Fiction titles

 

 

Calvin Can’t Fly by Jennifer Byrne
In a lively children's book debut, Bendis contributes gouache cartoons that bring action and droll wit to Berne's (Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau) story about valuable experiences to be found both inside and outside books. Young starling Calvin--humorously depicted as a squarish, wide-eyed bird with long, spindly legs--is a loner. While his seven siblings and more than 67,000 cousins ("Starlings have big families") learn how to fly, Calvin spends his days reading. Hurt by taunts of "nerdy birdie" and "geeky beaky," the book lover waddles to the library, "the only place where he was happy." When it's time to head south for the winter and Calvin still doesn't know how to fly, the other starlings gamely tie strings to him to tow him along. An approaching hurricane gives Calvin a chance to show off his book smarts ("We need to get out of the path of a violent, tropical weather system, which... will not diminish until it encounters large stretches of landmass!"). Regular doses of humor in the text and art happily keep the story from migrating into sentimentality.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead
Amos McGee, an elderly man who works at the zoo, finds time each day for five special friends. With empathy and understanding he gives the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl the attention they need. One morning, Amos wakes up with a bad cold and stays home in bed. His friends wait patiently and then leave the zoo to visit him. Their trip mirrors his daily bus ride to the zoo and spans three nearly wordless spreads. Amos, sitting up in bed, clasps his hands in delight when his friends arrive. The elephant plays chess with him, and the tortoise plays hide-and-seek. The penguin keeps Amos's feet warm, while the rhinoceros offers a handkerchief when Amos sneezes. They all share a pot of tea. Then the owl, knowing that Amos is afraid of the dark, reads a bedtime story as the other animals listen. They all sleep in Amos's room the rest of the night. The artwork in this quiet tale of good deeds rewarded uses woodblock-printing techniques, soft flat colors, and occasional bits of red. Illustrations are positioned on the white space to move the tale along and underscore the bonds of friendship and loyalty. Whether read individually or shared, this gentle story will resonate with youngsters.

I Broke My Trunk! by Mo Willems (and other Elephant and Piggie books)
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends. In I Broke My Trunk! Gerald tells Piggie the long, crazy story about breaking his trunk. Will Piggie end up with a long, crazy story of her own?

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
In a picture book that is as charming and comic as Pouch! (Putnam, 2009), Stein again represents an affectionate parent's trials with a vigorous child. At bedtime, despite a rooster papa's best efforts to share classic fairy tales with his daughter, Little Red Chicken's soft heart means she can't help but jump into each story to warn Hansel and Gretel and then Red Riding Hood about impending danger, and to assure Chicken Little: Don't panic! It was just an acorn. In each case, the story abruptly ends, wearying the father with what to do next. When he convinces his daughter to compose her own story, she fills four pages with preschool-style spelling and drawings about a chicken putting her papa to bed, but her tale is interrupted by Papa's snores. At the end, the pair cuddle together, asleep. Stein's droll cartoons use watercolor, crayon, china marker, pen, and tea. The rich colors of the characters perfectly contrast with the sepia pages of the storybooks. This is one of the rare titles that will entertain both parent and child.

City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems
Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2010: Over the past decade, Mo Willems and Jon J. Muth have each created some of the most memorable animal stories for young readers. Working collaboratively for the first time, these award-winning authors have produced a picture book tale that is as fresh and timeless as the genre itself. City Dog, Country Mouse brings the joy of unexpected friendship and the beauty of the seasons into focus. The two seemingly incompatible animals--a free-range frog and a curious urban dog--teach young readers of the endless possibilities that unfold when we share the best of ourselves with each other.

Fine Feathered Friends by Wong Herbert Yee (and other Mouse and Mole books)
This is the fourth book about best friends Mouse and Mole.. This time they are attempting to sketch birds but they encounter several problems. When they are all set to draw a bird, he flies away. They find a cardinal, a goldfinch, and a blue jay, but they all fly away at the slightest noise. Mouse has an idea, so the next day they cut up some clothes, put glue on the clothes they are wearing, and roll in the pieces of cloth. Now that they think they look like birds, they decide that they need to build a nest. After many cooperative attempts, they finally sit in the nest and are able to sketch the birds without having them fly away. The story provides lots of examples of how Mouse and Mole help and appreciate each other by exchanging compliments and high fives. The references to the types of birds and their sounds add educational value to the text. The last chapter shows how Mole has strengths as an artist and how Mouse is good at writing poetry. A very cooperative conclusion to the story happens when Mouse and Mole put a book together and call it "Fine Feathered Friends." Small illustrations on each page fit the story well.

