A DIFFERENT KIND OF TOY STORY

Teddy is a kid who likes to play with all kinds of toys--trucks and hula hoops and puzzles and action figures and rockets--but his favorite toy of all is his doll, Bren-Da, Warrior Queen of Pacifica. After all she has the best manners, is the most versatile to style, and even has some pretty impressive fighting skills. But one day, during a really tough battle, Bren-Da breaks her leg. Teddy tries in vain to tend to her wounds using the latest surgical technology, bubble gum and lots of tape, but when he goes off to school the Warrior Queen of Pacifica gets mistaken for trash and hauled away. Will Teddy ever be able to see his favorite toy again? Only if his intrepid mom--with some pretty impressive style and warrior moves of her own--has anything to say about it. 

Teddy's Favorite Toy, by Christian Trimmer and illustrated by Madeline Valentine, makes for a delightful and lively read-aloud, and is sure to be embraced by preschoolers through second graders who understand the strong bond between a kid and their favorite toy--and their valiant parents alike. 

POLAR BEAR'S UNDERWEAR

I honestly can’t believe none of our Children’s staff have reviewed this book yet. Its hilarity is the stuff of legends, and we’ve already shared it with as many storytime families and visiting classes as we possibly could. If you get enough kindergartners in a room while you continually utter the word “underwear” in complete deadpan, the walls might actually tremble from the force of their uproarious laughter.

The premise is simple: Polar Bear, having most embarrassingly misplaced his underwear (oops), searches through the book for the aforementioned garment with the help of his friend Mouse. Spreads featuring Polar Bear and Mouse carefully examining a single pair of brightly patterned underwear and commenting on why it may or may not belong to Polar Bear alternate with spreads of each pair’s true owner donning the piece.

Pretty soon the older kids start catching on, and then come the enthusiastic guesses. Who’s itty-bitty and might like flowers on their underwear? BUTTERFLY! Who loves mice? CAT! Who enjoys carrots? BUNNY! Yes, but why is the underwear upside down? Silence here, but the answer always cracks them up.

Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera, a pseudonym for creative duo Tatsuya Kameyama and Atsuko Nakagawa, is nothing less than a picture book masterpiece in my mind. It just so perfectly captures the (weird) interests and humor of its young target audience. As a caveat I will confess that in my own reading of the book I tend to skip the last page. I’m not sure whether being a Japanese import has any effect on this, but the little ditty at the end has never quite worked for me. Still, a stellar book and not to be missed!

Ages 4+

A DASTARDLY MISCHIEF-MAKER’S RISE TO VILLAINY

“Mr. and Mrs. Snivels were minding their own business, when they happened to have a baby.” So begins the diabolical tale of a dastardly mischief-maker’s rise to villainy. Young Dylan is a natural escape artist resistant to bedtimes, prone to launching food everywhere, and severely allergic to purple parsnip preserves.

In other words: an adorable tiny terror much like every other baby.

While initially surprised to learn of their baby’s bonafide supervillainy, Mr. and Mrs. Snivels, like any other supportive parents, are quick to adapt to his devious disposition. They croon over Dylan’s fiendish achievements and proudly declare him to be the very best and cleverest supervillain ever. Dylan is sure his parents are right. That is, until he starts school at Astrid Rancid’s Academy for the Villainous & Vile and is dismayed to discover a classmate even more nefarious than he.

When a class contest to create the most diabolical robot is announced, Dylan knows it’s his one chance to prove his absolutely abominably wicked ways. Who will triumph in the quest for ultimate supervillainy? Read to find out, of course.

Charming and whimsical, Dylan the Villain written and illustrated by K. G. Campbell, is the 2017 Southern California Children’s Literature Council award winner in the picture book category. Campbell also illustrated Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Award winning Flora and Ulysses and Ame Dyckman's Tea Party Rules (also a favorite for this reviewer).

For more picture books stories about tiny tots with devious designs, try Ninja Baby by David Zeltser, Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos, The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee, and King Baby by Kate Beaton (reviewed by Meghan).

