There are many strange disappearances on Offley Street, from Imogen Splotts’ teddy bear to Lady Chumley-Plumley’s diamonds. And one creature has taken notice: Hermelin, a mouse that can read and write. Self-named for the cheese box in which he woke up one day, Hermelin resides in the attic of Number 33 Offley Street. Perhaps inspired by the old mysteries and Victorian garb surrounding him, the mouse sets out to find the lost items he sees on the neighborhood message board.

As he solves case after case, including a dramatic rescue of Baby McMumbo (who crawls out a window and lands in a soft bed of garbage, only seconds from the approaching Munch-u-lator Automatic Garbage Gobbler), Hermelin uses the typewriter in his attic to leave notes about the missing items. In both paneled and full-page illustrations, observant readers will notice amusing clues throughout British author and illustrator Mini Grey’s playful, mixed-media artwork. The mouse’s neighbors are ecstatic to find their belongings recovered, but wonder, “WHO IS Hermelin?”

A party in his honor turns disastrous, however, when the neighbors discover Hermelin is a mouse and Hermelin discovers he is a “pest.” He prepares to leave the next morning until he finds a mouse-sized note from Emily, another young inhabitant in the house. A budding private investigator who has also been following the local disappearances with curiosity, Emily seeks a partner to solve crimes—and of course one with good typing skills. Happily, a clever ending hints at more mysteries awaiting the pair.

The young dinosaur heroes of Gigantosaurus could hardly be cuter. They look like characters right out of an animated feature film―which is no surprise, as creator Jonny Duddle was a concept artist for the Hugh Grant film The Pirates! Band of Misfits. (He’s also the creator of books such as The Pirates Next Door.)

Preschoolers will love Duddle’s latest, an energetic boy-who-cried-wolf tale from many million years ago, in which a young dinosaur named Bonehead keeps shouting to his friends that the dreaded, deadly Gigantosaurus that their parents have warned them about is rapidly approaching.

Bonehead’s pals Tiny, Fin and Bill fall for these faux warnings every time, until finally they tire of the trickery, abandoning Bonehead to play by themselves. Of course, you can guess who shows up next, and you can also guess who never learns his lesson.

Duddle’s digital artwork is stellar. The artist has created a lush and humorous Cretaceous world full of giant ferns, volcanoes, lava flows, dinosaur bones and massive termite nests. Kids will love the big fold-up page showing the dreaded Gigantosaurus in his full glory, but not to worry—nothing is overly scary. There’s also a helpful spread at the end explaining the different types of dinosaurs featured in the story.

Gigantosaurus is sure to be a readaloud favorite, with its adorable dinosaur characters and its lively refrain, “His feet go STOMP! His jaws go CRUNCH! In the blink of an eye you’ll be his LUNCH!”

BookPage Children's Top Pick, August 2014

There are lots of picture books about children who worry, ones that try in various ways to reassure children that everything, in the end, will be OK. But I can promise you that you haven’t seen one quite like Anthony Browne’s What If . . . ?

In a story that manages to be offbeat, cryptic and comforting all at once, a young boy named Joe heads to his first big birthday party. He’s apprehensive, and to make matters worse, he’s lost the invitation and the birthday boy’s house number. One has to wonder if he intentionally misplaced them, but either way, his mother convinces him that they’ll be able to find the house and that it will be great for him to meet new children. They take a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood, and at each house, his mother stops to ask, “Do you think that’s Tom’s house?” No, says the boy, as we readers stare along with mother and son at the bizarre, dreamlike goings-on through a window of each home. In one, it appears an elderly man and woman sit and read, but look closely, and you’ll see a floating teacup next to the man and small, bizarre alien protrusions on the man’s head, as well as the dog’s. In the next house, a giant elephant stares from the window, and in another, one very madcap, Carroll-esque tea party takes place. It’s as if the titular “what if” question serves two purposes: to reassure the boy (things could always be worse, or at least weirder), as well as to prompt his imagination, thereby calming his anxieties on the way to the shindig.

In an all-too-real twist, once the boy arrives at the party, it’s his mother who worries about his well-being as she heads home, but all’s well that ends well. When she picks him up, he’s had a blast.

Surreal and delightfully droll, this one’s a rare bird.

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

This article was originally published in the August 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

“Once there was a library that opened only at night.” Thus begins Kazuno Kohara’s endearing story of one devoted librarian who gets the job done—and gets it done right.

