Contrary Creatures: Unique Animal Opposites
​by James Weinberg

Weinberg uses bold graphic design to compare animal characteristics. The cover sets the stage with a wave-like separation between life on land and life underwater. The title font remains the same for both words. However, color and text position offer important informational cues. The demarcation between the two environments is neatly pierced with shafts of light streaming from the sky and penetrating the deep water.  ​Interior pages include comparisons of animal size, habitat, as well as distinguishing features and behaviors. There is even a nod to imaginary animals found in stories and legends. A listing of the creatures along with a brief description of each can be found at the back of the book.

Home for a Penguin, Home for a Whale
​by Brenda Williams   ill Annalisa Beghelli      

Images of ocean life, both in the water and near the shore, follow a wave-like motion across two-page spreads. Brenda Williams’ rhythmic couplets undulate along with these animals, visually reinforcing the text’s aquatic theme. Annalisa Beghelli uses various shades of blue as the primary background. Generally the deeper blues are at the bottom of the spreads, with color values becoming lighter near the page top. Animals are depicted with a light whimsical touch.  Sharks and barracudas to not appear particularly menacing. A fun read aloud with a bonus: a tiny sea snail is hidden on each page, waiting to be discovered.

The Brain Storm by Linda Ragsdale ill Claudio Molina

The title is a clever play on words. There's brainstorm, a group consideration of a problem. Then there is a brainstorm, a condition where one is unable to think clearly. Linda Ragsdale combines the two in her wordless picture book, The Brain Storm. A boy wakes up in a foul mood. Maybe it's the ringing alarm clock. Perhaps it's a hold-over from yesterday's problems. Whatever the source, a cloud is looming over the head of our young protagonist. This dark storm manages to escape the hat on his head, and take residence in his backpack, his locker, and his attitude. Every activity and every person he encounters is affected by his gloom. At the end of the day, he arrives home. A loving caregiver, perhaps grandma, takes a look at that scrawl hovering overhead. She sets to work with her knitting needles, taking the strands of the tangled mass of misery to fashion a sweater. What can he do with her creation? Wear it? Stare at it? Kick it around?

Claudio Molina simple illustrations with ample white space allow the swirling tornado of a brainstorm prominence on each page. Backgrounds are kept to a minimum, usually a line drawing with a few touches of color A distinguishing feature of the boy's face are his expressive eyebrows. Molina conveys emotions with a brow's shape and angle. Tiny button nose and no mouth, draw attention to this facial feature. Readers finally see a mouth, curved into a gentle smile on the book's concluding page, when the brainstorm is gone. Share this book. Then consider ways to move beyond the stormy moments in life.

Bad Days Happen

Bad days come for us all.  Meet Alexander and Grumpy Pants who have their own very bad days.

Worry-free Sleep

For children experiencing nighttime anxiety, a quitapena may be the solution. Handmade by a family in Guatemala, these worry dolls come in a colorful cloth pouch.

Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson ill Don Tate

Deborah Hopkinson introduces young readers to an important historical figure: Carter G. Woodson. ​Born in 1875, the son of a formerly enslaved father and mother, young Carter grew up hearing the stories of his Virginian parents' struggles. Times were hard for this family. As a result, Woodson left school in his early teens to labor as a farm-hand, garbage collector, and coal miner. He and other West Virginia coal miners were often invited to the home of Oliver Jones, a Civil War veteran. Carter would read the newspapers to Jones and the other miners, researching and answering their questions.

Carter Reads the Newspaper is an excellent introduction to African American History Month. Use this poster with a display of books featuring biographies, historical accounts, historical fiction, and other works by Black authors and illustrators.  Download a copy of the poster featuring an inspiring quote and art by Don Tate.

Fearless Mary:
The True Adventures of Mary Fields, American Stagecoach Driver
by Tami Charles ill Claire Almon

Mary Fields was a stagecoach driver in Montana during the 1890's. Her story is fascinating. This former slave defied racial, gender, and age-related prejudice, serving as a mail carrier to Saint Peter's Mission. She successfully took on what was considered "man's work." Being "first" is hard. Not everyone likes the idea of a woman driving a stagecoach. Tami Charles weaves together incidents from Field's life to create a compelling tale: protecting mail from thieves, unleashing her trained eagle on would-be marauders, standing guard overnight to save her cargo from a pack of wolves. Remarkably, during her eight years of mail delivery she never lost a horse or a package.

