Monday, December 31, 2012

Reading Roundup: December 2012

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 15

Sources
Library: all

Standouts
Writing: Lester's Dreadful Sweaters by K.G. Campbell
Anybody who's ever had a terrible-gift-giving relative will recognize Lester's angst. But Lester himself is a quirky treat, a control-freak of a kid who keeps lists of things to be afraid of and yet ultimately finds his own unique way to solve the Cousin Clara problem.
Illustration: Hippopposites by Janik Coat
Super-simple drawings of a hippo illustrate the concepts on the page to pull this boardbook together. Everyone I've showed it to has said, "Hey, this is great!"
Overall: Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
Ahahahaha! Not just another repackaging of the classic story, this plays with narrative and reader's expectations for a fun and witty ride. And plus, dinosaurs! (Bonus: watch out for the wall art. It will crack you up.)

Because I Want To Awards
Made Me Want to Crank Up My iPod: Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald by Roxane Orgill, illustrated by Sean Qualls
This picture-book biography of one of the greats of vocal jazz made me want to bring up everything she ever recorded and play it as I read.

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