A young girl, braided hair flying as she zooms around with stacks of books, runs the library with the help of three assistant owls. It’s a busy library, but it’s quiet, as libraries are expected to be.

When a band of squirrels playing loud music shows up (they’re researching the next best song for their upcoming show), she shows them to the activity room. When a wolf cries copious tears over a sad story, she sits down with him, and they read together. After all, she and her assistants know the story has a happy ending. When a tortoise refuses to leave when it’s time to close the library (he has 500 pages of his book left), she makes him a library card—to his utter delight. As the sun rises, she reads a “bedtime” story to three tired owls.

And who wouldn’t want such a librarian? She knows how to match her readers with the perfect book; she tells stories to comfort her patrons; and she knows the wisdom of having a room in her library for raucous noise and fun. Best of all, she loves to read and encourages others to do so.

Kohara’s expertly wrought linocut prints are bright and appealing, dominated by simple shapes, heavy outlines and primarily blue, black and vivid orange. Children will delight over the library’s patrons, an array of creatures from farm animals to woodland creatures. This is an affectionate and joyous tale that will resonate with young readers—and book lovers of all ages.

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

This article was originally published in the July 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

The creators of The Three Ninja Pigs kick up the high—or rather hi-yah—intensity with another fractured fairy tale. Starting where the previous book ended, the hungry and defeated wolf secretly enrolls in a martial arts school, where he “jackknifed and flipped / and at last felt equipped / to once again catch a good meal.” When he meets Red deep in a bamboo forest, the carnivore quickly thinks up a plan to score a treat.

As the wolf beats Red to her grandmother’s house and dresses up in one of the grandmother’s kimonos, young readers will recognize many elements from the original tale. But before the wolf can gobble up Red, she tears off her cloak to strike a defensive pose . . . because she went to ninja school, too! Santat shows off his animation skills with digitally enhanced illustrations featuring comic-style, action-packed frames with Japanese cultural details. They serve the story well as the wolf and Red spar in an even match.

The rhythmic rhyme sets the hilarious tone in this energetic story. And in one of the funniest twists, it’s not the woodsman but a gi-clad Gran, back from tai chi, who helps save the day. After the wolf concedes and there are polite bows all around, Gran encourages the wolf to relieve his stress with some yoga instead. A familiar story wrapped in combat and humor—what more could a budding ninja want?

This article was originally published in the July 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

For many parents, getting the little ones to consent to sleep is a contest of wills requiring the skills of a diplomat. Fortunately, a terrific new picture book has arrived that can help families keep the peace. Sleep Tight, Anna Banana!, by mother-and-son team Dominique Roques and Alexis Dormal, shows that bedtime can be a blast, especially when the company includes a group of irresistible critters intent on making mischief.

Tucked in bed, flanked by her favorite stuffed pals, Anna Banana has her nose deep in a book despite her parents’ orders to go to sleep. Soon her fuzzy friends start to complain. They’re tired! Grizzler, Foxface, Whaley and the rest of the crew urge Anna to put out the light, but she’s too interested in her book to pay attention. When she’s finally ready to sleep, her friends give her a taste of her own medicine by pulling some pranks—a musical serenade, a sprint around the room—that make it impossible for her to snooze. After a bit of negotiating and an apology from Anna (“I’m sorry, my little peeps.”), the gang settles down for sweet dreams. Or so it seems . . .

First published in France, Roques’ appealing tale brims with late-night merriment. The story’s ebullient illustrations, presented panel-style and executed in mixed media by Dormal, bring this one-of-a-kind slumber party to life. Who knew that hitting the hay could be such fun? Once little readers become acquainted with Anna Banana, they’re bound to look forward to bedtime!

Don’t get too attached to the protagonist in Pardon Me! He pays the ultimate price for his bad behavior in this be-good-or-else cautionary tale from Daniel Miyares, his debut picture book as both author and illustrator.

A little yellow bird sits peacefully on the dry spot of a blue pond under a blue sky. Various animals approach the bird, looking for a spot to rest, saying merely “pardon me” as they have a seat next to the bird. When each new addition interrupts his reverie and further crowds his breathing room, the bird gripes sarcastically. Eventually, a fox tries to tell him what precisely he’s sitting on, but the bird interrupts the fox and gives everyone some serious what-for. They scatter.

