Previously in my capacity as Children's Department Manager for the
Odyssey Book Shop, I had the opportunity to look over publisher's
catalogues at the new books for each season. I was lucky enough to get
my hands on some Fall 2011 catalogues, so decided to revive my seasonal
picture book highlights series.
Disclaimer: I have not seen these books with my
own eyes. So, these books have been chosen
based on my knowledge of the author and/or illustrator's previous work,
the catalogue description, and my own personal taste.
Love, Mouserella
by David Ezra Stein
9780399254109, $16.99
Mouserella misses her grandmouse, so she writes her a letter. At first
she can't think of anything to say, but once she starts, the news begins
to flow - she found a cat whisker at the zoo, she taught her ladybug to
fetch, she made shadow puppets with Dadmouse during a blackout - and
just like that, the events of the past few days come to vivid life in
her letter, as does her love for Grandmouse. Children will enjoy
reading the story from top to bottom, like a real letter, and
Mouserella's funny drawings and lively adventures will spark their
imaginations and just might inspire them to start a correspondence of
their own.
Bun Bun Button
by Patricia Polacco
9780399254727, $17.99
Paige loves cuddling with Gramma and all of Gramma's pets in the Old
Blue Chair. And when Gramma makes her Bun Bun Button, an adorable
homemade stuffed bunny with a button nose, this special time becomes
even more cozy. Then a balloon carries the little bunny away. Bun Bun
braves honking geese and a wide night sky, until luck - or love -
magically brings her back home to the little girl who loves her. This
heartwarming story celebrates the special bond between grandparents and
grandchildren, and is perfect for children who imagine their toys have
secret adventures when no one's watching.
Otis and the Tornado
by Loren Long
9780399254772, $17.99
Otis and his farm friends are enjoying a summer's day playing their
favorite game, follow-the-leader. The bull, however, has no interest in
playing and stays in his pen, where he delights in intimidating the
other animals. Suddenly the day turns frightening: the birds stop
chirping, the wind picks up, and the sky turns dark and stormy. It's a
tornado! Otis rouses a game of follow-the-leader to get all of the farm
animals safe and sound in the dried-up riverbanks of Mud Creek. But Otis
hears a cry in the distance - it's the bull, still locked in his pen!
Quick as his tires will take him, Otis
putt puff puttedy chuffs back to the farm to save the day. This brand-new adventure is a perfect accompaniment to any Otis lover's bookshelf and story time.
Shhh!
by Valerie Gorbachev
9780399254291, $16.99
When baby brother is sleeping, it's time to be ever so quiet. There's no
singing or jumping or laughing at all. Even the toys need to be quiet!
The pirates stop firing their cannons, the knights stop fighting, even
the tiger stops growling. But when baby wakes up . . . it's time to jump
and laugh and sing again! And the knights begin to fight, the pirates
fire up the cannons, and the tiger growls so loudly! Until it's time to
be quiet once again. In this beautifully and expressively
illustrated picture book, we celebrate the love between siblings as a
big brother uses his imagination to calm his urge to cause a ruckus so
that his little brother can sleep.
Stuck
by Oliver Jeffers
9780399257377, $16.99
When Floyd's kite gets stuck in a tree, he's determined to get it out.
But how? Well, by knocking it down with his shoe, of course. But
strangely enough, it too gets stuck. And the only logical course of
action . . . is to throw his other shoe. Only now
it's stuck!
Surely there must be something he can use to get his kite unstuck. An
orangutan? A boat? His front door? Yes, yes, and yes. And that's only
the beginning.
Stuck is Oliver Jeffers' most absurdly funny story since
The Incredible Book-Eating Boy.
Childlike in concept and vibrantly illustrated as only Oliver Jeffers
could, here is a picture book worth rescuing from any tree.
King Jack and the Dragon
by Peter Bently, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
9780803736986, $17.99
An irresistible knights-and-dragons fantasy for the very young, in the tradition of Oxenbury's enduring classic
We're Going on a Bear Hunt.
Jack,
Zack, and baby Caspar spend all day fighting dragons in their homemade
fort. But when Sir Zack and Caspar are taken inside for bed, King Jack -
alone on his throne - finds himself feeling a bit less brave . . .
especially when he hears a thing approaching, a
thing with four legs. A
rollicking read-aloud with a charming surprise ending and Helen
Oxenbury's spare, expressive illustrations, this kid-pleaser is a
classic in the making.
The Amazing Adventures of Bumblebee Boy
by David Soman and Jacky Davis
9780803734180, $16.99
When Sam turns into Bumblebee Boy to defeat pirates, fight dragons, and
tame saber-tooth lions, he doesn't need his little brother, Owen,
butting in and ruining his adventures. Bumblebee Boy flies alone! But
what happens when Bumblebee Boy comes face-to-face with more scary
aliens than even he can imagine? Owen is there, garbed in goggles and a
towel cape, and he just might be the perfect alien-fighting sidekick. For
all young superhero fans with big imaginations and curious siblings,
here's a hilarious and sweet new adventure from the creative team who
knows
exactly how kids think.
Blue Chicken
by Deborah Freedman
9780670012930, $15.99
In this deceptively simple picture book, author-illustrator Deborah
Freedman has created an irresistible character that springs to life and
wreaks havoc in a farmyard with a pot of blue paint. The innocent
chicken just wants to help, but things get worse and worse-and bluer and
bluer--the more she tries. Playing with colors and perspective, and
using minimal text, this richly layered story reveals new things to see
and laugh about with each reading.
Little Owl's Night
by Divya Srinivasan
9780670012954, $16.99
It's evening in the forest and Little Owl wakes up from his day-long
sleep to watch his friends enjoying the night. Hedgehog sniffs for
mushrooms, Skunk nibbles at berries, Frog croaks, and Cricket sings. A
full moon rises and Little Owl can't understand why anyone would want to
miss it. Could the daytime be nearly as wonderful? Mama Owl begins to
describe it to him, but as the sun comes up, Little Owl falls fast
asleep. Putting a twist on the bedtime book,
Little Owl's Night is sure to comfort any child with a curiosity about the night.