Forever Friends by Carin Berger
The appeal of this book lies in its elegantly designed collage pictures. Berger plays textures like tree bark, block-printed leaves and chunks of typography against airy backgrounds of graph paper, exercise-book pages and blocks of simple color. Trees and flowers embellish the pages with the freshness of those beautiful Japanese prints decorated with boughs of cherry blossoms. The trajectories of the sveltely shaped animals (Matisse comes to mind) as they fly and hop in their play are described in dotted lines that swoop and bounce around the pages like science diagrams that went to art school. The effect is aesthetically refined but also warm. Berger adds little details, like a sliver of pink in the rabbit's ear, that lift the image off the page both graphically and emotionally.

Otis by Loren Long
The Washington Post - Kristi Jemtegaard
How this little left-behind machine goes from has-been to hero is an all-too-familiar but nonetheless satisfying trope that will leave young readers with smiles as big as Otis's goofy grin. Loren Long's almost monochromatic palette, punctuated by reds and yellows, focuses all the attention exactly where it needs to be: on the David-and-Goliath disparity between Otis and his replacement.

How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills
This sweet picture book starring an irresistible dog named Rocket and his teacher, a little yellow bird, is perfect for back-to-school! Follow along as Rocket masters the alphabet, sounds out words, and finally . . . learns to read all on his own. With a story that makes reading fun-and will even help listeners learn to read-this book is ideal for kindergarten classrooms and story hour or as a gift for that beginning reader. Fresh, charming art by Tad Hills, the New York Times bestselling author/illustrator of Duck & Goose, will make this a favorite.

I Can be Anything by Jerry Spinelli
Spinelli takes the common theme of kids wondering what to be when they grow up and gives it a charming twist. In rhyming phrases a young boy considers: “When I grow up, what shall I be? / Of all the many, many jobs, which one will be the best for me? Pumpkin grower / dandelion blower / paper-plane folder / puppy-dog holder.” Spinelli’s cunning touch is that all of the possibilities are things a kid can do right now, without having to go through all the pesky waiting of growing up. A gatefold at the end provides the solution: he is going to choose every one of them! The exuberant, larger-than-life watercolor-and-acrylic illustrations evoke the whimsy of the imagined scenarios and include a troupe of rabbits that appears somewhere on each page. A simple concept wonderfully executed. Preschool-Kindergarten.

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Melanie Watt (and other Scaredy Squirrel books)
That worrywart Scaredy Squirrel (2006) returns in another hilarious tale, this time contemplating a beach vacation. Concerned about falling coconuts, seagulls, and lobsters, however, he decides to build his own beach. After a burst of squirrel creativity, he is soon lounging on a bed of kitty litter, soaking in sun from a flashlight, and contemplating the water in his inflatable pool. Unfortunately, there’s something amiss, which puts Scaredy on course to a real beach to acquire a seashell. As might be expected, his preparations for the visit involve much more than just packing a suit. In fact, the only thing that slips beneath his radar are people—who eventually win him over and also inspire a funny addition to his own sunbather’s haven. In appealing, flat colors, Watt’s cartoon-style pictures (full spread and graphic-novel-style panels) add joke after joke. With simple shapes bordered in distinctive ribbons of black and white, they deliver a surprise on every page as the obsessive squirrel, with toothy grin and boundless imagination, scampers around, trying to anticipate everything that can go wrong.

Yucky Worms by Vivian French
Worms – fun, fascinating and wriggly worms! The humble earthworm plays a significant role in the environment, as all farmers and gardeners know: it aerates the soil, composts dead matter into rich humus in which seeds can germinate and plants can grow. Children love them too – especially for their wriggliness!