It’s then revealed he’s sitting on a crocodile, who in the next spread belches loudly. Remembering his manners, he mutters a “pardon me.” All that remains of the bird is one yellow feather, floating on the water in the book’s final spread.

Miyares’ horizontally oriented digital mixed media art includes hand-lettered text and playful shadows. Just before the first animal appears, asking for a spot on the dry patch, we see its large shadow loom over the yellow bird, as it flies through the air and starts to land. It’s a moment of menace, as if foreshadowing the bird’s eventual doom. Miyares knows how to crowd his spreads (all the animals on the same dry patch) without overwhelming the reader, and puts red to effective use when the yellow bird selfishly snaps, making all the animals flee. The pacing at the end is spot-on and lets the sense of foreboding take its sweet time.

It’s straight talk about the food chain—and common courtesy—for young readers, and it makes for a good, laugh-out-loud storytime choice.

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

The co-creator of the best-selling Ladybug Girl series brings readers an entertaining tale of sibling camaraderie, starring three bears who live by the sea. Their story, a classic hero’s journey (home, adventure and home again), is one of excitement, danger, a little bit of mischief and lots of understated humor.

The three bears head out one day after knocking over their mother’s favorite blue seashell. (Naturally, they were after the honey, high on the mantelpiece.) If they can replace the shell, Mama will never know. They set out in a boat, passing other bears and finally meeting a “big, salty” captain of a bear, who tells them they’ll find what they’re looking for—but only if they look in the right place. He describes a faraway island, shaped like a “lumpy hat,” so that’s where the siblings go.

Even though the bears search the island, the watery world below (look for Soman’s impressive ability to personify an octopus), and nearly every spot on their way there, they are unable to find a beautiful blue shell. Grumpy and argumentative, they head back home. As they step ashore, where a solemn and towering Mama waits, they find a shimmering blue shell. It turns out that home is the “right place,” after all. Mama forgives them, but to keep things from getting too cloying, Soman closes the book with the very funny, matter-of-fact statement that they “didn’t get any dessert.”

Soman’s illustrations, showcasing all the blues and teals of a seafaring journey, are at turns majestic (the churning waters of a storm at sea) and laugh-out-loud funny (searching for seashells on a mountaintop, as a disgruntled ram humors them). Many story elements and illustrations call to mind other classic stories (Where the Wild Things Are and Moby Dick, to name two). This one utterly charms.

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

This article was originally published in the June 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

I feel confident that many of us will look back on 2014, once it’s all said and done, and acknowledge that Peter Sís plus Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was one of the best possible pairings. In The Pilot and the Little Prince, Sís explores the writer and aviator’s life, from childhood to death, with engaging reverence and intricate, detailed illustrations for which he’s won multiple awards.

It was an exciting time for science and discovery when Saint-Exupéry entered the world in 1900. After detailing his childhood and home life, Sís goes on to explore his adoration for flight, his occupational history, contributions to war efforts, travels around the world, writings and so much more.

Sís superbly maximizes the narration by filling his spreads—many of them breathtaking in their beauty, particularly those related to World War II and The Little Prince—with text that participates in each tableau. It scales mountains, swirls in waves and covers maps. Images are teeming with symbolism (Saint-Exupéry’s birth on page one depicts a swaddled baby with wings, suspended over a globe), and Sís fills the book with evocative art and words that take readers in many directions—but never overwhelming, thanks to Sís’ superb sense of design.

Saint-Exupéry’s dogged determination and passions for life and learning are communicated with veracity and an infectious energy that propel the story. It is a tale bursting with wonder. Given the whimsy and poetry of Saint-Exupéry’s most famous work, The Little Prince, it’s a joyous thing to see Sís take on the aviator’s life. In the hands of an author-illustrator with such a rich imagination, the story soars.

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

“Is it time?” asks Little Blue, who can’t wait to start the blue whales’ summer migration to their feeding ground. In this companion to Meet Me at the Moon, Gianna Marino’s tale of a mother elephant and her child, fathers now have their day. It’s Papa who responds to all of Little Blue’s questions, including the most important: How will they know which way to go? Offering reassurance to his little one and migration facts to young readers, Papa answers, “We’ll follow the song of the whales, Little Blue, just like our family has for years and years.”

Papa is never far away in Gianna Marino's newest picture book.

