llama llama gram and grandpa (2015)

llama  llama gram and grandpa by Anna Dewdney (2015) takes on the challenge of staying overnight with grandparents. Dewdney does a nice job with rhyme: “A glass of milk. A yummy snack. Now it’s time to go unpack. Mama’s picture in a frame. Different. Also just the same.” And Dewdney finds a way to make this version of a classic childhood adventure her own. Early on, Llama discovers that a favorite plushie was not packed. It’s a worry the entire first day. But grandpa saves the day, or rather night. It’s a satisfying ending.

Easter Surprise (1991)

Easter Surprise by Catherine Stock (1991) is a lovely book “in the author’s characteristically soft, glowing watercolors highlighted by colored pencil.” How can one repeat the classic story of an Easter egg hunt? Stock begins with her illustrations. The cover art prompted me to pick up her book. In Stock’s version, a mother and two children spend Easter weekend at a cabin by a lake. They decorate eggs and go on a hunt for sweet treats. There are no other adults or families in this story, which made me wonder how this lone parent managed to arrange the weekend activities all by herself. There’s no religious references here. The text is minimal and the font slightly large. It’s a visually pleasing story without conflict or disappointment.

Curious George at the Aquarium (2007)

Curious George at the Aquarium by Margret & H.A. Rey (2007) has little monkey George--you guessed it--creating havoc at an aquarium. Can George wait (alone) for the man in the yellow hat to buy tickets for them? Of course not! George climbs over a wall to follow the sound of a splash and he delights in discovering Beluga whales, a variety of fish, a “do not touch” display of live crabs, and so on. He joins the penguins to share in their comical play, and that’s when the predictable drama takes off. We can smile because Curious George redeems himself in the end. 

My Buddy (1992)

My Buddy by Audrey Osofsky (1992) is about the relationship between a service dog and a wheelchair-bound child. The child begins with “Buddy is my golden retriever. He looks like the sun is always shining on him…But Buddy is more than my friend. He’s my arms and legs.” This child has muscular dystrophy. There’s a brief description of how difficult it was to train Buddy. The rest of the book is about the many ways Buddy helps out. This dog turns on lights, opens doors, pushes elevator buttons, and fetches items from store shelves. When accompanying this child to school, Buddy wears a sign that says “Don’t Touch.” After school, he runs around in the child’s yard; Buddy gets time to play. Ted Rand’s watercolors capture the warmth of this child-canine companionship. He dedicates the book to Canine Companions for Independence in Santa Rosa, California. 

Too Many Dinosaurs (2011)

Too Many Dinosaurs by Mercer Mayer (2011) was an exciting library book sale find. It's always fun to discover another of his books. In this one, dinosaurs appear on land and in the air. On the cover, a child holds a baby triceratops in the foreground while another child runs away in terror in the background. Mercer Mayer is an illustration genius, but you don’t need me to tell you that. Here’s a simple yet clever story with colorful, detailed pictures--a masterpiece. The main character, wisely gender neutral, wants a puppy. This might be a tired premise in the hands of another author. But not for Mayer. Mayer’s  protagonist buys a dinosaur egg at a yard sale, and it hatches. A single action results in multiple dinosaurs. With no other obvious ideas, that same action causes them to fade away. (But they reemerge!) And the child gets a puppy. Pretty novel way to solve the problem of convincing mom to buy a dog. 

House Finds a Home (2022)

House Finds a Home by Katy S. Duffield (2022) personifies a house. I love the idea. This story gives readers a sense of time beyond their own bubble. Illustrations by Jen Corace have a cool, modern crispness. They show minor differences between each family that moves into the house. They all seem to have a mother, father,  and children. There’s a nod to racial diversity and a grandparent. As families come and go, more houses fill the neighborhood. There’s no significant repairs or additions made to the house. Maybe that’s because the focus of this story is the love that inhabitants bring. In the end, I personally found the premise a little creepy. 

Mama Cat has three kittens (2002)

In Mama Cat has three kittens, Denise Fleming found a way to showcase her art and create a simple story with a satisfying twist. Very young children will love the bright yellows, greens, browns, and even blacks that fill large two-page spreads. A black mama cat (brightened with blues, purples, and white) has a black, calico, and orange tabby kitten. Two kittens copy Mama doing typical outdoor-cat things (except hunt), but the tabby naps through it all. Every page is energetic. This book is so brilliant that it could be read at a nursery school circle time and the children would see the action easily. I recall watching a presentation that described Fleming’s complex process of illustration. She puts a lot of work into her pictures and the results are stunning.