Almost by Richard Torrey
In this chipper story, "almost six"-year-old Jack chronicles all the things he can do (almost) since he's "almost grown up." Torrey's (the Beans Baker series) pencil-and-watercolor illustrations have an up-close perspective that makes readers privy to the warmly humorous truth behind Jack's assertions. Smoke pours from the toaster and Jack sloshes milk across the kitchen table ("I can almost make my own breakfast"); his attempt to build a robot is shown to be a jury-rigged vacuum cleaner with the addition of a spatula, football helmet and baseball glove; and his "almost" winning home run is more of a duck-and-cover maneuver as the umpire announces "Strike three!" Children impatient to step into the shoes of their older siblings or friends will find a kindred spirit in Jack and take comfort in his literal ups and downs. Touching and true to life.

The Great Monster Hunt by Norbert Landa
When Duck awakens to the sound of "pshh pshh!" coming from under her bed, she is too afraid to look. She calls from her window to Pig and tells him about the scary "pshh pshh, grrr!" sound. The porker goes to fetch Bear, who is strong, and tells of the sound. Soon Wolf and clever Owl are added to the group, and the noise has gotten much longer and more menacing. Owl declares Duck in danger, and Pig is convinced that only a monster would make such a sound. Once monster-catching tools have been gathered, the group makes its way to Duck's bed, where they discover a tiny mouse snoring underneath. They all giggle as Owl announces that they've "made a monster out of a mouse!" Landa's suspenseful (but not too scary) text is fun to read, especially the alarming sounds, which are set in large type and a multitude of fonts. Warnes's illustrations bring the text to life with apt expressions and a sense of urgency. As the story progresses, the artist subtly tracks the passage of time with the rising of the sun—a nice touch. Great for reading out loud.

I Am the Dog by Daniel Pinkwater
Pinkwater (Beautiful Yetta: The Yiddish Chicken) and Davis give readers absurdity aplenty in this story about a boy, Jacob, and his dog, Max, who agree to change places. "When we woke up.... I stretched. I yawned. I scratched behind my ear--all the things I had seen Max do." Davis (Marsupial Sue) pictures Jacob crouched on all fours with a bone in his mouth as Max stands on a stool furiously brushing his teeth ("He ate a lot of toothpaste"). Jacob's parents are happy to play along, feeding Jacob his breakfast on the floor and sending Max to school in his place. Pinkwater's deadpan prose benefits mightily from the off-the-wall humor in Davis's paintings (as Max, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, greets his classmates, Jacob watches from the car, a toy ball stuffed in his mouth). Jacob's conclusion, after a day of trading homework and school for playing fetch and napping, will ring true for kids--especially those who are overscheduled. "Both of us had learned something," he says. "Being a dog is better."

Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
The conversations in Bink and Gollie, written by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, provide the illustrator, Tony Fucile, with the foundations of a world he fleshes out to create a place both oddly particular and warmly familiar…Bink and Gollie are welcome human newcomers in a world of easy readers largely populated by animals. They join the ranks of George and Martha, Frog and Toad, Zelda and Ivy and all the other resilient pairs that celebrate the challenges and strengths of a great friendship.

What About Bear? by Suzanne Bloom
Bloom's splendid friends Bear and Goose return with a humorous lesson about making new friends without losing the old ones. When Bear and Goose are happily playing, a small fox asks to join them. But then he wants to play different games, activities that he says Bear cannot join. Goose does not want his friend to leave. So, "What about me?" asks the fox. "You can be our new friend," says Goose. And they can all play together. Bloom uses just a few words in large type, leaving the large double pages free for the three appealing characters. Pastels create a textured, rather unkempt polar bear, sensitive despite his size. Goose is the clown, whose facial expressions and body gestures aided by his acrobatic neck keep the games going. The small reddish fox is the superficially innocent, doll-like newcomer to the action. There is a visual elegance to this trio that makes the brief text almost redundant. Do not overlook the endpapers.

