It seems I have been reading about the death of the printed book for half my life. And still we keep reading real books and writing about them, too. And now I find myself picking up so many wonderful picture books in which the main character is a book. It’s enough to bring a tear to this book lover’s eye and a smile to teachers and librarians everywhere.

A BOY FINDS HIS BOOK
One intriguing new book feels good to read. Its red cover and faux linen spine harkens back to the days when picture book covers were plain, with little more that the title and author on the cover. Perhaps that’s where the adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” comes from. The cover of The Good Little Book does have googly eyes and the hint of a smile inside the word “good,” but that’s it. It’s just a book. If you want to know more, you’re going to have to open the cover. Canadians Kyo Maclear and Marion Arbona must have had a ball with this one, imagining a bad little boy, sent to the book-filled study to “think things over.” This is not a book-loving boy, either, at least not until he reads The Good Little Book.

Wildly imaginative, colorful gouache and pencil illustrations and fabulous storylines amaze the boy so much that he finishes the book, and turns right back to the beginning and reads it again. And again. The book is the boy’s constant companion for months, until it is lost. He imagines the worst and searches for the book everywhere, even putting up posters and looking in the library.  Eventually, he “opens up to other stories,” which is just what a good book does. I'm not usually given to fables about books, but I'll make an exception for this little treasure and will read it aloud over and over, knowing its humor will lead many children to find their very own special book.

THE JOY OF LIBRARIES
Another book about books, this time a compilation of poems, is Jumping Off Library Shelves. It’s hard to say what’s more delightful, Jane Manning’s warm, watery gouache and pencil illustrations or the 15 carefully chosen poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Just when I think I have found a favorite, I turn the page and the next poem tugs at my heart. In the middle is Hopkins' lovely tribute to Augusta Baker, the groundbreaking African-American librarian who was heralded for her storytelling skills. Turn the page and smile to find a red-faced girl lifting a heavy dictionary, the perfect accompaniment to Deborah Ruddell’s "Dictionary Dare," which ends with the delicious “Raise me above your head / fell the quiet weight / of words.” This beautiful volume belongs in every library. Children and adults will find the poems easy to love and easy to memorize.

NARRATIVE FREEDOM
Young readers often want to write their own stories. And why not? It looks so easy! Rebecca Kai Dotlich teams up with illustrator Fred Koehler in One Day, The End: Short, Very Short, Shorter-Than-Ever Stories for a humorous but clever look at children’s storytelling. Any parent who has asked, “What happened today?” will recognize their child between the pages of this book. The first “story” is, “One day . . . I went to school. I came home. The End.” The “stories” continue with every page turn: The beginning and end are there, but the middle is missing, much like many a story in an early elementary writing classroom. While a teacher might tease out the middle of a classroom story, the illustrator provides all the details in his humorous, action-packed digital drawings. One can imagine teachers reading this book aloud and encouraging students to slow down and really explore the illustrations, catching details and nuance along the way. Beginning writers and storytellers are often told by their flabbergasted teachers, “You need more details in your story.” This picture book will allow the young writer to really understand what a detail is and how to add it to her stories.

The phrase “scared silly” takes on new meaning in these madcap tales of witches and monsters. Filled with mischievous fun, these thrilling Halloween reads will leave little readers shrieking—with laughter. Happy haunting!

WITCH VS. WEATHER
Halloween magic gets out of hand in Rebecca Colby’s It’s Raining Bats & Frogs. Delia, an adorable little sorceress, is excited about the annual Witch Parade until signs of rain dampen her spirits. When a full-on downpour soaks her broom-riding sisters, she takes matters into her own hands. Chanting an incantation, she transforms the raindrops into dogs and cats—a switch that goes hilariously haywire. Next, she summons a shower of hats and clogs, followed by bats and frogs, but her spells go awry every time. In the end, Delia realizes that rain is fine—even fitting—for parade day. Illustrator Steven Henry enlivens the witches’ wacky story with detail-filled drawings of marching scarecrows, juggling skeletons and horn-tooting ghosts, all of whom take part in the parade. As Delia learns the hard way, Halloween weather—like her magic spells—brings both tricks and treats!

