Counting sheep may be an old insomnia standby, but Sheep 101 is not your typical fleecy ritual. Inventive and hilarious, Richard T. Morris’ Sheep 101, illustrated by LeUyen Pham, is guaranteed to end any day with a laugh.

When the book opens, we’re tucked in and the sleep-sheep are jumping—all’s well. That is until Sheep number 101—a little less athletic and a little more stuffed animal-like than his previous counterparts—apprehensively makes his leap. And misses. With Sheep 101 firmly wedged on the fence, Sheep 102 takes charge and calls in the moon-jumping Cow.

Pham’s bold illustrations provide hilarious detail: Sheep 102’s bossy, I-mean-business expressions will have readers rolling off the bed, as will Cow’s attempt to steal the spotlight and document the occasion. Each nursery-rhyme character pops off the page, bringing more comedy and personality to this tale. Morris provides added humor with his narration’s mild exasperation, which mixes with dialogue for delightfully chaotic results. This is an exciting read-aloud, and little listeners will not be disappointed as the story resolves—eventually—with sleep.

This article was originally published in the March 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Mae, a young girl who moves to the city, desperately misses her garden in Florette, a quiet but thoroughly lovely picture book by Australian author-illustrator Anna Walker. Mae tries to make the best of her new apartment by drawing flowers, birds and trees on the moving boxes that fill her room. She draws chalk butterflies on the pavement outside, but the rain washes her creations away.

One day, a bird leads her to a store window filled with a lush ocean of greenery. Although the store is closed, a tiny sprout grows through a crack in the nearby sidewalk. Mae takes the sprout home, eventually starting her own little garden in a jar. That one sprout is all it takes for Mae’s new world to blossom, as Walker’s greenery-filled watercolors beautifully show.

Walker marries text and illustrations particularly well, using words sparingly while showing how Mae’s world fills with new plants as well as new friends. She was inspired to create this book during a family vacation in Paris, and although Paris is never mentioned, its scenes are distinctly Parisian. “We were on our way to The Louvre when I noticed a shop window full of plants,” Walker notes on her website. “We rushed by, but I kept thinking about that forest behind the glass.”

Florette is a wonderful story about nature in the city that thoughtfully addresses the difficulties and necessity of adapting to change.

This article was originally published in the March 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

BookPage Children's Top Pick, March 2018

If the first spread in this book doesn’t grab the attention of the emerging readers in your life, check their pulse. “WAIT!” the book opens, in a font size so large that the word takes up the entire spread. “Who is Baby Monkey?” the next spread asks. Baby Monkey (to describe him as endearing is an understatement) has a job as a detective, and in five immensely entertaining chapters, we observe him solve five cases. He finds a diva’s missing jewels, a chef’s stolen pizza, a clown’s nose and an astronaut’s spaceship. (The last mystery is extra special.) Each time Baby Monkey decides to help, he looks for clues, writes notes, has a snack and puts on his pants (or tries to).

Given that he’s a stand-in for a bumbling yet earnest toddler, there’s much physical humor in seeing Baby Monkey play grown-up at his massive desk or attempt to hold a magnifying glass that’s larger than he is—antics Brian Selznick illustrates in exquisite black-and-white pencil drawings. (Throughout the book, rare moments of the color red are used to great effect.)

Repeated elements in each chapter, along with oversize type, expertly guide those just learning to read. There are also visual clues: At the beginning of each chapter, items and framed pictures in the office change, providing hints as to whom the next client will be. That fifth client is his mother, looking for her baby. Good timing on her part, as Baby Monkey is ready for bed and weary from a hard day at work. Even at nearly 200 pages, you’ll be sad to see this one-of-a-kind beginning reader end. Fingers crossed for sequels.

Julie Danielson features authors and illustrators at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, a children’s literature blog.

This article was originally published in the March 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Sometimes the best way to address kindness is through actions, not words. I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness (ages 4 to 8) is a wordless picture book that does just that. A young black girl has just moved to town and started school. As she walks home after school, feeling lonely, a white boy bullies her, his mouth snarling, the emotionally explosive confrontation surrounded by an angry sea of red. A classmate with brown skin and straight hair watches the exchange and is left shaken and saddened as she watches the newcomer run home in tears.

The next morning, this thoughtful classmate is waiting for the bullied girl at her front door, taking her hand and escorting her to school. Soon there’s an entourage as others join the growing procession, until the newcomer, lonely no more, is surrounded by a sea of new friends.

This simple, touching story comes to life in the hands of Kerascoët, the pen name for the French husband-and-wife illustration team of Marie Pommepuy and Sébastien Cosset. Their simply drawn characters are filled with energy and expression, powerfully showing the angst of being bullied and the joy of solidarity and friendship.

