It’s not often I discover a terrific new picture book.
This summer I hit the jackpot.
The Yellow Bus, by Loren Long
Loren Long is a great author and illustrator. His book, Otis, about a farm tractor and a cow is well known and one of my favorites. This new book is nothing at all like I expected. After reading the book, I had a strong sense of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree and Virginia Lee Burton’s The Little House. I told Loren Long on FB, and he immediately came back to me and said, “That’s exactly how I felt. Those were the two books.” Wow!
Penelope Rex, by Ryan Higgins
Ryan Higgins is well known for his hilarious Mother Bruce books. His new character is Penelope. She’s a T-Rex, yet she is just like everyone else. This is the second book in the series, and it hits home with children. Penelope has a new pet, a saber-toothed cat. He’s a problem, a big problem. Penelope has to be brave, and figure out how to control her pet.
The Little Red Chair, by Cathy Stefanec Ogren
This is a timeless book, deemed to become a classic. Mia sees a red chair in a store window and knows it is the perfect chair for her. The first page of the book reads:
The little red chair tightened its buttons, fluffed its tufts, and straightened its tiny brass wheels. Squeakity-squeak! Maybe today, thought the little red chair.
The chair goes through life with Mia, the seasons, and the ensuing years. Throughout the story, the chair always has love and hope, and a squeakity-squeak. The big move comes, and the chair…. well, you’ll have to read the story.
Lost. Found., by Marsha Diane Arnold
Wordless books are powerful. When a book has only two words – Lost, Found – the power is intensified. A stiff wind blows away bear’s scarf. Lost. Beaver finds it and wraps it into a cap. Found. The scarf gets caught on a tree branch. Lost. And so the story of the scarf goes from animal to animal, each discovering a different use for the scarf, yet always ending in Lost and Found. When all the animals, together, find the lost scarf, their excitement tears the scarf into threads of yarn. Another Lost. Bear comes to the rescue. The Found is both knitting the scarf back together and the Found of new friends.
Sea Dog BOATS, an Alphabet Book,
by Astrid Sheckels
For boat lovers and dog lovers, this is THE book for you. Each letter in the alphabet depicts a boat, from Airboat to Zodiac. The illustrations bring every boat to life, along with its dog driver. Walter the sea dog is in the D boat, the Dory. I learned about N a narrowboat, and Q a q-ship. Can you guess what X is? This is a wonderful book. Boats and dogs make the alphabet come to life.
Jump for Joy, by Karen Gray Ruelle
Joy loved dogs. She had always loved dogs and wanted a dog. Big dogs, little dogs, it didn’t matter. She’d know her dog when she saw him. Jump loved kids. He’d loved kids for as long as he could remember. Jump wanted a kid, big kid, little kid, spotted kid, curly kid. It didn’t matter.
That sets the stage for Joy and Jump going through the seasons making something from nature. Joy made a dog out of flowers in the spring and called him Tulip. Jump made a kid out of sand in the summer and called her Sandy. Each structure, cleverly named, ends up ruined by the weather. The following spring their first creative structures begin to bloom, and the rest is history.
Jennie
I was fortunate to see this original painting.
Sew together,
