Pumpkin Moon by Tim Preston

Minimal text accompany the colorful, surreal illustrations of what happens on October 31 after humans go to bed. Pumpkins, witches and ghosts have the wildest party of the year.

The watercolor illustrations were vibrant and active replacing the storyline. The text was used as transitional or explanatory to the illustrations. I can imagine young children will enjoy looking at the pictures and forming their own story as they turn the page.

Preston, T. (2001). Pumpkin moon. New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books.
ISBN: 0525467130
Illustrated by Simon Bartram

The Hare and the Tortoise by Helen Ward

A retelling of Aesop's fable of the race between the hare and the tortoise with beautiful watercolor illustrations. The author added detailed endnotes with facts about the animals and a key to the illustrations

A fable with fine-print source notes. (I am having a difficult time identifying the difference between well-made and fine-print. Here Aesop is mentioned on the front flap and title page but it doesn't mention the book or the cultural details so I am guessing fine-print). My memory of this fable is vague so I think the author shortened the text and instead focused on the illustrations. With my interest in animals of course, I was amazed at the illustrations not just for quality but also for the detail and the endnotes. The narrative was composed of very short sentences and the word choice fit the animal - slow, plodding turtle and hurtled hare. However, it is the illustrations that would interest the child more than reading aloud, in my opinion.

Ward, H. (1998). The hare and the tortoise. Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press.
ISBN: 0761313184
Illustrated by the author

The Sleeping Beauty by Trina Schart Hyman

A retelling of the Brother's Grimm tale accompanied by beautiful illustrations. An angry fairy places a spell on a princess so that on her fifteenth birthdays she will fall asleep for 100 years. As the princess sleeps, so does the other staff and family in the castle and briars grow over the castle. A prince wakes her with a kiss after 100 years and the other castle inhabitants awake and everyone lives happily ever after.

A fairy tale retold from the Brothers Grimm folktale of the same with fine-print source notes on the title page. The narrative style, like the original folktale, does not rely on rhyming or cadence but pulls the reader in with descriptions and short sentences. The detailed illustrations are a work of art and bring an originality to a well-known fairy tale.

Hyman, T.S. (1977). The sleeping beauty. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company.
ISBN: 031638702
Illustrated by the author

Babushka's Mother Goose by Patricia Polacco

A collection of stories based on the author's Russian grandmother's storytelling. Some stories seem to be retelling of Mother Goose's tales but with a Russian focus. Others appear to me to be folktales. The illustrations have a Russian/Eastern European flair.

I picked this up because the word Babushka reminded me of my grandmother. I enjoyed the rhyming and the unfamiliar words used are fun to say even if a child doesn't know what they mean. The illustrations are bright, colorful and detailed.

Polacco, P. (1995). Babushka's mother goose. New York, NY: Philomel Books.
ISBN: 0399227474
Illustrated by the author

The Real Mother Goose illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright

A collection of over 300 Mother Goose's nursery rhymes illustrated beautifully.

I enjoyed reading this book and remembered many of the illustrations and rhymes. The book is large and the text is somewhat crowded for a new reader. It would be a good book to read to a child and the illustrations could tell a story in of themselves.

(1994). The real mother goose. New York, N.Y. : Scholastic, Incorporated.
ISBN: 0590225170
Illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright.

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

Kitten mistakes her first full moon for a saucer of milk. She chases and climbs after the saucer only to be disappointed. Until the end of the evening, her owner places a saucer of milk on the porch for her. The book is illustrated in black and white drawings.

A very cute book! The text is simple and large on the page. Kitten's adventures are shown beautifully through the illustrations. They complement the text and are even larger than the text which will hold children's attention.

Henkes, K. (2004). Kitten's first full moon. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.
ISBN: 0060588284
Illustrated by the author

Hazel's Amazing Mother by Rosemary Wells

Hazel, a badger, goes shopping for picnic supplies while pushing her doll in a stroller. She gets lost and ends up lost and roughed up by three mean children. Hazel wails for her mother and like magic Mom appears and forces the mean children to make amends. The illustrations are humorous and colorful.

I liked the story but I think some children might be scared when Hazel is being bullied. I felt that Mom coming to Hazel's rescue took the book into a less scary place for a child. I thought Hazel was adorable!

Wells, R. (1985). Hazel's amazing mother. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 0803702094
Illustrated by the author

That New Animal by Emily Jenkins

Two dogs have to adapt to the introduction of a new baby in the household. At first suspicious and unhappy, they surprise themselves when grandpa comes to visit.

An excellent book that could be used to explain the new baby concept to an older sibling or the importance of pet's roles in the household. The illustrations are amusing and colorful.

Jenkins, E. (2005). That new animal. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
ISBN: 0374374430
Illustrated by Pierre Pratt

The Napping House by Audrey Wood

Members of a household are sleeping soundly only to be woken when a flea bites the dog. Repetitive text encourages participation. The colors used in the book mimic the activity in the house.

I loved the colors in this book. The soothing blues and greens when sleeping slowly give way to bright yellow when the full household awakes. Children will respond to repeating the text as a new member of the household is added to the bed.

Wood, A. (1984). The napping house. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
ISBN: 0152567089
Illustrated by Don Wood

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

Madeline lives in Paris in a home with 11 other girls and Miss Clavel. Madeline is the smallest and the bravest. She must have her appendix removed and her absence is felt by the whole household. The illustrations are mixed between simple lines and colors when describing the story to brilliantly detailed representation of true buildings in Paris, such as Notre Dame.

An appealing little girl living in an exotic location begins the start of a great series. The rhythmic text draws in a young reader along with the illustrations.

