Lauren & the Leaky Pail (2010)

 Lauren & the Leaky Pail by Bob Fuller (2010) is yet another version of an ancient fable. In this story, Lauren enters a gardening contest. Because Lauren cleans up the clubhouse (no reference given) she's later than all the other kids in choosing a packet of seeds and a watering pail from a garden shed. The pail has holes, which means she must make many trips from a lake to her garden. As the fable goes, water leaked from her pail en route. 

You can fill in the rest of the story with your eyes closed--except you'll miss out on the unusual looking Lauren. She's wearing sneakers, a striped body suit, and a helmet with attachments that look like antennae. She's got a round back-pack looking attachment that I could not decipher. Other kids try to help Lauren. Lindsay is dressed as a bee, Anthony a pirate, and Madeline a duck. (In small print on the cover of this book is The Costume Trunk Adventures. So, I guess this is one of a series of books in which the characters dress up.) 

Of course, Lauren wins first prize because beautiful flowers bloomed along the path she trudged with her leaky pail. "'You never gave up on your leaky pail, and God never gave up on you!'" says a friend. Lauren doesn't accept the trophy. The book ends with a Bible verse. 

Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival (2008)

Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival  by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery (2008) is a feel good tale about a dog and a cat coping with Hurricane Katrina. An authors' note on the first page says "No one knows for sure how they met." So, the story has some fiction blended in with real events. These pet companions were each given the name Bobbi because neither one had a tail. At the beginning of the book, they are together inside a home, watching the rain, wind and flooding. They're alone because when people evacuated the area, many people "were told they could not take their pets." When the storm ends, the pets leave home and wander the abandoned streets. Packs of homeless dogs chase them. Four months later, they appear on a construction site, and a generous worker feeds them. The dog is highly protective of his feline friend. When they're separated at an animal shelter, the dog howls and barks until they are reunited in the same cage. Details about the ending create a satisfying surprise, so I won't give it away here. Pictures by Jean Cassels show the devastation in New Orleans and the pets' camaraderie. 

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.