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The 35 best picture books of 2008
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#1 -- It's Madeline!
This list was created after consulting School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Publisher’s Weekly, Amazon.com editors’ picks and with the hearty help of Manhattan’s most knowledgeable children’s bookseller, Peter Glassman of Books of Wonder.
#1 Madeline and the Cats of Rome by John Bemelmans Marciano (Viking Juvenile, $18) We’ve longed for a new Madeline and our wishes have been fulfilled by Ludwig Bemelman’s grandson. “John did a wonderful job capturing his grandfather’s style,” says our consultant, erudite purveyor of books for children, Peter Glassman. In this new tale, the Paris skies are gray, so Miss Clavel and the twelve little girls are leaving for brighter weather— spring in Rome. Rome has wonderful sights to see and delicious things to eat, but Madeline also finds an unexpected adventure, involving a thief, a chase, and many, many cats. The first all-new Madeline book in close to fifty years combines a lively story with luminous gouache and watercolor illustrations. Beloved Madeline returns, as brave and irrepressible as ever! Read Examiner’s previous article on this book: A new Madeline after nearly 50 years!
#2 Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein. Illustrated by Ed young. (Little Brown & Company Books for Young Readers, $17) In this book of ingeniously layered text — both narrative and haiku — and gorgeous collage art, a cat named Wabi Sabi sets out to discover the meaning of her name – and it’s a little hard to explain….. a feeling for the beauty and harmony in what is simple, natural, modest, and, perhaps, imperfect. The book won critical acclaim, such as The New York Times’ Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2008, but if it will engage children remains to be seen. Read further at: Wabi Sabi gives children a new way of seeing the world.
#3 Fanny – by Holly Hobbie (Little Brown Young Readers, $17) Excellent message here. When mom says “NO!” to a “Connie” doll, Fanny decides to make one instead. With some scissors, glue, and her craft box in hand, she sets to work, ending up with an “Annabelle” instead. A little lopsided and a little unkempt, Annabelle turns out to be the companion Fanny has always wanted. Though at first her friends shun Annabelle, Fanny learns that using your imagination and working with your own two hands can result in the best toy of all!
#4 There Are Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz (Candlewick, $17) Giggles guaranteed if you read with your child. Interactive. Jokes on several different levels, “clever and enormous fun.” Especially for cat lovers. Product description: There they are, purring under a blanket. But not for long! Three sprightly cats named Tiny, Moonpie, and Andre are eager to involve you in their games, whether it's tossing a ball of yarn (oof!), lifting flaps to find them in boxes (comfy), or getting caught in a pillow fight (biff!). As their antics get wilder still, they'll need a kind soul to blow on the page to dry them off! With an irresistible story that directly engages the reader, this book's clever design and bright, gestural illustrations make for cat-tastic lift-the-flap fun.
#5 Adel & Simon in America by Barbara McClintock, (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $17) A geographic feast for the eyes. Adèle and Simon return in a cross-continental adventure that meticulously reflects the Manifest Destiny of early 20th Century America, from New York to San Francisco. The book begins as sister and younger brother arrive in New York City to visit their Aunt Cécile and prepare for a grand train trip around America. “Please try not to lose anything on our trip,” Adèle begs her brother with a sigh. But Simon finds it impossible to keep an eye on his belongings when there are so many distractions. The siblings are endearing and stunning pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are filled with hidden treasures. Endpapers feature a fun period map. Pair with The Scrambled United States of America Talent Show and your young scholars will ace geography!
#6 Jack and the Box by Art Spiegelman (Raw Junior LLC, $13)
Jack the rabbit is thrilled to receive a box covered in stars from his doting parents. But the pop-eyed talking clown head suddenly jumps out at him and his joy turns to fright. But he toys with it, if warily at first and gradually comes to agree with its claim that it is not a bad toy at all but a silly one – “but not before it, Cat in the Hat - like, unleashes both subsidiary toys and terrifying chaos in a sequence color shifts indicate may well be imaginary,” says Kirkus Reviews. “A skeptic might not think that the Pulitzer Prize winner who made a graphic novel about Auschwitz could also write and draw for the not-quite-literate set but rest assured, this comic gem of a picture book demonstrates Spiegelman's ability to conquer his audience, no matter its constituents,” says Publisher’s Weekly. Thumbs up from Peter Glassman
#7 Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis. Illustrated by Laura Cornell. (Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins, $17) With grown-up words like cooperate, respect, patience and considerate, a big, boisterous and zany family celebrates the power of language and discovers that words—big or little—are the bridge that connects us all. Peter Glassman wasn’t ecstatic about this 8th offering from the actress and her illustrator, but I think the theme – that words matter and bigger vocabularies enable us to think better – merits very high posting indeed. And the pair have earned a reputation for hilarious books. See also: Superlative book for precocious kids
#8 A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee (Harcourt,$16) During a visit to Eamon’s grandparents, two friends tough out nature camp, overload on snacks and video games, and (unintentionally) absorb the wonders of their surroundings. Summer-hued cartoons comically belie the deadpan narrative, resulting in a snicker-inducing child-pleaser. A message soooooooooo needed, unless you find my son’s summer camp: Green River Preserve in beautiful western North Carolina. They still swing into the pond there. No laptops allowed.
