Tag Archives: picture books

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse – Kevin Henkes

Lilly is a cute little white mouse who loves school. She loves the sharpened pencils (she’s a mouse after my own heart) and she loves the chalk (okay, not so much) and her desk and her lunch and her teacher, Mr. Slinger. He was so wonderful. He wore a different colored tie every day of the week. He was friendly, he let them rearrange their desks, and he brought snacks. Being a teacher would be really cool, Lilly thought. She decided to play teacher when she got home, using her baby brother Julius as her student. She told her parents … Continue reading →

Owen – Kevin Henkes

Ah, the special attachment to a childhood blanket. In the Caldecott Honor winning book Owen, by Kevin Henkes, Owen is a young mouse that has had a fuzzy yellow blanket ever since he was a baby. “Fuzzy” goes wherever Owen goes, upstairs, downstairs, inside and out. Since Fuzzy likes whatever Owen likes, Fuzzy also has stains like juice, chocolate milk, and applesauce cake. Everything is fine for Owen and Fuzzy until their next door neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers, tells Owen’s parents that Owen is too old to be carrying around that blanket. That night Owen’s parents tell him that he puts … Continue reading →

And Here’s to You! – David Elliott

This fun children’s picture book is a celebration of life. Each page is illustrated with rich, saturated color, a treat for the eyes. Words of gratitude are frequent, and the reader can feel the joy that comes from going outside on a brilliant spring day and just enjoying nature. The author raises a salute to birds, using his young female narrator to say, “Here’s to you!” She calls them “feather people,” and gives special mention to the birds who whooo, cockadoodledoo, the ones who have red breasts and the ones who sit on telephone wires. She appreciates all of them … Continue reading →

The Tale of Pip and Squeak – Kate Duke

In this charming children’s picture book, we meet Pip and Squeak, two mouse brothers who share a fabulous house. Pip is a painter and has a tower where he creates the most wonderful pictures, but the fumes from his paint make Squeak feel ill. Squeak, on the other hand, is a singer, and can croon the most lovely arias, but Pip says the noise gives him a headache. So Squeak sings in his tower and Pip paints in his, and they never share the big room downstairs except for once a year, when they hold a party and invite all … Continue reading →

Princess Smartypants – Babette Cole

We’ve all heard the stories of the princesses who marry the handsome princes and they all live happily ever after, right? Not so with “Princess Smartypants.” This particular princess has decided that she doesn’t want to get married, and that’s the end of it. Her parents are confused – doesn’t every princess want to get married? They show her the long line of suitors outside their door. Smartypants agrees to give each man a test, and she will marry the man who passes the test. Well, she’s not named Smartypants for nothing. She devised the most clever test she could … Continue reading →

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity – Mo Willems

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity is the sequel to Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. Both books have won Caldecott Honors. In Knuffle Bunny Too, Trixie has grown up a little bit. She’s learned how to talk, and talk, and talk. She and her daddy walk through their neighborhood to get to her school. Trixie is very excited because she is taking her one-of-a-kind stuffed toy Knuffle Bunny to show and tell. She’s very excited to get to show Knuffle Bunny to her teacher and friends. But then she sees Sonja. Sonja is holding a stuffed animal that … Continue reading →

Mr. Gumpy’s Outing – John Burningham

Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham is a classic children’s picture book. My own children laughed with every reading. The book won the 1971 ALA Notable Children’s Book award, the 1972 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 1971, and the 1970 Kate Greenaway Medal. Mr. Gumpy is an English gentleman. He owns a boat, and his house is by a river. One day he goes out in his boat. A boy and girl ask if they can come for a ride. Mr. Gumpy says they can, as long as they don’t squabble. A rabbit … Continue reading →

Dylan the Eagle-Hearted Chicken – David L. Harrison

With a title like that, how could I resist? Ethel the chicken is a proud mama. There’s something special about this one particular egg—she’s already named the chick Dylan, even though he’s not hatched yet. She hides the egg in a safe place so nothing will happen to him. Already she’s dreaming of who he’ll be. But he’s taking forever to hatch. Stiff and sore, Ethel gets up to stretch, and Cawly the crow swoops down and swipes the egg, right off the nest. Ethel tries to fly after him, but only manages to get ten feet off the ground. … Continue reading →

When Cows Come Home – David L. Harrison

You all know what a sucker I am for cute illustrations. While at the library looking for great picture books, I happened upon this one and snatched it up. Right across the front cover is a line of dancing cows. Can it get any better than this? The sun is starting to set and the cows are coming home. They aren’t just walking, however – they’re commuting with style, their hips and tails swaying, their heads held high—they’re like models on a runway. It’s quite inspirational. They contentedly chew their cud as they enter the barn, but if the farmer … Continue reading →

Night Tree – Eve Bunting

In Night Tree a mom, dad, brother and sister bundle into the front seat of a truck. They drive to where “the dark and quiet begin”. This book, by award winning author Eve Bunting, captures a wonderful middle of the night feel. Her quiet soothing story is complimented by the beautiful watercolor illustrations from Ted Rand. The family scrambles out into the moonlight, bringing a box, a lantern, and a blanket. At first I thought they were going to find a tree to chop down, but that isn’t their plan. Along their path they see a deer in the woods, … Continue reading →