in the Sky and Other Uncommon Animal Homes by Steve Jenkins (10/23)

98. Wet Hen: a short e adventure by Molly Coxe (10/24)

99. I am Human: a book of empathy by Susan Verde (10/27)

100. Seeing into Tomorrow: haiku by Richard Wright. Biography and illustrations by Nina Crews (10/28)

101. Loops, repeat, repeat by Patricia Stockland (10/29)

102. Yasmin the Explorer by Saadia Faruqi (10/29)

November (9)
103. This is the Day! By Amy Parker (11/1)
104. Bunny’s Staycation (Mama’s Business Trip) by Lori Richmond (11/2)

105. Good Night Bunny by Lauren Thompson (11/3)

106. Rabbit Moon by Jean Kim (11/3)
107. A Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach (11/4)

108. The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier (11/5)

109. Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein (11/9)*

110. Storm by Sam Usher (11/9)
111. Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein (11/14)

December
112. Up & Down: the adventures of John Jeffries, first American to fly by Don Brown (12/13)
113. Flying Deep: climb inside deep-sea submersible ALVIN by Michelle Cusolito (12/13)

114. A Moon for Moe and Mo by Jane Breskin Zalben (12/14)
115. Three Years and Eight Months by Icy Smith (12/17)

116. Stretch to the Sun: from a tiny sprout to the tallest tree on Earth by Carrie A. Pearson (12/17)*

117. Captain Raptor and the Perilous Planet by Kevin O’Malley and Patrick O’Brien (12/ 17)

118. Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki (12/18)

119. Pig the Fibber by Aaron Blabey (12/26)*
120. Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates by Kevin O’Malley (12/28)

121. Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery by Kevin O’Malley (12/29)

Picture Book Review: Pig the Pug/ Fibber by Aaron Blabey

Pig the Pug Fibber by Aaron Blabey. unpgd. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., August, 2018. 9781338291766. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Pig and Trevor are back and Pig is as obnoxious as ever. Perhaps more so since he is now a liar. The last time I visited with Pig, he was a cheater. It's a hop, skip and a jump to liar. And, poor Trevor continues to take the fall. 

The art is the star here. Pig is so expressive and Trevor is so clueless it hurts. The rhyme scheme mostly works. Practice it before reading aloud. Your young readers will be tickled. 

A long, long time ago, Mo Willems keynoted at Bookfest at the New York Public Library. During the Q & A after his hilarious talk about Pigeon, Mo referred to Pigeon as a dickhead. Of course, the crowd went wild. But that statement stuck and, from time to time, I revisit it. 

Who are the "dickheads" of children's literature? Bad Kitty comes to mind, as does Rotten Ralph. Pig fills the bill. While there's a certain predictability about most of the story arcs, they never get old. Why? Because we get to act out our inner dickheadedness through them. Pigeon does his best to wheedle, demand, and cajole until he loses his shit and tantrums. Pigeon books were such satisfying read alouds for me - to be able to channel my inner Pigeon, and for my students - to know what's coming and delight in it. Were I still a K - 8 librarian, Pig would be my new favorite. 

Censors might complain that books with characters such as these encourage misbehavior. I disagree. I love them all with all my heart and look forward to more of Pig's antics. 

Picture Book Review: A Moon for Moe and Mo by Jane Breslin Zalben

A Moon for Moe and Mo by Jane Breslin Zalben. Illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. unpgd. Charlesbridge, August, 2018. 9781580897273. (Review of finished book courtesy of publisher.)

Two boys from opposite ends of Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn go to a Middle Eastern Market with their mothers. One boy is Jewish, the other is Muslim - Moses Feldman and Mohammed Hassan. Both boys are called Moe/ Mo. They discover this when they are both being scolded for touching things on the shelves. Even the store owner thinks they might be twins. Even though they live on the same block, they don't see each other for weeks until their moms take a break from holiday cooking to take their little Moe/ Mo to the playground.