#9 Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie by Norton Juster (Michael di Capua Books $17) A child’s conflicting personalities are the theme of this sequel to the Caldecott Medal winner, The Hello, Goodbye Window. . "Sometimes I'm Sourpuss," a multiracial girl admits. "And sometimes I'm Sweetie Pie." Her grandparents, Poppy and Nanna, accept her dueling dispositions, but when she visits they like to know whom to expect. "Poppy, it's me, Sweetie Pie," she promises, keeping her more strident side at bay. She does acknowledge her mercurial moods ("Sometimes you can go from Sourpuss to Sweetie Pie so quick," she admits, in a six-stage Hyde to Jekyll transformation), and her grandparents gently tease her ("Pleasant dreams, girls," they joke at bedtime). Both the smiley girl and cloudy hoyden will ring true for readers of any age. A Peter Glassman endorsement here.
#10 Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time by James Howe. illus. by Marie-Louise Gay (Candlewick, $15) A special thumbs up from Peter Glassman. When Catina worries that a snowstorm will leave them housebound, Houndsley shows her how to savor a day spent playing, relaxing, and dreaming together. An enchanting easy reader with lovable animal friends and graceful cartoon artwork. Double thumbs up from Peter Glassman.
#11 Dinosaur Bedtime by Bob Shea (Hyperion, $16) Publisher’s Weekly says, “Shea (New Socks) makes a hilarious commentator as his hero, a small red dinosaur, elevates everyday encounters into a series of matches worthy of the WWF. Dinosaur versus... a bowl of spaghetti! announces Shea and, with a trio of bold typographic roars (and two chomps), the bowl is vanquished. Dinosaur wins again! declares Shea, as Dinosaur coolly acknowledges his triumph. Again and again, Dinosaur proves unbeatable—the foes he defeats include a pile of leaves, a big slide and talking grown-ups—but the title hints at his Achilles heel. Dinosaur may not resemble anything found in a paleontology textbook….beguiling spontaneity and a preschooler's sense of invincibility”conveyed in paint, photo collage and quick strokes of crayon, culminating in the biggest challenge of all – bedtime.
#12 Scrambled States of America Talent Show by Laurie Keller (Henry Holt and Co., $17) Publisher’s Weekly says “Keller is once again guilty of transporting laughter across state lines.” This is a follow-up to her hit, The Scrambled States of America. Just before this show, California demands to talk to his agent when Georgia gets a bad case of stage fright, and Hawaii doesn't get the answer she seeks when she asks Kansas: Does this grass skirt make my butte look big? But the show must go on— Minnesota the Magician seems to saw South Dakota in half, the State Impersonators, Tennessee and Wyoming, form Oklahoma and then ask, What's up with this handle, anyway? I mean, what am I—a state or a frying pan? Worth it, if kids just remember the states. The laughs are a bonus.
#13 Frankenstein Takes the Cake by Adam Rex. (Harcourt Children’s Books, $16) New hit this Halloween season, Peter Glassman likes this amalgamation of silly rhymes and gags spoofing old monster flicks. “With maniacal glee,” Rex, who first appeared in Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich “delivers spot-on rhymes about B-movie monsters, loosely organized around the nuptials of Frankenstein and his bride. . . . Rex’s eclectic imagery and freewheeling verse will have readers going back for seconds," says Publisher’s Weekly.
#14 Old Bear by Kevin Henkes (HarperCollins/Greenwillow. $18) A lumpy, lovable bear curls up in his cave and dreams of seasons past before awakening to the promise of spring. Sure, simple lines and warm, inviting colors make this a picture book for all
#15 Enigma by Graeme Base (Abrams Books for Young Readers) Bertie Badger loves to visit the Retirement Home for Elderly Magicians and watch his grandpa perform magic tricks. But one day all the magicians’ props go missing, so Bertie sets off to investigate. Can he solve the mystery in time to save the show? Graeme Base harks back to his classic bestselling solve-the-mystery story The Eleventh Hour in an all-new book that promises to both “puzzle” and entice young readers. Base is the creator of the 1986 alphabet book Animalia. He is one of the world’s leading creators of picture books. He lives in Melbourne, Australia. Thumbs up from Peter Glassman.