Ages 4+

FLEETING FASHIONS

All Harbet wants is to enjoy his Nana’s cozy, hand-knitted hat in peace. But everywhere he goes there’s a constant exasperating bleating from trend-followers about his “old hat.” So Harbet decides to get a new hat. That will stop the teasing, right?

Except the thing to know about following fashion is that trends are fleeting. Once favored flamboyant fruit cocktail hats are swiftly bulldozed by flashy flashing safety cone hats, which are then overtaken by a vogue fleet of naval ship hats, and so on and so forth. And despite all his most determined efforts, Harbet can’t seem to get ahead of the trends or escape the taunts of “old hat.”

Finally, Harbet decides on something absolutely revolutionary, and with that learns an important lesson about being true to oneself that will never go out of style.

Prolific author-illustrator Emily Gravett is an old hand (though not by any means an Old Hat) when it comes to creating gentle-humored fan favorite picture books. For more modish hat reads see this earlier review of Brian Won’s Hooray for Hat! (What can I say? I like hats.)

Ages 4+

HOPE IS THE THING WITH FLOWERS

It's a busy, busy, busy at the construction site. Dozer, Crane, and Digger are pushing, hoisting, and digging to build tall buildings for working, roads for driving, and bridges for crossing. One day Digger comes across a small, blue flower growing amidst all the construction. As the other construction vehicles keep building up the city, Digger visits the flower each day to nurture it's growth. Soon, the space where the lone little flower is growing is the only place that's not built up, and the Crane insists that they need to put a building there too. Will Digger be able to stop them, and if not, what will become of the last little flower in the city? 

The Digger and the Flower, simply yet poignantly written and illustrated by Joseph Kuefler, is a deceptively quiet picture book that packs a huge emotional punch. Just when things seem devastating, hope peeks through the darkness, and we readers are reminded of the triumph and resilience of the human spirit. Have your tissues handy, parents, because this book might make you cry--first from sadness, but then ultimately from the beauty of hope. 

This is not your typical construction vehicle book--it's a deeply touching read to share with preschoolers through second graders. 

THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF MRS. WHITE RABBIT

Mrs. White Rabbit (wife of that famous White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland) shares her concerns and many household problems in her diary after having just moved to a new home. First on her list is her oldest daughter, who wants to be a housewife one moment and a scuba diver the next. The twins are always up to something and not always a good thing. She is concerned about all of her other children as well as her husband, the White Rabbit. On top of all this, an invisible cat, probably from Cheshire, just suddenly shows up everywhere in the house, too. 

The amazing thing about this is book are the illustrations and the references to Alice in Wonderland and other fairytale characters, if one looks carefully. In one spread Bachelet draws 100 different carrot dishes from the cookbook 100 Ways to Cook Carrots! Fantastic!  Mrs. White Rabbit by Gilles Bachelet is great fun for parent and child from preschool through second grade. 

SOMEONE TELL THE LEMMINGS

In Read the Book, Lemmings! by Ame Dyckman with illustrations by Zachariah OHora, three small, adorably fuzzy, and sadly illiterate rodents evidently have yet to read the definitive book on lemmings, which CLEARLY states that lemmings do NOT jump off cliffs.

Aboard the S.S. Cliff (a barge which may or may not in fact be a large whale), First Mate Foxy, the very much literate arctic fox, is surprised by the revelations of his new leisure reading material, Everything About Lemmings. “Huh! Says here, lemmings don’t jump off cliffs,” he muses aloud.

Unfortunately, the three aforementioned local lemmings also suffer from selective hearing, in addition to being highly suggestible and terrible eavesdroppers. At the mention of “jump,” they immediately dive enthusiastically overboard, which in turn necessitates a quick rescue effort by Foxy. He takes the impressionable lemmings under his wing, gives them tiny hats as well as ridiculous, yet apt, names (“Jumper,” “Me Too,” and “Ditto”) in order to better scold them.

