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. 

Fezzel's Story: History of a Rock (1998)

Fezzel’s Story: History of a Rock by Leigh Ahlgren (1998) won a “Kids are Authors” award. Ahlgren was a middle school student when she wrote this story. It’s an ingenious premise which Ahlgren succeeds in developing through rhyme. Tom Chesek turns this unusual tale into an engaging read with his cartoonish illustrations. The rock in question is all face. It’s two eyes and mouth show a wide range of emotions. This rock has a volcanic birth. “I was minding my own business Under the crust one day, When suddenly I was pushed up And out of the way.” It lands in a pool of water, is swallowed by a dinosaur, gets squashed in an earthquake, and is mined for aluminum cans. This drama is less than half way through the story! I’ve never read a book about rocks that was so much fun. 

*Smokey (1962)

*Smokey by Bill Peet (1962) is another example of this author’s special "something". What is it that infuses magic into his storytelling? Maybe it’s the rhyme. His lines glide easily from page to page. His characters have personalities. A train is partially submerged in a pond on the cover of this book. Its eyes effectively communicate anxiety about its predicament. Ducks smile at the train. A frog, turtle, some dragonflies, and a fish look on with curiosity. Inside the book, big diesel trains actually look arrogant. Retired engines look worn, abandoned, and sad. Work horses lean into the hard labor of hauling hay. Smokey is an aging engine that puffs black smoke into the air. It’s the end of the line for him. After a long life of dedicated service, Smokey’s about to join his old colleagues rusting in a field. But, Smokey’s story has a happy ending. We can count on Bill Peet to write a happy ending. 

The World is not a Rectangle: a Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid

The World is not a Rectangle: a Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter (2017) is a pretty straight forward synopsis of Hadid’s career. The text is dull and the illustrations are adequate. If you’re looking for a biography with an academic feel, this is the book for you. Zaha Hadid is less an interesting person and more a force of nature. There’s barely any reference to her childhood beyond her observations of the natural world. She comes across as a loner, which I suppose makes sense given her unique artistic vision. I watched a brief documentary about the building of One Thousand Museum in Miami. It appeared to be an extremely challenging project. This is an important story. I wish I’d learned more about Hadid rather than a timeline of her professional life.

The Bat in the Boot (1996)

The Bat in the Boot is a beautifully illustrated book by Annie Cannon (1996). A family consisting of mother, father, son, and daughter enter their mud room after a morning of gardening and find a baby bat in one of the father’s work boots. The story is predictable. It’s the watercolor illustrations that drew me in. Bats visit the family home every night, so this family is happy to rescue one. There’s very little text, just enough to give Cannon the opportunity to paint a sequence of events: securing the bat in a shoebox to protect it, feeding it with an eye dropper, and watching the mother return to claim it. Back matter indicates this is based on a true story. “The wu-fu symbol illustrated on the jacket back has been adopted as the logo of the world’s foremost bat research and educational organization, Bat Conservation International.” 

the day the goose got loose (1990)

the day the goose got loose by Reeve Lindbergh (1990) is silly fun. Steven Kellogg’s illustrations are perfect for this story of barnyard mayhem. “When the goose got loose She caused a riot. Nobody ever thought she’d try it. The day the goose got loose." You guessed it; the goose opens the gates to the sheep, horses, and cows. They crash into the house and head into town. Near the end of the story, we learn why the goose gets loose. The very end is saved for some of Kellogg’s fanciful pictures. This is a fun book. I did finish it wondering why the goose was fenced in such a small area to begin with. 

*Dream Meadow (1994)

*Dream Meadow by Helen V. Griffith (1994) caught me by surprise. This is a sweet story about old age and death. The cover art is a dream; actually it’s also a memory. Nancy Barnet’s pictures (are they watercolor or colored pencil, I wonder) provide an appropriate softness to accompany this romanticized vision of dying. I like this book very much. At the beginning of the story, an old woman sits in a rocking chair. An old dog lays beside the chair. Occasionally, the old woman and dog wake up and greet one another. But mostly they sleep and dream of younger days. Strictly speaking, I don’t see how this dog could be the same dog as the one in the old woman’s youth, but who cares about this detail when the story is so good. Jane dreams of running in a meadow with green grass, yellow flowers, and orange butterflies. Frisky dreams the same dream. Together their dreams merge into a happy ending. 

*The Trek (1985)

*The Trek by Anna Jonas (1985) was a delightful surprise and ranks as one of my favorite picture books. The trek is a child’s walk to school. It’s a walk of several city blocks, but watch out because there are animals everywhere. Here’s a hint: when the young girl in this story looks out onto a row of flowering bushes, she sees—and it took me a while to see in them too—sheep. Jonas’ clever illustrations are subtle and revealing at the same time. There’s a crocodile in a walkway, giraffes in a chimney, zebra in a bush, and elephant tree trunks. You need to look closely to find the alpacas and the warthog. There’s very little text because it’s unnecessary. The point is the pictures. All 36 animals are have thumbnails at the back of the book. Did you find them all? 

Jabari Jumps (2017)

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall (2017)  is a gentle story about a little boy summoning up enough courage to jump from the diving board at a city pool. We can infer this from the cover art. Jabari’s dad listens with understanding. He validates Jabari’s multiple forms of hesitation and speaks kind words of encouragement. Jabari lets the children in line behind him jump first. He climbs the tall ladder of the diving board only part way and decides to climb back down for a tiny rest. He’s down right adorable. He looks at the diving board with high hopes yet real anxiety. When his dad reframes the situation, Jabari jumps. 

*baby einstein the ABCs of Art (2002)

*baby einstein the ABCs of Art by Julie Aigner-Clark (2002) is the very young child’s introduction to fine art. An introduction by the author reads, “The collection of paintings, lithographs, and sketches frown in The ABCs of Art are drawn from an array of artists from a variety of periods. It is my great hope that I have given parents, grandparents, and caregivers who look through this book with children the opportunity to explore each work of art, to ask questions, and to engage their youngster in interesting conversations.” Each art work is accompanied by suggestions for conversation. Franz Marc’s Little Blue Horse corresponds to the letter H. “Name five colors that you see in this painting. Can you find the mountains in the scene?” I wish I had this book as a young child. I wish I had it for my own child. Illustrations by Nadeem Zaidi seem to be the cartoonish blue goat that that looks at the reader and encourages conversation for each work of art. 

*Gone Wild: an Endangered Animal Alphabet (2006)

*Gone Wild an Endangered Animal Alphabet by David McLimans (2006) is a very special and unique alphabet book. An introduction informs readers that scientists have named almost 1.5 million species, yet so many more are not identified. When people take over wild spaces,  creatures are in danger. “There are more than 5,000 animals facing extinction today.” Each letter is a unique design that represents an animal. Beside each letter are five pieces of information about the animal: class, habitat, range, threats, and status. For example, the Bushman Hare is of the class mammallia. Its habitat is Scrubland, range is South Africa, threats are habitat loss, hunting, wide cats and dogs, and its status is critically endangered. It corresponds to the letter H. For me to describe the design of the H would be inadequate; however, the top vertical lines of the H become ears and the horizontal that connects them has the nose. There’s also back matter for each of the animals. This is a stunning book that must have taken a lot time to research and design.