This is a lovely story of interfaith friendship with beautiful mixed media illustrations that make Flatbush Ave. come to vibrant life. Two recipes for cookies and information about each holiday follow the narrative along with an author and an illustrator note. A Moon for Moe and Mo is a terrific addition to any diverse holiday collection.

Picture Book Review: Captain Raptor and the Perilous Planet by Kevin O'Malley and Patrick O'Brien

Captain Raptor and the Perilous Planet by Kevin O'Malley and Patrick O'Brien. Illustrated by Patrick O'Brien. unpgd. Captain Raptor series #3. Charlesbridge, September, 2018. 9781580898096. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Oh my goodness! This was such great campy fun! Brought me right back to childhood games of war around the neighborhood where drama reigned supreme or a variety of early sci/fi television series! 

And, how did I miss episodes, I mean books, one and two! I must remedy that ASAP.

Captain Raptor and his crew are patrolling the universe in their "mighty spaceship Megatooth." Captain Raptor has a low tolerance for boredom and longs for some action, which comes soon with a transmission from Commander Brock. He and his research team are trapped on Planet Pryos Prime. This is just the antidote Raptor needs despite the warning that the planet is unstable.

The art in this graphic novel picture book is spellbinding. Gorgeous coloring and incredible detail cause the eye to linger. The text is fast-paced and melodramatic. This third installment stands alone nicely but new fans (like me) will probably demand the earlier books. Hand this to fans of science fiction, graphic novels and adventure lovers. 

Fact Friday: Flying Deep: climb inside deep-sea submersible ALVIN by Michelle Cusolito

Flying Deep: climb inside deep-sea submersible ALVIN by Michelle Cusolito. Illustrated by Nicole Wong unpgd. Charlesbridge, March, 2018. 9781580898119. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.) 

Fact Friday Features Flying Deep: Climb inside deep-sea submersible ALVIN by Michelle Cusolito. Work inside ALVIN is not for the claustrophobic. The tiny vessel barely fits three scientists and does its work miles under the sea where it is very cold and very dark. Luscious language in a log-book style give readers a "you are there" vibe. The digitally rendered illustrations provide a feast for the eyes.

Even though photographic illustrations are becoming more common in informational literature, there is something to be said for artistic rendering. The art here is lush and atmospheric. The need to turn the book perpendicularly to view and read adds to the feeling of deep diving. 

The backmatter is terrific. There's a very detailed and interesting author's note, an illustrator's note, some additional ALVIN facts, a glossary, an explanation of some of the organisms featured in the book, four books, a film and some websites, including the author's Pinterest Board. 

Flying Deep is a great book to introduce any number of STEM lessons and sure to inspire budding oceanographers! This is the author's picture book debut and I'm looking forward to reading more. 

Fact Friday and Review: Write to Me: letters from Japanese American children to the librarian they left behind by Cynthia Grady

Write to Me: letters from Japanese American children to the librarian they left behind by Cynthia Grady. Illustrated by Amiko Hirao. unpgd. Charlesbridge Publishers, January, 2018. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features Write to Me: letters from Japanese American children to the librarian they left behind by Cynthia Grady. Illustrated by Amiko Hirao. When Miss Clara E. Breed's young patrons turned in their San Diego library cards to her because they and their families were being forced to move, she gave each one a penny postcard with the request to write so she knew where they were. She went to the train station with a heavy heart to see them off. When the children wrote, Miss Breed's heart broke. She sent books and packages. She even visited the internment camp. She wrote articles about the harsh conditions and asked for donations. Information from the backmatter reveals that around thirty children sent over 250 letters to Miss Breed over the course of their imprisonment. 

Using excerpts from the letters that were sent to Miss Breed, author Cynthia Grady weaves an emotional biography of an extraordinary woman. The pastel illustrations soften the harshness, but convey an appropriate bleakness for young readers. Endpages depict black and white photos from the time, with FDR signing the declaration of war against Japan, notices ordering "persons of Japanese ancestry" to leave their homes bringing only what they could carry, and more.

