Lili on Stage (1995)

 Lili on Stage by Rachel Isadora (1995) is for the young ballerina. It begins with a Note to the Reader  describing the The Nutcracker.  Lili is one of many young children performing in the party scene of this famous ballet.  A few sentences on each page complement water color paintings of children  back stage. One stretches, one writes in her diary, several play jacks, and one catches up on homework. The reader sees children warming up, rehearsing, and applying makeup. "Suddenly all the rehearsals fade away, and Lili feels as if the party is real." She's on stage performing with the other children and adults. It's exciting. The audience shouts, "Bravo! Bravo!" Lili gets a toe shoe signed by her favorite ballerina. For Lili, it's magic. 

Madeline Finn and the Library Dog (2016)

 Madeline Finn and the Library Dog by Lisa Papp (2016) has cover art that previews what's inside the book. Papp's illustration style offers a gentle approach to children who struggle to read. This young girl is Madeline and she wants to read. She doesn't like to read because it's difficult. She wants to earn stars for reading like her peers do. "But sometimes I can't figure out the words. Sometimes the sentences get stuck in my mouth like peanut butter. Sometimes people giggle when I make a mistake." This last sentence is key to the story's resolution. There's no mention of seeking the help of a reading specialist. This absence always disappoints me in stories like this one. Somehow, simply reading without threat of embarrassment solves Madeline's reading problem. She's paired with a very large and gentle looking dog at her local library. Just picture a big, white golden retriever. This dog, Bonnie, doesn't giggle when Madeline gets letters mixed up, doesn't pronounce words correctly, and otherwise gets stuck. So Madeline's reading improves. She actually reads aloud in class by thinking about reading to Bonnie. Of course, she finally earns a star. 

Cross-Country Cat (1979)

Cross-Country Cat by Mary Calhoun (1979) is a satisfying story about a lost pet. The pet is a cat. Calhoun sets us up for her drama by explaining in the first few pages that this kitty is familiar with moving on only two feet. “Henry was a hind leg walker.” Oddly, Henry’s owners are identified as “The Kid”, "The Man”, and "The Woman.” This family enjoys cross country skiing. The Kid makes Henry a pair of tiny skis, which Henry rejects. But when the family accidentally leaves Henry behind when they head for home, Henry attempts to ski home. Of course, we encounter woodland creatures on the journey. The ending has a cute twist that cat lovers will like.  Erik Ingraham’s illustrations are beautiful drawings in a limited palette. I wonder if they are colored pencil and watercolor. 

*The Bunnies’ Easter Bonnet (1994)

*The Bunnies’ Easter Bonnet by Nan Roloff and Amy Flynn (1994) is apleasant surprise. I wish Flynn hadn't given away the ending in the cover art. I enjoy seeing the many ways that artists picture rabbits. The rabbits in this book have a visual texture that reminds me of plush toys, not so much hairy, more like a soft blanket. They're also minus whiskers. The many animals in this story have similar exteriors, allowing for a sweet consistency. When bunny twins enter an Easter bonnet contest, you think the story then writes itself, and it does up to a point. That point is when the oversized bonnet we already saw on the cover (the surprise that isn’t), nearly crashes into the contest crowd—but then, it doesn’t. Why can wind suddenly lift it into the air? Hint: notice what it’s made of. 

Letting Swift River Go (1992)

Letting Swift River Go (1992) is another of Jane Yolen’s superbly crafted stories. It begins with an author’s note, “The Quabbin Reservoir is near my house.” Thus begins a very personal recollection of childhood by a now grown-up Sally Jane. She felt safe in her valley town. She walked to school, fished the Swift River, picnicked in the graveyard, and slept outside with her friends. Then “everything began to change.” Boston voted to “drown our towns that the people in the city might drink.” Barbara Cooney’s illustrations contrast the beautiful landscape of the Swift River Valley prior to its destruction with the vast barrenness required to create a reservoir. She finishes with the immense body of water that covered the towns of Dana, Enfield, Prescott, and Greenwich. As an adult, Sally Jane looks back and recalls her mother’s words, when a city girl visited with mason jars to capture fireflies. My resource focuses on the people who lived in the valley, not the construction of the Winsor Dam and Goodnough Dike. This story is read aloud online by Denver DiMarzio. 

My Picture Book Talk resource for this story is here. 

Love (2018)

 Love by Matt de la Peña (2018) is a surprise. The cover art and one word title suggest this is another idealistic story about how humans express love. But the hard stuff foreshadowed on page 4, escalates on page 9, and punches you in the gut on pages 11 and 12. After some beginning pages of lovely bliss, we're seeing people on the street because of an apartment fire. An old lady comforts a young girl by saying that the night stars shine with love "long after they've flamed out." Turn the page and the scene hints at domestic violence; a young boy and his dog hide under a piano; a woman covers her face with her hands; a chair and lamp lie on their sides on the floor. Summers flame out, "And friendships. And people." More  scenes imply that we live in frightening times. The final pages return us to lighter topics. Then, curiously, this picture book fast forwards to the future, when the young reader leaves home for . . . somewhere. Loved ones will wish you luck. "But it won't be luck you'll leave with. Because you'll have love." Illustrations by Loren Long often fill two pages spreads. They are both soft yet distinctive. This is a book for the 21st century child. 

*Persuading Miss Doover (2018)

 Persuading Miss Doover  by Robin Pulver (2018) is about writing a persuasive essay. In this case, an essay of only four sentences. Jack and Samir are classmates and best friends who conspire to embarrass their teacher. She responds by separating them. "Miss Doover sat Jack in the front of the room. She sent Amir to a seat in the back." This was simply intolerable for the boys. So Miss Doover challenges them to convince her that they should sit together. In fact, she takes writers' workshop time to challenge the entire class to write four sentences about something they would really want. She provides a template. Jack and Samir's submissions often need revision. Consequently, the reader sees their multiple attempts at convincing paragraphs. There are submissions by classmates too. "My dog should be our class pet. . . We should be allowed to take more than two books out of the library at a time. . .Recess should be for two hours." This book is an ingenious way to teach persuasion. Stephanie Roth Sisson's illustrations convey the delight and desperation of Jack and Samir. Miss Doover appears compassionately steadfast in her objective.