THERE’S NOTHING TO FEAR
Sam Garton continues the adventures of Otter and her grown-up guardian, Otter Keeper, with the sweet seasonal treat, Otter Loves Halloween. Yes, Otter is excited about October 31, and it’s easy to see why! Preparations for the ghostly evening include a pumpkin-buying excursion (followed by Otter Keeper’s puzzlement over the carving process) and the hanging of decorations (glow-in-the-dark spider webs get stuck where they shouldn’t). Finally, it’s dress-up time. Otter dons a witch’s hat and cloak, and her stuffed pals Teddy and Giraffe get special costumes of their own. But when the trick-or-treaters arrive, Otter is terrified. She hides under the bed until Otter Keeper coaxes her out with an ingenious idea that sets her fears to rest. There’s lots to love about this delightful look at Halloween through Otter’s eyes. Her gentle personality shines through on every page, thanks to Garton’s genius digital illustrations. This is a great way to introduce young readers to the holiday.

READY, SET, SCARE!
A cute—and creepy—group of mischief-makers plans hijinks for Halloween in Ethan Long’s Fright Club. Vladimir the Vampire, Fran K. Stein, Sandy Witch and the rest of the Fright Club gang convene in their clubhouse to prepare for Operation Kiddie Scare. They review the traits of successful monsters (“ghoulish faces, scary moves, chilling sounds”), but their collective shock factor is a little low (to these guys, “scary moves” means ’70s disco steps). When their meeting is crashed by a timid-looking contingent of forest creatures who want to join the club, Vladimir scoffs and denies them entry. But the animals soon prove they’re skilled at being scary, and the two groups join forces for the spookiest Halloween the block has ever seen. Long depicts these eerie antics in black-and-white pencil drawings overlaid with classic monster-movie hues—sepia browns, sickly greens, macabre blues and purples. There’s plenty of fright-night fun to be had with his batty tale.

Some years I approach the new crop of Hanukkah picture books with trepidation: What new stories could possibly be told about the Jewish Festival of Lights, an ancient holiday that’s become a staple of December festivities? Happily, though, this year’s Hanukkah books include three titles that reimagine the genre in ways that are rich, fresh and delicious.

KINDNESS IN NYC
Holocaust-inspired Hanukkah books can be tough creative territory, but authors Richard Simon and Tanya Simon, with Sibert Honor-winning illustrator Mark Siegel (To Dance), stake their claim admirably in Oskar and the Eight Blessings. Told in a style halfway between a picture book and a graphic novel, this story follows Oskar through a day in New York City, where he’s been sent to live with his aunt after the 1938 anti-Jewish Kristallnacht riots. Wandering the streets hoping to find Aunt Esther before the last Hanukkah candle is lit—on a night that also happens to be Christmas Eve—he meets a variety of kind people, including a generous newsstand man, a whistling jazz musician and even a thoughtful celebrity. A Holocaust story focused on small kindnesses is a pleasantly subversive way to approach this difficult part of history, and Seigel’s illustrations use bright accents against muted backgrounds to achieve an effect that’s perfect for winter . . . and uniquely New York.

SHARING AND CARING
When Sara notices an old man eating—and juggling—an apple that the local market has decided has too many bad spots to sell, she (literally) cooks up a plan to bring him good things to eat . . . along with homemade holiday cheer. It’s hard to choose the best part of Hanukkah Cookies with Sprinkles by David Adler, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. Maybe it’s the portrayal of Sara’s wise and loving grandmother (when Sara speaks of the apple’s bad spots, her grandmother answers, “It has lots of good spots too.”). Maybe it’s the gentle moral about dignified ways to help the poor, or the illustrations that play with perspective and point of view while showing the ethnic diversity of Sara’s urban school and synagogue. Or maybe it’s the intriguing idea that participation in religious life can be as much about connecting with other people as connecting with the divine.

A YUMMY TIME OF YEAR
A generation of children have grown up learning about Judaism with Sammy Spider, a curious arachnid who always wants to join in his human family’s holiday celebrations. Now readers can interact with Sammy even more through cooking and crafts in Sammy Spider's First Taste of Hanukkah: A Cookbook by Sylvia A. Rouss and Genene Levy Turndorf, illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn. Easy-to-follow Hanukkah-inspired recipes, each marked with its kosher category, combine with craft projects, cooking tips and instructions for lighting a menorah in this bright, welcoming addition to the Sammy canon. (I’m a fan of the Fruity De-lights myself, although the Candle-Glow Biscuits sound quite tempting too.) The colorful collage-style illustrations are fun to look at outside the kitchen as well.