An author's note, notable dates from Breed's life, a selected history of Japanese people in the U.S., source notes, selected bibliography, suggestions for further reading and photo credits conclude this must-read biography. 

Happy Thanksgiving! #tbt: Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade by Trinka Hakes Noble

Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade: a Thanksgiving story by Trinka Hakes Noble. Illustrated by David C. Gardner. Tales of Young Americans series. unpgd. Sleeping Bear Press, September, 2017. 9781585369607. (Own.)

I was going to skip #tbt today. Take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday. But then this book popped into my head and even though it's only a year old (#tbt usually features books older than 10 years), I decided to review it. 

The year is 1918 and a flu epidemic is sweeping the country, especially the tightly packed immigrant communities in New York's Lower East Side. Rettie is doing her best to care for her stricken mother and four younger siblings. She's only nine and her father is off fighting in the war. She scrambles to do odd jobs to earn money and hopes to participate in the ragamuffin parade so she can collect coins. She hopes the epidemic will not cancel the parade because she wants to feed her family on Thanksgiving. 

Poignantly told and sumptuously illustrated, this tale tugs at the heartstrings. This picture book for older readers is a wonderful Thanksgiving read aloud to encourage gratitude and reflection. An author's note at the end provides historical context. Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade is a wonderful addition to any school, public or classroom library!

Picture Book Review: Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein

Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein. unpgd. Candlewick Press, September, 2018. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Our irrepressible interrupting chicken is back and her patient papa continues to stoically submit to his little chick's insistence that the literary term is not the element of surprise, but the elephant of surprise. Papa tries to prove her wrong by whipping out a book of fairy tales and dang, if that pesky elephant doesn't show up every time! Even when he resorts to making up his own story, interrupting chicken illustrates and gets that elephant of surprise to show up!

Fans of the first book, Interrupting Chicken, which won a Caldecott Honor, will be tickled to revisit chicken and her papa. Fans who find this one will demand the first. And deservedly so. In fact, I needed to run over to the library to borrow Interrupting Chicken!

Again, the mixed media art shines here. The colors are warm and there's plenty of detail to catch the eye, such as the school bus viewed through the window of the living room. The textures are inviting as well. One can see crayon markings as well as colored pencil strokes. Papa, as caregiver continues to dote and seems to have an after-school routine. He leaves his computer to devote his entire attention to chicken. Alas, his attempts at gentle correction fall on deaf ears and he attempts to prove it with a story. 

The art for the "storybook" parts is different, seeming to be pen and ink, but the background contains interesting details for young eagle eyed readers/ listeners.

Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise is a #nevertoooldforpicturebooks picture book. It can be shared with older students as a playful introduction to the literary device and younger students will hoot with glee over chicken's exuberant free spirit. She's definitely an outside-the-box thinker. Highly recommended for everyone young and old. 

Here's a link to an adorable trailer.

Picture Book Review: Storm by Sam Usher

Storm by Sam Usher. unpgd. Templar Books/ Candlewick Press, August, 2018.9781536202823. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Our favorite little redheaded boy and his doting granddad are back in another lovely flight of fancy. This time, the boy awakens to wind rattling the windows and he just cannot wait to get outside. When he suggests all the things the two could do in the wind, granddad suggests that "It's the perfect day to fly a kite! But we'll have to find it first." While the wind blows mightily, the two search high and low for the kite and stop to reminisce about everything they do find, like a cricket bat. When the kite is finally found, they bundle up and head out to the park where the wind gathers all the kite fliers and whisks them into the sky for a swirling, twirling adventure.

The ink and watercolor art is glorious from cover to cover. Funny little details are embedded on most pages and invite lingering. Every child needs imaginary play and a granddad like this. Share this one and all the "Granddad" books, Snow, Sun, and Rain widely.