What follows is a hilarious tale of repeated dives, rescues, scoldings, and schoolings.

The author explains the inspiration for this picture book as a late discovery that lemmings don’t jump off cliffs, followed immediately by the thought: “‘OH NO! DID ANYONE TELL THE LEMMINGS?!’ So we made this book. You’re welcome, lemmings.” The author-illustrator duo previously collaborated to create the equally charming picture books Wolfie the Bunny (reviewed here) and Horrible Bear!

Ages 4+

BADGER'S GUIDE TO FOREST UPKEEP

Badger’s love of cleaning the forest quickly gets out of hand in Tidy. This story is a cautionary tale of how ones interest, or in Badger’s case obsession, can quickly spiral out of control. 

Badger begins innocently enough by grooming the foxes, giving the birds baths and weeding the flowers.  When that doesn’t satisfy him he moves on to picking up sticks and scrubbing rocks.  Then summer gives way to autumn and the leaves begin to fall…

Badger tries desperately to stay on top of the falling leaves, picking them up one after another after another, until he’s removed every leaf and every tree and he is faced with the complete destruction of his beloved forest. 

Lovable and misguided Badger finally realizes the error of his ways and sets about restoring the forest to its original beauty.  This light-hearted and fun story has a clear ecological message that, with the help of author-illustrator Emily Gravett’s vibrant art, even young readers will be able to see.

This book is perfect for sharing with preschool through third grade.  

DO NOT TAKE MY CHERRIES!

“I am bat.  I do not like mornings.  I like cherries.  They are my favorite of all things.” So begins this adorably fun story about a possessive, grumpy and mock ferocious bat.  Author and illustrator Morag Hood’s vibrant pictures will have readers laughing out loud as bat hilariously searches for his missing cherries. 

Simply told, I Am Bat imparts readers with a clear message about sharing and altruism.  This heartfelt book, perfect for preschool through grade 2, will make children, and adults alike, smile and warm your heart at bats adaptability. 

Now, "I will just leave my cherries here.  DO NOT touch them.  I will know if you take one…"

MAKE A GHOST YOUR BFF

Have you ever wanted to make friends with a ghost? If so, look no further than this delightfully gothic picture book meets spirit-befriending instruction manual. It covers dos and don'ts ("Never ever put your hand through a ghost. It can cause a serious tummy ache"), feeding (fix your ghost a favorite snack--maybe some moldy toast?), activities ("Throw a dance party*! Ghosts like to groove to creepy music"), and hazards ("Do not let your ghost be used as a tissue!"), and so much more. 

How to Make Friends with a Ghost, written and illustrated by Rebecca Green, is a whimsical and lightly spooky delight, ideal for sharing with preschoolers through second graders who prefer treats over tricks. 

*Come join the children's room staff at the Downtown Central Library for Monster Mash, a fun dance party with creepy music, this Wednesday, October 25th at 3:00 pm. Who knows, you might meet an amiable supernatural friend!  

WHAT MAKES A SPIDER A SPIDER?

As the title Frank the Seven-Legged Spider implies, our lovable protagonist faces a bit of an existential crisis in this spirited and rollicking picture book from author-illustrator Michaele Razi. Frank begins the story as an eight-legged spider (which immediately gave this reviewer some anxiety, of course, as we know by the title that things will inevitably go terribly awry!) who spins the most magnificent webs, but wakes up one morning to find one of his precious legs has mysteriously disappeared. Where could it be? If Frank can't find his lost limb, will he still be able to do all the things he loves? And, most importantly, is Frank still a spider if he only has seven legs? 

Young readers will follow Frank's search for his missing appendage--and ultimately his identity apart from physical attributes like the number of legs he has--with fascination, empathy, and more than a few laughs along the way. This silly yet sincere story of self discovery and finding your inner strength is perfect for sharing with preschoolers through second graders. 