Happy Hanukkah!

Jill Ratzan matches readers with books in a small library in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Big adventures are in store for rising readers, as these three picture books celebrate the imagination and its limitless potential. These inspiring tales are all about discovery, exploration and letting your imagination take the lead. Anything is possible!

An independent little girl gets lost in an adventure of her own imagining in R.W. Alley’s Gretchen Over the Beach. With her spiffy new sunhat and toys, Gretchen is ready to spend a day at the seashore with her siblings. But she’s disappointed when they race to the ocean, leaving her alone on the beach. Gretchen plays in the sand until her hat is caught by a gust of wind. She snags it by the tail—a length of red ribbon—and is soon airborne. Flying along with her toys for company, Gretchen zips over the ocean. A ride on the back of a seagull makes her beach day complete. Alley uses ink, pencil and acrylics to create a swirling dreamscape of ocean and sky—the perfect backdrop for the story of Gretchen and her out-of-this-world imagination. 

FACING UP TO FEAR
Danny Parker’s Parachute is the uplifting story of a small boy who confronts a big challenge. Toby is never without his parachute. Folded away in an orange pack, it makes him feel less uneasy about descending from his bunk bed or swinging in the park. It becomes very necessary when Toby is forced to climb up to his treehouse to retrieve Henry, his cat. Using the parachute, Toby sends Henry safely to the ground. But now Toby is stranded. How will he get down? With the help of his imagination, of course! Artist Matt Ottley plays with perspective in ingenious pictures that deliver a sense of Toby’s vertiginous experience. His paint, pastel and pencil illustrations are filled with brilliant details (like the stuffed rabbit that’s strapped to Toby’s pack). This is a triumphant tale about defeating fear that readers of all ages will appreciate.

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Flying bovines and a friendly dragon—there’s plenty to love about Gemma Merino’s The Cow Who Climbed a Tree. Tina the cow is often teased about her inquisitive mind by her sisters, a complacent trio whose thoughts rarely stray beyond their stomachs. In the woods one day, on a whim, Tina climbs a tree, where a surprise awaits her: a winged dragon! The two trade stories and become fast friends. At home, Tina tells her sisters about the dragon, but they don’t believe her. When she disappears the next day, they make their very first venture into the forest in hopes of finding her. The sisters soon learn that the woods are full of wonder, a place where their wildest dreams can take flight. Merino’s delightful illustrations feature simple lines and bold washes of color. Her story is sure to ignite the spirit of discovery in young readers.

This article was originally published in the March 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

This year, forget the flowers! Celebrate Mom with a story instead. Filled with humor, poetry and plenty of love, these fresh picture books pay tribute to mothers and their special magic.

PREPARING FOR MOTHERHOOD
Laura Krauss Melmed delivers a beautiful salute to the bond that exists between mother and child in Before We Met. Jing Jing Tsong’s breathtaking digital collage illustrations feature an evocative palette of violets, purples and blues—the deep hues of a night sky—to create a magical backdrop for a mother’s musings. The phrase “before we met” serves as a refrain in the book’s rhymed lines, turning the text into a lullaby: “Before we met, I dreamt I felt the beating of your heart. Before we met, I promised you I’d love you from the start,” the mother tells her newborn. Soon night gives way to day and a sun-drenched gardenscape filled with flitting birds and blooming flowers. This celebratory scene, signifying birth, is the perfect endnote for Melmed’s gorgeous, impressionistic story-poem. 

MOM ON A MISSION
Emma Levey’s delightful Hattie Peck features a one-of-a-kind mom—a broody chicken who longs for a family all her own. The only egg Hattie ever laid failed to hatch! She dreams of having eggs—lots and lots of them—and so she sets out on a quest. Her goal: round up all the abandoned eggs she can find and hatch them, “every last one!” Beginning this madcap mission in a rowboat, Hattie plumbs oceans, braves caves and climbs mountains, collecting a “colossal clutch” along the way. Back at home, she sits atop a pile of eggs and waits for the cracking to commence. Soon Hattie has hatched a veritable zoo that includes alligators, snakes, a penguin and a peacock. With so many critters to care for, Hattie is happy at last. Featuring colors that pop, Levey’s bold illustrations make this an extra-special story for families of every breed.