Baby Bear makes a handful of discoveries in this volume of four short stories. He finds a boot, returning it to its rightful owner; he finds a rare flower, making his mother’s day; he helps a baby bird, handing him safely back to his mother; and he makes a new friend. All of this is told in simple sentences and easy-to-follow dialogue.

With an endearing protagonist—Baby Bear is curious, caring and determined to be helpful—and a sunny, earth-tone palette, young readers will be drawn easily into Baby Bear’s world. Most of the artwork features circular or oval spot illustrations with generous white space surrounding them, while one illustration in each story covers both sides of a spread. These compositions, as well as the book’s bucolic setting, give the book a cozy, intimate feel. The tone is sweet and gentle, and Baby Bear’s abundant naïveté (he must ask a friend what “rare” even means) will be relatable to the preschool audience at which the book is aimed.

The strikingly childlike bear, not to mention the anthropomorphized forest creatures and the old-fashioned vibe of the stories, all bring to mind Else Holmelund Minarik’s Little Bear books, illustrated by Maurice Sendak, even if no bear stories can ever hold a candle to those eloquent classics. But this Baby Bear’s stories, in their warmly lit outdoor world, will make a cozy send-off at bedtime for the youngest of listeners—and may be just the book they pick up again when they’re ready to start reading.

Julie Danielson features authors and illustrators at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, a children’s literature blog.

Wordy Birdy, as her name suggests, is one talkative bird. From the moment she wakes up in her treetop home, she’ll happily give you a running commentary about, well, anything—from what she likes (“spaghetti and unicorns and library books”) to what she doesn’t (“tall grass or turtlenecks or long lines or tuna salad”). She is also good at asking a lot of questions, but what Wordy Birdy is not so good at? Listening to the answers.

So when Wordy Birdy sets off on a walk into the deep, dark forest, she is too busy talking to notice the dire signs about danger ahead, or to hear the warnings from her raccoon, squirrel and rabbit friends, who beg her to turn around. Will Wordy Birdy stop talking and start listening before it’s too late?

Obviously, Wordy Birdy is a story with a clear message that will be relevant to a lot of young readers (and their grown-ups). Author Tammi Sauer balances the story’s moral with plenty of hilarity, and Dave Mottram’s cartoon-like illustrations—including bright plumage that matches Wordy Birdy’s zany personality—amp up the fun in this silly story. Cartoon speech bubbles help highlight the importance of the story’s dialogue and bring Wordy Birdy’s voice to life. It would be fun to hear this story read by two readers—one to seriously read the narrator’s and sidekicks’ voices, and one to have fun with Wordy Birdy’s many words.

This is one story that kids will love to listen to.

Kobi Yamada fans will adore What Do You Do With A Chance?, the latest in a series of inspiring and relatable tales about dealing with the opportunities life throws our way.

When a golden chance, flitting like a butterfly, first appears to a child, he doesn't know what to make of it, but he feels the chance is important. But the child is unsure and doesn’t act, so the chance flits away. Soon the child regrets not having taken the chance and wonders if it will return. The next time the golden chance appears, he tries to grasp it but misses. Embarrassed, he decides to ignore any chance that comes his way. In time, the chances stop coming altogether. The child decides to be ready for the next chance, just in case. Finally, a chance appears on the horizon, and this time he runs to greet it. Grabbing the chance and holding on tight, the child soars, flying high and free.

Mae Besom’s dreamy illustrations, rendered in subtle earth tones, place gentle, rounded figures against surreal mountain villages, providing a beautiful backdrop for a child’s first foray into a world of chance and random opportunity. Yamada’s relatable story urges readers of all ages to take the chances that come their way—they could be the start of something incredible.

Billie B. Little is the Founding Director of Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, a hands-on museum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Young Jerome loves words. How much? He loves them so much, he collects them—in the same way someone might collect bugs or baseball cards.

Words are tangible things that catch his attention and draw him in; he starts recording all the amazing words he hears or reads—words as small as “dream,” as big as “kaleidoscope” or as random as “smudge.” Jerome discovers that words have power in their syllables, their rhythm, their meaning. He keeps his many delightful, marvelous and poetic words in a scrapbook, and his journey takes a charming turn when he drops these scrapbooks, sending his strips of collected words flying. As they land next to each other, Jerome realizes the true power of words strung together—their power to help and heal. Thrilled, Jerome takes his discovery one step further by sharing his words with the world.

With illustrations featuring whimsical (and multicultural) faces and distinctive font lettering, master author-illustrator Peter H. Reynolds’ The Word Collector is a thing of beauty and an inspirational story about why words are wonderful. Big or small, we need them all. Lucky Jerome!