#16 Bats at the Library by Brian Lies (Houghton Mifflin, $16) Lies’ bats from Bats at the Beach are back thanks to a window left open by a librarian. The young one’s misbehave by doing things like making photocopies of their bodies and turning the water fountain into a splash pool, but the author understand “It's hard to settle down and read/ when life flits by at dizzy speed." Story time settles everyone (upside-)down, and soon the furry creatures are "completely swallowed up" in books, giving Lies comic license to pay homage to the signature visuals from classics like Make Way For Ducklings; Pippi Longstocking; Goodnight, Moon; and Peter Rabbit. The library-after-dark setting is magic.
#17 How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham, illus. by author. (Candlewick, $17) When a boy finds a wounded bird on a busy city street, he and his parents take it home and tenderly care for it, hoping that it will one day fly again. Spare text and endearing cartoon art deliver an uplifting tale
#18 Wave by Suzy Lee (Chronicle, $16) Simplicity is the hallmark of this wordless book in which a child interacts with the ocean, first with trepidation and frustration and then with confidence, playfulness, and joy. Subdued charcoal drawings are a perfect match for the sparkling blue water that takes on a life of its own.
#19 Wonder Bear by Tao Nyeu (Dial, $18) In this highly original debut, Nyeu’s two protagonist children plant seeds from a packet that gives no clue to their identity except a blue top hat. A flowering vine grows, out of which emerges an even more remarkable big white bear. On his head is the blue top hat and that hat gives him enough magic to pull monkey after monkey from the hat, blow bubbles in amazing shapes, and transforms flowers into spectacular floating sea creatures – all in one day! Glassman sees this as a refreshing new tale.
#20 The Retired Kid by Jon Agee (Hyperion, $17) Peter Glassman likes this tale of kid who gets a sneak-peak at retirement life. At the Happy Sunset Retirement Community, there's Ethel, Myrtle, Harvey, and Tex. And then there's Brian. The retired kid. He's here to escape school, homework, and daily chores. He learns, however, that retired living has its challenges, especially when you're sixty years younger than everybody else!
#21 Gallop! by Rufus Butler Seder. (Workman, $13) Animals seem to move when you flip the page. Not your grandfather’s flip-book. Employing a patented new technology called Scanimation, a “low-tech marvel of sliding paper and stripes,” says the Washington Post, each page is a marvel that brings animals, along with one shining star, to life with art that literally moves. It's impossible not to flip the page, and flip it again, and again, and again. Amazing for all ages.
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#22 ABC3D – by Marion Batallie (Roaring Brook Press, $20) Peter Glassman thinks this is a toy not a book. It’s also a work of art, but it is about letters, and letters make up books, so I’m calling it a book. It’s also one of the most delightful and imaginative pop-up books ever created. The cover changes with the angle it is held all the way to the Z. Each of the 26 three-dimensional letters move and change before your eyes. C turns into D with a snap. M stands at attention. X becomes Y with a flick of the wrist. And then there's U... “Boldly conceived and brilliantly executed,” they say with a striking black, red, and white palette, this is a book that, possible, readers and art lovers of all ages will treasure.
#23 Mail Harry to the Moon! by Robie Harris, illus. by Michael Emberley.(Little, Brown, $16) Jealousy reaches new heights when a big brother cannot abide the attention showered on his new sibling. Priceless expressions that dramatically convey the boy’s feelings are paired with imaginative scenarios for getting rid of the interloper, but as expected, all ends well.
#24 Sheep Blast Off by Nancy E. Shaw, illus. by Margaret Apple (Houghton Mifflin, $15) Bah---no humbug! When a mysterious spacecraft lands in a nearby pasture, the lovable, blundering sheep get in gear for the ride of their lives! Unfortunately, these sheep don't know the first thing about piloting a spaceship . . . but there may be someone else on board who does! Readers will have a “blast” too with the author’s clever rhymes and Margot Apple's hilarious illustrations. The story will be nostalgic for parents and grandparents who read their Sheep in a Jeep more than 20 years ago….
#25 Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, illus. by Helen Oxenbury (Harcourt Children’s Books, $16.) A witty and winsome look at babies around the world that has a toe-tapping refrain: the words sound easy and familiar, as though they have been handed down to children forever. And the story ends with a pitch-perfect moment: one little baby who is "mine, all mine."