Mama, Is it Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure
In a world of full-color picture books, black and white illustrations have to work a little harder to get noticed. Yet as in her previous book, Cynthia Rylant's All in a Day, McClure's cut-paper scenes do more than just support the story; they form its heart. In contrast to the sweet domesticity of the writing (“Mama, is it summer yet? Not yet, my little one. But the buds are swelling. Soon new leaves will unfold”), the bold outlines of the images convey strength. The substantial yet delicate lines that outline the figures and objects possess a visual rhythm, creating forms that repeat or echo (a ball of twine recalls a tree branch, swallows' heavily stylized tails mimic ripples in a pond). Set against pale yellow and accented with other cheery colors, idyllic scenes unfold as summer approaches: mother and son gather sticks for a shelter (while a squirrel steals their twine), craft a wind sock, and put on rubber boots and go canoeing. When summer finally comes, readers will rejoice with the boy. McClure's deceptively simple work carries unexpected visual force and real pleasure.

Brontorina by James Howe
Howe (Bunnicula) pens a humorous and inspiring tale about a big dinosaur with a big dream: "n my heart," Brontorina says, "I am a ballerina." Thoughtful, white-haired instructor Madame Lucille is willing to give it a try. A rocky transition period (the studio's ceiling takes a lot of punishment) is at last resolved when Madame Lucille moves her classes outdoors, with the promise that Brontorina's struggle will open up the world of ballet to still more candidates--the studio's new sign reads, "Madame Lucille's Outdoor Dance Academy for Girls and Boys and Dinosaurs and Cows." The final page shows a triceratops holding Brontorina high, a silent retort to Madame Lucille's earlier despairing wail: "And how in the world will a male dancer ever lift you over his head?" Cecil (Gator) contributes oil paintings whose simple forms are balanced by sophisticated textures and restrained colors, while he has fun punching up the contrast between the massive Brontorina and her tiny classmates. Meanwhile, asides from the kids provide a string of giggles. It's a satisfying story that adheres closely to its central message about overcoming obstacles.

 

Nonfiction titles

 

Moon Bear by Brenda Z. Guiberson
Guiberson (Life in the Boreal Forest) uses lyrical call-and-response phrases to describe the endangered southeast Asian moon bear's activities, after she wakes from hibernation. “Who scratches the birch tree and licks oozing sap? Hungry moon bear, slurping sweetness after months without food.” Moon bear's dramatic shape—composed of inky-dark cut paper, with a striking, white chest blaze that gives the animal its name—contrasts against Young's (Hook) layered collages, which include photographic images of bark, bamboo, and forest floor. The moon bear marks its territory, eats (a lot), and sleeps, and as time passes, she prepares for hibernation once more; when she reawakens, she emerges a “Mama moon bear,” with cubs. Despite the dangers the bears face (an author's note features photographs of moon bears with information about farms in which thousands of them are kept), the text itself includes only a glancing mention of “poachers and loggers.” The book's subtlety—keeping the focus on the bear's peaceful everyday life, rather than the threats to its existence—is likely to inspire readers' compassion and concern.

Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy
Walter Diemer, an accountant with the Fleer chewing gum company, slowly begins experimenting with ingredients, trying to create bubblegum. One batch is a near miss—his co-workers happily blow bubbles, but “the next day the mixture was as hard as a rock.” But with time, “top secret ingredients,” and the now classic pink coloring, he finally nails it: at a mom-and-pop store, kids blow bubbles for the first time. McCarthy’s thickly painted acrylic cartoons create an expressive 1920s backdrop with bug-eyed characters dressed in the era’s fashions. A closing section supplies numerous facts about gum. Unlike its subject matter, this history lesson is easily digestible.

In the Wild by David Elliot
From the lion standing alone on the African savannah to the panda in a bamboo forest, from the rhinoceros with its boot-like face to the Arctic polar bear disappearing in the snow, the earth is full of curious and wonderful animals, each more extraordinary than the next. David Elliott’s pithy, lyrical verse and Holly Meade’s stunning woodcut and watercolor illustrations reveal a world of remarkable beauty and wonder — and offer an enticing introduction to both favorite animals and poetic forms.

 

Recommended authors

• Tedd Arnold
• Mercer Mayer
• Mo Willems
• Melanie Watt

 

Download a printable version of the recommended K-1 summer reading list (PDF)

Back to summer reading home page