BADDEST OF THE BAD

This is a story about a bad seed. I mean really bad. The baddest of all the seeds, the absolute worst. All the other seeds know it, too--just ask them. They whisper when then see him coming, "there goes a baaaad seed." But how bad can he really be? Well, he never puts things back where they belong, cuts in line, never listens to anyone, and tells long jokes with no punch lines, and that's just for starters. Like I said, bad.

The seed in question wasn't always this way, so how did he get to be so bad in the first place? Read this clever, hilarious, and surprisingly heartfelt picture book to hear the origin tale of the bad seed--and find out if there's any chance of redemption for our self-proclaimed antihero. 

The Bad Seed, artfully written by Jory John and charmingly illustrated by Pete Oswald, is a natural born read-aloud, sure to entertain and delight preschoolers through second graders. Not half bad--on the contrary, all good! 

HOW WELL DO YOU REALLY KNOW YOUR ANIMAL SOUNDS?

Sure, we know that dogs go woof, cats go meow, and birds go tweet . . . but what does the aardvark say? In the nonfiction picture book Can an Aardvark BARK? author Melissa Sweet and artist Steve Jenkins (who have both received Caldecott Honors for their illustration work) team up to answer that question, exploring many of the lesser-known animal sounds out there. Who barks, who grunts, who squeals, and who bellows? What kind of animals whine and laugh, just like you and I? 

Sweet's primary text is written in rhyme simple enough to work as a lively nonfiction read-aloud for toddlers and preschoolers (a great choice for building background knowledge!), while the captions corresponding with each illustration offer fascinating information about the other animals who grunt, bellow, or laugh, for older readers who want to know more. Meanwhile Jenkins' signature expressive cut-paper artwork really brings each animal to life--the African crested porcupine (who whines, by the way) looks as it could poke you right through the page, while the gorilla baby looks tempting enough to tickle so you can hear its giggle.

Whether in a group setting or individually, this is a perfect informational picture book to share with animal lovers from toddlers to second graders.  

THE MOON LOOKS LIKE WHAT?!

Many Moons by Remi Courgeon illustrates what we've always known - finger nail clippings do look like tiny crescent shaped moons.   Each night a different person sees the moon and it reminds them of a variety of things from a banana to a smile. 

This is a lovely and unexpected book on the daily changing shapes of the moon and what it images and thoughts it evokes.  It's basically the night version of looking at the clouds  as they pass overhead.  

For preschool to second grade. 

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, SHOOT!

You might have played the game Rock Paper Scissors before (maybe with a friend to decide who will get the last piece of pizza?) but you've probably never considered it's origin story. Where did they come from and how did their first battle come about? Wonder no more with the publication of The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex. This hilariously clever picture book tells all, from Rock's first challenge in the Kingdom of Backyard to Paper's battles with Printer in the Empire of Mom's Home Office to Scissors's many trials in the Kitchen Realm to their eventual final confrontation. Each one was a victor in his or her own stomping grounds, but who will emerge triumphant when they finally meet one another and wage the ultimate war? 

Daywalt (author of the beloved Day the Crayons Quit and Day the Crayons Came Home) keeps readers guessing who the champion will be while Rex gives them many entertaining details to pore over, making this a fun picture book to read aloud in a group setting or to share one-on-one with preschoolers to second graders. 

The battle lines have been (cleverly) drawn, but no matter which character comes out victorious, this book is sure win over anyone who reads it.  

P.U.!

What's black and white and (soon to be) read all over? The hilarious book The Skunk by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell. Why would a skunk be following you? That's what the tuxedoed man at the center of this whimsical picture book mystery wants to know. Everywhere he goes--down sidestreets, on the ferris wheel, to the opera--the skunk is only a few steps behind. What does he want and why won't he just leave our main character alone? 

With funny yet understated text and droll illustrations, young readers will delight as the narrator goes to greater and greater lengths to lose the skunk hot on his trail. But he spends so much time trying to get away from his notoriously smelly pursuer, he hasn't thought about how he might feel if he actually gets what he thinks he wants. 