Bemelmans, L. (1967). Madeline. New York, NY: Viking Press.
ISBN: 0670445800
Illustrated by the author

A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman

A bear visiting the laundromat with his owner wants a pocket of his own. In searching for something to make his pocket, he gets left overnight at the laundromat until the next morning when his owner comes to search for him again. Upon hearing what happened, she makes him a pocket and a name card for it.

The elements of the story - laundromat, getting washed, staying overnight- are familiar to children. The curiosity Corduroy experiences mirrors that of children and this is why the Corduroy books are so successful.

Freeman, D. (1978). A pocket for corduroy. New York, NY: Puffin Books.
ISBN: 0140503528
Illustrated by the author

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel, Mary Anne, struggle to find their place when modern machines come into existence. Mike works a deal with a town to build a basement for city hall and in his rush to get the job done by the deadline he forgets to allow an exit. The town suggests that the hall be built around Mary Anne allowing her to act as a furnace and Mike can be the caretaker. This solves their current dilemma of how to get out of the foundation but also of what to do with Mary Anne in an increasingly complex world.

I enjoyed the illustrations in this book as much as the text. It is a classic story that would still be loved by children today. I also liked the message of adapting to a changing world.

Burton, V. (1939). Mike mulligan and his steam shovel. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.
ISBN: 0395169615
Illustrated by author

Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees by A.A. Milne

Winnie-the-Pooh attempts to gather some honey from the bee's nest with the help of a balloon and Christopher Robin. Beautiful illustrations accompany this unsuccessful adventure to get the honey.

This is an adapted story from the larger Winnie-the-Pooh book and the illustrations appear to me to be more appealing and childlike than the Disney edition. This book was just the right length for a child learning to read or preschool age. I suppose that is why it was adapted into a standalone edition. A. A. Milne, writing for Winnie-the-Pooh, has an original voice that I haven't read anywhere else. Very enjoyable!

Milne, A.A. (2001). Winnie-the-pooh and some bees. New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books.
ISBN: 0525467815
Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard
Adapted by Stephen Krensky

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.

Rhyming text accompanies numerous pictures of colorful animals and a mother showing what a child may see.

Perfect book to read aloud to children. The rhythm of the text is simple allowing children to catch on quickly. The pictures are large and colorful so a child could be amused alone paging through the book.

Martin Jr, B. (1983). Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
ISBN: 0805002014
Illustrated by Eric Carle

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

A mischevious gorilla follows an unaware zookeeper as he makes his rounds. At each cage, the gorilla lets the animal out and all follow the zookeeper home to sleep. Upon hearing the animals say good night, the zookeeper realizes what has happened and returns the animals to the zoo. Still unobservant, he does not notice when he finally returns to sleep the gorilla and mouse are there. Illustrations are colorful and tell the story without using the words.

A fun book that would make a good gift for a child that doesn't read yet. The text is simple so the child can make up the story based on the illustrations.

Rathmanm, P. (1994). Good night, gorilla. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
ISBN: 0399224459
Illustrated by the author

George and Martha by James Marshall

A collection of five stories about two great friends, George and Martha. Each story humorously teaches an important lesson regarding friendship. The illustrations of these two hippopotamuses.

Excellent book to introduce the concept of friendship to children. Wonderful pictures!

Marshall, J. (1972). George and martha. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Publishing.
ISBN: 0395166195
Illustrated by the author

Bears by Ruth Krauss

Rhyming text describes the many places bears can be found by Max from Where the Wild Things Are.

The flap copy explains there are only 27 words found in this book. My first thought is that the illustrations must be telling a parallel story or else this won't be very interesting to read with children. Of course, with Maurice Sendak illustrating, I should have known it would be visually interesting.

Krauss, R. (2005). Bears. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
ISBN: 006027994x
Illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming

Mr McGreely plants his dream vegetable garden. When the vegetables begin coming in, he finds he must continually be outsmarting some rabbits. The illustrator draws the rabbits and Mr McGreely with expressive faces.

This is a read aloud book, for sure. The author's choice of words, like tippy-tippy-tippy and muncha, invoke the image of children yelling those out, especially as they are repeated throughout the book. The words are very active and feel like they are describing what is happening in the illustrations. Or is the illustration showing what the words feel like. The author and illustrator are in sync!

Fleming, C. (2002). Muncha! muncha! muncha! New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 0689831528
Illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard

The rambunctious children in Miss Nelson's class must deal with a strict substitute teacher when Miss Nelson disappears. The children learn their lesson and when Miss Nelson reappears behave. The drawings of people are exaggerated and provoke a reaction before reading the text.

The author teaches a good lesson in treating teachers with respect. The students really experience what it is like to have a strict teacher and the teacher looks and sounds mean. The pictures emphasize the story.

Allard, H. (1977). Miss nelson is missing. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.
ISBN: 0395252962
Illustrations by James Marshall

The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

A collection of four stories involving Peter Rabbit: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and The Tale of Mr. Tod. When first we meet Peter, he is a young rabbit and in the last story he has a family of his own. In addition to Peter, numerous other animal characters are introduced. The illustrations are beautiful and reflect a love of nature.

There is more text on these pages than normally found in a picture book. However, paragraphs are separated by much white space to draw a child's focus to one spot. The animals take on familiar human characteristics that children will relate. Interesting word choices, such as soporific or lippity, are unfamiliar to children but are fun to say. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the illustrations until I opened the books.

Potter, B. (2003). The complete adventures of peter rabbit. London, England: Frederick Warne and Company.
ISBN: 072324734X
Illlustrated by the author