Luminous and textured mixed-media illustrations help create their ocean world and enhance the lyrical text. They also reflect the movement of both the creatures in the water and the water itself. Whether diving, swimming or leaping out of the water, Papa and Little Blue are always in sync, visually reinforcing their bond. The vibrant colors around them vary depending on their location, with cool blues and greens depicting underwater action and warmer yellows shining when Papa and Little Blue head to the surface.

Everything is put to the test, though, when Little Blue goes too deep in the ocean. At first the depth seems magical with pink and purples hues and amazing sea life, but it soon turns too dark and quiet. But when the little whale remembers to listen for his father’s song, he returns to Papa and learns that he’s never far away. Beautiful and sweet but never saccharine, Following Papa’s Song reminds readers of the amazing connection between parents and children.

The Farmer’s Away! Baa! Neigh!, written and illustrated by Anne Vittur Kennedy, uses rhythmic animal sounds and clever drawings to show that “when the cat’s away, the mice will play.”

When the farmer leaves on his tractor, the farm animals wait in the wings, peeking around the barn until the farmer is out of sight. Then the fun begins: The animals cluck, neigh and tweet, grab inner tubes and float in the creek. They picnic in the grass and eat corn on the cob, watermelon and pie. The dog jumps up, laughing and pointing at a fish in the horse’s glass of lemonade. Snakes, bees and birds blast down a rollercoaster so fast that their ice cream lifts off the cone. The pigs show off on waterskis as they balance sheep, frogs and a cow in a polka-dot suit. There is a hot-air balloon ride, and later, at a twilight gala, all the animals—dressed to the nines—dance the night away.

When the dog sees the farmer coming down the road, he barks an alert, and the animals shed their party garb in an explosion of hats and feathers, cupcakes and maraschino cherries. Will they make it back to the barn in time? Will the farmer hear the “eek” of a mouse running by in her party gown?

Preschoolers will love the crazy antics of farm animals making the most of a day off. The detailed, fun-filled illustrations will make frequent reading a pleasure.

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

The city of Hamburg has become a prison for its smallest citizens. Where once they ate their fill and ran the streets freely, the invention of the mousetrap has forced mice underground. Some flee by ship, but the ports are now guarded by cats, and owls watch from every steeple. One mouse has a revelation when he sees bats flying overhead: They’re little more than mice with wings, so who’s to say a mouse can’t fly? The adventures in Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse are ready for takeoff.

Author and illustrator Torben Kuhlmann shows off the mouse’s many failed attempts at flight, which resemble the first real flying machines. The mouse risks capture, sneaking into toy boxes to steal a spring or wire. The illustrations capture the panoramic views of a train station or city street, as well as the intimacy of an inventor’s workroom, complete with design sketches, prototypes and teeny-tiny mouse tools. These scenes are largely dark, both with night and fog, which makes the yellow eyes of predators a shock when they appear.

At 96 pages this is an involved tale, leading up to the mouse’s transatlantic flight and eventual resettling in New York, where his aeronautic feats inspire a young Charles Lindbergh. The stories play against each other well and should keep young kids riveted to the adventure, while older ones may be inspired to craft their own inventions.

When Lindbergh lands safely, all is well. This book is a nice introduction to the history of flight, but also a great lesson in creative inspiration and the way it can come from the most unexpected places.

Heather Seggel reads too much and writes all about it in Northern California.

When you open a children’s book, it’s not fair to expect the characters to be ready every time. This is especially true if it’s by Hervé Tullet, the New York Times best-selling author of Press Here. When you open the equally inventive Help! We Need a Title!, you find a princess and a pig tossing a ball together until they notice that you, the reader, have arrived. “Hey! Someone’s watching us! . . . And they’ve opened our book!” The full cast of characters appear and realize that—of course—you would like a story.

Fluid, childlike multimedia illustrations with plenty of doodles, marks, cross-outs and splashes of color, all set against a white background, depict this band of merrymakers as they try to introduce a beautiful landscape backdrop and even a villain to the book. But it takes an author to make a story! The characters call out to Tullet, who greets everyone (including you) from his studio. Portrayed with a photographic snapshot head and an illustrated body, Tullet, who’s not finished writing yet, offers “one teeny, tiny story” featuring all the characters.

When the characters display their disappointment, Tullet suggests finding more stories in the books around us. While adult readers will recognize this picture book as brilliant metafiction, children will simply enjoy their interactive role with the characters and the author. But first, we need to give it a title!