TWO OF A KIND
You Made Me a Mother captures the sense of nervous anticipation that precedes a baby’s arrival. Laurenne Sala’s buoyant story follows an excited mom-to-be as she prepares for her big day, studying baby guides and puzzling over new furniture for the nursery. When the tot finally arrives, the young mom naturally adjusts to her new role, making lovely discoveries about herself along the way: “I realized that I would spend my life doing things to make you happy. And that would make me happy,” she tells her little one. Over time, through trips to the playground and walks in the rain, mother and child learn from each other and grow together. Robin Preiss Glasser’s detailed ink-and-watercolor drawings are just right for this moving tribute to a mother’s unique capacity for love.

This article was originally published in the May 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

If the little readers in your household are stuck in summer mode, then you’ve come to the right place. Prep those kiddos for class with one of these inspiring books, and get set for a sensational school year.

COURAGE IN THE CLASSROOM
A grade-A story from start to finish, Jennifer P. Goldfinger’s Hello, My Name Is Tiger features Toby, a shy boy who likes to pretend he’s a cat. Toby even wears a kitty costume, complete with whiskers and tail. He’s a fearless feline—except when it comes to starting school. Adjusting to life in the classroom when you’re a cat can be tough! At first, Toby resists. He plays by himself in the sandbox and climbs trees during recess rather than joining the other kids. But with the help of kindred spirits—including Pete, who loves to pretend he’s a monkey—Toby finds his comfort zone. Goldfinger’s buoyant mixed-media illustrations—a blend of chalk doodles, pencil sketches and vivid washes of color—give this appealing story extra charm. Just the thing for nervous newbies who aren’t sure what to expect from school.

FROM A SCHOOL’S PERSPECTIVE
The main character in Adam Rex’s ingenious School’s First Day of School is Frederick Douglass Elementary, a spiffy new building with a bad case of the first-day nerves. The idea of incoming students makes the school creak! The building befriends a kindly janitor, who readies him for the big morning, and then the children arrive—“more of them than the school could possibly have imagined.” In class, the kids learn the definition of a square (“Wow,” the school says to himself. “I did not know that.”), and one girl makes a picture of Frederick Douglass Elementary (“It looks just like me,” the school thinks.). Not bad for a first day! Artist Christian Robinson depicts the building as a place with personality—the main door, with its window eyes, seems to be smiling—and his colorful illustrations give the book a timeless feel. It’s sure to become an end-of-summer classic.

EDUCATION AGAINST THE ODDS
Based on true events, Deborah Hopkinson’s inspiring, accessible Steamboat School tells the story of the remarkable school established by St. Louis teacher and preacher John Berry Meachum. In 1847, when a state law is passed denying education to African Americans of all ages, free or enslaved, Meachum has a daring idea: construct a steamboat on the Mississippi River, beyond the reach of the Missouri government, and use it as a school. Two young students, James and his sister, Tassie, help him build the boat and get pupils on board. “I felt like a pot about to boil over,” an excited James says when their work is done. Ron Husband’s detailed, realistic pen-and-ink illustrations have an old-fashioned sepia feel and perfectly complement Hopkinson’s lyrical lines. Young readers are sure to be intrigued by this chronicle of a classroom on the water. 

These picture books require audience involvement, whether it’s peeking beneath panels and flaps on a page or simply reading between the lines of a multilevel story. The interaction lends extra magic to these entertaining books. 

INTO THE REAL WORLD
Set in the days of the dinosaurs, Patrick McDonnell’s Tek: The Modern Cave Boy is a winning sendup of digital addiction. Tek—a hairy little tyke—spends all his time inside. Neither his parents nor his dino pal, Larry, can coax him from his cave. That’s because he’s lost online, connected to not one, but three individual devices! When Big Poppa, the local volcano, blows, something wonderful happens: Tek loses internet access and rediscovers the pleasures of the outside world. McDonnell presents the first section of Tek’s story in gadget format: Each page is like a tablet screen, complete with a border featuring WiFi and battery icons. But when Tek gets disconnected, the electronic elements disappear, and McDonnell’s exuberant cartoons fill the pages. Tek is a smart story that sets a great example in an era of digital distraction.