#26 Brava Strega Nona! by Tomie dePaola (Putnam, $30) dePaola’s “timeless Tuscan heroine,” Strega Nona, a wise Italian grandmother, has never been seen so spry. She shares her secrets for a wonderful life in a pop-up engineered by Robert Sabuda. First of the secrets is famiglia—family; a towering tree from which ancestors' portraits bloom and from which a swing hangs, pops up holding Strega Nona. Elsewhere, Strega Nona's friends dine under a grape arbor; Big Anthony slides into the village square on an avalanche of pasta; Strega Nona's pasta pot overflows with red hearts (her secret ingredient is love). Reminds me of my son’s Georgio’s Village by dePaola from 1982. (And that book is priced at more than $250 today) Sabuda Don't look for Sabuda and Reinhart's most jaw-dropping work, warns Publisher’s Weekly, but, built for relatively young hands (though not for toddlers), this book’s interactive elements, like lift-the-flap shutters and doors on village houses, are made for durability.
#27 Barack Obama Son of Promise Child of Hope by Nikki Grimes and Bryan Collier, (Simon & Schuster, $17) The story of our president-elect, written to inspire….from the angle of a young boy’s hope as he traveled from Hawaii to Chicago, to Indonesia and to Kenya. It says Barack knew he wasn't quite like anybody else, but through his journeys he found the ability to “listen to Hope” and become what he was meant to be: a bridge to bring people together. This is the story of an exceptional man, as told by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Bryan Collier, both winners of the Coretta Scott King Award. Beautifully done, says Peter Glassman and in deference to Peter I include it here. But this book is controversial. The majority of reviews on Amazon.com give it just 1-star. These are no political opinions, but seems to be from people distressed at the hyperbole, excess, Messianic misleads and heavy-handedness. One reader warns against “brain whiplash.” You decide.
#28 What’s Under the Bed by Joe Fenton (Simon and Schuster, $16) The typical child worries about the typical monster under the bed. Is it big? Is it small? Is it skinny? Is it tall? Hardly any text is needed to tell this adorable story because the accompanying illustrations are so lively and bold. The author, says Publisher’s Weekly, channels the dark humor of Edgar and Ellen and other creepsters in his first picture book. When the little protagonist finally summons the courage to peer under the bed and, predictably, finds his teddy bear, Ted. The ending suggests that Fred will spend the night awake anyway. What's that noise? What's that sound? Cartoon art, mostly black and white, mimics the odd, shadowy perspectives and strange angles a child sees when peering around a dark room.
#29 The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin, tr. from Spanish by Elisa Amado. illus. by Rosana Faría. (Groundwood, $18) This inventive concept book explores the sensory cues that colors evoke, giving youngsters the experience of “feeling” the hues through their fingertips. The raised black-line drawings set on black pages and the Braille translation invite readers to touch and linger over the images.
#30 Buffalo Music by Tracey E. Fern, illus. by Lauren Castillo (Clarion, $16) When hunters decimate the West Texas buffalo population, Molly, an ornery rancher, mothers orphan calves, builds a thriving herd, and ultimately helps to save the species from extinction. Her story reverberates with a regional twang, and is enlivened by the homespun artwork.
#31 Goose and Duck by Jean Craighead George, illus. by Priscilla Lamont. (HarperCollins/Laura Geringer Bks, $17) A boy becomes a mother to a gosling, and the gosling becomes mother to a duck before both birds find their true callings. A perfect introduction to imprinting in the natural world, told simply and with hilarious art.
#32 Christopher Countin. By Valeri Gorbachev (Philomel, $16) A single good-night kiss confounds a bunny’s newly learned ability to count. Feisty cartoons.
#33 Traction Man Meets Turbodog by Mini Grey (Knopf/Borzoi, $17) When clueless adults try to replace an admittedly grimy Scrubbing Brush with battery-operated Turbodog, Traction Man gets down and dirty to rescue his faithful Brush. Vibrant cartoon art and action-packed panels capture the drama and humor of a boy’s imaginative play.
#34 Skunkdog by Emily Jenkins, illus. by Pierre Pratt. (Farrar/Frances Foster Books, $17) A dog with no sense of smell and no playmates finds a not-so-desirable friend, but her loving family is willing to do a lot of nose holding to solidify the relationship. The beguiling narrative and bold-hued artwork abound with humor and affection.
#35 A Kitten Tale. By Eric Rohmann (Knopf, $16) Three tentative kittens anxiously contemplate winter and snow, but a fourth “can’t wait” and his boundless joy is infectious. The frolicsome felines fairly fly off the pages of this endearing picture book.
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