Higher and Higher Picture Books of Distinction in 2009 Part 2

In my last post I shared some of the books that were on a list of picture books of distinction for 2009 that I received at the Eric Carle Museum on December 12.  Here are more titles from the list.

Jeremy Draws a Monster  by Peter McCarty.  When I first saw this book I couldn't wait to read it and instantly loved the story about a little boy who after longingly looking at the kids outside playing draws himself a friend in the shape of a monster.  Unfortunately this monster immediately wants Jeremy to draw him more and more and more and Jeremy finally comes up with a solution.  This book is a modern take on the classic stories of Harold and the Purple Crayon and the story of the Magic Paintbrush. 

Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Polly Dunbar.  What do you do when your baby brother is caught in a bubble that has gotten away from you?  Follow it of course along with your mother and the rest of the townspeople to help get him down.  Bright colors give the illustrations in the book a sense of fun including one page where you see what the baby is seeing when he looks down at everyone else.

Bear Flies High by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds.  Michael Rosen who is best known for his telling of the children's rhyme Going on a Bear Hunt has a new series of books involving a bear.  In this book Bear wants to fly and tries to figure out how to make his dream come true.  A group of children help Bear make his dream come true when they take him to an amusement park.  Take a look for Michael Rosen's other book about Bear in Bear's Day Out.  This book is great for fans of Jez Alborough or Karma Wilson.

Birds by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek.  Henkes who is known for his various books including Kitten's First Full Moon, Chrysanthemum and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse has now added a book with various observations about birds to his substantial title list.  This book is punctuated by illustrations by Dronzek who's thickly outlined birds and primary paintbox colors add to each pages thoughts about birds.

How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham  This book simply tells the story of a bird, the boy who sees him fall in a city where no one else does, and the supportive family who helps the boy take of the bird while he heals.  The illustrations reveal the story as it conveys a feeling of hope that this little boy and his family have that this injured pigeon that no one else saw fall out of the sky will once again be able to fly. 

Mission Control, This is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon by Andrew Chaikin and Victoria Kohl, illustrations by Alan Bean.  This year when we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 two books bring their own unique point of view to the story of the space program that we have watched for so many years.  This book looks not only at the July moon landing of Apollo 11 but the missions that came before and after that historical day.  The illustrator of this book has a special perspective of the space program.  Alan Bean was a part of the Apollo 12 mission and walked on the moon as a part of that mission. 

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca.  This book focuses specifically on the Apollo 11 mission that happened in July of 1969 that led to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin being the first men to walk on the moon.  This book begins with the preprerations for their trip as well as their trip into outer space.  The illustrations are done in watercolors, ink and acrylics and the writing brings science and descriptive language together that will have young and old enjoying this book.

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan.  What I have seen and heard about this book (and unfortunately I have not read it from cover to cover) reminds me of Chris Van Allsburg's book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.  I am looking forward to getting my hands on this book and talking more about it in a later post.

There are still 6 titles to go in the list and I will let you know what they are soon.  As always let me know what you're reading and any comments you have about the books I've mentioned in any of my posts.

Keep Reading!
Melinda

Higher and Higher:Picture Books of Distinction-December 12 at the Eric Carle Museum

This past Saturday I attended a lecture at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, MA.  The topic of the lecture was taking a look at picture books of distinction for 2009 and the lecturer was Susan P. Bloom, Professor Emeritus, Simmons College, Boston.  Some of the books mentioned I was was familiar with and others I'm looking forward to taking a closer look.  Here are the first 10 on the list with more to follow.

Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli  Who hasn't pushed a child on a swing and heard the words "Higher! Higher!"?  In this story as a child is pushed on the swing each time she see's things further and further away including inside the zoo, the top of a building, and an explorer at the North Pole as well as things that are further away. 

Imogene's Last Stand by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.  This picture book is one of my favorites of 2009.  Imogene is a young girl who is fascinated by history.  From an early age her passion for history is obvious from her costumes to her current discovery of the town's historical society.  When she finds out that the historical society is being torn down to make way for a shoelace factory Imogene, in the words of a famous american, has not yet begun to fight.  From the end papers that tell where historical quotes come from to the spunky and passionate Imogene this book is wonderful for girls who are looking for the next level from Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious.  It is also a great book to show older children that picture books are appropriate no matter what age you are. 

Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated.  by Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Lane Smith.  Princess Hyacinth has a problem:  She floats.  The king and queen employ a variety of "solutions" to keep her down to earth.  Finally Princess Hyacinth  had enough and after shedding her weighted down clothing (and thanks to the help of a balloon man) she gets to experience what it is like to float free.

Only a Witch Can Fly by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo.  One little girl wants nothing more than to fly and tries repeated with the help of a cat, an owl and her little brother.  A book that reminds us to reach for the stars by following your heart. 

Button Up! Wrinkled Rhymes by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Petra Mathers.  Each of these rhymes focuses on a piece of clothing in a rhyme and the relationship it has with its owner.

Thunder-Boomer! by Shutta Crum, illustrated by Carol Thompson  Nothing feels better in the summer on a hot, steamy day than an old fashion summer storm a.k.a. a thunder boomer.  For this farm family a thunder boomer brings relief and an unexpected surprise.

Egg Drop by Mini Grey  Humpty Dumpty may have had a great fall but in this tale a mother hen tells her chicks about the egg who wanted to fly which has its ups and downs.

Odd Egg by Emily Gravett  For fans of Leo Lionni's An Extraodinary Egg this tale of a duck who wants an egg of his own to hatch when he sees all the other birds with their eggs will be a wonderful companion book.

Hook by Ed Young  In the latest book from Caldecott winner Ed Young, a young Native American boy finds an abandon egg and gives it to his hen to hatch.  Hook is a young eagle who is named for his curved beak and his young friend is determinded to help teach Hook to fly.

Georgia Rises: A Day in the Life of Georgia O'Keefe by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Ora Eitan. Kathryn Lasky imagines a day in the life of Georgia O'Keefe while she lives in New Mexico.  The day begins early in the morning and the colors convey the desert that O'Keefe drew inspiration from.