This stinking cute picture book makes a winning read-aloud for preschoolers to second-graders alike. 

MORE PENGUINS, MORE PROBLEMS

"It's way too early. My beak is cold. What's with all the squawking, you guys?" Those are just the first few of many, many complaints laid out by the contrary penguin narrator of Penguin Problems by Jory John and illustrated by Lane Smith. From the frigid temperatures to some dubious encounters with fellow wildlife, from his flightlessness to his waddle, just try to stop this penguin from airing a relentless barrage of grievances, whether or not anyone really cares. But when a concerned and supportive walrus stops by to wax philosophical and offer advice about looking on the bright side, will our lovably misanthropic penguin have a change of heart and adjust his outlook on life from #penguinproblems to #blessed? 

This delightfully droll picture book from the beloved author-illustrator team makes a great read-aloud to share with preschoolers through second graders, and offers something for everyone, pessamists and glass-half-full types alike.  

A CAT BY ANY OTHER NAME

The neighborhood cat featured in this captivating picture book leads a very busy life. He saunters from house to house on Blossom Street, answering to many different names and helping the people he meets carry out a number of miscellaneous activities: eating fresh fish at number three, bird watching at number one, still-life modeling at number eighteen, gardening at number fourteen, and swing dancing at number six, to name but a few. There's only one house that doesn't normally get a visit from the street's resident feline celebrity: number eleven, where life is much quieter. One day, when the cat strays from his much-anticipated regular rounds, the cast of diverse neighborhood characters come out in full force looking for their beloved (and, unbeknownst to them, communal) pet. Where has he gone and who does he actually belong to? 

Archie Snufflekins Oliver Valentine Cupcake Tiberius Cat, written and illustrated by Katie Harnett, is simply a delight. Preschoolers through second graders, as well as assorted cat ladies and gentlemen of all ages (and maybe even some dog people too!), will take pleasure in this charming offering, whether shared in a group setting or one on one. Perhaps, as this reviewer suspects, this sweet tale of friendship and community could even win over Grumpy Cat herself.

ALL HAIL THE KING!

Though King Baby is certainly a benevolent ruler, he is not all magnanimous smiles and coos. On the contrary, he has many demands of his adoring parents royal subjects: "Feed me! Burp Me! Change me! Bounce me! Carry me!" for starters. And of course he wants them to bring him the thing. No, not that thing--the other thing! King Baby clearly rules all--but for just how long? 

Told in understated text and illustrated with simple but bold drawings, this marvelously droll take on the new-baby picture book from celebrated author-illustrator Kate Beaton is sure to rise above the rest and win accolades from kids and parents alike. 

King Baby will make an entertaining read-aloud as well as a solid choice to share individually with ages 3 and up. And to keep the royal treatment rolling, make sure to check out the mischievously whimsical The Princess and the Pony by the same author.  

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!

Bob Shea's newest picture book, The Happiest Book Ever! gives other books about feelings a run for their money. Instead of focusing on just plain happiness or sadness or anger, with no allowance for anything in between, this very meta book subversively examines the complex ways emotions can be expressed and shows that it's okay not to feel happy all the time. 

Right away, this book introduces us to some of its so-called happiest friends, an inexpressive frog and a dancing cake. The dancing cake is rendered in simply-drawn, brightly-colored caricatures, like the rest of the over-the-top happy cast (cheerful clouds, contented kittens, and a whimsical whale, to name just a few), that is, except for "grumpy" frog, the only photo-realistic image in the entire story and the unwitting monkey wrench in the book's goal of total happiness domination. 

Will the happiest book ever wear down frog with its incessant outward displays of the only socially-acceptable emotion allowed within its pages, and make frog turn his "unhappy" deadpan expression upside down--or else? This thoughtfully engaging yet ultimately entertaining meditation on expressing one's feelings and giving others the space to express theirs makes a fun read-aloud, as well as a compelling book to share one-on-one. 

Recommended for preschoolers to 2nd graders.