TURN FEAR INTO FUN
In Little Mouse’s Big Book of Beasts, Emily Gravett’s tiny hero introduces readers to the creepy creatures he fears the most, including “sharp-tempered” sharks and “un-bearable” bears. Can Little Mouse stand up to the beastly bunch? But of course. Using a paintbrush and his own smarts, he’s able to disarm his adversaries and demonstrate his own strength. Gravett’s rhymed lines turn this tale of triumph over fear into playful poetry, and her signature interactive storytelling style rewards re-readings. There are fun flaps and folds, and tell-tale signs of Little Mouse throughout (many of the pages have a chewed-through appearance, and paw prints in paint are everywhere). Gravett’s ingenious collage-like visuals will inspire scrutiny in readers of all ages (check out the origami instructions). This is a story to be savored. 

NO FROWNS ALLOWED
Bob Shea’s whimsical, wonderful The Happiest Book Ever is a story that speaks to the reader—in more ways than one. Personified on the page by a grinning face, the book itself—irrepressibly upbeat—addresses the audience directly: “Whaddya say we make this the happiest book ever?” The book then introduces a surreal assortment of friends, starting with a sullen-looking frog and a dancing cake. Grinning clouds, napping cats and parading candy pieces follow, but their jollity is lost on the frog, who remains impassive. Exasperated, the book banishes the frog from the story, but soon backtracks: “Being mean is not happy . . . I was wrong to chase Frog away.” Lesson learned! The frog returns, and the gaiety resumes, Shea-style. With his neato illustrations and a snazzy color palette, this is a tale that lives up to its title.

This article was originally published in the October 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Get set for a tail-wagging adventure! The picture books below are filled with the kind of frisky, rambunctious fun that can only be found in the company of a canine. As these stories demonstrate, nothing measures up to the love of a good pup.

AN UNEXPECTED STUDY BUDDY
In Lisa Papp’s Madeline Finn and the Library Dog, a reader-in-training gains confidence thanks to a canine companion. At school, Madeline Finn struggles to read out loud: “Sometimes the sentences get stuck in my mouth like peanut butter,” she admits. Madeline is discouraged but determined to earn a gold star in reading, so she pores over assigned pages at home. Then her mother takes her to meet the library dogs. Madeline gets paired with Bonnie, a gentle pooch who resembles a “big, snowy polar bear.” By reading aloud to Bonnie, Madeline gradually conquers her uncertainty with words—and scores that coveted star at school. Papp’s pencil and watercolor illustrations are filled with delightful details. Madeline herself is disheveled but adorable, with striped tights and an overflowing backpack. Books and dogs—what more could a little girl ask for?

DOG PSYCHOLOGY 101
What goes on inside the head of a snoozing pooch? This perplexing question lies at the heart of Arthur Howard’s My Dream Dog. The narrator, a young boy, knows nearly everything concerning his furry pal, Scooter, including the stuff he likes (burgers and bones) and the stuff he can’t stand (felines and fleas). “What I don’t know,” the boy admits, “is what he dreams about.” His mother thinks Scooter fantasizes about food. His brother believes Scooter dreams of the thrill of the chase. When the boy asks his grandpa about Scooter’s dreams, the wise old man offers the best answer of all. In his big-as-life watercolor illustrations, Howard presents Scooter as a quintessential mutt, scruffy and lovable, with a lolling tongue and always-alert ears. This exuberant tribute to the child-and-dog bond is also a clever exploration of what makes canines tick.

FUN ON ALL FOURS
A furry family member is the center of attention in Old Dog Baby Baby by Julie Fogliano. While crawling across the kitchen floor, a tow-headed tot encounters the senior member of the household—a grizzled gray dog who’s enjoying a snooze. Excited and curious, the tot is soon frolicking with his new playmate: “Baby peeks / baby spies / in old dog ears / and old dog eyes.” Meanwhile, mom and big sis watch over the proceedings as they flip through a family album that’s filled with photos of the dog—of course! Fogliano’s short, rhymed stanzas create a reader-friendly rhythm, while Chris Raschka’s colorful, close-up illustrations of baby and pet reflect the book’s buoyant mood. This sunny celebration of dog love will leave little readers pleading for pups of their own.