Picture Book Review: A Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach

A Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach. unpgd. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., March, 2018. 9781338129366. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

For the first ten years of my school library gig, I worked in a k - 8 school. While it definitely had its trials, one of the joys of my job was sharing absolutely rollicking silly books with my K - 2 students. Sometimes, I even shared them K - 8. (I'm looking at you, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!) This is one I would look forward to reading.

The story starts on the end-pages; so don't skip them. We've got a lot of ducks hanging around an office where the phone is ringing. Bernie, the dog answers and assures the caller that he can, indeed, supply a truck full of ducks. Unfortunately, one extra-hungry duck eats the dog's directions. Not to worry, our intrepid hound will ask random passers-by if they ordered a truck full of ducks. These include a little girl wanting to mail her brother "very far away;" a construction worker waiting for a dump truck; some dudes waiting for an ice cream truck; a pirate waiting for a cracker truck; and a pirate waiting for a cracker truck. Eventually, the ducks need a (hilarious) pit stop, and after one more mismatch, they end up in a dark and scary forest, where the ducks are meant to be delivered to H. Ungry Fox. Yikes!

This exuberantly illustrated picture book contains plenty of visual humor so let your young readers linger. This is a terrific book for reading aloud. 

Picture Book Review: Sleep, My Bunny by Rosemary Wells

Sleep, My Bunny by Rosemary Wells. unpgd. Candlewick Press, November 13, 2018. 9780763692629. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Bedtime rituals for children are so important. They should be started really early and should always, always include reading. So it should come as no surprise that there are tons of "good night" books to choose from in any library or bookstore. A number feature bunnies. Not surprising, really. Bunnies are quintessentially cuddly. 

I discovered Rosemary Wells thirty-two and a half years ago when my own Max was born and we received a set of Max the Bunny board books along with a Max stuffy. The board books and Max doll are packed away but they are remembered fondly. Several of them have some toddler teeth marks on the corners. We also bought other Max and Ruby picture books over the years and Shy Charles was beloved as well. Others were borrowed from the public library. Wells has written over 120 books for children. There really is something for everyone in her impressive body of work.

Somehow, we missed Sleep, My Bunny, which was originally published in 1979 as "Good Night, Sweet Prince" in Don't Spill It Again, James. Candlewick Press is releasing Sleep, My Bunny as its own picture book on November 13. 

The art, while still cartoonish, is softer and, opens with an impressionistic  painting of a tree and a snug little house at sunset. The scene is evocative of Van Gogh with its rich points of colors. The text is framed by solid green and surrounded by a variety of stippled colorful backgrounds that are mirrored in the window of each illustration.

Each illustration features a moment in a small bunny family starting at dinner with mother pouring some milk. Father helps baby bunny clean up the toys. Mother gets him ready for a bath. Father sits at the side of the tub and talks. Mother reads and Father plays his violin. It's delightful that both parents participate. The text is spare and soothing and invites snuggling and snoozing. Sleep, My Bunny would be a perfect gift for new and expectant parents. It is also a perfect way to continue celebrating Picture Book Month!

Candlewick Press generously provided me with an extra copy and a signed poster to offer in a giveaway! To enter, please leave a comment and include your email address. I will be tweeting the review as well. If you're on Twitter, retweet and I will add your name again. I'm @kahnbrenda. (Yeah, I know. I had proseandkahn when Twitter first started but deactivated the account. Now, it's taken.)

I will choose a winner on its book birthday, November 13.

Picture Book Review: Loops Repeat, Repeat by Patricia Stockland

Loops Repeat, Repeat by Patricia Stockland. Illustrated by SR. Sánchez. Music by Drew Temperante. 24 p. Cantata Learning, October, 2018. 9781684103904. (Review from finished copy received courtesy of publisher at SLJ Leadership Summit.)

Zippy rhyming text introduce the concept of sequencing for young coders-to-be in this brightly colored cheerful book. Backmatter contains the song lyrics, sheet music with QR code to link to the music, a glossary, three books to learn more and three guided reading activities making this a nice title to use with your youngest coders.