Meet Mary Fields

Mary Fields, also known as Stagecoach Mary, is a dynamic individual. While much of her life are unknown, a few documents survive which chronicle her personal history.  Charles limits the book's narrative to Fields’ years as a contract driver. She softens her portrayal of Mary, referring to her rifle as an "iron weapon." It is seen only in shadow on her back.

Photos and biographical information History Stories website.

This board book is a little gem. Consider the following: The engaging text has a song-like quality using rhymes and rhythms. Lesser-known animal species are introduced. Math multiples, an interesting concept rarely covered in picture books, is a major component.   It's forever and always a celebration of the enduring love of a parent. Heather Swain infuses the text with some powerful scientific terminology: appendages, arachnids, cephalopod, isopod, tentacles.  She weaves them so smoothly into the rhymes that they easily roll off the tongue. Steven Henry's charming illustrations provide important context clues for unknown words.  The bold color pallet and winsome facial expressions on the animal faces are a delight.

The Benefits of Hugging

According to Healthline newsletter: ​Hugs reduce stress by showing your support  Hugs may protect you against illness  Hugs may boost your heart health  Hugs can make you happier  Hugs help reduce your fears  Hugs may help reduce your pain  Hugs help you communicate with others

Hug +  Book= Happiness

Firefly Forest by Robyn Frampton  ill Mike Heath

Small Wonders

D is for Dragon Dance by Ying Chang Compestine ill YongSheng Xuan

Originally published in 2006, Compestine’s celebration of Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, is a vibrant compendium of Chinese culture. Presented in an alphabetical format, readers observe youngsters as they prepare for and participate in this annual fifteen-day  traditional festival. Children anticipate New Year by crafting messages on red paper and getting haircuts. Enjoy mouth-watering traditional foods: noodles, oranges, roast duck, and dumplings. Join in the celebrating with kites, lanterns, incense, and firecrackers. Xuan’s illustrations are replete with gorgeous jewel colors.  Soft yellow backgrounds play up the vibrant reds. He seamlessly blends images across the gutter, skillfully joining two distinct concepts into one image. Objects such as the imposing dragon figure span an entire two-page spread. This creature is magnificent!

Background 

Celebrate the New Year

Newbery Award-winning author illustrator Grace Lin celebrates the New Year.

Learn to read and write basic Chinese characters with Chineasy created by ShaoLan.

Make delicious dumplings with author and cook Ying Chang Compestine.

Liu Na's graphic novel of her childhood in China.

Dear Santa, I Know It Looks Bad but It It Wasn't My Fault!
by Norma Lewis
ill Olivia Beckman

​Ten days before Christmas: The pet canary is missing, There is cat poop in the neighbor's sandbox. The cat's head is stuck inside an empty milk pitcher. A week before Christmas: Scalawag climbs up the holiday tree. The tree topples over. All the ornaments are shattered. The tablecloth catches on fire. Miss Violet is temporarily knocked unconscious.

Porcelain Ornament

Cotton Bandana

Pet Collar ID Tag

Khalida and the Most Beautiful Song by Amanda Moeckel

Khalida and the Most Beautiful Song is a tribute to the power of inspiration and determination. Khalida is awakened from slumber by a melody stirring inside her. This young pianist heads to the keyboard in search of the haunting tune. Time and time again she sits down to the piano to capture the music in her head. Repeatedly she is told "Not now." Not at home. Not at school. Not at her music lesson. When the melody returns to her mind during a visit to the park, she races toward the piano located on the park's grandstand. Khalida is determined to capture this song. She begins to play the music that has been welling up inside her. Music flowed through her fingers, onto the keys, and into the air.

The song ripples around Khalida as she sleeps.

She searches for the opportunity to bring her inspiration to life.

The young musician brings the  music inside her to life.

Meet Amanda

Amanda is a 2015 MFA graduate from the School of Visual Arts.  In addition to illustrating children's books, she also teaches, works for editorial publications, accepts personal commissions, and maintains a pet portrait business.   View the video trailer for her dummy picture book Only Good Dreams, her thesis project for the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program.

Book Trailer - "Only the Good Dreams" from Amanda Moeckel on Vimeo.

More Picture Books

The Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2018

​Since 1952, we’ve convened a rotating annual panel of three expert judges, who consider every illustrated children’s book published that year in the United States. They select the winners purely on the basis of artistic merit. The judges this time were Leonard Marcus, a children’s literature historian and critic; Jenny Rosenoff, a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library; and Bryan Collier, the author and illustrator of many acclaimed picture books and a past winner of the award.